Purification and properties of paramagnetic protein from Clostridium pasteurianum W5.

The purification to homogeneity of the non-heme iron protein, sometimes referred to as either "red protein" or "paramagnetic protein", from Clostridium pasteurianum W5 extracts is described and its physicochemical properties studied. This paramagnetic protein (g= 1.94) has a molecular weight of about 25000 and contains two iron and two acid-labile sulfur atoms per mol of protein. Its midpoint potential at pH 7.5, as determined by electron paramagnetic resonance titration, is -300 mV. Optical circular dichroism and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the paramagnetic protein are similar to those of two iron-two acid-labile sulfur ferredoxins. The biochemical reduction of the purified protein was also studied.