Dilworth M J, Eady R R
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Murdoch University, Western Australia.
Biochem J. 1991 Jul 15;277 ( Pt 2)(Pt 2):465-8. doi: 10.1042/bj2770465.
During the enzymic reduction of N2 to NH3 by Mo-nitrogenase, free hydrazine (N2H4) is not detectable, but an enzyme-bound intermediate can be made to yield N2H4 by quenching the enzyme during turnover [Thorneley, Eady & Lowe (1978) Nature (London) 272, 557-558]. In contrast, we show here that the V-nitrogenase of Azotobacter chroococcum produces a small but significant amount of free N2H4 (up to 0.5% of the electron flux resulting in N2 reduction) as a product of the reduction of N2. The amount of N2H4 formed increased 15-fold on increasing the assay temperature from 20 degrees C to 40 degrees C. Activity cross-reactions between nitrogenase components of Mo- and V-nitrogenases showed that the formation of free N2H4 was associated with the VFe protein. These data provide the first direct evidence for an enzyme intermediate at the four-electron-reduced level during the reduction of N2 by V-nitrogenase.
在钼固氮酶将N₂酶促还原为NH₃的过程中,未检测到游离肼(N₂H₄),但在周转过程中通过淬灭酶,一种与酶结合的中间体可产生N₂H₄[索恩利、伊迪和洛(1978年),《自然》(伦敦)272, 557 - 558]。相比之下,我们在此表明,褐球固氮菌的钒固氮酶会产生少量但显著量的游离N₂H₄(高达导致N₂还原的电子通量的0.5%),作为N₂还原的产物。将测定温度从20℃提高到40℃时,形成的N₂H₄量增加了15倍。钼固氮酶和钒固氮酶的固氮酶组分之间的活性交叉反应表明,游离N₂H₄的形成与VFe蛋白有关。这些数据为钒固氮酶将N₂还原过程中处于四电子还原水平的酶中间体提供了首个直接证据。