Proton-translocating nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase. Reconstitution of the extramembranous nucleotide-binding domains.

The nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase of bovine mitochondria is a homodimer of monomer M(r) = 109,065. The monomer is composed of three domains, an NH2-terminal 430-residue-long hydrophilic domain I that binds NAD(H), a central 400-residue-long hydrophobic domain II that is largely membrane intercalated and carries the enzyme's proton channel, and a COOH-terminal 200-residue-long hydrophilic domain III that binds NADP(H). Domains I and III protrude into the mitochondrial matrix, where they presumably come together to form the enzyme's catalytic site. The two-subunit transhydrogenase of Escherichia coli and the three-subunit transhydrogenase of Rhodospirillum rubrum have each the same overall tridomain hydropathy profile as the bovine enzyme. Domain I of the R. rubrum enzyme (the alpha 1 subunit) is water soluble and easily removed from the chromatophore membranes. We have isolated domain I of the bovine transhydrogenase after controlled trypsinolysis of the purified enzyme and have expressed in E. coli and purified therefrom domain III of this enzyme. This paper shows that an active bidomain transhydrogenase lacking domain II can be reconstituted by the combination of purified bovine domains I plus III or R. rubrum domain I plus bovine domain III.