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Ferredoxin reduction by hydrogen with iron functions as an evolutionary precursor of flavin-based electron bifurcation.

ABSTRACT: Autotrophic theories for the origin of metabolism posit that the first cells satisfied their carbon needs from CO₂ and were chemolithoautotrophs that obtained their energy and electrons from H₂. The acetyl-CoA pathway of CO₂ fixation is central to that view because of its antiquity: Among known CO₂ fixing pathways it is the only one that is i) exergonic, ii) occurs in both bacteria and archaea, and iii) can be functionally replaced in full by single transition metal catalysts in vitro. In order to operate in cells at a pH close to 7, however, the acetyl-CoA pathway requires complex multi-enzyme systems capable of flavin-based electron bifurcation that reduce low potential ferredoxin-the physiological donor of electrons in the acetyl-CoA pathway-with electrons from H₂. How can the acetyl-CoA pathway be primordial if it requires flavin-based electron bifurcation? Here, we show that native iron (Fe⁰), but not Ni⁰, Co⁰, Mo⁰, NiFe, Ni₂Fe, Ni₃Fe, or Fe₃O₄, promotes the H₂-dependent reduction of aqueous Clostridium pasteurianum ferredoxin at pH 8.5 or higher within a few hours at 40 °C, providing the physiological function of flavin-based electron bifurcation, but without the help of enzymes or organic redox cofactors. H₂-dependent ferredoxin reduction by iron ties primordial ferredoxin reduction and early metabolic evolution to a chemical process in the Earth's crust promoted by solid-state iron, a metal that is still deposited in serpentinizing hydrothermal vents today.

SUBMITTER: Brabender M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7615787 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Ferredoxin reduction by hydrogen with iron functions as an evolutionary precursor of flavin-based electron bifurcation.

Brabender Max M Henriques Pereira Delfina P DP Mrnjavac Natalia N Schlikker Manon Laura ML Kimura Zen-Ichiro ZI Sucharitakul Jeerus J Kleinermanns Karl K Tüysüz Harun H Buckel Wolfgang W Preiner Martina M Martin William F WF

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20240321 13

Autotrophic theories for the origin of metabolism posit that the first cells satisfied their carbon needs from CO2 and were chemolithoautotrophs that obtained their energy and electrons from H2. The acetyl-CoA pathway of CO2 fixation is central to that view because of its antiquity: Among known CO2 fixing pathways it is the only one that is i) exergonic, ii) occurs in both bacteria and archaea, and iii) can be functionally replaced in full by single tr ...[more]

PMID: 38513105

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Project description:NADH-dependent reduced ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase (Nfn) is an electron-bifurcating enzyme first discovered in the strict anaerobes Clostridium kluyveri and Moorella thermoacetica. In vivo, Nfn catalyzes the endergonic reduction of NADP+ with NADH coupled to the exergonic reduction of NADP+ with reduced ferredoxin. Most Nfn homologs consist of two subunits, although in certain species Nfn homologs are fused. In contrast to other electron-bifurcating enzymes, Nfn possess a simpler structure. Therefore, Nfn becomes a perfect model to determine the mechanism of flavin-based electron bifurcation, which is a novel energy coupling mode distributed among anaerobic bacteria and archaea. The crystal structures of Nfn from Thermotoga maritima and Pyrococcus furiosus are known, and studies have shown that the FAD molecule of the NfnB (b-FAD) is the site of electron bifurcation, and other cofactors, including a [2Fe2S] cluster, two [4Fe4S] clusters, and the FAD molecule on the NfnA subunit, contribute to electron transfer. Further, the short-lived anionic flavin semiquinone (ASQ) state of b-FAD is essential for electron bifurcation. Nfn homologs are widely distributed among microbes, including bacteria, archaea, and probably eukaryotes, most of which are anaerobes despite that certain species are facultative microbes and even aerobes. Moreover, potential evidence shows that lateral gene transfer may occur in the evolution of this enzyme. Nfn homologs present four different structural patterns, including the well-characterized NfnAB and three different kinds of fused Nfn homologs whose detailed properties have not been characterized. These findings indicate that gene fusion/fission and gene rearrangement may contribute to the evolution of this enzyme. Under physiological conditions, Nfn catalyzes the reduction of NADP+ with NADH and reduced ferredoxin, which is then used in certain NADPH-dependent reactions. Deletion of nfn in several microbes causes low growth and redox unbalance and may influence the distribution of fermentation products. It's also noteworthy that different Nfn homologs perform different functions according to its circumstance. Physiological functions of Nfn indicate that it can be a potential tool in the metabolic engineering of industrial microorganisms, which can regulate the redox potential in vivo.

Project description:In order to obtain a global view of energy metabolism pathways of the sulfate-reducer Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough and the proteins involved therein whole-genome microarrays were used to compare the transcriptional response of cells grown with hydrogen/sulfate, pyruvate/sulfate, lactate/thiosulfate, and pyruvate with limiting sulfate, relative to growth in standard lactate/sulfate condition. Growth with hydrogen/sulfate showed the largest number of differently expressed genes and the largest changes in expression levels. The most up-regulated energy metabolism genes were those coding for the periplasmic [NiFeSe] hydrogenase, followed by the Ech hydrogenase, and the most down-regulated were genes coding for the Coo hydrogenase. The results point to the involvement of formate cycling and the ethanol pathway during growth on hydrogen, whereas there is evidence for CO cycling during growth on lactate and pyruvate, but not on H2. Growth with thiosulfate showed the hallmarks of a reduced energy status of the cells with down regulation of the ATP synthase and the Qmo and Dsr complexes., whereas growth with pyruvate showed the smallest differences but an increased role for the Ech hydrogenase.that in this case functions in reverse from the case of growth with H2. The multiple periplasmic hydrogenases and formate dehydrogenases, do not display the same regulation pattern showing that their metabolic roles are not totally interchangeable. This result together with the observation that several genes coding for proteins that have not been biochemically characterised were considerably affected in this study, reveals a more complex energy metabolism than previously considered and provides guidance for further studies. Keywords: Growth protocol Desulfovibrio vulgaris from our laboratory culture collection was cultured at 37°C with hydrogen as the only electron donor (with sulfate as the electron acceptor) to mid-log phase. Cultures were also cultivated similarly using lactate as the sole electron donor to mid-log phase. Gene expression profiles of cultures grown with hydrogen as the electron donor were compared with those of the cultures grown with lactate as the electron donor for sulfate reduction. Total RNA was harvested from four replicate cultures for microarray analysis. RNA extraction, purification, and labeling were performed independently on each cell sample.Two samples of each total RNA preparation were labeled, one with Cy3-dUTP and another with Cy5-dUTP for microarray hybridization (dye swap).

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Ferredoxin reduction by hydrogen with iron functions as an evolutionary precursor of flavin-based electron bifurcation.

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Ferredoxin reduction by hydrogen with iron functions as an evolutionary precursor of flavin-based electron bifurcation.

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