Optimization of FeMoco maturation on NifEN

Mo-nitrogenase catalyzes the reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia at the cofactor (i.e., FeMoco) site of its MoFe protein component. Biosynthesis of FeMoco involves NifEN, a scaffold protein that hosts the maturation of a precursor to a mature FeMoco before it is delivered to the target location in the MoFe protein. Previously, we have shown that the NifEN-bound precursor could be converted in vitro to a fully complemented "FeMoco" in the presence of 2 mM dithionite. However, such a conversion was incomplete, and Mo was only loosely associated with the NifEN-bound "FeMoco". Here we report the optimized maturation of the NifEN-associated precursor in 20 mM dithionite. Activity analyses show that upon the optimal conversion of precursor to "FeMoco", NifEN is capable of activating a FeMoco-deficient form of MoFe protein to the same extent as the isolated FeMoco. Furthermore, EPR and XAS/EXAFS analyses reveal the presence of a tightly organized Mo site in NifEN-bound "FeMoco", which allows the observation of a FeMoco-like S = 3/2 EPR signal and the modeling of a NifEN-bound "FeMoco" that adopts a conformation very similar to that of the MoFe protein-associated FeMoco. The sensitivity of FeMoco maturation to dithionite concentration suggests an essential role of redox chemistry in this process, and the optimal potential of dithionite solution could serve as a guideline for future identification of in vivo electron donors for FeMoco maturation.