Characterization of two cytochrome b6 proteins from the cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421

In the genome of the untypical cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421 two potential cytochrome b (6) proteins PetB1 and PetB2 are encoded. Such a situation has not been observed in cyanobacteria, algae and higher plants before, and both proteins are not characterized at all yet. Here, we show that both apo-proteins bind heme with high affinity and the spectroscopic characteristics of both holo-proteins are distinctive for cytochrome b (6) proteins. However, while in PetB2 one histidine residue, which corresponds to H100 and serves as an axial ligand for heme b (H) in PetB1, is mutated, both PetB proteins bind two heme molecules with different midpoint potentials. To recreate the canonical heme b (H) binding cavity in PetB2 we introduced a histidine residue at the position corresponding to H100 in PetB1 and subsequently characterized the generated protein variant. The presented data indicate that two bona fide cytochrome b (6) proteins are encoded in Gloeobacter violaceus. Furthermore, the two petB genes of Gloeobacter violaceus are each organized in an operon together with a petD gene. Potential causes and consequences of the petB and petD gene heterogeneity are discussed.