Stoichiometry of electron uptake and oxidation-reduction midpoint potentials of NADH:nitrate reductase

Microcoulometric titrations of NADH:nitrate reductase at 25 degrees C in Mops buffer, pH 7.0, showed that the native enzyme, containing functional FAD, haem and Mo, required addition of five electrons for complete reduction. Reduction of the native enzyme occurred in three waves corresponding to addition of reducing equivalents to the centres in the order: Mo, haem, FAD. Oxidation-reduction midpoint potentials (E'0) for the various redox couples were calculated to be as follows: MoVI/MoV, +16 mV; MoV/MoIV, -27 mV; haemoxidized/haemreduced, -172 mV; FAD/FADH2, -283 mV. The values for the haem and flavin are in excellent agreement with those obtained by visible titrations, namely -164 mV and -288 mV respectively. In contrast, the results for the Mo centre are 28-50 mV more positive than the values previously determined by e.p.r. analysis of frozen enzyme samples poised at defined potentials at 25 degrees C and suggest different pH-dependencies or entropies of reduction for the Mo couples.