Radical SAM-dependent formation of a nitrogenase cofactor core on NifB
Yiling A Liu1, Robert Quechol1, Joseph B Solomon2
1Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, United States of America.
Abstract:
Nitrogenase is a versatile metalloenzyme that reduces N2, CO and CO2 at its cofactor site. Designated the M-cluster, this complex cofactor has a composition of [(R-homocitrate)MoFe7S9C], and it is assembled through the generation of a unique [Fe8S9C] core prior to the insertion of Mo and homocitrate. NifB is a radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) enzyme that is essential for nitrogenase cofactor assembly. This review focuses on the recent work that sheds light on the role of NifB in the formation of the [Fe8S9C] core of the nitrogenase cofactor, highlighting the structure, function and mechanism of this unique radical SAM methyltransferase.
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