Mössbauer characterization of the metal clusters in Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase VFe protein

The VFe protein of alternative nitrogenase, isolated from Azotobacter vinelandii, strain LS15 and designated as Av1', has been investigated by Mössbauer spectroscopy. The Mössbauer spectrum of the dithionite-reduced Av1', recorded at 4.2 K with a 60-millitesla magnetic field applied parallel to the gamma-beam, is a superposition of three spectral components: 1) a complex spectrum (the M component) with magnetic hyperfine structures attributed to the paramagnetic FeV cofactor, 2) a component (the P component) consisting of three quadrupole doublets identifiable as the Fe2+, D, and S doublets similar to those observed for the P cluster pairs in MoFe proteins, and 3) a minor (4% of total absorption) quadrupole doublet attributable to adventitiously bound iron. The observed 4.2-K parameters for the Fe2+ (delta EQ = 2.99 mm/s and delta = 0.64 mm/s), D (delta EQ = 0.75 mm/s and delta = 0.63 mm/s), and S (delta EQ = 1.2 mm/s and delta = 0.65 mm/s) iron sites and their temperature dependence are very similar to those observed for the P cluster pairs in the conventional MoFe proteins. Similar to those of the MoFe protein, strong field spectra indicate that these doublets are associated with a diamagnetic system. Their percent absorption intensities (Fe(2+)/D/S = 13.0:32.2:6.8) determined at 4.2 K after the removal of the contributions from the adventitiously bound iron are comparable to those of the P cluster pairs in MoFe proteins. These observations established that Av1' also contains P cluster pairs that are identical, in both composition and quantity, to those of the MoFe proteins; i.e. each molecule contains two P cluster pairs and each pair is formed by two Fe2+, five D, and one S iron sites. Considering that 52% absorption of the P component corresponding to two 8Fe clusters, the remaining 48% absorption determined for the M component is consistent with two 7Fe-containing FeV cofactors/molecule of Av1'. The fact that both P cluster pairs are found in the diamagnetic states implies that the S = 3/2 and S = 1/2 signals detected in earlier EPR measurements are associated with the FeV cofactor and suggests a spin mixture for the FeV cofactor in the dithionite-reduced Av1'.