Dinitrogenase reductase- and MgATP-dependent maturation of apodinitrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii

The requirements for iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co) activation of apodinitrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii strain UW97, which lacks dinitrogenase reductase activity as assayed by substrate reduction, have been examined. Activation of apodinitrogenase from strain UW97 by FeMo-co requires the addition of both dinitrogenase reductase and MgATP. When the same apodinitrogenase is pretreated with dinitrogenase reductase and MgATP and then partially purified, however, it does not require these components for activation by FeMo-co. This suggests that dinitrogenase reductase and MgATP are involved in processing apodinitrogenase to a FeMo-co activatable form. This processing step coincides with a change in the subunit composition of apodinitrogenase from alpha 2 beta 2 to a form with an additional subunit (gamma) attached. The apodinitrogenase with the associated gamma subunit is apparently the form of the protein that is competent for activation by FeMo-co.