Purification and properties of a four iron-four sulfur protein from a Pseudomonas species

We have isolated an iron-sulfur proteins from a Pseudomonas species grown on glucose. This protein has different properties from the two known iron-sulfur proteins isolated from other Pseudomonas species: rubredoxin and putidaredoxin. The iron-sulfur protein was purified to homogeneity by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. The absorption spectrum of the oxidized iron-sulfur protein shows a peak at 283 nm with shoulders at about 290, 320, and 410 nm. The protein contains 4 g atoms of iron and 4 moles of labile sulfur per mole of protein, and has a molecular weight of approximately 14,000. The amino acid composition of the protein shows a predominance of acidic amino acids. The Pseudomonas protein was found to be active for both photosynthetic nicotinamide nucleotide reduction by chloroplasts and cytochrome c reduction by spinach ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase [EC 1.6.7.1]. On the basis of these results, this protein appears to be unique among all known ferredoxins. From an evolutionary point of view, it appears to be more closely related to Azotobacter ferredoxin than to Desulfovibrio ferredoxin.