Abstract
The Azotobacter vinelandii nifE gene was isolated and its complete nucleotide sequence was determined. The amino acid sequences deduced from the A. vinelandii nifE and nifD gene sequences were compared and found to share striking primary sequence homology. This homology implies a functional and possibly an evolutionary relationship between these two gene products. The structural homology is discussed with regard to the potential FeMo cofactor binding properties of these polypeptides and the possible role of a nifEN product complex as a surrogate MoFe protein.
Keywords: FeMo cofactor, DNA sequence, nitrogenase, nitrogen fixation
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bagdasarian M., Lurz R., Rückert B., Franklin F. C., Bagdasarian M. M., Frey J., Timmis K. N. Specific-purpose plasmid cloning vectors. II. Broad host range, high copy number, RSF1010-derived vectors, and a host-vector system for gene cloning in Pseudomonas. Gene. 1981 Dec;16(1-3):237–247. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(81)90080-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Beynon J., Cannon M., Buchanan-Wollaston V., Cannon F. The nif promoters of Klebsiella pneumoniae have a characteristic primary structure. Cell. 1983 Sep;34(2):665–671. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90399-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bishop P. E., Jarlenski D. M., Hetherington D. R. Evidence for an alternative nitrogen fixation system in Azotobacter vinelandii. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Dec;77(12):7342–7346. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.12.7342. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hase T., Wakabayashi S., Nakano T., Zumft W. G., Matsubara H. Structural homologies between the amino acid sequence of Clostridium pasteurianum MoFe protein and the DNA sequences of nifD and K genes of phylogenetically diverse bacteria. FEBS Lett. 1984 Jan 23;166(1):39–43. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(84)80040-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hawkes T. R., McLean P. A., Smith B. E. Nitrogenase from nifV mutants of Klebsiella pneumoniae contains an altered form of the iron-molybdenum cofactor. Biochem J. 1984 Jan 1;217(1):317–321. doi: 10.1042/bj2170317. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lammers P. J., Haselkorn R. Sequence of the nifD gene coding for the alpha subunit of dinitrogenase from the cyanobacterium Anabaena. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 Aug;80(15):4723–4727. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.15.4723. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Messing J. New M13 vectors for cloning. Methods Enzymol. 1983;101:20–78. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(83)01005-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Roberts G. P., MacNeil T., MacNeil D., Brill W. J. Regulation and characterization of protein products coded by the nif (nitrogen fixation) genes of Klebsiella pneumoniae. J Bacteriol. 1978 Oct;136(1):267–279. doi: 10.1128/jb.136.1.267-279.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sanger F., Nicklen S., Coulson A. R. DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Dec;74(12):5463–5467. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.12.5463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shah V. K., Brill W. J. Isolation of an iron-molybdenum cofactor from nitrogenase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Aug;74(8):3249–3253. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.8.3249. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shah V. K., Davis I. C., Gordon J. K., Orme-Johnson W. H., Brill W. J. Nitrogenase. 3. Nitrogenaseless mutants of Azotobacter vinelandii: activities, cross-reactions and EPR spectra. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Jan 18;292(1):246–255. doi: 10.1016/0005-2728(73)90269-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ugalde R. A., Imperial J., Shah V. K., Brill W. J. Biosynthesis of iron-molybdenum cofactor in the absence of nitrogenase. J Bacteriol. 1984 Sep;159(3):888–893. doi: 10.1128/jb.159.3.888-893.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]