Comparison of the structural and kinetic properties of the cytochrome c nitrite reductases from Escherichia coli, Wolinella succinogenes, Sulfurospirillum deleyianum and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans

Abstract

The recent crystallographic characterization of NrfAs from Sulfurospirillum deleyianum, Wolinella succinogenes, Escherichia coli and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans allows structurally conserved regions to be identified. Comparison of nitrite and sulphite reductase activities from different bacteria shows that the relative activities vary according to organism. By comparison of both amino acid sequences and structures, differences can be identified in the monomer-monomer interface and the active-site channel; these differences could be responsible for the observed variance in substrate activity and indicate that subtle changes in the NrfA structure may optimize the enzyme for different roles.