Spectroscopic and Electrochemical Characterization of the Mycofactocin Biosynthetic Protein, MftC, Provides Insight into Its Redox Flipping Mechanism

Biochemistry. 2019 Feb 19;58(7):940-950. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b01082. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Abstract

Mycofactocin is a putative redox cofactor and is classified as a ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP). Some RiPP natural products, including mycofactocin, rely on a radical S-adenosylmethionine (RS, SAM) protein to modify the precursor peptide. Mycofactocin maturase, MftC, is a unique RS protein that catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation and C-C bond formation on the precursor peptide MftA. However, the number, chemical nature, and catalytic roles for the MftC [Fe-S] clusters remain unknown. Here, we report that MftC binds a RS [4Fe-4S] cluster and two auxiliary [4Fe-4S] clusters that are required for MftA modification. Furthermore, electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of MftC suggest that SAM and MftA affect the environments of the RS and Aux I cluster, whereas the Aux II cluster is unaffected by the substrates. Lastly, reduction potential assignments of individual [4Fe-4S] clusters by protein film voltammetry show that their potentials are within 100 mV of each other.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Catalysis
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Cysteine / chemistry
  • Electrochemical Techniques
  • Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / chemistry*
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / genetics
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mycobacterium ulcerans / chemistry
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • S-Adenosylmethionine / metabolism
  • Spectroscopy, Mossbauer

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins
  • S-Adenosylmethionine
  • Cysteine