Characterizing the Biosynthesis of the [Fe(II)(CN)(CO)2(cysteinate)]- Organometallic Product of the Radical-SAM Enzyme HydG by EPR and Mössbauer Spectroscopy

J Phys Chem B. 2023 Nov 2;127(43):9295-9302. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c05495. Epub 2023 Oct 20.

Abstract

[FeFe]-hydrogenases employ a catalytic H-cluster, consisting of a [4Fe-4S]H cluster linked to a [2Fe]H subcluster with CO, CN- ligands, and an azadithiolate bridge, which mediates the rapid redox interconversion of H+ and H2. In the biosynthesis of this H-cluster active site, the radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (radical SAM, RS) enzyme HydG plays the crucial role of generating an organometallic [Fe(II)(CN)(CO)2(cysteinate)]- product that is en route to forming the H-cluster. Here, we report direct observation of this diamagnetic organometallic Fe(II) complex through Mössbauer spectroscopy, revealing an isomer shift of δ = 0.10 mm s-1 and quadrupole splitting of ΔEQ = 0.66 mm s-1. These Mössbauer values are a change from the starting values of δ = 1.15 mm s-1 and ΔEQ = 3.23 mm s-1 for the ferrous "dangler" Fe in HydG. These values of the observed product complex B are in good agreement with Mössbauer parameters for the low-spin Fe2+ ions in synthetic analogues, such as 57Fe Syn-B, which we report here. These results highlight the essential role that HydG plays in converting a resting-state high-spin Fe(II) to a low-spin organometallic Fe(II) product that can be transferred to the downstream maturase enzymes.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Catalysis
  • Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Ferrous Compounds
  • Hydrogenase* / metabolism
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins* / chemistry
  • Methionine
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Spectroscopy, Mossbauer

Substances

  • Methionine
  • Hydrogenase
  • Ferrous Compounds
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins