Molybdenum Storage Protein Research Articles

The molybdenum storage protein forms and deposits distinct polynuclear tungsten oxygen aggregates

Some N2-fixing bacteria store Mo to maintain the formation of the vital FeMo-cofactor dependent nitrogenase under Mo depleting conditions. The Mo storage protein (MoSto), developed for this purpose, has the unique capability to compactly deposit molybdate as polyoxometalate (POM) clusters in a (αβ)3 hexameric cage; the same occurs with the physicochemically related tungstate. To explore the structural diversity of W-based POM clusters, MoSto loaded under different conditions with tungstate and two site-specifically modified MoSto variants were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography or single-particle cryo-EM. The MoSto cage contains five major locations for POM clusters occupied among others by heptanuclear, Keggin ion and even Dawson-like species also found in bulk solvent under defined conditions. We found both lacunary derivatives of these archetypical POM clusters with missing WOx units at positions exposed to bulk solvent and expanded derivatives with additional WOx units next to protecting polypeptide segments or other POM clusters. The cryo-EM map, unexpectedly, reveals a POM cluster in the cage center anchored to the wall by a WOx linker. Interestingly, distinct POM cluster structures can originate from identical, highly occupied core fragments of three to seven WOx units that partly correspond to those found in MoSto loaded with molybdate. These core fragments are firmly bound to the complementary protein template in contrast to the more variable, less occupied residual parts of the visible POM clusters. Due to their higher stability, W-based POM clusters are, on average, larger and more diverse than their Mo-based counterparts.

Molybdate pumping into the molybdenum storage protein via an ATP-powered piercing mechanism

The molybdenum storage protein (MoSto) deposits large amounts of molybdenum as polyoxomolybdate clusters in a heterohexameric (αβ)3 cage-like protein complex under ATP consumption. Here, we suggest a unique mechanism for the ATP-powered molybdate pumping process based on X-ray crystallography, cryoelectron microscopy, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, and mutational studies of MoSto from Azotobacter vinelandii. First, we show that molybdate, ATP, and Mg2+ consecutively bind into the open ATP-binding groove of the β-subunit, which thereafter becomes tightly locked by fixing the previously disordered N-terminal arm of the α-subunit over the β-ATP. Next, we propose a nucleophilic attack of molybdate onto the γ-phosphate of β-ATP, analogous to the similar reaction of the structurally related UMP kinase. The formed instable phosphoric-molybdic anhydride becomes immediately hydrolyzed and, according to the current data, the released and accelerated molybdate is pressed through the cage wall, presumably by turning aside the Metβ149 side chain. A structural comparison between MoSto and UMP kinase provides valuable insight into how an enzyme is converted into a molecular machine during evolution. The postulated direct conversion of chemical energy into kinetic energy via an activating molybdate kinase and an exothermic pyrophosphatase reaction to overcome a proteinous barrier represents a novelty in ATP-fueled biochemistry, because normally, ATP hydrolysis initiates large-scale conformational changes to drive a distant process.

Genetic and Biochemical Analysis of the Azotobacter vinelandii Molybdenum Storage Protein.

The N2 fixing bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii carries a molybdenum storage protein, referred to as MoSto, able to bind 25-fold more Mo than needed for maximum activity of its Mo nitrogenase. Here we have investigated a plausible role of MoSto as obligate intermediate in the pathway that provides Mo for the biosynthesis of nitrogenase iron–molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co). The in vitro FeMo-co synthesis and insertion assay demonstrated that purified MoSto functions as Mo donor and that direct interaction with FeMo-co biosynthetic proteins stimulated Mo donation. The phenotype of an A. vinelandii strain lacking the MoSto subunit genes (ΔmosAB) was analyzed. Consistent with its role as storage protein, the ΔmosAB strain showed severe impairment to accumulate intracellular Mo and lower resilience than wild type to Mo starvation as demonstrated by decreased in vivo nitrogenase activity and competitive growth index. In addition, it was more sensitive than the wild type to diazotrophic growth inhibition by W. The ΔmosAB strain was found to readily derepress vnfDGK upon Mo step down, in contrast to the wild type that derepressed Vnf proteins only after prolonged Mo starvation. The ΔmosAB mutation was then introduced in a strain lacking V and Fe-only nitrogenase structural genes (Δvnf Δanf) to investigate possible compensations from these alternative systems. When grown in Mo-depleted medium, the ΔmosAB and mosAB+ strains showed low but similar nitrogenase activities regardless of the presence of Vnf proteins. This study highlights the selective advantage that MoSto confers to A. vinelandii in situations of metal limitation as those found in many soil ecosystems. Such a favorable trait should be included in the gene complement of future nitrogen fixing plants.

The Molybdenum Storage Protein: A soluble ATP hydrolysis-dependent molybdate pump.

A continuous FeMo cofactor supply for nitrogenase maturation is ensured in Azotobacter vinelandii by developing a cage-like molybdenum storage protein (MoSto) capable to store ca. 120 molybdate molecules ( ) as discrete polyoxometalate (POM) clusters. To gain mechanistic insight into this process, MoSto was characterized by Mo and ATP/ADP content, structural, and kinetic analysis. We defined three functionally relevant states specified by the presence of both ATP/ADP and POM clusters (MoStofunct ), of only ATP/ADP (MoStobasal ) and of neither ATP/ADP nor POM clusters (MoStozero ), respectively. POM clusters are only produced when ATP is hydrolyzed to ADP and phosphate. Vmax was ca. 13 μmolphosphate ·min-1 ·mg-1 and Km for molybdate and ATP/Mg2+ in the low micromolar range. ATP hydrolysis presumably proceeds at subunit α, inferred from a highly occupied α-ATP/Mg2+ and a weaker occupied β-ATP/no Mg2+ -binding site found in the MoStofunct structure. Several findings indicate that POM cluster storage is separated into a rapid ATP hydrolysis-dependent molybdate transport across the protein cage wall and a slow molybdate assembly induced by combined auto-catalytic and protein-driven processes. The cage interior, the location of the POM cluster depot, is locked in all three states and thus not rapidly accessible for molybdate from the outside. Based on Vmax , the entire Mo storage process should be completed in less than 10 s but requires, according to the molybdate content analysis, ca. 15 min. Long-time incubation of MoStobasal with nonphysiological high molybdate amounts implicates an equilibrium in and outside the cage and POM cluster self-formation without ATP hydrolysis. DATABASES: The crystal structures MoSto in the MoSto-F6, MoSto-F7, MoStobasal , MoStozero , and MoSto-F1vitro states were deposited to PDB under the accession numbers PDB 6GU5, 6GUJ, 6GWB, 6GWV, and 6GX4.

The molybdenum storage protein — A bionanolab for creating experimentally alterable polyoxomolybdate clusters

Various N2-fixing bacteria contain a cage-like molybdenum storage protein (MoSto) that deposits more than 100 Mo as discrete polyoxomolybdate (POMo) clusters. To explore the relationship between modifiable cage properties/preparation conditions on one side and the types of POMo clusters formed on the other we established a recombinant production system for MoSto of Azotobacter vinelandii and prepared site-specifically mutated, “in vivo-like and in vitro” POMo cluster-loaded and POMo cluster-free MoSto. Seven representative X-ray structures revealed highly different POMo clusters inside architecturally rather related MoSto cages. The only significant structural difference includes a small polypeptide segment, the β-linker, which protrudes differently far into the cage interior. The β-linker is positioned outwards in in vivo-like structures of MoSto (treated with ATP and Na2MoO4 during preparation) and inwards in in vitro structures (obtained after loading the purified POMo-cluster free MoSto with ATP and Na2MoO4). Non-covalent Mo8, Mo6–7 and Mo8–14 clusters are exclusively present in in vivo-like structures. Instead, in vitro structures contain a new well-defined Mo5-7 cluster II. The digit(s) behind Mo defines the (variable) number of metal atoms in the respective POMo clusters. In comparison to the native MoSto structures the Lα131H variant is characterized by a new non-covalent Mo3 cluster and a ca. 5 Å shifted Mo5–7 cluster II, by which the covalent Mo8 cluster becomes structurally modified. Altogether, the unique bionanolab in the MoSto cage is able to create a large variety of POMo clusters by expansions, fusions and positional/orientational variations of a few discrete polynuclear Mo-O building blocks.

Serial millisecond crystallography for routine room-temperature structure determination at synchrotrons

Historically, room-temperature structure determination was succeeded by cryo-crystallography to mitigate radiation damage. Here, we demonstrate that serial millisecond crystallography at a synchrotron beamline equipped with high-viscosity injector and high frame-rate detector allows typical crystallographic experiments to be performed at room-temperature. Using a crystal scanning approach, we determine the high-resolution structure of the radiation sensitive molybdenum storage protein, demonstrate soaking of the drug colchicine into tubulin and native sulfur phasing of the human G protein-coupled adenosine receptor. Serial crystallographic data for molecular replacement already converges in 1,000–10,000 diffraction patterns, which we collected in 3 to maximally 82 minutes. Compared with serial data we collected at a free-electron laser, the synchrotron data are of slightly lower resolution, however fewer diffraction patterns are needed for de novo phasing. Overall, the data we collected by room-temperature serial crystallography are of comparable quality to cryo-crystallographic data and can be routinely collected at synchrotrons.

Structural diversity of polyoxomolybdate clusters along the three-fold axis of the molybdenum storage protein

The molybdenum storage protein (MoSto) can store more than 100 Mo or W atoms as discrete polyoxometalate (POM) clusters. Here, we describe the three POM cluster sites along the threefold axis of the protein complex based on four X-ray structures with slightly different polyoxomolybdate compositions between 1.35 and 2Å resolution. In contrast to the Moα-out binding site occupied by an Mo3 cluster, the Moα-in and Moβ binding sites contain rather weak and non-uniform electron density for the Mo atoms (but clearly identifiable by anomalous data), suggesting the presence of POM cluster ensembles and/or degradation products of larger aggregates. The “Moα-in cluster ensemble” was interpreted as an antiprism-like Mo6 species superimposed with an Mo7 pyramide and the “Moβ cluster ensemble” as an Mo13 cluster (present mostly in a degraded form) composed of a pyramidal Mo7 and a Mo3 building block linked by three spatially separated MoOx units. Inside the ball-shaped Mo13 cluster sits an occluded central atom, perhaps a metal ion. POM cluster formation at the Moα-in and Moβ sites appears to be driven by filtering out and binding/protecting self-assembled transient species complementary to the protein template.

The molybdenum storage protein – a special kind of metallo-protein

The molybdenum storage protein – a special kind of metallo-protein

Incorporation of Molybdenum into the Iron-Molybdenum Cofactor of Nitrogenase

The biosynthesis of the iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co) of dinitrogenase was investigated using 99Mo to follow the incorporation of Mo into precursors. 99Mo label accumulates on dinitrogenase only when all known components of the FeMo-co synthesis system, NifH, NifNE, NifB-cofactor, homocitrate, MgATP, and reductant, are present. Furthermore, 99Mo label accumulates only on the gamma protein, which has been shown to serve as a chaperone/insertase for the maturation of apodinitrogenase when all known components are present. It appears that only completed FeMo-co can accumulate on the gamma protein. Very little FeMo-co synthesis was observed when all known components are used in purified forms, indicating that additional factors are required for optimal FeMo-co synthesis. 99Mo did not accumulate on NifNE under any conditions tested, suggesting that Mo enters the pathway at some other step, although it remains possible that a Mo-containing precursor of FeMo-co that is not sufficiently stable to persist during gel electrophoresis occurs but is not observed. 99Mo accumulates on several unidentified species, which may be the additional components required for FeMo-co synthesis. The molybdenum storage protein was observed and the accumulation of 99Mo on this protein required nucleotide.

TDPAC studies of the iron–molybdenum cofactor in nitrogenase

The uptake and the processing of molybdenum in nitrogen fixing bacteria was studied applying the TDPAC-technique with radioactive 99Mo. The observation of the nuclear quadrupole frequencies allowed a ‘finger-printing’ of the characteristic binding states in three bacteria species. The measurements have been carried out with intact cells and with the isolated proteins. In one bacterium a molybdenum storage protein was identified.

Molybdate transport and regulation in bacteria

Molybdate is transported in bacteria by a high-affinity transport system composed of a periplasmic binding protein, an integral membrane protein, and an energizer protein. These three proteins are coded by modA, modB, and modC genes, respectively. The ModA, ModB, and ModC proteins from various organisms (Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Azotobacter vinelandii, and Rhodobacter capsulatus) are very similar. The lowest Km value reported for molybdate in the molybdate transport process is approximately 50 nM. In a mod mutant, molybdate is transported by the sulfate transport system or by a nonspecific anion transporter. Molybdate transport is tightly coupled to utilization in E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, while other dinitrogen-fixing organisms appear to have a molybdenum storage protein. In all organisms studied so far, molybdate transport genes are regulated by a repressor protein, ModE. The ModE-molybdate complex binds to the sequences TAYAT (Y = T or C) in the operator/ promoter region in E. coli and prevents transcription of the modABCD operon. The ModE-molybdate complex binds to DNA as a homodimer in E. coli and possibly in other organisms as well. In R. capsulatus, however, two ModE homologues (MopAB proteins) are required for repression.