Tryptophan Tryptophylquinone Research Articles

Methylamine dehydrogenase is a light-dependent oxidase

Quinoproteins may function either as oxidases or dehydrogenases, depending on the nature of their quinone prosthetic group. The tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ)-linked methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) is relatively inert towards O 2 in its reduced form. It is shown that on exposure to long range UV (ultaviolet) light, MADH is oxidized in the presence of O 2 and exhibits substrate-dependent steady-state oxidase activity. The effects of light are completely reversible, and oxidase activity is lost when the light is turned off. The light-dependent oxidation of MADH proceeds via a semiquinone intermediate which accumulates to near stoichiometric levels. The absorption of the light appears to provide energy to overcome a thermodynamic barrier to the transfer of an electron from TTQ to O 2. These studies provide a basis for understanding what factors dictate whether an oxidoreductase is a dehydrogenase or an oxidase.

Site-directed mutagenesis of Phe 97 to Glu in amicyanin alters the electronic coupling for interprotein electron transfer from quinol methylamine dehydrogenase.

Conversion by site-directed mutagenesis of Phe 97 of amicyanin to Glu significantly decreases the rate constant for the electron-transfer reaction from the quinol form of methylamine dehydrogenase to amicyanin. It is shown that the DeltaG degrees and reorganizational energy (lambda) associated with the electron-transfer reaction are unaffected by the mutation and that the decrease in the electron-transfer rate is attributable completely to a decrease in the electronic coupling matrix element (HAB). Phe 97 is not a part of the predicted pathway for electron-transfer from the tryptophan tryptophylquinone cofactor of MADH to the copper of amicyanin. The most likely explanation for these results is that the mutation of this residue at the protein-protein interface causes an increase in the interprotein distance within the protein complex. The change in distance necessary to cause the observed reduction of HAB is calculated assuming a range of beta values, and assuming either solely a direct distance dependence or a pathway dependence, for the long-range electron-transfer reaction. Thermodynamic analysis of the association constants for complex formation reveal that the reaction with the mutant amicyanin exhibits a large positive change in heat capacity whereas this is not observed in the reaction with the wild-type. This may be explained by the replacement of a hydrophobic residue with a polar residue at what is normally a hydrophobic protein-protein interface. The impact of these results on possible explanations for the relatively large reorganizational energy associated with this interprotein electron-transfer reaction is also discussed.

Identification of reaction products and intermediates of aromatic-amine dehydrogenase by 15N and 13C NMR.

13C- and 15N-NMR studies of the reaction of aromatic amine dehydrogenase (AADH) with methylamine demonstrated that the products of the reductive half-reaction are an equivalent of formaldehyde hydrate and a reduced aminoquinol form of the tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) cofactor which contains covalently bound substrate-derived N. These data are consistent with the Ping Pong kinetic mechanism and aminotransferase-type chemical reaction mechanism which have been previously proposed for AADH. Comparison of the 15N-NMR spectra of the aminoquinol TTQ intermediates of AADH and methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) revealed that the substrate-derived aminoquinol N of AADH and MADH exhibited distinct 15N chemical shifts which are separated by approx. 7 p.p.m. In each case, the signal for the substrate-derived aminoquinol N appears optimally with short pulse delay and exhibits a relaxation time and chemical shift which are consistent with 15N covalently bound to an aromatic ring (i.e. aminoquinol) which is attached to a rigid protein matrix. The aminoquinol of AADH is less stable against reoxidation than that of MADH. These data suggest that differences in the active-site mediated electrostatic environments of the aminoquinol N in the respective enzymes may influence both the observed 15N chemical shift and the relative reactivities of the TTQ aminoquinols towards oxygen. These data also demonstrate the utility of 13C- and 15N-NMR spectroscopy as a tool for monitoring the intermediates and products of enzyme-catalysed transformations.

Refined crystal structure of methylamine dehydrogenase from Paracoccus denitrificans at 1.75 Å resolution

The three-dimensional structure of the quinoprotein methylamine dehydrogenase from Paracoccus denitrificans has been refined at 1.75 Å resolution utilizing the DNA-based protein sequence. The final model incorporates 8034 atoms per molecule, including 552 molecules of solvent, and gives an R-factor of 0.163. The molecule is an H 2L 2 hetero-tetramer containing a non-crystallographic 2-fold axis of symmetry. The 373-residue H subunit is folded into seven repeats of a four-stranded antiparallel β-sheet motif, arranged in a propeller-like pattern about a pseudo-7-fold rotational axis of symmetry. Each L subunit contains 131 residues folded in a tight structure composed of five β-strands in two sheets and crosslinked by six disulfide bonds. In addition there is an intrasubunit covalent linkage between two tryptophan side-chains that form the unique redox center, tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ). The active site contains the O-6 carbonyl of TTQ, the side-chains of Asp32L, Asp76L, Tyr119L and Thr122L, and two solvent molecules. A potential “gate” (Phe55H) separates the closed active-site cavity from a channel containing a group of highly ordered water molecules to bulk solvent. Phe55H and Tyr119L, and a number of neighboring oxygen atoms, may also provide a binding site for monovalent cations that are known to affect the reactivity and spectral properties of TTQ as well as the oxidative half reaction. The overall reaction has been dissected into a number of discrete steps that may require participation by several individual amino acid residues in the active site acting as general acids and bases.

Kinetic and chemical mechanisms for the effects of univalent cations on the spectral properties of aromatic amine dehydrogenase.

Univalent cations and pH influence the UV-visible absorption spectrum of the tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) enzyme, aromatic amine dehydrogenase (AADH). Little spectral perturbation was observed when pH was varied in the absence of univalent cations. The addition of alkali metal univalent cations (K+, Na+, Li+, Rb+ or Cs+) to oxidized AADH caused significant changes in its absorption spectrum. The apparent Kd for each cation, determined from titrations of the spectral perturbation, decreased with increasing pH. Transient kinetic studies involving rapid mixing of AADH with cations and pH jump revealed that the rate of the cation-induced spectral changes initially decreased with increasing cation concentration to a minimum value, then increased with increasing cation concentration. A kinetic model was developed to fit these data, determine the true pH-independent Kd values for K+ and Na+, and explain the pH-dependence of the apparent Kd. A chemical reaction mechanism, based on the kinetic data, is presented in which the metallic univalent cation facilitates the chemical modification of the TTQ prosthetic group to form an hydroxide adduct which gives rise to the spectral change. Addition of NH4(+)/NH3 to AADH caused changes in the absorption spectrum which were very different form those caused by addition of the metallic univalent cations. The kinetics of the reaction induced by addition of NH4+/NH3 were also different, being simple saturation kinetics. Another reaction mechanism is proposed for the NH4+/NH3-induced spectral change that involves nucleophilic addition of the unprotonated NH3 to TTQ. The general relevance of these data and models to the physiological reactions of TTQ-dependent enzymes and to the roles of univalent cations in modulating enzyme activity are discussed.

Catalytic role of monovalent cations in the mechanism of proton transfer which gates an interprotein electron transfer reaction.

Within the methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH)-amicyanin protein complex, long range intermolecular electron transfer (ET) occurs between tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) of MADH and the type I copper of amicyanin. The reoxidations of two chemically distinct reduced forms of TTQ were studied, a quinol (O-quinol) generated by reduction by dithionite and the physiologically relevant aminoquinol (N-quinol) generated by reduction by methylamine. The latter contains a substrate-derived amino group which displaces the C6 carbonyl oxygen on TTQ. ET from N-quinol MADH to amicyanin is gated by the transfer of a solvent exchangeable proton [Bishop, G. R., & Davidson, V. L. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 12082-12086]. The factors which influence this proton transfer (PT) reaction have been examined. The rate of PT increases with increasing pH and with increasing salt concentration. The salt effect is due to specific monovalent cations and is not a general ionic strength effect. The rate enhancements by pH and cations do not reflect an elimination of the PT step that gates ET. Over the range of pH from 5.5 to 9.0 and with cation concentrations from 0 to 200 mM, the observed rate of the redox reaction is still that of PT. This is proven by kinetic solvent isotope effect studies which show that a primary isotope effect persists even at the highest values of pH and cation concentration. A model is presented to explain how specific cations contribute to catalysis and influence the rate of PT in this reaction. The pH dependence is attributed to an ionizable group that is involved in cation binding. The effect of the cation is stabilization of a negatively charged reaction intermediate that is formed during the deprotonation of the N-quinol, and from which rapid ET to the copper of amicyanin occurs. The relevance of these findings to other enzymes which exhibit reaction rates that are influenced by monovalent cations is also discussed.

12] Amine-oxidizing quinoproteins

This chapter describes the five types of amine-oxidizing quinoproteins—(1) lupanine 17-hydroxylase, which contains pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) proteins; (2) alkylamine dehydrogenases, which contain tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) proteins; (3) copper-containing alkylamine and diamine oxidases, which contain topa quinone (TPQ) proteins; (4) semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidases; and (5) lysyl oxidase, which contains lysine tyrosylquinone (LTQ). Lupanine 17-hydroxylase, from Pseudomonas lupanini, is the only amine oxidizer to use PQQ as its redox cofactor. All other PQQuinoproteins are aldehyde or alcohol dehydrogenases. All TTQuinoproteins are alkylamine dehydrogenases. Primary alkylamines are oxidized to the corresponding aldehydes, with concomitant reduction of TTQ. The reduced quinone transfers electrons to a reoxidizing substrate. Several new TPQuinoproteins have been isolated, and many more have been cloned and/or their genes heterologously expressed. These include gene cloning and expression, and characterization of human kidney diamine oxidase (amiloride-binding protein); gene cloning and sequencing of two forms of human placenta diamine oxidase, one of which is essentially identical to human kidney diamine oxidase and; cloning of a human placental monoamine oxidase gene, which maps to chromosome 17q21.

Quinoprotein-catalysed reactions.

This review is concerned with the structure and function of the quinoprotein enzymes, sometimes called quinoenzymes. These have prosthetic groups containing quinones, the name thus being analogous to the flavoproteins containing flavin prosthetic groups. Pyrrolo-quinoline quinone (PQQ) is non-covalently attached, whereas tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ), topaquinone (TPQ) and lysine tyrosylquinone (LTQ) are derived from amino acid residues in the backbone of the enzymes. The mechanisms of the quinoproteins are reviewed and related to their recently determined three-dimensional structures. As expected, the quinone structures in the prosthetic groups play important roles in the mechanisms. A second common feature is the presence of a catalytic base (aspartate) at the active site which initiates the reactions by abstracting a proton from the substrate, and it is likely to be involved in multiple reactions in the mechanism. A third common feature of these enzymes is that the first part of the reaction produces a reduced prosthetic group; this part of the mechanism is fairly well understood. This is followed by an oxidative phase involving electron transfer reactions which remain poorly understood. In both types of dehydrogenase (containing PQQ and TTQ), electrons must pass from the reduced prosthetic group to redox centres in a second recipient protein (or protein domain), whereas in amine oxidases (containing TPQ or LTQ), electrons must be transferred to molecular oxygen by way of a redox-active copper ion in the protein.

Enzymatic and Electron Transfer Activities in Crystalline Protein Complexes

Enzymatic and electron transfer activities have been studied by polarized absorption spectroscopy in single crystals of both binary and ternary complexes of methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) with its redox partners. Within the crystals, MADH oxidizes methylamine, and the electrons are passed from the reduced tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) cofactor to the copper of amicyanin and to the heme of cytochrome c551i via amicyanin. The equilibrium distribution of electrons among the cofactors, and the rate of heme reduction after reaction with substrate, are both dependent on pH. The presence of copper in the ternary complex is not absolutely required for electron transfer from TTQ to heme, but its presence greatly enhances the rate of electron flow to the heme.

Electrostatic environment of the tryptophylquinone cofactor in methylamine dehydrogenase: evidence from resonance Raman spectroscopy of model compounds.

Methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) utilizes its endogenous tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) as a cofactor in enzymatic catalysis, with the C6 carbonyl of the quinone implicated as the site of attack by substrates and other nucleophiles. Resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy provides an ideal method for investigating the state of this carbonyl group whose C==O stretch is distinct from other vibrational modes of the cofactor and is readily identified by its shift to lower energy in H218O. In a series of indole 6,7-quinone models for TTQ, the in-phase stretching vibration of the two C==O groups occurs at 1650 cm-1 in nonpolar solvents and shifts to 1638 cm-1 in H2O. The absorption maximum undergoes an analogous shift from 400 to 425 mm. The spectral properties of the indole quinones in H2O approach the corresponding values in Thiobacillus versutus MADH (C==O stretch at 1612 cm-1, lamdamax at 440mm) and are indicative of strongly hydrogen bonding of the C==O and NH groups of the cofactor in the native enzyme. Addition of monovalent cations [NH4+,Cs+, and (CH3)3NH+] to MADH causes further increases in the lamdamax and decreases in the frequency of the C==O stretch[1590 cm-1 with (CH3)3NH+]. This implies a strong electrostatic interaction between monovalent cations and a carbonyl oxygen (most likely at C6) in TTQ. The fact that these cations behave as competitive inhibitors of the methylamine substrate suggests that methylamine binds to the same location in the enzyme prior to its covalent reaction with the cofactor. Addition of monovalent cations to the one-electron-reduced semiquinone form MADH results in RR spectral shifts for a number of vibrational modes of the cofactor. Thus, the ability of monovalent cations to promote and stabilize the formation of the semiquinone intermediate is also due to their direct electrostatic interaction with the TTQ cofactor.

Evidence for a tryptophan tryptophylquinone aminosemiquinone intermediate in the physiologic reaction between methylamine dehydrogenase and amicyanin.

The tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) cofactor of methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) is covalently modified by nitrogen during its two-electron reduction by methylamine to form an aminoquinol (N-quinol). It is possible, in vitro, to generate unmodified O-quinol and O-semiquinone forms of MADH with dithionite, as well as an N-semiquinone form which contains a substrate-derived nitrogen. Rapid-scanning stopped-flow spectroscopy and global kinetic analysis are used to demonstrate that N-semiquinone is a true physiologic reaction intermediate which accumulates during the two sequential one-electron oxidations of N-quinol MADH by amicyanin. In contrast, no detectable O-semiquinone accumulates during the two sequential one-electron oxidations of the O-quinol form of MADH by amicyanin. This is because the reaction of N-semiquinone with amicyanin is much slower (70 s-1 at 25 degrees C) than the reaction of O-semiquinone ( > 1000 s-1). These rate constants obtained from global analysis of the overall reaction are the same as those obtained when each semiquinone form was made in vitro and then mixed with oxidized amicyanin. The presence of 200 mM NH4Cl during the reaction of O-quinol MADH with amicyanin does not cause any detectable accumulation of a semiquinone species. Thus, the accumulation of the intermediate in the reactions of the N-quinol is not due to the influence of noncovalently bound ammonia at the active site of the O-semiquinone. These data indicate that the intermediate which accumulates during the complete oxidation of substrate-reduced N-quinol MADH is not the O-semiquinone, but the more slowly reacting N-semiquinone, and that the N-semiquinone is a physiologically relevant reaction intermediate. These results also provide good evidence in favor of an aminotransferase mechanism, as opposed to an imine elimination mechanism, for the reaction of MADH with substrate methylamine.

Electron Transfer from Copper to Heme within the Methylamine Dehydrogenase−Amicyanin−Cytochrome c-551i Complex

Methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH), amicyanin, and cytochrome c-551i are soluble redox proteins that form a complex in solution [Chen, L., Durley, R., Mathews, F. S., & Davidson, V. L. (1994) Science 264, 86-90] which is required for the physiologic electron transfer from the tryptophan tryptophylquinone cofactor of MADH to heme via the copper center of amicyanin. The electron transfer reaction from copper to heme within the protein complex has been characterized by transient kinetic and thermodynamic analysis. The rate of this electron transfer reaction is 87 s-1 at 30 degrees C, and it varied with temperature. The reaction exhibited a reorganizational energy (lambda) of 1.1 eV and an electronic coupling (H(AB)) of 0.3 cm-1. The results of these analyses also predict an electron transfer distance, depending upon the value of beta which is used, of 13-24 A. The larger value approximates the direct copper to heme distance observed in the crystal structure of the complex. The most efficient pathways for electron transfer were predicted from the crystal structure using the Greenpath program, and these predictions were correlated with the results of the solution studies of the electron transfer reaction. It is concluded that electron transfer is, in fact, rate limiting for the observed electron transfer reaction in solution and that the two redox centers are strongly coupled, given the distance which separates them.

Direct Detection by 15N NMR of the Tryptophan Tryptophylquinone Aminoquinol Reaction Intermediate of Methylamine Dehydrogenase

Direct Detection by ¹⁵N NMR of the Tryptophan Tryptophylquinone Aminoquinol Reaction Intermediate of Methylamine Dehydrogenase

Biogenesis of novel quinone coenzymes.

Recently, two novel quinonoid coenzymes, 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylalanine quinone (topa quinone; TPQ) and tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ), were identified in copper-containing amine oxidase and methylamine dehydrogenase, respectively. Unlike the formerly known quinonoid coenzyme, pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), which is non-covalently bound to several prokaryotic dehydrogenases and produced through its own biosynthetic pathway, each of TPQ and TTQ is bound covalently to the polypeptide chain as an integral amino acid residue and encoded by a codon for a normal (unmodified) amino acid in the gene. Thus, these coenzymes must be generated through post-translational modification of the precursor amino acid; for TPQ, oxidation of a specific tyrosine occurring in the consensus Asn-Tyr-Asp/Glu sequence, and for TTQ, oxidation of a specific tryptophan and cross-linking with another tryptophan separated by 50 residues in the same polypeptide chain. We recently demonstrated that, using the inactive precursor forms of bacterial copper amine oxidases, TPQ is generated through self-processing of the protein with the participation of the bound copper ions. On the other hand, the absence of a prosthetic metal ion in methylamine dehydrogenase as well as its existence in the periplasm renders TTQ biogenesis more complicated, likely requiring an external enzymatic system(s).

Complex Formation with Methylamine Dehydrogenase Affects the Pathway of Electron Transfer from Amicyanin to Cytochrome c-551i

Methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH), amicyanin, and cytochrome c-551i are soluble redox proteins that form a complex in solution (Chen, L., Durley, R., Mathews, F. S., and Davidson, V. L. (1994) Science 264, 86-90), which is required for the physiologic electron transfer from the tryptophan tryptophylquinone cofactor of MADH to heme via the copper center of amicyanin. The reduction of cytochrome by amicyanin within the complex in solution has been demonstrated using rapid scanning stopped-flow spectroscopy. Electron transfer from free, uncomplexed, amicyanin to cytochrome c-551i occurs much more rapidly but only to a very small extent because the reaction is thermodynamically much less favorable when amicyanin is not associated with MADH (Gray, K. A., Davidson, V. L., and Knaff, D. B. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 13987-13990). These kinetic data suggest that amicyanin binding to cytochrome c-551i occurs at different sites when amicyanin is free and when it is in complex with MADH. A model for the interactions of these proteins is presented.

Reaction mechanism for the inactivation of the quinoprotein methylamine dehydrogenase by phenylhydrazine

Phenylhydrazine has previously been shown to be an irreversible inactivator of the tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) enzyme methylamine dehydrogenase [Davidson, V.L. and Jones, L.H. (1992) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1121, 104–110]. Structure-reactivity correlations have been performed to elucidate the mechanism by which this inactivation occurs. The reactions of a series of p-substituted phenylhydrazines with methylamine dehydrogenase were examined. Correlation with electronic substituent effects was observed. A Hammett plot of the second order inactivation rate constants versus σ p exhibited a positive slope. Plots of these rate constants against substituent constants which reflected either resonance or field/inductive parameters for each p-substituent indicated that the rate was primarily influenced by resonance electronic effects. A Bronsted plot of the inactivation rate constant against p K a of each substituted phenylhydrazine yielded a β-value (slope) of 0.7. Based upon these results, a reaction mechanism is proposed for the inactivation of methylamine dehydrogenase by phenylhydrazines, and a structure is proposed for the putative transition state for the rate-limiting step in the overall processes of binding and adduct formation by phenylhydrazine. The relevance of these results to the process of imine formation between substrate amines and TTQ during the normal catalytic process is also discussed.

Unusually large isotope effect for the reaction of aromatic amine dehydrogenase. A common feature of quinoproteins?

The reduction of the tryptophan tryptophylquinone [TTQ] prosthetic group of aromatic amine dehydrogenase by dopamine exhibits a deuterium kinetic isotope effect of 8.6–11.7. This effect is partially suppressed in the steady-state. These data support the proposed mechanism for the reductive half-reaction of AADH in which TTQ reduction is linked to proton abstraction from a covalent enzyme-substrate intermediate and in which release of the aldehyde product is partially rate-limiting for the overall reaction. The magnitude of this kinetic isotope effect appears to exceed the semiclassical limit for a proton abstraction. It is also nearly identical to values for the similar reactions catalyzed by methylamine dehydrogenase, which also possesses TTQ, and plasma amine oxidase, which possesses the topaquinone cofactor. These data suggest that these three quinoproteins share a very similar and possible unique mechanism for catalyzing the oxidative deamination of primary amines.

Binding of monovalent cations to methylamine dehydrogenase in the semiquinone state and its effect on electron transfer.

The binding of monovalent cations to methylamine dehydrogenase in the semiquinone state (MADHsq) at a site close to the tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) active center is demonstrated in experiments which show that the radical EPR signal of MADHsq is considerably broadened in the presence of Cs+, NH4+, and, to a smaller extent, Na+. The cations also stabilize the semiquinone state, as is evident from the increase of the EPR intensity they induce. On the basis of the optical absorbance spectra, two slightly different forms of MADHsq can be discerned. One form, with the main band at 425 nm, is observed at low pH and in the presence of NH4+, whereas the other, with the main band at 429 nm, is observed at high pH and in the presence of Cs+ or Na+. Stopped-flow studies of the oxidation by amicyanin of MADHred via MADHsq to MADHox show a strong stimulation of the first step by monovalent cations. It is shown that it is primarily the actual electron transfer rate, rather than the affinity of MADHred for amicyanin, that is affected by cations. Values for the dissociation constants of the monovalent cations for MADHred, estimated from the kinetic experiments, are higher than those that were previously determined for MADHox, and can be deduced to be higher than those for MADHsq as well. The results are discussed within the context of the electron transfer theory.

Mechanism of reaction of allylamine with the quinoprotein methylamine dehydrogenase

Allylamine did not serve as an efficient substrate for methylamine dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.99.3) in a steady-state assay of activity and appeared to act as a competitive inhibitor of methylamine oxidation by methylamine dehydrogenase. Transient kinetic studies, however, revealed that allylamine rapidly reduced the tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) cofactor of methylamine dehydrogenase. The rate of TTQ reduction by allylamine was 322 s-1, slightly faster than the rate of reduction by methylamine. These data were explained by a kinetic mechanism in which allylamine and methylamine are alternative substrates for methylamine dehydrogenase. The apparent competitive inhibition by allylamine is due to a very slow rate of release of the aldehyde product, 0.28 s-1, relative to a rate of 18.6 s-1 for the release of the aldehyde product of methylamine oxidation. A reaction mechanism is proposed for the oxidative deamination of allylamine by methylamine dehydrogenase. This mechanism is discussed in relation to the reaction mechanisms of topa-bearing quinoprotein amine oxidases, the flavoprotein monoamine oxidase and the mammalian semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase.

Mutational analysis of mau genes involved in methylamine metabolism in Paracoccus denitrificans.

A chromosomal fragment containing DNA downstream from mauC was isolated from Paracoccus denitrificans. Sequence analysis of this fragment revealed the presence of four open reading frames, all transcribed in the same direction. The products of the putative genes were found to be highly similar to MauJ, MauG, MauM and MauN of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1. Using these four mau genes, 11 mau genes have been cloned from P. denitrificans to date. The gene order is mauRFBEDACJGMN, which is similar to that in M. extorquens AM1. mauL, present in M. extorquens AM1, seems to be absent in P. denitrificans. MauJ is predicted to be a cytoplasmic protein, and MauG a periplasmic protein. The latter protein contains two putative heme-binding sites, and has some sequence resemblance to the cytochrome c peroxidase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MauM is also predicted to be located in the periplasm, but MauN appears to be membrane associated. Both resemble ferredoxin-like proteins and contain four and two motifs, respectively, characteristic for [4Fe-4S] clusters. Inactivation of mauA, mauJ, mauG, mauM and mauN was carried out by introduction of unmarked mutations in the chromosomal copies of these genes. mauA and mauG mutant strains were unable to grow on methylamine. The mauJ mutant strain had an impaired growth rate and showed a lower dye-linked methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) activity than the parent strain. Mutations in mauM and mauN had no effect on methylamine metabolism. The mauA mutant strain specifically lacked the beta subunit of MADH, but the alpha subunit and amicyanin, the natural electron acceptors of MADH, were still produced. The mauG mutant strain synthesized the alpha and beta subunits of MADH as well as amicyanin. However, no dye-linked MADH activity was found in this mutant strain. In addition, as the wild-type enzyme displays a characteristic fluorescence emission spectrum upon addition of methylamine, this property was lost in the mauG mutant strain. These results clearly show that MauG is essential for the maturation of the beta subunit of MADH, presumably via a step in the biosynthesis of tryptophan tryptophylquinone, the cofactor of MADH. The mau gene cluster mauRFBEDACJGMN was cloned on the broad-host vector pEG400. Transfer of this construct to mutant strains which were unable to grow on methylamine fully restored their ability to grow on this compound. A similar result was achieved for the closely related bacterium Thiosphaera pantotropha, which is unable to utilize methylamine as the sole sources of carbon and energy.