Nitrogenase of Azotobacter chroococcum. Kinetics of the reduction of oxidized iron-protein by sodium dithionite

Abstract

The kinetics of the reduction of oxidized Fe-protein of nitrogenase from Azotobacter chroococcum by sodium dithionite were studied by stopped-flow and rapid-freezing e.p.r. (electron-paramagnetic-resonance) spectroscopy. The appearance of the gav. = 1.94 e.p.r. signal (0.24 electron integrated intensity/mol) was associated with a one-electron reduction by SO2- with k greater than 10(8)M-.S-1 at 23 degrees C. A value of k = 1.75s-1 was obtained for the rate of dissociation of S2O42- into 2SO2- at 23 degrees C. Further reductions by SO2- occurred in three slower phases with rate constants in the range 10(4) −10(6)M-1-S-1. These latter phases have no corresponding e.p.r. signal changes and are probably associated with enzymically inactive protein. The high rate of reduction by SO2-of the Fe-protein alone (k greater than 108M1.S-1) relative to the rate of oxidation of the Fe-protein in the catalytically active Fe:Mo-Fe protein complex (k = 2.2 } 102s-1) and the observation that in the steady state the Fe-protein is substantially oxidized means that at normal assay concentrations another reaction must limit the rate of reduction of Fe-protein during turnover.