The crystal structure of the hexadeca-heme cytochrome Hmc and a structural model of its complex with cytochrome c(3)

Structure. 2002 Dec;10(12):1677-86. doi: 10.1016/s0969-2126(02)00909-7.

Abstract

Sulfate-reducing bacteria contain a variety of multi-heme c-type cytochromes. The cytochrome of highest molecular weight (Hmc) contains 16 heme groups and is part of a transmembrane complex involved in the sulfate respiration pathway. We present the 2.42 A resolution crystal structure of the Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough cytochrome Hmc and a structural model of the complex with its physiological electron transfer partner, cytochrome c(3), obtained by NMR restrained soft-docking calculations. The Hmc is composed of three domains, which exist independently in different sulfate-reducing species, namely cytochrome c(3), cytochrome c(7), and Hcc. The complex involves the last heme at the C-terminal region of the V-shaped Hmc and heme 4 of cytochrome c(3), and represents an example for specific cytochrome-cytochrome interaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Cytochromes / chemistry*
  • Heme / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Protein Conformation

Substances

  • Cytochromes
  • Heme

Associated data

  • PDB/1GWS