A new flavin radical signal in the Na(+)-pumping NADH:quinone oxidoreductase from Vibrio cholerae. An EPR/electron nuclear double resonance investigation of the role of the covalently bound flavins in subunits B and C

J Biol Chem. 2006 Dec 1;281(48):36482-91. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M605765200. Epub 2006 Sep 13.

Abstract

The Na(+)-pumping NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase has six polypeptide subunits (NqrA-F) and a number of redox cofactors, including a noncovalently bound FAD and a 2Fe-2S center in subunit F, covalently bound FMNs in subunits B and C, and a noncovalently bound riboflavin in an undisclosed location. The FMN cofactors in subunits B and C are bound to threonine residues by phosphoester linkages. A neutral flavin-semiquinone radical is observed in the oxidized enzyme, whereas an anionic flavin-semiquinone has been reported in the reduced enzyme. For this work, we have altered the binding ligands of the FMNs in subunits B and C by replacing the threonine ligands with other amino acids, and we studied the resulting mutants by EPR and electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopy. We conclude that the sodium-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase forms three spectroscopically distinct flavin radicals as follows: 1) a neutral radical in the oxidized enzyme, which is observed in all of the mutants and most likely arises from the riboflavin; 2) an anionic radical observed in the fully reduced enzyme, which is present in wild type, and the NqrC-T225Y mutant but not the NqrB-T236Y mutant; 3) a second anionic radical, seen primarily under weakly reducing conditions, which is present in wild type, and the NqrB-T236Y mutant but not the NqrC-T225Y mutant. Thus, we can tentatively assign the first anionic radical to the FMN in subunit B and the second to the FMN in subunit C. The second anionic radical has not been reported previously. In electron nuclear double resonance spectra, it exhibits a larger line width and larger 8alpha-methyl proton splittings, compared with the first anionic radical.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Flavins / chemistry*
  • Flavoproteins / chemistry
  • Free Radicals
  • Ligands
  • Models, Statistical
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Mutation
  • Protein Binding
  • Quinone Reductases / chemistry*
  • Sodium / chemistry
  • Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / chemistry*
  • Threonine / chemistry
  • Vibrio cholerae / enzymology*

Substances

  • Flavins
  • Flavoproteins
  • Free Radicals
  • Ligands
  • Threonine
  • Sodium
  • NADH dehydrogenase (quinone)
  • Quinone Reductases
  • Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase