Methods for Heterologous Overproduction of Fe-S Proteins

Methods Mol Biol. 2021:2353:69-78. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1605-5_4.

Abstract

Proteins carrying iron-sulfur ([Fe-S]) clusters are critical to the basic metabolism of all organisms. Structural and biochemical investigations of many such [Fe-S] cluster proteins depend on recombinant overproduction using heterologous bacterial hosts such as Escherichia coli . Here, we describe a detailed procedure for the overproduction and purification of two oxygen-sensitive component proteins of the dark-operative protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (DPOR) complex. The method relies on an engineered Escherichia coli cell line carrying a correction in its genome to restore the loss of a key [Fe-S] cluster biogenesis pathway. The method can also be potentially adapted for the overproduction of other Fe-S proteins.

Keywords: Anaerobic; Cluster; DPOR; Electron transfer; Fe-S protein expression; [4Fe-4S]; [Fe-S].

MeSH terms

  • Biosynthetic Pathways
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Iron / metabolism
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / genetics
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / metabolism*
  • Sulfur / metabolism

Substances

  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins
  • Sulfur
  • Iron