Human Mitochondrial Ferredoxin 1 (FDX1) and Ferredoxin 2 (FDX2) Both Bind Cysteine Desulfurase and Donate Electrons for Iron-Sulfur Cluster Biosynthesis

Biochemistry. 2017 Jan 24;56(3):487-499. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00447. Epub 2017 Jan 11.

Abstract

Ferredoxins play an important role as an electron donor in iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster biosynthesis. Two ferredoxins, human mitochondrial ferredoxin 1 (FDX1) and human mitochondrial ferredoxin 2 (FDX2), are present in the matrix of human mitochondria. Conflicting results have been reported regarding their respective function in mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis. We report here biophysical studies of the interaction of these two ferredoxins with other proteins involved in mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster assembly. Results from nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy show that both FDX1 and FDX2 (in both their reduced and oxidized states) interact with the protein complex responsible for cluster assembly, which contains cysteine desulfurase (NFS1), ISD11 (also known as LYRM4), and acyl carrier protein (Acp). In all cases, ferredoxin residues close to the Fe-S cluster are involved in the interaction with this complex. Isothermal titration calorimetry results showed that FDX2 binds more tightly to the cysteine desulfurase complex than FDX1 does. The reduced form of each ferredoxin became oxidized in the presence of the cysteine desulfurase complex when l-cysteine was added, leading to its conversion to l-alanine and the generation of sulfide. In an in vitro reaction, the reduced form of each ferredoxin was found to support Fe-S cluster assembly on ISCU; the rate of cluster assembly was faster with FDX2 than with FDX1. Taken together, these results show that both FDX1 and FDX2 can function in Fe-S cluster assembly in vitro.

MeSH terms

  • Acyl Carrier Protein / genetics
  • Acyl Carrier Protein / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Carbon-Sulfur Lyases / chemistry*
  • Carbon-Sulfur Lyases / genetics
  • Carbon-Sulfur Lyases / metabolism
  • Cysteine
  • Electrons
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Ferredoxins / chemistry*
  • Ferredoxins / genetics
  • Ferredoxins / metabolism
  • Frataxin
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Iron / chemistry*
  • Iron / metabolism
  • Iron-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Iron-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Iron-Regulatory Proteins / genetics
  • Iron-Regulatory Proteins / metabolism
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / genetics
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / metabolism
  • Mitochondria / genetics
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sulfur / chemistry*
  • Sulfur / metabolism

Substances

  • Acyl Carrier Protein
  • Ferredoxins
  • ISCU protein, human
  • Iron-Binding Proteins
  • Iron-Regulatory Proteins
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins
  • LYRM4 protein, human
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Sulfur
  • Iron
  • Carbon-Sulfur Lyases
  • NFS1 protein, human
  • Cysteine