S. Aono et al., A NOVEL HEME PROTEIN THAT ACTS AS A CARBON MONOXIDE-DEPENDENT TRANSCRIPTIONAL ACTIVATOR IN RHODOSPIRILLUM-RUBRUM, Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 228(3), 1996, pp. 752-756
The gene coding for a carbon monoxide-dependent transcriptional activa
tor (cooA) in Rhodospirillum rubrum has been expressed in E. coli, and
the recombinant CooA has been purified. CooA contains b-type heme whi
ch may act as a CO sensor in vivo. CO-bound CooA was formed when reduc
ed CooA was reacted with CO, but not in the case of oxidized CooA. Coo
A is the first example of the heme protein acting as a DNA-binding tra
nscriptional activator. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.