CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE OF THE NICKEL-IRON HYDROGENASE FROM DESULFOVIBRIO-GIGAS

The X-ray structure of the heterodimeric Ni-Fe hydrogenase from Desulf ovibrio gigas, the enzyme responsible for the metabolism of molecular hydrogen, has been solved at 2.84 Angstrom resolution. The active site , which appears to contain, besides nickel, a second metal ion, is bur ied in the 60K subunit. The 28K subunit, which coordinates one [3Fe-4S ] and two [4Fe-4S] clusters, contains an amino-terminal domain with si milarities to the redox protein flavodoxin. The structure suggests pla usible electron and proton transfer pathways.