W. Tong et al., CHARACTERIZATION OF Y122F R2 OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI RIBONUCLEOTIDE REDUCTASE BY TIME-RESOLVED PHYSICAL BIOCHEMICAL METHODS AND X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Biochemistry, 37(17), 1998, pp. 5840-5848
Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) from Escherichia coli catalyzes the con
version of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides. It is composed of
two homodimeric subunits, R1 and R2. R2 contains the diferric-tyrosyl
radical cofactor essential for the nucleotide reduction process. The i
n vitro mechanism of assembly of this cluster starting with apo R2 or
with a diferrous form of R2 has been examined by time-resolved physica
l biochemical methods. An intermediate, Fe3+/Fe4+ cluster (intermediat
e X), has been identified that is thought to be directly involved in t
he oxidation of Y122 to the tyrosyl radical ((.)Y122). An R2 mutant in
which phenylalanine has replaced Y122 has been used to accumulate int
ermediate X at sufficient levels that it can be studied using a variet
y of spectroscopic methods. The details of the reconstitution of the a
po and diferrous forms of Y122F R3 have been examined by stopped-flow
UV/vis spectroscopy and by rapid freeze quench electron paramagnetic r
esonance, and Mossbauer spectroscopies. In addition the structure of t
his mutant, crystallized at pH 7.6 in the absence of mercury, at 2.46
Angstrom resolution has been determined. These studies suggest that Y1
22F R2, is an appropriate model for the examination of intermediate X
in the assembly process. Studies with two mutants, Y356F and double mu
tant Y356F and Y122F R2, are interpreted in terms of the possible role
of Y356 in the putative electron transfer reaction between the R1 and
R2 subunits of this RNR.