Work

Extending the Carbon Chain: Hydrocarbon Formation Catalyzed by Vanadium/Molybdenum Nitrogenases

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: In a small-scale reaction, vanadium-dependent nitrogenase has previously been shown to catalyze reductive catenation of carbon monoxide (CO) to ethylene, ethane, propylene, and propane. Here, we report the identification of additional hydrocarbon products [α-butylene, n-butane, and methane (CH(4))] in a scaled-up reaction featuring 20 milligrams of vanadium-iron protein, the catalytic component of vanadium nitrogenase. Additionally, we show that the more common molybdenum-dependent nitrogenase can generate the same hydrocarbons from CO, although CH(4) was not detected. The identification of CO as a substrate for both molybdenum- and vanadium-nitrogenases strengthens the hypothesis that CO reduction is an evolutionary relic of the function of the nitrogenase family. Moreover, the comparison between the CO-reducing capacities of the two nitrogenases suggests that the identity of heterometal at the active cofactor site affects the efficiency and product distribution of this reaction.

Source: Science

DOI: 10.1126/science.1206883

Authors: Yilin Hu, Chi Chung Lee, Markus W. Ribbe

Institution: University of California, Irvine

Language: English

Topic: Metalloenzymes and iron-sulfur proteins

Subfield: Biochemistry

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Award: Nitrogenase assembly mechanism