Purification and Activation In Vitro of MoFe Protein from a nifE Deleted Mutant Strain of Azotobacter vinelandii

The Deltanif E MoFe protein (Deltanif E Av1) was obtained by a chromatography on DE52, Sephacryl S-300 and Q-Sepharose columns from the unheated crude extract of nifE-deleted mutant strain (DJ35) of Azotobacter vinelandii Lipmann. The analysis by SDS-PAGE showed that the Delta nif EAv1 was similar to OP MoFe protein (Av1) of A. vinelandii in the kinds and molecular weights of subunits (alpha and beta subunit). When complemented with nitrogenase Fe protein (M), the A nif EAv1 had hardly any proton-reduction activity, but could be significantly activated by FeMoco extracted from OP Av1. After the Delta nif E Av1 was treated with an excess o-phenanthroline (o-phen) and chromatographied on Sephadex G-25 column under atmosphere of Ar, Delta nif E Av1(C) was obtained. In the presence of both Av2 and MgATP regeneration system, the Delta nif EAv1(C), rather than A nif EAv1, was significantly activated in vitro by a reconstituent solution containing Mn which composed of KMnO4, ferric homocitrate, Na2S, Na2S2O4 (DT) and dithiothreitol (DTT). But in the absence of MgATP or Av2, the activation of Delta nifE Av1(C) did not happen. It indicates that activation of Delta nif EAv1 by RS-Mn requires the pretreatment with o-phen and the simultaneous presence of Av2 and MgATP.

STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENT FOR CLUSTERS TO BE RECONSTITUTED WITH THE FeMoCo DEFICIENT MOLYBDENUM IRON PROTEIN

By incubating the reduced MoFe protein from Azotobacter vinelandii with O phenanthroline under air and chromatographying the incubated solution on Sephadex G 25 column, inactive MoFe protein could be obtained. Its acetylene reduction activity was remarkably recovered not only by incubation with the reconstituent solution composed of KMnO 4,ferric homocitrate, Na 2S and dithiothreitol,Azotobacter vinelandii with O phenanthroline under air and chromatographying the incubated solution on Sephadex G 25 column, inactive MoFe protein could be obtained. Its acetylene reduction activity was remarkably recovered not only by incubation with the reconstituent solution composed of KMnO 4,ferric homocitrate, Na 2S and dithiothreitol, with O phenanthroline under air and chromatographying the incubated solution on Sephadex G 25 column, inactive MoFe protein could be obtained. Its acetylene reduction activity was remarkably recovered not only by incubation with the reconstituent solution composed of KMnO 4,ferric homocitrate, Na 2S and dithiothreitol, but also with a mixture of 4Fe∶4S clusters and another cluster which had two structure units of 1Mo∶3Fe∶4S bridged by three -OCH 3- at the Mo atoms. Neither the reconstituent solution nor the mixture could reactivate apo MoFe proteins from the mutants deleting nifE and nifH genes and from the mutant UW 45 , which could be reactivated by the FeMoco extracted from the MoFe protein. The results indicated that the FeMoco deficient MoFe proteins from these mutants seemed to be reconstituted only by the clusters which were probably structures only similar to FeMoco. The partially metallocluster deficient MoFe protein could be reconstituted by the clusters with a certain kind of structure and composition; and was changed into different nitrogenase proteins with the ability to fix nitrogen.

Observation of nuclei reassembled from demembranatedXenopus sperm nuclei and analysis of their laminacomponents

A cell-free preparation obtained from extracts of activated Xenopus laevis eggs induced chromatin decondensation and nuclear formation from demembranated Xenopus sperm nuclei. Electron microscopy revealed that the reassembled nucleus had a double-layered nuclear membrane, nuclear pore complexes, and decondensed chromatin etc. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated the presence of lamina in newly assembled nuclei. Western-blotting results showed that lamin LII was present in egg extracts and in lamina of the reassembled nuclei which were previously reported to contain only eggderived lamin LIII.