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Sulfite-oxidizing enzymes

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Abstract

Sulfite-oxidizing enzymes (SOEs) are molybdenum enzymes that exist in almost all forms of life where they carry out important functions in protecting cells and organisms against sulfite-induced damage. Due to their nearly ubiquitous presence in living cells, these enzymes can be assumed to be evolutionarily ancient, and this is reflected in the fact that the basic domain architecture and fold structure of all sulfite-oxidizing enzymes studied so far are similar. The Mo centers of all SOEs have five-coordinate square pyramidal coordination geometry, which incorporates a pyranopterin dithiolene cofactor. However, significant differences exist in the quaternary structure of the enzymes, as well as in the kinetic properties and the nature of the electron acceptors used. In addition, some SOEs also contain an integral heme group that participates in the overall catalytic cycle. Catalytic turnover involves the paramagnetic Mo(V) oxidation state, and EPR spectroscopy, especially high-resolution pulsed EPR spectroscopy, provides detailed information about the molecular and electronic structure of the Mo center and the Mo-based sulfite oxidation reaction.

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Abbreviations

CSO:

Chicken sulfite oxidase

CW EPR:

Continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance

Cyt c :

Cytochrome c

DFT:

Density functional theory

ESE:

Electron spin echo

ESEEM:

Electron spin echo envelope modulation

HSO:

Human sulfite oxidase

IET:

Intramolecular electron transfer

PPT:

Pyranopterin dithiolene

PSO:

Plant sulfite oxidase

SDH:

Sulfite dehydrogenase

SO:

Sulfite oxidase

SOE:

Sulfite-oxidizing enzyme

SorAB:

SorAB sulfite dehydrogenase from Starkeya novella

SorT:

SorT sulfite dehydrogenase from Sinorhizobium meliloti

SorU:

c-type cytochrome, natural electron acceptor for SorT

SUOX:

Sulfite oxidase

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Acknowledgments

JHE gratefully acknowledges many years of financial support from NIGMS for research on molybdenum enzymes (Grant GM-037773). We thank A. Belaidi and G. Schwarz for a preprint of Ref. [54] and Dr. Megan Maher for help with the preparation of Figs. 1 and 3 and for a preprint of Ref. [40].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Metals in Biology, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Ulrike Kappler

  2. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0041, USA

    John H. Enemark

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  1. Ulrike Kappler
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Correspondence to Ulrike Kappler.

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Responsible Editors: José Moura and Paul Bernhardt.

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Kappler, U., Enemark, J.H. Sulfite-oxidizing enzymes. J Biol Inorg Chem 20, 253–264 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00775-014-1197-3

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