Crystal structure of the [2Fe-2S] protein I (Shethna protein I) from Azotobacter vinelandii

Azotobacter vinelandii is a model diazotroph and is the source of most nitrogenase material for structural and biochemical work. Azotobacter can grow in above-atmospheric levels of oxygen, despite the sensitivity of nitrogenase activity to oxygen. Azotobacter has many iron-sulfur proteins in its genome, which were identified as far back as the 1960s and probably play roles in the complex redox chemistry that Azotobacter must maintain when fixing nitrogen. Here, the 2.1 angstrom resolution crystal structure of the [2Fe-2S] protein I (Shethna protein I) from A. vinelandii is presented, revealing a homodimer with the [2Fe-2S] cluster coordinated by the surrounding conserved cysteine residues. It is similar to the structure of the thioredoxin-like [2Fe-2S] protein from Aquifex aeolicus, including the positions of the [2Fe-2S] clusters and conserved cysteine residues. The structure of Shethna protein I will provide information for understanding its function in relation to nitrogen fixation and its evolutionary relationships to other ferredoxins.