Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Azotobacter cytochrome b557.5 is a bacterioferritin

Nature volume 279, pages 81–83 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

FERRITIN is the presumed iron storage protein of mammalian1, plant2 and certain fungal3 systems. The nitrogen-fixing bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii, produces a b-type cytochrome containing large amounts of non-haem iron and no labile sulphide, as first shown by Bulen et al.4. Here we present evidence which reveals this protein to be a ferritin-like species, thus constituting the first authenticated occurrence of ferritin in a bacterium. The interesting redox properties of this molecule, bacterioferritin-cytochrome, are presented and discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Harrison, P. M., Hoare, R. J., Hoy, T. G. & Macara, I. G. in Iron in Biochemistry and Medicine (eds Jacobs, A. & Worwood, M.) 73–114 (Academic, New York, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Crichton, R. R., Yesid, P.-O., Koch, M. H. J., Parfait, R. & Stuhrmann, H. B. Biochem. J. 171, 349–356 (1978).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Spartalian, K., Osterhuis, W. T. & Smarra, N. Biochim. biophys. Acta 399, 203–212 (1975).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bulen, W. A., LeComte, J. R. & Lough, S. Biochim. biophys. Res. Commun. 54, 1274–1281 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Crichton, R. R. & Barbiroli, V. FEBS Lett. 6, 134–136 (1970).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bryce, C. F. A. & Crichton, R. R. J. biol. Chem. 246, 4198–4205 (1971).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Björk, I. & Fish, W. W. Biochemistry 10, 2844–2848 (1971).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Crichton, R. R. Structure and Bonding 17, 67–134 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Farrant, J. M. Biochim. biophys. Acta 13, 569–576 (1954).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Boas, J. F. & Window, B. Aust. J. Phys. 79, 573–576 (1966).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Blaise, A., Chappert, J. & Giradet, J. C.r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 261, 2310–2313 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Brady, G. W. et al. Biochemistry 7, 2185–2191 (1968).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Phillips, W. D. & Poe, M. Meth. Enzym. 24 B, 304–317 (1972).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Michaelis, L., Coryell, C. D. & Grannick, S. J. biol. Chem. 148, 463–480 (1943).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Imai, N., Terada, H., Arata, Y. & Fujiwara, S. Bull. chem. Soc. Japan 51, 2538–2542 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L. & Randall, R. J. J. biol. Chem. 193, 265–275 (1951).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Watt, G. D. Analyt. Biochem. (submitted).

  18. Crichton, R. R. Angew. Chem. 12, 57–65 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Crichton, R. R. (ed.) Proteins of Iron Storage and Transport in Biochemistry and Medicine, 183–376 (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1975).

  20. Brown, E. B., Aisen, P., Fielding, J. & Crichton, R. R. (eds) Proteins of Iron Metabolism, 3–88 (Grune and Stratton, New York, 1977).

  21. Harrison, P. M. & Hoy, T. G. in Inorganic Biochemistry (ed. Eichhorn, G. L.) 253–279 (Elsevier, New York, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Watt, G. D. & Bulen, W. A. in Proc. 1st int. Symp. Nitrogen Fixation (eds Newton, W. E. & Nyman, C. J.) 248–256 (Washington State University Press, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Neilands, J. B. Adv. Chem. 162, 3–32 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Corbin, J. L. & Bulen, W. A. Biochemistry 8, 757–762 (1969).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Hagihara, B., Sato, N. & Yamanaka, T. in The Enzymes Vol. II, part A (ed. Boyer, P. D.) 550–593 (Academic, New York, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Mazur, A. & Carleton, A. J. biol. Chem. 238, 1817–1824 (1963).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Nunez, M. T., Glass, J. & Robinson, S. H. Biochim. biophys. Acta 509, 170–180 (1978).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Ulvik, R. & Ramslo, I. Biochim. biophys. Acta 541, 251–262 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Glass, J., Nunez, M. T., Fischer, S. & Robinson, S. H. Biochim. biophys. Acta. 542, 154–162 (1978).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Weber, K., Pringle, J. R. & Osborn, M. Meth. Enzym. 26 C, 3–27 (1972).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Charles F. Kettering Research Laboratory, Yellow Springs, Ohio, 45387

    EDWARD I. STIEFEL & GERALD D. WATT

Authors
  1. EDWARD I. STIEFEL
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. GERALD D. WATT
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

STIEFEL, E., WATT, G. Azotobacter cytochrome b557.5 is a bacterioferritin. Nature 279, 81–83 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/279081a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/279081a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing