[NiFe] hydrogenases function in H2 metabolism in a variety of microorganisms, enabling them to use H2 as a source of reducing equivalent under aerobic and anaerobic conditions [NiFe] hydrogenases consist of two subunits, hydrogenase large and hydrogenase small. The large subunit contains the binuclear [NiFe] active site, while the small subunit binds at least one [4Fe-4S] cluster
[5].
Energy-converting [NiFe] hydrogenases (or [NiFe]-hydrogenase-3-type) form a distinct group within the [NiFe] hydrogenase family
[2, 3, 1]. Members of this subgroup include:
* Hydrogenase 3 and 4 (Hyc and Hyf) from Escherichia coli
* CO-induced hydrogenase (Coo) from Rhodospirillum rubrum
* Mbh hydrogenase from Pyrococcus furiosus
* Eha and Ehb hydrogenases from Methanothermobacter species
* Ech hydrogenase from Methanosarcina barkeri
Energy-converting [NiFe] hydrogenases are membrane-bound enzymes with a six-subunit core: the large and small hydrogenase subunits, plus two hydrophilic proteins and two integral membrane proteins. Their large and small subunits show little sequence similarity to other [NiFe] hydrogenases, except for key conserved residues coordinating the active site and [FeS] cluster. However, they show considerable sequence similarity to the six-subunit, energy-conserving NADH:quinone oxidoreductases (complex I), which are present in cytoplasmic membranes of many bacteria and in inner mitochondrial membranes. However, the reactions they catalyse differ significantly from complex I. Energy-converting [NiFe] hydrogenases function as ion pumps.
Eha and Ehb hydrogenases contain extra subunits in addition to those shared by other energy-converting [NiFe] hydrogenases (or [NiFe]-hydrogenase-3-type). Eha contains a 6[4Fe-4S] polyferredoxin, a 10[4F-4S] polyferredoxin, ten other predicted integral membrane proteins (EhaA
IPR011306, EhaB
IPR011314, EhaC
IPR011316, EhaD
IPR011308, EhaE
IPR011317, EhaF
IPR011313, EhaG
IPR011311, EhaI
IPR011318, EhaK
IPR011319, EhaL
IPR019211 and
IPR011305) and four hydrophilic subunits (EhaM, EhaR, EhS, EhT)
[4, 1]. The ten predicted integral membrane proteins are absent from Ech, Coo, Hyc and Hyf complexes, which may have simpler membrane components than Eha. Eha and Ehb catalyse the reduction of low-potential redox carriers (e.g. ferredoxins or polyferredoxins), which then might function as electron donors to oxidoreductases.
This entry represents the Energy-converting hydrogenase subunit EhaL from Methanobacteria and Methanococci, including Methanocaldococcus jannaschii.