Crystal structure analysis of Bacillus subtilis ferredoxin‐NADP + oxidoreductase and the structural basis for its substrate selectivity

Bacillus subtilis yumC encodes a novel type of ferredoxin‐NADP + oxidoreductase (FNR) with a primary sequence and oligomeric conformation distinct from those of previously known FNRs. In this study, the crystal structure of B. subtilis FNR (BsFNR) complexed with NADP + has been determined. BsFNR features two distinct binding domains for FAD and NADPH in accordance with its structural similarity to Escherichia coli NADPH‐thioredoxin reductase (TdR) and TdR‐like protein from Thermus thermophilus HB8 (PDB code: 2ZBW). The deduced mode of NADP + binding to the BsFNR molecule is nonproductive in that the nicotinamide and isoalloxazine rings are over 15 Å apart. A unique C‐terminal extension, not found in E. coli TdR but in TdR‐like protein from T. thermophilus HB8, covers the re ‐face of the isoalloxazine moiety of FAD. In particular, Tyr50 in the FAD‐binding region and His324 in the C‐terminal extension stack on the si ‐ and re‐ faces of the isoalloxazine ring of FAD, respectively. Aromatic residues corresponding to Tyr50 and His324 are also found in the plastid‐type FNR superfamily of enzymes, and the residue corresponding to His324 has been reported to be responsible for nucleotide specificity. In contrast to the plastid‐type FNRs, replacement of His324 with Phe or Ser had little effect on the specificity or reactivity of BsFNR with NAD(P)H, whereas replacement of Arg190, which interacts with the 2′‐phosphate of NADP + , drastically decreased its affinity toward NADPH. This implies that BsFNR adopts the same nucleotide binding mode as the TdR enzyme family and that aromatic residue on the re ‐face of FAD is hardly relevant to the nucleotide selectivity.