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  • Molecular mechanism of ener...
    Yokoyama, Ken; Yano, Takahiro; Jormakka, Mika; Akimoto, Satoru; Shimamura, Tatsuro; Tamakoshi, Masatada; Curmi, Paul; Iwata, So

    Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 07/2008, Volume: 15, Issue: 7
    Journal Article

    Bacterial polysulfide reductase (PsrABC) is an integral membrane protein complex responsible for quinone-coupled reduction of polysulfide, a process important in extreme environments such as deep-sea vents and hot springs. We determined the structure of polysulfide reductase from Thermus thermophilus at 2.4-A resolution, revealing how the PsrA subunit recognizes and reduces its unique polyanionic substrate. The integral membrane subunit PsrC was characterized using the natural substrate menaquinone-7 and inhibitors, providing a comprehensive representation of a quinone binding site and revealing the presence of a water-filled cavity connecting the quinone binding site on the periplasmic side to the cytoplasm. These results suggest that polysulfide reductase could be a key energy-conserving enzyme of the T. thermophilus respiratory chain, using polysulfide as the terminal electron acceptor and pumping protons across the membrane via a previously unknown mechanism.