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Characterisation of the flavin-free oxygen-tolerant azoreductase from Xenophilus azovorans KF46F in comparison to flavin-containing azoreductases

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Abstract

The flavin-free azoreductase from Xenophilus azovorans KF46F (AzoB), which has been the very first characterized oxygen-tolerant azoreductase, was analyzed in comparison to various recently described flavin-containing azoreductases from different bacterial sources. Sequence comparisons demonstrated that the azoreductase from X. azovorans KF46F is a member of the NmrA family of proteins and demonstrates 30% sequence identity with a NADPH-dependent quinone oxidoreductase from Escherichia coli (encoded by ytfG). In contrast, it was found that the flavin-containing azoreductases from E. coli OY1-2 (AZR), Bacillus sp. OY1-2 (AZR) and related azoreductases all belong to the FMN_red superfamily of enzymes. The substrate specificity of AzoB was reanalyzed in respect to the recently characterized flavin-containing azoreductases, and it was found that purified AzoB converted in addition to different ortho-hydroxy azo compounds [such as Orange II = 1-(4′-sulfophenylazo)-2-naphthol] also the simple non-hydroxylated non-sulfonated azo dye Methyl Red (4′-dimethylaminoazobenzene-2-carboxylic acid), but no indications for the conversion of quinones were obtained. Significant differences were observed in the substrate specificities between AzoB and the flavin-containing azoreductases. The kinetic analysis of the turn-over of Orange II by AzoB suggested an ordered bireactant reaction mechanism which was different from the ping-pong mechanism suggested for the flavin-containing azoreductases.

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  1. Institut für Mikrobiologie, Universität Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany

    Sibylle Bürger & Andreas Stolz

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  1. Sibylle Bürger
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  2. Andreas Stolz
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Correspondence to Andreas Stolz.

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Bürger, S., Stolz, A. Characterisation of the flavin-free oxygen-tolerant azoreductase from Xenophilus azovorans KF46F in comparison to flavin-containing azoreductases. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 87, 2067–2076 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2669-1

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