Respiratory nitrate reductase from Paracoccus denitrificans. Evidence for two b-type haems in the gamma subunit and properties of a water-soluble active enzyme containing alpha and beta subunits.

1. The b-type haem centres of the three (alpha, beta and gamma) subunit nitrate reductase from Paracoccus denitrificans have been analysed by redox potentiometry. Two components were identified with mid-point potentials +95 mV and +210 mV. 2. Washing, in the absence of Mg2+ ions, of cytoplasmic membrane vesicles from P. denitrificans promoted selective release of nitrate reductase activity. The released enzyme was purified by chromatography and shown to contain alpha and beta, but not gamma polypeptides. A haem spectrum was absent, consistent with the lack of the gamma subunit. The alpha and beta polypeptides of the water-soluble nitrate reductase had molecular masses that were identical to those of the detergent-purified enzyme and also of the nitrate reductase in cytoplasmic membranes. This observation, together with the failure of protease inhibitors to prevent release from the membrane, indicates that the release is not related to limited proteolysis of the alpha and/or beta polypeptides. The relative molecular mass of the water-soluble alpha beta enzyme was estimated to be approximately 200,000. 3. The water-soluble nitrate reductase was released from intact inverted cytoplasmic membrane vesicles as judged by loss of NADH-NO3- reductase activity and retention by the vesicles after washing of uncoupler-sensitive NADH-oxidase activity. These observations show that alpha and beta polypeptides, and therefore the active site for nitrate reduction, are located on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane. 4. Attempts to reverse the nitrate reductase activity of the enzyme, using nitrate as reductant plus ferricyanide or chlorate as tested oxidants, were unsuccessful. The implications for the mechanism of the enzyme are discussed.