Incorporation of adenine into the modifying group of inactive iron protein of nitrogenase from Rhodospirillum rubrum.

Adenine was fed to cells of Rhodospirillum rubrum grown on glutamate. The adenine was found to be incorporated into the modifying group of the inactive form of iron protein. Adenine labelled in the 8-position ([8-3H]adenine) and the 2-position ([2-3H]adenine) was specifically incorporated into the electrophoretic 'upper-band' subunit of iron protein. Incorporation of label from the 2-position into many proteins was observed if histidine was not present in the medium. Label was removed by the activating enzyme for iron protein.