Iron–sulfur clusters biogenesis by the SUF machinery: close to the molecular mechanism understanding

Abstract

Iron–sulfur clusters (Fe–S) are amongst the most ancient and versatile inorganic cofactors in nature which are used by proteins for fundamental biological processes. Multiprotein machineries (NIF, ISC, SUF) exist for Fe–S cluster biogenesis which are mainly conserved from bacteria to human. SUF system (sufABCDSE operon) plays a general role in many bacteria under conditions of iron limitation or oxidative stress. In this mini-review, we will summarize the current understanding of the molecular mechanism of Fe–S biogenesis by SUF. The advances in our understanding of the molecular aspects of SUF originate from biochemical, biophysical and recent structural studies. Combined with recent in vivo experiments, the understanding of the Fe–S biogenesis mechanism considerably moved forward.

PRE‐driven protein NMR structures: an alternative approach in highly paramagnetic systems

“…Metalloproteins represent 40 to 47% of all known enzymes [1,2] and, for all of them, the metal center(s) are essential for catalysis, electron transfer, and metal storage/transport, or they play a crucial role in determining stability and structural properties [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Structural biologists are mainly interested in obtaining detailed information in the proximity of the metal center(s), where the biochemically relevant events occur.…”

Oxidative stress antagonizes fluoroquinolone drug sensitivity via the SoxR-SUF Fe-S cluster homeostatic axis

“…ISC and SUF machineries function following the same basic principles. Cysteine desulfurases (IscS, SufS) produce sulfur from L-cysteine, scaffold proteins (IscU, SufBC 2 D) provide a molecular platform allowing iron and sulfur to meet and form a cluster, and carrier proteins—such as, IscA, SufA, ErpA and NfuA—deliver the cluster to terminal apotargets [ 9 – 14 ]. The source of iron remains uncertain and multiple origins have been proposed such as frataxin [ 9 ].…”

“…The source of iron remains uncertain and multiple origins have been proposed such as frataxin [ 9 ]. ISC is the housekeeping machinery, employed during balanced growth conditions, and SUF is the stress-responding one [ 9 – 14 ]. Mutants lacking both ISC and SUF are not viable [ 15 ].…”

The SUF system: an ABC ATPase-dependent protein complex with a role in Fe–S cluster biogenesis

“…The SUF system was first described in E. coli and most of our knowledge on it derives from studies using this model organism [14]. Besides SUF, E. coli possesses the ISC system, another additional FeeS cluster biogenesis system.…”