Active acetyl-CoA synthase from Clostridium thermoaceticum obtained by cloning and heterologous expression of acsAB in Escherichia coli

Acetyl-CoA synthase from Clostridium thermoaceticum (ACS(Ct)) is an alpha(2)beta(2) tetramer containing two novel Ni-X-Fe(4)S(4) active sites (the A and C clusters) and a standard Fe(4)S(4) cluster (the B cluster). The acsA and acsB genes encoding the enzyme were cloned into Escherichia coli strain JM109 and overexpressed at 37(o)C under anaerobic conditions with Ni supplementation. The isolated recombinant His-tagged protein (AcsAB) exhibited characteristics essentially indistinguishable from those of ACS(Ct), from which Ni had been removed from the A cluster. AcsAB migrated through nondenaturing electrophoretic gels as a single band and contained a 1:1 molar ratio of subunits and 1.0-1.6 Ni/alphabeta and 14-22 Fe/alphabeta. AcsAB exhibited 100-250 units/mg CO oxidation activity but no CO/acetyl-CoA exchange activity. Electronic absorption spectra of thionin-oxidized and CO-reduced AcsAB were similar to those of ACS(Ct), with features typical of redox-active Fe(4)S(4) clusters. Partially oxidized and CO-reduced AcsAB exhibited EPR signals with g values and low spin intensities indistinguishable from those of the B(red) state of the B cluster and the C(red1) and C(red2) states of the C cluster of ACS(Ct). Upon overnight exposure to NiCl(2), the resulting recombinant enzyme (ACS(Ec)) developed 0. 06-0.25 units/mg exchange activity. The highest of these values is typical of fully active ACS(Ct). When reduced with CO, ACS(Ec) exhibited an EPR signal indistinguishable from the NiFeC signal of Ni-replete ACS(Ct). Variability of activities and signal intensities were observed among different preparations. Issues involving the assembly of these metal centers in E. coli are discussed.