The resting state of nitrogenase shows an S = 3/2 electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal resulting from the FeMo-cofactor (MoFe7S9:homocitrate) of the MoFe protein. When the enzyme undergoes turnover under a CO atmosphere, this signal disappears and two new ones appear:  one under low pressure of CO (denoted lo-CO; 0.08 atm) and the other under high pressure of CO (denoted hi-CO; 0.5 atm). Our recent Q-band (35 GHz) 13C and 57Fe electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) studies demonstrated that one CO is bound to the FeMo-cofactor of lo-CO and two to the cofactor of hi-CO. [Christie, P. D.; Lee, H. I.; Cameron, L. M.; Hales, B. J.; Orme-Johnson, W. H.; Hoffman, B. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 8707−8709. Pollack, R. C.; Lee, H. I.; Cameron, L. M.; DeRose, V. J.; Hales, B. J.; Orme-Johnson, W. H.; Hoffman, B. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 8686−8687.] In the present report, we examine the CO-bound FeMo-cofactor in both the lo- and hi-CO forms of the MoFe protein from Azotobacter vinelandii by complete orientation-selective 13C and 1H ENDOR measurements. 1H ENDOR studies reveal that well-resolved signals from a solvent-exchangeable proton seen in the resting state FeMo-cofactor are lost in both of the CO-inhibited forms, indicating a loss in hydrogen bonding as compared to the resting state. This supports the hypothesis that CO binds near the “waist” of the cofactor. Determination of 13C hyperfine tensors of bound 13CO to lo-CO and hi-CO leads to the suggestion that the single CO bound to the FeMo-cofactor of lo-CO may bridge or semibridge two iron ions, while each of the two CO bound to hi-CO is a terminal ligand. These ENDOR measurements and recent FTIR results of Thorneley and co-workers [George, S. J.; Ashby, G. A.; Wharton, C. W.; Thorneley, R. N. F. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 6450−6451] provide strong mutual support.

The X-ray structure of the nitrogenase MoFe protein has established the organization and architecture of its multimetallic cofactors, the P-cluster (Fe8S7 - 8) and the FeMo-cofactor (MoFe7S9:homocitrate). Nonetheless, until recently it has not been possible to detect or characterize a substrate or inhibitor interacting with the functioning enzyme. In the present study we have used 57Fe ENDOR to study the CO-inhibited turnover states of a novel suite of 56,57Fe isotopomers of the MoFe protein, including those in which these two clusters are selectively, as well as uniformly, labeled. CO-inhibited MoFe protein exhibits two distinct EPR signals, one under low and another under high CO pressure. The 57Fe measurements, along with an earlier 13C ENDOR study of bound 13CO (Pollock, R. C.; Lee, H. I.; Cameron, L. M.; DeRose, V. J.; Hales, B. J.; Orme-Johnson, W. H.; Hoffman, B. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 8686−8687), show that the two EPR signals arise from CO-bound FeMo-cofactor, in one case with one bound CO and in the other with two bound CO, and they further provide initial insights into the properties of the inhibitor-bound cluster.