Running Title: Effect of Sulfide on CODH 2 AbstractThe structure of the active-site C-cluster in CO dehydrogenase from Carboxythermus hydrogenoformans includes a µ 2 -sulfide ion bridged to the Ni and unique Fe, while the same cluster in enzymes from Rhodospirillum rubrum (CODH Rr ) and Moorella thermoacetica (CODH Mt ) lack this ion. This difference was investigated by exploring the effects of sodium sulfide on activity and spectral properties. Sulfide partially inhibited the CO oxidation activity of CODH Rr and generated a lag prior to steady-state. CODH Mt was inhibited similarly but without a lag. Adding sulfide to CODH Mt in the C red1 state caused the g av = 1.82 EPR signal to decline and new features to appear, including one with g = 1.95, 1.85 and (1.70 or 1.62). Removing sulfide caused the g av = 1.82 signal to reappear and activity to recover. Sulfide did not affect the g av = 1.86 signal from the C red2 state. A model was developed in which sulfide binds reversibly to C red1 , inhibiting catalysis. Reducing this adduct causes sulfide to dissociate, C red2 to develop, and activity to recover. Using this model, apparent K I values are 40 ± 10 nM for CODH Rr and 60 ± 30 µM for CODH Mt . Effects of sulfide are analogous to those of other anions, including the substrate hydroxyl group, suggesting that these ions also bridge the Ni and unique Fe. This proposed arrangement raises the possibility that CO binding labilizes the bridging hydroxyl and increases its nucleophilic tendency towards attacking Ni-bound carbonyl.3 Ni-containing carbon monoxide dehydrogenases are found in anaerobic bacteria and archaea that grow autotrophically on CO or CO 2 and reducing equivalents (1). There are other potentially important differences between these structures but these will not be discussed here.The C-cluster can be stabilized in four redox states, called C ox , C red1 , C int and C red2 (6-9).The fully-oxidized C ox state is S = 0 and appears not to be involved in CO/CO 2 redox catalysis. 4 Reduction by 1 electron to the S = ½ C red1 state activates the enzyme (10). During catalysis, CO probably coordinates to the Ni of the C-cluster in this state, followed by the attack of the carbonyl by a hydroxide ion, forming a Ni-bound carboxylate. The S = ½ C red2 state then forms as CO 2 dissociates. The C-cluster in the C red2 state transfers 2 electrons, in 1-electron steps, to the B-and D-clusters. In doing so, it passes through an EPR-silent C int state (9) and ultimately returns to the C red1 state (7).We were intrigued by the µ 2 -sulfide ion uniquely found in the CODH Ch C-cluster, and endeavored to understand the circumstances for its presence. One possibility was that this sulfide ion is required for catalysis and that the 3 structures lacking it might reflect enzyme crystallized in an inactive form. Alternatively, the sulfide ion might inhibit catalysis and CODH Ch might have been crystallized in an inactive form. Other possibilities are that the C-cluster in CODH Ch might differ intrinsically from those in the othe...