Spontaneous activation of FeFe-hydrogenases by an inorganic 2Fe active site mimic

摘要

Hydrogenases catalyze the formation of hydrogen. The cofactor (H-cluster) of [FeFe]-hydrogenases consists of a [4Fe-4S]-cluster bridged to a unique [2Fe]-subcluster whose biosynthesis in vivo requires hydrogenase-specific maturases. Here we show that a chemical mimic of the [2Fe]-subcluster can reconstitute apo-hydrogenase to full activity, independent of helper proteins. The assembled H-cluster is virtually indistinguishable from the native cofactor. This procedure will be a powerful tool for developing novel artificial H2-producing catalysts.