Molecular Biology of Hydrogenases

Abstract

A review with 26 refs. Hydrogenases, found in a wide variety of organisms, catalyze either the consumption or the prodn. of H2 in response to different physiol. conditions. In recent years, a large body of biochem. and genetic data on enzymes isolated from different sources has contributed to elucidating fundamental aspects about their catalytic properties and gene organization. In addn., the recently obtained crystal structure of a [Ni-Fe] hydrogenase sheds light on structure-function relationships in these enzymes. With the ultimate goal of engineering photosynthetic strains to improve their light-dependent hydrogen evolution capacity, we have characterized at the mol. level hydrogenases from different microbial sources. In particular, we have focused our attention on the H2-evolving hydrogenases from Pyrococcus furiosus and Acetomicrobium flavidum and on the uptake hydrogenase system from Rhodobacter sphaeroides RV. This microorganism represents the species selected for use in a photobioreactor, as planned in the Japanese hydrogen prodn. project in which we are involved. [on SciFinder(R)]