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Nitrogenase
Exploring the Structure
The metal clusters are the centerpiece of nitrogenase, and are the major attraction on any tour of the structures. PDB entry 1n2c is a good place to start--it contains both the MoFe protein (in blue and purple at the center) and two copies of the Fe protein dimer bound on either end (shown in green). The metal ions are easily displayed using a spacefilling representation, which reveals the iron-sulfur cluster, the P-cluster, and the FeMo-cluster arranged in a row. The ATP binding site is revealed in this structure by using an unusual analogue of ATP: an ADP molecule with an aluminum fluoride ion. Two of these molecules bind at each end, forming a stable but inactive complex with the Fe protein, essentially gluing the Fe protein to the FeMo protein so its structure can be solved.This image was created with RasMol. You can create similar images by clicking on the accession code above and picking one of the options under View Structure.
A list of all nitrogenase structures in the PDB as of February, 2002, is available here. For more information on nitrogenase, click here.
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Last changed by: A.Honegger,