In silico analysis of a fl avohemoglobin from Sinorhizobium meliloti strain 1021

Authors

Veronica Lira-Ruan, Laboratorio de Biofísica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Colonia Chamilpa, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
Gautam Sarath, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Robert Klucas, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Raul Arredondo-Peter, Laboratorio de Biofísica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Colonia Chamilpa, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos, MéxicoFollow

Date of this Version

4-23-2003

Comments

Published in Microbiological Research (2003) 158, pp. 215–227. Copyright © 2003 Urban & Fischer Verlag, division of Elsevier. Used by permission. http://www.urbanfi scher.de/journals/microbiolres

Abstract

Hemoglobins (Hbs) have been characterized from a wide variety of eubacteria, but not from nitrogenfi xing rhizobia. Our search for Hb-like sequences in the Sinorhizobium meliloti genome revealed that a gene coding for a fl avohemoglobin (fHb) exists in S. meliloti (SmfHb). Computer analysis showed that SmfHb and Alcaligenes eutrophus fHb are highly similar and could fold into the same tertiary structure. A FNR-like box was detected upstream of the smfhb gene and mapping analy sis revealed that the smfhb gene is flanked by nos and fix genes. These observations suggest that smfhb is regulated by the concentration of O₂ and that SmfHb functions in some aspects of nitrogen metabolism.