Outreach Highlights
“Hot” Protein and the Iron Paradox
Iron, one of earth’s most abundant elements, plays a paradoxical role in biology.
On the one hand, iron is an essential element for nearly all of life, but on the other
hand it is universally toxic. Iron is necessary in our cells because it helps with
electron shuttling, which is essential to produce ATP, the universal “fuel” for all
life. Not surprisingly, the toxicity of iron is also coupled to this electron shuttling.
In the presence of oxygen, ferrous iron (Fe2+) readily generates reactive oxygen species
(ROS) that cause oxidative stress, which is dangerous to the cell. A research group
under the direction of TBI scientist Trevor Douglas, in collaboration with TBI’s Mark
Young, has recently identified, isolated, and characterized an antioxidant protein
from the thermoacidophilic archaeon, Sulfolobus solfataricus (SsDPSL). This protein manages the “iron paradox” by using the electron shuttling
properties of iron to benefit the cell while also protecting the cell from oxidative
stress. Their results were featured on the cover of the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.
Biochemical characterization indicated that this paradox-solving protein was both
structurally and functionally related to a previously characterized class of DNA binding
proteins isolated from nutrient starved cells. Although biochemically similar to previously
described DPS proteins, further analysis of this sequence revealed a new monophyletic
subclass of proteins that are related but not identical to previously characterized
DPS proteins. Based on structural and functional similarities between this Sulfolobus protein and previously described DPS proteins, this new sub-class of proteins was
named “Dps-like” (DPSL). While the phylogenetic distinction between these proteins
subclasses is well supported, Douglas has established a collaboration with TBI structural
biologist Dr. Martin Lawrence in an effort to identify the structural distinctions
between DPS proteins and their relatives, DPSL proteins.
Looking forward, the Douglas team has used the ssdpsl gene, which codes for the DPSL protein, as an indicator of oxidative stress in Sulfolobus and have assembled an international team, which includes local collaborators, Drs.
Bothner, Lawrence and Young from the Thermal Biology Institute, to study the cellular
response of Sulfolobus to oxidative and other stresses.
These findings were featured on the cover of the July 2005 issue of PNAS.