Purification, properties and complete amino acid sequence of the ferredoxin from a green alga, <i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</i>

Abstract

The ferredoxin was purified from the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The protein showed typical absorption and circular dichroism spectra of a [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin. When compared with spinach ferredoxin, the C. reinhardtii protein was less effective in the catalysis of NADP+ photoreduction, but its activity was higher in the light activation of C. reinhardtii malate dehydrogenase (NADP). The complete amino acid sequence was determined by automated Edman degradation of the whole protein and of peptides obtained by trypsin and chymotrypsin digestions and by CNBr cleavage. The protein consists of 94 residues, with Tyr at both NH2 and COOH termini. The positions of the four cysteines binding the two iron atoms are similar to those found in other [2Fe-2S] ferredoxins. The primary structure of C. reinhardtii ferredoxin showed a great homology (about 80%) with ferredoxins from two other green algae.