These clusters represent spatially organized assemblies of inorganic iron and sulfide. The goal of this project is to elucidate these steps. The 2Fe-2S ferredoxin of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis has been used as a model protein to study the assembly process in vitro . This mechanism would reconcile with findings of D. R. Dean and coworkers who suggest a protein-based persulfide bound to the NifS protein as an intermediate for nitrogenase metallocluster assembly.
Present work concentrates on proof of the postulated sulfanated apoferredoxin.
Incorporation of iron is a further intriguing problem which deserves future investigations. Ultrastructure and pyruvate formate-lyase radical quenching property of the multienzymic AdhE protein of Escherichia coli. Consequently, at least one gene coding for a deformylase was identified in all eubacterial genomes those had been sequenced completely up to now. Furthermore, disruption of the structural gene for deformylase proved lethal for Escherichia coli. Taking together, these features designate deformylase as an attractive target for design of antibiotic drugs.