The Role of Electrostatic Interactions in Complex Formation between Bacterial Luciferase and NADPH:FMN-oxidoreductase

Abstract

A possible mechanism of complex formation between bacterial luciferase and NADPH:FMNoxidoreductase from Vibrio harveyi sustained by electrostatic forces is studied. The complex between the enzymes is important for a direct FMNH2 transfer without a contact with solvent, which could cause a rapid autooxidation and the formation of reactive oxygen species. In the current work the diversity of possible relative positions of NADPH:FMN-oxidoreductase and luciferase was obtained with Monte-Carlo sampling governed by oxidoreductase internal charged groups and electrostatic field caused by luciferase. Among the structures with the minimal energies, the one was found that has a proper active sites orientation for a direct FMNH2 transfer. Possible role of hydrogen bonding between Arg291 and Gln197 of luciferase and oxidoreductase, respectively, in stabilization of this complex is proposed

Keywords

• bacterial bioluminescence
• luciferase
• NADPH:FMN-oxidoreductase
• molecular docking
• protein-protein interactions
• substrate transfer