Identification and molecular characterization of mitochondrial ferredoxins and ferredoxin reductase from Arabidopsis

We have identified and characterized novel types of ferredoxin and ferredoxin reductase from Arabidopsis. Among a number of potential ferredoxin reductase genes in the Arabidopsis genome, AtMFDR was identified to encode a homologue of mitochondrial ferredoxin reductase, and AtMFDX1 and AtMFDX2 were predicted to code for proteins similar to mitochondrial ferredoxin. First, we isolated cDNAs for these proteins and expressed them in heterologous systems of insect cells and Escherichia coli, respectively. The recombinant AtMFDX1 and AtMFDR proteins exhibited spectral properties characteristic of ferredoxin and ferredoxin reductase, respectively, and a pair of recombinant AtMFDX1 and AtMFDR proteins was sufficient to transfer electrons from NAD(P)H to cytochrome c in vitro. Subcellular fractionation analyses suggested membrane association of AtMFDR protein, and protein-gel blot analyses and transient expression studies of green fluorescence protein fusions indicated mitochondrial localization of AtMFDX1 and AtMFDR. RNA-gel blot analyses revealed that the accumulation levels of AtMFDXs and AtMFDR gene transcripts were specifically high in flowers, while protein-gel blot analysis demonstrated substantial accumulation of AtMFDR protein in leaf, stem, and flower. Possible physiological roles of these mitochondrial electron transfer components are discussed in relation to redox dependent metabolic pathways in plants.