Abstract
Methanogenic archaea are main actors in the carbon cycle but are sensitive to reactive sulfite. Some methanogens use a sulfite detoxification system that combines an F(420)H(2)-oxidase with a sulfite reductase, both of which are proposed precursors of modern enzymes. Here, we present snapshots of this coupled system, named coenzyme F(420)-dependent sulfite reductase (Group I Fsr), obtained from two marine methanogens. Fsr organizes as a homotetramer, harboring an intertwined six-[4Fe-4S] cluster relay characterized by spectroscopy. The wire, spanning 5.4 nm, electronically connects the flavin to the siroheme center. Despite a structural architecture similar to dissimilatory sulfite reductases, Fsr shows a siroheme coordination and a reaction mechanism identical to assimilatory sulfite reductases. Accordingly, the reaction of Fsr is unidirectional, reducing sulfite or nitrite with F(420)H(2). Our results provide structural insights into this unique fusion, in which a primitive sulfite reductase turns a poison into an elementary block of life.