Initial characterization of an iron superoxide dismutase from Thermobifida fusca.

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are enzymes that catalyze the dismutation of the superoxide radical anion into O and HO in a two-step reaction. They are ubiquitous to all forms of life and four different types of metal centers are detected, dividing this class of enzymes into Cu-/Zn-, Ni-, Mn-, and Fe-SODs. In this study, a superoxide dismutase from the thermophilic bacteria Thermobifida fusca (TfSOD) was cloned and expressed before the recombinant enzyme was characterized.