A dissimilatory nitrite reductase in Paracoccus halodenitrificans

Characterization of nitrite degradation by Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus LCR 6013

Nitrites are potential carcinogens. Therefore, limiting nitrites in food is critically important for food safety. The nitrite degradation capacity of Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus LCR 6013 was investigated in pickle fermentation. After LCR 6013 fermentation for 120 h at 37°C, the nitrite concentration in the fermentation system was significantly lower than that in the control sample without the LCR 6013 strain. The effects of NaCl and Vc on nitrite degradation by LCR 6013 in the De Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) medium were also investigated. The highest nitrite degradations, 9.29 mg/L and 9.89 mg/L, were observed when NaCl and Vc concentrations were 0.75% and 0.02%, respectively in the MRS medium, which was significantly higher than the control group (p ≤ 0.01). Electron capture/gas chromatography and indophenol blue staining were used to study the nitrite degradation pathway of LCR 6013. The nitrite degradation products contained N2O, but no NH4(+). The LCR 6013 strain completely degraded all NaNO2 (50.00 mg/L) after 16 h of fermentation. The enzyme activity of NiR in the periplasmic space was 2.5 times of that in the cytoplasm. Our results demonstrated that L. casei subsp. rhamnosus LCR 6013 can effectively degrade nitrites in both the pickle fermentation system and in MRS medium by NiR. Nitrites are degraded by the LCR 6013 strain, likely via the nitrate respiration pathway (NO2(-)>NO->N2O->N2), rather than the aammonium formation pathway (dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium, DNRA), because the degradation products contain N2O, but not NH4(+).

The purification and properties of a cd-cytochrome nitrite reductase from Paracoccus halodenitrificans

Paracoccus halodenitrificans, grown anaerobically in the presence of nitrite, contained membrane and cytoplasmic nitrite reductases. When assayed in the presence of phenazine methosulfate and ascorbate, the membrane-bound enzyme produced nitrous oxide whereas the cytoplasmic enzyme produced nitric oxide. When both enzymes were assayed in the presence of methyl viologen and dithionite, the cytoplasmic enzyme produced ammonia. Following solubilization, the membrane-bound enzyme behaved like the cytoplasmic enzyme, producing nitric oxide in the presence of phenazine methosulfate and ascorbate, and ammonia when assayed in the presence of methyl viologen and dithionite. The cytoplasmic and membrane-bound enzymes were purified to essentially the same specific activity. Only a single nitrite-reductase activity was detected on electrophoretic gels and the electrophoretic behavior of both enzymes suggested they were identical. The spectral properties of both enzymes suggested they were cd-type cytochromes. These data suggest that the products of nitrite reduction by the cd-cytochrome nitrite reductase are determined by the location of the enzyme and the redox potential of the electron donor.

From no-confidence to nitric oxide acknowledgement: a story of bacterial nitric-oxide reductase

The review briefly summarizes current knowledge of the bacterial nitric-oxide reductase (NOR). This membrane enzyme consists of two subunits, the smaller one contains haem C and the larger one two haems B and nonhaem iron. The protein sequence and structure of metal centres demonstrate the relationship of NOR to the family of terminal oxidases. The binuclear Fe-Fe reaction centre, consisting of antiferromagnetically coupled haem B and nonhaem iron, is analogous to Fe-Cu centre of terminal oxidases. The data on the structure and function of NOR and terminal oxidases suggest that all these enzymes are closely evolutionally related. The catalytic properties are determined most of all by the relatively high toxicity of nitric oxide as a substrate and the resulting strong need to maintain its concentration at nanomolar levels. A kinetic model of the action of the enzyme comprises substrate inhibition. NOR does not conserve the free energy of nitric oxide reduction because it does not work as a proton pump and, moreover, the protons coming into the reaction are taken from periplasm, i.e. they do not cross the membrane.

Biology of moderately halophilic aerobic bacteria

The moderately halophilic heterotrophic aerobic bacteria form a diverse group of microorganisms. The property of halophilism is widespread within the bacterial domain. Bacterial halophiles are abundant in environments such as salt lakes, saline soils, and salted food products. Most species keep their intracellular ionic concentrations at low levels while synthesizing or accumulating organic solutes to provide osmotic equilibrium of the cytoplasm with the surrounding medium. Complex mechanisms of adjustment of the intracellular environments and the properties of the cytoplasmic membrane enable rapid adaptation to changes in the salt concentration of the environment. Approaches to the study of genetic processes have recently been developed for several moderate halophiles, opening the way toward an understanding of haloadaptation at the molecular level. The new information obtained is also expected to contribute to the development of novel biotechnological uses for these organisms.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa nitrite reductase (or cytochrome oxidase): an overview

The biochemistry and molecular biology of nitrite reductase, a key enzyme in the dissimilatory denitrification pathway of Ps aeruginosa which reduces nitrite to NO, is reviewed in this paper. The enzyme is a non-covalent homodimer, each subunit containing one heme c and one heme d1. The reaction mechanisms of nitrite and oxygen reduction are discussed in detail, as well as the interaction of the enzyme with its macromolecular substrates, azurin and cytochrome c551. Special attention is paid to new structural information, such as the chemistry of the d1 prosthetic group and the primary sequence of the gene and the protein. Finally, results on the expression both in Ps aeruginosa and in heterologous systems are presented.

Immunological identification and distribution of dissimilatory heme cd1 and nonheme copper nitrite reductases in denitrifying bacteria

Polyclonal antibodies were used to identify heme or copper nitrite reductases in the following groups: 23 taxonomically diverse denitrifiers from culture collections, 100 numerically dominant denitrifiers from geographically diverse environments, and 51 denitrifiers from a culture collection not selected for denitrification. Antisera were raised against heme nitrite reductases from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas stutzeri and against copper nitrite reductase from Achromobacter cycloclastes. Nitrite reductases were identified by Western immunoblot. Diethyldithiocarbamate, which specifically inhibits copper nitrite reductases, was used to confirm the immunological characterization and determine which type was present in strains nonreactive with any antiserum. For groups in which the type of nitrite reductase has not been previously described, we found that Alcaligenes eutrophus, Bacillus azotoformans, Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Corynebacterium nephridii, and Rhizobium spp. contained copper nitrite reductase, while Aquaspirillum itersonii, Flavobacterium spp., and Pseudomonas fluorescens contained heme nitrite reductase. Heme nitrite reductases dominated, regardless of soil type or geographic origin. They occurred in 64 and 92%, respectively, of denitrifiers in the numerically dominant and nonselected collections. The two nitrite reductase types were mutually exclusive in individual bacteria, but both appeared in different strains from the Alcaligenes and Pseudomonas genera. The heme type predominated in Pseudomonas strains. The heme-type nitrite reductase appeared more conserved if judged by similarities in molecular weights and immunological reactions. The Cu type was found in more taxonomically unrelated strains and varied in molecular weight and antiserum recognition.

Properties and electron transfer specificity of copper proteins from the denitrifier "Achromobacter cycloclastes"

A blue copper protein (Mr 12,000) was purified from cells of "Achromobacter cycloclastes" grown as a denitrifier. When reduced, the blue copper protein transferred electrons to the copper protein nitrite reductase purified from the same cells, whereas a variety of cytochromes from denitrifiers failed to do so. Inclusion of a protease inhibitor, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, in the buffers employed during preparation yielded purified blue copper protein with 18 more amino acid residues and two times more specific enzyme activity than other researchers have found.