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Buessecker S, Palmer M, Lai D, Dimapilis J, Mayali X, Mosier D, Jiao JY, Colman DR, Keller LM, St John E, Miranda M, Gonzalez C, Gonzalez L, Sam C, Villa C, Zhuo M, Bodman N, Robles F, Boyd ES, Cox AD, St Clair B, Hua ZS, Li WJ, Reysenbach AL, Stott MB, Weber PK, Pett-Ridge J, Dekas AE, Hedlund BP, Dodsworth JA. An essential role for tungsten in the ecology and evolution of a previously uncultivated lineage of anaerobic, thermophilic Archaea. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3773. [PMID: 35773279 PMCID: PMC9246946 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31452-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Trace metals have been an important ingredient for life throughout Earth's history. Here, we describe the genome-guided cultivation of a member of the elusive archaeal lineage Caldarchaeales (syn. Aigarchaeota), Wolframiiraptor gerlachensis, and its growth dependence on tungsten. A metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) of W. gerlachensis encodes putative tungsten membrane transport systems, as well as pathways for anaerobic oxidation of sugars probably mediated by tungsten-dependent ferredoxin oxidoreductases that are expressed during growth. Catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in-situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS) show that W. gerlachensis preferentially assimilates xylose. Phylogenetic analyses of 78 high-quality Wolframiiraptoraceae MAGs from terrestrial and marine hydrothermal systems suggest that tungsten-associated enzymes were present in the last common ancestor of extant Wolframiiraptoraceae. Our observations imply a crucial role for tungsten-dependent metabolism in the origin and evolution of this lineage, and hint at a relic metabolic dependence on this trace metal in early anaerobic thermophiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Buessecker
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Marike Palmer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
| | - Dengxun Lai
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Joshua Dimapilis
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Xavier Mayali
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Damon Mosier
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jian-Yu Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Daniel R Colman
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Lisa M Keller
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Emily St John
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Michelle Miranda
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Cristina Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Lizett Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Christian Sam
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Christopher Villa
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Madeline Zhuo
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas Bodman
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Fernando Robles
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Eric S Boyd
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Alysia D Cox
- Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT, USA
| | - Brian St Clair
- Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT, USA
| | - Zheng-Shuang Hua
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, PR China
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, PR China
| | | | - Matthew B Stott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Peter K Weber
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer Pett-Ridge
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
- Life & Environmental Sciences Department, University of Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Anne E Dekas
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Brian P Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Jeremy A Dodsworth
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA.
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Koendjbiharie JG, van Kranenburg R, Kengen SWM. The PEP-pyruvate-oxaloacetate node: variation at the heart of metabolism. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuaa061. [PMID: 33289792 PMCID: PMC8100219 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
At the junction between the glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle-as well as various other metabolic pathways-lies the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-pyruvate-oxaloacetate node (PPO-node). These three metabolites form the core of a network involving at least eleven different types of enzymes, each with numerous subtypes. Obviously, no single organism maintains each of these eleven enzymes; instead, different organisms possess different subsets in their PPO-node, which results in a remarkable degree of variation, despite connecting such deeply conserved metabolic pathways as the glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The PPO-node enzymes play a crucial role in cellular energetics, with most of them involved in (de)phosphorylation of nucleotide phosphates, while those responsible for malate conversion are important redox enzymes. Variations in PPO-node therefore reflect the different energetic niches that organisms can occupy. In this review, we give an overview of the biochemistry of these eleven PPO-node enzymes. We attempt to highlight the variation that exists, both in PPO-node compositions, as well as in the roles that the enzymes can have within those different settings, through various recent discoveries in both bacteria and archaea that reveal deviations from canonical functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen G Koendjbiharie
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Stippeneng4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Richard van Kranenburg
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Stippeneng4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Corbion, Arkelsedijk 46, 4206 AC Gorinchem, The Netherlands
| | - Servé W M Kengen
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Stippeneng4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
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McFarlane CR, Murray JW. A Sensitive Coupled Enzyme Assay for Measuring Kinase and ATPase Kinetics Using ADP-Specific Hexokinase. Bio Protoc 2020; 10:e3599. [PMID: 33659565 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinases and ATPases perform essential biological functions in metabolism and regulation. Activity of these enzymes is commonly measured by coupling ATP consumption to the synthesis of a detectable product. For most assay systems the ATP concentration during the reaction is unknown, compromising the precision of the assay. Using the ADP-specific hexokinase (ADP-HK) from the thermophilic archaeon Thermococcus litoralis the protocol outlined here allows real time coupling of ATP consumption to downstream signal change enabling accurate kinetic measurements. ADP-HK phosphorylates glucose that is then used by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase to reduce NAD+ to NADH which can be measured at 340 nm. We have shown this assay to be sensitive to the detection of micromole quantities of ADP with no detectable background from ATP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciaran R McFarlane
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - James W Murray
- Deparment of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Sharma P, Guptasarma P. Endoglucanase activity at a second site in Pyrococcus furiosus triosephosphate isomerase-Promiscuity or compensation for a metabolic handicap? FEBS Open Bio 2017; 7:1126-1143. [PMID: 28781953 PMCID: PMC5537068 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.12249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The eight‐stranded (β/α)8 barrel fold known as the Triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) barrel is the most commonly observed fold in enzymes, displaying an eightfold structural symmetry. The sequences and structures of different TIM barrel enzymes suggest that nature exploits the modularity inherent in the eightfold symmetry to generate enzymes with diverse enzymatic activities and, in certain cases, more than one catalytic activity per enzyme. Here, we report the discovery, verification, and characterization of such an additional activity, a novel endoglucanase/cellulase activity in what is otherwise a triosephosphate isomerase from the hyperthermophile archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus (PfuTIM). The activity is seen in two different ranges of temperatures, with one maximum at 40 °C and a second maximum close to 100 °C. The endoglucanase/cellulase activity is inhibited by norharman, a TIM inhibitor, which is suspected to bind at a site different to that of the regular substrate, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate (G3P). However, endoglucanase/cellulose activity is not inhibited either by G3P analogs or by glycine‐scanning mutations involving residues in loops 1, 4, and 6 of PfuTIM, which are known to be important for TIM activity. It appears, therefore, that two different sites on PfuTIM are responsible for the observed TIM and endoglucanase activities. We discuss possible correlations between this discovery and certain unusual features of the glycolytic pathway in P. furiosus. Enzyme Pyrococcus furiosus Triosephosphate isomerase (EC:5.3.1.1)
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Affiliation(s)
- Prerna Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences Centre for Protein Science Design and Engineering (CPSDE) Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali Punjab.,Division of Protein Science and Engineering CSIR- Institute of Microbial Technology Chandigarh India
| | - Purnananda Guptasarma
- Department of Biological Sciences Centre for Protein Science Design and Engineering (CPSDE) Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali Punjab.,Division of Protein Science and Engineering CSIR- Institute of Microbial Technology Chandigarh India
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Francis BR. The Hypothesis that the Genetic Code Originated in Coupled Synthesis of Proteins and the Evolutionary Predecessors of Nucleic Acids in Primitive Cells. Life (Basel) 2015; 5:467-505. [PMID: 25679748 PMCID: PMC4390864 DOI: 10.3390/life5010467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although analysis of the genetic code has allowed explanations for its evolution to be proposed, little evidence exists in biochemistry and molecular biology to offer an explanation for the origin of the genetic code. In particular, two features of biology make the origin of the genetic code difficult to understand. First, nucleic acids are highly complicated polymers requiring numerous enzymes for biosynthesis. Secondly, proteins have a simple backbone with a set of 20 different amino acid side chains synthesized by a highly complicated ribosomal process in which mRNA sequences are read in triplets. Apparently, both nucleic acid and protein syntheses have extensive evolutionary histories. Supporting these processes is a complex metabolism and at the hub of metabolism are the carboxylic acid cycles. This paper advances the hypothesis that the earliest predecessor of the nucleic acids was a β-linked polyester made from malic acid, a highly conserved metabolite in the carboxylic acid cycles. In the β-linked polyester, the side chains are carboxylic acid groups capable of forming interstrand double hydrogen bonds. Evolution of the nucleic acids involved changes to the backbone and side chain of poly(β-d-malic acid). Conversion of the side chain carboxylic acid into a carboxamide or a longer side chain bearing a carboxamide group, allowed information polymers to form amide pairs between polyester chains. Aminoacylation of the hydroxyl groups of malic acid and its derivatives with simple amino acids such as glycine and alanine allowed coupling of polyester synthesis and protein synthesis. Use of polypeptides containing glycine and l-alanine for activation of two different monomers with either glycine or l-alanine allowed simple coded autocatalytic synthesis of polyesters and polypeptides and established the first genetic code. A primitive cell capable of supporting electron transport, thioester synthesis, reduction reactions, and synthesis of polyesters and polypeptides is proposed. The cell consists of an iron-sulfide particle enclosed by tholin, a heterogeneous organic material that is produced by Miller-Urey type experiments that simulate conditions on the early Earth. As the synthesis of nucleic acids evolved from β-linked polyesters, the singlet coding system for replication evolved into a four nucleotide/four amino acid process (AMP = aspartic acid, GMP = glycine, UMP = valine, CMP = alanine) and then into the triplet ribosomal process that permitted multiple copies of protein to be synthesized independent of replication. This hypothesis reconciles the “genetics first” and “metabolism first” approaches to the origin of life and explains why there are four bases in the genetic alphabet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Francis
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
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Welte C, Deppenmeier U. Bioenergetics and anaerobic respiratory chains of aceticlastic methanogens. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2013; 1837:1130-47. [PMID: 24333786 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2013.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Methane-forming archaea are strictly anaerobic microbes and are essential for global carbon fluxes since they perform the terminal step in breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Major part of methane produced in nature derives from the methyl group of acetate. Only members of the genera Methanosarcina and Methanosaeta are able to use this substrate for methane formation and growth. Since the free energy change coupled to methanogenesis from acetate is only -36kJ/mol CH4, aceticlastic methanogens developed efficient energy-conserving systems to handle this thermodynamic limitation. The membrane bound electron transport system of aceticlastic methanogens is a complex branched respiratory chain that can accept electrons from hydrogen, reduced coenzyme F420 or reduced ferredoxin. The terminal electron acceptor of this anaerobic respiration is a mixed disulfide composed of coenzyme M and coenzyme B. Reduced ferredoxin has an important function under aceticlastic growth conditions and novel and well-established membrane complexes oxidizing ferredoxin will be discussed in depth. Membrane bound electron transport is connected to energy conservation by proton or sodium ion translocating enzymes (F420H2 dehydrogenase, Rnf complex, Ech hydrogenase, methanophenazine-reducing hydrogenase and heterodisulfide reductase). The resulting electrochemical ion gradient constitutes the driving force for adenosine triphosphate synthesis. Methanogenesis, electron transport, and the structure of key enzymes are discussed in this review leading to a concept of how aceticlastic methanogens make a living. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 18th European Bioenergetic Conference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Welte
- Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 168, 53115 Bonn, Germany; Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Uwe Deppenmeier
- Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 168, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
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Yelton AP, Comolli LR, Justice NB, Castelle C, Denef VJ, Thomas BC, Banfield JF. Comparative genomics in acid mine drainage biofilm communities reveals metabolic and structural differentiation of co-occurring archaea. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:485. [PMID: 23865623 PMCID: PMC3750248 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metal sulfide mineral dissolution during bioleaching and acid mine drainage (AMD) formation creates an environment that is inhospitable to most life. Despite dominance by a small number of bacteria, AMD microbial biofilm communities contain a notable variety of coexisting and closely related Euryarchaea, most of which have defied cultivation efforts. For this reason, we used metagenomics to analyze variation in gene content that may contribute to niche differentiation among co-occurring AMD archaea. Our analyses targeted members of the Thermoplasmatales and related archaea. These results greatly expand genomic information available for this archaeal order. Results We reconstructed near-complete genomes for uncultivated, relatively low abundance organisms A-, E-, and Gplasma, members of Thermoplasmatales order, and for a novel organism, Iplasma. Genomic analyses of these organisms, as well as Ferroplasma type I and II, reveal that all are facultative aerobic heterotrophs with the ability to use many of the same carbon substrates, including methanol. Most of the genomes share genes for toxic metal resistance and surface-layer production. Only Aplasma and Eplasma have a full suite of flagellar genes whereas all but the Ferroplasma spp. have genes for pili production. Cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and tomography (cryo-ET) strengthen these metagenomics-based ultrastructural predictions. Notably, only Aplasma, Gplasma and the Ferroplasma spp. have predicted iron oxidation genes and Eplasma and Iplasma lack most genes for cobalamin, valine, (iso)leucine and histidine synthesis. Conclusion The Thermoplasmatales AMD archaea share a large number of metabolic capabilities. All of the uncultivated organisms studied here (A-, E-, G-, and Iplasma) are metabolically very similar to characterized Ferroplasma spp., differentiating themselves mainly in their genetic capabilities for biosynthesis, motility, and possibly iron oxidation. These results indicate that subtle, but important genomic differences, coupled with unknown differences in gene expression, distinguish these organisms enough to allow for co-existence. Overall this study reveals shared features of organisms from the Thermoplasmatales lineage and provides new insights into the functioning of AMD communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis P Yelton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Rivas-Pardo JA, Herrera-Morande A, Castro-Fernandez V, Fernandez FJ, Vega MC, Guixé V. Crystal structure, SAXS and kinetic mechanism of hyperthermophilic ADP-dependent glucokinase from Thermococcus litoralis reveal a conserved mechanism for catalysis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66687. [PMID: 23818958 PMCID: PMC3688580 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Accepted: 05/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
ADP-dependent glucokinases represent a unique family of kinases that belong to the ribokinase superfamily, being present mainly in hyperthermophilic archaea. For these enzymes there is no agreement about the magnitude of the structural transitions associated with ligand binding and whether they are meaningful to the function of the enzyme. We used the ADP-dependent glucokinase from Thermococcus litoralis as a model to investigate the conformational changes observed in X-ray crystallographic structures upon substrate binding and to compare them with those determined in solution in order to understand their interplay with the glucokinase function. Initial velocity studies indicate that catalysis follows a sequential ordered mechanism that correlates with the structural transitions experienced by the enzyme in solution and in the crystal state. The combined data allowed us to resolve the open-closed conformational transition that accounts for the complete reaction cycle and to identify the corresponding clusters of aminoacids residues responsible for it. These results provide molecular bases for a general mechanism conserved across the ADP-dependent kinase family.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alejandra Herrera-Morande
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, España
| | | | | | | | - Victoria Guixé
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Schut GJ, Boyd ES, Peters JW, Adams MWW. The modular respiratory complexes involved in hydrogen and sulfur metabolism by heterotrophic hyperthermophilic archaea and their evolutionary implications. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2012; 37:182-203. [PMID: 22713092 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2012.00346.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Revised: 05/30/2012] [Accepted: 06/08/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen production is a vital metabolic process for many anaerobic organisms, and the enzyme responsible, hydrogenase, has been studied since the 1930s. A novel subfamily with unique properties was recently recognized, represented by the 14-subunit membrane-bound [NiFe] hydrogenase from the archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. This so-called energy-converting hydrogenase links the thermodynamically favorable oxidation of ferredoxin with the formation of hydrogen and conserves energy in the form of an ion gradient. It is therefore a simple respiratory system within a single complex. This hydrogenase shows a modular composition represented by a Na(+)/H(+) antiporter domain (Mrp) and a [NiFe] hydrogenase domain (Mbh). An analysis of the large number of microbial genome sequences available shows that homologs of Mbh and Mrp tend to be clustered within the genomes of a limited number of archaeal and bacterial species. In several instances, additional genes are associated with the Mbh and Mrp gene clusters that encode proteins that catalyze the oxidation of formate, CO or NAD(P)H. The Mbh complex also shows extensive homology to a number of subunits within the NADH quinone oxidoreductase or complex I family. The respiratory-type membrane-bound hydrogenase complex appears to be closely related to the common ancestor of complex I and [NiFe] hydrogenases in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit J Schut
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Lee AM, Sevinsky JR, Bundy JL, Grunden AM, Stephenson JL. Proteomics of Pyrococcus furiosus, a Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Refractory to Traditional Methods. J Proteome Res 2009; 8:3844-51. [DOI: 10.1021/pr801119h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alice M. Lee
- Department of Microbiology, P.O. Box 7615, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, and Biomarkers and Systems Biology Center, Research Triangle Institute, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Joel R. Sevinsky
- Department of Microbiology, P.O. Box 7615, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, and Biomarkers and Systems Biology Center, Research Triangle Institute, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Jonathan L. Bundy
- Department of Microbiology, P.O. Box 7615, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, and Biomarkers and Systems Biology Center, Research Triangle Institute, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Amy M. Grunden
- Department of Microbiology, P.O. Box 7615, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, and Biomarkers and Systems Biology Center, Research Triangle Institute, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - James L. Stephenson
- Department of Microbiology, P.O. Box 7615, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, and Biomarkers and Systems Biology Center, Research Triangle Institute, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
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Overexpression, physicochemical characterization, and modeling of a hyperthermophilic pyrococcus furiosus type 2 IPP isomerase. Proteins 2007; 71:1699-707. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.21863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Abstract
Prokaryotic extremophiles were the first representatives of life on Earth and they are responsible for the genesis of geological structures during the evolution and creation of all currently known ecosystems. Flexibility of the genome probably allowed life to adapt to a wide spectrum of extreme environments. As a result, modern prokaryotic diversity formed in a framework of physico-chemical factors, and it is composed of: thermophilic, psychrophilic, acidophilic, alkaliphilic, halophilic, barophilic, and radioresistant species. This artificial systematics cannot reflect the multiple actions of different environmental factors since one organism could unite characteristics of several extreme-groups. In this review we show the current status of studies in all fields of extremophiles and summarize the limits of life for different species of microbial extremophiles. We also discuss the finding of extremophiles from unusual places such as soils, and briefly review recent studies of microfossils in meteorites in the context of the significance of microbial extremophiles to Astrobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V Pikuta
- National Space Sciences and Technology Center, NASA, Astrobiology Laboratory, Huntsville, Alabama 35805, USA.
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Schut GJ, Bridger SL, Adams MWW. Insights into the metabolism of elemental sulfur by the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus: characterization of a coenzyme A- dependent NAD(P)H sulfur oxidoreductase. J Bacteriol 2007; 189:4431-41. [PMID: 17449625 PMCID: PMC1913366 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00031-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus uses carbohydrates as a carbon source and produces acetate, CO2, and H2 as end products. When S(0) is added to a growing culture, within 10 min the rate of H2 production rapidly decreases and H(2)S is detected. After 1 hour cells contain high NADPH- and coenzyme A-dependent S(0) reduction activity (0.7 units/mg, 85 degrees C) located in the cytoplasm. The enzyme responsible for this activity was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity (specific activity, 100 units/mg) and is termed NAD(P)H elemental sulfur oxidoreductase (NSR). NSR is a homodimeric flavoprotein (M(r), 100,000) and is encoded by PF1186. This designation was previously assigned to the gene encoding an enzyme that reduces coenzyme A disulfide, which is a side reaction of NSR. Whole-genome DNA microarray and quantitative PCR analyses showed that the expression of NSR is up-regulated up to sevenfold within 10 min of S(0) addition. This primary response to S(0) also involves the up-regulation (>16-fold) of a 13-gene cluster encoding a membrane-bound oxidoreductase (MBX). The cluster encoding MBX is proposed to replace the homologous 14-gene cluster that encodes the ferredoxin-oxidizing, H2-evolving membrane-bound hydrogenase (MBH), which is down-regulated >12-fold within 10 min of S(0) addition. Although an activity for MBX could not be demonstrated, it is proposed to conserve energy by oxidizing ferredoxin and reducing NADP, which is used by NSR to reduce S(0). A secondary response to S(0) is observed 30 min after S(0) addition and includes the up-regulation of genes encoding proteins involved in amino acid biosynthesis and iron metabolism, as well as two so-called sulfur-induced proteins termed SipA and SipB. This novel S(0)-reducing system involving NSR and MBX has been found so far only in the heterotrophic Thermococcales and is in contrast to the cytochrome- and quinone-based S(0)-reducing system in autotrophic archaea and bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit J Schut
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Life Sciences Bldg., University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-7229, USA
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Ronimus RS, Morgan HW. Distribution and phylogenies of enzymes of the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway from archaea and hyperthermophilic bacteria support a gluconeogenic origin of metabolism. ARCHAEA-AN INTERNATIONAL MICROBIOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2005; 1:199-221. [PMID: 15803666 PMCID: PMC2685568 DOI: 10.1155/2003/162593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Enzymes of the gluconeogenic/glycolytic pathway (the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway), the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle, the reductive pentose phosphate cycle and the Entner-Doudoroff pathway are widely distributed and are often considered to be central to the origins of metabolism. In particular, several enzymes of the lower portion of the EMP pathway (the so-called trunk pathway), including triosephosphate isomerase (TPI; EC 5.3.1.1), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH; EC 1.2.1.12/13), phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK; EC 2.7.2.3) and enolase (EC 4.2.1.11), are extremely well conserved and universally distributed among the three domains of life. In this paper, the distribution of enzymes of gluconeogenesis/glycolysis in hyperthermophiles--microorganisms that many believe represent the least evolved organisms on the planet--is reviewed. In addition, the phylogenies of the trunk pathway enzymes (TPIs, GAPDHs, PGKs and enolases) are examined. The enzymes catalyzing each of the six-carbon transformations in the upper portion of the EMP pathway, with the possible exception of aldolase, are all derived from multiple gene sequence families. In contrast, single sequence families can account for the archaeal and hyperthermophilic bacterial enzyme activities of the lower portion of the EMP pathway. The universal distribution of the trunk pathway enzymes, in combination with their phylogenies, supports the notion that the EMP pathway evolved in the direction of gluconeogenesis, i.e., from the bottom up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron S Ronimus
- Thermophile Research Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand.
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Fukui T, Atomi H, Kanai T, Matsumi R, Fujiwara S, Imanaka T. Complete genome sequence of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1 and comparison with Pyrococcus genomes. Genome Res 2005; 15:352-63. [PMID: 15710748 PMCID: PMC551561 DOI: 10.1101/gr.3003105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 357] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2004] [Accepted: 12/21/2004] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The genus Thermococcus, comprised of sulfur-reducing hyperthermophilic archaea, belongs to the order Thermococcales in Euryarchaeota along with the closely related genus Pyrococcus. The members of Thermococcus are ubiquitously present in natural high-temperature environments, and are therefore considered to play a major role in the ecology and metabolic activity of microbial consortia within hot-water ecosystems. To obtain insight into this important genus, we have determined and annotated the complete 2,088,737-base genome of Thermococcus kodakaraensis strain KOD1, followed by a comparison with the three complete genomes of Pyrococcus spp. A total of 2306 coding DNA sequences (CDSs) have been identified, among which half (1165 CDSs) are annotatable, whereas the functions of 41% (936 CDSs) cannot be predicted from the primary structures. The genome contains seven genes for probable transposases and four virus-related regions. Several proteins within these genetic elements show high similarities to those in Pyrococcus spp., implying the natural occurrence of horizontal gene transfer of such mobile elements among the order Thermococcales. Comparative genomics clarified that 1204 proteins, including those for information processing and basic metabolisms, are shared among T. kodakaraensis and the three Pyrococcus spp. On the other hand, among the set of 689 proteins unique to T. kodakaraensis, there are several intriguing proteins that might be responsible for the specific trait of the genus Thermococcus, such as proteins involved in additional pyruvate oxidation, nucleotide metabolisms, unique or additional metal ion transporters, improved stress response system, and a distinct restriction system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiaki Fukui
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
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Ohshima T, Ito Y, Sakuraba H, Goda S, Kawarabayasi Y. The Sulfolobus tokodaii gene ST1704 codes highly thermostable glucose dehydrogenase. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1016/s1381-1177(03)00091-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Jeong JJ, Fushinobu S, Ito S, Jeon BS, Shoun H, Wakagi T. Characterization of the cupin-type phosphoglucose isomerase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus litoralis. FEBS Lett 2003; 535:200-4. [PMID: 12560104 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)03900-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The gene encoding phosphoglucose isomerase was cloned from Thermococcus litoralis, and functionally expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified enzyme, a homodimer of 21.5 kDa subunits, was biochemically characterized. The inhibition constants for four competitive inhibitors were determined. The enzyme contained 1.25 mol Fe and 0.24 mol Zn per dimer. The activity was enhanced by the addition of Fe(2+), but inhibited by Zn(2+) and EDTA. Enzymes with mutations in conserved histidine and glutamate residues in their cupin motifs contained no metals, and showed large decreases in k(cat). The circular dichroism spectra of the mutant enzymes and the wild type enzyme were essentially the same but with slight differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Jin Jeong
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
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