NADPH: ferredoxin oxidoreductase acts as a paraquat diaphorase and is a member of the soxRS regulon

Structural basis of three different transcription activation strategies adopted by a single regulator SoxS

Transcription activation is established through extensive protein–protein and protein–DNA interactions that allow an activator to engage and remodel RNA polymerase. SoxS, a global transcription activator, diversely regulates subsets of stress response genes with different promoters, but the detailed SoxS-dependent transcription initiation mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we report cryo-EM structures of three SoxS-dependent transcription activation complexes (SoxS-TAC^I, SoxS-TAC^II and SoxS-TAC^III) comprising of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP), SoxS protein and three representative classes of SoxS-regulated promoters. The structures reveal that SoxS monomer orchestrates transcription initiation through specific interactions with the promoter DNA and different conserved domains of RNAP. In particular, SoxS is positioned in the opposite orientation in SoxS-TAC^III to that in SoxS-TAC^I and SoxS-TAC^II, unveiling a novel mode of transcription activation. Strikingly, two universally conserved C-terminal domains of alpha subunit (αCTD) of RNAP associate with each other, bridging SoxS and region 4 of σ⁷⁰. We show that SoxS interacts with RNAP directly and independently from DNA, remodeling the enzyme to activate transcription from cognate SoxS promoters while repressing transcription from UP-element containing promoters. Our data provide a comprehensive summary of SoxS-dependent promoter architectures and offer new insights into the αCTD contribution to transcription control in bacteria.

Analysis of the Oxidative Stress Regulon Identifies soxS as a Genetic Target for Resistance Reversal in Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

In bacteria, the defense system deployed to counter oxidative stress is orchestrated by three transcriptional factors, SoxS, SoxR, and OxyR. Although the regulon that these factors control is known in many bacteria, similar data are not available for Klebsiella pneumoniae. To address this data gap, oxidative stress was artificially induced in K. pneumoniae MGH78578 using paraquat and the corresponding oxidative stress regulon recorded using transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). The soxS gene was significantly induced during oxidative stress, and a knockout mutant was constructed to explore its functionality. The wild type and mutant were grown in the presence of paraquat and subjected to RNA-seq to elucidate the soxS regulon in K. pneumoniae MGH78578. Genes that are commonly regulated both in the oxidative stress and soxS regulons were identified and denoted as the oxidative SoxS regulon; these included a group of genes specifically regulated by SoxS. Efflux pump-encoding genes and global regulators were identified as part of this regulon. Consequently, the isogenic soxS mutant was found to exhibit a reduction in the minimum bactericidal concentration against tetracycline compared to that of the wild type. Impaired efflux activity, allowing tetracycline to be accumulated in the cytoplasm to bactericidal levels, was further evaluated using a tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP⁺) accumulation assay. The soxS mutant was also susceptible to tetracycline in vivo in a zebrafish embryo model. We conclude that the soxS gene could be considered a genetic target against which an inhibitor could be developed and used in combinatorial therapy to combat infections associated with multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae.

The Role of Nitroreductases in Resistance to Nitroimidazoles

Antimicrobial resistance is a major challenge facing modern medicine, with an estimated 700,000 people dying annually and a global cost in excess of $100 trillion. This has led to an increased need to develop new, effective treatments. This review focuses on nitroimidazoles, which have seen a resurgence in interest due to their broad spectrum of activity against anaerobic Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The role of nitroreductases is to activate the antimicrobial by reducing the nitro group. A decrease in the activity of nitroreductases is associated with resistance. This review will discuss the resistance mechanisms of different disease organisms, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Helicobacter pylori and Staphylococcus aureus, and how these impact the effectiveness of specific nitroimidazoles. Perspectives in the field of nitroimidazole drug development are also summarised.

Dynamic control over feedback regulatory mechanisms improves NADPH flux and xylitol biosynthesis in engineered E. coli

We report improved NADPH flux and xylitol biosynthesis in engineered E. coli. Xylitol is produced from xylose via an NADPH dependent reductase. We utilize 2-stage dynamic metabolic control to compare two approaches to optimize xylitol biosynthesis, a stoichiometric approach, wherein competitive fluxes are decreased, and a regulatory approach wherein the levels of key regulatory metabolites are reduced. The stoichiometric and regulatory approaches lead to a 20-fold and 90-fold improvement in xylitol production, respectively. Strains with reduced levels of enoyl-ACP reductase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, led to altered metabolite pools resulting in the activation of the membrane bound transhydrogenase and an NADPH generation pathway, consisting of pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase coupled with NADPH dependent ferredoxin reductase, leading to increased NADPH fluxes, despite a reduction in NADPH pools. These strains produced titers of 200 g/L of xylitol from xylose at 86% of theoretical yield in instrumented bioreactors. We expect dynamic control over the regulation of the membrane bound transhydrogenase as well as NADPH production through pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase to broadly enable improved NADPH dependent bioconversions or production via NADPH dependent metabolic pathways.

Vitamin K Analogs Influence the Growth and Virulence Potential of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) causes serious foodborne disease worldwide. It produces the very potent Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2). The Stx2-encoding genes are located on a prophage, and production of the toxin is linked to the synthesis of Stx phages. There is, currently, no good treatment for EHEC infections, as antibiotics may trigger lytic cycle activation of the phages and increased Stx production. This study addresses how four analogs of vitamin K, phylloquinone (K1), menaquinone (K2), menadione (K3), and menadione sodium bisulfite (MSB), influence growth, Stx2-converting phage synthesis, and Stx2 production by the EHEC O157:H7 strain EDL933. Menadione and MSB conferred a concentration-dependent negative effect on bacterial growth, while phylloquinone or menaquinone had little and no effect on bacterial growth, respectively. All four vitamin K analogs affected Stx2 phage production negatively in uninduced cultures and in cultures induced with either hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), ciprofloxacin, or mitomycin C. Menadione and MSB reduced Stx2 production in cultures induced with either H₂O₂ or ciprofloxacin. MSB also had a negative effect on Stx2 production in two other EHEC isolates tested. Phylloquinone and menaquinone had, on the other hand, variable and concentration-dependent effects on Stx2 production. MSB, which conferred the strongest inhibitory effect on both Stx2 phage and Stx2 production, improved the growth of EHEC in the presence of H₂O₂ and ciprofloxacin, which could be explained by the reduced uptake of ciprofloxacin into the bacterial cell. Together, the data suggest that vitamin K analogs have a growth- and potential virulence-reducing effect on EHEC, which could be of therapeutic interest.IMPORTANCE Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) can cause serious illness and deaths in humans by producing toxins that can severely damage our intestines and kidneys. There is currently no optimal treatment for EHEC infections, as antibiotics can worsen disease development. Consequently, the need for new treatment options is urgent. Environmental factors in our intestines can affect the virulence of EHEC and help our bodies fight EHEC infections. The ruminant intestine, the main reservoir for EHEC, contains high levels of vitamin K, but the levels are variable in humans. This study shows that vitamin K analogs can inhibit the growth of EHEC and/or production of its main virulence factor, the Shiga toxin. They may also inhibit the spreading of the Shiga toxin encoding bacteriophage. Our findings indicate that vitamin K analogs have the potential to suppress the development of serious disease caused by EHEC.

Cellular responses to reactive oxygen species are predicted from molecular mechanisms

Catalysis using iron-sulfur clusters and transition metals can be traced back to the last universal common ancestor. The damage to metalloproteins caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) can prevent cell growth and survival when unmanaged, thus eliciting an essential stress response that is universal and fundamental in biology. Here we develop a computable multiscale description of the ROS stress response in Escherichia coli, called OxidizeME. We use OxidizeME to explain four key responses to oxidative stress: 1) ROS-induced auxotrophy for branched-chain, aromatic, and sulfurous amino acids; 2) nutrient-dependent sensitivity of growth rate to ROS; 3) ROS-specific differential gene expression separate from global growth-associated differential expression; and 4) coordinated expression of iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) and sulfur assimilation (SUF) systems for iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis. These results show that we can now develop fundamental and quantitative genotype-phenotype relationships for stress responses on a genome-wide basis.

Methods to Assess the Antioxidative Properties of Probiotics

Probiotics prove useful in correcting and preventing numerous health conditions, including those having severe impact on society, e.g., obesity and cancer. Notably, these capabilities of probiotics appear to be associated with their antioxidant properties. The mechanisms of antioxidant action of probiotics range from immediate biochemical scavenging of reactive substances to induction of signaling events leading to increased capacity of the host's cytoprotective systems. Since the antioxidant effects of probiotics significantly vary in types and details, a broad selection of methods of assessment of these properties is required in order to identify, characterize, and develop novel probiotics for medical purposes, as well as to explain the mechanisms of action of probiotics already in use in healthcare. This review revises the versatile toolbox, which can be used to assess the antioxidant properties of probiotics.

Effects of dietary supplementation with polyphenols on meat quality in Saanen goat kids

Background

Diet supplementation with polyphenols is a novel strategy to improve meat quality in livestock, by preventing oxidative deterioration of lipids and protein. Polyphenols have beneficial effects on both human and animal health and can be obtained from several sources, such as olive mill wastewaters (OMWW). These are severe environmental pollutants and therefore may be recycled and utilized in other sectors. The aim of this study was to evaluate growth performance, meat characteristics, fatty acid composition, antioxidant status, different forms of myoglobin and malondialdehyde formation in kids who received a diet supplemented with polyphenols obtained from OMWW. Weaned goat kids (n = 18) were divided into two homogenous groups: control (C) group (n = 9) received a fattening standard diet while the other group (n = 9) received the same diet, supplemented with 3.2 mg/day of polyphenols powder extract (PE group). Average daily gain (ADG) was calculated 10 days apart throughout the study. After 78 days, the kids were slaughtered and pH and carcass yield were evaluated. Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle was collected and utilized for chemical analysis, meat quality evaluation and oxidative stability.

Results

No differences were recorded in ADG, carcass weight, pH and dressing between the two groups. Furthermore a similar meat proximate composition, texture and color was observed. Dietary polyphenols supplementation significantly (P < 0.01) decreased short chains (<C12:0) (2.93 + 0.50 and 0.35 + 0.40 g/100 g of fatty acids, for C and PE Group, respectively), and saturated (49.22 ± 2.39 and 39.51 ± 1.95 g/100 g, in C and PE Group, respectively) fatty acids. Furthermore, a higher (P < 0.05) proportion of monounsaturated (34.35 ± 2.84 and 42.22 ± 2.32 g/100 g, in C and PE Group, respectively) fatty acids was recorded. Malondialdehyde formation was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in PE compared to C Group (0.25 ± 0.005 and 0.15 ± 0.005, in C and PE Group, respectively).

Conclusions

Polyphenols dietary supplementation has positive effects on kid meat, improving fatty acid profile and reducing malondialdehyde contents. Furthermore the utilization of OMWW as the source of polyphenols may represent an innovative strategy to re-utilize agri-food industry wastes.

Potential roles of YCF54 and ferredoxin-NADPH reductase for magnesium protoporphyrin monomethylester cyclase

Chlorophyll is synthesized from activated glutamate in the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis pathway through at least 20 different enzymatic reactions. Among these, the MgProto monomethylester (MgProtoME) cyclase catalyzes the formation of a fifth isocyclic ring to tetrapyrroles to form protochlorophyllide. The enzyme consists of two proteins. The CHL27 protein is proposed to be the catalytic component, while LCAA/YCF54 likely acts as a scaffolding factor. In comparison to other reactions of chlorophyll biosynthesis, this enzymatic step lacks clear elucidation and it is hardly understood, how electrons are delivered for the NADPH-dependent cyclization reaction. The present study intends to elucidate more precisely the role of LCAA/YCF54. Transgenic Arabidopsis lines with inactivated and overexpressed YCF54 reveal the mutual stability of YCF54 and CHL27. Among the YCF54-interacting proteins, the plastidal ferredoxin-NADPH reductase (FNR) was identified. We showed in N. tabacum and A. thaliana that a deficit of FNR1 or YCF54 caused MgProtoME accumulation, the substrate of the cyclase, and destabilization of the cyclase subunits. It is proposed that FNR serves as a potential donor for electrons required in the cyclase reaction and connects chlorophyll synthesis with photosynthetic activity.

Ferredoxin:NADP(H) Oxidoreductase Abundance and Location Influences Redox Poise and Stress Tolerance

In linear photosynthetic electron transport, ferredoxin:NADP(H) oxidoreductase (FNR) transfers electrons from ferredoxin (Fd) to NADP⁺ Both NADPH and reduced Fd (Fd^red) are required for reductive assimilation and light/dark activation/deactivation of enzymes. FNR is therefore a hub, connecting photosynthetic electron transport to chloroplast redox metabolism. A correlation between FNR content and tolerance to oxidative stress is well established, although the precise mechanism remains unclear. We investigated the impact of altered FNR content and localization on electron transport and superoxide radical evolution in isolated thylakoids, and probed resulting changes in redox homeostasis, expression of oxidative stress markers, and tolerance to high light in planta. Our data indicate that the ratio of Fd^red to FNR is critical, with either too much or too little FNR potentially leading to increased superoxide production, and perception of oxidative stress at the level of gene transcription. In FNR overexpressing plants, which show more NADP(H) and glutathione pools, improved tolerance to high-light stress indicates that disturbance of chloroplast redox poise and increased free radical generation may help "prime" the plant and induce protective mechanisms. In fnr1 knock-outs, the NADP(H) and glutathione pools are more oxidized relative to the wild type, and the photoprotective effect is absent despite perception of oxidative stress at the level of gene transcription.

WrpA Is an Atypical Flavodoxin Family Protein under Regulatory Control of the Brucella abortus General Stress Response System

The general stress response (GSR) system of the intracellular pathogen Brucella abortus controls the transcription of approximately 100 genes in response to a range of stress cues. The core genetic regulatory components of the GSR are required for B. abortus survival under nonoptimal growth conditions in vitro and for maintenance of chronic infection in an in vivo mouse model. The functions of the majority of the genes in the GSR transcriptional regulon remain undefined. bab1_1070 is among the most highly regulated genes in this regulon: its transcription is activated 20- to 30-fold by the GSR system under oxidative conditions in vitro. We have solved crystal structures of Bab1_1070 and demonstrate that it forms a homotetrameric complex that resembles those of WrbA-type NADH:quinone oxidoreductases, which are members of the flavodoxin protein family. However, B. abortus WrbA-related protein (WrpA) does not bind flavin cofactors with a high affinity and does not function as an NADH:quinone oxidoreductase in vitro. Soaking crystals with flavin mononucleotide (FMN) revealed a likely low-affinity binding site adjacent to the canonical WrbA flavin binding site. Deletion of wrpA (ΔwrpA) does not compromise cell survival under acute oxidative stress in vitro or attenuate infection in cell-based or mouse models. However, a ΔwrpA strain does elicit increased splenomegaly in a mouse model, suggesting that WrpA modulates B. abortus interaction with its mammalian host. Despite high structural homology with canonical WrbA proteins, we propose that B. abortus WrpA represents a functionally distinct member of the diverse flavodoxin family.

IMPORTANCE

Brucella abortus is an etiological agent of brucellosis, which is among the most common zoonotic diseases worldwide. The general stress response (GSR) regulatory system of B. abortus controls the transcription of approximately 100 genes and is required for maintenance of chronic infection in a murine model; the majority of GSR-regulated genes remain uncharacterized. We present in vitro and in vivo functional and structural analyses of WrpA, whose expression is strongly induced by GSR under oxidative conditions. Though WrpA is structurally related to NADH:quinone oxidoreductases, it does not bind redox cofactors in solution, nor does it exhibit oxidoreductase activity in vitro. However, WrpA does affect spleen inflammation in a murine infection model. Our data provide evidence that WrpA forms a new functional class of WrbA/flavodoxin family proteins.

The Cytochrome bd Oxidase of Porphyromonas gingivalis Contributes to Oxidative Stress Resistance and Dioxygen Tolerance

Porphyromonas gingivalis is an etiologic agent of periodontal disease in humans. The disease is associated with the formation of a mixed oral biofilm which is exposed to oxygen and environmental stress, such as oxidative stress. To investigate possible roles for cytochrome bd oxidase in the growth and persistence of this anaerobic bacterium inside the oral biofilm, mutant strains deficient in cytochrome bd oxidase activity were characterized. This study demonstrated that the cytochrome bd oxidase of Porphyromonas gingivalis, encoded by cydAB, was able to catalyse O2 consumption and was involved in peroxide and superoxide resistance, and dioxygen tolerance.

DNA-protection and antioxidant properties of fermentates from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B-1895 and Bacillus subtilis KATMIRA1933

DNA protective and antioxidant activity of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B-1895 and Bacillus subtilis KATMIRA1933 were evaluated by Escherichia coli-based Lux biosensors. Two biosensor strains of E. coli, MG1655 (pColD-lux) and MG1655 (pSoxS-lux), which react on DNA damage and superoxide-anion radical activity, were used. SOS-response and Sox-response were stimulated by addition of dioxidine (2,3-Quinoxalinedimethanol,1,4-dioxide) and paraquat (N,N'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride) respectively. Preparations of both Bacillus fermentates demonstrated DNA protective and antioxidant (superoxide scavenging) activity (up to 60·19%). The strain К1933 is, in general, characterized by higher DNA protective activity (28·85%), with parameters of antioxidant activity of both bacilli strains being statistically not significantly different. Sporogenous potential probiotic micro-organisms with antioxidant and DNA protective activities can become an effective tool for compensation of various negative oxidative stress processes in humans.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

In humans, oxidative stress is a cause or an important component of many serious diseases, as well as being one of the age influencing factors. Environmental stresses lead to the increase in levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidative DNA damage is a side effect of nonspecific inflammation. These human health challenging factors trigger the search for health-promoting bacteria capable of production of antioxidants and DNA-protectors. In this study, two Bacillus strains of interest were shown to produce noticeable DNA protective and antioxidant activities.

Reflections on the Theories of Aging, of Oxidative Stress, and of Science in General. Is It Time to Abandon the Free Radical (Oxidative Stress) Theory of Aging?

SIGNIFICANCE

Aging and oxidative stress are complex phenomena, and their understanding is of enormous theoretical and practical significance.

RECENT ADVANCES

Numerous hypotheses and theories that attempt to explain these phenomena have been developed. These hypotheses and theories compete with each other, with each claiming to be the correct one, while significantly contradicting each other.

CRITICAL ISSUES

It is important to develop a maximally correct theory that may then trigger significant practical breakthroughs.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

None of these theories is entirely correct or close enough to the truth. However, most of them contain many correct elements (CE). Finding these CE is possible by analysis of these theories. Once the CE are found, they can be merged by synthesis in a better new theory. An analysis of some of the theories of aging followed by synthesis is attempted.

Evaluation of the protection exerted by Pisum sativum Ferredoxin-NADP(H) Reductase against injury induced by hypothermia on Cos-7 cells

Hypothermia is employed as a method to diminish metabolism rates and preserve tissues and cells. However, low temperatures constitute a stress that produces biochemical changes whose extension depends on the duration and degree of cold exposure and is manifested when physiological temperature is restored. For many cellular types, cold induces an oxidative stress that is dependent on the elevation of intracellular iron, damages macromolecules, and is prevented by the addition of iron chelators. Pisum sativum Ferredoxin-NADP(H) Reductase (FNR) has been implicated in protection from injury mediated by intracellular iron increase and successfully used to reduce oxidative damage on bacterial, plant and mammalian systems. In this work, FNR was expressed in Cos-7 cells; then, they were submitted to cold incubation and iron overload to ascertain whether this enzyme was capable of diminishing the harm produced by these challenges. Contrary to expected, FNR was not protective and even exacerbated the damage under certain circumstances. It was also found that the injury induced by hypothermia in Cos-7 cells presented both iron-dependent and iron-independent components of damage when cells were actively dividing but only iron-independent component when cells were in an arrested state. This is in agreement with previous findings which showed that iron-dependent damage is also an energy-dependent process.

YjcC, a c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase protein, regulates the oxidative stress response and virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae CG43

This study shows that the expression of yjcC, an in vivo expression (IVE) gene, and the stress response regulatory genes soxR, soxS, and rpoS are paraquat inducible in Klebsiella pneumoniae CG43. The deletion of rpoS or soxRS decreased yjcC expression, implying an RpoS- or SoxRS-dependent control. After paraquat or H₂O₂ treatment, the deletion of yjcC reduced bacterial survival. These effects could be complemented by introducing the ΔyjcC mutant with the YjcC-expression plasmid pJR1. The recombinant protein containing only the YjcC-EAL domain exhibited phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity; overexpression of yjcC has lower levels of cyclic di-GMP. The yjcC deletion mutant also exhibited increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, oxidation damage, and oxidative stress scavenging activity. In addition, the yjcC deletion reduced capsular polysaccharide production in the bacteria, but increased the LD50 in mice, biofilm formation, and type 3 fimbriae major pilin MrkA production. Finally, a comparative transcriptome analysis showed 34 upregulated and 29 downregulated genes with the increased production of YjcC. The activated gene products include glutaredoxin I, thioredoxin, heat shock proteins, chaperone, and MrkHI, and proteins for energy metabolism (transporters, cell surface structure, and transcriptional regulation). In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that YjcC positively regulates the oxidative stress response and mouse virulence but negatively affects the biofilm formation and type 3 fimbriae expression by altering the c-di-GMP levels after receiving oxidative stress signaling inputs.

Novel, oxygen-insensitive group 5 [NiFe]-hydrogenase in Ralstonia eutropha

Recently, a novel group of [NiFe]-hydrogenases has been defined that appear to have a great impact in the global hydrogen cycle. This so-called group 5 [NiFe]-hydrogenase is widespread in soil-living actinobacteria and can oxidize molecular hydrogen at atmospheric levels, which suggests a high affinity of the enzyme toward H2. Here, we provide a biochemical characterization of a group 5 hydrogenase from the betaproteobacterium Ralstonia eutropha H16. The hydrogenase was designated an actinobacterial hydrogenase (AH) and is catalytically active, as shown by the in vivo H2 uptake and by activity staining in native gels. However, the enzyme does not sustain autotrophic growth on H2. The AH was purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography and consists of two subunits with molecular masses of 65 and 37 kDa. Among the electron acceptors tested, nitroblue tetrazolium chloride was reduced by the AH at highest rates. At 30°C and pH 8, the specific activity of the enzyme was 0.3 μmol of H2 per min and mg of protein. However, an unexpectedly high Michaelis constant (Km) for H2 of 3.6 ± 0.5 μM was determined, which is in contrast to the previously proposed low Km of group 5 hydrogenases and makes atmospheric H2 uptake by R. eutropha most unlikely. Amperometric activity measurements revealed that the AH maintains full H2 oxidation activity even at atmospheric oxygen concentrations, showing that the enzyme is insensitive toward O2.

Nitric oxide reactivities of the two globins of the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni: roles in protection from nitrosative stress and analysis of potential reductants

BACKGROUND

During infection and pathogenesis, Campylobacter, the leading cause of gastroenteritis, encounters NO and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) derived from the host. To combat these species, Campylobacter jejuni expresses two haemoglobins: the single domain haemoglobin (Cgb) detoxifies NO but the role of the truncated globin (Ctb) is unclear. Confirmation of Cgb activity and more extensive exploration of Ctb function(s) in vivo are restricted due to difficulties in expressing proteins in Campylobacter and our lack of understanding of how the globin haems are re-reduced after ligand reactions.

METHODS

The cgb and ctb genes were cloned under the control of arabinose-inducible promoters and the globins expressed in an Escherichia coli mutant lacking the main NO detoxification mechanisms (Hmp and the Nor system comprising the transcription regulator NorR, the flavorubredoxin and its reductase (NorVW)); cellular responses under oxidative and nitrosative stress conditions were assessed. Spectroscopic changes of the Cgb and Ctb haems in soluble fractions after oxidation by NO were evaluated. Construction of E. coli nor mutants and a ubiquinone-defective strain allowed the exploration of the flavorubredoxin reductase and the aerobic respiratory chain as candidates for Cgb electron donors in E. coli mutants.

RESULTS

Cgb, but not Ctb, complements the NO- and RNS-sensitive phenotype of an E. coli hmp mutant in aerobic conditions; however, Cgb fails to protect an hmp norR mutant in the absence of oxygen. Reduction of Cgb and Ctb in E. coli and C. jejuni soluble extracts and turnover after NO oxidation is demonstrated. Finally, we report a minor role for NorW as a Cgb reductase partner in E. coli but no role for respiratory electron flux in globin redox cycling.

CONCLUSIONS

The NO detoxification capacity of Cgb is confirmed by heterologous expression in E. coli. The reducibility of Cgb and Ctb in E. coli and C. jejuni extracts and the lack of dependence of reduction upon flavorubredoxin reductase and the respiratory chain in E. coli argue in favor of a non-specific reductase system.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

We present the most persuasive evidence to date that Cgb, but not Ctb, confers tolerance to NO and RNS by reaction with NO. Since certain hypotheses for the mechanism of haem re-reduction in E. coli following the reaction with NO are not proven, the mechanisms of reduction in C. jejuni now require challenging experimental evaluation.

Flavodoxin overexpression confers tolerance to oxidative stress in beneficial soil bacteria and improves survival in the presence of the herbicides paraquat and atrazine

AIM

To determine whether expression of a cyanobacterial flavodoxin in soil bacteria of agronomic interest confers protection against the widely used herbicides paraquat and atrazine.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The model bacterium Escherichia coli, the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium Ensifer meliloti and the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens Aur6 were transformed with expression vectors containing the flavodoxin gene of Anabaena variabilis. Expression of the cyanobacterial protein was confirmed by Western blot. Bacterial tolerance to oxidative stress was tested in solid medium supplemented with hydrogen peroxide, paraquat or atrazine. In all three bacterial strains, flavodoxin expression enhanced tolerance to the oxidative stress provoked by hydrogen peroxide and by the reactive oxygen species-inducing herbicides, witnessed by the enhanced survival of the transformed bacteria in the presence of these oxidizing agents.

CONCLUSIONS

Flavodoxin overexpression in beneficial soil bacteria confers tolerance to oxidative stress and improves their survival in the presence of the herbicides paraquat and atrazine. Flavodoxin could be considered as a general antioxidant resource to face oxidative challenges in different micro-organisms.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria or nitrogen-fixing bacteria with enhanced tolerance to oxidative stress in contaminated soils is of significant agronomic interest. The enhanced tolerance of flavodoxin-expressing bacteria to atrazine and paraquat points to potential applications in herbicide-treated soils.

Effects of human and porcine bile on the proteome of Helicobacter hepaticus

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter hepaticus colonizes the intestine and liver of mice causing hepatobiliary disorders such as hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and has also been associated with inflammatory bowel disease in children. In its habitat, H. hepaticus must encounter bile which has potent antibacterial properties. To elucidate virulence and host-specific adaptation mechanisms of H. hepaticus modulated by human or porcine bile, a proteomic study of its response to the two types of bile was performed employing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

The 2-DE and mass spectrometry analyses of the proteome revealed that 46 proteins of H. hepaticus were differentially expressed in human bile, 18 up-regulated and 28 down-regulated. In the case of porcine bile, 32 proteins were differentially expressed of which 19 were up-regulated, and 13 were down-regulated. Functional classifications revealed that identified proteins participated in various biological functions including stress response, energy metabolism, membrane stability, motility, virulence and colonization. Selected genes were analyzed by RT-PCR to provide internal validation for the proteomic data as well as provide insight into specific expressions of motility, colonization and virulence genes of H. hepaticus in response to human or porcine bile.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the data suggested that bile is an important factor that determines virulence, host adaptation, localization and colonization of specific niches within host environment.

Study of the role played by NfsA, NfsB nitroreductase and NemA flavin reductase from Escherichia coli in the conversion of ethyl 2-(2'-nitrophenoxy)acetate to 4-hydroxy-(2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (D-DIBOA), a benzohydroxamic acid with interesting biological properties

Benzohydroxamic acids, such as 4-hydroxy-(2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (D-DIBOA), exhibit interesting herbicidal, fungicidal and bactericidal properties. Recently, the chemical synthesis of D-DIBOA has been simplified to only two steps. In a previous paper, we demonstrated that the second step could be replaced by a biotransformation using Escherichia coli to reduce the nitro group of the precursor, ethyl 2-(2'-nitrophenoxy)acetate and obtain D-DIBOA. The NfsA and NfsB nitroreductases and the NemA xenobiotic reductase of E. coli have the capacity to reduce one or two nitro groups from a wide variety of nitroaromatic compounds, which are similar to the precursor. By this reason, we hypothesised that these three enzymes could be involved in this biotransformation. We have analysed the biotransformation yield (BY) of mutant strains in which one, two or three of these genes were knocked out, showing that only in the double nfsA/nfsB and in the triple nfsA/nfsB/nemA mutants, the BY was 0%. These results suggested that NfsA and NfsB are responsible for the biotransformation in the tested conditions. To confirm this, the nfsA and nfsB open reading frames were cloned into the pBAD expression vector and transformed into the nfsA and nfsB single mutants, respectively. In both cases, the biotransformation capacity of the strains was recovered (6.09 ± 0.06% as in the wild-type strain) and incremented considerably when NfsA and NfsB were overexpressed (40.33% ± 9.42% and 59.68% ± 2.0% respectively).

Structural-functional characterization and physiological significance of ferredoxin-NADP reductase from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri is a phytopathogen bacterium that causes severe citrus canker disease. Similar to other phytopathogens, after infection by this bacterium, plants trigger a defense mechanism that produces reactive oxygen species. Ferredoxin-NADP⁺ reductases (FNRs) are redox flavoenzymes that participate in several metabolic functions, including the response to reactive oxygen species. Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri has a gene (fpr) that encodes for a FNR (Xac-FNR) that belongs to the subclass I bacterial FNRs. The aim of this work was to search for the physiological role of this enzyme and to characterize its structural and functional properties. The functionality of Xac-FNR was tested by cross-complementation of a FNR knockout Escherichia coli strain, which exhibit high susceptibility to agents that produce an abnormal accumulation of ^•O₂^-. Xac-FNR was able to substitute for the FNR in E. coli in its antioxidant role. The expression of fpr in X. axonopodis pv. citri was assessed using semiquantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. A 2.2-fold induction was observed in the presence of the superoxide-generating agents methyl viologen and 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone. Structural and functional studies showed that Xac-FNR displayed different functional features from other subclass I bacterial FNRs. Our analyses suggest that these differences may be due to the unusual carboxy-terminal region. We propose a further classification of subclass I bacterial FNRs, which is useful to determine the nature of their ferredoxin redox partners. Using sequence analysis, we identified a ferredoxin (XAC1762) as a potential substrate of Xac-FNR. The purified ferredoxin protein displayed the typical broad UV-visible spectrum of [4Fe-4S] clusters and was able to function as substrate of Xac-FNR in the cytochrome c reductase activity. Our results suggest that Xac-FNR is involved in the oxidative stress response of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri and performs its biological function most likely through the interaction with ferredoxin XAC1762.

The soxRS response of Escherichia coli can be induced in the absence of oxidative stress and oxygen by modulation of NADPH content

The soxRS regulon protects Escherichia coli cells against superoxide and nitric oxide. Oxidation of the SoxR sensor, a [2Fe-2S]-containing transcriptional regulator, triggers the response, but the nature of the cellular signal sensed by SoxR is still a matter of debate. In vivo, the sensor is maintained in a reduced, inactive state by the activities of SoxR reductases, which employ NADPH as an electron donor. The hypothesis that NADPH levels affect deployment of the soxRS response was tested by transforming E. coli cells with genes encoding enzymes and proteins that lead to either build-up or depletion of the cellular NADPH pool. Introduction of NADP(+)-reducing enzymes, such as wheat non-phosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase or E. coli malic enzyme, led to NADPH accumulation, inhibition of the soxRS regulon and enhanced sensitivity to the superoxide propagator methyl viologen (MV). Conversely, expression of pea ferredoxin (Fd), a redox shuttle that can oxidize NADPH via ferredoxin-NADP(H) reductase, resulted in execution of the soxRS response in the absence of oxidative stress, and in higher tolerance to MV. Processes that caused NADPH decline, including oxidative stress and Fd activity, correlated with an increase in total (NADP(+)+NADPH) stocks. SoxS expression can be induced by Fd expression or by MV in anaerobiosis, under conditions in which NADPH is oxidized but no superoxide can be formed. The results indicate that activation of the soxRS regulon in E. coli cells exposed to superoxide-propagating compounds can be triggered by depletion of the NADPH stock rather than accumulation of superoxide itself. They also suggest that bacteria need to finely regulate homeostasis of the NADP(H) pool to enable proper deployment of this defensive response.

Characterization of a nitric oxide synthase from the plant kingdom: NO generation from the green alga Ostreococcus tauri is light irradiance and growth phase dependent

The search for a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) sequence in the plant kingdom yielded two sequences from the recently published genomes of two green algae species of the Ostreococcus genus, O. tauri and O. lucimarinus. In this study, we characterized the sequence, protein structure, phylogeny, biochemistry, and expression of NOS from O. tauri. The amino acid sequence of O. tauri NOS was found to be 45% similar to that of human NOS. Folding assignment methods showed that O. tauri NOS can fold as the human endothelial NOS isoform. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that O. tauri NOS clusters together with putative NOS sequences of a Synechoccocus sp strain and Physarum polycephalum. This cluster appears as an outgroup of NOS representatives from metazoa. Purified recombinant O. tauri NOS has a K(m) for the substrate l-Arg of 12 ± 5 μM. Escherichia coli cells expressing recombinant O. tauri NOS have increased levels of NO and cell viability. O. tauri cultures in the exponential growth phase produce 3-fold more NOS-dependent NO than do those in the stationary phase. In O. tauri, NO production increases in high intensity light irradiation and upon addition of l-Arg, suggesting a link between NOS activity and microalgal physiology.

Characterization of a nitric oxide synthase from the plant kingdom: NO generation from the green alga Ostreococcus tauri is light irradiance and growth phase dependent

The search for a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) sequence in the plant kingdom yielded two sequences from the recently published genomes of two green algae species of the Ostreococcus genus, O. tauri and O. lucimarinus. In this study, we characterized the sequence, protein structure, phylogeny, biochemistry, and expression of NOS from O. tauri. The amino acid sequence of O. tauri NOS was found to be 45% similar to that of human NOS. Folding assignment methods showed that O. tauri NOS can fold as the human endothelial NOS isoform. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that O. tauri NOS clusters together with putative NOS sequences of a Synechoccocus sp strain and Physarum polycephalum. This cluster appears as an outgroup of NOS representatives from metazoa. Purified recombinant O. tauri NOS has a K(m) for the substrate l-Arg of 12 ± 5 μM. Escherichia coli cells expressing recombinant O. tauri NOS have increased levels of NO and cell viability. O. tauri cultures in the exponential growth phase produce 3-fold more NOS-dependent NO than do those in the stationary phase. In O. tauri, NO production increases in high intensity light irradiation and upon addition of l-Arg, suggesting a link between NOS activity and microalgal physiology.

Heterologous ferredoxin reductase and flavodoxin protect Cos-7 cells from oxidative stress

BACKGROUND

Ferredoxin-NADP(H) reductase (FNR) from Pisum sativum and Flavodoxin (Fld) from Anabaena PCC 7119 have been reported to protect a variety of cells and organisms from oxidative insults. In this work, these two proteins were expressed in mitochondria of Cos-7 cells and tested for their efficacy to protect these cells from oxidative stress in vitro.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Cos-7/pFNR and Cos-7/pFld cell lines expressing FNR and Fld, respectively, showed a significantly higher resistance to 24 h exposure to 300-600 µM hydrogen peroxide measured by LDH retention, MTT reduction, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and lipid peroxide (LPO; FOX assay) levels. However, FNR and Fld did not exhibit any protection at shorter incubation times (2 h and 4 h) to 4 mM hydrogen peroxide or to a 48 h exposure to 300 µM methyl viologen. We found enhanced methyl viologen damage exerted by FNR that may be due to depletion of NADPH pools through NADPH-MV diaphorase activity as previously observed for other overexpressed enzymes.

SIGNIFICANCE

The results presented are a first report of antioxidant function of these heterologous enzymes of vegetal and cyanobacterial origin in mammalian cells.

Molecular characterization of FinR, a novel redox-sensing transcriptional regulator in Pseudomonas putida KT2440

FinR is required for the induction of fpr (ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase) under superoxide stress conditions in Pseudomonas putida. Many proteobacteria harbour FinR homologues in their genome as a putative LysR-type protein. Three cysteine residues (at positions 150, 239 and 289 in P. putida FinR) are conserved in all FinR homologues. When these conserved cysteines, along with two other cysteine residues present in FinR, were individually mutated to serines, the FinR remained active, unlike SoxR and OxyR in Escherichia coli. The results of our in vitro DNA-binding assay with cellular extracts showed that FinR binds directly to the fpr promoter region. In order to identify the FinR functional domain for sensing superoxide stress, we employed random and site-directed mutagenesis of FinR. Among 18 single amino acid mutants, three mutants (T39A, R194A and E225A) abolished fpr induction without any alteration of their DNA-binding ability, whereas other mutants also abrogated their DNA-binding abilities. Interestingly, two mutants (L215P and D51A) appeared to be constitutively active, regardless of superoxide stress conditions. Ferrous iron depletion, ferric iron addition and fdxA (ferredoxin) gene deletion also participate in the regulation of fpr. These data indicate that FinR has unusual residues for redox sensing and that the redox-sensing mechanism of FinR differs from the well-known mechanisms of OxyR and SoxR.

Differential contribution of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes to reactive oxygen species production by redox cycling agents implicated in parkinsonism

Exposure to environmental pesticides can cause significant brain damage and has been linked with an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease. Bipyridyl herbicides, such as paraquat (PQ), diquat (DQ), and benzyl viologen (BV), are redox cycling agents known to exert cellular damage through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We examined the involvement of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in ROS production by bipyridyl herbicides. In isolated rat brain mitochondria, H2O2 production occurred with the following order of potency: BV > DQ > PQ in accordance with their measured ability to redox cycle. H2O2 production was significantly attenuated in all cases by antimycin A, an inhibitor of complex III. Interestingly, at micromolar (< or = 300 microM) concentrations, PQ-induced H2O2 production was unaffected by complex I inhibition via rotenone, whereas DQ-induced H2O2 production was equally attenuated by inhibition of complex I or III. Moreover, complex I inhibition decreased BV-induced H2O2 production to a greater extent than with PQ or DQ. These data suggest that multiple sites within the respiratory chain contribute to H2O2 production by redox cycling bipyridyl herbicides. In primary midbrain cultures, H2O2 differed slightly with the following order of potency: DQ > BV > PQ. In this model, inhibition of complex III resulted in roughly equivalent inhibition of H2O2 production with all three compounds. These data identify a novel role for complex III dependence of mitochondrial ROS production by redox cycling herbicides, while emphasizing the importance of identifying mitochondrial mechanisms by which environmental agents generate oxidative stress contributing to parkinsonism.

Overexpression of flavodoxin in bacteroids induces changes in antioxidant metabolism leading to delayed senescence and starch accumulation in alfalfa root nodules

Sinorhizobium meliloti cells were engineered to overexpress Anabaena variabilis flavodoxin, a protein that is involved in the response to oxidative stress. Nodule natural senescence was characterized in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) plants nodulated by the flavodoxin-overexpressing rhizobia or the corresponding control bacteria. The decline of nitrogenase activity and the nodule structural and ultrastructural alterations that are associated with nodule senescence were significantly delayed in flavodoxin-expressing nodules. Substantial changes in nodule antioxidant metabolism, involving antioxidant enzymes and ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzymes and metabolites, were detected in flavodoxin-containing nodules. Lipid peroxidation was also significantly lower in flavodoxin-expressing nodules than in control nodules. The observed amelioration of the oxidative balance suggests that the delay in nodule senescence was most likely due to a role of the protein in reactive oxygen species detoxification. Flavodoxin overexpression also led to high starch accumulation in nodules, without reduction of the nitrogen-fixing activity.

X-ray crystallographic and solution state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic investigations of NADP+ binding to ferredoxin NADP reductase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The ferredoxin nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate reductase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( pa-FPR) in complex with NADP (+) has been characterized by X-ray crystallography and in solution by NMR spectroscopy. The structure of the complex revealed that pa-FPR harbors a preformed NADP (+) binding pocket where the cofactor binds with minimal structural perturbation of the enzyme. These findings were complemented by obtaining sequential backbone resonance assignments of this 29518 kDa enzyme, which enabled the study of the pa-FPR-NADP complex by monitoring chemical shift perturbations induced by addition of NADP (+) or the inhibitor adenine dinucleotide phosphate (ADP) to pa-FPR. The results are consistent with a preformed NADP (+) binding site and also demonstrate that the pa-FPR-NADP complex is largely stabilized by interactions between the protein and the 2'-P AMP portion of the cofactor. Analysis of the crystal structure also shows a vast network of interactions between the two cofactors, FAD and NADP (+), and the characteristic AFVEK (258) C'-terminal extension that is typical of bacterial FPRs but is absent in their plastidic ferredoxin NADP (+) reductase (FNR) counterparts. The conformations of NADP (+) and FAD in pa-FPR place their respective nicotinamide and isoalloxazine rings 15 A apart and separated by residues in the C'-terminal extension. The network of interactions among NADP (+), FAD, and residues in the C'-terminal extension indicate that the gross conformational rearrangement that would be necessary to place the nicotinamide and isoalloxazine rings parallel and adjacent to one another for direct hydride transfer between NADPH and FAD in pa-FPR is highly unlikely. This conclusion is supported by observations made in the NMR spectra of pa-FPR and the pa-FPR-NADP complex, which strongly suggest that residues in the C'-terminal sequence do not undergo conformational exchange in the presence or absence of NADP (+). These findings are discussed in the context of a possible stepwise electron-proton-electron transfer of hydride in the oxidation of NADPH by FPR enzymes.

Role of reactive oxygen species in the neurotoxicity of environmental agents implicated in Parkinson's disease

Among age-related neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson's disease (PD) represents the best example for which oxidative stress has been strongly implicated. The etiology of PD remains unknown, yet recent epidemiological studies have linked exposure to environmental agents, including pesticides, with an increased risk of developing the disease. As a result, the environmental hypothesis of PD has developed, which speculates that chemical agents in the environment are capable of producing selective dopaminergic cell death, thus contributing to disease development. The use of environmental agents such as 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, rotenone, paraquat, dieldrin, and maneb in toxicant-based models of PD has become increasingly popular and provided valuable insight into the neurodegenerative process. Understanding the unique and shared mechanisms by which these environmental agents act as selective dopaminergic toxicants is critical in identifying pathways involved in PD pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the neurotoxic properties of these compounds with specific focus on the induction of oxidative stress. We highlight landmark studies along with recent advances that support the role of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species from a variety of cellular sources as potent contributors to the neurotoxicity of these environmental agents. Finally, human risk and the implications of these studies in our understanding of PD-related neurodegeneration are discussed.

Reduction of polynitroaromatic compounds: the bacterial nitroreductases

Most nitroaromatic compounds are toxic and mutagenic for living organisms, but some microorganisms have developed oxidative or reductive pathways to degrade or transform these compounds. Reductive pathways are based either on the reduction of the aromatic ring by hydride additions or on the reduction of the nitro groups to hydroxylamino and/or amino derivatives. Bacterial nitroreductases are flavoenzymes that catalyze the NAD(P)H-dependent reduction of the nitro groups on nitroaromatic and nitroheterocyclic compounds. Nitroreductases have raised a great interest due to their potential applications in bioremediation, biocatalysis, and biomedicine, especially in prodrug activation for chemotherapeutic cancer treatments. Different bacterial nitroreductases have been purified and their biochemical and kinetic parameters have been determined. The crystal structure of some nitroreductases have also been solved. However, the physiological role(s) of these enzymes remains unclear. Nitroreductase genes are widely spread within bacterial genomes, but are also found in archaea and some eukaryotic species. Although studies on regulation of nitroreductase gene expression are scarce, it seems that nitroreductase genes may be controlled by the MarRA and SoxRS regulatory systems that are involved in responses to several antibiotics and environmental chemical hazards and to specific oxidative stress conditions. This review covers the microbial distribution, types, biochemical properties, structure and regulation of the bacterial nitroreductases. The possible physiological functions and the biotechnological applications of these enzymes are also discussed.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of ferredoxin-NAD(P)+ reductase from Chlorobium tepidum

Ferredoxin-NAD(P)(+) reductase (FNR) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the photoreduction of NAD(P)(+) to generate NAD(P)H during the final step of the photosynthetic electron-transport chain. FNR from the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum is a homodimeric enzyme with a molecular weight of 90 kDa; it shares a high level of amino-acid sequence identity to thioredoxin reductase rather than to conventional plant-type FNRs. In order to understand the structural basis of the ferredoxin-dependency of this unique photosynthetic FNR, C. tepidum FNR has been heterologously expressed, purified and crystallized in two forms. Form I crystals belong to space group C222(1) and contain one dimer in the asymmetric unit, while form II crystals belong to space group P4(1)22 or P4(3)22. Diffraction data were collected from a form I crystal to 2.4 A resolution on the synchrotron-radiation beamline NW12 at the Photon Factory.

Rapid changes in gene expression dynamics in response to superoxide reveal SoxRS-dependent and independent transcriptional networks

Background

SoxR and SoxS constitute an intracellular signal response system that rapidly detects changes in superoxide levels and modulates gene expression in E. coli. A time series microarray design was used to identify co-regulated SoxRS-dependent and independent genes modulated by superoxide minutes after exposure to stress.

Methodology/Principal Findings

soxS mRNA levels surged to near maximal levels within the first few minutes of exposure to paraquat, a superoxide-producing compound, followed by a rise in mRNA levels of known SoxS-regulated genes. Based on a new method for determining the biological significance of clustering results, a total of 138 genic regions, including several transcription factors and putative sRNAs were identified as being regulated through the SoxRS signaling pathway within 10 minutes of paraquat treatment. A statistically significant two-block SoxS motif was identified through analysis of the SoxS-regulated genes. The SoxRS-independent response included members of the OxyR, CysB, IscR, BirA and Fur regulons. Finally, the relative sensitivity to superoxide was measured in 94 strains carrying deletions in individual, superoxide-regulated genes.

Conclusions/Significance

By integrating our microarray time series results with other microarray data, E. coli databases and the primary literature, we propose a model of the primary transcriptional response containing 226 protein-coding and sRNA sequences. From the SoxS dependent network the first statistically significant SoxS-related motif was identified.

Characterization of superoxide-stress sensing recombinant Escherichia coli constructed using promoters for genes zwf and fpr fused to lux operon

To measure the toxicity experienced by superoxide-generating compounds, two plasmids were constructed in which the superoxide-inducible fpr and zwf promoters from Escherichia coli were fused to promoterless Vibrio fischeri luxCDABE operon present in plasmid pUCD615. The bioluminescent response of E. coli harboring these constructs was studied as a function of the toxicity and was shown to be specific for superoxide generating chemicals. The two promoters employed, fpr and zwf, responded differentially to the redox-chemicals tested. Furthermore, a DeltamarA strain bearing the fpr::luxCDABE fusion had a weaker response to paraquat (methyl viologen) than its isogenic parent strain, whereas zwf induction was not inhibited in DeltamarA or Deltarob strains. The fpr and zwf promoters were also induced by alkylating agents but were unresponsive in DeltamarA or Deltarob strains. Using optimized assay conditions, the abilities of these strains to differentially respond to superoxide stress and alkylating agents that may be present in contaminants proves them to be good biosensor candidates for monitoring toxicity.

Paraquat Increases Cyanide-insensitive Respiration in Murine Lung Epithelial Cells by Activating an NAD(P)H:Paraquat Oxidoreductase

Pulmonary fibrosis is one of the most severe consequences of exposure to paraquat, an herbicide that causes rapid alveolar inflammation and epithelial cell damage. Paraquat is known to induce toxicity in cells by stimulating oxygen utilization via redox cycling and the generation of reactive oxygen intermediates. However, the enzymatic activity mediating this reaction in lung cells is not completely understood. Using self-referencing microsensors, we measured the effects of paraquat on oxygen flux into murine lung epithelial cells. Paraquat (10-100 microm) was found to cause a 2-4-fold increase in cellular oxygen flux. The mitochondrial poisons cyanide, rotenone, and antimycin A prevented mitochondrial- but not paraquat-mediated oxygen flux into cells. In contrast, diphenyleneiodonium (10 microm), an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, blocked the effects of paraquat without altering mitochondrial respiration. NADPH oxidases, enzymes that are highly expressed in lung epithelial cells, utilize molecular oxygen to generate superoxide anion. We discovered that lung epithelial cells possess a distinct cytoplasmic diphenyleneiodonium-sensitive NAD(P)H:paraquat oxidoreductase. This enzyme utilizes oxygen, requires NADH or NADPH, and readily generates the reduced paraquat radical. Purification and sequence analysis identified this enzyme activity as thioredoxin reductase. Purified paraquat reductase from the cells contained thioredoxin reductase activity, and purified rat liver thioredoxin reductase or recombinant enzyme possessed paraquat reductase activity. Reactive oxygen intermediates and subsequent oxidative stress generated from this enzyme are likely to contribute to paraquat-induced lung toxicity.

Escherichia coli as a platform for functional expression of plant P450 carotene hydroxylases

Carotenoids and their derivatives are essential for growth, development, and signaling in plants and have an added benefit as nutraceuticals in food crops. Despite the importance of the biosynthetic pathway, there remain open questions regarding some of the later enzymes in the pathway. The CYP97 family of P450 enzymes was predicted to function in carotene ring hydroxylation, to convert provitamin A carotenes to non-provitamin A xanthophylls. However, substrate specificity was difficult to investigate directly in plants, which mask enzyme activities by a complex and dynamic metabolic network. To characterize the enzymes more directly, we amplified cDNAs from a model crop, Oryza sativa, and used functional complementation in Escherichia coli to test activity and specificity of members of Clans A and C. This heterologous system will be valuable for further study of enzyme interactions and substrate utilization needed to understand better the role of CYP97 hydroxylases in plant carotenoid biosynthesis.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and ferredoxin-NADP(H) reductase contribute to damage repair during the soxRS response of Escherichia coli

The NADP(H)-dependent enzymes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and ferredoxin(flavodoxin)-NADP(H) reductase (FPR), encoded by the zwf and fpr genes, respectively, are committed members of the soxRS regulatory system involved in superoxide resistance in Escherichia coli. Exposure of E. coli cells to the superoxide propagator methyl viologen (MV) led to rapid accumulation of G6PDH, while FPR was induced after a lag period of several minutes. Bacteria expressing G6PDH from a multicopy plasmid accumulated higher NADPH levels and displayed a protracted soxRS response, whereas FPR build-up had the opposite effects. Inactivation of either of the two genes resulted in enhanced sensitivity to MV killing, while further increases in the cellular content of FPR led to higher survival rates under oxidative conditions. In contrast, G6PDH accumulation over wild-type levels of expression failed to increase MV tolerance. G6PDH and FPR could act concertedly to deliver reducing equivalents from carbohydrates, via NADP(+), to the FPR acceptors ferredoxin and/or flavodoxin. To evaluate whether this electron-transport system could mediate reductive repair reactions, the pathway was reconstituted in vitro from purified components; the reconstituted system was found to be functional in reactivation of oxidatively damaged iron-sulfur clusters of hydro-lyases such as aconitase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase. Recovery of these activities after oxidative challenge was faster and more extensive in transformed bacteria overexpressing FPR than in wild-type cells, indicating that the reductase could sustain hydro-lyase repair in vivo. However, FPR-deficient mutants were still able to fix iron-sulfur clusters at significant rates, suggesting that back-up routes for ferredoxin and/or flavodoxin reduction might be called into action to rescue inactivated enzymes when FPR is absent.

The Escherichia coli proteome: past, present, and future prospects

Proteomics has emerged as an indispensable methodology for large-scale protein analysis in functional genomics. The Escherichia coli proteome has been extensively studied and is well defined in terms of biochemical, biological, and biotechnological data. Even before the entire E. coli proteome was fully elucidated, the largest available data set had been integrated to decipher regulatory circuits and metabolic pathways, providing valuable insights into global cellular physiology and the development of metabolic and cellular engineering strategies. With the recent advent of advanced proteomic technologies, the E. coli proteome has been used for the validation of new technologies and methodologies such as sample prefractionation, protein enrichment, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, protein detection, mass spectrometry (MS), combinatorial assays with n-dimensional chromatographies and MS, and image analysis software. These important technologies will not only provide a great amount of additional information on the E. coli proteome but also synergistically contribute to other proteomic studies. Here, we review the past development and current status of E. coli proteome research in terms of its biological, biotechnological, and methodological significance and suggest future prospects.

Regulation of superoxide stress in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is different from the SoxR paradigm in Escherichia coli

In Escherichia coli, the SoxR regulon orchestrates genes for defense against certain types of oxidative stress through the SoxR-regulated synthesis of the SoxS transcription activator. The Pseudomonas putida genome did not reveal a clear soxS homolog. The P. putida SoxR protein appears to be functional: its expression in an E. coli DeltasoxR strain restored the paraquat inducibility of soxS. Of nine candidate P. putida oxidative stress genes, which are known to be SoxR regulon in E. coli, tested for response to superoxide or nitric oxide, fumC-1, sodA, zwf-1, and particularly fpr, encoding ferredoxin:NADP(+) reductase, were induced, all independent of P. putida soxR. Disruption of the fpr and finR, a regulatory protein that is required for paraquat-dependent expression of the fpr, resulted in more oxidative stress sensitivity. However, a P. putida soxR-deletion strain had normal resistance to the superoxide-generating agent paraquat. The data presented here show that the genetic responses to superoxide stress in P. putida differ markedly from those seen in E. coli and Salmonella, and the role of P. putida soxR remains to be established.

Co-induction of methyltransferase Rv0560c by naphthoquinones and fibric acids suggests attenuation of isoprenoid quinone action in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The superoxide generator menadione was previously demonstrated as an inducer of growth stage dependent protein patterns in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The present study refines this observation by characterizing a novel 27-kDa protein that had not been observed in previous studies relying on younger cultures. A very similar response, based on two-dimensional gel electrophoretic analyses, was induced by the closely related naphthoquinone plumbagin. The 27-kDa protein was also induced by the pro-oxidant peroxisome proliferator gemfibrozil and to a lesser extent by the structurally related compounds fenofibrate and clofibrate. N-terminal sequence data of proteolytic fragments from the 27-kDa protein demonstrated its identity with protein Rv0560c, previously demonstrated to be inducible by salicylate, which also possesses peroxisome proliferating properties. Protein Rv0560c bears three conserved motifs characteristic of S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferases. Further sequence similarities suggest a function in the bio syn thesis of isoprenoid compounds, e.g., tocopherol, ubiquinone, and sterols. Such involvement is supported by the recognized yet unexplained widespread interference of menadione, salicylate, and fibrates with the isoprenoid quinones ubiquinone, menaquinone, and vitamin K. Induction of Rv0560c by fibrates, salicylate, and naphthoquinones is thus suggested to be caused by action on the plasma membrane, reminiscent of cytochrome P450BM-3 induction by fibrates in Bacillus megaterium, which catalyzes the hydroxylation of fatty acids and thus modulates membrane properties.

Identification of factors involved in recovery of heat-injured Salmonella Enteritidis

Proteins and genes involved in the recovery of heat-injured Salmonella Enteritidis were investigated. Salmonella Enteritidis cells cultured overnight in tryptic soy broth (TSB; nonselective medium) were suspended in citric acid-disodium hydrogen phosphate buffer (pH 6). After heat treatment at 55 degrees C for 15 min, the culturable counts measured by tryptic soy agar (TSA; nonselective medium) decreased from 10(8) to 10(7) CFU/ml. On the other hand, culturable counts measured by desoxycholate-hydrogen sulfite-lactose (DHL) agar (selective medium) were decreased from 10(8) to 10(4) CFU/ml by the same treatment. The results suggest that 99.9% of Salmonella Enteritidis detected on TSA were injured but recoverable. When injured Salmonella Enteritidis was incubated in TSB, the culturable count measured by TSA did not increase for 2 h, whereas that by DHL agar increased after incubation for 30 min. After incubation for 2 h, the culturable count measured by DHL agar reached a similar level with that by TSA, indicating that Salmonella Enteritidis had recovered. The two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that elongation factor G (FusA) and pyruvate kinase (PykF) specifically increased in the cells just after heat treatment and in the recovery cells. The levels of transcription of 86 stress-inducible genes were also investigated by reverse transcription PCR. Nineteen heat-inducible (clpB, clpX, degP, dnaJ, fkpA, ftsJ, gapA, hflB, hslJ, hslU, hslV, htpG, htrA, lon, mopA, mopB, mreB, rpoE, and ppiD), and 12 oxidative-stress and DNA damage-inducible (ahpC, ahpF, fldB, fur, grxA, dinF, katG, mutM, recA, soxR, trxC, and zwf) genes were transcribed extensively during recovery in TSB. The results obtained in this study will be used to develop the media or culture conditions that will promote recovery for the detection of food poisoning bacteria, including injured cells from food products.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species: weapons of neuronal destruction in models of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease whose etiology and pathogenesis remain mainly unknown. To investigate its cause and, more particularly, its mechanism of neuronal death, numerous in vivo experimental models have been developed. Currently, both genetic and toxic models of PD are available, but the use of neurotoxins such as 6-hydroxydopamine, paraquat, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, and rotenone are still the most popular means for modeling the destruction of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons seen in PD. These four neurotoxins, although distinct in their intimate cytotoxic mechanisms, kill dopaminergic neurons via a cascade of deleterious events that consistently involves oxidative stress. Herein, we review and compare the molecular mechanisms of 6-hydroxydopamine, paraquat, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine, and rotenone, placing the emphasis of our discussion on how reactive oxygen and nitrogen species contribute to the neurotoxic properties of these four molecules. As the reader will discover, to achieve the above stated goal, we had to not only appraise recent findings, but also revisit earlier landmark studies to provide a comprehensive view on this topic. This approach also enabled us to describe how our understanding of the mechanism of actions of certain toxins has evolved over time, which is particularly striking in the case of the quatrogenarian neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine.

Schistosoma mansoni: ferredoxin-NADP(H) oxidoreductase and the metabolism of reactive oxygen species

Mitochondrial-type ferredoxin-NADP(H) oxidoreductases (FNR) catalyze the electron transport between NADPH and substrates such as ferredoxins. Even though enzymes belonging to this family are present in several organisms, including prokaryotes, their biological function is not clearly understood. In a previous work, we reported the existence of a mitochondrial-type FNR in the trematode Schistosoma mansoni (SmFNR). This enzyme conferred tolerance to oxidative stress conditions when tested in an heterologous system. In this work, we demonstrate that the SmFNR can be imported to mitochondria in mammal cells and show that its expression is induced in parasite cultures by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results reported herein give further support to the involvement of SmFNR in ROS metabolism.

The glutathione-glutaredoxin system in Rhodobacter capsulatus: part of a complex regulatory network controlling defense against oxidative stress

Mutants with defects in components of the glutathione-glutaredoxin (GSH/Grx) system of Rhodobacter capsulatus were constructed to study its role in defense against oxidative stress and the redox-dependent formation of photosynthetic complexes. The lack of the glutaredoxin 3 gene (grxC) or the glutathione synthetase B gene (gshB) resulted in lower growth rates under aerobic conditions and higher sensitivity to oxidative stress, confirming the role of the GSH/Grx system in oxidative stress defense. Both mutants are highly sensitive to disulfide stress, indicating a major contribution of the GSH/Grx system to the thiol-disulfide redox buffer in the cytoplasm. Like mutations in the thioredoxin system, mutations in the GSH/Grx system affected the formation of photosynthetic complexes, which is redox dependent in R. capsulatus. Expression of the genes grxC, gshB, grxA for glutaredoxin 1, and gorA for glutathione reductase, all encoding components of the GSH/Grx system, was not induced by oxidative stress. Other genes, for which a role in oxidative stress was established in Escherichia coli, acnA, fpr, fur, and katG, were strongly induced by oxidative stress in R. capsulatus. Mutations in the grxC, and/or gshB, and/or trxC (thioredoxin 2) genes affected expression of these genes, indicating an interplay of the different defense systems against oxidative stress. The OxyR and the SoxRS regulons control the expression of many genes involved in oxidative stress defense in E. coli in response to H2O2 and superoxide, respectively. Our data and the available genome sequence of R. capsulatus suggest that a SoxRS system is lacking but an alternative superoxide specific regulator exists in R. capsulatus. While the expression of gorA and grxA is regulated by H2O2 in E. coli this is not the case in R. capsulatus, indicating that the OxyR regulons of these two species are significantly different.

Repair of oxidized iron-sulfur clusters in Escherichia coli

The [4Fe-4S]2+ clusters of dehydratases are rapidly damaged by univalent oxidants, including hydrogen peroxide, superoxide, and peroxynitrite. The loss of an electron destabilizes the cluster, causing it to release its catalytic iron atom and converting the cluster initially to an inactive [3Fe-4S]1+ form. Continued exposure to oxidants in vitro leads to further iron release. Experiments have shown that these clusters are repaired in vivo. We sought to determine whether repair is mediated by either the Isc or Suf cluster-assembly systems that have been identified in Escherichia coli. We found that all the proteins encoded by the isc operon were critical for de novo assembly, but most of these were unnecessary for cluster repair. IscS, a cysteine desulfurase, appeared to be an exception: although iscS mutants repaired damaged clusters, they did so substantially more slowly than did wild-type cells. Because sulfur mobilization should be required only if clusters degrade beyond the [3Fe-4S]1+ state, we used whole cell EPR to visualize the fate of oxidized enzymes in vivo. Fumarase A was overproduced. Brief exposure of cells to hydrogen peroxide resulted in the appearance of the characteristic [3Fe-4S]1+ signal of the oxidized enzyme. When hydrogen peroxide was then scavenged, the enzyme activity reappeared within minutes, in concert with the disappearance of the EPR signal. Thus it is unclear why IscS is required for efficient repair. The iscS mutants grew poorly, allowing the possibility that metabolic defects indirectly slow the repair process. Our data did indicate that damaged clusters decompose beyond the [3Fe-4S]1+ state in vivo when stress is prolonged. Under the conditions of our experiments, mutants that lacked other repair candidates--Suf proteins, glutathione, and NADPH: ferredoxin reductase--all repaired clusters at normal rates. We conclude that the mechanism of cluster repair is distinct from that of de novo assembly and that this is true because mild oxidative stress does not degrade clusters in vivo to the point of presenting an apoenzyme to the de novo cluster-assembly systems.

Interaction of Ferredoxin-NADP(+) Reductase with its Substrates: Optimal Interaction for Efficient Electron Transfer

Electron transfer (ET) reactions in systems involving proteins require an oriented interaction between electron donor and acceptor in order to accommodate their respective redox centres in optimal orientation for efficient ET. Such type of reactions are critical for the maintenance of the physiological functions of living organisms, since they are implicated in vital actions, as is, for example, in the photosynthetic ET chain that leads to NADPH reduction. In this particular case, a small redox protein ET chain is responsible for ET from Photosystem I (PS I) to NADP(+). In this system the enzyme responsible for NADP(+) reduction is ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase (FNR), a FAD-containing NADP(+) dependent reductase. In order to produce such reduction, this enzyme receives electrons from a [2Fe-2S] plant-type ferredoxin (Fd), which is previously reduced by PS I. Moreover, in the case of some algae and cyanobacteria, an FMN-dependent protein, flavodoxin (Fld), has been shown to replace Fd in this function. The processes of interaction and ET between FNR and all of its substrates involved in the photosynthetic ET chain, namely Fd, Fld and NADP(+)/H have been extensively investigated in recent years using a large number of techniques, including the introduction of site-specific mutations in combination with kinetic and structural studies of the produced mutants. The present manuscript summarises the information so far reported for an efficient interaction between FNR and its substrates, compares such information with that revealed by other systems for which the FNR structure is a prototype and, finally, discusses the implications of the processes of association in ET between FNR and its substrates.