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Hird K, Campeciño JO, Lehnert N, Hegg EL. Recent mechanistic developments for cytochrome c nitrite reductase, the key enzyme in the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium pathway. J Inorg Biochem 2024; 256:112542. [PMID: 38631103 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2024.112542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Cytochrome c nitrite reductase, NrfA, is a soluble, periplasmic pentaheme cytochrome responsible for the reduction of nitrite to ammonium in the Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium (DNRA) pathway, a vital reaction in the global nitrogen cycle. NrfA catalyzes this six-electron and eight-proton reduction of nitrite at a single active site with the help of its quinol oxidase partners. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in elucidating the reaction mechanism of ammonia production, including new findings about the active site architecture of NrfA, as well as recent results that elucidate electron transfer and storage in the pentaheme scaffold of this enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystina Hird
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Julius O Campeciño
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Nicolai Lehnert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Eric L Hegg
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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2
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Shao B, Niu L, Xie YG, Zhang R, Wang W, Xu X, Sun J, Xing D, Lee DJ, Ren N, Hua ZS, Chen C. Overlooked in-situ sulfur disproportionation fuels dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in sulfur-based system: Novel insight of nitrogen recovery. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 257:121700. [PMID: 38705068 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Sulfur-based denitrification is a promising technology in treatments of nitrate-contaminated wastewaters. However, due to weak bioavailability and electron-donating capability of elemental sulfur, its sulfur-to-nitrate ratio has long been low, limiting the support for dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) process. Using a long-term sulfur-packed reactor, we demonstrate here for the first time that DNRA in sulfur-based system is not negligible, but rather contributes a remarkable 40.5 %-61.1 % of the total nitrate biotransformation for ammonium production. Through combination of kinetic experiments, electron flow analysis, 16S rRNA amplicon, and microbial network succession, we unveil a cryptic in-situ sulfur disproportionation (SDP) process which significantly facilitates DNRA via enhancing mass transfer and multiplying 86.7-210.9 % of bioavailable electrons. Metagenome assembly and single-copy gene phylogenetic analysis elucidate the abundant genomes, including uc_VadinHA17, PHOS-HE36, JALNZU01, Thiobacillus, and Rubrivivax, harboring complete genes for ammonification. Notably, a unique group of self-SDP-coupled DNRA microorganism was identified. This study unravels a previously concealed fate of DNRA, which highlights the tremendous potential for ammonium recovery and greenhouse gas mitigation. Discovery of a new coupling between nitrogen and sulfur cycles underscores great revision needs of sulfur-driven denitrification technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Li Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Yuan-Guo Xie
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Ruochen Zhang
- School of Civil and Transportation, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, PR China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Xijun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Jianxing Sun
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China
| | - Defeng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Duu-Jong Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PR China; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Chung-li 32003, Taiwan
| | - Nanqi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Zheng-Shuang Hua
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Chuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China.
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3
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Saghaï A, Hallin S. Diversity and ecology of NrfA-dependent ammonifying microorganisms. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:602-613. [PMID: 38462391 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Nitrate ammonifiers are a taxonomically diverse group of microorganisms that reduce nitrate to ammonium, which is released, and thereby contribute to the retention of nitrogen in ecosystems. Despite their importance for understanding the fate of nitrate, they remain a largely overlooked group in the nitrogen cycle. Here, we present the latest advances on free-living microorganisms using NrfA to reduce nitrite during ammonification. We describe their diversity and ecology in terrestrial and aquatic environments, as well as the environmental factors influencing the competition for nitrate with denitrifiers that reduce nitrate to gaseous nitrogen species, including the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). We further review the capacity of ammonifiers for other redox reactions, showing that they likely play multiple roles in the cycling of elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Saghaï
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara Hallin
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
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4
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Wan Y, Li R, Yao K, Peng C, Wang W, Li N, Wang X. Bioelectro-barriers prevent nitrate leaching into groundwater via nitrogen retention. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 249:120988. [PMID: 38070341 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Groundwater, the main freshwater resource for humans, has been widely contaminated with nitrate from fertilizers. Here, we report a new and chemical-free strategy to prevent nitrate leaching from soil based on the enrichment of electroactive bacteria, mainly of the genus Geobacter, with bioelectro-barriers, which leads to a nearly 100 % interception of nitrate and partly conserves reactive nitrogen in the form of weakly mobile ammonium by dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). G. sulfurreducens was recognized to efficiently secrete nitrite reductase (NrfA) for rapid DNRA because it lacks nitrate reductase, which inhibits DNRA by competing with nitrite and producing toxic intracellular nitric oxide. With an increase in G. sulfurreducens abundance, near-zero nitrate leaching and 3-fold greater N retention was achieved. Periodic application of weak electricity to the bioelectro-barrier ensured the dominance of G. sulfurreducens in the microbial community and therefore its ability to consistently prevent nitrate leaching. The ability of G. sulfurreducens to intercept nitrate was further demonstrated in more diverse agricultural soils, providing a novel way to prevent nitrate leaching and conserve bioavailable nitrogen in the soil, which has broader implications for both sustainable agriculture and groundwater protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Wan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, No. 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, China; School of Civil Engineering, Guangzhou University, No. 230 West Waihuan Road, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ruixiang Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, No. 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Kexin Yao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, No. 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Chenchen Peng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Nan Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xin Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, No. 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, China.
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5
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Saghaï A, Pold G, Jones CM, Hallin S. Phyloecology of nitrate ammonifiers and their importance relative to denitrifiers in global terrestrial biomes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8249. [PMID: 38086813 PMCID: PMC10716430 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44022-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitrate ammonification is important for soil nitrogen retention. However, the ecology of ammonifiers and their prevalence compared with denitrifiers, being competitors for nitrate, are overlooked. Here, we screen 1 million genomes for nrfA and onr, encoding ammonifier nitrite reductases. About 40% of ammonifier assemblies carry at least one denitrification gene and show higher potential for nitrous oxide production than consumption. We then use a phylogeny-based approach to recruit gene fragments of nrfA, onr and denitrification nitrite reductase genes (nirK, nirS) in 1861 global terrestrial metagenomes. nrfA outnumbers the nearly negligible onr counts in all biomes, but denitrification genes dominate, except in tundra. Random forest modelling teases apart the influence of the soil C/N on nrfA-ammonifier vs denitrifier abundance, showing an effect of nitrate rather than carbon content. This study demonstrates the multiple roles nitrate ammonifiers play in nitrogen cycling and identifies factors ultimately controlling the fate of soil nitrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Saghaï
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Grace Pold
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christopher M Jones
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara Hallin
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Han S, Tang R, Yang S, Xie CJ, Narsing Rao MP, Rensing C, Liu GH, Zhou SG. Geothrix oryzisoli sp. nov., a ferric iron-reducing bacterium isolated from paddy soil. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2023; 116:477-486. [PMID: 36897496 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-023-01817-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
An anaerobic, Gram-staining-negative, rod-shaped, Fe(III)-reducing strain, designated SG189T, was isolated from paddy soil in Fujian Province, China. Growth occurred at 20-35 ℃ (optimum 30 ℃), pH 6.5-8.0 (optimum 7.0) and 0-0.2% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 0%). The strain SG189T showed the highest 16S rRNA sequences similarities to the type strains of Geothrix fermentans DSM 14018T (98.9%), "Geothrix terrae" SG184T (99.0%) and "Geothrix alkalitolerans" SG263T (99.3%). ANI and dDDH values between strain SG189T and the most closely related Geothrix species were 86.5-87.1% and 31.5-32.9%, which lower than the cut-off values (ANI 95-96% and dDDH 70%) for prokaryotic species delineation. Further, genome-based phylogenomic trees constructed using 81 core genes (UBCG2) and 120 conserved genes (GTDB) showed that strain SG189T formed a clade with members of the genus Geothrix. The menaquinone was shown to be MK-8, and the major fatty acids were iso-C15:0 and iso-C13:0 3OH. The genomic DNA G + C content was 68.2%. Additionally, we found that strain SG189T possessed ability to reduce ferric iron, and strain SG189T could reduce 10 mM of ferric citrate in 10 days with lactate as the sole electron donor. Based on the observed physiological and biochemical properties, chemotaxonomic characteristics, ANI and dDDH values, SG189T represents a novel species of the genus Geothrix, for which the name Geothrix oryzisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SG189T (= GDMCC 1.3408T = JCM 39324T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Han
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Rong Tang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Shang Yang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Jie Xie
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Manik Prabhu Narsing Rao
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Talca, 3460000, Chile
| | - Christopher Rensing
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Guo-Hong Liu
- Agricultural Bio-Resources Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, 350003, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shun-Gui Zhou
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
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7
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Lycus P, Einsle O, Zhang L. Structural biology of proteins involved in nitrogen cycling. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 74:102278. [PMID: 36889028 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Microbial metabolic processes drive the global nitrogen cycle through sophisticated and often unique metalloenzymes that facilitate difficult redox reactions at ambient temperature and pressure. Understanding the intricacies of these biological nitrogen transformations requires a detailed knowledge that arises from the combination of a multitude of powerful analytical techniques and functional assays. Recent developments in spectroscopy and structural biology have provided new, powerful tools for addressing existing and emerging questions, which have gained urgency due to the global environmental implications of these fundamental reactions. The present review focuses on the recent contributions of the wider area of structural biology to understanding nitrogen metabolism, opening new avenues for biotechnological applications to better manage and balance the challenges of the global nitrogen cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Lycus
- Institut für Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, 79104, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Oliver Einsle
- Institut für Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, 79104, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
| | - Lin Zhang
- Institut für Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, 79104, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
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8
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Xie L, Yoshida N, Meng L. Polyphasic Characterization of Geotalea uranireducens NIT-SL11 Newly Isolated from a Complex of Sewage Sludge and Microbially Reduced Graphene Oxide. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020349. [PMID: 36838314 PMCID: PMC9961858 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Graphene oxide (GO), a chemically oxidized sheet of graphite, has been used as a conductive carbon carrier of microbes to boost various bioelectrochemical reactions. However, the types of microbes that can reduce GO have rarely been investigated. In this study, a strain of GO-reducing bacteria, named NIT-SL11, which was obtained from a hydrogel of microbially reduced GO and anaerobic sludge that converts sewage to electricity, was phylogenically identified as a novel strain of Geotalea uraniireducens. Considering the current lack of information on the electrogenic ability of the bacterium and its physicochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics, the polyphasic characterization of the Geotalea uraniireducens strain NIT-SL11 was performed. NIT-SL11 utilized various organic acids, such as lactate, benzoate, and formate, as electron donors and exhibited respiration using GO, electrodes, fumarate, and malate. The strain contained C16:1ω7c and C16:0 as the major fatty acids and MK-8 and 9 as the major respiratory quinones. The complete genome of NIT-SL11 was 4.7 Mbp in size with a G+C content of 60.9%, and it encoded 80 putative c-type cytochromes and 23 type IV pili-related proteins. The possible extracellular electron transfer (EET) pathways of the strain were the porin-cytochrome (Pcc) EET pathway and type IV pili-based pathway.
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Denkhaus L, Siffert F, Einsle O. An unusual active site architecture in cytochrome c nitrite reductase NrfA-1 from Geobacter metallireducens. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2023; 370:fnad068. [PMID: 37460131 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA) is a central pathway in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle, allowing for the utilization of nitrate or nitrite as terminal electron acceptors. In contrast to the competing denitrification to N2, a major part of the essential nutrient nitrogen in DNRA is retained within the ecosystem and made available as ammonium to serve as a nitrogen source for other organisms. The second step of DNRA is mediated by the pentahaem cytochrome c nitrite reductase NrfA that catalyzes the six-electron reduction of nitrite to ammonium and is widely distributed among bacteria. A recent crystal structure of an NrfA ortholog from Geobacter lovleyi was the first characterized representative of a novel subclass of NrfA enzymes that lacked the canonical Ca2+ ion close to the active site haem 1. Here, we report the structural and functional characterization of NrfA from the closely related G. metallireducens. We established the recombinant production of catalytically active NrfA with its unique, lysine-coordinated active site haem heterologously in Escherichia coli and determined its three-dimensional structure by X-ray crystallography to 1.9 Å resolution. The structure confirmed GmNrfA as a further calcium-independent NrfA protein, and it also shows an altered active site that contained an unprecedented aspartate residue, D80, close to the substrate-binding site. This residue formed part of a loop that also caused a changed arrangement of the conserved substrate/product channel relative to other NrfA proteins and rendered the protein insensitive to the inhibitor sulphate. To elucidate the relevance of D80, we produced and studied the variants D80A and D80N that showed significantly reduced catalytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Denkhaus
- Institut für Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Fanny Siffert
- Institut für Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Oliver Einsle
- Institut für Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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11
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Repair of Iron Center Proteins—A Different Class of Hemerythrin-like Proteins. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27134051. [PMID: 35807291 PMCID: PMC9268430 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27134051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Repair of Iron Center proteins (RIC) form a family of di-iron proteins that are widely spread in the microbial world. RICs contain a binuclear nonheme iron site in a four-helix bundle fold, two basic features of hemerythrin-like proteins. In this work, we review the data on microbial RICs including how their genes are regulated and contribute to the survival of pathogenic bacteria. We gathered the currently available biochemical, spectroscopic and structural data on RICs with a particular focus on Escherichia coli RIC (also known as YtfE), which remains the best-studied protein with extensive biochemical characterization. Additionally, we present novel structural data for Escherichia coli YtfE harboring a di-manganese site and the protein’s affinity for this metal. The networking of protein interactions involving YtfE is also described and integrated into the proposed physiological role as an iron donor for reassembling of stress-damaged iron-sulfur centers.
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12
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Danczak RE, Sengupta A, Fansler SJ, Chu RK, Garayburu-Caruso VA, Renteria L, Toyoda J, Wells J, Stegen JC. Inferring the Contribution of Microbial Taxa and Organic Matter Molecular Formulas to Ecological Assembly. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:803420. [PMID: 35250925 PMCID: PMC8894727 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.803420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms underlying the assembly of communities has long been the goal of many ecological studies. While several studies have evaluated community wide ecological assembly, fewer have focused on investigating the impacts of individual members within a community or assemblage on ecological assembly. Here, we adapted a previous null model β-nearest taxon index (βNTI) to measure the contribution of individual features within an ecological community to overall assembly. This new metric, called feature-level βNTI (βNTIfeat), enables researchers to determine whether ecological features (e.g., individual microbial taxa) contribute to divergence, convergence, or have insignificant impacts across spatiotemporally resolved metacommunities or meta-assemblages. Using βNTIfeat, we revealed that unclassified microbial lineages often contributed to community divergence while diverse groups (e.g., Crenarchaeota, Alphaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria) contributed to convergence. We also demonstrate that βNTIfeat can be extended to other ecological assemblages such as organic molecules comprising organic matter (OM) pools. OM had more inconsistent trends compared to the microbial community though CHO-containing molecular formulas often contributed to convergence, while nitrogen and phosphorus-containing formulas contributed to both convergence and divergence. A network analysis was used to relate βNTIfeat values from the putatively active microbial community and the OM assemblage and examine potentially common contributions to ecological assembly across different communities/assemblages. This analysis revealed that P-containing formulas often contributed to convergence/divergence separately from other ecological features and N-containing formulas often contributed to assembly in coordination with microorganisms. Additionally, members of Family Geobacteraceae were often observed to contribute to convergence/divergence in conjunction with both N- and P-containing formulas, suggesting a coordinated ecological role for family members and the nitrogen/phosphorus cycle. Overall, we show that βNTIfeat offers opportunities to investigate the community or assemblage members, which shape the phylogenetic or functional landscape, and demonstrate the potential to evaluate potential points of coordination across various community types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E. Danczak
- Ecosystem Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
- *Correspondence: Robert E. Danczak,
| | - Aditi Sengupta
- Department of Biology, California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States
| | - Sarah J. Fansler
- Ecosystem Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
| | - Rosalie K. Chu
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
| | | | - Lupita Renteria
- Ecosystem Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
| | - Jason Toyoda
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
| | - Jacqueline Wells
- Ecosystem Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
| | - James C. Stegen
- Ecosystem Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
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13
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Lehnert N, Kim E, Dong HT, Harland JB, Hunt AP, Manickas EC, Oakley KM, Pham J, Reed GC, Alfaro VS. The Biologically Relevant Coordination Chemistry of Iron and Nitric Oxide: Electronic Structure and Reactivity. Chem Rev 2021; 121:14682-14905. [PMID: 34902255 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule that is involved in a wide range of physiological and pathological events in biology. Metal coordination chemistry, especially with iron, is at the heart of many biological transformations involving NO. A series of heme proteins, nitric oxide synthases (NOS), soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), and nitrophorins, are responsible for the biosynthesis, sensing, and transport of NO. Alternatively, NO can be generated from nitrite by heme- and copper-containing nitrite reductases (NIRs). The NO-bearing small molecules such as nitrosothiols and dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) can serve as an alternative vehicle for NO storage and transport. Once NO is formed, the rich reaction chemistry of NO leads to a wide variety of biological activities including reduction of NO by heme or non-heme iron-containing NO reductases and protein post-translational modifications by DNICs. Much of our understanding of the reactivity of metal sites in biology with NO and the mechanisms of these transformations has come from the elucidation of the geometric and electronic structures and chemical reactivity of synthetic model systems, in synergy with biochemical and biophysical studies on the relevant proteins themselves. This review focuses on recent advancements from studies on proteins and model complexes that not only have improved our understanding of the biological roles of NO but also have provided foundations for biomedical research and for bio-inspired catalyst design in energy science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolai Lehnert
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Eunsuk Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - Hai T Dong
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Jill B Harland
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Andrew P Hunt
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Elizabeth C Manickas
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Kady M Oakley
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - John Pham
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - Garrett C Reed
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Victor Sosa Alfaro
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
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14
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Kroneck PMH. Nature's nitrite-to-ammonia expressway, with no stop at dinitrogen. J Biol Inorg Chem 2021; 27:1-21. [PMID: 34865208 PMCID: PMC8840924 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-021-01921-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Since the characterization of cytochrome c552 as a multiheme nitrite reductase, research on this enzyme has gained major interest. Today, it is known as pentaheme cytochrome c nitrite reductase (NrfA). Part of the NH4+ produced from NO2- is released as NH3 leading to nitrogen loss, similar to denitrification which generates NO, N2O, and N2. NH4+ can also be used for assimilatory purposes, thus NrfA contributes to nitrogen retention. It catalyses the six-electron reduction of NO2- to NH4+, hosting four His/His ligated c-type hemes for electron transfer and one structurally differentiated active site heme. Catalysis occurs at the distal side of a Fe(III) heme c proximally coordinated by lysine of a unique CXXCK motif (Sulfurospirillum deleyianum, Wolinella succinogenes) or, presumably, by the canonical histidine in Campylobacter jejeuni. Replacement of Lys by His in NrfA of W. succinogenes led to a significant loss of enzyme activity. NrfA forms homodimers as shown by high resolution X-ray crystallography, and there exist at least two distinct electron transfer systems to the enzyme. In γ-proteobacteria (Escherichia coli) NrfA is linked to the menaquinol pool in the cytoplasmic membrane through a pentaheme electron carrier (NrfB), in δ- and ε-proteobacteria (S. deleyianum, W. succinogenes), the NrfA dimer interacts with a tetraheme cytochrome c (NrfH). Both form a membrane-associated respiratory complex on the extracellular side of the cytoplasmic membrane to optimize electron transfer efficiency. This minireview traces important steps in understanding the nature of pentaheme cytochrome c nitrite reductases, and discusses their structural and functional features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M H Kroneck
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
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15
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Shahid S, Ali M, Legaspi-Humiston D, Wilcoxen J, Pacheco AA. A Kinetic Investigation of the Early Steps in Cytochrome c Nitrite Reductase (ccNiR)-Catalyzed Reduction of Nitrite. Biochemistry 2021; 60:2098-2115. [PMID: 34143605 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The decaheme enzyme cytochrome c nitrite reductase (ccNiR) catalyzes reduction of nitrite to ammonium in a six-electron, eight-proton process. With a strong reductant as the electron source, ammonium is the sole product. However, intermediates accumulate when weaker reductants are employed, facilitating study of the ccNiR mechanism. Herein, the early stages of Shewanella oneidensis ccNiR-catalyzed nitrite reduction were investigated by using the weak reductants N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) and ferrocyanide. In stopped-flow experiments, reduction of nitrite-loaded ccNiR by TMPD generated a transient intermediate, identified as FeH1II(NO2-), where FeH1 represents the ccNiR active site. FeH1II(NO2-) accumulated rapidly and was then more slowly converted to the two-electron-reduced moiety {FeH1NO}7; ccNiR was not reduced beyond the {FeH1NO}7 state. The midpoint potentials for sequential reduction of FeH1III(NO2-) to FeH1II(NO2-) and then to {FeH1NO}7 were estimated to be 130 and 370 mV versus the standard hydrogen electrode, respectively. FeH1II(NO2-) does not accumulate at equilibrium because its reduction to {FeH1NO}7 is so much easier than the reduction of FeH1III(NO2-) to FeH1II(NO2-). With weak reductants, free NO• was released from nitrite-loaded ccNiR. The release of NO• from {FeH1NO}7 is exceedingly slow (k ∼ 0.001 s-1), but it is somewhat faster (k ∼ 0.050 s-1) while FeH1III(NO2-) is being reduced to {FeH1NO}7; then, the release of NO• from the undetectable transient {FeH1NO}6 can compete with reduction of {FeH1NO}6 to {FeH1NO}7. CcNiR appears to be optimized to capture nitrite and minimize the release of free NO•. Nitrite capture is achieved by reducing bound nitrite with even weak electron donors, while NO• release is minimized by stabilizing the substitutionally inert {FeH1NO}7 over the more labile {FeH1NO}6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Shahid
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Mahbbat Ali
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Desiree Legaspi-Humiston
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Jarett Wilcoxen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - A Andrew Pacheco
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
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16
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Sosa Alfaro V, Campeciño J, Tracy M, Elliott SJ, Hegg EL, Lehnert N. Elucidating Electron Storage and Distribution within the Pentaheme Scaffold of Cytochrome c Nitrite Reductase (NrfA). Biochemistry 2021; 60:1853-1867. [PMID: 34061493 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cytochrome c nitrite reductases (CcNIR or NrfA) play important roles in the global nitrogen cycle by conserving the usable nitrogen in the soil. Here, the electron storage and distribution properties within the pentaheme scaffold of Geobacter lovleyi NrfA were investigated via electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy coupled with chemical titration experiments. Initially, a chemical reduction method was established to sequentially add electrons to the fully oxidized protein, 1 equiv at a time. The step-by-step reduction of the hemes was then followed using ultraviolet-visible absorption and EPR spectroscopy. EPR spectral simulations were used to elucidate the sequence of heme reduction within the pentaheme scaffold of NrfA and identify the signals of all five hemes in the EPR spectra. Electrochemical experiments ascertain the reduction potentials for each heme, observed in a narrow range from +10 mV (heme 5) to -226 mV (heme 3) (vs the standard hydrogen electrode). On the basis of quantitative analysis and simulation of the EPR data, we demonstrate that hemes 4 and 5 are reduced first (before the active site heme 1) and serve the purpose of an electron storage unit within the protein. To probe the role of the central heme 3, an H108M NrfA variant was generated where the reduction potential of heme 3 is shifted positively (from -226 to +48 mV). The H108M mutation significantly impacts the distribution of electrons within the pentaheme scaffold and the reduction potentials of the hemes, reducing the catalytic activity of the enzyme to 1% compared to that of the wild type. We propose that this is due to heme 3's important role as an electron gateway in the wild-type enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Sosa Alfaro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Julius Campeciño
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Matthew Tracy
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Sean J Elliott
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Eric L Hegg
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Nicolai Lehnert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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