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Tothero GK, Hoover RL, Farag IF, Kaplan DI, Weisenhorn P, Emerson D, Chan CS. Leptothrix ochracea genomes reveal potential for mixotrophic growth on Fe(II) and organic carbon. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024:e0059924. [PMID: 39133000 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00599-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Leptothrix ochracea creates distinctive iron-mineralized mats that carpet streams and wetlands. Easily recognized by its iron-mineralized sheaths, L. ochracea was one of the first microorganisms described in the 1800s. Yet it has never been isolated and does not have a complete genome sequence available, so key questions about its physiology remain unresolved. It is debated whether iron oxidation can be used for energy or growth and if L. ochracea is an autotroph, heterotroph, or mixotroph. To address these issues, we sampled L. ochracea-rich mats from three of its typical environments (a stream, wetlands, and a drainage channel) and reconstructed nine high-quality genomes of L. ochracea from metagenomes. These genomes contain iron oxidase genes cyc2 and mtoA, showing that L. ochracea has the potential to conserve energy from iron oxidation. Sox genes confer potential to oxidize sulfur for energy. There are genes for both carbon fixation (RuBisCO) and utilization of sugars and organic acids (acetate, lactate, and formate). In silico stoichiometric metabolic models further demonstrated the potential for growth using sugars and organic acids. Metatranscriptomes showed a high expression of genes for iron oxidation; aerobic respiration; and utilization of lactate, acetate, and sugars, as well as RuBisCO, supporting mixotrophic growth in the environment. In summary, our results suggest that L. ochracea has substantial metabolic flexibility. It is adapted to iron-rich, organic carbon-containing wetland niches, where it can thrive as a mixotrophic iron oxidizer by utilizing both iron oxidation and organics for energy generation and both inorganic and organic carbon for cell and sheath production. IMPORTANCE Winogradsky's observations of L. ochracea led him to propose autotrophic iron oxidation as a new microbial metabolism, following his work on autotrophic sulfur-oxidizers. While much culture-based research has ensued, isolation proved elusive, so most work on L. ochracea has been based in the environment and in microcosms. Meanwhile, the autotrophic Gallionella became the model for freshwater microbial iron oxidation, while heterotrophic and mixotrophic iron oxidation is not well-studied. Ecological studies have shown that Leptothrix overtakes Gallionella when dissolved organic carbon content increases, demonstrating distinct niches. This study presents the first near-complete genomes of L. ochracea, which share some features with autotrophic iron oxidizers, while also incorporating heterotrophic metabolisms. These genome, metabolic modeling, and transcriptome results give us a detailed metabolic picture of how the organism may combine lithoautotrophy with organoheterotrophy to promote Fe oxidation and C cycling and drive many biogeochemical processes resulting from microbial growth and iron oxyhydroxide formation in wetlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gracee K Tothero
- Microbiology Graduate Program, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Newark, Delaware, USA
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Rene L Hoover
- Microbiology Graduate Program, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Newark, Delaware, USA
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Ibrahim F Farag
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Daniel I Kaplan
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, South Carolina, USA
| | | | - David Emerson
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, Maine, USA
| | - Clara S Chan
- Microbiology Graduate Program, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Newark, Delaware, USA
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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Mansour M, Abou-Aisha K. regO: a novel locus in the regulation of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis in Rhodospirillum rubrum. ANN MICROBIOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1186/s13213-022-01709-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose
A new locus, regO, involved in the regulation of photosynthesis gene expression in response to oxygen and light, has been studied in Rhodosprillum rubrum ATCC1117 (Rsp. rubrum) for identification of its function.
Methods
Inactivation of regO by interposon mutagenesis resulted in the inability of cells to grow photosynthetically, (i.e. become PS–). Protein domain analysis of RegO using the BLAST engine was also performed.
Results
The mutant strain was able to grow only anaerobically in the dark in the presence of DMSO as an external electron acceptor. Under these conditions, the mutant strain produced substantially lower amounts of photosynthetic membranes, indicating that regO is involved in the regulation of photosynthetic gene expression in response to anaerobiosis. The Rsp. rubrum REGO–disrupted mutant recovered the synthesis of photosynthetic membranes and retained regulation by light and/or oxygen tension when wild-type regO was provided in-trans.
Protein domain analysis of RegO revealed that it encodes a multi-domain sensor histidine kinase (HK). The signal-input domains, or PAS domains, bear strong similarities to putative heme-bound sensors involved in sensing light, redox potential, and/or oxygen. The output HK domain exhibits strong homology to sensor domains from bacterial two-component systems involved in signal transduction in response to the same environmental signals.
Conclusion
regO is coding for a sensor histidine kinase that belongs to bacterial two-component systems responsible for signal transduction in response to light and oxygen, particularly in the absence of oxygen. It is believed to be involved in the regulation of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, which was shown as a lack of photosynthetic membranes in the mutant strain REGO– .Unlike other sensor kinase homologues from related anoxygenic phototrophic bacterial species, although functionally similar to RegB and PrrB, RegO is predicted to lack transmembrane domains and is thus expected to be a cytosolic member of a two-component signal transduction system. RegO also differs from its functional homologues, Reg B/PrrB sensor protein kinases, of the two component systems in that it lacks the second component of this two-component signal transduction system found in the neighboring genes. That encouraged us to give it the name RegO, indicating the lack of a cognate response regulator similar to Reg A/PrrA on other closely related anoxygenic Rhodobacter species.
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Lee YR, Lee WH, Lee SY, Lee J, Kim MS, Moon M, Park GW, Kim HS, Kim JI, Lee JS, Lee S. Regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species Promotes Growth and Carotenoid Production Under Autotrophic Conditions in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:847757. [PMID: 35295297 PMCID: PMC8920488 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.847757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Industrial demand for capture and utilization using microorganisms to reduce CO2, a major cause of global warming, is significantly increasing. Rhodobacter sphaeroides is a suitable strain for the process of converting CO2 into high-value materials because it can accept CO2 and has various metabolic pathways. However, it has been mainly studied for heterotrophic growth that uses sugars and organic acids as carbon sources, not autotrophic growth. Here, we report that the regulation of reactive oxygen species is critical for growth when using CO2 as a sole carbon source in R. sphaeroides. In general, the growth rate is much slower under autotrophic conditions compared to heterotrophic conditions. To improve this, we performed random mutagenesis using N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG). As a result, we selected the YR-1 strain with a maximum specific growth rate (μ) 1.44 day–1 in the early growth phase, which has a 110% faster growth rate compared to the wild-type. Based on the transcriptome analysis, it was confirmed that the growth was more sensitive to reactive oxygen species under autotrophic conditions. In the YR-1 mutant, the endogenous contents of H2O2 levels and oxidative damage were reduced by 33.3 and 42.7% in the cells, respectively. Furthermore, we measured that concentrations of carotenoids, which are important antioxidants. The total carotenoid is produced 9.63 g/L in the YR-1 mutant, suggesting that the production is 1.7-fold higher than wild-type. Taken together, our observations indicate that controlling ROS promotes cell growth and carotenoid production under autotrophic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Rim Lee
- Gwangju Bio/Energy R&D Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Gwangju, South Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Won-Heong Lee
- Interdisciplinary Program of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
- Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Soo Youn Lee
- Gwangju Bio/Energy R&D Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Jiye Lee
- Gwangju Bio/Energy R&D Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Min-Sik Kim
- Energy Resources Upcycling Research Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Myounghoon Moon
- Gwangju Bio/Energy R&D Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Gwon Woo Park
- Gwangju Bio/Energy R&D Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Hui Su Kim
- Gwangju Bio/Energy R&D Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Gwangju, South Korea
- Department of Advanced Chemicals and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Jeong-Il Kim
- Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Jin-Suk Lee
- Gwangju Bio/Energy R&D Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Sangmin Lee
- Gwangju Bio/Energy R&D Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Gwangju, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Sangmin Lee,
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Fedotovskaya O, Albertsson I, Nordlund G, Hong S, Gennis RB, Brzezinski P, Ädelroth P. Identification of a cytochrome bc 1-aa 3 supercomplex in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2021; 1862:148433. [PMID: 33932366 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2021.148433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Respiration is carried out by a series of membrane-bound complexes in the inner mitochondrial membrane or in the cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria. Increasing evidence shows that these complexes organize into larger supercomplexes. In this work, we identified a supercomplex composed of cytochrome (cyt.) bc1 and aa3-type cyt. c oxidase in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. We purified the supercomplex using a His-tag on either of these complexes. The results from activity assays, native and denaturing PAGE, size exclusion chromatography, electron microscopy, optical absorption spectroscopy and kinetic studies on the purified samples support the formation and coupled quinol oxidation:O2 reduction activity of the cyt. bc1-aa3 supercomplex. The potential role of the membrane-anchored cyt. cy as a component in supercomplexes was also investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Fedotovskaya
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ingrid Albertsson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gustav Nordlund
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sangjin Hong
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Robert B Gennis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Peter Brzezinski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pia Ädelroth
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
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Integrated Omic Analyses Provide Evidence that a " Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis" Strain Performs Denitrification under Microaerobic Conditions. mSystems 2019; 4:mSystems00193-18. [PMID: 30944872 PMCID: PMC6446978 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00193-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of "Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis" to grow and remove phosphorus from wastewater under cycling anaerobic and aerobic conditions has also been investigated as a metabolism that could lead to simultaneous removal of nitrogen and phosphorus by a single organism. However, although phosphorus removal under cyclic anaerobic and anoxic conditions has been demonstrated, clarifying the role of "Ca. Accumulibacter phosphatis" in this process has been challenging, since (i) experimental research describes contradictory findings, (ii) none of the published "Ca. Accumulibacter phosphatis" genomes show the existence of a complete respiratory pathway for denitrification, and (iii) some genomes lacking a complete respiratory pathway have genes for assimilatory nitrate reduction. In this study, we used an integrated omics analysis to elucidate the physiology of a "Ca. Accumulibacter phosphatis" strain enriched in a reactor operated under cyclic anaerobic and microaerobic conditions. The reactor's performance suggested the ability of the enriched "Ca. Accumulibacter phosphatis" strain (clade IC) to simultaneously use oxygen and nitrate as electron acceptors under microaerobic conditions. A draft genome of this organism was assembled from metagenomic reads ("Ca. Accumulibacter phosphatis" UW-LDO-IC) and used as a reference to examine transcript abundance throughout one reactor cycle. The genome of UW-LDO-IC revealed the presence of a full pathway for respiratory denitrification. The observed transcript abundance patterns showed evidence of coregulation of the denitrifying genes along with a cbb 3 cytochrome, which has been characterized as having high affinity for oxygen. Furthermore, we identified an FNR-like binding motif upstream of the coregulated genes, suggesting transcription-level regulation of both denitrifying and respiratory pathways in UW-LDO-IC. Taking the results together, the omics analysis provides strong evidence that "Ca. Accumulibacter phosphatis" UW-LDO-IC uses oxygen and nitrate simultaneously as electron acceptors under microaerobic conditions. IMPORTANCE "Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis" is widely found in full-scale wastewater treatment plants, where it has been identified as the key organism for biological removal of phosphorus. Since aeration can account for 50% of the energy use during wastewater treatment, microaerobic conditions for wastewater treatment have emerged as a cost-effective alternative to conventional biological nutrient removal processes. Our report provides strong genomics-based evidence not only that "Ca. Accumulibacter phosphatis" is the main organism contributing to phosphorus removal under microaerobic conditions but also that this organism simultaneously respires nitrate and oxygen in this environment, consequently removing nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater. Such activity could be harnessed in innovative designs for cost-effective and energy-efficient optimization of wastewater treatment systems.
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Osamura T, Kawakami T, Kido R, Ishii M, Arai H. Specific expression and function of the A-type cytochrome c oxidase under starvation conditions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177957. [PMID: 28542449 PMCID: PMC5436846 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa has one A-type (caa3) and multiple C-type (cbb3) cytochrome c oxidases as well as two quinol oxidases for aerobic respiration. The caa3 oxidase is highly efficient in creating a proton gradient across the cell membrane, but it is not expressed under normal growth conditions and its physiological role has not been investigated. In the present study, a mutant strain deficient in the coxBA-PA0107-coxC genes encoding caa3 exhibited normal growth under any test conditions, but it had low relative fitness under carbon starvation conditions, indicating that the expression of caa3 is advantageous under starvation conditions. A mutant that lacked four terminal oxidase gene clusters except for the cox genes was unable to grow aerobically because of low expression level of caa3. However, suppressor mutants that grew aerobically using caa3 as the only terminal oxidase emerged after aerobic subculturing. Analyses of the suppressor mutants revealed that a mutation of roxS encoding a sensor kinase of a two-component regulator RoxSR was necessary for the aerobic growth in synthetic medium. Two additional mutations in the 5′-flanking region of coxB were necessary for the aerobic growth in LB medium. Although the expression level of caa3 was higher in the suppressor mutants, their growth rates were lower than when the other terminal oxidases were utilized, suggesting that caa3 was not suited for utilization as the only terminal oxidase. Overexpression of the cox genes also inhibited the aerobic growth of the wild-type strain. These results indicate that caa3 is tightly regulated to be expressed only under starvation conditions at low level and it functions in cooperation with other terminal oxidases to facilitate survival in nutrient starvation conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Osamura
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuro Kawakami
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Reiko Kido
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaharu Ishii
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Arai
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Arai H. Regulation and Function of Versatile Aerobic and Anaerobic Respiratory Metabolism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Front Microbiol 2011; 2:103. [PMID: 21833336 PMCID: PMC3153056 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2011.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2011] [Accepted: 04/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitously distributed opportunistic pathogen that inhabits soil and water as well as animal-, human-, and plant-host-associated environments. The ubiquity would be attributed to its very versatile energy metabolism. P. aeruginosa has a highly branched respiratory chain terminated by multiple terminal oxidases and denitrification enzymes. Five terminal oxidases for aerobic respiration have been identified in the P. aeruginosa cells. Three of them, the cbb3-1 oxidase, the cbb3-2 oxidase, and the aa3 oxidase, are cytochrome c oxidases and the other two, the bo3 oxidase and the cyanide-insensitive oxidase, are quinol oxidases. Each oxidase has a specific affinity for oxygen, efficiency of energy coupling, and tolerance to various stresses such as cyanide and reactive nitrogen species. These terminal oxidases are used differentially according to the environmental conditions. P. aeruginosa also has a complete set of the denitrification enzymes that reduce nitrate to molecular nitrogen via nitrite, nitric oxide (NO), and nitrous oxide. These nitrogen oxides function as alternative electron acceptors and enable P. aeruginosa to grow under anaerobic conditions. One of the denitrification enzymes, NO reductase, is also expected to function for detoxification of NO produced by the host immune defense system. The control of the expression of these aerobic and anaerobic respiratory enzymes would contribute to the adaptation of P. aeruginosa to a wide range of environmental conditions including in the infected hosts. Characteristics of these respiratory enzymes and the regulatory system that controls the expression of the respiratory genes in the P. aeruginosa cells are overviewed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arai
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan
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Kawakami T, Kuroki M, Ishii M, Igarashi Y, Arai H. Differential expression of multiple terminal oxidases for aerobic respiration inPseudomonas aeruginosa. Environ Microbiol 2009; 12:1399-412. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.02109.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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9
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Dufour YS, Landick R, Donohue TJ. Organization and evolution of the biological response to singlet oxygen stress. J Mol Biol 2008; 383:713-30. [PMID: 18723027 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2008.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2008] [Revised: 08/05/2008] [Accepted: 08/07/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The appearance of atmospheric oxygen from photosynthetic activity led to the evolution of aerobic respiration and responses to the resulting reactive oxygen species. In Rhodobacter sphaeroides, a photosynthetic alpha-proteobacterium, a transcriptional response to the reactive oxygen species singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) is controlled by the group IV sigma factor sigma(E) and the anti-sigma factor ChrR. In this study, we integrated various large datasets to identify genes within the (1)O(2) stress response that contain sigma(E)-dependent promoters both within R. sphaeroides and across the bacterial phylogeny. Transcript pattern clustering and a sigma(E)-binding sequence model were used to predict candidate promoters that respond to (1)O(2) stress in R. sphaeroides. These candidate promoters were experimentally validated to nine R. sphaeroides sigma(E)-dependent promoters that control the transcription of 15 (1)O(2)-activated genes. Knowledge of the R. sphaeroides response to (1)O(2) and its regulator sigma(E)-ChrR was combined with large-scale phylogenetic and sequence analyses to predict the existence of a core set of approximately eight conserved sigma(E)-dependent genes in alpha-proteobacteria and gamma-proteobacteria. The bacteria predicted to contain this conserved response to (1)O(2) include photosynthetic species, as well as free-living and symbiotic/pathogenic nonphotosynthetic species. Our analysis also predicts that the response to (1)O(2) evolved within the time frame of the accumulation of atmospheric molecular oxygen on this planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Dufour
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Zeller T, Moskvin OV, Li K, Klug G, Gomelsky M. Transcriptome and physiological responses to hydrogen peroxide of the facultatively phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. J Bacteriol 2005; 187:7232-42. [PMID: 16237007 PMCID: PMC1272974 DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.21.7232-7242.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcriptome responses to hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, of the facultatively phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides grown under semiaerobic conditions were investigated. At 7 min after the addition of 1 mM H2O2, the expression of approximately 9% of all genes (total, 394) was changed reliably by at least twofold. At 30 min, the number of genes (total, 88) and the magnitude of expression changes were much lower, indicating rapid recovery from stress. Two types of responses were observed: (i) an H2O2 stress response per se and (ii) a shift to high-oxygen metabolism. The former response involved the upregulation of genes for H2O2 detoxification, protein folding and proteolysis, DNA damage repair, iron transport and storage, iron-sulfur cluster repair, and the downregulation of genes for protein translation, motility, and cell wall and lipopolysaccharide synthesis. The shift to high-oxygen metabolism was evident from the differential regulation of genes for aerobic electron transport chain components and the downregulation of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis and photosystem genes. The abundance of photosynthetic complexes was decreased upon prolonged exposure of R. sphaeroides to H2O2, thus confirming the physiological significance of the transcriptome data. The regulatory pathways mediating the shift to high-oxygen metabolism were investigated. They involved the anaerobic activator FnrL and the antirepressor-repressor AppA-PpsR system. The transcription of FnrL-dependent genes was down at 7 min, apparently due to the transient inactivation by H2O2 of the iron-sulfur cluster of FnrL. The transcription of the AppA-PpsR-dependent genes was down at 30 min, apparently due to the significant decrease in appA mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Zeller
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, University of Giessen, Germany
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Tavano CL, Podevels AM, Donohue TJ. Identification of genes required for recycling reducing power during photosynthetic growth. J Bacteriol 2005; 187:5249-58. [PMID: 16030219 PMCID: PMC1196016 DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.15.5249-5258.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosynthetic organisms have the unique ability to transform light energy into reducing power. We study the requirements for photosynthesis in the alpha-proteobacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Global gene expression analysis found that approximately 50 uncharacterized genes were regulated by changes in light intensity and O\2 tension, similar to the expression of genes known to be required for photosynthetic growth of this bacterium. These uncharacterized genes included RSP4157 to -4159, which appeared to be cotranscribed and map to plasmid P004. A mutant containing a polar insertion in RSP4157, CT01, was able to grow via photosynthesis under autotrophic conditions using H2 as an electron donor and CO2 as a carbon source. However, CT01 was unable to grow photoheterotrophically in a succinate-based medium unless compounds that could be used to recycle reducing power (the external electron acceptor dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or CO2 were provided. This suggests that the insertion in RSP4157 caused a defect in recycling reducing power during photosynthetic growth when a fixed carbon source was present. CT01 had decreased levels of RNA for genes encoding putative glycolate degradation functions. We found that exogenous glycolate also rescued photoheterotrophic growth of CT01, leading us to propose that CO2 produced from glycolate metabolism can be used by the Calvin cycle to recycle reducing power generated in the photosynthetic apparatus. The ability of glycolate, CO2, or DMSO to support photoheterotrophic growth of CT01 suggests that one or more products of RSP4157 to -4159 serve a previously unknown role in recycling reducing power under photosynthetic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Tavano
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Bacteriology, 420 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53711, USA
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12
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus M Eraso
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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13
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Mouncey NJ, Gak E, Choudhary M, Oh J, Kaplan S. Respiratory pathways of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1(T): identification and characterization of genes encoding quinol oxidases. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2000; 192:205-10. [PMID: 11064196 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2000.tb09383.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1(T) respires aerobically via a branched respiratory chain consisting of both cytochrome c oxidases and quinol oxidases. Here, genes from chromosome II encoding two distinct quinol oxidases have been characterized. The qoxBA genes encode a putative heme-copper quinol oxidase, whereas the qxtAB genes encode a quinol oxidase homologous to the cyanide-insensitive oxidase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. No phenotype was observed for mutations in either oxidase in the wild-type background. A strain containing a qxtA mutation in a cytochrome bc(1) complex mutant background was unable to grow aerobically. No role was found for the Qox oxidase, nor was a qoxB::lacZ transcriptional fusion expressed under a variety of conditions. These are the first molecular studies to characterize the quinol oxidases of R. sphaeroides 2.4.1(T).
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Affiliation(s)
- N J Mouncey
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Graichen ME, Jones LH, Sharma BV, van Spanning RJ, Hosler JP, Davidson VL. Heterologous expression of correctly assembled methylamine dehydrogenase in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. J Bacteriol 1999; 181:4216-22. [PMID: 10400578 PMCID: PMC93922 DOI: 10.1128/jb.181.14.4216-4222.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The biosynthesis of methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) from Paracoccus denitrificans requires four genes in addition to those that encode the two structural protein subunits, mauB and mauA. The accessory gene products appear to be required for proper export of the protein to the periplasm, synthesis of the tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) prosthetic group, and formation of several structural disulfide bonds. To accomplish the heterologous expression of correctly assembled MADH, eight genes from the methylamine utilization gene cluster of P. denitrificans, mauFBEDACJG, were placed under the regulatory control of the coxII promoter of Rhodobacter sphaeroides and introduced into R. sphaeroides by using a broad-host-range vector. The heterologous expression of MADH was constitutive with respect to carbon source, whereas the native mau promoter allows induction only when cells are grown in the presence of methylamine as a sole carbon source and is repressed by other carbon sources. The recombinant MADH was localized exclusively in the periplasm, and its physical, spectroscopic, kinetic and redox properties were indistinguishable from those of the enzyme isolated from P. denitrificans. These results indicate that mauM and mauN are not required for MADH or TTQ biosynthesis and that mauFBEDACJG are sufficient for TTQ biosynthesis, since R. sphaeroides cannot synthesize TTQ. A similar construct introduced into Escherichia coli did not produce detectable MADH activity or accumulation of the mauB and mauA gene products but did lead to synthesizes of amicyanin, the mauC gene product. This finding suggests that active recombinant MADH is not expressed in E. coli because one of the accessory gene products is not functionally expressed. This study illustrates the potential utility of R. sphaeroides and the coxII promoter for heterologous expression of complex enzymes such as MADH which cannot be expressed in E. coli. These results also provide the foundation for future studies on the molecular mechanisms of MADH and TTQ biosynthesis, as well as a system for performing site-directed mutagenesis of the MADH gene and other mau genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Graichen
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi 39216-4505, USA
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15
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Baker SC, Ferguson SJ, Ludwig B, Page MD, Richter OM, van Spanning RJ. Molecular genetics of the genus Paracoccus: metabolically versatile bacteria with bioenergetic flexibility. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 1998; 62:1046-78. [PMID: 9841665 PMCID: PMC98939 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.62.4.1046-1078.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Paracoccus denitrificans and its near relative Paracoccus versutus (formerly known as Thiobacilllus versutus) have been attracting increasing attention because the aerobic respiratory system of P. denitrificans has long been regarded as a model for that of the mitochondrion, with which there are many components (e.g., cytochrome aa3 oxidase) in common. Members of the genus exhibit a great range of metabolic flexibility, particularly with respect to processes involving respiration. Prominent examples of flexibility are the use in denitrification of nitrate, nitrite, nitrous oxide, and nitric oxide as alternative electron acceptors to oxygen and the ability to use C1 compounds (e.g., methanol and methylamine) as electron donors to the respiratory chains. The proteins required for these respiratory processes are not constitutive, and the underlying complex regulatory systems that regulate their expression are beginning to be unraveled. There has been uncertainty about whether transcription in a member of the alpha-3 Proteobacteria such as P. denitrificans involves a conventional sigma70-type RNA polymerase, especially since canonical -35 and -10 DNA binding sites have not been readily identified. In this review, we argue that many genes, in particular those encoding constitutive proteins, may be under the control of a sigma70 RNA polymerase very closely related to that of Rhodobacter capsulatus. While the main focus is on the structure and regulation of genes coding for products involved in respiratory processes in Paracoccus, the current state of knowledge of the components of such respiratory pathways, and their biogenesis, is also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S C Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom.
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16
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Mitchell DM, Wang Y, Alben JO, Shapleigh JP. FT-IR analysis of membranes of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.3 grown under microaerobic and denitrifying conditions. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 1998; 1409:99-105. [PMID: 9838065 DOI: 10.1016/s0005-2728(98)00154-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis of CO binding proteins in Rhodobacter sphaeroides reveals the presence of a membrane-bound nitric oxide reductase (Nor). Nor has been clearly distinguished from the cytochrome oxidases by the temperature-dependence of relaxation following photodissociation of the CO complex at cryogenic temperatures. The center frequency and band shape, 1970 cm-1 and 20-30 cm-1 width at half-peak height, are similar to those reported for resonance Raman spectra of purified Paracoccus denitrificans Nor. Additional evidence is presented to indicate this enzyme is part of dissimilatory nitric oxide metabolism and that one of the genes in the nor operon required for production of an active Nor is not required for protein assembly or heme incorporation.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Mitchell
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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17
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Zhen Y, Qian J, Follmann K, Hayward T, Nilsson T, Dahn M, Hilmi Y, Hamer AG, Hosler JP, Ferguson-Miller S. Overexpression and purification of cytochrome c oxidase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Protein Expr Purif 1998; 13:326-36. [PMID: 9693057 DOI: 10.1006/prep.1998.0903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The aa3-type cytochrome c oxidase of Rhodobacter sphaeroides has been overexpressed up to seven fold over that in wild-type strains by engineering a multicopy plasmid with all the required oxidase genes and by establishing optimum growth conditions. The two operons containing the three structural genes and two assembly genes for cytochrome c oxidase were ligated into a pUC19 vector and reintroduced into several oxidase-deleted R. sphaeroides strains. Under conditions of relatively high pH and maximal aeration, high levels of expression were observed. A smaller expression vector, pBBR1MCS, and a fructose promoter (fruP)5 were found not to enhance cytochrome c oxidase expression in R. sphaeroides. An improved cytochrome c oxidase purification protocol is reported, which combines histidine elution from a nickel affinity column and anion-exchange chromatography, and results in a higher yield and purity than previously obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Zhen
- Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824-1319, USA
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18
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Zeilstra-Ryalls J, Gomelsky M, Eraso JM, Yeliseev A, O'Gara J, Kaplan S. Control of photosystem formation in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. J Bacteriol 1998; 180:2801-9. [PMID: 9603864 PMCID: PMC107241 DOI: 10.1128/jb.180.11.2801-2809.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J Zeilstra-Ryalls
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Sciences Center-Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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Mouncey NJ, Kaplan S. Oxygen regulation of the ccoN gene encoding a component of the cbb3 oxidase in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1T: involvement of the FnrL protein. J Bacteriol 1998; 180:2228-31. [PMID: 9555909 PMCID: PMC107153 DOI: 10.1128/jb.180.8.2228-2231.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ccoNOQP gene cluster of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1T encodes a cbb3 cytochrome oxidase which is utilized in oxygen-limited conditions for aerobic respiration. The beta-galactosidase activity of a ccoN::lacZ transcriptional fusion was low under high (30%)-oxygen and anaerobic growth conditions. Maximal ccoN::lacZ expression was observed when the oxygen concentration was lowered to 2%. In an FnrL mutant, ccoN::lacZ expression was significantly lower than in the wild-type strain, suggesting that FnrL is a positive regulator of genes encoding the cbb3 oxidase.
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Affiliation(s)
- N J Mouncey
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center Medical School, Houston 77030, USA
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