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Cha M, Kim JK, Lee WH, Song H, Lee TG, Kim SK, Kim SJ. Metabolic engineering of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii for hydrogen production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:65. [PMID: 38194138 PMCID: PMC10776719 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12974-7] [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: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogen is an alternative fuel for transportation vehicles because it is clean, sustainable, and highly flammable. However, the production of hydrogen from lignocellulosic biomass by microorganisms presents challenges. This microbial process involves multiple complex steps, including thermal, chemical, and mechanical treatment of biomass to remove hemicellulose and lignin, as well as enzymatic hydrolysis to solubilize the plant cell walls. These steps not only incur costs but also result in the production of toxic hydrolysates, which inhibit microbial growth. A hyper-thermophilic bacterium of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii can produce hydrogen by decomposing and fermenting plant biomass without the need for conventional pretreatment. It is considered as a consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) microorganism. This review summarizes the basic scientific knowledge and hydrogen-producing capacity of C. bescii. Its genetic system and metabolic engineering strategies to improve hydrogen production are also discussed. KEY POINTS: • Hydrogen is an alternative and eco-friendly fuel. • Caldicellulosiruptor bescii produces hydrogen with a high yield in nature. • Metabolic engineering can make C. bescii to improve hydrogen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minseok Cha
- Research Center for Biological Cybernetics, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Kon Kim
- Department of Animal Environment, National Institute of Animal Science, Wanju, 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Heong Lee
- Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Tae-Gi Lee
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Gyeonggi, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Ki Kim
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Gyeonggi, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo-Jung Kim
- Research Center for Biological Cybernetics, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
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Vailionis JL, Zhao W, Zhang K, Rodionov DA, Lipscomb GL, Tanwee TNN, O'Quinn HC, Bing RG, Kelly RM, Adams MWW, Zhang Y. Optimizing Strategies for Bio-Based Ethanol Production Using Genome-Scale Metabolic Modeling of the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0056323. [PMID: 37289085 PMCID: PMC10304669 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00563-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A genome-scale metabolic model, encompassing a total of 623 genes, 727 reactions, and 865 metabolites, was developed for Pyrococcus furiosus, an archaeon that grows optimally at 100°C by carbohydrate and peptide fermentation. The model uses subsystem-based genome annotation, along with extensive manual curation of 237 gene-reaction associations including those involved in central carbon metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and energy metabolism. The redox and energy balance of P. furiosus was investigated through random sampling of flux distributions in the model during growth on disaccharides. The core energy balance of the model was shown to depend on high acetate production and the coupling of a sodium-dependent ATP synthase and membrane-bound hydrogenase, which generates a sodium gradient in a ferredoxin-dependent manner, aligning with existing understanding of P. furiosus metabolism. The model was utilized to inform genetic engineering designs that favor the production of ethanol over acetate by implementing an NADPH and CO-dependent energy economy. The P. furiosus model is a powerful tool for understanding the relationship between generation of end products and redox/energy balance at a systems-level that will aid in the design of optimal engineering strategies for production of bio-based chemicals and fuels. IMPORTANCE The bio-based production of organic chemicals provides a sustainable alternative to fossil-based production in the face of today's climate challenges. In this work, we present a genome-scale metabolic reconstruction of Pyrococcus furiosus, a well-established platform organism that has been engineered to produce a variety of chemicals and fuels. The metabolic model was used to design optimal engineering strategies to produce ethanol. The redox and energy balance of P. furiosus was examined in detail, which provided useful insights that will guide future engineering designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason L. Vailionis
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Weishu Zhao
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Dmitry A. Rodionov
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gina L. Lipscomb
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Tania N. N. Tanwee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Hailey C. O'Quinn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Ryan G. Bing
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Robert M. Kelly
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael W. W. Adams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
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Dhar BR, Elbeshbishy E, Hafez H, Lee HS. Hydrogen production from sugar beet juice using an integrated biohydrogen process of dark fermentation and microbial electrolysis cell. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2015; 198:223-30. [PMID: 26398665 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2015] [Revised: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 08/01/2015] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
An integrated dark fermentation and microbial electrochemical cell (MEC) process was evaluated for hydrogen production from sugar beet juice. Different substrate to inoculum (S/X) ratios were tested for dark fermentation, and the maximum hydrogen yield was 13% of initial COD at the S/X ratio of 2 and 4 for dark fermentation. Hydrogen yield was 12% of initial COD in the MEC using fermentation liquid end products as substrate, and butyrate only accumulated in the MEC. The overall hydrogen production from the integrated biohydrogen process was 25% of initial COD (equivalent to 6 mol H2/mol hexoseadded), and the energy recovery from sugar beet juice was 57% using the combined biohydrogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bipro Ranjan Dhar
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | - Hisham Hafez
- GreenField Ethanol Inc., Chatham, Ontario N7M 5J4, Canada
| | - Hyung-Sool Lee
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Cario A, Lormières F, Xiang X, Oger P. High hydrostatic pressure increases amino acid requirements in the piezo-hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus barophilus. Res Microbiol 2015; 166:710-6. [PMID: 26226334 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2015.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We have established a defined growth medium for the piezophilic hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus barophilus, which allows growth yields of ca. 10(8) cells/ml under both atmospheric and high hydrostatic pressure. Our results demonstrate a major impact of hydrostatic pressure on amino acid metabolism, with increases from 3 amino acids required at atmospheric pressure to 17 at 40 MPa. We observe in T. barophilus and other Thermococcales a similar discrepancy between the presence/absence of amino acid synthesis pathways and amino acid requirements, which supports the existence of alternate, but yet unknown, amino acid synthesis pathways, and may explain the low number of essential amino acids observed in T. barophilus and other Thermococcales. T. barophilus displays a strong metabolic preference for organic polymers such as polypeptides and chitin, which may constitute a more readily available resource of carbon and energy in situ in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. We hypothesize that the low energy yields of fermentation of organic polymers, together with energetic constraints imposed by high hydrostatic pressure, may render de novo synthesis of amino acids ecologically unfavorable. Induction of this metabolic switch to amino acid recycling can explain the requirement for non-essential amino acids by Thermococcales for efficient growth in defined medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Cario
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, UMR 5276 CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | - Xiao Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Philippe Oger
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, UMR 5276 CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon, Lyon, France.
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General Characteristics and Important Model Organisms. ARCHAEA-AN INTERNATIONAL MICROBIOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2014. [DOI: 10.1128/9781555815516.ch2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Production of hydrogen from α-1,4- and β-1,4-linked saccharides by marine hyperthermophilic Archaea. Appl Environ Microbiol 2011; 77:3169-73. [PMID: 21421788 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01366-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nineteen hyperthermophilic heterotrophs from deep-sea hydrothermal vents, plus the control organism Pyrococcus furiosus, were examined for their ability to grow and produce H₂ on maltose, cellobiose, and peptides and for the presence of the genes encoding proteins that hydrolyze starch and cellulose. All of the strains grew on these disaccharides and peptides and converted maltose and peptides to H₂ even when elemental sulfur was present as a terminal electron acceptor. Half of the strains had at least one gene for an extracellular starch hydrolase, but only P. furiosus had a gene for an extracellular β-1,4-endoglucanase. P. furiosus was serially adapted for growth on CF11 cellulose and H₂ production, which is the first reported instance of hyperthermophilic growth on cellulose, with a doubling time of 64 min. Cell-specific H₂ production rates were 29 fmol, 37 fmol, and 54 fmol of H₂ produced cell⁻¹ doubling⁻¹ on α-1,4-linked sugars, β-1,4-linked sugars, and peptides, respectively. The highest total community H₂ production rate came from growth on starch (2.6 mM H₂ produced h⁻¹). Hyperthermophilic heterotrophs may serve as an important alternate source of H₂ for hydrogenotrophic microorganisms in low-H₂ hydrothermal environments, and some are candidates for H₂ bioenergy production in bioreactors.
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Rinker K, Han C, Kelly R. Continuous culture as a tool for investigating the growth physiology of heterotrophic hyperthermophiles and extreme thermoacidophiles. J Appl Microbiol 2010; 85 Suppl 1:118S-127S. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1998.tb05290.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Verhaart MRA, Bielen AAM, van der Oost J, Stams AJM, Kengen SWM. Hydrogen production by hyperthermophilic and extremely thermophilic bacteria and archaea: mechanisms for reductant disposal. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2010; 31:993-1003. [PMID: 20662387 DOI: 10.1080/09593331003710244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen produced from biomass by bacteria and archaea is an attractive renewable energy source. However, to make its application more feasible, microorganisms are needed with high hydrogen productivities. For several reasons, hyperthermophilic and extremely thermophilic bacteria and archaea are promising is this respect. In addition to the high polysaccharide-hydrolysing capacities of many of these organisms, an important advantage is their ability to use most of the reducing equivalents (e.g. NADH, reduced ferredoxin) formed during glycolysis for the production of hydrogen, enabling H2/hexose ratios of between 3.0 and 4.0. So, despite the fact that the hydrogen-yielding reactions, especially the one from NADH, are thermodynamically unfavourable, high hydrogen yields are obtained. In this review we focus on three different mechanisms that are employed by a few model organisms, viz. Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus and Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis, Thermotoga maritima, and Pyrococcus furiosus, to efficiently produce hydrogen. In addition, recent developments to improve hydrogen production by hyperthermophilic and extremely thermophilic bacteria and archaea are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel R A Verhaart
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 10, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Imanaka H, Yamatsu A, Fukui T, Atomi H, Imanaka T. Phosphoenolpyruvate synthase plays an essential role for glycolysis in the modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway in Thermococcus kodakarensis. Mol Microbiol 2006; 61:898-909. [PMID: 16879645 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05287.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We have carried out a genetic analysis on pyruvate kinase (PykTk) and phosphoenolpyruvate synthase (PpsTk) in the hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus kodakarensis. In principle, both enzymes can catalyse the final step of the modified Embden-Meyerhof (EM) pathway found in Thermococcales, the conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to pyruvate, with the former utilizing ADP, while the latter is dependent on AMP and phosphate. Enzyme activities and transcript levels of both PykTk and PpsTk increased in T. kodakarensis under glycolytic conditions when compared with cells grown on pyruvate or amino acids. Using KW128, a tryptophan auxotrophic mutant with a trpE gene disruption, as a host strain, we obtained mutant strains with single gene disruptions in either the pykTk (Deltapyk strain) or ppsTk (Deltapps strain) gene. Specific growth rates and cell yields were examined in various media and compared with the host KW128 strain. The results indicated that both enzymes participated in pyruvate metabolism, but were not essential. In the presence of maltooligosaccharides, the Deltapyk strain displayed a 15% decrease in growth rate compared with the host strain, indicating that PykTk does participate in glycolysis. However an even more dramatic effect was observed in the Deltapps strain in that the strain could not grow at all on maltooligosaccharides. The results clearly indicate that, in contrast to the conventional EM pathway dependent on pyruvate kinase, PEP synthase is the essential enzyme for the glycolytic conversion of PEP to pyruvate in T. kodakarensis. The physiological roles of the two enzymes under various growth conditions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Imanaka
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
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Sakuraba H, Ohshima T. Novel energy metabolism in anaerobic hyperthermophilic archaea: a modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway. J Biosci Bioeng 2005; 93:441-8. [PMID: 16233230 DOI: 10.1016/s1389-1723(02)80090-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2002] [Accepted: 03/06/2002] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Hyperthermophiles, a group of microorganisms whose optimum growth temperatures are above 80 degrees C, have been isolated mainly from marine and continental volcanic environments. They are viewed as potential sources of extraordinarily stable biomolecules with applications in novel industrial processes. Most hyperthermophiles belong to the domain Archaea, the third domain of life, and are considered to be the most ancient of all extant life forms. Recent studies have revealed unusual energy metabolic processes in hyperthermophilic archaea, e.g. a modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway, that have not been observed so far in organisms belonging to the Bacteria and Eucarya domains. Several novel enzymes--ADP-dependent glucokinase, ADP-dependent phosphofruktokinase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ferredoxin oxidoreductase, phosphoenolpyruvate synthase, pyruvate: ferredoxin oxidoreductase, and ADP-forming acetyl-CoA synthetase--have been found to be involved in the modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. In addition, a novel regulation site for energy metabolism and a unique mode of ATP regeneration have been postulated to exist in the pathway of P. furiosus. The metabolic design observed in this microorganism might reflect the situation at an early stage of evolution. This review focuses mainly on the unique energy metabolism and related enzymes of P. furiosus that have recently been described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruhiko Sakuraba
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8506, Japan
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Sakuraba H, Goda S, Ohshima T. Unique sugar metabolism and novel enzymes of hyperthermophilic archaea. CHEM REC 2004; 3:281-7. [PMID: 14762828 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.10066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Hyperthermophiles are a group of microorganisms that have their optimum growth temperature above 80 degrees C. More than 60 species of the hyperthermophiles have been isolated from marine and continental volcanic environments. Most hyperthermophiles belong to Archaea, the third domain of life, and are considered to be the most ancient of all extant life forms. Recent studies have revealed the presence of unusual sugar metabolic processes in hyperthermophilic archaea, for example, a modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway, that has so far not been observed in bacteria and eucarya. Several novel enzymes, such as ADP-dependent glucokinase, ADP-dependent phosphofructokinase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ferredoxin oxidoreductase, phosphoenolpyruvate synthase, pyruvate : ferredoxin oxidoreductase, and ADP-forming acetyl-CoA synthetase, have been found to be involved in a modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. In addition, a unique mode of ATP regeneration has been postulated to exist in the pathway of P. furiosus. The metabolic design observed in this microorganism might reflect the situation at an early stage of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruhiko Sakuraba
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8506, Japan
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Sapra R, Bagramyan K, Adams MWW. A simple energy-conserving system: proton reduction coupled to proton translocation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2003; 100:7545-50. [PMID: 12792025 PMCID: PMC164623 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1331436100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxidative phosphorylation involves the coupling of ATP synthesis to the proton-motive force that is generated typically by a series of membrane-bound electron transfer complexes, which ultimately reduce an exogenous terminal electron acceptor. This is not the case with Pyrococcus furiosus, an archaeon that grows optimally near 100 degrees C. It has an anaerobic respiratory system that consists of a single enzyme, a membrane-bound hydrogenase. Moreover, it does not require an added electron acceptor as the enzyme reduces protons, the simplest of acceptors, to hydrogen gas by using electrons from the cytoplasmic redox protein ferredoxin. It is demonstrated that the production of hydrogen gas by membrane vesicles of P. furiosus is directly coupled to the synthesis of ATP by means of a proton-motive force that has both electrochemical and pH components. Such a respiratory system enables rationalization in this organism of an unusual glycolytic pathway that was previously thought not to conserve energy. It is now clear that the use of ferredoxin in place of the expected NAD as the electron acceptor for glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate oxidation enables energy to be conserved by hydrogen production. In addition, this simple respiratory mechanism readily explains why the growth yields of P. furiosus are much higher than could be accounted for if ATP synthesis occurred only by substrate-level phosphorylation. The ability of microorganisms such as P. furiosus to couple hydrogen production to energy conservation has important ramifications not only in the evolution of respiratory systems but also in the origin of life itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajat Sapra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Metalloenzyme Studies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-7229, USA
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14
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Roy R, Adams MWW. Characterization of a fourth tungsten-containing enzyme from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. J Bacteriol 2002; 184:6952-6. [PMID: 12446645 PMCID: PMC135473 DOI: 10.1128/jb.184.24.6952-6956.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pyrococcus furiosus grows optimally near 100 degrees C using peptides and carbohydrates as carbon sources, and it reduces elemental sulfur (S(0)), if present, to H(2)S. Tungsten (W), an element rarely used in biology, is required for optimal growth, and three different tungsten-containing enzymes have been previously purified from this organism. They all oxidize aldehydes of various types and are thought to play primary roles in the catabolism of sugars or amino acids. Here, the purification of a fourth tungsten-containing enzyme, termed WOR 4, from cell extracts of P. furiosus grown with S(0) is described. This was achieved by monitoring through multiple chromatography steps the W that is not associated with the three characterized tungstoenzymes. The N-terminal sequence of WOR 4 and the approximate molecular weight of its subunit determined electrophoretically (69,000) correspond to the product of an ORF (PF1961, wor4) present in the complete genome sequence of P. furiosus. WOR 4 is a homodimer and contains approximately one W, three Fe, three or four acid-labile sulfide, and one Ca atom per subunit. The visible and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the oxidized and reduced enzyme indicate the presence of an unusual iron-sulfur chromophore. WOR 4 does not oxidize aliphatic or aromatic aldehydes or hydroxy acids, nor does it reduce keto acids. Consistent with prior microarray data, the protein could not be purified from P. furiosus cells grown in the absence of S(0), suggesting that it may have a role in S(0) metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roopali Roy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Metalloenzyme Studies, University of Georgia, Athens 30602, USA
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15
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Hutchins AM, Holden JF, Adams MW. Phosphoenolpyruvate synthetase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. J Bacteriol 2001; 183:709-15. [PMID: 11133966 PMCID: PMC94928 DOI: 10.1128/jb.183.2.709-715.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphoenolpyruvate synthetase (PpsA) was purified from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. This enzyme catalyzes the conversion of pyruvate and ATP to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), AMP, and phosphate and is thought to function in gluconeogenesis. PpsA has a subunit molecular mass of 92 kDa and contains one calcium and one phosphorus atom per subunit. The active form has a molecular mass of 690+/-20 kDa and is assumed to be octomeric, while approximately 30% of the protein is purified as a large ( approximately 1.6 MDa) complex that is not active. The apparent K(m) values and catalytic efficiencies for the substrates pyruvate and ATP (at 80 degrees C, pH 8.4) were 0.11 mM and 1.43 x 10(4) mM(-1). s(-1) and 0.39 mM and 3.40 x 10(3) mM(-1) x s(-1), respectively. Maximal activity was measured at pH 9.0 (at 80 degrees C) and at 90 degrees C (at pH 8.4). The enzyme also catalyzed the reverse reaction, but the catalytic efficiency with PEP was very low [k(cat)/K(m) = 32 (mM. s(-1)]. In contrast to several other nucleotide-dependent enzymes from P. furiosus, PpsA has an absolute specificity for ATP as the phosphate-donating substrate. This is the first PpsA from a nonmethanogenic archaeon to be biochemically characterized. Its kinetic properties are consistent with a role in gluconeogenesis, although its relatively high cellular concentration ( approximately 5% of the cytoplasmic protein) suggests an additional function possibly related to energy spilling. It is not known whether interconversion between the smaller, active and larger, inactive forms of the enzyme has any functional role.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Hutchins
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Metalloenzyme Studies, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
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Sakuraba H, Utsumi E, Schreier HJ, Ohshima T. Transcriptional regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate synthase by maltose in the hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus. J Biosci Bioeng 2001. [DOI: 10.1016/s1389-1723(01)80209-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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17
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Godfroy A, Raven ND, Sharp RJ. Physiology and continuous culture of the hyperthermophilic deep-sea vent archaeon Pyrococcus abyssi ST549. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2000; 186:127-32. [PMID: 10779724 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2000.tb09093.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The deep-sea vent archaeon Pyrococcus abyssi strain ST549 was grown in batch cultures in closed bottles and by continuous culture in a gas-lift bioreactor, both in the presence and in the absence of elemental sulfur. Growth on carbohydrates, proteinaceous substrates and amino acids was investigated. The disaccharides maltose and cellobiose were shown not to be able to enhance growth suggesting that P. abyssi ST549 is unable to use them as carbon sources. By contrast, proteinaceous substrates such as peptone and brain heart infusion were shown to be very good substrates for the growth of P. abyssi ST549 and allowed growth at high steady-state cell densities in continuous culture. Growth on brain heart infusion was shown to require additional nutrients when sulfur was not present in the culture medium. Growth on amino acids only took place in the presence of sulfur. These results indicate that sulfur plays an important role in the metabolism and energetics of P. abyssi ST549.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Godfroy
- Laboratoire de Caractérisation des Microorganismes Marins, DRV/VP, IFREMER, P.O. Box 70, 29280, Plouzané, France.
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Sakuraba H, Utsumi E, Kujo C, Ohshima T. An AMP-dependent (ATP-forming) kinase in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus: characterization and novel physiological role. Arch Biochem Biophys 1999; 364:125-8. [PMID: 10087174 DOI: 10.1006/abbi.1999.1121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H Sakuraba
- Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokushima, 2-1 Minamijosanjimacho, Tokushima, 770-8506, Japan
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Selig M, Xavier KB, Santos H, Schönheit P. Comparative analysis of Embden-Meyerhof and Entner-Doudoroff glycolytic pathways in hyperthermophilic archaea and the bacterium Thermotoga. Arch Microbiol 1997; 167:217-32. [PMID: 9075622 DOI: 10.1007/bf03356097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The Embden-Meyerhof (EM) or Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathways of sugar degradation were analyzed in representative species of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genera Thermococcus, Desulfurococcus, Thermoproteus, and Sulfolobus, and in the hyperthermophilic (eu)bacterial genus Thermotoga. The analyses included (1) determination of 13C-labeling patterns by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy of fermentation products derived from pyruvate after fermentation of specifically 13C-labeled glucose by cell suspensions, (2) identification of intermediates of sugar degradation after conversion of 14C-labeled glucose by cell extracts, and (3) measurements of enzyme activities in cell extracts. Thermococcus celer and Thermococcus litoralis fermented 13C-glucose to acetate and alanine via a modified EM pathway (100%). This modification involves ADP-dependent hexokinase, 6-phosphofructokinase, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (GAP:FdOR). Desulfurococcus amylolyticus fermented 13C-glucose to acetate via a modified EM pathway in which GAP:FdOR replaces GAP-DH/phosphoglycerate kinase. Thermoproteus tenax fermented 13C-glucose to low amounts of acetate and alanine via simultaneous operation of the EM pathway (85%) and the ED pathway (15%). Aerobic Sulfolobus acidocaldarius fermented 13C-labeled glucose to low amounts of acetate and alanine exclusively via the ED pathway. The anaerobic (eu)bacterium Thermotoga maritima fermented 13C-glucose to acetate and lactate via the EM pathway (85%) and the ED pathway (15%). Cell extracts contained glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase, key enzymes of the conventional phosphorylated ED pathway, and, as reported previously, all enzymes of the conventional EM pathway. In conclusion, glucose was degraded by hyperthermophilic archaea to pyruvate either via modified EM pathways with different types of hexose kinases and GAP-oxidizing enzymes, by the nonphosphorylated ED pathway, or by a combination of both pathways. In contrast, glucose catabolism in the hyperthermophilic (eu)bacterium Thermotoga involves the conventional forms of the EM and ED pathways. The data are in accordance with various previous reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Selig
- Institut für Pflanzenphysiologie und Mikrobiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Strasse 12-16a, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
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Adams MW, Kletzin A. Oxidoreductase-type enzymes and redox proteins involved in fermentative metabolisms of hyperthermophilic Archaea. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY 1996; 48:101-80. [PMID: 8791625 DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3233(08)60362-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M W Adams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602, USA
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Kengen SW, Tuininga JE, de Bok FA, Stams AJ, de Vos WM. Purification and characterization of a novel ADP-dependent glucokinase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. J Biol Chem 1995; 270:30453-7. [PMID: 8530474 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.270.51.30453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Pyrococcus furiosus uses a modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway during growth on poly- or disaccharides. Instead of the usual ATP-dependent glucokinase, this pathway involves a novel ADP-dependent (AMP-forming) glucokinase. The level of this enzyme and some other glycolytic enzymes appeared to be closely regulated by the substrate. Growth on cellobiose resulted in a high specific activity of 0.96 units mg-1, whereas on pyruvate a 10-fold lower activity was found. The ADP-dependent glucokinase was purified 1350-fold to homogeneity. The oxygen-stable enzyme had a molecular mass of 93 kDa and was composed of two identical subunits (47 kDa). The glucokinase was highly specific for ADP, which could not be replaced by ATP, phosphoenolpyruvate, GDP, PPi, or polyphosphate. D-Glucose could be replaced only by 2-deoxy-D-glucose, albeit with a low efficiency. The Km values for D-glucose and ADP were 0.73 and 0.033 mM, respectively. An optimum temperature of 105 degrees C and a half-life of 220 min at 100 degrees C are in agreement with the requirements of this hyperthermophilic organism. The properties of the glucokinase are compared to those of less thermoactive gluco/hexokinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- S W Kengen
- Department of Microbiology, Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands
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Mukund S, Adams MW. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ferredoxin oxidoreductase, a novel tungsten-containing enzyme with a potential glycolytic role in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. J Biol Chem 1995; 270:8389-92. [PMID: 7721730 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.270.15.8389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus grows optimally at 100 degrees C by the fermentation of carbohydrates to yield acetate, CO2, and H2. Cell-free extracts contain very low activity of the glycolytic enzyme, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, but extremely high activity of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ferredoxin oxidoreductase (GAPOR). GAPOR was purified under strictly anaerobic conditions. It is a monomeric, O2-sensitive protein of M(r) approximately 63,000 which contains pterin and approximately 1 tungsten and 6 iron atoms per molecule. The enzyme oxidized glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (Km 28 microM) to 3-phosphoglycerate and reduced P. furiosus ferredoxin (Km 6 microM), but it did not oxidize formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, glyceraldehyde, benzaldehyde, glucose, glucose 6-phosphate, or glyoxylate, nor did it use NAD(P) as an electron acceptor. It is proposed that GAPOR has a glycolytic role and functions in place of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and possibly phosphoglycerate kinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mukund
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602, USA
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Schäfer T, Xavier KB, Santos H, Schönheit P. Glucose fermentation to acetate and alanine in resting cell suspensions ofPyrococcus furiosus: Proposal of a novel glycolytic pathway based on13C labelling data and enzyme activities. FEMS Microbiol Lett 1994. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1994.tb07083.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Kengen S, de Bok F, van Loo N, Dijkema C, Stams A, de Vos W. Evidence for the operation of a novel Embden-Meyerhof pathway that involves ADP-dependent kinases during sugar fermentation by Pyrococcus furiosus. J Biol Chem 1994. [DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9258(17)32474-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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