Bacterial PerO Permeases Transport Sulfate and Related Oxyanions

[Construction and characterization of a modA gene mutant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae]

OBJECTIVE

To construct a mutant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae NTUH- K2044 with modA gene deletion and its complementary strain and explore the role of modA gene in modulating anaerobic nitrate respiratory growth and phenotypes of K. pneumoniae.

METHODS

The modA deletion mutant K. pneumoniae strain was constructed by homologous recombination using the suicide vector pKO3-Km. To obtain the complementary strain C-modA, the whole sequence fragment containing the promoter, open reading frame and terminator regions of modA was cloned into pGEM-T-easy and electrically transformed into the modA deletion mutant. The NTUH-K2044 wild-type strain, modA gene deletion mutant and complementary strain were compared by measuring in vitro anaerobic nitrate respiration growth, competitiveness index, biofilm quantification, mucoviscosity assay and morphological measurement using Image J.

RESULTS

The modA deletion mutant strain ΔmodA and the complementary strain C-modA were successfully constructed. The modA gene knockout strain showed inhibited anaerobic nitrate respiratory growth compared with the wild- type and C-modA strains with significantly weakened competitiveness, reduced capacity of biofilm synthesis during anaerobiosis, and lowered mucoviscosity under anaerobic conditions. The ΔmodA strain showed a spherical morphology in anaerobic conditions as compared with the normal short rod-like morphology of K. pneumoniae, with also distinctly shorter length than the wild-type and C-modA strains.

CONCLUSION

The molybdate transport system encoding gene modA is associated with the pathogenic capacity of K. pneumoniae by modulating its anaerobic nitrate respiration, competitiveness, biofilm formation, hypermucoviscous phenotype and morphology.

Influence of potassium dichromate on the reduction of sulfur, nitrate and nitrite ions by bacteria Desulfuromonas sp

This article presents the regularities of reduction of sulfur, nitrate and nitrite ions by sulfur reducing bacteria Desulfuromonas sp., which were isolated from the water of the man-made Yavorivske Lake (Lviv Region, Ukraine), under the influence of potassium dichromate. This bacteria in the process of anaerobic respiration can use and reduce different electron acceptors, such as sulfur, nitrates, nitrites, oxidized forms of heavy metals, in particular, hexavalent chromium. Technogenically altered ecotopes are characterized by complex pollution, so several electron acceptors are available to bacteria at the same time. Strains of microorganisms isolated from such ecotopes are adapted to unfavourable conditions and therefore have high biotechnological potential. The purpose of this work was to investigate the regularities of elemental sulfur, nitrate or nitrite ion usage by sulfidogenic bacteria of Desulfuromonas genus in conditions of simultaneous presence in the medium of another electron acceptor – Cr(VI), to establish the succession of reduction of electron acceptors by strains of these bacteria and to evaluate the efficiency of their possible application in technologies of complex purification of the environment from metal compounds and other inorganic toxicants. Bacteria were grown under anaerobic conditions in Kravtsov-Sorokin medium without SO42– and without Mohr’s salt for 10 days. To study the efficiency of sulfur, nitrate or nitrite ions’ reduction at simultaneous presence in the medium of Cr(VI) bacteria were sown in media with elemental sulfur, NaNO3, NaNO2 or K2Cr2O7 to final S0, NO3–, NO2–or Cr(VI) concentration in the medium of 3.47 (concentration of SO42– in medium of standard composition) or 1.74, 3.47, 5.21, 6.94 and 10.41 mM. Biomass was determined by the turbidimetric method, and the concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, ammonium ions, hydrogen sulfide, Cr(VI), Cr(ІІІ) in cultural liquid were determined spectrophotometrically. It has been established that Cr(VI) inhibits the biomass accumulation and hydrogen sulfide production by bacteria of Desulfuromonas sp. after simultaneous addition into the medium of 3.47 mM S0 and 1.74–10.41 mM Cr(VI). In the medium with the same initial content (3.47 mM) of S0 and Cr(VI) bacteria produced Cr(III) at concentrations 3.3–3.4 times higher than that of hydrogen sulfide. It has been shown that K2Cr2O7 inhibits biomass accumulation, nitrate ions’ reduction and ammonium ions’ production by bacteria after simultaneous addition into the medium of 3.47 mM NO3– and 1.74–10.41 mM Cr(VI) or 1.74–10.41 mM NO3– and 3.47 mM Cr(VI). In the medium with the same initial content (3.47 mM) of NO3– and Cr(VI) bacteria reduced up to 1.2 times more nitrate ions than Cr(VI) with the production of ammonium ions at concentrations the same times higher than those of Cr(III). It has been established that K2Cr2O7 inhibits biomass accumulation, nitrite ions’ reduction and ammonium ions’ production by bacteria after simultaneous addition into the medium of 3.47 mM NO2– and 1.74–10.41 mM Cr(VI) or 1.74–10.41 mM NO2– and 3.47 mM Cr(VI). In the medium with the same initial content of (3.47 mM) NO2– and Cr(VI) the reduction of Cr(VI) by bacteria was only slightly, up to 1.1 times, lower than the reduction of nitrite ions, almost the same concentrations of trivalent chromium and ammonium ions were detected in the cultural liquid. The processes of nitrate and nitride reduction carried out by bacteria of Desulfuromonas genus were revealed to be less sensitive to the negative influence of sodium dichromate, as compared with the process of sulfur reduction, because in the media with the same initial content (3.47 mM) of NO3– or NO2– and Cr(VI) bacteria produced 1.1–1.2 times more NH4+ than Cr(III), but in the medium with the same initial content (3.47 mM) of S0 and Cr(VI) ) bacteria produced over than three times more Cr(III) than hydrogen sulfide. Our data allow us to conclude that bacteria of Desulfuromonas genus, the investigated strains of which are adapted to high concentrations (up to 10.41 mM) of inorganic toxicants, play an important role in the geochemical cycles of sulfur, nitrogen and chromium in aquatic environments that have been under anthropogenic influence.

Dissimilatory reduction of sulfate, nitrate and nitrite ions by bacteria Desulfovibrio sp. under the influence of potassium dichromate

In the process of anaerobic respiration, sulfate reducing bacteria, besides sulfates, can use other electron acceptors: nitrates, nitrites, oxidized forms of heavy metals, in particular, hexavalent chromium, which are harmful for organisms. Selection of pollutant-resistant stains of this kind of bacteria isolated from technogenically altered ecotopes, capable of reductive transformation of various nature pollutants, is an especially relevant task for the creation of new effective remediation biotechnologies. The purpose of this work was to investigate the regularities of usage of sulfate, nitrate or nitrite ions by bacteria of the Desulfovibrio genus, isolated from Yavorivske Lake, at conditions of simultaneous presence in the medium of another electron acceptor – Cr(VI), to establish a succession of electron acceptors’ reduction by investigated sulfidogenic bacteria and to evaluate the efficiency of their possible application in technologies of complex purification of the environment from metal, sulfur and nitrogen compounds. Bacteria were grown under anaerobic conditions for 10 days in Kravtsov-Sorokin medium without Mohr’s salt. To study the efficiency of sulfate, nitrate, or nitrite ions’ reduction at simultaneous presence in the medium of Cr(VI), bacteria were sown in media with Na2SO4×10H2O, NaNO3, NaNO2 or K2Cr2O7 to final SO42–, NO3–, NO2– or Cr(VI) concentration in the medium of 3.47 (concentration of SO42– in medium of standard composition) or 1.74, 3.47, 5.21, 6.94, 10.41 mM. Biomass was determined turbidimetrically, and the concentrations of sulfate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium ions, hydrogen sulfide, Cr(VI), Cr(ІІІ) in cultural liquid were determined by spectrophotometric method. It has been established that Cr(VI) inhibits the biomass accumulation, sulfate ions’ reduction and hydrogen sulfide production by Desulfovibrio sp. after simultaneous introduction into the medium of 3.47 mM SO42– and 1.74–10.41 mM Cr(VI). In the medium with the same initial content (3.47 mM) of SO42– and Cr(VI), bacteria reduced 2.1–2.3 times more Cr(VI) than sulfate ions with Cr(III) production at concentrations up to 2.2 times higher than hydrogen sulfide. It has been shown that K2Cr2O7 inhibits the biomass accumulation, the nitrate ions reduction and the ammonium ions production by bacteria after simultaneous addition into the medium of 3.47 mM NO3– and 1.74–10.41 mM Cr(VI) or 1.74–10.41 mM NO3– and 3.47 mM Cr(VI). In the medium with the same initial content (3.47 mM) of NO3– and Cr(VI) bacteria reduced 1.1–1.3 times more nitrate ions than Cr(VI) with the production of ammonium ions at concentrations up to 1.3 times higher than that of Cr(III). It has been established that K2Cr2O7 inhibits the biomass accumulation, the nitrite ions’ reduction and the ammonium ions’ production by bacteria after simultaneous addition into the medium of 3.47 mM NO2– and 1.74–10.41 mM Cr(VI) or 1.74–10.41 mM NO2– and 3.47 mM Cr(VI). In the medium with the same initial content (3.47 mM) NO2– and Cr(VI) the reduction of Cr(VI) by bacteria practically did not differ from the reduction of nitrite ions (was only slightly lower – up to 1.1 times), almost the same concentrations of trivalent chromium and ammonium ions in the cultural liquid were detected. The processes of nitrate and nitride reduction, carried out by bacteria of Desulfovibrio genus, were revealed to be less sensitive to the negative influence of sodium dichromate, as compared with the process of sulfate ions’ reduction, which in the medium with 3.47 mM SO42– and 1.74–10.41 mM Cr(VІ) decreased by 3.2–4.6 times as compared with this process in the medium with only Na2SO4×10H2O. The investigated strains of bacteria are adapted to high concentrations of toxic pollutants (up to 10.41 mM) and therefore are promising for application in technologies of complex environment purification from hexavalent chromium, sulfur and nitrogen compounds.

Microbial sulfur metabolism and environmental implications

Sulfur as a macroelement plays an important role in biochemistry in both natural environments and engineering biosystems, which can be further linked to other important element cycles, e.g. carbon, nitrogen and iron. Consequently, the sulfur cycling primarily mediated by sulfur compounds oxidizing microorganisms and sulfur compounds reducing microorganisms has enormous environmental implications, particularly in wastewater treatment and pollution bioremediation. In this review, to connect the knowledge in microbial sulfur metabolism to environmental applications, we first comprehensively review recent advances in understanding microbial sulfur metabolisms at molecular-, cellular- and ecosystem-levels, together with their energetics. We then discuss the environmental implications to fight against soil and water pollution, with four foci: (1) acid mine drainage, (2) water blackening and odorization in urban rivers, (3) SANI® and DS-EBPR processes for sewage treatment, and (4) bioremediation of persistent organic pollutants. In addition, major challenges and further developments toward elucidation of microbial sulfur metabolisms and their environmental applications are identified and discussed.

Vibrio fischeri imports and assimilates sulfate during symbiosis with Euprymna scolopes

Sulfur is in cellular components of bacteria and is, therefore, an element necessary for growth. However, mechanisms by which bacteria satisfy their sulfur needs within a host are poorly understood. Vibrio fischeri is a bacterial symbiont that colonizes, grows, and produces bioluminescence within the light organ of the Hawaiian bobtail squid, which provides an experimental platform for investigating sulfur acquisition in vivo. Like other γ-proteobacteria, V. fischeri fuels sulfur-dependent anabolic processes with intracellular cysteine. Within the light organ, the abundance of a ΔcysK mutant, which cannot synthesize cysteine through sulfate assimilation, is attenuated, suggesting sulfate import is necessary for V. fischeri to establish symbiosis. Genes encoding sulfate-import systems of other bacteria that assimilate sulfate were not identified in the V. fischeri genome. A transposon mutagenesis screen implicated YfbS as a sulfate importer. YfbS is necessary for growth on sulfate and in the marine environment. During symbiosis, a ΔyfbS mutant is attenuated and strongly expresses sulfate-assimilation genes, which is a phenotype associated with sulfur-starved cells. Together, these results suggest V. fischeri imports sulfate via YfbS within the squid light organ, which provides insight into the molecular mechanisms by which bacteria harvest sulfur in vivo.

Transition metal transporters in rhizobia: tuning the inorganic micronutrient requirements to different living styles

A group of bacteria known as rhizobia are key players in symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) in partnership with legumes. After a molecular exchange, the bacteria end surrounded by a plant membrane forming symbiosomes, organelle-like structures, where they differentiate to bacteroids and fix nitrogen. This symbiotic process is highly dependent on dynamic nutrient exchanges between the partners. Among these are transition metals (TM) participating as inorganic and organic cofactors of fundamental enzymes. While the understanding of how plant transporters facilitate TMs to the very near environment of the bacteroid is expanding, our knowledge on how bacteroid transporters integrate to TM homeostasis mechanisms in the plant host is still limited. This is significantly relevant considering the low solubility and scarcity of TMs in soils, and the in crescendo gradient of TM bioavailability rhizobia faces during the infection and bacteroid differentiation processes. In the present work, we review the main metal transporter families found in rhizobia, their role in free-living conditions and, when known, in symbiosis. We focus on discussing those transporters which could play a significant role in TM-dependent biochemical and physiological processes in the bacteroid, thus paving the way towards an optimized SNF.

Anion transport as a target of adaption to perchlorate in sulfate-reducing communities

Inhibitors can be used to control the functionality of microbial communities by targeting specific metabolisms. The targeted inhibition of dissimilatory sulfate reduction limits the generation of toxic and corrosive hydrogen sulfide across several industrial systems. Sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) are specifically inhibited by sulfate analogs, such as perchlorate. Previously, we showed pure culture SRM adaptation to perchlorate stress through mutation of the sulfate adenylyltransferase, a central enzyme in the sulfate reduction pathway. Here, we explored adaptation to perchlorate across unconstrained SRM on a community scale. We followed natural and bio-augmented sulfidogenic communities through serial transfers in increasing concentrations of perchlorate. Our results demonstrated that perchlorate stress altered community structure by initially selecting for innately more resistant strains. Isolation, whole-genome sequencing, and molecular biology techniques allowed us to define subsequent genetic mechanisms of adaptation that arose across the dominant adapting SRM. Changes in the regulation of divalent anion:sodium symporter family transporters led to increased intracellular sulfate to perchlorate ratios, allowing SRM to escape the effects of competitive inhibition. Thus, in contrast to pure-culture results, SRM in communities cope with perchlorate stress via changes in anion transport and its regulation. This highlights the value of probing evolutionary questions in an ecological framework, bridging the gap between ecology, evolution, genomics, and physiology.

Specific inhibitors of respiratory sulfate reduction: towards a mechanistic understanding

Microbial sulfate reduction (SR) by sulfate-reducing micro-organisms (SRM) is a primary environmental mechanism of anaerobic organic matter mineralization, and as such influences carbon and sulfur cycling in many natural and engineered environments. In industrial systems, SR results in the generation of hydrogen sulfide, a toxic, corrosive gas with adverse human health effects and significant economic and environmental consequences. Therefore, there has been considerable interest in developing strategies for mitigating hydrogen sulfide production, and several specific inhibitors of SRM have been identified and characterized. Specific inhibitors are compounds that disrupt the metabolism of one group of organisms, with little or no effect on the rest of the community. Putative specific inhibitors of SRM have been used to control sulfidogenesis in industrial and engineered systems. Despite the value of these inhibitors, mechanistic and quantitative studies into the molecular mechanisms of their inhibition have been sparse and unsystematic. The insight garnered by such studies is essential if we are to have a more complete understanding of SR, including the past and current selective pressures acting upon it. Furthermore, the ability to reliably control sulfidogenesis - and potentially assimilatory sulfate pathways - relies on a thorough molecular understanding of inhibition. The scope of this review is to summarize the current state of the field: how we measure and understand inhibition, the targets of specific SR inhibitors and how SRM acclimatize and/or adapt to these stressors.

Sulfate Transporters in Dissimilatory Sulfate Reducing Microorganisms: A Comparative Genomics Analysis

The first step in the sulfate reduction pathway is the transport of sulfate across the cell membrane. This uptake has a major effect on sulfate reduction rates. Much of the information available on sulfate transport was obtained by studies on assimilatory sulfate reduction, where sulfate transporters were identified among several types of protein families. Despite our growing knowledge on the physiology of dissimilatory sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) there are no studies identifying the proteins involved in sulfate uptake in members of this ecologically important group of anaerobes. We surveyed the complete genomes of 44 sulfate-reducing bacteria and archaea across six phyla and identified putative sulfate transporter encoding genes from four out of the five surveyed protein families based on homology. We did not find evidence that ABC-type transporters (SulT) are involved in the uptake of sulfate in SRM. We speculate that members of the CysP sulfate transporters could play a key role in the uptake of sulfate in thermophilic SRM. Putative CysZ-type sulfate transporters were present in all genomes examined suggesting that this overlooked group of sulfate transporters might play a role in sulfate transport in dissimilatory sulfate reducers alongside SulP. Our in silico analysis highlights several targets for further molecular studies in order to understand this key step in the metabolism of SRMs.