Formation of nitrate from 3-nitropropionate by Aspergillus flavus

Phylogenetic diversity, distribution, and gene structure of the pyruvic oxime dioxygenase involved in heterotrophic nitrification

Some heterotrophic microorganisms carry out nitrification to produce nitrite and nitrate from pyruvic oxime. Pyruvic oxime dioxygenase (POD) is an enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of pyruvic oxime to pyruvate and nitrite from the heterotrophic nitrifying bacterium Alcaligenes faecalis. Sequence similarity searches revealed the presence of genes encoding proteins homologous to A. faecalis POD in bacteria of the phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria and in fungi of the phylum Ascomycota, and their gene products were confirmed to have POD activity in recombinant experiments. Phylogenetic analysis further classified these POD homologs into three groups. Group 1 POD is mainly found in heterotrophic nitrifying Betaproteobacteria and fungi, and is assumed to be involved in heterotrophic nitrification. It is not clear whether group 2 POD, found mainly in species of the Gammaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria, and group 3 POD, found simultaneously with group 1 POD, are involved in heterotrophic nitrification. The genes of bacterial group 1 POD comprised a single transcription unit with the genes related to the metabolism of aromatic compounds, and many of the genes group 2 POD consisted of a single transcription unit with the gene encoding the protein homologous to 4-hydroxy-tetrahydrodipicolinate synthase (DapA). LysR- or Cro/CI-type regulatory genes were present adjacent to or in the vicinity of these POD gene clusters. POD may be involved not only in nitrification, but also in certain metabolic processes whose functions are currently unknown, in coordination with members of gene clusters.

Oxidation of anionic nitroalkanes by flavoenzymes, and participation of superoxide anion in the catalysis

The reactivities of anionic nitroalkanes with 2-nitropropane dioxygenase of Hansenula mrakii, glucose oxidase of Aspergillus niger, and mammalian D-amino acid oxidase have been compared kinetically. 2-Nitropropane dioxygenase is 1200 and 4800 times more active with anionic 2-nitropropane than D-amino acid oxidase and glucose oxidase, respectively. The apparent Km values for anionic 2-nitropropane are as follows: 2-nitropropane dioxygenase, 1.61 mM; glucose oxidase, 16.7 mM; and D-amino acid oxidase, 11.1 mM. Anionic 2-nitropropane undergoes an oxygenase reaction with 2-nitropropane dioxygenase and glucose oxidase, and an oxidase reaction with D-amino acid oxidase. In contrast, anionic nitroethane is oxidized through an oxygenase reaction by 2-nitropropane dioxygenase, and through an oxidase reaction by glucose oxidase. All nitroalkane oxidations by these three flavoenzymes are inhibited by Cu and Zn-superoxide dismutase of bovine blood, Mn-superoxide dismutases of bacilli, Fe-superoxide dismutase of Serratia marcescens, and other O2-. scavengers such as cytochrome c and NADH, but are not affected by hydroxyl radical scavengers such as mannitol. None of the O2-. scavengers tested affected the inherent substrate oxidation by glucose oxidase and D-amino acid oxidase. Furthermore, the generation of O2-. in the oxidation of anionic 2-nitropropane by 2-nitropropane dioxygenase was revealed by ESR spectroscopy. The ESR spectrum of anionic 2-nitropropane plus 2-nitropropane dioxygenase shows signals at g1 = 2.007 and g11 = 2.051, which are characteristic of O2-.. The O2-. generated is a catalytically essential intermediate in the oxidation of anionic nitroalkanes by the enzymes.

Nitroalkane oxidation by streptomycetes

Crude cell-free extracts of nine strains of Streptomyces tested for nitroalkane-oxidizing activity showed production of nitrous acid from 2-nitropropane, 1-nitropropane, nitroethane, nitromethane, and 3-nitropropionic acid. These substrates were utilized in most strains but to a decreasing extent in the order given, and different strains varied in their relative efficiency of oxidation. p-Nitrobenzoic acid, p-aminobenzoic acid, enteromycin, and omega-nitro-l-arginine were not attacked. d-Amino acid oxidase, glucose oxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and xanthine oxidase, enzymes potentially responsible for the observed oxidations in crude cellfree extracts, were present at concentrations too low to play any significant role. A nitroalkane-oxidizing enzyme from streptozotocin-producing Streptomyces achromogenes subsp. streptozoticus was partially purified and characterized. It catalyzes the oxidative denitrification of 2-nitropropane as follows: 2CH(3)CH(NO(2))CH(3) + O(2) --> 2CH(3)COCH(3) + 2HNO(2). At the optimum pH of 7.5 of the enzyme, 2-nitropropane was as good a substrate as its sodium salt; t-nitrobutane was not a substrate. Whereas Tiron, oxine, and nitroxyl radical acted as potent inhibitors of this enzyme, superoxide dismutase was essentially without effect. Sodium peroxide abolished a lag phase in the progress curve of the enzyme and afforded stimulation, whereas sodium superoxide did not affect the reaction. Reducing agents, such as glutathione, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced form, as well as thiol compounds, were strongly inhibitory, but cyanide had no effect. The S. achromogenes enzyme at the present stage of purification is similar in many respects to the enzyme 2-nitropropane dioxygenase from Hansenula mrakii. The possible involvement of the nitroalkane-oxidizing enzyme in the biosynthesis of antibiotics that contain a nitrogen-nitrogen bond is discussed.

Microbial assimilation of alkyl nitro compounds and formation of nitrite

66 representative strains of bacteria, yeasts and fungi were tested for their ability to grow in a semidefined medium containing 0.5% nitroethane as a nitrogen source. About half of them were found capable of growing in the medium. Hansenula beijerinckii, Candida utilis, and Penicillium chrysogenum were most active in assimilating nitroethane. 2-Nitropropane inhibited growth of most of the microorganisms tested in a medium containing 0.2% peptone and 0.2% glycerol. Hansenula mrakii was found to grow rapidly in the nitroethane-peptone medium after a lag phase. Nitrite was accumulated in the culture fluid after the phase of logarithmic multiplication, and increased with increase of the growth, followed by a decline after the maximum growth. The alkyl nitro compounds were oxidatively denitrified to form nitrite by the crude enzyme from Hansenula mrakii. Nitroethane was generally a poor substrate, but was the best inducer to produce the nitro compounds oxidizing enzyme. 2-Nitro-propane and nitroethane were enzymatically oxidized to nitrite, and acetone and acetaldehyde, respectively, which were isolated as 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones and identified. Nitrite formed was found to be reduced into ammonia by the intact cells and also the crude enzyme.

Mechanism of nitrification by Arthrobacter sp

Resting cells of Arthrobacter sp. excrete as much as 60 mug of hydroxylamine-nitrogen per ml when supplied with ammonium. An organic carbon source in abundant supply is necessary for the oxidation. Resting cells oxidize hydroxylamine to nitrite and 1-nitrosoethanol, the former accumulating only when an exogenous carbon source is available. Cell-free extracts contain an enzyme catalyzing the formation of hydroxylamine from acetohydroxamic acid, a hydroxylamine-nitrite oxido-reductase, and an enzyme producing nitrite and nitrate from various primary nitro compounds. Nitrite is not produced from hydroxylamine by the extracts, but 1-nitrosoethanol is formed from hydroxylamine in the presence of acetate. 1-Nitrosoethanol is also produced from acetohydroxamic acid by these preparations. Nitrite was formed from hydroxylamine, however, by extracellular enzymes excreted by the bacterium.