Organization of phosphoribulokinase and ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase genes in Rhodopseudomonas (Rhodobacter) sphaeroides

Increase CO2 recycling of Escherichia coli containing CBB genes by enhancing solubility of multiple expressed proteins from an operon through temperature reduction

IMPORTANCE

In a previous study, we successfully engineered Escherichia coli capable of endogenous CO2 recycling through the heterologous expression of the Calvin-Benson Bassham genes. Establishing an efficient gene expression environment for recombinant strains is crucial, on par with the importance of metabolic engineering design. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to further mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by investigating the effects of culture temperature on the formation of inclusion bodies (IB) and CO2 fixation activity in the engineered bacterial strain. The findings demonstrate that lowering the culture temperature effectively suppresses IB formation, enhances CO2 recycling, and concurrently increases the accumulation of organic acids. This temperature control approach, without adding or modifying compounds, is both convenient and efficient for enhancing CO2 recycling. As such, additional optimization of various environmental parameters holds promise for further enhancing the performance of recombinant strains efficiently.

Genomic analysis of carbon dioxide sequestering bacterium for exopolysaccharides production

In the present study, genomic analysis of a previously reported carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestering bacterium Serratia sp. ISTD04 was performed along with exopolysaccharide (EPS) production. Genomic analysis identified key and accessory enzymes responsible for CO2 sequestration. EPS synthesis genes were discovered in the genome and identified 8 putative clusters responsible for lipopolysaccharide, stewartan, emulsan, polysaccharide B, capsular polysaccharide and fatty acid-saccharide production. The production of EPS was found to be 0.88 ± 0.08, 1.25 ± 0.13 and 1.44 ± 0.10 g L-1 on glucose, bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and NaHCO3 plus glucose respectively at pH 7.8. After optimizing process parameters, the EPS production increased more than 3 folds. The morphology of strain and elemental composition of EPS was characterized by SEM-EDX. The functional groups, monomer composition, linkage analysis and structure of purified EPS was characterized by FTIR, GC-MS and 1H and 13C NMR. Glucose, galactose, mannose and glucosamine are the monomers detected in the EPS. EPS was further applied for bioflocculation (kaolin test) and dye removal. The EPS showed 68% ± 0.9 flocculating activity and decolorized cationic dye acridine orange (80%) and crystal violet (95%). The results highlight CO2 sequestration and EPS production potential of Serratia sp. ISTD04 that can be harnessed in future.

Phosphoribulokinase mediates nitrogenase-induced carbon dioxide fixation gene repression in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

In many organisms there is a balance between carbon and nitrogen metabolism. These observations extend to the nitrogen-fixing, nonsulfur purple bacteria, which have the classic family of P(II) regulators that coordinate signals of carbon and nitrogen status to regulate nitrogen metabolism. Curiously, these organisms also possess a reverse mechanism to regulate carbon metabolism based on cellular nitrogen status. In this work, studies in Rhodobacter sphaeroides firmly established that the activity of the enzyme that catalyses nitrogen fixation, nitrogenase, induces a signal that leads to repression of genes encoding enzymes of the Calvin–Benson–Bassham (CBB) CO₂ fixation pathway. Additionally, genetic and metabolomic experiments revealed that NADH-activated phosphoribulokinase is an intermediate in the signalling pathway. Thus, nitrogenase activity appears to be linked to cbb gene repression through phosphoribulokinase.

A complete set of flagellar genes acquired by horizontal transfer coexists with the endogenous flagellar system in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Bacteria swim in liquid environments by means of a complex rotating structure known as the flagellum. Approximately 40 proteins are required for the assembly and functionality of this structure. Rhodobacter sphaeroides has two flagellar systems. One of these systems has been shown to be functional and is required for the synthesis of the well-characterized single subpolar flagellum, while the other was found only after the genome sequence of this bacterium was completed. In this work we found that the second flagellar system of R. sphaeroides can be expressed and produces a functional flagellum. In many bacteria with two flagellar systems, one is required for swimming, while the other allows movement in denser environments by producing a large number of flagella over the entire cell surface. In contrast, the second flagellar system of R. sphaeroides produces polar flagella that are required for swimming. Expression of the second set of flagellar genes seems to be positively regulated under anaerobic growth conditions. Phylogenic analysis suggests that the flagellar system that was initially characterized was in fact acquired by horizontal transfer from a gamma-proteobacterium, while the second flagellar system contains the native genes. Interestingly, other alpha-proteobacteria closely related to R. sphaeroides have also acquired a set of flagellar genes similar to the set found in R. sphaeroides, suggesting that a common ancestor received this gene cluster.

Research on Carbon Dioxide Fixation in Photosynthetic Microorganisms (1971-present)

This paper presents my personal account of research on CO(2) fixation from when I began these studies as a postdoctoral student in the early 1970s. It traces interests in microbial ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and considers early breakthroughs on the isolation, characterization, and significance of this enzyme from nonsulfur purple photosynthetic bacteria and other phototrophic organisms. This article also develops a historical perspective as to how recent efforts may lead to an understanding of molecular mechanisms by which the synthesis of this enzyme and other proteins of the pathway are regulated at the molecular level. In addition, how these studies impinge on the interactive control of CO(2) fixation, along with nitrogen fixation and hydrogen metabolism, is also considered. Finally, CO(2)-fixation studies in green sulfur photosynthetic bacteria and the discovery of the rather surprising Rubisco-like protein are described.

Interactions of the cbbII promoter-operator region with CbbR and RegA (PrrA) regulators indicate distinct mechanisms to control expression of the two cbb operons of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

In a previous study (Dubbs, J. M., Bird, T. H., Bauer, C. E., and Tabita, F. R. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 19224-19230), it was demonstrated that the regulators CbbR and RegA (PrrA) interacted with both promoter proximal and promoter distal regions of the form I (cbb(I)) promoter operon specifying genes of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. To determine how these regulators interact with the form II (cbb(II)) promoter, three cbbF(II)::lacZ translational fusion plasmids were constructed containing various lengths of sequence 5' to the cbb(II) operon of R. sphaeroides CAC. Expression of beta-galactosidase was monitored under a variety of growth conditions in both the parental strain and knock-out strains that contain mutations that affect synthesis of CbbR and RegA. The binding sites for both CbbR and RegA were determined by DNase I footprinting. A region of the cbb(II) promoter from +38 to -227 bp contained a CbbR binding site and conferred low level regulated cbb(II) expression. The region from -227 to -1025 bp contained six RegA binding sites and conferred enhanced cbb(II) expression under all growth conditions. Unlike the cbb(I) operon, the region between -227 and -545 bp that contains one RegA binding site, was responsible for the majority of the observed enhancement. Both RegA and CbbR were required for maximal cbb(II) expression. Two potentially novel and specific cbb(II) promoter-binding proteins that did not interact with the cbb(I) promoter region were detected in crude extracts of R. sphaeroides. These results, combined with the observation that chemoautotrophic expression of the cbb(I) operon is RegA independent, indicated that the mechanisms controlling cbb(I) and cbb(II) operon expression during chemoautotrophic growth are quite different.

Up-regulated expression of the cbb(I) and cbb(II) operons during photoheterotrophic growth of a ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase deletion mutant of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

In a Rhodobacter sphaeroides ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase deletion strain that requires an exogenous electron donor for photoheterotrophic growth, transcription of the genes of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle was increased. This finding pointed to a potential physiological effector that enhances the capability of the positive transcriptional activator CbbR to mediate cbb transcription. This effector is most likely ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate or a metabolite derived from this CBB pathway intermediate.

Phosphoribulokinase: current perspectives on the structure/function basis for regulation and catalysis

Phosphoribulokinase (PRK), an enzyme unique to the reductive pentose phosphate pathway of CO2 assimilation, exhibits distinctive contrasting properties when the proteins from eukaryotic and prokaryotic sources are compared. The eukaryotic PRKs are typically dimers of -39 kDa subunits while the prokaryotic PRKs are octamers of -32 kDa subunits. The enzymes from these two classes are regulated by different mechanisms. Thioredoxin of mediated thiol-disulfide exchange interconverts eukaryotic PRKs between reduced (active) and oxidized (inactive) forms. Allosteric effectors, including activator NADH and inhibitors AMP and phosphoenolpyruvate, regulate activity of prokaryotic PRK. The effector binding site has been identified in the high resolution structure recently elucidated for prokaryotic PRK and the7 apparatus for transmission of the allosteric stimulus has been identified. Additional contrasts between PRKs include marked differences in primary structure between eukaryotic and prokaryotic PRKs. Alignment of all available deduced PRK sequences indicates that less than 10% of the amino acid residues are invariant. In contrast to these differences, the mechanism for ribulose 1,5-biphosphate synthesis from ATP and ribulose 5-phosphate (Ru5P) appears to be the same for all PRKs. Consensus sequences associated with M++-ATP binding, identified in all PRK proteins, are closely juxtaposed to the residue proposed to function as general base catalyst. Sequence homology and mutagenesis approaches have suggested several residues that may potentially function in Ru5P binding. Not all of these proposed Ru5P binding residues are closely juxtaposed in the structure of unliganded PRK. Mechanistic approaches have been employed to investigate the amino acids which influence K(m Ru5P) and identify those amino acids most directly involved in Ru5P binding. PRK is one member of a family of phospho or sulfo transferase proteins which exhibit a nucleotide monophosphate kinase fold. Structure/function correlations elucidated for PRK suggest analogous assignments for other members of this family of proteins.

Rhodobacter sphaeroides phosphoribulokinase: identification of lysine-165 as a catalytic residue and evaluation of the contributions of invariant basic amino acids to ribulose 5-phosphate binding

Rhodobacter sphaeroides phosphoribulokinase (PRK) is inactivated upon exposure to pyridoxal phosphate/sodium borohydride, suggesting a reactive lysine residue. Protection is afforded by a combination of the substrate ATP and the allosteric activator NADH, suggesting that the targeted lysine maps within the active site. PRK contains two invariant lysines, K53 and K165. PRK-K53M retains sensitivity to pyridoxal phosphate, implicating K165 as the target of this reagent. PRK-K165M retains wild-type structure, as judged by titration with effector NADH and the tight-binding alternative substrate trinitrophenyl-ATP. The catalytic activity of K165M and K165C mutants is depressed by >10(3)-fold. Residual activity of K165M is insensitive to pyridoxal phosphate, confirming K165 as the target of this reagent. The decreased catalytic efficiency of K165 mutants approaches the effect measured for a mutant of D169, which forms a salt-bridge to K165. K165M exhibits a 10-fold increase in S()1(/)()2 (ATP) and a 10(2)-fold increase in K(m) (Ru5P). To evaluate the contribution to Ru5P binding of K165 in comparison with this substrate's interaction with invariant H45, R49, R168, and R173, PRKs mutated at these positions have been used to determine relative K(i) values for 6-phosphogluconate, a competitive inhibitor with respect to Ru5P. Elimination of the basic side chain of K165, R49, and H45 results in increases in K(m) (Ru5P) which correlate well with the magnitude of increases in K(i) (phosphogluconate). In contrast, while mutations eliminating charge from R168 and R173 result in enzymes with substantial increases in K(m) (Ru5P), such mutant enzymes exhibit only small increases in K(i) (phosphogluconate). These observations suggest that K165, R49, and H45 are major contributors to Ru5P binding.

Molecular approaches to probe differential NADH activation of phosphoribulokinase isozymes from Rhodobacter sphaeroides

The cbbPI and cbbPII genes from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, encoding highly similar phosphoribulokinase (PRK) isozymes, PRK I and PRK II, respectively, exhibited differential allosteric activation by NADH. The two cbbP genes were cloned into expression vectors and homogeneous recombinant protein prepared. PRK II was found to be inherently less stable than PRK I; however, the addition of substrate ATP resulted in the complete protection of both isozymes to a 15-min incubation at 50 degrees C. The relative molecular masses for both octameric isozymes were determined to be approximately 230,000; however, the protective effect of ATP was in accordance with aggregation of monomers to a molecular mass of approximately 750,000. While PRK I exhibited a nearly absolute dependence upon NADH for activity, PRK II retained substantial activity in the absence of NADH. PRK chimeras were thus constructed to facilitate elucidation of the basis for the differential effect of NADH, with advantage taken of the relative sequence identity of about 90% between the two isozymes. Chimeras were constructed either by in vivo homologous recombination, using the sacB gene from Bacillus subtilis as a conditionally lethal marker, or by using convenient restriction sites to combine different parts of the two cbbP genes. The PRK chimeras generated contained either the amino-terminal domain of PRK II and the carboxy-terminal domain of PRK I or the opposite configuration. Subsequent analyses of the chimeras pointed to particular regions and residue(s) as likely being important for NADH activation.

Something from almost nothing: carbon dioxide fixation in chemoautotrophs

The last decade has seen significant advances in our understanding of the physiology, ecology, and molecular biology of chemoautotrophic bacteria. Many ecosystems are dependent on CO2 fixation by either free-living or symbiotic chemoautotrophs. CO2 fixation in the chemoautotroph occurs via the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle. The cycle is characterized by three unique enzymatic activities: ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, phosphoribulokinase, and sedoheptulose bisphosphatase. Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase is commonly found in the cytoplasm, but a number of bacteria package much of the enzyme into polyhedral organelles, the carboxysomes. The carboxysome genes are located adjacent to cbb genes, which are often, but not always, clustered in large operons. The availability of carbon and reduced substrates control the expression of cbb genes in concert with the LysR-type transcriptional regulator, CbbR. Additional regulatory proteins may also be involved. All of these, as well as related topics, are discussed in detail in this review.

Purification and characterization of phosphoribulokinase from the marine chromophytic alga Heterosigma carterae

In this study we characterized phosphoribulokinase (PRK, EC 2.7.1. 19) from the eukaryotic marine chromophyte Heterosigma carterae. Serial column chromatography resulted in approximately 300-fold purification of the enzyme. A polypeptide of 53 kD was identified as PRK by sequencing the amino terminus of the protein. This protein represents one of the largest composite monomers identified to date for any PRK. The native holoenzyme demonstrated by flow performance liquid chromatography a molecular mass of 214 +/- 12.6 kD, suggesting a tetrameric structure for this catalyst. Because H. carterae PRK activity was insensitive to NADH but was stimulated by dithiothreitol, it appears that the enzyme may require a thioredoxin/ferredoxin rather than a metabolite mode of regulation. Kinetic analysis of this enzyme demonstrated Michaelis constant values of ribulose-5-phosphate (226 microM) and ATP (208 microM), respectively. In summary, H. carterae PRK is unique with respect to holoenzyme structure and function, and thus may represent an alternative evolutionary pathway in Calvin-cycle kinase development.

Roles and microenvironments of tryptophanyl residues of spinach phosphoribulokinase

Phosphoribulokinase is one of several Calvin cycle enzymes that are light-regulated via the ferredoxin-thioredoxin system (R. A. Wolosiuk and B. B. Buchanan, 1978, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 189, 97-101). Substitution of the only two Trp residues of the enzyme was prompted by the following goals: to identify each tryptophanyl residue with respect to prior classifications as exposed and buried (C. A. Ghiron et al., 1988, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 260, 267-272); to explore the possible active-site location and function of conserved Trp155, as suggested by sequence proximity to catalytic Asp160 (H. A. Charlier et al., 1994, Biochemistry 33, 9343-9350); and to determine if fluorescence of a Trp residue can serve as a gauge of conformational differences between the reduced (active) and the oxidized (inactive) forms of the enzyme. Emission spectra and acrylamide quenching data demonstrate that Trp155 is solvent exposed, while Trp241 is buried. Kinetic parameters of the W241F mutant are not significantly altered relative to those of wild-type enzyme, thereby discounting any requirement for Trp at position 241. While substitution of Trp155 with Phe or Ala has little impact on Vmax, the Km for Ru5P and ATP are increased substantially; the diminished affinity for ATP is particularly pronounced in the case of the Ala substitution. In further support of an active-site location of Trp155, its fluorescence emission is subject to quenching by nucleotides. Fluorescence quenching of reduced W241F by ATP gives a dissociation constant (Kd) of 37 microM, virtually identical with its Km of 46 microM, and provides for the first time a direct measurement of the interaction of the kinase with product ADP (Kd of 1.3 mM). Fluorescence quenching of oxidized W241F by ATP reveals a Kd of 28 mM; however, this weakened binding does not reflect an altered microenvironment of Trp155, as its steady-state emission and fluorescence lifetimes are unaffected by the oxidation state.

Rhodobacter sphaeroides phosphoribulokinase: binary and ternary complexes with nucleotide substrate analogs and effectors

Rhodobacter sphaeroides phosphoribulokinase (PRK) binds ATP substrate, as well as spectroscopically active ATP analogs (trinitrophenyl-ATP and ATP gamma S-acetamidoproxyl), to form stable binary complexes. Stoichiometric binding of these nucleotide triphosphates in PRK's substrate site is observed not only with wild-type enzyme but also with D42A and D169A mutants. The demonstration that these mutants contain a full complement of functional substrate binding sites indicates their substantial structural integrity and underscores the significance of their markedly diminished catalytic activity [Charlier et al. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 9343-9350]. Similarly, PRK forms a stable binary complex with the allosteric activator NADH. The negative allosteric effector AMP displaces activator NADH but not substrate from their respective binary complexes with enzyme. When trinitrophenyl-ATP, a fluorescent nucleotide triphosphate that functions as an alternative PRK substrate, forms a binary complex with enzyme, its fluorescence emission is enhanced and lambda max shifted from approximately 557 to 545 nm. Upon formation of a binary PRK-NADH complex, the fluorescence emission of the dinucleotide effector is also enhanced and the lambda max shifted from approximately 460 to 440 nm. PRK forms stable ternary complexes containing NADH and either ATP or trinitrophenyl-ATP. Due to energy transfer, NADH fluorescence in the ternary complex with trinitrophenyl-ATP is markedly quenched, allowing an estimation of the spatial separation between this novel donor/acceptor pair.

Expression of the cbbLcbbS and cbbM genes and distinct organization of the cbb Calvin cycle structural genes of Rhodobacter capsulatus

Rhodobacter capsulatus fixes CO2 via the Calvin reductive pentose phosphate pathway and, like some other nonsulfur purple bacteria, is known to synthesize two distinct structural forms of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO). Cosmid clones that hybridized to form I (cbbLcbbS) and form II (cbbM) RubisCO gene probes were isolated from a genomic library of R. capsulatus strain SB1003. Southern blotting and hybridization analysis with gene-specific probes derived from Rhodobacter sphaeroides revealed that R. capsulatus cbbM is clustered with genes encoding other enzymes of the Calvin cycle, including fructose 1,6/sedoheptulose 1,7-bisphosphatase (cbbF), phosphoribulokinase (cbbP), transketolase (cbbT), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (cbbG), and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (cbbA), as well as a gene (cbbR) encoding a divergently transcribed LysR-type regulatory protein. Surprisingly, a cosmid clone containing the R. capsulatus form I RubisCO genes (cbbL and cbbS) failed to hybridize to the other cbb structural gene probes, unlike the situation with the closely related organism R. sphaeroides. The form I and form II RubisCO genes were cloned into pUC-derived vectors and were expressed in Escherichia coli to yield active recombinant enzyme in each case. Complementation of a RubisCO-deletion strain of R. sphaeroides to photosynthetic growth by R. capsulatus cbbLcbbS or cbbM was achieved using the broad host-range vector, pRK415, and R. sphaeroides expression vector pRPS-1.

The Calvin cycle enzyme phosphoglycerate kinase of Xanthobacter flavus required for autotrophic CO2 fixation is not encoded by the cbb operon

During autotrophic growth of Xanthobacter flavus, energy derived from the oxidation of hydrogen methanol or formate is used to drive the assimilation of CO2 via the Calvin cycle. The genes encoding the Calvin cycle enzymes are organized in the cbb operon, which is expressed only during autotrophic growth. Although it has been established that the transcriptional activator CbbR is required for the expression of the cbb operon, it is unclear whether CbbR is the only factor contributing to the regulation of the cbb operon. This paper describes the isolation of X. flavus mutants which were affected in the regulation of the cbb operon. One of the mutant strains was subject to an enhanced repression of the cbb operon promoter by the gluconeogenic substrate succinate and in addition failed to grow autotrophically. The rate of growth of the X. flavus mutant on succinate-containing medium was lower than that of the wild-type strain, but rates of growth on medium supplemented with gluconate were identical. A genomic library of X. flavus was constructed and was used to complement the mutant strain. The nucleotide sequence of the DNA fragment required to restore autotrophic growth of the X. flavus mutant was determined. One open reading frame that displayed extensive similarities to phosphoglycerate kinase-encoding genes (pgk) was identified. The X. flavus mutant lacked phosphoglycerate kinase activity following growth on gluconate or succinate. Introduction of the pgk gene into the X. flavus mutant partially restored the activity of phosphoglycerate kinase. Induction of the cbb operon of the X. flavus wild-type strain resulted in a simultaneous and parallel increase in the activities of ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase and phosphoglycerate kinase, whereas the latter activity remained absent in the X. flavus pgk mutant. It is concluded that X. flavus employees a single phosphoglycerate kinase enzyme and this is not encoded within the cbb operon.

Complementation analysis and regulation of CO2 fixation gene expression in a ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase deletion strain of Rhodospirillum rubrum

A ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (RubisCO) deletion strain of Rhodospirillum rubrum that was incapable of photolithoautotrophic growth was constructed. Photoheterotrophic growth, however, was possible for the R. rubrum RubisCO deletion strain when oxidized carbon compounds such as malate were supplied. The R. rubrum RubisCO-deficient strain was not complemented to photolithoautotrophic growth by various R. rubrum DNA fragments that contain the gene encoding RubisCO, cbbM. When the R. rubrum cbbM deletion strain harbored plasmids containing R. rubrum DNA inserts with at least 2.0 kb preceding the translational start site of the cbbM gene, RubisCO activity and RubisCO antigen were detected. Lack of RubisCO expression was therefore not the cause for the failure to complement the cbbM mutant strain. Interestingly, DNA fragments encoding either of two complete Calvin-Benson-Bassham CO2- fixation (cbb) gene operons from Rhodobacter sphaeroides were able to complement the R. rubrum RubisCO deletion strain to photolithoautotrophic growth. The same R. rubrum DNA fragments that failed to complement the R. rubrum cbbM deletion strain successfully complemented the RubisCO deletion strain of R. sphaeroides, pointing to distinct differences in the regulation of metabolism and the genetics of photolithoautotrophic growth in these two organisms. A number of cbb genes were identified by nucleotide sequence analysis of the region upstream of cbbM. Included among these was an open reading frame encoding a cbbR gene showing a high degree of sequence similarity to known lysR-type CO2 fixation transcriptional activator genes. The placement and orientation of the cbbR transcriptional regulator gene in R. rubrum are unique.

The role of an active-site lysyl residue of spinach phosphoribulokinase as explored by site-directed mutagenesis

Based on selective labeling by ATP analogues, Lys68 of the Calvin Cycle enzyme phosphoribulokinase (PRK) from spinach has been assigned to the active-site region [Miziorko et al. (1990), J. Biol. Chem. 265, 3642-3647]. The equivalent position is occupied by lysyl or arginyl residues in the PRK from both prokaryotic and eukaryotic sources, suggesting a requirement for a basic residue at this location. To examine this possibility, we have replaced Lys68 of the spinach enzyme with arginyl, glutaminyl, alanyl, or glutamyl residues by site-directed mutagenesis. All of the mutant enzymes retain substantial kinase activity; and even in the case of the radical substitution by glutamate, the Km values for ATP and ribulose 5-phosphate are not perturbed significantly. Glutamate at position-68 may destabilize tertiary structure, because the yield of this mutant protein from transformed E. coli is quite low compared to that of the other proteins in this series. Despite the active-site proximity of Lys68, our results show that this residue does not play a key role in catalysis or substrate binding.

Isolation and characterization of the nifUSVW-rpoN gene cluster from Rhodobacter sphaeroides

The rpoN gene from Rhodobacter sphaeroides was isolated from a genomic library via complementation of a Rhodobacter capsulatus rpoN mutant. The rpoN gene was located on a 7.5-kb HindIII-EcoRI fragment. A Tn5 insertion analysis of this DNA fragment showed that a minimal DNA fragment of 5.3 kb was required for complementation. Nucleotide sequencing of the complementing region revealed the presence of nifUSVW genes upstream from rpoN. The rpoN gene was mutagenized via insertion of a gene encoding kanamycin resistance. The resulting rpoN mutant was not impaired in diazotrophic growth and was in all respects indistinguishable from the wild-type strain. Southern hybridizations using the cloned rpoN gene as a probe indicated the presence of a second rpoN gene. Deletion of the nifUS genes resulted in strongly reduced diazotrophic growth. Two conserved regions were identified in a NifV LeuA amino acid sequence alignment. Similar regions were found in pyruvate carboxylase and oxaloacetate decarboxylase. It is proposed that these conserved regions represent keto acid-binding sites.

Purification and Molecular and Immunological Characterization of a Unique Phosphoribulokinase from the Green Alga Selenastrum minutum

A unique phosphoribulokinase (ADP:D-ribulose 5-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.19) has been purified to homogeneity from the green alga Selenastrum minutum. The enzyme has a native molecular mass of about 83 kilodaltons and a native isoelectric point of 5.1. The enzyme consists of two different-sized subunits of 41 and 40 kilodaltons, implying that it is a heterodimer. This is the first report of a eukaryotic heterodimeric phosphoribulokinase. The in vivo existence of two nonidentical subunits of S. minutum phosphoribulokinase was confirmed by western blot analysis of crude protein extracts from trichloroacetic acid-killed cells. These two subunits were immunologically similar, as rabbit immunoglobulin G affinity purified against the 41 kilodalton subunit of S. minutum phosphoribulokinase (PRK) cross-reacts with the 40 kilodalton subunit and vice versa. Antibodies against S. minutum phosphoribulokinase also cross-react with the spinach enzyme. NH(2)-terminal sequencing revealed that the two S. minutum PRK subunits shared a considerable degree of structure homology with each other and with the enzymes from spinach and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, but not with PRK from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. There are, however, differences between the NH(2)-terminal amino acid sequences of the two S. minutum PRK subunits, that imply that they are the products of separate genes or products of two different mRNAs spliced from a single gene.

Expression of endogenous and foreign ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (RubisCO) genes in a RubisCO deletion mutant of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

A Rhodobacter sphaeroides ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (RubisCO) deletion strain was constructed that was complemented by plasmids containing either the form I or form II CO2 fixation gene cluster. This strain was also complemented by genes encoding foreign RubisCO enzymes expressed from a Rhodospirillum rubrum RubisCO promoter. In R. sphaeroides, the R. rubrum promoter was regulated, resulting in variable levels of disparate RubisCO molecules under different growth conditions. Photosynthetic growth of the R. sphaeroides deletion strain complemented with cyanobacterial RubisCO revealed physiological properties reflective of the unique cellular environment of the cyanobacterial enzyme. The R. sphaeroides RubisCO deletion strain and R. rubrum promoter system may be used to assess the properties of mutagenized proteins in vivo, as well as provide a potential means to select for altered RubisCO molecules after random mutagenesis of entire genes or gene regions encoding RubisCO enzymes.

Identification and organization of carbon dioxide fixation genes in Xanthobacter flavus H4-14

The genes encoding the large (cfxL) and small (cfxS) subunits of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBisC/O) from Xanthobacter flavus H4-14 were identified and characterized. The RuBisC/O genes are separated by 11 bp and cotranscribed in Escherichia coli from the lac promoter in the order cfxLS. Primer extension and R-loop experiments with RNA isolated from autotrophically grown X. flavus H4-14 showed that transcription of cfxL and cfxS initiated 22 bp upstream from cfxL and resulted in a mRNA of at least 2.3 kb. DNA sequence analysis identified the start of an open reading frame transcribed divergently from cfxL, and displaying significant similarities with genes belonging to the lysR family of transcriptional activators. Downstream from cfxS an additional open reading frame was identified with unknown function. Expression studies showed that the genes encoding fructosebisphosphatase (cfxF) and phosphoribulokinase (cfxP) are located downstream from cfxLS. The cfxF and cfxP genes are cotranscribed in the same direction as cfxLS in the order cfxFP.

Recent studies on the molecular biology and biochemistry of CO2 fixation in phototrophic bacteria

Rhodobacter sphaeroides was found to contain two clusters of chromosomally encoded CO2 fixation structural genes. Recent studies indicate that genes within each cluster are cotranscribed, suggesting that there is a single long transcript for each cluster. All of the genes have been sequenced, homologies noted, specific mutations obtained, and interesting upstream regulatory sequences found. Site-directed mutagenesis studies of the Anacystis rbcS has begun to provide information relative to RubisCO structure and function. In addition, RubisCO-negative strains of photosynthetic bacteria have been constructed to screen for altered RubisCO sequences.

Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase in algae: synthesis, enzymology and evolution

Studies demonstrating differences in chloroplast structure and biochemistry have been used to formulate hypotheses concerning the origin of algal plastids. Genetic and biochemical experiments indicate that significant variation occurs in ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) when supertaxa of eukaryotic algae are compared. These differences include variations in the organelle location of the genes and their arrangement, mechanism of Rubisco synthesis, polypeptide immunological reactivity and sequence, as well as efficacy of substrate (ribulose bisphosphate and CO2) binding and inhibitor (6-phosphogluconate) action. The structure-function relationships observed among chromophytic, rhodophytic, chlorophytic and prokaryotic Rubisco demonstrate that: (a) similarities among chromophytic and rhodophytic Rubisco exist in substrate/inhibitor binding and polypeptide sequence, (b) characteristic differences in enzyme kinetics and subunit polypeptide structure occur among chlorophytes, prokaryotes and chromophytes/rhodophytes, and (c) there is structural variability among chlorophytic plant small subunit polypeptides, in contrast to the conservation of this polypeptide in chromophytes and rhodophytes. Taxa-specific differences among algal Rubisco enzymes most likely reflect the evolutionary history of the plastid, the functional requirements of each polypeptide, and the consequences of encoding the large and small subunit genes in the same or different organelles.

The form II fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and phosphoribulokinase genes form part of a large operon in Rhodobacter sphaeroides: primary structure and insertional mutagenesis analysis

Fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) and phosphoribulokinase (PRK) are two key enzymes of the reductive pentose phosphate pathway or Calvin cycle of photosynthetic carbon dioxide assimilation. Early studies had indicated that the properties of enzymes isolated from photosynthetic bacteria were clearly distinct from those of enzymes obtained from the chloroplasts of higher plants [for a review, see Tabita (1988)]. The eucaryotic enzymes, which are light activated by the thioredoxin/ferredoxin system (Buchanan, 1980), were each shown to contain a putative regulatory amino acid sequence (Marcus et al., 1988; Porter et al., 1988). The enzymes from photosynthetic bacteria are not controlled by the thioredoxin/ferredoxin system but exhibit complex kinetic properties and, in the case of PRK, there is an absolute requirement of NADH for activity. In the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides, the structural genes of the Calvin cycle, including the genes that encode FBPase (fbp) and PRK (prk), are found in two distinct clusters, and the fbp and prk genes are closely associated in each cluster. In the present investigation, we have determined the nucleotide sequence of the fbpB and prkB genes of the form II cluster and have compared the deduced amino acid sequences to previously determined sequences of light-activated enzymes from higher plants and from other eucaryotic and procaryotic sources. In the case of FBPase, there are several regions that are conserved in the R. sphaeroides enzymes, including a protease-sensitive area located in a region equivalent to residues 51-71 of mammalian FBPase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Phosphoribulokinase activity and regulation of CO2 fixation critical for photosynthetic growth of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

The Rhodobacter sphaeroides genome contains two unlinked genetic regions each encoding numerous proteins involved in CO2 fixation which include phosphoribulokinases (prkA and prkB), ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcLS and rbcR) (P. L. Hallenbeck and S. Kaplan, Photosynth. Res. 19:63-71, 1988; F. R. Tabita, Microbiol. Rev. 52:155-189, 1988), and two open reading frames linked to rbcLS and rbcR, namely, cfxA and cfxB, respectively (P. L. Hallenbeck, R. Lerchen, P. Hessler, and S. Kaplan, J. Bacteriol. 172:1736-1748). In this study, we examined the unique role(s) of each phosphoribulokinase activity in the regulation of CO2 fixation. Strains were constructed which contain null mutations in prkA and/or prkB. Studies utilizing these strains suggested that CO2 fixation plays an essential role in attaining the cellular redox balance necessary for photoheterotrophic growth. The presence of an external electron acceptor can negate the requirement for CO2 for photoheterotrophic growth. Each form of phosphoribulokinase and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase was shown to have distinct roles in CO2 metabolism when cells were exposed to extremes in CO2 levels. Evidence is also presented which unequivocally demonstrated that regulation of the expression of the enzymes involved in CO2 metabolism is effective at the transcriptional level. Although the two regions of the DNA involved in CO2 fixation are physically unlinked, each region of the DNA can have a profound effect on the expression of the other region of the DNA.

Synthesis of active Olisthodiscus luteus ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase in Escherichia coli

The ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) large- and small-subunit genes are encoded on the chloroplast genome of the eukaryotic chromophytic alga Olisthodiscus luteus. Northern blot experiments indicate that both genes are co-transcribed into a single (>6 kb) mRNA molecule. Clones from the O. luteus rbc gene region were constructed with deleted 5' non-coding regions and placed under control of the lac promoter, resulting in the expression of high levels of O. luteus Rubisco large and small subunits in Escherichia coli. Sucrose gradient centrifugation of soluble extracts fractionated a minute amount of carboxylase activity that cosedimented with native hexadecameric O. luteus Rubisco. Most of the large subunit synthesized in E. coli appeared insoluble or formed an aggregate with the small subunit possessing an altered charge: mass ratio compared to the native holoenzyme. The presence in O. luteus of a polypeptide that has an identical molecular mass and cross reacts with antiserum generated against pea large-subunit binding protein may indicate that a protein of similar function is required for Rubisco assembly in O. luteus.

Regulation of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase expression in Rhodospirillum rubrum: characteristics of mRNA synthesized in vivo and in vitro

The synthesis of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCase) in Rhodospirillum rubrum was regulated by the CO2 concentration in the culture medium. The specific activity of RuBPCase in cells grown photolithotrophically in low concentrations of CO2 (1.5%) was five to ten times higher than that in cultures grown at high concentrations of CO2 (10%). Increased enzyme activity was reflected by an increase in both RuBPCase mRNA and RuBPCase protein. RuBPCase expression was also studied in vitro with a plasmid-borne genomic clone (pRR117) as the template in a partially defined Escherichia coli system containing either E. coli or R. rubrum RNA polymerase. With both enzymes there was excellent synthesis of RuBPCase mRNA, but no significant synthesis of RuBPCase was detected. The promoter region of the RuBPCase gene was sequenced, and mRNA start sites were mapped. A single major in vivo transcriptional start site was detected in RuBPCase mRNA extracted from R. rubrum. However, transcripts synthesized from pRR117 in vitro or from E. coli transformed with pRR117 started at upstream sites that were different from the in vivo transcription site. Two major features of the RuBPCase promoter region are three 6-base-pair direct repeats and a 31-base-pair region of dyad symmetry.

Cloning and sequencing of cDNA encoding the mature form of phosphoribulokinase from spinach

Phosphoribulokinase (PRK) is a key enzyme in the Calvin cycle of autotrophic organisms. We have constructed a spinach leaf cDNA library in the phage expression vector, lambda gt11, and used a rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against spinach PRK to identify PRK clones. Analyses of the nucleotide sequences of two antibody-positive clones, 1.47 and 1.35 kb in length, showed that they encode a protein which contains the N-terminal amino acid (aa) sequence [Porter et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 245 (1986) 14-23] of mature spinach PRK. The codon for the N-terminal serine of the mature protein occurs 170 bp from the 5' end of the open reading frame (ORF), suggesting that PRK is synthesized with a rather long transit peptide which is removed from the mature enzyme. The ORF, ending with an amber (TAG) codon at position 1054, predicts a mature enzyme of 351 aa with a calculated Mr of 39232.

Molecular and cellular regulation of autotrophic carbon dioxide fixation in microorganisms

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Localization and mapping of CO2 fixation genes within two gene clusters in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Two fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase structural genes (fbpA and fbpB) have been identified within two unlinked gene clusters that were previously shown to contain the Rhodobacter sphaeroides sequences that code for form I and form II ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase and phosphoribulokinase. The fbpA and fbpB genes were localized to a region immediately upstream from the corresponding prkA and prkB sequences and were found to be transcribed in the same direction as the phosphoribulokinase and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase genes based on inducible expression of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase activity directed by the lac promoter. A recombinant plasmid was constructed that contained the tandem fbpA and prkA genes inserted downstream from the lac promoter in plasmid pUC18. Both gene products were expressed in Escherichia coli upon induction of transcription with isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactoside, demonstrating that the two genes can be cotranscribed. A Zymomonas mobilis glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate-dehydrogenase gene (gap) hybridized to a DNA sequence located approximately 1 kilobase upstream from the form II ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase gene. Although no corresponding gap sequence was found within the form I gene cluster, an additional region of homology was detected immediately upstream from the sequences that encode the form I and form II ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenases.

Structural gene regions of Rhodobacter sphaeroides involved in CO2 fixation

From studies conducted in both our laboratory and by Gibson, Tabita and colleagues, as well as drawing on the recent studies with Alcaligenes eutrophus, we describe two genetic regions which have been identified on the chromosome of Rhodobacter sphaeroides which code for a number of enzymes involved in CO2 fixation. One region was found to contain the genes coding for fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (fbpA), phosphoribulokinase (prkA), a 37 kDa polypeptide (cfxA), and form I ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL, S). These genes appear to be expressed in the same transcriptional direction and are tandomly arranged. A second, apparently unlinked region of the chromosome contains a duplicate (with respect to functionality of gene products) but not identical set of these same four genes. Although the gene order in both regions is apparently identical, there is approximately 4 kb of DNA separating the 3'-end of prkB and the beginning of cfxB. The specific genetic organizations and proposed roles of these two genetic regions are discussed.

Transposon mutagenesis and physiological analysis of strains containing inactivated form I and form II ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase genes in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Strains of Rhodobacter sphaeroides (Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides) were constructed such that either the gene encoding form I ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPC-O) or the gene encoding form II RuBPC-O was inactivated. Both strains were capable of photoheterotrophic growth with malate as the electron donor, with only slight differences in growth rate and overall carboxylase specific activity compared with the wild-type strain. Photolithotrophic growth with 1.5% CO2 in hydrogen was also possible for R. sphaeroides strains containing only one of the two RuBPC-O enzyme forms, although the differences in growth rates between wild-type and carboxylase mutant strains were greater under these conditions. These results indicate that the two forms of RuBPC-O are independently regulated. In addition, the regulatory system governing RuBPC-O synthesis may, in some cases, compensate for the lack of the missing enzyme.