Two chlorocatechol catabolic gene modules on plasmid pJP4

Genetic redundancy of 4-hydroxybenzoate 3-hydroxylase genes ensures the catabolic safety of Pigmentiphaga sp. H8 in 3-bromo-4-hydroxybenzoate-contaminated habitats

Genetic redundancy is prevalent in organisms and plays important roles in the evolution of biodiversity and adaptation to environmental perturbation. However, selective advantages of genetic redundancy in overcoming metabolic disturbance due to structural analogues have received little attention. Here, functional divergence of the three 4-hydroxybenzoate 3-hydroxylase (PHBH) genes (phbh1~3) was found in Pigmentiphaga sp. strain H8. The genes phbh1/phbh2 were responsible for 3-bromo-4-hydroxybenzoate (3-Br-4-HB, an anthropogenic pollutant) catabolism, whereas phbh3 was primarily responsible for 4-hydroxybenzoate (4-HB, a natural intermediate of lignin) catabolism. 3-Br-4-HB inhibited 4-HB catabolism by competitively binding PHBH3, and was toxic to strain H8 cells especially at high concentrations. The existence of phbh1/phbh2 not only enabled strain H8 to utilize 3-Br-4-HB, but also ensured the catabolic safety of 4-HB. Molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis analyses revealed that Val199 and Phe384 of PHBH1/PHBH2 were required for the hydroxylation activity towards 3-Br-4-HB. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that phbh1 and phbh2 originated from a common ancestor and evolved specifically in strain H8 to adapt to 3-Br-4-HB-contaminated habitats, whereas phbh3 evolved independently. This study deepens our understanding of selective advantages of genetic redundancy in prokaryote's metabolic robustness and reveals the factors driving the divergent evolution of redundant genes in adaptation to environmental perturbation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Desulfitobacterium contributes to the microbial transformation of 2,4,5-T by methanogenic enrichment cultures from a Vietnamese active landfill

The herbicide 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) was a major component of Agent Orange, which was used as a defoliant in the Vietnam War. Little is known about its degradation under anoxic conditions. Established enrichment cultures using soil from an Agent Orange bioremediation plant in southern Vietnam with pyruvate as potential electron donor and carbon source were shown to degrade 2,4,5-T via ether cleavage to 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (2,4,5-TCP), which was further dechlorinated to 3,4-dichlorophenol. Pyruvate was initially fermented to hydrogen, acetate and propionate. Hydrogen was then used as the direct electron donor for ether cleavage of 2,4,5-T and subsequent dechlorination of 2,4,5-TCP. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing indicated the presence of bacteria and archaea mainly belonging to the Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes, Chloroflexi and Euryarchaeota. Desulfitobacterium hafniense was identified as the dechlorinating bacterium. Metaproteomics of the enrichment culture indicated higher protein abundances of 60 protein groups in the presence of 2,4,5-T. A reductive dehalogenase related to RdhA3 of D. hafniense showed the highest fold change, supporting its function in reductive dehalogenation of 2,4,5-TCP. Despite an ether-cleaving enzyme not being detected, the inhibition of ether cleavage but not of dechlorination, by 2-bromoethane sulphonate, suggested that the two reactions are catalysed by different organisms.

Two structurally different dienelactone hydrolases (TfdEI and TfdEII) from Cupriavidus necator JMP134 plasmid pJP4 catalyse cis- and trans-dienelactones with similar efficiency

In this study, dienelactone hydrolases (TfdEI and TfdEII) located on plasmid pJP4 of Cupriavidus necator JMP134 were cloned, purified, characterized and three dimensional structures were predicted. tfdEI and tfdEII genes were cloned into pET21b vector and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3). The enzymes were purified by applying ultra-membrane filtration, anion-exchange QFF and gel-filtration columns. The enzyme activity was determined by using cis-dienelactone. The three-dimensional structure of enzymes was predicted using SWISS-MODEL workspace and the biophysical properties were determined on ExPASy server. Both TfdEI and TfdEII (M_r 25 kDa) exhibited optimum activity at 37°C and pH 7.0. The enzymes retained approximately 50% of their activity after 1 h of incubation at 50°C and showed high stability against denaturing agents. The TfdEI and TfdEII hydrolysed cis-dienelactone at a rate of 0.258 and 0.182 µMs⁻¹, with a K_m value of 87 µM and 305 µM, respectively. Also, TfdEI and TfdEII hydrolysed trans-dienelactone at a rate of 0.053 µMs⁻¹ and 0.0766 µMs⁻¹, with a K_m value of 84 µM and 178 µM, respectively. The TfdEI and TfdEII k_cat/K_m ratios were 0.12 µM⁻¹s⁻¹and 0.13 µM⁻¹s⁻¹ and 0.216 µM⁻¹s⁻¹ and 0.094 µM⁻¹s⁻¹ for for cis- and trans-dienelactone, respectively. The k_cat/K_m ratios for cis-dienelactone show that both enzymes catalyse the reaction with same efficiency even though K_m value differs significantly. This is the first report to characterize and compare reaction kinetics of purified TfdEI and TfdEII from Cupriavidus necator JMP134 and may be helpful for further exploration of their catalytic mechanisms.

The biomass yielding process of xenobiotic degradation

Yields of activated sludge and an Arthrobacter sp. biomass on organic xenobiotic 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and on the intermediates of selected 2,4-D metabolism pathways were measured. Activated sludge yield on 2,4-D was lower by approximately 24-45% compared to the combined yields produced separately by the lower intermediates. For activated sludge, cell synthesis only consumed 33% of the electrons generated from 2,4-D oxidation, while the other 67% were used for energy. The high energy consumption, which was the primary cause of low activated sludge yield from 2,4-D degradation, occurred mainly in the catabolism of 2,4-D. The degrader sludge supplied this catabolism energy demand with the ATP contained in the biomass. As a result, the sludge's ATP contents suffered a deficit that was not fully remunerated after 2,4-D was degraded. Metabolism of the lower intermediates provided materials for further biomass growth and refilled part of the energy initially consumed.

Degradation of alkanes and highly chlorinated benzenes, and production of biosurfactants, by a psychrophilic Rhodococcus sp. and genetic characterization of its chlorobenzene dioxygenase

Rhodococcus sp. strain MS11 was isolated from a mixed culture. It displays a diverse range of metabolic capabilities. During growth on 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene (1,2,4,5-TeCB) and 3-chlorobenzoate stoichiometric amounts of chloride were released. It also utilized all three isomeric dichlorobenzenes and 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene as the sole carbon and energy source. Furthermore, the bacterium grew well on a great number of n-alkanes ranging from n-heptane to n-triacontane and on the branched alkane 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane (pristane) and slowly on n-hexane and n-pentatriacontane. It was able to grow at temperatures from 5 to 30 °C, with optimal growth at 20 °C, and could tolerate 6 % NaCl in mineral salts medium. Genes encoding the initial chlorobenzene dioxygenase were detected by using a primer pair that was designed against the α-subunit (TecA1) of the chlorobenzene dioxygenase of Ralstonia (formerly Burkholderia) sp. strain PS12. The amino acid sequence of the amplified part of the α-subunit of the chlorobenzene dioxygenase of Rhodococcus sp. strain MS11 showed >99 % identity to the α-subunit of the chlorobenzene dioxygenase from Ralstonia sp. strain PS12 and the parts of both α-subunits responsible for substrate specificity were identical. The subsequent enzymes dihydrodiol dehydrogenase and chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase were induced in cells grown on 1,2,4,5-TeCB. During cultivation on medium-chain-length n-alkanes ranging from n-decane to n-heptadecane, including 1-hexadecene, and on the branched alkane pristane, strain MS11 produced biosurfactants lowering the surface tension of the cultures from 72 to ⩽29 mN m−1. Glycolipids were extracted from the supernatant of a culture grown on n-hexadecane and characterized by 1H- and 13C-NMR-spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The two major components consisted of α,α-trehalose esterified at C-2 or C-4 with a succinic acid and at C-2′ with a decanoic acid. They differed from one another in that one 2,3,4,2′-trehalosetetraester, found in higher concentration, was esterified at C-2, C-3 or C-4 with one octanoic and one decanoic acid and the other one, of lower concentration, with two octanoic acids. The results demonstrate that Rhodococcus sp. strain MS11 may be well suited for bioremediation of soils and sediments contaminated for a long time with di-, tri- and tetrachlorobenzenes as well as alkanes.