Hydrogen production and deuterium-proton exchange reactions catalyzed by Desulfovibrio nickel(II)-substituted rubredoxins

The nickel tetrahedral sulfur-coordinated core formed upon metal replacement of the native iron in Desulfovibrio sp. rubredoxins is shown to mimic the reactivity pattern of nickel-containing hydrogenases with respect to hydrogen production, deuterium-proton exchange, and inhibition by carbon monoxide.

A membrane-bound cytochrome c3: a type II cytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough

A new tetraheme cytochrome c3 was isolated from the membranes of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH). This cytochrome has a molecular mass of 13.4 kDa and a pI of 5.5 and contains four heme c groups with apparent reduction potentials of -170 mV, -235 mV, -260 mV and -325 mV at pH 7.6. The complete sequence of the new cytochrome, retrieved from the preliminary data of the DvH genome, shows that this cytochrome is homologous to the "acidic" cytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio africanus (Da). A model for the structure of the DvH cytochrome was built based on the structure of the Da cytochrome. Both cytochromes share structural features that distinguish them from other cytochrome c3 proteins, such as a solvent-exposed heme 1 surrounded by an acidic surface area, and a heme 4 which lacks most of the surface lysine patch proposed to be the site of hydrogenase interaction in other cytochrome c3 proteins. Furthermore, in contrast to previously discovered cytochrome c3 proteins, the genes coding for these two cytochromes are adjacent to genes coding for two membrane-associated FeS proteins, which indicates that they may be part of membrane-bound oxidoreductase complexes. Altogether these observations suggest that the DvH and Da cytochromes are a new type of cytochrome c3 proteins (Type II: TpII-c3) with different redox partners and physiological function than the other cytochrome c3 proteins (Type I: TpI-c3). The DvH TpII-c3 is reduced at considerable rates by the two membrane-bound [NiFe] and [NiFeSe] hydrogenases, but catalytic amounts of TpI-c3 increase these rates two- and fourfold, respectively. With the periplasmic [Fe] hydrogenase TpII-c3 is reduced much slower than TpI-c3, and no catalytic effect of TpI-c3 is observed.

Conformational component in the coupled transfer of multiple electrons and protons in a monomeric tetraheme cytochrome

Cell metabolism relies on energy transduction usually performed by complex membrane-spanning proteins that couple different chemical processes, e.g. electron and proton transfer in proton-pumps. There is great interest in determining at the molecular level the structural details that control these energy transduction events, particularly those involving multiple electrons and protons, because tight control is required to avoid the production of dangerous reactive intermediates. Tetraheme cytochrome c(3) is a small soluble and monomeric protein that performs a central step in the bioenergetic metabolism of sulfate reducing bacteria, termed "proton-thrusting," linking the oxidation of molecular hydrogen with the reduction of sulfate. The mechano-chemical coupling involved in the transfer of multiple electrons and protons in cytochrome c(3) from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 is described using results derived from the microscopic thermodynamic characterization of the redox and acid-base centers involved, crystallographic studies in the oxidized and reduced states of the cytochrome, and theoretical studies of the redox and acid-base transitions. This proton-assisted two-electron step involves very small, localized structural changes that are sufficient to generate the complex network of functional cooperativities leading to energy transduction, while using molecular mechanisms distinct from those established for other Desulfovibrio sp. cytochromes from the same structural family.

Cooperativity between electrons and protons in a monomeric cytochrome c(3): the importance of mechano-chemical coupling for energy transduction

To fully understand the structural bases for the mechanisms of biological energy transduction, it is essential to determine the microscopic thermodynamic parameters which describe the properties of each centre involved in the reactions, as well as its interactions with the others. These interactions between centres can then be interpreted in the light of structural features of the proteins. Redox titrations of cytochrome c(3) from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 followed by NMR and visible spectroscopy were analysed by using an equilibrium thermodynamic model. The network of homotropic and heterotropic cooperativities results in the coupled transfer of electrons and protons under physiological conditions. The microscopic characterisation allows the identification of several pairs of centres for which there are clear conformational (non-Coulombic) contributions to their coupling energies, thus establishing the existence of localised redox- and acid-base-linked structural modifications in the protein (mechano-chemical coupling). The modulation of interactions between centres observed for this cytochrome may be an important general phenomenon and is discussed in the framework of its physiological function and of the current focus of energy transduction research.

Effect of hydrogen-bond networks in controlling reduction potentials in Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) cytochrome C3 probed by site-specific mutagenesis

Cytochromes C3 isolated from Desulfovibrio spp. are periplasmic proteins that play a central role in energy transduction by coupling the transfer of electrons and protons from hydrogenase. Comparison between the oxidized and reduced structures of cytochrome C3 isolated from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) show that the residue threonine 24, located in the vicinity of heme III, reorients between these two states [Messias, A. C., Kastrau, D. H. W., Costa, H. S., LeGall, J., Turner, D. L., Santos, H., and Xavier, A. V. (1998) J. Mol. Biol. 281, 719-739]. Threonine 24 was replaced with valine by site-directed mutagenesis to elucidate its effect on the redox properties of the protein. The NMR spectra of the mutated protein are very similar to those of the wild type, showing that the general folding and heme core architecture are not affected by the mutation. However, thermodynamic analysis of the mutated cytochrome reveals a large alteration in the microscopic reduction potential of heme III (75 and 106 mV for the protonated forms of the fully reduced and oxidized states, respectively). The redox interactions involving this heme are also modified, while the remaining heme-heme interactions and the redox-Bohr interactions are less strongly affected. Hence, the order of oxidation of the hemes in the mutated cytochrome is different from that in the wild type, and it has a higher overall affinity for electrons. This is consistent with the replacement of threonine 24 by valine preventing the formation of a network of hydrogen bonds, which stabilizes the oxidized state. The mutated protein is unable to perform a concerted two-electron step between the intermediate oxidation stages, 1 and 3, which can occur in the wild-type protein. Thus, replacing a single residue unbalances the global network of cooperativities tuned to control thermodynamically the directionality of the stepwise electron transfer and may affect the functionality of the protein.

Molecular characterization of Desulfovibrio gigas neelaredoxin, a protein involved in oxygen detoxification in anaerobes

Desulfovibrio gigas neelaredoxin is an iron-containing protein of 15 kDa, having a single iron site with a His(4)Cys coordination. Neelaredoxins and homologous proteins are widespread in anaerobic prokaryotes and have superoxide-scavenging activity. To further understand its role in anaerobes, its genomic organization and expression in D. gigas were studied and its ability to complement Escherichia coli superoxide dismutase deletion mutant was assessed. In D. gigas, neelaredoxin is transcribed as a monocistronic mRNA of 500 bases as revealed by Northern analysis. Putative promoter elements resembling sigma(70) recognition sequences were identified. Neelaredoxin is abundantly and constitutively expressed, and its expression is not further induced during treatment with O(2) or H(2)O(2). The neelaredoxin gene was cloned by PCR and expressed in E. coli, and the protein was purified to homogeneity. The recombinant neelaredoxin has spectroscopic properties identical to those observed for the native one. Mutations of Cys-115, one of the iron ligands, show that this ligand is essential for the activity of neelaredoxin. In an attempt to elucidate the function of neelaredoxin within the cell, it was expressed in an E. coli mutant deficient in cytoplasmic superoxide dismutases (sodA sodB). Neelaredoxin suppresses the deleterious effects produced by superoxide, indicating that it is involved in oxygen detoxification in the anaerobe D. gigas.

In the facultative sulphate/nitrate reducer Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774, the nine-haem cytochrome c is part of a membrane-bound redox complex mainly expressed in sulphate-grown cells

The bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 belongs to the group of sulphate reducers also capable of utilising nitrate as its terminal electron acceptor for anaerobic growth. One of the complex multihaem proteins found in nitrate- or sulphate-grown cells of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 is the nine-haem cytochrome c. The present work shows that the gene encoding for Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 nine-haem cytochrome c is part of an operon formed by the gene cluster 9hcA-D. Besides 9hcA, the gene encoding for the nine-haem cytochrome c, genes 9hcB to D encode for a protein containing four [4Fe-4S](2+/1+) centres, for a dihaem transmembrane cytochrome b and for an unknown hydrophobic protein, respectively. The four proteins have a predicted topology that is in accordance with the formation of a membrane-bound redox complex. Furthermore, the transcriptional studies show that not only the expression of the 9HcA-D complex is dependent on the growth phase, but also is markedly increased in sulphate-grown cells.

The genetic organization of Desulfovibrio desulphuricans ATCC 27774 bacterioferritin and rubredoxin-2 genes: involvement of rubredoxin in iron metabolism

The anaerobic bacterium Desulfovibrio desulphuricans ATCC 27774 contains a unique bacterioferritin, isolated with a stable di-iron centre and having iron-coproporphyrin III as its haem cofactor, as well as a type 2 rubredoxin with an unusual spacing of four amino acid residues between the first two binding cysteines. The genes encoding for these two proteins were cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the bacterioferritin shows that it is among the most divergent members of this protein family. Most interestingly, the bacterioferritin and rubredoxin-2 genes form a dicistronic operon, which reflects the direct interaction between the two proteins. Indeed, bacterioferritin and rubredoxin-2 form a complex in vitro, as shown by the significant increase in the anisotropy and decay times of the fluorescence of rubredoxin-2 tryptophan(s) when mixed with bacterioferritin. In addition, rubredoxin-2 donates electrons to bacterioferritin. This is the first identification of an electron donor to a bacterioferritin and shows the involvement of rubredoxin-2 in iron metabolism. Furthermore, analysis of the genomic data for anaerobes suggests that rubredoxins play a general role in iron metabolism and oxygen detoxification in these prokaryotes.

The 'strict' anaerobe Desulfovibrio gigas contains a membrane-bound oxygen-reducing respiratory chain

Sulfate-reducing bacteria are considered as strict anaerobic microorganisms, in spite of the fact that some strains have been shown to tolerate the transient presence of dioxygen. This report shows that membranes from Desulfovibrio gigas grown in fumarate/sulfate contain a respiratory chain fully competent to reduce dioxygen to water. In particular, a membrane-bound terminal oxygen reductase, of the cytochrome bd family, was isolated, characterized, and shown to completely reduce oxygen to water. This oxidase has two subunits with apparent molecular masses of 40 and 29 kDa. Using NADH or succinate as electron donors, the oxygen respiratory rates of D. gigas membranes are comparable to those of aerobic organisms (3.2 and 29 nmol O(2) min(-1) mg protein(-1), respectively). This 'strict anaerobic' bacterium contains all the necessary enzymatic complexes to live aerobically, showing that the relationships between oxygen and anaerobes are much more complex than originally thought.

NMR structure of the haem core of a novel tetrahaem cytochrome isolated from Shewanella frigidimarina: identification of the haem-specific axial ligands and order of oxidation

The tetrahaem cytochrome isolated during anaerobic growth of Shewanella frigidimarina NCIMB400 is a small protein (86 residues) involved in electron transfer to Fe(III), which can be used as a terminal respiratory oxidant by this bacterium. A 3D solution structure model of the reduced form of the cytochrome has been determined using NMR data in order to determine the relative orientation of the haems. The haem core architecture of S. frigidimarina tetrahaem cytochrome differs from that found in all small tetrahaem cytochromes c(3) so far isolated from strict anaerobes, but has some similarity to the N-terminal cytochrome domain of flavocytochrome c(3) isolated from the same bacterium. NMR signals obtained for the four haems of S. frigidimarina tetrahaem cytochrome at all stages of oxidation were cross-assigned to the solution structure using the complete network of chemical exchange connectivities. Thus, the order in which each haem in the structure becomes oxidised was determined.

Analysis of the Desulfovibrio gigas transcriptional unit containing rubredoxin (rd) and rubredoxin-oxygen oxidoreductase (roo) genes and upstream ORFs

Rubredoxin-oxygen oxidoreductase, an 86-kDa homodimeric flavoprotein, is the final component of a soluble electron transfer chain that couples NADH oxidation with oxygen reduction to water from the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas. A 4.2-kb fragment of D. gigas chromosomal DNA containing the roo gene and the rubredoxin gene was sequenced. Additional open reading frames designated as ORF-1, ORF-2, and ORF-3 were also identified in this DNA fragment. ORF-1 encodes a protein exhibiting homology to several proteins of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family of enzymes. The N-terminal coenzyme-binding pattern and the active-site pattern characteristic of short chain dehydrogenase/reductase proteins are conserved in ORF-1 product. ORF-2 does not show any significant homology with any known protein, whereas ORF-3 encodes a protein having significant homologies with the branched-chain amino acid transporter AzlC protein family. Northern blot hybridization analysis with rd and roo-specific probes identified a common 1.5-kb transcript, indicating that these two genes are cotranscribed. The transcription start site was identified by primer extension analysis to be a guanidine 87 bp upstream the ATG start codon of rubredoxin. The transcript size indicates that the rd-roo mRNA terminates downstream the roo-coding unit. Putative -10 and -35 regulator regions of a sigma(70)-type promoter, having similarity with E. coli sigma(70) promoter elements, are found upstream the transcription start site. Rubredoxin-oxygen oxidoreductase and rubredoxin genes are shown to be constitutively and abundantly expressed. Using the data available from different prokaryotic genomes, the rubredoxin genomic organization and the first tentative to understand the phylogenetic relationships among the flavoprotein family are reported in this study.

Structure of a dioxygen reduction enzyme from Desulfovibrio gigas

Desulfovibrio gigas is a strict anaerobe that contains a well-characterized metabolic pathway that enables it to survive transient contacts with oxygen. The terminal enzyme in this pathway, rubredoxin:oxygen oxidoreductase (ROO) reduces oxygen to water in a direct and safe way. The 2.5 A resolution crystal structure of ROO shows that each monomer of this homodimeric enzyme consists of a novel combination of two domains, a flavodoxin-like domain and a Zn-beta-lactamase-like domain that contains a di-iron center for dioxygen reduction. This is the first structure of a member of a superfamily of enzymes widespread in strict and facultative anaerobes, indicating its broad physiological significance.

Correlation of empirical magnetic susceptibility tensors and structure in low-spin haem proteins

Experimental magnetic susceptibility tensors are reported for eight haems c with bis-His coordination. These data, obtained by fitting the dipolar shifts of backbone protons in the tetrahaem cytochromes c(3) from Desulfovibrio vulgaris and D. gigas, are analysed together with published values for other haem proteins. The x and y axes are found to rotate in the opposite sense to the axial ligands and are also counter-rotated with respect to the frontier molecular orbitals of the haem. The magnetic z-axis is close to the normal to the haem plane in each case. The magnitudes of the magnetic anisotropies are used to derive crystal field parameters and the rhombic splitting, V, is correlated with the dihedral angle between the axial ligands. Hence, it is apparent that the axial ligands are the dominant factor in determining the variation in magnetic properties between haems, and it is confirmed that "high g(max)" EPR signals are a reliable indicator of near-perpendicular ligands. These results are in full agreement with the analysis of non-Curie effects and electronic structure in the His-Met coordinated cytochromes c and C(551). Collectively, they show that the orientations of axial ligands to the haem may be estimated from single-crystal EPR data, from (13)C NMR shifts of the haem substituents, or from NMR dipolar shifts of the polypeptide.

Iron-coproporphyrin III is a natural cofactor in bacterioferritin from the anaerobic bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans

A bacterioferritin was recently isolated from the anaerobic sulphate-reducing bacterium Desulfivibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 [Romão et al. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 6841-6849]. Although its properties are in general similar to those of the other bacterioferritins, it contains a haem quite distinct from the haem B, found in bacterioferritins from aerobic organisms. Using visible and NMR spectroscopies, as well as mass spectrometry analysis, the haem is now unambiguously identified as iron-coproporphyrin III, the first example of such a prosthetic group in a biological system. This unexpected finding is discussed in the framework of haem biosynthetic pathways in anaerobes and particularly in sulphate-reducing bacteria.

Characterization of a heme c nitrite reductase from a non-ammonifying microorganism, Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough

A cytochrome c nitrite reductase (NiR) was purified for the first time from a microorganism not capable of growing on nitrate, the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough. It was isolated from the membranes as a large heterooligomeric complex of 760 kDa, containing two cytochrome c subunits of 56 and 18 kDa. This complex has nitrite and sulfite reductase activities of 685 micromol NH(4)(+)/min/mg and 1.0 micromol H(2)/min/mg. The enzyme was studied by UV-visible and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The overall redox behavior was determined through a visible redox titration. The data were analyzed with a set of four redox transitions, with an E(0)' of +160 mV (12% of total absorption), -5 mV (38% of total absorption), -110 mV (38% of total absorption) and -210 mV (12% of total absorption) at pH 7.6. The EPR spectra of oxidized and partially reduced NiR show a complex pattern, indicative of multiple heme-heme magnetic interactions. It was found that D. vulgaris Hildenborough is not capable of using nitrite as a terminal electron acceptor. These results indicate that in this organism the NiR is not involved in the dissimilative reduction of nitrite, as is the case with the other similar enzymes isolated so far. The possible role of this enzyme in the detoxification of nitrite and/or in the reduction of sulfite is discussed.

A bacterioferritin from the strict anaerobe Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774

A bacterioferritin was isolated from the anaerobic bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774, grown with nitrate as the terminal electron acceptor, which is the first example of a bacterioferritin from a strict anaerobic organism. This new bacterioferritin was isolated mainly as a 24-mer of 20 kDa identical subunits, containing 0.5 noncovalently bound heme and 2 iron atoms per monomer. Although its N-terminal sequence is significantly homologous with ferritins from other microorganisms and the ligands to the di-iron ferroxidase center are conserved, it is one of the most divergent bacterioferritins so far characterized. Also, in contrast to all other known bacterioferritins, its heme is not of the B type; its chromatographic behavior is identical to that of iron uroporphyrin. Thus, D. desulfuricans bacterioferritin appears to be the second example of a protein unexpectedly containing this heme cofactor, or a closely related porphyrin, after its finding in Desulfovibrio gigas rubredoxin:oxygen oxidoreductase ¿Timkovich, R., Burkhalter, R. S., Xavier, A. V., Chen, L., and Le Gall, J. (1994) Bioorg. Chem. 22, 284-293. The oxidized form of the protein has a visible spectrum characteristic of low-spin ferric hemes, exhibiting a weak absorption band at 715 nm, indicative of bis-methionine heme axial coordination; upon reduction, the alpha-band appears at 550 nm and a splitting of the Soret band occurs, with two maxima at 410 and 425 nm. The heme center has a reduction potential of 140 +/- 10 mV (pH 7.6), a value unusually high compared to that of other bacterioferritins (ca. -200 mV).

Structural basis for the network of functional cooperativities in cytochrome c(3) from Desulfovibrio gigas: solution structures of the oxidised and reduced states

Cytochrome c(3) is a 14 kDa tetrahaem protein that plays a central role in the bioenergetic metabolism of Desulfovibrio spp. This involves an energy transduction mechanism made possible by a complex network of functional cooperativities between redox and redox/protolytic centres (the redox-Bohr effect), which enables cytochrome c(3) to work as a proton activator. The three-dimensional structures of the oxidised and reduced Desulfovibrio gigas cytochrome c(3) in solution were solved using 2D (1)H-NMR data. The reduced protein structures were calculated using INDYANA, an extended version of DYANA that allows automatic calibration of NOE data. The oxidised protein structure, which includes four paramagnetic centres, was solved using the program PARADYANA, which also includes the structural paramagnetic parameters. In this case, initial structures were used to correct the upper and lower volume restraints for paramagnetic leakage, and angle restraints derived from (13)C Fermi contact shifts of haem moiety substituents were used for the axial histidine ligands. Despite the reduction of the NOE intensities by paramagnetic relaxation, the final family of structures is of similar precision and accuracy to that obtained for the reduced form. Comparison of the two structures shows that, although the global folds of the two families of structures are similar, significant localised differences occur upon change of redox state, some of which could not be detected by comparison with the X-ray structure of the oxidised state: (1) there is a redox-linked concerted rearrangement of Lys80 and Lys90 that results in the stabilisation of haem moieties II and III when both molecules are oxidised or both are reduced, in agreement with the previously measured positive redox cooperativity between these two haem moieties. This cooperativity regulates electron transfer, enabling a two-electron step adapted to the function of cytochromes c(3) as the coupling partner of hydrogenase; and (2) the movement of haem I propionate 13 towards the interior of the protein upon reduction explains the positive redox-Bohr effect, establishing the structural basis for the redox-linked proton activation mechanism necessary for energy conservation, driving ATP synthesis.

Purification and characterization of an iron superoxide dismutase and a catalase from the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas

The iron-containing superoxide dismutase (FeSOD; EC 1.15.1.1) and catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) enzymes constitutively expressed by the strictly anaerobic bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas were purified and characterized. The FeSOD, isolated as a homodimer of 22-kDa subunits, has a specific activity of 1,900 U/mg and exhibits an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum characteristic of high-spin ferric iron in a rhombically distorted ligand field. Like other FeSODs from different organisms, D. gigas FeSOD is sensitive to H(2)O(2) and azide but not to cyanide. The N-terminal amino acid sequence shows a high degree of homology with other SODs from different sources. On the other hand, D. gigas catalase has an estimated molecular mass of 186 +/- 8 kDa, consisting of three subunits of 61 kDa, and shows no peroxidase activity. This enzyme is very sensitive to H(2)O(2) and cyanide and only slightly sensitive to sulfide. The native enzyme contains one heme per molecule and exhibits a characteristic high-spin ferric-heme EPR spectrum (g(y,x) = 6.4, 5.4); it has a specific activity of 4,200 U/mg, which is unusually low for this class of enzyme. The importance of these two enzymes in the context of oxygen utilization by this anaerobic organism is discussed.

The superoxide dismutase activity of desulfoferrodoxin from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774

Desulfoferrodoxin (Dfx), a small iron protein containing two mononuclear iron centres (designated centre I and II), was shown to complement superoxide dismutase (SOD) deficient mutants of Escherichia coli [Pianzzola, M.J., Soubes M. & Touati, D. (1996) J. Bacteriol. 178, 6736-6742]. Furthermore, neelaredoxin, a protein from Desulfovibrio gigas containing an iron site similar to centre II of Dfx, was recently shown to have a significant SOD activity [Silva, G., Oliveira, S., Gomes, C.M., Pacheco, I., Liu, M.Y., Xavier, A.V., Teixeira, M., Le Gall, J. & Rodrigues-Pousada, C. (1999) Eur. J. Biochem. 259, 235-243]. Thus, the SOD activity of Dfx isolated from the sulphate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 was studied. The protein exhibits a SOD activity of 70 U x mg-1, which increases approximately 2.5-fold upon incubation with cyanide. Cyanide binds specifically to Dfx centre II, yielding a low-spin iron species with g-values at 2.27 (g perpendicular) and 1.96 (g parallel). Upon reaction of fully oxidized Dfx with the superoxide generating system xanthine/xanthine oxidase, Dfx centres I and II become partially reduced, suggesting that Dfx operates by a redox cycling mechanism, similar to those proposed for other SODs. Evidence for another SOD in D. desulfuricans is also presented - this enzyme is inhibited by cyanide, and N-terminal sequence data strongly indicates that it is an analogue to Cu,Zn-SODs isolated from other sources. This is the first indication that a Cu-containing protein may be present in a sulphate-reducing bacterium.

Desulfovibrio gigas neelaredoxin. A novel superoxide dismutase integrated in a putative oxygen sensory operon of an anaerobe

Neelaredoxin, a small non-heme blue iron protein from the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas [Chen, L., Sharma, P., LeGall, J., Mariano, A.M., Teixeira M. and Xavier, A.V. (1994) Eur. J. Biochem. 226, 613-618] is shown to be encoded by a polycistronic unit which contains two additional open reading frames (ORF-1 and ORF-2) coding for chemotaxis-like proteins. ORF-1 has domains highly homologous with those structurally and functionally important in methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins, including two putative transmembrane helices, potential methylation sites and the interaction domain with CheW proteins. Interestingly, ORF-2 encodes a protein having homologies with CheW proteins. Neelaredoxin is also shown to have significant superoxide dismutase activity (1200 U. mg-1), making it a novel type of iron superoxide dismutase. Analysis of genomic data shows that neelaredoxin-like putative polypeptides are present in strict anaerobic archaea, suggesting that this is a primordial superoxide dismutase. The three proteins encoded in this operon may be involved in the oxygen-sensing mechanisms of this anaerobic bacterium, indicating a possible transcriptional mechanism to sense and respond to potential stress agents.

Functional and mechanistic studies of cytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio gigas: thermodynamics of a "proton thruster"

Nuclear magnetic resonance and visible spectroscopies were used to determine the thermodynamic parameters of the four hemes in cytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio gigas at 298 and 277 K and to investigate the mechanism of electron/proton energy transduction. Data obtained in the pH range from 5 to 9 were analyzed according to a model in which the hemes interact with each other (redox cooperativities) and with an ionizable center (redox-Bohr cooperativities). The results obtained at the two temperatures allow the deconvolution of the entropic contribution to the free energy of the four hemes, to the acid-base equilibrium of the ionizable center, and to the network of cooperativities among the five centers. The redox potentials of the hemes are modulated by the enthalpic contribution to the free energy, and evidence for the participation of the propionates of heme I in the redox-Bohr effect is presented. The network of interactions between the centers in this protein facilitates the concerted transfer of electrons and protons, in agreement with the "proton thruster" mechanism proposed for electronic to protonic energy transduction by cytochromes c3.

Replacement of lysine 45 by uncharged residues modulates the redox-Bohr effect in tetraheme cytochrome c3 of Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough)

The structural basis for the pH dependence of the redox potential in the tetrahemic Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) cytochrome c3 was investigated by site-directed mutagenesis of charged residues in the vicinity of heme I. Mutation of lysine 45, located in the neighborhood of the propionates of heme I, by uncharged residues, namely threonine, glutamine and leucine, was performed. The replacement of a conserved charged residue, aspartate 7, present in the N-terminal region and near heme I was also attempted. The analysis of the redox interactions as well as the redox-Bohr behavior of the mutated cytochromes c3 allowed the conclusion that residue 45 has a functional role in the control of the pKa of the propionate groups of heme I and confirms the involvement of this residue in the redox-Bohr effect.

Solution structure of Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) ferrocytochrome c3: structural basis for functional cooperativity

Desulfovibrio vulgaris cytochrome c3 is a 14 kDa tetrahaem cytochrome that plays a central role in energy transduction. The three-dimensional structure of the ferrocytochrome at pH 8.5 was solved through two-dimensional 1H-NMR. The structures were calculated using a large amount of experimental information, which includes upper and lower distance limits as well as dihedral angle restraints. The analysis allows for fast-flipping aromatic residues and flexibility in the haem plane. The structure was determined using 2289 upper and 2390 lower distance limits, 63 restricted ranges for the phi torsion angle, 88 stereospecific assignments out of the 118 stereopairs with non-degenerate chemical shifts (74.6%), and 115 out of the 184 nuclear Overhauser effects to fast-flipping aromatic residues (62.5%), which were pseudo-stereospecifically assigned to one or the other side of the ring. The calculated NMR structures are very well defined, with an average root-mean-square deviation value relative to the mean coordinates of 0.35 A for the backbone atoms and 0.70 A for all heavy-atoms. Comparison of the NMR structures of the ferrocytochrome at pH 8.5 with the available X-ray structure of the ferricytochrome at pH 5.5 reveals that the general fold of the molecule is very similar, but that there are some distinct differences. Calculation of ring current shifts for the residues with significantly different conformations confirms that the NMR structures represent better its solution structure in the reduced form. Some of the localised differences, such as a reorientation of Thr24, are thought to be state-dependent changes that involve alterations in hydrogen bond networks. An important rearrangement in the vicinity of the propionate groups of haem I and involving the covalent linkage of haem II suggests that this is the critical region for the functional cooperativities of this protein.

Determination of solution structures of paramagnetic proteins by NMR

Standard procedures for using nuclear Overhauser enhancements (NOE) between protons to generate structures for diamagnetic proteins in solution from NMR data may be supplemented by using dipolar shifts if the protein is paramagnetic. This is advantageous since the electron -nuclear dipolar coupling provides relatively long-range geometric information with respect to the paramagnetic centre which complements the short-range distance constraints NOEs. Several different strategies have been developed to date, but none of these attempts to combine data from NOEs and dipolar shifts in the initial stages of structure calculation or to determine three dimensional protein structures together with their magnetic properties. This work shows that the magnetic and atomic structures are highly correlated and that it is important to have additional constraints both to provide starting parameters for the magnetic properties and to improve the definition of the best fit. Useful parameters can be obtained for haem proteins from Fermi contact shifts; this approach is compared with a new method based on the analysis of dipolar shifts in haem methyl groups with respect to data from horse and tuna ferricytochromes c. The methods developed for using data from NOEs and dipolar shifts have been incorporated in a new computer program, PARADYANA, which is demonstrated in application to a model data set for the sequence of the haem octapeptide known as microperoxidase-8.

Characterisation of a new rubredoxin isolated from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans 27774: definition of a new family of rubredoxins

A new rubredoxin from the sulphate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774, grown with nitrate as terminal electron acceptor, was isolated and characterised. The protein is an 8.5 kDa monomer containing one iron atom per molecule, with a reduction potential of 25 +/- 5 mV at pH 7.6. Like the recombinant Rdl protein from D. vulgaris, expressed in Escherichia coli [Lumpio, H.L., Shenvi, N.V., Garg, R.P., Summers, A.O. and Kurtz, D.M., J. Bacteriol. 179 (1997) 4607-4615], it contains an unusual spacing of four amino acids between the first two of the iron coordinating cysteinyl residues. This difference is reflected in the structure of the iron centre, as observed by visible and EPR spectroscopies. All together, these features make these proteins the first members of a new family of rubredoxins.

Characterization of the [NiFe] hydrogenase from the sulfate reducer Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough

The [NiFe] hydrogenase from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough was isolated from the cytoplasmic membranes and characterized by EPR spectroscopy. It has a total molecular mass of 98.7 kDa (subunits of 66.4 and 32.3 kDa), and contains 1 nickel and 12 Fe atoms per heterodimer. The catalytic activities for hydrogen consumption and production were determined to be 174 and 89 mumol H2.min-1.mg-1, respectively. As isolated, under aerobic conditions, this hydrogenase exhibits EPR signals characteristic of the nickel centers in [NiFe] hydrogenases (Ni-A signal at gx,y,z = 2.32, 2.23 and approximately 2.0 and Ni-B signal at gx,y,z = 2.33, 2.16 and approximately 2.0) as well as an intense quasi-isotropic signal centered at g = 2.02 due to the oxidized [3Fe-4S] center. The redox profile under hydrogen atmosphere is remarkably similar to that of other [NiFe] hydrogenases. The signals observed for the oxidized state disappear, first being substituted by the Ni-C type signal (gx,y,z = 2.19, 2.14, approximately 2.01), which upon long incubation under hydrogen yields the split Ni-C signal due to interaction with the reduced [4Fe-4S] centers.

Studies on the redox centers of the terminal oxidase from Desulfovibrio gigas and evidence for its interaction with rubredoxin

Rubredoxin-oxygen oxidoreductase (ROO) is the final component of a soluble electron transfer chain that couples NADH oxidation to oxygen consumption in the anaerobic sulfate reducer Desulfovibrio gigas. It is an 86-kDa homodimeric flavohemeprotein containing two FAD molecules, one mesoheme IX, and one Fe-uroporphyrin I per monomer, capable of fully reducing oxygen to water. EPR studies on the native enzyme reveal two components with g values at approximately 2.46, 2.29, and 1.89, which are assigned to low spin hemes and are similar to the EPR features of P-450 hemes, suggesting that ROO hemes have a cysteinyl axial ligation. At pH 7.6, the flavin redox transitions occur at 0 +/- 15 mV for the quinone/semiquinone couple and at -130 +/- 15 mV for the semiquinone/hydroquinone couple; the hemes reduction potential is -350 +/- 15 mV. Spectroscopic studies provided unequivocal evidence that the flavins are the electron acceptor centers from rubredoxin, and that their reduction proceed through an anionic semiquinone radical. The reaction with oxygen occurs in the flavin moiety. These data are strongly corroborated by the finding that rubredoxin and ROO are located in the same polycistronic unit of D. gigas genome. For the first time, a clear role for a rubredoxin in a sulfate-reducing bacterium is presented.

Multiheme cytochromes from the sulfur-reducing bacterium Desulfuromonas acetoxidans

Two new multiheme cytochromes were isolated from the anaerobic sulfur reducing bacterium Desulfuromonas acetoxidans. They have monomeric molecular masses of 50 and 65 kDa and contain six and eight hemes, respectively. Visible and EPR spectroscopies, in the as-isolated (oxidised) cytochromes, show the presence of only low-spin hemes in the 50-kDa cytochrome, and of high-spin and low-spin hemes in the 65-kDa cytochrome. The EPR spectra of the native 65-kDa cytochrome indicate multiple heme-heme interactions, including integer-spin systems as judged by parallel-mode EPR. The 50-kDa cytochrome has a complex redox pattern, as shown by EPR redox titrations, and contains one heme with unusual characteristics. Both cytochromes cover an extremely wide range of reduction potentials, which go from +100 mV to -375 mV for the 50-kDa cytochrome, and +185 mV to -235 mV for the 65-kDa cytochrome. The two cytochromes were tested for hydroxylamine oxidoreductase activity and polysulfide reductase activity, but neither displayed any activity. In contrast, it was found for the first time that the previously characterised cytochrome c551.5, from the same bacterium is very active in the reduction of polysulfide, which suggests that it acts as a terminal reductase in D. acetoxidans.

Pathways for utilization of carbon reserves in Desulfovibrio gigas under fermentative and respiratory conditions

The sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas accumulates large amounts of polyglucose as an endogenous carbon and energy reserve. In the absence of exogenous substrates, the intracellular polysaccharide was utilized, and energy was conserved in the process (H. Santos, P. Fareleira, A. V. Xavier, L. Chen, M.-Y. Liu, and J. LeGall, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 195:551-557, 1993). When an external electron acceptor was not provided, degradation of polyglucose by cell suspensions of D. gigas yielded acetate, glycerol, hydrogen, and ethanol. A detailed investigation of the metabolic pathways involved in the formation of these end products was carried out, based on measurements of the activities of glycolytic enzymes in cell extracts, by either spectrophotometric or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) assays. All of the enzyme activities associated with the glycogen cleavage and the Embden-Meyerhof pathway were determined as well as those involved in the formation of glycerol from dihydroxyacetone phosphate (glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and glycerol phosphatase) and the enzymes that catalyze the reactions leading to the production of ethanol (pyruvate decarboxylase and ethanol dehydrogenase). The key enzymes of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway were not detected. The methylglyoxal bypass was identified as a second glycolytic branch operating simultaneously with the Embden-Meyerhof pathway. The relative contribution of these two pathways for polyglucose degradation was 2:3. 13C-labeling experiments with cell extracts using isotopically enriched glucose and 13C-NMR analysis supported the proposed pathways. The information on the metabolic pathways involved in polyglucose catabolism combined with analyses of the end products formed from polyglucose under fermentative conditions provided some insight into the role of NADH in D. gigas. In the presence of electron acceptors, NADH resulting from polyglucose degradation was utilized for the reduction of sulfate, thiosulfate, or nitrite, leading to the formation of acetate as the only carbon end product besides CO2. Evidence supporting the role of NADH as a source of reducing equivalents for the production of hydrogen is also presented.

Use of paramagnetic NMR probes for structural analysis in cytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio vulgaris

The dipolar field generated by each of the four haems in the tetrahaem ferricytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) (c3DvH) is determined by means of a novel procedure. In this method the 13C chemical shifts of the nuclei directly bound to the haems are used to determine the in-plane orientations of the rhombic perturbation in each of the four haems with respect to a model of molecular orbitals of e(g) symmetry which are subject to a rhombic perturbation [Turner, D. L., Salgueiro, C. A., Schenkels, P., LeGall, J. & Xavier, A. V. (1995) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1246, 24-281. These orientations, together with the components of the magnetic susceptibility tensors obtained from the EPR g values and the crystal structure of c3DvH, can be used to calculate the dipolar shifts induced by each haem throughout the protein. Thus the observed 13C paramagnetic shifts of the c3DvH haem substituents were fitted considering both the pseudocontact and contact shifts of each haem simultaneously. The dipolar shifts calculated by this method were tested against the observed dipolar shifts for some amino acid residues strategically placed in the protein and also for the haem propionate groups. The effect of considering the calculated dipolar extrinsic shifts on the behaviour of the chemical shifts of the haem methyl groups in the intermediate stages of oxidation at different pH values was also analysed. The several tests applied to the calculated dipolar shifts have shown that the method is extremely useful for predicting chemical shifts as an aid to complete proton assignment, and to add further constraints in the refinement of solution structures of paramagnetic proteins and hence to probe subtle structural rearrangements around the haem pocket.

Assignment of the ligand geometry and redox potentials of the trihaem ferricytochrome c3 from Desulfuromonas acetoxidans

Cytochrome c551.5 is a trihaem cytochrome of the cytochrome c3 family isolated from Desulfuromonas acetoxidans. Although several X-ray structures are available for tetrahaem cytochromes of this family, there is no X-ray structure for trihaem cytochromes. Cytochrome C551.5 was studied in the oxidized form by means of two-dimensional NMR. The pattern of observed interhaem NOESY connectivities is in agreement with the haem core structure previously determined by NMR for the reduced protein [Coutinho, I. B., Turner, D. L., Liu, M. Y., LeGall, J. & Xavier, A. V. (1996) J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 1, 305-311]. The similarities found between the haem core structure and the amino acid sequence of cytochrome c551.5 and those of tetrahaem cytochromes c3 allows each of the haems to be specifically assigned in the polypeptide sequence, and the attribution of the midpoint redox potentials to the individual haems. This also allows individual redox potentials to be assigned to each haem in the NMR spectrum. The paramagnetic shifts of the 13C resonances of the haem substituents were analyzed in terms of pi molecular orbitals with perturbed D4h symmetry. The parameters of this analysis have been shown to be controlled by the orientation of the axial ligands in several other bis-His-coordinated haems and hence the ligand geometry was deduced for cytochrome C551.5. The structural analogy between the relative haem plane orientations in cytochrome c551.5 and the tetrahaem cytochromes c3 is found to extend to the axial ligands with the largest differences being in the vicinity of the deleted fourth haem, using the numbering of cytochrome c3 haems.

NMR studies of cooperativity in the tetrahaem cytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio vulgaris

The thermodynamic properties of the Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) tetrahaem cytochrome c3 (Dvc3) are rationalised by a model which involves both homotropic (e-/e-) and heterotropic (e-/H+) cooperativity. The paramagnetic shifts of a methyl group from each haem of the Dvc3 have been determined in each stage of oxidation at several pH values by means of two-dimensional exchange NMR. The thermodynamic parameters are obtained by fitting the model to the NMR data and to redox titrations followed by visible spectroscopy. They show significant positive cooperativity between two of the haems whereas the remaining interactions appear to be largely electrostatic in origin. These parameters imply that the protein undergoes a proton-assisted two-electron transfer which can be used for energy transduction. Comparison with the crystal structure together with measurement of the kinetics of proton exchange suggest that the pH dependence is mediated by a charged residue(s) readily acessible to the solvent and close to haem I.

Nitrite reductase from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (ATCC 27774)--a heterooligomer heme protein with sulfite reductase activity

The membrane bound cytochrome c nitrite reductase from the sulfate reducer Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (ATCC 27774) was found to have a high specific activity in the reduction of sulfite, producing stoichiometric amounts of sulfide. The K(m) for sulfite in the MV+.:sulfite oxidoreductase assay is 0.75 mM, and the specific activity 2.06 mumolH2/min/mg. Visible and EPR spectroscopies studies indicate that the enzyme high-spin heme reacts with sulfite in the oxidised state, and that sulfide partially reduces the enzyme. The redoxcycled enzyme, using H2/Hydrogenase/MV+. as a reductant, is identical to the resting enzyme. This is the first time that a c-type nitrite reductase has been shown to reduce sulfite. These findings, besides revealing a new function for the nitrite reductase, raise a major question regarding the sulfur metabolism in the sulfate reducing bacteria as well as the cellular localization of the enzymatic activities involved in the dissimilatory reduction of sulfate. The purified nitrite reductase is a heterooligomer, containing two types of subunits of 62 kDa (+/- 5 kDa) and 18.8 kDa (+/- 1 kDa), and forms a complex or aggregate with a molecular mass of approximately 750 kDa.

Structural and functional characterization of cytochrome c3 from D. desulfuricans ATCC 27774 by 1H-NMR

Cooperativity between redox and protonation centres is known to be crucial for the function of complex proteins, but it is often difficult to describe in terms of thermodynamic parameters. Cytochrome c3 is a good model for these studies since, while retaining the overall complexity of larger systems, it is suitable for detailed crystallographic and spectroscopic studies. Assignment of the haem substituent NMR resonances, together with NMR redox titrations of cytochrome c3 from D. desulfuricans ATCC 27774, was used to correlate relative redox potentials to specific haems in the structure: haem II approximately equal to haem I < haem IV < haem III. This order is different from that determined for the homologous proteins studied and in disagreement with that previously reported for this cytochrome (Morais, J., Palma, N., Frazäo, C., Caldeira, J., LeGall, J., Moura, I., Moura, J.J.G. and Carrondo, M.A. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 12830-12841).

Malate Metabolism by Desulfovibrio gigas and its Link to Sulfate and Fumarate Reduction: Purification of the Malic Enzyme and Detection of NAD(P)+ Transhydrogenase Activity

Malate metabolism was investigated in lactate grown cells of Desulfovibrio gigas ; 3 mol of malate are converted into 2 mol succinate and 1 mol acetate. The malic enzyme (L-malate:NADP+ oxidoreductase) was purified to homogeneity and partially characterized. The enzyme is monomeric with molecular weight of 45 kDa. Its spectrum has no visible absorption and the activity is stimulated by K+ and Mg2+. The presence of an NAD(P)+ transhydrogenase, the observation of partial reduction of adenylylsulfate reductase by NADH (via NADH-rubredoxin oxidoreductase) and evidence for NADH-linked fumarate reductase activity support the involvement of pyridine nucleotides in the electron pathway toward the reduction of sulfur compounds and/or fumarate. An electron transfer chain to fumarate is proposed, taking into consideration these results and the stoichiometry of end-products derived from malate dismutation.

NMR studies and redox titration of the tetraheme cytochrome c3 from Desulfomicrobium baculatum. Identification of the low-potential heme

The tetraheme cytochromes c3 isolated from two strains of Desulfomicrobium baculatum were studied by monitoring the spectral changes undergone during redox titrations followed by 1H NMR. The evolution of the three-protein intensity signals at low field allowed the partial identification of the heme methyl resonances in the spectrum of the fully oxidized state. The chemical shift variation shown by the protons of the aromatic sidechains as well as of the substituents of the higher-potential heme HIII [Coutinho, I. B., Turner, D. L., LeGall, J. & Xavier, A. V. (1993) Biochem. J. 294, 899-908] yielded the assignment of the lower midpoint redox potential to heme HII in the three-dimensional structure. This cross-assignment is achieved by comparing the chemical shifts of the resonances in the spectra obtained at intermediate oxidation levels with the pseudocontact shifts predicted to arise from the three lower-potential hemes. The cross-assignment for the cytochromes from these two strains is different from that of the cytochromes from Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Desulfovibrio gigas.

Carbon-13 NMR studies of the influence of axial ligand orientation on haem electronic structure

Three-quarters of the carbon-13 resonances of nuclei attached to the four haems of Desulfovibrio vulgaris ferricytochrome c3 are assigned. Preliminary analysis of their Fermi contact interactions shows that the shifts are directly related to the orientation of both of the axial histidine ligands in each case and the approach can therefore be used to obtain structural information in other cytochromes with bis-histidinyl coordination. The implications for the control of redox potential in cytochromes are discussed.

A blue non-heme iron protein from Desulfovibrio gigas

A novel iron-containing blue protein, named neelaredoxin, was isolated from the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas. It is a monomeric protein with a molecular mass of 15 kDa containing two iron atoms/molecule. The N-terminal sequence of neelaredoxin has similarity to the second domain of desulfoferrodoxin, a protein purified from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough. This finding supports the hypothesis that the gene coding for desulfoferrodoxin (rbo) might have arisen from a gene fusion [Brumlik, M. J., Leroy, G., Bruschi, M. & Voordouw, G. (1990) J. Bacteriol. 172, 7289-7292]. The visible spectrum exhibits a single band at 666 nm, responsible for the blue color of the protein, which is completely bleached upon reduction with sodium ascorbate. In the oxidized state the EPR spectrum is complex, exhibiting well-resolved features at g = 7.6, 7.0, 5.9, and 5.8 which are assigned to two high-spin (S = 5/2) mononuclear-iron (III) centers with different rhombic distortions (E/D approximately 0.05 and approximately 0.08). The two iron atoms contribute identically to the visible spectrum as judged from visible redox titrations, from which a reduction potential of +190 mV was determined for both iron sites at pH 7.5. At high pH the visible and the EPR spectra become pH-dependent with a pKa above 9: the 666-nm band shifts to 590 nm and the EPR signals are converted into a signal with gmax approximately 4.7. Neelaredoxin is readily reduced both by H2/hydrogenase/cytochrome c3 and by NADH/NADH-rubredoxin oxidoreductase.

Purification, characterization and properties of an NADH oxidase from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) and its coupling to adenylyl phosphosulfate reductase

An NADH oxidase was purified from Desulfovibrio vulgaris. This FMN-containing enzyme reacts with oxygen forming hydrogen peroxide with a specific activity of 0.21 mumoles.min-1.mg-1. The molecular weight of the protein was determined to be 65 kDa on 12.5% SDS/PAGE. It shows very low NADH: rubredoxin oxidoreductase activity specifically towards the rubredoxin from the same organism. However, adenylyl phosphosulfate reductase can be fully reduced by NADH with the purified enzyme, suggesting that NADH could be an electron donor for respiratory sulfate reduction.

Homotropic and heterotropic cooperativity in the tetrahaem cytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio vulgaris

The thermodynamic parameters which govern the homotropic (e-/e-) and heterotropic (e-/H+) cooperativity in the tetrahaem cytochrome c3 isolated from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) were determined, using the paramagnetic shifts of haem methyl groups in the NMR spectra of intermediate oxidized states at different pH levels. A model is put forward to explain how the network of positive and negative cooperativities between the four haems and acid/base group(s) enables the protein to achieve a proton-assisted 2e- step.

Isolation and characterization of a high molecular weight cytochrome from the sulfate reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas

A high molecular weight c-type cytochrome (Hmc) was purified and characterized from Desulfovibrio gigas. The molecular weight was estimated to be 67 kDa by SDS-PAGE and its N-terminus is homologous to those of the 16 hemes containing high molecular weight cytochrome c from Desulfovibrio vulgaris strains Hildenborough and Miyazaki. The purified hemoprotein shows c-type cytochrome absorption spectrum with e533 (red) = 368 mM-1.cm-1. A band at 640 nm, characteristic of high-spin hemes, was detected. The EPR spectra show the presence of two high-spin heme species, plus several non-equivalent low-spin hemes. The heme reduction potentials, at pH 7.6, range from -50 mV to -315 mV. In contrast to what has been described for D. vulgaris Hmc, the protein isolated from D. gigas directly accepts electrons from hydrogenase and further reduces other redox proteins.

Localization and specificity of cytochromes and other electron transfer proteins from sulfate-reducing bacteria

Recently data have accumulated concerning the electron transfer chains of sulfate-reducing bacteria in general and of the genus Desulfovibrio in particular. Because of the ever growing number of newly discovered individual redox proteins, it has become essential to try to assign them to physiologically relevant chains. This work presents some new data concerning the localization of these proteins within the bacterial cell and the specificity of electron transfer between the three types of hydrogenases which have been found so far in Desulfovibrio, namely the iron-only, the iron-nickel and the iron-nickel-selenium enzymes. The iron-only hydrogenase reduces cytochromes which have bis-histidinyl heme ligation or histidinyl-methionyl heme ligation. In contrast, the iron-nickel and iron-nickel-selenium hydrogenases cannot reduce cytochromes having a His-Met heme ligation, but are very active toward the cytochromes having a bis-histidinyl ligand. This observation has been used to demonstrate that the tetraheme cytochrome c3 can exchange electrons with the monoheme cytochrome c553. No clear specificity has been established for the reaction of hydrogenases toward the hexadecaheme cytochromes from either D vulgaris or D gigas.

Aerobic metabolism of carbon reserves by the "obligate anaerobe" Desulfovibrio gigas

The sulfate-reducing bacterium, Desulfovibrio gigas, is shown by in vivo 31P-NMR to be capable of generating NTP from the utilization of internal carbon reserves both in anaerobic and in aerobic conditions. Acetate, glycerol and ethanol are the major end-products, but the production of alcohols decreases strongly when oxygen is present. When the glycolytic pathway is inhibited with fluoride, NTP levels decrease drastically but can be remarkably restored when an electron acceptor, such as oxygen, is provided. Our data are in favour of a NADH-linked electron transfer chain enabling transfer of reducing power derived from polyglucose to oxygen which provides this so-called "strict anaerobe" with the capability of surviving to oxic environments.

Characterization of the structure and redox behaviour of cytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio baculatus by 1H-nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy

Complete assignment of the aromatic and haem proton resonances in the cytochromes c3 isolated from Desulfovibrio baculatus strains (Norway 4, DSM 1741) and (DSM 1743) was achieved using one- and two-dimensional 1H n.m.r. Nuclear Overhauser enhancements observed between haem and aromatic resonances and between resonances due to different haems, together with the ring-current contributions to the chemical shifts of haem resonances, support the argument that the haem core architecture is conserved in the various cytochromes c3, and that the X-ray structure of the D. baculatus cytochrome c3 is erroneous. The relative orientation of the haems for both cytochromes was determined directly from n.m.r. data. The n.m.r. structures have a resolution of approximately 0.25 nm and are found to be in close agreement with the X-ray structure from D. vulgaris cytochrome c3. The proton assignments were used to relate the highest potential to a specific haem in the three-dimensional structure by monitoring the chemical-shift variation of several haem resonances throughout redox titrations followed by 1H n.m.r. The haem with highest redox potential is not the same as that in other cytochromes c3.