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Utilization of nitrogen compounds and ammonia assimilation by Chromatiaceae.

Chromatium vinosum strain D, Thiocapsa roseopersicina strain 6311 and Ectothiorhodospira mobilis strain 8112 were grown anaerobically in the light with various single nitrogen sources. When substituted for NH4Cl only glutamine and casamino acids supported good growth of all strains tested. Peptone and urea were utilized by C. vinosum and T. roseopersicina, glutamate, asparagine and nitrate only by C. vinosum. The strains were able to grow with molecular nitrogen; complete inhibition of this growth was observed in the presence of alanine with E. mobilis, and of alanine or asparagine with T. roseopersicina. Glutamate dehydrogenase, requiring either NADH or NADPH, NADH-linked glutamate synthase, and glutamine synthetase were demonstrated in the above organisms grown on NH4Cl.

Amino Acids↗

Evolution of photosystems of photosynthetic organisms.

It is generally accepted that two photosystems function successively in photosynthetic electron transport chain of plants and algae. The interaction of these photosystems results in the enhancement of photosynthesis. It was suggested that only one photosystem is present in purple bacteria, the most primitive photosynthetic organisms. The functioning of this photosystem is accompanied by absorption changes at 890 nm. Recently new spectral changes were found in Chramatium chromatophores under reductive conditions, more favorable for bacterial growth. Some of that spectral changes take place even at liquid nitrogen temperature. It is proposed these absorption changes could be related to other photosystem functioning in low potential region. Such a photosystem is necessary for reduction of NAD in Chromatium, for which the reverse electron transport to NAD was not shown. In contrast to photosystems of plants, the bacterial photosystems appear to function independently because the enhancement of bacterial photosynthesis is not found. Apparently the evolution of photosystems involved interaction between independent photosystmes, one of them functioning under more oxidative conditions.

Bacterial Chromatophores↗

The microbial community at Laguna Figueroa, Baja California Mexico: from miles to microns.

Laguna Figueroa is a lagoonal complex on the Pacific coast of the Baja California penisula 200 km south of the Mexican-United States border. The hypersaline lagoon is 16 km long and 2-3 km wide with a salt marsh and evaporite flat and is separated from the ocean by a barrier dune and beach. At the salt marsh-evaporite flat interface a stratified microbial community dominated by Microcoleus chthonoplastes is depositing laminated sediments. Similar stratiform deposits with associated microbial mat communities have been found in cherts of the Fig Tree Group, South Africa which are 3.4 GE in age. Heavy rains in the winters of 1978-1979 and 1979-1980 flooded the evaporite flat with 1-3 meters of meteoric water and buried the laminated sediment under 5-10 cm of siliciclastic and clay sediment. These flooding events had a dramatic effect on the composition of the mat community. The Microcoleus dominated community, with species of Chloroflexus sp. and an Ectothiorhodospira-like filamentous purple phototroph, disappeared leaving a community dominated by the purple phototrophs Chromatium sp. and Thiocapsa sp. Recolonization of the surface by species of the cyanobacteria Oscillatoria sp. and Spirulina sp. preceded the return of the Microcoleus community. Field conditions were monitored by ground based observations and supplemented with LandSat and Skylab imagery. The microbial community was studied with light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The change in dominating microbial species was correlated with the episodes of flooding.

Bacteria↗

The evolution of glutathione metabolism in phototrophic microorganisms.

Of the many roles ascribed to glutathione (GSH) the one most clearly established is its role in the protection of higher eucaryotes against oxygen toxicity through destruction of thiol-reactive oxygen byproducts. If this is the primary function of GSH then GSH metabolism should have evolved during or after the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. That many bacteria do not produce GSH is consistent with this view. In the present study we have examined the low-molecular-weight thiol composition of a variety of phototrophic microorganisms to ascertain how evolution of GSH production is related to evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. Cells were extracted in the presence of monobromobimane (mBBr) to convert thiols to fluorescent derivatives, which were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Significant levels of GSH were not found in the green bacteria (Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum and Chloroflexus aurantiacus). Substantial levels of GSH were present in the purple bacteria (Chromatium vinosum, Rhodospirillum rubrum, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, and Rhodocyclus gelatinosa), the cyanobacteria [Anacystis nidulans, Microcoleus chthonoplastes S.G., Nostoc muscorum, Oscillatoria amphigranulata, Oscillatoria limnetica, Oscillatoria sp. (Stinky Spring, Utah), Oscillatoria terebriformis, Plectonema boryanum, and Synechococcus lividus], and eucaryotic algae (Chlorella pyrenoidsa, Chlorella vulgaris, Euglena gracilis, Scenedesmus obliquus, and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii). Other thiols measured included cysteine, gamma-glutamylcysteine, thiosulfate, coenzyme A, and sulfide; several unidentified thiols were also detected. Many of the organisms examined also exhibited a marked ability to reduce mBBr to syn-(methyl,methyl)bimane, an ability that was quenched by treatment with 2-pyridyl disulfide or 5,5'-bisdithio-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) prior to reaction with mBBr. These observations indicate the presence of a reducing system capable of electron transfer to mBBr and reduction of reactive disulfides. The distribution of GSH in phototrophic eubacteria indicates that GSH synthesis evolved at or around the time that oxygenic photosynthesis evolved.

Bacteria↗

Evolution of antioxidant mechanisms: thiol-dependent peroxidases and thioltransferase among procaryotes.

Glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase both utilize glutathione (GSH) to destroy organic hydroperoxides, and these enzymes are thought to serve an antioxidant function in mammalian cells by catalyzing the destruction of lipid hydroperoxides. Only two groups of procaryotes, the purple bacteria and the cyanobacteria, produce GSH, and we show in the present work that representatives from these two groups (Escherichia coli, Beneckea alginolytica, Rhodospirillum rubrum, Chromatium vinosum, and Anabaena sp. strain 7119) lack significant glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase activities. This finding, coupled with the general absence of polyunsaturated fatty acids in procaryotes, suggests that GSH-dependent peroxidases evolved in eucaryotes in response to the need to protect against polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation. A second antioxidant function of GSH is mediated by glutathione thioltransferase, which catalyzes the reduction of various cellular disulfides by GSH. Two of the five GSH-producing bacteria studied (E. coli and B. alginolytica) produced higher levels of glutathione thioltransferase than found in rat liver, whereas the activity was absent in the other three species studied. The halobacteria produce gamma-glutamylcysteine rather than GSH, and assays for gamma-glutamylcysteine-dependent enzymes demonstrated an absence of peroxidase and S-transferase activities but the presence of significant thioltransferase activity. Based upon these results it appears that GSH and gamma-glutamylcysteine do not function in bacteria as antioxidants directed against organic hydroperoxides but do play a significant, although not universal, role in maintaining disulfides in a reduced state.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antioxidants↗

Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 possesses a two-component polyhydroxyalkanoic acid synthase similar to that of anoxygenic purple sulfur bacteria.

During cultivation under storage conditions with BG11 medium containing acetate as a carbon source, Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 accumulated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) up to 10% (w/w) of the cell dry weight. Our analysis of the complete Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 genome sequence, which had recently become available, revealed that not only the open reading frame slr1830 (which was designated as phaC) but also the open reading frame slr1829, which is located colinear and upstream of phaC, most probably represent a polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA) synthase gene. The open reading frame slr1829 was therefore designated as phaE. The phaE and phaC gene products exhibited striking sequence similarities to the corresponding PHA synthase subunits PhaE and PhaC of Thiocystis violacea, Chromatium vinosum, and Thiocapsa pfennigii. The Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 genes were cloned using PCR and were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and in Alcaligenes eutrophus. Only coexpression of phaE and phaC partially restored the ability to accumulate poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) in the PHA-negative mutant A. eutrophus PHB-4. These results confirmed our hypothesis that coexpression of the two genes is necessary for the synthesis of a functionally active Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 PHA synthase. PHA granules were detected by electron microscopy in these cells, and the PHA-granule-associated proteins were studied. Western blot analysis of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 crude cellular extracts and of granule-associated proteins employing antibodies raised against the PHA synthases of A. eutrophus (PhaC) and of C. vinosum (PhaE and PhaC) revealed no immunoreaction.

Acyltransferases↗

Exploitation of butyrate kinase and phosphotransbutyrylase from Clostridium acetobutylicum for the in vitro biosynthesis of poly(hydroxyalkanoic acid).

Active butyrate kinase (Buk) and phosphotransbutyrylase (Ptb) were purified in three steps: ammonium sulfate precipitation, hydrophobic chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose and affinity chromatography on Matrex Red A from recombinant Escherichia coli K2006 (pJC7). They were then successfully exploited for in vitro synthesis of 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA (3HBCoA), 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA (4HBCoA), 4-hydroxyvaleryl-CoA (4HVCoA) and poly(hydroxyalkanoic acid) (PHA). In addition, the ability of the PHA synthase of Chromatium vinosum, PhaEC(Cv), to use these CoA thioesters was evaluated. Combination of Buk and Ptb with PhaEC(Cv) established a new system for in vitro synthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) [poly(3HB)]. In this system, 3-hydroxybutyric acid was converted to 3HBCoA by Buk and Ptb at the expense of ATP. Formation of 3HBCoA was further driven by the polymerization of 3HBCoA molecules to poly(3HB) by PHA synthase, and the released CoA was recycled by Ptb. This system therefore also ensured the regeneration of CoA. With ATP as the energy supply, which was hydrolyzed to ADP and phosphate, 2.6 mg poly(3HB) was obtained from a 1-ml reaction mixture containing 7.6 mg 3-hydroxybutyrate at the beginning. Studies showed that Ptb and PHA synthase were the rate-limiting steps in this system, and initial CoA concentrations ranging from 1 to 7 mM did not inhibit poly(3HB) synthesis. Synthesis of various polyesters of 3HB and 4HB with this system was also tested, and copolyesters containing 4HB of 1-46 mol % were obtained.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

Dynamics of wild-type HiPIPs: a Cys77Ser mutant and a partially unfolded HiPIP.

The temperature dependence of the mean square displacement of the (57)Fe nuclei due to motion faster than 100 ns are measured by temperature-dependent Mössbauer spectroscopy for oxidized and reduced HiPIPs from Ectothiorhodospira halophila, Chromatium vinosum WT and a Cys77Ser mutant. The behaviour is interpretable in the frame of the general model of protein dynamics distinguishing two temperature intervals. The character of harmonic and quasi-diffusional modes in HiPIPs is discussed. Dynamic information obtained from Mössbauer spectroscopy and Fe K-edge EXAFS are compared. Structure dynamics of the iron-sulfur cluster in the partially unfolded reduced HiPIP from C. vinosum was investigated by Mössbauer spectroscopy and EXAFS, indicating an intact metal centre and a protein backbone with a largely collapsed secondary structure. The role of the cofactor during protein folding is discussed. Differences in the dynamics between the native protein and the molten globule are found at physiological temperatures only. The structure and dynamic behaviour of the [Fe(4)S(4)]Cys(3)Ser cluster in the Cys77Ser mutant of the HiPIP from C. vinosum are analysed. The temperature dependence of electron relaxation in oxidized HiPIPs is investigated by Mössbauer spectroscopy and analysed theoretically, considering spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation. The latter consists of contributions from direct phonon bottleneck and Orbach mechanisms. The data agree with former pulsed EPR results. Orbach relaxation is interpreted as due to transitions between electronic isomers of oxidized HiPIPs. With this interpretation, the energetic difference between both isomers equals the energy gap estimated from the temperature dependence of the Orbach relaxation.

Algorithms↗

Interaction of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase with 2-carboxyhexitol 1,6-bisphosphates.

2-C-Carboxy-D-glucitol 1,6-bisphosphate (CGBP) and 2-C-carboxy-D-mannitol 1,6-bisphosphate (CMBP) have been synthesized, isolated, and the structures of these compounds and the derived lactones elucidated by NMR spectroscopy and periodate oxidation. Both carboxyhexitol bisphosphates, which are homologs of the transition state analog 2-C-carboxy-D-arabinitol 1,5-bisphosphate, exhibit competitive inhibiton of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (EC 4.1.1.9) isolated from spinach (Spinacia oleracea), with respect to ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate. CMBP was a more potent inhibitor (100-fold) displaying an inhibition constant (Ki at pH 8.0 and 30 degrees C) of 1-2 microM with enzymes from spinach, barley (Hordeum vulgare), and Chromatium vinosum. In contrast the Rhodospirillum rubrum enzyme was inhibited about 40-fold more weakly (Ki = 53 microM at pH 8.0 and 30 degrees C). Both CGBP and CMBP potentiated activation of RuBP carboxylase from spinach and R. rubrum.

Binding Sites↗

Effects of pH and exocyclic substitution on flavosemiquinone reactivity with redox proteins and inorganic oxidants.

The effect of pH on the reaction of free flavosemiquinone analogs generated by laser-flash photolysis with oxidized Chromatium vinosum high-potential iron-sulfur protein, other iron-containing redox proteins, and nonbiological one-electron oxidants has been investigated. The results demonstrate that the second-order rate constant for the oxidation of lumiflavin flavosemiquinone increases dramatically with increasing pH for the redox proteins and some of the other oxidants. The pH-rate constant profiles for the redox proteins closely follow the ionization of the proton at the N-5 position of the neutral lumiflavin flavosemiquinone, suggesting a higher intrinsic reactivity for the anionic lumiflavin flavosemiquinone. This increased reactivity apparently results from changes in the redox potential and in the electron spin density distribution between the two protonic forms of the semiquinone. Similar pH dependencies are observed for a number of other flavin structural analogs, yielding estimates of the N-5 pK values for these analogs. The data are consistent with the involvement of both the N-5-dimethylbenzene ring portion and the C-4a position of the flavin macrocycle in flavosemiquinone oxidation by one-electron oxidants.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Flash-induced changes in the in vivo bacteriochlorophyll fluorescence yield at low temperatures and low redox potentials in carotenoid-containing strains of photosynthetic bacteria.

The changes in the in vivo bacteriochlorophyll fluorescence induced by a Xenon flash at low temperatures (77--200 K) with the "primary" acceptor X chemically prereduced have been examined in whole cells of several species of photosynthetic bacteria which contain carotenoids absorbing in the visible part of the absorption spectrum. Two groups of species with different behaviour could be distinguished. In both cases a flash-induced rise of the fluorescence yield was observed with X prereduced at 77 k; as the temperature was increased the ratio of the maximum fluorescence (FM) and the basal fluorescence (F0) decreased and the kinetics of the decay of the high fluorescent state, as observed during the tail of the flash, apparently accelerated. Of the species examined the flash-induced changes in fluorescence-yield kinetics appeared to occur at higher temperatures in the members of one group (Chromatium vinosum, Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa and Rhodopseudomonas palustris) than in the members of the other (Rhodopseudomonas palustris) than in the members of the other (Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides and Rhodospirillum rubrum). These effects are interpreted in terms of the light-induced generation of triplet states within the reaction centre. It is suggested that the species-dependent differences may reflect differences in the molecular organisation of the reaction centre. It was found that in all species the reaction centre carotenoid triplet does not act as a fluorescence quencher under these conditions.

Bacteriochlorophylls↗

A possible new mechanism of temperature dependence of electron transfer in photosynthetic systems.

A new theory for the electron transfer by the non-adiabatic process is formulated taking into account the origin shift and the frequency change of the vibration. The resultant formulas are quite similar to those of Jortner (Jortner, J. (1976) J. Chem. Phys. 64, 4860-4867) except that the free energy gap delta G is used instead of the energy gap delta E. By applying this theory to the photosynthetic electron transfer, the role of the remarkable temperature dependence of the electron transfer from cytochrome to P+ in Chromatium vinosum and the experimental data were reproduced very well using a small value of the coupling strength in contrast with the previous theory. This implies that proteins play a role to exclude many of the solvent molecules from the region of the electron transfer reaction between the donor and acceptor molecules. The negative activation process in the back electron transfer from QA- to P+, the very slow back electron transfer from I- to P+ and the solvent isotope effect on the cytochrome oxidation are also successfully explained by this new theory. It is shown that even a qualitative conclusion as to the molecular parameters obtained from the temperature dependence of the electron transfer is different between the present theory and that of Jortner.

Chromatium↗

Visible absorption spectra of quantum mixed-spin ferric heme proteins.

Recently, it has been shown that the magnetic data for Chromatium ferricytochrome c' at pH 7 are consistent with quantum mechanically (as distinguished from thermally) mixed mid-spin (S = 3/2) and high-spin (S = 5/2) heme. Visible absorption spectra of the protein measured at 77 degrees K and 293 degrees K, pH 7, show peaks at 400, 490, and 632 nm. The observation of a 630 nm band in quantum mixed-spin heme spectra, and the spin state-dependence of the band intensity, are discussed in the context of the iron-ligand structure for quantum mixed-spin heme inferred from magnetic data.

Chromatium↗

Electron spin relaxation of iron-sulphur proteins studied by microwave power saturation.

The electron-spin relaxation of iron-sulphur centres in a range of simple proteins (ferredoxin, high-potential iron-sulphur protein and rubredoxin) was investigated by means of the temperature dependence and microwave power saturation of the EPR signal. The proteins containing [2Fe-2S] centres all showed temperature optima higher than those for [4Fe-4S] centres, but the difference between the slowest-relaxing [4Fe-4S] protein (Chromatium high-potential iron-sulphur protein) and the fastest-relaxing [2Fe-2S] protein (Halobacterium halobium ferredoxin) was small. A greater distinction was seen in the power saturation behaviour at low temperature (10--20 K). The behaviour of the signal intensity as a function of microwave power was analyzed in terms of the power for half saturation P 1/2 and the degree of homogeneous/inhomogeneous broadening. The effect of distorting the protein structure by salts, organic solvents and urea was to decrease the electron-spin relaxation rate as shown by a decreased value of P 1/2. The addition of Ni2+ as a paramagnetic perturbing agent caused an increase in the electron-spin relaxation rate of all the proteins, with the exception of adrenal ferredoxin, as shown by an increased P 1/2 and, in a few cases, broadening of the linewidth. Ferricyanide, a commonly used oxidizing agent, has similar effects. These results are discussed in relation to the use of paramagnetic probes to determine whether iron-sulphur centres are near to a membrane surface. Spin-spin interactions between two paramagnetic centres in a protein molecule such as a 2[4Fe-4S] ferredoxin, lead to more rapid electron-spin relaxation. This method was used to detect a spin-spin interaction between molybdenum V and centre Fe-SI in xanthine oxidase.

Chromatium↗

Inhibition of photosynthetic sulfide oxidation by organic cations.

Photosynthetic sulfide oxidation by the purple sulfur bacterium Chromatium vinosum is strongly inhibited by the organic cations benzyl viologen ( BV2 +) and tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP+) at micromolar concentrations. Both are much more inhibitory at pH 8 than at pH 7. Inhibition probably results from uptake of benzyl viologen and tetraphenylphosphonium in response to an electrical potential gradient across the plasma membrane which increases in magnitude with increasing pH. Although both compounds appear to have the same mode of action, the biochemical mechanism of their inhibition remains to be determined.

Benzyl Viologen↗

On the redox equilibrium between H2 and hydrogenase.

Redox titrations of the nickel ion in active hydrogenase from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum and Chromatium vinosum were performed in the absence of artificial redox mediators, by variation of the H2-partial pressure. These experiments revealed a redox behaviour of the nickel ion which differed remarkably from previous redox titrations in the presence of redox mediators. Notably the EPR signal of the species earlier characterized as monovalent nickel with bound hydrogen, behaved as an n = 2 redox component upon reduction under varying H2-partial pressures. The EPR signal was not a transient one and persisted upon removal of hydrogen. Possible redox processes to explain these observations are discussed. A similar behaviour of nickel was also observed in enzyme as present in intact cells of M. thermoautotrophicum. These results suggest that nickel hydrogenases possess a second site for reaction with H2.

Binding Sites↗

Cytochrome c' of Paracoccus denitrificans.

Cytochrome c' was identified in periplasmic extracts of the Paracoccus denitrificans strains LMD 22.21 and LMD 52.44. The cytochrome c' was purified from the latter using the device of sequential molecular exclusion chromatography in the dimeric and monomeric states. Although showing the overall spectroscopic features of the cytochrome c' family, the Paracoccus cytochrome c' is unusual in having a red-shifted oxidised Soret band at 407 nm. Also unusual is the midpoint potential of 202 mV, well above the known cytochrome c' range. The amino-acid composition of Pa. denitrificans cytochrome c' showed the high alanine and low proline content characteristic of the group and reflecting the predominantly alpha-helical character of the protein. Comparison of the amino-acid compositions suggests some similarity to the cytochromes c' of Chromatium vinosum and halotolerant Paracoccus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Ligand binding properties of cytochromes c'.

The cytochromes c' bind CO, alkylisocyanides and CN- with rate and equilibrium constants which are 10(2)- to 10(6)-fold smaller than other high-spin hemoproteins. The decreased affinity for exogenous ligands is largely associated with steric interactions at the heme coordination site. While CO and alkylisocyanides bind noncooperatively to the dimeric Rhodospirillum molischianum cytochrome c', CO, alkylisocyanides and CN- appear to bind cooperatively to the dimeric Chromatium vinosum cytochrome c' due to a ligand-linked dimer-monomer dissociation equilibrium. The differences between the cytochromes c' are thought to be due to differences in amino acid residues near the heme coordination site and subunit interface.

Amino Acid Sequence↗