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

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

Chromosome Mapping↗

Association of tetrapyrrole intermediates in the bacteriochlorophyll a biosynthetic pathway with the major outer-membrane porin protein of Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Rhodobacter capsulatus regulates synthesis of bacteriochlorophyll a in response to changes in oxygen partial pressure and light intensity. One early model proposed that this regulation involved a carrier polypeptide that functions to tether tetrapyrrole intermediates to the membrane. In the present study we isolated tetrapyrrole intermediates accumulated in three strains of R. capsulatus that contain mutations which block bacteriochlorophyll a biosynthesis at different steps of the magnesium branch of the pathway. Each of the tetrapyrrole intermediates was shown to be associated with the same 32 kDa polypeptide, as indicated by similar electrophoretic mobility and antigenic cross-reactivity with polyclonal antisera. The 32 kDa pigment-associated protein was further found to have an electrophoretic mobility, antigenic cross-reactivity and N-terminal sequence identical with those of the previously characterized major outer-membrane porin protein of R. capsulatus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of a coproporphyrin-protein complex from Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Rhodobacter capsulatus strain AJB530 excretes large amounts of coproporphyrin into the culture supernatant. The coproporphyrin was precipitable with ammonium sulfate, suggesting that it was part of a macromolecular complex. Analysis of an ammonium sulfate fraction indicated that the coproporphyrin was bound to a 66-kDa protein with a pI' of 4.0. The same protein was found in the culture supernatant of the bch+ strain PAS100.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Yeast two-hybrid studies on interaction of proteins involved in regulation of nitrogen fixation in the phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Rhodobacter capsulatus contains two PII-like proteins, GlnB and GlnK, which play central roles in controlling the synthesis and activity of nitrogenase in response to ammonium availability. Here we used the yeast two-hybrid system to probe interactions between these PII-like proteins and proteins known to be involved in regulating nitrogen fixation. Analysis of defined protein pairs demonstrated the following interactions: GlnB-NtrB, GlnB-NifA1, GlnB-NifA2, GlnB-DraT, GlnK-NifA1, GlnK-NifA2, and GlnK-DraT. These results corroborate earlier genetic data and in addition show that PII-dependent ammonium regulation of nitrogen fixation in R. capsulatus does not require additional proteins, like NifL in Klebsiella pneumoniae. In addition, we found interactions for the protein pairs GlnB-GlnB, GlnB-GlnK, NifA1-NifA1, NifA2-NifA2, and NifA1-NifA2, suggesting that fine tuning of the nitrogen fixation process in R. capsulatus may involve the formation of GlnB-GlnK heterotrimers as well as NifA1-NifA2 heterodimers. In order to identify new proteins that interact with GlnB and GlnK, we constructed an R. capsulatus genomic library for use in yeast two-hybrid studies. Screening of this library identified the ATP-dependent helicase PcrA as a new putative protein that interacts with GlnB and the Ras-like protein Era as a new protein that interacts with GlnK.

Bacteria↗

Coordination of ubiquinol oxidase and cytochrome cbb(3) oxidase expression by multiple regulators in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Rhodobacter capsulatus utilizes two terminal oxidases for aerobic respiration, cytochrome cbb(3) and ubiquinol oxidase. To determine the transcription factors involved in terminal oxidase expression, ccoN-lacZ and cydA-lacZ protein fusions were assayed in a variety of regulatory mutants. The results of this and previous studies indicate that cytochrome cbb(3) expression is controlled by regB-regA, fnrL, and hvrA and that ubiquinol oxidase expression is controlled by regB-regA, fnrL, hvrA, crtJ, and aerR.

Electron Transport Complex IV↗

Role of XDHC in Molybdenum cofactor insertion into xanthine dehydrogenase of Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Rhodobacter capsulatus xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) is composed of two subunits, XDHA and XDHB. Immediately downstream of xdhB, a third gene was identified, designated xdhC, which is cotranscribed with xdhAB. Interposon mutagenesis revealed that the xdhC gene product is required for XDH activity. However, XDHC is not a subunit of active XDH, which forms an alpha2beta2 heterotetramer in R. capsulatus. It was shown that XDHC neither is a transcriptional regulator for xdh gene expression nor influences XDH stability. To analyze the function of XDHC for XDH in R. capsulatus, inactive XDH was purified from an xdhC mutant strain. Analysis of the molybdenum cofactor content of this enzyme demonstrated that in the absence of XDHC, no molybdopterin cofactor MPT is present in the XDHAB tetramer. In contrast, absorption spectra of inactive XDH isolated from the xdhC mutant revealed the presence of iron-sulfur clusters and flavin adenine dinucleotide, demonstrating that XDHC is not required for the insertion of these cofactors. The absence of MPT from XDH isolated from an xdhC mutant indicates that XDHC either acts as a specific MPT insertase or might be a specific chaperone facilitating the insertion of MPT and/or folding of XDH during or after cofactor insertion.

Coenzymes↗

Cross-talk towards the response regulator NtrC controlling nitrogen metabolism in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Rhodobacter capsulatus NtrB/NtrC two-component regulatory system controls expression of genes involved in nitrogen metabolism including urease and nitrogen fixation genes. The ntrY-ntrX genes, which are located immediately downstream of the nifR3-ntrB-ntrC operon, code for a two-component system of unknown function. Transcription of ntrY starts within the ntrC-ntrY intergenic region as shown by primer extension analysis, but maximal transcription requires, in addition, the promoter of the nifR3-ntrB-ntrC operon. While ntrB and ntrY single mutant strains were able to grow with either urea or N2 as sole nitrogen source, a ntrB/ntrY double mutant (like a ntrC-deficient strain) was no longer able to use urea or N2. These findings suggest that the histidine kinases NtrB and NtrY can substitute for each other as phosphodonors towards the response regulator NtrC.

Bacterial Proteins↗

AmtB is necessary for NH(4)(+)-induced nitrogenase switch-off and ADP-ribosylation in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Rhodobacter capsulatus possesses two genes potentially coding for ammonia transporters, amtB and amtY. In order to better understand their role in the physiology of this bacterium and their possible significance in nitrogen fixation, we created single-knockout mutants. Strains mutated in either amtB or amtY did not show a growth defect under any condition tested and were still capable of taking up ammonia at nearly wild-type rates, but an amtB mutant was no longer capable of transporting methylamine. The amtB strain but not the amtY strain was also totally defective in carrying out ADP-ribosylation of Fe-protein or the switch-off of in vivo nitrogenase activity in response to NH(4)(+) addition. ADP-ribosylation in response to darkness was unaffected in amtB and amtBY strains, and glutamine synthetase activity was normally regulated in these strains in response to ammonium addition, suggesting that one role of AmtB is to function as an ammonia sensor for the processes that regulate nitrogenase activity.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Physiological functions of hydroperoxidases in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Rhodobacter capsulatus J1 has two hydroperoxidases: a catalase-peroxidase and a peroxidase. A mutant strain, AH18, that had no catalase-peroxidase was isolated. The growth rate under aerobic and photosynthetic conditions, respiration, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities, and pigment content of the mutant were similar to those of the wild type. AH18 was more susceptible to killing and to inhibition of nitrogenase by H2O2 but not by molecular oxygen. The incidences of spontaneous mutations were similar in both strains. Viable counts in aerobic but not anaerobic cultures of AH18 started to decline as soon as the cultures reached the stationary phase, and the rate of cell death was much higher in AH18 than in the wild type. It is inferred that the peroxidase provides protection against H2O2 in log-phase cells and that the catalase-peroxidase provides protection under the oxidative conditions that prevail in aging cultures. This protective function might be related to the dual activity of the latter as a catalase and a peroxidase or to its capacity to oxidize NADH, NADPH, and cytochrome c.

Acetylene↗

Genetic analysis of functional differences among distinct ferredoxins in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Rhodobacter capsulatus has been known to possess two ferredoxins (I and II) with distinct physicochemical and structural properties: ferredoxin I is a 2[4Fe-4S] type and the other is a [3Fe-4S] [4Fe-4S] type. To analyze their possible functional differences, their genes (fdxN and fdxA) were cloned, sequenced, and subjected to interposon mutagenesis experiments. The former gene was adjacent to a gene encoding a chloroplast-type [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin (fdxC). Mutants with inactivated fdxN and/or fdxC were obtained, and they showed virtually no growth under nitrogen-fixing conditions. Complementation experiments confirmed that both fdxN and fdxC were required for nitrogen fixation. On the other hand, we have not been able to disrupt fdxA under the screening conditions surveyed, including conditions that do not require nitrogenase activity for growth, suggesting that ferredoxin II could have an unknown essential role(s). These indicate functional differences among multiple ferredoxins in one bacterium other than in cyanobacterial heterocysts and indispensability of certain ferredoxins in nitrogen fixation other than Rhizobium meliloti FdxN.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of the hydrogen-deuterium exchange activities of the energy-transducing HupSL hydrogenase and H(2)-signaling HupUV hydrogenase in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Rhodobacter capsulatus synthesizes two homologous protein complexes capable of activating molecular H(2), a membrane-bound [NiFe] hydrogenase (HupSL) linked to the respiratory chain, and an H(2) sensor encoded by the hupUV genes. The activities of hydrogen-deuterium (H-D) exchange catalyzed by the hupSL-encoded and the hupUV-encoded enzymes in the presence of D(2) and H(2)O were studied comparatively. Whereas HupSL is in the membranes, HupUV activity was localized in the soluble cytoplasmic fraction. Since the hydrogenase gene cluster of R. capsulatus contains a gene homologous to hoxH, which encodes the large subunit of NAD-linked tetrameric soluble hydrogenases, the chromosomal hoxH gene was inactivated and hoxH mutants were used to demonstrate the H-D exchange activity of the cytoplasmic HupUV protein complex. The H-D exchange reaction catalyzed by HupSL hydrogenase was maximal at pH 4. 5 and inhibited by acetylene and oxygen, whereas the H-D exchange catalyzed by the HupUV protein complex was insensitive to acetylene and oxygen and did not vary significantly between pH 4 and pH 11. Based on these properties, the product of the accessory hypD gene was shown to be necessary for the synthesis of active HupUV enzyme. The kinetics of HD and H(2) formed in exchange with D(2) by HupUV point to a restricted access of protons and gasses to the active site. Measurement of concentration changes in D(2), HD, and H(2) by mass spectrometry showed that, besides the H-D exchange reaction, HupUV oxidized H(2) with benzyl viologen, produced H(2) with reduced methyl viologen, and demonstrated true hydrogenase activity. Therefore, not only with respect to its H(2) signaling function in the cell, but also to its catalytic properties, the HupUV enzyme represents a distinct class of hydrogenases.

Acetylene↗

Isolation of the PufX protein from Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides: evidence for its interaction with the alpha-polypeptide of the core light-harvesting complex.

Using mutant strains of Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides in which the pufX gene had been deleted, it was possible to identify by HPLC membrane protein components present in pufX+ cells but absent in pufX- cells. In parallel preparations, membrane proteins soluble in chloroform/methanol containing ammonium acetate were first extracted from lyophilized membrane fractions of the pufX+ cells and separated from pigments and larger protein material by gel-filtration chromatography. Protein-containing fractions were examined by HPLC, and several peaks were collected from pufX+ material that were not present in pufX- material. From N-terminal amino acid sequencing, the PufX protein of Rb. capsulatus was identified, and from positive interaction with a PufX protein antibody, the Rb. sphaeroides PufX protein was identified. Although overall yields were very small, sufficient quantities of these proteins were isolated to evaluate their effect on the reconstitution of the core light-havesting antenna (LH1) and its subunit complex. From the behavior of the PufX protein and the alpha-polypeptide of LH1 on HPLC, qualitative evidence was obtained that the two proteins have a high affinity for each other. In reconstitution assays with bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl) and the LH1 alpha- and beta-polypeptides of Rb. capsulatus, the PufX protein of Rb. capsulatus was inhibitory to LH1 formation at low concentration. A similar inhibition was exhibited by Rb. sphaeroides PufX protein for reconstitution of LH1 with Bchl and the LH1 alpha- and beta-polypeptides of Rb. sphaeroides. In both cases, the ratios of concentrations of the PufX protein to the alpha-polypeptide causing 50% inhibition were approximately 0.5. Formation of the heterologous (alpha beta) subunit-type complex formed with Bchl and the alpha- and beta-polypeptides of LH1 of Rb. capsulatus was also inhibited by low concentrations of the Rb. capsulatus PufX protein (approximately 50% inhibition at PufX:alpha-polypeptide ratios = 0.5). However, neither PufX protein inhibited formation of a homologous (beta beta) subunit-type complex, which indicates that the PufX proteins do not interact with the beta-polypeptides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

On the role of the light-harvesting B880 in the correct insertion of the reaction center of Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

The purple, non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides have two types of pigment-protein complexes that absorb incident light and funnel it to the photochemical reaction center. One of these, B880, is present at an essentially constant ratio to the reaction center, while the abundance of the other, B800-850, varies with growth conditions. Independent work in our two laboratories has indicated that while the absence of B800-850 permits photosynthetic growth in both organisms, the lack of B880 produces a different phenotype in the two species. Thus R. sphaeroides is still photosynthetically competent when it lacks this complex, while R. capsulatus is not. This unanticipated difference in what appear to be very closely related organisms has caused us to reexamine the properties of the two mutants simultaneously, under identical conditions. We find that the original descriptions are indeed correct; the reaction center of R. capsulatus is not correctly inserted into the photosynthetic membrane in the absence of B880, while that of R. sphaeroides is.

Bacterial Proteins↗

A novel membrane-associated c-type cytochrome, cyt cy, can mediate the photosynthetic growth of Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

Mutants of Rhodobacter capsulatus lacking the soluble electron carrier cytochrome c2 are able to grow photosynthetically (Ps+), whereas Rhodobacter sphaeroides is unable to do so. To understand this unusual electron transfer pathway the gene required for cyt c2-independent growth of R.capsulatus was sought using chromosomal libraries derived from a cyt c2- mutant of this species to complement a Ps- cyt c2- mutant of R.sphaeroides to Ps+ growth. The complementing 1.2 kbp DNA fragment contained a gene, cycY, encoding a novel membrane-associated c-type cytochrome, cyt cy, based on predicted amino acid sequence, optical difference spectra and SDS-PAGE analysis of chromatophore membranes. The predicted primary sequence of cyt cy is unusual in having two distinct domains, a hydrophobic amino-terminal region and a carboxyl-terminus with strong homology to cytochromes c. A cyt cy- mutant of R.capsulatus remains Ps+ as does the cyt c2- mutant. However, a mutant lacking both cyt c2 and cy is Ps-, and can be complemented to Ps+ by either cyt c2 or cyt cy. These findings demonstrate that each of the cytochromes c2 and cy is essential for photosynthesis only in the absence of the other. Thus, two distinct electron transfer pathways, unrecognized until now, operate during photosynthesis in R.capsulatus under appropriate conditions, one via the soluble cyt c2 and the other via the membrane-associated cyt cy.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Non-reciprocal regulation of Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides recA genes expression.

The Rhodobacter capsulatus recA gene has been isolated and sequenced. Its deduced amino acid sequence showed the closest identity with the Rhodobacter sphaeroides RecA protein (91% identity). However, the promoter regions of both R. capsulatus and R. sphaeroides recA genes are only 64% similar. An Escherichia coli-like LexA binding site was not present in the upstream region of the R. capsulatus recA gene. Nevertheless, the R. capsulatus recA gene is inducible by DNA damage in both hetero- and phototrophically growing conditions. The R. capsulatus recA gene is poorly induced when inserted into the chromosome of R. sphaeroides, indicating that the recA gene of both bacteria possess different control sequences despite their phylogenetically close relationship.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cobalamin (vitamin B(12)) biosynthesis in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

In Rhodobacter capsulatus, cobalamin biosynthesis has been shown to occur when the bacteria are grown either aerobically or anaerobically. However, a comparison of the main cobalamin biosynthetic operon found within R. capsulatus would suggest that the encoded proteins belong to the oxygen-dependent pathway for cobalamin biosynthesis, although, significantly, no homologue of the essential mono-oxygenase CobG has yet been detected. Nonetheless, within this main cob operon is found a large open reading frame termed orf663 that is not found in any other cobalamin biosynthetic operon. When overproduced in Escherichia coli, orf663 was found to encode a 90 kDa integral membrane protein. Some of this protein is cleaved within E. coli to give a soluble N-terminal region that can easily be purified and yields a 50 kDa flavoprotein. When expressed in harness with the genes for precorrin-3a synthesis, ORF663 appears to mediate the transformation of precorrin-3a into a new chromophoric compound. Another open reading frame in close proximity to orf663 is termed orf647, and was found to encode a 2Fe-2S ferredoxin-like protein. We suggest that these two proteins may provide an alternative oxygen-independent mechanism for ring contraction within R. capsulatus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

RNA polymerase subunit requirements for activation by the enhancer-binding protein Rhodobacter capsulatus NtrC.

Rhodobacter capsulatus NtrC is an enhancer-binding protein that activates transcription of the R. capsulatus sigma 70 RNA polymerase, but does not activate the Escherichia coli sigma 70-RNA polymerase at the nifA1 promoter. We utilized R. capsulatus:E. coli hybrid RNA polymerases assembled in vitro to investigate the subunits required for protein-protein interaction with RcNtrC at the nifA1mut1 promoter. Assembly of core Rc alpha beta beta' or hybrid RNA polymerases containing the Rc beta beta' subunits absolutely require the inclusion of an omega subunit, with the Ec omega subunit only partially promoting RNA polymerase assembly. The Rc alpha Ec beta beta' RNA polymerase is not activated by RcNtrC. Moreover, a mutant form of the Rc alpha lacking the alpha C-terminal domain, when assembled with the Rc beta beta'omega and sigma 70 subunits, is activated by RcNtrC. These results suggest that the R. capsulatus alpha subunit is not important for RcNtrC interaction. All hybrid RNA polymerases that contained the Rc beta' were activated by RcNtrC, suggesting that the Rc beta' subunit plays an important role. It is proposed that RcNtrC recruits R. capsulatus sigma 70-RNA polymerase to the promoter through interaction with Rc beta'. RcNtrC interacts with RNA polymerase from a unique position, with dimers centered at -118 bp from the start site. Placing the RcNtrC tandem binding sites on the opposite face of the helix (-113 bp) completely abolished transcription activation. Moving the RcNtrC tandem binding sites 20 bp closer to or further from the promoter significantly reduced activation, again suggesting unique spatial constraints on how RcNtrC interacts with the R. capsulatus RNA polymerase.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Effector-mediated interaction of CbbRI and CbbRII regulators with target sequences in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

In Rhodobacter capsulatus, genes encoding enzymes of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham reductive pentose phosphate pathway are located in the cbb(I) and cbb(II) operons. Each operon contains a divergently transcribed LysR-type transcriptional activator (CbbR(I) and CbbR(II)) that regulates the expression of its cognate cbb promoter in response to an as yet unidentified effector molecule(s). Both CbbR(I) and CbbR(II) were purified, and the ability of a variety of potential effector molecules to induce changes in their DNA binding properties at their target promoters was assessed. The responses of CbbR(I) and CbbR(II) to potential effectors were not identical. In gel mobility shift assays, the affinity of both CbbR(I) and CbbR(II) for their target promoters was enhanced in the presence of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP), phosphoenolpyruvate, 3-phosphoglycerate, 2-phosphoglycolate. ATP, 2-phosphoglycerate, and KH(2)PO(4) were found to enhance only CbbR(I) binding, while fructose-1,6-bisphosphate enhanced the binding of only CbbR(II). The DNase I footprint of CbbR(I) was reduced in the presence of RuBP, while reductions in the CbbR(II) DNase I footprint were induced by fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, 3-phosphoglycerate, and KH(2)PO(4). The current in vitro results plus recent in vivo studies suggest that CbbR-mediated regulation of cbb transcription is controlled by multiple metabolic signals in R. capsulatus. This control reflects not only intracellular levels of Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle metabolic intermediates but also the fixed (organic) carbon status and energy charge of the cell.

Bacterial Proteins↗