Production of Recombinant Multiheme Cytochromes c in Wolinella succinogenes

Regulation and Maturation of the Shewanella oneidensis Sulfite Reductase SirA

Shewanella oneidensis, a metal reducer and facultative anaerobe, expresses a large number of c-type cytochromes, many of which function as anaerobic reductases. All of these proteins contain the typical heme-binding motif CXXCH and require the Ccm proteins for maturation. Two c-type cytochrome reductases also possess atypical heme-binding sites, the NrfA nitrite reductase (CXXCK) and the SirA sulfite reductase (CX₁₂NKGCH). S. oneidensis MR-1 encodes two cytochrome c synthetases (CcmF and SirE) and two apocytochrome c chaperones (CcmI and SirG). SirE located in the sir gene cluster is required for the maturation of SirA, but not NrfA. Here we show that maturation of SirA requires the combined function of the two apocytochrome c chaperones CcmI and SirG. Loss of either protein resulted in decreased sulfite reductase. Furthermore, SirA was not detected in a mutant that lacked both chaperones, perhaps due to misfolding or instability. These results suggest that CcmI interacts with SirEFG during SirA maturation, and with CcmF during maturation of NrfA. Additionally, we show that CRP regulates expression of sirA via the newly identified transcriptional regulatory protein, SirR.

The function, biogenesis and regulation of the electron transport chains in Campylobacter jejuni: New insights into the bioenergetics of a major food-borne pathogen

Campylobacter jejuni is a zoonotic Epsilonproteobacterium that grows in the gastrointestinal tract of birds and mammals, and is the most frequent cause of food-borne bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. As an oxygen-sensitive microaerophile, C. jejuni has to survive high environmental oxygen tensions, adapt to oxygen limitation in the host intestine and resist host oxidative attack. Despite its small genome size, C. jejuni is a versatile and metabolically active pathogen, with a complex and highly branched set of respiratory chains allowing the use of a wide range of electron donors and alternative electron acceptors in addition to oxygen, including fumarate, nitrate, nitrite, tetrathionate and N- or S-oxides. Several novel enzymes participate in these electron transport chains, including a tungsten containing formate dehydrogenase, a Complex I that uses flavodoxin and not NADH, a periplasmic facing fumarate reductase and a cytochrome c tetrathionate reductase. This review presents an updated description of the composition and bioenergetics of these various respiratory chains as they are currently understood, including recent work that gives new insights into energy conservation during electron transport to various alternative electron acceptors. The regulation of synthesis and assembly of the electron transport chains is also discussed. A deeper appreciation of the unique features of the respiratory systems of C. jejuni may be helpful in informing strategies to control this important pathogen.

Discovery and characterization of a prevalent human gut bacterial enzyme sufficient for the inactivation of a family of plant toxins

Although the human gut microbiome plays a prominent role in xenobiotic transformation, most of the genes and enzymes responsible for this metabolism are unknown. Recently, we linked the two-gene 'cardiac glycoside reductase' (cgr) operon encoded by the gut Actinobacterium Eggerthella lenta to inactivation of the cardiac medication and plant natural product digoxin. Here, we compared the genomes of 25 E. lenta strains and close relatives, revealing an expanded 8-gene cgr-associated gene cluster present in all digoxin metabolizers and absent in non-metabolizers. Using heterologous expression and in vitro biochemical characterization, we discovered that a single flavin- and [4Fe-4S] cluster-dependent reductase, Cgr2, is sufficient for digoxin inactivation. Unexpectedly, Cgr2 displayed strict specificity for digoxin and other cardenolides. Quantification of cgr2 in gut microbiomes revealed that this gene is widespread and conserved in the human population. Together, these results demonstrate that human-associated gut bacteria maintain specialized enzymes that protect against ingested plant toxins.

The octahaem MccA is a haem c-copper sulfite reductase

The six-electron reduction of sulfite to sulfide is the pivot point of the biogeochemical cycle of the element sulfur. The octahaem cytochrome c MccA (also known as SirA) catalyses this reaction for dissimilatory sulfite utilization by various bacteria. It is distinct from known sulfite reductases because it has a substantially higher catalytic activity and a relatively low reactivity towards nitrite. The mechanistic reasons for the increased efficiency of MccA remain to be elucidated. Here we show that anoxically purified MccA exhibited a 2- to 5.5-fold higher specific sulfite reductase activity than the enzyme isolated under oxic conditions. We determined the three-dimensional structure of MccA to 2.2 Å resolution by single-wavelength anomalous dispersion. We find a homotrimer with an unprecedented fold and haem arrangement, as well as a haem bound to a CX15CH motif. The heterobimetallic active-site haem 2 has a Cu(I) ion juxtaposed to a haem c at a Fe-Cu distance of 4.4 Å. While the combination of metals is reminiscent of respiratory haem-copper oxidases, the oxidation-labile Cu(I) centre of MccA did not seem to undergo a redox transition during catalysis. Intact MccA tightly bound SO2 at haem 2, a dehydration product of the substrate sulfite that was partially turned over due to photoreduction by X-ray irradiation, yielding the reaction intermediate SO. Our data show the biometal copper in a new context and function and provide a chemical rationale for the comparatively high catalytic activity of MccA.

Efficient and selective isotopic labeling of hemes to facilitate the study of multiheme proteins

Specific isotopic labeling of hemes provides a unique opportunity to characterize the structure and function of heme-proteins. Unfortunately, current methods do not allow efficient labeling in high yields of multiheme cytochromes c, which are of great biotechnological interest. Here, a method for production of recombinant multiheme cytochromes c in Escherichia coli with isotopically labeled hemes is reported. A small tetraheme cytochrome of 12 kDa from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was used to demonstrate the method, achieving a production of 4 mg pure protein per liter. This method achieves, in a single step, efficient expression and incorporation of hemes isotopically labeled in specific atom positions adequate for spectroscopic characterization of these complex heme proteins. It is, furthermore, of general application to heme proteins, opening new possibilities for the characterization of this important class of proteins.

Physiological function and catalytic versatility of bacterial multihaem cytochromes c involved in nitrogen and sulfur cycling

Bacterial MCCs (multihaem cytochromes c) represent widespread respiratory electron-transfer proteins. In addition, some of them convert substrates such as nitrite, hydroxylamine, nitric oxide, hydrazine, sulfite, thiosulfate or hydrogen peroxide. In many cases, only a single function is assigned to a specific MCC in database entries despite the fact that an MCC may accept various substrates, thus making it a multifunctional catalyst that can play diverse physiological roles in bacterial respiration, detoxification and stress defence mechanisms. The present article briefly reviews the structure, function and biogenesis of selected MCCs that catalyse key reactions in the biogeochemical nitrogen and sulfur cycles.

Hemoproteins in dissimilatory sulfate- and sulfur-reducing prokaryotes

Dissimilatory sulfate and sulfur reduction evolved billions of years ago and while the bacteria and archaea that use this unique metabolism employ a variety of electron donors, H(2) is most commonly used as the energy source. These prokaryotes use multiheme c-type proteins to shuttle electrons from electron donors, and electron transport complexes presumed to contain b-type hemoproteins contribute to proton charging of the membrane. Numerous sulfate and sulfur reducers use an alternate pathway for heme synthesis and, frequently, uniquely specific axial ligands are used to secure c-type heme to the protein. This review presents some of the types and functional activities of hemoproteins involved in these two dissimilatory reduction pathways.

Composition and function of cytochrome c biogenesis System II

Organisms employ one of several different enzyme systems to mature cytochromes c. The biosynthetic process involves the periplasmic reduction of cysteine residues in the heme c attachment motif of the apocytochrome, transmembrane transport of heme b and stereospecific covalent heme attachment via thioether bonds. The biogenesis System II (or Ccs system) is employed by β-, δ- and ε-proteobacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, Aquificales and cyanobacteria, as well as by algal and plant chloroplasts. System II comprises four (sometimes only three) membrane-bound proteins: CcsA (or ResC) and CcsB (ResB) are the components of the cytochrome c synthase, whereas CcdA and CcsX (ResA) function in the generation of a reduced heme c attachment motif. Some ε-proteobacteria contain CcsBA fusion proteins constituting single polypeptide cytochrome c synthases especially amenable for functional studies. This minireview highlights the recent findings on the structure, function and specificity of individual System II components and outlines the future challenges that remain to our understanding of the fascinating post-translational protein maturation process in more detail.

The oxidative and nitrosative stress defence network of Wolinella succinogenes: cytochrome c nitrite reductase mediates the stress response to nitrite, nitric oxide, hydroxylamine and hydrogen peroxide

Microorganisms employ diverse mechanisms to withstand physiological stress conditions exerted by reactive or toxic oxygen and nitrogen species such as hydrogen peroxide, organic hydroperoxides, superoxide anions, nitrite, hydroxylamine, nitric oxide or NO-generating compounds. This study identified components of the oxidative and nitrosative stress defence network of Wolinella succinogenes, an exceptional Epsilonproteobacterium that lacks both catalase and haemoglobins. Various gene deletion-insertion mutants were constructed, grown by either fumarate respiration or respiratory nitrate ammonification and subjected to disc diffusion, growth and viability assays under stress conditions. It was demonstrated that mainly two periplasmic multihaem c-type cytochromes, namely cytochrome c peroxidase and cytochrome c nitrite reductase (NrfA), mediated resistance to hydrogen peroxide. Two AhpC-type peroxiredoxin isoenzymes were shown to be involved in protection against different organic hydroperoxides. The phenotypes of two superoxide dismutase mutants lacking either SodB or SodB2 implied that both isoenzymes play important roles in oxygen and superoxide stress defence although they are predicted to reside in the cytoplasm and periplasm respectively. NrfA and a cytoplasmic flavodiiron protein (Fdp) were identified as key components of nitric oxide detoxification. In addition, NrfA (but not the hybrid cluster protein Hcp) was found to mediate resistance to hydroxylamine stress. The results indicate the presence of a robust oxidative and nitrosative stress defence network and identify NrfA as a multifunctional cytochrome c involved in both anaerobic respiration and stress protection.