Water and DMSO permeability at 22 degrees C, 5 degrees C, and -3 degrees C for human pancreatic islet cells

Deep-Sea Bacterium Shewanella piezotolerans WP3 Has Two Dimethyl Sulfoxide Reductases in Distinct Subcellular Locations

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) acts as a substantial sink for dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in deep waters and is therefore considered a potential electron acceptor supporting abyssal ecosystems. Shewanella piezotolerans WP3 was isolated from west Pacific deep-sea sediments, and two functional DMSO respiratory subsystems are essential for maximum growth of WP3 under in situ conditions (4°C/20 MPa). However, the relationship between these two subsystems and the electron transport pathway underlying DMSO reduction by WP3 remain unknown. In this study, both DMSO reductases (type I and type VI) in WP3 were found to be functionally independent despite their close evolutionary relationship. Moreover, immunogold labeling of DMSO reductase subunits revealed that the type I DMSO reductase was localized on the outer leaflet of the outer membrane, whereas the type VI DMSO reductase was located within the periplasmic space. CymA, a cytoplasmic membrane-bound tetraheme c-type cytochrome, served as a preferential electron transport protein for the type I and type VI DMSO reductases, in which type VI accepted electrons from CymA in a DmsE- and DmsF-independent manner. Based on these results, we proposed a core electron transport model of DMSO reduction in the deep-sea bacterium S. piezotolerans WP3. These results collectively suggest that the possession of two sets of DMSO reductases with distinct subcellular localizations may be an adaptive strategy for WP3 to achieve maximum DMSO utilization in deep-sea environments.IMPORTANCE As the dominant methylated sulfur compound in deep oceanic water, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has been suggested to play an important role in the marine biogeochemical cycle of the volatile anti-greenhouse gas dimethyl sulfide (DMS). Two sets of DMSO respiratory systems in the deep-sea bacterium Shewanella piezotolerans WP3 have previously been identified to mediate DMSO reduction under in situ conditions (4°C/20 MPa). Here, we report that the two DMSO reductases (type I and type VI) in WP3 have distinct subcellular localizations, in which type I DMSO reductase is localized to the exterior surface of the outer membrane and type VI DMSO reductase resides in the periplasmic space. A core electron transport model of DMSO reduction in WP3 was constructed based on genetic and physiological data. These results will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the adaptation mechanisms of anaerobic respiratory systems in benthic microorganisms.

Extracellular respiration of dimethyl sulfoxide by Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1

Shewanella species are renowned for their respiratory versatility, including their ability to respire poorly soluble substrates by using enzymatic machinery that is localized to the outside of the cell. The ability to engage in "extracellular respiration" to date has focused primarily on respiration of minerals. Here, we identify two gene clusters in Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1 that each contain homologs of genes required for metal reduction and genes that are predicted to encode dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) reductase subunits. Molecular and genetic analyses of these clusters indicate that one (SO1427-SO1432) is required for anaerobic respiration of DMSO. We show that DMSO respiration is an extracellular respiratory process through the analysis of mutants defective in type II secretion, which is required for transporting proteins to the outer membrane in Shewanella. Moreover, immunogold labeling of DMSO reductase subunits reveals that they reside on the outer leaflet of the outer membrane under anaerobic conditions. The extracellular localization of the DMSO reductase in S. oneidensis suggests these organisms may perceive DMSO in the environment as an insoluble compound.