Purification and properties of formate dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Electron-paramagnetic-resonance studies on the molybdenum centre

Spectroscopic and Structural Characterization of Reduced Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough W-FdhAB Reveals Stable Metal Coordination during Catalysis

Metal-dependent formate dehydrogenases are important enzymes due to their activity of CO₂ reduction to formate. The tungsten-containing FdhAB formate dehydrogenase from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough is a good example displaying high activity, simple composition, and a notable structural and catalytic robustness. Here, we report the first spectroscopic redox characterization of FdhAB metal centers by EPR. Titration with dithionite or formate leads to reduction of three [4Fe-4S]¹⁺ clusters, and full reduction requires Ti(III)-citrate. The redox potentials of the four [4Fe-4S]¹⁺ centers range between -250 and -530 mV. Two distinct W^V signals were detected, W_D^V and W_F^V, which differ in only the g₂-value. This difference can be explained by small variations in the twist angle of the two pyranopterins, as determined through DFT calculations of model compounds. The redox potential of W^VI/V was determined to be -370 mV when reduced by dithionite and -340 mV when reduced by formate. The crystal structure of dithionite-reduced FdhAB was determined at high resolution (1.5 Å), revealing the same structural alterations as reported for the formate-reduced structure. These results corroborate a stable six-ligand W coordination in the catalytic intermediate W^V state of FdhAB.

Metabolic response of Pseudomonas putida to increased NADH regeneration rates

Pseudomonas putida efficiently utilizes many different carbon sources without the formation of byproducts even under conditions of stress. This implies a high degree of flexibility to cope with conditions that require a significantly altered distribution of carbon to either biomass or energy in the form of NADH. In the literature, co-feeding of the reduced C1 compound formate to Escherichia coli heterologously expressing the NAD⁺-dependent formate dehydrogenase of the yeast Candida boidinii was demonstrated to boost various NADH-demanding applications. Pseudomonas putida as emerging biotechnological workhorse is inherently equipped with an NAD⁺-dependent formate dehydrogenase encouraging us to investigate the use of formate and its effect on P. putida's metabolism. Hence, this study provides a detailed insight into the co-utilization of formate and glucose by P. putida. Our results show that the addition of formate leads to a high increase in the NADH regeneration rate resulting in a very high biomass yield on glucose. Metabolic flux analysis revealed a significant flux rerouting from catabolism to anabolism. These metabolic insights argue further for P. putida as a host for redox cofactor demanding bioprocesses.

Oxygen, cyanide and energy generation in the cystic fibrosis pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that belongs to the gamma-proteobacteria. This clinically challenging, opportunistic pathogen occupies a wide range of niches from an almost ubiquitous environmental presence to causing infections in a wide range of animals and plants. P. aeruginosa is the single most important pathogen of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. It causes serious chronic infections following its colonisation of the dehydrated mucus of the CF lung, leading to it being the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in CF sufferers. The recent finding that steep O2 gradients exist across the mucus of the CF-lung indicates that P. aeruginosa will have to show metabolic adaptability to modify its energy metabolism as it moves from a high O2 to low O2 and on to anaerobic environments within the CF lung. Therefore, the starting point of this review is that an understanding of the diverse modes of energy metabolism available to P. aeruginosa and their regulation is important to understanding both its fundamental physiology and the factors significant in its pathogenicity. The main aim of this review is to appraise the current state of knowledge of the energy generating pathways of P. aeruginosa. We first look at the organisation of the aerobic respiratory chains of P. aeruginosa, focusing on the multiple primary dehydrogenases and terminal oxidases that make up the highly branched pathways. Next, we will discuss the denitrification pathways used during anaerobic respiration as well as considering the ability of P. aeruginosa to carry out aerobic denitrification. Attention is then directed to the limited fermentative capacity of P. aeruginosa with discussion of the arginine deiminase pathway and the role of pyruvate fermentation. In the final part of the review, we consider other aspects of the biology of P. aeruginosa that are linked to energy metabolism or affected by oxygen availability. These include cyanide synthesis, which is oxygen-regulated and can affect the operation of aerobic respiratory pathways, and alginate production leading to a mucoid phenotype, which is regulated by oxygen and energy availability, as well as having a role in the protection of P. aeruginosa against reactive oxygen species. Finally, we consider a possible link between cyanide synthesis and the mucoid switch that operates in P. aeruginosa during chronic CF lung infection.

The formate dehydrogenase isolated from the aerobe Methylobacterium sp. RXM is a molybdenum-containing protein

The formate dehydrogenase (FDH) isolated from cells of Methylobacterium sp. RXM grown on molybdenum-containing mineral medium using methanol as carbon source, was partially purified (at least 90% pure as revealed by SDS-PAGE). The enzyme is unstable under oxygen and all the purification steps were conducted under strict anaerobic conditions. The molecular mass is 75 kDa (gel exclusion 300 kDa). The enzyme was characterized in terms of the kinetic parameters towards different substrates and electron acceptors, pH and temperature dependence and the effect of a wide range of compounds in the enzymatic activity. The EPR spectra of the dithionite reduced sample show, at low temperature (below 20 K), two rhombic EPR signals due to two distinct [Fe-S] centres (centre I at g-values 2.023, 1.951 and 1.933, and centre II at g-values 2.054 and 1.913). At high temperature (around 100 K) another rhombic EPR signal is optimally observed at g-values 2.002, 1.987 and 1.959 and attributed to the molybdenum site. The EPR signals assigned to the iron-sulfur centres show a strong analogy with the aldehyde oxido-reductase from Desulfovibrio gigas known to contain a Mo-pterin and two [2Fe-2S] centres and whose crystallographic structure was recently resolved.

Electron-paramagnetic-resonance and magnetic-circular-dichroism studies on the formate dehydrogenase-nitrate reductase particle from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The membrane-bound respiratory particle complex of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which reduces nitrate to nitrite using formate as the electron donor, was prepared and characterized by e.p.r. and low-temperature magnetic c.d. (m.c.d.) spectroscopy. The particle complex has two enzymic components, namely nitrate reductase (NiR) and formate dehydrogenase (FDH), which are multi-centred proteins containing molybdenum, iron-sulphur clusters and cytochrome. By using results from work on the purified extracted enzymes NiR and FDH to aid in the assignment, it has been possible to observe spectroscopically all the components of the electron-transfer chain in the intact particle. This led to a proposal for the organization of the metal components of the FDH-NiR chain. Molybdenum ions are at opposite ends of the chain and interact with, respectively, the formate-CO2 couple and the nitrate-nitrite couple. The molybdenum ion at the low-potential end of the chain passes electrons to cytochrome b of FDH, a bishistidine-co-ordinated haem with unusual steric restraint at the iron. The next component is a [4Fe-4S] cluster. This comprises all the components of FDH. Electrons are passed to the molybdenum of NiR via a number, probably two, of [4Fe-4S] clusters. No evidence has been found in this work for the presence of a quinone to mediate electron transfer between FDH and NiR. Cytochrome c appears to be able to feed electrons into the chain at the level of one of the [4Fe-4S] centres of NiR.

Purification and properties of formate dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Characterization of haem and iron-sulphur centres by magnetic-circular-dichroism and electron-paramagnetic-resonance spectroscopy

The purification of formate dehydrogenase (FDH) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa after anaerobic growth on nitrate-containing medium was carried out. The separation of the FDH enzyme from nitrate reductase (NiR), which are found together in a particle fraction and constitute the short respiratory chain of this bacterium, has been followed by optical, magnetic c.d. (m.c.d.) and e.p.r. spectroscopy. These techniques have allowed the haem, iron-sulphur clusters and molybdenum components to be detected and, in part, their nature to be determined. Attempts to extract FDH anaerobically in the absence of sodium dithionite led to loss of activity. Addition of sodium dithionite maintained the activity of the enzyme, even after subsequent exposure to air, in an assay involving formate reduction with Nitro Blue Tetrazolium as reductant. Three preparations of FDH have been examined spectroscopically. The preparations vary in the amount of contaminating nitrate reductase, the amount of cytochrome c present and the concentration of oxidized [3Fe-4S] cluster. Optical spectra and low-temperature m.c.d. spectroscopy show the loss of a cytochrome-containing protohaem IX co-ordinated by methionine and histidine as NiR is separated from the preparation. In its purest state FDH contains one molecule of cytochrome co-ordinated by two histidine ligands in the oxidized state. This cytochrome has an e.p.r. spectrum with gz = 3.77, the band having the unusual ramp shape characteristic of highly anisotropic low-spin ferric haem. It also shows a charge-transfer band of high intensity in the m.c.d. spectrum at 1545 nm. It has recently been shown [Gadsby & Thomson (1986) FEBS Lett. 197, 253-257] that these spectroscopic properties are diagnostic of a bishistidine co-ordinated haem with steric constraint of the axial ligands. The e.p.r. and m.c.d. spectra of the reduced state of FDH reveal the presence of an iron-sulphur cluster of the [4Fe-4S]+ type. The g-values are 2.044, 1.943 and 1.903. An iron-sulphur cluster of the class [3Fe-4S], detected by e.p.r. spectroscopy in the oxidized state and by low-temperature m.c.d. spectroscopy in the reduced state, is purified away with the NiR. Finally, an e.p.r. signal at g = 2.0 with a narrow bandwidth which persists to 80 K is observed in the purest preparation of FDH. This may arise from an organic radical species.