Temperature-sensitive formic hydrogenlyase in a psychrophilic bacterium

Thermolability of Malic Dehydrogenase from the Obligate Psychrophile Vibrio marinus

Langridge, Patricia (Oregon State University, Corvallis), and Richard Y. Morita. Thermolability of malic dehydrogenase from the obligate psychrophile Vibrio marinus. J. Bacteriol. 92:418-423. 1966.-The thermolability of malic dehydrogenase in whole cells of Vibrio marinus MP-1 grown at 15 C was compared with that of cell-free extracts and partially purified fractions. The intracellular enzyme was found to be stable between 0 C, and the organism's optimal growth temperature, 15 C. In cell-free extracts, considerable lability was noted even at 0 C, and this lability did not increase further until the enzyme was exposed to temperatures above the organism's maximal growth temperature (20 C). Twenty-fold purified enzyme was stable between 15 and 20 C, but both above and below this there was considerable inactivation. A 5-min exposure of both cold- and heat-inactivated enzyme to 15 C allowed reactivation, although to a different extent. Ammonium sulfate was found both to stimulate enzyme activity and to reactivate temperature-inactivated enzyme.

OBLIGATELY PSYCHROPHILIC YEASTS FROM THE POLAR REGIONS

Sixty-seven pure cultures of psychrophilic bacteria and yeasts were isolated from polar ice, snow, soil, and other materials. Low temperatures were maintained during all phases of the isolation procedure to avoid possible destruction of obligate psychrophiles. Four of the cultures, all yeasts, proved to be obligate psychrophiles. Three are species of Candida and one of Torulopsis. They grew in the range of 0 °C to 20 °C and the optimum growth temperature was 15 °C. They died rapidly when exposed to temperatures of 30 °C or 40 °C.The rate of fermentation of glucose by psychrophilic Candida sp. P16 was higher than that of mesophilic Saccharomyces cerevisiae at temperatures below 25 °C. At and above 25 °C, this rate relationship was reversed and at 35 °C all fermentative activity of the psychrophilic yeast was destroyed while that of the mesophile was maximal. Oxidative activity of Candida sp. P16 was much less sensitive to 35 °C, which suggests that fermentation and oxidation proceed by different pathways.The extent of occurrence of obligately psychrophilic microorganisms in nature is discussed.

TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE HYDROGENASE AND HYDROGENASE SYNTHESIS IN A PSYCHROPHILIC BACTERIUM

Upadhyay, J. (Washington State University, Pullman) and J. L. Stokes. Temperature-sensitive hydrogenase and hydrogenase synthesis in a psychrophilic bacterium. J. Bacteriol. 86:992-998. 1963.-Hydrogenase and its synthesis were more heat-sensitive in psychrophilic strain 82 than in mesophilic Escherichia coli. The enzyme was not formed above 20 C by the psychrophile, whereas it was formed by E. coli and other mesophiles at 45 C. Aerobically grown cells of strain 82 do not contain hydrogenase but could be induced to form the enzyme by incubation with glucose and amino acids. Hydrogenase adaptation proceeded best at pH 8.0. The psychrophile hydrogenase was destroyed 50% by exposure to 60 C for 2 hr compared with 25% destruction of mesophile hydrogenase under the same conditions. The psychrophile hydrogenase was most active at pH 9.0, and the mesophile hydrogenase was most active at pH 10.0 or higher.

INFLUENCE OF MODERATE TEMPERATURE ON GROWTH AND MALIC DEHYDROGENASE ACTIVITY OF A MARINE PSYCHROPHILE

Morita, Richard Y. (Oregon State University, Corvallis), and Sheril D. Burton. Influence of moderate temperature on growth and malic dehydrogenase activity of a marine psychrophile. J. Bacteriol. 86:1025-1029. 1963.-The maximal and optimal growth temperatures for a marine psychrophilic vibrio (PS 207) were determined to be 30 and 24.5 C, respectively. Malic dehydrogenase was found to be functioning in whole cells at about 1/20 of its observed maximum. Incubation of the cells, prior to or during the assay, at temperatures above the maximal growth temperature permitted the malic dehydrogenase to operate nearer its maximum, but this also inactivated the intracellular enzyme. The heating of whole cells gave an apparent effect of increasing malic dehydrogenase activity. Lysis of the cells permitted the enzyme to function at its full potential but rendered the enzyme more sensitive to heat denaturation. Lysis of the cells also caused the enzyme to lose approximately one-half of its malic dehydrogenase activity with each 10 C drop in temperature, whereas whole cells only lose approximately 1/5 of their enzyme activity at low temperatures with each 10 C drop.

DENATURATION AND RENATURATION OF MALIC DEHYDROGENASE IN A CELL-FREE EXTRACT FROM A MARINE PSYCHROPHILE

Burton, Sheril D. (Oregon State University, Corvallis), and Richard Y. Morita. Denaturation and renaturation of malic dehydrogenase in a cell-free extract from a marine psychrophile. J. Bacteriol. 86:1019-1024. 1963.-Malic dehydrogenase from a marine psychrophilic vibrio (PS 207) was found to be heat-sensitive at 30 C, the maximal growth temperature for the organism. Initial denaturation was reversible, with maximal renaturation occurring when the denatured enzyme was slowly cooled in the presence of mercaptoethanol, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and malate. No renaturation occurred when these compounds were added after slow cooling, or when the renaturation mixture was rapidly cooled. Mercaptoethylamine, cysteine, glutathione, or mercaptoacetic acid could not replace mercaptoethanol. The kinetics of denaturation and renaturation suggest the presence of several malic isozymes each with different heat labilities, or that these processes are occurring in several distinct steps.

TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEXTRANSUCRASE SYNTHESIS BY A LACTOBACILLUS

Dunican, L. K. (Cornell University, Ithaca, New York), and H. W. Seeley, Jr. Temperature-sensitive dextransucrase synthesis by a lactobacillus. J. Bacteriol. 86:1079-1083. 1963.-Dextran synthesis was found to be temperature-dependent in Lactobacillus strain RWM-13. Dextran was not formed above 37 C, although growth of cells occurred up to 42 C. Logarithmically growing cells transferred from 30 C to 40 C ceased producing dextran while growth decreased nominally. An examination of the extracts of cells broken by sonic treatment showed that as the temperature of growth was increased above 37 C the production of dextransucrase decreased. By use of an inhibitor of invertase, 10(-4)m AgNO(3), it was shown that invertase replaced dextransucrase activity at temperatures above 37 C. In contrast to dextransucrase in Leuconostoc mesenteroides, the enzyme in Lactobacillus strain RWM-13 was constitutive and thus resembled that of Streptococcus bovis. Thermosensitivity of dextransucrase synthesis has not been observed in Leuconostoc or Streptococcus.

Psychrophilic bacteria

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Synthesis of protein and ribonucleic acid in a psychrophile at normal and restrictive growth temperatures

A defined medium was capable of supporting the growth of a psychrophilic coccus over its growth temperature range, -4 to 25 C. A rapid loss of viability occurred when exponential cells were transferred to growth-restricting temperatures above 25 C. Comparative studies of the chemistry of exponential-phase cells and cells exposed to supermaximum temperature indicated that this loss of viability is not due to temperature-induced membrane damage, inhibition of respiration or energy metabolism, or depletion of intracellular reserves. Moribund and dead cell populations showed an elevated level of intracellular adenosine-5'-triphosphate and amino acids-a finding reflected in the reduced rate of amino acid synthesis during the recovery of heat-shocked cells-and also leakage of degraded ribonucleic acid products into the medium. Incorporation studies indicated that loss of viability at 30 C was correlated with inhibition of protein synthesis, followed later by inhibition of ribonucleic acid synthesis. Deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis was unaffected by temperature above the maximum.

Heat-labile enzymes in a psychrophilic bacterium

The oxidative and fermentative activities of a psychrophilic bacterium (strain 82), whose maximal growth temperature is 35 C, were completely destroyed by exposure of the cells to 46 C for about 1 hr, whereas those of mesophilic Escherichia coli were unaffected. Similar results were obtained with cell-free extracts. In attempts to determine some of the specific enzymes inactivated in strain 82 by exposure to 46 C, it was found that reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase was completely inactivated at 46 C in 2 hr. Also, cytochrome c reductase was completely destroyed at 46 C in 1 hr and was 70% destroyed at 40 C in 2 hr. The heat lability of the latter may determine the maximal growth temperature of the organism. In addition, the results indicated that the enzymes of strain 82 involved in the clastic split of pyruvate to formate and acetate are inactivated by exposure to 46 C and that the lactic and glycerol dehydrogenases are more heat-labile than those in E. coli. Succinic, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-alcohol, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases, however, in both strain 82 and E. coli, were essentially unaffected by exposure to 46 C for 2 hr.

Thermally induced leakage from Vibrio marinus, an obligately psychrophilic marine bacterium

Haight, Rodger D. (Oregon State University, Corvallis), and Richard Y. Morita. Thermally induced leakage from Vibrio marinus, an obligately psychrophilic bacterium. J. Bacteriol. 92:1388-1393. 1966.-Leakage of various cellular components into the surrounding menstruum occurred when Vibrio marinus was subjected to temperatures above 20 C (organism's maximal growth temperature). These materials, listed in decreasing rates of leakage, were identified as protein, deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, and amino acids. The amount of polar amino acids increased as the time and temperature of heat treatment were increased, whereas the nonpolar amino acids decreased. The ribonucleic acid in the supernatant fluid resulting from heat treatment was both polymeric and nonpolymeric. Leakage of cellular components may be one of the reasons that V. marinus MP-1 loses viability when exposed to temperatures above its maximal temperature for growth.

PRELIMINARY STUDIES OF THE PHYSIOLOGY OF SCLEROTINIA BOREALIS, A HIGHLY PSYCHROPHILIC FUNGUS

A study was made of the influence of temperature on growth and oxygen uptake by Sclerotinia borealis Bub. and Vleug. Growth was measured as the increase in diameter of colonies on agar media and oxygen uptake, by conventional manometric procedures with cells removed from shake cultures incubated at 0 °C.The results indicated that the fungus is highly psychrophilic with an optimum temperature for growth at 0 °C, a maximum at approximately 15 °C, and a minimum below −5 °C. Cultures grown at 0 °C ceased to grow when transferred to temperatures above 15 °C but, within limits, resumed growth again after a lag when returned to 0 °C. The length of the lag period was proportional to both the degree and the duration of the temperature elevation.The optimum temperature for oxygen uptake was 25 °C, the rate remaining linear at this temperature during a 6-hour incubation period. The rate at 25 °C declined slowly over a period of 4 days but the rate at 1 °C declined to a similar degree. The Q10for oxygen uptake was very low, the rate at 25 °C being only double that at 1 °C.

Induced Biosynthesis of Formic Hydrogenlyase in Iron-Deficient Cells of Escherichia coli

Fukuyama, T. (University of Washington, Seattle), and E. J. Ordal. Induced biosynthesis of formic hydrogenlyase in iron-deficient cells of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 90:673-680. 1965.-Escherichia coli cells were grown aerobically on a lactate-mineral salts medium from which iron had been removed by extraction with 8-hydroxyquinoline and chloroform. These cells carried out induced biosynthesis of formic hydrogenlyase in a reaction mixture containing glucose, formate, and phosphate without the addition of amino acids, providing adequate amounts of iron salts were present. In the absence of iron, glucose was fermented and acids were produced, but no formic hydrogenlyase developed. When iron-deficient E. coli cells were repeatedly washed, the property of carrying out induced biosynthesis of formic hydrogenlyase with glucose, formate, phosphate, and iron was lost, but was restored on addition of acid-hydrolyzed casein to the reaction mixture. An energy source (provided as glucose) was necessary for enzyme production. Iron-deficient cells were devoid of hydrogenase and formic hydrogenlyase but showed formic dehydrogenase activity when adequate amounts of selenium and molybdenum were present in the growth medium. Hydrogenase was consistently absent in iron-deficient cells but appeared concomitantly with formic hydrogenlyase during induced biosynthesis of the latter in iron-deficient cells of E. coli.