scholarly journals Physiological Ecology of Stenoxybacter acetivorans, an Obligate Microaerophile in Termite Guts

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (21) ◽  
pp. 6829-6841 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Wertz ◽  
John A. Breznak

ABSTRACT Stenoxybacter acetivorans is a newly described, obligately microaerophilic β-proteobacterium that is abundant in the acetate-rich hindgut of Reticulitermes. Here we tested the hypotheses that cells are located in the hypoxic, peripheral region of Reticulitermes flavipes hindguts and use acetate to fuel their O2-consuming respiratory activity in situ. Physical fractionation of R. flavipes guts, followed by limited-cycle PCR with S. acetivorans-specific 16S rRNA gene primers, indicated that cells of this organism were indeed located primarily among the microbiota colonizing the hindgut wall. Likewise, reverse transcriptase PCR of hindgut RNA revealed S. acetivorans-specific transcripts for acetate-activating enzymes that were also found in cell extracts (acetate kinase and phosphotransacetylase), as well as transcripts of ccoN, which encodes the O2-reducing subunit of high-affinity cbb 3-type cytochrome oxidases. However, S. acetivorans strains did not possess typical enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle (isocitrate lyase and malate synthase A), suggesting that they may use an alternate pathway to replenish tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates or they obtain such compounds (or their precursors) in situ. Respirometric measurements indicated that much of the O2 consumption by R. flavipes worker larvae was attributable to their guts, and the potential contribution of S. acetivorans to O2 consumption by extracted guts was about 0.2%, a value similar to that obtained for other hindgut bacteria examined. Similar measurements obtained with guts of larvae prefed diets to disrupt major members of the hindgut microbiota implied that most of the O2 consumption observed with extracted guts was attributable to protozoans, a group of microbes long thought to be “strict anaerobes.”

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (7) ◽  
pp. 2554-2567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Cramer ◽  
Robert Gerstmeir ◽  
Steffen Schaffer ◽  
Michael Bott ◽  
Bernhard J. Eikmanns

ABSTRACT In Corynebacterium glutamicum, the acetate-activating enzymes phosphotransacetylase and acetate kinase and the glyoxylate cycle enzymes isocitrate lyase and malate synthase are coordinately up-regulated in the presence of acetate in the growth medium. This regulation is due to transcriptional control of the respective pta-ack operon and the aceA and aceB genes, brought about at least partly by the action of the negative transcriptional regulator RamB. Using cell extracts of C. glutamicum and employing DNA affinity chromatography, mass spectrometry, and peptide mass fingerprinting, we identified a LuxR-type transcriptional regulator, designated RamA, which binds to the pta-ack and aceA/aceB promoter regions. Inactivation of the ramA gene in the genome of C. glutamicum resulted in mutant RG2. This mutant was unable to grow on acetate as the sole carbon and energy source and, in comparison to the wild type of C. glutamicum, showed very low specific activities of phosphotransacetylase, acetate kinase, isocitrate lyase, and malate synthase, irrespective of the presence of acetate in the medium. Comparative transcriptional cat fusion experiments revealed that this deregulation takes place at the level of transcription. By electrophoretic mobility shift analysis, purified His-tagged RamA protein was shown to bind specifically to the pta-ack and the aceA/aceB promoter regions, and deletion and mutation studies revealed in both regions two binding motifs each consisting of tandem A/C/TG4-6T/C or AC4-5A/G/T stretches separated by four or five arbitrary nucleotides. Our data indicate that RamA represents a novel LuxR-type transcriptional activator of genes involved in acetate metabolism of C. glutamicum.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (10) ◽  
pp. 6101-6112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Li ◽  
Chaminda J. Seneviratne ◽  
Emanuele Alpi ◽  
Juan A. Vizcaino ◽  
Lijian Jin

ABSTRACTCandidainfection has emerged as a critical health care burden worldwide, owing to the formation of robust biofilms against common antifungals. Recent evidence shows that multidrug-tolerant persisters critically account for biofilm recalcitrance, but their underlying biological mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we first investigated the phenotypic characteristics ofCandidabiofilm persisters under consecutive harsh treatments of amphotericin B. The prolonged treatments effectively killed the majority of the cells of biofilms derived from representative strains ofCandida albicans,Candida glabrata, andCandida tropicalisbut failed to eradicate a small fraction of persisters. Next, we explored the tolerance mechanisms of the persisters through an investigation of the proteomic profiles ofC. albicansbiofilm persister fractions by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. TheC. albicansbiofilm persisters displayed a specific proteomic signature, with an array of 205 differentially expressed proteins. The crucial enzymes involved in glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and protein synthesis were markedly downregulated, indicating that major metabolic activities are subdued in the persisters. It is noteworthy that certain metabolic pathways, such as the glyoxylate cycle, were able to be activated with significantly increased levels of isocitrate lyase and malate synthase. Moreover, a number of important proteins responsible forCandidagrowth, virulence, and the stress response were greatly upregulated. Interestingly, the persisters were tolerant to oxidative stress, despite highly induced intracellular superoxide. The current findings suggest that delicate metabolic control and a coordinated stress response may play a crucial role in mediating the survival and antifungal tolerance ofCandidabiofilm persisters.


1973 ◽  
Vol 134 (2) ◽  
pp. 607-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Bégin-Heick

Results are presented on the intracellular localization of some of the enzymes of gluconeogenesis, of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and of related enzymes in Astasia and Euglena grown with various substrates. The results indicate the particulate nature of at least part of the malate synthase of Astasia and of part of the malate synthase and isocitrate lyase in Euglena. However, the presence of glyoxysomes (microbodies) in Astasia and Euglena is still open to question, since it has not, so far, been possible to separate the enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle from succinate dehydrogenase in the particulate fraction.


2005 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 406-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Lu ◽  
Yong-Rui Wu ◽  
Bin Han

Abstract The glyoxylate cycle is a modified form of the tricarboxylic acid cycle that converts C2 compounds into C4 dicarboxylic acids at plant developmental stages. By studying submerged rice seedlings, we revealed the activation of the glyoxylate cycle by identifying the increased transcripts of mRNAs of the genes of isocitrate lyase (ICL) and malate synthase (MS), two characteristic enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle. Northern blot analysis showed that ICL and MS were activated in the prolonged anaerobic environment. The activity assay of pyruvate decarboxylase and ICL in the submerged seedlings indicated an 8.8-fold and 3.5-fold increase over that in the unsubmerged seedlings, respectively. The activity assay of acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase in the submerged seedlings indicated a 3-fold increase over that in the unsubmerged seedlings, which is important for initiating acetate metabolism. Consequently, we concluded that the glyoxylate cycle was involved in acetate metabolism under anaerobic conditions.


2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (4) ◽  
pp. 1415-1425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Meister ◽  
Stephan Saum ◽  
Birgit E. Alber ◽  
Georg Fuchs

ABSTRACT Cell extracts of Rhodobacter capsulatus grown on acetate contained an apparent malate synthase activity but lacked isocitrate lyase activity. Therefore, R. capsulatus cannot use the glyoxylate cycle for acetate assimilation, and a different pathway must exist. It is shown that the apparent malate synthase activity is due to the combination of a malyl-coenzyme A (CoA) lyase and a malyl-CoA-hydrolyzing enzyme. Malyl-CoA lyase activity was 20-fold up-regulated in acetate-grown cells versus glucose-grown cells. Malyl-CoA lyase was purified 250-fold with a recovery of 6%. The enzyme catalyzed not only the reversible condensation of glyoxylate and acetyl-CoA to l-malyl-CoA but also the reversible condensation of glyoxylate and propionyl-CoA to β-methylmalyl-CoA. Enzyme activity was stimulated by divalent ions with preference for Mn2+ and was inhibited by EDTA. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined, and a corresponding gene coding for a 34.2-kDa protein was identified and designated mcl1. The native molecular mass of the purified protein was 195 ± 20 kDa, indicating a homohexameric composition. A homologous mcl1 gene was found in the genomes of the isocitrate lyase-negative bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodospirillum rubrum in similar genomic environments. For Streptomyces coelicolor and Methylobacterium extorquens, mcl1 homologs are located within gene clusters implicated in acetate metabolism. We therefore propose that l-malyl-CoA/β-methylmalyl-CoA lyase encoded by mcl1 is involved in acetate assimilation by R. capsulatus and possibly other glyoxylate cycle-negative bacteria.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Durall ◽  
Kateryna Kukil ◽  
Jeffrey A. Hawkes ◽  
Alessia Albergati ◽  
Peter Lindblad ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cyanobacteria are promising hosts for the production of various industrially important compounds such as succinate. This study focuses on introduction of the glyoxylate shunt, which is naturally present in only a few cyanobacteria, into Synechocystis PCC 6803. In order to test its impact on cell metabolism, engineered strains were evaluated for succinate accumulation under conditions of light, darkness and anoxic darkness. Each condition was complemented by treatments with 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone, an inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase enzyme, and acetate, both in nitrogen replete and deplete medium. Results We were able to introduce genes encoding the glyoxylate shunt, aceA and aceB, encoding isocitrate lyase and malate synthase respectively, into a strain of Synechocystis PCC 6803 engineered to overexpress phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. Our results show that complete expression of the glyoxylate shunt results in higher extracellular succinate accumulation compared to the wild type control strain after incubation of cells in darkness and anoxic darkness in the presence of nitrate. Addition of the inhibitor 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone increased succinate titers in all the conditions tested when nitrate was available. Addition of acetate in the presence of the inhibitor further increased the succinate accumulation, resulting in high levels when phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase was overexpressed, compared to control strain. However, the highest succinate titer was obtained after dark incubation of an engineered strain with a partial glyoxylate shunt overexpressing isocitrate lyase in addition to phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, with only 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone supplementation to the medium. Conclusions Heterologous expression of the glyoxylate shunt with its central link to the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) for acetate assimilation provides insight on the coordination of the carbon metabolism in the cell. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase plays an important role in directing carbon flux towards the TCA cycle.


2001 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. L. Rylott ◽  
M. A. Hooks ◽  
I. A. Graham

Molecular genetic approaches in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (ColO) are shedding new light on the role and control of the pathways associated with the mobilization of lipid reserves during oilseed germination and post-germinative growth. Numerous independent studies have reported on the expression of individual genes encoding enzymes from the three major pathways: β-oxidation, the glyoxylate cycle and gluconeogenesis. However, a single comprehensive study of representative genes and enzymes from the different pathways in a single plant species has not been done. Here we present results from Arabidopsis that demonstrate the co-ordinate regulation of gene expression and enzyme activities for the acyl-CoA oxidase- and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolasemediated steps of β-oxidation, the isocitrate lyase and malate synthase steps of the glyoxylate cycle and the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase step of gluconeogenesis. The mRNA abundance and enzyme activities increase to a peak at stage 2, 48 h after the onset of seed germination, and decline thereafter either to undetectable levels (for malate synthase and isocitrate lyase) or low basal levels (for the genes of β-oxidation and gluconeogenesis). The co-ordinate induction of all these genes at the onset of germination raises the possibility that a global regulatory mechanism operates to induce the expression of genes associated with the mobilization of storage reserves during the heterotrophic growth period.


1967 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Krishnamurti ◽  
L. W. McElroy

When cells of E. coli 64 were harvested in their exponential phase of growth in an acetate medium and incubated aerobically with sodium acetate-2-C14, about 33% of the label appeared in CO2 after 1 hr. Of the radioactivity in the cells, 72% was recovered in the protein hydrolysate, 8% in the nucleic acid, 6% in the lipid and 14% in the ethanol-soluble fractions. The radioactivity in the protein hydrolysate of cells incubated with sodium acetate-2-C14 was approximately 20 times that in the hydrolysate of cells incubated with C14O2 as the carbon source. By spectrophotometric methods, it was demonstrated that cell-free extracts of cells grown on acetate contained acetate kinase and phosphate acetyltransferase, plus, as demonstrated by spectrophotometric and isotopic methods, isocitrate lyase and malate synthase which are characteristic of the glyoxylate cycle. The enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle could not be demonstrated in cell-free extracts of E. coli 64 grown on glucose under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Possible functions that E. coli 64 may have in the maintenance of anaerobiosis in the rumen and utilization of acetate through the glyoxylate pathway are discussed.


Author(s):  
K. S. Ostrenko ◽  
V. P. Galochkina ◽  
V. О. Lemiasheuski ◽  
A. V. Agafonova ◽  
A. N. Ovcharova ◽  
...  

The paper is the fundamental beginning of research series aimed at understanding the processes associated with high performance in higher animals. The research aim is to study correlation of dicarboxylic acid cycle with tricarboxylic acid cycle with establishment of activity and dislocation of enzymes, confirming the hypothesis of availability and active metabolic participation of peroxisome in highly productive animals. Research was conducted on the basis of the VNIIFBiP animal vivarium in 2019 with a group of piglets of the Irish Landrace breed (n = 10). After slaughter at the age of 210 days, the nuclear (with large tissue particles), mitochondrial and postmitochondrial fractions of the liver were studied with assessment of succinate dehydrogenase and activity of other dehydrogenes of the Krebs cycle. It was found that peroxisomes act as universal agents of communication and cooperation, and microtelets are able to generate various chemical signals that carry information, to control and arrange a number of mechanisms in the metabolic processes in the body. Despite the fact that the Krebs cycle dehydrogenases are considered mitochondrial enzymes, the experiment showed an increase in activity of priruvate dehydrogenase (P > 0.1), isocitrate dehydrogenase (0.1 > P > 0.05) and malate dehydrogenase (0.1 > P > 0.05), which, when comparing the mitochondrial and postmitochondrial fractions, indicates a higher activity of peroxisomal fractions. The peroxisome localization place is the postmitochondrial fraction, and the lower layer contains larger peroxisomes to a greater extent, while the upper layer contains smaller ones. It was found that indicator enzymes of glyoxylate cycle isocitratliase and malate synthase exhibit catalytic activity in the peroxisomal fraction of liver of highly productive pigs. The obtained data on functioning of key glyoxylate cycle enzymes and their intracellular compartmentalization in highly productive pigs allow learning more about the specifics of metabolism and its regulation processes. Application of this knowledge in practice opens up prospects for rationalizing the production of livestock products of increased quantity, improved quality with less feed, labor and financial resources spent.


1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 447-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Dehorter ◽  
L. Lacoste

The activity of two enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (NADP+-isocitrate dehydrogenase, EC 1.1.1.42) and the glyoxylate cycle (isocitrate lyase, EC 4.1.3.1) were assayed in vitro to determine the effects of darkness, light, and mycosporin (P310) on sexual morphogenesis in Nectria galligena Bres. In the absence of mycosporin, high isocitrate lyase activity was associated with vegetative growth of fungi kept in the dark. In contrast, light-induced perithecial development and mycosporin biosynthesis could be correlated with high ratios of isocitrate dehydrogenase to isocitrate lyase activity. This was confirmed by the fact that when mycosporin was added to the nutrient medium with incubation in darkness, the fertility of the fungus was partially expressed and the activity of isocitrate lyase was significantly reduced. Thus this enzyme would be repressed in vivo by mycosporin. Because of its photomimetic role in sexual differentiation and regulation of intermediate metabolism, mycosporin appears to be a biochemical transmitter of light energy required for the formation of ascocarps.


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