scholarly journals The Secreted Pyomelanin Pigment of Legionella pneumophila Confers Ferric Reductase Activity

2007 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. 4062-4070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christa H. Chatfield ◽  
Nicholas P. Cianciotto

ABSTRACT The virulence of Legionella pneumophila is dependent upon its capacity to acquire iron. To identify genes involved in expression of its siderophore, we screened a mutagenized population of L. pneumophila for strains that were no longer able to rescue the growth of a ferrous transport mutant. However, an unusual mutant was obtained that displayed a strong inhibitory effect on the feoB mutant. Due to an insertion in hmgA that encodes homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, the mutant secreted increased levels of pyomelanin, the L. pneumophila pigment that is derived from secreted homogentisic acid (HGA). Thus, we hypothesized that L. pneumophila-secreted HGA-melanin has intrinsic ferric reductase activity, converting Fe3+ to Fe2+, but that hyperpigmentation results in excessive reduction of iron that can, in the case of the feoB mutant, be inhibitory to growth. In support of this hypothesis, we demonstrated, for the first time, that wild-type L. pneumophila secretes ferric reductase activity. Moreover, whereas the hyperpigmented mutant had increased secreted activity, an lly mutant specifically impaired for pigment production lacked the activity. Compatible with the nature of HGA-melanins, the secreted ferric reductase activity was positively influenced by the amount of tyrosine in the growth medium, resistant to protease, acid precipitable, and heterogeneous in size. Together, these data represent the first demonstration of pyomelanin-mediated ferric reduction by a pathogenic bacterium.

2008 ◽  
Vol 191 (5) ◽  
pp. 1472-1479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinki Yeom ◽  
Che Ok Jeon ◽  
Eugene L. Madsen ◽  
Woojun Park

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas putida harbors two ferredoxin-NADP+ reductases (Fprs) on its chromosome, and their functions remain largely unknown. Ferric reductase is structurally contained within the Fpr superfamily. Interestingly, ferric reductase is not annotated on the chromosome of P. putida. In an effort to elucidate the function of the Fpr as a ferric reductase, we used a variety of biochemical and physiological methods using the wild-type and mutant strains. In both the ferric reductase and flavin reductase assays, FprA and FprB preferentially used NADPH and NADH as electron donors, respectively. Two Fprs prefer a native ferric chelator to a synthetic ferric chelator and utilize free flavin mononucleotide (FMN) as an electron carrier. FprB has a higher k cat/Km value for reducing the ferric complex with free FMN. The growth rate of the fprB mutant was reduced more profoundly than that of the fprA mutant, the growth rate of which is also lower than the wild type in ferric iron-containing minimal media. Flavin reductase activity was diminished completely when the cell extracts of the fprB mutant plus NADH were utilized, but not the fprA mutant with NADPH. This indicates that other NADPH-dependent flavin reductases may exist. Interestingly, the structure of the NAD(P) region of FprB, but not of FprA, resembled the ferric reductase (Fre) of Escherichia coli in the homology modeling. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the functions of Fprs in P. putida as flavin and ferric reductases. Furthermore, our results indicated that FprB may perform a crucial role as a NADH-dependent ferric/flavin reductase under iron stress conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
María José García ◽  
Macarena Angulo ◽  
Carlos García ◽  
Carlos Lucena ◽  
Esteban Alcántara ◽  
...  

To cope with P, S, or Fe deficiency, dicot plants, like Arabidopsis, develop several responses (mainly in their roots) aimed to facilitate the mobilization and uptake of the deficient nutrient. Within these responses are the modification of root morphology, an increased number of transporters, augmented synthesis-release of nutrient solubilizing compounds and the enhancement of some enzymatic activities, like ferric reductase activity (FRA) or phosphatase activity (PA). Once a nutrient has been acquired in enough quantity, these responses should be switched off to minimize energy costs and toxicity. This implies that they are tightly regulated. Although the responses to each deficiency are induced in a rather specific manner, crosstalk between them is frequent and in such a way that P, S, or Fe deficiency can induce responses related to the other two nutrients. The regulation of the responses is not totally known but some hormones and signaling substances have been involved, either as activators [ethylene (ET), auxin, nitric oxide (NO)], or repressors [cytokinins (CKs)]. The plant hormone ET is involved in the regulation of responses to P, S, or Fe deficiency, and this could partly explain the crosstalk between them. In spite of these crosslinks, it can be hypothesized that, to confer the maximum specificity to the responses of each deficiency, ET should act in conjunction with other signals and/or through different transduction pathways. To study this latter possibility, several responses to P, S, or Fe deficiency have been studied in the Arabidopis wild-type cultivar (WT) Columbia and in some of its ethylene signaling mutants (ctr1, ein2-1, ein3eil1) subjected to the three deficiencies. Results show that key elements of the ET transduction pathway, like CTR1, EIN2, and EIN3/EIL1, can play a role in the crosstalk among nutrient deficiency responses.


1982 ◽  
Vol 152 (2) ◽  
pp. 874-879
Author(s):  
M K Winston ◽  
J K Bhattacharjee

The growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild-type strain X2180 in minimal medium was inhibited by the addition of higher-than-supplementary levels of alpha-aminoadipate. This inhibitory effect was reversed by the addition of arginine, asparagine, aspartate, glutamine, homoserine, methionine, or serine as single amino acid supplements. Mutants belonging to the lys2 and lys14 loci were able to grow in lysine-supplemented alpha-aminoadipate medium, although not as well as when selected amino acids were added. Growth in alpha-aminoadipate medium by all strains was accompanied by an accumulation of alpha-ketoadipate. Glutamate:keto-adipate transaminase levels were derepressed two- to fivefold in lys2 mutants using alpha-aminoadipate as a nitrogen source. Wild-type strain X2180 growing in amino acid-supplemented AA medium exhibited higher levels of alpha-aminoadipate reductase. Mutants unable to use alpha-aminoadipate without amino acid supplementation were obtained by treatment of lys2 strain MW5-64 and were shown to have glutamate: ketoadipate transaminase activity and to lack alpha-aminoadipate reductase activity. Altered cell morphologies, including increased size, multiple buds, pseudohyphae, and germ tubes, evidenced by cells grown in alpha-aminoadipate medium suggest that higher-than-supplementary levels of alpha-aminoadipate result in an impairment of cell division.


1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 2294-2301 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Dancis ◽  
R D Klausner ◽  
A G Hinnebusch ◽  
J G Barriocanal

The requirement for a reduction step in cellular iron uptake has been postulated, and the existence of plasma membrane ferric reductase activity has been described in both procaryotic and eucaryotic cells. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, there is an externally directed reductase activity that is regulated by the concentration of iron in the growth medium; maximal activity is induced by iron starvation. We report here the isolation of a mutant of S. cerevisiae lacking the reductase activity. This mutant is deficient in the uptake of ferric iron and is extremely sensitive to iron deprivation. Genetic analysis of the mutant demonstrates that the reductase and ferric uptake deficiencies are due to a single mutation that we designate fre1-1. Both phenotypes cosegregate in meiosis, corevert with a frequency of 10(-7), and are complemented by a 3.5-kilobase fragment of genomic DNA from wild-type S. cerevisiae. This fragment contains FRE1, the wild-type allele of the mutant gene. The level of the gene transcript is regulated by iron in the same was as the reductase activity. The ferrous ion product of the reductase must traverse the plasma membrane. A high-affinity (Km = 5 microM) ferrous uptake system is present in both wild-type and mutant cells. Thus, iron uptake in S. cerevisiae is mediated by two plasma membrane components, a reductase and a ferrous transport system.


2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (28) ◽  
pp. 9502-9512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wout Oosterheert ◽  
Piet Gros

Six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate 1 (STEAP1) is an integral membrane protein that is highly up-regulated on the cell surface of several human cancers, making it a promising therapeutic target to manage these diseases. It shares sequence homology with three enzymes (STEAP2–STEAP4) that catalyze the NADPH-dependent reduction of iron(III). However, STEAP1 lacks an intracellular NADPH-binding domain and does not exhibit cellular ferric reductase activity. Thus, both the molecular function of STEAP1 and its role in cancer progression remain elusive. Here, we present a ∼3.0-Å cryo-EM structure of trimeric human STEAP1 bound to three antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) of the clinically used antibody mAb120.545. The structure revealed that STEAP1 adopts a reductase-like conformation and interacts with the Fabs through its extracellular helices. Enzymatic assays in human cells revealed that STEAP1 promotes iron(III) reduction when fused to the intracellular NADPH-binding domain of its family member STEAP4, suggesting that STEAP1 functions as a ferric reductase in STEAP heterotrimers. Our work provides a foundation for deciphering the molecular mechanisms of STEAP1 and may be useful in the design of new therapeutic strategies to target STEAP1 in cancer.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wout Oosterheert ◽  
Piet Gros

AbstractSix-transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate (STEAP1) is an integral membrane protein that is highly upregulated on the cell surface of several human cancers, making it a promising therapeutic target. It shares sequence homology with three enzymes (STEAP2-4) that catalyze the NADPH-dependent reduction of iron(III). However, STEAP1 lacks an intracellular NADPH-binding domain and does not exhibit cellular ferric-reductase activity. Thus, both the molecular function of STEAP1 and its role in cancer progression remain elusive. Here, we present a ~3.0 Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of trimeric human STEAP1 bound to three Fab-fragments of the clinically employed antibody mAb120.545. STEAP1 adopts a reductase-like conformation and interacts with the Fabs through its extracellular helices. Enzymatic assays in human cells reveal that STEAP1 promotes iron(III) reduction when fused to the intracellular NADPH-binding domain of its family member STEAP4, implicating STEAP1 as a functional ferric reductase in STEAP hetero-trimers. Our work provides a foundation for deciphering the molecular mechanisms of STEAP1 and will be instrumental in the design of new therapeutic strategies to target STEAP1 in cancer.


1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 2294-2301
Author(s):  
A Dancis ◽  
R D Klausner ◽  
A G Hinnebusch ◽  
J G Barriocanal

The requirement for a reduction step in cellular iron uptake has been postulated, and the existence of plasma membrane ferric reductase activity has been described in both procaryotic and eucaryotic cells. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, there is an externally directed reductase activity that is regulated by the concentration of iron in the growth medium; maximal activity is induced by iron starvation. We report here the isolation of a mutant of S. cerevisiae lacking the reductase activity. This mutant is deficient in the uptake of ferric iron and is extremely sensitive to iron deprivation. Genetic analysis of the mutant demonstrates that the reductase and ferric uptake deficiencies are due to a single mutation that we designate fre1-1. Both phenotypes cosegregate in meiosis, corevert with a frequency of 10(-7), and are complemented by a 3.5-kilobase fragment of genomic DNA from wild-type S. cerevisiae. This fragment contains FRE1, the wild-type allele of the mutant gene. The level of the gene transcript is regulated by iron in the same was as the reductase activity. The ferrous ion product of the reductase must traverse the plasma membrane. A high-affinity (Km = 5 microM) ferrous uptake system is present in both wild-type and mutant cells. Thus, iron uptake in S. cerevisiae is mediated by two plasma membrane components, a reductase and a ferrous transport system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 3284
Author(s):  
Eugene Choi ◽  
Sung Jean Park ◽  
Gunhee Lee ◽  
Seung Kew Yoon ◽  
Minho Lee ◽  
...  

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common malignant tumor in the liver, grows and metastasizes rapidly. Despite advances in treatment modalities, the five-year survival rate of HCC remains less than 30%. We sought genetic mutations that may affect the oncogenic properties of HCC, using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data analysis. We found that the GNAQ T96S mutation (threonine 96 to serine alteration of the Gαq protein) was present in 12 out of 373 HCC patients (3.2%). To examine the effect of the GNAQ T96S mutation on HCC, we transfected the SK-Hep-1 cell line with the wild-type or the mutant GNAQ T96S expression vector. Transfection with the wild-type GNAQ expression vector enhanced anchorage-independent growth, migration, and the MAPK pathways in the SK-Hep-1 cells compared to control vector transfection. Moreover, cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, migration, and the MAPK pathways were further enhanced in the SK-Hep-1 cells transfected with the GNAQ T96S expression vector compared to the wild-type GNAQ-transfected cells. In silico structural analysis shows that the substitution of the GNAQ amino acid threonine 96 with a serine may destabilize the interaction between the regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) protein and GNAQ. This may reduce the inhibitory effect of RGS on GNAQ signaling, enhancing the GNAQ signaling pathway. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping analysis for Korean HCC patients shows that the GNAQ T96S mutation was found in only one of the 456 patients (0.22%). Our data suggest that the GNAQ T96S hotspot mutation may play an oncogenic role in HCC by potentiating the GNAQ signal transduction pathway.


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