[A physiological and taxonomic study of Paracoccus denitrificans (author's transl)].
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Two mobilizable cloning vectors, designated pABW1 and pAWB2, were constructed basing on the E. coli vector pBGS18 and oriT originating from RK2. In pABW2 the kanamycin resistance gene was replaced by a novel tetracycline resistance cassette derived from Tn1721. Both vectors, specific for E. coli, allow to perform the cloning steps in E. coli and then to efficiently transfer the constructs by conjugation to the host of choice. A vector which cannot propagate in the given host can be applied for identification of the host specific plasmid replicator regions. With the use of pABW2 we defined the minimal replicator region of pTAV202-a mini-derivative of the large pTAV1 plasmid of P. versutus. We also proved that RepC' encoded on this fragment is the principal initiator replication protein and that oriV is located along its coding sequence.
High-resolution X-ray diffraction data to d(min) = 1.31 A were collected on a Xuong-Hamlin area detector from crystals of the blue-copper protein amicyanin, isolated from P. denitrificans. With coordinates from the earlier 2.0 A structure determination as a starting point, simulated annealing and restrained positional and temperature factor refinements using the program X-PLOR resulted in a final R factor of 15.5%, based on 21 131 unique reflections in the range 8.0-1.3 A. Comparison of the 1.31 A structure with that at 2.0 A shows the same basic features. However, the high-resolution electron-density maps clearly reveal additional solvent molecules and significant discrete disorder in protein side chains and within the solvent structure. As a consequence of modelling side-chain disorder, several new hydrogen-bonding interactions were identified.
The aim of this study is to isolate denitrifying bacteria utilizing epsilon-caprolactam as the substrate, from a polyacrylonitrile fibre manufactured wastewater treatment system. The aim is also to compare the performance of PAN (polyacrylonitrile) mixed bacteria cultures acclimated to epsilon-caprolactam and isolated pure strain for treating different initial epsilon-caprolactam concentrations from synthetic wastewater under anoxic conditions. The result showed that the PAN mixed bacteria cultures acclimated to epsilon-caprolactam could utilize 1538.5 mg/l of epsilon-caprolactam as a substrate for denitrification. Sufficient time and about 2200 mg/l of nitrate were necessary for the complete epsilon-caprolactam removal. Paracoccus thiophilus was isolated from the polyacrylonitrile fibre manufactured wastewater treatment system and it could utilize 1722.5 mg/l of epsilon-caprolactam as a substrate for denitrification. About 3500 mg/l of nitrate was necessary for the complete removal of epsilon-caprolactam. When the initial epsilon-caprolactam concentration was below 784.3 mg/l, the removal efficiency of epsilon-caprolactam by Paracoccus thiophilus was better than that for the PAN mixed bacteria cultures. The growth of Paracoccus thiophilus was better. However, when the initial epsilon-caprolactam concentration was as high as 1445.8 mg/l, both the epsilon-caprolactam removal efficiency by Paracoccus thiophilus and Paracoccus thiophilus specific growth rate were similar to the PAN mixed bacteria cultures.
A complementation analysis was performed in Escherichia coli to evaluate the efficiency of beta-carotene ketolases (CrtW) from the marine bacteria Brevundimonas sp. SD212, Paracoccus sp. PC1 (Alcaligenes PC-1), and Paracoccus sp. N81106 (Agrobacterium aurantiacum), for astaxanthin production. Each crtW gene was expressed in Escherichia coli synthesizing zeaxanthin due to the presence of plasmid pACCAR25DeltacrtX. Carotenoids that accumulated in the resulting E. coli transformants were examined by chromatographic and spectroscopic analyses. The transformant carrying the Paracoccus sp. PC1 or N81106 crtW gene accumulated high levels of adonixanthin, which is the final astaxanthin precursor for CrtW, and astaxanthin, while the E. coli transformant with crtW from Brevundimonas sp. SD212 did not accumulate any adonixanthin and produced a high level of astaxanthin. These results show efficient conversion by CrtW of Brevundimonas sp. SD212 from adonixanthin to astaxanthin, which is a new-found characteristic of a bacterial CrtW enzyme. The phylogenetic positions between CrtW of the two genera, Brevundimonas and Paracoccus, are distant, although they fall into alpha-Proteobacteria.
The proton-translocating NADH-quinone oxidoreductase (NDH-1) of Paracoccus denitrificans is composed of 14 different subunits (designated Nqo1-14), seven of which are located in the membrane domain and the other seven in the peripheral domain. It has been previously reported that membrane domain subunit Nqo7 (ND3) directly interacts with peripheral subunit Nqo6 (PSST) by using a cross-linker, m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydrosuccinimide ester, and heterologous expression [Di Bernardo, S., and Yagi, T. (2001) FEBS Lett. 508, 385-388]. To further explore the near-neighbor relationship of the subunits, a zero-length cross-linker, 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide (EDC), and the Paracoccus membranes were used, and the cross-linked products were examined with antibodies specific to subunits Nqo1-11. The Nqo6 subunit was cross-linked to subunit Nqo9 (TYKY). In addition, a ternary product of Nqo3 (75k), Nqo6, and Nqo7 and binary products of Nqo3 and Nqo6 and of Nqo6 and Nqo7 were observed, but a binary product of Nqo3 and Nqo7 was not detected. The Nqo4 (49k) subunit was found to be associated with the Nqo7 subunit. Furthermore, Paracoccus subunits Nqo3, Nqo6, and Nqo7 were heterologously coexpressed in Escherichia coli, and EDC cross-linking experiments were carried out using the E. coli membranes expressing these three subunits. The results were the same as those obtained with Paracoccus membranes. On the basis of the data, subunit arrangements of NDH-1 were discussed.
The binding of 2'(3')-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-adenosine-5'-triphosphate (TNP-ATP), [35S]ATP alpha S and 8-azido-[gamma-32P]ATP to isolated cytochrome c oxidase of bovine heart and liver and to the two-subunit enzyme of Paracoccus dentrificans was studied by measuring the fluorescence change or bound radioactivity, respectively. With TNP-ATP three binding sites were determined at cytochrome c oxidase from bovine heart and liver, both with two dissociation constants Kd of about 0.2 and 0.9 microM. Trypsin treatment of the enzyme from bovine heart, resulted in one binding site with a Kd of 0.3 microM. The two-subunit enzyme of Paracoccus dentrificans had only one binding site with a Kd of 3.6 microM. The binding of [35S]ATP alpha S to cytochrome c oxidase was studied by equilibrium dialysis. With the enzyme of bovine heart seven and the enzyme of liver six high-affinity binding sites with apparent Kd's of 7.5 and 12 microM, respectively, were obtained. The two-subunit enzyme of Paracoccus denitrificans had one binding site with a Kd of 20 microM. The large number of binding sites at cytochrome c oxidase from bovine heart, mainly at nuclear coded subunits, was verified by photoaffinity labelling with 8-azido-[gamma-32P]ATP.
The 16S rRNA or rRNA gene sequences of the type strains of 5 species of Rhodobacter, Rhodopseudomonas blastica and Paracoccus denitrificans were determined. The sequence analysis revealed that Rhodobacter species, whose intracytoplasmic membrane systems were characteristically vesicular, composed a sole cluster. Rhodopseudomonas blastica, whose intracytoplasmic membrane system was lamellar, was included in the cluster of Rhodobacter. The phylogenetic co-clustering of these bacteria conformed to their possessing of the identical types of carotenoids. Paracoccus denitrificans, which is nonphototrophic, is a right member of the Rhodobacter cluster. Rhodobacter species, Rhodopseudomonas blastica and Paracoccus denitrificans are apart from the other phototrophic bacteria and have the common deletions of 21 bases at the positions 1258 to 1278 (Escherichia coli numbering system). It was demonstrated that the morphological character "intracytoplasmic membrane structure", that has been regarded as a generic criterion does not reflect the phylogeny in the phototrophic bacteria. The transfer of Rhodopseudomonas blastica to the genus Rhodobacter is proposed.
The NADH-ubiquinone reductase activity of the respiratory chains of several organisms was inhibited by capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, which are the pungent principles of red pepper. This inhibition was correlated with the presence of an energy transducing site in this segment of the respiratory chain. Where the NADH-quinone oxidoreductase segment involved an energy coupling site (e.g., in Paracoccus denitrificans, Escherichia coli, and Thermus thermophilus HB-8 membranes and bovine heart mitochondria), capsaicin acted as an inhibitor of ubiquinone reduction by NADH. In contrast, where this energy coupling site was absent (e.g., in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondria and Bacillus subtilis membranes), there was no inhibition of NADH-ubiquinone reductase activity by capsaicin. The capsaicin inhibition of Paracoccus membranes was reversed by washing the membranes with medium containing bovine serum albumin. In the E. coli and Paracoccus membranes and bovine submitochondrial particles, capsaicin acted as a noncompetitive inhibitor for ubiquinone-1 at lower concentrations of ubiquinone-1 (less than 20 microM) and as a competitive inhibitor at higher concentrations of ubiquinone-1 (greater than 50 microM). In addition, the concentrations of capsaicin required for 50% inhibition of NADH oxidase activity of bovine submitochondrial particles were increased when ubiquinone-10 was added to the particles. The mechanism by which capsaicin inhibits the energy-transducing NADH-quinone oxidoreductase is discussed.
When Paracoccus denitrificans membranes were treated with a crosslinker, m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (MBS), a cross-linked product of M(r) approximately 31 kDa was found which reacted with antibodies against the hydrophobic subunit Nqo7 and the connector subunit Nqo6. NaI treatment of the Paracoccus membranes before, but not after, the crosslinking step prevented the formation of the 31 kDa band. When Nqo7 and Nqo6 were coexpressed in Escherichia coli, both subunits were located in the membrane fraction. MBS treatment of the E. coli membranes generated the 31 kDa band as in the Paracoccus membranes. These results indicate that Nqo7 interacts with probable N2-binding Nqo6.
A protein analog of a purple copper center has been constructed from a recombinant blue copper protein (Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin) by replacing the loop containing the three ligands to the blue copper center with the corresponding loop of the CuA center in cytochrome c oxidase (COX) from Paracoccus denitrificans. The electronic absorption in the UV and visible region (UV-vis) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of this analog are remarkably similar to those of the native CuA center in COX from Paracoccus denitrificans. The above spectra can be obtained upon addition of a mixture of Cu2+ and Cu+. Addition of Cu2+ only results in a UV-vis spectrum consisting of absorptions from both a purple copper center and a blue copper center. This spectrum can be converted to the spectrum of a pure purple copper by a prolonged incubation in the air, or by addition of excess ascorbate. The azurin mutant reported here is an example of an engineered purple copper center with the A480/A530 ratio greater than 1 and with no detectable hyperfines, similar to those of the CuA sites in COX of bovine heart and of Paracoccus denitrificans.
The bacterial community involved in removing nitrogen from sewage and their preferred DO environment within an anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (A/O MBR) was investigated. A continuously operated laboratory-scale A/O MBR was maintained for 360 d. At a sludge age of 150 d and a C/N ratio of 3.5, the system was capable of removing 88% of the influent nitrogen from raw wastewater through typical nitrogen removal transformations (i.e. aerobic ammonia oxidation and anoxic nitrate reduction). Characterization of the A/O MBR bacterial community was carried out using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques. FISH results further showed that Nitrosospira spp. and Nitrospira spp. were the predominant groups of ammonia and nitrite oxidizing group, respectively. They constituted up to 11% and 6% of eubacteria at DO below 0.05 mg/l (low DO), respectively, and about 14% and 9% of eubacteria at DO between 2-5 mg/l (sufficient DO), respectively, indicating preference of nitrifiers for a higher DO environment. Generally low counts of the genus Paracoccus were detected while negative results were observed for Paracoccus denitrificans, Alcaligenes spp, and Pseudomonas stutzeri under the low and sufficient DO environments. The overall results indicate that Nitrosospira spp., Nitrospira spp. and members of Paracoccus spp. can be metabolically functional in nitrogen removal in the laboratory-scale A/O MBR system.
The binding of TNP-ATP (2' or 3'-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-ATP) to cytochrome c oxidase (COX) from bovine heart and liver and to the two-subunit COX of Paracoccus denitrificans was measured by its change of fluorescence. Three binding sites, two with high (dissociation constant Kd = 0.2 microM) and one with lower affinity (Kd = 0.9 microM), were found at COX from bovine heart and liver, while the Paracoccus enzyme showed only one binding site (Kd = 3.6 microM). The binding of [35S]ATP alpha S was measured by equilibrium dialysis and revealed seven binding sites at the heart enzyme (Kd = 7.5 microM) and six at the liver enzyme (Kd = 12 microM). The Paracoccus enzyme had only one binding site (Kd = 16 microM). The effect of variable intraliposomal ATP/ADP ratios, but at constant total concentration of [ATP + ADP] = 5 mM, on the H+/e- stoichiometry of reconstituted COX from bovine heart and liver were studied. Above 98% ATP the H+/e- stoichiometry of the heart enzyme decreased to about half of the value measured at 100% ATP. In contrast, the H+/e-stoichiometry of the liver enzyme was not influenced by the ATP/ADP ratio. It is suggested that high intramitochondrial ATP/ADP ratios, corresponding to low cellular work load, will decrease the efficiency of energy transduction and result in elevated thermogenesis for the maintenance of body temperature.
The effect of oxidation state of carbon substrate on the diauxic lag of facultative anaerobic denitrifying bacteria growing aerobically upon switching to anoxic growth was studied. Also studied was the effect on the anoxic maximum specific growth rate. Two pure bacteria cultures were used, Paracoccus pantotrophus, denitrifying bacteria containing a periplasmic nitrate reductase (Nap), and Pseudomonas denitrificans, denitrifying bacteria lacking the periplasmic nitrate reductase. The anoxic maximum specific growth rate of both cultures following a period of aerobic growth with identical dilution up to steady-state was indeed affected by the oxidation state of the carbon, with the most oxidized substrate yielding the highest anoxic maximum specific growth rate. The diauxic lags for Paracoccus pantotrophus were considerably shorter than those for Pseudomonas denitrificans, something expected due to the presence of Nap, an enzyme not affected by aerobiosis. Since the activity of Nap in Paracoccus pantotrophus under aerobic conditions has been shown to increase with the extent of reduction of the carbon substrate, it was also expected that the diauxic lag length for these bacteria would decrease as the reduction state of the carbon substrate increased. This could not be demonstrated, as no significant lags were observed for this species. Pseudomonas denitrificans exhibited a shorter diauxic lag with the more oxidized carbon source.
The occurrence of a specific high potential iron-sulfur protein in a halophilic, denitrifying coccus provisionally assigned to the genus Paracoccus has been confirmed through primary structure determination. This protein, known as "HiPIP", has been found previously only in photosynthetic bacteria. The sequence of this 71-residue protein is as similar to the HiPEPs from photosynthetic bacteria as they, in turn, are to one another (average number of identically matching residues is 38%). Paracoccus HiPIP is a highly acidic protein in accord with general observations on the proteins of halophilic bacteria. A possible explanation for its occurrence in Paracoccus is that gene transfer is involved.
Preliminary studies showed that the periplasmic nitrate reductase (Nap) of Rhodobacter sphaeroides and the membrane-bound nitrate reductases of Escherichia coli are able to reduce selenate and tellurite in vitro with benzyl viologen as an electron donor. In the present study, we found that this is a general feature of denitrifiers. Both the periplasmic and membrane-bound nitrate reductases of Ralstonia eutropha, Paracoccus denitrificans, and Paracoccus pantotrophus can utilize potassium selenate and potassium tellurite as electron acceptors. In order to characterize these reactions, the periplasmic nitrate reductase of R. sphaeroides f. sp. denitrificans IL106 was histidine tagged and purified. The V(max) and K(m) were determined for nitrate, tellurite, and selenate. For nitrate, values of 39 micromol x min(-1) x mg(-1) and 0.12 mM were obtained for V(max) and K(m), respectively, whereas the V(max) values for tellurite and selenate were 40- and 140-fold lower, respectively. These low activities can explain the observation that depletion of the nitrate reductase in R. sphaeroides does not modify the MIC of tellurite for this organism.
1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy is applied to investigate the CU(A) and type 1 active sites of copper proteins in solution. The analysis of hyperfine shifted 1H resonances allows the comparison of the electron spin density delocalization in the CU(A) site of the wild-type soluble domains of various cytochrome c oxidases (Thermus thermophilus, Paracoccus denitrificans, and Paracoccus versutus) and genetically engineered constructs (soluble domain of quinol oxidase from Escherichia coli and Thiobacillus versutus amicyanin). Comparable spin densities are found on the two terminal His ligands for the wild-type constructs as opposed to the engineered proteins where the spin is more unevenly distributed on the two His residues. A reevaluation of the Cys H(beta) chemical shifts that is in agreement with the data published for both the P. denitrificans and the P. versutus Cu(A) soluble domains confirms the thermal accessibility of the 2B(3u) electronic excited state and indicates the existence of slightly different spin densities on the two bridging Cys ligands. The 13C-NMR spectrum of isotopically enriched oxidized azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa reveals six fast relaxing signals, which can be partially identified by 1- and 2-dimensional (1-D, 2-D) direct detection techniques combined with 3-D triple resonance experiments. The observed contact shifts suggest the presence of direct spin density transfer and spin polarization mechanisms for the delocalization of the unpaired electron.
The initial reactions in anaerobic metabolism of methylphenols (cresols) and dimethylphenols were studied with denitrifying bacteria. A newly isolated strain, possibly a Paracoccus sp., was able to grow on o- or p-cresol as sole organic substrate with a generation time of 11 h; o- or p-cresol was completely oxidized to CO2 with nitrate being reduced to N2. A denitrifying Pseudomonas-like strain oxidized m- or -p-cresol as the sole organic growth substrate completely to CO2 with a generation time of 14 h. Demonstration of intermediates and/or in vitro measurement of enzyme activities suggest the following enzymatic steps: (1) p-Cresol was metabolized by both strains via benzoyl-CoA as central intermediate as follows: p-cresol----4-OH-benzaldehyde----4-OH-benzoate----4-OH-benzoyl-CoA----be nzoyl-CoA. Oxidation of the methyl group to 4-OH-benzaldehyde was catalyzed by p-cresol methylhydroxylase. After oxidation of the aldehyde to 4-OH-benzoate, 4-OH-benzoyl-CoA is formed by 4-OH-benzoyl-CoA synthetase; subsequent reductive dehydroxylation of 4-OH-benzoyl-CoA to benzoyl-CoA is catalyzed by 4-OH-benzoyl-CoA reductase (dehydroxylating). (2) o-Cresol was metabolized in the Paracoccus-like strain via 3-CH3-benzoyl-CoA as central intermediate as follows: o-cresol----4-OH-3-CH3-benzoate----4-OH-3-CH3-benzoyl-CoA----3-CH3-benzo yl-CoA. The following enzymes were demonstrated: (a) An enzyme catalyzing an isototope exchange reaction between 14CO2 and the carboxyl of 4-OH-3-CH3-benzoate; this activity is thought to be a partial reaction catalyzed by an o-cresol carboxylase. (b) 4-OH-3-CH3-benzoyl-CoA synthetase (AMP-forming) activating the carboxylation product 4-OH-3-CH3-benzoate to its coenzyme A thioester. (c) 4-OH-3-CH3-benzoyl-CoA reductase (dehydroxylating) catalyzing the reductive dehydroxylation of the 4-hydroxyl group with reduced benzyl viologen as electron donor to yield 3-CH3-benzoyl-CoA. This thioester may also be formed by action of a coenzyme A ligase when 3-CH3-benzoate is metabolized. 2,4-Dimethylphenol was metabolized via 4-OH-3-CH3-benzoate and further to 3-CH3-benzoyl-CoA. (3) The initial reactions of anaerobic metabolism of m-cresol in the Pseudomonas-like strain were not resolved. No indication for the oxidation of the methyl group nor for the carboxylation of m-cresol was found. In contrast, 2,4- and 3,4-dimethylphenol were oxidized to 4-OH-3-CH3- and 4-OH-2-CH3-benzoate, respectively, probably initiated by p-cresol methylhydroxylase; however, these compounds were not metabolized further.