Rhizobium etli has two L-asparaginases with low sequence identity but similar structure and catalytic center.

The genome of Rhizobium etli, a nitrogen-fixing bacterial symbiont of legume plants, encodes two L-asparaginases, ReAIV and ReAV, that have no similarity to the well characterized enzymes of class 1 (bacterial type) and class 2 (plant type). It has been hypothesized that ReAIV and ReAV might belong to the same structural class 3 despite their low level of sequence identity. When the crystal structure of the inducible and thermolabile protein ReAV was solved, this hypothesis gained a stronger footing because the key residues of ReAV are also present in the sequence of the constitutive and thermostable ReAIV protein. High-resolution crystal structures of ReAIV now confirm that it is a class 3 L-asparaginase that is structurally similar to ReAV but with important differences. The most striking differences concern the peculiar hydration patterns of the two proteins, the presence of three internal cavities in ReAIV and the behavior of the zinc-binding site. ReAIV has a high pH optimum (9-11) and a substrate affinity of ∼1.3 mM at pH 9.0. These parameters are not suitable for the direct application of ReAIV as an antileukemic drug, although its thermal stability and lack of glutaminase activity would be of considerable advantage. The five crystal structures of ReAIV presented in this work allow a possible enzymatic scenario to be postulated in which the zinc ion coordinated in the active site is a dispensable element. The catalytic nucleophile seems to be Ser47, which is part of two Ser-Lys tandems in the active site. The structures of ReAIV presented here may provide a basis for future enzyme-engineering experiments to improve the kinetic parameters for medicinal applications.

Allosteric regulation alters carrier domain translocation in pyruvate carboxylase.

Pyruvate carboxylase (PC) catalyzes the ATP-dependent carboxylation of pyruvate to oxaloacetate. The reaction occurs in two separate catalytic domains, coupled by the long-range translocation of a biotinylated carrier domain (BCCP). Here, we use a series of hybrid PC enzymes to examine multiple BCCP translocation pathways in PC. These studies reveal that the BCCP domain of PC adopts a wide range of translocation pathways during catalysis. Furthermore, the allosteric activator, acetyl CoA, promotes one specific intermolecular carrier domain translocation pathway. These results provide a basis for the ordered thermodynamic state and the enhanced carboxyl group transfer efficiency in the presence of acetyl CoA, and reveal that the allosteric effector regulates enzyme activity by altering carrier domain movement. Given the similarities with enzymes involved in the modular synthesis of natural products, the allosteric regulation of carrier domain movements in PC is likely to be broadly applicable to multiple important enzyme systems.

Roles of quorum sensing molecules from Rhizobium etli RT1 in bacterial motility and biofilm formation

ABSTRACT Strain RT1 was isolated from root nodules of Lens culinaris (a lentil) and characterized as Rhizobium etli (a Gram-negative soil-borne bacterium) by 16S rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The signaling molecules produced by R. etli (RT1) were detected and identified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The most abundant and biologically active N-acyl homoserine lactone molecules (3-oxo-C8-HSL and 3-OH-C14-HSL) were detected in the ethyl acetate extract of RT1. The biological role of 3-oxo-C8-HSL was evaluated in RT1. Bacterial motility and biofilm formation were affected or modified on increasing concentrations of 3-oxo-C8-HSL. Results confirmed the existence of cell communication in RT1 mediated by 3-oxo-C8-HSL, and positive correlations were found among quorum sensing, motility and biofilm formation in RT1.

Synthesis of N-acetyl-d-quinovosamine in Rhizobium etli CE3 is completed after its 4-keto-precursor is linked to a carrier lipid.

Bacterial O-antigens are synthesized on lipid carriers before being transferred to lipopolysaccharide core structures. Rhizobium etli CE3 lipopolysaccharide is a model for understanding O-antigen biological function. CE3 O-antigen structure and genetics are known. However, proposed enzymology for CE3 O-antigen synthesis has been examined very little in vitro, and even the sugar added to begin the synthesis is uncertain. A model based on mutagenesis studies predicts that 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-d-glucose (QuiNAc) is the first O-antigen sugar and that genes wreV, wreQ and wreU direct QuiNAc synthesis and O-antigen initiation. Previously, synthesis of UDP-QuiNAc was shown to occur in vitro with a WreV orthologue (4,6-hexose dehydratase) and WreQ (4-reductase), but the WreQ catalysis in this conventional deoxyhexose-synthesis pathway was very slow. This seeming deficiency was explained in the present study after WreU transferase activity was examined in vitro. Results fit the prediction that WreU transfers sugar-1-phosphate to bactoprenyl phosphate (BpP) to initiate O-antigen synthesis. Interestingly, WreU demonstrated much higher activity using the product of the WreV catalysis [UDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-GlcNAc (UDP-KdgNAc)] as the sugar-phosphate donor than using UDP-QuiNAc. Furthermore, the WreQ catalysis with WreU-generated BpPP-KdgNAc as the substrate was orders of magnitude faster than with UDP-KdgNAc. The inferred product BpPP-QuiNAc reacted as an acceptor substrate in an in vitro assay for addition of the second O-antigen sugar, mannose. These results imply a novel pathway for 6-deoxyhexose synthesis that may be commonly utilized by bacteria when QuiNAc is the first sugar of a polysaccharide or oligosaccharide repeat unit: UDP-GlcNAc → UDP-KdgNAc → BpPP-KdgNAc → BpPP-QuiNAc.

Roles of quorum sensing molecules from Rhizobium etli RT1 in bacterial motility and biofilm formation.

Strain RT1 was isolated from root nodules of Lens culinaris (a lentil) and characterized as Rhizobium etli (a Gram-negative soil-borne bacterium) by 16S rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The signaling molecules produced by R. etli (RT1) were detected and identified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The most abundant and biologically active N-acyl homoserine lactone molecules (3-oxo-C8-HSL and 3-OH-C14-HSL) were detected in the ethyl acetate extract of RT1. The biological role of 3-oxo-C8-HSL was evaluated in RT1. Bacterial motility and biofilm formation were affected or modified on increasing concentrations of 3-oxo-C8-HSL. Results confirmed the existence of cell communication in RT1 mediated by 3-oxo-C8-HSL, and positive correlations were found among quorum sensing, motility and biofilm formation in RT1.

Solution NMR structure of RHE_CH02687 from Rhizobium etli: A novel flavonoid-binding protein.

We report the solution NMR structure of RHE_CH02687 from Rhizobium etli. Its structure consists of two ß-sheets that together with two short and one long α-helix form a hydrophobic cavity. This protein shows a high structural similarity to the prokaryotic protein YndB from Bacillus subtilis, and the eukaryotic protein Aha1. NMR titration experiments confirmed that RHE_CH02687, like its homolog YndB, interacted with flavonoids, giving support for a biological function as a flavonoid sensor in the symbiotic interaction between R. etli and plants. In addition, our study showed no evidence for a direct interaction between RHE_CH02687 and HtpG, the R. etli homolog of Hsp90. Proteins 2017; 85:951-956. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Heme-Based Oxygen Sensor Rhizobium etli FixL: Influence of Auxiliary Ligands on Heme Redox Potential and Implications on the Enzyme Activity.

Conformational changes associated to sensing mechanisms of heme-based protein sensors are a key molecular event that seems to modulate not only the protein activity but also the potential of the FeIII/II redox couple of the heme domain. In this work, midpoint potentials (Em) assigned to the FeIII/II redox couple of the heme domain of FixL from Rhizobium etli (ReFixL) in the unliganded and liganded states were determined by spectroelectrochemistry in the presence of inorganic mediators. In comparison to the unliganded ReFixL protein (+19mV), the binding to ligands that switch off the kinase activity induces a negative shift, i. e. Em=-51, -57 and -156mV for O2, imidazole and CN-, respectively. Upon binding to CO, which does not affect the kinase active, Em was observed at +21mV. The potential values observed for FeIII/II of the heme domain of ReFixL upon binding to CO and O2 do not follow the expected trend based on thermodynamics, assuming that positive potential shift would be expected for ligands that bind to and therefore stabilize the FeII state. Our results suggest that the conformational changes that switch off kinase activity upon O2 binding have knock-on effects to the local environment of the heme, such as solvent rearrangement, destabilize the FeII state and counterbalances the FeII-stabilizing influence of the O2 ligand.

The cation diffusion facilitator protein EmfA of Rhizobium etli belongs to a novel subfamily of Mn(2+)/Fe(2+) transporters conserved in α-proteobacteria.

Manganese (Mn(2+)) plays a key role in important cellular functions such as oxidative stress response and bacterial virulence. The mechanisms of Mn(2+) homeostasis are not fully understood, there are few data regarding the functional and taxonomic diversity of Mn(2+) exporters. Our recent phylogeny of the cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) family of transporters classified the bacterial Mn(2+)-CDF transporters characterized to date, Streptococcus pneumoniae MntE and Deinococcus radiodurans DR1236, into two monophyletic groups. DR1236 was shown to belong to the highly-diverse metal specificity clade VI, together with TtCzrB, a Zn(2+)/Cd(2+) transporter from Thermus thermophilus, the Fe(2+) transporter Sll1263 from Synechocystis sp and eight uncharacterized homologs whose potential Mn(2+)/Zn(2+)/Cd(2+)/Fe(2+) specificities could not be accurately inferred because only eleven proteins were grouped in this clade. A new phylogeny inferred from the alignment of 197 clade VI homologs revealed three novel subfamilies of uncharacterized proteins. Remarkably, one of them contained 91 uncharacterized α-proteobacteria transporters (46% of the protein data set) grouped into a single subfamily. The Mn(2+)/Fe(2+) specificity of this subfamily was proposed through the functional characterization of the Rhizobium etli RHE_CH03072 gene. This gene was upregulated by Mn(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+) and Fe(2+) but conferred only Mn(2+) resistance to R. etli. The expression of the RHE_CH03072 gene in an E. coli mntP/zitB/zntA mutant did not relieve either Zn(2+) or Mn(2+) stress but slightly increased its Fe(2+) resistance. These results indicate that the RHE_CH03072 gene, now designated as emfA, encodes for a bacterial Mn(2+)/Fe(2+) resistance CDF protein, having orthologs in more than 60 α-proteobacterial species.

The calcium-stimulated lipid A 3-O deacylase from Rhizobium etli is not essential for plant nodulation.

The lipid A component of lipopolysaccharide from the nitrogen-fixing plant endosymbiont, Rhizobium etli, is structurally very different from that found in most enteric bacteria. The lipid A from free-living R. etli is structurally heterogeneous and exists as a mixture of species which are either pentaacylated or tetraacylated. In contrast, the lipid A from R. etli bacteroids is reported to consist exclusively of tetraacylated lipid A species. The tetraacylated lipid A species in both cases lack a beta-hydroxymyristoyl chain at the 3-position of lipid A. Here, we show that the lipid A modification enzyme responsible for 3-O deacylation in R. etli is a homolog of the PagL protein originally described in Salmonella enterica sv. typhimurium. In contrast to the PagL proteins described from other species, R. etli PagL displays a calcium dependency. To determine the importance of the lipid A modification catalyzed by PagL, we isolated and characterized a R. etli mutant deficient in the pagL gene. Mass spectrometric analysis confirmed that the mutant strain was exclusively tetraacylated and radiochemical analysis revealed that 3-O deacylase activity was absent in membranes prepared from the mutant. The R. etli mutant was not impaired in its ability to form nitrogen-fixing nodules on Phaseolus vulgaris but it displayed slower nodulation kinetics relative to the wild-type strain. The lipid A modification catalyzed by R. etli PagL, therefore, is not required for nodulation but may play other roles such as protecting bacterial endosymbionts from plant immune responses during infection.

A substrate-induced biotin binding pocket in the carboxyltransferase domain of pyruvate carboxylase.

Biotin-dependent enzymes catalyze carboxyl transfer reactions by efficiently coordinating multiple reactions between spatially distinct active sites. Pyruvate carboxylase (PC), a multifunctional biotin-dependent enzyme, catalyzes the bicarbonate- and MgATP-dependent carboxylation of pyruvate to oxaloacetate, an important anaplerotic reaction in mammalian tissues. To complete the overall reaction, the tethered biotin prosthetic group must first gain access to the biotin carboxylase domain and become carboxylated and then translocate to the carboxyltransferase domain, where the carboxyl group is transferred from biotin to pyruvate. Here, we report structural and kinetic evidence for the formation of a substrate-induced biotin binding pocket in the carboxyltransferase domain of PC from Rhizobium etli. Structures of the carboxyltransferase domain reveal that R. etli PC occupies a symmetrical conformation in the absence of the biotin carboxylase domain and that the carboxyltransferase domain active site is conformationally rearranged upon pyruvate binding. This conformational change is stabilized by the interaction of the conserved residues Asp(590) and Tyr(628) and results in the formation of the biotin binding pocket. Site-directed mutations at these residues reduce the rate of biotin-dependent reactions but have no effect on the rate of biotin-independent oxaloacetate decarboxylation. Given the conservation with carboxyltransferase domains in oxaloacetate decarboxylase and transcarboxylase, the structure-based mechanism described for PC may be applicable to the larger family of biotin-dependent enzymes.

Roles of predicted glycosyltransferases in the biosynthesis of the Rhizobium etli CE3 O antigen.

The Rhizobium etli CE3 O antigen is a fixed-length heteropolymer. The genetic regions required for its synthesis have been identified, and the nucleotide sequences are known. The structure of the O antigen has been determined, but the roles of specific genes in synthesizing this structure are relatively unclear. Within the known O-antigen genetic clusters of this strain, nine open reading frames (ORFs) were found to contain a conserved glycosyltransferase domain. Each ORF was mutated, and the resulting mutant lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was analyzed. Tricine SDS-PAGE revealed stepwise truncations of the O antigen that were consistent with differences in mutant LPS sugar compositions and reactivity with O-antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies. Based on these results and current theories of O-antigen synthesis, specific roles were deduced for each of the nine glycosyltransferases, and a model for biosynthesis of the R. etli CE3 O antigen was proposed. In this model, O-antigen biosynthesis is initiated with the addition of N-acetyl-quinovosamine-phosphate (QuiNAc-P) to bactoprenol-phosphate by glycosyltransferase WreU. Glycosyltransferases WreG, WreE, WreS, and WreT would each act once to attach mannose, fucose, a second fucose, and 3-O-methyl-6-deoxytalose (3OMe6dTal), respectively. WreH would then catalyze the addition of methyl glucuronate (MeGlcA) to complete the first instance of the O-antigen repeat unit. Four subsequent repeats of this unit composed of fucose, 3OMe6dTal, and MeGlcA would be assembled by a cycle of reactions catalyzed by two additional glycosyltransferases, WreM and WreL, along with WreH. Finally, the O antigen would be capped by attachment of di- or tri-O-methylated fucose as catalyzed by glycosyltransferase WreB.

Rhizobium etli asparaginase II: an alternative for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment.

Bacterial L-asparaginase has been a universal component of therapies for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia since the 1970s. Two principal enzymes derived from Escherichia coli and Erwinia chrysanthemi are the only options clinically approved to date. We recently reported a study of recombinant L-asparaginase (AnsA) from Rhizobium etli and described an increasing type of AnsA family members. Sequence analysis revealed four conserved motifs with notable differences with respect to the conserved regions of amino acid sequences of type I and type II L-asparaginases, particularly in comparison with therapeutic enzymes from E. coli and E. chrysanthemi. These differences suggested a distinct immunological specificity. Here, we report an in silico analysis that revealed immunogenic determinants of AnsA. Also, we used an extensive approach to compare the crystal structures of E. coli and E. chrysantemi asparaginases with a computational model of AnsA and identified immunogenic epitopes. A three-dimensional model of AsnA revealed, as expected based on sequence dissimilarities, completely different folding and different immunogenic epitopes. This approach could be very useful in transcending the problem of immunogenicity in two major ways: by chemical modifications of epitopes to reduce drug immunogenicity, and by site-directed mutagenesis of amino acid residues to diminish immunogenicity without reduction of enzymatic activity.

Biochemical characterization of recombinant L-asparaginase (AnsA) from Rhizobium etli, a member of an increasing rhizobial-type family of L-asparaginases.

We report the expression, purification, and characterization of L-asparaginase (AnsA) from Rhizobium etli. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity in a single-step procedure involving affinity chromatography, and the kinetic parameters K(m), V(max), and k(cat) for L-asparagine were determined. The enzymatic activity in the presence of a number of substrates and metal ions was investigated. The molecular mass of the enzyme was 47 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme showed a maximal activity at 50 degrees C, but the optimal temperature of activity was 37 degrees C. It also showed maximal and optimal activities at pH 9.0. The values of K(m), V(max), k(cat), and k(cat)/K(m) were 8.9 +/- 0.967 × 10⁻³ M, 128 +/- 2.8 U/mg protein, 106 +/- 2 s⁻¹, and 1.2 +/- 0.105 × 104 M⁻¹s⁻¹, respectively. The L-asparaginase activity was reduced in the presence of Mn²âº, Zn²âº, Ca²âº, and Mg²âº metal ions for about 52% to 31%. In addition, we found that NH4⁺, L-Asp, D-Asn, and beta-aspartyl-hydroxamate in the reaction buffer reduced the activity of the enzyme, whereas L-Gln did not modify its enzymatic activity. This is the first report on the expression and characterization of the L-asparaginase (AnsA) from R. etli. Phylogenetic analysis of asparaginases reveals an increasing group of known sequences of the Rhizobialtype asparaginase II family.

Challenging semi-bootstrapping molecular-replacement strategy reveals intriguing crystal packing of rhizavidin.

The structure of rhizavidin, the first dimeric member of the avidin family which maintains high affinity towards biotin, was determined to high resolution by SeMet SAD. Consequently, the structure of the rhizavidin-biotin complex was determined by molecular-replacement methods using the apo structure as the search model; this ran into complications and required combined programs as well as bootstrapping approaches. Although present as a dimer in solution, rhizavidin packs as unique oligomers in both crystal forms. The novel insights derived from the unique molecular-replacement procedure and the crystal-driven oligomeric forms in this work may have utililty in biotechological and nanotechnological applications.

Cloning and characterization of a thermostable xylitol dehydrogenase from Rhizobium etli CFN42.

An NAD(+)-dependent xylitol dehydrogenase from Rhizobium etli CFN42 (ReXDH) was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The DNA sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame of 1,044 bp, capable of encoding a polypeptide of 347 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 35,858 Da. The ReXDH protein was purified as an active soluble form using GST affinity chromatography. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be approximately 34 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel and approximately 135 kDa with gel filtration chromatography, suggesting that the enzyme is a homotetramer. Among various polyols, xylitol was the preferred substrate of ReXDH with a K (m) = 17.9 mM and k(cat) /K (m) = 0.5 mM(-1) s(-1) for xylitol. The enzyme had an optimal pH and temperature of 9.5 and 70 degrees C, respectively. Heat inactivation studies revealed a half life of the ReXDH at 40 degrees C of 120 min and a half denaturation temperature (T (1/2)) of 53.1 degrees C. ReXDH showed the highest optimum temperature and thermal stability among the known XDHs. Homology modeling and sequence analysis of ReXDH shed light on the factors contributing to the high thermostability of ReXDH. Although XDHs have been characterized from several other sources, ReXDH is distinguished from other XDHs by its high thermostability.

Altered lipid A structures and polymyxin hypersensitivity of Rhizobium etli mutants lacking the LpxE and LpxF phosphatases.

The lipid A of Rhizobium etli, a nitrogen-fixing plant endosymbiont, displays significant structural differences when compared to that of Escherichia coli. An especially striking feature of R. etli lipid A is that it lacks both the 1- and 4'-phosphate groups. The 4'-phosphate moiety of the distal glucosamine unit is replaced with a galacturonic acid residue. The dephosphorylated proximal unit is present as a mixture of the glucosamine hemiacetal and an oxidized 2-aminogluconate derivative. Distinct lipid A phosphatases directed to the 1 or the 4'-positions have been identified previously in extracts of R. etli and Rhizobium leguminosarum. The corresponding structural genes, lpxE and lpxF, respectively, have also been identified. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of R. etli deletion mutants in each of these phosphatase genes and the construction of a double phosphatase mutant. Mass spectrometry confirmed that the mutant strains completely lacked the wild-type lipid A species and accumulated the expected phosphate-containing derivatives. Moreover, radiochemical analysis revealed that phosphatase activity was absent in membranes prepared from the mutants. Our results indicate that LpxE and LpxF are solely responsible for selectively dephosphorylating the lipid A molecules of R. etli. All the mutant strains showed an increased sensitivity to polymyxin relative to the wild-type. However, despite the presence of altered lipid A species containing one or both phosphate groups, all the phosphatase mutants formed nitrogen-fixing nodules on Phaseolus vulgaris. Therefore, the dephosphorylation of lipid A molecules in R. etli is not required for nodulation but may instead play a role in protecting the bacteria from cationic antimicrobial peptides or other immune responses of plants.

Crystal structure of rhizavidin: insights into the enigmatic high-affinity interaction of an innate biotin-binding protein dimer.

Rhizavidin, from the proteobacterium Rhizobium etli, exhibits high affinity towards biotin but maintains an inherent dimeric quaternary structure and thus, differs from all other known tetrameric avidins. Rhizavidin also differs from the other avidins, since it lacks the characteristic tryptophan residue positioned in the L7,8 loop that plays a crucial role in high-affinity binding and oligomeric stability of the tetrameric avidins. The question is, therefore, how does the dimer exist and how is the high biotin-binding affinity retained? For this purpose, the crystal structures of apo- and biotin-complexed rhizavidin were determined. The structures reveal that the rhizavidin monomer exhibits a topology similar to those of other members of the avidin family, that is, eight antiparallel beta-strands that form the conventional avidin beta-barrel. The quaternary structure comprises the sandwich-like dimer, in which the extensive 1-4 intermonomer interface is intact, but the 1-2 and 1-3 interfaces are nonexistent. Consequently, the biotin-binding site is partially accessible, due to the lack of the tryptophan "lid" that distinguishes the tetrameric structures. In rhizavidin, a disulfide bridge connecting the L3,4 and L5,6 loops restrains the L3,4 loop conformation, leaving the binding-site residues essentially unchanged upon biotin binding. Our study suggests that in addition to the characteristic hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, the preformed architecture of the binding site and consequent shape complementarity play a decisive role in the high-affinity biotin binding of rhizavidin. The structural description of a novel dimeric avidin-like molecule will greatly contribute to the design of improved and unique avidin derivatives for diversifying the capabilities of avidin-biotin technology.

Thiamine limitation determines the transition from aerobic to fermentative-like metabolism in Rhizobium etli CE3.

Both thiamine and biotin when added to minimal medium subcultures reversed the fermentative-like metabolism exhibited by Rhizobium etli CE3. Thiamine auxotrophs lacking thiCOGE genes were used to investigate the role of thiamine in this medium. A thiC1169::miniTn5lacZ1 thiamine auxotroph subjected to the above subcultures resulted in growth arrest, reduced pyruvate-dehydrogenase activity, and a smaller amount of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate compared with the CE3 strain. Moreover, thiC and thiEb genes were overexpressed as result of thiamine limitation. The absence of classical thi genes suggests that thiamine is synthesized with low efficiency by an alternative pathway. Low levels of thiamine cause the CE3 strain to exhibit a fermentative-like metabolism.

Rhizobium etli CE3 bacteroid lipopolysaccharides are structurally similar but not identical to those produced by cultured CE3 bacteria.

Rhizobium etli CE3 bacteroids were isolated from Phaseolus vulgaris root nodules. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the bacteroids was purified and compared with the LPS from laboratory-cultured R. etli CE3 and from cultures grown in the presence of anthocyanin. Comparisons were made of the O-chain polysaccharide, the core oligosaccharide, and the lipid A. Although LPS from CE3 bacteria and bacteroids are structurally similar, it was found that bacteroid LPS had specific modifications to both the O-chain polysaccharide and lipid A portions of their LPS. Cultures grown with anthocyanin contained modifications only to the O-chain polysaccharide. The changes to the O-chain polysaccharide consisted of the addition of a single methyl group to the 2-position of a fucosyl residue in one of the five O-chain trisaccharide repeat units. This same change occurred for bacteria grown in the presence of anthocyanin. This methylation change correlated with the inability of bacteroid LPS and LPS from anthocyanin-containing cultures to bind the monoclonal antibody JIM28. The core oligosaccharide region of bacteroid LPS and from anthocyanin-grown cultures was identical to that of LPS from normal laboratory-cultured CE3. The lipid A from bacteroids consisted exclusively of a tetraacylated species compared with the presence of both tetra- and pentaacylated lipid A from laboratory cultures. Growth in the presence of anthocyanin did not affect the lipid A structure. Purified bacteroids that could resume growth were also found to be more sensitive to the cationic peptides, poly-l-lysine, polymyxin-B, and melittin.

Anions effects on biosorption of Mn(II) by extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) from Rhizobium etli.

Microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are potential biosorbents for metal remediation and recovery. The Langmuir and Freundlich kinetics of Mn(II) binding by the EPS from a novel Mn(II) oxidising strain of Rhizobium etli were determined. Maximum manganese specific adsorptions (q(max)) decreased in the sequence: sulphate (62 mg Mn per g EPS) > nitrate (53 mg g(-1)) > chloride (21 mg g(-1)). Consideration of the anion during kinetic studies is usually neglected but is important in providing more practical and comparable data between different biosorbent systems.