Two dedicated class C radical S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferases concertedly catalyse the synthesis of 7,8-dimethylmenaquinone.

Dimethylmenaquinone (DMMK), a prevalent menaquinone (MK) derivative of uncertain function, is characteristic for members of the class Coriobacteriia. Such bacteria are frequently present in intestinal microbiomes and comprise several pathogenic species. The coriobacterial model organism Adlercreutzia equolifaciens was used to investigate the enzymology of DMMK biosynthesis. A HemN-like class C radical S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase (MenK2) from A. equolifaciens was produced in Wolinella succinogenes or Escherichia coli cells and found to methylate MK specifically at position C-7. In combination with a previously described MK methyltransferase (MqnK/MenK) dedicated to MK methylation at C-8, 7,8-DMMK6 was produced in W. succinogenes. The position of the two methyl groups was confirmed by two-dimensional NMR and midpoint redox potentials of 7-MMK6, 8-MMK6 and 7,8-DMMK6 were determined by cyclic voltammetry. A phylogenetic tree of MenK, MenK2 and HemN proteins revealed a Coriobacteriia-specific MenK2 clade. Using chimeric A. equolifaciens MenK/MenK2 proteins produced in E. coli it was shown that the combined linker and HemN domains determined the site-specificity of methylation. The results suggest that the use of MenK2 as a biomarker allows predicting the ability of DMMK synthesis in microbial species.

Clade II nitrous oxide respiration of Wolinella succinogenes depends on the NosG, -C1, -C2, -H electron transport module, NosB and a Rieske/cytochrome bc complex.

Microbial reduction of nitrous oxide (N2 O) is an environmentally significant process in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle. However, it has been recognized only recently that the gene encoding N2 O reductase (nosZ) is organized in varying genetic contexts, thereby defining clade I (or 'typical') and clade II (or 'atypical') N2 O reductases and nos gene clusters. This study addresses the enzymology of the clade II Nos system from Wolinella succinogenes, a nitrate-ammonifying and N2 O-respiring Epsilonproteobacterium that contains a cytochrome c N2 O reductase (cNosZ). The characterization of single non-polar nos gene deletion mutants demonstrated that the NosG, -C1, -C2, -H and -B proteins were essential for N2 O respiration. Moreover, cells of a W. succinogenes mutant lacking a putative menaquinol-oxidizing Rieske/cytochrome bc complex (QcrABC) were found to be incapable of N2 O (and also nitrate) respiration. Proton motive menaquinol oxidation by N2 O is suggested, supported by the finding that the molar yield for W. succinogenes cells grown by N2 O respiration using formate as electron donor exceeded that of fumarate respiration by about 30%. The results demand revision of the electron transport chain model of clade II N2 O respiration and challenge the assumption that NosGH(NapGH)-type iron-sulfur proteins are menaquinol-reactive.

Epsilonproteobacterial hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (εHao): characterization of a 'missing link' in the multihaem cytochrome c family.

Members of the multihaem cytochrome c family such as pentahaem cytochrome c nitrite reductase (NrfA) or octahaem hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (Hao) are involved in various microbial respiratory electron transport chains. Some members of the Hao subfamily, here called εHao proteins, have been predicted from the genomes of nitrate/nitrite-ammonifying bacteria that usually lack NrfA. Here, εHao proteins from the host-associated Epsilonproteobacteria Campylobacter fetus and Campylobacter curvus and the deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacteria Caminibacter mediatlanticus and Nautilia profundicola were purified as εHao-maltose binding protein fusions produced in Wolinella succinogenes. All four proteins were able to catalyze reduction of nitrite (yielding ammonium) and hydroxylamine whereas hydroxylamine oxidation was negligible. The introduction of a tyrosine residue at a position known to cause covalent trimerization of Hao proteins did neither stimulate hydroxylamine oxidation nor generate the Hao-typical absorbance maximum at 460 nm. In most cases, the εHao-encoding gene haoA was situated downstream of haoC, which predicts a tetrahaem cytochrome c of the NapC/NrfH family. This suggested the formation of a membrane-bound HaoCA assembly reminiscent of the menaquinol-oxidizing NrfHA complex. The results indicate that εHao proteins form a subfamily of ammonifying cytochrome c nitrite reductases that represents a 'missing link' in the evolution of NrfA and Hao enzymes.

[Suppression of telomerase activity leukemic cells by mutant forms of Rhodospirillum rubrum L-asparaginase]. / Podavlenie aktivnosti telomerazy leikoznykh kletok mutantymi formami L-asparaginazy Rhodospirillum rubrum.

The active and stable mutant forms of short chain cytoplasmic L-asparaginase type I of Rhodospirillum rubrum (RrA): RrA+N17, D60K, F61L, RrA+N17, A64V, E67K, RrA+N17, E149R, V150P, RrAE149R, V150P and RrAE149R, V150P, F151T were obtained by the method of site-directed mutagenesis. It is established that variants RrA-N17, E149R, V150P, F151T and RrАE149R, V150P are capable to reduce an expression hTERT subunit of telomerase and, hence, activity of telomeres in Jurkat cells, but not in cellular lysates. During too time, L-asparaginases of Escherichia coli, Erwinia carotovora and Wolinella succinogenes, mutant forms RrА+N17, D60K, F61L and RrА+N17, A64V, E67K do not suppress of telomerase activity. The assumption of existence in structure RrA of areas (amino acids residues in the position 146-164, 1-17, 60-67) which are responsible for suppression of telomerase activity is made. The received results show that antineoplastic activity of some variants RrA is connected both with reduction of concentration of free L-asparagine, and with expression suppression of hTERT telomerase subunit, that opens new prospects for antineoplastic therapy.

Identification of Helicobacter and Wolinella spp. in Oral Cavity of Toy Breed Dogs With Periodontal Disease.

Periodontal diseases are the most common oral cavity infectious diseases in adult dogs. We aimed in this study to identify Helicobacter and Wolinella spp. in saliva and dental plaque of dogs with periodontitis. Sixty-two small-breed pet dogs, aged more than 6 years from both sexes, were categorized into healthy and periodontitis groups. Samples from saliva and dental plaques were collected, and Helicobacter and Wolinella were identified on genus and species levels using polymerase chain reaction. Our results showed significant increase in infection rate of Wolinella spp. in periodontitis compared with healthy dogs (P = .002). Furthermore, infection rate of Helicobacter genus was significantly higher in periodontitis compared with healthy dogs (P = .007). Infection with Wolinella spp. showed higher rate than Helicobacter spp. in dogs with periodontitis. According to species-specific polymerase chain reaction results, Helicobacter felis (9.76%) was the main Helicobacter spp. in dogs with periodontitis compared with healthy dogs (P < .001). Oral cavity of pet dogs with periodontitis could be considered as an important source of Wolinella and Helicobacter spp. infections.

The Modified Heparin-Binding L-Asparaginase of Wolinella succinogenes.

The modified asparaginase Was79 was derived from the recombinant wild-type L-asparaginase of Wolinella succinogenes. The Was79 contains the amino acid substitutions V23Q and K24T responsible for the resistance to trypsinolysis and the N-terminal heparin-binding peptide KRKKKGKGLGKKR responsible for the binding to heparin and tumor K562 cells in vitro. When tested on a mouse model of Fischer lymphadenosis L5178Y, therapeutic efficacy of Was79 was significantly higher than that of reference enzymes at all single therapeutic doses used (125-8000 IU/kg). At Was79 single doses of 500-8000 IU/kg, the complete remission rate of 100 % was observed. The Was79 variant can be expressed intracellularly in E. coli as a less immunogenic formyl-methionine-free form at high per cell production levels.

Three transcription regulators of the Nss family mediate the adaptive response induced by nitrate, nitric oxide or nitrous oxide in Wolinella succinogenes.

Sensing potential nitrogen-containing respiratory substrates such as nitrate, nitrite, hydroxylamine, nitric oxide (NO) or nitrous oxide (N2 O) in the environment and subsequent upregulation of corresponding catabolic enzymes is essential for many microbial cells. The molecular mechanisms of such adaptive responses are, however, highly diverse in different species. Here, induction of periplasmic nitrate reductase (Nap), cytochrome c nitrite reductase (Nrf) and cytochrome c N2 O reductase (cNos) was investigated in cells of the Epsilonproteobacterium Wolinella succinogenes grown either by fumarate, nitrate or N2 O respiration. Furthermore, fumarate respiration in the presence of various nitrogen compounds or NO-releasing chemicals was examined. Upregulation of each of the Nap, Nrf and cNos enzyme systems was found in response to the presence of nitrate, NO-releasers or N2 O, and the cells were shown to employ three transcription regulators of the Crp-Fnr superfamily (homologues of Campylobacter jejuni NssR), designated NssA, NssB and NssC, to mediate the upregulation of Nap, Nrf and cNos. Analysis of single nss mutants revealed that NssA controls production of the Nap and Nrf systems in fumarate-grown cells, while NssB was required to induce the Nap, Nrf and cNos systems specifically in response to NO-generators. NssC was indispensable for cNos production under any tested condition. The data indicate dedicated signal transduction routes responsive to nitrate, NO and N2 O and imply the presence of an N2 O-sensing mechanism.

An unconventional anaerobic membrane protein production system based on Wolinella succinogenes.

In cases where membrane protein production attempts in more conventional Escherichia coli-based systems have failed, a solution is to resort to a system based on the nonpathogenic epsilon-proteobacterium Wolinella succinogenes. This approach has been demonstrated to be successful for structural and mechanistic analyses not only for homologous production of W. succinogenes membrane proteins but also for the heterologous production of membrane protein complexes from the human pathogens Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni. The procedure to establish a system for the production of native and variant enzymes in W. succinogenes is presented in detail for the examples of the quinol:fumarate reductase and the SdhABE complexes of W. succinogenes. Subsequently, further projects using W. succinogenes as expression host are covered.

Production and consumption of nitrous oxide in nitrate-ammonifying Wolinella succinogenes cells.

Global warming is moving more and more into the public consciousness. Besides the commonly mentioned carbon dioxide and methane, nitrous oxide (N2O) is a powerful greenhouse gas in addition to its contribution to depletion of stratospheric ozone. The increasing concern about N2O emission has focused interest on underlying microbial energy-converting processes and organisms harbouring N2O reductase (NosZ), such as denitrifiers and ammonifiers of nitrate and nitrite. Here, the epsilonproteobacterial model organism Wolinella succinogenes is investigated with regard to its capacity to produce and consume N2O during growth by anaerobic nitrate ammonification. This organism synthesizes an unconventional cytochrome c nitrous oxide reductase (cNosZ), which is encoded by the first gene of an atypical nos gene cluster. However, W. succinogenes lacks a nitric oxide (NO)-producing nitrite reductase of the NirS- or NirK-type as well as an NO reductase of the Nor-type. Using a robotized incubation system, the wild-type strain and suitable mutants of W. succinogenes that either produced or lacked cNosZ were analysed as to their production of NO, N2O and N2 in both nitrate-sufficient and nitrate-limited growth medium using formate as electron donor. It was found that cells growing in nitrate-sufficient medium produced small amounts of N2O, which derived from nitrite and, most likely, from the presence of NO. Furthermore, cells employing cNosZ were able to reduce N2O to N2. This reaction, which was fully inhibited by acetylene, was also observed after adding N2O to the culture headspace. The results indicate that W. succinogenes cells are competent in N2O and N2 production despite being correctly grouped as respiratory nitrate ammonifiers. N2O production is assumed to result from NO detoxification and nitrosative stress defence, while N2O serves as a terminal electron acceptor in anaerobic respiration. The ecological implications of these findings are discussed.

The Wolinella succinogenes mcc gene cluster encodes an unconventional respiratory sulphite reduction system.

Assimilatory and dissimilatory sulphite reductions are key reactions in the biogeochemical sulphur cycle and several distinct sirohaem-containing sulphite reductases have been characterized. Here, we describe that the Epsilonproteobacterium Wolinella succinogenes is able to grow by sulphite respiration (yielding sulphide) with formate as electron donor. Sulphite is reduced by MccA, a prototypical member of an emerging new class of periplasmic cytochrome c sulphite reductases that, phylogenetically, belongs to a multihaem cytochrome c superfamily whose members play crucial roles in the global sulphur and nitrogen cycles. Within this family, MccA represents an unconventional octahaem cytochrome c containing a special haem c group that is bound via two cysteine residues arranged in a unique CX(15)CH haem c binding motif. The phenotypes of numerous W.succinogenes mutants producing MccA variants underlined the structural importance of this motif. Several open reading frames of the mcc gene cluster were individually inactivated and characterization of the corresponding mutants indicated that the predicted iron-sulphur protein MccC, the putative quinol dehydrogenase MccD (a member of the NrfD/PsrC family) as well as a peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, MccB, are essential for sulphite respiration. MccA synthesis in W. succinogenes was found to be induced by sulphite (but not by thiosulphate or sulphide) and repressed in the presence of fumarate or nitrate. Based on the results, a sophisticated model of respiratory sulphite reduction by the Mcc system is presented.

Evaluation of the Helicobacteraceae in the oral cavity of dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the Helicobacter spp present in the oral cavity of dogs and the relationship of those organisms with gastric Helicobacter spp to better define the potential for dog-human and dog-dog transmission. SAMPLE: Saliva and dental plaque from 28 dogs and gastric biopsy specimens from a subset of 8 dogs. PROCEDURES: PCR-based screening for Helicobacter spp was conducted on samples obtained from the oral cavity of 28 dogs. Comparative analysis was conducted on Helicobacteraceae 16S rDNA clone libraries from the oral cavity and stomach of a subset of 8 dogs (5 vomiting and 3 healthy) that had positive PCR results for Helicobacter spp. RESULTS: Helicobacteraceae DNA was identified in the oral cavity of 24 of 28 dogs. Analysis of cloned 16S rDNA amplicons from 8 dogs revealed that Wolinella spp was the most common (8/8 dogs) and abundant (52/57 [91%] clones) member of the Helicobacteraceae family in the oral cavity. Only 2 of 8 dogs harbored Helicobacter spp in the oral cavity, and 1 of those was coinfected with Helicobacter heilmannii and Helicobacter felis in samples obtained from the stomach and saliva. Evaluation of oral cavity DNA with Wolinella-specific PCR primers yielded positive results for 16 of 20 other dogs (24/28 samples were positive for Wolinella spp). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Wolinella spp rather than Helicobacter spp were the predominant Helicobacteraceae in the oral cavity of dogs. The oral cavity of dogs was apparently not a zoonotically important reservoir of Helicobacter spp that were non-Helicobacter pylori organisms.

The oxidative and nitrosative stress defence network of Wolinella succinogenes: cytochrome c nitrite reductase mediates the stress response to nitrite, nitric oxide, hydroxylamine and hydrogen peroxide.

Microorganisms employ diverse mechanisms to withstand physiological stress conditions exerted by reactive or toxic oxygen and nitrogen species such as hydrogen peroxide, organic hydroperoxides, superoxide anions, nitrite, hydroxylamine, nitric oxide or NO-generating compounds. This study identified components of the oxidative and nitrosative stress defence network of Wolinella succinogenes, an exceptional Epsilonproteobacterium that lacks both catalase and haemoglobins. Various gene deletion-insertion mutants were constructed, grown by either fumarate respiration or respiratory nitrate ammonification and subjected to disc diffusion, growth and viability assays under stress conditions. It was demonstrated that mainly two periplasmic multihaem c-type cytochromes, namely cytochrome c peroxidase and cytochrome c nitrite reductase (NrfA), mediated resistance to hydrogen peroxide. Two AhpC-type peroxiredoxin isoenzymes were shown to be involved in protection against different organic hydroperoxides. The phenotypes of two superoxide dismutase mutants lacking either SodB or SodB2 implied that both isoenzymes play important roles in oxygen and superoxide stress defence although they are predicted to reside in the cytoplasm and periplasm respectively. NrfA and a cytoplasmic flavodiiron protein (Fdp) were identified as key components of nitric oxide detoxification. In addition, NrfA (but not the hybrid cluster protein Hcp) was found to mediate resistance to hydroxylamine stress. The results indicate the presence of a robust oxidative and nitrosative stress defence network and identify NrfA as a multifunctional cytochrome c involved in both anaerobic respiration and stress protection.

Respiratory nitrogen metabolism and nitrosative stress defence in ϵ-proteobacteria: the role of NssR-type transcription regulators.

ϵ-Proteobacteria form a globally ubiquitous group of ecologically significant organisms and comprise a diverse range of host-associated and free-living species. To grow by anaerobic respiration, many ϵ-proteobacteria reduce nitrate to nitrite followed by either nitrite ammonification or denitrification. Using the ammonifying model organisms Wolinella succinogenes and Campylobacter jejuni, the electron transport chains of nitrate respiration, respiratory nitrite ammonification and even N2O (nitrous oxide) respiration have been characterized in recent years, but knowledge on nitrosative stress defence, nitrogen compound-sensing and corresponding signal transduction pathways is limited. The potentially dominant role of NssR (nitrosative stress-sensing regulator)-type transcription regulators in ϵ-proteobacterial nitrogen metabolism is discussed.

Production of recombinant multiheme cytochromes c in Wolinella succinogenes.

Respiratory nitrogen cycle processes like nitrification, nitrate reduction, denitrification, nitrite ammonification, or anammox involve a variety of dissimilatory enzymes and redox-active cofactors. In this context, an intriguing protein class are cytochromes c, that is, enzymes containing one or more covalently bound heme groups that are attached to heme c binding motifs (HBMs) of apo-cytochromes. The key enzyme of the corresponding maturation process is cytochrome c heme lyase (CCHL), an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of two thioether linkages between two vinyl side chains of a heme and two cysteine residues arranged in the HBM. In recent years, many multiheme cytochromes c involved in nitrogen cycle processes, such as hydroxylamine oxidoreductase and cytochrome c nitrite reductase, have attracted particular interest. Structurally, these enzymes exhibit conserved heme packing motifs despite displaying very different enzymic properties and largely unrelated primary structures. The functional and structural characterization of cytochromes c demands their purification in sufficient amounts as well as the feasibility to generate site-directed enzyme variants. For many interesting organisms, however, such systems are not available, mainly hampered by genetic inaccessibility, slow growth rates, insufficient cell yields, and/or a low capacity of cytochrome c formation. Efficient heterologous cytochrome c overproduction systems have been established using the unrelated proteobacterial species Escherichia coli and Wolinella succinogenes. In contrast to E. coli, W. succinogenes uses the cytochrome c biogenesis system II and contains a unique set of three specific CCHL isoenzymes that belong to the unusual CcsBA-type. Here, W. succinogenes is presented as host for cytochrome c overproduction focusing on a recently established gene expression system designed for large-scale production of multiheme cytochromes c.

Essential histidine pairs indicate conserved haem binding in epsilonproteobacterial cytochrome c haem lyases.

Bacterial cytochrome c maturation occurs at the outside of the cytoplasmic membrane, requires transport of haem b across the membrane, and depends on membrane-bound cytochrome c haem lyase (CCHL), an enzyme that catalyses covalent attachment of haem b to apocytochrome c. Epsilonproteobacteria such as Wolinella succinogenes use the cytochrome c biogenesis system II and contain unusually large CCHL proteins of about 900 amino acid residues that appear to be fusions of the CcsB and CcsA proteins found in other bacteria. CcsBA-type CCHLs have been proposed to act as haem transporters that contain two haem b coordination sites located at different sides of the membrane and formed by histidine pairs. W. succinogenes cells contain three CcsBA-type CCHL isoenzymes (NrfI, CcsA1 and CcsA2) that are known to differ in their specificity for apocytochromes and apparently recognize different haem c binding motifs such as CX(2)CH (by CcsA2), CX(2)CK (by NrfI) and CX(15)CH (by CcsA1). In this study, conserved histidine residues were individually replaced by alanine in each of the W. succinogenes CCHLs. Characterization of NrfI and CcsA1 variants in W. succinogenes demonstrated that a set of four histidines is essential for maturing the dedicated multihaem cytochromes c NrfA and MccA, respectively. The function of W. succinogenes CcsA2 variants produced in Escherichia coli was also found to depend on each of these four conserved histidine residues. The presence of imidazole in the growth medium of both W. succinogenes and E. coli rescued the cytochrome c biogenesis activity of most histidine variants, albeit to different extents, thereby implying the presence of two functionally distinct histidine pairs in each CCHL. The data support a model in which two conserved haem b binding sites are involved in haem transport catalysed by CcsBA-type CCHLs.

Genome sequence of the emerging pathogen Helicobacter canadensis.

We determined the genome sequence of the type strain of Helicobacter canadensis, an emerging human pathogen with diverse animal reservoirs. Potential virulence determinants carried by the genome include systems for N-linked glycosylation and capsular export. A protein-based phylogenetic analysis places H. canadensis close to Wolinella succinogenes.

Periplasmic nitrate reduction in Wolinella succinogenes: cytoplasmic NapF facilitates NapA maturation and requires the menaquinol dehydrogenase NapH for membrane attachment.

Various nitrate-reducing bacteria produce proteins of the periplasmic nitrate reductase (Nap) system to catalyse electron transport from the membraneous quinol pool to the periplasmic nitrate reductase NapA. The composition of the corresponding nap gene clusters varies but, in addition to napA, genes encoding at least one membrane-bound quinol dehydrogenase module (NapC and/or NapGH) are regularly present. Moreover, some nap loci predict accessory proteins such as the iron-sulfur protein NapF, whose function is poorly understood. Here, the role of NapF in nitrate respiration of the Epsilonproteobacterium Wolinella succinogenes was examined. Immunoblot analysis showed that NapF is located in the membrane fraction in nitrate-grown wild-type cells whereas it was found to be a soluble cytoplasmic protein in a napH deletion mutant. This finding indicates the formation of a membrane-bound NapGHF complex that is likely to catalyse NapH-dependent menaquinol oxidation and electron transport to the iron-sulfur adaptor proteins NapG and NapF, which are located on the periplasmic and cytoplasmic side of the membrane, respectively. The cysteine residues of a CX(3)CP motif and of the C-terminal tetra-cysteine cluster of NapH were found to be required for interaction with NapF. A napF deletion mutant accumulated the catalytically inactive cytoplasmic NapA precursor, suggesting that electron flow or direct interaction between NapF and NapA facilitated NapA assembly and/or export. On the other hand, NapA maturation and activity was not impaired in the absence of NapH, demonstrating that soluble NapF is functional. Each of the four tetra-cysteine motifs of NapF was modified but only one motif was found to be essential for efficient NapA maturation. It is concluded that the NapGHF complex plays a multifunctional role in menaquinol oxidation, electron transfer to periplasmic NapA and maturation of the cytoplasmic NapA precursor.

Production, characterization and determination of the real catalytic properties of the putative 'succinate dehydrogenase' from Wolinella succinogenes.

Both the genomes of the epsilonproteobacteria Wolinella succinogenes and Campylobacter jejuni contain operons (sdhABE) that encode for so far uncharacterized enzyme complexes annotated as 'non-classical' succinate:quinone reductases (SQRs). However, the role of such an enzyme ostensibly involved in aerobic respiration in an anaerobic organism such as W. succinogenes has hitherto been unknown. We have established the first genetic system for the manipulation and production of a member of the non-classical succinate:quinone oxidoreductase family. Biochemical characterization of the W. succinogenes enzyme reveals that the putative SQR is in fact a novel methylmenaquinol:fumarate reductase (MFR) with no detectable succinate oxidation activity, clearly indicative of its involvement in anaerobic metabolism. We demonstrate that the hydrophilic subunits of the MFR complex are, in contrast to all other previously characterized members of the superfamily, exported into the periplasm via the twin-arginine translocation (tat)-pathway. Furthermore we show that a single amino acid exchange (Ala86-->His) in the flavoprotein of that enzyme complex is the only additional requirement for the covalent binding of the otherwise non-covalently bound FAD. Our results provide an explanation for the previously published puzzling observation that the C. jejuni sdhABE operon is upregulated in an oxygen-limited environment as compared with microaerophilic laboratory conditions.

Electron transport chains and bioenergetics of respiratory nitrogen metabolism in Wolinella succinogenes and other Epsilonproteobacteria.

Recent phylogenetic analyses have established that the Epsilonproteobacteria form a globally ubiquitous group of ecologically significant organisms that comprises a diverse range of free-living bacteria as well as host-associated organisms like Wolinella succinogenes and pathogenic Campylobacter and Helicobacter species. Many Epsilonproteobacteria reduce nitrate and nitrite and perform either respiratory nitrate ammonification or denitrification. The inventory of epsilonproteobacterial genomes from 21 different species was analysed with respect to key enzymes involved in respiratory nitrogen metabolism. Most ammonifying Epsilonproteobacteria employ two enzymic electron transport systems named Nap (periplasmic nitrate reductase) and Nrf (periplasmic cytochrome c nitrite reductase). The current knowledge on the architecture and function of the corresponding proton motive force-generating respiratory chains using low-potential electron donors are reviewed in this article and the role of membrane-bound quinone/quinol-reactive proteins (NapH and NrfH) that are representative of widespread bacterial electron transport modules is highlighted. Notably, all Epsilonproteobacteria lack a napC gene in their nap gene clusters. Possible roles of the Nap and Nrf systems in anabolism and nitrosative stress defence are also discussed. Free-living denitrifying Epsilonproteobacteria lack the Nrf system but encode cytochrome cd(1) nitrite reductase, at least one nitric oxide reductase and a characteristic cytochrome c nitrous oxide reductase system (cNosZ). Interestingly, cNosZ is also found in some ammonifying Epsilonproteobacteria and enables nitrous oxide respiration in W. succinogenes.

Characterization of the NapGH quinol dehydrogenase complex involved in Wolinella succinogenes nitrate respiration.

Nitrate respiration catalysed by the epsilon-proteobacterium Wolinella succinogenes relies on the NapAGHBFLD system that comprises periplasmic nitrate reductase (NapA) and various other Nap proteins required for electron transport from menaquinol to NapA or maturation of Nap components. The W. succinogenes Nap system is unusual as electron transfer to NapA was shown previously to depend on both subunits of the predicted menaquinol dehydrogenase complex NapGH but did not require a cytochrome c of the NapC/NrfH family. Nonetheless, minor residual growth by nitrate respiration was observed in napG and napH gene inactivation mutants. Here, the question is addressed whether alternative membrane-bound menaquinol dehydrogenases, like NrfH and NosGH, involved in nitrite or N2O reduction systems, are able to functionally replace NapGH. The phenotypes of various gene deletion mutants as well as strains expressing chimeric nap/nos operons demonstrate that NosH is able to donate electrons to the respiratory chain of nitrate respiration at a physiologically relevant rate, whereas NrfH and NosG are not. The iron-sulphur protein NapG was shown to form a complex with NapH in the membrane but was detected in the periplasmic cell fraction in the absence of NapH. Likewise, NosH is able to bind NapG. Each of the eight poly-cysteine motifs present in either NapG or NapH was shown to be essential for nitrate respiration. The NapG homologue NosG could not substitute for NapG, even after adjusting the cysteine spacing to that of NapG, implying that NapG and NosG are specific adapter proteins that channel electrons into either the Nap or Nos system. The current model on the structure and function of the NapGH menaquinol dehydrogenase complex is presented and the composition of the electron transport chains that deliver electrons to periplasmic reductases for either nitrate, nitrite or N2O is discussed.