A second phenazine methosulphate-linked formate dehydrogenase isoenzyme in Escherichia coli.

A biochemical and immunological study has revealed a new formate dehydrogenase isoenzyme in Escherichia coli. The enzyme is an isoenzyme of the respiratory formate dehydrogenase (FDH-N) which forms part of the formate to nitrate respiratory pathway found in the organisms when it is grown anaerobically in the presence of nitrate. The new enzyme, termed FDH-Z, cross reacts with antibodies raised to FDH-N and possesses a similar polypeptide composition to FDH-N. FDH-Z catalyses the phenazine methosulphate-linked formate dehydrogenase activity present in the aerobically-grown bacterium. FDH-Z and FDH-N exhibit distinct regulation. Like formate dehydrogenase N, formate dehydrogenase Z is a membrane-bound molybdoenzyme. With nitrate reductase it can catalyse electron transfer between formate and nitrate. Quinones are required for the physiological electron transfer to nitrate. It seems likely that like FDH-N, FDH-Z functions physiologically as a formate: quinone oxidoreductase.

Characterization of the respiratory nitrate reductase of Klebsiella aerogenes as a molybdenum-containing iron-sulfur enzyme.

1. In respiratory nitrate reductase I of Klebsiella aerogenes, 0.24 atom of molybdenum, eight iron-sulfur groups and four tightly bound, non-heme iron atoms per molecule of enzyme (Mr 260 000) are found. 2. EPR spectra at 83 degrees K of oxidized and reduced nitrate reductase I show complex lines at g = 2.02 and g = 1.98, which are more intense in the reduced than in the oxidized enzyme. The resonances, the shape and intensity of which are rather temperature insensitive, are attributed to two species of paramagnetic molybdenum. In dithionite-reduced enzyme all these lines are saturated at the same microwave power of 15 mW. This is not the case in oxidized enzyme, where the resonance at g = 2.02 is hard to saturate. Addition of nitrate to dithionite-reduced reductase I decreases the intensity of the EPR lines to about that of oxidized enzyme. The participation of molybdenum in the electron transfer process has been discussed. 3. At 18 degrees K the oxidized enzyme exhibits an axial-symmetrical signal with g parallel = 2.10 and g = 2.03, and a signal with unknown symmetry at g = 2.015. Upon reduction by dithionite, a ferredoxin type of signal is observed with g values at 2.05, 1.95 and 1.88, while the g = 2.015 signal disappears. Reoxidation by nitrate causes a concomitant disappearance of the ferredoxin type of signal and reappearance of the g = 2.015 signal; hence iron-sulfur centres participate in the transfer of electrons to nitrate. 4. Nitrate reductase II, containing only two (Mr 117 000 and 57 000) of the three subunits found in nitrate reductase I and lacking the tightly bound iron, does not exhibit the axial-symmetrical signal (g = 2.10 and 2.03). Thus, it suggested that this signal in nitrate reductase I stems from an iron centre in the low-molecular weight subunit (Mr 52 000). 5. Inhibition studies confirm the participation of metals in the transfer of electrons from reduced benzylviologen to nitrate and show that the binding sites for these substrates are different.

In vitro restoration of nitrate reductase: investigation of Aspergillus nidulans and Neurospora crassa nitrate reductase mutants.

Extracts of Aspergillus nidulans wild type (bi-1) and the nitrate reductase mutant niaD-17 were active in the in vitro restoration of NADPH-dependent nitrate reductase when mixed with extracts of Neurospora crassa, nit-1. Among the A. nidulans cnx nitrate reductase mutants tested, only the molybdenum repair mutant, cnxE-14 grown in the presence of 10-minus 3 M Na2 MoO4 was active in the restoration assay. Aspergillus extracts contained an inhibitor(s) which was measured by the decrease in NADPH-dependent nitrate reductase formed when extracts of Rhodospirillum rubrum and N. crassa, nit-1 were incubated at room temperature. The inhibition by extracts of A. nidulans, bi-1, cnxE-14, cnxG-4 and cnxH-3 was a linear function of time and a logarithmic function of the protein concentration in the extract. The molybdenum content of N. crassa wild type and nit-1 mycelia were found to be similar, containing approx. 10 mu g molybdenum/mg dry mycelium. The NADPH-dependent cytochrome c reductase associated with nitrate reductase was purified from both strains. The NADPH-dependent cytochrome c reductase associated with nitrate reductase was purified from both strains. The enzyme purified from wild-type N. crassa contained more than 1 mol of molybdenum per mol of enzyme, whereas the enzyme purified from nit-1 contained negligible amounts of molybdenum.

Identification in various chlorate-resistant mutants of a protein involved in the activation of nitrate reductase in the soluble fraction of a chlA mutant of Escherichia coli K-12.

We report some properties of Protein PA which has been isolated from the soluble fraction of a chlB mutant after anaerobic growth in the presence of KNO3. This protein has been identified by its capacity to reactivate nitrate reductase present in the soluble fraction of a chlA mutant by the complementation process. The presence of active Protein PA in the chlB mutant is independent of the presence of oxygen or of nitrate during growth. In contrast, the addition of sodium tungstate to the growth medium leads to the formation of inactive Protein PA which is not able to activate nitrate reductase in the chlA-soluble extract by complementation. Inactive Protein PA has been quantitated immunologically. The partial purification of Protein PA has been achieved from various chlorate-resistant mutants (chlA-chlG). The establishment of particular complementation systems comprising the soluble extracts of chlA or chlB mutants and partially purified Protein PA from soluble fractions of different chlorate-resistant mutants, has allowed the quantitative estimation of this protein. The analysis by 'rocket immunoelectrophoresis' using an antiserum specific for Protein PA has shown that inactive Protein PA is present in approximately equivalent amounts in the chlA, chlE, chlG and chlD mutants.

Proteome-level investigation of Brassica carinata-derived resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans.

Plants resistant to the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans were generated by an interspecific cross between the highly susceptible Brassica napus (canola) and the highly resistant Brassica carinata. Changes in the leaf protein profiles of these lines were investigated in order to understand the biochemical basis for the observed resistance. Two-dimensional electrophoresis followed by tandem mass spectrometry led to the identification of proteins unique to the susceptible (5 proteins) and resistant genotypes (7 proteins) as well those that were differentially expressed in the resistant genotype 48 h after challenge with the pathogen (28 proteins). Proteins identified as being unique in the resistant plant material included superoxide dismutase, nitrate reductase, and carbonic anhydrase. Photosynthetic enzymes (fructose bisphosphate aldolase, triose phosphate isomerase, sedoheptulose bisphosphatase), dehydroascorbate reductase, peroxiredoxin, malate dehydrogenase, glutamine synthetase, N-glyceraldehyde-2-phosphotransferase, and peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase were observed to be elevated in the resistant genotype upon pathogen challenge. Increased levels of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase were further validated and supported by spectrophotometric and in-gel activity assays. Other proteins identified in this study such as nitrate reductase and peptidylprolyl isomerase have not been previously described in this plant-pathogen system, and their potential involvement in an incompatible interaction is discussed.

NapGH components of the periplasmic nitrate reductase of Escherichia coli K-12: location, topology and physiological roles in quinol oxidation and redox balancing.

Nap (periplasmic nitrate reductase) operons of many bacteria include four common, essential components, napD, napA, napB and napC (or a homologue of napC ). In Escherichia coli there are three additional genes, napF, napG and napH, none of which are essential for Nap activity. We now show that deletion of either napG or napH almost abolished Nap-dependent nitrate reduction by strains defective in naphthoquinone synthesis. The residual rate of nitrate reduction (approx. 1% of that of napG+ H+ strains) is sufficient to replace fumarate reduction in a redox-balancing role during growth by glucose fermentation. Western blotting combined with beta-galactosidase and alkaline phosphatase fusion experiments established that NapH is an integral membrane protein with four transmembrane helices. Both the N- and C-termini as well as the two non-haem iron-sulphur centres are located in the cytoplasm. An N-terminal twin arginine motif was shown to be essential for NapG function, consistent with the expectation that NapG is secreted into the periplasm by the twin arginine translocation pathway. A bacterial two-hybrid system was used to show that NapH interacts, presumably on the cytoplasmic side of, or within, the membrane, with NapC. As expected for a periplasmic protein, no NapG interactions with NapC or NapH were detected in the cytoplasm. An in vitro quinol dehydrogenase assay was developed to show that both NapG and NapH are essential for rapid electron transfer from menadiol to the terminal NapAB complex. These new in vivo and in vitro results establish that NapG and NapH form a quinol dehydrogenase that couples electron transfer from the high midpoint redox potential ubiquinone-ubiquinol couple via NapC and NapB to NapA.

Transformation of Aspergillus niger with the homologous nitrate reductase gene.

A homologous transformation for Aspergillus niger was developed based on the nitrate reductase structural gene niaD. This system offered certain advantages over existing A. niger systems, such as the ease of recipient mutant isolation, absence of abortive transformants, convenient enzyme assay, ease of transformant stability testing, and complete absence of background growth. Transformation frequencies of up to 100 transformants per microgram DNA were obtained with the vector pSTA10 which carries the niaD gene of A. niger. Southern blotting analysis indicated that vector DNA had integrated into the genome of A. niger. Mitotic stability studies demonstrated that while some transformants were as stable as the wild-type (wt), others were markedly less so. No correlation was seen between plasmid integration, mitotic stability and nitrate reductase activity, which was markedly different from wt in only three of the transformants examined.

Bromphenol blue: nitrate reductase activity in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia: an immunochemical and genetic approach.

NADH: nitrate reductase (EC 1.6.6.1) was purified from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia leaves. As recently observed with nitrate reductase from other sources, this enzyme is able to reduce nitrate using reduced bromphenol blue (rBPB) as the electron donor. In contrast to the physiological NADH-dependent activity, the rBPB-dependent activity is stable in vitro. The latter activity is non-competitively inhibited by NADH. The monoclonal antibody ZM.96(9)25, which inhibits the NADH: nitrate reductase total activity as well as the NADH: cytochrome c reductase and reduced methyl viologen (rMV): nitrate reductase partial activities, has no inhibitory effect on the rBPB: nitrate reductase activity. Conversely, the monoclonal antibody NP.17-7(6) inhibits nitrate reduction with all three electron donors: NADH, MV or BPB. Among various nitrate reductase-deficient mutants, an apoprotein gene mutant (nia. E56) shows reduced terminal activities but a highly increased rBPB:nitrate reductase activity. rBPB:nitrate reductase thus appears to be a new terminal activity of higher plant nitrate reductase and involves specific sites which are not shared by the other activities.

[Isolation, morphological and biochemical characteristics of gram-positive bacteria metabolizing beta-caryophyllene]. / Isolement, caractères morphologiques et biochimiques de bactéries à gram positif métabolisant le beta-caryophyllène.

Eleven strains of coryneform bacteria were isolated from soil samples by enrichment culture in a mineral medium containing beta-caryophyllene as the sole energy and carbon source. Ten of them could also metabolize longifolene. Numerical taxonomy, based on the use of 147 characteristics, revealed a large diversity. The DNA G + C content was found to be in the range of 62.5-68.3 mol%. Three strains were placed in "The National Collection of Industrial and Marine Bacteria".

Salivary nitrate, nitrite and nitrate reductase activity in relation to risk of oral cancer in Egypt.

It has been suggested that nitrate and nitrite may play a role in the etiology of human oral cancer. We investigated whether salivary nitrate and nitrite and the activity of nitrate reductase (NRase) may affect the risk of oral cancer in Egypt, an area with high levels of environmental nitrosating agents. Levels of salivary nitrite (8.3 +/- 1.0 micrograms/ml) and nitrate (44 +/- 3.7 micrograms/ml) and activity of NRase (74 +/- 10 nmol/ml/min) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in oral cancer patients (n = 42) compared to control Egyptian healthy individuals (n = 40, nitrite = 5.3 +/- 0.3 micrograms/ml, nitrate = 27 +/- 1.2 micrograms/ml, and NRase activity = 46 +/- 4 nmol/ml/min). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence intervals (C.I.) for risk of oral cancer, categorized by the levels of salivary nitrate and nitrite and NRase activity, showed a higher cancer risk associated with nitrite > 7.5 micrograms/ml (OR: 3.0, C.I.: 1.0-9.3), nitrite > 40 micrograms/ml (OR: 4.3, C.I.: 1.4-13.3) and NRase activity > 50 nmol/ml/min (OR: 2.9, C.I.: 1.1-7.4). Our findings suggest that increased consumption of dietary nitrate and nitrite is associated with elevated levels of salivary nitrite. Together with the increased activity of salivary NRase, these observations may explain, at least in part, the role of nitrate and nitrite in the development of oral cancer in individuals from an area with a high burden of N-nitroso precursors.

The slide centrifuge gram stain as a urine screening method.

A slide centrifuge Gram stain procedure was performed to screen for bacteriuria 4161 urine specimens submitted in urine preservative tubes for routine culture. For slide centrifuge Gram staining, each urine sample was mixed well. Thereafter, 0.2 mL of each sample was placed, using a pipette, into a slide centrifuge chamber and centrifuged at 2,000 rpm for 5 minutes. The slides were heat fixed, Gram stained, and read by laboratory personnel who scanned 12 consecutive oil-immersion fields using a set pattern. The presence of the same organism in six or more fields was defined as a positive urine screen. Urine samples were cultured using a 0.001-mL loop and a comparison of culture growth with slide centrifuge screening was made. When growth of 100,000 or more colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) was the reference for comparison, the screen had a sensitivity rate of 98%, a specificity rate of 90%, a negative predictive value of 99%, and a positive predictive value of 65%. When a lower colony count of 10,000 or more CFU/mL was the reference for comparison, the screen had a sensitivity rate of 88%, a specificity rate of 95%, a negative predictive value of 96%, and a positive predictive value of 84%. The slide centrifuge Gram stain is a very sensitive screening method to detect bacteriuria in an adult male population.

Nitrobacter winogradskyi cytochrome a1c1 is an iron-sulfur molybdoenzyme having hemes a and c.

Cytochrome a1c1 (nitrite-cytochrome c oxidoreductase) purified from Nitrobacter winogradskyi (formerly N. agilis) contained molybdenum, non-heme iron, and acid-labile sulfur in addition to hemes a and c; it contained 1 mol of heme a, 4-5 g atoms of non-heme iron, 2-5 g atoms of acid-labile sulfur, and 1-2 g atoms of molybdenum per mol of heme c, but did not contain copper. The fluorescence spectra of the molybdenum cofactor derivative prepared from cytochrome a1c1 were very similar to those of the cofactor derivative from xanthine oxidase, and the aponitrate reductase of nit-1 mutant of Neurospora crassa was complemented by addition of the molybdenum cofactor derived from the cytochrome. Further, the ESR spectrum of cytochrome a1c1 was similar to that of liver sulfite oxidase. The content of cytochrome a1 in the cells cultivated with the medium in which tungsten was substituted for molybdenum markedly decreased as compared with that in the cells cultivated in the molybdenum-supplemented medium. These results indicate that cytochrome a1c1 is an iron-sulfur molybdoenzyme which contains hemes a and c.

Pyruvate formate-lyase is not essential for nitrate respiration by Escherichia coli.

Defined deletion mutants of Escherichia coli defective for the synthesis of pyruvate formate-lyase (PFL) or pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) were analysed in regards their growth in batch culture and their enzyme levels under fermentative and nitrate respiratory conditions. A pfl mutant proved not to be completely auxotrophic for acetate when grown anaerobically in glucose minimal medium. In contrast, a pfl aceEF double mutant exhibited an absolute requirement for acetate, indicating that PDH is the source of acetyl-CoA in the pfl mutant. Growth of both pfl and aceEF single mutants under nitrate respiratory conditions was essentially indistinguishable from the wild-type. Thus, either PFL or PDH can be used to catabolize pyruvate in nitrate-respiring cells. The activities of PFL and PDH measured after growth with nitrate are commensurate with this proposal.

Properties of the periplasmic nitrate reductases from Paracoccus pantotrophus and Escherichia coli after growth in tungsten-supplemented media.

Paracoccus pantotrophus grown anaerobically under denitrifying conditions expressed similar levels of the periplasmic nitrate reductase (NAP) when cultured in molybdate- or tungstate-containing media. A native PAGE gel stained for nitrate reductase activity revealed that only NapA from molybdate-grown cells displayed readily detectable nitrate reductase activity. Further kinetic analysis showed that the periplasmic fraction from cells grown on molybdate (3 microM) reduced nitrate at a rate of V(max)=3.41+/-0.16 micromol [NO(3)(-)] min(-1) mg(-1) with an affinity for nitrate of K(m)=0.24+/-0.05 mM and was heat-stable up to 50 degrees C. In contrast, the periplasmic fraction obtained from cells cultured in media supplemented with tungstate (100 microM) reduced nitrate at a much slower rate, with much lower affinity (V(max)=0.05+/-0.002 micromol [NO(3)(-)] min(-1) mg(-1) and K(m)=3.91+/-0.45 mM) and was labile during prolonged incubation at >20 degrees C. Nitrate-dependent growth of Escherichia coli strains expressing only nitrate reductase A was inhibited by sub-mM concentrations of tungstate in the medium. In contrast, a strain expressing only NAP was only partially inhibited by 10 mM tungstate. However, none of the above experimental approaches revealed evidence that tungsten could replace molybdenum at the active site of E. coli NapA. The combined data show that tungsten can function at the active site of some, but not all, molybdoenzymes from mesophilic bacteria.

Characterization of moeB--part of the molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis gene cluster in Staphylococcus carnosus.

Transposon mutagenesis of Staphylococcus carnosus led to the identification of a gene cluster comprising nine genes that are important for molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis. Two nitrate-reductase-negative Tn917-insertion mutants were defective in MoeB. In cell-free extracts of an moeB mutant, the molybdenum-cofactor-deficient nitrate reductase could be reconstituted with a low-molecular-mass component (most likely free molybdenum cofactor) from an S. carnosus mutant that is defective in the nitrate reductase structural genes. The expression of moeB was studied in response to oxygen and nitrate. Primer-extension studies indicated that anaerobiosis and nitrate each enhance transcription of moeB.

Modification of rat caecal microbial biotransformation activities by dietary saccharin.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a purified fibre-free diet containing 5% (w/w) sodium saccharin for 4 weeks or 20 weeks and changes in caecal bacterial numbers and enzyme activities (endogenous ammonia production, beta-glucosidase, beta-glucuronidase, nitrate reductase, nitroreductase, aryl sulphatase) determined in vitro. Saccharin treatment gave marked caecal enlargement but had no effect on bacterial concentration at either treatment period, and significantly decreased beta-glucuronidase, nitrate reductase and sulphatase activities/g caecal contents. The incubation of a suspension of caecal contents from control rats with saccharin (75 mM) in vitro inhibited beta-glucuronidase and nitrate reductase activities, and ammonia production from endogenous substrates. Such changes may decrease the rate of formation of toxic bacterial products in the hindgut.

Effects of Bifidobacterium sp fermented milk ingested with or without inulin on colonic bifidobacteria and enzymatic activities in healthy humans.

OBJECTIVE: To assess in healthy humans the effects of prolonged ingestion of Bifidobacterium sp fermented milk (BFM) with or without inulin on fecal bifidobacteria and some bacterial enzymatic activities. DESIGN: Twelve volunteers randomly divided into two groups were studied for three consecutive periods. During the ingestion period, they received BFM in association with ether 18g/d inulin or placebo in three oral doses for 12 days. Stools were regularly collected for bacteriological analysis. SETTING: Clinical Nutrition Unit, Hopital Saint-Lazare, Paris. RESULTS: The administration of BFM with placebo led to an increase in total bifidobacteria (indigenous and exogenous) (P < 0.01) and exogenous bifidobacteria (P < 0.01) and a decrease in beta-glucuronidase activity (P < 0.01). Simultaneous administration of BFM and inulin led to an increase in total bifidobacteria (P < 0.01) and exogenous bifidobacteria (P < 0.01), but had no effect on beta-glucuronidase activity. No differences were found for fecal concentrations reached by exogenous and indigenous bifidobacteria between the two groups. Administrated alone or with inulin, BFM did not change fecal total anaerobe counts, pH, nitrate reductase, nitroreductase and azoreductase activities. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of BFM substantially increases the proportion of bifidobacteria in the colonic flora, but the concurrent administration of inulin does not enhance this effect.

Effect of nitrate and incubation conditions on the production of catalase and nitrate reductase by staphylococci.

The objective of this work was to study the production of catalase and nitrate reductase by staphylococci in order to understand their role in lipid oxidation during sausage manufacturing. Catalase and nitrate reductase were measured in resting cells and supernatants of staphylococci grown in different conditions. All staphylococci (except S. warneri) synthetized nitrate reductase. In static condition, the synthesis was maximal during exponential growth phase, whereas in shaking condition, the synthesis was maximal at the beginning of stationary phase. The production of nitrate reductase was increased in presence of nitrate, this effect was particularly important for the two S. carnosus strains which exhibited the highest activity. For all staphylococci, the production of catalase was maximal at the end of the exponential growth phase. The lowest amount of catalase was produced by S. warneri and the highest by S. carnosus. Only S. xylosus 873 and S. saprophyticus 852 released high amounts of catalase in the supernatant growth. Staphylococci produced higher amounts of catalase in shaking conditions. Addition of nitrate in the growth media favoured the synthesis of catalase, with a pronounced effect for S. carnosus. Nitrate also favoured the release of catalase.

Redox-triggered events in cytochrome c nitrite reductase.

Escherichia coli cytochrome c nitrite reductase is a homodimeric enzyme whose 10 heme centres range in reduction potential from ca. -30 to -320 mV. Protein film voltammetry (PFV) was performed to assess how the reactivity of the enzyme towards a number of small molecules was influenced by heme oxidation state. The experimental approach provided a high-resolution description of activity across the electrochemical potential domain by virtue of the fact that the enzyme sample was under the precise potential control of an electrode at all times. The current potential profiles displayed by nitrite reductase revealed that heme oxidation state has a profound, and often unanticipated, effect on the interactions with substrate molecules, nitrite and hydroxylamine, as well as the inhibitor, cyanide. Thus, PFV provides a powerful route to define redox-triggered events in this complex multi-centred redox enzyme.

A method for the determination of nitrate reductase.

A procedure for the assay of nitrate reductase based on Szekely's diaminodiphenylsulphone method of nitrate determination (Szekely, E. (1967) Talanta 14, 941-950) is described. The method is simple and sensitive, allowing determination of 1 microgram of nitrate in a volume of 1 ml or less. It is particularly suited to the determination of nitrate reductase.