RESUMO
Desulfurococcus fermentans is the first known cellulolytic archaeon. This hyperthermophilic and strictly anaerobic crenarchaeon produces hydrogen from fermentation of various carbohydrates and peptides without inhibition by accumulating hydrogen. The complete genome sequence reported here suggested that D. fermentans employs membrane-bound hydrogenases and novel glycohydrolases for hydrogen production from cellulose.
Assuntos
DNA Arqueal/química , DNA Arqueal/genética , Desulfurococcaceae/genética , Genoma Arqueal , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Anaerobiose , Metabolismo dos Carboidratos , Celulose/metabolismo , Desulfurococcaceae/isolamento & purificação , Desulfurococcaceae/fisiologia , Fermentação , Água Doce/microbiologia , Fontes Termais/microbiologia , Hidrogênio/metabolismo , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Federação RussaRESUMO
Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, a deeply rooted hyperthermophilic anaerobic methanarchaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent, carries an NADH oxidase (Nox) homologue (MJ0649). According to the characteristics described here, MJ0649 represents an unusual member within group 3 of the flavin-dependent disulfide reductase (FDR) family. This FDR group comprises Nox, NADH peroxidases (Npx) and coenzyme A disulfide reductases (CoADRs); each carries a Cys residue that forms Cys-sulfenic acid during catalysis. A sequence analysis identified MJ0649 as a CoADR homologue. However, recombinant MJ0649 (rMJNox), expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity an 86 kDa homodimer with 0.27 mol FAD (mol subunit)(-1), showed Nox but not CoADR activity. Incubation with FAD increased FAD content to 1 mol (mol subunit)(-1) and improved NADH oxidase activity 3.4-fold. The FAD-incubated enzyme was characterized further. The optimum pH and temperature were > or =10 and > or =95 degrees C, respectively. At pH 7 and 83 degrees C, apparent Km values for NADH and O2 were 3 microM and 1.9 mM, respectively, and the specific activity at 1.4 mM O2 was 60 micromol min(-1) mg(-1); 62 % of NADH-derived reducing equivalents were recovered as H2O2 and the rest probably generated H2O. rMjNox had poor NADPH oxidase, NADH peroxidase and superoxide formation activities. It reduced ferricyanide, plumbagin and 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), but not disulfide coenzyme A and disulfide coenzyme M. Due to a high Km, O2 is not a physiologically relevant substrate for MJ0649; its true substrate remains unknown.