Impairment of Respiratory Chain Function and Involvement of Alternative Respiratory Pathway in Mitochondria of Potato Tubers Infected by Pectobacteriumcarotovorum subsp. carotovorum.

The significance of alternative respiratory pathway (AOXs) during the interaction between soft rot bacteria (Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, (Pcc.)) and potato tubers is well-defined. However, the role of the AOXs in impaired mitochondrial respiratory chain function during the Pcc. infection is yet to be studied. In this study, the results show that with the aggravation of infection of Pcc., the capacity for alternative respiration in mitochondria of potato tubers increased gradually. The mitochondrial membrane potential increased more significantly after infection with Pcc. when the AOXs in potato tubers was partially blocked using salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) beforehand. In addition, the activity of complex III decreased more drastically while the activity of complex IV increased more significantly in the partial absence of the AOXs in the mitochondria. Furthermore, the mitochondrial endogenous respiration, mitochondrial respiratory state 3 and respiratory control rate (RCR) decreased more significantly and the value of RCR reached around 1.0 with the aggravation of infection of Pcc. in the partially absence of AOXs in the mitochondria.

Reactive oxygen species induce cyanide-resistant respiration in potato infected by Erwinia carotovora subsp. Carotovora.

Studies have shown that pathogenic bacteria infections induce the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants. Cyanide-resistant respiration, an energy-dissipating pathway in plants, has also been induced by a pathogenic bacteria infection. However, it is unknown whether the induction of cyanide-resistant respiration under the pathogenic bacteria infection was caused by ROS. In this study, two pathogenic Erwinia strains were used to infect potato tuber, and membrane lipid peroxidation levels and the cyanide-resistant respiration capacity were determined. In addition, StAOX expression and regulation by ROS in potato tuber were analyzed. Moreover, the role of the Ca2+ pathway in regulating cyanide-resistant respiration was determined. The results showed that ROS induced cyanide-resistant respiration in potato tuber infected by Erwinia. Cyanide-resistant respiration inhibited the production of H2O2. Intracellular Ca2+ regulated the expression of calcium-dependent protein kinase (StCDPK1, StCDPK4, and StCDPK5) in potato, which indirectly controlled intracellular ROS levels. These results indicate that Ca2+ metabolism is involved in ROS-induced cyanide-resistant respiration.

Iron and sulfur oxidation pathways of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is a gram-negative, autotrophic and rod-shaped bacterium. It can gain energy through the oxidation of Fe(II) and reduced inorganic sulfur compounds for bacterial growth when oxygen is sufficient. It can be used for bio-leaching and bio-oxidation and contributes to the geobiochemical circulation of metal elements and nutrients in acid mine drainage environments. The iron and sulfur oxidation pathways of A. ferrooxidans play key roles in bacterial growth and survival under extreme circumstances. Here, the electrons transported through the thermodynamically favourable pathway for the reduction to H2O (downhill pathway) and against the redox potential gradient reduce to NAD(P)(H) (uphill pathway) during the oxidation of Fe(II) were reviewed, mainly including the electron transport carrier, relevant operon and regulation of its expression. Similar to the electron transfer pathway, the sulfur oxidation pathway of A. ferrooxidans, related genes and operons, sulfur oxidation mechanism and sulfur oxidase system are systematically discussed.

Strand-specific RNA-seq analysis of the Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans transcriptome in response to magnesium stress.

Bioleaching is a promising process for 350 million tons Jinchuan low-grade pentlandite. But, Jinchuan pentlandite has lots of magnesium and high concentration of Mg2+ is harmful to bioleaching microorganisms. Thus, finding a way to improve the adaption of microorganisms to Mg2+ is a key for bioleaching. In the study, we found that oxidizing activity, bioleaching ability and biofilm formation of A.f were inhibited by Mg2+ stress. In addition, we analyzed mRNA and small RNA (sRNA) of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A.f) under Mg2+ stress by strand-specific RNA-sequencing (ssRNA-seq). After the bioinformatics process, 2475 coding genes were obtained, and there were 33 differential expression genes (DEGs) in 0.1 M-VS-Con, including 28 down-regulated and 5 up-regulated, whereas 52 DEGs were obtained in 0.5 M-VS-Con, including 28 down-regulated and 24 up-regulated. Gene ontology analysis showed most of DEGs were involved in catalytic activity, metabolic process and single-organism process. Furthermore, we identified 636 sRNA and some differential expression sRNA that may respond to Mg2+ stress. Further analysis of DEGs suggested that Mg2+ stress reduced biofilm formation perhaps through inhibiting Type IV Pili-related gene expression and inhibited bacterial activity perhaps through affecting carbon fixation. The study provided the foundation to understand the mechanisms of Mg2+ resistance in A.f and may be helpful to improve bioleaching ability for pentlandit.

Organoarsenic resistance and bioremoval of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.

The tolerance and bioremoval of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)) by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans) were investigated here. The inhibitory concentration (IC) of DMA(V) was determined for A. ferrooxidans. The effects of various parameters such as pH, contact time, initial DMA(V) concentration, biosorbent dose and temperature were systematically examined to study the biosorption processes. Results indicated that Langmuir model fitted better than Freundlich model to the equilibrium data. Analysis of kinetic data showed that the biosorption processes of DMA(V) involved pseudo-second-order kinetics. Thermodynamic analysis showed that the biosorption of DMA(V) onto A. ferrooxidans was feasible, spontaneous, endothermic and chemisorptive under examined conditions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed the involvement of -OH, -NH and -SO(3) groups in the biosorption process.

The flexible interrelation between AOX respiratory pathway and photosynthesis in rice leaves.

Alternative respiratory pathway was investigated in rice seedlings grown under total darkness, light/dark cycle, or continuous light. The capacity of the alternative pathway was relatively higher in leaves that had longer light exposure. An analysis of rice AOX1 multigene family revealed that AOX1c, but not AOX1a and AOX1b, had a light-independent expression. The alternative oxidase (AOX) inhibitor, salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM, 1mM), inhibited nearly 68% of the capacity of the alternative pathway in leaves grown under different light conditions. The plants grown under different light periods were treated with SHAM and then were exposed to illumination for 4h. The transition from dark to 4h of light stimulated the capacity of alternative pathway in etiolated rice seedlings and in those grown under light/dark cycle, whereas the capacity of the alternative pathway was constant in seedlings grown under continuous light with additional 4h of illumination. Etiolated leaves did not show any CO(2) fixation after 4h of illumination, and the increase in chlorophyll content was delayed by the SHAM pretreatment. When seedlings grown under light/dark cycle were moved from dark and exposed to 4h of light, increases in chlorophyll content and CO(2) fixation rate were reduced by SHAM. Although these parameters were stable in plants grown under continuous light, SHAM decreased CO(2) fixation rate but not the chlorophyll content. These results indicate that the role and regulation of AOX in light are determined by the developmental stage of plant photosynthetic apparatus.

[Production and releasing sites of superoxide anion in phytopathogenic bacteria].

Many phytopathogenic bacteria were founded to release the superoxide anion (O2-) by themselves from different sites and the production of O2- was related to the pathogenicity of strains. The presences of O2- in cytomembrane, cell wall and filtrate were confirmed by chemical method and electron spin resonance (ESR). The results show that filtrate may be the primary site of O2- production due to its higher O2- generating activity either in the presence or the absence of DDC. Additional lines of evidence further suggested a regulatory mechanism of O2- production in phytopathogenic bacteria.

[O2-* burst of tobacco leaves triggered by Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora inoculation].

O(-.)(2) production based on chemical method by Ecc-treated intact tobacco leaves was observed. It showed a long-lasting one-phase course beginning 1 h and ending 14 h after Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Ecc) was inoculated. In Ecc-treated leaves, O(-.)(2) production rate of 3 h is 2 times of 1 h, and of 10 h it remains 1.7 times. It decreases rapidly between 10 h and 14 h, at 14 h it falls to the level before inoculation. This is a completely different course from the widely accepted two-phase course obtained from suspension-cultured cells. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrum of O(-.)(2) produced by intact tobacco leaves after Ecc inoculation 2 h and 6 h was also observed, the amplitude of 6 h is larger than of 2 h in Ecc-treated group. In the control group, there is no difference between the amplitude of 2 h and 6 h. This indicated that O(-.)(2) amount of Ecc-treated group is higher than of the control group, which is the same result as obtained through chemical method. The ESR spectrum of O(-.)(2) produced by chloroplasts and mitochondria from tobacco leaves after 2 h and 6 h after Ecc inoculation were observed. In chloroplast experiment, the amplitude of 6 h was larger than of 2 h in Ecc-treated group while it was the same in the control group. ESR spectrum of O(-.)(2) produced by mitochondria was proved to be a same result after a careful comparison, in spite of a greater difference between 2 h and 6 h in control group than chloroplast experiment. The fact that spectra of these two organelles were both synchronous with that of intact leaves implied that these two organelles possibly participated in cellular O(-.)(2) burst. Chloroplasts in the dark showed no ESR spectrum 2 h and 6 h after Ecc inoculation in Ecc-treated group as well as in the control group, indicating that O(-.)(2) in the chloroplast probably originated from the photosynthetic electron transport process.