Genes involved in hydrogen and sulfur metabolism in phototrophic sulfur bacteria

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 180; no. 2; pp. 317 - 324
• Main Authors: Dahl, Christiane, Rákhely, Gábor, Pott-Sperling, A.S., Fodor, Barna, Takács, Mária, Tóth, András, Kraeling, Monika, Győrfi, Krisztina, Kovács, Ákos, Tusz, Jennifer, Kovács, Kornél L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.1999; Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Allochromatium vinosum; Archaea; Bacteria; Bacteria - enzymology; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Southern; Chlorobi - enzymology; Chlorobi - genetics; Cytochrome; Cytochromes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes; Genes, Bacterial; Genetics; Green sulfur bacteria; Heterodisulfide reductase; Heterologous hybridization; Hydrogen - metabolism; Hydrogenase; Hydrogenase - genetics; Hydrogenase - metabolism; Iron; Iron-sulfur proteins; Metabolism; Methanogenic archaea; Microbiology; Oxidation; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative metabolism; Oxidizing agents; Oxidoreductases Acting on Sulfur Group Donors - genetics; Oxidoreductases Acting on Sulfur Group Donors - metabolism; Phototrophic bacteria; Phylogeny; Proteins; Purple sulfur bacterium; Reductases; Space life sciences; Sulfite; Sulfite reductase; Sulfur; Sulfur - metabolism; Sulfur bacteria; Sulfur oxidation; Thiocapsa roseopersicina; Hydrogenase; Heterologous hybridization; Purple sulfur bacterium; Heterodisulfide reductase; Sulfite reductase; Sulfur oxidation; Sulfate-reducing bacteria; Chromatiaceae; Nucleotide sequence; Thiocapsa roseopersicina; Enzyme; Hydrogen; Sulfur reductase; Phylogeny; Gene expression; Metabolism; In vitro; Rhodospirillales; Thiocapsaceae; Bacteria; Oxidoreductases; Sulfur; Rhodospirillineae; Aminoacid sequence
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1999.tb08812.x

Abstract The dsr genes and the hydSL operon are present as separate entities in phototrophic sulfur oxidizers of the genera Allochromatium; Marichromatium; Thiocapsa and Thiocystis and are organized similarly as in Allochromatium vinosum and Thiocapsa roseopersicina, respectively. The dsrA gene, encoding the α subunit of ‘reverse’ siroheme sulfite reductase, is also present in two species of green sulfur bacteria pointing to an important and universal role of this enzyme and probably other proteins encoded in the dsr locus in the oxidation of stored sulfur by phototrophic bacteria. The hupSL genes are uniformly present in the members of the Chromatiaceae family tested. The two genes between hydS and hydL encode a membrane-bound b-type cytochrome and a soluble iron-sulfur protein, respectively, resembling subunits of heterodisulfide reductase from methanogenic archaea. These genes are similar but not identical to dsrM and dsrK, indicating that the derived proteins have distinct functions, the former in hydrogen metabolism and the latter in oxidative sulfur metabolism.