A sequential electron transfer from hydrogenases to cytochromes in sulfate-reducing bacteria

A central step in the energy metabolism of sulfate-reducing bacteria is the oxidation of molecular hydrogen, catalyzed by a periplasmic hydrogenase. The resulting electrons are then transferred to various electron transport chains and used for cytoplasmic sulfate reduction. The complex formation between [NiFeSe] hydrogenase and the soluble periplasmic polyheme cytochromes from Desulfomicrobium norvegicum was characterized by cross-linking experiments, BIAcore and kinetics analysis. Analysis of electron transfer between [NiFeSe] hydrogenase and octaheme cytochrome c(3) (M(r) 26? omitted?000) pointed out that this cytochrome is reduced faster in the presence of catalytic amounts of tetraheme cytochrome c(3) (M(r) 13? omitted?000) isolated from the same organism. The activation of the hydrogenase-dependent reduction of polyheme cytochromes by cytochrome c(3) (M(r) 13? omitted?000), which is now described in both Desulfovibrio and Desulfomicrobium, is proposed as a general mechanism. During this process, cytochrome c(3) (M(r) 13? omitted?000) would act as an electron shuttle in between hydrogenase and the polyheme cytochromes and its conductivity appears to be an important factor.     

Bioreduction of platinum salts into nanoparticles: a mechanistic perspective

A mechanism for the bioreduction of H₂PtCl₆ and PtCl₂ into platinum nanoparticles by a hydrogenase enzyme from Fusarium oxysporum is proposed. Octahedral H₂PtCl₆ is too large to fit into the active region of the enzyme and, under conditions optimum for nanoparticle formation (pH 9, 65°C), undergoes a two-electron reduction to PtCl₂ on the molecular surface of the enzyme. This smaller molecule is transported through hydrophobic channels within the enzyme to the active region where, under conditions optimal for hydrogenase activity (pH 7.5, 38°C) it undergoes a second two-electron reduction to Pt(0). H₂PtCl₆ was unreactive at pH 7.5, 38°C; PtCl₂ was unreactive at pH 9, 65°C.     

Reduction of technetium(VII) by Desulfovibrio fructosovorans is mediated by the nickel-iron hydrogenase

Resting cells of the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio fructosovorans grown in the absence of sulfate had a very high Tc(VII)-reducing activity, which led to the formation of an insoluble black precipitate. The involvement of a periplasmic hydrogenase in Tc(VII) reduction was indicated (i) by the requirement for hydrogen as an electron donor, (ii) by the tolerance of this activity to oxygen, and (iii) by the inhibition of this activity by Cu(II). Moreover, a mutant carrying a deletion in the nickel-iron hydrogenase operon showed a dramatic decrease in the rate of Tc(VII) reduction. The restoration of Tc(VII) reduction by complementation of this mutation with nickel-iron hydrogenase genes demonstrated the specific involvement of the periplasmic nickel-iron hydrogenase in the mechanism in vivo. The Tc(VII)-reducing activity was also observed with cell extracts in the presence of hydrogen. Under these conditions, Tc(VII) was reduced enzymatically to soluble Tc(V) or precipitated to an insoluble black precipitate, depending on the chemical nature of the buffer used. The purified nickel-iron hydrogenase performed Tc(VII) reduction and precipitation at high rates. These series of genetic and biochemical approaches demonstrated that the periplasmic nickel-iron hydrogenase of sulfate-reducing bacteria functions as a Tc(VII) reductase. The role of cytochrome c(3) in the mechanism is also discussed.     

Reduction of technetium by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans: biocatalyst characterization and use in a flowthrough bioreactor.

Resting cells of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans coupled the oxidation of a range of electron donors to Tc(VII) reduction. The reduced technetium was precipitated as an insoluble low-valence oxide. The optimum electron donor for the biotransformation was hydrogen, although rapid rates of reduction were also supported when formate or pyruvate was supplied to the cells. Technetium reduction was less efficient when the growth substrates lactate and ethanol were supplied as electron donors, while glycerol, succinate, acetate, and methanol supported negligible reduction. Enzyme activity was stable for several weeks and was insensitive to oxygen. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the radionuclide was precipitated at the periphery of the cell. Cells poisoned with Cu(II), which is selective for periplasmic but not cytoplasmic hydrogenases, were unable to reduce Tc(VII), a result consistent with the involvement of a periplasmic hydrogenase in Tc(VII) reduction. Resting cells, immobilized in a flowthrough membrane bioreactor and supplied with Tc(VII)-supplemented solution, accumulated substantial quantities of the radionuclide when formate was supplied as the electron donor, indicating the potential of this organism as a biocatalyst to treat Tc-contaminated wastewaters.     

Reduction of Technetium(VII) by Desulfovibrio fructosovorans Is Mediated by the Nickel-Iron Hydrogenase

Resting cells of the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio fructosovorans grown in the absence of sulfate had a very high Tc(VII)-reducing activity, which led to the formation of an insoluble black precipitate. The involvement of a periplasmic hydrogenase in Tc(VII) reduction was indicated (i) by the requirement for hydrogen as an electron donor, (ii) by the tolerance of this activity to oxygen, and (iii) by the inhibition of this activity by Cu(II). Moreover, a mutant carrying a deletion in the nickel-iron hydrogenase operon showed a dramatic decrease in the rate of Tc(VII) reduction. The restoration of Tc(VII) reduction by complementation of this mutation with nickel-iron hydrogenase genes demonstrated the specific involvement of the periplasmic nickel-iron hydrogenase in the mechanism in vivo. The Tc(VII)-reducing activity was also observed with cell extracts in the presence of hydrogen. Under these conditions, Tc(VII) was reduced enzymatically to soluble Tc(V) or precipitated to an insoluble black precipitate, depending on the chemical nature of the buffer used. The purified nickel-iron hydrogenase performed Tc(VII) reduction and precipitation at high rates. These series of genetic and biochemical approaches demonstrated that the periplasmic nickel-iron hydrogenase of sulfate-reducing bacteria functions as a Tc(VII) reductase. The role of cytochrome c₃ in the mechanism is also discussed.     

Reduction of Technetium by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans: Biocatalyst Characterization and Use in a Flowthrough Bioreactor

Resting cells of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans coupled the oxidation of a range of electron donors to Tc(VII) reduction. The reduced technetium was precipitated as an insoluble low-valence oxide. The optimum electron donor for the biotransformation was hydrogen, although rapid rates of reduction were also supported when formate or pyruvate was supplied to the cells. Technetium reduction was less efficient when the growth substrates lactate and ethanol were supplied as electron donors, while glycerol, succinate, acetate, and methanol supported negligible reduction. Enzyme activity was stable for several weeks and was insensitive to oxygen. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the radionuclide was precipitated at the periphery of the cell. Cells poisoned with Cu(II), which is selective for periplasmic but not cytoplasmic hydrogenases, were unable to reduce Tc(VII), a result consistent with the involvement of a periplasmic hydrogenase in Tc(VII) reduction. Resting cells, immobilized in a flowthrough membrane bioreactor and supplied with Tc(VII)-supplemented solution, accumulated substantial quantities of the radionuclide when formate was supplied as the electron donor, indicating the potential of this organism as a biocatalyst to treat Tc-contaminated wastewaters.     

Effects of Deletion of Genes Encoding Fe-Only Hydrogenase of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough on Hydrogen and Lactate Metabolism

The physiological properties of a hyd mutant of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, lacking periplasmic Fe-only hydrogenase, have been compared with those of the wild-type strain. Fe-only hydrogenase is the main hydrogenase of D. vulgaris Hildenborough, which also has periplasmic NiFe- and NiFeSe-hydrogenases. The hyd mutant grew less well than the wild-type strain in media with sulfate as the electron acceptor and H(2) as the sole electron donor, especially at a high sulfate concentration. Although the hyd mutation had little effect on growth with lactate as the electron donor for sulfate reduction when H(2) was also present, growth in lactate- and sulfate-containing media lacking H(2) was less efficient. The hyd mutant produced, transiently, significant amounts of H(2) under these conditions, which were eventually all used for sulfate reduction. The results do not confirm the essential role proposed elsewhere for Fe-only hydrogenase as a hydrogen-producing enzyme in lactate metabolism (W. A. M. van den Berg, W. M. A. M. van Dongen, and C. Veeger, J. Bacteriol. 173:3688-3694, 1991). This role is more likely played by a membrane-bound, cytoplasmic Ech-hydrogenase homolog, which is indicated by the D. vulgaris genome sequence. The physiological role of periplasmic Fe-only hydrogenase is hydrogen uptake, both when hydrogen is and when lactate is the electron donor for sulfate reduction.     

Electrocatalytic reduction of protons and oxygen at glassy carbon electrodes coated with a cobalt(II)/platinum(II) porphyrin

The electrocatalytic reduction of protons in 1.0 M perchloric acid at glassy carbon electrodes anodically modified with a Co(II)/Pt(II) porphyrin show shifts of 400 mV versus Ag/AgCl when compared to the same electrodes which have not been anodically modified. Anodic cycling of glassy carbon electrodes coated with the Co(II)/Pt(II) porphyrin in this study form stable electroactive films capable of improving both electroreduction of protons to hydrogen and oxygen to both peroxide and water. Electrooxidation of glassy carbon electrodes coated with the free base porphyrin show no improvement in catalytic ability for the reduction of protons in acidic solution or the reduction of molecular oxygen in basic solution. Glassy carbon electrodes coated with the Co(II)/Pt(II) porphyrin indicate, by rotating disk electrochemistry, that the electrocatalysis of oxygen is a two electron process leading to the formation of hydrogen peroxide. Koutecky-Levich plots of the data obtained from the reduction of oxygen at electrode surfaces coated with the Co(II)/Pt(II) porphyrin after oxidation of the surface indicate that 25% of the oxygen is reduced by four electrons directly to water while 75% of the oxygen is reduced by two electrons to hydrogen peroxide.     

Connection between the membrane electron transport system and Hyn hydrogenase in the purple sulfur bacterium, Thiocapsa roseopersicina BBS

Thiocapsa. roseopersicina BBS has four active [NiFe] hydrogenases, providing an excellent opportunity to examine their metabolic linkages to the cellular redox processes. Hyn is a periplasmic membrane-associated hydrogenase harboring two additional electron transfer subunits: Isp1 is a transmembrane protein, while Isp2 is located on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane. In this work, the connection of HynSL to various electron transport pathways is studied. During photoautotrophic growth, electrons, generated from the oxidation of thiosulfate and sulfur, are donated to the photosynthetic electron transport chain via cytochromes. Electrons formed from thiosulfate and sulfur oxidation might also be also used for Hyn-dependent hydrogen evolution which was shown to be light and proton motive force driven. Hyn-linked hydrogen uptake can be promoted by both sulfur and nitrate. The electron flow from/to HynSL requires the presence of Isp2 in both directions. Hydrogenase-linked sulfur reduction could be inhibited by a Q_B site competitive inhibitor, terbutryne, suggesting a redox coupling between the Hyn hydrogenase and the photosynthetic electron transport chain. Based on these findings, redox linkages of Hyn hydrogenase are modeled.     

Bioreduction of Pt (IV) from aqueous solution using sulphate-reducing bacteria

The aims of this study were to investigate the role of sulphate-reducing bacteria in facilitating Pt removal from aqueous solutions and to investigate the role of a hydrogenase enzyme in Pt reduction in vitro. To avoid precipitation of Pt as Pt sulphide, a resting (non-growing) mixed culture was used. A pH-dependent rate of Pt removal from aqueous solution was observed, indicating that metal speciation was the main factor for its removal from solution. The maximum initial concentration of Pt(IV) that the cells can effectively remove from solution was 50 mg/l, while the maximum capacity was only 4 mg of Pt per gram of resting biomass. Transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analyses indicated that Pt was being precipitated in the periplasm, a major area of hydrogenase activity in the cells. In vitro investigation of Pt reduction with hydrogen as the electron donor showed that 49% was removed within 1 h when a relatively pure hydrogenase extract was used, 31% was removed with a cell-free soluble extract and 70% removed by live cells.     

Formation of palladium(0) nanoparticles at microbial surfaces

The increasing demand and limited natural resources for industrially important platinum‐group metal (PGM) catalysts render the recovery from secondary sources such as industrial waste economically interesting. In the process of palladium (Pd) recovery, microorganisms have revealed a strong potential. Hitherto, bacteria with the property of dissimilatory metal reduction have been in focus, although the biochemical reactions linking enzymatic Pd(II) reduction and Pd(0) deposition have not yet been identified. In this study we investigated Pd(II) reduction with formate as the electron donor in the presence of Gram‐negative bacteria with no documented capacity for reducing metals for energy production: Cupriavidus necator, Pseudomonas putida, and Paracoccus denitrificans. Only large and close‐packed Pd(0) aggregates were formed in cell‐free buffer solutions. Pd(II) reduction in the presence of bacteria resulted in smaller, well‐suspended Pd(0) particles that were associated with the cells (called “bioPd(0)” in the following). Nanosize Pd(0) particles (3–30 nm) were only observed in the presence of bacteria, and particles in this size range were located in the periplasmic space. Pd(0) nanoparticles were still deposited on autoclaved cells of C. necator that had no hydrogenase activity, suggesting a hydrogenase‐independent formation mechanism. The catalytic properties of Pd(0) and bioPd(0) were determined by the amount of hydrogen released in a reaction with hypophosphite. Generally, bioPd(0) demonstrated a lower level of activity than the Pd(0) control, possibly due to the inaccessibility of the Pd(0) fraction embedded in the cell envelope. Our results demonstrate the suitability of bacterial cells for the recovery of Pd(0), and formation and immobilization of Pd(0) nanoparticles inside the cell envelope. However, procedures to make periplasmic Pd(0) catalytically accessible need to be developed for future nanobiotechnological applications. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107: 206–215. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Quantitative measurement of the reduction of platinum(IV) complexes using X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES)

The platinum(II) drugs cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin are usefully employed against a range of malignancies, but toxicities and resistance have spurred the search for improved analogs. This has included investigation of the platinum(IV) oxidation state, which provides greater kinetic inertness. It is generally accepted that Pt(IV) complexes must be reduced to Pt(II) for activation. As such, the ability to monitor reduction of Pt(IV) complexes is critical to guiding the design of candidates, and providing mechanistic understanding. Here we report in full that the white line height of X-ray absorption near-edge spectra (XANES) of Pt complexes, normalized to the post-edge minima, can be used to quantitatively determine the proportion of each oxidation state in a mixture. A series of Pt(IV) complexes based on the Pt(II) complexes cisplatin and transplatin were prepared with chlorido, acetato or hydroxido axial ligands, and studies into their reduction potential and cytotoxicity against A2780 human ovarian cancer cells were performed, demonstrating the relationship between reduction potential and cytotoxicity. Analysis of white line height demonstrated a clear and consistent difference between Pt(II) (1.52 ± 0.05) and Pt(IV) (2.43 ± 0.19) complexes. Reduction of Pt(IV) complexes over time in cell growth media and A2780 cells was observed by XANES, and shown to correspond with their reduction potentials and cytotoxicities. We propose that this method is useful for monitoring reduction of metal-based drug candidates in complex biological systems.     

Hydrogen metabolism in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is a facultative sediment microorganism which uses diverse compounds, such as oxygen and fumarate, as well as insoluble Fe(III) and Mn(IV) as electron acceptors. The electron donor spectrum is more limited and includes metabolic end products of primary fermenting bacteria, such as lactate, formate, and hydrogen. While the utilization of hydrogen as an electron donor has been described previously, we report here the formation of hydrogen from pyruvate under anaerobic, stationary-phase conditions in the absence of an external electron acceptor. Genes for the two S. oneidensis MR-1 hydrogenases, hydA, encoding a periplasmic [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase, and hyaB, encoding a periplasmic [Ni-Fe] hydrogenase, were found to be expressed only under anaerobic conditions during early exponential growth and into stationary-phase growth. Analyses of DeltahydA, DeltahyaB, and DeltahydA DeltahyaB in-frame-deletion mutants indicated that HydA functions primarily as a hydrogen-forming hydrogenase while HyaB has a bifunctional role and represents the dominant hydrogenase activity under the experimental conditions tested. Based on results from physiological and genetic experiments, we propose that hydrogen is formed from pyruvate by multiple parallel pathways, one pathway involving formate as an intermediate, pyruvate-formate lyase, and formate-hydrogen lyase, comprised of HydA hydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase, and a formate-independent pathway involving pyruvate dehydrogenase. A reverse electron transport chain is potentially involved in a formate-hydrogen lyase-independent pathway. While pyruvate does not support a fermentative mode of growth in this microorganism, pyruvate, in the absence of an electron acceptor, increased cell viability in anaerobic, stationary-phase cultures, suggesting a role in the survival of S. oneidensis MR-1 under stationary-phase conditions.     

The Role of Hydrogen for Sulfurimonas denitrificans’ Metabolism

Sulfurimonas denitrificans was originally isolated from coastal marine sediments. It can grow with thiosulfate and nitrate or sulfide and oxygen. Recently sequencing of its genome revealed that it encodes periplasmic and cytoplasmic [NiFe]-hydrogenases but the role of hydrogen for its metabolism has remained unknown. We show the first experimental evidence that S. denitrificans can indeed express a functional hydrogen uptake active hydrogenase and can grow on hydrogen. In fact, under the provided conditions it grew faster and denser on hydrogen than on thiosulfate alone and even grew with hydrogen in the absence of reduced sulfur compounds. In our experiments, at the time points tested, the hydrogen uptake activity appeared to be related to the periplasmic hydrogenase and not to the cytoplasmic hydrogenase. Our data suggest that under the provided conditions S. denitrificans can grow more efficiently with hydrogen than with thiosulfate.     

Characterization of hydrogenase II from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus and assessment of its role in sulfur reduction

The fermentative hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus contains an NADPH-utilizing, heterotetrameric (alphabetagammadelta), cytoplasmic hydrogenase (hydrogenase I) that catalyzes both H(2) production and the reduction of elemental sulfur to H(2)S. Herein is described the purification of a second enzyme of this type, hydrogenase II, from the same organism. Hydrogenase II has an M(r) of 320,000 +/- 20,000 and contains four different subunits with M(r)s of 52,000 (alpha), 39,000 (beta), 30,000 (gamma), and 24,000 (delta). The heterotetramer contained Ni (0.9 +/- 0.1 atom/mol), Fe (21 +/- 1.6 atoms/mol), and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) (0.83 +/- 0.1 mol/mol). NADPH and NADH were equally efficient as electron donors for H(2) production with K(m) values near 70 microM and k(cat)/K(m) values near 350 min(-1) mM(-1). In contrast to hydrogenase I, hydrogenase II catalyzed the H(2)-dependent reduction of NAD (K(m), 128 microM; k(cat)/K(m), 770 min(-1) mM(-1)). Ferredoxin from P. furiosus was not an efficient electron carrier for either enzyme. Both H(2) and NADPH served as electron donors for the reduction of elemental sulfur (S(0)) and polysulfide by hydrogenase I and hydrogenase II, and both enzymes preferentially reduce polysulfide to sulfide rather than protons to H(2) using NADPH as the electron donor. At least two [4Fe-4S] and one [2Fe-2S] cluster were detected in hydrogenase II by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, but amino acid sequence analyses indicated a total of five [4Fe-4S] clusters (two in the beta subunit and three in the delta subunit) and one [2Fe-2S] cluster (in the gamma subunit), as well as two putative nucleotide-binding sites in the gamma subunit which are thought to bind FAD and NAD(P)(H). The amino acid sequences of the four subunits of hydrogenase II showed between 55 and 63% similarity to those of hydrogenase I. The two enzymes are present in the cytoplasm at approximately the same concentration. Hydrogenase II may become physiologically relevant at low S(0) concentrations since it has a higher affinity than hydrogenase I for both S(0) and polysulfide.     

Modulation of oxidative DNA damage and DNA-crosslink formation induced by cis-diammine-tetrachloro-platinum(IV) in the presence of endogenous reductants

Platinum(IV) [Pt(IV)] complex, satraplatin, is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of various cancers. As a key step of the anti-cancer effect exertion, satraplatin is supposed to be reduced by endogenous reductants to platinum(II) [Pt(II)] complex. In this study, we investigated the interaction of DNA, Pt(IV), and the endogenous reductants such as ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH). As a model Pt(IV) compound, cis-diammine-tetrachloro-Pt(IV) [cis-Pt(IV)], which is a prodrug of cisplatin [cis-diammine-dichloro-Pt(II), cis-Pt(II)], was incubated with calf thymus DNA in the presence of AsA or GSH. In the presence of AsA, cis-Pt(IV) induced oxidative DNA damage. Hydroxyl radical scavengers suppressed the AsA-associated oxidative damage, thereby suggesting that hydroxyl radicals are involved in the DNA oxidation. cis-Pt(II)-like CD spectral change and crosslink formation in calf thymus DNA were also observed during this DNA oxidation, suggesting cis-Pt(IV) reduction by AsA and DNA conformational change induced by the newly formed cis-Pt(II) binding to DNA. GSH did not induce oxidative DNA damage likely due to its own hydroxyl radical scavenging ability. Further, GSH suppressed the Pt(II)-mediated DNA conformational change and crosslink formation, suggesting that GSH sequesters the cis-Pt(II) away from DNA by GSH-cis-Pt(II) complex formation.     

Reduction of the amount of periplasmic hydrogenase in Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) with antisense RNA: direct evidence for an important role of this hydrogenase in lactate metabolism.

To establish the function of the periplasmic Fe-only hydrogenase in the anaerobic sulfate reducer Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough), derivatives with a reduced content of this enzyme were constructed by introduction of a plasmid that directs the synthesis of antisense RNA complementary to hydrogenase mRNA. It was demonstrated that the antisense RNA technique allowed specific suppression of the synthesis of this hydrogenase in D. vulgaris by decreasing the amount of hydrogenase mRNA but did not result in the complete elimination of the enzyme, as is usual with most conventional mutagenesis techniques. The hydrogenase content in these antisense RNA-producing D. vulgaris clones was two- to threefold lower than in the parental strain when the strains were grown in batch cultures with lactate as a substrate and sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor. Under these conditions, several differences in growth parameters were measured between the hydrogenase-suppressed clones and wild-type D. vulgaris: growth rates of the clones decreased two- to threefold, and at excess lactate, growth yields were reduced by 20%. Furthermore, the amount of hydrogen measured in the culture headspaces was reduced three- to fivefold for the clones. These observations indicate that this hydrogenase has an important function during growth on lactate and is involved in hydrogen production from protons and electrons originating from at least one of the two oxidation reactions in the conversion of lactate to acetate. The implications for the energy metabolism of D. vulgaris are discussed.     

The Tmc complex from Desulfovibrio vulgaris hildenborough is involved in transmembrane electron transfer from periplasmic hydrogen oxidation

Three membrane-bound redox complexes have been reported in Desulfovibrio spp., whose genes are not found in the genomes of other sulfate reducers such as Desulfotalea psycrophila and Archaeoglobus fulgidus. These complexes contain a periplasmic cytochrome c subunit of the cytochrome c(3) family, and their presence in these organisms probably correlates with the presence of a pool of periplasmic cytochromes c(3), also absent in the two other sulfate reducers. In this work we report the isolation and characterization of the first of such complexes, Tmc from D. vulgaris Hildenborough, which is associated with the tetraheme type II cytochrome c(3). The isolated Tmc complex contains four subunits, including the TpIIc(3) (TmcA), an integral membrane cytochrome b (TmcC), and two cytoplasmically predicted proteins, an iron-sulfur protein (TmcB) and a tryptophan-rich protein (TmcD). Spectroscopic studies indicate the presence of eight hemes c and two hemes b in the complex pointing to an alpha(2)betagammadelta composition (TmcA(2)BCD). EPR analysis reveals the presence of a [4Fe4S](3+) center and up to three other iron-sulfur centers in the cytoplasmic subunit. Nearly full reduction of the redox centers in the Tmc complex could be obtained upon incubation with hydrogenase/TpIc(3), supporting the role of this complex in transmembrane transfer of electrons resulting from periplasmic oxidation of hydrogen.     

Hydrogen production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</Emphasis> revisited: Rubisco as a biotechnological target

Hydrogen production by C. reinhardtii seems a promising alternative as a source of non-polluting biofuel. Hydrogen is generated as a result of combining free protons and electrons (supplied by ferredoxin) through the activity of an oxygen-sensitive hydrogenase. Thus, substantial hydrogen production is only observed in the light under anaerobic conditions. These require a reduced rate of photosynthetic oxygen evolution which is usually achieved by impairing photosystem II through sulphur starvation. Several approaches have been conducted to enhance and extend hydrogen production by addressing problems such as the mechanism of hydrogenase inhibition by oxygen, the stressing impact on the cells of the culture conditions, the use of starch as an alternate source of electrons under reduced photosynthetic activity, and the need of maintaining a balance between oxygen evolution and consumption. The photosynthetic enzyme ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) appears as suitable objective for biotechnological optimization of hydrogen production because of its relevance controlling the hydrogenase main competitor electron sink (the Calvin-Benson cycle), as well as starch accumulation and photorespiratory oxygen consumption. Possible strategies for increasing hydrogen generation based on alteration of Rubisco properties and/or catabolism through site-directed mutagenesis are discussed.     

Renaturation effects of cis and trans platinum II and IV compounds on calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid.

The effects of cis dichlorodiammine platinum [cis Pt(II)], trans dichlorodiammine platinum (trans Pt(II)], cis tetrachlorodiammine platinum [cis Pt(IV)], trans tetrachlorodiammine platinum [trans Pt(IV)], and ethylenediaminedichloride platinum [Pt(II)en] on the absorption spectra, and thermal hyper- and hypochromicity of calf thymus DNA were investigated. Platinum-induced renaturation was studied as one parameter of interstrand cross-linking. Based on a DNA cross-linking hypothesis, the tumor-inhibitory platinum compounds cis Pt(II), cis Pt(IV) and Pt(II)en would be expected to induce renaturation following thermal denaturation, whereas the ineffective drugs, trans Pt(II) and trans Pt(IV) would not. All five bind to DNA in such a way as to induce renaturation. However, cis Pt(IV) requires at least a 3- to 4-fold longer incubation time than is required by the other compounds to form the coordination bonds necessary for renaturation. Maximum renaturation with all compounds was observed at a molar Pt/base ratio of 0.05 except cis Pt(IV), with which it was 0.25. The rate of the formation of the platinum-coordinated cross-links by fresh cis Pt(II) suggests two reactions or types of reactions occur. The first is rapid and destabilizes the DNA helix, whereas the second is slow and responsible for renaturation following thermal denaturation. These results suggest that cis Pt(IV) may be activated cellularly and that cross-linking is not the primary mechanism of action of the tumor-inhibitory platinum compounds.