Metabolism of methylated osmolytes by aerobic bacteria from Mono Lake, a moderately hypersaline, alkaline environment

Abstract: Three strains of aerobic bacteria were isolated from water and sediment samples of Mono Lake, a moderately hypersaline (90 ppt), alkaline (pH 9.7) lake in California. The organisms, Gram-negative rods, grew fastest at about pH 9.7 with no growth or much slower growth at pH 7.0. All three isolates grew on glycine betaine (GB) and respirometric experiments indicated that catabolism was by sequential demethylation with dimethyl glycine and sarcosine as intermediates. Two of the isolates also grew on dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), one with cleavage of the DMSP to yield dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and acrylate, and the other by demethylation with 3-methiolpropionate (MMPA) as an intermediate and the production of methanethiol from MMPA. The methylated osmolytes supported growth at salinities similar to those in Mono Lake, but, at higher salinities, catabolism was suppressed and GB and DMSP functioned as osmolytes. GB and DMSP probably originate from cyanobacteria and/or phytoplankton in Mono Lake and this report is the first indication of both the DMS and demethylation/methanethiol-producing pathways for DMSP degradation in a nonmarine environment.     

Comparative Physiology of Dimethyl Sulfide Production by Dimethylsulfoniopropionate Lyase in Pseudomonas doudoroffii and Alcaligenes sp. Strain M3A

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) lyase enzymatically cleaves DMSP, an algal metabolite, to produce acrylate, a proton, and dimethyl sulfide (DMS), the most abundant volatile sulfur compound emitted from oceans. The physiology of DMS production by DMSP lyase was studied in vivo in an Alcaligenes-like organism, strain M3A, a salt marsh bacterial isolate, and in a marine strain, Pseudomonas doudoroffii. Enzymes from both strains were induced at optimum rates by 1 mM DMSP and vigorous aeration. P. doudoroffii was very sensitive to continued aeration and lost activity rapidly; the enzyme was more stable when aeration ceased. In addition to DMSP, acrylate and several of its analogs acted as inducers of DMSP lyase in Alcaligenes sp. strain M3A but not in P. doudoroffii. Turnover of DMSP by P. doudoroffii was enhanced by 3.5% NaCl or seawater, whereas the Alcaligenes sp. strain M3A enzyme was not salt dependent and salt did not greatly affect its activity. The pH profile showed two peaks of DMSP lyase activity (6.5 and 8.8) for Alcaligenes sp. strain M3A and a single peak at pH 8 for P. doudoroffii. Enzyme activity in both organisms was inhibited by methyl-3-mercaptopropionate and homocysteine. Cyanide, azide and p-chloromercuribenzoate inhibited only the P. doudoroffii DMSP lyase. The apparent K(infm) values for DMSP for cell cultures of Alcaligenes sp. strain M3A and P. doudoroffii were ca. 2 mM and <20 (mu)M, respectively. The differences in the physiology of DMSP metabolism in these two bacterial isolates may enable them to exist in diverse ecological niches.     

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate metabolism by Pfiesteria-associated Roseobacter spp

The Roseobacter clade of marine bacteria is often found associated with dinoflagellates, one of the major producers of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Roseobacter species have developed a physiological relationship with DMSP-producing dinoflagellates mediated by the metabolism of DMSP. DMSP was measured in Pfiesteria and Pfiesteria-like (Cryptoperidiniopsis) dinoflagellates, and the identities and metabolic potentials of the associated Roseobacter species to degrade DMSP were determined. Both Pfiesteria piscicida and Pfiesteria shumwayae produce DMSP with an average intracellular concentration of 3.8 microM. Cultures of P. piscicida or Cryptoperidiniopsis sp. that included both the dinoflagellates and their associated bacteria rapidly catabolized 200 microM DMSP (within 30 h), and the rate of catabolism was much higher for P. piscicida cultures than for P. shumwayae cultures. The community of bacteria from P. piscicida and Cryptoperidiniopsis cultures degraded DMSP with the production of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and acrylate, followed by 3-methylmercaptopropionate (MMPA) and methanethiol (MeSH). Four DMSP-degrading bacteria were isolated from the P. piscicida cultures and found to be taxonomically related to Roseobacter species. All four isolates produced MMPA from DMSP. Two of the strains also produced MeSH and DMS, indicating that they are capable of utilizing both the lyase and demethylation pathways. The diverse metabolism of DMSP by the dinoflagellate-associated Roseobacter spp. offers evidence consistent with a hypothesis that these bacteria benefit from association with DMSP-producing dinoflagellates.     

New Routes for Aerobic Biodegradation of Dimethylsulfoniopropionate

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), an osmolyte in marine plants, is biodegraded by cleavage of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) or by demethylation to 3-methiolpropionate (MMPA) and 3-mercaptopropionate (MPA). Sequential demethylation has been observed only with anoxic slurries of coastal sediments. Bacteria that grew aerobically on MMPA and DMSP were isolated from marine environments and phytoplankton cultures. Enrichments with DMSP selected for bacteria that generated DMS, whereas MMPA enrichments selected organisms that produced methanethiol (CH₃SH) from either DMSP or MMPA. A bacterium isolated on MMPA grew on MMPA and DMSP, but rapid production of CH₃SH from DMSP occurred only with DMSP-grown cells. Low levels of MPA accumulated during growth on MMPA, indicating demethylation as well as demethiolation of MMPA. The alternative routes for DMSP biodegradation via MMPA probably impact on net DMS fluxes to the marine atmosphere.     

Dimethyl sulphide and methanethiol formation in microbial mats: potential pathways for biogenic signatures

Mechanisms of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and methanethiol (MT) production and consumption were determined in moderately hypersaline mats, Guerrero Negro, Mexico. Biological pathways regulated the net flux of DMS and MT as revealed by increases in flux resulting from decreased salinity, increased temperature and the removal of oxygen. Dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) was not present in these microbial mats and DMS and MT are probably formed by the reaction of photosynthetically produced low-molecular weight organic carbon and biogenic hydrogen sulphide derived from sulphate reduction. These observations provide an alternative to the notion that DMSP or S-containing amino acids are the dominant precursors of DMS in intertidal sediment systems. The major sink for DMS in the microbial mats was biological consumption, whereas photochemical oxidation to dimethylsulphoxide was the major sink for DMS in the overlying water column. Diel flux measurements demonstrated that significantly more DMS is released from the system during the night than during the day. The major consumers of DMS in the presence of oxygen were monooxygenase-utilizing bacteria, whereas under anoxic conditions, DMS was predominantly consumed by sulphate-reducing bacteria and methanethiol was consumed by methanogenic bacteria. Aerobic and anaerobic consumption rates of DMS were nearly identical. Mass balance estimates suggest that the consumption in the water column is likely to be smaller than net the flux from the mats. Volatile organic sulphur compounds are thus indicators of high rates of carbon fixation and sulphate reduction in these laminated sediment ecosystems, and atmospheric sulphur can be generated as a biogenic signature of the microbial mat community.     

Microbial controls on DMSP degradation and DMS formation in the Sargasso Sea

Bacterial degradation of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) represents one of the main sources of the climatically–active trace gas dimethylsulfide (DMS) in the upper ocean. Short-term enrichment studies to stimulate specific pathways of DMSP degradation in oligotrophic waters from the Sargasso Sea were used to explore regulatory connections between the different bacterial DMSP degradation steps and determine potential biological controls on DMS formation in the open ocean. Experiments were conducted with surface water at the BATS station in the western North Atlantic Ocean. We added selected organic substrates (25 nmol L^?1 final concentration) to induce different steps of DMSP degradation in the microbial community, and then measured DMSP dynamics (assimilation and turnover rates), DMS yields (using ³⁵sulfur-DMSP tracer), and bacterial production rates. In most treatments, the main fate of consumed S-DMSP was excretion as a non-volatile S product. ³⁵S-DMSP tracer turnover rates (accumulation + assimilation + excretion of transformed products as DMS or others) increased upon addition of DMSP and glucose, but not acrylate, methymercaptopropionate (MMPA), methanethiol, DMS or glycine betaine. DMS yields from ³⁵S-DMSP never exceeded 16 % except in a short term DMSP enrichment, for which the yield reached 45 % (±17 %). Results show that availability of non-sulfur containing labile C sources (glucose, acrylate) decreased bacterial DMS production while stimulating bacterial heterotrophic production, and suggest an influence of bacterial sulfur demand in controlling DMS-yielding pathways. However, regulatory effects on ³⁵S-DMSP fate were not consistent across all reduced sulfur compounds (i.e., methanethiol or MMPA), and may reflect alternate roles of DMSP as a bacterial energy source and osmolyte.     

Identification and characterization of humic substances-degrading bacterial isolates from an estuarine environment

Bacterial isolates were obtained from enrichment cultures containing humic substances extracted from estuarine water using an XAD-8 resin. Eighteen isolates were chosen for phylogenetic and physiological characterization based on numerical importance in serial dilutions of the enrichment culture and unique colony morphology. Partial sequences of the 16S rRNA genes indicated that six of the isolates were associated with the alpha subclass of Proteobacteria, three with the gamma-Proteobacteria, and nine with the Gram-positive bacteria. Ten isolates degraded at least one (and up to six) selected aromatic single-ring compounds. Six isolates showed ability to degrade [(14)C]humic substances derived from the dominant salt marsh grass in the estuary from which they were isolated (Spartina alterniflora), mineralizing 0.4-1.1% of the humic substances over 4 weeks. A mixture of all 18 isolates did not degrade humic substances significantly faster than any of the individual strains, however, and no isolate degraded humic substances to the same extent as the natural marine bacterial community (3.0%). Similar studies with a radiolabeled synthetic lignin ([beta-(14)C]dehydropolymerisate) showed measurable levels of degradation by all 18 bacteria (3.0-8.8% in 4 weeks), but mineralization levels were again lower than that observed for the natural marine bacterial community (28.2%). Metabolic capabilities of the 18 isolates were highly variable and generally did not map to phylogenetic affiliation.     

Demethylation of Dimethylsulfoniopropionate and Production of Thiols in Anoxic Marine Sediments

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is a natural product of algae and aquatic plants, particularly those from saline environments. We investigated whether DMSP could serve as a precursor of thiols in anoxic coastal marine sediments. The addition of 10 or 60 μM DMSP to anoxic sediment slurries caused the concentrations of 3-mercaptopropionate (3-MPA) and methanethiol (MSH) to increase. Antibiotics prevented the appearance of these thiols, indicating biological formation. Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and acrylate also accumulated after the addition of DMSP, but these compounds were rapidly metabolized by microbes and did not reach high levels. Acrylate and DMS were probably generated by the enzymatic cleavage of DMSP. MSH arose from the microbial metabolism of DMS, since the direct addition of DMS greatly increased MSH production. Additions of 3-methiolpropionate gave rise to 3-MPA at rates similar to those with DMSP, suggesting that sequential demethylation of DMSP leads to 3-MPA formation. Only small amounts of MSH were liberated from 3-methiolpropionate, indicating that demethiolation was not a major transformation for 3-methiolpropionate. We conclude that DMSP was degraded in anoxic sediments by two different pathways. One involved the well-known enzymatic cleavage to acrylate and DMS, with DMS subsequently serving as a precursor of MSH. In the other pathway, successive demethylations of the sulfur atom proceeded via 3-methiolpropionate to 3-MPA.     

Purification and Characterization of Dimethylsulfoniopropionate Lyase from an Alcaligenes-Like Dimethyl Sulfide-Producing Marine Isolate

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is quantitatively the most important biogenic sulfur compound emitted from oceans and salt marshes. It is formed primarily by the action of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) lyase which cleaves DMSP, an algal osmolyte, to equimolar amounts of DMS and acrylate. This report is the first to describe the isolation and purification of DMSP lyase. The soluble enzyme was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from a facultatively anaerobic gram-negative rod-shaped marine bacterium identified as an Alcaligenes species by the Vitek gram-negative identification method. The key to successful purification of the enzyme was its binding to, and hydrophobic chromatography on, a phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B column. DMSP lyase biosynthesis was induced by its substrate, DMSP; its product, acrylate; and also by acrylamide. The relative effectivenesses of the inducers were 100, 90, and 204%, respectively. DMSP lyase is a 48-kDa monomer with a Michaelis-Menten constant (K(infm)) for DMSP of 1.4 mM and a V(infmax) of 408 (mu)mol/min/mg of protein. It converted DMSP to DMS and acrylate stoichiometrically. The similar K(infm) values measured for pure DMSP lyase and the axenic culture, seawater, and surface marsh sediment suggest that the microbes in these ecosystems must have enzymes similar to the one purified from our marine isolate. Anoxic sediment populations, however, have a 40-fold-lower K(infm) for this enzyme (30 (mu)M), possibly giving them the capability to metabolize much lower levels of DMSP than the aerobes.     

Phylogenetic diversity of the dddP gene for dimethylsulfoniopropionate-dependent dimethyl sulfide synthesis in mangrove soils

The dddP gene encodes an enzyme that cleaves dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) into dimethyl sulfide (DMS) plus acrylate and has been identified in various marine bacteria and some fungi. The diversity of dddP genes was investigated by culture-independent PCR-based analysis of metagenomic DNA extracted from 4 mangrove soils in Southern China. A phylogenetic tree of 144 cloned dddP sequences comprised 7 groups, 3 of which also included dddP genes from previously identified Ddd(+) (DMSP-dependent DMS production) bacteria. However, most (69%) of the DddP sequences from the mangroves were in 4 other subgroups that did not include sequences from known bacteria, demonstrating a high level of diversity of this gene in these environments. Each clade contained clones from all of the sample sites, suggesting that different dddP types are widespread in mangroves of different geographical locations. Furthermore, it was found the dddP genotype distribution was remarkably influenced by the soil properties pH, available sulfur, salt, and total nitrogen.     

The Ruegeria pomeroyi acuI gene has a role in DMSP catabolism and resembles yhdH of E. coli and other bacteria in conferring resistance to acrylate

The Escherichia coli YhdH polypeptide is in the MDR012 sub-group of medium chain reductase/dehydrogenases, but its biological function was unknown and no phenotypes of YhdH(-) mutants had been described. We found that an E. coli strain with an insertional mutation in yhdH was hyper-sensitive to inhibitory effects of acrylate, and, to a lesser extent, to those of 3-hydroxypropionate. Close homologues of YhdH occur in many Bacterial taxa and at least two animals. The acrylate sensitivity of YhdH(-) mutants was corrected by the corresponding, cloned homologues from several bacteria. One such homologue is acuI, which has a role in acrylate degradation in marine bacteria that catabolise dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) an abundant anti-stress compound made by marine phytoplankton. The acuI genes of such bacteria are often linked to ddd genes that encode enzymes that cleave DMSP into acrylate plus dimethyl sulfide (DMS), even though these are in different polypeptide families, in unrelated bacteria. Furthermore, most strains of Roseobacters, a clade of abundant marine bacteria, cleave DMSP into acrylate plus DMS, and can also demethylate it, using DMSP demethylase. In most Roseobacters, the corresponding gene, dmdA, lies immediately upstream of acuI and in the model Roseobacter strain Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3, dmdA-acuI were co-regulated in response to the co-inducer, acrylate. These observations, together with findings by others that AcuI has acryloyl-CoA reductase activity, lead us to suggest that YdhH/AcuI enzymes protect cells against damaging effects of intracellular acryloyl-CoA, formed endogenously, and/or via catabolising exogenous acrylate. To provide "added protection" for bacteria that form acrylate from DMSP, acuI was recruited into clusters of genes involved in this conversion and, in the case of acuI and dmdA in the Roseobacters, their co-expression may underpin an interaction between the two routes of DMSP catabolism, whereby the acrylate product of DMSP lyases is a co-inducer for the demethylation pathway.     

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate Metabolism by Pfiesteria-Associated Roseobacter spp.†

The Roseobacter clade of marine bacteria is often found associated with dinoflagellates, one of the major producers of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Roseobacter species have developed a physiological relationship with DMSP-producing dinoflagellates mediated by the metabolism of DMSP. DMSP was measured in Pfiesteria and Pfiesteria-like (Cryptoperidiniopsis) dinoflagellates, and the identities and metabolic potentials of the associated Roseobacter species to degrade DMSP were determined. Both Pfiesteria piscicida and Pfiesteria shumwayae produce DMSP with an average intracellular concentration of 3.8 μM. Cultures of P. piscicida or Cryptoperidiniopsis sp. that included both the dinoflagellates and their associated bacteria rapidly catabolized 200 μM DMSP (within 30 h), and the rate of catabolism was much higher for P. piscicida cultures than for P. shumwayae cultures. The community of bacteria from P. piscicida and Cryptoperidiniopsis cultures degraded DMSP with the production of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and acrylate, followed by 3-methylmercaptopropionate (MMPA) and methanethiol (MeSH). Four DMSP-degrading bacteria were isolated from the P. piscicida cultures and found to be taxonomically related to Roseobacter species. All four isolates produced MMPA from DMSP. Two of the strains also produced MeSH and DMS, indicating that they are capable of utilizing both the lyase and demethylation pathways. The diverse metabolism of DMSP by the dinoflagellate-associated Roseobacter spp. offers evidence consistent with a hypothesis that these bacteria benefit from association with DMSP-producing dinoflagellates.     

Recent insights into oceanic dimethylsulfoniopropionate biosynthesis and catabolism

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), a globally important organosulfur compound is produced in prodigious amounts (2.0 Pg sulfur) annually in the marine environment by phytoplankton, macroalgae, heterotrophic bacteria, some corals and certain higher plants. It is an important marine osmolyte and a major precursor molecule for the production of climate-active volatile gas dimethyl sulfide (DMS). DMSP synthesis take place via three pathways: a transamination ‘pathway-’ in some marine bacteria and algae, a Met-methylation ‘pathway-’ in angiosperms and bacteria and a decarboxylation ‘pathway-’ in the dinoflagellate, Crypthecodinium. The enzymes DSYB and TpMMT are involved in the DMSP biosynthesis in eukaryotes while marine heterotrophic bacteria engage key enzymes such as DsyB and MmtN. Several marine bacterial communities import DMSP and degrade it via cleavage or demethylation pathways or oxidation pathway, thereby generating DMS, methanethiol, and dimethylsulfoxonium propionate, respectively. DMSP is cleaved through diverse DMSP lyase enzymes in bacteria and via Alma1 enzyme in phytoplankton. The demethylation pathway involves four different enzymes, namely DmdA, DmdB, DmdC and DmdD/AcuH. However, enzymes involved in the oxidation pathway have not been yet identified. We reviewed the recent advances on the synthesis and catabolism of DMSP and enzymes that are involved in these processes.     

Production and fate of methylated sulfur compounds from methionine and dimethylsulfoniopropionate in anoxic salt marsh sediments

Anoxic salt marsh sediments were amended with dl-methionine and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). Microbial metabolism of methionine yielded methane thiol (MSH) as the major volatile organosulfur product, with the formation of lesser amounts of dimethylsulfide (DMS). Biological transformation of DMSP resulted in the rapid release of DMS and only small amounts of MSH. Experiments with microbial inhibitors indicated that production of MSH from methionine was carried out by procaryotic organisms, probably sulfate-reducing bacteria. Methane-producing bacteria did not metabolize methionine. The involvement of specific groups of organisms in DMSP hydrolysis could not be determined with the inhibitors used, because DMSP was hydrolyzed in all samples except those which were autoclaved. Unamended sediment slurries, prepared from Spartina alterniflora sediments, contained significant (1 to 10 muM) concentrations of DMS. Endogenous methylated sulfur compounds and those produced from added methionine and DMSP were consumed by sediment microbes. Both sulfate-reducing and methane-producing bacteria were involved in DMS and MSH consumption. Methanogenesis was stimulated by the volatile organosulfur compounds released from methionine and DMSP. However, apparent competition for these compounds exists between methanogens and sulfate reducers. At low (1 muM) concentrations of methionine, the terminal S-methyl group was metabolized almost exclusively to CO(2) and only small amounts of CH(4). At higher (>100 muM) concentrations of methionine, the proportion of the methyl-sulfur group converted to CH(4) increased. The results of this study demonstrate that methionine and DMSP are potential precursors of methylated sulfur compounds in anoxic sediments and that the microbial community is capable of metabolizing volatile methylated sulfur compounds.     

Dimethyl Sulfide Production from Dimethylsulfoniopropionate in Coastal Seawater Samples and Bacterial Cultures

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) was produced immediately after the addition of 0.1 to 2 μM β-dimethylsulfonio-propionate (DMSP) to coastal seawater samples. Azide had little effect on the initial rate of DMS production from 0.5 μM added DMSP, but decreased the rate of production after 6 h. Filtration of water samples through membrane filters (pore size, 0.2 μm) greatly reduced DMS production for approximately 10 h, after which time DMS production resumed at a high rate. Autoclaving completely eliminated the production of DMS. The antibiotics chloramphenicol, tetracycline, kanamycin, and vancomycin all had little effect on the accumulation of DMS over the first few hours of incubation, but produced significant inhibition thereafter. The effects of individual antibiotics were additive. Chloroform over a range of concentrations (0.25 to 1.25 mM) had no effects on DMS production. Similarly, organic amendments, including acrylate, glucose, protein, and starch, did not affect DMS accumulation from DMSP. Acrylate, a product of the enzymatic cleavage of DMSP, was metabolized in seawater samples, and two strains of bacteria were isolated with this compound as the growth substrate. These bacteria produced DMS from DMSP. The sensitivity to inhibitors with respect to growth and DMSP-lyase activity varied from strain to strain. These results illustrate the significant potential for microbial conversion of dissolved DMSP to DMS in coastal seawater.     

Dynamics of Dimethyl Sulfide in a Marine Microbial Mat

Abstract The microbial mat was chosen as a model ecosystem to study dynamics of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in marine sediments in order to gain insight into key processes and factors which determine emission rates. A practical advantage, compared to open ocean ecosystems, is that microbial mats contain high biomasses of different functional groups of bacteria involved in DMS dynamics, and that DMS concentrations are generally high enough to allow direct measurement of emission rates. Field data showed that, during the seasonal development of microbial mats, concentrations of chlorophyll a corresponded to dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). DMSP is an important precursor of DMS. It was demonstrated, with laboratory cultures, that various species of benthic diatoms produce substantial amounts of DMSP. The abundances of aerobic and anaerobic DMS- or DMSO-utilizing bacteria were estimated using the most-probable-number technique. Laboratory experiments with relatively undisturbed sediment cores showed that microbial mats act as a sink for DMS under oxic/light (day) conditions, and as a source of DMS under anoxic/dark (night) conditions. Axenic culture studies with Chromatium vinosum M2 and Thiocapsa pfennigii M8 (isolated from a microbial mat) showed that, under anoxic/light conditions, DMS was quantitatively converted to dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). T. roseopersicina M11 converted DMSP to DMS and acrylate, apparently without use of either substrate. Received: 5 May 1997; Accepted: 21 August 1997     

Mechanistic insight into acrylate metabolism and detoxification in marine dimethylsulfoniopropionate‐catabolizing bacteria

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) cleavage, yielding dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and acrylate, provides vital carbon sources to marine bacteria, is a key component of the global sulfur cycle and effects atmospheric chemistry and potentially climate. Acrylate and its metabolite acryloyl‐CoA are toxic if allowed to accumulate within cells. Thus, organisms cleaving DMSP require effective systems for both the utilization and detoxification of acrylate. Here, we examine the mechanism of acrylate utilization and detoxification in Roseobacters. We propose propionate‐CoA ligase (PrpE) and acryloyl‐CoA reductase (AcuI) as the key enzymes involved and through structural and mutagenesis analyses, provide explanations of their catalytic mechanisms. In most cases, DMSP lyases and DMSP demethylases (DmdAs) have low substrate affinities, but AcuIs have very high substrate affinities, suggesting that an effective detoxification system for acylate catabolism exists in DMSP‐catabolizing Roseobacters. This study provides insight on acrylate metabolism and detoxification and a possible explanation for the high K_m values that have been noted for some DMSP lyases. Since acrylate/acryloyl‐CoA is probably produced by other metabolism, and AcuI and PrpE are conserved in many organisms across all domains of life, the detoxification system is likely relevant to many metabolic processes and environments beyond DMSP catabolism.     

Molecular genetic analysis of a dimethylsulfoniopropionate lyase that liberates the climate-changing gas dimethylsulfide in several marine alpha-proteobacteria and Rhodobacter sphaeroides

The α-proteobacterium Sulfitobacter EE-36 makes the gas dimethylsulfide (DMS) from dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), an abundant antistress molecule made by many marine phytoplankton. We screened a cosmid library of Sulfitobacter for clones that conferred to other bacteria the ability to make DMS. One gene, termed dddL , was sufficient for this phenotype when cloned in pET21a and introduced into Escherichia coli . Close DddL homologues exist in the marine α-proteobacteria Fulvimarina , Loktanella Oceanicola and Stappia , all of which made DMS when grown on DMSP. There was also a dddL homologue in Rhodobacter sphaeroides strain 2.4.1, but not in strain ATCC 17025; significantly, the former, but not the latter, emits DMS when grown with DMSP. Escherichia coli containing the cloned, overexpressed dddL genes of R. sphaeroides 2.4.1 and Sulfitobacter could convert DMSP to acrylate plus DMS. This is the first identification of such a 'DMSP lyase'. Thus, DMS can be made either by this DddL lyase or by a DMSP acyl CoA transferase, specified by dddD , a gene that we had identified in several other marine bacteria.