Evaluation of trichloroethylene degradation by E. coli transformed with dimethyl sulfide monooxygenase genes and/or cumene dioxygenase genes

Pseudomonas fluorescens IP01 grown on isopropylbenzene (cumene) and Acinetobacter sp. 20B grown on dimethyl sulfide (DMS) degraded up to 90% and 25% of 1.5 mg trichloroethylene (TCE)/l, respectively. Escherichia coli harboring the DMS monooxygenase genes from strain 20B, the cumene dioxygenase genes from strain IP01 and both oxygenase genes, degraded up to 50%, 75% and 88% of 75 mg TCE/l, respectively. The growth rates of the E. coli recombinants remained nearly unaffected by TCE at 15 150 mg/l. Thus, the E. coli recombinants were indicated to degrade high concentrations of TCE efficiently at least up to 150 mg l–1.     

Cloning and characterization of Pseudomonas sp. strain DNT genes for 2,4-dinitrotoluene degradation.

The degradation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) by Pseudomonas sp. strain DNT is initiated by a dioxygenase attack to yield 4-methyl-5-nitrocatechol (MNC) and nitrite. Subsequent oxidation of MNC by a monooxygenase results in the removal of the second molecule of nitrite, and further enzymatic reactions lead to ring fission. Initial studies on the molecular basis of DNT degradation in this strain revealed the presence of three plasmids. Mitomycin-derived mutants deficient in either DNT dioxygenase only or DNT dioxygenase and MNC monooxygenase were isolated. Plasmid profiles of mutant strains suggested that the mutations resulted from deletions in the largest plasmid. Total plasmid DNA partially digested by EcoRI was cloned into a broad-host-range cosmid vector, pCP13. Recombinant clones containing genes encoding DNT dioxygenase, MNC monooxygenase, and 2,4,5-trihydroxytoluene oxygenase were characterized by identification of reaction products and the ability to complement mutants. Subcloning analysis suggests that the DNT dioxygenase is a multicomponent enzyme system and that the genes for the DNT pathway are organized in at least three different operons.     

Oxidation of aliphatic olefins by toluene dioxygenase: enzyme rates and product identification.

Toluene dioxygenase from Pseudomonas putida F1 has been studied extensively with aromatic substrates. The present work examined the toluene dioxygenase-catalyzed oxidation of various halogenated ethenes, propenes, butenes and nonhalogenated cis-2-pentene, an isomeric mix of 2-hexenes, cis-2-heptene, and cis-2-octene as substrates for toluene dioxygenase. Enzyme specific activities were determined for the more water-soluble C2 to C5 compounds and ranged from <4 to 52 nmol per min per mg of protein. Trichloroethene was oxidized at a rate of 33 nmol per min per mg of protein. Products from enzyme reactions were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of compounds from whole-cell incubation confirmed the identity of products. Substrates lacking a halogen substituent on sp2 carbon atoms were dioxygenated, while those with halogen and one or more unsubstituted allylic methyl groups were monooxygenated to yield allylic alcohols. 2,3-Dichloro-1-propene, containing both a halogenated double bond and a halogenated allylic methyl group, underwent monooxygenation with allylic rearrangement to yield an isomeric mixture of cis- and trans-2,3-dichloro-2-propene-1-ol.     

Cometabolic degradation of chlorinated alkenes by alkene monooxygenase in a propylene-grown Xanthobacter strain.

Propylene-grown Xanthobacter cells (strain Py2) degraded several chlorinated alkenes of environmental concern, including trichloroethylene, 1-chloroethylene (vinyl chloride), cis- and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,3-dichloropropylene, and 2,3-dichloropropylene. 1,1-Dichloroethylene was not degraded efficiently, while tetrachloroethylene was not degraded. The role of alkene monooxygenase in catalyzing chlorinated alkene degradations was established by demonstrating that glucose-grown cells which lack alkene monooxygenase and propylene-grown cells in which alkene monooxygenase was selectively inactivated by propyne were unable to degrade the compounds. C2 and C3 chlorinated alkanes were not oxidized by alkene monooxygenase, but a number of these compounds were inhibitors of propylene and ethylene oxidation, suggesting that they compete for binding to the enzyme. A number of metabolites enhanced the rate of degradation of chlorinated alkenes, including propylene oxide, propionaldehyde, and glucose. Propylene stimulated chlorinated alkene oxidation slightly when present at a low concentration but became inhibitory at higher concentrations. Toxic effects associated with chlorinated alkene oxidations were determined by measuring the propylene oxidation and propylene oxide-dependent O2 uptake rates of cells previously incubated with chlorinated alkenes. Compounds which were substrates for alkene monooxygenase exhibited various levels of toxicity, with 1,1-dichloroethylene and trichloroethylene being the most potent inactivators of propylene oxidation and 1,3- and 2,3-dichloropropylene being the most potent inactivators of propylene oxide-dependent O2 uptake. No toxic effects were seen when cells were incubated with chlorinated alkenes anaerobically, indicating that the product(s) of chlorinated alkene oxidation mediates toxicity.     

Desaturation, dioxygenation, and monooxygenation reactions catalyzed by naphthalene dioxygenase from Pseudomonas sp. strain 9816-4.

The stereospecific oxidation of indan and indene was examined with mutant and recombinant strains expressing naphthalene dioxygenase of Pseudomonas sp. strain 9816-4. Pseudomonas sp. strain 9816/11 and Escherichia coli JM109(DE3)[pDTG141] oxidized indan to (+)-(1S)-indanol, (+)-cis-(1R,2S)-indandiol, (+)-(1S)-indenol, and 1-indanone. The same strains oxidized indene to (+)-cis-(1R,2S)-indandiol and (+)-(1S)-indenol. Purified naphthalene dioxygenase oxidized indan to the same four products formed by strains 9816/11 and JM109(DE3)[pDTG141]. In addition, indene was identified as an intermediate in indan oxidation. The major products formed from indene by purified naphthalene dioxygenase were (+)-(1S)-indenol and (+)-(1R,2S)-indandiol. The results show that naphthalene dioxygenase catalyzes the enantiospecific monooxygenation of indan to (+)-(1S)-indanol and the desaturation of indan to indene, which then serves as a substrate for the formation of (+)-(1R,2S)-indandiol and (+)-(1S)-indenol. The relationship of the desaturase, monooxygenase, and dioxygenase activities of naphthalene dioxygenase is discussed with reference to reactions catalyzed by toluene dioxygenase, plant desaturases, cytochrome P-450, methane monooxygenase, and other bacterial monooxygenases.     

Cometabolic degradation of chlorinated alkenes by alkene monooxygenase in a propylene-grown Xanthobacter strain.

Propylene-grown Xanthobacter cells (strain Py2) degraded several chlorinated alkenes of environmental concern, including trichloroethylene, 1-chloroethylene (vinyl chloride), cis- and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,3-dichloropropylene, and 2,3-dichloropropylene. 1,1-Dichloroethylene was not degraded efficiently, while tetrachloroethylene was not degraded. The role of alkene monooxygenase in catalyzing chlorinated alkene degradations was established by demonstrating that glucose-grown cells which lack alkene monooxygenase and propylene-grown cells in which alkene monooxygenase was selectively inactivated by propyne were unable to degrade the compounds. C2 and C3 chlorinated alkanes were not oxidized by alkene monooxygenase, but a number of these compounds were inhibitors of propylene and ethylene oxidation, suggesting that they compete for binding to the enzyme. A number of metabolites enhanced the rate of degradation of chlorinated alkenes, including propylene oxide, propionaldehyde, and glucose. Propylene stimulated chlorinated alkene oxidation slightly when present at a low concentration but became inhibitory at higher concentrations. Toxic effects associated with chlorinated alkene oxidations were determined by measuring the propylene oxidation and propylene oxide-dependent O2 uptake rates of cells previously incubated with chlorinated alkenes. Compounds which were substrates for alkene monooxygenase exhibited various levels of toxicity, with 1,1-dichloroethylene and trichloroethylene being the most potent inactivators of propylene oxidation and 1,3- and 2,3-dichloropropylene being the most potent inactivators of propylene oxide-dependent O2 uptake. No toxic effects were seen when cells were incubated with chlorinated alkenes anaerobically, indicating that the product(s) of chlorinated alkene oxidation mediates toxicity.     

Bacterial metabolism of hydroxylated biphenyls.

Isolates able to grow on 3- or 4-hydroxybiphenyl (HB) as the sole carbon source were obtained by enrichment culture. The 3-HB degrader Pseudomonas sp. strain FH12 used an NADPH-dependent monooxygenase restricted to 3- and 3,3'-HBs to introduce an ortho-hydroxyl. The 4-HB degrader Pseudomonas sp. strain FH23 used either a mono- or dioxygenase to generate a 2,3-diphenolic substitution pattern which allowed meta-fission of the aromatic ring. By using 3-chlorocatechol to inhibit catechol dioxygenase activity, it was found that 2- and 3-HBs were converted by FH23 to 2,3-HB, whereas biphenyl and 4-HB were attacked by dioxygenation. 4-HB was metabolized to 2,3,4'-trihydroxybiphenyl. Neither organism attacked chlorinated HBs. The degradation of 3- and 4-HBs by these strains is therefore analogous to the metabolism of biphenyl, 2-HB, and naphthalene in the requirement for 2,3-catechol formation.     

Bacterial metabolism of hydroxylated biphenyls

Isolates able to grow on 3- or 4-hydroxybiphenyl (HB) as the sole carbon source were obtained by enrichment culture. The 3-HB degrader Pseudomonas sp. strain FH12 used an NADPH-dependent monooxygenase restricted to 3- and 3,3'-HBs to introduce an ortho-hydroxyl. The 4-HB degrader Pseudomonas sp. strain FH23 used either a mono- or dioxygenase to generate a 2,3-diphenolic substitution pattern which allowed meta-fission of the aromatic ring. By using 3-chlorocatechol to inhibit catechol dioxygenase activity, it was found that 2- and 3-HBs were converted by FH23 to 2,3-HB, whereas biphenyl and 4-HB were attacked by dioxygenation. 4-HB was metabolized to 2,3,4'-trihydroxybiphenyl. Neither organism attacked chlorinated HBs. The degradation of 3- and 4-HBs by these strains is therefore analogous to the metabolism of biphenyl, 2-HB, and naphthalene in the requirement for 2,3-catechol formation.     

Bacterial metabolism of fluorene, dibenzofuran, dibenzothiophene, and carbazole

Fluorene and its three heteroatomic analogs, dibenzofuran, dibenzothiophene, and carbazole, are environmental contaminants in areas impacted by spills of creosote. In addition, dibenzofuran has been used as an insecticide, and it is formed from the photolysis of chlorinated biphenyl ethers. Many biodegradation studies of dibenzofuran have considered it as a model for chlorinated dibenzofurans, which are of greater environmental concern. This paper reviews the bacterial degradation of fluorene and its analogs. These compounds are susceptible to three different modes of initial oxidation: (i) the naphthalene-like attack, in which one of the aromatic rings is oxidized to a dihydrodiol; (ii) an angular dioxygenase attack, in which the carbon bonded to the methylene group in fluorene or to the heteroatoms in the analogs, and the adjacent carbon in the aromatic ring are both oxidized; and (iii) the five-membered ring attack, in which the methylene carbon atom in fluorene or the sulfur atom in dibenzothiophene is oxidized. The metabolites, enzymology, and genetics of these transformation are summarized. Literature data are presented, indicating that the electronegativity of the atom connecting the two aromatic rings influences the attack of the angular dioxygenase. In dibenzofuran and carbazole, the connecting atoms, O and N respectively, have high electronegativities, and these compounds serve as substrates for angular dioxygenases. In contrast, the connecting atoms in dibenzothiophene and fluorene, S and C respectively, have lower electronegativities, and these atoms must be oxidized before the angular dioxygenases attack these compounds.     

Trichloroethylene oxidation by toluene dioxygenase.

Trichloroethylene was oxidized by purified toluene dioxygenase obtained from recombinant E. coli strains. The major oxidation products were formic acid and glyoxylic acid. Other potential products, dichloroacetic acid, chloral, phosgene, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, were not detected. [14C]trichloroethylene became covalently attached to protein components and NADPH suggesting non-specific alkylation by reactive products. Oxidation of deuterated trichloroethylene yielded 50.2% deuterated formate. Oxidation of trichloroethylene in D2O yielded 43.7% deuterated formate. These data indicate that both carbon atoms are giving rise to formic acid. The results are consistent with a mechanism of TCE oxygenation not involving epoxide, dioxetane, or dihydroxy intermediates and indicate significant differences from those previously proposed for cytochrome P-450 (Miller, R.E. & Guengerich, F.P. (1982) Biochemistry 21, 1090-1097) or methane monooxygenase (Fox, B.G., Borneman, B.G., Wackett, L.P., & Lipscomb, J.D. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 6419-6227).     

Degradation of Hydrocarbons by Members of the Genus Candida III. Oxidative Intermediates from 1-Hexadecene and 1-Heptadecene by Candida lipolytica

Candida lipolytica (Phaff) was grown in a mineral-salts medium amended with either 1-hexadecene or 1-heptadecene as substrate. Intermediates of the same chain length as the substrate were isolated and identified by various analytical procedures. The following intermediates of 16 and 17 carbon atoms were identified: omega-unsaturated acids, omega-unsaturated primary and secondary alcohols, 1,2-epoxides, 1,2-diols, and 2-hydroxy acids. Based on the chemical structure of these compounds, three oxidative mechanisms are proposed for the degradation of long-chain 1-alkenes by this yeast: (i) methyl-group oxidation, (ii) double-bond oxidation, and (iii) subterminal oxidation.     

Metabolism of carbon tetrachloride to electrophilic chlorine by liver microsomes: exclusion of cytochrome P-450 catalyzed chloroperoxidase reaction

In this report, we have examined the origin of the electrophilic chlorine formed during the microsomal metabolism of carbon tetrachloride and the possibility that liver microsomal proteins catalyze chloroperoxidase or myeloperoxidase halogenation reactions. Studies with stable isotopes of chlorine show that at least 99% of the trapped chlorine originated from carbon tetrachloride. When hydrogen peroxide or cumene hydroperoxide was added to liver microsomes in the presence of chloride ion, no trapped chlorine was observed. Thus, cytochrome P-450 does not catalyze chloroperoxidase type chloride ion oxidation but instead catalyzes a reaction leading to cleavage of a carbon-chlorine bond with concomitant chlorine atom oxidation.     

Regio- and stereospecific oxidation of fluorene, dibenzofuran, and dibenzothiophene by naphthalene dioxygenase from Pseudomonas sp. strain NCIB 9816-4.

The regio- and stereospecific oxidation of fluorene, dibenzofuran, and dibenzothiophene was examined with mutant and recombinant strains expressing naphthalene dioxygenase from Pseudomonas sp. strain NCIB 9816-4. The initial oxidation products were isolated and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Salicylate-induced cells of Pseudomonas sp. strain 9816/11 and isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside-induced cells of Escherichia coli JM109(DE3)(pDTG141) oxidized fluorene to (+)-(3S,4R)-cis-3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydrofluorene (80 to 90% relative yield; > 95% enantiomeric excess [ee]) and 9-fluorenol (< 10% yield). The same cells oxidized dibenzofuran to (1R,2S)-cis-1,2-dihydroxy-1, 2-dihydrodibenzofuran (60 to 70% yield; > 95% ee) and (3S,4R)-cis-3, 4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydrodibenzofuran (30 to 40% yield; > 95% ee). Induced cells of both strains, as well as the purified dioxygenase, also oxidized dibenzothiophene to (+)-(1R,2S)-cis-1,2-dihydroxy-1, 2-dihydrodibenzothiophene (84 to 87% yield; > 95% ee) and dibenzothiophene sulfoxide (< 15% yield). The major reaction catalyzed by naphthalene dioxygenase with each substrate was stereospecific dihydroxylation in which the cis-dihydrodiols were of identical regiochemistry and of R configuration at the benzylic center adjacent to the bridgehead carbon atom. The regiospecific oxidation of dibenzofuran differed from that of the other substrates in that a significant amount of the minor cis-3,4-dihydrodiol regioisomer was formed. The results indicate that although the absolute stereochemistry of the cis-diene diols was the same, the nature of the bridging atom or heteroatom influenced the regiospecificity of the reactions catalyzed by naphthalene dioxygenase.     

Aerobic turnover of dimethyl sulfide by the anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium Thiocapsa roseopersicina

This is the first report describing the complete oxidation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) to sulfate by an anoxygenic, phototrophic purple sulfur bacterium. Complete DMS oxidation was observed in cultures of Thiocapsa roseopersicina M11 incubated under oxic/light conditions, resulting in a yield of 30.1 mg protein mmol^–1. No oxidation of DMS occurred under anoxic/light conditions. Chloroform, methyl butyl ether, and 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, which are specific inhibitors of aerobic DMS oxidation in thiobacilli and hyphomicrobia, did not affect DMS oxidation in strain M11. This could be due to limited transport of the inhibitors through the cell membrane. The growth yield on sulfide as sole electron donor was 22.2 mg protein mmol^–1 under anoxic/light conditions. Since aerobic respiration of sulfide would have resulted in yields lower than 22 mg protein mmol^–1, the higher yield on DMS under oxic/light conditions suggests that the methyl groups of DMS have served as an additional carbon source or as an electron donor in addition to the sulfide moiety. The kinetic parameters V _max and K _m for DMS oxidation under oxic/light conditions were 12.4 ± 1.3 nmol (mg protein)^–1 min^–1 and 2 μM, respectively. T. roseopersicina M11 also produced DMS by cleavage of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). Specific DMSP cleavage rates increased with increasing initial substrate concentrations, suggesting that DMSP lyase was only partly induced at lower initial DMSP concentrations. A comparison of T. roseopersicina strains revealed that only strain M11 was able to oxidize DMS and cleave DMSP. Both strain M11 and strain 5811 accumulated DMSP intracellularly during growth, while strain 1711 showed neither of these characteristics. Phylogenetic comparison based on 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed a similarity of 99.0% between strain M11 and strain 5811, and 97.6% between strain M11 and strain 1711. DMS and DMSP utilization thus appear to be strain-specific. Received: 26 March 1999 / Accepted: 18 June 1999     

A new mechanism for the aerobic catabolism of dimethyl sulfide.

Aerobic degradation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS), previously described for thiobacilli and hyphomicrobia, involves catabolism to sulfide via methanethiol (CH3SH). Methyl groups are sequentially eliminated as HCHO by incorporation of O2 catalyzed by DMS monooxygenase and methanethiol oxidase. H2O2 formed during CH3SH oxidation is destroyed by catalase. We recently isolated Thiobacillus strain ASN-1, which grows either aerobically or anaerobically with denitrification on DMS. Comparative experiments with Thiobacillus thioparus T5, which grows only aerobically on DMS, indicate a novel mechanism for aerobic DMS catabolism by Thiobacillus strain ASN-1. Evidence that both organisms initially attacked the methyl group, rather than the sulfur atom, in DMS was their conversion of ethyl methyl sulfide to ethanethiol. HCHO transiently accumulated during the aerobic use of DMS by T. thioparus but not with Thiobacillus strain ASN-1. Catalase levels in cells grown aerobically on DMS were about 100-fold lower in Thiobacillus strain ASN-1 than in T. thioparus T5, suggesting the absence of H2O2 formation during DMS catabolism. Also, aerobic growth of T. thioparus T5 on DMS was blocked by the catalase inhibitor 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole whereas that of Thiobacillus strain ASN-1 was not. Methyl butyl ether, but not CHCl3, blocked DMS catabolism by T. thioparus T5, presumably by inhibiting DMS monooxygenase and perhaps methanethiol oxidase. In contrast, DMS metabolism by Thiobacillus strain ASN-1 was unaffected by methyl butyl ether but inhibited by CHCl3. DMS catabolism by Thiobacillus strain ASN-1 probably involves methyl transfer to a cobalamin carrier and subsequent oxidation as folate-bound intermediates.     

A survey of indigenous microbial hydrocarbon degradation genes in soils from Antarctica and Brazil

Total community DNA from 29 noncontaminated soils and soils impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons and chloro-organics from Antarctica and Brazil were screened for the presence of nine catabolic genes, encoding alkane monooxygenase or aromatic dioxygenases, from known bacterial biodegradation pathways. Specific primers and probes targeting alkane monooxygenase genes were derived from Pseudomonas putida ATCC 29347 (Pp alkB), Rhodococcus sp. strain Q15 (Rh alkB1, Rh alkB2), and Acinetobacter sp. ADP-1 (Ac alkM). In addition, primers and probes detecting aromatic dioxygenase genes were derived from P. putida ATCC 17484 (ndoB), P. putida F1 (todC1), P. putida ATCC 33015 (xylE and cat23), and P. pseudoalcaligenes KF707 (bphA). The primers and probes were used to analyze total community DNA extracts by using PCR and hybridization analysis. All the catabolic genes, except the Ac alkM, were detected in contaminated and control soils from both geographic regions, with a higher frequency in the Antarctic soils. The alkane monooxygenase genes, Rh alkB1 and Rh alkB2, were the most frequently detected alk genes in both regions, while Pp alkB was not detected in Brazil soils. Genes encoding the aromatic dioxygenases toluene dioxygenase (todC1) and biphenyl dioxygenase (bphA) were the most frequently detected in Antarctica, and todC1 and catechol-2,3-dioxygenase (cat23) were the most frequent in Brazil soils. Hybridization analysis confirmed the PCR results, indicating that the probes used had a high degree of homology to the genes detected in the soil extracts and were effective in detecting biodegradative potential in the indigenous microbial population.     

Influence of chlorine substituents on rates of oxidation of chlorinated biphenyls by the biphenyl dioxygenase of Burkholderia sp. strain LB400

Biphenyl dioxygenase from Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) sp. strain LB400 catalyzes the first reaction of a pathway for the degradation of biphenyl and a broad range of chlorinated biphenyls (CBs). The effect of chlorine substituents on catalysis was determined by measuring the specific activity of the enzyme with biphenyl and 18 congeners. The catalytic oxygenase component was purified and incubated with individual CBs in the presence of electron transport proteins and cofactors that were required for enzyme activity. The rate of depletion of biphenyl from the assay mixture and the rate of formation of cis-biphenyl 2,3-dihydrodiol, the oxidation product, were almost equal, indicating that the assay accurately measured enzyme-specific activity. Four classes of CBs were defined based on their oxidation rates. Class I contained 3-CB and 2,5-CB, which gave rates that were approximately twice that of biphenyl. Class II contained 2,5,3',4'-CB, 2,3,2',5'-CB, 2,3,4,5-CB, 2,3,2',3'-CB, 2,4, 5,2',5'-CB, 2,5,3'-CB, 2,5,4'-CB, 2-CB, and 3,4,5-CB, which gave rates that ranged from 97 to 35% of the biphenyl rate. Class III contained only 2,3,4,2',5'-CB, which gave a rate that was 4% of the biphenyl rate. Class IV contained 2,4,4'-CB, 2,4,2',4'-CB, 3,4,5, 2'-CB, 3,4,5,3'-CB, 3,5,3',5'-CB, and 3,4,5,2',5'-CB, which showed no detectable depletion. Rates were not significantly correlated with the aqueous solubilities of the CBs or the number of chlorine substituents on the rings. Oxidation products were detected for all class I, II, and III congeners and were identified as chlorinated cis-dihydrodiols for classes I and II. The specificity of biphenyl dioxygenase for the CBs examined in this study was determined by the relative positions of the chlorine substituents on the aromatic rings rather than the number of chlorine substituents on the rings.     

Lithoautotrophic growth of the freshwater strain Beggiatoa D-402 and energy conservation in a homogeneous culture under microoxic conditions

The freshwater filamentous bacterium Beggiatoa D-402 was shown to grow lithoautotrophically in a homogeneous culture under microoxic conditions only, the growth yield being the highest at 0.1 mg O(2) l(-1). High activities of the Calvin cycle key enzymes and of the dissimilatory path thiosulfate oxidation enzymes were found in the bacterial cells. The rate of CO(2) fixation above 112 nmol min(-1) (mg protein)(-1), an about 90% increase in the protein carbon at the expense of CO(2) carbon and an increase in the molar yield up to 12 mg dry weight (mmol oxidized thiosulfate)(-1) indicate the bacterial growth was autotrophic. Thiosulfate was oxidized by the strain almost completely into sulfate. The metabolically useful energy was conserved by oxidative phosphorylation that was coupled to oxidation of sulfur compounds. The bacterial membranes were found to contain CO-binding cytochromes b and two cytochromes c with M(r) 23 and 26 kDa, the terminal part of the respiratory chain containing presumably a cbb(3)-type oxidase. A cytochrome c with M(r) 12 kDa was detected in the soluble fraction.     

Phylogenetic and kinetic diversity of aerobic vinyl chloride-assimilating bacteria from contaminated sites

Aerobic bacteria that grow on vinyl chloride (VC) have been isolated previously, but their diversity and distribution are largely unknown. It is also unclear whether such bacteria contribute to the natural attenuation of VC at chlorinated-ethene-contaminated sites. We detected aerobic VC biodegradation in 23 of 37 microcosms and enrichments inoculated with samples from various sites. Twelve different bacteria (11 Mycobacterium strains and 1 Nocardioides strain) capable of growth on VC as the sole carbon source were isolated, and 5 representative strains were examined further. All the isolates grew on ethene in addition to VC and contained VC-inducible ethene monooxygenase activity. The Mycobacterium strains (JS60, JS61, JS616, and JS617) all had similar growth yields (5.4 to 6.6 g of protein/mol), maximum specific growth rates (0.17 to 0.23 day(-1)), and maximum specific substrate utilization rates (9 to 16 nmol/min/mg of protein) with VC. The Nocardioides strain (JS614) had a higher growth yield (10.3 g of protein/mol), growth rate (0.71 day(-1)), and substrate utilization rate (43 nmol/min/mg of protein) with VC but was much more sensitive to VC starvation. Half-velocity constant (K(s)) values for VC were between 0.5 and 3.2 micro M, while K(s) values for oxygen ranged from 0.03 to 0.3 mg/liter. Our results indicate that aerobic VC-degrading microorganisms (predominantly Mycobacterium strains) are widely distributed at sites contaminated with chlorinated solvents and are likely to be responsible for the natural attenuation of VC.     

Expression and purification of orphan cytochrome P450 4X1 and oxidation of anandamide

Cytochrome P450 (P450) 4X1 is one of the so-called 'orphan' P450s without an assigned biological function. Codon-optimized P450 4X1 and a number of N-terminal modified sequences were expressed in Escherichia coli. Native P450 4X1 showed a characteristic P450 spectrum but low expression in E. coli DH5alpha cells (< 100 nmol P450.L(-1)). The highest level of expression (300-450 nmol P450.L(-1) culture) was achieved with a bicistronic P450 4X1 construct (N-terminal MAKKTSSKGKL, change of E2A, amino acids 3-44 truncated). Anandamide (arachidonoyl ethanolamide) has emerged as an important signaling molecule in the neurovascular cascade. Recombinant P450 4X1 protein, co-expressed with human NADPH-P450 reductase in E. coli, was found to convert the natural endocannabinoid anandamide to a single monooxygenated product, 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic (EET) ethanolamide. A stable anandamide analog (CD-25) was also converted to a monooxygenated product. Arachidonic acid was oxidized more slowly to 14,15- and 8,9-EETs but only in the presence of cytochrome b(5). Other fatty acids were investigated as putative substrates but showed only little or minor oxidation. Real-time PCR analysis demonstrated extrahepatic mRNA expression, including several human brain structures (cerebellum, amygdala and basal ganglia), in addition to expression in human heart, liver, prostate and breast. The highest mRNA expression levels were detected in amygdala and skin. The ability of P450 4X1 to generate anandamide derivatives and the mRNA distribution pattern suggest a potential role for P450 4X1 in anandamide signaling in the brain.