Role of the dpr product in oxygen tolerance in Streptococcus mutans

We have previously identified and characterized the alkyl hydroperoxide reductase of Streptococcus mutans, which consists of two components, Nox-1 and AhpC. Deletion of both nox-1 and ahpC had no effect on the sensitivity of S. mutans to cumene hydroperoxide or H(2)O(2), implying that the existence of another antioxidant system(s) independent of the Nox-1-AhpC system compensates for the deficiency. Here, a new antioxidant gene (dpr for Dps-like peroxide resistance gene) was isolated from the S. mutans chromosome by its ability to complement an ahpCF deletion mutant of Escherichia coli with a tert-butyl hydroperoxide-hypersensitive phenotype. The dpr gene complemented the defect in peroxidase activity caused by the deletion of nox-1 and ahpC in S. mutans. Under aerobic conditions, the dpr disruption mutant carrying a spectinomycin resistance gene (dpr::Spc(r) mutant) grew as well as wild-type S. mutans in liquid medium. However, the dpr::Spc(r) mutant could not form colonies on an agar plate under air. In addition, neither the dpr::Spc(r) ahpC::Em(r)::nox-1 triple mutant nor the dpr::Spc(r) sod::Em(r) double mutant was able to grow aerobically in liquid medium. The 20-kDa dpr gene product Dpr is an iron-binding protein. Synthesis of Dpr was induced by exposure of S. mutans cells to air. We propose a mechanism by which Dpr confers aerotolerance on S. mutans.     

The superoxide dismutase-encoding gene of the obligately anaerobic bacterium Bacteroides gingivalis

The gene (sod) encoding the superoxide dismutase (SOD) of the obligately anaerobic bacterium Bacteroides gingivalis was cloned. The amino acid (aa) sequence of the SOD, deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the sod gene, basically resembled that of known Fe-SODs. However, the aa sequence of the B. gingivalis SOD was found to be intermediate between those of Fe-SOD and Mn-SOD in a limited region around the putative second ligand, where major differences between the aa sequences of Fe-SOD and Mn-SOD are known to exist.     

Characterization of the Superoxide dismutase gene and its upstream region from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg

Abstract A gene ( sod ) encoding Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was isolated from the strictly anaerobic archaeon Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg. Its identity was confirmed by functional complementation of an Escherichia coli mutant strain lacking SOD activity and by DNA sequence analysis of a cloned fragment. Upstream of sod , separated by a 5-bp intergenic region, lies the open reading frame orfk which potentially codes for a protein of 209 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence for this presumptive product had a similarity coefficient of 55.5% to a subunit of the alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (encoded by the ahpC gene) from Salmonella typhimurium .     

The superoxide dismutase gene sodM is unique to Staphylococcus aureus: absence of sodM in coagulase-negative staphylococci

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) profiles of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) were determined by using whole-cell lysates and activity gels. All S. aureus clinical isolates exhibited three closely migrating bands of activity as previously determined for laboratory strains of S. aureus: SodM, SodA, and a hybrid composed of SodM and SodA (M. W. Valderas and M. E. Hart, J. Bacteriol. 183:3399-3407, 2001). In contrast, the CoNS produced only one SOD activity, which migrated similarly to SodA of S. aureus. Southern analysis of eight CoNS species identified only a single sod gene in each case. A full-length sod gene was cloned from Staphylococcus epidermidis and determined to be more similar to sodA than to sodM of S. aureus. Therefore, this gene was designated sodA. The deduced amino acid sequence of the S. epidermidis sodA was 92 and 76% identical to that of the SodA and SodM proteins of S. aureus, respectively. The S. epidermidis sodA gene expressed from a plasmid complemented a sodA mutation in S. aureus, and the protein formed a hybrid with SodM of S. aureus. Both hybrid SOD forms as well as the SodM and SodA proteins of S. aureus and the S. epidermidis SodA protein exist as dimers. These data indicate that sodM is found only in S. aureus and not in the CoNS, suggesting an important divergence in the evolution of this genus and a unique role for SodM in S. aureus.     

Characterization of an Atypical Superoxide Dismutase from Sinorhizobium meliloti

Sinorhizobium meliloti Rm5000 is an aerobic bacterium that can live free in the soil or in symbiosis with the roots of leguminous plants. A single detectable superoxide dismutase (SOD) was found in free-living growth conditions. The corresponding gene was isolated from a genomic library by using a sod fragment amplified by PCR from degenerate primers as a probe. The sodA gene was located in the chromosome. It is transcribed monocistronically and encodes a 200-amino-acid protein with a theoretical M(r) of 22,430 and pI of 5. 8. S. meliloti SOD complemented a deficient E. coli mutant, restoring aerobic growth of a sodA sodB recA strain, when the gene was expressed from the synthetic tac promoter but not from its own promoter. Amino acid sequence alignment showed great similarity with Fe-containing SODs (FeSODs), but the enzyme was not inactivated by H(2)O(2). The native enzyme was purified and found to be a dimeric protein, with a specific activity of 4,000 U/mg. Despite its Fe-type sequence, atomic absorption spectroscopy showed manganese to be the cofactor (0.75 mol of manganese and 0.24 mol of iron per mol of monomer). The apoenzyme was prepared from crude extracts of S. meliloti. Activity was restored by dialysis against either MnCl(2) or Fe(NH(4))(2)(SO(4))(2), demonstrating the cambialistic nature of the S. meliloti SOD. The recovered activity with manganese was sevenfold higher than with iron. Both reconstituted enzymes were resistant to H(2)O(2). Sequence comparison with 70 FeSODs and MnSODs indicates that S. meliloti SOD contains several atypical residues at specific sites that might account for the activation by manganese and resistance to H(2)O(2) of this unusual Fe-type SOD.     

甜菜夜蛾核多角体病毒sod基因的克隆及原核表达

甜菜夜蛾核型多角体病毒中国株(Spotoptera exigua MNPV—Z)超氧化物歧化酶基因(sod)业已被克隆及在大肠杆菌中进行了表达,证明了SeMNPV—Z的sod基因产物确有SOD活性,其活力单位约为291．19U／mL培养液。DNA测序结果表明SeMNPV-Z的sod基因编码151个氨基酸,与人的sodl基因的核苷酸的同源性为50％,与LdNPV、HaSNPV、HcNPV、AcNPV和BmNPV的sod基因的同源性分别为64％、63％、63％、65％、63％。     

Characterization of Superoxide dismutase genes from Gram-positive bacteria by polymerase chain reaction using degenerate primers

Abstract An internal fragment representing approximately 85% of sod genes from seven Gram-positive bacteria was amplified by using degenerate primers in a polymerase chain reaction assay. The DNA sequences of sod polymerase chain reaction products from Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Lactococcus lactis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pneumoniae , and Streptococcus pyogenes were determined. Comparisons of their deduced amino acid sequences with those of the corresponding regions of the SOD proteins from Bacillus stearothermophilus, Listeria monocytogenes , and Streptococcus mutans revealed strong relatedness. Phylogenetic analysis of SOD peptides showed that members of the genera Streptococcus and those of the genera Enterococcus constitute two well-supported monophyletic groups. The method described in this study provides a means for easy recovery of sod genes and the construction of sod mutants of various Gram-positive pathogens.     

Periplasmic superoxide dismutase from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans 1388 is an iron protein

It is shown that the genome of the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans 1388 contains a superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene (sod). The gene encodes an export signal peptide characteristic for periplasmic redox proteins. The amino acid sequence showed high homology with iron-containing SODs from other bacteria. Electrophoretically pure SOD was isolated from the periplasmic fraction of bacterial cells by FPLC chromatography. Like other Fe-SODs, D. desulfuricans 1388 superoxide dismutase is inhibited by H2O2 and azide, but not by cyanide.     

Evidence for a novel role of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase in zinc metabolism

The LYS7 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a protein (yCCS) that delivers copper to the active site of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD, a product of the SOD1 gene). In yeast lacking Lys7 (lys7Delta), the SOD1 polypeptide is present but inactive. Mutants lacking the SOD1 polypeptide (sod1Delta) and lys7Delta yeast show very similar phenotypes, namely poor growth in air and aerobic auxotrophies for lysine and methionine. Here, we demonstrate certain phenotypic differences between these strains: 1) lys7Delta cells are slightly less sensitive to paraquat than sod1Delta cells, 2) EPR-detectable or "free" iron is dramatically elevated in sod1Delta mutants but not in lys7Delta yeast, and 3) although sod1Delta mutants show increased sensitivity to extracellular zinc, the lys7Delta strain is as resistant as wild type. To restore the SOD catalytic activity but not the zinc-binding capability of the SOD1 polypeptide, we overexpressed Mn-SOD from Bacillus stearothermophilus in the cytoplasm of sod1Delta yeast. Paraquat resistance was restored to wild-type levels, but zinc was not. Conversely, expression of a mutant CuZn-SOD that binds zinc but has no SOD activity (H46C) restored zinc resistance but not paraquat resistance. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that CuZn-SOD, in addition to its antioxidant properties, plays a role in zinc homeostasis.     

Rapid viability loss on exposure to air in a superoxide dismutase-deficient mutant of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, an obligate anaerobe, exhibits a relatively high degree of aerotolerance and possesses superoxide dismutase (SOD) which is induced by exposure to air. To clarify roles for SOD in this organism, the gene encoding SOD (sod) on the P. gingivalis chromosome was disrupted in a gene-directed way by use of a suicide plasmid containing a mutated sod. A sod mutant thus obtained showed no SOD activity in crude extracts and exhibited a rapid viability loss immediately after exposure to air, whereas the wild-type parent showed no decrease in viability for at least 5 h under aerobic conditions. These results clearly indicate that SOD is essential for aerotolerance in P. gingivalis.     

Characterization of Cryptococcus neoformans variety gattii SOD2 reveals distinct roles of the two superoxide dismutases in fungal biology and virulence

We studied superoxide dismutases (SODs) in the encapsulated yeast Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) variety gattii to analyse the role of mitochondrial MnSOD (SOD2) in fungal biology and virulence. SOD2 was cloned from a Cn cosmid library, sod2 mutant and sod2 + SOD2 reconstituted strains were constructed by homologous recombination, and two sod1sod2 double mutants were constructed by replacing SOD2 in the sod1 mutant with the sod2::HYG allele. The SOD2 protein (SOD2p) encoded 225 amino acids, with 36-66% identity with other fungal SOD2ps. SOD2 deletion rendered Cn highly growth-defective at 37 degrees C in 19-20% oxygen (normal air), and this defect was reversed by limiting oxygen to 1.3% as well in the presence of antioxidant, ascorbic acid. The sod2 mutant accumulated significantly more reactive oxygen species (ROS) at 37 degrees C as well at 30 degrees C in the presence of antimycin A, suggesting that SOD2p is the primary defence of Cn against the superoxide anion (O(2) (.-)) in the mitochondria. The sod2 was also highly susceptible to redox-cycling agents, high salt and nutrient limitations. The sod2 mutant was avirulent in intranasally infected mice and markedly attenuated in its virulence in intravenously infected mice. The virulence defect of sod2 mutant appeared related to its growth defects in high oxygen environment, but not resulting from increased sensitivity to oxidative killing by phagocytes. The sod1sod2 double mutants were avirulent in mice. Additionally, sod1sod2 double mutants showed a marked reduction in the activities of other known Cn virulence factors; and they were more susceptible to PMN killing than was the sod2 single mutant. Previously, we reported that the attenuation of sod1 mutant in mice was resulting from enhanced susceptibility to phagocyte killing, combined with a reduction in the activities of a number of virulence factors. Thus, SOD1p and SOD2p play distinct roles in the biology and virulence of Cn var. gattii via independent modes of action.     

Sequence analysis of the gtfC gene from Streptococcus mutans GS-5

The nucleotide sequence of the gtfC gene, which codes for glucosyltransferase synthesizing both water-soluble and water-insoluble glucans, and its flanking regions from Streptococcus mutans GS-5, was determined. Although the gtfC gene (4218 bp) is preceded by a Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence, a promoter-like sequence for this gene could not be identified. The gtfC gene product composed of 1375 amino acid residues (approx. 153 kDa) is generally hydrophilic with three small hydrophobic domains. Two direct repeating units were found near the C terminus of the peptide. The gtfC gene has extensive homology with the previously sequenced gtfB gene. The homologous regions correspond to the signal sequence, an internal region, and the direct repeating units of the peptide. An open reading frame preceded by an SD sequence and followed by an inverted repeat sequence was found immediately downstream from the gtfC gene. The combined sequences of the gtfB and gtfC genes as well as flanking regions suggest that the two gtf genes and the small downstream coding region could be coordinately expressed within an operon. The possible evolution of the gtfC gene in S. mutans GS-5 is also discussed.     

Yeast lacking superoxide dismutase. Isolation of genetic suppressors.

Null mutants of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are associated with a number of biochemical defects. In addition to being hypersensitive to oxygen toxicity, strains containing deletions in both the SOD1 (encoding Cu/Zn-SOD) and SOD2 (encoding Mn-SOD) genes are defective in sporulation, are associated with a high mutation rate, and are unable to biosynthesize lysine and methionine. The sod-linked defect in lysine metabolism was explored in detail and was found to occur at an early step in lysine biosynthesis, evidently at the level of the alpha-amino adipate transaminase. To better understand the role of SOD in cell metabolism, our laboratory has isolated yeast suppressors that have bypassed the SOD defect ("bsd" strains), that is, S. cerevisiae cells lacking SOD, yet resistant to oxygen toxicity. Two nuclear bsd complementation groups have been identified, and both suppress a variety of biological defects associated with sod1 and sod2 null mutants. These results demonstrate that a single gene mutation can alleviate the requirement for SOD in cell growth. Both bsd complementation groups are unable to utilize many non-fermentable carbon sources, suggesting a possible suppressor-linked defect in electron transport.     

In vivo inactivation of the Streptococcus mutans recA gene mediated by PCR amplification and cloning of a recA DNA fragment.

The inactivation of the RecA protein in pathogenic oral streptococci would facilitate genetic analysis of potential virulence factors in these strains. Comparison of recA nucleotide (nt) sequences from a number of bacteria has suggested that two regions of highly conserved RecA amino acid (aa) sequence could be used as a basis for synthesizing degenerate oligodeoxyribonucleotide primers with which to amplify recA homologues from the streptococci. Accordingly, primer mixtures were used to amplify a 693-bp fragment of the Streptococcus mutans chromosome by PCR. The amplified fragment was cloned and its identity confirmed via hybridization to an Escherichia coli recA gene probe and by nt sequence determination. The recA homologue fragment from S. mutans GS-5 was 63% and 75% homologous to the deduced aa sequences of the E. coli and Bacillus subtilis RecA enzymes, respectively. The S. mutans recA fragment was mutagenized in vitro via insertional inactivation and returned to the chromosome using allelic exchange. The resulting strains of S. mutans were shown to be substantially more sensitive to UV irradiation than the wild-type strain. Further, the ability to incorporate linear markers into the chromosome was abolished in putative S. mutans recA strains, thus indicating the functional inactivation of RecA in these microorganisms.