Myeloperoxidase-mediated inhibition of microbial respiration: damage to Escherichia coli ubiquinol oxidase

A microbicidal system, mediated by neutrophil myeloperoxidase, inhibits succinate-dependent respiration in Escherichia coli at rates that correlate with loss of microbial viability. Succinate dehydrogenase, the initial enzyme of the succinate oxidase respiratory pathway, catalyzes the reduction of ubiquinone to ubiquinol, which is reoxidized by terminal oxidase complexes. The steady-state ratio of ubiquinol to total quinone (ubiquinol + ubiquinone) reflects the balance between dehydrogenase-dependent ubiquinone reduction and terminal oxidase-dependent ubiquinol oxidation. Myeloperoxidase had no effect on total quinone content of E. coli but altered the steady-state ratio of ubiquinol to total quinone. The ratio doubled for organisms incubated with the myeloperoxidase system for 10 min, suggesting decreased ubiquinol oxidase activity, which was confirmed by observation of a 50% decrease in oxidation of the ubiquinol analogue 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-decyl-1,4-benzoquinol. Despite inhibition of ubiquinol oxidase, overall succinate oxidase activity remained unchanged, suggesting that succinate dehydrogenase activity was preserved and that the dehydrogenase was rate limiting. Microbial viability was unaffected by early changes in ubiquinol oxidase activity. Longer (60 min) exposure of E. coli to the myeloperoxidase system resulted in only modest further inhibition of the ubiquinol oxidase, but the ubiquinol to total quinone ratio fell to 0%, reflecting complete loss of succinate dehydrogenase activity. Succinate oxidase activity was abolished, and there was extensive loss of microbial viability. Early myeloperoxidase-mediated injury to ubiquinol oxidase appeared to be compensated for by higher steady-state levels of ubiquinol which sustained electron turnover by mass effect. Later myeloperoxidase-mediated injuries eliminated succinate-dependent ubiquinone reduction, through inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase, with loss of succinate oxidase activity, effects which were associated with, although not clearly causal for, microbicidal activity.