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Sample records for hyperthermophilic aquifex aeolicus

  1. Crystal structure of THEP1 from the hyperthermophile Aquifex aeolicus: a variation of the RecA fold

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    Wittinghofer Alfred

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background aaTHEP1, the gene product of aq_1292 from Aquifex aeolicus, shows sequence homology to proteins from most thermophiles, hyperthermophiles, and higher organisms such as man, mouse, and fly. In contrast, there are almost no homologous proteins in mesophilic unicellular microorganisms. aaTHEP1 is a thermophilic enzyme exhibiting both ATPase and GTPase activity in vitro. Although annotated as a nucleotide kinase, such an activity could not be confirmed for aaTHEP1 experimentally and the in vivo function of aaTHEP1 is still unknown. Results Here we report the crystal structure of selenomethionine substituted nucleotide-free aaTHEP1 at 1.4 Å resolution using a multiple anomalous dispersion phasing protocol. The protein is composed of a single domain that belongs to the family of 3-layer (α/β/α-structures consisting of nine central strands flanked by six helices. The closest structural homologue as determined by DALI is the RecA family. In contrast to the latter proteins, aaTHEP1 possesses an extension of the β-sheet consisting of four additional β-strands. Conclusion We conclude that the structure of aaTHEP1 represents a variation of the RecA fold. Although the catalytic function of aaTHEP1 remains unclear, structural details indicate that it does not belong to the group of GTPases, kinases or adenosyltransferases. A mainly positive electrostatic surface indicates that aaTHEP1 might be a DNA/RNA modifying enzyme. The resolved structure of aaTHEP1 can serve as paradigm for the complete THEP1 family.

  2. Identification of Aquifex aeolicus tRNA (m2(2G26) methyltransferase gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Hiroshi; Hori, Hiroyuki; Endo, Yaeta

    2002-01-01

    The modifications of N2,N2-dimethylguanine (m2(2)G) are found in tRNAs and rRNAs from eukarya and archaea. In tRNAs, modification at position G26 is generated by tRNA (m2(2)G26) methyltransferase, which is encoded by the corresponding gene, trm1. This enzyme catalyzes the methyl-transfer from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to the semi-conserved residue, G26, via the intermediate modified base, m2G26. Recent genome sequencing project has been reported that the putative trm1 is encoded in the genome of Aquifex aeolicus, a hyper-thermophilic eubacterium as only one exception among eubacteria. In order to confirm whether this bacterial trm1 gene product is a real tRNA (m2(2)G26) methyltransferase or not, we expressed this protein by wheat germ in vitro cell-free translation system. Our biochemical analysis clearly showed that this gene product possessed tRNA (m2(2)G26) methyltransferase activity.

  3. Crystal structure of Aquifex aeolicus gene product Aq1627: a putative phosphoglucosamine mutase reveals a unique C-terminal end-to-end disulfide linkage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sridharan, Upasana; Kuramitsu, Seiki; Yokoyama, Shigeyuki; Kumarevel, Thirumananseri; Ponnuraj, Karthe

    2017-06-27

    The Aq1627 gene from Aquifex aeolicus, a hyperthermophilic bacterium has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The protein was purified to homogeneity and its X-ray crystal structure was determined to 1.3 Å resolution using multiple wavelength anomalous dispersion phasing. The structural and sequence analysis of Aq1627 is suggestive of a putative phosphoglucosamine mutase. The structural features of Aq1627 further indicate that it could belong to a new subclass of the phosphoglucosamine mutase family. Aq1627 structure contains a unique C-terminal end-to-end disulfide bond, which links two monomers and this structural information can be used in protein engineering to make proteins more stable in different applications.

  4. Aquifex aeolicus membrane hydrogenase for hydrogen biooxidation: Role of lipids and physiological partners in enzyme stability and activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Infossi, Pascale; Lojou, Elisabeth; Giudici-Orticoni, Marie-Therese [Unite de Bioenergetique et Ingenierie des Proteines, UPR 9036, Institut de Microbiologie de la Mediterranee - CNRS, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20 (France); Chauvin, Jean-Paul [Institut de Biologie du developpement de Marseille Luminy, UMR 6216, Parc Scientifique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, BP 907, 13009 Marseille (France); Herbette, Gaetan [Spectropole FI 1739, Aix-Marseille Universite case 511, Faculte de St Jerome Avenue Escadrille Normandie Niemen, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20 (France); Brugna, Myriam [Unite de Bioenergetique et Ingenierie des Proteines, UPR 9036, Institut de Microbiologie de la Mediterranee - CNRS, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20 (France); Universite de Provence, 3 Place Victor Hugo, 13331 Marseille Cedex 03 (France)

    2010-10-15

    Hydrogenase I from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus is a good candidate for biotechnological devices thanks to its ability to oxidize hydrogen at high temperature, even in the presence of oxygen and CO. In order to enhance the enzyme stability and the catalytic efficiency, we investigated the hydrogen oxidation process with hydrogenase I embedded in a physiological-like environment. Hydrogenase I partners in the metabolic chain, namely membrane quinone and cytochrome b, were purified and fully characterized. The complex hydrogenase I-cytochrome b was inserted into liposomes. Surface Plasmon Resonance revealed that quinone took part in the stabilization of the complex. By use of molecular modelization and electrochemistry analysis, enzyme stability has been demonstrated to be stronger and enzymatic efficiency to be five times higher when hydrogenase is embedded into the liposomes. This result raises the possibility of using hydrogenases as biocatalysts in fuel cells. (author)

  5. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of Aquifex aeolicus SelA, a bacterial selenocysteine synthase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itoh, Yuzuru; Sekine, Shun-ichi; Yokoyama, Shigeyuki

    2012-01-01

    The bacterial selenocysteine synthase SelA from Aquifex aeolicus was crystallized and the diffraction resolution was improved by lysine-residue methylation, truncation of N-terminal region (ΔN), and Lys-to-Ala point mutations. Phases were determined by using a selenomethionine-substituted crystal of the ΔN mutant. Selenocysteine (Sec), the 21st amino acid, is synthesized on its specific tRNA (tRNA Sec ) via a multi-step process. In bacteria, tRNA Sec is ligated first with serine by seryl-tRNA synthetase, which is followed by Ser-to-Sec conversion by Sec synthase (SelA). To elucidate its structure and catalytic mechanism, Aquifex aeolicus SelA was crystallized. Although wild-type SelA crystals diffracted X-rays poorly (to up to 8 Å resolution), the resolution was improved by introducing a quadruple point mutation targeting the loop regions and by methylating the lysine residues, which yielded 3.9 Å resolution diffraction data from a full-length SelA crystal. Truncation of the N-terminal region (ΔN) also improved the resolution. A 3.3 Å resolution data set for phase determination was obtained from a crystal of selenomethionine-substituted Lys-methylated SelA-ΔN

  6. Structure of a class II TrmH tRNA-modifying enzyme from Aquifex aeolicus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pleshe, Elizabeth; Truesdell, John; Batey, Robert T.

    2005-01-01

    The crystal structure of Aquifex aeolicus TrmH, a member of the a/b-knot superfamily responsible for O methylation of G18 of tRNAs, was determined to 1.85 Å resolution using the molecular-replacement method. Biological RNAs contain a variety of post-transcriptional modifications that facilitate their efficient function in the cellular environment. One of the two most common forms of modification is methylation of the 2′-hydroxyl group of the ribose sugar, which is performed by a number of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) dependent methyltransferases. In bacteria, many of these modifications in tRNA and rRNA are carried out by the α/β-knot superfamily of enzymes, whose SAM-binding pocket is created by a characteristic deep trefoil knot. TrmH, an enzyme found throughout all three kingdoms of life, modifies the universally conserved guanosine 18 position of tRNA. The crystal structure of TrmH from the thermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus has been determined at 1.85 Å resolution using data collected from a synchrotron-radiation source. The protein reveals a fold typical of members of the SpoU clan of proteins, a subfamily of the α/β-knot superfamily, with α-helical extensions at the N- and C-termini that are likely to be involved in tRNA binding

  7. Adenosine triphosphate stimulates Aquifex aeolicus MutL endonuclease activity.

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    Jerome Mauris

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Human PMS2 (hPMS2 homologues act to nick 5' and 3' to misincorporated nucleotides during mismatch repair in organisms that lack MutH. Mn(++ was previously found to stimulate the endonuclease activity of these homologues. ATP was required for the nicking activity of hPMS2 and yPMS1, but was reported to inhibit bacterial MutL proteins from Thermus thermophilus and Aquifex aeolicus that displayed homology to hPMS2. Mutational analysis has identified the DQHA(X(2E(X(4E motif present in the C-terminus of PMS2 homologues as important for endonuclease activity.We examined the effect ATP had on the Mn(++ induced nicking of supercoiled pBR322 by full-length and mutant A. aeolicus MutL (Aae MutL proteins. Assays were single time point, enzyme titration experiments or reaction time courses. The maximum velocity for MutL nicking was determined to be 1.6+/-0.08x10(-5 s(-1 and 4.2+/-0.3x10(-5 s(-1 in the absence and presence of ATP, respectively. AMPPNP stimulated the nicking activity to a similar extent as ATP. A truncated Aae MutL protein composed of only the C-terminal 123 amino acid residues was found to nick supercoiled DNA. Furthermore, mutations in the conserved C-terminal DQHA(X(2E(X(4E and CPHGRP motifs were shown to abolish Aae MutL endonuclease activity.ATP stimulated the Mn(++ induced endonuclease activity of Aae MutL. Experiments utilizing AMPPNP implied that the stimulation did not require ATP hydrolysis. A mutation in the DQHA(X(2E(X(4E motif of Aae MutL further supported the role of this region in endonclease activity. For the first time, to our knowledge, we demonstrate that changing the histidine residue in the conserved CPHGRP motif abolishes endonucleolytic activity of a hPMS2 homologue. Finally, the C-terminal 123 amino acid residues of Aae MutL were sufficient to display Mn(++ induced nicking activity.

  8. Structural and functional studies of the biotin protein ligase from Aquifex aeolicus reveal a critical role for a conserved residue in target specificity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tron, Cecile M; McNae, Iain W; Nutley, Margaret; Clarke, David J; Cooper, Alan; Walkinshaw, Malcolm D; Baxter, Robert L; Campopiano, Dominic J

    2009-03-20

    Biotin protein ligase (BPL; EC 6.3.4.15) catalyses the formation of biotinyl-5'-AMP from biotin and ATP, and the succeeding biotinylation of the biotin carboxyl carrier protein. We describe the crystal structures, at 2.4 A resolution, of the class I BPL from the hyperthermophilic bacteria Aquifex aeolicus (AaBPL) in its ligand-free form and in complex with biotin and ATP. The solvent-exposed beta- and gamma-phosphates of ATP are located in the inter-subunit cavity formed by the N- and C-terminal domains. The Arg40 residue from the conserved GXGRXG motif is shown to interact with the carboxyl group of biotin and to stabilise the alpha- and beta-phosphates of the nucleotide. The structure of the mutant AaBPL R40G in both the ligand-free and biotin-bound forms reveals that the mutated loop has collapsed, thus hindering ATP binding. Isothermal titration calorimetry indicated that the presence of biotin is not required for ATP binding to wild-type AaBPL in the absence of Mg(2+), and the binding of biotin and ATP has been determined to occur via a random but cooperative process. The affinity for biotin is relatively unaffected by the R40G mutation. In contrast, the thermodynamic data indicate that binding of ATP to AaBPL R40G is very weak in the absence or in the presence of biotin. The AaBPL R40G mutant remains catalytically active but shows poor substrate specificity; mass spectrometry and Western blot studies revealed that the mutant biotinylates both the target A. aeolicus BCCPDelta67 fragment and BSA, and is subject to self-biotinylation.

  9. The Leucine transporter from Aquifex aeolicus as a model for the Neurotransmitter Sodium Symporters – insights into function and ligand binding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kantcheva, Adriana Krassimirova

    In her PhD studies, Adriana K. Kantcheva looked into the structural perspective of a bacterial transporter – the leucine transporter from Aquifex aeolicus (LeuT) – which is a homologue to neurotransmitter sodium symporters (NSS) found in humans, such as the serotonin transporter. Two crystal...... structures of LeuT elucidated new insights regarding ion and substrate binding to this transporter. Studying members of the NSS family is important as these proteins are found in the central nervous system of humans at the synaptic cleft and are implicated in serious conditions such as Parkinson’s disease...

  10. Crystal structure and DNA-binding property of the ATPase domain of bacterial mismatch repair endonuclease MutL from Aquifex aeolicus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukui, Kenji; Iino, Hitoshi; Baba, Seiki; Kumasaka, Takashi; Kuramitsu, Seiki; Yano, Takato

    2017-09-01

    DNA mismatch repair (MMR) system corrects mismatched bases that are generated mainly by DNA replication errors. The repair system excises the error-containing single-stranded region and enables the re-synthesis of the strand. In the early reactions of MMR, MutL endonuclease incises the newly-synthesized/error-containing strand of the duplex to initiate the downstream excision reaction. MutL endonuclease consists of the N-terminal ATPase and C-terminal endonuclease domains. In this study, we report the crystal structure of the ATPase domain of MutL endonuclease from Aquifex aeolicus. The overall structure of the domain was similar to those of human MutL homologs and Escherichia coli MutL, although E. coli MutL has no endonuclease activity. The ATPase domain was comprised of two subdomains: the N-terminal ATP-binding subdomain and the C-terminal α-β sandwich subdomain. Site-directed mutagenesis experiment identified DNA-interacting eight basic amino acid residues, which were distributed across both the two subdomains and formed a DNA-binding cleft. Docking simulation between the structures of the ATPase and endonuclease domains generated a reliable model structure for the full-length A. aeolicus MutL, which satisfies our previous result of small-angle X-ray scattering analysis. On the basis of the model structure and further experimental results, we concluded that the two separate DNA-binding sites in the full-length A. aeolicus MutL simultaneously bind a dsDNA molecule. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic study of the wild type and two mutants of the CP1 hydrolytic domain from Aquifex aeolicus leucyl-tRNA synthetase

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    Cura, Vincent; Olieric, Natacha; Guichard, Alexandre [Département de Biologie et Génomique Structurales, UMR 7104, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP Strasbourg, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch (France); Wang, En-Duo [State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031 (China); Moras, Dino [Département de Biologie et Génomique Structurales, UMR 7104, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP Strasbourg, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch (France); Eriani, Gilbert [Architecture et Réactivité de l’ARN, UPR 9002, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, 15 Rue René Descartes, 67084 Strasbourg (France); Cavarelli, Jean, E-mail: cava@igbmc.u-strasbg.fr [Département de Biologie et Génomique Structurales, UMR 7104, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP Strasbourg, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch (France)

    2005-10-01

    The wild-type editing CP1 domain of A. aeolicus leucyl-tRNA synthetase and two mutant CP1 domains have been overexpressed, purified and crystallized. X-ray diffraction data have been collected to 1.8 Å, which has enabled determination of the structures by molecular replacement. The editing or hydrolytic CP1 domain of leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) hydrolyses several misactivated amino acids. The CP1 domain of Aquifex aeolicus LeuRS was expressed, purified and crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using ammonium sulfate as precipitant. Crystals belong to space group P2{sub 1}2{sub 1}2{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 38.8, b = 98.4, c = 116.7 Å. Crystals diffract to beyond 1.8 Å resolution and contain two monomers in the asymmetric unit. Two CP1 mutants in which a conserved threonine residue essential for the fidelity of the hydrolytic pathway is mutated to alanine or glutamic acid have also been expressed and crystallized. Crystals of the two CP1 mutants are isomorphs of the wild type and diffract to beyond 1.9 Å resolution. All structures were solved by molecular-replacement techniques.

  12. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic study of the wild type and two mutants of the CP1 hydrolytic domain from Aquifex aeolicus leucyl-tRNA synthetase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cura, Vincent; Olieric, Natacha; Guichard, Alexandre; Wang, En-Duo; Moras, Dino; Eriani, Gilbert; Cavarelli, Jean

    2005-01-01

    The wild-type editing CP1 domain of A. aeolicus leucyl-tRNA synthetase and two mutant CP1 domains have been overexpressed, purified and crystallized. X-ray diffraction data have been collected to 1.8 Å, which has enabled determination of the structures by molecular replacement. The editing or hydrolytic CP1 domain of leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) hydrolyses several misactivated amino acids. The CP1 domain of Aquifex aeolicus LeuRS was expressed, purified and crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using ammonium sulfate as precipitant. Crystals belong to space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 38.8, b = 98.4, c = 116.7 Å. Crystals diffract to beyond 1.8 Å resolution and contain two monomers in the asymmetric unit. Two CP1 mutants in which a conserved threonine residue essential for the fidelity of the hydrolytic pathway is mutated to alanine or glutamic acid have also been expressed and crystallized. Crystals of the two CP1 mutants are isomorphs of the wild type and diffract to beyond 1.9 Å resolution. All structures were solved by molecular-replacement techniques

  13. ORF Alignment: NC_000918 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available n A, Crystal Structure Of Aquifex Aeolicus ... N-Utilization Substance G (Nusg), Space Group I222 ... ... ... pdb|1M1G|D Chain D, Crystal Structure Of Aquifex ... Aeolicus N-Uti...lization Substance G (Nusg), Space Group ... P2(1) pdb|1M1G|C Chain C, Crystal Structure Of Aquifex ... Aeolicus N-Uti...al Structure Of Aquifex ... Aeolicus N-Utilization Substance G (Nusg), Space Group ... P2(1) p...db|1M1G|A Chain A, Crystal Structure Of Aquifex ... Aeolicus N-Utilization

  14. The C-terminal peptide of Aquifex aeolicus riboflavin synthase directs encapsulation of native and foreign guests by a cage-forming lumazine synthase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azuma, Yusuke; Zschoche, Reinhard; Hilvert, Donald

    2017-06-23

    Encapsulation of specific enzymes in self-assembling protein cages is a hallmark of bacterial compartments that function as counterparts to eukaryotic organelles. The cage-forming enzyme lumazine synthase (LS) from Bacillus subtilis (BsLS), for example, encapsulates riboflavin synthase (BsRS), enabling channeling of lumazine from the site of its generation to the site of its conversion to vitamin B 2 Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the assembly of these supramolecular complexes could help inform new approaches for metabolic engineering, nanotechnology, and drug delivery. To that end, we investigated a thermostable LS from Aquifex aeolicus (AaLS) and found that it also forms cage complexes with the cognate riboflavin synthase (AaRS) when both proteins are co-produced in the cytosol of Escherichia coli A 12-amino acid-long peptide at the C terminus of AaRS serves as a specific localization sequence responsible for targeting the guest to the protein compartment. Sequence comparisons suggested that analogous peptide segments likely direct RS complexation by LS cages in other bacterial species. Covalent fusion of this peptide tag to heterologous guest molecules led to their internalization into AaLS assemblies both in vivo and in vitro , providing a firm foundation for creating tailored biomimetic nanocompartments for medical and biotechnological applications. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  15. ORF Alignment: NC_000918 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_000918 gi|15606868 >1tg6E 33 200 25 196 8e-08 ... ref|NP_214248.1| nodulation competitiveness... protein NfeD [Aquifex aeolicus VF5] ... gb|AAC07639.1| nodulation competitiveness protein... NfeD ... [Aquifex aeolicus VF5] pir||H70456 nodulation ... competitiveness protein NfeD - Aqu

  16. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the ATPase domain of the σ(54)-dependent transcription activator NtrC1 from Aquifex aeolicus bound to the ATP analog ADP-BeFx.

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    Sysoeva, Tatyana A; Yennawar, Neela; Allaire, Marc; Nixon, B Tracy

    2013-12-01

    One way that bacteria regulate the transcription of specific genes to adapt to environmental challenges is to use different σ factors that direct the RNA polymerase holoenzyme to distinct promoters. Unlike σ(70) RNA polymerase (RNAP), σ(54) RNAP is unable to initiate transcription without an activator: enhancer-binding protein (EBP). All EBPs contain one ATPase domain that belongs to the family of ATPases associated with various cellular activities (AAA+ ATPases). AAA+ ATPases use the energy of ATP hydrolysis to remodel different target macromolecules to perform distinct functions. These mechanochemical enzymes are known to form ring-shaped oligomers whose conformations strongly depend upon nucleotide status. Here, the crystallization of the AAA+ ATPase domain of an EBP from Aquifex aeolicus, NtrC1, in the presence of the non-hydrolyzable ATP analog ADP-BeFx is reported. X-ray diffraction data were collected from two crystals from two different protein fractions of the NtrC1 ATPase domain. Previously, this domain was co-crystallized with ADP and ATP, but the latter crystals were grown from the Walker B substitution variant E239A. Therefore, the new data sets are the first for a wild-type EBP ATPase domain co-crystallized with an ATP analog and they reveal a new crystal form. The resulting structure(s) will shed light on the mechanism of EBP-type transcription activators.

  17. Crystal structure of A. aeolicus LpxC with bound product suggests alternate deacetylation mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Matthew D; Gao, Ning; Ross, Philip L; Olivier, Nelson B

    2015-09-01

    UDP-3-O-acyl-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase (LpxC) is the first committed step to form lipid A, an essential component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. As it is essential for the survival of many pathogens, LpxC is an attractive target for antibacterial therapeutics. Herein, we report the product-bound co-crystal structure of LpxC from the acheal Aquifex aeolicus solved to 1.6 Å resolution. We identified interactions by hydroxyl and hydroxymethyl substituents of the product glucosamine ring that may enable new insights to exploit waters in the active site for structure-based design of LpxC inhibitors with novel scaffolds. By using this product structure, we have performed quantum mechanical modeling on the substrate in the active site. Based on our results and published experimental data, we propose a new mechanism that may lead to a better understanding of LpxC catalysis and inhibition. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Evolution and thermodynamics of the slow unfolding of hyperstable monomeric proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koga Yuichi

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The unfolding speed of some hyperthermophilic proteins is dramatically lower than that of their mesostable homologs. Ribonuclease HII from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis (Tk-RNase HII is stabilized by its remarkably slow unfolding rate, whereas RNase HI from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus (Tt-RNase HI unfolds rapidly, comparable with to that of RNase HI from Escherichia coli (Ec-RNase HI. Results To clarify whether the difference in the unfolding rate is due to differences in the types of RNase H or differences in proteins from archaea and bacteria, we examined the equilibrium stability and unfolding reaction of RNases HII from the hyperthermophilic bacteria Thermotoga maritima (Tm-RNase HII and Aquifex aeolicus (Aa-RNase HII and RNase HI from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii (Sto-RNase HI. These proteins from hyperthermophiles are more stable than Ec-RNase HI over all the temperature ranges examined. The observed unfolding speeds of all hyperstable proteins at the different denaturant concentrations studied are much lower than those of Ec-RNase HI, which is in accordance with the familiar slow unfolding of hyperstable proteins. However, the unfolding rate constants of these RNases H in water are dispersed, and the unfolding rate constant of thermophilic archaeal proteins is lower than that of thermophilic bacterial proteins. Conclusions These results suggest that the nature of slow unfolding of thermophilic proteins is determined by the evolutionary history of the organisms involved. The unfolding rate constants in water are related to the amount of buried hydrophobic residues in the tertiary structure.

  19. Structural characterization of the stringent response related exopolyphosphatase/guanosine pentaphosphate phosphohydrolase protein family

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Ole; Laurberg, Martin; Liljas, Anders

    2004-01-01

    Exopolyphosphatase/guanosine pentaphosphate phosphohydrolase (PPX/GPPA) enzymes play central roles in the bacterial stringent response induced by starvation. The high-resolution crystal structure of the putative Aquifex aeolicus PPX/GPPA phosphatase from the actin-like ATPase domain superfamily has...

  20. Synonymous codon usage in different protein secondary structural ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    PRAKASH KUMAR

    2007-06-21

    Jun 21, 2007 ... in the DSSP file, beta-sheets by E and B and coils by the rest. 3. Results ...... Authors are thankful to the Department of Biotechnology,. New Delhi for ... thermophilic Aquifex aeolicus and mesophilic Bacillus subtilis;. J. Biomol.

  1. Homology modeling of the serotonin transporter: Insights into the primary escitalopram-binding Site

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Anne Marie; Tagmose, L.; Jørgensen, A.M.M.

    2007-01-01

    -ray structure of the closely related amino acid transporter, Aquifex aeolicus leucine transporter (LeuT), provides an opportunity to develop a three-dimensional model of the structure of SERT. We present herein a homology model of SERT using LeuT as the template and containing escitalopram as a bound ligand...

  2. Domain motions of Argonaute, the catalytic engine of RNA interference

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    Wall Michael E

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Argonaute protein is the core component of the RNA-induced silencing complex, playing the central role of cleaving the mRNA target. Visual inspection of static crystal structures already has enabled researchers to suggest conformational changes of Argonaute that might occur during RNA interference. We have taken the next step by performing an all-atom normal mode analysis of the Pyrococcus furiosus and Aquifex aeolicus Argonaute crystal structures, allowing us to quantitatively assess the feasibility of these conformational changes. To perform the analysis, we begin with the energy-minimized X-ray structures. Normal modes are then calculated using an all-atom molecular mechanics force field. Results The analysis reveals low-frequency vibrations that facilitate the accommodation of RNA duplexes – an essential step in target recognition. The Pyrococcus furiosus and Aquifex aeolicus Argonaute proteins both exhibit low-frequency torsion and hinge motions; however, differences in the overall architecture of the proteins cause the detailed dynamics to be significantly different. Conclusion Overall, low-frequency vibrations of Argonaute are consistent with mechanisms within the current reaction cycle model for RNA interference.

  3. Molecular characterization of hydrolytic enzymes from hyperthermophilic archaea

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voorhorst, W.G.B.

    1998-01-01

    Hyperthermophiles are recently discovered microorganisms which are able to grow optimally above 85 °C. Most hyperthermophiles belong to the Archaea, the third domain of life. One of the main interests in hyperthermophiles to deepen the insight in the way their proteins

  4. Stability of Hyperthermophilic Proteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stiefler-Jensen, Daniel

    stability by randomly generate mutants and lengthy screening processes to identify the best new mutants. However, with the increase in available genomic sequences of thermophilic or hyperthermophilic organisms a world of enzymes with intrinsic high stability are now available. As these organisms are adapted...... to life at high temperatures so are their enzymes, as a result the high stability is accompanied by low activity at moderate temperatures. Thus, much effort had been put into decoding the mechanisms behind the high stability of the thermophilic enzymes. The hope is to enable scientist to design enzymes...... in the high stability of hyperthermophilic enzymes. The thesis starts with an introduction to the field of protein and enzyme stability with special focus on the thermophilic and hyperthermophilic enzymes and proteins. After the introduction three original research manuscripts present the experimental data...

  5. Regulation of transcription in hyperthermophilic archaea

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brinkman, A.B.

    2002-01-01

    The aim of the research presented here was to insight in the mechanisms by which transcription in hyperthermophilic archaea is regulated. To accomplish this, we have aimed (I) to identify transcriptional regulatory proteins from hyperthermophilic archaea, (II) to characterize these

  6. Survival of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms after exposure to UV-C, ionizing radiation and desiccation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beblo, Kristina; Douki, Thierry; Schmalz, Gottfried; Rachel, Reinhard; Wirth, Reinhard; Huber, Harald; Reitz, Günther; Rettberg, Petra

    2011-11-01

    In this study, we investigated the ability of several (hyper-) thermophilic Archaea and phylogenetically deep-branching thermophilic Bacteria to survive high fluences of monochromatic UV-C (254 nm) and high doses of ionizing radiation, respectively. Nine out of fourteen tested microorganisms showed a surprisingly high tolerance against ionizing radiation, and two species (Aquifex pyrophilus and Ignicoccus hospitalis) were even able to survive 20 kGy. Therefore, these species had a comparable survivability after exposure to ionizing radiation such as Deinococcus radiodurans. In contrast, there was nearly no difference in survival of the tested strains after exposure to UV-C under anoxic conditions. If the cells had been dried in advance of UV-C irradiation, they were more sensitive to UV-C radiation compared with cells irradiated in liquid suspension; this effect could be reversed by the addition of protective material like sulfidic ores before irradiation. By exposure to UV-C, photoproducts were formed in the DNA of irradiated Archaea and Bacteria. The distribution of the main photoproducts was species specific, but the amount of the photoproducts was only partly dependent on the applied fluence. Overall, our results show that tolerance to radiation seems to be a common phenomenon among thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms.

  7. Crystallization of a stringent response factor from Aquifex aeolicus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Ole; Laurberg, Martin; Gajhede, Michael

    2002-01-01

    a = 50.8, b = 70.3, c = 90.9 A. Methionine residues were introduced by mutation and deliberate oxidation of the protein allowed us to produce additional crystal forms with reproducible diffraction ability and increased phasing potential. This is the first report on the crystallization of a member...

  8. Survival of thermophilic and hyper-thermophilic microorganisms after exposure to UV-C, ionizing radiation and desiccation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beblo, K.; Wirth, R.; Huber, H.; Douki, T.; Schmalz, G.; Rachel, R.

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we investigated the ability of several (hyper-) thermophilic Archaea and phylo-genetically deep-branching thermophilic Bacteria to survive high fluences of monochromatic UV-C (254 nm) and high doses of ionizing radiation, respectively. Nine out of fourteen tested microorganisms showed a surprisingly high tolerance against ionizing radiation, and two species (Aquifex pyrophilus and Ignicoccus hospitalis) were even able to survive 20 kGy. Therefore, these species had a comparable survivability after exposure to ionizing radiation such as Deinococcus radiodurans. In contrast, there was nearly no difference in survival of the tested strains after exposure to UV-C under anoxic conditions. If the cells had been dried in advance of UV-C irradiation, they were more sensitive to UV-C radiation compared with cells irradiated in liquid suspension; this effect could be reversed by the addition of protective material like sulfidic ores before irradiation. By exposure to UV-C, photoproducts were formed in the DNA of irradiated Archaea and Bacteria. The distribution of the main photoproducts was species specific, but the amount of the photoproducts was only partly dependent on the applied fluence. Overall, our results show that tolerance to radiation seems to be a common phenomenon among thermophilic and hyper-thermophilic microorganisms. (authors)

  9. A Conserved Leucine Occupies the Empty Substrate Site of LeuT in the Na+-free Return State

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malinauskaite, Lina; Said, Saida; Sahin, Caglanur

    2016-01-01

    Bacterial members of the neurotransmitter:sodium symporter (NSS) family perform Na+-dependent amino-acid uptake and extrude H+ in return. Previous NSS structures represent intermediates of Na+/substrate binding or intracellular release, but not the inward-to-outward return transition. Here we...... report crystal structures of Aquifex aeolicus LeuT in an outward-oriented, Na+- and substrate-free state likely to be H+-occluded. We find a remarkable rotation of the conserved Leu25 into the empty substrate-binding pocket and rearrangements of the empty Na+ sites. Mutational studies of the equivalent...

  10. Molecular characterisation of the thermostability and catalytic properties of enzymes from hyperthermophiles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lebbink, J.H.G.

    1999-01-01

    Hyperthermophilic organisms are able to survive and reproduce optimally between 80°C and 113°C. Most of them belong to the domain of the Archaea, although several hyperthermophilic Bacteria have been described. One of the major questions regarding hyperthermophiles concerns the molecular

  11. Proteolysis in hyperthermophilic microorganisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donald E. Ward

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Proteases are found in every cell, where they recognize and break down unneeded or abnormal polypeptides or peptide-based nutrients within or outside the cell. Genome sequence data can be used to compare proteolytic enzyme inventories of different organisms as they relate to physiological needs for protein modification and hydrolysis. In this review, we exploit genome sequence data to compare hyperthermophilic microorganisms from the euryarchaeotal genus Pyrococcus, the crenarchaeote Sulfolobus solfataricus, and the bacterium Thermotoga maritima. An overview of the proteases in these organisms is given based on those proteases that have been characterized and on putative proteases that have been identified from genomic sequences, but have yet to be characterized. The analysis revealed both similarities and differences in the mechanisms utilized for proteolysis by each of these hyperthermophiles and indicated how these mechanisms relate to proteolysis in less thermophilic cells and organisms.

  12. Molecular biology of hyperthermophilic Archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Oost, J; Ciaramella, M; Moracci, M; Pisani, F M; Rossi, M; de Vos, W M

    1998-01-01

    The sequences of a number of archaeal genomes have recently been completed, and many more are expected shortly. Consequently, the research of Archaea in general and hyperthermophiles in particular has entered a new phase, with many exciting discoveries to be expected. The wealth of sequence information has already led, and will continue to lead to the identification of many enzymes with unique properties, some of which have potential for industrial applications. Subsequent functional genomics will help reveal fundamental matters such as details concerning the genetic, biochemical and physiological adaptation of extremophiles, and hence give insight into their genomic evolution, polypeptide structure-function relations, and metabolic regulation. In order to optimally exploit many unique features that are now emerging, the development of genetic systems for hyperthermophilic Archaea is an absolute requirement. Such systems would allow the application of this class of Archaea as so-called "cell factories": (i) expression of certain archaeal enzymes for which no suitable conventional (mesophilic bacterial or eukaryal) systems are available, (ii) selection for thermostable variants of potentially interesting enzymes from mesophilic origin, and (iii) the development of in vivo production systems by metabolic engineering. An overview is given of recent insight in the molecular biology of hyperthermophilic Archaea, as well as of a number of promising developments that should result in the generation of suitable genetic systems in the near future.

  13. A First Analysis of Metallome Biosignatures of Hyperthermophilic Archaea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vyllinniskii Cameron

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available To date, no experimental data has been reported for the metallome of hyperthermophilic microorganisms although their metal requirements for growth are known to be unique. Here, experiments were conducted to determine (i cellular trace metal concentrations of the hyperthermophilic Archaea Methanococcus jannaschii and Pyrococcus furiosus, and (ii a first estimate of the metallome for these hyperthermophilic species via ICP-MS. The metal contents of these cells were compared to parallel experiments using the mesophilic bacterium Escherichia coli grown under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Fe and Zn were typically the most abundant metals in cells. Metal concentrations for E. coli grown aerobically decreased in the order Fe > Zn > Cu > Mo > Ni > W > Co. In contrast, M. jannaschii and P. furiosus show almost the reverse pattern with elevated Ni, Co, and W concentrations. Of the three organisms, a biosignature is potentially demonstrated for the methanogen M. jannaschii that may, in part, be related to the metallome requirements of methanogenesis. The bioavailability of trace metals more than likely has varied through time. If hyperthermophiles are very ancient, then the trace metal patterns observed here may begin to provide some insights regarding Earth's earliest cells and in turn, early Earth chemistry.

  14. Evolutionary insights from studies on viruses of hyperthermophilic archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prangishvili, David

    2003-05-01

    The morphological diversity of viruses which parasitize hyperthermophilic archaea thriving at temperatures > or = 80 degrees C appears to exceed that of viruses of prokaryotes living at lower temperatures. Based on assumptions of the existence of viruses in the prebiotic phase of evolution and hot origins of cellular life, we suggest that this remarkable diversity could have its source in ancestral diversity of viral morphotypes in hot environments. Attempts are made to trace evolutionary relationships of viruses of hyperthermophilic archaea with other viruses.

  15. (Hyper)thermophilic Enzymes: Production and Purification

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Falcicchio, P.; Levisson, M.; Kengen, S.W.M.; Koutsopoulos, S.

    2014-01-01

    The discovery of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms, thriving at environmental temperatures near or above 100 °C, has revolutionized our ideas about the upper temperature limit at which life can exist. The characterization of (hyper)thermostable proteins has broadened our

  16. Alpha-amylase from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus thioreducens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernhardsdotter, E. C. M. J.; Pusey, M. L.; Ng, M. L.; Garriott, O. K.

    2003-01-01

    Extremophiles are microorganisms that thrive in, from an anthropocentric view, extreme environments such as hot springs. The ability of survival at extreme conditions has rendered enzymes from extremophiles to be of interest in industrial applications. One approach to producing these extremozymes entails the expression of the enzyme-encoding gene in a mesophilic host such as E.coli. This method has been employed in the effort to produce an alpha-amylase from a hyperthermophile (an organism that displays optimal growth above 80 C) isolated from a hydrothermal vent at the Rainbow vent site in the Atlantic Ocean. alpha-amylases catalyze the hydrolysis of starch to produce smaller sugars and constitute a class of industrial enzymes having approximately 25% of the enzyme market. One application for thermostable alpha-amylases is the starch liquefaction process in which starch is converted into fructose and glucose syrups. The a-amylase encoding gene from the hyperthermophile Thermococcus thioreducens was cloned and sequenced, revealing high similarity with other archaeal hyperthermophilic a-amylases. The gene encoding the mature protein was expressed in E.coli. Initial characterization of this enzyme has revealed an optimal amylolytic activity between 85-90 C and around pH 5.3-6.0.

  17. Engineering of β-glycosidases from hyperthermophilic Archaea

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kaper, T.

    2001-01-01

    Hyperthermophilic Archaea are microorganisms that grow optimally above 80°C. To be able to live at these temperature extremes their cell components display extreme resistance towards thermal degradation. This characteristic is an attractive feature

  18. Molecular dynamics simulations of Na+/Cl--dependent neurotransmitter transporters in a membrane-aqueous system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Anne Marie; Tagmose, L.; Jørgensen, A.M.M.

    2007-01-01

    We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of a homology model of the human serotonin transporter (hSERT) in a membrane environment and in complex with either the natural substrate S-HT or the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitaloprom. We have also included a transporter homologue......, the Aquifex aeolicus leucine transporter (LeuT), in our study to evaluate the applicability of a simple and computationally attractive membrane system. Fluctuations in LeuT extracted from simulations are in good agreement with crystal logrophic B factors. Furthermore, key interactions identified in the X....... Specific interactions responsible for ligand recognition, are identified in the hSERT-5HT and hSERT-escitaloprom complexes. Our finding5 are in good agreement with predictions from mutagenesis studies....

  19. Creation of metal-independent hyperthermophilic L-arabinose isomerase by homologous recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Young-Ho; Lee, Dong-Woo; Pyun, Yu-Ryang; Lee, Sung Haeng

    2011-12-28

    Hyperthermophilic L-arabinose isomerases (AIs) are useful in the commercial production of D-tagatose as a low-calorie bulk sweetener. Their catalysis and thermostability are highly dependent on metals, which is a major drawback in food applications. To study the role of metal ions in the thermostability and catalysis of hyperthermophilic AI, four enzyme chimeras were generated by PCR-based hybridization to replace the variable N- and C-terminal regions of hyperthermophilic Thermotoga maritima AI (TMAI) and thermophilic Geobacillus stearothermophilus AI (GSAI) with those of the homologous mesophilic Bacillus halodurans AI (BHAI). Unlike Mn(2+)-dependent TMAI, the GSAI- and TMAI-based hybrids with the 72 C-terminal residues of BHAI were not metal-dependent for catalytic activity. By contrast, the catalytic activities of the TMAI- and GSAI-based hybrids containing the N-terminus (residues 1-89) of BHAI were significantly enhanced by metals, but their thermostabilities were poor even in the presence of Mn(2+), indicating that the effects of metals on catalysis and thermostability involve different structural regions. Moreover, in contrast to the C-terminal truncate (Δ20 residues) of GSAI, the N-terminal truncate (Δ7 residues) exhibited no activity due to loss of its native structure. The data thus strongly suggest that the metal dependence of the catalysis and thermostability of hyperthermophilic AIs evolved separately to optimize their activity and thermostability at elevated temperatures. This may provide effective target regions for engineering, thereby meeting industrial demands for the production of d-tagatose.

  20. Metabolism Dealing with Thermal Degradation of NAD+ in the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hachisuka, Shin-Ichi; Sato, Takaaki; Atomi, Haruyuki

    2017-10-01

    NAD + is an important cofactor for enzymatic oxidation reactions in all living organisms, including (hyper)thermophiles. However, NAD + is susceptible to thermal degradation at high temperatures. It can thus be expected that (hyper)thermophiles harbor mechanisms that maintain in vivo NAD + concentrations and possibly remove and/or reuse undesirable degradation products of NAD + Here we confirmed that at 85°C, thermal degradation of NAD + results mostly in the generation of nicotinamide and ADP-ribose, the latter known to display toxicity by spontaneously linking to proteins. The hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis possesses a putative ADP-ribose pyrophosphatase (ADPR-PPase) encoded by the TK2284 gene. ADPR-PPase hydrolyzes ADP-ribose to ribose 5-phosphate (R5P) and AMP. The purified recombinant TK2284 protein exhibited activity toward ADP-ribose as well as ADP-glucose. Kinetic analyses revealed a much higher catalytic efficiency toward ADP-ribose, suggesting that ADP-ribose was the physiological substrate. To gain insight into the physiological function of TK2284, a TK2284 gene disruption strain was constructed and examined. Incubation of NAD + in the cell extract of the mutant strain at 85°C resulted in higher ADP-ribose accumulation and lower AMP production compared with those in experiments with the host strain cell extract. The mutant strain also exhibited lower cell yield and specific growth rates in a synthetic amino acid medium compared with those of the host strain. The results obtained here suggest that the ADPR-PPase in T. kodakarensis is responsible for the cleavage of ADP-ribose to R5P and AMP, providing a means to utilize the otherwise dead-end product of NAD + breakdown. IMPORTANCE Hyperthermophilic microorganisms living under high temperature conditions should have mechanisms that deal with the degradation of thermolabile molecules. NAD + is an important cofactor for enzymatic oxidation reactions and is susceptible to thermal

  1. Structural adaptation of the subunit interface of oligomeric thermophilic and hyperthermophilic enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maugini, Elisa; Tronelli, Daniele; Bossa, Francesco; Pascarella, Stefano

    2009-04-01

    Enzymes from thermophilic and, particularly, from hyperthermophilic organisms are surprisingly stable. Understanding of the molecular origin of protein thermostability and thermoactivity attracted the interest of many scientist both for the perspective comprehension of the principles of protein structure and for the possible biotechnological applications through application of protein engineering. Comparative studies at sequence and structure levels were aimed at detecting significant differences of structural parameters related to protein stability between thermophilic and hyperhermophilic structures and their mesophilic homologs. Comparative studies were useful in the identification of a few recurrent themes which the evolution utilized in different combinations in different protein families. These studies were mostly carried out at the monomer level. However, maintenance of a proper quaternary structure is an essential prerequisite for a functional macromolecule. At the environmental temperatures experienced typically by hyper- and thermophiles, the subunit interactions mediated by the interface must be sufficiently stable. Our analysis was therefore aimed at the identification of the molecular strategies adopted by evolution to enhance interface thermostability of oligomeric enzymes. The variation of several structural properties related to protein stability were tested at the subunit interfaces of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic oligomers. The differences of the interface structural features observed between the hyperthermophilic and thermophilic enzymes were compared with the differences of the same properties calculated from pairwise comparisons of oligomeric mesophilic proteins contained in a reference dataset. The significance of the observed differences of structural properties was measured by a t-test. Ion pairs and hydrogen bonds do not vary significantly while hydrophobic contact area increases specially in hyperthermophilic interfaces. Interface

  2. Exceptionally diverse morphotypes and genomes of crenarchaeal hyperthermophilic viruses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prangishvili, D; Garrett, R A

    2004-01-01

    and Rudiviridae. They all have double-stranded DNA genomes and infect hyperthermophilic crenarchaea of the orders Sulfolobales and Thermoproteales. Representatives of the different viral families share a few homologous ORFs (open reading frames). However, about 90% of all ORFs in the seven sequenced genomes show...... no significant matches to sequences in public databases. This suggests that these hyperthermophilic viruses have exceptional biochemical solutions for biological functions. Specific features of genome organization, as well as strategies for DNA replication, suggest that phylogenetic relationships exist between...... crenarchaeal rudiviruses and the large eukaryal DNA viruses: poxviruses, the African swine fever virus and Chlorella viruses. Sequence patterns at the ends of the linear genome of the lipothrixvirus AFV1 are reminiscent of the telomeric ends of linear eukaryal chromosomes and suggest that a primitive telomeric...

  3. Energetic and hydrogen limitations of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic methanogens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, L. C.; Holden, J. F.

    2013-12-01

    Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are a unique ecosystem, based ultimately not on photosynthesis but chemosynthetic primary production. This makes them an excellent analog environment for the early Earth, and for potential extraterrestrial habitable environments, such as those on Mars and Europa. The habitability of given vent systems for chemoautotrophic prokaryotes can be modeled energetically by estimating the available Gibbs energy for specific modes of chemoautotrophy, using geochemical data and mixing models for hydrothermal fluids and seawater (McCollom and Shock, 1997). However, modeling to date has largely not taken into account variation in organisms' energy demands in these environments. Controls on maintenance energies are widely assumed to be temperature-dependent, rising with increasing temperature optima (Tijhuis et al., 1993), and species-independent. The impacts of other environmental stressors and particular energy-gathering strategies on maintenance energies have not been investigated. We have undertaken culture-based studies of growth and maintenance energies in thermophilic and hyperthermophilic methanogenic (hydrogenotrophic) archaea from deep-sea hydrothermal vents to investigate potential controls on energy demands in hydrothermal vent microbes, and to quantify their growth and maintenance energies for future bioenergetic modeling. We have investigated trends in their growth energies over their full temperature range and a range of nitrogen concentrations, and in their maintenance energies at different hydrogen concentrations. Growth energies in these organisms appear to rise with temperature, but do not vary between hyperthermophilic and thermophilic methanogens. Nitrogen availability at tested levels (40μM - 9.4 mM) does not appear to affect growth energies in all but one tested organism. In continuous chemostat culture, specific methane production varied with hydrogen availability but was similar between a thermophilic and a hyperthermophilic

  4. A Novel Type of Polyhedral Viruses Infecting Hyperthermophilic Archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ying; Ishino, Sonoko; Ishino, Yoshizumi; Pehau-Arnaudet, Gérard; Krupovic, Mart; Prangishvili, David

    2017-07-01

    Encapsidation of genetic material into polyhedral particles is one of the most common structural solutions employed by viruses infecting hosts in all three domains of life. Here, we describe a new virus of hyperthermophilic archaea, Sulfolobus polyhedral virus 1 (SPV1), which condenses its circular double-stranded DNA genome in a manner not previously observed for other known viruses. The genome complexed with virion proteins is wound up sinusoidally into a spherical coil which is surrounded by an envelope and further encased by an outer polyhedral capsid apparently composed of the 20-kDa virion protein. Lipids selectively acquired from the pool of host lipids are integral constituents of the virion. None of the major virion proteins of SPV1 show similarity to structural proteins of known viruses. However, minor structural proteins, which are predicted to mediate host recognition, are shared with other hyperthermophilic archaeal viruses infecting members of the order Sulfolobales The SPV1 genome consists of 20,222 bp and contains 45 open reading frames, only one-fifth of which could be functionally annotated. IMPORTANCE Viruses infecting hyperthermophilic archaea display a remarkable morphological diversity, often presenting architectural solutions not employed by known viruses of bacteria and eukaryotes. Here we present the isolation and characterization of Sulfolobus polyhedral virus 1, which condenses its genome into a unique spherical coil. Due to the original genomic and architectural features of SPV1, the virus should be considered a representative of a new viral family, "Portogloboviridae." Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  5. Hyperthermophilic Archaeal Viruses as Novel Nanoplatforms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Uldahl, Kristine Buch

    Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on earth, and with an estimated 1031 virus-like particles in the biosphere, viruses are virtually everywhere. Traditionally, the study of viruses has focused on their roles as infectious agents. However, over the last decades with the development...... presents an in depth investigation of the hyperthermophilic archaeal virus SMV. Decisive steps in the viral life-cycle are studied with focus on the early stages of infection. TEM observations suggest that SMV1 virions enter into host cells via a fusion entry mechanism, involving three distinct stages...

  6. Biohydrogen production from pig slurry in a CSTR reactor system with mixed cultures under hyper-thermophilic temperature (70 oC)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotsopoulos, Thomas A.; Fotidis, Ioannis A.; Tsolakis, Nikolaos; Martzopoulos, Gerassimos G.

    2009-01-01

    A continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) (750 cm 3 working volume) was operated with pig slurry under hyper-thermophilic (70 o C) temperature for hydrogen production. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 24 h and the organic loading rate was 24.9 g d -1 of volatile solid (VS). The inoculum used in the hyper-thermophilic reactor was sludge obtained from a mesophilic methanogenic reactor. The continuous feeding with active biomass (inoculum) from the mesophilic methanogenic reactor was necessary in order to achieve hydrogen production. The hyper-thermophilic reactor started to produce hydrogen after a short adapted period of 4 days. During the steady state period the mean hydrogen yield was 3.65 cm 3 g -1 of volatile solid added. The high operation temperature of the reactor enhanced the hydrolytic activity in pig slurry and increased the volatile fatty acids (VFA) production. The short HRT (24 h) and the hyper-thermophilic temperature applied in the reactor were enough to prevent methanogenesis. No pre-treatment methods or other control methods for preventing methanogenesis were necessary. Hyper-thermophilic hydrogen production was demonstrated for the first time in a CSTR system, fed with pig slurry, using mixed culture. The results indicate that this system is a promising one for biohydrogen production from pig slurry.

  7. Hyperthermophilic endoglucanase for in planta lignocellulose conversion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klose Holger

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The enzymatic conversion of lignocellulosic plant biomass into fermentable sugars is a crucial step in the sustainable and environmentally friendly production of biofuels. However, a major drawback of enzymes from mesophilic sources is their suboptimal activity under established pretreatment conditions, e.g. high temperatures, extreme pH values and high salt concentrations. Enzymes from extremophiles are better adapted to these conditions and could be produced by heterologous expression in microbes, or even directly in the plant biomass. Results Here we show that a cellulase gene (sso1354 isolated from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus can be expressed in plants, and that the recombinant enzyme is biologically active and exhibits the same properties as the wild type form. Since the enzyme is inactive under normal plant growth conditions, this potentially allows its expression in plants without negative effects on growth and development, and subsequent heat-inducible activation. Furthermore we demonstrate that the recombinant enzyme acts in high concentrations of ionic liquids and can therefore degrade α-cellulose or even complex cell wall preparations under those pretreatment conditions. Conclusion The hyperthermophilic endoglucanase SSO1354 with its unique features is an excellent tool for advanced biomass conversion. Here we demonstrate its expression in planta and the possibility for post harvest activation. Moreover the enzyme is suitable for combined pretreatment and hydrolysis applications.

  8. Understanding DNA Repair in Hyperthermophilic Archaea: Persistent Gaps and Other Reasons to Focus on the Fork

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dennis W. Grogan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Although hyperthermophilic archaea arguably have a great need for efficient DNA repair, they lack members of several DNA repair protein families broadly conserved among bacteria and eukaryotes. Conversely, the putative DNA repair genes that do occur in these archaea often do not generate the expected phenotype when deleted. The prospect that hyperthermophilic archaea have some unique strategies for coping with DNA damage and replication errors has intellectual and technological appeal, but resolving this question will require alternative coping mechanisms to be proposed and tested experimentally. This review evaluates a combination of four enigmatic properties that distinguishes the hyperthermophilic archaea from all other organisms: DNA polymerase stalling at dU, apparent lack of conventional NER, lack of MutSL homologs, and apparent essentiality of homologous recombination proteins. Hypothetical damage-coping strategies that could explain this set of properties may provide new starting points for efforts to define how archaea differ from conventional models of DNA repair and replication fidelity.

  9. Space agriculture for habitation on Mars with hyper-thermophilic aerobic composting bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanazawa, S.; Ishikawa, Y.; Tomita-Yokotani, K.; Hashimoto, H.; Kitaya, Y.; Yamashita, M.; Nagatomo, M.; Oshima, T.; Wada, H.; Space Agriculture Task Force, J.

    Manned Mars exploration requires recycle of materials to support human life A conceptual design is developed for space agriculture which is driven by the biologically regenerative function Hyper-thermophilic aerobic composting bacterial ecology is the core of materials recycling system to process human metabolic waste and inedible biomass and convert them to fertilizer for plants cultivation A photosynthetic reaction of plants will be driven by solar energy Water will be recycled by cultivation of plants and passing it through plant bodies Sub-surface water and atmospheric carbon dioxide are the natural resource available on Mars and these resources will be converted to oxygen and foods We envision that the agricultural system will be scaled up by importing materials from Martian environment Excess oxygen will be obtained from growing trees for structural and other components Minor elements including N P K and other traces will be introduced as fertilizers or nutrients into the agricultural materials circulation Nitrogen will be collected from Martian atmosphere We will assess biological fixation of nitrogen using micro-organisms responsible in Earth biosphere Hyper-thermophilic aerobic bacterial ecology is effective to convert waste materials into useful forms to plants This microbial technology has been well established on ground for processing sewage and waste materials For instance the hyper-thermophilic bacterial system is applied to a composting machine in a size of a trash box in home kitchen Since such a home electronics

  10. Inhibition of Lipid A Biosynthesis as the Primary Mechanism of CHIR-090 Antibiotic Activity in Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barb, Adam W.; McClerren, Amanda L.; Snehelatha, Karnem; Reynolds, C. Michael; Zhou, Pei; Raetz, Christian R.H.

    2009-01-01

    The deacetylation of UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxymyristoyl)-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-3-O-acyl-GlcNAc) by LpxC is the committed reaction of lipid A biosynthesis. CHIR-090, a novel N-aroyl-l-threonine hydroxamic acid, is a potent, slow, tight-binding inhibitor of the LpxC deacetylase from the hyperthermophile Aquifex aeolicus, and it has excellent antibiotic activity against P. aeruginosa and E. coli, as judged by disk diffusion assays. We now report that CHIR-090 is also a two-step slow, tight-binding inhibitor of Escherichia coli LpxC with Ki = 4.0 nM, Ki* = 0.5 nM, k5 = 1.9 min-1 and k6 = 0.18 min-1. CHIR-090 at low nM levels inhibits LpxC orthologues from diverse Gram-negative pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Neisseria meningitidis, and Helicobacter pylori. In contrast, CHIR-090 is a relatively weak competitive and conventional inhibitor (lacking slow, tight-binding kinetics) of LpxC from Rhizobium leguminosarum (Ki = 340 nM), a Gram-negative plant endosymbiont that is resistant to this compound. The KM (4.8 μM) and the kcat (1.7 s-1) of R. leguminosarum LpxC with UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxymyristoyl)-N-acetylglucosamine as the substrate are similar to values reported for E. coli LpxC. R. leguminosarum LpxC therefore provides a useful control for validating LpxC as the primary target of CHIR-090 in vivo. An E. coli construct in which the chromosomal lpxC gene is replaced by R. leguminosarum lpxC is resistant to CHIR-090 up to 100 μg/mL, or 400 times above the minimal inhibitory concentration for wild-type E. coli. Given its relatively broad spectrum and potency against diverse Gram-negative pathogens, CHIR-090 is an excellent lead for the further development of new antibiotics targeting the lipid A pathway. PMID:17335290

  11. A novel rudivirus, ARV1, of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Acidianus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vestergaard, Gisle Alberg; Häring, Monika; Peng, Xu

    2005-01-01

    Virus ARV1, the first member of the family Rudiviridae infecting hyperthermophilic archaea of the genus Acidianus, was isolated from a hot spring in Pozzuoli, Italy. The rod-shaped virions, 610 +/- 50 nm long and 22 +/- 3 nm wide, are non-enveloped and carry a helical nucleoprotein core, with thr...

  12. Structures of LeuT in bicelles define conformation and substrate binding in a membrane-like context

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Hui; Elferich, Johannes; Gouaux, Eric (Oregon HSU)

    2012-02-13

    Neurotransmitter sodium symporters (NSSs) catalyze the uptake of neurotransmitters into cells, terminating neurotransmission at chemical synapses. Consistent with the role of NSSs in the central nervous system, they are implicated in multiple diseases and disorders. LeuT, from Aquifex aeolicus, is a prokaryotic ortholog of the NSS family and has contributed to our understanding of the structure, mechanism and pharmacology of NSSs. At present, however, the functional state of LeuT in crystals grown in the presence of n-octyl-{beta}-D-glucopyranoside ({beta}-OG) and the number of substrate binding sites are controversial issues. Here we present crystal structures of LeuT grown in DMPC-CHAPSO bicelles and demonstrate that the conformations of LeuT-substrate complexes in lipid bicelles and in {beta}-OG detergent micelles are nearly identical. Furthermore, using crystals grown in bicelles and the substrate leucine or the substrate analog selenomethionine, we find only a single substrate molecule in the primary binding site.

  13. The pimeloyl-CoA synthetase BioW defines a new fold for adenylate-forming enzymes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Estrada, Paola; Manandhar, Miglena; Dong, Shi-Hui; Deveryshetty, Jaigeeth; Agarwal, Vinayak; Cronan, John E.; Nair, Satish K.

    2017-04-17

    Reactions that activate carboxylates through acyl-adenylate intermediates are found throughout biology and include acyl- and aryl-CoA synthetases and tRNA synthetases. Here we describe the characterization of Aquifex aeolicus BioW, which represents a new protein fold within the superfamily of adenylating enzymes. Substrate-bound structures identified the enzyme active site and elucidated the mechanistic strategy for conjugating CoA to the seven-carbon α,ω-dicarboxylate pimelate, a biotin precursor. Proper position of reactive groups for the two half-reactions is achieved solely through movements of active site residues, as confirmed by site-directed mutational analysis. The ability of BioW to hydrolyze adenylates of noncognate substrates is reminiscent of pre-transfer proofreading observed in some tRNA synthetases, and we show that this activity can be abolished by mutation of a single residue. These studies illustrate how BioW can carry out three different biologically prevalent chemical reactions (adenylation, thioesterification, and proofreading) in the context of a new protein fold.

  14. The Helicase Activity of Hyperthermophilic Archaeal MCM is Enhanced at High Temperatures by Lysine Methylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Yisui; Niu, Yanling; Cui, Jiamin; Fu, Yang; Chen, Xiaojiang S; Lou, Huiqiang; Cao, Qinhong

    2015-01-01

    Lysine methylation and methyltransferases are widespread in the third domain of life, archaea. Nevertheless, the effects of methylation on archaeal proteins wait to be defined. Here, we report that recombinant sisMCM, an archaeal homolog of Mcm2-7 eukaryotic replicative helicase, is methylated by aKMT4 in vitro. Mono-methylation of these lysine residues occurs coincidently in the endogenous sisMCM protein purified from the hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus islandicus cells as indicated by mass spectra. The helicase activity of mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) is stimulated by methylation, particularly at temperatures over 70°C. The methylated MCM shows optimal DNA unwinding activity after heat-treatment between 76 and 82°C, which correlates well with the typical growth temperatures of hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus. After methylation, the half life of MCM helicase is dramatically extended at 80°C. The methylated sites are located on the accessible protein surface, which might modulate the intra- and inter- molecular interactions through changing the hydrophobicity and surface charge. Furthermore, the methylation-mimic mutants of MCM show heat resistance helicase activity comparable to the methylated MCM. These data provide the biochemical evidence that posttranslational modifications such as methylation may enhance kinetic stability of proteins under the elevated growth temperatures of hyperthermophilic archaea.

  15. The activity of hyperthermophilic glycosynthases is significantly enhanced at acidic pH

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Perugino, G.; Trincone, A.; Giordano, A.; Oost, van der J.; Kaper, T.; Rossi, M.; Moracci, M.

    2003-01-01

    We have previously shown that the hyperthermophilic glycosynthase from Sulfolobus so fataricus (Ssbeta-glyE387G) can promote the synthesis of branched oligosaccharides from activated beta-glycosides, at pH 6.5, in the presence of 2 M sodium formate as an external nucleophile. In an effort to

  16. Identification of a mismatch-specific endonuclease in hyperthermophilic Archaea

    OpenAIRE

    Ishino, Sonoko; Nishi, Yuki; Oda, Soichiro; Uemori, Takashi; Sagara, Takehiro; Takatsu, Nariaki; Yamagami, Takeshi; Shirai, Tsuyoshi; Ishino, Yoshizumi

    2016-01-01

    The common mismatch repair system processed by MutS and MutL and their homologs was identified in Bacteria and Eukarya. However, no evidence of a functional MutS/L homolog has been reported for archaeal organisms, and it is not known whether the mismatch repair system is conserved in Archaea. Here, we describe an endonuclease that cleaves double-stranded DNA containing a mismatched base pair, from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. The corresponding gene revealed that the act...

  17. Accounting for horizontal gene transfers explains conflicting hypotheses regarding the position of aquificales in the phylogeny of Bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gouy Manolo

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite a large agreement between ribosomal RNA and concatenated protein phylogenies, the phylogenetic tree of the bacterial domain remains uncertain in its deepest nodes. For instance, the position of the hyperthermophilic Aquificales is debated, as their commonly observed position close to Thermotogales may proceed from horizontal gene transfers, long branch attraction or compositional biases, and may not represent vertical descent. Indeed, another view, based on the analysis of rare genomic changes, places Aquificales close to epsilon-Proteobacteria. Results To get a whole genome view of Aquifex relationships, all trees containing sequences from Aquifex in the HOGENOM database were surveyed. This study revealed that Aquifex is most often found as a neighbour to Thermotogales. Moreover, informational genes, which appeared to be less often transferred to the Aquifex lineage than non-informational genes, most often placed Aquificales close to Thermotogales. To ensure these results did not come from long branch attraction or compositional artefacts, a subset of carefully chosen proteins from a wide range of bacterial species was selected for further scrutiny. Among these genes, two phylogenetic hypotheses were found to be significantly more likely than the others: the most likely hypothesis placed Aquificales as a neighbour to Thermotogales, and the second one with epsilon-Proteobacteria. We characterized the genes that supported each of these two hypotheses, and found that differences in rates of evolution or in amino-acid compositions could not explain the presence of two incongruent phylogenetic signals in the alignment. Instead, evidence for a large Horizontal Gene Transfer between Aquificales and epsilon-Proteobacteria was found. Conclusion Methods based on concatenated informational proteins and methods based on character cladistics led to different conclusions regarding the position of Aquificales because this lineage

  18. Space agriculture for habitation on Mars with hyper-thermophilic aerobic composting bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Space Agriculture Task Force; Ishikawa, Y.; Tomita-Yokotani, K.; Hashimoto, H.; Kitaya, Y.; Yamashita, M.; Nagatomo, M.; Oshima, T.; Wada, H.

    Manned Mars exploration, especially for extended periods of time, will require recycle of materials to support human life. Here, a conceptual design is developed for a Martian agricultural system driven by biologically regenerative functions. One of the core biotechnologies function is the use of hyper-thermophilic aerobic composting bacterial ecology. These thermophilic bacteria can play an important role in increasing the effectiveness of the processing of human metabolic waste and inedible biomass and of converting them to fertilizer for the cultivation of plants. This microbial technology has been already well established for the purpose of processing sewage and waste materials for small local communities in Japan. One of the characteristics of the technology is that the metabolic heat release that occurs during bacterial fermentation raises the processing temperature sufficiently high at 80 100 °C to support hyper-thermophilic bacteria. Such a hyper-thermophilic system is found to have great capability of decomposing wastes including even their normally recalcitrant components, in a reasonably short period of time and of providing a better quality of fertilizer as an end-product. High quality compost has been shown to be a key element in creating a healthy regenerative food production system. In ground-based studies, the soil microbial ecology after the addition of high quality compost was shown to improve plant growth and promote a healthy symbiosis of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Another advantage of such high processing temperature is the ability to sterilize the pathogenic organisms through the fermentation process and thus to secure the hygienic safety of the system. Plant cultivation is one of the other major systems. It should fully utilize solar energy received on the Martian surface for supplying energy for photosynthesis. Subsurface water and atmospheric carbon dioxide mined on Mars should be also used in the plant cultivation system. Oxygen and

  19. Electrical current generation in microbial electrolysis cells by hyperthermophilic archaea Ferroglobus placidus and Geoglobus ahangari

    KAUST Repository

    Yilmazel, Yasemin D.

    2017-10-02

    Few microorganisms have been examined for current generation under thermophilic (40–65 °C) or hyperthermophilic temperatures (≥ 80 °C) in microbial electrochemical systems. Two iron-reducing archaea from the family Archaeoglobaceae, Ferroglobus placidus and Geoglobus ahangari, showed electro-active behavior leading to current generation at hyperthermophilic temperatures in single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). A current density (j) of 0.68 ± 0.11 A/m2 was attained in F. placidus MECs at 85 °C, and 0.57 ± 0.10 A/m2 in G. ahangari MECs at 80 °C, with an applied voltage of 0.7 V. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that both strains produced a sigmoidal catalytic wave, with a mid-point potential of − 0.39 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) for F. placidus and − 0.37 V for G. ahangari. The comparison of CVs using spent medium and turnover CVs, coupled with the detection of peaks at the same potentials in both turnover and non-turnover conditions, suggested that mediators were not used for electron transfer and that both archaea produced current through direct contact with the electrode. These two archaeal species, and other hyperthermophilic exoelectrogens, have the potential to broaden the applications of microbial electrochemical technologies for producing biofuels and other bioelectrochemical products under extreme environmental conditions.

  20. Electrical current generation in microbial electrolysis cells by hyperthermophilic archaea Ferroglobus placidus and Geoglobus ahangari

    KAUST Repository

    Yilmazel, Yasemin D.; Zhu, Xiuping; Kim, Kyoung-Yeol; Holmes, Dawn E.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2017-01-01

    Few microorganisms have been examined for current generation under thermophilic (40–65 °C) or hyperthermophilic temperatures (≥ 80 °C) in microbial electrochemical systems. Two iron-reducing archaea from the family Archaeoglobaceae, Ferroglobus placidus and Geoglobus ahangari, showed electro-active behavior leading to current generation at hyperthermophilic temperatures in single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). A current density (j) of 0.68 ± 0.11 A/m2 was attained in F. placidus MECs at 85 °C, and 0.57 ± 0.10 A/m2 in G. ahangari MECs at 80 °C, with an applied voltage of 0.7 V. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that both strains produced a sigmoidal catalytic wave, with a mid-point potential of − 0.39 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) for F. placidus and − 0.37 V for G. ahangari. The comparison of CVs using spent medium and turnover CVs, coupled with the detection of peaks at the same potentials in both turnover and non-turnover conditions, suggested that mediators were not used for electron transfer and that both archaea produced current through direct contact with the electrode. These two archaeal species, and other hyperthermophilic exoelectrogens, have the potential to broaden the applications of microbial electrochemical technologies for producing biofuels and other bioelectrochemical products under extreme environmental conditions.

  1. Hydrogen production by hyperthermophilic and extremely thermophilic bacteria and archaea: mechanisms for reductant disposal

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verhaart, M.R.A.; Bielen, A.A.M.; Oost, van der J.; Stams, A.J.M.; Kengen, S.W.M.

    2010-01-01

    Hydrogen produced from biomass by bacteria and archaea is an attractive renewable energy source. However, to make its application more feasible, microorganisms are needed with high hydrogen productivities. For several reasons, hyperthermophilic and extremely thermophilic bacteria and archaea are

  2. Improved oligosaccharide synthesis by protein engineering of b-glucosidase from hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus furiosus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hanson, T.; Kaper, T.; Oost, van der J.; Vos, de W.M.

    2001-01-01

    Enzymatic transglycosylation of lactose into oligosaccharides was studied using wild-type -glucosidase (CelB) and active site mutants thereof (M424K, F426Y, M424K/F426Y) and wild-type -mannosidase (BmnA) of the hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus furiosus. The effects of the mutations on kinetics, enzyme

  3. Purification, crystallization and preliminary crytallographic analysis of phosphoglucose isomerase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akerboom, A.P.; Turnbull, A.P.; Hargreaves, D.; Fischer, M.; Geus, de D.; Sedelnikova, S.E.; Berrisford, J.M.; Baker, P.J.; Verhees, C.H.; Oost, van der J.; Rice, D.W.

    2003-01-01

    The glycolytic enzyme phosphoglucose isomerase catalyses the reversible isomerization of glucose 6-phosphate to fructose 6-phosphate. The phosphoglucose isomerase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, which shows no sequence similarity to any known bacterial or eukaryotic

  4. (Hyper)thermophilic enzymes: production and purification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falcicchio, Pierpaolo; Levisson, Mark; Kengen, Servé W M; Koutsopoulos, Sotirios

    2014-01-01

    The discovery of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms, thriving at environmental temperatures near or above 100 °C, has revolutionized our ideas about the upper temperature limit at which life can exist. The characterization of (hyper)thermostable proteins has broadened our understanding and presented new opportunities for solving one of the most challenging problems in biophysics: how is structural stability and biological function maintained at high temperatures where "normal" proteins undergo dramatic structural changes? In our laboratory we have purified and studied many thermostable and hyperthermostable proteins in an attempt to determine the molecular basis of heat stability. Here, we present methods to express such proteins and enzymes in E. coli and provide a general protocol for overproduction and purification. The ability to produce enzymes that retain their stability and activity at elevated temperatures creates exciting opportunities for a wide range of biocatalytic applications.

  5. Hydrogen production by hyperthermophilic and extremely thermophilic bacteria and archaea: mechanisms for reductant disposal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verhaart, Marcel R A; Bielen, Abraham A M; van der Oost, John; Stams, Alfons J M; Kengen, Servé W M

    2010-01-01

    Hydrogen produced from biomass by bacteria and archaea is an attractive renewable energy source. However, to make its application more feasible, microorganisms are needed with high hydrogen productivities. For several reasons, hyperthermophilic and extremely thermophilic bacteria and archaea are promising is this respect. In addition to the high polysaccharide-hydrolysing capacities of many of these organisms, an important advantage is their ability to use most of the reducing equivalents (e.g. NADH, reduced ferredoxin) formed during glycolysis for the production of hydrogen, enabling H2/hexose ratios of between 3.0 and 4.0. So, despite the fact that the hydrogen-yielding reactions, especially the one from NADH, are thermodynamically unfavourable, high hydrogen yields are obtained. In this review we focus on three different mechanisms that are employed by a few model organisms, viz. Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus and Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis, Thermotoga maritima, and Pyrococcus furiosus, to efficiently produce hydrogen. In addition, recent developments to improve hydrogen production by hyperthermophilic and extremely thermophilic bacteria and archaea are discussed.

  6. Inhibition of a type III secretion system by the deletion of a short loop in one of its membrane proteins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meshcheryakov, Vladimir A. [Okinawa Instiute of Science and Technology, Okinawa 904-0495 (Japan); Kitao, Akio [University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032 (Japan); Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology, Tokyo 113-0032 (Japan); Matsunami, Hideyuki; Samatey, Fadel A., E-mail: f.a.samatey@oist.jp [Okinawa Instiute of Science and Technology, Okinawa 904-0495 (Japan)

    2013-05-01

    Crystal structures of the cytoplasmic domain of FlhB from S. typhimurium and A. aeolicus were solved at 2.45 and 2.55 Å resolution, respectively. The deletion of a short loop in the cytoplasmic domain of Salmonella FlhB completely abolishes secretion by the type III secretion system. A molecular-dynamics simulation shows that the deletion of the loop affects the flexibility of a linker between the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of FlhB. The membrane protein FlhB is a highly conserved component of the flagellar secretion system. It is composed of an N-terminal transmembrane domain and a C-terminal cytoplasmic domain (FlhB{sub C}). Here, the crystal structures of FlhB{sub C} from Salmonella typhimurium and Aquifex aeolicus are described at 2.45 and 2.55 Å resolution, respectively. These flagellar FlhB{sub C} structures are similar to those of paralogues from the needle type III secretion system, with the major difference being in a linker that connects the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of FlhB. It was found that deletion of a short flexible loop in a globular part of Salmonella FlhB{sub C} leads to complete inhibition of secretion by the flagellar secretion system. Molecular-dynamics calculations demonstrate that the linker region is the most flexible part of FlhB{sub C} and that the deletion of the loop reduces this flexibility. These results are in good agreement with previous studies showing the importance of the linker in the function of FlhB and provide new insight into the relationship between the different parts of the FlhB{sub C} molecule.

  7. The Environment Shapes the Inner Vestibule of LeuT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sohail, Azmat; Jayaraman, Kumaresan; Venkatesan, Santhoshkannan

    2016-01-01

    Human neurotransmitter transporters are found in the nervous system terminating synaptic signals by rapid removal of neurotransmitter molecules from the synaptic cleft. The homologous transporter LeuT, found in Aquifex aeolicus, was crystallized in different conformations. Here, we investigated t...... showed TM1A movements, consistent with the simulations, confirming a substantially different inward-open conformation in lipid bilayer from that inferred from the crystal structure....... the inward-open state of LeuT. We compared LeuT in membranes and micelles using molecular dynamics simulations and lanthanide-based resonance energy transfer (LRET). Simulations of micelle-solubilized LeuT revealed a stable and widely open inward-facing conformation. However, this conformation was unstable...... in a membrane environment. The helix dipole and the charged amino acid of the first transmembrane helix (TM1A) partitioned out of the hydrophobic membrane core. Free energy calculations showed that movement of TM1A by 0.30 nm was driven by a free energy difference of ~15 kJ/mol. Distance measurements by LRET...

  8. A soluble RecN homologue provides means for biochemical and genetic analysis of DNA double-strand break repair in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grove, Jane I; Wood, Stuart R; Briggs, Geoffrey S; Oldham, Neil J; Lloyd, Robert G

    2009-12-03

    RecN is a highly conserved, SMC-like protein in bacteria. It plays an important role in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks and is therefore a key factor in maintaining genome integrity. The insolubility of Escherichia coli RecN has limited efforts to unravel its function. We overcame this limitation by replacing the resident coding sequence with that of Haemophilus influenzae RecN. The heterologous construct expresses Haemophilus RecN from the SOS-inducible E. coli promoter. The hybrid gene is fully functional, promoting survival after I-SceI induced DNA breakage, gamma irradiation or exposure to mitomycin C as effectively as the native gene, indicating that the repair activity is conserved between these two species. H. influenzae RecN is quite soluble, even when expressed at high levels, and is readily purified. Its analysis by ionisation-mass spectrometry, gel filtration and glutaraldehyde crosslinking indicates that it is probably a dimer under physiological conditions, although a higher multimer cannot be excluded. The purified protein displays a weak ATPase activity that is essential for its DNA repair function in vivo. However, no DNA-binding activity was detected, which contrasts with RecN from Bacillus subtilis. RecN proteins from Aquifex aeolicus and Bacteriodes fragilis also proved soluble. Neither binds DNA, but the Aquifex RecN has weak ATPase activity. Our findings support studies indicating that RecN, and the SOS response in general, behave differently in E. coli and B. subtilis. The hybrid recN reported provides new opportunities to study the genetics and biochemistry of how RecN operates in E. coli.

  9. Purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of GTP-binding protein from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wu Hao,; Sun, L.; Brouns, S.J.J.; Fu, S.; Akerboom, A.P.; Li, X.; Oost, van der J.

    2007-01-01

    A predicted GTP-binding protein from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus, termed SsGBP, has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The purified protein was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique in the presence of 0.05 M cadmium sulfate and 0.8

  10. Genome Sequence of a Hyperthermophilic Archaeon, Thermococcus nautili 30-1, That Produces Viral Vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberto, Jacques; Gaudin, Marie; Cossu, Matteo; Gorlas, Aurore; Slesarev, Alexeï; Marguet, Evelyne; Forterre, Patrick

    2014-03-27

    Thermococcus nautili 30-1 (formerly Thermococcus nautilus), an anaerobic hyperthermophilic marine archaeon, was isolated in 1999 from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent during the Amistad campaign. Here, we present the complete sequence of T. nautili, which is able to produce membrane vesicles containing plasmid DNA. This property makes T. nautili a model organism to study horizontal gene transfer.

  11. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of an esterase with a novel domain from the hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sun, Lei; Levisson, Mark; Hendriks, Sjon; Akveld, Twan; Kengen, Serve W. M.; Dijkstra, Bauke W.; van der Oost, John

    A predicted esterase ( EstA) with an unusual new domain from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The purified protein was crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique in the presence of lithium sulfate and

  12. Bio-hydrolysis and bio-hydrogen production from food waste by thermophilic and hyperthermophilic anaerobic process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Algapani, Dalal E; Qiao, Wei; Su, Min; di Pumpo, Francesca; Wandera, Simon M; Adani, Fabrizio; Dong, Renjie

    2016-09-01

    High-temperature pretreatment plays a key role in the anaerobic digestion of food waste (FW). However, the suitable temperature is not yet determined. In this work, a long-term experiment was conducted to compare hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and hydrogen production at 55°C and 70°C, using real FW in CSTR reactors. The results obtained indicated that acidification was the rate-limiting step at both temperatures with similar process kinetics characterizations. However, the thermophilic pretreatment was more advantageous than the hyperthermophilic with suspended solids solubilization of 47.7% and 29.5% and total VFA vs. soluble COD ratio of 15.2% and 4.9%, for thermophilic and hyperthermophilic treatment, respectively, with a hydrolytic reaction time (HRT) of 10days and an OLR of 14kgCOD/m(3)d. Moreover, stable hydrogen yield (70.7ml-H2/gVSin) and content in off gas (58.6%) was achieved at HRT 5days, pH 5.5, and temperature of 55°C, as opposed to 70°C. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. "Hot cores" in proteins: Comparative analysis of the apolar contact area in structures from hyper/thermophilic and mesophilic organisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bossa Francesco

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A wide variety of stabilizing factors have been invoked so far to elucidate the structural basis of protein thermostability. These include, amongst the others, a higher number of ion-pairs interactions and hydrogen bonds, together with a better packing of hydrophobic residues. It has been frequently observed that packing of hydrophobic side chains is improved in hyperthermophilic proteins, when compared to their mesophilic counterparts. In this work, protein crystal structures from hyper/thermophilic organisms and their mesophilic homologs have been compared, in order to quantify the difference of apolar contact area and to assess the role played by the hydrophobic contacts in the stabilization of the protein core, at high temperatures. Results The construction of two datasets was carried out so as to satisfy several restrictive criteria, such as minimum redundancy, resolution and R-value thresholds and lack of any structural defect in the collected structures. This approach allowed to quantify with relatively high precision the apolar contact area between interacting residues, reducing the uncertainty due to the position of atoms in the crystal structures, the redundancy of data and the size of the dataset. To identify the common core regions of these proteins, the study was focused on segments that conserve a similar main chain conformation in the structures analyzed, excluding the intervening regions whose structure differs markedly. The results indicated that hyperthermophilic proteins underwent a significant increase of the hydrophobic contact area contributed by those residues composing the alpha-helices of the structurally conserved regions. Conclusion This study indicates the decreased flexibility of alpha-helices in proteins core as a major factor contributing to the enhanced termostability of a number of hyperthermophilic proteins. This effect, in turn, may be due to an increased number of buried methyl groups in

  14. Crystal structure of a family 16 endoglucanase from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus--structural basis of substrate recognition

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ilari, A.; Fiorillo, A.; Angelaccio, S.; Florio, R.; Chiaraluce, R.; Oost, van der J.; Consalvi, V.

    2009-01-01

    Bacterial and archaeal endo-beta-1,3-glucanases that belong to glycoside hydrolase family 16 share a beta-jelly-roll fold, but differ significantly in sequence and in substrate specificity. The crystal structure of the laminarinase (EC 3.2.1.39) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus

  15. Overexpression, purification and crystallization of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iwaki, Jun; Suzuki, Ryuichiro; Fujimoto, Zui; Momma, Mitsuru; Kuno, Atsushi; Hasegawa, Tsunemi

    2005-01-01

    Tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon A. pernix K1 was cloned, purified and crystallized. The crystals belonged to the tetragonal space group P4 3 2 1 2, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 66.1, c = 196.2 Å, and diffracted to beyond 2.15 Å resolution at 100 K. Hyperthermophilic archaeal tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from Aeropyrum pernix K1 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed protein was purified by Cibacron Blue affinity chromatography following heat treatment at 363 K. Crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction studies were obtained under optimized crystallization conditions in the presence of 1.5 M ammonium sulfate using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belonged to the tetragonal space group P4 3 2 1 2, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 66.1, c = 196.2 Å, and diffracted to beyond 2.15 Å resolution at 100 K

  16. Structure of a d-tagatose 3-epimerase-related protein from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakuraba, Haruhiko; Yoneda, Kazunari; Satomura, Takenori; Kawakami, Ryushi; Ohshima, Toshihisa

    2009-01-01

    The crystal structure of a hyperthermophilic d-tagatose 3-epimerase-related protein with a unique active-site architecture was determined. The crystal structure of a d-tagatose 3-epimerase-related protein (TM0416p) encoded by the hypothetical open reading frame TM0416 in the genome of the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima was determined at a resolution of 2.2 Å. The asymmetric unit contained two homologous subunits and a dimer was generated by twofold symmetry. The main-chain coordinates of the enzyme monomer proved to be similar to those of d-tagatose 3-epimerase from Pseudomonas cichorii and d-psicose 3-epimerase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens; however, TM0416p exhibited a unique solvent-accessible substrate-binding pocket that reflected the absence of an α-helix that covers the active-site cleft in the two aforementioned ketohexose 3-epimerases. In addition, the residues responsible for creating a hydrophobic environment around the substrate in TM0416p differ entirely from those in the other two enzymes. Collectively, these findings suggest that the substrate specificity of TM0416p is likely to differ substantially from those of other d-tagatose 3-epimerase family enzymes

  17. Diversification of Protein Cage Structure Using Circularly Permuted Subunits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azuma, Yusuke; Herger, Michael; Hilvert, Donald

    2018-01-17

    Self-assembling protein cages are useful as nanoscale molecular containers for diverse applications in biotechnology and medicine. To expand the utility of such systems, there is considerable interest in customizing the structures of natural cage-forming proteins and designing new ones. Here we report that a circularly permuted variant of lumazine synthase, a cage-forming enzyme from Aquifex aeolicus (AaLS) affords versatile building blocks for the construction of nanocompartments that can be easily produced, tailored, and diversified. The topologically altered protein, cpAaLS, self-assembles into spherical and tubular cage structures with morphologies that can be controlled by the length of the linker connecting the native termini. Moreover, cpAaLS proteins integrate into wild-type and other engineered AaLS assemblies by coproduction in Escherichia coli to form patchwork cages. This coassembly strategy enables encapsulation of guest proteins in the lumen, modification of the exterior through genetic fusion, and tuning of the size and electrostatics of the compartments. This addition to the family of AaLS cages broadens the scope of this system for further applications and highlights the utility of circular permutation as a potentially general strategy for tailoring the properties of cage-forming proteins.

  18. The C-Terminal RpoN Domain of sigma54 Forms an unpredictedHelix-Turn-Helix Motif Similar to domains of sigma70

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doucleff, Michaeleen; Malak, Lawrence T.; Pelton, Jeffrey G.; Wemmer, David E.

    2005-11-01

    The ''{delta}'' subunit of prokaryotic RNA-polymerase allows gene-specific transcription initiation. Two {sigma} families have been identified, {sigma}{sup 70} and {sigma}{sup 54}, which use distinct mechanisms to initiate transcription and share no detectable sequence homology. Although the {sigma}{sup 70}-type factors have been well characterized structurally by x-ray crystallography, no high-resolution structural information is available for the {sigma}{sup 54}-type factors. Here we present the NMR derived structure of the C-terminal domain of {sigma}{sup 54} from Aquifex aeolicus. This domain (Thr323 to Gly389), which contains the highly conserved RpoN box sequence, consists of a poorly structured N-terminal tail followed by a three-helix bundle, which is surprisingly similar to domains of the {sigma}{sup 70}-type proteins. Residues of the RpoN box, which have previously been shown to be critical for DNA binding, form the second helix of an unpredicted helix-turn-helix motif. This structure's homology with other DNA binding proteins, combined with previous biochemical data, suggest how the C-terminal domain of {sigma}{sup 54} binds to DNA.

  19. Assembling networks of microbial genomes using linear programming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holloway, Catherine; Beiko, Robert G

    2010-11-20

    Microbial genomes exhibit complex sets of genetic affinities due to lateral genetic transfer. Assessing the relative contributions of parent-to-offspring inheritance and gene sharing is a vital step in understanding the evolutionary origins and modern-day function of an organism, but recovering and showing these relationships is a challenging problem. We have developed a new approach that uses linear programming to find between-genome relationships, by treating tables of genetic affinities (here, represented by transformed BLAST e-values) as an optimization problem. Validation trials on simulated data demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach in recovering and representing vertical and lateral relationships among genomes. Application of the technique to a set comprising Aquifex aeolicus and 75 other thermophiles showed an important role for large genomes as 'hubs' in the gene sharing network, and suggested that genes are preferentially shared between organisms with similar optimal growth temperatures. We were also able to discover distinct and common genetic contributors to each sequenced representative of genus Pseudomonas. The linear programming approach we have developed can serve as an effective inference tool in its own right, and can be an efficient first step in a more-intensive phylogenomic analysis.

  20. Structural analysis of β-glucosidase mutants derived from a hyperthermophilic tetrameric structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakabayashi, Makoto; Kataoka, Misumi; Mishima, Yumiko; Maeno, Yuka; Ishikawa, Kazuhiko

    2014-01-01

    Substitutive mutations that convert a tetrameric β-glucosidase into a dimeric state lead to improvement of its crystal quality. β-Glucosidase from Pyrococcus furiosus (BGLPf) is a hyperthermophilic tetrameric enzyme which can degrade cellooligosaccharides to glucose under hyperthermophilic conditions and thus holds promise for the saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass at high temperature. Prior to the production of large amounts of this enzyme, detailed information regarding the oligomeric structure of the enzyme is required. Several crystals of BGLPf have been prepared over the past ten years, but its crystal structure had not been solved until recently. In 2011, the first crystal structure of BGLPf was solved and a model was constructed at somewhat low resolution (2.35 Å). In order to obtain more detailed structural data on BGLPf, the relationship between its tetrameric structure and the quality of the crystal was re-examined. A dimeric form of BGLPf was constructed and its crystal structure was solved at a resolution of 1.70 Å using protein-engineering methods. Furthermore, using the high-resolution crystal structural data for the dimeric form, a monomeric form of BGLPf was constructed which retained the intrinsic activity of the tetrameric form. The thermostability of BGLPf is affected by its oligomeric structure. Here, the biophysical and biochemical properties of engineered dimeric and monomeric BGLPfs are reported, which are promising prototype models to apply to the saccharification reaction. Furthermore, details regarding the oligomeric structures of BGLPf and the reasons why the mutations yielded improved crystal structures are discussed

  1. Identification of a novel amino acid racemase from a hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3 induced by D-amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawakami, Ryushi; Ohmori, Taketo; Sakuraba, Haruhiko; Ohshima, Toshihisa

    2015-08-01

    To date, there have been few reports analyzing the amino acid requirement for growth of hyperthermophilic archaea. We here found that the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3 requires Thr, Leu, Val, Phe, Tyr, Trp, His and Arg in the medium for growth, and shows slow growth in medium lacking Met or Ile. This largely corresponds to the presence, or absence, of genes related to amino acid biosynthesis in its genome, though there are exceptions. The amino acid requirements were dramatically lost by addition of D-isomers of Met, Leu, Val, allo-Ile, Phe, Tyr, Trp and Arg. Tracer analysis using (14)C-labeled D-Trp showed that D-Trp in the medium was used as a protein component in the cells, suggesting the presence of D-amino acid metabolic enzymes. Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent racemase activity toward Met, Leu and Phe was detected in crude extract of P. horikoshii and was enhanced in cells grown in the medium supplemented with D-amino acids, especially D-allo-Ile. The gene encoding the racemase was narrowed down to one open reading frame on the basis of enzyme purification from P. horikoshii cells, and the recombinant enzyme exhibited PLP-dependent racemase activity toward several amino acids, including Met, Leu and Phe, but not Pro, Asp or Glu. This is the first report showing the presence in a hyperthermophilic archaeon of a PLP-dependent amino acid racemase with broad substrate specificity that is likely responsible for utilization of D-amino acids for growth.

  2. Insights into dynamics of mobile genetic elements in hyperthermophilic environments from five new Thermococcus plasmids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mart Krupovic

    Full Text Available Mobilome of hyperthermophilic archaea dwelling in deep-sea hydrothermal vents is poorly characterized. To gain insight into genetic diversity and dynamics of mobile genetic elements in these environments we have sequenced five new plasmids from different Thermococcus strains that have been isolated from geographically remote hydrothermal vents. The plasmids were ascribed to two subfamilies, pTN2-like and pEXT9a-like. Gene content and phylogenetic analyses illuminated a robust connection between pTN2-like plasmids and Pyrococcus abyssi virus 1 (PAV1, with roughly half of the viral genome being composed of genes that have homologues in plasmids. Unexpectedly, pEXT9a-like plasmids were found to be closely related to the previously sequenced plasmid pMETVU01 from Methanocaldococcus vulcanius M7. Our data suggests that the latter observation is most compatible with an unprecedented horizontal transfer of a pEXT9a-like plasmid from Thermococcales to Methanococcales. Gene content analysis revealed that thermococcal plasmids encode Hfq-like proteins and toxin-antitoxin (TA systems of two different families, VapBC and RelBE. Notably, although abundant in archaeal genomes, to our knowledge, TA and hfq-like genes have not been previously found in archaeal plasmids or viruses. Finally, the plasmids described here might prove to be useful in developing new genetic tools for hyperthermophiles.

  3. Proteomic Insights into Sulfur Metabolism in the Hydrogen-Producing Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus onnurineus NA1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoon-Jung Moon

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 has been shown to produce H2 when using CO, formate, or starch as a growth substrate. This strain can also utilize elemental sulfur as a terminal electron acceptor for heterotrophic growth. To gain insight into sulfur metabolism, the proteome of T. onnurineus NA1 cells grown under sulfur culture conditions was quantified and compared with those grown under H2-evolving substrate culture conditions. Using label-free nano-UPLC-MSE-based comparative proteomic analysis, approximately 38.4% of the total identified proteome (589 proteins was found to be significantly up-regulated (≥1.5-fold under sulfur culture conditions. Many of these proteins were functionally associated with carbon fixation, Fe–S cluster biogenesis, ATP synthesis, sulfur reduction, protein glycosylation, protein translocation, and formate oxidation. Based on the abundances of the identified proteins in this and other genomic studies, the pathways associated with reductive sulfur metabolism, H2-metabolism, and oxidative stress defense were proposed. The results also revealed markedly lower expression levels of enzymes involved in the sulfur assimilation pathway, as well as cysteine desulfurase, under sulfur culture condition. The present results provide the first global atlas of proteome changes triggered by sulfur, and may facilitate an understanding of how hyperthermophilic archaea adapt to sulfur-rich, extreme environments.

  4. Proteomic Insights into Sulfur Metabolism in the Hydrogen-Producing Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus onnurineus NA1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moon, Yoon-Jung; Kwon, Joseph; Yun, Sung-Ho; Lim, Hye Li; Kim, Jonghyun; Kim, Soo Jung; Kang, Sung Gyun; Lee, Jung-Hyun; Kim, Seung Il; Chung, Young-Ho

    2015-01-01

    The hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 has been shown to produce H2 when using CO, formate, or starch as a growth substrate. This strain can also utilize elemental sulfur as a terminal electron acceptor for heterotrophic growth. To gain insight into sulfur metabolism, the proteome of T. onnurineus NA1 cells grown under sulfur culture conditions was quantified and compared with those grown under H2-evolving substrate culture conditions. Using label-free nano-UPLC-MSE-based comparative proteomic analysis, approximately 38.4% of the total identified proteome (589 proteins) was found to be significantly up-regulated (≥1.5-fold) under sulfur culture conditions. Many of these proteins were functionally associated with carbon fixation, Fe–S cluster biogenesis, ATP synthesis, sulfur reduction, protein glycosylation, protein translocation, and formate oxidation. Based on the abundances of the identified proteins in this and other genomic studies, the pathways associated with reductive sulfur metabolism, H2-metabolism, and oxidative stress defense were proposed. The results also revealed markedly lower expression levels of enzymes involved in the sulfur assimilation pathway, as well as cysteine desulfurase, under sulfur culture condition. The present results provide the first global atlas of proteome changes triggered by sulfur, and may facilitate an understanding of how hyperthermophilic archaea adapt to sulfur-rich, extreme environments. PMID:25915030

  5. Improving anaerobic sewage sludge digestion by implementation of a hyper-thermophilic prehydrolysis step

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lu, Jingquan; Gavala, Hariklia N.; Skiadas, Ioannis V.

    2008-01-01

    The present study focuses on a two-step process for treatment and stabilisation of primary sludge. The process consists of a hyperthermophilic hydrolysis step operated at 70 degrees C and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2 clays followed by a thermophilic (55 degrees C) anaerobic digestion step......) with and Without pre-treatment respectively) and up to 115% increase of the methane production rate. Finally it was shown that the extra energy requirements for the operation of a pre-treatment step would be covered by the energy Produced from the extra methane production and in addition there would...

  6. Alcohol dehydrogenases from thermophilic and hyperthermophilic archaea and bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radianingtyas, Helia; Wright, Phillip C

    2003-12-01

    Many studies have been undertaken to characterise alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) from thermophiles and hyperthermophiles, mainly to better understand their activities and thermostability. To date, there are 20 thermophilic archaeal and 17 thermophilic bacterial strains known to have ADHs or similar enzymes, including the hypothetical proteins. Some of these thermophiles are found to have multiple ADHs, sometimes of different types. A rigid delineation of amino acid sequences amongst currently elucidated thermophilic ADHs and similar proteins is phylogenetically apparent. All are NAD(P)-dependent, with one exception that utilises the cofactor F(420) instead. Within the NAD(P)-dependent group, the thermophilic ADHs are orderly clustered as zinc-dependent ADHs, short-chain ADHs, and iron-containing/activated ADHs. Distance matrix calculations reveal that thermophilic ADHs within one type are homologous, with those derived from a single genus often showing high similarities. Elucidation of the enzyme activity and stability, coupled with structure analysis, provides excellent information to explain the relationship between them, and thermophilic ADHs diversity.

  7. Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis Utilizes a Four-Step Pathway for NAD+ Salvage through Nicotinamide Deamination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hachisuka, Shin-Ichi; Sato, Takaaki; Atomi, Haruyuki

    2018-06-01

    Many organisms possess pathways that regenerate NAD + from its degradation products, and two pathways are known to salvage NAD + from nicotinamide (Nm). One is a four-step pathway that proceeds through deamination of Nm to nicotinic acid (Na) by Nm deamidase and phosphoribosylation to nicotinic acid mononucleotide (NaMN), followed by adenylylation and amidation. Another is a two-step pathway that does not involve deamination and directly proceeds with the phosphoribosylation of Nm to nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), followed by adenylylation. Judging from genome sequence data, the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis is supposed to utilize the four-step pathway, but the fact that the adenylyltransferase encoded by TK0067 recognizes both NMN and NaMN also raises the possibility of a two-step salvage mechanism. Here, we examined the substrate specificity of the recombinant TK1676 protein, annotated as nicotinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase. The TK1676 protein displayed significant activity toward Na and phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) and only trace activity with Nm and PRPP. We further performed genetic analyses on TK0218 (quinolinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase) and TK1650 (Nm deamidase), involved in de novo biosynthesis and four-step salvage of NAD + , respectively. The ΔTK0218 mutant cells displayed growth defects in a minimal synthetic medium, but growth was fully restored with the addition of Na or Nm. The ΔTK0218 ΔTK1650 mutant cells did not display growth in the minimal medium, and growth was restored with the addition of Na but not Nm. The enzymatic and genetic analyses strongly suggest that NAD + salvage in T. kodakarensis requires deamination of Nm and proceeds through the four-step pathway. IMPORTANCE Hyperthermophiles must constantly deal with increased degradation rates of their biomolecules due to their high growth temperatures. Here, we identified the pathway that regenerates NAD + from nicotinamide (Nm) in the

  8. Scaffold diversification enhances effectiveness of a superlibrary of hyperthermophilic proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Mahmud; Gera, Nimish; Hill, Andrew B; Rao, Balaji M

    2013-01-18

    The use of binding proteins from non-immunoglobulin scaffolds has become increasingly common in biotechnology and medicine. Typically, binders are isolated from a combinatorial library generated by mutating a single scaffold protein. In contrast, here we generated a "superlibrary" or "library-of-libraries" of 4 × 10(8) protein variants by mutagenesis of seven different hyperthermophilic proteins; six of the seven proteins have not been used as scaffolds prior to this study. Binding proteins for five different model targets were successfully isolated from this library. Binders obtained were derived from five out of the seven scaffolds. Strikingly, binders from this modestly sized superlibrary have affinities comparable or higher than those obtained from a library with 1000-fold higher sequence diversity but derived from a single stable scaffold. Thus scaffold diversification, i.e., randomization of multiple different scaffolds, is a powerful alternate strategy for combinatorial library construction.

  9. Isolation of a hyperthermophilic archaeum predicted by in situ RNA analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, R; Burggraf, S; Mayer, T; Barns, S M; Rossnagel, P; Stetter, K O

    1995-07-06

    A variety of hyperthermophilic bacteria and archaea have been isolated from high-temperature environments by plating and serial dilutions. However, these techniques allow only the small percentage of organisms able to form colonies, or those that are predominant within environmental samples, to be obtained in pure culture. Recently, in situ 16S ribosomal RNA analyses of samples from the Obsidian hot pool at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, revealed a variety of archaeal sequences, which were all different from those of previously isolated species. This suggests substantial diversity of archaea with so far unknown morphological, physiological and biochemical features, which may play an important part within high-temperature ecosystems. Here we describe a procedure to obtain pure cultures of unknown organisms harbouring specific 16S rRNA sequences identified previously within the environment. It combines visual recognition of single cells by phylogenetic staining and cloning by 'optical tweezers'. Our result validates polymerase chain reaction data on the existence of large archael communities.

  10. Deep sequencing of Salmonella RNA associated with heterologous Hfq proteins in vivo reveals small RNAs as a major target class and identifies RNA processing phenotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sittka, Alexandra; Sharma, Cynthia M; Rolle, Katarzyna; Vogel, Jörg

    2009-01-01

    The bacterial Sm-like protein, Hfq, is a key factor for the stability and function of small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) in Escherichia coli. Homologues of this protein have been predicted in many distantly related organisms yet their functional conservation as sRNA-binding proteins has not entirely been clear. To address this, we expressed in Salmonella the Hfq proteins of two eubacteria (Neisseria meningitides, Aquifex aeolicus) and an archaeon (Methanocaldococcus jannaschii), and analyzed the associated RNA by deep sequencing. This in vivo approach identified endogenous Salmonella sRNAs as a major target of the foreign Hfq proteins. New Salmonella sRNA species were also identified, and some of these accumulated specifically in the presence of a foreign Hfq protein. In addition, we observed specific RNA processing defects, e.g., suppression of precursor processing of SraH sRNA by Methanocaldococcus Hfq, or aberrant accumulation of extracytoplasmic target mRNAs of the Salmonella GcvB, MicA or RybB sRNAs. Taken together, our study provides evidence of a conserved inherent sRNA-binding property of Hfq, which may facilitate the lateral transmission of regulatory sRNAs among distantly related species. It also suggests that the expression of heterologous RNA-binding proteins combined with deep sequencing analysis of RNA ligands can be used as a molecular tool to dissect individual steps of RNA metabolism in vivo.

  11. Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis reveals the ATP-bound monomeric state of the ATPase domain from the homodimeric MutL endonuclease, a GHKL phosphotransferase superfamily protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iino, Hitoshi; Hikima, Takaaki; Nishida, Yuya; Yamamoto, Masaki; Kuramitsu, Seiki; Fukui, Kenji

    2015-05-01

    DNA mismatch repair is an excision system that removes mismatched bases chiefly generated by replication errors. In this system, MutL endonucleases direct the excision reaction to the error-containing strand of the duplex by specifically incising the newly synthesized strand. Both bacterial homodimeric and eukaryotic heterodimeric MutL proteins belong to the GHKL ATPase/kinase superfamily that comprises the N-terminal ATPase and C-terminal dimerization regions. Generally, the GHKL proteins show large ATPase cycle-dependent conformational changes, including dimerization-coupled ATP binding of the N-terminal domain. Interestingly, the ATPase domain of human PMS2, a subunit of the MutL heterodimer, binds ATP without dimerization. The monomeric ATP-bound state of the domain has been thought to be characteristic of heterodimeric GHKL proteins. In this study, we characterized the ATP-bound state of the ATPase domain from the Aquifex aeolicus MutL endonuclease, which is a homodimeric GHKL protein unlike the eukaryotic MutL. Gel filtration, dynamic light scattering, and small-angle X-ray scattering analyses clearly showed that the domain binds ATP in a monomeric form despite its homodimeric nature. This indicates that the uncoupling of dimerization and ATP binding is a common feature among bacterial and eukaryotic MutL endonucleases, which we suggest is closely related to the molecular mechanisms underlying mismatch repair.

  12. Respiration of arsenate and selenate by hyperthermophilic archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, R; Sacher, M; Vollmann, A; Huber, H; Rose, D

    2000-10-01

    A novel, strictly anaerobic, hyperthermophilic, facultative organotrophic archaeon was isolated from a hot spring at Pisciarelli Solfatara, Naples, Italy. The rod-shaped cells grew chemolithoautotrophically with carbon dioxide as carbon source, hydrogen as electron donor and arsenate, thiosulfate or elemental sulfur as electron acceptor. H2S was formed from sulfur or thiosulfate, arsenite from arsenate. Organotrophically, the new isolate grew optimally in the presence of an inorganic electron acceptor like sulfur, selenate or arsenate. Cultures, grown on arsenate and thiosulfate or arsenate and L-cysteine, precipitated realgar (As2S2). During growth on selenate, elemental selenium was produced. The G+C content of the DNA was 58.3 mol%. Due to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis combined with physiological and morphological criteria, the new isolate belongs to the Thermoproteales order. It represents a new species within the genus Pyrobaculum, the type species of which we name Pyrobaculum arsenaticum (type strain PZ6*, DSM 13514, ATCC 700994). Comparative studies with different Pyrobaculum-species showed, that Pyrobaculum aerophilum was also able to grow organotrophically under anaerobic culture conditions in the presence of arsenate, selenate and selenite. During growth on selenite, elemental selenium was formed as final product. In contrast to P. arsenaticum, P. aerophilum could use selenate or arsenate for lithoautotrophic growth with carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

  13. Physiological and molecular studies of the resistance to ionizing radiations of hyper-thermophilic archaea isolated from deep ocean hydrothermal sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jolivet, E.

    2002-10-01

    In this study, we have first tested in vivo the effect of gamma irradiation on Pyrococcus abyssi, a hyper-thermophilic archaeon, isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. We have shown that this strain was as radioresistant as P. furiosus but less than Deinococcus radiodurans. The rates of double stranded breaks provoked into DNA following irradiation were monitored by the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis technique (P.F.G.E.) with P. abyssi, P. furiosus, D. radiodurans and Escherichia coli. Results clearly showed that all these rates were similar suggesting that no specific DNA protection system exits in Pyrococcus species. The growth of P. abyssi was efficiently recovered within two hours following the exposure to 2.5 kGy of gamma irradiation. As revealed by P.F.G.E., genomic DNA of P. abyssi totally fragmented after irradiation was efficiently restored within two hours presumably by inter chromosomal homologous recombination. The DNA replication in P. abyssi cells following irradiation at 2.5 kGy was blocked for 90 minutes that corresponds to the decay for repairing damaged DNA. Moreover, following irradiation P. abyssi actively expulse damaged DNA material before DNA replication resumes, preventing the amplification of genetic mutations. We have also showed that at least a subset cf P. abyssi DNA repair and replication proteins, such as RadA, RPA-41 and RFC-S. were constitutively expressed in chromatin bound forms in stationary phase cells. Our results were in agreement with the view that P. abyssi contains a very efficient DNA repair system, which is continuously ready to counteract the DNA damaged caused by the high temperature and/or ionizing radiation. For the first time, three novel hyper-thermophilic archaea species from deep-sea hydrothermal vents more radioresistant than P. abyssi were isolated and characterized, after 'y-irradiation exposures of some enrichment cultures. Thermococcus marinus, Thermococcus radiophilus and Thermococcus gammafolerans

  14. A Novel Process Configuration for Anaerobic Digestion of Source-Sorted Household Waste Using Hyper-Thermophilic Post-Treatment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hartmann, H.; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær

    2005-01-01

    A novel reactor configuration was investigated for anaerobic digestion (AD) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). An anaerobic hyper-thermophilic (68°C) reactor R68 was implemented as a post–treatment step for the effluent of a thermophilic reactor R1 (55°C) in order to enhance...... hydrolysis of recalcitrant organic matter, improve sanitation and ease the stripping of ammonia from the reactor. The efficiency of the combined system was studied in terms of methane yield, volatile solids (VS) reduction and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production at different hydraulic retention times (HRT...

  15. TM0416, a Hyperthermophilic Promiscuous Nonphosphorylated Sugar Isomerase, Catalyzes Various C5 and C6 Epimerization Reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Sun-Mi; Cao, Thinh-Phat; Choi, Jin Myung; Kim, Seong-Bo; Lee, Sang-Jae; Lee, Sung Haeng; Lee, Dong-Woo

    2017-05-15

    There is currently little information on nonphosphorylated sugar epimerases, which are of potential interest for producing rare sugars. We found a gene (the TM0416 gene) encoding a putative d-tagatose-3-epimerase-related protein from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima We overexpressed the TM0416 gene in Escherichia coli and purified the resulting recombinant protein for detailed characterization. Amino acid sequence alignment and a structural similarity search revealed that TM0416 is a putative nonphosphorylated sugar epimerase. The recombinant enzyme exhibited maximal C-3 epimerization of l-ribulose to l-xylulose at ∼80°C and pH 7 in the presence of 1 mM Mn 2+ In addition, this enzyme showed unusually high activity for the epimerization of d-tagatose to d-sorbose, with a conversion yield of 20% after 6 h at 80°C. Remarkably, the enzyme catalyzed the isomerization of d-erythrose or d-threose to d-erythrulose significantly, with conversion yields of 71% and 54.5%, respectively, after 6 h at 80°C at pH 7. To further investigate the substrate specificity of TM0416, we determined its crystal structures in complex with divalent metal ions and l-erythrulose at resolutions of 1.5 and 1.6 Å. Detailed inspection of the structural features and biochemical data clearly demonstrated that this metalloenzyme, with a freely accessible substrate-binding site and neighboring hydrophobic residues, exhibits different and promiscuous substrate preferences, compared with its mesophilic counterparts. Therefore, this study suggests that TM0416 can be functionally classified as a novel type of l-ribulose 3-epimerase (R3E) with d-erythrose isomerase activity. IMPORTANCE Rare sugars, which occur naturally in small amounts, have attracted considerable attention in the food and drug industries. However, there is little information on nonphosphorylated sugar epimerases, which might potentially be applied for the production of rare sugars. This study describes the

  16. A new thermophilic nitrilase from an antarctic hyperthermophilic microorganism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geraldine V. Dennett

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Several environmental samples from Antarctica were collected and enriched to search for microorganisms with nitrilase activity. A new thermostable nitrilase from a novel hyperthermophilic archaea Pyrococcus sp. M24D13 was purified and characterized. The activity of this enzyme increased as the temperatures rise from 70 up to 85 °C. Its optimal activity occurred at 85 °C and pH 7.5. This new enzyme shows a remarkable resistance to thermal inactivation retaining more than 50% of its activity even after 8 h of incubation at 85 °C.In addition, this nitrilase is highly versatile demonstrating activity towards different substrates such as benzonitrile (60 mM, aromatic nitrile and butyronitrile (60 mM, aliphatic nitrile, with a specific activity of 3286.7 U mg-1 of protein and 4008.2 U mg-1 of protein respectively. Moreover the enzyme NitM24D13 also presents cyanidase activity.The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km and Vmáx of this Nitrilase for benzonitrile were 0.3 mM and 333.3 µM min-1, respectively, and the specificity constant (kcat/Km for benzonitrile was 2.05×105 s-1 M-1.

  17. Fiscal 1999 R and D project report on intellectual base creation and use technology. Development of the efficient expression system of proteins. Part 1 (Development of the system for hyperthermophilic proteins); 1999 nendo kokoritsu tanpakushitsu hatsugen system no kaihatsu gyomu seika hokokusho. 1. Chokonetsukin yurai tanpakushitsu wo kokoritsu ni hatsugensuru system no kaihatsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-03-01

    R and D were made on the efficient expression system of hyperthermophilic proteins. Hyperthermophilic strains living in the limited tropical zone of the earth can produce heat- resistant enzyme group with activity even at more than 90 degrees C. To utilize the effective information obtained from analysis of these genomes for industries, the base arrangement of all genomes of P.horikoshii OT3 has been opened. For the efficient expression of hyperthermophilic proteins in Escherichia coli, enzyme PhFEN was improved. For Bacillus strains, new host strains were screened. Expression of several genes from hyperthermophile, P.horikoshii OT3 was tried to be expressed in T.thermophilus using expression vector pTEV131. 8 genes were selected to be expressed using T.thermophilus as a host for independent insertion of every gene. 7 genes except the gene encoding DNA polymerase I were introduced into T.thermophilus as expression plasmid, and 5 genes were also expressed active oxygen. This R and D can largely contribute to development of genome informatics technology based on DNA analysis data. (NEDO)

  18. Hydrogen production by the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima Part II: modeling and experimental approaches for hydrogen production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auria, Richard; Boileau, Céline; Davidson, Sylvain; Casalot, Laurence; Christen, Pierre; Liebgott, Pierre Pol; Combet-Blanc, Yannick

    2016-01-01

    Thermotoga maritima is a hyperthermophilic bacterium known to produce hydrogen from a large variety of substrates. The aim of the present study is to propose a mathematical model incorporating kinetics of growth, consumption of substrates, product formations, and inhibition by hydrogen in order to predict hydrogen production depending on defined culture conditions. Our mathematical model, incorporating data concerning growth, substrates, and products, was developed to predict hydrogen production from batch fermentations of the hyperthermophilic bacterium, T. maritima . It includes the inhibition by hydrogen and the liquid-to-gas mass transfer of H 2 , CO 2 , and H 2 S. Most kinetic parameters of the model were obtained from batch experiments without any fitting. The mathematical model is adequate for glucose, yeast extract, and thiosulfate concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 20 mmol/L, 0.2-0.5 g/L, or 0.01-0.06 mmol/L, respectively, corresponding to one of these compounds being the growth-limiting factor of T. maritima . When glucose, yeast extract, and thiosulfate concentrations are all higher than these ranges, the model overestimates all the variables. In the window of the model validity, predictions of the model show that the combination of both variables (increase in limiting factor concentration and in inlet gas stream) leads up to a twofold increase of the maximum H 2 -specific productivity with the lowest inhibition. A mathematical model predicting H 2 production in T. maritima was successfully designed and confirmed in this study. However, it shows the limit of validity of such mathematical models. Their limit of applicability must take into account the range of validity in which the parameters were established.

  19. Metagenomics of Kamchatkan hot spring filaments reveal two new major (hyper)thermophilic lineages related to Thaumarchaeota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eme, Laura; Reigstad, Laila J; Spang, Anja; Lanzén, Anders; Weinmaier, Thomas; Rattei, Thomas; Schleper, Christa; Brochier-Armanet, Céline

    2013-06-01

    Based on phylogenetic analyses and gene distribution patterns of a few complete genomes, a new distinct phylum within the Archaea, the Thaumarchaeota, has recently been proposed. Here we present analyses of six archaeal fosmid sequences derived from a microbial hot spring community in Kamchatka. The phylogenetic analysis of informational components (ribosomal RNAs and proteins) reveals two major (hyper-)thermophilic clades ("Hot Thaumarchaeota-related Clade" 1 and 2, HTC1 and HTC2) related to Thaumarchaeota, representing either deep branches of this phylum or a new archaeal phylum and provides information regarding the ancient evolution of Archaea and their evolutionary links with Eukaryotes. Copyright © 2013 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Structural and genomic properties of the hyperthermophilic archaeal virus ATV with an extracellular stage of the reproductive cycle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prangishvili, David; Vestergaard, Gisle Alberg; Häring, Monika

    2006-01-01

    A novel virus, ATV, of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Acidianus has the unique property of undergoing a major morphological development outside of, and independently of, the host cell. Virions are extruded from host cells as lemon-shaped tail-less particles, after which they develop long...... tails at each pointed end, at temperatures close to that of the natural habitat, 85 degrees C. The extracellularly developed tails constitute tubes, which terminate in an anchor-like structure that is not observed in the tail-less particles. A thin filament is located within the tube, which exhibits...... can be interrupted by different stress factors....

  1. An Integrative Genomic Island Affects the Adaptations of Piezophilic Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus yayanosii to High Temperature and High Hydrostatic Pressure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhen Li

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments are characterized by high hydrostatic pressure and sharp temperature and chemical gradients. Horizontal gene transfer is thought to play an important role in the microbial adaptation to such an extreme environment. In this study, a 21.4-kb DNA fragment was identified as a genomic island, designated PYG1, in the genomic sequence of the piezophilic hyperthermophile Pyrococcus yayanosii. According to the sequence alignment and functional annotation, the genes in PYG1 could tentatively be divided into five modules, with functions related to mobility, DNA repair, metabolic processes and the toxin-antitoxin system. Integrase can mediate the site-specific integration and excision of PYG1 in the chromosome of P. yayanosii A1. Gene replacement of PYG1 with a SimR cassette was successful. The growth of the mutant strain ∆PYG1 was compared with its parent strain P. yayanosii A2 under various stress conditions, including different pH, salinity, temperature and hydrostatic pressure. The ∆PYG1 mutant strain showed reduced growth when grown at 100 °C, while the biomass of ∆PYG1 increased significantly when cultured at 80 MPa. Differential expression of the genes in module Ⅲ of PYG1 was observed under different temperature and pressure conditions. This study demonstrates the first example of an archaeal integrative genomic island that could affect the adaptation of the hyperthermophilic piezophile P. yayanosii to high temperature and high hydrostatic pressure.

  2. Membrane homeoviscous adaptation in the piezo-hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus barophilus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anaïs eCario

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The archaeon Thermococcus barophilus, one of the most extreme members of hyperthermophilic piezophiles known thus far, is able to grow at temperatures up to 103°C and pressures up to 80MPa. We analyzed the membrane lipids of T. barophilus by HPLC-MS as a function of pressure and temperature. In contrast to previous reports, we show that under optimal growth conditions (40 MPa, 85°C the membrane spanning tetraether lipid GDGT-0 (sometimes called caldarchaeol is a major membrane lipid of T. barophilus together with archaeol. Increasing pressure and decreasing temperature lead to an increase of the proportion of archaeol and, reversely, a higher proportion of GDGT-0 is observed under low pressure and high temperature conditions. Noticeably, pressure and temperature fluctuations also impact the level of unsaturation of non-polar lipids with an irregular polyisoprenoid carbon skeleton (polyunsaturated lycopane derivatives, suggesting a structural role for these neutral lipids in the membrane of T. barophilus. Whether these apolar lipids insert in the membrane or not remains to be addressed. However, our results raise questions about the structure of the membrane in this archaeon and other archaeon harboring a mixture of di- and tetraether lipids.

  3. AFV1, a novel virus infecting hyperthermophilic archaea of the genus acidianus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bettstetter, Marcus; Peng Xu; Garrett, Roger A.; Prangishvili, David

    2003-01-01

    We describe a novel virus, AFV1, of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Acidianus. Filamentous virions are covered with a lipid envelope and contain at least five different proteins with molecular masses in the range of 23-130 kDa and a 20.8-kb-long linear double-stranded DNA. The virus has been assigned to the family Lipothrixviridae on the basis of morphotypic characteristics. Host range is confined to several strains of Acidianus and the virus persists in its hosts in a stable carrier state. The latent period of virus infection is about 4 h. Viral DNA was sequenced and sequence similarities were found to the lipothrixvirus SIFV, the rudiviruses SIRV1 and SIRV2, as well as to conjugative plasmids and chromosomes of the genus Sulfolobus. Exceptionally for the linear genomes of archaeal viruses, many short direct repeats, with the sequence TTGTT or close variants thereof, are closely clustered over 300 bp at each end of the genome. They are reminiscent of the telomeric ends of linear eukaryal chromosomes

  4. Deletion of the topoisomerase III gene in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus results in slow growth and defects in cell cycle control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Xiyang; Guo, Li; Deng, Ling

    2011-01-01

    Topoisomerase III (topo III), a type IA topoisomerase, is widespread in hyperthermophilic archaea. In order to interrogate the in vivo role of archaeal topo III, we constructed and characterized a topo III gene deletion mutant of Sulfolobus islandicus. The mutant was viable but grew more slowly...... results suggest that the enzyme may serve roles in chromosomal segregation and control of the level of supercoiling in the cell....

  5. Identification of a mismatch-specific endonuclease in hyperthermophilic Archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishino, Sonoko; Nishi, Yuki; Oda, Soichiro; Uemori, Takashi; Sagara, Takehiro; Takatsu, Nariaki; Yamagami, Takeshi; Shirai, Tsuyoshi; Ishino, Yoshizumi

    2016-04-20

    The common mismatch repair system processed by MutS and MutL and their homologs was identified in Bacteria and Eukarya. However, no evidence of a functional MutS/L homolog has been reported for archaeal organisms, and it is not known whether the mismatch repair system is conserved in Archaea. Here, we describe an endonuclease that cleaves double-stranded DNA containing a mismatched base pair, from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus The corresponding gene revealed that the activity originates from PF0012, and we named this enzyme Endonuclease MS (EndoMS) as the mismatch-specific Endonuclease. The sequence similarity suggested that EndoMS is the ortholog of NucS isolated from Pyrococcus abyssi, published previously. Biochemical characterizations of the EndoMS homolog from Thermococcus kodakarensis clearly showed that EndoMS specifically cleaves both strands of double-stranded DNA into 5'-protruding forms, with the mismatched base pair in the central position. EndoMS cleaves G/T, G/G, T/T, T/C and A/G mismatches, with a more preference for G/T, G/G and T/T, but has very little or no effect on C/C, A/C and A/A mismatches. The discovery of this endonuclease suggests the existence of a novel mismatch repair process, initiated by the double-strand break generated by the EndoMS endonuclease, in Archaea and some Bacteria. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  6. Fiscal 1999 achievement report on research and development project on intellectual infrastructure creation and utilization technologies. Development of efficient protein expression system (Development of efficient protein expression system utilizing protein folding mechanism of hyperthermophilic bacteria); 1999 nendo kokoritsu tanpakushitsu hatsugen system no kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Chokonetsukin no tanpakushitsu oritatami kiko wo riyoshita kokoritsu tanpakushitsu hatsugen system no kaihatsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-03-01

    Efforts were exerted to achieve efficient expression of proteins of hyperthermophilic bacteria, hyperthermophilic archaeabacteria in particular, using a heterogene expression system in which Escherichia coli was the host. In an effort to search for genes related to protein folding and to elucidate the mechanism of folding, chaperonin and prefoldin subunit genes, out of various factors participating in protein folding in hyperthermophilic archaeabacteria, were cloned, and expressed in Escherichia coli. As a system for analyzing protein folding reaction, an experimental system was established on a substrate comprising isopropyl malate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, glucose dehydrogenase, and a green fluorescent protein. Studies were further conducted to elucidate the mechanism of expression of enzyme genes in Escherichia coli for the establishment of a mass production method for useful enzymes. Also carried out was the research and development of an element technology evaluation system involving protein expression. (NEDO)

  7. A virus of hyperthermophilic archaea with a unique architecture among DNA viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rensen, Elena Ilka; Mochizuki, Tomohiro; Quemin, Emmanuelle; Schouten, Stefan; Krupovic, Mart; Prangishvili, David

    2016-03-01

    Viruses package their genetic material in diverse ways. Most known strategies include encapsulation of nucleic acids into spherical or filamentous virions with icosahedral or helical symmetry, respectively. Filamentous viruses with dsDNA genomes are currently associated exclusively with Archaea. Here, we describe a filamentous hyperthermophilic archaeal virus, Pyrobaculum filamentous virus 1 (PFV1), with a type of virion organization not previously observed in DNA viruses. The PFV1 virion, 400 ± 20 × 32 ± 3 nm, contains an envelope and an inner core consisting of two structural units: a rod-shaped helical nucleocapsid formed of two 14-kDa major virion proteins and a nucleocapsid-encompassing protein sheath composed of a single major virion protein of 18 kDa. The virion organization of PFV1 is superficially similar to that of negative-sense RNA viruses of the family Filoviridae, including Ebola virus and Marburg virus. The linear dsDNA of PFV1 carries 17,714 bp, including 60-bp-long terminal inverted repeats, and contains 39 predicted ORFs, most of which do not show similarities to sequences in public databases. PFV1 is a lytic virus that completely disrupts the host cell membrane at the end of the infection cycle.

  8. Aromatic claw: A new fold with high aromatic content that evades structural prediction: Aromatic Claw

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sachleben, Joseph R. [Biomolecular NMR Core Facility, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois; Adhikari, Aashish N. [Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois; Gawlak, Grzegorz [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois; Hoey, Robert J. [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois; Liu, Gaohua [Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium (NESG), Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Arts and Sciences, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway New Jersey; Joachimiak, Andrzej [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois; Biological Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne Illinois; Montelione, Gaetano T. [Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium (NESG), Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Arts and Sciences, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway New Jersey; Sosnick, Tobin R. [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois; Koide, Shohei [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and the Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York New York

    2016-11-10

    We determined the NMR structure of a highly aromatic (13%) protein of unknown function, Aq1974 from Aquifex aeolicus (PDB ID: 5SYQ). The unusual sequence of this protein has a tryptophan content five times the normal (six tryptophan residues of 114 or 5.2% while the average tryptophan content is 1.0%) with the tryptophans occurring in a WXW motif. It has no detectable sequence homology with known protein structures. Although its NMR spectrum suggested that the protein was rich in β-sheet, upon resonance assignment and solution structure determination, the protein was found to be primarily α-helical with a small two-stranded β-sheet with a novel fold that we have termed an Aromatic Claw. As this fold was previously unknown and the sequence unique, we submitted the sequence to CASP10 as a target for blind structural prediction. At the end of the competition, the sequence was classified a hard template based model; the structural relationship between the template and the experimental structure was small and the predictions all failed to predict the structure. CSRosetta was found to predict the secondary structure and its packing; however, it was found that there was little correlation between CSRosetta score and the RMSD between the CSRosetta structure and the NMR determined one. This work demonstrates that even in relatively small proteins, we do not yet have the capacity to accurately predict the fold for all primary sequences. The experimental discovery of new folds helps guide the improvement of structural prediction methods.

  9. Elucidating the transcription cycle of the UV-inducible hyperthermophilic archaeal virus SSV1 by DNA microarrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Froels, Sabrina; Gordon, Paul M.K.; Panlilio, Mayi Arcellana; Schleper, Christa; Sensen, Christoph W.

    2007-01-01

    The spindle-shaped Sulfolobus virus SSV1 was the first of a series of unusual and uniquely shaped viruses isolated from hyperthermophilic Archaea. Using whole-genome microarrays we show here that the circular 15.5 kb DNA genome of SSV1 exhibits a chronological regulation of its transcription upon UV irradiation, reminiscent to the life cycles of bacteriophages and eukaryotic viruses. The transcriptional cycle starts with a small UV-specific transcript and continues with early transcripts on both its flanks. The late transcripts appear after the onset of viral replication and are extended to their full lengths towards the end of the approximately 8.5 h cycle. While we detected only small differences in genome-wide analysis of the host Sulfolobus solfataricus comparing infected versus uninfected strains, we found a marked difference with respect to the strength and speed of the general UV response of the host. Models for the regulation of the virus cycle, and putative functions of genes in SSV1 are presented

  10. Activation and thermostabilization effects of cyclic 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate on enzymes from the hyperthermophilic Methanopyrus kandleri.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shima, S; Hérault, D A; Berkessel, A; Thauer, R K

    1998-11-01

    Enzymes involved in methane formation from carbon dioxide and dihydrogen in Methanopyrus kandleri require high concentrations (> 1 M) of lyotropic salts such as K2HPO4/KH2PO4 or (NH4)2SO4 for activity and for thermostability. The requirement correlates with high intracellular concentrations of cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (cDPG; approximately 1 M) in this hyperthermophilic organism. We report here on the effects of potassium cDPG on the activity and thermostability of the two methanogenic enzymes cyclohydrolase and formyltransferase and show that at cDPG concentrations prevailing in the cells the investigated enzymes are highly active and completely thermostable. At molar concentrations also the potassium salts of phosphate and of 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate, the biosynthetic precursor of cDPG, were found to confer activity and thermostability to the enzymes. Thermodynamic arguments are discussed as to why cDPG, rather than these salts, is present in high concentrations in the cells of Mp. kandleri.

  11. Domain-swapping of mesophilic xylanase with hyper-thermophilic glucanase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Liangwei

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Domain fusion is limited at enzyme one terminus. The issue was explored by swapping a mesophilic Aspergillus niger GH11 xylanase (Xyn with a hyper-thermophilic Thermotoga maritima glucanase (Glu to construct two chimeras, Xyn-Glu and Glu-Xyn, with an intention to create thermostable xylanase containing glucanase activity. Results When expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3, the two chimeras exhibited bi-functional activities of xylanase and glucanase. The Xyn-Glu Xyn moiety had optimal reaction temperature (Topt at 50 °C and thermal in-activation half-life (t1/2 at 50 °C for 47.6 min, compared to 47 °C and 17.6 min for the Xyn. The Glu-Xyn Xyn moiety had equivalent Topt to and shorter t1/2 (5.2 min than the Xyn. Both chimera Glu moieties were more thermostable than the Glu, and the three enzyme Topt values were higher than 96 °C. The Glu-Xyn Glu moiety optimal pH was 5.8, compared to 3.8 for the Xyn-Glu Glu moiety and the Glu. Both chimera two moieties cooperated with each other in degrading substrates. Conclusions Domain-swapping created different effects on each moiety properties. Fusing the Glu domain at C-terminus increased the xylanase thermostability, but fusing the Glu domain at N-terminus decreased the xylanase thermostability. Fusing the Xyn domain at either terminus increased the glucanase thermostability, and fusing the Xyn domain at C-terminus shifted the glucanase pH property 2 units higher towards alkaline environments. Fusing a domain at C-terminus contributes more to enzyme catalytic activity; whereas, fusing a bigger domain at N-terminus disturbs enzyme substrate binding affinity.

  12. A synthetic arabinose-inducible promoter confers high levels of recombinant protein expression in hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peng, Nan; Deng, Ling; Mei, Yuxia

    2012-01-01

    Despite major progresses in genetic studies of hyperthermophilic archaea, recombinant protein production in these organisms always suffers from low yields and a robust expression system is still in great demand. Here we report a versatile vector that confers high levels of protein expression...... to remove the peptide tags from expressed recombinant proteins. While pEXA employed an araS promoter for protein expression, pSeSD utilized P(araS-SD), an araS derivative promoter carrying an engineered ribosome-binding site (RBS; a Shine-Dalgarno [SD] sequence). We found that P(araS-SD) directed high...... levels of target gene expression. More strikingly, N-terminal amino acid sequencing of recombinant proteins unraveled that the protein synthesized from pEXA-N-lacS lacked the designed 6×His tag and that translation initiation did not start at the ATG codon of the fusion gene. Instead, it started...

  13. Structure of a D-tagatose 3-epimerase-related protein from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakuraba, Haruhiko; Yoneda, Kazunari; Satomura, Takenori; Kawakami, Ryushi; Ohshima, Toshihisa

    2009-03-01

    The crystal structure of a D-tagatose 3-epimerase-related protein (TM0416p) encoded by the hypothetical open reading frame TM0416 in the genome of the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima was determined at a resolution of 2.2 A. The asymmetric unit contained two homologous subunits and a dimer was generated by twofold symmetry. The main-chain coordinates of the enzyme monomer proved to be similar to those of D-tagatose 3-epimerase from Pseudomonas cichorii and D-psicose 3-epimerase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens; however, TM0416p exhibited a unique solvent-accessible substrate-binding pocket that reflected the absence of an alpha-helix that covers the active-site cleft in the two aforementioned ketohexose 3-epimerases. In addition, the residues responsible for creating a hydrophobic environment around the substrate in TM0416p differ entirely from those in the other two enzymes. Collectively, these findings suggest that the substrate specificity of TM0416p is likely to differ substantially from those of other D-tagatose 3-epimerase family enzymes.

  14. Cloning and Characterization of an Alpha-amylase Gene from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus Thioreducens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernhardsdotter, Eva C. M. J.; Pusey, Marc L.; Ng, Joseph D.; Garriott, Owen K.

    2004-01-01

    The gene encoding an extracellular a-amylase, TTA, from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus thioreducens was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Primary structural analysis revealed high similarity with other a-amylases from the Thermococcus and Pyrococcus genera, as well as the four highly conserved regions typical for a-amylases. The 1374 bp gene encodes a protein of 457 amino acids, of which 435 constitute the mature protein preceded by a 22 amino acid signal peptide. The molecular weight of the purified recombinant enzyme was estimated to be 43 kDa by denaturing gel electrophoresis. Maximal enzymatic activity of recombinant TTA was observed at 90 C and pH 5.5 in the absence of exogenous Ca(2+), and the enzyme was considerably stable even after incubation at 90 C for 2 hours. The thermostability at 90 and 102 C was enhanced in the presence of 5 mM Ca(2+). The extraordinarily high specific activity (about 7.4 x 10(exp 3) U/mg protein at 90 C, pH 5.5 with soluble starch as substrate) together with its low pH optimum makes this enzyme an interesting candidate for starch processing applications.

  15. Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a nucleoside kinase from the hyperthermophile Methanocaldococcus jannaschii

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnfors, Linda; Hansen, Thomas; Meining, Winfried; Schönheit, Peter; Ladenstein, Rudolf

    2005-01-01

    Nucleoside kinase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon M. jannaschii is a member of the PFK-B family which belongs to the ribokinase superfamily. Here, its expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis are described. Methanocaldococcus jannaschii nucleoside kinase (MjNK) is an ATP-dependent non-allosteric phosphotransferase that shows high catalytic activity for guanosine, inosine and cytidine. MjNK is a member of the phosphofructokinase B family, but participates in the biosynthesis of nucleoside monophosphates rather than in glycolysis. MjNK was crystallized as the apoenzyme as well as in complex with an ATP analogue and Mg 2+ . The latter crystal form was also soaked with fructose-6-phosphate. Synchrotron-radiation data were collected to 1.70 Å for the apoenzyme crystals and 1.93 Å for the complex crystals. All crystals exhibit orthorhombic symmetry; however, the apoenzyme crystals contain one monomer per asymmetric unit whereas the complex crystals contain a dimer

  16. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of an esterase with a novel domain from the hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Lei [Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 10, 6703 HB Wageningen (Netherlands); Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen (Netherlands); Levisson, Mark; Hendriks, Sjon; Akveld, Twan; Kengen, Servé W. M. [Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 10, 6703 HB Wageningen (Netherlands); Dijkstra, Bauke W. [Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen (Netherlands); Oost, John van der, E-mail: john.vanderoost@wur.nl [Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 10, 6703 HB Wageningen (Netherlands)

    2007-09-01

    A thermostable esterase (EstA) from Thermotoga maritima was cloned and purified. Crystals of EstA and its selenomethionine derivative were grown and diffract to beyond 2.6 Å resolution at 100 K using synchrotron radiation. A predicted esterase (EstA) with an unusual new domain from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The purified protein was crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique in the presence of lithium sulfate and polyethylene glycol 8000. Selenomethionine-substituted EstA crystals were obtained under the same conditions and three different-wavelength data sets were collected to 2.6 Å resolution. The crystal belongs to space group H32, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 130.2, c = 306.2 Å. There are two molecules in the asymmetric unit, with a V{sub M} of 2.9 Å{sup 3} Da{sup −1} and 58% solvent content.

  17. Pyrobaculum calidifontis sp. nov., a novel hyperthermophilic archaeon that grows in atmospheric air

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taku Amo

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel, facultatively aerobic, heterotrophic hyperthermophilic archaeon was isolated from a terrestrial hot spring in the Philippines. Cells of the new isolate, strain VA1, were rod-shaped with a length of 1.5 to 10 μm and a width of 0.5 to 1.0 μm. Isolate VA1 grew optimally at 90 to 95 °C and pH 7.0 under atmospheric air. Oxygen served as a final electron acceptor under aerobic growth conditions, and vigorous shaking of the medium significantly enhanced growth. Elemental sulfur inhibited cell growth under aerobic growth conditions, whereas thiosulfate stimulated cell growth. Under anaerobic growth conditions, nitrate served as a final electron acceptor, but nitrite or sulfur-containing compounds such as elemental sulfur, thiosulfate, sulfate and sulfite could not act as final electron acceptors. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 51 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequences indicated that strain VA1 exhibited close relationships to species of the genus Pyrobaculum. A DNA–DNA hybridization study revealed a low level of similarity (≤ 18% between strain VA1 and previously described members of the genus Pyrobaculum. Physiological characteristics also indicated that strain VA1 was distinct from these Pyrobaculum species. Our results indicate that isolate VA1 represents a novel species, named Pyrobaculum calidifontis.

  18. Fiscal 2000 achievement report on project for research and development of technologies for intelligent infrastructure creation and utilization. 'Development of high-efficiency protein expression system - 1 Development of system capable of high-efficiency expression of hyperthermophile-derived protein'; 2000 nendo chiteki kiban sose riyo gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu gyomu seika hokokusho. Kokoritsu tanpakushitsu hatsugen system no kaihatsu -1 (Cho konetsukin yurai tanpakushitsu wo kokoritsu ni hatsugen suru system no kaihatsu)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-03-01

    Research and development was conducted aiming at the establishment of a system to enable the high-efficiency expression of the gene products of P. horikoshii OT3 and A. pernix K1. In an effort to develop a high-efficiency protein expression system with Escherichia coli acting as the host, studies were made about the expression of hyperthermophile protein by arginine rare codon elimination, and Ph FEN (flap endonuclease) was successfully overexpressed. In the development of Bacillus strains, screening was conducted for novel hosts, and a library was constructed for a screening task suitable for hyperthermophile-derived protein production. A system was also constructed capable of the high-throughput expression of various kinds of genes using Bacillus brevis. In the study of the expression of hyperthermophile-derived genes using T. thermophilus, promoter replacement resulted in an approximately 2-fold increase in representation at the maximum. Moreover, studies were made about the length at which foreign genes were efficiently incorporated into the T. thermophilus genome. (NEDO)

  19. Continuous Hydrogen Production from Agricultural Wastewaters at Thermophilic and Hyperthermophilic Temperatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Lucas Rodrigues; Silva, Edson Luiz

    2017-06-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) (8 to 0.5 h) and temperature (55 to 75 °C) in two anaerobic fluidized bed reactors (AFBR) using cheese whey (AFBR-CW = 10,000 mg sugars L -1 ) and vinasse (AFBR-V = 10,000 mg COD L -1 ) as substrates. Decreasing the HRT to 0.5 h increased the hydrogen production rates in both reactors, with maximum values of 5.36 ± 0.81 L H 2 h -1 L -1 in AFBR-CW and 0.71 ± 0.16 L H 2 h -1 L -1 in AFBR-V. The optimal conditions for hydrogen production were the HRT of 4 h and temperature of 65 °C in AFBR-CW, observing maximum hydrogen yield (HY) of 5.51 ± 0.37 mmol H 2 g COD -1 . Still, the maximum HY in AFBR-V was 1.64 ± 0.22 mmol H 2 g COD -1 at 4 h and 55 °C. However, increasing the temperature to 75 °C reduced the hydrogen production in both reactors. Methanol and butyric, acetic, and lactic acids were the main metabolites at temperatures of 55 and 65 °C, favoring the butyric and acetic metabolic pathways of hydrogen production. The increased productions of lactate, propionate, and methanol at 75 °C indicate that the hydrogen-producing bacteria in the thermophilic inoculum were inhibited under hyperthermophilic conditions.

  20. Mesophilic and hyperthermophilic adenylate kinases differ in their tolerance to random fragmentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segall-Shapiro, Thomas H; Nguyen, Peter Q; Dos Santos, Edgardo D; Subedi, Saurav; Judd, Justin; Suh, Junghae; Silberg, Jonathan J

    2011-02-11

    The extent to which thermostability influences the location of protein fragmentation sites that allow retention of function is not known. To evaluate this, we used a novel transposase-based approach to create libraries of vectors that express structurally-related fragments of Bacillus subtilis adenylate kinase (BsAK) and Thermotoga neapolitana adenylate kinase (TnAK) with identical modifications at their termini, and we selected for variants in each library that complement the growth of Escherichia coli with a temperature-sensitive adenylate kinase (AK). Mutants created using the hyperthermophilic TnAK were found to support growth with a higher frequency (44%) than those generated from the mesophilic BsAK (6%), and selected TnAK mutants complemented E. coli growth more strongly than homologous BsAK variants. Sequencing of functional clones from each library also identified a greater dispersion of fragmentation sites within TnAK. Nondisruptive fission sites were observed within the AMP binding and core domains of both AK homologs. However, only TnAK contained sites within the lid domain, which undergoes dynamic fluctuations that are critical for catalysis. These findings implicate the flexible lid domain as having an increased sensitivity to fission events at physiological temperatures. In addition, they provide evidence that comparisons of nondisruptive fission sites in homologous proteins could be useful for finding dynamic regions whose conformational fluctuations are important for function, and they show that the discovery of protein fragments that cooperatively function in mesophiles can be aided by the use of thermophilic enzymes as starting points for protein design. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The complete genome sequence of hyperthermophile Dictyoglomus turgidum DSM 6724™ reveals a specialized carbohydrate fermentor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phillip Brumm

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Here we report the complete genome sequence of the chemoorganotrophic, extremely thermophilic bacterium, Dictyoglomus turgidum, which is a Gram negative, strictly anaerobic bacterium. D. turgidum and D. thermophilum together form the Dictyoglomi phylum. The two Dictyoglomus genomes are highly syntenic, and both are distantly related to Caldicellulosiruptor spp. D. turgidum is able to grow on a wide variety of polysaccharide substrates due to significant genomic commitment to glycosyl hydrolases, sixteen of which were cloned and expressed in our study. The GH5, GH10 and GH42 enzymes characterized in this study suggest that D. turgidum can utilize most plant-based polysaccharides except crystalline cellulose. The DNA polymerase I enzyme was also expressed and characterized. The pure enzyme showed improved amplification of long PCR targets compared to Taq polymerase. The genome contains a full complement of DNA modifying enzymes, and an unusually high copy number (4 of a new, ancestral family of polB type nucleotidyltransferases designated as MNT (minimal nucleotidyltransferases. Considering its optimal growth at 72ºC, D. turgidum has an anomalously low G+C content of 39.9% that may account for the presence of reverse gyrase, usually associated with hyperthermophiles.

  2. Molecular Studies of Filamentous and Biofilm-Forming Hyperthermophilic Communities in Yellowstone National Park

    Science.gov (United States)

    Summons, R. E.; Meyer-Dombard, D. R.; Bradley, A. S.; Dibbell, A. K.; Fredricks, H. F.; Hinrichs, K.; Jahnke, L. L.; Shock, E.; Amend, J. P.

    2005-12-01

    The Aquificales, the most deeply-branching order of Bacteria in the phylogenetic tree of life, comprises eight recognized thermophilic genera, including Aquifex, Hydrogenobacter, and Thermocrinis. The common metabolism for these Bacteria, when grown in culture, is the oxidation of hydrogen with molecular oxygen (Knallgas reaction). Aquificales have been identified by molecular techniques (16S rRNA gene surveys, fluorescent in situ hybridization) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), sea vent chimneys and fluids, and many other terrestrial and marine locations. In situ, Aquificales can reside as biofilms on vent sinters but they also commonly form filamentous communities, otherwise known as pink streamers, which attach to solid substrates. Initial 16S rRNA gene surveys conducted on streamer communities from Octopus Spring YNP indicated that these were low diversity ecosystems dominated by a few phylotypes including Thermocrinis sp., Thermotoga sp. and one other bacterial clade (Reysenbach et al 1994). Archaea were notable for their absence. In one of the first geobiological studies of pink streamers and vent biofilms in Yellowstone National Park, Jahnke and coworkers (2001) used classical lipidological techniques to compare Aquificales cultures with environmental samples to show that YNP pink filaments were more phylogenetically diverse and physiologically more complex than the early genomic studies indicated. The presence of archaeol, the range and structures of other lipids and a wide dispersion in the carbon isotopic signatures of biomass and individual lipids (-15 to -27%) showed that Archaea were present in pink filament communities and that there was, at least, one additional bacterial group besides the dominant Aquificales component. New molecular studies that comprise analyses of 16S rRNA genes and total lipid extracts by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry and chemical degradation with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry now show that Crenarchaea

  3. Palaeococcus helgesonii sp. nov., a facultatively anaerobic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a geothermal well on Vulcano Island, Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amend, Jan P; Meyer-Dombard, D'Arcy R; Sheth, Seema N; Zolotova, Natalya; Amend, Andrea C

    2003-06-01

    A novel, hyperthermophilic archaeon was isolated from a shallow geothermal well that taps marine waters on the Island of Vulcano in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. The cells were irregular cocci, 0.6-1.5 microm in diameter, with multiple polar flagella. Growth was observed at temperatures from 45 to 85 degrees C (optimum at approximately 80 degrees C), pH 5-8 (optimum at 6.5), and 0.5-6.0% NaCl (optimum at approximately 2.8%). The minimum doubling time was 50 min. The isolate was obligately chemoheterotrophic, utilizing complex organic compounds including yeast or beef extract, peptone, tryptone, or casein for best growth. The presence of elemental sulfur enhanced growth. The isolate grew anaerobically as well as microaerobically. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 42.5 mol%. The 16S rRNA sequence indicated that the new isolate was a member of the Thermococcales within the euryarchaeota, representing the second species in the genus Palaeococcus. Its physiology and phylogeny differed in several key characteristics from those of Palaeococcus ferrophilus, justifying the establishment of a new species; the name Palaeococcus helgesonii sp. nov. is proposed, type strain PI1 (DSM 15127).

  4. Random mutagenesis of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus using in vitro mariner transposition and natural transformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guschinskaya, Natalia; Brunel, Romain; Tourte, Maxime; Lipscomb, Gina L; Adams, Michael W W; Oger, Philippe; Charpentier, Xavier

    2016-11-08

    Transposition mutagenesis is a powerful tool to identify the function of genes, reveal essential genes and generally to unravel the genetic basis of living organisms. However, transposon-mediated mutagenesis has only been successfully applied to a limited number of archaeal species and has never been reported in Thermococcales. Here, we report random insertion mutagenesis in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. The strategy takes advantage of the natural transformability of derivatives of the P. furiosus COM1 strain and of in vitro Mariner-based transposition. A transposon bearing a genetic marker is randomly transposed in vitro in genomic DNA that is then used for natural transformation of P. furiosus. A small-scale transposition reaction routinely generates several hundred and up to two thousands transformants. Southern analysis and sequencing showed that the obtained mutants contain a single and random genomic insertion. Polyploidy has been reported in Thermococcales and P. furiosus is suspected of being polyploid. Yet, about half of the mutants obtained on the first selection are homozygous for the transposon insertion. Two rounds of isolation on selective medium were sufficient to obtain gene conversion in initially heterozygous mutants. This transposition mutagenesis strategy will greatly facilitate functional exploration of the Thermococcales genomes.

  5. Role of the σ54 Activator Interacting Domain in Bacterial Transcription Initiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Siegel, Alexander R. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Wemmer, David E. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2016-10-11

    Bacterial sigma factors are subunits of RNA polymerase that direct the holoenzyme to specific sets of promoters in the genome and are a central element of regulating transcription. Most polymerase holoenzymes open the promoter and initiate transcription rapidly after binding. However, polymerase containing the members of the σ54 family must be acted on by a transcriptional activator before DNA opening and initiation occur. A key domain in these transcriptional activators forms a hexameric AAA + ATPase that acts through conformational changes brought on by ATP hydrolysis. Contacts between the transcriptional activator and σ54 are primarily made through an N-terminal σ54 activator interacting domain (AID). To better understand this mechanism of bacterial transcription initiation, we characterized the σ54 AID by NMR spectroscopy and other biophysical methods and show that it is an intrinsically disordered domain in σ54 alone. In this paper, we identified a minimal construct of the Aquifex aeolicus σ54 AID that consists of two predicted helices and retains native-like binding affinity for the transcriptional activator NtrC1. Using the NtrC1 ATPase domain, bound with the non-hydrolyzable ATP analog ADP-beryllium fluoride, we studied the NtrC1–σ54 AID complex using NMR spectroscopy. We show that the σ54 AID becomes structured after associating with the core loops of the transcriptional activators in their ATP state and that the primary site of the interaction is the first predicted helix. Finally, understanding this complex, formed as the first step toward initiation, will help unravel the mechanism of σ54 bacterial transcription initiation.

  6. Isolation and characterization of the first xylanolytic hyperthermophilic euryarchaeon Thermococcus sp. strain 2319x1 and its unusual multidomain glycosidase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergey N Gavrilov

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Enzymes from (hyperthermophiles Thermozymes offer a great potential for biotechnological applications. Thermophilic adaptation does not only provide stability towards high temperature but is also often accompanied by a higher resistance to other harsh physicochemical conditions, which are also frequently employed in industrial processes, such as the presence of e.g. denaturing agents as well as low or high pH of the medium. In order to find new thermostable, xylan degrading hydrolases with potential for biotechnological application we used an in situ enrichment strategy incubating Hungate tubes with xylan as the energy substrate in a hot vent located in the tidal zone of Kunashir Island (Kuril archipelago. Using this approach a hyperthermophilic euryarchaeon, designated Thermococcus sp. strain 2319x1, growing on xylan as sole energy and carbon source was isolated. The organism grows optimally at 85°C and pH 7.0 on a variety of natural polysaccharides including xylan, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC, amorphous cellulose (AMC, xyloglucan, and chitin. The protein fraction extracted from the cells surface with Twin 80 exhibited endoxylanase, endoglucanase and xyloglucanase activities. The genome of Thermococcus sp. strain 2319x1 was sequenced and assembled into one circular chromosome. Within the newly sequenced genome, a gene, encoding a novel type of glycosidase (143 kDa with a unique five-domain structure, was identified. It consists of three glycoside hydrolase (GH domains and two carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM with the domain order GH5-12-12-CBM2-2 (N- to C-terminal direction. The full length protein, as well as truncated versions, were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and their activity was analyzed. The full length multidomain glycosidase (MDG was able to hydrolyze various polysaccharides, with the highest activity for barley β-glucan (β-1,3/1,4-glucoside, followed by that for carboxymethyl cellulose (β-1,4-glucoside

  7. Stability of the 'L12 stalk' in ribosomes from mesophilic and (hyper)thermophilic Archaea and Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shcherbakov, D; Dontsova, M; Tribus, M; Garber, M; Piendl, W

    2006-01-01

    The ribosomal stalk complex, consisting of one molecule of L10 and four or six molecules of L12, is attached to 23S rRNA via protein L10. This complex forms the so-called 'L12 stalk' on the 50S ribosomal subunit. Ribosomal protein L11 binds to the same region of 23S rRNA and is located at the base of the 'L12 stalk'. The 'L12 stalk' plays a key role in the interaction of the ribosome with translation factors. In this study stalk complexes from mesophilic and (hyper)thermophilic species of the archaeal genus Methanococcus and from the Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus, as well as from the Bacteria Escherichia coli, Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Thermus thermophilus, were overproduced in E.coli and purified under non-denaturing conditions. Using filter-binding assays the affinities of the archaeal and bacterial complexes to their specific 23S rRNA target site were analyzed at different pH, ionic strength and temperature. Affinities of both archaeal and bacterial complexes for 23S rRNA vary by more than two orders of magnitude, correlating very well with the growth temperatures of the organisms. A cooperative effect of binding to 23S rRNA of protein L11 and the L10/L12(4) complex from mesophilic and thermophilic Archaea was shown to be temperature-dependent.

  8. Influence of C-terminal tail deletion on structure and stability of hyperthermophile Sulfolobus tokodaii RNase HI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lin; Zhang, Ji-Long; Zheng, Qing-Chuan; Chu, Wen-Ting; Xue, Qiao; Zhang, Hong-Xing; Sun, Chia-Chung

    2013-06-01

    The C-terminus tail (G144-T149) of the hyperthermophile Sulfolobus tokodaii (Sto-RNase HI) plays an important role in this protein's hyperstabilization and may therefore be a good protein stability tag. Detailed understanding of the structural and dynamic effects of C-terminus tail deletion is required for gaining insights into the thermal stability mechanism of Sto-RNase HI. Focused on Sulfolobus tokodaii RNase HI (Sto-RNase HI) and its derivative lacking the C-terminal tail (ΔC6 Sto-RNase HI) (PDB codes: 2EHG and 3ALY), we applied molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at four different temperatures (300, 375, 475, and 500 K) to examine the effect of the C-terminal tail on the hyperstabilization of Sto-RNase HI and to investigate the unfolding process of Sto-RNase HI and ΔC6 Sto-RNase HI. The simulations suggest that the C-terminal tail has significant impact in hyperstabilization of Sto-RNase HI and the unfolding of these two proteins evolves along dissimilar pathways. Essential dynamics analysis indicates that the essential subspaces of the two proteins at different temperatures are non-overlapping within the trajectories and they exhibit different directions of motion. Our work can give important information to understand the three-state folding mechanism of Sto-RNase HI and to offer alternative strategies to improve the protein stability.

  9. Thermodesulfobacterium geofontis sp. nov., a hyperthermophilic, sulfate-reducing bacterium isolated from Obsidian Pool, Yellowstone National Park.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton-Brehm, Scott D; Gibson, Robert A; Green, Stefan J; Hopmans, Ellen C; Schouten, Stefan; van der Meer, Marcel T J; Shields, John P; Damsté, Jaap S S; Elkins, James G

    2013-03-01

    A novel sulfate-reducing bacterium designated OPF15(T) was isolated from Obsidian Pool, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The phylogeny of 16S rRNA and functional genes (dsrAB) placed the organism within the family Thermodesulfobacteriaceae. The organism displayed hyperthermophilic temperature requirements for growth with a range of 70-90 °C and an optimum of 83 °C. Optimal pH was around 6.5-7.0 and the organism required the presence of H2 or formate as an electron donor and CO2 as a carbon source. Electron acceptors supporting growth included sulfate, thiosulfate, and elemental sulfur. Lactate, acetate, pyruvate, benzoate, oleic acid, and ethanol did not serve as electron donors. Membrane lipid analysis revealed diacyl glycerols and acyl/ether glycerols which ranged from C14:0 to C20:0. Alkyl chains present in acyl/ether and diether glycerol lipids ranged from C16:0 to C18:0. Straight, iso- and anteiso-configurations were found for all lipid types. The presence of OPF15(T) was also shown to increase cellulose consumption during co-cultivation with Caldicellulosiruptor obsidiansis, a fermentative, cellulolytic extreme thermophile isolated from the same environment. On the basis of phylogenetic, phenotypic, and structural analyses, Thermodesulfobacterium geofontis sp. nov. is proposed as a new species with OPF15(T) representing the type strain.

  10. A proposal to rename the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus woesei as Pyrococcus furiosus subsp. woesei

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wirojne Kanoksilapatham

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Pyrococcus species are hyperthermophilic members of the order Thermococcales, with optimal growth temperatures approaching 100 °C. All species grow heterotrophically and produce H2 or, in the presence of elemental sulfur (S°, H2S. Pyrococcus woesei and P. furiosus were isolated from marine sediments at the same Vulcano Island beach site and share many morphological and physiological characteristics. We report here that the rDNA operons of these strains have identical sequences, including their intergenic spacer regions and part of the 23S rRNA. Both species grow rapidly and produce H2 in the presence of 0.1% maltose and 10–100 µM sodium tungstate in S°-free medium. However,P. woesei shows more extensive autolysis than P. furiosus in the stationary phase. Pyrococcusfuriosus and P. woesei share three closely related families of insertion sequences (ISs. A Southern blot performed with IS probes showed extensive colinearity between the genomes of P. woesei and P. furiosus. Cloning and sequencing of ISs that were in different contexts in P. woesei and P. furiosus revealed that the napA gene in P. woesei is disrupted by a type III IS element, whereas in P. furiosus, this gene is intact. A type I IS element, closely linked to the napA gene, was observed in the same context in both P. furiosus and P. woesei genomes. Our results suggest that the IS elements are implicated in genomic rearrangements and reshuffling in these closely related strains. We propose to rename P. woesei a subspecies of P. furiosus based on their identical rDNA operon sequences, many common IS elements that are shared genomic markers, and the observation that all P. woesei nucleotide sequences deposited in GenBank to date are > 99% identical to P. furiosus sequences.

  11. A proposal to rename the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus woesei as Pyrococcus furiosus subsp. woesei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanoksilapatham, Wirojne; González, Juan M; Maeder, Dennis L; DiRuggiero, Jocelyne; Robb, Frank T

    2004-10-01

    Pyrococcus species are hyperthermophilic members of the order Thermococcales, with optimal growth temperatures approaching 100 degrees C. All species grow heterotrophically and produce H2 or, in the presence of elemental sulfur (S(o)), H2S. Pyrococcus woesei and P. furiosus were isolated from marine sediments at the same Vulcano Island beach site and share many morphological and physiological characteristics. We report here that the rDNA operons of these strains have identical sequences, including their intergenic spacer regions and part of the 23S rRNA. Both species grow rapidly and produce H2 in the presence of 0.1% maltose and 10-100 microM sodium tungstate in S(o)-free medium. However, P. woesei shows more extensive autolysis than P. furiosus in the stationary phase. Pyrococcus furiosus and P. woesei share three closely related families of insertion sequences (ISs). A Southern blot performed with IS probes showed extensive colinearity between the genomes of P. woesei and P. furiosus. Cloning and sequencing of ISs that were in different contexts in P. woesei and P. furiosus revealed that the napA gene in P. woesei is disrupted by a type III IS element, whereas in P. furiosus, this gene is intact. A type I IS element, closely linked to the napA gene, was observed in the same context in both P. furiosus and P. woesei genomes. Our results suggest that the IS elements are implicated in genomic rearrangements and reshuffling in these closely related strains. We propose to rename P. woesei a subspecies of P. furiosus based on their identical rDNA operon sequences, many common IS elements that are shared genomic markers, and the observation that all P. woesei nucleotide sequences deposited in GenBank to date are > 99% identical to P. furiosus sequences.

  12. Unusual Starch Degradation Pathway via Cyclodextrins in the Hyperthermophilic Sulfate-Reducing Archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus Strain 7324▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labes, Antje; Schönheit, Peter

    2007-01-01

    The hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus strain 7324 has been shown to grow on starch and sulfate and thus represents the first sulfate reducer able to degrade polymeric sugars. The enzymes involved in starch degradation to glucose 6-phosphate were studied. In extracts of starch-grown cells the activities of the classical starch degradation enzymes, α-amylase and amylopullulanase, could not be detected. Instead, evidence is presented here that A. fulgidus utilizes an unusual pathway of starch degradation involving cyclodextrins as intermediates. The pathway comprises the combined action of an extracellular cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) converting starch to cyclodextrins and the intracellular conversion of cyclodextrins to glucose 6-phosphate via cyclodextrinase (CDase), maltodextrin phosphorylase (Mal-P), and phosphoglucomutase (PGM). These enzymes, which are all induced after growth on starch, were characterized. CGTase catalyzed the conversion of starch to mainly β-cyclodextrin. The gene encoding CGTase was cloned and sequenced and showed highest similarity to a glucanotransferase from Thermococcus litoralis. After transport of the cyclodextrins into the cell by a transport system to be defined, these molecules are linearized via a CDase, catalyzing exclusively the ring opening of the cyclodextrins to the respective maltooligodextrins. These are degraded by a Mal-P to glucose 1-phosphate. Finally, PGM catalyzes the conversion of glucose 1-phosphate to glucose 6-phosphate, which is further degraded to pyruvate via the modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway. PMID:17921308

  13. Morphology and genome organization of the virus PSV of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genera Pyrobaculum and Thermoproteus: a novel virus family, the Globuloviridae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Häring, Monika; Peng, Xu; Brügger, Kim; Rachel, Reinhard; Stetter, Karl O; Garrett, Roger A; Prangishvili, David

    2004-06-01

    A novel virus, termed Pyrobaculum spherical virus (PSV), is described that infects anaerobic hyperthermophilic archaea of the genera Pyrobaculum and Thermoproteus. Spherical enveloped virions, about 100 nm in diameter, contain a major multimeric 33-kDa protein and host-derived lipids. A viral envelope encases a superhelical nucleoprotein core containing linear double-stranded DNA. The PSV infection cycle does not cause lysis of host cells. The viral genome was sequenced and contains 28337 bp. The genome is unique for known archaeal viruses in that none of the genes, including that encoding the major structural protein, show any significant sequence matches to genes in public sequence databases. Exceptionally for an archaeal double-stranded DNA virus, almost all the recognizable genes are located on one DNA strand. The ends of the genome consist of 190-bp inverted repeats that contain multiple copies of short direct repeats. The two DNA strands are probably covalently linked at their termini. On the basis of the unusual morphological and genomic properties of this DNA virus, we propose to assign PSV to a new viral family, the Globuloviridae.

  14. Improving the Thermostability and Optimal Temperature of a Lipase from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus by Covalent Immobilization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberta V. Branco

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A recombinant thermostable lipase (Pf2001Δ60 from the hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus (PFUL was immobilized by hydrophobic interaction on octyl-agarose (octyl PFUL and by covalent bond on aldehyde activated-agarose in the presence of DTT at pH = 7.0 (one-point covalent attachment (glyoxyl-DTT PFUL and on glyoxyl-agarose at pH 10.2 (multipoint covalent attachment (glyoxyl PFUL. The enzyme’s properties, such as optimal temperature and pH, thermostability, and selectivity, were improved by covalent immobilization. The highest enzyme stability at 70°C for 48 h incubation was achieved for glyoxyl PFUL (around 82% of residual activity, whereas glyoxyl-DTT PFUL maintained around 69% activity, followed by octyl PFUL (27% remaining activity. Immobilization on glyoxyl-agarose improved the optimal temperature to 90°C, while the optimal temperature of octyl PFUL was 70°C. Also, very significant changes in activity with different substrates were found. In general, the covalent bond derivatives were more active than octyl PFUL. The E value also depended substantially on the derivative and the conditions used. It was observed that the reaction of glyoxyl-DTT PFUL using methyl mandelate as a substrate at pH 7 presented the best results for enantioselectivity E=22 and enantiomeric excess (ee (% = 91.

  15. Heterologous Production of an Energy-Conserving Carbon Monoxide Dehydrogenase Complex in the Hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerrit Jan Schut

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Carbon monoxide (CO is an important intermediate in anaerobic carbon fixation pathways in acetogenesis and methanogenesis. In addition, some anaerobes can utilize CO as an energy source. In the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus onnurineus, which grows optimally at 80°C, CO oxidation and energy conservation is accomplished by a respiratory complex encoded by a 16-gene cluster containing a carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, a membrane-bound [NiFe]-hydrogenase and a Na+/H+ antiporter module. This complex oxidizes CO, evolves CO2 and H2, and generates a Na+ motive force that is used to conserve energy by a Na+-dependent ATP synthase. Herein we used a bacterial artificial chromosome to insert the 13.2 kb gene cluster encoding the CO-oxidizing respiratory complex of T. onnurineus into the genome of the heterotrophic archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus, which grows optimally at 100°C. P. furiosus is normally unable to utilize CO, however, the recombinant strain readily oxidized CO and generated H2 at 80°C. Moreover, CO also served as an energy source and allowed the P. furiosus strain to grow with a limiting concentration of sugar or with peptides as the carbon source. Moreover, CO oxidation by P. furiosus was also coupled to the re-utilization, presumably for biosynthesis, of acetate generated by fermentation. The functional transfer of CO utilization between Thermococcus and Pyrococcus species demonstrated herein is representative of the horizontal gene transfer of an environmentally-relevant metabolic capability. The transfer of CO utilizing, hydrogen-producing genetic modules also has applications for biohydrogen production and a CO-based industrial platform for various thermophilic organisms.

  16. Overexpression, purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of a hyperthermophilic adenylosuccinate synthetase from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Xiaoying; Akasaka, Ryogo; Takemoto, Chie; Morita, Satoshi; Yamaguchi, Machiko; Terada, Takaho; Shirozu, Mikako; Yokoyama, Shigeyuki; Chen, Shilin; Si, Shuyi; Xie, Yong

    2011-01-01

    A hyperthermophilic adenylosuccinate synthetase from P. horikoshii OT3, which is 90–120 amino acids shorter than those from the vast majority of organisms, was expressed, purified and crystallized and X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.5 Å resolution. Adenylosuccinate synthetase (AdSS) is a ubiquitous enzyme that catalyzes the first committed step in the conversion of inosine monophosphate (IMP) to adenosine monophosphate (AMP) in the purine-biosynthetic pathway. Although AdSS from the vast majority of organisms is 430–457 amino acids in length, AdSS sequences isolated from thermophilic archaea are 90–120 amino acids shorter. In this study, crystallographic studies of a short AdSS sequence from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 (PhAdSS) were performed in order to reveal the unusual structure of AdSS from thermophilic archaea. Crystals of PhAdSS were obtained by the microbatch-under-oil method and X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.50 Å resolution. The crystal belonged to the trigonal space group P3 2 12, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 57.2, c = 107.9 Å. There was one molecule per asymmetric unit, giving a Matthews coefficient of 2.17 Å 3 Da −1 and an approximate solvent content of 43%. In contrast, the results of native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and analytical ultracentrifugation showed that the recombinant PhAdSS formed a dimer in solution

  17. Thermococcus sulfurophilus sp. nov., a New Hyperthermophilic, Sulfur-Reducing Archaeon Isolated from Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pikuta, Elena V.; Hoover, Richard B.; Whitman, William B.; Marsic, Damien; Garriott, Owen; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    A new hyperthermophilic, anaerobic, sulfur-reducing, organo-heterotrophic archaeon, strain OGL-20P, was isolated from "black smoker" chimney material at the Rainbow hydrothermal vent site in the Atlantic Ocean (36.2 N; 33.9 W). The cells of strain OGL-20P have irregular coccoid shape and are motile with a single flagellum. Growth occurs within pH range of 5.5-8.2 (optimal at pH 7.0-7.2), salinity range of 1-5% NaCl (optimal concentration 3% NaCl wt/vol), and temperature range of +55 C to +94 C (optimal growth at +83 C to +85 C). Strain OGL-20P is resistant to freezing (at -20 C). New isolate is strictly anaerobic with sulfur-type of respiration. A limited number of compounds are utilized as electron donors, including peptone, becto-tryptone, casamino-acids, and yeast extract but does not grow with separate amino acids. Sulfur and Iron can be used as electron acceptors; but not sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate or nitrate. Strain OGL-20P is resistant to chloramphenicol, kanamycin, and gentamycin. Growth of str. OGL20P is inhibited by tetracyclin but not by Na2MoO4. The G+C content of DNA is 57.2 mol%. The 16S ribosomal RNA sequence analysis allows one to classify strain OGL-20P as a representative of a now species of Thermococcus genus. The name Thermococcus sulfurophilus op. nov., was suggested for the new isolate, type strain OGL-20P (sup T) (= ATCC BAA_394 (sup T) = DSM...(supT)).

  18. Composition of Hydrothermal Vent Microbial Communities as Revealed by Analyses of Signature Lipids, Stable Carbon Isotopes and Aquificales Cultures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahnke, Linda L.; Edger, Wolfgang; Huber, Robert; Hinrichs, Kai-Uwe; Hayes, John M.; DesMarais, David J.; Cady, Sherry; Hope, Janet M.; Summons, Roger E.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    Extremely thermophilic microbial communities associated with the siliceous vent walls and outflow channel of Octopus Spring, Yellowstone National Park, have been examined for lipid biomarkers and carbon isotopic signatures. These data were compared with that obtained from representatives of three Aquificales genera. Thermocrinis ruber. "Thermocrinis sp. HI", Hydrogenobacter thermophilus TK-6, Aquifex pyrophilus and Aquifex aeolicus all contained phospholipids composed not only of the usual ester-linked fatty acids, but also ether-linked alkyls. The fatty acids of all cultured organisms were dominated by a very distinct pattern of n-C-20:1 and cy-C-21 compounds. The alkyl glycerol ethers were present primarily as CIS() monoethers with the expection of the Aquifex spp. in which dialkyl glycerol ethers with a boarder carbon-number distribution were also present. These Aquificales biomarker lipids were the major constituents in the lipid extracts of the Octopus Spring microbial samples. Two natural samples, a microbial biofilm growing in association with deposition of amorphous silica on the vent walls at 92 C, and the well-known 'pink-streamers community' (PSC), siliceous filaments of a microbial consortia growing in the upper outflow channel at 87 C were analyzed. Both the biofilm and PSC samples contained mono and dialkyl glycerol ethers with a prevalence of C-18 and C-20 alkyls. Phospholipid fatty acids were comprised of both the characteristic Aquificales n-C-20:1 and cy-C-21, and in addition, a series of iso-branched fatty acids from i-C-15:0 to i-C-21:0, With i-C-17:0 dominant in the PSC and i-C-19:0 in the biofilm, suggesting the presence of two major bacterial groups. Bacteriohopanepolyols were absent and the minute quantities of archaeol detected showed that Archaea were only minor constituents. Carbon isotopic compositions of the PSC yielded information about community structure and likely physiology. Biomass was C-13-depleted (10.9%) relative to available

  19. Biochemical, transcriptional and translational evidences of the phenol-meta-degradation pathway by the hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus solfataricus 98/2.

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    Alexia Comte

    Full Text Available Phenol is a widespread pollutant and a model molecule to study the biodegradation of monoaromatic compounds. After a first oxidation step leading to catechol in mesophilic and thermophilic microorganisms, two main routes have been identified depending on the cleavage of the aromatic ring: ortho involving a catechol 1,2 dioxygenase (C12D and meta involving a catechol 2,3 dioxygenase (C23D. Our work aimed at elucidating the phenol-degradation pathway in the hyperthermophilic archaea Sulfolobus solfataricus 98/2. For this purpose, the strain was cultivated in a fermentor under different substrate and oxygenation conditions. Indeed, reducing dissolved-oxygen concentration allowed slowing down phenol catabolism (specific growth and phenol-consumption rates dropped 55% and 39%, respectively and thus, evidencing intermediate accumulations in the broth. HPLC/Diode Array Detector and LC-MS analyses on culture samples at low dissolved-oxygen concentration (DOC  =  0.06 mg x L(-1 suggested, apart for catechol, the presence of 2-hydroxymuconic acid, 4-oxalocrotonate and 4-hydroxy-2-oxovalerate, three intermediates of the meta route. RT-PCR analysis on oxygenase-coding genes of S. solfataricus 98/2 showed that the gene coding for the C23D was expressed only on phenol. In 2D-DIGE/MALDI-TOF analysis, the C23D was found and identified only on phenol. This set of results allowed us concluding that S. solfataricus 98/2 degrade phenol through the meta route.

  20. Thermococcus prieurii sp. nov., a hyperthermophilic archaeon isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorlas, Aurore; Alain, Karine; Bienvenu, Nadège; Geslin, Claire

    2013-08-01

    A novel hyperthermophilic, anaerobic archaeon, strain Bio-pl-0405IT2(T), was isolated from a hydrothermal chimney sample collected from the East Pacific Rise at 2700 m depth in the 'Sarah Spring' area (7° 25' 24" S 107° 47' 66" W). Cells were irregular, motile cocci (0.8-1.5 µm in diameter) and divided by constriction. Growth was observed at temperatures between 60 °C and 95 °C with an optimum at 80 °C. The pH range for growth was between pH 4.0 and pH 8.0 with an optimum around pH 7.0. Strain Bio-pl-0405IT2(T) grew at salt concentrations of 1-5 % (w/v) NaCl with an optimum at 2 %. The novel isolate grew by fermentation or sulphur respiration on a variety of organic compounds. It was a chemoorganoheterotrophic archaeon growing preferentially with yeast extract, peptone and tryptone as carbon and energy sources and sulphur and organic compounds as electron acceptors; it also grew on maltose and starch. Sulphur or l-cystine were required for growth and were reduced to hydrogen sulfide. The strain was resistant to rifampicin, chloramphenicol, vancomycin and kanamycin (all at 100 µg ml(-1)) but was sensitive to tetracycline. The G+C content of its genomic DNA was 53.6 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of the almost complete 16S rRNA gene sequence (1450 bp) of strain Bio-pl-0405IT2(T) showed that the novel isolate belonged to the genus Thermococcus. DNA-DNA hybridization values with the two closest relatives Thermococcus hydrothermalis AL662(T) and Thermococcus celer JCM 8558(T) were below the threshold value of 70 %. On the basis of the physiological and genotypic distinctness, we propose a novel species, Thermococcus prieurii sp. nov. The type strain is Bio-pl-0405IT2(T) ( = CSUR P577(T)= JCM 16307(T)).

  1. The 60 kDa heat shock proteins in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus shibatae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kagawa, H K; Osipiuk, J; Maltsev, N; Overbeek, R; Quaite-Randall, E; Joachimiak, A; Trent, J D

    1995-11-10

    One of the most abundant proteins in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus shibatae is the 59 kDa heat shock protein (TF55) that is believed to form a homo-oligomeric double ring complex structurally similar to the bacterial chaperonins. We discovered a second protein subunit in the S. shibatae ring complex (referred to as alpha) that is stoichiometric with TF55 (renamed beta). The gene and flanking regions of alpha were cloned and sequenced and its inferred amino acid sequence has 54.4% identity and 74.4% similarity to beta. Transcription start sites for both alpha and beta were mapped and three potential transcription regulatory regions were identified. Northern analyses of cultures shifted from normal growth temperatures (70 to 75 degrees C) to heat shock temperatures (85 to 90 degrees C) indicated that the levels of alpha and beta mRNAs increased during heat shock, but at all temperatures their relative proportions remained constant. Monitoring protein synthesis by autoradiography of total proteins from cultures pulse labeled with L(-)[35S]methionine at normal and heat shock temperatures indicated significant increases in alpha and beta synthesis during heat shock. Under extreme heat shock conditions (> or = 90 degrees C) alpha and beta appeared to be the only two proteins synthesized. The purified alpha and beta subunits combined to form high molecular mass complexes with similar mobilities on native polyacrylamide gels to the complexes isolated directly from cells. Equal proportions of the two subunits gave the greatest yield of the complex, which we refer to as a "rosettasome". It is argued that the rosettasome consists of two homo-oligomeric rings; one of alpha and the other of beta. Polyclonal antibodies against alpha and beta from S. shibatae cross-reacted with proteins of similar molecular mass in 10 out of the 17 archaeal species tested, suggesting that the two rosettasome proteins are highly conserved among the archaea. The archaeal sequences were

  2. Aerobic lineage of the oxidative stress response protein rubrerythrin emerged in an ancient microaerobic, (hyperthermophilic environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Pablo Cardenas

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Rubrerythrins (RBRs are non-heme di-iron proteins belonging to the ferritin-like superfamily (FLSF. They are involved in oxidative stress defense as peroxide scavengers in a wide range of organisms. The vast majority of RBRs, including classical forms of this protein, contain a C-terminal rubredoxin-like domain involved in electron transport that is used during catalysis in anaerobic conditions. Rubredoxin is an ancient and large protein family of short length (<100 residues that contains a Fe-S center involved in electron transfer. However, functional forms of the enzyme lacking the rubredoxin-like domain have been reported (e.g., sulerythrin and ferriperoxin. In this study, phylogenomic evidence is presented that suggests that a complete lineage of rubrerythrins, lacking the rubredoxin-like domain, arose in an ancient microaerobic and (hyperthermophilic environments in the ancestors of the Archaea Thermoproteales and Sulfolobales. This lineage (termed the aerobic-type lineage subsequently evolved to become adapted to environments with progressively lower temperatures and higher oxygen concentrations via the acquisition of two co-localized genes, termed DUF3501 and RFO, encoding a conserved protein of unknown function and a predicted Fe-S oxidoreductase respectively. Proposed Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT events from these archaeal ancestors to Bacteria expanded the opportunities for further evolution of this RBR including adaption to lower temperatures. The second lineage (termed the cyanobacterial lineage is proposed to have evolved in cyanobacterial ancestors, maybe in direct response to the production of oxygen via oxygenic photosynthesis during the Great Oxygen Event (GOE. It is hypothesized that both lineages of RBR emerged in a largely anaerobic world with whiffs of oxygen and that their subsequent independent evolutionary trajectories allowed microorganisms to transition from this anaerobic world to an aerobic one.

  3. Thermococcus Thioreducens sp. Nov., a Novel Hyperthermophilic, Obligately Sulfur-reducing Archaeon from a Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pikuta, Elena V.; Marsic, Damien; Itoh, Takashi; Bej, Asim K.; Tang, Jane; Whitman, William B.; Ng, Joseph D.; Garriott, Owen K.; Hoover, Richard B.

    2007-01-01

    A hyperthermophilic, sulfur-reducing, organo-heterotrophic archaeon, strain OGL-20P was isolated from black smoker chimney material from the Rainbow hydrothermal vent site on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (36.2 N, 33.9 W). The cells of strain OGL-20P(sup T) have an irregular coccoid shape and are motile with a single flagellum. Growth was observed within the pH range 5.0-8.5 (optimum pH 7.0), NaCl concentration range 1-5 % (w/v) (optimum 3%), and temperature range 55-94 C (optimum 83-85 C). The novel isolate is strictly anaerobic and obligately dependent upon elemental sulfur as an electron acceptor, but it does not reduce sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, iron (III) or nitrate. Proteolysis products (peptone, bacto-tryptone, casamino-acids, and yeast extract) are utilized as substrates during sulfur-reduction. Strain OGL-20P(sup T) is resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, and gentamycin, but sensitive to tetracycline and rifampicin. The G+C content of DNA is 52.9 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain OGL-20P(sup T) is closely related to Thermococcus coalescens and related species, but no significant homology by DNA-DNA hybridization was observed between those species and the new isolate. On the basis of physiological and molecular properties of the new isolate, we conclude that strain OGL-20P(sup T) represents a new separate species within the genus Thermococcus, and propose the name Thermococcus thioreducens sp. nov. The type strain is OGL-20P(sup T) (= ATCC BAA-394(sup T) = JCM 12859(sup T) = DSM 14981(sup T)).

  4. Crystal structure of hyperthermophilic esterase EstE1 and the relationship between its dimerization and thermostability properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koh Eunhee

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background EstE1 is a hyperthermophilic esterase belonging to the hormone-sensitive lipase family and was originally isolated by functional screening of a metagenomic library constructed from a thermal environmental sample. Dimers and oligomers may have been evolutionally selected in thermophiles because intersubunit interactions can confer thermostability on the proteins. The molecular mechanisms of thermostabilization of this extremely thermostable esterase are not well understood due to the lack of structural information. Results Here we report for the first time the 2.1-Å resolution crystal structure of EstE1. The three-dimensional structure of EstE1 exhibits a classic α/β hydrolase fold with a central parallel-stranded beta sheet surrounded by alpha helices on both sides. The residues Ser154, Asp251, and His281 form the catalytic triad motif commonly found in other α/β hydrolases. EstE1 exists as a dimer that is formed by hydrophobic interactions and salt bridges. Circular dichroism spectroscopy and heat inactivation kinetic analysis of EstE1 mutants, which were generated by structure-based site-directed mutagenesis of amino acid residues participating in EstE1 dimerization, revealed that hydrophobic interactions through Val274 and Phe276 on the β8 strand of each monomer play a major role in the dimerization of EstE1. In contrast, the intermolecular salt bridges contribute less significantly to the dimerization and thermostability of EstE1. Conclusion Our results suggest that intermolecular hydrophobic interactions are essential for the hyperthermostability of EstE1. The molecular mechanism that allows EstE1 to endure high temperature will provide guideline for rational design of a thermostable esterase/lipase using the lipolytic enzymes showing structural similarity to EstE1.

  5. Improvement and characterization of a hyperthermophilic glucose isomerase from Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus and its application in production of high fructose corn syrup.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhi-Qiang; Zheng, Wei; Huang, Jian-Feng; Jin, Li-Qun; Jia, Dong-Xu; Zhou, Hai-Yan; Xu, Jian-Miao; Liao, Cheng-Jun; Cheng, Xin-Ping; Mao, Bao-Xing; Zheng, Yu-Guo

    2015-08-01

    High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an alternative of liquid sweetener to sucrose that is isomerized by commercial glucose isomerase (GI). One-step production of 55 % HFCS by thermostable GI has been drawn more and more attentions. In this study, a new hyperthermophilic GI from Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus CCSD1 (TEGI) was identified by genome mining, and then a 1317 bp fragment encoding the TEGI was synthesized and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). To improve the activity of TEGI, two amino acid residues, Trp139 and Val186, around the active site and substrate-binding pocket based on the structural analysis and molecular docking were selected for site-directed mutagenesis. The specific activity of mutant TEGI-W139F/V186T was 2.3-fold and the value of k cat/K m was 1.86-fold as compared to the wild type TEGI, respectively. Thermostability of mutant TEGI-W139F/V186T at 90 °C for 24 h showed 1.21-fold extension than that of wild type TEGI. During the isomerization of glucose to fructose, the yield of fructose could maintain above 55.4 % by mutant TEGI-W139F/V186T as compared to 53.8 % by wild type TEGI at 90 °C. This study paved foundation for the production of 55 % HFCS using the thermostable TEGI.

  6. Deletion of acetyl-CoA synthetases I and II increases production of 3-hydroxypropionate by the metabolically-engineered hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorgersen, Michael P; Lipscomb, Gina L; Schut, Gerrit J; Kelly, Robert M; Adams, Michael W W

    2014-03-01

    The heterotrophic, hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus is a new addition to the growing list of genetically-tractable microorganisms suitable for metabolic engineering to produce liquid fuels and industrial chemicals. P. furiosus was recently engineered to generate 3-hydroxypropionate (3-HP) from CO₂ and acetyl-CoA by the heterologous-expression of three enzymes from the CO₂ fixation cycle of the thermoacidophilic archaeon Metallosphaera sedula using a thermally-triggered induction system. The acetyl-CoA for this pathway is generated from glucose catabolism that in wild-type P. furiosus is converted to acetate with concurrent ATP production by the heterotetrameric (α₂β₂) acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS). Hence ACS in the engineered 3-HP production strain (MW56) competes with the heterologous pathway for acetyl-CoA. Herein we show that strains of MW56 lacking the α-subunit of either of the two ACSs previously characterized from P. furiosus (ACSI and ACSII) exhibit a three-fold increase in specific 3-HP production. The ΔACSIα strain displayed only a minor defect in growth on either maltose or peptides, while no growth defect on these substrates was observed with the ΔACSIIα strain. Deletion of individual and multiple ACS subunits was also shown to decrease CoA release activity for several different CoA ester substrates in addition to acetyl-CoA, information that will be extremely useful for future metabolic engineering endeavors in P. furiosus. Copyright © 2014 International Metabolic Engineering Society. All rights reserved.

  7. Structural and genomic properties of the hyperthermophilic archaeal virus ATV with an extracellular stage of the reproductive cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prangishvili, David; Vestergaard, Gisle; Häring, Monika; Aramayo, Ricardo; Basta, Tamara; Rachel, Reinhard; Garrett, Roger A

    2006-06-23

    A novel virus, ATV, of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Acidianus has the unique property of undergoing a major morphological development outside of, and independently of, the host cell. Virions are extruded from host cells as lemon-shaped tail-less particles, after which they develop long tails at each pointed end, at temperatures close to that of the natural habitat, 85 degrees C. The extracellularly developed tails constitute tubes, which terminate in an anchor-like structure that is not observed in the tail-less particles. A thin filament is located within the tube, which exhibits a periodic structure. Tail development produces a one half reduction in the volume of the virion, concurrent with a slight expansion of the virion surface. The circular, double-stranded DNA genome contains 62,730 bp and is exceptional for a crenarchaeal virus in that it carries four putative transposable elements as well as genes, which previously have been associated only with archaeal self-transmissable plasmids. In total, it encodes 72 predicted proteins, including 11 structural proteins with molecular masses in the range of 12 to 90 kDa. Several of the larger proteins are rich in coiled coil and/or low complexity sequence domains, which are unusual for archaea. One protein, in particular P800, resembles an intermediate filament protein in its structural properties. It is modified in the two-tailed, but not in the tail-less, virion particles and it may contribute to viral tail development. Exceptionally for a crenarchaeal virus, infection with ATV results either in viral replication and subsequent cell lysis or in conversion of the infected cell to a lysogen. The lysogenic cycle involves integration of the viral genome into the host chromosome, probably facilitated by the virus-encoded integrase and this process can be interrupted by different stress factors.

  8. Distribution and phylogenies of enzymes of the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway from archaea and hyperthermophilic bacteria support a gluconeogenic origin of metabolism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ron S. Ronimus

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Enzymes of the gluconeogenic/glycolytic pathway (the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP pathway, the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle, the reductive pentose phosphate cycle and the Entner-Doudoroff pathway are widely distributed and are often considered to be central to the origins of metabolism. In particular, several enzymes of the lower portion of the EMP pathway (the so-called trunk pathway, including triosephosphate isomerase (TPI; EC 5.3.1.1, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH; EC 1.2.1.12/13, phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK; EC 2.7.2.3 and enolase (EC 4.2.1.11, are extremely well conserved and universally distributed among the three domains of life. In this paper, the distribution of enzymes of gluconeogenesis/glycolysis in hyperthermophiles—microorganisms that many believe represent the least evolved organisms on the planet—is reviewed. In addition, the phylogenies of the trunk pathway enzymes (TPIs, GAPDHs, PGKs and enolases are examined. The enzymes catalyzing each of the six-carbon transformations in the upper portion of the EMP pathway, with the possible exception of aldolase, are all derived from multiple gene sequence families. In contrast, single sequence families can account for the archaeal and hyperthermophilic bacterial enzyme activities of the lower portion of the EMP pathway. The universal distribution of the trunk pathway enzymes, in combination with their phylogenies, supports the notion that the EMP pathway evolved in the direction of gluconeogenesis, i.e., from the bottom up.

  9. Stabilization of enzymes against thermal stress and freeze-drying by mannosylglycerate

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ramos, A.; Raven, N.; Sharp, R.J.; Bartolucci, S.; Rossi, M.; Cannio, R.; Lebbink, J.; Oost, van der J.; Vos, de W.M.; Santos, H.

    1997-01-01

    2-O-(beta)-Mannosylglycerate, a solute that accumulates in some (hyper)thermophilic organisms, was purified from Pyrococcus furiosus cells, and its effect on enzyme stabilization in vitro was assessed. Enzymes from hyperthermophilic, thermophilic, and mesophilic sources were examined. The

  10. AcEST: DK954470 [AcEST

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available 4_THEMA Phosphorylated carbohydrates phosphatase T... 36 0.16 sp|P40853|GPHP_RALEH Phosphoglycolate phosphat...S=Py... 37 0.093 sp|O67359|GPH_AQUAE Phosphoglycolate phosphatase OS=Aquifex aeol... 37 0.093 sp|Q9X0Y1|P125

  11. Growth of Thermophilic and Hyperthermophilic Fe(III)-Reducing Microorganisms on a Ferruginous Smectite as the Sole Electron Acceptor▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kashefi, Kazem; Shelobolina, Evgenya S.; Elliott, W. Crawford; Lovley, Derek R.

    2008-01-01

    Recent studies have suggested that the structural Fe(III) within phyllosilicate minerals, including smectite and illite, is an important electron acceptor for Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms in sedimentary environments at moderate temperatures. The reduction of structural Fe(III) by thermophiles, however, has not previously been described. A wide range of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic Archaea and Bacteria from marine and freshwater environments that are known to reduce poorly crystalline Fe(III) oxides were tested for their ability to reduce structural (octahedrally coordinated) Fe(III) in smectite (SWa-1) as the sole electron acceptor. Two out of the 10 organisms tested, Geoglobus ahangari and Geothermobacterium ferrireducens, were not able to conserve energy to support growth by reduction of Fe(III) in SWa-1 despite the fact that both organisms were originally isolated with solid-phase Fe(III) as the electron acceptor. The other organisms tested were able to grow on SWa-1 and reduced 6.3 to 15.1% of the Fe(III). This is 20 to 50% less than the reported amounts of Fe(III) reduced in the same smectite (SWa-1) by mesophilic Fe(III) reducers. Two organisms, Geothermobacter ehrlichii and archaeal strain 140, produced copious amounts of an exopolysaccharide material, which may have played an active role in the dissolution of the structural iron in SWa-1 smectite. The reduction of structural Fe(III) in SWa-1 by archaeal strain 140 was studied in detail. Microbial Fe(III) reduction was accompanied by an increase in interlayer and octahedral charges and some incorporation of potassium and magnesium into the smectite structure. However, these changes in the major element chemistry of SWa-1 smectite did not result in the formation of an illite-like structure, as reported for a mesophilic Fe(III) reducer. These results suggest that thermophilic Fe(III)-reducing organisms differ in their ability to reduce and solubilize structural Fe(III) in SWa-1 smectite and that SWa-1

  12. Crystal structure of the NADP+ and tartrate-bound complex of L-serine 3-dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum calidifontis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoneda, Kazunari; Sakuraba, Haruhiko; Araki, Tomohiro; Ohshima, Toshihisa

    2018-05-01

    A gene encoding L-serine dehydrogenase (L-SerDH) that exhibits extremely low sequence identity to the Agrobacterium tumefaciens L-SerDH was identified in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum calidifontis. The predicted amino acid sequence showed 36% identity with that of Pseudomonas aeruginosa L-SerDH, suggesting that P. calidifontis L-SerDH is a novel type of L-SerDH, like Ps. aeruginosa L-SerDH. The overexpressed enzyme appears to be the most thermostable L-SerDH described to date, and no loss of activity was observed by incubation for 30 min at temperatures up to 100 °C. The enzyme showed substantial reactivity towards D-serine, in addition to L-serine. Two different crystal structures of P. calidifontis L-SerDH were determined using the Se-MAD and MR method: the structure in complex with NADP + /sulfate ion at 1.18 Å and the structure in complex with NADP + /L-tartrate (substrate analog) at 1.57 Å. The fold of the catalytic domain showed similarity with that of Ps. aeruginosa L-SerDH. However, the active site structure significantly differed between the two enzymes. Based on the structure of the tartrate, L- and D-serine and 3-hydroxypropionate molecules were modeled into the active site and the substrate binding modes were estimated. A structural comparison suggests that the wide cavity at the substrate binding site is likely responsible for the high reactivity of the enzyme toward both L- and D-serine enantiomers. This is the first description of the structure of the novel type of L-SerDH with bound NADP + and substrate analog, and it provides new insight into the substrate binding mechanism of L-SerDH. The results obtained here may be very informative for the creation of L- or D-serine-specific SerDH by protein engineering.

  13. Sulfur-inhibited Thermosphaera aggregans sp. nov., a new genus of hyperthermophilic archaea isolated after its prediction from environmentally derived 16S rRNA sequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, R; Dyba, D; Huber, H; Burggraf, S; Rachel, R

    1998-01-01

    Recently, a new procedure was developed which allowed for the first time the isolation of a hyperthermophilic archaeum tracked by 165 rRNA analysis from a terrestrial hot solfataric spring ('Obsidian Pool', Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA). This novel isolate is characterized here. Cells are round cocci with a diameter of 0.2-0.8 micron, occurring singly, in pairs, short chains and in grape-like aggregates. The aggregates exhibit a weak bluish-green fluorescence under UV radiation at 420 nm. The new isolate is an anaerobic obligate heterotroph, using preferentially yeast extract for growth. The metabolic products include CO2, H2, acetate and isovalerate. Growth is observed between 65 and 90 degrees C (optimum: 85 degrees C), from pH 5.0 to 7.0 (optimum: 6.5) and up to 0.7% NaCl. The apparent activation energy for growth is about 149 kJ mol-1. Elemental sulfur or hydrogen inhibits growth. The core lipids consist mainly of acyclic and cyclic glycerol diphytanyl tetraethers. The cell envelope contains a cytoplasmic membrane covered by an amorphous layer of unknown composition; there is no evidence for a regularly arrayed surface-layer protein. The G + C content is 46 mol%. On the basis of 165 rRNA sequence comparisons in combination with morphological, physiological and biochemical properties, the isolate represents a new genus within the Desulfurococcaceae, which has been named Thermosphaera. The type species is Thermosphaera aggregans, the type strain is isolate M11TLT (= DSM 11486T).

  14. Evidence of molecular adaptation to extreme environments and applicability to space environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Filipović M.

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available This is initial investigation of gene signatures responsible for adapting microscopic life to the extreme Earth environments. We present preliminary results on identification of the clusters of orthologous groups (COGs common to several hyperthermophiles and exclusion of those common to a mesophile (non-hyperthermophile: Escherichia coli (E. coli K12, will yield a group of proteins possibly involved in adaptation to life under extreme temperatures. Comparative genome analyses represent a powerful tool in discovery of novel genes responsible for adaptation to specific extreme environments. Methanogens stand out as the only group of organisms that have species capable of growth at 0ºC (Metarhizium frigidum (M. frigidum and Methanococcoides burtonii (M. burtonii and 110ºC (Methanopyrus kandleri (M. kandleri. Although not all the components of heat adaptation can be attributed to novel genes, the chaperones known as heat shock proteins stabilize the enzymes under elevated temperature. However, highly conserved chaperons found in bacteria and eukaryots are not present in hyperthermophilic Archea, rather, they have a unique chaperone TF55. Our aim was to use software which we specifically developed for extremophile genome comparative analyses in order to search for additional novel genes involved in hyperthermophile adaptation. The following hyperthermophile genomes incorporated in this software were used for these studies: Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (M. jannaschii, M. kandleri, Archaeoglobus fulgidus (A. fulgidus and three species of Pyrococcus. Common genes were annotated and grouped according to their roles in cellular processes where such information was available and proteins not previously implicated in the heat-adaptation of hyperthermophiles were identified. Additional experimental data are needed in order to learn more about these proteins. To address non-gene based components of thermal adaptation, all sequenced extremophiles were

  15. Diversity of bacteria and archaea from two shallow marine hydrothermal vents from Vulcano Island.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antranikian, Garabed; Suleiman, Marcel; Schäfers, Christian; Adams, Michael W W; Bartolucci, Simonetta; Blamey, Jenny M; Birkeland, Nils-Kåre; Bonch-Osmolovskaya, Elizaveta; da Costa, Milton S; Cowan, Don; Danson, Michael; Forterre, Patrick; Kelly, Robert; Ishino, Yoshizumi; Littlechild, Jennifer; Moracci, Marco; Noll, Kenneth; Oshima, Tairo; Robb, Frank; Rossi, Mosè; Santos, Helena; Schönheit, Peter; Sterner, Reinhard; Thauer, Rudolf; Thomm, Michael; Wiegel, Jürgen; Stetter, Karl Otto

    2017-07-01

    To obtain new insights into community compositions of hyperthermophilic microorganisms, defined as having optimal growth temperatures of 80 °C and above, sediment and water samples were taken from two shallow marine hydrothermal vents (I and II) with temperatures of 100 °C at Vulcano Island, Italy. A combinatorial approach of denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and metagenomic sequencing was used for microbial community analyses of the samples. In addition, enrichment cultures, growing anaerobically on selected polysaccharides such as starch and cellulose, were also analyzed by the combinatorial approach. Our results showed a high abundance of hyperthermophilic archaea, especially in sample II, and a comparable diverse archaeal community composition in both samples. In particular, the strains of the hyperthermophilic anaerobic genera Staphylothermus and Thermococcus, and strains of the aerobic hyperthermophilic genus Aeropyrum, were abundant. Regarding the bacterial community, ε-Proteobacteria, especially the genera Sulfurimonas and Sulfurovum, were highly abundant. The microbial diversity of the enrichment cultures changed significantly by showing a high dominance of archaea, particularly the genera Thermococcus and Palaeococcus, depending on the carbon source and the selected temperature.

  16. Cloning, Sequencing, and Expression of the Gene Encoding Cyclic 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate Synthetase, the Key Enzyme of Cyclic 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate Metabolism in Methanothermus fervidus

    OpenAIRE

    Matussek, Karl; Moritz, Patrick; Brunner, Nina; Eckerskorn, Christoph; Hensel, Reinhard

    1998-01-01

    Cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate synthetase (cDPGS) catalyzes the synthesis of cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (cDPG) by formation of an intramolecular phosphoanhydride bond in 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. cDPG is known to be accumulated to high intracellular concentrations (>300 mM) as a putative thermoadapter in some hyperthermophilic methanogens. For the first time, we have purified active cDPGS from a methanogen, the hyperthermophilic archaeon Methanothermus fervidus, sequenced the coding gene, and...

  17. The biochemical diversity of life near and above 100°C in marine environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, M W

    1998-12-01

    Hyperthermophilic micro-organisms grow at temperatures above 90 °C with a current upper limit of 113 °C. They are a recent discovery in the microbial world and have been isolated mainly from marine geothermal environments, which include both shallow and deep sea hydrothermal vents. By 16S rRNA analyses they are the most slowly evolving of all extant life forms, and all but two of the nearly 20 known genera are classified as Archaea (formerly Archaebacteria). Almost all hyperthermophiles are strict anaerobes. They include species of methanogens, iron-oxidizers and sulphate reducers, but the majority are obligate heterotrophs that depend upon the reduction of elemental sulphur (S°) to hydrogen sulphide for significant growth. The heterotrophs utilize proteinaceous materials as carbon and energy sources, although a few species are also saccharolytic. A scheme for electron flow during the oxidation of carbohydrates and peptides and the reduction of S° has been proposed. Two S°-reducing enzymes have been purified from the cytoplasm of one hyperthermophile (T(opt) 100 °C) that is able to grow either with and without S°. However, the mechanisms by which S° reduction is coupled to energy conservation in this organism and in obligate S°-reducing hyperthermophiles is not known. In the heterotrophs, sugar fermentation is achieved by a novel glycolytic pathway involving unusual ADP-dependent kinases and ATP synthetases, and novel oxidoreductases that are ferredoxin- rather than NAD(P)-linked. Similarly, peptide fermentation involves several unusual ferredoxin-linked oxidoreductases not found in mesophilic organisms. Several of these oxido-reductases contain tungsten, an element that is rarely used in biological systems. Tungsten is present in exceedingly low concentrations in normal sea water, but hydrothermal systems contain much higher tungsten concentrations, more than sufficient to support hyperthermophilic life. 1998 Society of Applied Microbiology.

  18. Evidence of Molecular Adaptation to Extreme Environments and Applicability to Space Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Filipović, M. D.

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available This is initial investigation of gene signatures responsible for adapting microscopic life to the extreme Earth environments. We present preliminary results on identification of the clusters of orthologous groups (COGs common to several hyperthermophiles and exclusion of those common to a mesophile (non-hyperthermophile: {it Escherichia coli (E. coli K12}, will yield a group of proteins possibly involved in adaptation to life under extreme temperatures. Comparative genome analyses represent a powerful tool in discovery of novel genes responsible for adaptation to specific extreme environments. Methanogens stand out as the only group of organisms that have species capable of growth at 0D C ({it Metarhizium frigidum (M.~frigidum} and {it Methanococcoides burtonii (M.~burtonii} and 110D C ({it Methanopyrus kandleri (M.~kandleri}. Although not all the components of heat adaptation can be attributed to novel genes, the {it chaperones} known as heat shock proteins stabilize the enzymes under elevated temperature. However, highly conserved {it chaperons} found in bacteria and eukaryots are not present in hyperthermophilic Archea, rather, they have a unique {it chaperone TF55}. Our aim was to use software which we specifically developed for extremophile genome comparative analyses in order to search for additional novel genes involved in hyperthermophile adaptation. The followinghyperthermophile genomes incorporated in this software were used forthese studies: {it Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (M.~jannaschii, M.~kandleri, Archaeoglobus fulgidus (A.~fulgidus} and threespecies of {it Pyrococcus}. Common genes were annotated and groupedaccording to their roles in cellular processes where such informationwas available and proteins not previously implicated in theheat-adaptation of hyperthermophiles were identified. Additionalexperimental data are needed in order to learn more about theseproteins. To address non-gene based components of thermaladaptation

  19. Stress management skills in the subsurface: H2 stress on thermophilic heterotrophs and methanogens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Topcuoglu, B. D.; Holden, J. F.

    2017-12-01

    Marine hyperthermophilic heterotrophs and methanogens belonging to the Thermococcales and Methanococcales are often found in subsurface environments such as coal and shale beds, marine sediments, and oil reservoirs where they encounter H2 stress conditions. It is important to study the H2 stress survival strategies of these organisms and their cooperation with one another for survival to better understand their biogeochemical impact in hot subsurface environments. In this study, we have shown that H2 inhibition changed the growth kinetics and the transcriptome of Thermococcus paralvinellae. We observed a significant decrease in batch phase growth rates and cell concentrations with high H2 background. Produced metabolite production measurements, RNA-seq analyses of differentially expressed genes and in silico experiments we performed with the T. paralvinellae metabolic model showed that T. paralvinellae produces formate by a formate hydrogenlyase to survive H2 inhibition. We have also shown that H2 limitation caused a significant decrease in batch phase growth rates and methane production rates of the methanogen, Methanocaldococcus jannaschii. H2 stress of both organisms can be ameliorated by syntrophic growth. H2 syntrophy was demonstrated in microcosm incubations for a natural assemblage of Thermococcus and hyperthermophilic methanogens present in hydrothermal fluid samples. This project aims to describe how a hyperthermophilic heterotroph and a hyperthermophilic methanogen eliminate H2 stress and explore cooperation among thermophiles in the hot subsurface.

  20. Dynamic fluorescence studies of beta-glycosidase mutants from Sulfolobus solfataricus: effects of single mutations on protein thermostability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bismuto, Ettore; Febbraio, Ferdinando; Limongelli, Simona; Briante, Raffaella; Nucci, Roberto

    2003-04-01

    Multiple sequence alignment on 73 proteins belonging to glycosyl hydrolase family 1 reveals the occurrence of a segment (83-124) in the enzyme sequences from hyperthermophilic archaea bacteria, which is absent in all the mesophilic members of the family. The alignment of the known three-dimensional structures of hyperthermophilic glycosidases with the known ones from mesophilic organisms shows a similar spatial organizations of beta-glycosidases except for this sequence segment whose structure is located on the external surface of each of four identical subunits, where it overlaps two alpha-helices. Site-directed mutagenesis substituting N97 or S101 with a cysteine residue in the sequence of beta-glycosidase from hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus caused some changes in the structural and dynamic properties as observed by circular dichroism in far- and near-UV light, as well as by frequency domain fluorometry, with a simultaneous loss of thermostability. The results led us to hypothesize an important role of the sequence segment present only in hyperthermophilic beta-glycosidases, in the thermal adaptation of archaea beta-glycosidases. The thermostabilization mechanism could occur as a consequence of numerous favorable ionic interactions of the 83-124 sequence with the other part of protein matrix that becomes more rigid and less accessible to the insult of thermal-activated solvent molecules. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  1. Phylogenetic Evidence for the Existence of Novel Thermophilic Bacteria in Hot Spring Sulfur-Turf Microbial Mats in Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Hiraishi, Akira; Kato, Kenji; Chiura, Hiroshi X.; Maki, Yonosuke; Shimizu, Akira

    1998-01-01

    So-called sulfur-turf microbial mats, which are macroscopic white filaments or bundles consisting of large sausage-shaped bacteria and elemental sulfur particles, occur in sulfide-containing hot springs in Japan. However, no thermophiles from sulfur-turf mats have yet been isolated as cultivable strains. This study was undertaken to determine the phylogenetic positions of the sausage-shaped bacteria in sulfur-turf mats by direct cloning and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes amplified from the bulk DNAs of the mats. Common clones with 16S rDNA sequences with similarity levels of 94.8 to 99% were isolated from sulfur-turf mat samples from two geographically remote hot springs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the phylotypes of the common clones formed a major cluster with members of the Aquifex-Hydrogenobacter complex, which represents the most deeply branching lineage of the domain bacteria. Furthermore, the bacteria of the sulfur-turf mat phylotypes formed a clade distinguishable from that of other members of the Aquifex-Hydrogenobacter complex at the order or subclass level. In situ hybridization with clone-specific probes for 16S rRNA revealed that the common phylotype of sulfur-turf mat bacteria is that of the predominant sausage-shaped bacteria. PMID:9572936

  2. Microbial Geochemistry in Shallow-Sea Hydrothermal Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amend, J. P.; Pichler, T.

    2006-12-01

    Shallow-sea hydrothermal systems are far more ubiquitous than generally recognized. Approximately 50-60 systems are currently known, occurring world-wide in areas of high heat flow, such as, volcanic island arcs, near-surface mid-ocean ridges, and intraplate oceanic volcanoes. In contrast to deep-sea systems, shallow- sea vent fluids generally include a meteoric component, they experience phase separation near the sediment- water interface, and they discharge into the photic zone (thermophilic bacteria and archaea. Perhaps because deep-sea smokers and continental hot springs are visually more stunning, shallow-sea systems are often overlooked study sites. We will discuss their particular features that afford unique opportunities in microbial geochemistry. Two of the better studied examples are at Vulcano Island (Italy) and Ambitle Island (Papua New Guinea). The vents and sediment seeps at Vulcano are the "type locality" for numerous cultured hyperthermophiles, including the bacteria Aquifex and Thermotoga, the crenarchaeon Pyrodictium, and the Euryarchaeota Archaeoglobus and Pyrococcus. Isotope-labeled incubation experiments of heated sediments and an array of culturing studies have shown that simple organic compounds are predominantly fermented or anaerobically respired with sulfate. 16S rRNA gene surveys, together with fluorescent in situ hybridization studies, demonstrated the dominance of key thermophilic bacteria and archaea (e.g., Aquificales, Thermotogales, Thermococcales, Archaeoglobales) in the sediments and the presence of a broad spectrum of mostly uncultured crenarchaeota in several vent waters, sediment samples, and geothermal wells. Thermodynamic modeling quantified potential energy yields from aerobic and anaerobic respiration reactions and fermentation reactions. In contrast to their deep-sea counterparts, shallow-sea hydrothermal systems are often characterized by high arsenic concentrations of more than 500-times seawater levels. The arsenic

  3. Hyperthermostable cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes and their biotechnological applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tipparat Hongpattarakere

    2002-07-01

    Full Text Available Hyperthermal cellulases and hemicellulases have been intensively studied due to their highly potential applications at extreme temperatures, which mimic industrial processes involving cellulose and hemicellulose degradation. More than 50 species of hyperthermophiles have been isolated, many of which possess hyperthermal enzymes required for hydrolyzing cellulose and hemicelluloses. Endoglucanases, exoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases, xylanases, β-glucosidase and β-galactosidase, which are produced by the hyperthermophiles, are resistant to boiling temperature. The characteristics of these enzymes and the ability to maintain their functional integrity at high temperature as well as their biotechnological application are discussed.

  4. Trace metal chemistry and silicification of microorganisms in geothermal sinter, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McKenzie, E.J.; Brown, K.L.; Campbell, K.A. [University of Auckland (New Zealand). Dept. of Geology; Cady, S.L. [Portland State University, Portland, OR (United States). Dept. of Geology

    2001-08-01

    As part of a pilot study investigating the role of microorganisms in the immobilisation ol As, Sb, B, Tl and Ug, the inorganic geochemistry of seven different active sinter deposits and their contact fluids were characterised. A comprehensive series of sequential extractions for a suite of trace elements was carried out on siliceous sinter and a mixed silica-carbonate sinter. The extractions showed whether metals were loosely exchangeable or bound to carbonate, oxide, organic or crystalline fractions. Hyperthermophilic microbial communities associated with sinters deposited from high temperature (92-94{sup o}C) fluids at a variety of geothermal sources were investigated using SEM. The rapidity and style of silicification of the hyperthermophiles can be correlated with the dissolved silica content of the fluid. Although high concentrations of Hg and TI were found associated with the organic fraction of the sinters, there was no evidence to suggest that any of the heavy metals were associated preferentially with the hyperthermophiles at the high temperature (92-94{sup o}C) ends of the terrestrial thermal spring ecosystems studied. (author)

  5. Remarkable morphological diversity of viruses and virus-like particles in hot terrestrial environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rachel, R; Bettstetter, M; Hedlund, B P; Häring, M; Kessler, A; Stetter, K O; Prangishvili, D

    2002-12-01

    Electron microscopic studies of the viruses in two hot springs (85 degrees C, pH 1.5-2.0, and 75-93 degrees C, pH 6.5) in Yellowstone National Park revealed particles with twelve different morphotypes. This diversity encompassed known viruses of hyperthermophilic archaea, filamentous Lipothrixviridae, rod-shaped Rudiviridae, and spindle-shaped Fuselloviridae, and novel morphotypes previously not observed in nature. Two virus types resembled head-and-tail bacteriophages from the families Siphoviridae and Podoviridae, and constituted the first observation of these viruses in a hydrothermal environment. Viral hosts in the acidic spring were members of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Acidianus.

  6. Structural studies of substrate and product complexes of 5-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase from humans, Escherichia coli and the hyperthermophile Pyrobaculum calidifontis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills-Davies, N; Butler, D; Norton, E; Thompson, D; Sarwar, M; Guo, J; Gill, R; Azim, N; Coker, A; Wood, S P; Erskine, P T; Coates, L; Cooper, J B; Rashid, N; Akhtar, M; Shoolingin-Jordan, P M

    2017-01-01

    A number of X-ray analyses of an enzyme involved in a key early stage of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis are reported. Two structures of human 5-aminolaevulinate dehydratase (ALAD), native and recombinant, have been determined at 2.8 Å resolution, showing that the enzyme adopts an octameric quaternary structure in accord with previously published analyses of the enzyme from a range of other species. However, this is in contrast to the finding that a disease-related F12L mutant of the human enzyme uniquely forms hexamers [Breinig et al. (2003), Nature Struct. Biol. 10, 757-763]. Monomers of all ALADs adopt the TIM-barrel fold; the subunit conformation that assembles into the octamer includes the N-terminal tail of one monomer curled around the (α/β) 8 barrel of a neighbouring monomer. Both crystal forms of the human enzyme possess two monomers per asymmetric unit, termed A and B. In the native enzyme there are a number of distinct structural differences between the A and B monomers, with the latter exhibiting greater disorder in a number of loop regions and in the active site. In contrast, the second monomer of the recombinant enzyme appears to be better defined and the active site of both monomers clearly possesses a zinc ion which is bound by three conserved cysteine residues. In native human ALAD, the A monomer also has a ligand resembling the substrate ALA which is covalently bound by a Schiff base to one of the active-site lysines (Lys252) and is held in place by an ordered active-site loop. In contrast, these features of the active-site structure are disordered or absent in the B subunit of the native human enzyme. The octameric structure of the zinc-dependent ALAD from the hyperthermophile Pyrobaculum calidifontis is also reported at a somewhat lower resolution of 3.5 Å. Finally, the details are presented of a high-resolution structure of the Escherichia coli ALAD enzyme co-crystallized with a noncovalently bound moiety of the product, porphobilinogen (PBG

  7. Genome stability: recent insights in the topoisomerase reverse gyrase and thermophilic DNA alkyltransferase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vettone, Antonella; Perugino, Giuseppe; Rossi, Mosè; Valenti, Anna; Ciaramella, Maria

    2014-09-01

    Repair and defence of genome integrity from endogenous and environmental hazard is a primary need for all organisms. Natural selection has driven the evolution of multiple cell pathways to deal with different DNA damaging agents. Failure of such processes can hamper cell functions and induce inheritable mutations, which in humans may cause cancerogenicity or certain genetic syndromes, and ultimately cell death. A special case is that of hyperthermophilic bacteria and archaea, flourishing at temperatures higher than 80 °C, conditions that favor genome instability and thus call for specific, highly efficient or peculiar mechanisms to keep their genome intact and functional. Over the last few years, numerous studies have been performed on the activity, function, regulation, physical and functional interaction of enzymes and proteins from hyperthermophilic microorganisms that are able to bind, repair, bypass damaged DNA, or modify its structure or conformation. The present review is focused on two enzymes that act on DNA catalyzing unique reactions: reverse gyrase and DNA alkyltransferase. Although both enzymes belong to evolutionary highly conserved protein families present in organisms of the three domains (Eucarya, Bacteria and Archaea), recently characterized members from hyperthermophilic archaea show both common and peculiar features.

  8. Differences in substrate specificity of C(5)-substituted or C(5)-unsubstituted pyrimidine nucleotides by DNA polymerases from thermophilic bacteria, archaea, and phages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawai, Hiroaki; Nagashima, Junichi; Kuwahara, Msayasu; Kitagata, Rina; Tamura, Takehiro; Matsui, Ikuo

    2007-09-01

    The pyrimidine bases of RNA are uracil (U) and cytosine (C), while thymine (T) and C are used for DNA. The C(5) position of C and U is unsubstituted, whereas the C(5) of T is substituted with a Me group. Miller et al. hypothesized that various C(5)-substituted uracil derivatives were formed during chemical evolution, and that C(5)-substituted U derivatives may have played important roles in the transition from an 'RNA world' to a 'DNA-RNA-protein world'. Hyperthermophilic bacteria and archaea are considered to be primitive organisms that are evolutionarily close to the universal ancestor of all life on earth. Thus, we examined the substrate specificity of several C(5)-substituted or C(5)-unsubstituted dUTP and dCTP analogs for several DNA polymerases from hyperthermophilic bacteria, hyperthermophilic archaea, and viruses during PCR or primer extension reaction. The substrate specificity of the C(5)-substituted or C(5)-unsubstituted pyrimidine nucleotides varied greatly depending on the type of DNA polymerase. The significance of this difference in substrate specificity in terms of the origin and evolution of the DNA replication system is discussed briefly.

  9. Computational genomics of hyperthermophiles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Werken, van de H.J.G.

    2008-01-01

    With the ever increasing number of completely sequenced prokaryotic genomes and the subsequent use of functional genomics tools, e.g. DNA microarray and proteomics, computational data analysis and the integration of microbial and molecular data is inevitable. This thesis describes the computational

  10. Crystal structure of the regulatory subunit of archaeal initiation factor 2B (aIF2B) from hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3: a proposed structure of the regulatory subcomplex of eukaryotic IF2B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kakuta, Yoshimitsu; Tahara, Maino; Maetani, Shigehiro; Yao, Min; Tanaka, Isao; Kimura, Makoto

    2004-01-01

    Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) is the guanine-nucleotide exchange factor for eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). eIF2B is a heteropentameric protein composed of α-ε subunits. The α, β, and δ subunits form a regulatory subcomplex, while the γ and ε form a catalytic subcomplex. Archaea possess homologues of α, β, and δ subunits of eIF2B. Here, we report the three-dimensional structure of an archaeal regulatory subunit (aIF2Bα) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.2 A resolution. aIF2Bα consists of two subdomains, an N-domain (residues 1-95) and a C-domain (residues 96-276), connected by a long α-helix (α5: 78-106). The N-domain contains a five helix bundle structure, while the C-domain folds into the α/β structure, thus showing similarity to D-ribose-5-phosphate isomerase structure. The presence of two molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit and the gel filtration analysis suggest a dimeric structure of aIF2Bα in solution, interacting with each other by C-domains. Furthermore, the crystallographic 3-fold symmetry generates a homohexameric structure of aIF2Bα; the interaction is primarily mediated by the long α-helix at the N-domains. This structure suggests an architecture of the three subunits, α, β, and δ, in the regulatory subcomplex within eIF2B

  11. Widespread distribution of archaeal reverse gyrase in thermophilic bacteria suggests a complex history of vertical inheritance and lateral gene transfers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Céline Brochier-Armanet

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Reverse gyrase, an enzyme of uncertain funtion, is present in all hyperthermophilic archaea and bacteria. Previous phylogenetic studies have suggested that the gene for reverse gyrase has an archaeal origin and was transferred laterally (LGT to the ancestors of the two bacterial hyperthermophilic phyla, Thermotogales and Aquificales. Here, we performed an in-depth analysis of the evolutionary history of reverse gyrase in light of genomic progress. We found genes coding for reverse gyrase in the genomes of several thermophilic bacteria that belong to phyla other than Aquificales and Thermotogales. Several of these bacteria are not, strictly speaking, hyperthermophiles because their reported optimal growth temperatures are below 80 °C. Furthermore, we detected a reverse gyrase gene in the sequence of the large plasmid of Thermus thermophilus strain HB8, suggesting a possible mechanism of transfer to the T. thermophilus strain HB8 involving plasmids and transposases. The archaeal part of the reverse gyrase tree is congruent with recent phylogenies of the archaeal domain based on ribosomal proteins or RNA polymerase subunits. Although poorly resolved, the complete reverse gyrase phylogeny suggests an ancient acquisition of the gene by bacteria via one or two LGT events, followed by its secondary distribution by LGT within bacteria. Finally, several genes of archaeal origin located in proximity to the reverse gyrase gene in bacterial genomes have bacterial homologues mostly in thermophiles or hyperthermophiles, raising the possibility that they were co-transferred with the reverse gyrase gene. Our new analysis of the reverse gyrase history strengthens the hypothesis that the acquisition of reverse gyrase may have been a crucial evolutionary step in the adaptation of bacteria to high-temperature environments. However, it also questions the role of this enzyme in thermophilic bacteria and the selective advantage its presence could provide.

  12. Widespread distribution of archaeal reverse gyrase in thermophilic bacteria suggests a complex history of vertical inheritance and lateral gene transfers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brochier-Armanet, Céline; Forterre, Patrick

    2007-05-01

    Reverse gyrase, an enzyme of uncertain funtion, is present in all hyperthermophilic archaea and bacteria. Previous phylogenetic studies have suggested that the gene for reverse gyrase has an archaeal origin and was transferred laterally (LGT) to the ancestors of the two bacterial hyperthermophilic phyla, Thermotogales and Aquificales. Here, we performed an in-depth analysis of the evolutionary history of reverse gyrase in light of genomic progress. We found genes coding for reverse gyrase in the genomes of several thermophilic bacteria that belong to phyla other than Aquificales and Thermotogales. Several of these bacteria are not, strictly speaking, hyperthermophiles because their reported optimal growth temperatures are below 80 degrees C. Furthermore, we detected a reverse gyrase gene in the sequence of the large plasmid of Thermus thermophilus strain HB8, suggesting a possible mechanism of transfer to the T. thermophilus strain HB8 involving plasmids and transposases. The archaeal part of the reverse gyrase tree is congruent with recent phylogenies of the archaeal domain based on ribosomal proteins or RNA polymerase subunits. Although poorly resolved, the complete reverse gyrase phylogeny suggests an ancient acquisition of the gene by bacteria via one or two LGT events, followed by its secondary distribution by LGT within bacteria. Finally, several genes of archaeal origin located in proximity to the reverse gyrase gene in bacterial genomes have bacterial homologues mostly in thermophiles or hyperthermophiles, raising the possibility that they were co-transferred with the reverse gyrase gene. Our new analysis of the reverse gyrase history strengthens the hypothesis that the acquisition of reverse gyrase may have been a crucial evolutionary step in the adaptation of bacteria to high-temperature environments. However, it also questions the role of this enzyme in thermophilic bacteria and the selective advantage its presence could provide.

  13. Looking for the most ``primitive'' organism(s) on Earth today: the state of the art

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forterre, Patrick

    1995-02-01

    Molecular phylogenetic studies have revealed a tripartite division of the living world into two procaryotic groups, Bacteria and Archaea, and one eucaryotic group, Eucarya. Which group is the most "primitive"? Which groups are sister? The answer to these questions would help to delineate the characters of the last common ancestor to all living beings, as a first step to reconstruct the earliest periods of biological evolution on Earth. The current "Procaryotic dogma" claims that procaryotes are primitive. Since the ancestor of Archaea was most probably a hyperthermophile, and since bacteria too might have originated from hyperthermophiles, the procaryotic dogma has been recently connected to the hot origin of life hypothesis. However, the notion that present-day hyperthermophiles are primitive has been challenged by recent findings, in these unique microorganisms, of very elaborate adaptative devices for life at high temperature. Accordingly, I discuss here alternative hypotheses that challenge the procaryotic dogma, such as the idea of a universal ancestor with molecular features in between those of eucaryotes and procaryotes, or the origin of procaryotes via thermophilic adaptation. Clearly, major evolutionary questions about early cellular evolution on Earth remain to be settled before we can speculate with confidence about which kinds of life might have appeared on other planets.

  14. Genetic and functional properties of uncultivated thermophilic crenarchaeotes from a subsurface gold mine as revealed by analysis of genome fragments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nunoura, Takuro; Hirayama, Hisako; Takami, Hideto; Oida, Hanako; Nishi, Shinro; Shimamura, Shigeru; Suzuki, Yohey; Inagaki, Fumio; Takai, Ken; Nealson, Kenneth H; Horikoshi, Koki

    2005-12-01

    Within a phylum Crenarchaeota, only some members of the hyperthermophilic class Thermoprotei, have been cultivated and characterized. In this study, we have constructed a metagenomic library from a microbial mat formation in a subsurface hot water stream of the Hishikari gold mine, Japan, and sequenced genome fragments of two different phylogroups of uncultivated thermophilic Crenarchaeota: (i) hot water crenarchaeotic group (HWCG) I (41.2 kb), and (ii) HWCG III (49.3 kb). The genome fragment of HWCG I contained a 16S rRNA gene, two tRNA genes and 35 genes encoding proteins but no 23S rRNA gene. Among the genes encoding proteins, several genes for putative aerobic-type carbon monoxide dehydrogenase represented a potential clue with regard to the yet unknown metabolism of HWCG I Archaea. The genome fragment of HWCG III contained a 16S/23S rRNA operon and 44 genes encoding proteins. In the 23S rRNA gene, we detected a homing-endonuclease encoding a group I intron similar to those detected in hyperthermophilic Crenarchaeota and Bacteria, as well as eukaryotic organelles. The reconstructed phylogenetic tree based on the 23S rRNA gene sequence reinforced the intermediate phylogenetic affiliation of HWCG III bridging the hyperthermophilic and non-thermophilic uncultivated Crenarchaeota.

  15. Extremely thermophilic microorganisms for biomass conversion: status and prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blumer-Schuette, Sara E; Kataeva, Irina; Westpheling, Janet; Adams, Michael Ww; Kelly, Robert M

    2008-06-01

    Many microorganisms that grow at elevated temperatures are able to utilize a variety of carbohydrates pertinent to the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioenergy. The range of substrates utilized depends on growth temperature optimum and biotope. Hyperthermophilic marine archaea (T(opt)>or=80 degrees C) utilize alpha- and beta-linked glucans, such as starch, barley glucan, laminarin, and chitin, while hyperthermophilic marine bacteria (T(opt)>or=80 degrees C) utilize the same glucans as well as hemicellulose, such as xylans and mannans. However, none of these organisms are able to efficiently utilize crystalline cellulose. Among the thermophiles, this ability is limited to a few terrestrial bacteria with upper temperature limits for growth near 75 degrees C. Deconstruction of crystalline cellulose by these extreme thermophiles is achieved by 'free' primary cellulases, which are distinct from those typically associated with large multi-enzyme complexes known as cellulosomes. These primary cellulases also differ from the endoglucanases (referred to here as 'secondary cellulases') reported from marine hyperthermophiles that show only weak activity toward cellulose. Many extremely thermophilic enzymes implicated in the deconstruction of lignocellulose can be identified in genome sequences, and many more promising biocatalysts probably remain annotated as 'hypothetical proteins'. Characterization of these enzymes will require intensive effort but is likely to generate new opportunities for the use of renewable resources as biofuels.

  16. Extremophiles: developments of their special functions and potential resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujiwara, Shinsuke

    2002-01-01

    Extremophilles are valuable resources in biotechnology. Enzymes from extremophiles are expected to fill the gap between biological and chemical processes due to their unusual properties. Especially enzymes from hyperthermophiles that can grow at above 90 degrees C were devoted owing to its extraordinary thermostability and denaturant tolerance. Screening trials of hyperthermophilic microorganisms were performed by a number of microbiologists and various unique strains were isolated from natural environments. One of the most successful uses of thermostable enzymes was DNA polymerase in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Thermostable enzymes are used in the chemical, food, pharmaceutical, paper and textile industries. Recombinant forms of thermostable enzymes that have been expressed in Escherichia coli are commonly utilized in industrial applications however their enzymatic characteristics and tertiary structure are different from the native ones produced in the original strains. In vitro heat treatment induces a structural conversion of the recombinant protein to its natural form. High temperature itself plays an important role in determining the specific characteristics and tertiary structure of the enzyme. Recent studies have revealed that hyperthermophiles can grow under numerous conditions not only in geothermal or deep-sea thermal environments. Technological advances have allowed DNA to be isolated from natural environments. Now genes could be isolated from microorganisms that have not been cultured. In this review, innovative approaches to hunt genes from natural environments without pure culturing of microorganisms are also discussed.

  17. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray characterization of a PaaX-like protein from Sulfolobus solfataricus P2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao, Yi; Lou, Zhiyong; Sun, Yuna; Xue, Fei; Feng, Changzeng; Gong, Xiaocui; Yang, Dongmei; Bartlam, Mark; Meng, Zhaohui; Zhang, Keqin

    2009-01-01

    In this study, the PaaX-like protein from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 was successfully crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using ammonium sulfate as a precipitant. PaaX is a global regulator of the phenylacetyl-coenzyme A catabolon that adjusts the expression of different operons to that of the paa-encoded central pathway. In this study, the PaaX-like protein from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 was successfully crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using ammonium sulfate as a precipitant. Diffraction data were obtained to a resolution of 3.0 Å using synchrotron radiation at the Photon Factory. The crystal belonged to space group P321, with unit-cell parameters a = 86.4, b = 86.4, c = 105.5 Å

  18. Novel class III phosphoribosyl diphosphate synthase: structure and properties of the tetrameric, phosphate-activated, non-allosterically inhibited enzyme from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kadziola, Anders; Jepsen, Clemens H; Johansson, Eva

    2005-01-01

    The prs gene encoding phosphoribosyl diphosphate (PRPP) synthase of the hyperthermophilic autotrophic methanogenic archaeon Methanocaldococcus jannaschii has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Subsequently, M.jannaschii PRPP synthase has been purified, characterised, crystallised, and...

  19. Functional analysis of thermostable proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akerboom, A.P.

    2007-01-01

    Thermostable proteins can resist temperature stress whilst keeping their integrity and functionality. In many cases, thermostable proteins originate from hyperthermophilic microorganisms that thrive in extreme environments. These systems are generally located close to geothermal (volcanic) activity,

  20. The Peculiar Glycolytic Pathway in Hyperthermophylic Archaea : Understanding Its Whims by Experimentation In Silico

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang, Y.; Kouril, T.; Snoep, J.L.; Siebers, B.; Barberis, M.; Westerhoff, H.V.

    2017-01-01

    Mathematical models are key to systems biology where they typically describe the topology and dynamics of biological networks, listing biochemical entities and their relationships with one another. Some (hyper)thermophilic Archaea contain an enzyme, called non-phosphorylating

  1. The evolution of lipids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itoh, Y. H.; Sugai, A.; Uda, I.; Itoh, T.

    2001-01-01

    Living organisms on the Earth which are divided into three major domains - Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya, probably came from a common ancestral cell. Because there are many thermophilic microorganisms near the root of the universal phylogenetic tree, the common ancestral cell should be considered to be a thermophilic microorganism. The existence of a cell is necessary for the living organisms; the cell membrane is the essential structural component of a cell, so its amphiphilic property is vital for the molecule of lipids for cell membranes. Tetraether type glycerophospholipids with C 40 isoprenoid chains are major membrane lipids widely distributed in archaeal cells. Cyclization number of C 40 isoprenoid chains in thermophilic archaea influences the fluidity of lipids whereas the number of carbons and degree of unsaturation in fatty acids do so in bacteria and eucarya. In addition to the cyclization of the tetraether lipids, covalent bonding of two C 40 isoprenoid chains was found in hyperthermophiles. These characteristic structures of the lipids seem to contribute to their fundamental physiological roles in hyperthermophiles. Stereochemical differences between G-1-P archaeal lipids and G-3-P bacterial and eucaryal lipids might have occured by the function of some proteins long after the first cell was developed by the reactions of small organic molecules. We propose that the structure of lipids of the common ancestral cell may have been similar to those of hyperthermophilic archaea.

  2. Characterization of different crystal forms of the alpha-glucosidase MalA from Sulfolobus solfataricus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ernst, Heidi Asschenfeldt; Willemoës, Martin; Lo Leggio, Leila

    2005-01-01

    MalA is an alpha-glucosidase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. It belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 31, which includes several medically interesting alpha-glucosidases. MalA and its selenomethionine derivative have been overproduced in Escherichia coli...

  3. The catalytic potency of ß-glucosidase from Pyroccus furiosus in the direct glucosylation reaction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roode, de B.M.; Meer, van der T.D.; Kaper, T.; Franssen, M.C.R.; Padt, van der A.; Oost, van der J.; Boom, R.M.

    2001-01-01

    Enzymes from extremophiles operate at conditions that are different from their `normal' counterparts, and are therefore a useful extension of the enzyme toolbox. In this paper, the direct glucosylation reaction mediated by a hyperthermophilic -glucosidase from Pyrocuccus furiosus was investigated.

  4. Biohydrogen Production from Glycerol using Thermotoga spp

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Maru, B.T.; Bielen, A.A.M.; Kengen, S.W.M.; Constantini, M.; Medina, F.

    2012-01-01

    Given the highly reduced state of carbon in glycerol and its availability as a substantial byproduct of biodiesel production, glycerol is of special interest for sustainable biofuel production. Glycerol was used as a substrate for biohydrogen production using the hyperthermophilic bacterium,

  5. Viruses of the Archaea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Basta, T.; Garrett, Roger Antony; Prangishvili,, David

    2009-01-01

    Double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) viruses that infect members of the third domain of life, the Archaea, are diverse and exceptional in both their morphotypes and their genomic properties. The majority of characterized species infect hyperthermophilic hosts and carry morphological featur...

  6. Saccharolobus caldissimus gen. nov., sp. nov., a facultatively anaerobic iron-reducing hyperthermophilic archaeon isolated from an acidic terrestrial hot spring, and reclassification of Sulfolobus solfataricus as Saccharolobus solfataricus comb. nov. and Sulfolobus shibatae as Saccharolobus shibatae comb. nov.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakai, Hiroyuki D; Kurosawa, Norio

    2018-04-01

    A novel hyperthermophilic archaeon of strain HS-3 T , belonging to the family Sulfolobaceae, was isolated from an acidic terrestrial hot spring in Hakone Ohwaku-dani, Japan. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the closest phylogenetic relatives of strain HS-3 T were, first, Sulfolobus solfataricus (96.4 %) and, second, Sulfolobus shibatae (96.2 %), indicating that the strain belongs to the genus Sulfolobus. However, the sequence similarity to the type species of the genus Sulfolobus (Sulfolobus acidocaldarius) was remarkably low (91.8 %). In order to determine whether strain HS-3 T belongs to the genus Sulfolobus, its morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics were examined in parallel with those of S. solfataricus and S. shibatae. Although there were some differences in chemolithotrophic growth between strain HS-3 T , S. solfataricus and S. shibatae, their temperature, pH and facultatively anaerobic characteristics of growth, and their utilization of various sugars were almost identical. In contrast, the utilization of various sugars by S. acidocaldarius was quite different from that of HS-3 T , S. solfataricus and S. shibatae. Phylogenetic evidence based on the 16S and the 23S rRNA gene sequences also clearly distinguished the monophyletic clade composed of strain HS-3 T , S. solfataricus, and S. shibatae from S. acidocaldarius. Based on these results, we propose a new genus and species, Saccharolobus caldissimus gen. nov., sp. nov., for strain HS-3 T , as well as two reclassifications, Saccharolobus solfataricus comb. nov. and Saccharolobus shibatae comb. nov. The type strain of Saccharolobus caldissimus is HS-3 T (=JCM 32116 T and InaCC Ar80 T ). The type species of the genus is Saccharolobus solfataricus.

  7. Exploring the reductive capacity of Pyrococcus furiosus : the reduction of carboxylic acids and pyridine nucleotides

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ban, van den E.C.D.

    2001-01-01

    This Ph.D. project started in 1997 and its main goal was to obtain insight in the reductive capacity of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus . The research was focused on the biocatalytic reduction of carboxylic

  8. Molecular analysis of the UV-inducible pili operon from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wolferen, Marleen van; Ajon, Małgorzata; Driessen, Arnold J.M.; Albers, Sonja-Verena

    2013-01-01

    Upon ultraviolet (UV) stress, hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus species show a highly induced transcription of a gene cluster responsible for pili biogenesis: the UV-inducible pili operon (ups operon). This operon is involved in UV-induced pili assembly, cellular aggregation, and subsequent DNA exchange

  9. Crenarchaeal Viruses: Morphotypes and Genomes,

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prangishvili, P.; Basta, P.; Garrett, Roger Antony

    2008-01-01

    In this article we present our current knowledge about double-stranded (dsDNA) viruses infecting hyperthermophilic Crenarchaeaota, the organisms which predominate in hot terrestrial springs with temperatures over 80 °C. These viruses exhibit extraordinary diversity of morphotypes most of which have...

  10. Viruses of the Archaea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prangishvili,, David; Basta, Tamara; Garrett, Roger Antony

    2016-01-01

    Viruses infecting members of Archaea, the third domain of life, constitute an integral, yet unique part of the virosphere. Many of these viruses, specifically the species that infect hyperthermophilic hosts, display morphotypes – for example, bottle shaped, spindle shaped, droplet shaped, coil sh...

  11. Four newly isolated fuselloviruses from extreme geothermal environments reveal unusual morphologies and a possible interviral recombination mechanism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Redder, Peter; Peng, Xu; Brügger, Kim

    2009-01-01

    Spindle-shaped virus-like particles are abundant in extreme geothermal environments, from which five spindle-shaped viral species have been isolated to date. They infect members of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Sulfolobus, and constitute the Fuselloviridae, a family of double-stranded DNA...

  12. Production and characterization of a thermostable alcohol dehydrogenase that belongs to the aldo-keto reductase superfamily

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Machielsen, M.P.; Uria, A.R.; Kengen, S.W.M.; Oost, van der J.

    2006-01-01

    The gene encoding a novel alcohol dehydrogenase that belongs to the aldo-keto reductase superfamily has been identified in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. The gene, referred to as adhD, was functionally expressed in Escherichia coli and subsequently purified to homogeneity. The

  13. Utilization of keratin-containing biowaste to produce biohydrogen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balint, B.; Rakhely, G.; Kovacs, K.L. [Szeged Univ. (Hungary). Dept. of Biotechnology; Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged (Hungary). Inst. of Biophysics; Bagi, Z.; Perei, K. [Szeged Univ. (Hungary). Dept. of Biotechnology; Toth, A. [Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged (Hungary). Inst. of Biophysics

    2005-12-01

    A two-stage fermentation system was constructed to test and demonstrate the feasibility of biohydrogen generation from keratin-rich biowaste. We isolated a novel aerobic Bacillus strain (Bacillus licheniformis KK1) that displays outstanding keratinolytic activity. The isolated strain was employed to convert keratin-containing biowaste into a fermentation product that is rich in amino acids and peptides. The process was optimized for the second fermentation step, in which the product of keratin fermentation-supplemented with essential minerals-was metabolized by Thermococcus litoralis, an anaerobic hyperthermophilic archaeon. T. litoralis grew on the keratin hydrolysate and produced hydrogen gas as a physiological fermentation byproduct. Hyperthermophilic cells utilized the keratin hydrolysate in a similar way as their standard nutrient, i.e., bacto-peptone. The generalization of the findings to protein-rich waste treatment and production of biohydrogen is discussed and possible means of further improvements are listed. (orig.)

  14. ADP-dependent Phosphofructokinases in Mesophilic and Thermophilic Methanogenic Archaea

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verhees, C.H.; Tuininga, J.E.; Kengen, S.W.M.; Stams, A.J.M.; Oost, van der J.; Vos, de W.M.

    2001-01-01

    Phosphofructokinase (PFK) is a key enzyme of the glycolytic pathway in all domains of life. Two related PFKs, ATP-dependent and PPi-dependent PFK, have been distinguished in bacteria and eucarya, as well as in some archaea. Hyperthermophilic archaea of the order Thermococcales, including Pyrococcus

  15. Conditions for gene disruption by homologous recombination of exogenous DNA into the Sulfolobus solfataricus genome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Albers, Sonja-Verena; Driessen, Arnold J.M.

    2008-01-01

    The construction of directed gene deletion mutants is an essential tool in molecular biology that allows functional studies on the role of genes in their natural environment. For hyperthermophilic archaea, it has been difficult to obtain a reliable system to construct such mutants. However, during

  16. Structure and genome organization of AFV2, a novel archaeal lipothrixvirus with unusual terminal and core structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Häring, Monika; Vestergaard, Gisle Alberg; Brügger, Kim

    2005-01-01

    A novel filamentous virus, AFV2, from the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Acidianus shows structural similarity to lipothrixviruses but differs from them in its unusual terminal and core structures. The double-stranded DNA genome contains 31,787 bp and carries eight open reading frames homologous...

  17. Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program, FY 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-12-31

    This program provides the resources for Berkeley Lab scientists to make rapid and significant contributions to critical nation science and technology problems: accelerators and fusion, chemical sciences, earth sciences, energy and environment, engineering, life sciences, materials, nuclear science, physics, and structural biology (hyperthermophilic microorganisms).

  18. Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program, FY 1995

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    This program provides the resources for Berkeley Lab scientists to make rapid and significant contributions to critical nation science and technology problems: accelerators and fusion, chemical sciences, earth sciences, energy and environment, engineering, life sciences, materials, nuclear science, physics, and structural biology (hyperthermophilic microorganisms)

  19. Hydrogen production from paper sludge hydrolysate

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kádár, Z.; Vrije, de G.J.; Budde, M.A.W.; Szengyel, Z.; Reczey, K.; Claassen, P.A.M.

    2003-01-01

    The main objective of this study was to develop a system for the production of 'renewable' hydrogen. Paper sludge is a solid industrial waste yielding mainly cellulose, which can be used, after hydrolysis, as a feedstock in anaerobic fermentation by (hyper)thermophilic organisms, such as Thermotoga

  20. Virology: Independent virus development outside a host

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Häring, M.; Vestergaard, Gisle Alberg; Rachel, R.

    2005-01-01

    Viruses are thought to be functionally inactive once they are outside and independent of their host cell 1 . Here we describe an exceptional property of a newly discovered virus that infects a hyperthermophilic archaeon growing in acidic hot springs: the lemon-shaped viral particle develops a very...

  1. Microbial and Mineral Descriptions of the Interior Habitable Zones of Active Hydrothermal Chimneys from the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holden, J. F.; Lin, T.; Ver Eecke, H. C.; Breves, E.; Dyar, M. D.; Jamieson, J. W.; Hannington, M. D.; Butterfield, D. A.; Bishop, J. L.; Lane, M. D.

    2013-12-01

    Actively venting hydrothermal chimneys and their associated hydrothermal fluids were collected from the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge to determine the mineralogy, chemistry and microbial community composition of their interiors. To characterize the mineralogy, Mössbauer, FTIR, VNIR and thermal emission spectroscopies were used for the first time on this type of sample in addition to thin-section petrography, x-ray diffraction and elemental analyses. A chimney from the Bastille edifice was Fe-sulfide rich and composed primarily of chalcopyrite, marcasite-sphalerite, and pyrrhotite while chimneys from the Dante and Hot Harold edifices were Fe-sulfide poor and composed primarily of anhydrite. The bulk emissivity and reflectance spectroscopies corroborated well with the petrography and XRD analyses. The microbial community in the interior of Bastille was most closely related to mesophilic-to-thermophilic anaerobes of the deltaproteobacteria and hyperthermophilic archaea while those in the interiors of Dante and Hot Harold were most closely related to mesophilic-to-thermophilic aerobes of the beta-, gamma- and epsilonproteobacteria. The fluid temperatures (282-321°C) and chemistries of the three chimneys were very similar suggesting that differences in mineralogy and microbial community compositions were more dependent on fluid flow characteristics and paragenesis within the chimney. Thin-section petrography of the interior of another hydrothermal chimney collected from the Dante edifice (emitting 336°C fluid) shows a thin coat of Fe3+ oxide associated with amorphous silica on the exposed outer surfaces of pyrrhotite, sphalerite and chalcopyrite in pore spaces, along with anhydrite precipitation in the pores that is indicative of seawater ingress. The Fe-sulfide minerals were likely oxidized to ferrihydrite with increasing pH and Eh due to cooling and seawater exposure, providing reactants for bioreduction. Culture-based most-probable-number estimates of

  2. Borders of life: lessons from Microbiology of deep-sea hydrothermal vents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prieur, D.

    Thirty years ago, the deep-sea was known as a low density biotope due to coldness, darkness and famine-like conditions. The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Eastern Pacific in 1977 and the associated black smokers in 1979 considerably changed our views about life on Earth. For the first time, an ecosystem almost independent (at least for tens of years) of solar nergy was discovered. Besides the spectacular and unexpected communities of invertebrates based on symbiotic associations with chemo-litho-autotrophic bacteria, prokaryotic communities associated with high temperature black smokers fascinated microbiologists of extreme environments. Within mineral structures where temperature gradients may fluctuate from ambient seawater temperatures (2°C) up to 350°C, thermophilic (optimal growth above 60°C) and hyperthermophilic (optimal growth above 80°C) microorganisms thrived under very severe conditions due to elevated hydrostatic pressure, toxic compounds or strong ionizing radiations. These organisms belong to both domains of Bacteria and Archaea and live aerobically but mostly anaerobically, using a variety of inorganic and organic carbon sources, and a variety of electron donnors and acceptors as well. The most thermophilic organism known on Earth was isolated from a mid-Atlantic-Ridge hydrotermal vent: Pyrolobus fumarii grows optimally at 110°c and its upper temperature limit for life is 113°C. Such an organism survived to autoclaving conditions currently used for sterilization procedures. Many other hyperthermophilic organisms were isolated and described, including fermenters, sulphate and sulphur reducers, hydrogen oxidizers, nitrate reducers, methanogens, etc. Although most of anaerobes are killed when exposed to oxygen, several deep-sea hyperthermophiles appeared to survive to both oxygen and starvation exposures, indicating that they probably can colonize rather distant environments Because of elevated hydrostatic pressure that exists at

  3. Phylogenetic and Physiological Diversity of Subseafloor Microbial Communities at Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge: Summary of Results From the New Millenium Observatory (NeMO), 1998-2004

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baross, J. A.; Huber, J. A.; Mehta, M. P.; Opatkiewicz, A.; Bolton, S. A.; Butterfield, D. A.; Sogin, M. L.; Embley, R. W.

    2005-12-01

    Axial Seamount (45 ° 58' N; 130 ° 00' W) is an active submarine volcano located on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, approximately 300 miles off the coast of Oregon. Lying at the intersection of a seamount chain and a spreading axis, Axial is a unique study site from both the geological and biological perspective. In January of 1998, Axial experienced a week-long series of earthquakes, and subsequent water column and seafloor observations on the southeast portion of the caldera found temperature and chemical anomalies, extensive new seafloor lava flows, large "snow blower" type vents, and other characteristics commonly associated with diking-eruptive events. Due to its high activity and close proximity to shore, Axial was chosen as a site for a multi-year observatory (New Millenium Observatory, NeMO) to document changes and interactions between geology, chemistry, and biology on the mid-ocean ridge system. From 1998 through 2004, we extensively sampled diffuse vents at Axial Seamount to determine the physiological and phylogenetic diversity of subseafloor microbial communities and their relationship to the geochemical environment. Here we present a summary of those studies, including molecular-based phylogenetic surveys of bacteria, archaea, and potential nitrogen-fixing organisms, culturing results of thermophiles and hyperthermophiles from over 20 sites, and the distribution of one particular group of hyperthermophiles at diffuse vents throughout the caldera and how that distribution may be linked to the geochemical habitat. Results indicate that Axial supports a diverse subseafloor microbial community, including hydrogen and sulfur oxidizers, hyperthermophilic methane producers and heterotrophs, and many organisms with the potential to fix nitrogen. In addition, we find that the species composition of the microbial community changes in response to changes in the physical and chemical conditions at each vent site. The extent of seawater mixing with hydrothermal fluids

  4. A site-specific endonuclease encoded by a typical archaeal intron

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalgaard, Jacob; Garrett, Roger Antony; Belfort, Malene

    1993-01-01

    The protein encoded by the archaeal intron in the 23S rRNA gene of the hyperthermophile Desulfurococcus mobilis is a double-strand DNase that, like group I intron homing endonucleases, is capable of cleaving an intronless allele of the gene. This enzyme, I-Dmo I, is unusual among the intron...

  5. Amylomaltase of Pyrobaculum aerophilum IM2 produces thermoreversible starch gels

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kaper, T.; Talik, B.; Ettema, T.J.; Bos, H.; Maarel, M.J.E.C. van der; Dijkhuizen, L.

    2005-01-01

    Amylomaltases are 4-α-glucanotransferases (EC 2.4.1.25) of glycoside hydrolase family 77 that transfer α-1,4-linked glucans to another acceptor, which can be the 4-OH group of an α-1,4-linked glucan or glucose. The amylomaltase-encoding gene (PAE1209) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum

  6. Structural comparison of tRNA m1A58 methyltransferases revealed different molecular strategies to maintain their oligomeric architecture under extreme conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guelorget Amandine

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background tRNA m1A58 methyltransferases (TrmI catalyze the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to nitrogen 1 of adenine 58 in the T-loop of tRNAs from all three domains of life. The m1A58 modification has been shown to be essential for cell growth in yeast and for adaptation to high temperatures in thermophilic organisms. These enzymes were shown to be active as tetramers. The crystal structures of five TrmIs from hyperthermophilic archaea and thermophilic or mesophilic bacteria have previously been determined, the optimal growth temperature of these organisms ranging from 37°C to 100°C. All TrmIs are assembled as tetramers formed by dimers of tightly assembled dimers. Results In this study, we present a comparative structural analysis of these TrmIs, which highlights factors that allow them to function over a large range of temperature. The monomers of the five enzymes are structurally highly similar, but the inter-monomer contacts differ strongly. Our analysis shows that bacterial enzymes from thermophilic organisms display additional intermolecular ionic interactions across the dimer interfaces, whereas hyperthermophilic enzymes present additional hydrophobic contacts. Moreover, as an alternative to two bidentate ionic interactions that stabilize the tetrameric interface in all other TrmI proteins, the tetramer of the archaeal P. abyssi enzyme is strengthened by four intersubunit disulfide bridges. Conclusions The availability of crystal structures of TrmIs from mesophilic, thermophilic or hyperthermophilic organisms allows a detailed analysis of the architecture of this protein family. Our structural comparisons provide insight into the different molecular strategies used to achieve the tetrameric organization in order to maintain the enzyme activity under extreme conditions.

  7. Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of Thermotoga neapolitana β-glucosidase B

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turner, Pernilla [Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, S-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Pramhed, Anna [Department of Molecular Biophysics, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, S-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Kanders, Erik; Hedström, Martin; Karlsson, Eva Nordberg, E-mail: eva.nordberg-karlsson@biotek.lu.se [Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, S-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Logan, Derek T., E-mail: eva.nordberg-karlsson@biotek.lu.se [Department of Molecular Biophysics, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, S-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, S-221 00 Lund (Sweden)

    2007-09-01

    Here, the expression, purification, crystallization and X-ray diffraction data of a family 3 β-glucosidase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana are reported. β-Glucosidases belong to families 1, 3 and 9 of the glycoside hydrolases and act on cello-oligosaccharides. Family 1 and 3 enzymes are retaining and are reported to have transglycosylation activity, which can be used to produce oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Family 3 enzymes are less well characterized than their family 1 homologues and to date only two crystal structures have been solved. Here, the expression, purification, crystallization and X-ray diffraction data of a family 3 β-glucosidase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana are reported. Crystals of selenomethionine-substituted protein have also been grown. The crystals belong to space group C222{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 74.9, b = 127.0, c = 175.2 Å. Native data have been collected to 2.4 Å resolution and the structure has been solved to 2.7 Å using the selenomethionine MAD method. Model building and refinement of the structure are under way.

  8. Cell architecture and flagella of hyperthermophilic Archaea

    OpenAIRE

    Bellack, Annett

    2011-01-01

    Earlier studies indicated that flagella might play a crucial role in motility, adhesion, and cell-cell contacts of Archaea. Thus, the ultrastructural and functional characterization of flagella and their anchoring in the cell are crucial for understanding the archaeal cell organization in general. To address this topic, Pyrococcus furiosus was chosen as a suitable model organism. However, in the course of this study, morphological changes of this strain, cultured continuously for several y...

  9. Draft Genome Sequence of a Highly Flagellated, Fast-Swimming Archaeon, Methanocaldococcus villosus Strain KIN24-T80 (DSM 22612)

    KAUST Repository

    Thennarasu, Sugumar; Poli Reddy, Dinesh Reddy; Antony, Aju; Yada, Madhava; Alqarawi, Sami; Neelamegam, Sivakumar

    2013-01-01

    We report the draft genome sequence of a hyperthermophilic Methanocaldococcus villosus strain, KIN24-T80. The gene associated with its heavy flagellum formation was annotated in the 1.2-Mb draft genome sequence, and this strain may be a good model system to study the extensive functional role of flagella and their fast motor activity.

  10. Draft Genome Sequence of a Highly Flagellated, Fast-Swimming Archaeon, Methanocaldococcus villosus Strain KIN24-T80 (DSM 22612)

    KAUST Repository

    Thennarasu, Sugumar

    2013-07-11

    We report the draft genome sequence of a hyperthermophilic Methanocaldococcus villosus strain, KIN24-T80. The gene associated with its heavy flagellum formation was annotated in the 1.2-Mb draft genome sequence, and this strain may be a good model system to study the extensive functional role of flagella and their fast motor activity.

  11. Tertiary structure in 7.9 M guanidinium chloride: the role of Glu-53 and Asp-287 in Pyrococcus furiosus endo-beta-1,3-glucanase

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chiaraluce, R.; Florio, R.; Angelaccio, S.; Gianese, G.; Lieshout, van J.F.T.; Oost, van der J.; Consalvi, V.

    2007-01-01

    The thermodynamic stability of family 16 endo-ß-1,3-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.39) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus is decreased upon single (D287A, E53A) and double (E53A/D287A) mutation of Asp287 and Glu53. In accordance with the homology model prediction, both carboxylic acids are

  12. Conditions for gene disruption by homologous recombination of exogenous DNA into the Sulfolobus solfataricus genome

    OpenAIRE

    Albers, Sonja-Verena; Driessen, Arnold J. M.

    2008-01-01

    The construction of directed gene deletion mutants is an essential tool in molecular biology that allows functional studies on the role of genes in their natural environment. For hyperthermophilic archaea, it has been difficult to obtain a reliable system to construct such mutants. However, during the past years, systems have been developed for Thermococcus kodakarensis and two Sulfolobus species, S. ac...

  13. Microbiological evidence for Fe(III) reduction on early Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vargas, Madeline; Kashefi, Kazem; Blunt-Harris, Elizabeth L.; Lovley, Derek R.

    1998-09-01

    It is generally considered that sulphur reduction was one of the earliest forms of microbial respiration, because the known microorganisms that are most closely related to the last common ancestor of modern life are primarily anaerobic, sulphur-reducing hyperthermophiles. However, geochemical evidence indicates that Fe(III) is more likely than sulphur to have been the first external electron acceptor of global significance in microbial metabolism. Here we show that Archaea and Bacteria that are most closely related to the last common ancestor can reduce Fe(III) to Fe(II) and conserve energy to support growth from this respiration. Surprisingly, even Thermotoga maritima, previously considered to have only a fermentative metabolism, could grow as a respiratory organism when Fe(III) was provided as an electron acceptor. These results provide microbiological evidence that Fe(III) reduction could have been an important process on early Earth and suggest that microorganisms might contribute to Fe(III) reduction in modern hot biospheres. Furthermore, our discovery that hyperthermophiles that had previously been thought to require sulphur for cultivation can instead be grown without the production of toxic and corrosive sulphide, should aid biochemical investigations of these poorly understood organisms.

  14. PCOGR: Phylogenetic COG ranking as an online tool to judge the specificity of COGs with respect to freely definable groups of organisms

    OpenAIRE

    Meereis, Florian; Kaufmann, Michael

    2004-01-01

    Abstract Background The rapidly increasing number of completely sequenced genomes led to the establishment of the COG-database which, based on sequence homologies, assigns similar proteins from different organisms to clusters of orthologous groups (COGs). There are several bioinformatic studies that made use of this database to determine (hyper)thermophile-specific proteins by searching for COGs containing (almost) exclusively proteins from (hyper)thermophilic genomes. However, public softwar...

  15. Prokaryotic homologs of Argonaute proteins are predicted to function as key components of a novel system of defense against mobile genetic elements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    van der Oost John

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In eukaryotes, RNA interference (RNAi is a major mechanism of defense against viruses and transposable elements as well of regulating translation of endogenous mRNAs. The RNAi systems recognize the target RNA molecules via small guide RNAs that are completely or partially complementary to a region of the target. Key components of the RNAi systems are proteins of the Argonaute-PIWI family some of which function as slicers, the nucleases that cleave the target RNA that is base-paired to a guide RNA. Numerous prokaryotes possess the CRISPR-associated system (CASS of defense against phages and plasmids that is, in part, mechanistically analogous but not homologous to eukaryotic RNAi systems. Many prokaryotes also encode homologs of Argonaute-PIWI proteins but their functions remain unknown. Results We present a detailed analysis of Argonaute-PIWI protein sequences and the genomic neighborhoods of the respective genes in prokaryotes. Whereas eukaryotic Ago/PIWI proteins always contain PAZ (oligonucleotide binding and PIWI (active or inactivated nuclease domains, the prokaryotic Argonaute homologs (pAgos fall into two major groups in which the PAZ domain is either present or absent. The monophyly of each group is supported by a phylogenetic analysis of the conserved PIWI-domains. Almost all pAgos that lack a PAZ domain appear to be inactivated, and the respective genes are associated with a variety of predicted nucleases in putative operons. An additional, uncharacterized domain that is fused to various nucleases appears to be a unique signature of operons encoding the short (lacking PAZ pAgo form. By contrast, almost all PAZ-domain containing pAgos are predicted to be active nucleases. Some proteins of this group (e.g., that from Aquifex aeolicus have been experimentally shown to possess nuclease activity, and are not typically associated with genes for other (putative nucleases. Given these observations, the apparent extensive

  16. Biochemical characterization of a new nicotinamidase from an unclassified bacterium thriving in a geothermal water stream microbial mat community

    OpenAIRE

    Zapata-P?rez, Rub?n; Mart?nez-Mo?ino, Ana-Bel?n; Garc?a-Saura, Antonio-Gin?s; Cabanes, Juana; Takami, Hideto; S?nchez-Ferrer, ?lvaro

    2017-01-01

    Nicotinamidases are amidohydrolases that convert nicotinamide into nicotinic acid, contributing to NAD+ homeostasis in most organisms. In order to increase the number of nicotinamidases described to date, this manuscript characterizes a nicotinamidase obtained from a metagenomic library fosmid clone (JFF054_F02) obtained from a geothermal water stream microbial mat community in a Japanese epithermal mine. The enzyme showed an optimum temperature of 90?C, making it the first hyperthermophilic ...

  17. Measurements of Protein Crystal Face Growth Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorti, S.

    2014-01-01

    Protein crystal growth rates will be determined for several hyperthermophile proteins.; The growth rates will be assessed using available theoretical models, including kinetic roughening.; If/when kinetic roughening supersaturations are established, determinations of protein crystal quality over a range of supersaturations will also be assessed.; The results of our ground based effort may well address the existence of a correlation between fundamental growth mechanisms and protein crystal quality.

  18. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of mannosyl-3-phosphoglycerate synthase from Rubrobacter xylanophilus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sá-Moura, Bebiana; Albuquerque, Luciana; Empadinhas, Nuno; Costa, Milton S. da; Pereira, Pedro José Barbosa; Macedo-Ribeiro, Sandra

    2008-01-01

    The enzyme mannosyl-3-phosphoglycerate synthase from R. xylanophilus has been expressed, purified and crystallized. The crystals belong to the hexagonal space group P6 5 22 and diffract to 2.2 Å resolution. Rubrobacter xylanophilus is the only Gram-positive bacterium known to synthesize the compatible solute mannosylglycerate (MG), which is commonly found in hyperthermophilic archaea and some thermophilic bacteria. Unlike the salt-dependent pattern of accumulation observed in (hyper)thermophiles, in R. xylanophilus MG accumulates constitutively. The synthesis of MG in R. xylanophilus was tracked from GDP-mannose and 3-phosphoglycerate, but the genome sequence of the organism failed to reveal any of the genes known to be involved in this pathway. The native enzyme was purified and its N-terminal sequence was used to identify the corresponding gene (mpgS) in the genome of R. xylanophilus. The gene encodes a highly divergent mannosyl-3-phosphoglycerate synthase (MpgS) without relevant sequence homology to known mannosylphosphoglycerate synthases. In order to understand the specificity and enzymatic mechanism of this novel enzyme, it was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. The crystals thus obtained belonged to the hexagonal space group P6 5 22 and contained two protein molecules per asymmetric unit. The structure was solved by SIRAS using a mercury derivative

  19. Thermostability promotes the cooperative function of split adenylate kinases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Peter Q; Liu, Shirley; Thompson, Jeremy C; Silberg, Jonathan J

    2008-05-01

    Proteins can often be cleaved to create inactive polypeptides that associate into functional complexes through non-covalent interactions, but little is known about what influences the cooperative function of the ensuing protein fragments. Here, we examine whether protein thermostability affects protein fragment complementation by characterizing the function of split adenylate kinases from the mesophile Bacillus subtilis (AKBs) and the hyperthermophile Thermotoga neapolitana (AKTn). Complementation studies revealed that the split AKTn supported the growth of Escherichia coli with a temperature-sensitive AK, but not the fragmented AKBs. However, weak complementation occurred when the AKBs fragments were fused to polypeptides that strongly associate, and this was enhanced by a Q16L mutation that thermostabilizes the full-length protein. To examine how the split AK homologs differ in structure and function, their catalytic activity, zinc content, and circular dichroism spectra were characterized. The reconstituted AKTn had higher levels of zinc, greater secondary structure, and >10(3)-fold more activity than the AKBs pair, albeit 17-fold less active than full-length AKTn. These findings provide evidence that the design of protein fragments that cooperatively function can be improved by choosing proteins with the greatest thermostability for bisection, and they suggest that this arises because hyperthermophilic protein fragments exhibit greater residual structure compared to their mesophilic counterparts.

  20. Biochemical properties and base excision repair complex formation of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease from Pyrococcus furiosus

    OpenAIRE

    Kiyonari, Shinichi; Tahara, Saki; Shirai, Tsuyoshi; Iwai, Shigenori; Ishino, Sonoko; Ishino, Yoshizumi

    2009-01-01

    Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites are the most frequently found mutagenic lesions in DNA, and they arise mainly from spontaneous base loss or modified base removal by damage-specific DNA glycosylases. AP sites are cleaved by AP endonucleases, and the resultant gaps in the DNA are repaired by DNA polymerase/DNA ligase reactions. We identified the gene product that is responsible for the AP endonuclease activity in the hyperthermophilic euryarchaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus. Furthermore, we detected...

  1. Marine Subsurface Microbial Communities Across a Hydrothermal Gradient in Okinawa Trough Sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandt, L. D.; Hser Wah Saw, J.; Ettema, T.; House, C. H.

    2015-12-01

    IODP Expedition 331 to the Okinawa backarc basin provided an opportunity to study the microbial stratigraphy within the sediments surrounding a hydrothermal vent. The Okinawa backarc basin is a sedimented region of the seafloor located on a continental margin, and also hosts a hydrothermal network within the subsurface. Site C0014 within the Iheya North hydrothermal field is located 450 m east of the active vent and has a surface temperature of 5°C with no evidence of hydrothermal alteration within the top 10 meters below sea floor (mbsf). Temperature increases with depth at an estimated rate of 3°C/m and transitions from non-hydrothermal margin sediments to a hydrothermally altered regime below 10 mbsf. In this study, we utilized deep 16S rRNA sequencing of DNA from IODP Expedition 331 Site C0014 sediment horizons in order to assess diversity throughout the sediment column as well as determine the potential limits of the biosphere. Analysis of the amplicon data shows a shift over 15 mbsf from a heterogeneous community of cosmopolitan marine subsurface taxa toward an archaeal-dominated community in the deepest horizons of the predicted biosphere. Notably, the phylum Chloroflexi represents a substantial taxon through most horizons, where it appears to be replaced below 10 mbsf by punctuations of thermophilic and methanotrophic Archaea and Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group abundances. DNA from the aforementioned transition horizons was further analyzed using metagenomic sequencing. Preliminary taxonomic analysis of the metagenomic data agrees well with amplicon data in capturing the shift in relative abundance of Archaea increasing with depth. Additionally, reverse gyrase, a gene found exclusively in hyperthermophilic microorganisms, was recovered only in the metagenome of the deepest horizon. A BLAST search of this protein sequence against the GenBank non-redudnant protein database produced top hits with reverse gyrase from Thermococcus and Pyrococcus, which are

  2. Isolation of diverse members of the Aquificales from geothermal springs in Tengchong, China

    OpenAIRE

    Hedlund, Brian P.; Reysenbach, Anna-Louise; Huang, Liuquin; Ong, John C.; Liu, Zizhang; Dodsworth, Jeremy A.; Ahmed, Reham; Williams, Amanda J.; Briggs, Brandon R.; Liu, Yitai; Hou, Weiguo; Dong, Hailiang

    2015-01-01

    The order Aquificales (phylum Aquificae) consists of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic bacteria that are prominent in many geothermal systems, including those in Tengchong, Yunnan Province, China. However, Aquificales have not previously been isolated from Tengchong. We isolated five strains of Aquificales from diverse springs (temperature 45.2–83.3°C and pH 2.6–9.1) in the Rehai Geothermal Field from sites in which Aquificales were abundant. Phylogenetic analysis showed that four of the str...

  3. Optimization of expression and properties of the recombinant acetohydroxyacid synthase of Thermotoga maritima

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad S. Eram

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The data provide additional support of the characterization of the biophysical and biochemical properties of the enzyme acetohydroxyacid synthase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima (Eram et al., 2015 [1]. The genes encoding the enzyme subunits have been cloned and expressed in the mesophilic host Escherichia coli. Detailed data include information about the optimization of the expression conditions, biophysical properties of the enzyme and reconstitution of the holoenzyme from individually expressed and purified subunits.

  4. C68 from the Sulfolobus islandicus plasmid-virus pSSVx is a novel member of the AbrB-like transcription factor family

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Contursi, Patrizia; D'Ambrosio, Katia; Pirone, Luciano

    2011-01-01

    The genetic element pSSVx from Sulfolobus islandicus, strain REY15/4, is a hybrid between a plasmid and a fusellovirus. This plasmid-virus hybrid infects several species of the hyperthermophilic acidophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus. The open reading frame orfc68 of pSSVx encodes a 7.7 kDa protein...... factors, such as AbrB from Bacillus subtilis. Nevertheless, C68 constitutes a novel representative of this family because it shows several peculiar structural and functional features....

  5. Backbone and side-chain 1H, 15N and 13C resonance assignments of two Sac10b family members Mvo10b and Mth10bTQQA from archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xuan, Jinsong; Yao, Hongwei; Feng, Yingang; Wang, Jinfeng

    2017-10-01

    The Sac10b family proteins, also named as Alba, are small, basic, nucleic acid-binding proteins widely distributed in archaea. They possess divergent physiological functions such as binding to both DNA and RNA with a high affinity and involving in genomic DNA compaction, RNA transactions and transcriptional regulations. The structures of many Sac10b family proteins from hyperthermophilic archaea have been reported, while those from thermophilic and mesophilic archaea are largely unknown. As was pointed out, the homologous members from thermophilic and mesophilic archaea may have functions different from the hyperthermophilic members. Therefore, comparison of these homologous members can provide biophysical and structural insight into the functional diversity and thermal adaptation mechanism. The present work mainly focused on the NMR study of two Sac10b family members, Mvo10b and Mth10b, from the mesophilic and thermophilic archaea, respectively. To overcome the difficulties caused by the oligomerization and conformation heterogeneity of Mth10b, a M13T/L17Q/I20Q/P56A mutant Mth10b (Mth10bTQQA) was constructed and used together with Mvo10b for multi-dimensional NMR experiments. The resonance assignments of Mvo10b and Mth10bTQQA are reported for further structural determination which is a basis for understanding the functional diversity and their thermal adaption mechanisms.

  6. Expression, Purification, and Characterisation of Dehydroquinate Synthase from Pyrococcus furiosus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardo Negron

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Dehydroquinate synthase (DHQS catalyses the second step of the shikimate pathway to aromatic compounds. DHQS from the archaeal hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus was insoluble when expressed in Escherichia coli but was partially solubilised when KCl was included in the cell lysis buffer. A purification procedure was developed, involving lysis by sonication at 30∘C followed by a heat treatment at 70∘C and anion exchange chromatography. Purified recombinant P. furiosus DHQS is a dimer with a subunit Mr of 37,397 (determined by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry and is active over broad pH and temperature ranges. The kinetic parameters are KM (3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate 3.7 μM and kcat 3.0 sec-1 at 60∘C and pH 6.8. EDTA inactivates the enzyme, and enzyme activity is restored by several divalent metal ions including (in order of decreasing effectiveness Cd2+, Co2+, Zn2+, and Mn2+. High activity of a DHQS in the presence of Cd2+ has not been reported for enzymes from other sources, and may be related to the bioavailability of Cd2+ for P. furiosus. This study is the first biochemical characterisation of a DHQS from a thermophilic source. Furthermore, the characterisation of this hyperthermophilic enzyme was carried out at elevated temperatures using an enzyme-coupled assay.

  7. Crystal Structure of Hyperthermophilic Endo-β-1,4-glucanase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Baisong; Yang, Wen; Zhao, Xinyu; Wang, Yuguo; Lou, Zhiyong; Rao, Zihe; Feng, Yan

    2012-01-01

    Endo-β-1,4-glucanase from thermophilic Fervidobacterium nodosum Rt17-B1 (FnCel5A), a new member of glycosyl hydrolase family 5, is highly thermostable and exhibits the highest activity on carboxymethylcellulose among the reported homologues. To understand the structural basis for the thermostability and catalytic mechanism, we report here the crystal structures of FnCel5A and the complex with glucose at atomic resolution. FnCel5A exhibited a (β/α)8-barrel structure typical of clan GH-A of the glycoside hydrolase families with a large and deep catalytic pocket located in the C-terminal end of the β-strands that may permit substrate access. A comparison of the structure of FnCel5A with related structures from thermopile Clostridium thermocellum, mesophile Clostridium cellulolyticum, and psychrophile Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis showed significant differences in intramolecular interactions (salt bridges and hydrogen bonds) that may account for the difference in their thermostabilities. The substrate complex structure in combination with a mutagenesis analysis of the catalytic residues implicates a distinctive catalytic module Glu167-His226-Glu283, which suggests that the histidine may function as an intermediate for the electron transfer network between the typical Glu-Glu catalytic module. Further investigation suggested that the aromatic residues Trp61, Trp204, Phe231, and Trp240 as well as polar residues Asn51, His127, Tyr228, and His235 in the active site not only participated in substrate binding but also provided a unique microenvironment suitable for catalysis. These results provide substantial insight into the unique characteristics of FnCel5A for catalysis and adaptation to extreme temperature. PMID:22128157

  8. DHAP-dependent aldolases from (hyper)thermophiles: biochemistry and applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Falcicchio, P.; Wolterink-van Loo, S.; Franssen, M.C.R.; Oost, van der J.

    2014-01-01

    Generating new carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds in an enantioselective way is one of the big challenges in organic synthesis. Aldolases are a natural tool for stereoselective C-C bond formation in a green and sustainable way. This review will focus on thermophilic aldolases in general and on

  9. Evolutionary genomics of archaeal viruses: unique viral genomes in the third domain of life

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prangishvili, D.; Garrett, R. A.; Koonin, E.

    2006-01-01

    In terms of virion morphology, the known viruses of archaea fall into two distinct classes: viruses of mesophilic and moderately thermophilic Eueryarchaeota closely resemble head-and-tail bacteriophages whereas viruses of hyperthermophilic Crenarchaeota show a variety of unique morphotypes...... of bacteriophages. The proteins encoded by the genes belonging to this pool include predicted transcription regulators, ATPases implicated in viral DNA replication and packaging, enzymes of DNA precursor metabolism, RNA modification enzymes, and glycosylases. In addition, each of the crenarchaeal viruses encodes...

  10. Survival of microbial cultures on mineral while passing dense layers of the atmosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viacheslav, Ilyin; Novikova, Nataliya; Deshevaya, Elena; Polikarpov, Nikolay; Slobodkin, Alexander; Gavrilov, Sergey; Ionov, Viktor; Morozova, Julia

    The purpose of the experiment is to study the possibility of extremophilic microorganisms survival in meteorite-like mineral while passing through the dense layers of the atmosphere. For this purpose cultures of bacteria were placed into the holes made in basalt pieces fixed to the outer wall of the spacecraft Bion M1. Control: similar materials placed in the outer container, prevented from overheating in the dense layers of the atmosphere by lid. In the flight experiment five strains of thermophilic bacteria and 2 strains of hyperthermophilic archaea from the collection of the Institute of Microbiology, RAS were used. In addition, microorganisms were selected from the collection of the Institute of Biomedical Problems, isolated from the environment objects of ISS: 10 fungal cultures and a culture of bacteria Bacillus pumilus. For thermophiles and hyperthermophiles the ability to redox interactions with minerals is considered as a priority physiological property. Ability of thermophiles to anaerobic growth also meets the conditions of the experiment - testing cell survival of microorganisms in the conditions of extraterrestrial space and ancient anaerobic atmosphere of the Earth. After 30-days flight in orbit control all spore-forming microorganisms have been successfully survived. Hyperthermophilic archaea growth in all control was significantly less intensive. Meanwhile, in one experimental samples there was obtained signs of survival of spore forming bacteria culture Carboxydocella ferrireducens. However, the maximum concentration of cells was 2 orders of magnitude below the values characteristic of an actively growing culture of the microorganism. Due to damage of holes in the stone, this result was obtained only in one replicate and for final prove of survival of C. ferrireducens when returning through the dense layers of the atmosphere it is necessary to repeat the experiment It should be noted that an important indicator of the possibility of survival of C

  11. Solution structure of an archaeal DNA binding protein with an eukaryotic zinc finger fold.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florence Guillière

    Full Text Available While the basal transcription machinery in archaea is eukaryal-like, transcription factors in archaea and their viruses are usually related to bacterial transcription factors. Nevertheless, some of these organisms show predicted classical zinc fingers motifs of the C2H2 type, which are almost exclusively found in proteins of eukaryotes and most often associated with transcription regulators. In this work, we focused on the protein AFV1p06 from the hyperthermophilic archaeal virus AFV1. The sequence of the protein consists of the classical eukaryotic C2H2 motif with the fourth histidine coordinating zinc missing, as well as of N- and C-terminal extensions. We showed that the protein AFV1p06 binds zinc and solved its solution structure by NMR. AFV1p06 displays a zinc finger fold with a novel structure extension and disordered N- and C-termini. Structure calculations show that a glutamic acid residue that coordinates zinc replaces the fourth histidine of the C2H2 motif. Electromobility gel shift assays indicate that the protein binds to DNA with different affinities depending on the DNA sequence. AFV1p06 is the first experimentally characterised archaeal zinc finger protein with a DNA binding activity. The AFV1p06 protein family has homologues in diverse viruses of hyperthermophilic archaea. A phylogenetic analysis points out a common origin of archaeal and eukaryotic C2H2 zinc fingers.

  12. Cloning, Sequencing, and Expression of the Gene Encoding Cyclic 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate Synthetase, the Key Enzyme of Cyclic 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate Metabolism in Methanothermus fervidus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matussek, Karl; Moritz, Patrick; Brunner, Nina; Eckerskorn, Christoph; Hensel, Reinhard

    1998-01-01

    Cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate synthetase (cDPGS) catalyzes the synthesis of cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (cDPG) by formation of an intramolecular phosphoanhydride bond in 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. cDPG is known to be accumulated to high intracellular concentrations (>300 mM) as a putative thermoadapter in some hyperthermophilic methanogens. For the first time, we have purified active cDPGS from a methanogen, the hyperthermophilic archaeon Methanothermus fervidus, sequenced the coding gene, and expressed it in Escherichia coli. cDPGS purification resulted in enzyme preparations containing two isoforms differing in their electrophoretic mobility under denaturing conditions. Since both polypeptides showed the same N-terminal amino acid sequence and Southern analyses indicate the presence of only one gene coding for cDPGS in M. fervidus, the two polypeptides originate from the same gene but differ by a not yet identified modification. The native cDPGS represents a dimer with an apparent molecular mass of 112 kDa and catalyzes the reversible formation of the intramolecular phosphoanhydride bond at the expense of ATP. The enzyme shows a clear preference for the synthetic reaction: the substrate affinity and the Vmax of the synthetic reaction are a factor of 8 to 10 higher than the corresponding values for the reverse reaction. Comparison with the kinetic properties of the electrophoretically homogeneous, apparently unmodified recombinant enzyme from E. coli revealed a twofold-higher Vmax of the enzyme from M. fervidus in the synthesizing direction. PMID:9811660

  13. Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the gene encoding cyclic 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate synthetase, the key enzyme of cyclic 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate metabolism in Methanothermus fervidus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matussek, K; Moritz, P; Brunner, N; Eckerskorn, C; Hensel, R

    1998-11-01

    Cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate synthetase (cDPGS) catalyzes the synthesis of cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (cDPG) by formation of an intramolecular phosphoanhydride bond in 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. cDPG is known to be accumulated to high intracellular concentrations (>300 mM) as a putative thermoadapter in some hyperthermophilic methanogens. For the first time, we have purified active cDPGS from a methanogen, the hyperthermophilic archaeon Methanothermus fervidus, sequenced the coding gene, and expressed it in Escherichia coli. cDPGS purification resulted in enzyme preparations containing two isoforms differing in their electrophoretic mobility under denaturing conditions. Since both polypeptides showed the same N-terminal amino acid sequence and Southern analyses indicate the presence of only one gene coding for cDPGS in M. fervidus, the two polypeptides originate from the same gene but differ by a not yet identified modification. The native cDPGS represents a dimer with an apparent molecular mass of 112 kDa and catalyzes the reversible formation of the intramolecular phosphoanhydride bond at the expense of ATP. The enzyme shows a clear preference for the synthetic reaction: the substrate affinity and the Vmax of the synthetic reaction are a factor of 8 to 10 higher than the corresponding values for the reverse reaction. Comparison with the kinetic properties of the electrophoretically homogeneous, apparently unmodified recombinant enzyme from E. coli revealed a twofold-higher Vmax of the enzyme from M. fervidus in the synthesizing direction.

  14. Archaeal and bacterial diversity in two hot spring microbial mats from a geothermal region in Romania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coman, Cristian; Drugă, Bogdan; Hegedus, Adriana; Sicora, Cosmin; Dragoş, Nicolae

    2013-05-01

    The diversity of archaea and bacteria was investigated in two slightly alkaline, mesophilic hot springs from the Western Plain of Romania. Phylogenetic analysis showed a low diversity of Archaea, only three Euryarchaeota taxa being detected: Methanomethylovorans thermophila, Methanomassiliicoccus luminyensis and Methanococcus aeolicus. Twelve major bacterial groups were identified, both springs being dominated by Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi and Proteobacteria. While at the phylum/class-level the microbial mats share a similar biodiversity; at the species level the geothermal springs investigated seem to be colonized by specific consortia. The dominant taxa were filamentous heterocyst-containing Fischerella, at 45 °C and non-heterocyst Leptolyngbya and Geitlerinema, at 55 °C. Other bacterial taxa (Thauera sp., Methyloversatilis universalis, Pannonibacter phragmitetus, Polymorphum gilvum, Metallibacterium sp. and Spartobacteria) were observed for the first time in association with a geothermal habitat. Based on their bacterial diversity the two mats were clustered together with other similar habitats from Europe and part of Asia, most likely the water temperature playing a major role in the formation of specific microbial communities that colonize the investigated thermal springs.

  15. Intermolecular ion pairs maintain the toroidal structure of Pyrococcus furiosus PCNA

    OpenAIRE

    Matsumiya, Shigeki; Ishino, Sonoko; Ishino, Yoshizumi; Morikawa, Kosuke

    2003-01-01

    Two mutant proliferating cell nuclear antigens from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, PfuPCNA(D143A) and PfuPCNA(D143A/D147A), were prepared by site-specific mutagenesis. The results from gel filtration showed that mutations at D143 and D147 drastically affect the stability of the trimeric structure of PfuPCNA. The PfuPCNA(D143A) still retained the activity to stimulate the DNA polymerase reaction, but PfuPCNA(D143A/D147A) lost the activity. Crystal structures of the mutant ...

  16. Extremely thermophilic microorganisms and their polymer-hidrolytic enzymes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrade Carolina M.M.C.

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available Thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms are found as normal inhabitants of continental and submarine volcanic areas, geothermally heated sea-sediments and hydrothermal vents and thus are considered extremophiles. Several present or potential applications of extremophilic enzymes are reviewed, especially polymer-hydrolysing enzymes, such as amylolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes. The purpose of this review is to present the range of morphological and metabolic features among those microorganisms growing from 70oC to 100°C and to indicate potential opportunities for useful applications derived from these features.

  17. Bacterial Sulfate Reduction Above 100-Degrees-C in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Sediments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    JØRGENSEN, BB; ISAKSEN, MF; JANNASCH, HW

    1992-01-01

    -reducing bacteria was done in hot deep-sea sediments at the hydrothermal vents of the Guaymas Basin tectonic spreading center in the Gulf of California. Radiotracer studies revealed that sulfate reduction can occur at temperatures up to 110-degrees-C, with an optimum rate at 103-degrees to 106-degrees......-C. This observation expands the upper temperature limit of this process in deep-ocean sediments by 20-degrees-C and indicates the existence of an unknown groUp of hyperthermophilic bacteria with a potential importance for the biogeochemistry of sulfur above 100-degrees-C....

  18. Conditions for gene disruption by homologous recombination of exogenous DNA into the Sulfolobus solfataricus genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albers, Sonja-Verena; Driessen, Arnold J M

    2008-12-01

    The construction of directed gene deletion mutants is an essential tool in molecular biology that allows functional studies on the role of genes in their natural environment. For hyperthermophilic archaea, it has been difficult to obtain a reliable system to construct such mutants. However, during the past years, systems have been developed for Thermococcus kodakarensis and two Sulfolobus species, S. acidocaldarius and derivatives of S. solfataricus 98/2. Here we describe an optimization of the method for integration of exogenous DNA into S. solfataricus PBL 2025, an S. solfataricus 98/2 derivative, based on lactose auxotrophy that now allows for routine gene inactivation.

  19. Identifying members of the domain Archaea with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burggraf, S; Mayer, T; Amann, R; Schadhauser, S; Woese, C R; Stetter, K O

    1994-09-01

    Two 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes were designed for the archaeal kingdoms Euryachaeota and Crenarchaeota. Probe specificities were evaluated by nonradioactive dot blot hybridization against selected reference organisms. The successful application of fluorescent-probe derivatives for whole-cell hybridization required organism-specific optimizations of fixation and hybridization conditions to assure probe penetration and morphological integrity of the cells. The probes allowed preliminary grouping of three new hyperthermophilic isolates. Together with other group-specific rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes, these probes will facilitate rapid in situ monitoring of the populations present in hydrothermal systems and support cultivation attempts.

  20. Sulfolobus Replication Factor C stimulates the activity of DNA Polymerase B1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xing, Xuanxuan; Zhang, Likui; Guo, Li

    2014-01-01

    the hyperthermophilic archaea of the genus Sulfolobus physically interacts with DNA polymerase B1 (PolB1) and enhances both the polymerase and 3'-5' exonuclease activities of PolB1 in an ATP-independent manner. Stimulation of the PolB1 activity by RFC is independent of the ability of RFC to bind DNA but is consistent...... with the ability of RFC to facilitate DNA binding by PolB1 through protein-protein interaction. These results suggest that Sulfolobus RFC may play a role in recruiting DNA polymerase for efficient primer extension, in addition to clamp loading, during DNA replication....

  1. Hyperthermophilic enzymes - stability, activity and implementation strategies for high temperature applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Unsworth, L.D.; Oost, van der J.; Koutsopoulos, S.

    2007-01-01

    Current theories agree that there appears to be no unique feature responsible for the remarkable heat stability properties of hyperthermostable proteins. A concerted action of structural, dynamic and other physicochemical attributes are utilized to ensure the delicate balance between stability and

  2. The ABC of ABC-transport in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koning, S

    2003-01-01

    Living organisms of our earth can be divided into two groups, the prokaryotes and the eukaryotes. Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus, a special compartment in the cell, where the genetic material, the DNA is located. The DNA in the prokaryotic cell is floating freely in the cell. The eukaryotes, that

  3. Geomicrobiology of Archaeal Communities Isolated from an Off-axis Abyssal Hill Fault Scarp on the East Pacific Rise Flank at 9° 27'N

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehrhardt, C. J.; Haymon, R.; Holden, P.; Lamontagne, M.

    2003-12-01

    Although heat flow studies suggest that ~70% of the hydrothermal heat loss in the oceans occurs in the abyssal hill terrain on the flanks of mid-ocean ridges, very few off-axis hydrothermal sites have been discovered. In May 2002, sedimentary blowout structures of probable hydrothermal origin were discovered along East Pacific Rise at 9° 27'N on an off-axis abyssal hill bounded by a fault scarp covered with orange-brown microbial flocculations. Recovered samples of these flocculations have presented an opportunity to study the unknown nature and role of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microbial communities on the ridge flanks. Furthermore, the archaeal communities that we have identified in the samples are useful "microbial tracers" which can be used to locate off-axis areas of moderate-to-high temperature fluid flow (>50° C). In this study, we used molecular techniques to isolate, amplify, and sequence community archaeal RNA sequences from fault scarp flocculations collected with a slurp pump system mounted in the Alvin basket. Molecular phylogenies based on 16S rRNA were constructed. Phylogenetic relationships of isolated clones were used to infer temperature preferences of archaeal communities. We identified 12 clones that clustered within thermophilic or hyperthermophilic clades within Archaea suggesting that moderately high temperature fluid (>50° C) exited the seafloor along this abyssal hill fault scarp. Our studies also suggest that these communities mediate the formation of Fe-sulfide mineral phases. Analysis of the samples with an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) and X-ray energy dispersive analysis (EDS) revealed unique iron sulfide mineral phases with anomalously low Fe/S ratios in direct association with microbial communities.

  4. High sensitive RNA detection by one-step RT-PCR using the genetically engineered variant of DNA polymerase with reverse transcriptase activity from hyperthermophilies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okano, Hiroyuki; Baba, Misato; Kawato, Katsuhiro; Hidese, Ryota; Yanagihara, Itaru; Kojima, Kenji; Takita, Teisuke; Fujiwara, Shinsuke; Yasukawa, Kiyoshi

    2018-03-01

    One-step RT-PCR has not been widely used even though some thermostable DNA polymerases with reverse transcriptase (RT) activity were developed from bacterial and archaeal polymerases, which is owing to low cDNA synthesis activity from RNA. In the present study, we developed highly-sensitive one-step RT-PCR using the single variant of family A DNA polymerase with RT activity, K4pol L329A (L329A), from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga petrophila K4 or the 16-tuple variant of family B DNA polymerase with RT activity, RTX, from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis. Optimization of reaction condition revealed that the activities for cDNA synthesis and PCR of K4pol L329A and RTX were highly affected by the concentrations of MgCl 2 and Mn(OCOCH 3 ) 2 as well as those of K4pol L329A or RTX. Under the optimized condition, 300 copies/μl of target RNA in 10 μl reaction volumes were successfully detected by the one-step RT-PCR with K4pol L329A or RTX, which was almost equally sensitive enough compared with the current RT-PCR condition using retroviral RT and thermostable DNA polymerase. Considering that K4pol L329A and RTX are stable even at 90-100°C, our results suggest that the one-step RT-PCR with K4pol L329A or RTX is more advantageous than the current one. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Does Aspartic Acid Racemization Constrain the Depth Limit of the Subsurface Biosphere?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onstott, T C.; Magnabosco, C.; Aubrey, A. D.; Burton, A. S.; Dworkin, J. P.; Elsila, J. E.; Grunsfeld, S.; Cao, B. H.; Hein, J. E.; Glavin, D. P.; hide

    2013-01-01

    Previous studies of the subsurface biosphere have deduced average cellular doubling times of hundreds to thousands of years based upon geochemical models. We have directly constrained the in situ average cellular protein turnover or doubling times for metabolically active micro-organisms based on cellular amino acid abundances, D/L values of cellular aspartic acid, and the in vivo aspartic acid racemization rate. Application of this method to planktonic microbial communities collected from deep fractures in South Africa yielded maximum cellular amino acid turnover times of approximately 89 years for 1 km depth and 27 C and 1-2 years for 3 km depth and 54 C. The latter turnover times are much shorter than previously estimated cellular turnover times based upon geochemical arguments. The aspartic acid racemization rate at higher temperatures yields cellular protein doubling times that are consistent with the survival times of hyperthermophilic strains and predicts that at temperatures of 85 C, cells must replace proteins every couple of days to maintain enzymatic activity. Such a high maintenance requirement may be the principal limit on the abundance of living micro-organisms in the deep, hot subsurface biosphere, as well as a potential limit on their activity. The measurement of the D/L of aspartic acid in biological samples is a potentially powerful tool for deep, fractured continental and oceanic crustal settings where geochemical models of carbon turnover times are poorly constrained. Experimental observations on the racemization rates of aspartic acid in living thermophiles and hyperthermophiles could test this hypothesis. The development of corrections for cell wall peptides and spores will be required, however, to improve the accuracy of these estimates for environmental samples.

  6. Identification of an Unfolding Intermediate for a DNA Lesion Bypass Polymerase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherrer, Shanen M.; Maxwell, Brian A.; Pack, Lindsey R.; Fiala, Kevin A.; Fowler, Jason D.; Zhang, Jun; Suo, Zucai

    2012-01-01

    Sulfolobus solfataricusDNA Polymerase IV (Dpo4), a prototype Y-family DNA polymerase, has been well characterized biochemically and biophysically at 37 °C or lower temperatures. However, the physiological temperature of the hyperthermophile S. solfataricus is approximately 80 °C. With such a large discrepancy in temperature, the in vivo relevance of these in vitro studies of Dpo4 has been questioned. Here, we employed circular dichroism spectroscopy and fluorescence-based thermal scanning to investigate the secondary structural changes of Dpo4 over a temperature range from 26 to 119 °C. Dpo4 was shown to display a high melting temperature characteristic of hyperthermophiles. Unexpectedly, the Little Finger domain of Dpo4, which is only found in the Y-family DNA polymerases, was shown to be more thermostable than the polymerase core. More interestingly, Dpo4 exhibited a three-state cooperative unfolding profile with an unfolding intermediate. The linker region between the Little Finger and Thumb domains of Dpo4 was found to be a source of structural instability. Through site-directed mutagenesis, the interactions between the residues in the linker region and the Palm domain were identified to play a critical role in the formation of the unfolding intermediate. Notably, the secondary structure of Dpo4 was not altered when the temperature was increased from 26 to 87.5 °C. Thus, in addition to providing structural insights into the thermal stability and an unfolding intermediate of Dpo4, our work also validated the relevance of the in vitro studies of Dpo4 performed at temperatures significantly lower than 80 °C. PMID:22667759

  7. Precambrian Surface Temperatures and Molecular Phylogeny

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartzman, David; Lineweaver, Charles H.

    2004-06-01

    The timing of emergence of major organismal groups is consistent with the climatic temperature being equal to their upper temperature limit of growth (T_{max}), implying a temperature constraint on the evolution of each group, with the climatic temperature inferred from the oxygen isotope record of marine cherts. Support for this constraint comes from the correlation of T_{max} with the rRNA molecular phylogenetic distance from the last common ancestor (LCA) for both thermophilic Archaea and Bacteria. In particular, this correlation for hyperthermophilic Archaea suggests a climatic temperature of about 120°C at the time of the LCA, likely in the Hadean.

  8. Conditions for gene disruption by homologous recombination of exogenous DNA into the Sulfolobus solfataricus genome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonja-Verena Albers

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The construction of directed gene deletion mutants is an essential tool in molecular biology that allows functional studies on the role of genes in their natural environment. For hyperthermophilic archaea, it has been difficult to obtain a reliable system to construct such mutants. However, during the past years, systems have been developed for Thermococcus kodakarensis and two Sulfolobus species, S. acidocaldarius and derivatives of S. solfataricus 98/2. Here we describe an optimization of the method for integration of exogenous DNA into S. solfataricus PBL 2025, an S. solfataricus 98/2 derivative, based on lactose auxotrophy that now allows for routine gene inactivation.

  9. An abyssal mobilome: viruses, plasmids and vesicles from deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lossouarn, Julien; Dupont, Samuel; Gorlas, Aurore; Mercier, Coraline; Bienvenu, Nadege; Marguet, Evelyne; Forterre, Patrick; Geslin, Claire

    2015-12-01

    Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as viruses, plasmids, vesicles, gene transfer agents (GTAs), transposons and transpovirions, which collectively represent the mobilome, interact with cellular organisms from all three domains of life, including those thriving in the most extreme environments. While efforts have been made to better understand deep-sea vent microbial ecology, our knowledge of the mobilome associated with prokaryotes inhabiting deep-sea hydrothermal vents remains limited. Here we focus on the abyssal mobilome by reviewing accumulating data on viruses, plasmids and vesicles associated with thermophilic and hyperthermophilic Bacteria and Archaea present in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Copyright © 2015 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  10. Archaeal Nitrification in Hot Springs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richter, A.; Daims, H.; Reigstad, L.; Wanek, W.; Wagner, M.; Schleper, C.

    2006-12-01

    Biological nitrification, i.e. the aerobic conversion of ammonia to nitrate via nitrite, is a major component of the global nitrogen cycle. Until recently, it was thought that the ability to aerobically oxidize ammonia was confined to bacteria of the phylum Proteobacteria. However, it has recently been shown that Archaea of the phylum Crenarchaeota are also capable of ammonia oxidation. As many Crenarchaeota are thermophilic or hyperthermophilic, and at least some of them are capable of ammonia oxidation we speculated on the existence of (hyper)thermophilic ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). Using PCR primers specifically targeting the archaeal ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene, we were indeed able to confirm the presence of such organisms in several hot springs in Reykjadalur, Iceland. These hot springs exhibited temperatures well above 80 °C and pH values ranging from 2.0 to 4.5. To proof that nitrification actually took place under these extreme conditions, we measured gross nitrification rates by the isotope pool dilution method; we added 15N-labelled nitrate to the mud and followed the dilution of the label by nitrate production from ammonium either in situ (incubation in the hot spring) or under controlled conditions in the laboratory (at 80 °C). The nitrification rates in the hot springs ranged from 0.79 to 2.22 mg nitrate-N per L of mud and day. Controls, in which microorganisms were killed before the incubations, demonstrated that the nitrification was of biological origin. Addition of ammonium increased the gross nitrification rate approximately 3-fold, indicating that the nitrification was ammonium limited under the conditions used. Collectively, our study provides evidence that (1) AOA are present in hot springs and (2) that they are actively nitrifying. These findings have major implications for our understanding of nitrogen cycling of hot environments.

  11. PCOGR: Phylogenetic COG ranking as an online tool to judge the specificity of COGs with respect to freely definable groups of organisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaufmann Michael

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The rapidly increasing number of completely sequenced genomes led to the establishment of the COG-database which, based on sequence homologies, assigns similar proteins from different organisms to clusters of orthologous groups (COGs. There are several bioinformatic studies that made use of this database to determine (hyperthermophile-specific proteins by searching for COGs containing (almost exclusively proteins from (hyperthermophilic genomes. However, public software to perform individually definable group-specific searches is not available. Results The tool described here exactly fills this gap. The software is accessible at http://www.uni-wh.de/pcogr and is linked to the COG-database. The user can freely define two groups of organisms by selecting for each of the (current 66 organisms to belong either to groupA, to the reference groupB or to be ignored by the algorithm. Then, for all COGs a specificity index is calculated with respect to the specificity to groupA, i. e. high scoring COGs contain proteins from the most of groupA organisms while proteins from the most organisms assigned to groupB are absent. In addition to ranking all COGs according to the user defined specificity criteria, a graphical visualization shows the distribution of all COGs by displaying their abundance as a function of their specificity indexes. Conclusions This software allows detecting COGs specific to a predefined group of organisms. All COGs are ranked in the order of their specificity and a graphical visualization allows recognizing (i the presence and abundance of such COGs and (ii the phylogenetic relationship between groupA- and groupB-organisms. The software also allows detecting putative protein-protein interactions, novel enzymes involved in only partially known biochemical pathways, and alternate enzymes originated by convergent evolution.

  12. Methanogenic H2 syntrophy among thermophiles: a model of metabolism, adaptation and survival in the subsurface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Topcuoglu, B. D.; Stewart, L. C.; Butterfield, D. A.; Huber, J. A.; Holden, J. F.

    2016-12-01

    Approximately 1 giga ton (Gt, 1015 g) of CH4 is formed globally per year from H2, CO2 and acetate through methanogenesis, largely by methanogens growing in syntrophic association with anaerobic microbes that hydrolyze and ferment biopolymers. However, our understanding of methanogenesis in hydrothermal regions of the subseafloor and potential syntrophic methanogenesis at thermophilic temperatures (i.e., >50°C) is nascent. In this study, the growth of natural assemblages of thermophilic methanogens from Axial Seamount was primarily limited by H2 availability. Heterotrophs supported thermophilic methanogenesis by H2 syntrophy in microcosm incubations of hydrothermal fluids at 55°C and 80°C supplemented with tryptone only. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, only heterotrophic archaea that produce H2, H2-consuming methanogens, and sulfate reducing archaea were found in 80°C tryptone microcosms from Marker 113 vent. No bacteria were found. In 55°C tryptone microcosms, sequences were found from H2-producing bacteria and H2-consuming methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria. In order to model the impact of H2 syntrophy at hyperthemophilic temperatures, a co-culture was established consisting of the H2-producing hyperthermophilic heterotroph Thermococcus paralvinellae and a H2-consuming hyperthermophilic methanogen Methanocaldococcus bathoardescens. When grown alone in a chemostat, the growth rates and steady-state cell concentrations of T. paralvinellae decreased significantly when a high H2 (70 µM) background was present. H2 inhibition was ameliorated by the production of formate, but in silico modeling suggests less energetic yield for the cells. H2 syntrophy relieved H2 inhibition for both the heterotroph and the methanogenic partners. The results demonstrate that thermophilic H2 syntrophy can support methanogenesis within natural microbial assemblages and may be an important alternative energy source for thermophilic autotrophs in marine geothermal environments.

  13. Circular Permutation of a Chaperonin Protein: Biophysics and Application to Nanotechnology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paavola, Chad; Chan, Suzanne; Li, Yi-Fen; McMillan, R. Andrew; Trent, Jonathan

    2004-01-01

    We have designed five circular permutants of a chaperonin protein derived from the hyperthermophilic organism Sulfolobus shibatae. These permuted proteins were expressed in E. coli and are well-folded. Furthermore, all the permutants assemble into 18-mer double rings of the same form as the wild-type protein. We characterized the thermodynamics of folding for each permutant by both guanidine denaturation and differential scanning calorimetry. We also examined the assembly of chaperonin rings into higher order structures that may be used as nanoscale templates. The results show that circular permutation can be used to tune the thermodynamic properties of a protein template as well as facilitating the fusion of peptides, binding proteins or enzymes onto nanostructured templates.

  14. Hydrogen Production by a Hyperthermophilic Membrane-Bound Hydrogenase in Soluble Nanolipoprotein Particles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baker, S E; Hopkins, R C; Blanchette, C; Walsworth, V; Sumbad, R; Fischer, N; Kuhn, E; Coleman, M; Chromy, B; Letant, S; Hoeprich, P; Adams, M W; Henderson, P T

    2008-10-22

    Hydrogenases constitute a promising class of enzymes for ex vivo hydrogen production. Implementation of such applications is currently hindered by oxygen sensitivity and, in the case of membrane-bound hydrogenases (MBH), poor water solubility. Nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs), formed from apolipoproteins and phospholipids, offer a novel means to incorporate MBH into in a well-defined water-soluble matrix that maintains the enzymatic activity and is amenable to incorporation into more complex architectures. We report the synthesis, hydrogen-evolving activity and physical characterization of the first MBH-NLP assembly. This may ultimately lead to the development of biomimetic hydrogen production devices.

  15. Production of Recombinant and Tagged Proteins in the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Albers, S.-V.; Jonuscheit, M.; Dinkelaker, S.; Urich, T.; Kletzin, A.; Tampé, R.; Driessen, A.J.M.; Schleper, C.

    Many systems are available for the production of recombinant proteins in bacterial and eukaryotic model organisms, which allow us to study proteins in their native hosts and to identify protein-protein interaction partners. In contrast, only a few transformation systems have been developed for

  16. How hyperthermophiles adapt to change their lives : DNA exchange in extreme conditions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Wolferen, Marleen; Ajon, Malgorzata; Driessen, Arnold J. M.; Albers, Sonja-Verena; Ajon, Małgorzata; Huang, L.

    Transfer of DNA has been shown to be involved in genome evolution. In particular with respect to the adaptation of bacterial species to high temperatures, DNA transfer between the domains of bacteria and archaea seems to have played a major role. In addition, DNA exchange between similar species

  17. A virus of hyperthermophilic archaea with a unique architecture among DNA viruses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rensen, Elena Ilka; Mochizuki, Tomohiro; Quemin, Emmanuelle; Schouten, S.; Krupovic, Mart; Prangishvili, David

    2016-01-01

    Viruses package their genetic material in diverse ways. Most known strategies include encapsulation of nucleic acids into spherical or filamentous virions with icosahedral or helical symmetry, respectively. Filamentous viruses with dsDNA genomes are currently associated exclusively with Archaea.

  18. Mutational analysis of the RecJ exonuclease of Escherichia coli: identification of phosphoesterase motifs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutera, V A; Han, E S; Rajman, L A; Lovett, S T

    1999-10-01

    The recJ gene, identified in Escherichia coli, encodes a Mg(+2)-dependent 5'-to-3' exonuclease with high specificity for single-strand DNA. Genetic and biochemical experiments implicate RecJ exonuclease in homologous recombination, base excision, and methyl-directed mismatch repair. Genes encoding proteins with strong similarities to RecJ have been found in every eubacterial genome sequenced to date, with the exception of Mycoplasma and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Multiple genes encoding proteins similar to RecJ are found in some eubacteria, including Bacillus and Helicobacter, and in the archaea. Among this divergent set of sequences, seven conserved motifs emerge. We demonstrate here that amino acids within six of these motifs are essential for both the biochemical and genetic functions of E. coli RecJ. These motifs may define interactions with Mg(2+) ions or substrate DNA. A large family of proteins more distantly related to RecJ is present in archaea, eubacteria, and eukaryotes, including a hypothetical protein in the MgPa adhesin operon of Mycoplasma, a domain of putative polyA polymerases in Synechocystis and Aquifex, PRUNE of Drosophila, and an exopolyphosphatase (PPX1) of Saccharomyces cereviseae. Because these six RecJ motifs are shared between exonucleases and exopolyphosphatases, they may constitute an ancient phosphoesterase domain now found in all kingdoms of life.

  19. Industrial relevance of thermophilic Archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Egorova, Ksenia; Antranikian, Garabed

    2005-12-01

    The dramatic increase of newly isolated extremophilic microorganisms, analysis of their genomes and investigations of their enzymes by academic and industrial laboratories demonstrate the great potential of extremophiles in industrial (white) biotechnology. Enzymes derived from extremophiles (extremozymes) are superior to the traditional catalysts because they can perform industrial processes even under harsh conditions, under which conventional proteins are completely denatured. In particular, enzymes from thermophilic and hyperthermophilic Archaea have industrial relevance. Despite intensive investigations, our knowledge of the structure-function relationships of their enzymes is still limited. Information concerning the molecular properties of their enzymes and genes has to be obtained to be able to understand the mechanisms that are responsible for catalytic activity and stability at the boiling point of water.

  20. Perspectives on biotechnological applications of archaea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiraldi, Chiara; Giuliano, Mariateresa; De Rosa, Mario

    2002-01-01

    Many archaea colonize extreme environments. They include hyperthermophiles, sulfur-metabolizing thermophiles, extreme halophiles and methanogens. Because extremophilic microorganisms have unusual properties, they are a potentially valuable resource in the development of novel biotechnological processes. Despite extensive research, however, there are few existing industrial applications of either archaeal biomass or archaeal enzymes. This review summarizes current knowledge about the biotechnological uses of archaea and archaeal enzymes with special attention to potential applications that are the subject of current experimental evaluation. Topics covered include cultivation methods, recent achievements in genomics, which are of key importance for the development of new biotechnological tools, and the application of wild-type biomasses, engineered microorganisms, enzymes and specific metabolites in particular bioprocesses of industrial interest. PMID:15803645

  1. Crystallization of [Fe4S3]-ferredoxin from the hyperthermophile archaeon pyrococcus furiosus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Michael Ericsson Skovbo; Harris, Pernille; Christensen, Hans Erik Mølager

    2003-01-01

    Recombinant Pyrococcus furiosus ferredoxin with a [Fe3S4]-cluster was crystallized through steps of optimization and X-ray diffraction data were collected from several crystal forms. Flat plate-like crystals were grown by hanging-drop vapour diffusion. The precipitant used was 30% PEG 400; the p...

  2. Maillard reactions and increased enzyme inactivation during oligosaccharide synthesis by a hyperthermophilic glycosidase

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bruins, M.E.; Hellemond, van E.W.; Janssen, A.E.M.; Boom, R.M.

    2003-01-01

    The thermostable Pyrococcus furiosus beta-glycosidase was used for oligosaccharide production from lactose in a kinetically controlled reaction. Our experiments showed that higher temperatures are beneficial for the absolute as well as relative oligosaccharide yield. However, at reaction

  3. A novel carbohydrate-binding surface layer protein from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goda, Shuichiro; Koga, Tomoyuki; Yamashita, Kenichiro; Kuriura, Ryo; Ueda, Toshifumi

    2018-04-08

    In Archaea and Bacteria, surface layer (S-layer) proteins form the cell envelope and are involved in cell protection. In the present study, a putative S-layer protein was purified from the crude extract of Pyrococcus horikoshii using affinity chromatography. The S-layer gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Isothermal titration calorimetry analyses showed that the S-layer protein bound N-acetylglucosamine and induced agglutination of the gram-positive bacterium Micrococcus lysodeikticus. The protein comprised a 21-mer structure, with a molecular mass of 1,340 kDa, as determined using small-angle X-ray scattering. This protein showed high thermal stability, with a midpoint of thermal denaturation of 79 °C in dynamic light scattering experiments. This is the first description of the carbohydrate-binding archaeal S-layer protein and its characteristics.

  4. Microbial diversity in subseafloor fluids from Explorer Ridge, Northeast Pacific

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolton, S.; Huber, J. A.; Embley, R.; Butterfield, D. A.; Baross, J. A.

    2003-12-01

    The Gorda, Juan de Fuca and Explorer Ridges are first order spreading centers located in the northeast Pacific. While the Gorda and Juan de Fuca Ridges have been extensively sampled for chemical and microbiological analyses, what little is known about the Explorer Ridge is from preliminary observations made in the mid-1980's. A cruise in 2002 revisited the area and discovered vigorous hydrothermal activity at Magic Mountain, a site located outside the primary rift valley. Explorer Ridge is an important site to compare with other well-described vent sites on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Our research has focused on describing the phylogenetic and physiological diversity of bacteria and archaea in low temperature hydrothermal fluids in an effort to identify subseafloor indicator organisms and to use the physiological characteristics of these organisms to help constrain subseafloor habitat characteristics. We have previously established that there are microbial taxa that are unique to subseafloor habitats associated with diffuse flow fluids at Axial Seamount and at Endeavour both located on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. These included cultured anaerobic, thermophilic and hyperthermophilic heterotrophs, methanogens and sulfur metabolizers. Moreover, results from molecular phylogeny analyses using the 16S rRNA sequences identified a phylogenetically diverse group of bacteria belonging to the epsilon-proteobacteria. While anaerobic hyperthermophiles were cultured from some diffuse-flow vent sites at Explorer, they were less abundant than at Axial Volcano and Endeavour, and curiously, no methanogens were cultured or detected in 16S rRNA clonal libraries. Like Axial, a diverse group of epsilon-proteobacterial clones were found with many similar to those identified from Axial Seamount and other hydrothermal vent sites, although there appears to be some unique species. The overall bacterial diversity at Explorer appears different than at Axial, possibly linked to temperature or chemical

  5. Diversity, biological roles and biosynthetic pathways for sugar-glycerate containing compatible solutes in bacteria and archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Empadinhas, Nuno; da Costa, Milton S

    2011-08-01

    A decade ago the compatible solutes mannosylglycerate (MG) and glucosylglycerate (GG) were considered to be rare in nature. Apart from two species of thermophilic bacteria, Thermus thermophilus and Rhodothermus marinus, and a restricted group of hyperthermophilic archaea, the Thermococcales, MG had only been identified in a few red algae. Glucosylglycerate was considered to be even rarer and had only been detected as an insignificant solute in two halophilic microorganisms, a cyanobacterium, as a component of a polysaccharide and of a glycolipid in two actinobacteria. Unlike the hyper/thermophilic MG-accumulating microorganisms, branching close to the root of the Tree of Life, those harbouring GG shared a mesophilic lifestyle. Exceptionally, the thermophilic bacterium Persephonella marina was reported to accumulate GG. However, and especially owing to the identification of the key-genes for MG and GG synthesis and to the escalating numbers of genomes available, a plethora of new organisms with the resources to synthesize these solutes has been recognized. The accumulation of GG as an 'emergency' compatible solute under combined salt stress and nitrogen-deficient conditions now seems to be a disseminated survival strategy from enterobacteria to marine cyanobacteria. In contrast, the thermophilic and extremely radiation-resistant bacterium Rubrobacter xylanophilus is the only actinobacterium known to accumulate MG, and under all growth conditions tested. This review addresses the environmental factors underlying the accumulation of MG, GG and derivatives in bacteria and archaea and their roles during stress adaptation or as precursors for more elaborated macromolecules. The diversity of pathways for MG and GG synthesis as well as those for some of their derivatives is also discussed. The importance of glycerate-derived organic solutes in the microbial world is only now being recognized. Their stress-dependent accumulation and the molecular aspects of their

  6. Characterization of technetium(vII) reduction by cell suspensions of thermophilic bacteria and archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chernyh, Nikolay A; Gavrilov, Sergei N; Sorokin, Vladimir V; German, Konstantin E; Sergeant, Claire; Simonoff, Monique; Robb, Frank; Slobodkin, Alexander I

    2007-08-01

    Washed cell suspensions of the anaerobic hyperthermophilic archaea Thermococcus pacificus and Thermoproteus uzoniensis and the anaerobic thermophilic gram-positive bacteria Thermoterrabacterium ferrireducens and Tepidibacter thalassicus reduced technetium [(99)Tc(VII)], supplied as soluble pertechnetate with molecular hydrogen as an electron donor, forming highly insoluble Tc(IV)-containing grayish-black precipitate. Apart from molecular hydrogen, T. ferrireducens reduced Tc(VII) with lactate, glycerol, and yeast extract as electron donors, and T. thalassicus reduced it with peptone. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis of cell suspensions of T. ferrireducens showed the presence of Tc-containing particles attached to the surfaces of non-lysed cells. This is the first report on the reduction in Tc(VII) by thermophilic microorganisms of the domain Bacteria and by archaea of the phylum Euryarchaeota.

  7. Widespread Disulfide Bonding in Proteins from Thermophilic Archaea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julien Jorda

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Disulfide bonds are generally not used to stabilize proteins in the cytosolic compartments of bacteria or eukaryotic cells, owing to the chemically reducing nature of those environments. In contrast, certain thermophilic archaea use disulfide bonding as a major mechanism for protein stabilization. Here, we provide a current survey of completely sequenced genomes, applying computational methods to estimate the use of disulfide bonding across the Archaea. Microbes belonging to the Crenarchaeal branch, which are essentially all hyperthermophilic, are universally rich in disulfide bonding while lesser degrees of disulfide bonding are found among the thermophilic Euryarchaea, excluding those that are methanogenic. The results help clarify which parts of the archaeal lineage are likely to yield more examples and additional specific data on protein disulfide bonding, as increasing genomic sequencing efforts are brought to bear.

  8. Widespread disulfide bonding in proteins from thermophilic archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jorda, Julien; Yeates, Todd O

    2011-01-01

    Disulfide bonds are generally not used to stabilize proteins in the cytosolic compartments of bacteria or eukaryotic cells, owing to the chemically reducing nature of those environments. In contrast, certain thermophilic archaea use disulfide bonding as a major mechanism for protein stabilization. Here, we provide a current survey of completely sequenced genomes, applying computational methods to estimate the use of disulfide bonding across the Archaea. Microbes belonging to the Crenarchaeal branch, which are essentially all hyperthermophilic, are universally rich in disulfide bonding while lesser degrees of disulfide bonding are found among the thermophilic Euryarchaea, excluding those that are methanogenic. The results help clarify which parts of the archaeal lineage are likely to yield more examples and additional specific data on protein disulfide bonding, as increasing genomic sequencing efforts are brought to bear.

  9. Isolation of diverse members of the Aquificales from geothermal springs in Tengchong, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedlund, Brian P; Reysenbach, Anna-Louise; Huang, Liuquin; Ong, John C; Liu, Zizhang; Dodsworth, Jeremy A; Ahmed, Reham; Williams, Amanda J; Briggs, Brandon R; Liu, Yitai; Hou, Weiguo; Dong, Hailiang

    2015-01-01

    The order Aquificales (phylum Aquificae) consists of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic bacteria that are prominent in many geothermal systems, including those in Tengchong, Yunnan Province, China. However, Aquificales have not previously been isolated from Tengchong. We isolated five strains of Aquificales from diverse springs (temperature 45.2-83.3°C and pH 2.6-9.1) in the Rehai Geothermal Field from sites in which Aquificales were abundant. Phylogenetic analysis showed that four of the strains belong to the genera Hydrogenobacter, Hydrogenobaculum, and Sulfurihydrogenibium, including strains distant enough to likely justify new species of Hydrogenobacter and Hydrogenobaculum. The additional strain may represent a new genus in the Hydrogenothermaceae. All strains were capable of aerobic respiration under microaerophilic conditions; however, they had variable capacity for chemolithotrophic oxidation of hydrogen and sulfur compounds and nitrate reduction.

  10. Structure of the acidianus filamentous virus 3 and comparative genomics of related archaeal lipothrixviruses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vestergaard, Gisle Alberg; Aramayo, Ricardo; Basta, Tamara

    2008-01-01

    Four novel filamentous viruses with double-stranded DNA genomes, namely, Acidianus filamentous virus 3 (AFV3), AFV6, AFV7, and AFV8, have been characterized from the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Acidianus, and they are assigned to the Betalipothrixvirus genus of the family Lipothrixviridae....... The structures of the approximately 2-mum-long virions are similar, and one of them, AFV3, was studied in detail. It consists of a cylindrical envelope containing globular subunits arranged in a helical formation that is unique for any known double-stranded DNA virus. The envelope is 3.1 nm thick and encases...... structural proteins; (iii) multiple overlapping open reading frames, which may be indicative of gene recoding; (iv) putative 12-bp genetic elements; and (v) partial gene sequences corresponding closely to spacer sequences of chromosomal repeat clusters....

  11. The Effects of Temperature and Growth Phase on the Lipidomes of Sulfolobus islandicus and Sulfolobus tokodaii

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Sara Munk; Neesgaard, Vinnie Lund; Skjoldbjerg, Sandra Landbo Nedergaard

    2015-01-01

    at three different temperatures, with samples withdrawn during lag, exponential, and stationary phases. Three abundant tetraether lipid classes and one diether lipid class were monitored. Beside the expected increase in the number of cyclopentane moieties with higher temperature in both archaea, we......The functionality of the plasma membrane is essential for all organisms. Adaption to high growth temperatures imposes challenges and Bacteria, Eukarya, and Archaea have developed several mechanisms to cope with these. Hyperthermophilic archaea have earlier been shown to synthesize tetraether...... membrane lipids with an increased number of cyclopentane moieties at higher growth temperatures. Here we used shotgun lipidomics to study this effect as well as the influence of growth phase on the lipidomes of Sulfolobus islandicus and Sulfolobus tokodaii for the first time. Both species were cultivated...

  12. Chemical and microbiological problems associated with research on the biodesulfurization of coal. A review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olson, G J; Kelly, R M [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (USA). Polymer Division

    1991-04-01

    The study of microbial processes for the removal of organic and inorganic sulfur from coals is complicated by the lack of direct methods of measurement for organic sulfur content and the related incomplete understanding of the specific forms of organic sulfur in coal. In addition, the accessibility of specific chemical groups in the coal matrix to microorganisms and their enzymes is uncertain, raising questions about the nature and validity of model compound studies. Thus, interpretation of data from numerous efforts focussed on the microbial removal of inorganic and organic sulfur from coals remains controversial. The discussion here reviews recent developments in the chemical characterization of coal sulfur related to bioprocessing research and describes some recent efforts in involving sulfur transformation by hyperthermophilic archaebacteria. 26 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

  13. Development of in vitro transposon assisted signal sequence trapping and its use in screening Bacillus halodurans C125 and Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 gene libraries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Becker, F.; Schnorr, K.; Wilting, R.

    2004-01-01

    To identify genes encoding extracytosolic proteins, a minitransposon, TnSig, containing a signal-less beta-lactamase ('bla) as reporter gene, was constructed and used for in vitro transposition of genomic libraries made in Escherichia coli. The 'bla gene was cloned into a bacteriophage MU...... minitransposon enabling translational fusions between 'bla and target genes. Fusion of TnSig in the correct reading frame to a protein carrying transmembrane domains or signal peptides resulted in ampicillin resistance of the corresponding clone. Prokaryotic gene libraries from the alkaliphilic bacterium...... Bacillus halodurans C125 and the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 were tagged with TnSig. The genomic sequences, which are publicly available (EMBL BA000004 and EMBL AE006641), were used for rapid open reading frame (ORF) identification and prediction of protein localisation...

  14. Earth's early biosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Des Marais, D. J.

    1998-01-01

    Understanding our own early biosphere is essential to our search for life elsewhere, because life arose on Earth very early and rocky planets shared similar early histories. The biosphere arose before 3.8 Ga ago, was exclusively unicellular and was dominated by hyperthermophiles that utilized chemical sources of energy and employed a range of metabolic pathways for CO2 assimilation. Photosynthesis also arose very early. Oxygenic photosynthesis arose later but still prior to 2.7 Ga. The transition toward the modern global environment was paced by a decline in volcanic and hydrothermal activity. These developments allowed atmospheric O2 levels to increase. The O2 increase created new niches for aerobic life, most notably the more advanced Eukarya that eventually spawned the megascopic fauna and flora of our modern biosphere.

  15. Extensive Lysine Methylation in Hyperthermophilic Crenarchaea: Potential Implications for Protein Stability and Recombinant Enzymes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine H. Botting

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available In eukarya and bacteria, lysine methylation is relatively rare and is catalysed by sequence-specific lysine methyltransferases that typically have only a single-protein target. Using RNA polymerase purified from the thermophilic crenarchaeum Sulfolobus solfataricus, we identified 21 methyllysines distributed across 9 subunits of the enzyme. The modified lysines were predominantly in α-helices and showed no conserved sequence context. A limited survey of the Thermoproteus tenax proteome revealed widespread modification with 52 methyllysines in 30 different proteins. These observations suggest the presence of an unusual lysine methyltransferase with relaxed specificity in the crenarchaea. Since lysine methylation is known to enhance protein thermostability, this may be an adaptation to a thermophilic lifestyle. The implications of this modification for studies and applications of recombinant crenarchaeal enzymes are discussed.

  16. Complete Genome Sequence of the Hyperthermophilic Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium Thermodesulfobacterium geofontis OPF15T.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elkins, James G; Hamilton-Brehm, Scott D; Lucas, Susan; Han, James; Lapidus, Alla; Cheng, Jan-Fang; Goodwin, Lynne A; Pitluck, Sam; Peters, Lin; Mikhailova, Natalia; Davenport, Karen W; Detter, John C; Han, Cliff S; Tapia, Roxanne; Land, Miriam L; Hauser, Loren; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Ivanova, Natalia N; Pagani, Ioanna; Bruce, David; Woyke, Tanja; Cottingham, Robert W

    2013-04-11

    Thermodesulfobacterium geofontis OPF15(T) (ATCC BAA-2454, JCM 18567) was isolated from Obsidian Pool, Yellowstone National Park, and grows optimally at 83°C. The 1.6-Mb genome sequence was finished at the Joint Genome Institute and has been deposited for future genomic studies pertaining to microbial processes and nutrient cycles in high-temperature environments.

  17. Improvement of the catalytic efficiency of a hyperthermophilic xylanase from Bispora sp. MEY-1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoyu Wang

    Full Text Available Extremophilic xylanases have attracted great scientific and industrial interest. In this study, a GH10 xylanase-encoding gene, Xyl10E, was cloned from Bispora sp. MEY-1 and expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. Deduced Xyl10E shares the highest identities of 62% and 57% with characterized family GH10 xylanases from Talaromyces leycettanus and Penicillium canescens (structure 4F8X, respectively. Xyl10E was most active at 93 to 95°C and pH 4.0, retained more than 75% or 48% of the initial activity when heated at 80°C or 90°C for 30 min, respectively, and hardly lost activity at pH 1.0 to 7.0, but was completely inhibited by SDS. Two residues, A160 and A161, located on loop 4, were identified to play roles in catalysis. Mutants A160D/E demonstrated higher affinity to substrate with lower Km values, while mutants A161D/E mainly displayed elevated Vmax values. All of these mutants had significantly improved catalytic efficiency. According to the molecular dynamics simulation, the mutation of A160E was able to affect the important substrate binding site Y204 and then improve the substrate affinity, and the mutation of A161D was capable of forming a hydrogen bond with the substrate to promote the substrate binding or accelerate the product release. This study introduces a highly thermophilic fungal xylanase and reveals the importance of loop 4 for catalytic efficiency.

  18. Characterization of sodium dodecyl sulfate-resistant proteolytic activity in the hyperthermophilic archaebacterium Pyrococcus furiosus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blumentals, I.I.; Robinson, A.S.; Kelly, R.M. (Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (USA))

    1990-07-01

    Cell extracts from Pyrococcus furiosus were found to contain five proteases, two of which (S66 and S102) are resistant to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) denaturation. Cell extracts incubated at 98{degree}C in the presence of 1% SDS for 24 h exhibited substantial cellular proteolysis such that only four proteins could be visualized by amido black-Coomassie brilliant blue staining of SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The SDS-treated extract retained 19% of the initial proteolytic activity as represented by two proteases, S66 (66 kilodaltons (kDa)) and S102 (102 kDa). Immunoblot analysis with guinea pig sera containing antibodies against protease S66 indicated that S66 is related neither to S102 nor to the other proteases. The results of this analysis also suggest that S66 might be the hydrolysis product of a 200-kDa precursor which does not have proteolytic activity. The 24-h SDS-treated extract showed unusually thermostable proteolytic activity; the measured half-life at 98{degree}C was found to be 33 h. Proteases S66 and S102 were also resistant to denaturation by 8 M urea, 80 mM dithiothreitol, and 5% {beta}-mercaptoethanol. Purified protease S66 was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and diisopropyl fluorophosphate but not by EDTA, ethylene glycol-bis({beta}-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N{prime},N{prime}-tetraacetic acid, or iodoacetic acid. These results indicate that S66 is a serine protease. Amino acid ester hydrolysis studies showed that protease S66 was hydrolytically active towards N-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester.

  19. Isolation of diverse members of the Aquificales from geothermal springs in Tengchong, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian P. Hedlund

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The order Aquificales (phylum Aquificae consists of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic bacteria that are prominent in many geothermal systems, including those in Tengchong, Yunnan Province, China. However, Aquificales have not previously been isolated from Tengchong. We isolated five strains of Aquificales from diverse springs (temperature 60.0-82.9°C and pH 2.6-8.9 in the Rehai Geothermal Field from sites in which Aquificales were abundant. Phylogenetic analysis showed that four of the strains belong to the genera Hydrogenobacter, Hydrogenobaculum, and Sulfurihydrogenibium, including strains distant enough to likely justify new species of Hydrogenobacter and Hydrogenobaculum. The additional strain may represent a new genus in the Hydrogenothermaceae. All strains were capable of aerobic respiration under microaerophilic conditions; however, they had variable capacity for chemolithotrophic oxidation of hydrogen and sulfur compounds and nitrate reduction.

  20. High hydrostatic pressure adaptive strategies in an obligate piezophile Pyrococcus yayanosii

    KAUST Repository

    Michoud, Gregoire; Jebbar, Mohamed

    2016-01-01

    Pyrococcus yayanosii CH1, as the first and only obligate piezophilic hyperthermophilic microorganism discovered to date, extends the physical and chemical limits of life on Earth. It was isolated from the Ashadze hydrothermal vent at 4,100 m depth. Multi-omics analyses were performed to study the mechanisms used by the cell to cope with high hydrostatic pressure variations. In silico analyses showed that the P. yayanosii genome is highly adapted to its harsh environment, with a loss of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathways and the high constitutive expression of the energy metabolism compared with other non-obligate piezophilic Pyrococcus species. Differential proteomics and transcriptomics analyses identified key hydrostatic pressure-responsive genes involved in translation, chemotaxis, energy metabolism (hydrogenases and formate metabolism) and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats sequences associated with Cellular apoptosis susceptibility proteins.

  1. High hydrostatic pressure adaptive strategies in an obligate piezophile Pyrococcus yayanosii

    KAUST Repository

    Michoud, Gregoire

    2016-06-02

    Pyrococcus yayanosii CH1, as the first and only obligate piezophilic hyperthermophilic microorganism discovered to date, extends the physical and chemical limits of life on Earth. It was isolated from the Ashadze hydrothermal vent at 4,100 m depth. Multi-omics analyses were performed to study the mechanisms used by the cell to cope with high hydrostatic pressure variations. In silico analyses showed that the P. yayanosii genome is highly adapted to its harsh environment, with a loss of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathways and the high constitutive expression of the energy metabolism compared with other non-obligate piezophilic Pyrococcus species. Differential proteomics and transcriptomics analyses identified key hydrostatic pressure-responsive genes involved in translation, chemotaxis, energy metabolism (hydrogenases and formate metabolism) and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats sequences associated with Cellular apoptosis susceptibility proteins.

  2. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of PH1010 from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3, a member of the archaeal DUF54 family of proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirokane, Michio; Sawano, Yoriko; Miyazono, Ken-ichi; Nagata, Koji; Tanokura, Masaru

    2007-01-01

    PH1010, a DUF54-family protein from the hyperthermophilic archaeon P. horikoshii OT3, was crystallized and X-ray diffraction data were collected to 1.90 Å resolution. PH1010 from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3, a member of the archaeal DUF54 family of proteins, was expressed, purified and crystallized. Crystallization was performed by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method using PEG 3350 as the precipitant. The crystal diffracted X-rays to 1.90 Å resolution using a synchrotron-radiation source. The space group of the crystal was determined to be P2 1 2 1 2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 46.9, b = 49.5, c = 132.7 Å. The crystal contained two PH1010 molecules in the asymmetric unit (V M = 2.4 Å 3 Da −1 ) and had a solvent content of 48%

  3. TOPICAL REVIEW: Protein stability and enzyme activity at extreme biological temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feller, Georges

    2010-08-01

    Psychrophilic microorganisms thrive in permanently cold environments, even at subzero temperatures. To maintain metabolic rates compatible with sustained life, they have improved the dynamics of their protein structures, thereby enabling appropriate molecular motions required for biological activity at low temperatures. As a consequence of this structural flexibility, psychrophilic proteins are unstable and heat-labile. In the upper range of biological temperatures, thermophiles and hyperthermophiles grow at temperatures > 100 °C and synthesize ultra-stable proteins. However, thermophilic enzymes are nearly inactive at room temperature as a result of their compactness and rigidity. At the molecular level, both types of extremophilic proteins have adapted the same structural factors, but in opposite directions, to address either activity at low temperatures or stability in hot environments. A model based on folding funnels is proposed accounting for the stability-activity relationships in extremophilic proteins.

  4. Protein stability and enzyme activity at extreme biological temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feller, Georges

    2010-01-01

    Psychrophilic microorganisms thrive in permanently cold environments, even at subzero temperatures. To maintain metabolic rates compatible with sustained life, they have improved the dynamics of their protein structures, thereby enabling appropriate molecular motions required for biological activity at low temperatures. As a consequence of this structural flexibility, psychrophilic proteins are unstable and heat-labile. In the upper range of biological temperatures, thermophiles and hyperthermophiles grow at temperatures > 100 0 C and synthesize ultra-stable proteins. However, thermophilic enzymes are nearly inactive at room temperature as a result of their compactness and rigidity. At the molecular level, both types of extremophilic proteins have adapted the same structural factors, but in opposite directions, to address either activity at low temperatures or stability in hot environments. A model based on folding funnels is proposed accounting for the stability-activity relationships in extremophilic proteins. (topical review)

  5. Phthalic acid esters found in municipal organic waste

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hartmann, Hinrich; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær

    2003-01-01

    Contamination of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) with xenobiotic compounds and their fate during anaerobic digestion was investigated. The phthalic acid ester di-(2- ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) was identified as the main contaminant in OFMSW in concentrations more than half.......41-0.79 d(-1), which is much higher than in previous investigations. It can be concluded that the higher removal rates are due to the higher temperature and higher initial concentrations per kg dry matter. These results suggest that the limiting factor for DEHP degradation is the bioavailability, which...... is enhanced at higher temperature and higher degradation of solid organic matter, to which the highly hydrophobic DEHP is adsorbed. The investigated reactor configuration with a thermophilic and a hyper-thermophilic treatment is, therefore, a good option for CD combining high rate degradation of organic...

  6. High hydrostatic pressure adaptive strategies in an obligate piezophile Pyrococcus yayanosii

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michoud, Grégoire; Jebbar, Mohamed

    2016-01-01

    Pyrococcus yayanosii CH1, as the first and only obligate piezophilic hyperthermophilic microorganism discovered to date, extends the physical and chemical limits of life on Earth. It was isolated from the Ashadze hydrothermal vent at 4,100 m depth. Multi-omics analyses were performed to study the mechanisms used by the cell to cope with high hydrostatic pressure variations. In silico analyses showed that the P. yayanosii genome is highly adapted to its harsh environment, with a loss of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathways and the high constitutive expression of the energy metabolism compared with other non-obligate piezophilic Pyrococcus species. Differential proteomics and transcriptomics analyses identified key hydrostatic pressure-responsive genes involved in translation, chemotaxis, energy metabolism (hydrogenases and formate metabolism) and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats sequences associated with Cellular apoptosis susceptibility proteins. PMID:27250364

  7. Adaptation to environmental temperature is a major determinant of molecular evolutionary rates in archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groussin, Mathieu; Gouy, Manolo

    2011-09-01

    Methods to infer the ancestral conditions of life are commonly based on geological and paleontological analyses. Recently, several studies used genome sequences to gain information about past ecological conditions taking advantage of the property that the G+C and amino acid contents of bacterial and archaeal ribosomal DNA genes and proteins, respectively, are strongly influenced by the environmental temperature. The adaptation to optimal growth temperature (OGT) since the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) over the universal tree of life was examined, and it was concluded that LUCA was likely to have been a mesophilic organism and that a parallel adaptation to high temperature occurred independently along the two lineages leading to the ancestors of Bacteria on one side and of Archaea and Eukarya on the other side. Here, we focus on Archaea to gain a precise view of the adaptation to OGT over time in this domain. It has been often proposed on the basis of indirect evidence that the last archaeal common ancestor was a hyperthermophilic organism. Moreover, many results showed the influence of environmental temperature on the evolutionary dynamics of archaeal genomes: Thermophilic organisms generally display lower evolutionary rates than mesophiles. However, to our knowledge, no study tried to explain the differences of evolutionary rates for the entire archaeal domain and to investigate the evolution of substitution rates over time. A comprehensive archaeal phylogeny and a non homogeneous model of the molecular evolutionary process allowed us to estimate ancestral base and amino acid compositions and OGTs at each internal node of the archaeal phylogenetic tree. The last archaeal common ancestor is predicted to have been hyperthermophilic and adaptations to cooler environments can be observed for extant mesophilic species. Furthermore, mesophilic species present both long branches and high variation of nucleotide and amino acid compositions since the last archaeal

  8. Space Agriculture for Recovery of Fukushima from the Nuclear Disaster

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamashita, Masamichi; Tomita-Yokotani, Kaori; Hasegawa, Katsuya; Kanazawa, Shinjiro; Oshima, Tairo

    2012-07-01

    Space agriculture is an engineering challenge to realize life support functions on distant planetary bodies under their harsh environment. After the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, its land was heavily contaminated by radioactive cesium and other nuclei. We proposed the use of space agriculture to remediate the contaminated land. Since materials circulation in the human dominant system should remove sodium from metabolic waste at processing fertilizer for crop plants, handling of sodium and potassium ions in agro-ecosystem has been one of major research targets of space agriculture. Cesium resembles to potassium as alkaline metal. Knowledge on behavior of sodium/potassium in agro-ecosystem might contribute to Fukushima. Reduction of volume of contaminated biomass made by hyperthermophilic aerobic composting bacterial system is another proposal from space agriculture. Volume and mass of plant bodies should be reduced for safe storage of nuclear wastes. Capacity of the storage facility will be definitely limited against huge amount of contaminated soil, plants and others. For this purpose, incineration of biomass first choice. The process should be under the lowered combustion temperature and with filters to confine radioactive ash to prevent dispersion of radioactive cesium. Biological combustion made by hyperthermophilic aerobic composting bacterial system might offer safe alternative for the volume reduction of plant biomass. Scientific evidence are demanded for Fukushima in order to to judge health risks of the low dose rate exposure and their biological mechanism. Biology and medicine for low dose rate exposure have been intensively studied for space exploration. The criteria of radiation exposure for general public should be remained as 1 mSv/year, because people has no merit at being exposed. However, the criteria of 1,200 mSv for life long, which is set to male astronaut, age of his first flight after age 40, might be informative to people for understanding

  9. Microbiological monitoring in geothermal plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alawi, M.; Lerm, S.; Vetter, A.; Vieth, A.; Seibt, A.; Wolfgramm, M.; Würdemann, H.

    2009-12-01

    In times of increasing relevance of alternative energy resources the utilization of geothermal energy and subsurface energy storage gains importance and arouses increasing interest of scientists. The research project “AquiScreen” investigates the operational reliability of geothermally used groundwater systems under microbial, geochemical, mineralogical and petrological aspects. Microbiological analyses based on fluid and solid phases of geothermal systems are conducted to evaluate the impact of microbial populations on these systems. The presentation focuses on first results obtained from microbiological monitoring of geothermal plants located in two different regions of Germany: the North German Basin and the Molasse Basin in the southern part characterized by different salinities and temperatures. Fluid and filter samples taken during regular plant operation were investigated using genetic fingerprinting based on PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes to characterize the microbial biocenosis of the geothermal aquifer. Sequencing of dominant bands of the fingerprints and the subsequent comparison to 16S rRNA genes from public databases enables a correlation to metabolic classes and provides information about the biochemical processes in the deep biosphere. The genetic profiles revealed significant differences in microbiological community structures of geothermal aquifers investigated. Phylogenetic analyses indicate broad metabolical diversity adapted to the specific conditions in the aquifers. Additionally a high amount of so far uncultivated microorganisms was detected indicating very specific indigenous biocenosis. However, in all geothermal plants bacteria were detected despite of fluid temperatures from 45° to 120°C. The identified microorganisms are closely related to thermophilic and hyperthermophilic species detectable in hot wells and hot springs, like Thermus scotoductus and Thermodesulfovibrio yellowstonii, respectively. Halophilic species were detected in

  10. Search for the algorithm of genes distribution during the process of microbial evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pikuta, Elena V.

    2015-09-01

    Previous two and three dimensional graph analysis of eco-physiological data of Archaea demonstrated specific geometry for distribution of major Prokaryotic groups in a hyperboloid function. The function of a two-sheet hyperboloid covered all known biological groups, and therefore, could be applied for the entire evolution of life on Earth. The vector of evolution was indicated from the point of hyper temperature, extreme acidity and low salinity to the point of low temperature and increased alkalinity and salinity. According to this vector, the following groups were chosen for the gene screening analysis. In the vector "High-Temperature → Low-Temperature" within extreme acidic pH (0-3), it is: 1) the hyperthermophilic Crenarchaeota - order Sulfolobales, 2) moderately thermophilic Euryarchaeota - Class Thermoplasmata, and 3) mesophilic acidophiles- genus Thiobacillus and others. In the vector "Low pH → High pH" the following groups were selected in three temperature ranges: a) Hyperthermophilic Archaea and Eubacteria, b) moderately thermophilic - representatives of the genera Anaerobacter and Anoxybacillus, and c) mesophilic haloalkaliphiles (Eubacteria and Archaea). The genes associated with acidophily (H+ pump), chemolitho-autotrophy (proteins of biochemichal cycles), polymerases, and histones were proposed for the first vector, and for the second vector the genes associated with halo-alkaliphily (Na+ pumps), enzymes of organotrophic metabolisms (sugar- and proteolytics), and others were indicated for the screening. Here, an introduction to the phylogenetic constant (ρη) is presented and discussed. This universal characteristic is calculated for two principally different life forms -Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes; Existence of the second type of living forms is impossible without the first one. The number of chromosomes in Prokaryotic organisms is limited to one (with very rare exceptions, to two), while in Eukaryotic organisms this number is larger. Currently

  11. MAGGIE Component 1: Identification and Purification of Native and Recombinant Multiprotein Complexes and Modified Proteins from Pyrococcus furiosus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adams, Michael W. [University of Georgia; W. W. Adams, Michael

    2014-01-07

    Virtualy all cellular processes are carried out by dynamic molecular assemblies or multiprotein complexes (PCs), the composition of which is largely unknown. Structural genomics efforts have demonstrated that less than 25% of the genes in a given prokaryotic genome will yield stable, soluble proteins when expressed using a one-ORF-at-a-time approach. We proposed that much of the remaining 75% of the genes encode proteins that are part of multiprotein complexes or are modified post-translationally, for example, with metals. The problem is that PCs and metalloproteins (MPs) cannot be accurately predicted on a genome-wide scale. The only solution to this dilemma is to experimentally determine PCs and MPs in biomass of a model organism and to develop analytical tools that can then be applied to the biomass of any other organism. In other words, organisms themselves must be analyzed to identify their PCs and MPs: “native proteomes” must be determined. This information can then be utilized to design multiple ORF expression systems to produce recombinant forms of PCs and MPs. Moreover, the information and utility of this approach can be enhanced by using a hyperthermophile, one that grows optimally at 100°C, as a model organism. By analyzing the native proteome at close to 100 °C below the optimum growth temperature, we will trap reversible and dynamic complexes, thereby enabling their identification, purification, and subsequent characterization. The model organism for the current study is Pyrococcus furiosus, a hyperthermophilic archaeon that grows optimally at 100°C. It is grown up to 600-liter scale and kg quantities of biomass are available. In this project we identified native PCs and MPs using P. furiosus biomass (with MS/MS analyses to identify proteins by component 4). In addition, we provided samples of abundant native PCs and MPs for structural characterization (using SAXS by component 5). We also designed and evaluated generic bioinformatics and

  12. Chromatin structure and dynamics in hot environments: architectural proteins and DNA topoisomerases of thermophilic archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visone, Valeria; Vettone, Antonella; Serpe, Mario; Valenti, Anna; Perugino, Giuseppe; Rossi, Mosè; Ciaramella, Maria

    2014-09-25

    In all organisms of the three living domains (Bacteria, Archaea, Eucarya) chromosome-associated proteins play a key role in genome functional organization. They not only compact and shape the genome structure, but also regulate its dynamics, which is essential to allow complex genome functions. Elucidation of chromatin composition and regulation is a critical issue in biology, because of the intimate connection of chromatin with all the essential information processes (transcription, replication, recombination, and repair). Chromatin proteins include architectural proteins and DNA topoisomerases, which regulate genome structure and remodelling at two hierarchical levels. This review is focussed on architectural proteins and topoisomerases from hyperthermophilic Archaea. In these organisms, which live at high environmental temperature (>80 °C <113 °C), chromatin proteins and modulation of the DNA secondary structure are concerned with the problem of DNA stabilization against heat denaturation while maintaining its metabolic activity.

  13. Chromatin Structure and Dynamics in Hot Environments: Architectural Proteins and DNA Topoisomerases of Thermophilic Archaea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeria Visone

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available In all organisms of the three living domains (Bacteria, Archaea, Eucarya chromosome-associated proteins play a key role in genome functional organization. They not only compact and shape the genome structure, but also regulate its dynamics, which is essential to allow complex genome functions. Elucidation of chromatin composition and regulation is a critical issue in biology, because of the intimate connection of chromatin with all the essential information processes (transcription, replication, recombination, and repair. Chromatin proteins include architectural proteins and DNA topoisomerases, which regulate genome structure and remodelling at two hierarchical levels. This review is focussed on architectural proteins and topoisomerases from hyperthermophilic Archaea. In these organisms, which live at high environmental temperature (>80 °C <113 °C, chromatin proteins and modulation of the DNA secondary structure are concerned with the problem of DNA stabilization against heat denaturation while maintaining its metabolic activity.

  14. Archaeal diversity in Icelandic hot springs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kvist, Thomas; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær; Westermann, Peter

    2007-01-01

    Whole-cell density gradient extractions from three solfataras (pH 2.5) ranging in temperature from 81 to 90 degrees C and one neutral hot spring (81 degrees C, pH 7) from the thermal active area of Hveragerethi (Iceland) were analysed for genetic diversity and local geographical variation...... of Archaea by analysis of amplified 16S rRNA genes. In addition to the three solfataras and the neutral hot spring, 10 soil samples in transects of the soil adjacent to the solfataras were analysed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (t-RFLP). The sequence data from the clone libraries...... enzymes AluI and BsuRI. The sequenced clones from this solfatara belonged to Sulfolobales, Thermoproteales or were most closest related to sequences from uncultured Archaea. Sequences related to group I.1b were not found in the neutral hot spring or the hyperthermophilic solfatara (90 degrees C)....

  15. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of PH1010 from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3, a member of the archaeal DUF54 family of proteins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shirokane, Michio; Sawano, Yoriko; Miyazono, Ken-ichi; Nagata, Koji; Tanokura, Masaru, E-mail: amtanok@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657 (Japan)

    2007-06-01

    PH1010, a DUF54-family protein from the hyperthermophilic archaeon P. horikoshii OT3, was crystallized and X-ray diffraction data were collected to 1.90 Å resolution. PH1010 from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3, a member of the archaeal DUF54 family of proteins, was expressed, purified and crystallized. Crystallization was performed by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method using PEG 3350 as the precipitant. The crystal diffracted X-rays to 1.90 Å resolution using a synchrotron-radiation source. The space group of the crystal was determined to be P2{sub 1}2{sub 1}2{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 46.9, b = 49.5, c = 132.7 Å. The crystal contained two PH1010 molecules in the asymmetric unit (V{sub M} = 2.4 Å{sup 3} Da{sup −1}) and had a solvent content of 48%.

  16. Single-molecule fluorescence polarization study of conformational change in archaeal group II chaperonin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryo Iizuka

    Full Text Available Group II chaperonins found in archaea and in eukaryotic cytosol mediate protein folding without a GroES-like cofactor. The function of the cofactor is substituted by the helical protrusion at the tip of the apical domain, which forms a built-in lid on the central cavity. Although many studies on the change in lid conformation coupled to the binding and hydrolysis of nucleotides have been conducted, the molecular mechanism of lid closure remains poorly understood. Here, we performed a single-molecule polarization modulation to probe the rotation of the helical protrusion of a chaperonin from a hyperthermophilic archaeum, Thermococcus sp. strain KS-1. We detected approximately 35° rotation of the helical protrusion immediately after photorelease of ATP. The result suggests that the conformational change from the open lid to the closed lid state is responsible for the approximately 35° rotation of the helical protrusion.

  17. Cloning, purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of a penicillin-binding protein homologue from Pyrococcus abyssi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delfosse, Vanessa; Hugonnet, Jean-Emmanuel; Sougakoff, Wladimir; Mayer, Claudine

    2005-01-01

    The crystallization of a hypothetical penicillin-binding protein from the archaeon P. abyssi in space group C2 by hanging-drop vapour diffusion is reported. The genome of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus abyssi contains a gene (pab0087) encoding a penicillin-binding protein (PBP) homologue. This sequence consists of 447 residues and shows significant sequence similarity to low-molecular-weight PBPs and class C β-lactamases. The Pab0087 protein was overexpressed, purified and crystallized. Diffraction data from two different crystal forms were collected to 2.7 and 2.0 Å resolution. Both crystals belong to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 160.59, b = 135.74, c = 113.02 Å, β = 117.36° and a = 166.97, b = 131.25, c = 189.39 Å, β = 113.81°, respectively. The asymmetric unit contains four and eight molecules, respectively, with fourfold non-crystallographic symmetry

  18. An extensive phase space for the potential martian biosphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Eriita G; Lineweaver, Charles H; Clarke, Jonathan D

    2011-12-01

    We present a comprehensive model of martian pressure-temperature (P-T) phase space and compare it with that of Earth. Martian P-T conditions compatible with liquid water extend to a depth of ∼310 km. We use our phase space model of Mars and of terrestrial life to estimate the depths and extent of the water on Mars that is habitable for terrestrial life. We find an extensive overlap between inhabited terrestrial phase space and martian phase space. The lower martian surface temperatures and shallower martian geotherm suggest that, if there is a hot deep biosphere on Mars, it could extend 7 times deeper than the ∼5 km depth of the hot deep terrestrial biosphere in the crust inhabited by hyperthermophilic chemolithotrophs. This corresponds to ∼3.2% of the volume of present-day Mars being potentially habitable for terrestrial-like life.

  19. Proteomic properties reveal phyloecological clusters of Archaea.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nela Nikolic

    Full Text Available In this study, we propose a novel way to describe the variety of environmental adaptations of Archaea. We have clustered 57 Archaea by using a non-redundant set of proteomic features, and verified that the clusters correspond to environmental adaptations to the archaeal habitats. The first cluster consists dominantly of hyperthermophiles and hyperthermoacidophilic aerobes. The second cluster joins together halophilic and extremely halophilic Archaea, while the third cluster contains mesophilic (mostly methanogenic Archaea together with thermoacidophiles. The non-redundant subset of proteomic features was found to consist of five features: the ratio of charged residues to uncharged, average protein size, normalized frequency of beta-sheet, normalized frequency of extended structure and number of hydrogen bond donors. We propose this clustering to be termed phyloecological clustering. This approach could give additional insights into relationships among archaeal species that may be hidden by sole phylogenetic analysis.

  20. A GH57 4-alpha-glucanotransferase of hyperthermophilic origin with potential for alkyl glycoside production

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Paul, Catherine J.; Leemhuis, Hans; Dobruchowska, Justyna M.; Grey, Carl; Onnby, Linda; van Leeuwen, Sander S.; Dijkhuizen, Lubbert; Karlsson, Eva Nordberg

    4-alpha-Glucanotransferase (GTase) enzymes (EC 2.4.1.25) modulate the size of alpha-glucans by cleaving and reforming alpha-1,4 glycosidic bonds in alpha-glucans, an essential process in starch and glycogen metabolism in plants and microorganisms. The glycoside hydrolase family 57 enzyme (GTase57)

  1. Metagenomic analyses of novel viruses and plasmids from a cultured environmental sample of hyperthermophilic neutrophiles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Garrett, Roger Antony; Prangishvili, David; Shah, Shiraz Ali

    2010-01-01

    Two novel viral genomes and four plasmids were assembled from an environmental sample collected from a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park, USA, and maintained anaerobically in a bioreactor at 85°C and pH 6. The double-stranded DNA viral genomes are linear (22.7 kb) and circular (17.7 kb...... respectively. Strategies are considered for assembling genomes of smaller genetic elements from complex environmental samples, and for establishing possible host identities on the basis of sequence similarity to host CRISPR immune systems....

  2. Role of amino acids and vitamins in nutrition of mesophilic Methanococcus spp

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitman, W.B.; Sohn, S.; Kuk, S.; Xing, R.

    1987-01-01

    In this study the authors found that autotrophic methanococci similar to Methanococcus maripaludis obtained up to 57% of their cellular carbon from exogeneous amino acids. About 85% of the incorporation was into protein. Primarily nonpolar and basic amino acids and glycine were incorporated; only small amounts of acidic and some polar amino acids were taken up. An additional 10% of the incorporation was into the nucleic acid fraction. Because little 14 CO 2 was formed from the 14 C-amino acids, little metabolism of the amino acids occurred. Therefore, the growth stimulation by amino acids was probably due to the sparing of anabolic energy requirements. Of the amino acids incorporated, only alanine was also a sole nitrogen source for these methanococci. In contrast, Methanococcus vannielii and Methanococcus aeolicus are autotrophic methanococci which did not incorporate amino acids and did not utilize alanine as a sole nitrogen source. Although glutamine served as a sole nitrogen source for the autotrophic methanococci and Methanococcus voltae, a heterotrophic methanococcus, growth was due to chemical deamination in the medium. M. voltae requires leucine and isoleucine for growth. However, these amino acids were not significant nitrogen sources, and alanine was not a sole nitrogen source for the growth of M. voltae. The branched-chain amino acids were not extensively metabolized by M. voltae. Pantoyl lactone and pantoic acid were readily incorporated by M. voltae. The intact vitamin pantothenate was neither stimulatory to growth nor incorporated. In conclusion, although amino acids and vitamins are nutritionally important to both autotrophic and heterotrophic methanococci, generally they are not subject to extensive catabolism

  3. Structural and physicochemical properties of polar lipids from thermophilic archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulrih, Natasa Poklar; Gmajner, Dejan; Raspor, Peter

    2009-08-01

    The essential general features required for lipid membranes of extremophilic archaea to fulfill biological functions are that they are in the liquid crystalline phase and have extremely low permeability of solutes that is much less temperature sensitive due to a lack of lipid-phase transition and highly branched isoprenoid chains. Many accumulated data indicate that the organism's response to extremely low pH is the opposite of that to high temperature. The high temperature adaptation does not require the tetraether lipids, while the adaptation of thermophiles to acidic environment requires the tetraether polar lipids. The presence of cyclopentane rings and the role of polar heads are not so straightforward regarding the correlations between fluidity and permeability of the lipid membrane. Due to the unique lipid structures and properties of archaeal lipids, they are a valuable resource in the development of novel biotechnological processes. This microreview focuses primarily on structural and physicochemical properties of polar lipids of (hyper)thermophilic archaea.

  4. Combined thermophilic aerobic process and conventional anaerobic digestion: effect on sludge biodegradation and methane production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumas, C; Perez, S; Paul, E; Lefebvre, X

    2010-04-01

    The efficiency of hyper-thermophilic (65 degrees Celsius) aerobic process coupled with a mesophilic (35 degrees Celsius) digester was evaluated for the activated sludge degradation and was compared to a conventional mesophilic digester. For two Sludge Retention Time (SRT), 21 and 42 days, the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) solubilisation and biodegradation processes, the methanisation yield and the aerobic oxidation were investigated during 180 days. The best results were obtained at SRT of 44 days; the COD removal yield was 30% higher with the Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion/Thermophilic Aerobic Reactor (MAD-TAR) co-treatment. An increase of the sludge intrinsic biodegradability is also observed (20-40%), showing that the unbiodegradable COD in mesophilic conditions becomes bioavailable. However, the methanisation yield was quite similar for both processes at a same SRT. Finally, such a process enables to divide by two the volume of digester with an equivalent efficiency. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Every OGT Is Illuminated … by Fluorescent and Synchrotron Lights

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riccardo Miggiano

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available O6-DNA-alkyl-guanine-DNA-alkyl-transferases (OGTs are evolutionarily conserved, unique proteins that repair alkylation lesions in DNA in a single step reaction. Alkylating agents are environmental pollutants as well as by-products of cellular reactions, but are also very effective chemotherapeutic drugs. OGTs are major players in counteracting the effects of such agents, thus their action in turn affects genome integrity, survival of organisms under challenging conditions and response to chemotherapy. Numerous studies on OGTs from eukaryotes, bacteria and archaea have been reported, highlighting amazing features that make OGTs unique proteins in their reaction mechanism as well as post-reaction fate. This review reports recent functional and structural data on two prokaryotic OGTs, from the pathogenic bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus, respectively. These studies provided insight in the role of OGTs in the biology of these microorganisms, but also important hints useful to understand the general properties of this class of proteins.

  6. Expression levels of chaperones influence biotransformation activity of recombinant Escherichia coli expressing Micrococcus luteus alcohol dehydrogenase and Pseudomonas putida Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baek, A-Hyong; Jeon, Eun-Yeong; Lee, Sun-Mee; Park, Jin-Byung

    2015-05-01

    We demonstrated for the first time that the archaeal chaperones (i.e., γ-prefoldin and thermosome) can stabilize enzyme activity in vivo. Ricinoleic acid biotransformation activity of recombinant Escherichia coli expressing Micrococcus luteus alcohol dehydrogenase and the Pseudomonas putida KT2440 Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase improved significantly with co-expression of γ-prefoldin or recombinant themosome originating from the deep-sea hyperthermophile archaea Methanocaldococcus jannaschii. Furthermore, the degree of enhanced activity was dependent on the expression levels of the chaperones. For example, whole-cell biotransformation activity was highest at 12 µmol/g dry cells/min when γ-prefoldin expression level was approximately 46% of the theoretical maximum. This value was approximately two-fold greater than that in E. coli, where the γ-prefoldin expression level was zero or set to the theoretical maximum. Therefore, it was assumed that the expression levels of chaperones must be optimized to achieve maximum biotransformation activity in whole-cell biocatalysts. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Construction, Expression, and Characterization of Recombinant Pfu DNA Polymerase in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Wenjun; Wang, Qingsong; Bi, Qun

    2016-04-01

    Pfu DNA polymerase (Pfu) is a DNA polymerase isolated from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. With its excellent thermostability and high fidelity, Pfu is well known as one of the enzymes widely used in the polymerase chain reaction. In this study, the recombinant plasmid pLysS His6-tagged Pfu-pET28a was constructed. His-tagged Pfu was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) competent cells and then successfully purified with the ÄKTAprime plus compact one-step purification system by Ni(2+) chelating affinity chromatography after optimization of the purification conditions. The authenticity of the purified Pfu was further confirmed by peptide mass fingerprinting. A bio-assay indicated that its activity in the polymerase chain reaction was equivalent to that of commercial Pfu and its isoelectric point was found to be between 6.85 and 7.35. These results will be useful for further studies on Pfu and its wide application in the future.

  8. Cloning, characterization and sequence comparison of the gene coding for IMP dehydrogenase from Pyrococcus furiosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collart, F R; Osipiuk, J; Trent, J; Olsen, G J; Huberman, E

    1996-10-03

    We have cloned and characterized the gene encoding inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) from Pyrococcus furiosus (Pf), a hyperthermophillic archeon. Sequence analysis of the Pf gene indicated an open reading frame specifying a protein of 485 amino acids (aa) with a calculated M(r) of 52900. Canonical Archaea promoter elements, Box A and Box B, are located -49 and -17 nucleotides (nt), respectively, upstream of the putative start codon. The sequence of the putative active-site region conforms to the IMPDH signature motif and contains a putative active-site cysteine. Phylogenetic relationships derived by using all available IMPDH sequences are consistent with trees developed for other molecules; they do not precisely resolve the history of Pf IMPDH but indicate a close similarity to bacterial IMPDH proteins. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that a gene duplication occurred prior to the division between rodents and humans, accounting for the Type I and II isoforms identified in mice and humans.

  9. Crystal Structure of PAV1-137: A Protein from the Virus PAV1 That Infects Pyrococcus abyssi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Leulliot

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Pyrococcus abyssi virus 1 (PAV1 was the first virus particle infecting a hyperthermophilic Euryarchaeota (Pyrococcus abyssi strain GE23 that has been isolated and characterized. It is lemon shaped and is decorated with a short fibered tail. PAV1 morphologically resembles the fusiform members of the family Fuselloviridae or the genus Salterprovirus. The 18 kb dsDNA genome of PAV1 contains 25 predicted genes, most of them of unknown function. To help assigning functions to these proteins, we have initiated structural studies of the PAV1 proteome. We determined the crystal structure of a putative protein of 137 residues (PAV1-137 at a resolution of 2.2 Å. The protein forms dimers both in solution and in the crystal. The fold of PAV1-137 is a four-α-helical bundle analogous to those found in some eukaryotic adhesion proteins such as focal adhesion kinase, suggesting that PAV1-137 is involved in protein-protein interactions.

  10. Hydroxyurea-Mediated Cytotoxicity Without Inhibition of Ribonucleotide Reductase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liew, Li Phing; Lim, Zun Yi; Cohen, Matan; Kong, Ziqing; Marjavaara, Lisette; Chabes, Andrei; Bell, Stephen D

    2016-11-01

    In many organisms, hydroxyurea (HU) inhibits class I ribonucleotide reductase, leading to lowered cellular pools of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. The reduced levels for DNA precursors is believed to cause replication fork stalling. Upon treatment of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus with HU, we observe dose-dependent cell cycle arrest, accumulation of DNA double-strand breaks, stalled replication forks, and elevated levels of recombination structures. However, Sulfolobus has a HU-insensitive class II ribonucleotide reductase, and we reveal that HU treatment does not significantly impact cellular DNA precursor pools. Profiling of protein and transcript levels reveals modulation of a specific subset of replication initiation and cell division genes. Notably, the selective loss of the regulatory subunit of the primase correlates with cessation of replication initiation and stalling of replication forks. Furthermore, we find evidence for a detoxification response induced by HU treatment. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Thermostability in rubredoxin and its relationship to mechanical rigidity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rader, A. J.

    2010-03-01

    The source of increased stability in proteins from organisms that thrive in extreme thermal environments is not well understood. Previous experimental and theoretical studies have suggested many different features possibly responsible for such thermostability. Many of these thermostabilizing mechanisms can be accounted for in terms of structural rigidity. Thus a plausible hypothesis accounting for this remarkable stability in thermophilic enzymes states that these enzymes have enhanced conformational rigidity at temperatures below their native, functioning temperature. Experimental evidence exists to both support and contradict this supposition. We computationally investigate the relationship between thermostability and rigidity using rubredoxin as a case study. The mechanical rigidity is calculated using atomic models of homologous rubredoxin structures from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus and mesophile Clostridium pasteurianum using the FIRST software. A global increase in structural rigidity (equivalently a decrease in flexibility) corresponds to an increase in thermostability. Locally, rigidity differences (between mesophilic and thermophilic structures) agree with differences in protection factors.

  12. Thermostability in rubredoxin and its relationship to mechanical rigidity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rader, A J

    2010-01-01

    The source of increased stability in proteins from organisms that thrive in extreme thermal environments is not well understood. Previous experimental and theoretical studies have suggested many different features possibly responsible for such thermostability. Many of these thermostabilizing mechanisms can be accounted for in terms of structural rigidity. Thus a plausible hypothesis accounting for this remarkable stability in thermophilic enzymes states that these enzymes have enhanced conformational rigidity at temperatures below their native, functioning temperature. Experimental evidence exists to both support and contradict this supposition. We computationally investigate the relationship between thermostability and rigidity using rubredoxin as a case study. The mechanical rigidity is calculated using atomic models of homologous rubredoxin structures from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus and mesophile Clostridium pasteurianum using the FIRST software. A global increase in structural rigidity (equivalently a decrease in flexibility) corresponds to an increase in thermostability. Locally, rigidity differences (between mesophilic and thermophilic structures) agree with differences in protection factors

  13. Structure of the Aeropyrum pernix L7Ae multifunctional protein and insight into its extreme thermostability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhuiya, Mohammad Wadud; Suryadi, Jimmy; Zhou, Zholi; Brown, Bernard Andrew II

    2013-01-01

    The crystal structure of A. pernix L7Ae is reported, providing insight into the extreme thermostability of this protein. Archaeal ribosomal protein L7Ae is a multifunctional RNA-binding protein that directs post-transcriptional modification of archaeal RNAs. The L7Ae protein from Aeropyrum pernix (Ap L7Ae), a member of the Crenarchaea, was found to have an extremely high melting temperature (>383 K). The crystal structure of Ap L7Ae has been determined to a resolution of 1.56 Å. The structure of Ap L7Ae was compared with the structures of two homologs: hyperthermophilic Methanocaldococcus jannaschii L7Ae and the mesophilic counterpart mammalian 15.5 kD protein. The primary stabilizing feature in the Ap L7Ae protein appears to be the large number of ion pairs and extensive ion-pair network that connects secondary-structural elements. To our knowledge, Ap L7Ae is among the most thermostable single-domain monomeric proteins presently observed

  14. Identification and functional verification of archaeal-type phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, a missing link in archaeal central carbohydrate metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ettema, Thijs J G; Makarova, Kira S; Jellema, Gera L; Gierman, Hinco J; Koonin, Eugene V; Huynen, Martijn A; de Vos, Willem M; van der Oost, John

    2004-11-01

    Despite the fact that phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) activity has been measured and in some cases even purified from some Archaea, the gene responsible for this activity has not been elucidated. Using sensitive sequence comparison methods, we detected a highly conserved, uncharacterized archaeal gene family that is distantly related to the catalytic core of the canonical PEPC. To verify the predicted function of this archaeal gene family, we cloned a representative from the hyperthermophilic acidophile Sulfolobus solfataricus and functionally produced the corresponding enzyme as a fusion with the Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein. The purified fusion protein indeed displayed highly thermostable PEPC activity. The structural and biochemical properties of the characterized archaeal-type PEPC (atPEPC) from S. solfataricus are in good agreement with previously reported biochemical analyses of other archaeal PEPC enzymes. The newly identified atPEPC, with its distinct properties, constitutes yet another example of the versatility of the enzymes of the central carbon metabolic pathways in the archaeal domain.

  15. A functional endonuclease Q exists in the bacterial domain: identification and characterization of endonuclease Q from Bacillus pumilus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiraishi, Miyako; Ishino, Sonoko; Cann, Isaac; Ishino, Yoshizumi

    2017-05-01

    DNA base deamination occurs spontaneously under physiological conditions and is promoted by high temperature. Therefore, hyperthermophiles are expected to have efficient repair systems of the deaminated bases in their genomes. Endonuclease Q (EndoQ) was originally identified from the hyperthermophlic archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus, as a hypoxanthine-specific endonuclease recently. Further biochemical analyses revealed that EndoQ also recognizes uracil, xanthine, and the AP site in DNA, and is probably involved in a specific repair process for damaged bases. Initial phylogenetic analysis showed that an EndoQ homolog is found only in the Thermococcales and some of the methanogens in Archaea, and is not present in most members of the domains Bacteria and Eukarya. A better understanding of the distribution of the EndoQ-mediated repair system is, therefore, of evolutionary interest. We showed here that an EndoQ-like polypeptide from Bacillus pumilus, belonging to the bacterial domain, is functional and has similar properties with the archaeal EndoQs.

  16. Early steps of biosynthesis of ether lipids in archaebacteria; Eteru shishitsu seigosei no shoki dankai

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nishino, T. [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

    1997-05-20

    Membrane lipids in archaebacteria are different from those of eubacteria and eukaryote which are fatty acid esters of glycerol. Archaebacterial lipids are mainly ether-linked lipids composed of glycerol linked to two molecules of isoprenoid phytanyl groups or of ether-linked glycerol with phytanyl group. This structural feature is one of the origins of survival and growth of archaebacteria in extreme conditions of high temperature, strong acid or alkali. It is considered that geranylgeranyl phosphate (GGPP) is synthesized and attached to glycerol phosphate, followed by reduction of the double bond in the geranylgeranyl moieties to form the diether lipids while the head-to-heat condensation of the phytanyl groups produces the tetraether lipids. Aiming to elucidate the lipid biosynthesis mechanism in a hyperthermophilic archaebacterium, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, the gene of GGPP synthase was cloned with the aid of carotenoid synthesis in phytopathogenic Erwinia uredovora and its sequence was studied. 29 refs., 9 figs.

  17. Crystal structures of the all-cysteinyl-coordinated D14C variant of Pyrococcus furiosus ferredoxin: [4Fe–4S] ↔ [3Fe–4S] cluster conversion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Løvgreen, Monika Nøhr; Martic, Maja; Windahl, Michael S.

    2011-01-01

    The structure of the all-cysteinyl-coordinated D14C variant of [4Fe–4S] ferredoxin from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus has been determined to 1.7 Å resolution from a crystal belonging to space group C2221 with two types of molecules, A and B, in the asymmetric unit. A and B...... molecules have different crystal packing and intramolecular disulfide bond conformation. The crystal packing reveals a β-sheet interaction between A molecules in adjacent asymmetric units, whereas B molecules are packed as monomers in a less rigid position next to the A–A extended β-sheet dimers...... and purification are carried out at pH 5.8, only the monomer is obtained. The crystal structure of D14C [3Fe–4S] P. furiosus ferredoxin monomer was determined to 2.8 Å resolution from a crystal belonging to space group P212121 with two molecules in the asymmetric unit. The molecules resemble molecule A of D14C [4...

  18. Crystallization and quaternary structure analysis of an Lrp-like regulatory protein from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sedelnikova, S.E.; Smits, S.H.J.; Leonard, P.M.; Brinkman, A.B.; Oost, van der J.; Rafferty, J.B.

    2001-01-01

    The LrpA transcriptional regulator from Pyrococcus furiosus, a member of the leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) family, has been crystallized by the hanging-drop method of vapour diffusion using ammonium sulfate as the precipitant. The crystals belong to the tetragonal system and are in

  19. Hyperthermophilic Composting Accelerates the Removal of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Mobile Genetic Elements in Sewage Sludge

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liao, Hanpeng; Lu, Xiaomei; Rensing, Christopher; Friman, Ville Petri; Geisen, Stefan; Chen, Zhi; Yu, Zhen; Wei, Zhong; Zhou, Shungui; Zhu, Yongguan

    2018-01-01

    Composting is an efficient way to convert organic waste into fertilizers. However, waste materials often contain large amounts of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that can reduce the efficacy of antibiotic treatments when transmitted to humans. Because

  20. Thioredoxin-linked redox control of metabolism in Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, an evolutionarily deeply-rooted hyperthermophilic methanogenic archaeon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thioredoxin (Trx), a small redox protein, controls multiple processes in eukaryotes and bacteria by changing the thiol redox status of selected proteins. We have investigated this aspect in methanarchaea. These ancient methanogens produce methane almost exclusively from H2 plus CO2 carried approxima...

  1. Anaerobic Thermophiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Canganella

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The term “extremophile” was introduced to describe any organism capable of living and growing under extreme conditions. With the further development of studies on microbial ecology and taxonomy, a variety of “extreme” environments have been found and an increasing number of extremophiles are being described. Extremophiles have also been investigated as far as regarding the search for life on other planets and even evaluating the hypothesis that life on Earth originally came from space. The first extreme environments to be largely investigated were those characterized by elevated temperatures. The naturally “hot environments” on Earth range from solar heated surface soils and water with temperatures up to 65 °C, subterranean sites such as oil reserves and terrestrial geothermal with temperatures ranging from slightly above ambient to above 100 °C, to submarine hydrothermal systems with temperatures exceeding 300 °C. There are also human-made environments with elevated temperatures such as compost piles, slag heaps, industrial processes and water heaters. Thermophilic anaerobic microorganisms have been known for a long time, but scientists have often resisted the belief that some organisms do not only survive at high temperatures, but actually thrive under those hot conditions. They are perhaps one of the most interesting varieties of extremophilic organisms. These microorganisms can thrive at temperatures over 50 °C and, based on their optimal temperature, anaerobic thermophiles can be subdivided into three main groups: thermophiles with an optimal temperature between 50 °C and 64 °C and a maximum at 70 °C, extreme thermophiles with an optimal temperature between 65 °C and 80 °C, and finally hyperthermophiles with an optimal temperature above 80 °C and a maximum above 90 °C. The finding of novel extremely thermophilic and hyperthermophilic anaerobic bacteria in recent years, and the fact that a large fraction of them belong

  2. Clusters of orthologous genes for 41 archaeal genomes and implications for evolutionary genomics of archaea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolf Yuri I

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background An evolutionary classification of genes from sequenced genomes that distinguishes between orthologs and paralogs is indispensable for genome annotation and evolutionary reconstruction. Shortly after multiple genome sequences of bacteria, archaea, and unicellular eukaryotes became available, an attempt on such a classification was implemented in Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs. Rapid accumulation of genome sequences creates opportunities for refining COGs but also represents a challenge because of error amplification. One of the practical strategies involves construction of refined COGs for phylogenetically compact subsets of genomes. Results New Archaeal Clusters of Orthologous Genes (arCOGs were constructed for 41 archaeal genomes (13 Crenarchaeota, 27 Euryarchaeota and one Nanoarchaeon using an improved procedure that employs a similarity tree between smaller, group-specific clusters, semi-automatically partitions orthology domains in multidomain proteins, and uses profile searches for identification of remote orthologs. The annotation of arCOGs is a consensus between three assignments based on the COGs, the CDD database, and the annotations of homologs in the NR database. The 7538 arCOGs, on average, cover ~88% of the genes in a genome compared to a ~76% coverage in COGs. The finer granularity of ortholog identification in the arCOGs is apparent from the fact that 4538 arCOGs correspond to 2362 COGs; ~40% of the arCOGs are new. The archaeal gene core (protein-coding genes found in all 41 genome consists of 166 arCOGs. The arCOGs were used to reconstruct gene loss and gene gain events during archaeal evolution and gene sets of ancestral forms. The Last Archaeal Common Ancestor (LACA is conservatively estimated to possess 996 genes compared to 1245 and 1335 genes for the last common ancestors of Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota, respectively. It is inferred that LACA was a chemoautotrophic hyperthermophile

  3. Microbiology of Kamchatka Peninsula Hot Springs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonch-Osmolovsk, E.

    2005-12-01

    Hot springs of Uzon Caldera, Geyser Valley, Moutnovsky Volcano (Kamchatka Peninsula) served as the sources of isolation of numerous thermophilic prokaryotes, many of them representing new taxa. Among new isolates there were hyperthermophilic archaea - neutrophilic or acidophilic anaerobic organotrophs, able to use a wide range of polymeric organic substrates. Bacterial isolates were in majority represented by moderate thermophiles - organotrophs and lithoautotrophs. Latter group consisted of anaerobes oxidizing molecular hydrogen in the course of sulfate, sulfur or iron reduction, and of anaerobic CO-oxidizing, hydrogen-producing bacteria. Some of new isolates represented deep phylogenetic lineages in Bacteria domain. Microbial activity in Kamchatka hot springs was studied by means of radioisotopic tracing. The rates of methanogenesis, acetogenesis, inorganic carbon assimilation, acetate oxidation were determined in three different hot springs with pH ranging from 3.0 to 8.5 and water temeperature being in the range from 55 to 85oC. The results indicated the presence and activity of novel metabolic groups of thermophilic prokaryotes that so far have not been known in laboratory cultures.

  4. S-layer and cytoplasmic membrane – exceptions from the typical archaeal cell wall with a focus on double membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas eKlingl

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The common idea of typical cell wall architecture in archaea consists of a pseudo-crystalline proteinaceous surface layer (S-layer, situated upon the cytoplasmic membrane. This is true for the majority of described archaea, hitherto. Within the crenarchaea, the S-layer often represents the only cell wall component, but there are various exceptions from this wall architecture. Beside (glycosylated S-layers in (hyperthermophilic cren- and euryarchaea as well as halophilic archaea, one can find a great variety of other cell wall structures like proteoglycan-like S-layers (Halobacteria, glutaminylglycan (Natronococci, methanochondroitin (Methanosarcina or double layered cell walls with pseudomurein (Methanothermus and Methanopyrus. The presence of an outermost cellular membrane in the crenarchaeal species Ignicoccus hospitalis already gave indications for an outer membrane similar to Gram-negative bacteria. Although there is just limited data concerning their biochemistry and ultrastructure, recent studies on the euryarchaeal methanogen Methanomassiliicoccus luminyensis, cells of the ARMAN group, and the SM1 euryarchaeon delivered further examples for this exceptional cell envelope type consisting of two membranes.

  5. Comparative Metagenomics of Eight Geographically Remote Terrestrial Hot Springs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menzel, Peter; Gudbergsdóttir, Sóley Ruth; Rike, Anne Gunn; Lin, Lianbing; Zhang, Qi; Contursi, Patrizia; Moracci, Marco; Kristjansson, Jakob K; Bolduc, Benjamin; Gavrilov, Sergey; Ravin, Nikolai; Mardanov, Andrey; Bonch-Osmolovskaya, Elizaveta; Young, Mark; Krogh, Anders; Peng, Xu

    2015-08-01

    Hot springs are natural habitats for thermophilic Archaea and Bacteria. In this paper, we present the metagenomic analysis of eight globally distributed terrestrial hot springs from China, Iceland, Italy, Russia, and the USA with a temperature range between 61 and 92 (∘)C and pH between 1.8 and 7. A comparison of the biodiversity and community composition generally showed a decrease in biodiversity with increasing temperature and decreasing pH. Another important factor shaping microbial diversity of the studied sites was the abundance of organic substrates. Several species of the Crenarchaeal order Thermoprotei were detected, whereas no single bacterial species was found in all samples, suggesting a better adaptation of certain archaeal species to different thermophilic environments. Two hot springs show high abundance of Acidithiobacillus, supporting the idea of a true thermophilic Acidithiobacillus species that can thrive in hyperthermophilic environments. Depending on the sample, up to 58 % of sequencing reads could not be assigned to a known phylum, reinforcing the fact that a large number of microorganisms in nature, including those thriving in hot environments remain to be isolated and characterized.

  6. Comparison of microbial communities associated with three Atlantic ultramafic hydrothermal systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roussel, Erwan G; Konn, Cécile; Charlou, Jean-Luc; Donval, Jean-Pierre; Fouquet, Yves; Querellou, Joël; Prieur, Daniel; Bonavita, Marie-Anne Cambon

    2011-09-01

    The distribution of Archaea and methanogenic, methanotrophic and sulfate-reducing communities in three Atlantic ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems (Rainbow, Ashadze, Lost City) was compared using 16S rRNA gene and functional gene (mcrA, pmoA and dsrA) clone libraries. The overall archaeal community was diverse and heterogeneously distributed between the hydrothermal sites and the types of samples analyzed (seawater, hydrothermal fluid, chimney and sediment). The Lost City hydrothermal field, characterized by high alkaline warm fluids (pH>11; Tphylum and Methanopyrales order were also retrieved from the Rainbow and Ashadze hydrothermal fluids. However, the methanogenic Methanococcales was the most widely distributed hyper/thermophilic archaeal group among the hot and acidic ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal system environments. Most of the lineages detected are linked to methane and hydrogen cycling, suggesting that in ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems, large methanogenic and methanotrophic communities could be fuelled by hydrothermal fluids highly enriched in methane and hydrogen. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. A Novel Highly Thermostable Multifunctional Beta-Glycosidase from Crenarchaeon Acidilobus saccharovorans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vadim M. Gumerov

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We expressed a putative β-galactosidase Asac_1390 from hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon Acidilobus saccharovorans in Escherichia coli and purified the recombinant enzyme. Asac_1390 is composed of 490 amino acid residues and showed high sequence similarity to family 1 glycoside hydrolases from various thermophilic Crenarchaeota. The maximum activity was observed at pH 6.0 and 93°C. The half-life of the enzyme at 90°C was about 7 hours. Asac_1390 displayed high tolerance to glucose and exhibits hydrolytic activity towards cellobiose and various aryl glucosides. The hydrolytic activity with p-nitrophenyl (pNP substrates followed the order pNP-β-D-galactopyranoside (328 U mg−1, pNP-β-D-glucopyranoside (246 U mg−1, pNP-β-D-xylopyranoside (72 U mg−1, and pNP-β-D-mannopyranoside (28 U mg−1. Thus the enzyme was actually a multifunctional β-glycosidase. Therefore, the utilization of Asac_1390 may contribute to facilitating the efficient degradation of lignocellulosic biomass and help enhance bioconversion processes.

  8. Solution Structure of Pfu RPP21, a Component of the Archaeal RNase P Holoenzyme, and Interactions with its RPP29 Protein Partner

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amero, Carlos D; Boomershine, William P; Xu, Yiren; Foster, Mark

    2009-01-01

    RNase P is the ubiquitous ribonucleoprotein metalloenzyme responsible for cleaving the 5′-leader sequence of precursor tRNAs during their maturation. While the RNA subunit is catalytically active on its own at high monovalent and divalent ion concentration, four proteins subunits are associated with archaeal RNase P activity in vivo: RPP21, RPP29, RPP30 and POP5. These proteins have been shown to function in pairs: RPP21-RPP29 and POP5-RPP30. We have determined the solution structure of RPP21 from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus (Pfu) using conventional and paramagnetic NMR techniques. Pfu RPP21 in solution consists of an unstructured N-terminus, two alpha helices, a zinc binding motif, and an unstructured C-terminus. Moreover, we have used chemical shift perturbations to characterize the interaction of RPP21 with Pfu RPP29. The data show that the primary contact with RPP29 is localized to the two helices of RPP21. This information represents a fundamental step towards understanding structure-function relationships of the archaeal RNase P holoenzyme. PMID:18922021

  9. Engineered split in Pfu DNA polymerase fingers domain improves incorporation of nucleotide γ-phosphate derivative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Connie J.; Wu, Lydia; Fox, Jeffrey D.; Arezi, Bahram; Hogrefe, Holly H.

    2011-01-01

    Using compartmentalized self-replication (CSR), we evolved a version of Pyrococcus furiosus (Pfu) DNA polymerase that tolerates modification of the γ-phosphate of an incoming nucleotide. A Q484R mutation in α-helix P of the fingers domain, coupled with an unintended translational termination-reinitiation (split) near the finger tip, dramatically improve incorporation of a bulky γ-phosphate-O-linker-dabcyl substituent. Whether synthesized by coupled translation from a bicistronic (−1 frameshift) clone, or reconstituted from separately expressed and purified fragments, split Pfu mutant behaves identically to wild-type DNA polymerase with respect to chromatographic behavior, steady-state kinetic parameters (for dCTP), and PCR performance. Although naturally-occurring splits have been identified previously in the finger tip region of T4 gp43 variants, this is the first time a split (in combination with a point mutation) has been shown to broaden substrate utilization. Moreover, this latest example of a split hyperthermophilic archaeal DNA polymerase further illustrates the modular nature of the Family B DNA polymerase structure. PMID:21062827

  10. Engineered split in Pfu DNA polymerase fingers domain improves incorporation of nucleotide gamma-phosphate derivative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Connie J; Wu, Lydia; Fox, Jeffrey D; Arezi, Bahram; Hogrefe, Holly H

    2011-03-01

    Using compartmentalized self-replication (CSR), we evolved a version of Pyrococcus furiosus (Pfu) DNA polymerase that tolerates modification of the γ-phosphate of an incoming nucleotide. A Q484R mutation in α-helix P of the fingers domain, coupled with an unintended translational termination-reinitiation (split) near the finger tip, dramatically improve incorporation of a bulky γ-phosphate-O-linker-dabcyl substituent. Whether synthesized by coupled translation from a bicistronic (-1 frameshift) clone, or reconstituted from separately expressed and purified fragments, split Pfu mutant behaves identically to wild-type DNA polymerase with respect to chromatographic behavior, steady-state kinetic parameters (for dCTP), and PCR performance. Although naturally-occurring splits have been identified previously in the finger tip region of T4 gp43 variants, this is the first time a split (in combination with a point mutation) has been shown to broaden substrate utilization. Moreover, this latest example of a split hyperthermophilic archaeal DNA polymerase further illustrates the modular nature of the Family B DNA polymerase structure.

  11. Proteome Profiling of Heat, Oxidative, and Salt Stress Responses in Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baolei eJia

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The thermophilic species, Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1, a model microorganism for studying hyperthermophiles, has adapted to optimal growth under conditions of high temperature and salinity. However, the environmental conditions for the strain are not always stable, and this strain might face different stresses. In the present study, we compared the proteome response of T. kodakarensis to heat, oxidative, and salt stresses using two-dimensional electrophoresis, and protein spots were identified through MALDI-TOF/MS. Fifty-nine, forty-two, and twenty-nine spots were induced under heat, oxidative, and salt stresses, respectively. Among the up-regulated proteins, four proteins (a hypothetical protein, pyridoxal biosynthesis lyase, peroxiredoxin, and protein disulphide oxidoreductase were associated with all three stresses. Gene ontology analysis showed that these proteins were primarily involved metabolic and cellular processes. The KEGG pathway analysis suggested that the main metabolic pathways involving these enzymes were related to carbohydrate metabolism, secondary metabolite synthesis, and amino acid biosynthesis. These data might enhance our understanding of the functions and molecular mechanisms of thermophilic Archaea for survival and adaptation in extreme environments.

  12. Biochemical and structural characterization of Cren7, a novel chromatin protein conserved among Crenarchaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Li; Feng, Yingang; Zhang, Zhenfeng; Yao, Hongwei; Luo, Yuanming; Wang, Jinfeng; Huang, Li

    2008-03-01

    Archaea contain a variety of chromatin proteins consistent with the evolution of different genome packaging mechanisms. Among the two main kingdoms in the Archaea, Euryarchaeota synthesize histone homologs, whereas Crenarchaeota have not been shown to possess a chromatin protein conserved at the kingdom level. We report the identification of Cren7, a novel family of chromatin proteins highly conserved in the Crenarchaeota. A small, basic, methylated and abundant protein, Cren7 displays a higher affinity for double-stranded DNA than for single-stranded DNA, constrains negative DNA supercoils and is associated with genomic DNA in vivo. The solution structure and DNA-binding surface of Cren7 from the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus were determined by NMR. The protein adopts an SH3-like fold. It interacts with duplex DNA through a beta-sheet and a long flexible loop, presumably resulting in DNA distortions through intercalation of conserved hydrophobic residues into the DNA structure. These data suggest that the crenarchaeal kingdom in the Archaea shares a common strategy in chromatin organization.

  13. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray characterization of a ferritin from the hyperthermophilic archaeon and anaerobe Pyrococcus furiosus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matias, Pedro M.; Tatur, Jana; Carrondo, Maria Arménia; Hagen, Wilfred R.

    2005-01-01

    Ferritin from P. furiosus crystallizes in space group C222 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 258.1, b = 340.1, c = 266.5 Å and 36 monomers in the asymmetric unit, corresponding to one and a half 24-mers. Crystals of the title protein have been produced and preliminary structural analysis has been carried out. The crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group C222 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 258.1, b = 340.1, c = 266.5 Å. The protein forms a 24-mer of 20 kDa subunits, which assemble with 432 non-crystallographic symmetry. A total of 36 monomers are found in the asymmetric unit, corresponding to one and a half 24-mers

  14. Molecular evolution of the hyperthermophilic archaea of the Pyrococcus genus: analysis of adaptation to different environmental conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Afonnikov Dmitry A

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Prokaryotic microorganisms are able to survive and proliferate in severe environmental conditions. The increasing number of complete sequences of prokaryotic genomes has provided the basis for studying the molecular mechanisms of their adaptation at the genomic level. We apply here a computer-based approach to compare the genomes and proteomes from P. furiosus, P. horikoshii, and P. abyssi to identify features of their molecular evolution related to adaptation strategy to diverse environmental conditions. Results Phylogenetic analysis of rRNA genes from 26 Pyrococcus strains suggested that the divergence of P. furiosus, P. horikoshii and P. abyssi might have occurred from ancestral deep-sea organisms. It was demonstrated that the function of genes that have been subject to positive Darwinian selection is closely related to abiotic and biotic conditions to which archaea managed to become adapted. Divergence of the P. furiosus archaea might have been due to loss of some genes involved in cell motility or signal transduction, and/or to evolution under positive selection of the genes for translation machinery. In the course of P. horikoshii divergence, positive selection was found to operate mainly on the transcription machinery; divergence of P. abyssi was related with positive selection for the genes mainly involved in inorganic ion transport. Analysis of radical amino acid replacement rate in evolving P. furiosus, P. horikoshii and P. abyssi showed that the fixation rate was higher for radical substitutions relative to the volume of amino acid side-chain. Conclusions The current results give due credit to the important role of hydrostatic pressure as a cause of variability in the P. furiosus, P. horikoshii and P. abyssi genomes evolving in different habitats. Nevertheless, adaptation to pressure does not appear to be the sole factor ensuring adaptation to environment. For example, at the stage of the divergence of P. horikoshii and P. abyssi, an essential evolutionary role may be assigned to changes in the trophic chain, namely, acquisition of a consumer status at a high (P. horikoshii or low level (P. abyssi.

  15. Site-Directed Mutagenesis of a Hyperthermophilic Endoglucanase Cel12B from Thermotoga maritima Based on Rational Design.

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    Jinfeng Zhang

    Full Text Available To meet the demand for the application of high activity and thermostable cellulases in the production of new-generation bioethanol from nongrain-cellulose sources, a hyperthermostable β-1,4-endoglucase Cel12B from Thermotoga maritima was selected for further modification by gene site-directed mutagenesis method in the present study, based on homology modeling and rational design. As a result, two recombinant enzymes showed significant improvement in enzyme activity by 77% and 87%, respectively, higher than the parental enzyme TmCel12B. Furthermore, the two mutants could retain 80% and 90.5% of their initial activity after incubation at 80°C for 8 h, while only 45% for 5 h to TmCel12B. The Km and Vmax of the two recombinant enzymes were 1.97±0.05 mM, 4.23±0.15 μmol·mg(-1·min(-1 of TmCel12B-E225H-K207G-D37V, and 2.97±0.12 mM, 3.15±0.21 μmol·mg(-1·min(-1 of TmCel12B-E225H-K207G, respectively, when using CMC-Na as the substrate. The roles of the mutation sites were also analyzed and evaluated in terms of electron density, hydrophobicity of the modeled protein structures. The recombinant enzymes may be used in the hydrolysis of cellulose at higher temperature in the future. It was concluded that the gene mutagenesis approach of a certain active residues may effectively improve the performance of cellulases for the industrial applications and contribute to the study the thermostable mechanism of thermophilic enzymes.

  16. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of an esterese with a novel domein from the hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sun, L.; Levisson, M.; Hendriks, S.N.A.; Akveld, T.; Kengen, S.W.M.; Dijkstra, B.W.; Oost, van der J.

    2007-01-01

    Esterase A4 (EA4) is a timer protein found in diapause eggs of the silkworm Bombyx mori. The gene for this metalloglycoprotein was cloned from B. mori eggs and expressed using a baculovirus expression system in silkworm pupae. Crystals of the purified protein have been grown that diffract to beyond

  17. Hydrogen production and enzyme activities in the hyperthermophile Thermococcus paralvinellae grown on maltose, tryptone and agricultural waste

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah A. Hensley

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Thermococcus may be an important alternative source of H2 in the hot subseafloor in otherwise low H2 environments such as some hydrothermal vents and oil reservoirs. It may also be useful in industry for rapid agricultural waste treatment and concomitant H2 production. Thermococcus paralvinellae grown at 82°C without sulfur produced up to 5 mmol of H2 L-1 at rates of 5-36 fmol H2 cell-1 h-1 on 0.5% (wt vol-1 maltose, 0.5% (wt vol-1 tryptone, and 0.5% maltose + 0.05% tryptone media. Two potentially inhibiting conditions, the presence of 10 mM acetate and low pH (pH 5 in maltose-only medium, did not significantly affect growth or H2 production. Growth rates, H2 production rates, and cell yields based on H2 production were the same as those for Pyrococcus furiosus grown at 95°C on the same media for comparison. Acetate, butyrate, succinate, isovalerate and formate were also detected as end products. After 100 h, T. paralvinellae produced up to 5 mmol of H2 L-1 of medium when grown on up to 70% (vol vol-1 waste milk from cows undergoing treatment for mastitis with the bacterial antibiotic Ceftiofur and from untreated cows. The amount of H2 produced by T. paralvinellae increased with increasing waste concentrations, but decreased in P. furiosus cultures supplemented with waste milk above 1% concentration. All mesophilic bacteria from the waste milk that grew on Luria Bertani, Sheep’s Blood (selective for Staphylococcus, the typical cause of mastitis, and MacConkey (selective for Gram-negative enteric bacteria agar plates were killed by heat during incubation at 82°C. Ceftiofur, which is heat labile, was below the detection limit following incubation at 82°C. T. paralvinellae also produced up to 6 mmol of H2 L-1 of medium when grown on 0.1-10% (wt vol-1 spent brewery grain while P. furiosus produced < 1 mmol of H2 L-1. Twelve of 13 enzyme activities in T. paralvinellae showed significant (p<0.05 differences across six different growth conditions; however, methyl viologen-dependent membrane hydrogenase activity remained constant across all media types. The results demonstrate the potential of at least some Thermococcus species to produce H2 if protein and α-glucosides are present as substrates.

  18. Evolution of mal ABC transporter operons in the Thermococcales and Thermotogales

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    Gogarten J Peter

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The mal genes that encode maltose transporters have undergone extensive lateral transfer among ancestors of the archaea Thermococcus litoralis and Pyrococcus furiosus. Bacterial hyperthermophiles of the order Thermotogales live among these archaea and so may have shared in these transfers. The genome sequence of Thermotoga maritima bears evidence of extensive acquisition of archaeal genes, so its ancestors clearly had the capacity to do so. We examined deep phylogenetic relationships among the mal genes of these hyperthermophiles and their close relatives to look for evidence of shared ancestry. Results We demonstrate that the two maltose ATP binding cassette (ABC transporter operons now found in Tc. litoralis and P. furiosus (termed mal and mdx genes, respectively are not closely related to one another. The Tc. litoralis and P. furiosus mal genes are most closely related to bacterial mal genes while their respective mdx genes are archaeal. The genes of the two mal operons in Tt. maritima are not related to genes in either of these archaeal operons. They are highly similar to one another and belong to a phylogenetic lineage that includes mal genes from the enteric bacteria. A unique domain of the enteric MalF membrane spanning proteins found also in these Thermotogales MalF homologs supports their relatively close relationship with these enteric proteins. Analyses of genome sequence data from other Thermotogales species, Fervidobacterium nodosum, Thermosipho melanesiensis, Thermotoga petrophila, Thermotoga lettingae, and Thermotoga neapolitana, revealed a third apparent mal operon, absent from the published genome sequence of Tt. maritima strain MSB8. This third operon, mal3, is more closely related to the Thermococcales' bacteria-derived mal genes than are mal1 and mal2. F. nodosum, Ts. melanesiensis, and Tt. lettingae have only one of the mal1-mal2 paralogs. The mal2 operon from an unknown species of Thermotoga appears to

  19. Deep microbial life in the Altmark natural gas reservoir: baseline characterization prior CO2 injection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morozova, Daria; Shaheed, Mina; Vieth, Andrea; Krüger, Martin; Kock, Dagmar; Würdemann, Hilke

    2010-05-01

    Within the framework of the CLEAN project (CO2 Largescale Enhanced gas recovery in the Altmark Natural gas field) technical basics with special emphasis on process monitoring are explored by injecting CO2 into a gas reservoir. Our study focuses on the investigation of the in-situ microbial community of the Rotliegend natural gas reservoir in the Altmark, located south of the city Salzwedel, Germany. In order to characterize the microbial life in the extreme habitat we aim to localize and identify microbes including their metabolism influencing the creation and dissolution of minerals. The ability of microorganisms to speed up dissolution and formation of minerals might result in changes of the local permeability and the long-term safety of CO2 storage. However, geology, structure and chemistry of the reservoir rock and the cap rock as well as interaction with saline formation water and natural gases and the injected CO2 affect the microbial community composition and activity. The reservoir located at the depth of about 3500m, is characterised by high salinity fluid and temperatures up to 127° C. It represents an extreme environment for microbial life and therefore the main focus is on hyperthermophilic, halophilic anaerobic microorganisms. In consequence of the injection of large amounts of CO2 in the course of a commercial EGR (Enhanced Gas Recovery) the environmental conditions (e.g. pH, temperature, pressure and solubility of minerals) for the autochthonous microorganisms will change. Genetic profiling of amplified 16S rRNA genes are applied for detecting structural changes in the community by using PCR- SSCP (PCR-Single-Strand-Conformation Polymorphism) and DGGE (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis). First results of the baseline survey indicate the presence of microorganisms similar to representatives from other saline, hot, anoxic, deep environments. However, due to the hypersaline and hyperthermophilic reservoir conditions, cell numbers are low, so that

  20. Structure of the large terminase from a hyperthermophilic virus reveals a unique mechanism for oligomerization and ATP hydrolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Rui-Gang; Jenkins, Huw T; Antson, Alfred A; Greive, Sandra J

    2017-12-15

    The crystal structure of the large terminase from the Geobacillus stearothermophilus bacteriophage D6E shows a unique relative orientation of the N-terminal adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and C-terminal nuclease domains. This monomeric 'initiation' state with the two domains 'locked' together is stabilized via a conserved C-terminal arm, which may interact with the portal protein during motor assembly, as predicted for several bacteriophages. Further work supports the formation of an active oligomeric state: (i) AUC data demonstrate the presence of oligomers; (ii) mutational analysis reveals a trans-arginine finger, R158, indispensable for ATP hydrolysis; (iii) the location of this arginine is conserved with the HerA/FtsK ATPase superfamily; (iv) a molecular docking model of the pentamer is compatible with the location of the identified arginine finger. However, this pentameric model is structurally incompatible with the monomeric 'initiation' state and is supported by the observed increase in kcat of ATP hydrolysis, from 7.8 ± 0.1 min-1 to 457.7 ± 9.2 min-1 upon removal of the C-terminal nuclease domain. Taken together, these structural, biophysical and biochemical data suggest a model where transition from the 'initiation' state into a catalytically competent pentameric state, is accompanied by substantial domain rearrangements, triggered by the removal of the C-terminal arm from the ATPase active site. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  1. Introducing capnophilic lactic fermentation in a combined dark-photo fermentation process: a route to unparalleled H2 yields.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dipasquale, L; Adessi, A; d'Ippolito, G; Rossi, F; Fontana, A; De Philippis, R

    2015-01-01

    Two-stage process based on photofermentation of dark fermentation effluents is widely recognized as the most effective method for biological production of hydrogen from organic substrates. Recently, it was described an alternative mechanism, named capnophilic lactic fermentation, for sugar fermentation by the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana in CO2-rich atmosphere. Here, we report the first application of this novel process to two-stage biological production of hydrogen. The microbial system based on T. neapolitana DSM 4359(T) and Rhodopseudomonas palustris 42OL gave 9.4 mol of hydrogen per mole of glucose consumed during the anaerobic process, which is the best production yield so far reported for conventional two-stage batch cultivations. The improvement of hydrogen yield correlates with the increase in lactic production during capnophilic lactic fermentation and takes also advantage of the introduction of original conditions for culturing both microorganisms in minimal media based on diluted sea water. The use of CO2 during the first step of the combined process establishes a novel strategy for biohydrogen technology. Moreover, this study opens the way to cost reduction and use of salt-rich waste as feedstock.

  2. Protein phosphorylation and its role in archaeal signal transduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esser, Dominik; Hoffmann, Lena; Pham, Trong Khoa; Bräsen, Christopher; Qiu, Wen; Wright, Phillip C.; Albers, Sonja-Verena; Siebers, Bettina

    2016-01-01

    Reversible protein phosphorylation is the main mechanism of signal transduction that enables cells to rapidly respond to environmental changes by controlling the functional properties of proteins in response to external stimuli. However, whereas signal transduction is well studied in Eukaryotes and Bacteria, the knowledge in Archaea is still rather scarce. Archaea are special with regard to protein phosphorylation, due to the fact that the two best studied phyla, the Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeaota, seem to exhibit fundamental differences in regulatory systems. Euryarchaeota (e.g. halophiles, methanogens, thermophiles), like Bacteria and Eukaryotes, rely on bacterial-type two-component signal transduction systems (phosphorylation on His and Asp), as well as on the protein phosphorylation on Ser, Thr and Tyr by Hanks-type protein kinases. Instead, Crenarchaeota (e.g. acidophiles and (hyper)thermophiles) only depend on Hanks-type protein phosphorylation. In this review, the current knowledge of reversible protein phosphorylation in Archaea is presented. It combines results from identified phosphoproteins, biochemical characterization of protein kinases and protein phosphatases as well as target enzymes and first insights into archaeal signal transduction by biochemical, genetic and polyomic studies. PMID:27476079

  3. Recent developments in the thermophilic microbiology of deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miroshnichenko, Margarita L; Bonch-Osmolovskaya, Elizaveta A

    2006-04-01

    The diversity of thermophilic prokaryotes inhabiting deep-sea hot vents was actively studied over the last two decades. The ever growing interest is reflected in the exponentially increasing number of novel thermophilic genera described. The goal of this paper is to survey the progress in this field made in the years 2000-2005. In this period, representatives of several new taxa of hyperthermophilic archaea were obtained from deep-sea environments. Two of these isolates had phenotypic features new for this group of organisms: the presence of an outer cell membrane (the genus Ignicoccus) and the ability to grow anaerobically with acetate and ferric iron (the genus Geoglobus). Also, our knowledge on the diversity of thermophilic bacteria from deep-sea thermal environments extended significantly. The new bacterial isolates represented diverse bacterial divisions: the phylum Aquificae, the subclass Epsilonproteobacteria, the order Thermotogales, the families Thermodesulfobacteriaceae, Deferribacteraceae, and Thermaceae, and a novel bacterial phylum represented by the genus Caldithrix. Most of these isolates are obligate or facultative lithotrophs, oxidizing molecular hydrogen in the course of different types of anaerobic respiration or microaerobic growth. The existence and significant ecological role of some of new bacterial thermophilic isolates was initially established by molecular methods.

  4. Genome sequence of the Thermotoga thermarum type strain (LA3(T)) from an African solfataric spring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Göker, Markus; Spring, Stefan; Scheuner, Carmen; Anderson, Iain; Zeytun, Ahmet; Nolan, Matt; Lucas, Susan; Tice, Hope; Del Rio, Tijana Glavina; Cheng, Jan-Fang; Han, Cliff; Tapia, Roxanne; Goodwin, Lynne A; Pitluck, Sam; Liolios, Konstantinos; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Pagani, Ioanna; Ivanova, Natalia; Mikhailova, Natalia; Pati, Amrita; Chen, Amy; Palaniappan, Krishna; Land, Miriam; Hauser, Loren; Chang, Yun-Juan; Jeffries, Cynthia D; Rohde, Manfred; Detter, John C; Woyke, Tanja; Bristow, James; Eisen, Jonathan A; Markowitz, Victor; Hugenholtz, Philip; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Lapidus, Alla

    2014-06-15

    Thermotoga thermarum Windberger et al. 1989 is a member to the genomically well characterized genus Thermotoga in the phylum 'Thermotogae'. T. thermarum is of interest for its origin from a continental solfataric spring vs. predominantly marine oil reservoirs of other members of the genus. The genome of strain LA3T also provides fresh data for the phylogenomic positioning of the (hyper-)thermophilic bacteria. T. thermarum strain LA3(T) is the fourth sequenced genome of a type strain from the genus Thermotoga, and the sixth in the family Thermotogaceae to be formally described in a publication. Phylogenetic analyses do not reveal significant discrepancies between the current classification of the group, 16S rRNA gene data and whole-genome sequences. Nevertheless, T. thermarum significantly differs from other Thermotoga species regarding its iron-sulfur cluster synthesis, as it contains only a minimal set of the necessary proteins. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. The 2,039,943 bp long chromosome with its 2,015 protein-coding and 51 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.

  5. Formate as an energy source for microbial metabolism in chemosynthetic zones of hydrothermal ecosystems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Windman, Todd; Zolotova, Natalya; Schwandner, Florian; Shock, Everett L

    2007-12-01

    Formate, a simple organic acid known to support chemotrophic hyperthermophiles, is found in hot springs of varying temperature and pH. However, it is not yet known how metabolic strategies that use formate could contribute to primary productivity in hydrothermal ecosystems. In an effort to provide a quantitative framework for assessing the role of formate metabolism, concentration data for dissolved formate and many other solutes in samples from Yellowstone hot springs were used, together with data for coexisting gas compositions, to evaluate the overall Gibbs energy for many reactions involving formate oxidation or reduction. The result is the first rigorous thermodynamic assessment of reactions involving formate oxidation to bicarbonate and reduction to methane coupled with various forms of iron, nitrogen, sulfur, hydrogen, and oxygen for hydrothermal ecosystems. We conclude that there are a limited number of reactions that can yield energy through formate reduction, in contrast to numerous formate oxidation reactions that can yield abundant energy for chemosynthetic microorganisms. Because the energy yields are so high, these results challenge the notion that hydrogen is the primary energy source of chemosynthetic microbes in hydrothermal ecosystems.

  6. Occurrence of protein disulfide bonds in different domains of life: a comparison of proteins from the Protein Data Bank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bošnjak, I; Bojović, V; Šegvić-Bubić, T; Bielen, A

    2014-03-01

    Disulfide bonds (SS bonds) are important post-translational modifications of proteins. They stabilize a three-dimensional (3D) structure (structural SS bonds) and also have the catalytic or regulatory functions (redox-active SS bonds). Although SS bonds are present in all groups of organisms, no comparative analyses of their frequency in proteins from different domains of life have been made to date. Using the Protein Data Bank, the number and subcellular locations of SS bonds in Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya have been compared. Approximately three times higher frequency of proteins with SS bonds in eukaryotic secretory organelles (e.g. endoplasmic reticulum) than in bacterial periplasmic/secretory pathways was calculated. Protein length also affects the SS bond frequency: the average number of SS bonds is positively correlated with the length for longer proteins (>200 amino acids), while for the shorter and less stable proteins (proteins (250-350 amino acids) indicated a high number of SS bonds only in Archaea which could be explained by the need for additional protein stabilization in hyperthermophiles. The results emphasize higher capacity for the SS bond formation and isomerization in Eukarya when compared with Archaea and Bacteria.

  7. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of protein 14 from Sulfolobus islandicus filamentous virus (SIFV)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goulet, Adeline; Spinelli, Silvia; Campanacci, Valérie; Porciero, Sophie; Blangy, Stéphanie; Garrett, Roger A.; Tilbeurgh, Herman van; Leulliot, Nicolas; Basta, Tamara; Prangishvili, David; Cambillau, Christian

    2006-01-01

    Crystals of S. islandicus filamentous virus (SIFV) protein 14 have been grown at 293 K. Crystals belong to space group P6 2 22 or P6 4 22 and diffract to a resolution of 2.95 Å. A large-scale programme has been embarked upon aiming towards the structural determination of conserved proteins from viruses infecting hyperthermophilic archaea. Here, the crystallization of protein 14 from the archaeal virus SIFV is reported. This protein, which contains 111 residues (MW 13 465 Da), was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli with an N-terminal His 6 tag and purified to homogeneity. The tag was subsequently cleaved and the protein was crystallized using PEG 1000 or PEG 4000 as a precipitant. Large crystals were obtained of the native and the selenomethionine-labelled protein using sitting drops of 100–300 nl. Crystals belong to space group P6 2 22 or P6 4 22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 68.1, c = 132.4 Å. Diffraction data were collected to a maximum acceptable resolution of 2.95 and 3.20 Å for the SeMet-labelled and native protein, respectively

  8. Proteomic characterization of cellular and molecular processes that enable the Nanoarchaeum equitans--Ignicoccus hospitalis relationship.

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    Richard J Giannone

    Full Text Available Nanoarchaeum equitans, the only cultured representative of the Nanoarchaeota, is dependent on direct physical contact with its host, the hyperthermophile Ignicoccus hospitalis. The molecular mechanisms that enable this relationship are unknown. Using whole-cell proteomics, differences in the relative abundance of >75% of predicted protein-coding genes from both Archaea were measured to identify the specific response of I. hospitalis to the presence of N. equitans on its surface. A purified N. equitans sample was also analyzed for evidence of interspecies protein transfer. The depth of cellular proteome coverage achieved here is amongst the highest reported for any organism. Based on changes in the proteome under the specific conditions of this study, I. hospitalis reacts to N. equitans by curtailing genetic information processing (replication, transcription in lieu of intensifying its energetic, protein processing and cellular membrane functions. We found no evidence of significant Ignicoccus biosynthetic enzymes being transported to N. equitans. These results suggest that, under laboratory conditions, N. equitans diverts some of its host's metabolism and cell cycle control to compensate for its own metabolic shortcomings, thus appearing to be entirely dependent on small, transferable metabolites and energetic precursors from I. hospitalis.

  9. A genomic analysis of the archael system Ignicoccus hospitalis-Nanoarchaeum equitans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Hui; Anderson, Iain; Makarova, Kira S.; Elkins, James G.; Ivanova, Natalia; Wall, Mark A.; Lykidis, Athanasios; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Podar, Mircea; Hudson, Matthew E.; Chen, Wenqiong; Deciu, Cosmin; Hutchinson, Don; Eads, Jonathan R.; Anderson, Abraham; Fernandes, Fillipe; Szeto, Ernest; Lapidus, Alla; Kyrpides, NikosC.; Saier Jr., Milton G.; Richardson, Paul M.; Rachel, Reinhard; Huber, Harald; Eisen, Jonathan A.; Koonin, Eugene V.; Keller, Martin; Stetter, Karl O.

    2008-09-01

    BACKGROUND: The relationship between the hyperthermophiles Ignicoccus hospitalis and Nanoarchaeum equitans is the only known example of a specific association between two species of Archaea. Little is known about the mechanisms that enable this relationship. RESULTS: We sequenced the complete genome of I. hospitalis and found it to be the smallest among independent, free-living organisms. A comparative genomic reconstruction suggests that the I. hospitalis lineage has lost most of the genes associated with a heterotrophic metabolism that is characteristic of most of the Crenarchaeota. A streamlined genome is also suggested by a low frequency of paralogs and fragmentation of many operons. However, this process appears to be partially balanced by lateral gene transfer from archaeal and bacterial sources. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of genomic and cellular features suggests highly efficient adaptation to the low energy yield of sulfur-hydrogen respiration and efficient inorganic carbon and nitrogen assimilation. Evidence of lateral gene exchange between N. equitans and I. hospitalis indicates that the relationship has impacted both genomes. This association is the simplest symbiotic system known to date and a unique model for studying mechanisms of interspecific relationships at the genomic and metabolic levels.

  10. Diversity of antisense and other non-coding RNAs in Archaea revealed by comparative small RNA sequencing in four Pyrobaculum species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David L Bernick

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available A great diversity of small, non-coding RNA molecules with roles in gene regulation and RNA processing have been intensely studied in eukaryotic and bacterial model organisms, yet our knowledge of possible parallel roles for small RNAs in archaea is limited. We employed RNA-seq to identify novel small RNA across multiple species of the hyperthermophilic genus Pyrobaculum, known for unusual RNA gene characteristics. By comparing transcriptional data collected in parallel among four species, we were able to identify conserved RNA genes fitting into known and novel families. Among our findings, we highlight three novel cis-antisense small RNAs encoded opposite to key regulatory (ferric uptake regulator, metabolic (triose-phosphate isomerase, and core transcriptional apparatus genes (transcription factor B. We also found a large increase in the number of conserved C/D box small RNA genes over what had been previously recognized; many of these genes are encoded antisense to protein coding genes. The conserved opposition to orthologous genes across the Pyrobaculum genus suggests similarities to other cis-antisense regulatory systems. Furthermore, the genus-specific nature of these small RNAs indicates they are relatively recent, stable adaptations.

  11. Two Family B DNA Polymerases From Aeropyrum pernix, Based on Revised Translational Frames

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    Katsuya Daimon

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Living organisms are divided into three domains, Bacteria, Eukarya, and Archaea. Comparative studies in the three domains have provided useful information to understand the evolution of the DNA replication machinery. DNA polymerase is the central enzyme of DNA replication. The presence of multiple family B DNA polymerases is unique in Crenarchaeota, as compared with other archaeal phyla, which have a single enzyme each for family B (PolB and family D (PolD. We analyzed PolB1 and PolB3 in the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon, Aeropyrum pernix, and found that they are larger proteins than those predicted from the coding regions in our previous study and from public database annotations. The recombinant larger PolBs exhibited the same DNA polymerase activities as previously reported. However, the larger PolB3 showed remarkably higher thermostability, which made this enzyme applicable to PCR. In addition, the high tolerance to salt and heparin suggests that PolB3 will be useful for amplification from the samples with contaminants, and therefore it has a great potential for diagnostic use in the medical and environmental field.

  12. A Survey of Protein Structures from Archaeal Viruses

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    Nikki Dellas

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Viruses that infect the third domain of life, Archaea, are a newly emerging field of interest. To date, all characterized archaeal viruses infect archaea that thrive in extreme conditions, such as halophilic, hyperthermophilic, and methanogenic environments. Viruses in general, especially those replicating in extreme environments, contain highly mosaic genomes with open reading frames (ORFs whose sequences are often dissimilar to all other known ORFs. It has been estimated that approximately 85% of virally encoded ORFs do not match known sequences in the nucleic acid databases, and this percentage is even higher for archaeal viruses (typically 90%–100%. This statistic suggests that either virus genomes represent a larger segment of sequence space and/or that viruses encode genes of novel fold and/or function. Because the overall three-dimensional fold of a protein evolves more slowly than its sequence, efforts have been geared toward structural characterization of proteins encoded by archaeal viruses in order to gain insight into their potential functions. In this short review, we provide multiple examples where structural characterization of archaeal viral proteins has indeed provided significant functional and evolutionary insight.

  13. Inferring the palaeoenvironment of ancient bacteria on the basis of resurrected proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaucher, Eric A.; Thomson, J. Michael; Burgan, Michelle F.; Benner, Steven A.

    2003-01-01

    Features of the physical environment surrounding an ancestral organism can be inferred by reconstructing sequences of ancient proteins made by those organisms, resurrecting these proteins in the laboratory, and measuring their properties. Here, we resurrect candidate sequences for elongation factors of the Tu family (EF-Tu) found at ancient nodes in the bacterial evolutionary tree, and measure their activities as a function of temperature. The ancient EF-Tu proteins have temperature optima of 55-65 degrees C. This value seems to be robust with respect to uncertainties in the ancestral reconstruction. This suggests that the ancient bacteria that hosted these particular genes were thermophiles, and neither hyperthermophiles nor mesophiles. This conclusion can be compared and contrasted with inferences drawn from an analysis of the lengths of branches in trees joining proteins from contemporary bacteria, the distribution of thermophily in derived bacterial lineages, the inferred G + C content of ancient ribosomal RNA, and the geological record combined with assumptions concerning molecular clocks. The study illustrates the use of experimental palaeobiochemistry and assumptions about deep phylogenetic relationships between bacteria to explore the character of ancient life.

  14. Crenarchaeal biofilm formation under extreme conditions.

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    Andrea Koerdt

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Biofilm formation has been studied in much detail for a variety of bacterial species, as it plays a major role in the pathogenicity of bacteria. However, only limited information is available for the development of archaeal communities that are frequently found in many natural environments. METHODOLOGY: We have analyzed biofilm formation in three closely related hyperthermophilic crenarchaeotes: Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, S. solfataricus and S. tokodaii. We established a microtitre plate assay adapted to high temperatures to determine how pH and temperature influence biofilm formation in these organisms. Biofilm analysis by confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated that the three strains form very different communities ranging from simple carpet-like structures in S. solfataricus to high density tower-like structures in S. acidocaldarius in static systems. Lectin staining indicated that all three strains produced extracellular polysaccharides containing glucose, galactose, mannose and N-acetylglucosamine once biofilm formation was initiated. While flagella mutants had no phenotype in two days old static biofilms of S. solfataricus, a UV-induced pili deletion mutant showed decreased attachment of cells. CONCLUSION: The study gives first insights into formation and development of crenarchaeal biofilms in extreme environments.

  15. Characterization of Reconstructed Ancestral Proteins Suggests a Change in Temperature of the Ancient Biosphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akanuma, Satoshi

    2017-08-06

    Understanding the evolution of ancestral life, and especially the ability of some organisms to flourish in the variable environments experienced in Earth's early biosphere, requires knowledge of the characteristics and the environment of these ancestral organisms. Information about early life and environmental conditions has been obtained from fossil records and geological surveys. Recent advances in phylogenetic analysis, and an increasing number of protein sequences available in public databases, have made it possible to infer ancestral protein sequences possessed by ancient organisms. However, the in silico studies that assess the ancestral base content of ribosomal RNAs, the frequency of each amino acid in ancestral proteins, and estimate the environmental temperatures of ancient organisms, show conflicting results. The characterization of ancestral proteins reconstructed in vitro suggests that ancient organisms had very thermally stable proteins, and therefore were thermophilic or hyperthermophilic. Experimental data supports the idea that only thermophilic ancestors survived the catastrophic increase in temperature of the biosphere that was likely associated with meteorite impacts during the early history of Earth. In addition, by expanding the timescale and including more ancestral proteins for reconstruction, it appears as though the Earth's surface temperature gradually decreased over time, from Archean to present.

  16. Lessons from Suiyo Seamount studies, for understanding extreme (ancient?) microbial ecosystems in the deep-sea hydrothermal fields

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maruyama, A.; Higashi, Y.; Sunamura, M.; Urabe, T.

    2004-12-01

    Deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystems are driven with various geo-thermally modified, mainly reduced, compounds delivered from extremely hot subsurface environments. To date, several unique microbes including thermophilic archaeons have been isolated from/around vent chimneys. However, there is little information about microbes in over-vent and sub-vent fields. Here, we report several new findings on microbial diversity and ecology of the Suiyo Seamount that locates on the Izu-Bonin Arc in the northwest Pacific Ocean, as a result of the Japanese Archaean Park project, with special concern to the sub-vent biosphere. At first, we succeeded to reveal a very unique microbial ecosystem in hydrothermal plume reserved within the outer rim of the seamount crater, that is, it consisted of almost all metabolically active microbes belonged to only two Bacteria phylotypes, probably of sulfur oxidizers. In the center of the caldera seafloor (ca. 1,388-m deep) consisted mainly of whitish sands and pumices, we found many small chimneys (ca. 5-10 cm) and bivalve colonies distributed looking like gray to black patches. These geo/ecological features of the seafloor were supposed to be from a complex mixing of hydrothermal venting and strong water current near the seafloor. Through quantitative FISH analysis for various environmental samples, one of the two representative groups in the plume was assessed to be from some of the bivalve colonies. Using the Benthic Multi-coring System (BMS), total 10 points were drilled and 6 boreholes were maintained with stainless or titanium casing pipes. In the following submersible surveys, newly developed catheter- and column-type in situ growth chambers were deployed in and on the boreholes, respectively, for collecting indigenous sub-vent microbes. Finally, we succeeded to detect several new phylotypes of microbes in these chamber samples, e.g., within epsilon-Proteobacteria, a photosynthetic group of alpha-Proteobacteria, and hyperthermophile

  17. Hydrothermal Fluid Permeability, Temperature, and Nutrient Fluxes: Three Controls on the Structure and the Dynamics of Subsurface Extremophilic Microbe Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, M. P.; Yang, J.

    2002-05-01

    We continue to develop a set of models whose aim is to provide broad constraints on the range of possible community structures for subsurface thermally-tolerant microbes. We combine studies of the three-dimensional internal structure of the dike and sill complexes of active volcanoes, studies of the scale- and direction-dependent 3-D in-situ permeability of intrusive and extrusive rocks from in-situ and laboratory data, numerical modelling of hydrothermal convection in volcanic interiors, data on the optimal metabolic and life-limiting thermal requirements of extremophilic microbes, with the set of nutrients and nutrient pathways required for the survival of given species of thermophiles and hyperthermophiles. With this mix of data bases and analysis tools, we can begin to divine a set of broad theoretical guidelines for constraining the structure and dynamics of extremophilic communities in the subsurface environments of volcanoes. We are searching for the first-order controls on transport. The effects of mineral attachment, detachment, and microbial reproduction may be incorporated in refinements of this basic model. Critical thermal intervals and/or isotherms that correlate with (1) optimal metabolic and (2) life-limiting temperatures for thermophilic microbes are, e.g., in degrees Celcius: Thermus thermophilius [70, 85]; Thermomicrobium roseum [70-75, 85]; Thermus aquaticus [70, 79]; and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius [70-75, 90]. Numerical models of the convective migration of thermophilic (50-80 C), and hyperthermophilic (80-113 C) microbes and their macromolecular amino acid building blocks (113- ~200 C) have been developed that explicitly incorporate the roles of fractures and fluid properties. Fluid transport properties are evaluated through the optimal metabolic and life-limiting temperate ranges and beyond. These models quantify our intuition with respect to controls on community structure and dynamics. Important relationships appear to be: (1) Great

  18. Characterization of the deep microbial life in the Altmark natural gas reservoir

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morozova, D.; Alawi, M.; Vieth-Hillebrand, A.; Kock, D.; Krüger, M.; Wuerdemann, H.; Shaheed, M.

    2010-12-01

    Within the framework of the CLEAN project (CO2 Largescale Enhanced gas recovery in the Altmark Natural gas field) technical basics with special emphasis on process monitoring are explored by injecting CO2 into a gas reservoir. Our study focuses on the investigation of the in-situ microbial community of the Rotliegend natural gas reservoir in the Altmark, located south of the city Salzwedel, Germany. In order to characterize the microbial life in the extreme habitat we aim to localize and identify microbes including their metabolism influencing the creation and dissolution of minerals. The ability of microorganisms to speed up dissolution and formation of minerals might result in changes of the local permeability and the long-term safety of CO2 storage. However, geology, structure and chemistry of the reservoir rock and the cap rock as well as interaction with saline formation water and natural gases and the injected CO2 affect the microbial community composition and activity. The reservoir located at the depth of approximately 3500 m, is characterised by high salinity (420 g/l) and temperatures up to 127°C. It represents an extreme environment for microbial life and therefore the main focus is on hyperthermophilic, halophilic anaerobic microorganisms. In consequence of the injection of large amounts of CO2 in the course of a commercial EGR (Enhanced Gas Recovery), the environmental conditions (e.g. pH, temperature, pressure and solubility of minerals) for the autochthonous microorganisms will change. Genetic profiling of amplified 16S rRNA genes are applied for detecting structural changes in the community by using PCR- SSCP (PCR-Single-Strand-Conformation Polymorphism), DGGE (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) and 16S rRNA cloning. First results of the baseline survey indicate the presence of microorganisms similar to representatives from other deep environments. The sequence analyses revealed the presence of several H2-oxidising bacteria (Hydrogenophaga sp

  19. Photobiosynthesis of stable and functional silver/silver chloride nanoparticles with hydrolytic activity using hyperthermophilic β-glucosidases with industrial potential.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araújo, Juscemácia N; Tofanello, Aryane; da Silva, Viviam M; Sato, Juliana A P; Squina, Fabio M; Nantes, Iseli L; Garcia, Wanius

    2017-09-01

    The β-glucosidases are important enzymes employed in a large number of processes and industrial applications, including biofuel production from biomass. Therefore, in this study, we reported for the first time the photobiosynthesis of stable and functional silver/silver chloride nanoparticles (Ag/AgCl-NPs) using two hyperthermostable bacterial β-glucosidases with industrial potential. The syntheses were straightforward and rapid processes carried out by mixing β-glucosidase and silver nitrate (in buffer 10mM Tris-HCl, pH 8) under irradiation with light (over a wavelength range of 450-600nm), therefore, compatible with the green chemistry procedure. Synthesized Ag/AgCl-NPs were characterized using a series of physical techniques. Absorption spectroscopy showed a strong absorption band centered at 460nm due to surface plasmon resonance of the Ag-NPs. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the Ag/AgCl-NPs were purely crystalline in nature. Under electron microscopy, Ag/AgCl-NPs of variable diameter ranging from 10 to 100nm can be visualized. Furthermore, electron microscopy, zeta potential and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results confirmed the presence of β-glucosidases coating and stabilizing the Ag/AgCl-NPs. Finally, the results showed that the enzymatic activities were maintained in the β-glucosidases assisted Ag/AgCl-NPs. The information described here should provide a useful basis for future studies of β-glucosidases assisted Ag/AgCl-NPs, including biotechnological applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Bacterial and archaeal communities in the deep-sea sediments of inactive hydrothermal vents in the Southwest India Ridge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Likui; Kang, Manyu; Xu, Jiajun; Xu, Jian; Shuai, Yinjie; Zhou, Xiaojian; Yang, Zhihui; Ma, Kesen

    2016-05-01

    Active deep-sea hydrothermal vents harbor abundant thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms. However, microbial communities in inactive hydrothermal vents have not been well documented. Here, we investigated bacterial and archaeal communities in the two deep-sea sediments (named as TVG4 and TVG11) collected from inactive hydrothermal vents in the Southwest India Ridge using the high-throughput sequencing technology of Illumina MiSeq2500 platform. Based on the V4 region of 16S rRNA gene, sequence analysis showed that bacterial communities in the two samples were dominated by Proteobacteria, followed by Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. Furthermore, archaeal communities in the two samples were dominated by Thaumarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. Comparative analysis showed that (i) TVG4 displayed the higher bacterial richness and lower archaeal richness than TVG11; (ii) the two samples had more divergence in archaeal communities than bacterial communities. Bacteria and archaea that are potentially associated with nitrogen, sulfur metal and methane cycling were detected in the two samples. Overall, we first provided a comparative picture of bacterial and archaeal communities and revealed their potentially ecological roles in the deep-sea environments of inactive hydrothermal vents in the Southwest Indian Ridge, augmenting microbial communities in inactive hydrothermal vents.

  1. Microbial diversity in a submarine carbonate edifice from the serpentinizing hydrothermal system of the Prony Bay (New Caledonia over a 6-year period.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne ePostec

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Active carbonate chimneys from the shallow marine serpentinizing Prony Hydrothermal Field were sampled 3 times over a 6 years period at site ST09. Archaeal and bacterial communities composition was investigated using PCR-based methods (clone libraries, Denaturating Gel Gradient Electrophoresis, quantitative PCR targeting 16S rRNA genes, methyl coenzyme M reductase A and dissimilatory sulfite reductase subunit B genes. Methanosarcinales (Euryarchaeota and Thaumarchaea were the main archaeal members. The Methanosarcinales, also observed by epifluorescent microscopy and FISH, consisted of two phyotypes that were previously solely detected in two other serpentinitzing ecosystems (The Cedars and Lost City Hydrothermal Field. Surprisingly, members of the hyperthermophilic order Thermococcales were also found which may indicate the presence of a hot subsurface biosphere. The bacterial community mainly consisted of Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Alpha-, Gamma-, Beta- and Delta-proteobacteria and of the candidate division NPL-UPA2. Members of these taxa were consistently found each year and may therefore represent a stable core of the indigenous bacterial community of the PHF chimneys. Firmicutes isolates representing new bacterial taxa were obtained by cultivation under anaerobic conditions. Our study revealed diverse microbial communities in PHF ST09 related to methane and sulfur compounds that share common populations with other terrestrial or submarine serpentinizing ecosystems.

  2. Microbial diversity in a submarine carbonate edifice from the serpentinizing hydrothermal system of the Prony Bay (New Caledonia) over a 6-year period.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Postec, Anne; Quéméneur, Marianne; Bes, Méline; Mei, Nan; Benaïssa, Fatma; Payri, Claude; Pelletier, Bernard; Monnin, Christophe; Guentas-Dombrowsky, Linda; Ollivier, Bernard; Gérard, Emmanuelle; Pisapia, Céline; Gérard, Martine; Ménez, Bénédicte; Erauso, Gaël

    2015-01-01

    Active carbonate chimneys from the shallow marine serpentinizing Prony Hydrothermal Field were sampled 3 times over a 6 years period at site ST09. Archaeal and bacterial communities composition was investigated using PCR-based methods (clone libraries, Denaturating Gel Gradient Electrophoresis, quantitative PCR) targeting 16S rRNA genes, methyl coenzyme M reductase A and dissimilatory sulfite reductase subunit B genes. Methanosarcinales (Euryarchaeota) and Thaumarchaea were the main archaeal members. The Methanosarcinales, also observed by epifluorescent microscopy and FISH, consisted of two phylotypes that were previously solely detected in two other serpentinitzing ecosystems (The Cedars and Lost City Hydrothermal Field). Surprisingly, members of the hyperthermophilic order Thermococcales were also found which may indicate the presence of a hot subsurface biosphere. The bacterial community mainly consisted of Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Alpha-, Gamma-, Beta-, and Delta-proteobacteria and of the candidate division NPL-UPA2. Members of these taxa were consistently found each year and may therefore represent a stable core of the indigenous bacterial community of the PHF chimneys. Firmicutes isolates representing new bacterial taxa were obtained by cultivation under anaerobic conditions. Our study revealed diverse microbial communities in PHF ST09 related to methane and sulfur compounds that share common populations with other terrestrial or submarine serpentinizing ecosystems.

  3. A hyper-thermostable α-amylase from Pyrococcus furiosus accumulates in Nicotiana tabacum as functional aggregates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Hong; Reynolds, L Bruce; Menassa, Rima

    2017-06-19

    Alpha amylase hydrolyzes α-bonds of polysaccharides such as starch and produces malto-oligosaccharides. Its starch saccharification applications make it an essential enzyme in the textile, food and brewing industries. Commercially available α-amylase is mostly produced from Bacillus or Aspergillus. A hyper-thermostable and Ca 2++ independent α-amylase from Pyrococcus furiosus (PFA) expressed in E.coli forms insoluble inclusion bodies and thus is not feasible for industrial applications. We expressed PFA in Nicotiana tabacum and found that plant-produced PFA forms functional aggregates with an accumulation level up to 3.4 g/kg FW (fresh weight) in field conditions. The aggregates are functional without requiring refolding and therefore have potential to be applied as homogenized plant tissue without extraction or purification. PFA can also be extracted from plant tissue upon dissolution in a mild reducing buffer containing SDS. Like the enzyme produced in P. furiosus and in E. coli, plant produced PFA preserves hyper-thermophilicity and hyper-thermostability and has a long shelf life when stored in lyophilized leaf tissue. With tobacco's large biomass and high yield, hyper-thermostable α-amylase was produced at a scale of 42 kg per hectare. Tobacco may be a suitable bioreactor for industrial production of active hyperthermostable alpha amylase.

  4. Structure of D-tagatose 3-epimerase-like protein from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uechi, Keiko; Takata, Goro; Yoneda, Kazunari; Ohshima, Toshihisa; Sakuraba, Haruhiko

    2014-07-01

    The crystal structure of a D-tagatose 3-epimerase-like protein (MJ1311p) encoded by a hypothetical open reading frame, MJ1311, in the genome of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Methanocaldococcus jannaschii was determined at a resolution of 2.64 Å. The asymmetric unit contained two homologous subunits, and the dimer was generated by twofold symmetry. The overall fold of the subunit proved to be similar to those of the D-tagatose 3-epimerase from Pseudomonas cichorii and the D-psicose 3-epimerases from Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Clostridium cellulolyticum. However, the situation at the subunit-subunit interface differed substantially from that in D-tagatose 3-epimerase family enzymes. In MJ1311p, Glu125, Leu126 and Trp127 from one subunit were found to be located over the metal-ion-binding site of the other subunit and appeared to contribute to the active site, narrowing the substrate-binding cleft. Moreover, the nine residues comprising a trinuclear zinc centre in endonuclease IV were found to be strictly conserved in MJ1311p, although a distinct groove involved in DNA binding was not present. These findings indicate that the active-site architecture of MJ1311p is quite unique and is substantially different from those of D-tagatose 3-epimerase family enzymes and endonuclease IV.

  5. Identification and characterization of a novel L-arabinose isomerase from Anoxybacillus flavithermus useful in D-tagatose production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yanjun; Zhu, Yueming; Liu, Anjun; Sun, Yuanxia

    2011-05-01

    D-Tagatose is a highly functional rare ketohexose and many attempts have been made to convert D-galactose into the valuable D-tagatose using L-arabinose isomerase (L-AI). In this study, a thermophilic strain possessing L-AI gene was isolated from hot spring sludge and identified as Anoxybacillus flavithermus based on its physio-biochemical characterization and phylogenetic analysis of its 16s rRNA gene. Furthermore, the gene encoding L-AI from A. flavithermus (AFAI) was cloned and expressed at a high level in E. coli BL21(DE3). L-AI had a molecular weight of 55,876 Da, an optimum pH of 10.5 and temperature of 95°C. The results showed that the conversion equilibrium shifted to more D-tagatose from D-galactose by raising the reaction temperatures and adding borate. A 60% conversion of D-galactose to D-tagatose was observed at an isomerization temperature of 95°C with borate. The catalytic efficiency (k (cat) /K (m)) for D-galactose with borate was 9.47 mM(-1) min(-1), twice as much as that without borate. Our results indicate that AFAI is a novel hyperthermophilic and alkaliphilic isomerase with a higher catalytic efficiency for D-galactose, suggesting its great potential for producing D-tagatose.

  6. Cloning, expression and characterization of L-arabinose isomerase from Thermotoga neapolitana: bioconversion of D-galactose to D-tagatose using the enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Byoung-Chan; Lee, Yoon-Hee; Lee, Han-Seung; Lee, Dong-Woo; Choe, Eun-Ah; Pyun, Yu-Ryang

    2002-06-18

    Gene araA encoding an L-arabinose isomerase (AraA) from the hyperthermophile, Thermotoga neapolitana 5068 was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene encoded a polypeptide of 496 residues with a calculated molecular mass of 56677 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence has 94.8% identical amino acids compared with the residues in a putative L-arabinose isomerase of Thermotoga maritima. The recombinant enzyme expressed in E. coli was purified to homogeneity by heat treatment, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The thermophilic enzyme had a maximum activity of L-arabinose isomerization and D-galactose isomerization at 85 degrees C, and required divalent cations such as Co(2+) and Mn(2+) for its activity and thermostability. The apparent K(m) values of the enzyme for L-arabinose and D-galactose were 116 mM (v(max), 119 micromol min(-1) mg(-1)) and 250 mM (v(max), 14.3 micromol min(-1) mg(-1)), respectively, that were determined in the presence of both 1 mM Co(2+) and 1 mM Mn(2+). A 68% conversion of D-galactose to D-tagatose was obtained using the recombinant enzyme at the isomerization temperature of 80 degrees C.

  7. Protein thermodynamics can be predicted directly from biological growth rates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ross Corkrey

    Full Text Available Life on Earth is capable of growing from temperatures well below freezing to above the boiling point of water, with some organisms preferring cooler and others hotter conditions. The growth rate of each organism ultimately depends on its intracellular chemical reactions. Here we show that a thermodynamic model based on a single, rate-limiting, enzyme-catalysed reaction accurately describes population growth rates in 230 diverse strains of unicellular and multicellular organisms. Collectively these represent all three domains of life, ranging from psychrophilic to hyperthermophilic, and including the highest temperature so far observed for growth (122 °C. The results provide credible estimates of thermodynamic properties of proteins and obtain, purely from organism intrinsic growth rate data, relationships between parameters previously identified experimentally, thus bridging a gap between biochemistry and whole organism biology. We find that growth rates of both unicellular and multicellular life forms can be described by the same temperature dependence model. The model results provide strong support for a single highly-conserved reaction present in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA. This is remarkable in that it means that the growth rate dependence on temperature of unicellular and multicellular life forms that evolved over geological time spans can be explained by the same model.

  8. Role of Mn2+ and Compatible Solutes in the Radiation Resistance of Thermophilic Bacteria and Archaea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kimberly M. Webb

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Radiation-resistant bacteria have garnered a great deal of attention from scientists seeking to expose the mechanisms underlying their incredible survival abilities. Recent analyses showed that the resistance to ionizing radiation (IR in the archaeon Halobacterium salinarum is dependent upon Mn-antioxidant complexes responsible for the scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS generated by radiation. Here we examined the role of the compatible solutes trehalose, mannosylglycerate, and di-myo-inositol phosphate in the radiation resistance of aerobic and anaerobic thermophiles. We found that the IR resistance of the thermophilic bacteria Rubrobacter xylanophilus and Rubrobacter radiotolerans was highly correlated to the accumulation of high intracellular concentration of trehalose in association with Mn, supporting the model of Mn2+-dependent ROS scavenging in the aerobes. In contrast, the hyperthermophilic archaea Thermococcus gammatolerans and Pyrococcus furiosus did not contain significant amounts of intracellular Mn, and we found no significant antioxidant activity from mannosylglycerate and di-myo-inositol phosphate in vitro. We therefore propose that the low levels of IR-generated ROS under anaerobic conditions combined with highly constitutively expressed detoxification systems in these anaerobes are key to their radiation resistance and circumvent the need for the accumulation of Mn-antioxidant complexes in the cell.

  9. Insights into Head-Tailed Viruses Infecting Extremely Halophilic Archaea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pietilä, Maija K.; Laurinmäki, Pasi; Russell, Daniel A.; Ko, Ching-Chung; Jacobs-Sera, Deborah; Butcher, Sarah J.

    2013-01-01

    Extremophilic archaea, both hyperthermophiles and halophiles, dominate in habitats where rather harsh conditions are encountered. Like all other organisms, archaeal cells are susceptible to viral infections, and to date, about 100 archaeal viruses have been described. Among them, there are extraordinary virion morphologies as well as the common head-tailed viruses. Although approximately half of the isolated archaeal viruses belong to the latter group, no three-dimensional virion structures of these head-tailed viruses are available. Thus, rigorous comparisons with bacteriophages are not yet warranted. In the present study, we determined the genome sequences of two of such viruses of halophiles and solved their capsid structures by cryo-electron microscopy and three-dimensional image reconstruction. We show that these viruses are inactivated, yet remain intact, at low salinity and that their infectivity is regained when high salinity is restored. This enabled us to determine their three-dimensional capsid structures at low salinity to a ∼10-Å resolution. The genetic and structural data showed that both viruses belong to the same T-number class, but one of them has enlarged its capsid to accommodate a larger genome than typically associated with a T=7 capsid by inserting an additional protein into the capsid lattice. PMID:23283946

  10. Diversity of virus-host systems in hypersaline Lake Retba, Senegal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sime-Ngando, Télesphore; Lucas, Soizick; Robin, Agnès; Tucker, Kimberly Pause; Colombet, Jonathan; Bettarel, Yvan; Desmond, Elie; Gribaldo, Simonetta; Forterre, Patrick; Breitbart, Mya; Prangishvili, David

    2011-08-01

    Remarkable morphological diversity of virus-like particles was observed by transmission electron microscopy in a hypersaline water sample from Lake Retba, Senegal. The majority of particles morphologically resembled hyperthermophilic archaeal DNA viruses isolated from extreme geothermal environments. Some hypersaline viral morphotypes have not been previously observed in nature, and less than 1% of observed particles had a head-and-tail morphology, which is typical for bacterial DNA viruses. Culture-independent analysis of the microbial diversity in the sample suggested the dominance of extremely halophilic archaea. Few of the 16S sequences corresponded to known archeal genera (Haloquadratum, Halorubrum and Natronomonas), whereas the majority represented novel archaeal clades. Three sequences corresponded to a new basal lineage of the haloarchaea. Bacteria belonged to four major phyla, consistent with the known diversity in saline environments. Metagenomic sequencing of DNA from the purified virus-like particles revealed very few similarities to the NCBI non-redundant database at either the nucleotide or amino acid level. Some of the identifiable virus sequences were most similar to previously described haloarchaeal viruses, but no sequence similarities were found to archaeal viruses from extreme geothermal environments. A large proportion of the sequences had similarity to previously sequenced viral metagenomes from solar salterns. © 2010 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  11. Unexpected and novel putative viruses in the sediments of a deep-dark permanently anoxic freshwater habitat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borrel, Guillaume; Colombet, Jonathan; Robin, Agnès; Lehours, Anne-Catherine; Prangishvili, David; Sime-Ngando, Télesphore

    2012-11-01

    Morphological diversity, abundance and community structure of viruses were examined in the deep and anoxic sediments of the volcanic Lake Pavin (France). The sediment core, encompassing 130 years of sedimentation, was subsampled every centimeter. High viral abundances were recorded and correlated to prokaryotic densities. Abundances of viruses and prokaryotes decreased with the depth, contrasting the pattern of virus-to-prokaryote ratio. According to fingerprint analyses, the community structure of viruses, bacteria and archaea gradually changed, and communities of the surface (0-10 cm) could be discriminated from those of the intermediate (11-27 cm) and deep (28-40 cm) sediment layers. Viral morphotypes similar to virions of ubiquitous dsDNA viruses of bacteria were observed. Exceptional morphotypes, previously never reported in freshwater systems, were also detected. Some of these resembled dsDNA viruses of hyperthermophilic and hyperhalophilic archaea. Moreover, unusual types of spherical and cubic virus-like particles (VLPs) were observed. Infected prokaryotic cells were detected in the whole sediment core, and their vertical distribution correlated with both viral and prokaryotic abundances. Pleomorphic ellipsoid VLPs were visible in filamentous cells tentatively identified as representatives of the archaeal genus Methanosaeta, a major group of methane producers on earth.

  12. Life at extreme conditions: neutron scattering studies of biological molecules suggest that evolution selected dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaccai, Joseph Giuseppe

    2008-01-01

    The short review concentrates on recent work performed at the neutrons in biology laboratories of the Institut Laue Langevin and Institut de Biologie Structurale in Grenoble. Extremophile organisms have been discovered that require extreme conditions of temperature, pressure or solvent environment for survival. The existence of such organisms poses a significant challenge in understanding the physical chemistry of their proteins, in view of the great sensitivity of protein structure and stability to the aqueous environment and to external conditions in general. Results of neutron scattering measurements on the dynamics of proteins from extremophile organisms, in vitro as well as in vivo, indicated remarkably how adaptation to extreme conditions involves forces and fluctuation amplitudes that have been selected specifically, suggesting that evolutionary macromolecular selection proceeded via dynamics. The experiments were performed on a halophilic protein, and membrane adapted to high salt, a thermophilic enzyme adapted to high temperature and its mesophilic (adapted to 37 degC) homologue; and in vivo for psychrophilic, mesophilic, thermophilic and hyperthermophilic bacteria, adapted respectively to temperatures of 4 degC, 37 degC, 75 degC and 85 degC. Further work demonstrated the existence of a water component of exceptionally low mobility in an extreme halophile from the Dead Sea, which is not present in mesophile bacterial cells. (author)

  13. Purification and characterization of the hydrogen uptake hydrogenase from the hyperthermpholic archaebacterium Pyrodictium brockii

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pihl, T.D.; Maier, R.J.

    1991-01-01

    Pyrodictium brockii is a hyperthermophilic archaebacterium with an optimal growth temperature of 105C. P. brokii is also a chemolithotroph, requiring H 2 and CO 2 for growth. The authors have purified the hydrogen uptake hydrogenase from membranes of P. brockii by reactive red affinity chromatography and sucrose gradient centrifugation. Colorometric analysis of Fe and S content in reactive red-purified hydrogenase revealed 8.7 ± 0.6 mol of Fe and 6.2 ± 1.2 mol of S per mol of hydrogenase. Growth of cells in 63 NiCl 2 resulted in label incorporation into reactive red-purified hydrogenase. Temperature stability studies indicated that the membrane-bound form of the enzyme was more stable than the solubilized purified form over a period of minutes with respect to temperature. However, the membranes were not able to protect the enzyme from thermal inactivation over a period of hours. The artificial electron acceptor specificity of the pure enzyme was similar to that of the membrane-bound form, but the purified enzyme was able to evolve H 2 in the presence of reduced methyl viologen. The K m of membrane-bound hydrogenase for H 2 was approximately 19 μM with methylene blue as the electron acceptor, whereas the purified enzyme had a higher K m value

  14. Doubling Power Output of Starch Biobattery Treated by the Most Thermostable Isoamylase from an Archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Kun; Zhang, Fei; Sun, Fangfang; Chen, Hongge; Percival Zhang, Y-H

    2015-08-20

    Biobattery, a kind of enzymatic fuel cells, can convert organic compounds (e.g., glucose, starch) to electricity in a closed system without moving parts. Inspired by natural starch metabolism catalyzed by starch phosphorylase, isoamylase is essential to debranch alpha-1,6-glycosidic bonds of starch, yielding linear amylodextrin - the best fuel for sugar-powered biobattery. However, there is no thermostable isoamylase stable enough for simultaneous starch gelatinization and enzymatic hydrolysis, different from the case of thermostable alpha-amylase. A putative isoamylase gene was mined from megagenomic database. The open reading frame ST0928 from a hyperthermophilic archaeron Sulfolobus tokodaii was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The recombinant protein was easily purified by heat precipitation at 80 (o)C for 30 min. This enzyme was characterized and required Mg(2+) as an activator. This enzyme was the most stable isoamylase reported with a half lifetime of 200 min at 90 (o)C in the presence of 0.5 mM MgCl2, suitable for simultaneous starch gelatinization and isoamylase hydrolysis. The cuvett-based air-breathing biobattery powered by isoamylase-treated starch exhibited nearly doubled power outputs than that powered by the same concentration starch solution, suggesting more glucose 1-phosphate generated.

  15. Role of Mn2+ and compatible solutes in the radiation resistance of thermophilic bacteria and archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, Kimberly M; DiRuggiero, Jocelyne

    2012-01-01

    Radiation-resistant bacteria have garnered a great deal of attention from scientists seeking to expose the mechanisms underlying their incredible survival abilities. Recent analyses showed that the resistance to ionizing radiation (IR) in the archaeon Halobacterium salinarum is dependent upon Mn-antioxidant complexes responsible for the scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by radiation. Here we examined the role of the compatible solutes trehalose, mannosylglycerate, and di-myo-inositol phosphate in the radiation resistance of aerobic and anaerobic thermophiles. We found that the IR resistance of the thermophilic bacteria Rubrobacter xylanophilus and Rubrobacter radiotolerans was highly correlated to the accumulation of high intracellular concentration of trehalose in association with Mn, supporting the model of Mn(2+)-dependent ROS scavenging in the aerobes. In contrast, the hyperthermophilic archaea Thermococcus gammatolerans and Pyrococcus furiosus did not contain significant amounts of intracellular Mn, and we found no significant antioxidant activity from mannosylglycerate and di-myo-inositol phosphate in vitro. We therefore propose that the low levels of IR-generated ROS under anaerobic conditions combined with highly constitutively expressed detoxification systems in these anaerobes are key to their radiation resistance and circumvent the need for the accumulation of Mn-antioxidant complexes in the cell.

  16. Structure of PIN-domain protein PH0500 from Pyrococcus horikoshii

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeyakanthan, Jeyaraman; Inagaki, Eiji; Kuroishi, Chizu; Tahirov, Tahir H.

    2005-01-01

    The structure of P. horikoshii OT3 protein PH0500 was determined by the multiple anomalous dispersion method and refined in two crystal forms. The protein is a dimer and has a PIN-domain fold. The Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 protein PH0500 is highly conserved within the Pyrococcus genus of hyperthermophilic archaea and shows low amino-acid sequence similarity with a family of PIN-domain proteins. The protein has been expressed, purified and crystallized in two crystal forms: PH0500-I and PH0500-II. The structure was determined at 2.0 Å by the multiple anomalous dispersion method using a selenomethionyl derivative of crystal form PH0500-I (PH0500-I-Se). The structure of PH0500-I has been refined at 1.75 Å resolution to an R factor of 20.9% and the structure of PH0500-II has been refined at 2.0 Å resolution to an R factor of 23.4%. In both crystal forms as well as in solution the molecule appears to be a dimer. Searches of the databases for protein-fold similarities confirmed that the PH0500 protein is a PIN-domain protein with possible exonuclease activity and involvement in DNA or RNA editing

  17. Improving the Catalytic Activity of Hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus horikoshii Prolidase for Detoxification of Organophosphorus Nerve Agents over a Broad Range of Temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    affinity for metal, and increased thermostability compared to P. furiosus prolidase, Pf prol (PF1343). To obtain a better enzyme for OP nerve agent...decontamination and to investigate the structural factors that may influence protein thermostability and thermoactivity, randomly mutated Ph1prol enzymes ...Introduction Pyrococcus horikoshii and Pyrococcus furiosus are both hyper- thermophilic archaea, growing optimally at 98 –100◦C that were isolated from a

  18. Mono-, di- and trimethylated homologues of isoprenoid tetraether lipid cores in archaea and environmental samples: mass spectrometric identification and significance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knappy, Chris; Barillà, Daniela; Chong, James; Hodgson, Dominic; Morgan, Hugh; Suleman, Muhammad; Tan, Christine; Yao, Peng; Keely, Brendan

    2015-12-01

    Higher homologues of widely reported C(86) isoprenoid diglycerol tetraether lipid cores, containing 0-6 cyclopentyl rings, have been identified in (hyper)thermophilic archaea, representing up to 21% of total tetraether lipids in the cells. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry confirms that the additional carbon atoms in the C(87-88) homologues are located in the etherified chains. Structures identified include dialkyl and monoalkyl ('H-shaped') tetraethers containing C(40-42) or C(81-82) hydrocarbons, respectively, many representing novel compounds. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis of hydrocarbons released from the lipid cores by ether cleavage suggests that the C(40) chains are biphytanes and the C(41) chains 13-methylbiphytanes. Multiple isomers, having different chain combinations, were recognised among the dialkyl lipids. Methylated tetraethers are produced by Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus in varying proportions depending on growth conditions, suggesting that methylation may be an adaptive mechanism to regulate cellular function. The detection of methylated lipids in Pyrobaculum sp. AQ1.S2 and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius represents the first reported occurrences in Crenarchaeota. Soils and aquatic sediments from geographically distinct mesotemperate environments that were screened for homologues contained monomethylated tetraethers, with di- and trimethylated structures being detected occasionally. The structural diversity and range of occurrences of the C(87-89) tetraethers highlight their potential as complementary biomarkers for archaea in natural environments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Method for indirect quantification of CH4 production via H2O production using hydrogenotrophic methanogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruth-Sophie eTaubner

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available ydrogenotrophic methanogens are an intriguing group of microorganisms from the domain Archaea. They exhibit extraordinary ecological, biochemical, physiological characteristics colorbox{yellow}{and have a huge biotechnological potential}. Yet, the only possibility to assess the methane (CH$_4$ production potential of hydrogenotrophic methanogens is to apply gas chromatographic quantification of CH$_4$.In order to be able to effectively screen pure cultures of hydrogenotrophic methanogens regarding their CH$_4$ production potential we developed a novel method for indirect quantification of colorbox{yellow}{the} volumetric CH$_4$ production rate by measuring colorbox{yellow}{the} volumetric water production rate. This colorbox{yellow}{ } method was established in serum bottles for cultivation of methanogens in closed batch cultivation mode. Water production was colorbox{yellow}{estimated} by determining the difference in mass increase in an isobaric setting.This novel CH$_4$ quantification method is an accurate and precise analytical technique, colorbox{yellow}{which can be used} to rapidly screen pure cultures of methanogens regarding colorbox{yellow}{their} volumetric CH$_{4}$ evolution rate. colorbox{yellow}{It} is a cost effective alternative colorbox{yellow}{determining} CH$_4$ production of methanogens over CH$_4$ quantification by using gas chromatography, especially if colorbox{yellow}{ } applied as a high throughput quantification method. colorbox{yellow}{Eventually, the} method can be universally applied for quantification of CH$_4$ production from psychrophilic, thermophilic and hyperthermophilic hydrogenotrophic methanogens.

  20. Microbial habitability of the Hadean Earth during the late heavy bombardment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abramov, Oleg; Mojzsis, Stephen J.

    2009-05-01

    Lunar rocks and impact melts, lunar and asteroidal meteorites, and an ancient martian meteorite record thermal metamorphic events with ages that group around and/or do not exceed 3.9Gyr. That such a diverse suite of solar system materials share this feature is interpreted to be the result of a post-primary-accretion cataclysmic spike in the number of impacts commonly referred to as the late heavy bombardment (LHB). Despite its obvious significance to the preservation of crust and the survivability of an emergent biosphere, the thermal effects of this bombardment on the young Earth remain poorly constrained. Here we report numerical models constructed to probe the degree of thermal metamorphism in the crust in the effort to recreate the effect of the LHB on the Earth as a whole; outputs were used to assess habitable volumes of crust for a possible near-surface and subsurface primordial microbial biosphere. Our analysis shows that there is no plausible situation in which the habitable zone was fully sterilized on Earth, at least since the termination of primary accretion of the planets and the postulated impact origin of the Moon. Our results explain the root location of hyperthermophilic bacteria in the phylogenetic tree for 16S small-subunit ribosomal RNA, and bode well for the persistence of microbial biospheres even on planetary bodies strongly reworked by impacts.

  1. Biosphere in 3.5 Ga submarine hydrothermal system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueno, Yuichiro [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Earth Science and Astronomy

    2003-04-01

    Abundant organic matter (kerogen) was identified in {approx}3.5 Ga hydrothermal silica dikes from the North Pole area in the Pilbara craton, Western Australia. The silica dikes developed in the uppermost 1000 m of the ancient oceanic crust. Thus, they would have been deposited in the 3.5 Ga sub-seafloor hydrothermal system. The carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of the kerogen were analyzed in this study. Their highly {sup 13}C-depleted isotopic compositions ({delta}{sup 13}C = -38 to -33 per mille) strongly suggest that they are originally derived from biologically produced organic matter. The remarkable similarity of the {delta}{sup 13}C values between the kerogen and modern hydrothermal vent organisms may suggest that the kerogen was derived from chemoautotrophic organisms. This idea is also consistent with their nitrogen isotopic compositions ({delta}{sup 15}N = -4 to +4 per mille). The silica dikes consist mainly of fine-grained silica with minor pyrite and sphalerite. These mineral assemblages indicate that the silica dike was deposited from relatively low-temperature (probably less than 150degC) reducing hydrothermal fluid. Thus, anaerobic thermophilic/hyperthermophilic organisms could have survived in the hydrothermal fluid, which formed the silica dikes. Therefore, it is plausible that a chemoautotrophic-based biosphere (possibly methanogenesis) probably existed in the Early Archean sub-seafloor hydrothermal system. (author)

  2. Rescuing Those Left Behind: Recovering and Characterizing Underdigested Membrane and Hydrophobic Proteins To Enhance Proteome Measurement Depth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giannone, Richard J; Wurch, Louie L; Podar, Mircea; Hettich, Robert L

    2015-08-04

    The marine archaeon Nanoarchaeum equitans is dependent on direct physical contact with its host, the hyperthermophile Ignicoccus hospitalis. As this interaction is thought to be membrane-associated, involving a myriad of membrane-anchored proteins, proteomic efforts to better characterize this difficult to analyze interface are paramount to uncovering the mechanism of their association. By extending multienzyme digestion strategies that use sample filtration to recover underdigested proteins for reprocessing/consecutive proteolytic digestion, we applied chymotrypsin to redigest the proteinaceous material left over after initial proteolysis with trypsin of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-extracted I. hospitalis-N. equitans proteins. Using this method, we show that proteins with increased hydrophobic character, including membrane proteins with multiple transmembrane helices, are enriched and recovered in the underdigested fraction. Chymotryptic reprocessing provided significant sequence coverage gains in both soluble and hydrophobic proteins alike, with the latter benefiting more so in terms of membrane protein representation. These gains were despite a large proportion of high-quality peptide spectra remaining unassigned in the underdigested fraction suggesting high levels of protein modification on these often surface-exposed proteins. Importantly, these gains were achieved without applying extensive fractionation strategies usually required for thorough characterization of membrane-associated proteins and were facilitated by the generation of a distinct, complementary set of peptides that aid in both the identification and quantitation of this important, under-represented class of proteins.

  3. Microbial habitability of the Hadean Earth during the late heavy bombardment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abramov, Oleg; Mojzsis, Stephen J

    2009-05-21

    Lunar rocks and impact melts, lunar and asteroidal meteorites, and an ancient martian meteorite record thermal metamorphic events with ages that group around and/or do not exceed 3.9 Gyr. That such a diverse suite of solar system materials share this feature is interpreted to be the result of a post-primary-accretion cataclysmic spike in the number of impacts commonly referred to as the late heavy bombardment (LHB). Despite its obvious significance to the preservation of crust and the survivability of an emergent biosphere, the thermal effects of this bombardment on the young Earth remain poorly constrained. Here we report numerical models constructed to probe the degree of thermal metamorphism in the crust in the effort to recreate the effect of the LHB on the Earth as a whole; outputs were used to assess habitable volumes of crust for a possible near-surface and subsurface primordial microbial biosphere. Our analysis shows that there is no plausible situation in which the habitable zone was fully sterilized on Earth, at least since the termination of primary accretion of the planets and the postulated impact origin of the Moon. Our results explain the root location of hyperthermophilic bacteria in the phylogenetic tree for 16S small-subunit ribosomal RNA, and bode well for the persistence of microbial biospheres even on planetary bodies strongly reworked by impacts.

  4. Microfluidic glycosyl hydrolase screening for biomass-to-biofuel conversion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharadwaj, Rajiv; Chen, Zhiwei; Datta, Supratim; Holmes, Bradley M; Sapra, Rajat; Simmons, Blake A; Adams, Paul D; Singh, Anup K

    2010-11-15

    The hydrolysis of biomass to fermentable sugars using glycosyl hydrolases such as cellulases and hemicellulases is a limiting and costly step in the conversion of biomass to biofuels. Enhancement in hydrolysis efficiency is necessary and requires improvement in both enzymes and processing strategies. Advances in both areas in turn strongly depend on the progress in developing high-throughput assays to rapidly and quantitatively screen a large number of enzymes and processing conditions. For example, the characterization of various cellodextrins and xylooligomers produced during the time course of saccharification is important in the design of suitable reactors, enzyme cocktail compositions, and biomass pretreatment schemes. We have developed a microfluidic-chip-based assay for rapid and precise characterization of glycans and xylans resulting from biomass hydrolysis. The technique enables multiplexed separation of soluble cellodextrins and xylose oligomers in around 1 min (10-fold faster than HPLC). The microfluidic device was used to elucidate the mode of action of Tm_Cel5A, a novel cellulase from hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima . The results demonstrate that the cellulase is active at 80 °C and effectively hydrolyzes cellodextrins and ionic-liquid-pretreated switchgrass and Avicel to glucose, cellobiose, and cellotriose. The proposed microscale approach is ideal for quantitative large-scale screening of enzyme libraries for biomass hydrolysis, for development of energy feedstocks, and for polysaccharide sequencing.

  5. Fatty acids and survival of bacteria in Hammam Pharaon springs, Egypt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yehia A. Osman

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available A great lack of knowledge of Hammam Pharaon's microbial community; the most famous hot spring in Sinai, Egypt, derived this work. Three different hyperthermophilic bacterial were isolated from vents in the area, where the temperature was above 80 °C. Response Surface Methodology algorithm such as Central Composite Design determined the optimum cultivation conditions for these isolates. Accordingly, the best growth conditions were at 70 °C and at neutral to slightly acidic pH values. The constructed phylogenetic tree built using the 16S rRNA gene sequences has shown that the isolated strains (HM101, HM102 and HM103 belong to Geobacillus, Rhodothermus and Thermus bacteria, respectively. The fatty acid profiles, an indicative of thermotolerance, dominated by the short chain Dodecanoic acid (Lauric acid; (12:0, which represented about 40% of the total fatty acid contents for each of the three isolates. The enzymatic capabilities of the three strains were determined and α-amylase was found to be the most prominent one. Our own data had led us to conclude that the length of the fatty acid chain and the degree of saturation could be species specific. Moreover, the biotechnological potentials of these local isolates could contribute to fighting viral diseases and/or improve their amylolytic activities for sugar industry; where thermotolerance is really an important factor.

  6. Heme A synthase in bacteria depends on one pair of cysteinyls for activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewin, Anna; Hederstedt, Lars

    2016-02-01

    Heme A is a prosthetic group unique for cytochrome a-type respiratory oxidases in mammals, plants and many microorganisms. The poorly understood integral membrane protein heme A synthase catalyzes the synthesis of heme A from heme O. In bacteria, but not in mitochondria, this enzyme contains one or two pairs of cysteine residues that are present in predicted hydrophilic polypeptide loops on the extracytoplasmic side of the membrane. We used heme A synthase from the eubacterium Bacillus subtilis and the hyperthermophilic archeon Aeropyrum pernix to investigate the functional role of these cysteine residues. Results with B. subtilis amino acid substituted proteins indicated the pair of cysteine residues in the loop connecting transmembrane segments I and II as being essential for catalysis but not required for binding of the enzyme substrate, heme O. Experiments with isolated A. pernix and B. subtilis heme A synthase demonstrated that a disulfide bond can form between the cysteine residues in the same loop and also between loops showing close proximity of the two loops in the folded enzyme protein. Based on the findings, we propose a classification scheme for the four discrete types of heme A synthase found so far in different organisms and propose that essential cysteinyls mediate transfer of reducing equivalents required for the oxygen-dependent catalysis of heme A synthesis from heme O. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. First characterization of extremely halophilic 2-deoxy-D-ribose-5-phosphate aldolase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohshida, Tatsuya; Hayashi, Junji; Satomura, Takenori; Kawakami, Ryushi; Ohshima, Toshihisa; Sakuraba, Haruhiko

    2016-10-01

    2-Deoxy-d-ribose-5-phosphate aldolase (DERA) catalyzes the aldol reaction between two aldehydes and is thought to be a potential biocatalyst for the production of a variety of stereo-specific materials. A gene encoding DERA from the extreme halophilic archaeon, Haloarcula japonica, was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The gene product was successfully purified, using procedures based on the protein's halophilicity, and characterized. The expressed enzyme was stable in a buffer containing 2 M NaCl and exhibited high thermostability, retaining more than 90% of its activity after heating at 70 °C for 10 min. The enzyme was also tolerant to high concentrations of organic solvents, such as acetonitrile and dimethylsulfoxide. Moreover, H. japonica DERA was highly resistant to a high concentration of acetaldehyde and retained about 35% of its initial activity after 5-h' exposure to 300 mM acetaldehyde at 25 °C, the conditions under which E. coli DERA is completely inactivated. The enzyme exhibited much higher activity at 25 °C than the previously characterized hyperthermophilic DERAs (Sakuraba et al., 2007). Our results suggest that the extremely halophilic DERA has high potential to serve as a biocatalyst in organic syntheses. This is the first description of the biochemical characterization of a halophilic DERA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Novel Bioengineered Cassava Expressing an Archaeal Starch Degradation System and a Bacterial ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase for Starch Self-Digestibility and Yield Increase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayalew Ligaba-Osena

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available To address national and global low-carbon fuel targets, there is great interest in alternative plant species such as cassava (Manihot esculenta, which are high-yielding, resilient, and are easily converted to fuels using the existing technology. In this study the genes encoding hyperthermophilic archaeal starch-hydrolyzing enzymes, α-amylase and amylopullulanase from Pyrococcus furiosus and glucoamylase from Sulfolobus solfataricus, together with the gene encoding a modified ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (glgC from Escherichia coli, were simultaneously expressed in cassava roots to enhance starch accumulation and its subsequent hydrolysis to sugar. A total of 13 multigene expressing transgenic lines were generated and characterized phenotypically and genotypically. Gene expression analysis using quantitative RT-PCR showed that the microbial genes are expressed in the transgenic roots. Multigene-expressing transgenic lines produced up to 60% more storage root yield than the non-transgenic control, likely due to glgC expression. Total protein extracted from the transgenic roots showed up to 10-fold higher starch-degrading activity in vitro than the protein extracted from the non-transgenic control. Interestingly, transgenic tubers released threefold more glucose than the non-transgenic control when incubated at 85°C for 21-h without exogenous application of thermostable enzymes, suggesting that the archaeal enzymes produced in planta maintain their activity and thermostability.

  9. Identification and characterization of an archaeal ketopantoate reductase and its involvement in regulation of coenzyme A biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomita, Hiroya; Imanaka, Tadayuki; Atomi, Haruyuki

    2013-10-01

    Coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis in bacteria and eukaryotes is regulated primarily by feedback inhibition towards pantothenate kinase (PanK). As most archaea utilize a modified route for CoA biosynthesis and do not harbour PanK, the mechanisms governing regulation of CoA biosynthesis are unknown. Here we performed genetic and biochemical studies on the ketopantoate reductase (KPR) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis. KPR catalyses the second step in CoA biosynthesis, the reduction of 2-oxopantoate to pantoate. Gene disruption of TK1968, whose product was 20-29% identical to previously characterized KPRs from bacteria/eukaryotes, resulted in a strain with growth defects that were complemented by addition of pantoate. The TK1968 protein (Tk-KPR) displayed reductase activity specific for 2-oxopantoate and preferred NADH as the electron donor, distinct to the bacterial/eukaryotic NADPH-dependent enzymes. Tk-KPR activity decreased dramatically in the presence of CoA and KPR activity in cell-free extracts was also inhibited by CoA. Kinetic studies indicated that CoA inhibits KPR by competing with NADH. Inhibition of ketopantoate hydroxymethyltransferase, the first enzyme of the pathway, by CoA was not observed. Our results suggest that CoA biosynthesis in T. kodakarensis is regulated by feedback inhibition of KPR, providing a feasible regulation mechanism of CoA biosynthesis in archaea. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Thermostable Alcohol Dehydrogenase from Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1 for Enantioselective Bioconversion of Aromatic Secondary Alcohols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xi; Zhang, Chong; Orita, Izumi; Imanaka, Tadayuki

    2013-01-01

    A novel thermostable alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) showing activity toward aromatic secondary alcohols was identified from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1 (TkADH). The gene, tk0845, which encodes an aldo-keto reductase, was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The enzyme was found to be a monomer with a molecular mass of 31 kDa. It was highly thermostable with an optimal temperature of 90°C and a half-life of 4.5 h at 95°C. The apparent Km values for the cofactors NAD(P)+ and NADPH were similar within a range of 66 to 127 μM. TkADH preferred secondary alcohols and accepted various ketones and aldehydes as substrates. Interestingly, the enzyme could oxidize 1-phenylethanol and its derivatives having substituents at the meta and para positions with high enantioselectivity, yielding the corresponding (R)-alcohols with optical purities of greater than 99.8% enantiomeric excess (ee). TkADH could also reduce 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone to (R)-2,2,2-trifluoro-1-phenylethanol with high enantioselectivity (>99.6% ee). Furthermore, the enzyme showed high resistance to organic solvents and was particularly highly active in the presence of H2O–20% 2-propanol and H2O–50% n-hexane or n-octane. This ADH is expected to be a useful tool for the production of aromatic chiral alcohols. PMID:23354700

  11. Anion binding in biological systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feiters, Martin C [Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen (Netherlands); Meyer-Klaucke, Wolfram [EMBL Hamburg Outstation at DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Kostenko, Alexander V; Soldatov, Alexander V [Faculty of Physics, Southern Federal University, Sorge 5, Rostov-na-Donu, 344090 (Russian Federation); Leblanc, Catherine; Michel, Gurvan; Potin, Philippe [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Universite Pierre et Marie Curie Paris-VI, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Place Georges Teissier, BP 74, F-29682 Roscoff cedex, Bretagne (France); Kuepper, Frithjof C [Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Oban, Argyll PA37 1QA, Scotland (United Kingdom); Hollenstein, Kaspar; Locher, Kaspar P [Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zuerich, Schafmattstrasse 20, Zuerich, 8093 (Switzerland); Bevers, Loes E; Hagedoorn, Peter-Leon; Hagen, Wilfred R, E-mail: m.feiters@science.ru.n [Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft (Netherlands)

    2009-11-15

    We compare aspects of biological X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) studies of cations and anions, and report on some examples of anion binding in biological systems. Brown algae such as Laminaria digitata (oarweed) are effective accumulators of I from seawater, with tissue concentrations exceeding 50 mM, and the vanadate-containing enzyme haloperoxidase is implicated in halide accumulation. We have studied the chemical state of iodine and its biological role in Laminaria at the I K edge, and bromoperoxidase from Ascophyllum nodosum (knotted wrack) at the Br K edge. Mo is essential for many forms of life; W only for certain archaea, such as Archaeoglobus fulgidus and the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, and some bacteria. The metals are bound and transported as their oxo-anions, molybdate and tungstate, which are similar in size. The transport protein WtpA from P. furiosus binds tungstate more strongly than molybdate, and is related in sequence to Archaeoglobus fulgidus ModA, of which a crystal structure is known. We have measured A. fulgidus ModA with tungstate at the W L{sub 3} (2p{sub 3/2}) edge, and compared the results with the refined crystal structure. XAS studies of anion binding are feasible even if only weak interactions are present, are biologically relevant, and give new insights in the spectroscopy.

  12. Anion binding in biological systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feiters, Martin C; Meyer-Klaucke, Wolfram; Kostenko, Alexander V; Soldatov, Alexander V; Leblanc, Catherine; Michel, Gurvan; Potin, Philippe; Kuepper, Frithjof C; Hollenstein, Kaspar; Locher, Kaspar P; Bevers, Loes E; Hagedoorn, Peter-Leon; Hagen, Wilfred R

    2009-01-01

    We compare aspects of biological X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) studies of cations and anions, and report on some examples of anion binding in biological systems. Brown algae such as Laminaria digitata (oarweed) are effective accumulators of I from seawater, with tissue concentrations exceeding 50 mM, and the vanadate-containing enzyme haloperoxidase is implicated in halide accumulation. We have studied the chemical state of iodine and its biological role in Laminaria at the I K edge, and bromoperoxidase from Ascophyllum nodosum (knotted wrack) at the Br K edge. Mo is essential for many forms of life; W only for certain archaea, such as Archaeoglobus fulgidus and the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, and some bacteria. The metals are bound and transported as their oxo-anions, molybdate and tungstate, which are similar in size. The transport protein WtpA from P. furiosus binds tungstate more strongly than molybdate, and is related in sequence to Archaeoglobus fulgidus ModA, of which a crystal structure is known. We have measured A. fulgidus ModA with tungstate at the W L 3 (2p 3/2 ) edge, and compared the results with the refined crystal structure. XAS studies of anion binding are feasible even if only weak interactions are present, are biologically relevant, and give new insights in the spectroscopy.

  13. Anion binding in biological systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feiters, Martin C.; Meyer-Klaucke, Wolfram; Kostenko, Alexander V.; Soldatov, Alexander V.; Leblanc, Catherine; Michel, Gurvan; Potin, Philippe; Küpper, Frithjof C.; Hollenstein, Kaspar; Locher, Kaspar P.; Bevers, Loes E.; Hagedoorn, Peter-Leon; Hagen, Wilfred R.

    2009-11-01

    We compare aspects of biological X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) studies of cations and anions, and report on some examples of anion binding in biological systems. Brown algae such as Laminaria digitata (oarweed) are effective accumulators of I from seawater, with tissue concentrations exceeding 50 mM, and the vanadate-containing enzyme haloperoxidase is implicated in halide accumulation. We have studied the chemical state of iodine and its biological role in Laminaria at the I K edge, and bromoperoxidase from Ascophyllum nodosum (knotted wrack) at the Br K edge. Mo is essential for many forms of life; W only for certain archaea, such as Archaeoglobus fulgidus and the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, and some bacteria. The metals are bound and transported as their oxo-anions, molybdate and tungstate, which are similar in size. The transport protein WtpA from P. furiosus binds tungstate more strongly than molybdate, and is related in sequence to Archaeoglobus fulgidus ModA, of which a crystal structure is known. We have measured A. fulgidus ModA with tungstate at the W L3 (2p3/2) edge, and compared the results with the refined crystal structure. XAS studies of anion binding are feasible even if only weak interactions are present, are biologically relevant, and give new insights in the spectroscopy.

  14. Tungsten transport protein A (WtpA) in Pyrococcus furiosus: the first member of a new class of tungstate and molybdate transporters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bevers, Loes E; Hagedoorn, Peter-Leon; Krijger, Gerard C; Hagen, Wilfred R

    2006-09-01

    A novel tungstate and molybdate binding protein has been discovered from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. This tungstate transport protein A (WtpA) is part of a new ABC transporter system selective for tungstate and molybdate. WtpA has very low sequence similarity with the earlier-characterized transport proteins ModA for molybdate and TupA for tungstate. Its structural gene is present in the genome of numerous archaea and some bacteria. The identification of this new tungstate and molybdate binding protein clarifies the mechanism of tungstate and molybdate transport in organisms that lack the known uptake systems associated with the ModA and TupA proteins, like many archaea. The periplasmic protein of this ABC transporter, WtpA (PF0080), was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, WtpA was observed to bind tungstate (dissociation constant [K(D)] of 17 +/- 7 pM) and molybdate (K(D) of 11 +/- 5 nM) with a stoichiometry of 1.0 mol oxoanion per mole of protein. These low K(D) values indicate that WtpA has a higher affinity for tungstate than do ModA and TupA and an affinity for molybdate similar to that of ModA. A displacement titration of molybdate-saturated WtpA with tungstate showed that the tungstate effectively replaced the molybdate in the binding site of the protein.

  15. The Potential for Low-Temperature Abiotic Hydrogen Generation and a Hydrogen-Driven Deep Biosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shanshan; Thorseth, Ingunn H.

    2011-01-01

    Abstract The release and oxidation of ferrous iron during aqueous alteration of the mineral olivine is known to reduce aqueous solutions to such extent that molecular hydrogen, H2, forms. H2 is an efficient energy carrier and is considered basal to the deep subsurface biosphere. Knowledge of the potential for H2 generation is therefore vital to understanding the deep biosphere on Earth and on extraterrestrial bodies. Here, we provide a review of factors that may reduce the potential for H2 generation with a focus on systems in the core temperature region for thermophilic to hyperthermophilic microbial life. We show that aqueous sulfate may inhibit the formation of H2, whereas redox-sensitive compounds of carbon and nitrogen are unlikely to have significant effect at low temperatures. In addition, we suggest that the rate of H2 generation is proportional to the dissolution rate of olivine and, hence, limited by factors such as reactive surface areas and the access of water to fresh surfaces. We furthermore suggest that the availability of water and pore/fracture space are the most important factors that limit the generation of H2. Our study implies that, because of large heat flows, abundant olivine-bearing rocks, large thermodynamic gradients, and reduced atmospheres, young Earth and Mars probably offered abundant systems where microbial life could possibly have emerged. Key Words: Serpentinization—Olivine—Hydrogen—Deep biosphere—Water—Mars. Astrobiology 11, 711–724. PMID:21923409

  16. Preliminary X-ray analysis of twinned crystals of the Q88Y25-Lacpl esterase from Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Álvarez, Yanaisis; Esteban-Torres, María; Acebrón, Iván; Rivas, Blanca de las; Muñoz, Rosario; Martínez-Ripoll, Martín; Mancheño, José M.

    2011-01-01

    The Q88Y25-Lacpl esterase from L. plantarum WCFS1 has been recombinantly expressed, purified and crystallized. A native diffraction data set has been collected to 2.24 Å resolution. Q88Y25-Lacpl is an esterase produced by the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 that shows amino-acid sequence similarity to carboxylesterases from the hormone-sensitive lipase family, in particular the AFEST esterase from the archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus and the hyperthermophilic esterase EstEI isolated from a metagenomic library. N-terminally His 6 -tagged Q88Y25-Lacpl has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells, purified and crystallized at 291 K using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. Mass spectrometry was used to determine the purity and homogeneity of the enzyme. Crystals of His 6 -tagged Q88Y25-Lacpl were prepared in a solution containing 2.8 M sodium acetate trihydrate pH 7.0. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.24 Å resolution on beamline ID29 at the ESRF. The apparent crystal point group was 422; however, initial global analysis of the intensity statistics (data processed with high symmetry in space group I422) and subsequent tests on data processed with low symmetry (space group I4) showed that the crystals were almost perfectly merohedrally twinned. Most probably, the true space group is I4, with unit-cell parameters a = 169.05, b = 169.05, c = 183.62 Å

  17. Genome sequence of Thermofilum pendens reveals an exceptional loss of biosynthetic pathways without genome reduction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kyrpides, Nikos; Anderson, Iain; Rodriguez, Jason; Susanti, Dwi; Porat, Iris; Reich, Claudia; Ulrich, Luke E.; Elkins, James G.; Mavromatis, Kostas; Lykidis, Athanasios; Kim, Edwin; Thompson, Linda S.; Nolan, Matt; Land, Miriam; Copeland, Alex; Lapidus, Alla; Lucas, Susan; Detter, Chris; Zhulin, Igor B.; Olsen, Gary J.; Whitman, William; Mukhopadhyay, Biswarup; Bristow, James; Kyrpides, Nikos

    2008-01-01

    We report the complete genome of Thermofilum pendens, a deep-branching, hyperthermophilic member of the order Thermoproteales within the archaeal kingdom Crenarchaeota. T. pendens is a sulfur-dependent, anaerobic heterotroph isolated from a solfatara in Iceland. It is an extracellular commensal, requiring an extract of Thermoproteus tenax for growth, and the genome sequence reveals that biosynthetic pathways for purines, most amino acids, and most cofactors are absent. In fact T. pendens has fewer biosynthetic enzymes than obligate intracellular parasites, although it does not display other features common among obligate parasites and thus does not appear to be in the process of becoming a parasite. It appears that T. pendens has adapted to life in an environment rich in nutrients. T. pendens was known to utilize peptides as an energy source, but the genome reveals substantial ability to grow on carbohydrates. T. pendens is the first crenarchaeote and only the second archaeon found to have a transporter of the phosphotransferase system. In addition to fermentation, T. pendens may gain energy from sulfur reduction with hydrogen and formate as electron donors. It may also be capable of sulfur-independent growth on formate with formate hydrogenlyase. Additional novel features are the presence of a monomethylamine:corrinoid methyltransferase, the first time this enzyme has been found outside of Methanosarcinales, and a presenilin-related protein. Predicted highly expressed proteins do not include housekeeping genes, and instead include ABC transporters for carbohydrates and peptides, and CRISPR-associated proteins.

  18. Diversity and Functional Analysis of the FeMo-Cofactor Maturase NifB

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Arragain

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available One of the main hurdles to engineer nitrogenase in a non-diazotrophic host is achieving NifB activity. NifB is an extremely unstable and oxygen sensitive protein that catalyzes a low-potential SAM-radical dependent reaction. The product of NifB activity is called NifB-co, a complex [8Fe-9S-C] cluster that serves as obligate intermediate in the biosyntheses of the active-site cofactors of all known nitrogenases. Here we study the diversity and phylogeny of naturally occurring NifB proteins, their protein architecture and the functions of the distinct NifB domains in order to understand what defines a catalytically active NifB. Focus is on NifB from the thermophile Chlorobium tepidum (two-domain architecture, the hyperthermophile Methanocaldococcus infernus (single-domain architecture and the mesophile Klebsiella oxytoca (two-domain architecture, showing in silico characterization of their nitrogen fixation (nif gene clusters, conserved NifB motifs, and functionality. C. tepidum and M. infernus NifB were able to complement an Azotobacter vinelandii (ΔnifB mutant restoring the Nif+ phenotype and thus demonstrating their functionality in vivo. In addition, purified C. tepidum NifB exhibited activity in the in vitro NifB-dependent nitrogenase reconstitution assay. Intriguingly, changing the two-domain K. oxytoca NifB to single-domain by removal of the C-terminal NifX-like extension resulted in higher in vivo nitrogenase activity, demonstrating that this domain is not required for nitrogen fixation in mesophiles.

  19. In situ analysis of proteins at high temperatures mediated by capillary-flow hydrothermal UV-vis spectrophotometer with a water-soluble chromogenic reagent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawamura, Kunio; Nagayoshi, Hiroki; Yao, Toshio

    2010-05-14

    In situ monitoring of quantities, interactions, and conformations of proteins is essential for the study of biochemistry under hydrothermal environments and the analysis of hyperthermophilic organisms in natural hydrothermal systems on Earth. We have investigated the potential of a capillary-flow hydrothermal UV-vis spectrophotometer (CHUS) for performing in situ measurements of proteins and determining their behavior at extremely high temperatures, in combination with a chromogenic reagents probe, which interacts with the proteins. The spectral shift obtained using a combination of water-soluble porphyrin (TPPS) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was the best among the spectral shifts obtained using different combinations of chromogenic reagents and proteins. The association behavior of TPPS with BSA was investigated in detail using CHUS at temperatures up to 175 degrees C and the association constant (K(ass)) of TPPS with BSA was successfully determined at temperatures up to 100 degrees C. The lnK(ass) values were inversely proportional to the T(-1) values in the temperature range 50-100 degrees C. These analyses showed for the first time that the decrease of association of TPPS with BSA is due to the conformational change, fragmentation, and/or denaturing of BSA rather than the decrease of the hydrophobic association between TPPS and BSA. This study conclusively demonstrates the usability of the CHUS system with a chromogenic reagent as an in situ detection and measurement system for thermostable proteins at extremely high temperatures. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. An archaebacterial homologue of the essential eubacterial cell division protein FtsZ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumann, P; Jackson, S P

    1996-06-25

    Life falls into three fundamental domains--Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya (formerly archaebacteria, eubacteria, and eukaryotes,. respectively). Though Archaea lack nuclei and share many morphological features with Bacteria, molecular analyses, principally of the transcription and translation machineries, have suggested that Archaea are more related to Eucarya than to Bacteria. Currently, little is known about the archaeal cell division apparatus. In Bacteria, a crucial component of the cell division machinery is FtsZ, a GTPase that localizes to a ring at the site of septation. Interestingly, FtsZ is distantly related in sequence to eukaryotic tubulins, which also interact with GTP and are components of the eukaryotic cell cytoskeleton. By screening for the ability to bind radiolabeled nucleotides, we have identified a protein of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus woesei that interacts tightly and specifically with GTP. Furthermore, through screening an expression library of P. woesei genomic DNA, we have cloned the gene encoding this protein. Sequence comparisons reveal that the P. woesei GTP-binding protein is strikingly related in sequence to eubacterial FtsZ and is marginally more similar to eukaryotic tubulins than are bacterial FtsZ proteins. Phylogenetic analyses reinforce the notion that there is an evolutionary linkage between FtsZ and tubulins. These findings suggest that the archaeal cell division apparatus may be fundamentally similar to that of Bacteria and lead us to consider the evolutionary relationships between Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya.

  1. Massive activation of archaeal defense genes during viral infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quax, Tessa E F; Voet, Marleen; Sismeiro, Odile; Dillies, Marie-Agnes; Jagla, Bernd; Coppée, Jean-Yves; Sezonov, Guennadi; Forterre, Patrick; van der Oost, John; Lavigne, Rob; Prangishvili, David

    2013-08-01

    Archaeal viruses display unusually high genetic and morphological diversity. Studies of these viruses proved to be instrumental for the expansion of knowledge on viral diversity and evolution. The Sulfolobus islandicus rod-shaped virus 2 (SIRV2) is a model to study virus-host interactions in Archaea. It is a lytic virus that exploits a unique egress mechanism based on the formation of remarkable pyramidal structures on the host cell envelope. Using whole-transcriptome sequencing, we present here a global map defining host and viral gene expression during the infection cycle of SIRV2 in its hyperthermophilic host S. islandicus LAL14/1. This information was used, in combination with a yeast two-hybrid analysis of SIRV2 protein interactions, to advance current understanding of viral gene functions. As a consequence of SIRV2 infection, transcription of more than one-third of S. islandicus genes was differentially regulated. While expression of genes involved in cell division decreased, those genes playing a role in antiviral defense were activated on a large scale. Expression of genes belonging to toxin-antitoxin and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas systems was specifically pronounced. The observed different degree of activation of various CRISPR-Cas systems highlights the specialized functions they perform. The information on individual gene expression and activation of antiviral defense systems is expected to aid future studies aimed at detailed understanding of the functions and interplay of these systems in vivo.

  2. Reaching for mechanistic consensus across life kingdoms: structure and insights into catalysis of the myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase (mIPS) from Archaeoglobus fulgidus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stieglitz, Kimberly A; Yang, Hongying; Roberts, Mary F; Stec, Boguslaw

    2005-01-11

    myo-Inositol-1-phosphate synthase (mIPS) catalyzes the first step in the synthesis of l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate. We have solved and refined the structure of the mIPS from the hyperthermophilic sulfate reducer Archaeoglobus fulgidus at 1.9 A resolution. The enzyme crystallized from poly(ethylene glycol) in the P1 space group with one tetramer in the asymmetric unit and provided a view of the entire biologically active oligomer. Despite significant changes in sequence length and amino acid composition, the general architecture of the archaeal enzyme is similar to that of the eukaryotic mIPS from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and bacterial mIPS from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The enhanced thermostability of the archaeal enzyme as compared to that from yeast is consistent with deletion of a number of surface loops that results in a significantly smaller protein. In the structure of the A. fulgidus mIPS, the active sites of all four subunits were fully ordered and contained NAD(+) and inorganic phosphate. The structure also contained a single metal ion (identified as K(+)) in two of the four subunits. The analysis of the electrostatic potential maps of the protein suggested the presence of a second metal-ion-binding site in close proximity to the first metal ion and NAD(+). The modeling of the substrate and known inhibitors suggests a critical role for the second metal ion in catalysis and provides insights into the common elements of the catalytic cycle in enzymes from different life kingdoms.

  3. A Robust and Versatile Method of Combinatorial Chemical Synthesis of Gene Libraries via Hierarchical Assembly of Partially Randomized Modules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popova, Blagovesta; Schubert, Steffen; Bulla, Ingo; Buchwald, Daniela; Kramer, Wilfried

    2015-01-01

    A major challenge in gene library generation is to guarantee a large functional size and diversity that significantly increases the chances of selecting different functional protein variants. The use of trinucleotides mixtures for controlled randomization results in superior library diversity and offers the ability to specify the type and distribution of the amino acids at each position. Here we describe the generation of a high diversity gene library using tHisF of the hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima as a scaffold. Combining various rational criteria with contingency, we targeted 26 selected codons of the thisF gene sequence for randomization at a controlled level. We have developed a novel method of creating full-length gene libraries by combinatorial assembly of smaller sub-libraries. Full-length libraries of high diversity can easily be assembled on demand from smaller and much less diverse sub-libraries, which circumvent the notoriously troublesome long-term archivation and repeated proliferation of high diversity ensembles of phages or plasmids. We developed a generally applicable software tool for sequence analysis of mutated gene sequences that provides efficient assistance for analysis of library diversity. Finally, practical utility of the library was demonstrated in principle by assessment of the conformational stability of library members and isolating protein variants with HisF activity from it. Our approach integrates a number of features of nucleic acids synthetic chemistry, biochemistry and molecular genetics to a coherent, flexible and robust method of combinatorial gene synthesis. PMID:26355961

  4. A Mosaic of Geothermal and Marine Features Shapes Microbial Community Structure on Deception Island Volcano, Antarctica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda G. Bendia

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Active volcanoes in Antarctica contrast with their predominantly cold surroundings, resulting in environmental conditions capable of selecting for versatile and extremely diverse microbial communities. This is especially true on Deception Island, where geothermal, marine, and polar environments combine to create an extraordinary range of environmental conditions. Our main goal in this study was to understand how microbial community structure is shaped by gradients of temperature, salinity, and geochemistry in polar marine volcanoes. Thereby, we collected surface sediment samples associated with fumaroles and glaciers at two sites on Deception, with temperatures ranging from 0 to 98°C. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was performed to assess the composition and diversity of Bacteria and Archaea. Our results revealed that Deception harbors a combination of taxonomic groups commonly found both in cold and geothermal environments of continental Antarctica, and also groups normally identified at deep and shallow-sea hydrothermal vents, such as hyperthermophilic archaea. We observed a clear separation in microbial community structure across environmental gradients, suggesting that microbial community structure is strongly niche driven on Deception. Bacterial community structure was significantly associated with temperature, pH, salinity, and chemical composition; in contrast, archaeal community structure was strongly associated only with temperature. Our work suggests that Deception represents a peculiar “open-air” laboratory to elucidate central questions regarding molecular adaptability, microbial evolution, and biogeography of extremophiles in polar regions.

  5. Thermal-stable proteins of fruit of long-living Sacred Lotus Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn var. China Antique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen-Miller, J; Lindner, Petra; Xie, Yongming; Villa, Sarah; Wooding, Kerry; Clarke, Steven G; Loo, Rachel R O; Loo, Joseph A

    2013-09-01

    Single-seeded fruit of the sacred lotus Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn var. China Antique from NE China have viability as long as ~1300 years determined by direct radiocarbon-dating, having a germination rate of 84%. The pericarp, a fruit tissue that encloses the single seeds of Nelumbo , is considered one of the major factors that contribute to fruit longevity. Proteins that are heat stable and have protective function may be equally important to seed viability. We show proteins of Nelumbo fruit that are able to withstand heating, 31% of which remained soluble in the 110°C-treated embryo-axis of a 549-yr-old fruit and 76% retained fluidity in its cotyledons. Genome of Nelumbo is published. The amino-acid sequences of 11 "thermal proteins" (soluble at 100°C) of modern Nelumbo embryo-axes and cotyledons, identified by mass spectrometry, Western blot and bioassay, are assembled and aligned with those of an archaeal-hyperthermophile Methancaldococcus jannaschii (Mj; an anaerobic methanogen having a growth optimum of 85°C) and with five mesophile angiosperms. These thermal proteins have roles in protection and repair under stress. More than half of the Nelumbo thermal proteins (55%) are present in the archaean Mj, indicating their long-term durability and history. One Nelumbo protein-repair enzyme exhibits activity at 100°C, having a higher heat-tolerance than that of Arabidopsis. A list of 30 sequenced but unassembled thermal proteins of Nelumbo is supplemented.

  6. Ion-ion interactions in the denatured state contribute to the stabilization of CutA1 proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yutani, Katsuhide; Matsuura, Yoshinori; Naitow, Hisashi; Joti, Yasumasa

    2018-05-16

    In order to elucidate features of the denatured state ensembles that exist in equilibrium with the native state under physiological conditions, we performed 1.4-μs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at 400 K and 450 K using the monomer subunits of three CutA1 mutants from Escherichia coli: an SH-free mutant (Ec0SH) with denaturation temperature (T d ) = 85.6 °C, a hydrophobic mutant (Ec0VV) with T d  = 113.3 °C, and an ionic mutant (Ec0VV_6) with T d  = 136.8 °C. The occupancy of salt bridges by the six substituted charged residues in Ec0VV_6 was 140.1% at 300 K and 89.5% at 450 K, indicating that even in the denatured state, salt bridge occupancy was high, approximately 60% of that at 300 K. From these results, we can infer that proteins from hyperthermophiles with a high ratio of charged residues are stabilized by a decrease in conformational entropy due to ion-ion interactions in the denatured state. The mechanism must be comparable to the stabilization conferred by disulfide bonds within a protein. This suggests that introduction of charged residues, to promote formation of salt bridges in the denatured state, would be a simple way to rationally design stability-enhanced mutants.

  7. A phylogenetic Kalman filter for ancestral trait reconstruction using molecular data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lartillot, Nicolas

    2014-02-15

    Correlation between life history or ecological traits and genomic features such as nucleotide or amino acid composition can be used for reconstructing the evolutionary history of the traits of interest along phylogenies. Thus far, however, such ancestral reconstructions have been done using simple linear regression approaches that do not account for phylogenetic inertia. These reconstructions could instead be seen as a genuine comparative regression problem, such as formalized by classical generalized least-square comparative methods, in which the trait of interest and the molecular predictor are represented as correlated Brownian characters coevolving along the phylogeny. Here, a Bayesian sampler is introduced, representing an alternative and more efficient algorithmic solution to this comparative regression problem, compared with currently existing generalized least-square approaches. Technically, ancestral trait reconstruction based on a molecular predictor is shown to be formally equivalent to a phylogenetic Kalman filter problem, for which backward and forward recursions are developed and implemented in the context of a Markov chain Monte Carlo sampler. The comparative regression method results in more accurate reconstructions and a more faithful representation of uncertainty, compared with simple linear regression. Application to the reconstruction of the evolution of optimal growth temperature in Archaea, using GC composition in ribosomal RNA stems and amino acid composition of a sample of protein-coding genes, confirms previous findings, in particular, pointing to a hyperthermophilic ancestor for the kingdom. The program is freely available at www.phylobayes.org.

  8. Aromatic residues located close to the active center are essential for the catalytic reaction of flap endonuclease-1 from hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsui, Eriko; Abe, Junko; Yokoyama, Hideshi; Matsui, Ikuo

    2004-04-16

    Flap endonuclease-1 (FEN-1) possessing 5'-flap endonuclease and 5'-->3' exonuclease activity plays important roles in DNA replication and repair. In this study, the kinetic parameters of mutants at highly conserved aromatic residues, Tyr33, Phe35, Phe79, and Phe278-Phe279, in the vicinity of the catalytic centers of FEN-1 were examined. The substitution of these aromatic residues with alanine led to a large reduction in kcat values, although these mutants retained Km values similar to that of the wild-type enzyme. Notably, the kcat of Y33A and F79A decreased 333-fold and 71-fold, respectively, compared with that of the wild-type enzyme. The aromatic residues Tyr33 and Phe79, and the aromatic cluster Phe278-Phe279 mainly contributed to the recognition of the substrates without the 3' projection of the upstream strand (the nick, 5'-recess-end, single-flap, and pseudo-Y substrates) for the both exo- and endo-activities, but played minor roles in recognizing the substrates with the 3' projection (the double flap substrate and the nick substrate with the 3' projection). The replacement of Tyr33, Phe79, and Phe278-Phe279, with non-charged aromatic residues, but not with aliphatic hydrophobic residues, recovered the kcat values almost fully for the substrates without the 3' projection of the upstream strand, suggesting that the aromatic groups of Tyr33, Phe79, and Phe278-Phe279 might be involved in the catalytic reaction, probably via multiple stacking interactions with nucleotide bases. The stacking interactions of Tyr33 and Phe79 might play important roles in fixing the template strand and the downstream strand, respectively, in close proximity to the active center to achieve the productive transient state leading to the hydrolysis.

  9. Structural analysis by reductive cleavage with LiAlH4 of an allyl ether choline-phospholipid, archaetidylcholine, from the hyperthermophilic methanoarchaeon Methanopyrus kandleri

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masateru Nishihara

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available A choline-containing phospholipid (PL-4 in Methanopyrus kandleri cells was identified as archaetidylcholine, which has been described by Sprott et al. (1997. The PL-4 consisted of a variety of molecular species differing in hydrocarbon composition. Most of the PL-4 was acid-labile because of its allyl ether bond. The identity of PL-4 was confirmed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC followed by positive staining with Dragendorff-reagent and fast-atom bombardment–mass spectrometry. A new method of LiAlH4 hydrogenolysis was developed to cleave allyl ether bonds and recover the corresponding hydrocarbons. We confirmed the validity of the LiAlH4 method in a study of the model compound synthetic unsaturated archaetidic acid (2,3-di-O-geranylgeranyl-sn-glycerol-1-phosphate. Saturated ether bonds were not cleaved by the LiAlH4 method. The hydrocarbons formed following LiAlH4 hydrogenolysis of PL-4 were identified by gas–liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Four kinds of hydrocarbons with one to four double bonds were detected: 47% of the hydrocarbons had four double bonds; 11% had three double bonds; 14% had two double bonds; 7% had one double bond; and 6% were saturated species. The molecular species composition of PL-4 was also estimated based on acid lability: 77% of the molecular species had two acid-labile hydrocarbons; 11% had one acid-labile and one acid-stable hydrocarbon; and 11% had two acid-stable hydrocarbons. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a specific chemical degradation method for the structural analysis of allyl ether phospholipid in archaea.

  10. [Engineering issues of microbial ecology in space agriculture].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamashita, Masamichi; Ishikawa, Yoji; Oshima, Tairo

    2005-03-01

    Closure of the materials recycle loop for water-foods-oxygen is the primary purpose of space agriculture on Mars and Moon. A microbial ecological system takes a part of agriculture to process our metabolic excreta and inedible biomass and convert them to nutrients and soil substrate for cultivating plants. If we extend the purpose of space agriculture to the creation and control of a healthy and pleasant living environment, we should realize that our human body should not be sterilized but exposed to the appropriate microbial environment. We are proposing a use of hyper-thermophilic aerobic composting microbial ecology in space agriculture. Japan has a broad historical and cultural background on this subject. There had been agriculture that drove a closed loop of materials between consuming cities and farming villages in vicinity. Recent environmental problems regarding garbage collection and processing in towns have motivated home electronics companies to innovate "garbage composting" machines with bacterial technology. Based on those matured technology, together with new insights on microbiology and microbial ecology, we have been developing a conceptual design of space agriculture on Moon and Mars. There are several issues to be answered in order to prove effectiveness of the use of microbial systems in space. 1) Can the recycled nutrients, processed by the hyper-thermal aerobic composting microbial ecology, be formed in the physical and chemical state or configuration, with which plants can uptake those nutrients? A possibility of removing any major components of fertilizer from its recycle loop is another item to be evaluated. 2) What are the merits of forming soil microbial ecology around the root system of plants? This might be the most crucial question. Recent researches exhibit various mutually beneficial relationships among soil microbiota and plants, and symbiotic ecology in composting bacteria. It is essential to understand those features, and define

  11. Microbial Life in the Subseafloor at Mid-Ocean Ridges: A Key to Understanding Ancient Ecosystems on Earth and Elsewhere?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baross, J. A.; Delaney, J. R.

    2001-12-01

    Some planets and moons in our solar system were similar to Earth in their geological properties during the first few hundred million years after accretion. This is the period when life arose and became established on Earth. It follows that understanding the geophysical and geochemical characteristics of early Earth could provide insight into life-supporting environments on other solar bodies that have not evolved "Garden of Eden" conditions. Hydrothermal systems are primordial and their emergence coincided with the accumulation of liquid water on Earth. The interactions of water and rock associated with hydrothermal systems result in predictable suites of dissolved elements and volatiles. While the concentrations of these chemicals vary at different vent locations and were certainly different during the early Archaean, the overall chemical composition of aqueous hydrothermal fluid is likely to be the same because of the basaltic nature of oceanic crust. In present-day hydrothermal systems, those environments not contaminated by electron acceptors produced from pelagic photosynthesis would most closely mimic the earliest conditions on Earth. These conditions include the subseafloor and high temperature, anaerobic environments associated with hydrothermal systems. The microorganisms associated with these environments derive energy from sulfur, iron, hydrogen and organic compounds. New seafloor eruptions and diffuse flow vents provide unprecedented access to deep subseafloor microbial communities. For example, 12 new eruptions have occurred in the past 15 years including five in the Northeast Pacific. Hyperthermophiles were isolated from 5-30oC diffuse vent fluids from new eruption sites at CoAxial within months of the June, 1993 eruption and from the 1998 eruption at Axial Volcano, and from plume fluids within days of the February, 1996 eruption at the N. Gorda Ridge. The presence of such organisms in fluids that are 20 to 50°C below their minimum growth temperature

  12. Investigating Microbial Habitats in Hydrothermal Chimneys using Ti-Thermocouple Arrays: Microbial Diversity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pagé, A.; Tivey, M. K.; Stakes, D. S.; Bradley, A. M.; Seewald, J. S.; Wheat, C. G.; Reysenbach, A.

    2004-12-01

    In order to examine the changes that occur in the microbial community composition as a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney develops, we deployed Ti-thermocouple arrays over high temperature vents at two active sites of the Guaymas Basin Southern Trough. Chimney material that precipitated around the arrays was recovered after 4 and 72 days. Chimney material that precipitated prior to deployment of the arrays was also recovered at one of the sites (Busted Shroom). Culture-independent analysis based on the small subunit rRNA sequence (cloning and DGGE) was used to determine the microbial diversity associated with subsamples of each chimney. The original Busted Shroom chimney (BSO) was dominated by members of the Crenarchaeota Marine Group I, a group of cosmopolitan marine Archaea, ɛ -Proteobacteria, and γ -Proteobacteria, two divisions of Bacteria that are common to deep-sea vents. The 4 days old Busted Shroom chimney (BSD1) was dominated by members of the Methanocaldococcaceae, hyperthermophilic methanogens, and the 72 days old chimney (BSD2) by members of the Methanosarcinaceae, mesophilic and thermophilic methanogens. At the second site, Toadstool, the 72 days old chimney material that had precipitated around the array (TS) revealed the dominance of sequences from uncultured marine Archaea, the DHVE group I and II, and from the ɛ -Proteobacteria. Additionally, sequences belonging to the Methanocaldococcaceae and Desulfurococcaceae were recovered next to thermocouples that were at temperatures of 109° C (at Busted Shroom) and 116° C (at Toadstool), respectively. These temperatures are higher than the upper limit for growth of cultured representatives from each family.

  13. Microbial Community Structure and Arsenic Biogeochemistry in an Acid Vapor-Formed Spring in Tengchong Geothermal Area, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Zhou; Li, Ping; Jiang, Dawei; Dai, Xinyue; Zhang, Rui; Wang, Yanhong; Wang, Yanxin

    2016-01-01

    Arsenic biogeochemistry has been studied extensively in acid sulfate-chloride hot springs, but not in acid sulfate hot springs with low chloride. In this study, Zhenzhuquan in Tengchong geothermal area, a representative acid sulfate hot spring with low chloride, was chosen to study arsenic geochemistry and microbial community structure using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Over 0.3 million 16S rRNA sequence reads were obtained from 6-paired parallel water and sediment samples along its outflow channel. Arsenic oxidation occurred in the Zhenxhuquan pool, with distinctly high ratios of arsenate to total dissolved arsenic (0.73-0.86). Coupled with iron and sulfur oxidation along the outflow channel, arsenic accumulated in downstream sediments with concentrations up to 16.44 g/kg and appeared to significantly constrain their microbial community diversity. These oxidations might be correlated with the appearance of some putative functional microbial populations, such as Aquificae and Pseudomonas (arsenic oxidation), Sulfolobus (sulfur and iron oxidation), Metallosphaera and Acidicaldus (iron oxidation). Temperature, total organic carbon and dissolved oxygen significantly shaped the microbial community structure of upstream and downstream samples. In the upstream outflow channel region, most microbial populations were microaerophilic/anaerobic thermophiles and hyperthermophiles, such as Sulfolobus, Nocardia, Fervidicoccus, Delftia, and Ralstonia. In the downstream region, aerobic heterotrophic mesophiles and thermophiles were identified, including Ktedonobacteria, Acidicaldus, Chthonomonas and Sphingobacteria. A total of 72.41-95.91% unassigned-genus sequences were derived from the downstream high arsenic sediments 16S rRNA clone libraries. This study could enable us to achieve an integrated understanding on arsenic biogeochemistry in acid hot springs.

  14. Thermal-induced conformational changes in the product release area drive the enzymatic activity of xylanases 10B: Crystal structure, conformational stability and functional characterization of the xylanase 10B from Thermotoga petrophila RKU-1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Camila Ramos; Meza, Andreia Navarro; Hoffmam, Zaira Bruna; Silva, Junio Cota; Alvarez, Thabata Maria; Ruller, Roberto; Giesel, Guilherme Menegon; Verli, Hugo; Squina, Fabio Marcio; Prade, Rolf Alexander; Murakami, Mario Tyago

    2010-01-01

    Research highlights: → The hyperthermostable xylanase 10B from Thermotoga petrophila RKU-1 produces exclusively xylobiose at the optimum temperature. → Circular dichroism spectroscopy suggests a coupling effect of temperature-induced structural changes with its enzymatic behavior. → Crystallographic and molecular dynamics studies indicate that conformational changes in the product release area modulate the enzyme action mode. -- Abstract: Endo-xylanases play a key role in the depolymerization of xylan and recently, they have attracted much attention owing to their potential applications on biofuels and paper industries. In this work, we have investigated the molecular basis for the action mode of xylanases 10B at high temperatures using biochemical, biophysical and crystallographic methods. The crystal structure of xylanase 10B from hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga petrophila RKU-1 (TpXyl10B) has been solved in the native state and in complex with xylobiose. The complex crystal structure showed a classical binding mode shared among other xylanases, which encompasses the -1 and -2 subsites. Interestingly, TpXyl10B displayed a temperature-dependent action mode producing xylobiose and xylotriose at 20 o C, and exclusively xylobiose at 90 o C as assessed by capillary zone electrophoresis. Moreover, circular dichroism spectroscopy suggested a coupling effect of temperature-induced structural changes with this particular enzymatic behavior. Molecular dynamics simulations supported the CD analysis suggesting that an open conformational state adopted by the catalytic loop (Trp297-Lys326) provokes significant modifications in the product release area (+1,+2 and +3 subsites), which drives the enzymatic activity to the specific release of xylobiose at high temperatures.

  15. Nanobody®-based chromatin immunoprecipitation/micro-array analysis for genome-wide identification of transcription factor DNA binding sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen-Duc, Trong; Peeters, Eveline; Muyldermans, Serge; Charlier, Daniel; Hassanzadeh-Ghassabeh, Gholamreza

    2013-01-01

    Nanobodies® are single-domain antibody fragments derived from camelid heavy-chain antibodies. Because of their small size, straightforward production in Escherichia coli, easy tailoring, high affinity, specificity, stability and solubility, nanobodies® have been exploited in various biotechnological applications. A major challenge in the post-genomics and post-proteomics era is the identification of regulatory networks involving nucleic acid–protein and protein–protein interactions. Here, we apply a nanobody® in chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by DNA microarray hybridization (ChIP-chip) for genome-wide identification of DNA–protein interactions. The Lrp-like regulator Ss-LrpB, arguably one of the best-studied specific transcription factors of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus, was chosen for this proof-of-principle nanobody®-assisted ChIP. Three distinct Ss-LrpB-specific nanobodies®, each interacting with a different epitope, were generated for ChIP. Genome-wide ChIP-chip with one of these nanobodies® identified the well-established Ss-LrpB binding sites and revealed several unknown target sequences. Furthermore, these ChIP-chip profiles revealed auxiliary operator sites in the open reading frame of Ss-lrpB. Our work introduces nanobodies® as a novel class of affinity reagents for ChIP. Taking into account the unique characteristics of nanobodies®, in particular, their short generation time, nanobody®-based ChIP is expected to further streamline ChIP-chip and ChIP-Seq experiments, especially in organisms with no (or limited) possibility of genetic manipulation. PMID:23275538

  16. Characterization of a thermostable recombinant l-rhamnose isomerase from Caldicellulosiruptor obsidiansis OB47 and its application for the production of l-fructose and l-rhamnulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ziwei; Xu, Wei; Zhang, Wenli; Zhang, Tao; Jiang, Bo; Mu, Wanmeng

    2018-04-01

    l-Hexoses are rare sugars that are important components and precursors in the synthesis of biological compounds and pharmaceutical drugs. l-Rhamnose isomerase (L-RI, EC 5.3.1.14) is an aldose-ketose isomerase that plays a significant role in the production of l-sugars. In this study, a thermostable, l-sugar-producing L-RI from the hyperthermophile Caldicellulosiruptor obsidiansis OB47 was characterized. The recombinant L-RI displayed maximal activity at pH 8.0 and 85 °C and was significantly activated by Co 2+ . It exhibited a relatively high thermostability, with measured half-lives of 24.75, 11.55, 4.15 and 3.30 h in the presence of Co 2+ at 70, 75, 80 and 85 °C, respectively. Specific activities of 277.6, 57.9, 13.7 and 9.6 U mg -1 were measured when l-rhamnose, l-mannose, d-allose and l-fructose were used as substrates, respectively. l-Rhamnulose was produced with conversion ratios of 44.0% and 38.6% from 25 and 50 g L -1 l-rhamnose, respectively. l-Fructose was also efficiently produced by the L-RI, with conversion ratios of 67.0% and 58.4% from 25 and 50 g L -1 l-mannose, respectively. The recombinant L-RI could effectively catalyze the formation of l-rhamnulose and l-fructose, suggesting that it was a promising candidate for industrial production of l-rhamnulose and l-fructose. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  17. RNomics and Modomics in the halophilic archaea Haloferax volcanii: identification of RNA modification genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Decatur Wayne A

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Naturally occurring RNAs contain numerous enzymatically altered nucleosides. Differences in RNA populations (RNomics and pattern of RNA modifications (Modomics depends on the organism analyzed and are two of the criteria that distinguish the three kingdoms of life. If the genomic sequences of the RNA molecules can be derived from whole genome sequence information, the modification profile cannot and requires or direct sequencing of the RNAs or predictive methods base on the presence or absence of the modifications genes. Results By employing a comparative genomics approach, we predicted almost all of the genes coding for the t+rRNA modification enzymes in the mesophilic moderate halophile Haloferax volcanii. These encode both guide RNAs and enzymes. Some are orthologous to previously identified genes in Archaea, Bacteria or in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but several are original predictions. Conclusion The number of modifications in t+rRNAs in the halophilic archaeon is surprisingly low when compared with other Archaea or Bacteria, particularly the hyperthermophilic organisms. This may result from the specific lifestyle of halophiles that require high intracellular salt concentration for survival. This salt content could allow RNA to maintain its functional structural integrity with fewer modifications. We predict that the few modifications present must be particularly important for decoding, accuracy of translation or are modifications that cannot be functionally replaced by the electrostatic interactions provided by the surrounding salt-ions. This analysis also guides future experimental validation work aiming to complete the understanding of the function of RNA modifications in Archaeal translation.

  18. Untargeted metabolomics studies employing NMR and LC-MS reveal metabolic coupling between Nanoarcheum equitans and its archaeal host Ignicoccus hospitalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamerly, Timothy; Tripet, Brian P; Tigges, Michelle; Giannone, Richard J; Wurch, Louie; Hettich, Robert L; Podar, Mircea; Copié, Valerie; Bothner, Brian

    2015-08-01

    Interspecies interactions are the basis of microbial community formation and infectious diseases. Systems biology enables the construction of complex models describing such interactions, leading to a better understanding of disease states and communities. However, before interactions between complex organisms can be understood, metabolic and energetic implications of simpler real-world host-microbe systems must be worked out. To this effect, untargeted metabolomics experiments were conducted and integrated with proteomics data to characterize key molecular-level interactions between two hyperthermophilic microbial species, both of which have reduced genomes. Metabolic changes and transfer of metabolites between the archaea Ignicoccus hospitalis and Nanoarcheum equitans were investigated using integrated LC-MS and NMR metabolomics. The study of such a system is challenging, as no genetic tools are available, growth in the laboratory is challenging, and mechanisms by which they interact are unknown. Together with information about relative enzyme levels obtained from shotgun proteomics, the metabolomics data provided useful insights into metabolic pathways and cellular networks of I. hospitalis that are impacted by the presence of N. equitans , including arginine, isoleucine, and CTP biosynthesis. On the organismal level, the data indicate that N. equitans exploits metabolites generated by I. hospitalis to satisfy its own metabolic needs. This finding is based on N. equitans 's consumption of a significant fraction of the metabolite pool in I. hospitalis that cannot solely be attributed to increased biomass production for N. equitans . Combining LC-MS and NMR metabolomics datasets improved coverage of the metabolome and enhanced the identification and quantitation of cellular metabolites.

  19. Multi-omics analysis provides insight to the Ignicoccus hospitalis-Nanoarchaeum equitans association.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rawle, Rachel A; Hamerly, Timothy; Tripet, Brian P; Giannone, Richard J; Wurch, Louie; Hettich, Robert L; Podar, Mircea; Copié, Valerie; Bothner, Brian

    2017-09-01

    Studies of interspecies interactions are inherently difficult due to the complex mechanisms which enable these relationships. A model system for studying interspecies interactions is the marine hyperthermophiles Ignicoccus hospitalis and Nanoarchaeum equitans. Recent independently-conducted 'omics' analyses have generated insights into the molecular factors modulating this association. However, significant questions remain about the nature of the interactions between these archaea. We jointly analyzed multiple levels of omics datasets obtained from published, independent transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics analyses. DAVID identified functionally-related groups enriched when I. hospitalis is grown alone or in co-culture with N. equitans. Enriched molecular pathways were subsequently visualized using interaction maps generated using STRING. Key findings of our multi-level omics analysis indicated that I. hospitalis provides precursors to N. equitans for energy metabolism. Analysis indicated an overall reduction in diversity of metabolic precursors in the I. hospitalis-N. equitans co-culture, which has been connected to the differential use of ribosomal subunits and was previously unnoticed. We also identified differences in precursors linked to amino acid metabolism, NADH metabolism, and carbon fixation, providing new insights into the metabolic adaptions of I. hospitalis enabling the growth of N. equitans. This multi-omics analysis builds upon previously identified cellular patterns while offering new insights into mechanisms that enable the I. hospitalis-N. equitans association. Our study applies statistical and visualization techniques to a mixed-source omics dataset to yield a more global insight into a complex system, that was not readily discernable from separate omics studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. An Uncharacterized Member of the Ribokinase Family in Thermococcus kodakarensis Exhibits myo-Inositol Kinase Activity*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Takaaki; Fujihashi, Masahiro; Miyamoto, Yukika; Kuwata, Keiko; Kusaka, Eriko; Fujita, Haruo; Miki, Kunio; Atomi, Haruyuki

    2013-01-01

    Here we performed structural and biochemical analyses on the TK2285 gene product, an uncharacterized protein annotated as a member of the ribokinase family, from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis. The three-dimensional structure of the TK2285 protein resembled those of previously characterized members of the ribokinase family including ribokinase, adenosine kinase, and phosphofructokinase. Conserved residues characteristic of this protein family were located in a cleft of the TK2285 protein as in other members whose structures have been determined. We thus examined the kinase activity of the TK2285 protein toward various sugars recognized by well characterized ribokinase family members. Although activity with sugar phosphates and nucleosides was not detected, kinase activity was observed toward d-allose, d-lyxose, d-tagatose, d-talose, d-xylose, and d-xylulose. Kinetic analyses with the six sugar substrates revealed high Km values, suggesting that they were not the true physiological substrates. By examining activity toward amino sugars, sugar alcohols, and disaccharides, we found that the TK2285 protein exhibited prominent kinase activity toward myo-inositol. Kinetic analyses with myo-inositol revealed a greater kcat and much lower Km value than those obtained with the monosaccharides, resulting in over a 2,000-fold increase in kcat/Km values. TK2285 homologs are distributed among members of Thermococcales, and in most species, the gene is positioned close to a myo-inositol monophosphate synthase gene. Our results suggest the presence of a novel subfamily of the ribokinase family whose members are present in Archaea and recognize myo-inositol as a substrate. PMID:23737529

  1. Two Strategies for Microbial Production of an Industrial Enzyme-Alpha-Amylase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernhardsdotter, Eva C. M. J.; Garriott, Owen; Pusey, Marc L.; Ng, Joseph D.

    2003-01-01

    Extremophiles are microorganisms that thrive in, from an anthropocentric view, extreme environments including hot springs, soda lakes and arctic water. This ability of survival at extreme conditions has rendered extremophiles to be of interest in astrobiology, evolutionary biology as well as in industrial applications. Of particular interest to the biotechnology industry are the biological catalysts of the extremophiles, the extremozymes, whose unique stabilities at extreme conditions make them potential sources of novel enzymes in industrial applications. There are two major approaches to microbial enzyme production. This entails enzyme isolation directly from the natural host or creating a recombinant expression system whereby the targeted enzyme can be overexpressed in a mesophilic host. We are employing both methods in the effort to produce alpha-amylases from a hyperthermophilic archaeon (Thermococcus) isolated from a hydrothermal vent in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as from alkaliphilic bacteria (Bacillus) isolated from a soda lake in Tanzania. Alpha-amylases catalyze the hydrolysis of internal alpha-1,4-glycosidic linkages in starch to produce smaller sugars. Thermostable alpha-amylases are used in the liquefaction of starch for production of fructose and glucose syrups, whereas alpha-amylases stable at high pH have potential as detergent additives. The alpha-amylase encoding gene from Thermococcus was PCR amplified using carefully designed primers and analyzed using bioinformatics tools such as BLAST and Multiple Sequence Alignment for cloning and expression in E.coli. Four strains of Bacillus were grown in alkaline starch-enriched medium of which the culture supernatant was used as enzyme source. Amylolytic activity was detected using the starch-iodine method.

  2. Efficient Fludarabine-Activating PNP From Archaea as a Guidance for Redesign the Active Site of E. Coli PNP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cacciapuoti, Giovanna; Bagarolo, Maria Libera; Martino, Elisa; Scafuri, Bernardina; Marabotti, Anna; Porcelli, Marina

    2016-05-01

    The combination of the gene of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) from Escherichia coli and fludarabine represents one of the most promising systems in the gene therapy of solid tumors. The use of fludarabine in gene therapy is limited by the lack of an enzyme that is able to efficiently activate this prodrug which, consequently, has to be administered in high doses that cause serious side effects. In an attempt to identify enzymes with a better catalytic efficiency than E. coli PNP towards fludarabine to be used as a guidance on how to improve the activity of the bacterial enzyme, we have selected 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (SsMTAP) and 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase II (SsMTAPII), two PNPs isolated from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. Substrate specificity and catalytic efficiency of SsMTAP and SsMTAPII for fludarabine were analyzed by kinetic studies and compared with E. coli PNP. SsMTAP and SsMTAPII share with E. coli PNP a comparable low affinity for the arabinonucleoside but are better catalysts of fludarabine cleavage with k(cat)/K(m) values that are 12.8-fold and 6-fold higher, respectively, than those reported for the bacterial enzyme. A computational analysis of the interactions of fludarabine in the active sites of E. coli PNP, SsMTAP, and SsMTAPII allowed to identify the crucial residues involved in the binding with this substrate, and provided structural information to improve the catalytic efficiency of E. coli PNP by enzyme redesign. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Two functionally distinct NADP+-dependent ferredoxin oxidoreductases maintain the primary redox balance of Pyrococcus furiosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Diep M N; Schut, Gerrit J; Zadvornyy, Oleg A; Tokmina-Lukaszewska, Monika; Poudel, Saroj; Lipscomb, Gina L; Adams, Leslie A; Dinsmore, Jessica T; Nixon, William J; Boyd, Eric S; Bothner, Brian; Peters, John W; Adams, Michael W W

    2017-09-01

    Electron bifurcation has recently gained acceptance as the third mechanism of energy conservation in which energy is conserved through the coupling of exergonic and endergonic reactions. A structure-based mechanism of bifurcation has been elucidated recently for the flavin-based enzyme NADH-dependent ferredoxin NADP + oxidoreductase I (NfnI) from the hyperthermophillic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. NfnI is thought to be involved in maintaining the cellular redox balance, producing NADPH for biosynthesis by recycling the two other primary redox carriers, NADH and ferredoxin. The P. furiosus genome encodes an NfnI paralog termed NfnII, and the two are differentially expressed, depending on the growth conditions. In this study, we show that deletion of the genes encoding either NfnI or NfnII affects the cellular concentrations of NAD(P)H and particularly NADPH. This results in a moderate to severe growth phenotype in deletion mutants, demonstrating a key role for each enzyme in maintaining redox homeostasis. Despite their similarity in primary sequence and cofactor content, crystallographic, kinetic, and mass spectrometry analyses reveal that there are fundamental structural differences between the two enzymes, and NfnII does not catalyze the NfnI bifurcating reaction. Instead, it exhibits non-bifurcating ferredoxin NADP oxidoreductase-type activity. NfnII is therefore proposed to be a bifunctional enzyme and also to catalyze a bifurcating reaction, although its third substrate, in addition to ferredoxin and NADP(H), is as yet unknown. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  4. Deep-Subsurface Marine Methane Hydrate Microbial Communities: Who's There and What Are They Doing?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colwell, F.; Reed, D.; Fujita, Y.; Delwiche, M.; Blackwelder, D.; Uchida, T.; Fujii, T.; Lu, H.

    2001-12-01

    Natural gas hydrates are crystalline deposits of freshwater and primarily methane. They are estimated to represent a potentially vast reservoir of energy. Relatively little is known regarding microbial communities surrounding deep [>100 meters below sea floor (mbsf)] hydrate-bearing sediments. Deep sediment cores were collected in zones above, within, and below the hydrate bearing strata in an accretionary prism off the coast of Japan. Microorganisms were characterized using cultivation- and non-cultivation-based microbiological techniques to better understand the role that they play in the production and distribution of methane in gas hydrates. Direct counts show cell density at 105 cells/g throughout the hydrate strata. Lipid and 16S rDNA analyses indicate that diverse bacterial and archaeal microorganisms are represented throughout the strata. Acetate and hydrogen were utilized as an energy source for methane-producing microorganisms from each sediment depth. Although the methanogenic biomarker coenzyme M was not present above the detection limit in any of the samples, cloning and characterization of amplified 16S ribosomal RNA genes indicated the presence of methanogenic microorganisms related to the Methanobacteriales and Methanococcales. In addition, archaeal clones closely related to the hyperthermophilic Pyrodictiales were detected. Analysis of eubacterial clones indicated a more diverse eubacterial community compared to the archaea, including members from the groups of cyanobacteria, proteobacteria, gram positive bacteria, and flexibacter-cytophaga-bacteriodes. This study suggests that the diversity of microbial communities associated with the presence of methane in gas hydrate-rich deep marine sediments is greater than previously estimated.

  5. Mapping the active site helix-to-strand conversion of CxxxxC peroxiredoxin Q enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perkins, Arden; Gretes, Michael C; Nelson, Kimberly J; Poole, Leslie B; Karplus, P Andrew

    2012-09-25

    Peroxiredoxins (Prx) make up a family of enzymes that reduce peroxides using a peroxidatic cysteine residue; among these, members of the PrxQ subfamily are proposed to be the most ancestral-like yet are among the least characterized. In many PrxQ enzymes, a second "resolving" cysteine is located five residues downstream from the peroxidatic Cys, and these residues form a disulfide during the catalytic cycle. Here, we describe three hyperthermophilic PrxQ crystal structures originally determined by the RIKEN structural genomics group. We reprocessed the diffraction data and conducted further refinement to yield models with R(free) values lowered by 2.3-7.2% and resolution extended by 0.2-0.3 Å, making one, at 1.4 Å, one of the best resolved peroxiredoxins to date. Comparisons of two matched thiol and disulfide forms reveal that the active site conformational change required for disulfide formation involves a transition of ~20 residues from a pair of α-helices to a β-hairpin and 3(10)-helix. Each conformation has ~10 residues with a high level of disorder providing slack that allows the dramatic shift, and the two conformations are anchored to the protein core by distinct nonpolar side chains that fill three hydrophobic pockets. Sequence conservation patterns confirm the importance of these and a few additional residues for function. From a broader perspective, this study raises the provocative question of how to make use of the valuable information in the Protein Data Bank generated by structural genomics projects but not described in the literature, perhaps remaining unrecognized and certainly underutilized.

  6. Mapping the Active Site Helix-to-Strand Conversion of CxxxxC Peroxiredoxin Q Enzymes †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perkins, Arden; Gretes, Michael C.; Nelson, Kimberly J.; Poole, Leslie B.; Karplus, P. Andrew

    2012-01-01

    Peroxiredoxins (Prx) are a family of enzymes which reduce peroxides using a peroxidatic cysteine residue; among these, the PrxQ subfamily members are proposed to be the most ancestral-like yet are among the least characterized. In many PrxQ enzymes, a second “resolving” cysteine is located six residues downstream from the peroxidatic Cys, and these residues form a disulfide during the catalytic cycle. Here, we describe three hyperthermophilic PrxQ crystal structures originally solved by the RIKEN structural genomics group. We reprocessed the diffraction data and carried out further refinement to yield models with Rfree lowered by 2.3–7.2% and resolution extended by 0.2–0.3 Å, making one, at 1.4 Å, the best resolved peroxiredoxin to date. Comparisons of two matched thiol and disulfide forms reveal that the active site conformational change required for disulfide formation involves a transition of about 20 residues from a pair of α-helices to a β-hairpin and 310-helix. Each conformation has about 10 residues with high disorder providing slack that enables the dramatic shift, and the two conformations are anchored to the protein core by distinct non-polar side chains that fill three hydrophobic pockets. Sequence conservation patterns confirm the importance of these and a few additional residues for function. From a broader perspective, this study raises the provocative question of how to make use of the valuable information in the protein data bank generated by structural genomics projects but not described in the literature, perhaps remaining unrecognized and certainly underutilized. PMID:22928725

  7. Thermal-induced conformational changes in the product release area drive the enzymatic activity of xylanases 10B: Crystal structure, conformational stability and functional characterization of the xylanase 10B from Thermotoga petrophila RKU-1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos, Camila Ramos; Meza, Andreia Navarro [Laboratorio Nacional de Biociencias (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais, Campinas, SP (Brazil); Hoffmam, Zaira Bruna; Silva, Junio Cota; Alvarez, Thabata Maria; Ruller, Roberto [Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais, Campinas, SP (Brazil); Giesel, Guilherme Menegon; Verli, Hugo [Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Squina, Fabio Marcio [Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais, Campinas, SP (Brazil); Prade, Rolf Alexander [Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK (United States); Murakami, Mario Tyago, E-mail: mario.murakami@lnbio.org.br [Laboratorio Nacional de Biociencias (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais, Campinas, SP (Brazil)

    2010-12-10

    Research highlights: {yields} The hyperthermostable xylanase 10B from Thermotoga petrophila RKU-1 produces exclusively xylobiose at the optimum temperature. {yields} Circular dichroism spectroscopy suggests a coupling effect of temperature-induced structural changes with its enzymatic behavior. {yields} Crystallographic and molecular dynamics studies indicate that conformational changes in the product release area modulate the enzyme action mode. -- Abstract: Endo-xylanases play a key role in the depolymerization of xylan and recently, they have attracted much attention owing to their potential applications on biofuels and paper industries. In this work, we have investigated the molecular basis for the action mode of xylanases 10B at high temperatures using biochemical, biophysical and crystallographic methods. The crystal structure of xylanase 10B from hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga petrophila RKU-1 (TpXyl10B) has been solved in the native state and in complex with xylobiose. The complex crystal structure showed a classical binding mode shared among other xylanases, which encompasses the -1 and -2 subsites. Interestingly, TpXyl10B displayed a temperature-dependent action mode producing xylobiose and xylotriose at 20 {sup o}C, and exclusively xylobiose at 90 {sup o}C as assessed by capillary zone electrophoresis. Moreover, circular dichroism spectroscopy suggested a coupling effect of temperature-induced structural changes with this particular enzymatic behavior. Molecular dynamics simulations supported the CD analysis suggesting that an open conformational state adopted by the catalytic loop (Trp297-Lys326) provokes significant modifications in the product release area (+1,+2 and +3 subsites), which drives the enzymatic activity to the specific release of xylobiose at high temperatures.

  8. The complete genome sequence of Staphylothermus marinus reveals differences in sulfur metabolism among heterotrophic Crenarchaeota

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anderson, iain J.; Dharmarajan, Lakshmi; Rodriguez, Jason; Hooper, Sean; Porat, Iris; Ulrich, Luke E.; Elkins, James G.; Mavromatis, Kostas; Sun, Hui; Land, Miriam; Lapidus, Alla; Lucas, Susan; Barry, Kerrie; Huber, Harald; Zhulin, Igor B.; Whitman, William B.; Mukhopadhyay, Biswarup; Woese, Carl; Bristow, James; Kyrpides, Nikos

    2008-09-05

    Staphylothermus marinus is an anaerobic, sulfur-reducing peptide fermenter of the archaeal phylum Crenarchaeota. It is the third heterotrophic, obligate sulfur reducing crenarchaeote to be sequenced and provides an opportunity for comparative analysis of the three genomes. The 1.57 Mbp genome of the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote Staphylothermus marinus has been completely sequenced. The main energy generating pathways likely involve 2-oxoacid:ferredoxin oxidoreductases and ADP-forming acetyl-CoA synthases. S. marinus possesses several enzymes not present in other crenarchaeotes including a sodium ion-translocating decarboxylase likely to be involved in amino acid degradation. S. marinus lacks sulfur-reducing enzymes present in the other two sulfur-reducing crenarchaeotes that have been sequenced - Thermofilum pendens and Hyperthermus butylicus. Instead it has three operons similar to the mbh and mbx operons of Pyrococcus furiosus, which may play a role in sulfur reduction and/or hydrogen production. The two marine organisms, S. marinus and H. butylicus, possess more sodium-dependent transporters than T. pendens and use symporters for potassium uptake while T. pendens uses an ATP-dependent potassium transporter. T. pendens has adapted to a nutrient-rich environment while H. butylicus is adapted to a nutrient-poor environment, and S. marinus lies between these two extremes. The three heterotrophic sulfur-reducing crenarchaeotes have adapted to their habitats, terrestrial vs. marine, via their transporter content, and they have also adapted to environments with differing levels of nutrients. Despite the fact that they all use sulfur as an electron acceptor, they are likely to have different pathways for sulfur reduction.

  9. Genome Sequence of Thermotoga sp. Strain RQ2, a Hyperthermophilic Bacterium Isolated from a Geothermally Heated Region of the Seafloor near Ribeira Quente, the Azores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swithers, Kristen S.; DiPippo, Jonathan L.; Bruce, David C.; Detter, Christopher; Tapia, Roxanne; Han, Shunsheng; Saunders, Elizabeth; Goodwin, Lynne A.; Han, James; Woyke, Tanja; Pitluck, Sam; Pennacchio, Len; Nolan, Matthew; Mikhailova, Natalia; Lykidis, Athanasios; Land, Miriam L.; Brettin, Thomas; Stetter, Karl O.; Nelson, Karen E.; Gogarten, J. Peter; Noll, Kenneth M.

    2011-01-01

    Thermotoga sp. strain RQ2 is probably a strain of Thermotoga maritima. Its complete genome sequence allows for an examination of the extent and consequences of gene flow within Thermotoga species and strains. Thermotoga sp. RQ2 differs from T. maritima in its genes involved in myo-inositol metabolism. Its genome also encodes an apparent fructose phosphotransferase system (PTS) sugar transporter. This operon is also found in Thermotoga naphthophila strain RKU-10 but no other Thermotogales. These are the first reported PTS transporters in the Thermotogales. PMID:21952543

  10. Thermo-resistance Acquisition of A Mesophilic Bacterium with The Aid of Vector Particles Originating from Thermophiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugitate, T.; Inaba, N.; Kurusu, Y.; Hoaki, T.; Chiura, H. X.

    2004-12-01

    The present study was aimed to examine whether virus-like particles (VLPs) would be able to transfer and express the thermo-resistance gene of thermophilic microbes in the mesophilic auxotrophic Escherichia coli AB1157 mutant. A hyper-thermophilic archaea, Thermococcus kodakaraensis B41, that was isolated from the Suiyo Seamount APSK06 boring core, released particles (KD-VLPs) during culture. Transduction towards recipient E. coli AB1157 was carried out using KD-VLP as the gene transfer mediator, in order to examine the lethal effect and thermo-resistant gene transfer capability of the particle. The colony forming ability of the cells was examined in 7 % of gelrite supplemented-LB plates (LB-gelrite plates) at 50, 56, and 70 ° C. Regardless of UV irradiation, KD-VLP showed a reduced efficiency of plating (EOP) of recipient viable cell population to ca 65 %. Four colonies were formed in LB-gelrite plates at 50 ° C, which were named as KD-E-Trans, and the gene transfer frequency was estimated to be 5.12 × 10-8 cfu/particle. Obtained KD-E-Trans was cultured in LB liquid medium employing the same high temperature conditions. The cells grew 1.6 ˜ 6 fold of the inocula in 13 days at all the examined temperatures, and the generation time of the transductants were as follows: ca 28 hours at 50 ° C, ca 73 hours at 56 ° C, ca 266 hours at 70 ° C. Thus, the gene transfer of thermo-resistance to mesophilic E. coli from another Domain with the aid of KD-VLPs was demonstrated.

  11. Microbial Diversity in Hydrothermal Surface to Sub-surface Environment of Suiyo Seamount

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higashi, Y.; Sunamura, M.; Kitamura, K.; Kurusu, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Maruyama, A.

    2002-12-01

    After excavation trials to a hydrothermal subsurface biosphere of the Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, microbial diversity was examined using samples collected from drilled boreholes and natural vents with an catheter-type in situ microbial entrapment/incubator. This instrument consisted of a heat-tolerant cylindrical pipe with entrapment of a titanium-mesh capsule, containing sterilized inorganic porous grains, on the tip. After 3-10 day deployment in venting fluids with the maximum temperatures from 156 to 305degC, Microbial DNA was extracted from the grains and a 16S rDNA region was amplified and sequenced. Through the phylogenetic analysis of total 72 Bacteria and 30 Archaea clones, we found three novel phylogenetic groups in this hydrothermal surface to subsurface biosphere. Some new clades within the epsilon-Proteobacteria, which seemed to be microaerophilic, moderate thermophilic, and/or sulfur oxidizing, were detected. Clones related to moderate thermophilic and photosynthetic microbes were found in grain-attached samples at collapsed borehole and natural vent sites. We also detected a new clade closely related to a hyperthermophilic Archaea, Methanococcus jannashii, which has the capability of growing autotrophically on hydrogen and producing methane. However, the later two phylogroups were estimated as below a detection limit in microscopic cell counting, i.e., fluorescence in situ hybridization and direct counting. Most of microbes in venting fluids were assigned to be Bacteria, but difficult in specifying them using any known probes. The environment must be notable in microbial and genetic resources, while the ecosystem seems to be mainly supported by chemosynthetic products through the microbial sulfur oxidation, as in most deep-sea hydrothermal systems.

  12. Linkages between mineralogy, fluid chemistry, and microbial communities within hydrothermal chimneys from the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, T. J.; Ver Eecke, H. C.; Breves, E. A.; Dyar, M. D.; Jamieson, J. W.; Hannington, M. D.; Dahle, H.; Bishop, J. L.; Lane, M. D.; Butterfield, D. A.; Kelley, D. S.; Lilley, M. D.; Baross, J. A.; Holden, J. F.

    2016-02-01

    Rock and fluid samples were collected from three hydrothermal chimneys at the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge to evaluate linkages among mineralogy, fluid chemistry, and microbial community composition within the chimneys. Mössbauer, midinfrared thermal emission, and visible-near infrared spectroscopies were utilized for the first time to characterize vent mineralogy, in addition to thin-section petrography, X-ray diffraction, and elemental analyses. A 282°C venting chimney from the Bastille edifice was composed primarily of sulfide minerals such as chalcopyrite, marcasite, and sphalerite. In contrast, samples from a 300°C venting chimney from the Dante edifice and a 321°C venting chimney from the Hot Harold edifice contained a high abundance of the sulfate mineral anhydrite. Geochemical modeling of mixed vent fluids suggested the oxic-anoxic transition zone was above 100°C at all three vents, and that the thermodynamic energy available for autotrophic microbial redox reactions favored aerobic sulfide and methane oxidation. As predicted, microbes within the Dante and Hot Harold chimneys were most closely related to mesophilic and thermophilic aerobes of the Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria and sulfide-oxidizing autotrophic Epsilonproteobacteria. However, most of the microbes within the Bastille chimney were most closely related to mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobes of the Deltaproteobacteria, especially sulfate reducers, and anaerobic hyperthermophilic archaea. The predominance of anaerobes in the Bastille chimney indicated that other environmental factors promote anoxic conditions. Possibilities include the maturity or fluid flow characteristics of the chimney, abiotic Fe2+ and S2- oxidation in the vent fluids, or O2 depletion by aerobic respiration on the chimney outer wall.

  13. Horizontal gene transfer of a chloroplast DnaJ-Fer protein to Thaumarchaeota and the evolutionary history of the DnaK chaperone system in Archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petitjean, Céline; Moreira, David; López-García, Purificación; Brochier-Armanet, Céline

    2012-11-26

    In 2004, we discovered an atypical protein in metagenomic data from marine thaumarchaeotal species. This protein, referred as DnaJ-Fer, is composed of a J domain fused to a Ferredoxin (Fer) domain. Surprisingly, the same protein was also found in Viridiplantae (green algae and land plants). Because J domain-containing proteins are known to interact with the major chaperone DnaK/Hsp70, this suggested that a DnaK protein was present in Thaumarchaeota. DnaK/Hsp70, its co-chaperone DnaJ and the nucleotide exchange factor GrpE are involved, among others, in heat shocks and heavy metal cellular stress responses. Using phylogenomic approaches we have investigated the evolutionary history of the DnaJ-Fer protein and of interacting proteins DnaK, DnaJ and GrpE in Thaumarchaeota. These proteins have very complex histories, involving several inter-domain horizontal gene transfers (HGTs) to explain the contemporary distribution of these proteins in archaea. These transfers include one from Cyanobacteria to Viridiplantae and one from Viridiplantae to Thaumarchaeota for the DnaJ-Fer protein, as well as independent HGTs from Bacteria to mesophilic archaea for the DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE system, followed by HGTs among mesophilic and thermophilic archaea. We highlight the chimerical origin of the set of proteins DnaK, DnaJ, GrpE and DnaJ-Fer in Thaumarchaeota and suggest that the HGT of these proteins has played an important role in the adaptation of several archaeal groups to mesophilic and thermophilic environments from hyperthermophilic ancestors. Finally, the evolutionary history of DnaJ-Fer provides information useful for the relative dating of the diversification of Archaeplastida and Thaumarchaeota.

  14. In vivo and in vitro protein imaging in thermophilic archaea by exploiting a novel protein tag.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visone, Valeria; Han, Wenyuan; Perugino, Giuseppe; Del Monaco, Giovanni; She, Qunxin; Rossi, Mosè; Valenti, Anna; Ciaramella, Maria

    2017-01-01

    Protein imaging, allowing a wide variety of biological studies both in vitro and in vivo, is of great importance in modern biology. Protein and peptide tags fused to proteins of interest provide the opportunity to elucidate protein location and functions, detect protein-protein interactions, and measure protein activity and kinetics in living cells. Whereas several tags are suitable for protein imaging in mesophilic organisms, the application of this approach to microorganisms living at high temperature has lagged behind. Archaea provide an excellent and unique model for understanding basic cell biology mechanisms. Here, we present the development of a toolkit for protein imaging in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus. The system relies on a thermostable protein tag (H5) constructed by engineering the alkylguanine-DNA-alkyl-transferase protein of Sulfolobus solfataricus, which can be covalently labeled using a wide range of small molecules. As a suitable host, we constructed, by CRISPR-based genome-editing technology, a S. islandicus mutant strain deleted for the alkylguanine-DNA-alkyl-transferase gene (Δogt). Introduction of a plasmid-borne H5 gene in this strain led to production of a functional H5 protein, which was successfully labeled with appropriate fluorescent molecules and visualized in cell extracts as well as in Δogt live cells. H5 was fused to reverse gyrase, a peculiar thermophile-specific DNA topoisomerase endowed with positive supercoiling activity, and allowed visualization of the enzyme in living cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of in vivo imaging of any protein of a thermophilic archaeon, filling an important gap in available tools for cell biology studies in these organisms.

  15. Microbial Community Structure and Arsenic Biogeochemistry in an Acid Vapor-Formed Spring in Tengchong Geothermal Area, China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhou Jiang

    Full Text Available Arsenic biogeochemistry has been studied extensively in acid sulfate-chloride hot springs, but not in acid sulfate hot springs with low chloride. In this study, Zhenzhuquan in Tengchong geothermal area, a representative acid sulfate hot spring with low chloride, was chosen to study arsenic geochemistry and microbial community structure using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Over 0.3 million 16S rRNA sequence reads were obtained from 6-paired parallel water and sediment samples along its outflow channel. Arsenic oxidation occurred in the Zhenxhuquan pool, with distinctly high ratios of arsenate to total dissolved arsenic (0.73-0.86. Coupled with iron and sulfur oxidation along the outflow channel, arsenic accumulated in downstream sediments with concentrations up to 16.44 g/kg and appeared to significantly constrain their microbial community diversity. These oxidations might be correlated with the appearance of some putative functional microbial populations, such as Aquificae and Pseudomonas (arsenic oxidation, Sulfolobus (sulfur and iron oxidation, Metallosphaera and Acidicaldus (iron oxidation. Temperature, total organic carbon and dissolved oxygen significantly shaped the microbial community structure of upstream and downstream samples. In the upstream outflow channel region, most microbial populations were microaerophilic/anaerobic thermophiles and hyperthermophiles, such as Sulfolobus, Nocardia, Fervidicoccus, Delftia, and Ralstonia. In the downstream region, aerobic heterotrophic mesophiles and thermophiles were identified, including Ktedonobacteria, Acidicaldus, Chthonomonas and Sphingobacteria. A total of 72.41-95.91% unassigned-genus sequences were derived from the downstream high arsenic sediments 16S rRNA clone libraries. This study could enable us to achieve an integrated understanding on arsenic biogeochemistry in acid hot springs.

  16. Structural adaptations of proteins to different biological membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pogozheva, Irina D.; Tristram-Nagle, Stephanie; Mosberg, Henry I.; Lomize, Andrei L.

    2013-01-01

    To gain insight into adaptations of proteins to their membranes, intrinsic hydrophobic thicknesses, distributions of different chemical groups and profiles of hydrogen-bonding capacities (α and β) and the dipolarity/polarizability parameter (π*) were calculated for lipid-facing surfaces of 460 integral α-helical, β-barrel and peripheral proteins from eight types of biomembranes. For comparison, polarity profiles were also calculated for ten artificial lipid bilayers that have been previously studied by neutron and X-ray scattering. Estimated hydrophobic thicknesses are 30-31 Å for proteins from endoplasmic reticulum, thylakoid, and various bacterial plasma membranes, but differ for proteins from outer bacterial, inner mitochondrial and eukaryotic plasma membranes (23.9, 28.6 and 33.5 Å, respectively). Protein and lipid polarity parameters abruptly change in the lipid carbonyl zone that matches the calculated hydrophobic boundaries. Maxima of positively charged protein groups correspond to the location of lipid phosphates at 20-22 Å distances from the membrane center. Locations of Tyr atoms coincide with hydrophobic boundaries, while distributions maxima of Trp rings are shifted by 3-4 Å toward the membrane center. Distributions of Trp atoms indicate the presence of two 5-8 Å-wide midpolar regions with intermediate π* values within the hydrocarbon core, whose size and symmetry depend on the lipid composition of membrane leaflets. Midpolar regions are especially asymmetric in outer bacterial membranes and cell membranes of mesophilic but not hyperthermophilic archaebacteria, indicating the larger width of the central nonpolar region in the later case. In artificial lipid bilayers, midpolar regions are observed up to the level of acyl chain double bonds. PMID:23811361

  17. Biochemical characterization of a new nicotinamidase from an unclassified bacterium thriving in a geothermal water stream microbial mat community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zapata-Pérez, Rubén; Martínez-Moñino, Ana-Belén; García-Saura, Antonio-Ginés; Cabanes, Juana; Takami, Hideto; Sánchez-Ferrer, Álvaro

    2017-01-01

    Nicotinamidases are amidohydrolases that convert nicotinamide into nicotinic acid, contributing to NAD+ homeostasis in most organisms. In order to increase the number of nicotinamidases described to date, this manuscript characterizes a nicotinamidase obtained from a metagenomic library fosmid clone (JFF054_F02) obtained from a geothermal water stream microbial mat community in a Japanese epithermal mine. The enzyme showed an optimum temperature of 90°C, making it the first hyperthermophilic bacterial nicotinamidase to be characterized, since the phylogenetic analysis of this fosmid clone placed it in a clade of uncultured geothermal bacteria. The enzyme, named as UbNic, not only showed an alkaline optimum pH, but also a biphasic pH dependence of its kcat, with a maximum at pH 9.5-10.0. The two pKa values obtained were 4.2 and 8.6 for pKes1 and pKes2, respectively. These results suggest a possible flexible catalytic mechanism for nicotinamidases, which reconciles the two previously proposed mechanisms. In addition, the enzyme showed a high catalytic efficiency, not only toward nicotinamide, but also toward other nicotinamide analogs. Its mutational analysis showed that a tryptophan (W83) is needed in one of the faces of the active site to maintain low Km values toward all the substrates tested. Furthermore, UbNic proved to contain a Fe2+ ion in its metal binding site, and was revealed to belong to a new nicotinamidase subgroup. All these characteristics, together with its high pH- and thermal stability, distinguish UbNic from previously described nicotinamidases, and suggest that a wide diversity of enzymes remains to be discovered in extreme environments.

  18. Biochemical characterization of a new nicotinamidase from an unclassified bacterium thriving in a geothermal water stream microbial mat community.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rubén Zapata-Pérez

    Full Text Available Nicotinamidases are amidohydrolases that convert nicotinamide into nicotinic acid, contributing to NAD+ homeostasis in most organisms. In order to increase the number of nicotinamidases described to date, this manuscript characterizes a nicotinamidase obtained from a metagenomic library fosmid clone (JFF054_F02 obtained from a geothermal water stream microbial mat community in a Japanese epithermal mine. The enzyme showed an optimum temperature of 90°C, making it the first hyperthermophilic bacterial nicotinamidase to be characterized, since the phylogenetic analysis of this fosmid clone placed it in a clade of uncultured geothermal bacteria. The enzyme, named as UbNic, not only showed an alkaline optimum pH, but also a biphasic pH dependence of its kcat, with a maximum at pH 9.5-10.0. The two pKa values obtained were 4.2 and 8.6 for pKes1 and pKes2, respectively. These results suggest a possible flexible catalytic mechanism for nicotinamidases, which reconciles the two previously proposed mechanisms. In addition, the enzyme showed a high catalytic efficiency, not only toward nicotinamide, but also toward other nicotinamide analogs. Its mutational analysis showed that a tryptophan (W83 is needed in one of the faces of the active site to maintain low Km values toward all the substrates tested. Furthermore, UbNic proved to contain a Fe2+ ion in its metal binding site, and was revealed to belong to a new nicotinamidase subgroup. All these characteristics, together with its high pH- and thermal stability, distinguish UbNic from previously described nicotinamidases, and suggest that a wide diversity of enzymes remains to be discovered in extreme environments.

  19. Transcriptional regulation of the carbohydrate utilization network in Thermotoga maritima

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    Dmitry A Rodionov

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Hyperthermophilic bacteria from the Thermotogales lineage can produce hydrogen by fermenting a wide range of carbohydrates. Previous experimental studies identified a large fraction of genes committed to carbohydrate degradation and utilization in the model bacterium Thermotoga maritima. Knowledge of these genes enabled comprehensive reconstruction of biochemical pathways comprising the carbohydrate utilization network. However, transcriptional factors (TFs and regulatory mechanisms driving this network remained largely unknown. Here, we used an integrated approach based on comparative analysis of genomic and transcriptomic data for the reconstruction of the carbohydrate utilization regulatory networks in 11 Thermotogales genomes. We identified DNA-binding motifs and regulons for 19 orthologous TFs in the Thermotogales. The inferred regulatory network in T. maritima contains 181 genes encoding TFs, sugar catabolic enzymes and ABC-family transporters. In contrast to many previously described bacteria, a transcriptional regulation strategy of Thermotoga does not employ global regulatory factors. The reconstructed regulatory network in T. maritima was validated by gene expression profiling on a panel of mono- and disaccharides and by in vitro DNA-binding assays. The observed upregulation of genes involved in catabolism of pectin, trehalose, cellobiose, arabinose, rhamnose, xylose, glucose, galactose, and ribose showed a strong correlation with the UxaR, TreR, BglR, CelR, AraR, RhaR, XylR, GluR, GalR, and RbsR regulons. Ultimately, this study elucidated the transcriptional regulatory network and mechanisms controlling expression of carbohydrate utilization genes in T. maritima. In addition to improving the functional annotations of associated transporters and catabolic enzymes, this research provides novel insights into the evolution of regulatory networks in Thermotogales.

  20. Bacillus sp. JR3 esterase LipJ: A new mesophilic enzyme showing traces of a thermophilic past.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Judit Ribera

    Full Text Available A search for extremophile enzymes from ancient volcanic soils in El Hierro Island (Canary Islands, Spain allowed isolation of a microbial sporulated strain collection from which several enzymatic activities were tested. Isolates were obtained after sample cultivation under several conditions of nutrient contents and temperature. Among the bacterial isolates, supernatants from the strain designated JR3 displayed high esterase activity at temperatures ranging from 30 to 100°C, suggesting the presence of at least a hyper-thermophilic extracellular lipase. Sequence alignment of known thermophilic lipases allowed design of degenerated consensus primers for amplification and cloning of the corresponding lipase, named LipJ. However, the cloned enzyme displayed maximum activity at 30°C and pH 7, showing a different profile from that observed in supernatants of the parental strain. Sequence analysis of the cloned protein showed a pentapeptide motif -GHSMG- distinct from that of thermophilic lipases, and much closer to that of esterases. Nevertheless, the 3D structural model of LipJ displayed the same folding as that of thermophilic lipases, suggesting a common evolutionary origin. A phylogenetic study confirmed this possibility, positioning LipJ as a new member of the thermophilic family of bacterial lipases I.5. However, LipJ clusters in a clade close but separated from that of Geobacillus sp. thermophilic lipases. Comprehensive analysis of the cloned enzyme suggests a common origin of LipJ and other bacterial thermophilic lipases, and highlights the most probable divergent evolutionary pathway followed by LipJ, which during the harsh past times would have probably been a thermophilic enzyme, having lost these properties when the environment changed to more benign conditions.

  1. Bacillus sp. JR3 esterase LipJ: A new mesophilic enzyme showing traces of a thermophilic past.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ribera, Judit; Estupiñán, Mónica; Fuentes, Alba; Fillat, Amanda; Martínez, Josefina; Diaz, Pilar

    2017-01-01

    A search for extremophile enzymes from ancient volcanic soils in El Hierro Island (Canary Islands, Spain) allowed isolation of a microbial sporulated strain collection from which several enzymatic activities were tested. Isolates were obtained after sample cultivation under several conditions of nutrient contents and temperature. Among the bacterial isolates, supernatants from the strain designated JR3 displayed high esterase activity at temperatures ranging from 30 to 100°C, suggesting the presence of at least a hyper-thermophilic extracellular lipase. Sequence alignment of known thermophilic lipases allowed design of degenerated consensus primers for amplification and cloning of the corresponding lipase, named LipJ. However, the cloned enzyme displayed maximum activity at 30°C and pH 7, showing a different profile from that observed in supernatants of the parental strain. Sequence analysis of the cloned protein showed a pentapeptide motif -GHSMG- distinct from that of thermophilic lipases, and much closer to that of esterases. Nevertheless, the 3D structural model of LipJ displayed the same folding as that of thermophilic lipases, suggesting a common evolutionary origin. A phylogenetic study confirmed this possibility, positioning LipJ as a new member of the thermophilic family of bacterial lipases I.5. However, LipJ clusters in a clade close but separated from that of Geobacillus sp. thermophilic lipases. Comprehensive analysis of the cloned enzyme suggests a common origin of LipJ and other bacterial thermophilic lipases, and highlights the most probable divergent evolutionary pathway followed by LipJ, which during the harsh past times would have probably been a thermophilic enzyme, having lost these properties when the environment changed to more benign conditions.

  2. Structural basis of thermal stability of the tungsten cofactor synthesis protein MoaB from Pyrococcus furiosus.

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    Nastassia Havarushka

    Full Text Available Molybdenum and tungsten cofactors share a similar pterin-based scaffold, which hosts an ene-dithiolate function being essential for the coordination of either molybdenum or tungsten. The biosynthesis of both cofactors involves a multistep pathway, which ends with the activation of the metal binding pterin (MPT by adenylylation before the respective metal is incorporated. In the hyperthermophilic organism Pyrococcus furiosus, the hexameric protein MoaB (PfuMoaB has been shown to catalyse MPT-adenylylation. Here we determined the crystal structure of PfuMoaB at 2.5 Å resolution and identified key residues of α3-helix mediating hexamer formation. Given that PfuMoaB homologues from mesophilic organisms form trimers, we investigated the impact on PfuMoaB hexamerization on thermal stability and activity. Using structure-guided mutagenesis, we successfully disrupted the hexamer interface in PfuMoaB. The resulting PfuMoaB-H3 variant formed monomers, dimers and trimers as determined by size exclusion chromatography. Circular dichroism spectroscopy as well as chemical cross-linking coupled to mass spectrometry confirmed a wild-type-like fold of the protomers as well as inter-subunits contacts. The melting temperature of PfuMoaB-H3 was found to be reduced by more than 15 °C as determined by differential scanning calorimetry, thus demonstrating hexamerization as key determinant for PfuMoaB thermal stability. Remarkably, while a loss of activity at temperatures higher than 50 °C was observed in the PfuMoaB-H3 variant, at lower temperatures, we determined a significantly increased catalytic activity. The latter suggests a gain in conformational flexibility caused by the disruption of the hexamerization interface.

  3. Palaeococcus pacificus sp. nov., an archaeon from deep-sea hydrothermal sediment.

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    Zeng, Xiang; Zhang, Xiaobo; Jiang, Lijing; Alain, Karine; Jebbar, Mohamed; Shao, Zongze

    2013-06-01

    A hyperthermophilic, anaerobic, piezophilic archaeon (strain DY20341(T)) was isolated from a sediment sample collected from an East Pacific Ocean hydrothermal field (1° 37' S 102° 45' W) at a depth of 2737 m. The cells were irregular cocci, 0.8-1.5 µm in diameter. Growth was observed between 50 and 90 °C (optimum 80 °C), pH 5.0 and 8.0 (optimum pH 7.0), 1% and 7% (w/v) sea salts (Sigma, optimum 3%), 1% and 4% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 3%) and 0.1 and 80 MPa (optimum 30 MPa). The minimum doubling time was 66 min at 30 MPa and 80 °C. The isolate was an obligate chemoorganoheterotroph, capable of utilizing complex organic compounds and organic acids including yeast extract, peptone, tryptone, casein, starch, Casamino acids, citrate, lactate, acetate, fumarate, propanoate and pyruvate for growth. It was strictly anaerobic and facultatively dependent on elemental sulfur or sulfate as electron acceptors, but did not reduce sulfite, thiosulfate, Fe(III) or nitrate. The presence of elemental sulfur enhanced growth. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 43.6 ± 1 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the closest relative of the isolated organism was Palaeococcus ferrophilus DMJ(T) (95.7% 16S rRNA gene similarity). On the basis of its physiological properties and phylogenetic analyses, the isolate is considered to represent a novel species, for which the name Palaeococcus pacificus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is strain DY20341(T) (=JCM 17873(T)=DSM 24777(T)).

  4. Molecular and biochemical analyses of the GH44 module of CbMan5B/Cel44A, a bifunctional enzyme from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii.

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    Ye, Libin; Su, Xiaoyun; Schmitz, George E; Moon, Young Hwan; Zhang, Jing; Mackie, Roderick I; Cann, Isaac K O

    2012-10-01

    A large polypeptide encoded in the genome of the thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii was determined to consist of two glycoside hydrolase (GH) modules separated by two carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). Based on the detection of mannanase and endoglucanase activities in the N-terminal GH5 and the C-terminal GH44 module, respectively, the protein was designated CbMan5B/Cel44A. A GH5 module with >99% identity from the same organism was characterized previously (X. Su, R. I. Mackie, and I. K. Cann, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 78:2230-2240, 2012); therefore, attention was focused on CbMan5A/Cel44A-TM2 (or TM2), which harbors the GH44 module and the two CBMs. On cellulosic substrates, TM2 had an optimal temperature and pH of 85°C and 5.0, respectively. Although the amino acid sequence of the GH44 module of TM2 was similar to those of other GH44 modules that hydrolyzed cello-oligosaccharides, cellulose, lichenan, and xyloglucan, it was unique that TM2 also displayed modest activity on mannose-configured substrates and xylan. The TM2 protein also degraded Avicel with higher specific activity than activities reported for its homologs. The GH44 catalytic module is composed of a TIM-like domain and a β-sandwich domain, which consists of one β-sheet at the N terminus and nine β-sheets at the C terminus. Deletion of one or more β-sheets from the β-sandwich domain resulted in insoluble proteins, suggesting that the β-sandwich domain is essential for proper folding of the polypeptide. Combining TM2 with three other endoglucanases from C. bescii led to modest synergistic activities during degradation of cellulose, and based on our results, we propose a model for cellulose hydrolysis and utilization by C. bescii.

  5. Hydrogen limitation and syntrophic growth among natural assemblages of thermophilic methanogens at deep-sea hydrothermal vents

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    Begüm D. Topçuoğlu

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Thermophilic methanogens are common autotrophs at hydrothermal vents, but their growth constraints and dependence on H2 syntrophy in situ are poorly understood. Between 2012 and 2015, methanogens and H2-producing heterotrophs were detected by growth at 80°C and 55°C at most diffuse (7-40°C hydrothermal vent sites at Axial Seamount. Microcosm incubations of diffuse hydrothermal fluids at 80°C and 55°C demonstrated that growth of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic methanogens is primarily limited by H2 availability. Amendment of microcosms with NH4+ generally had no effect on CH4 production. However, annual variations in abundance and CH4 production were observed in relation to the eruption cycle of the seamount. Microcosm incubations of hydrothermal fluids at 80°C and 55°C supplemented with tryptone and no added H2 showed CH4 production indicating the capacity in situ for methanogenic H2 syntrophy. 16S rRNA genes were found in 80°C microcosms from H2-producing archaea and H2-consuming methanogens, but not for any bacteria. In 55°C microcosms, sequences were found from the H2-producing bacteria and H2-consuming methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria. A co-culture of representative organisms showed that Thermococcus paralvinellae supported the syntrophic growth of Methanocaldococcus bathoardescens at 82°C and Methanothermococcus sp. strain BW11 at 60°C. The results demonstrate that modeling of subseafloor methanogenesis should focus primarily on H2 availability and temperature, and that thermophilic H2 syntrophy can support methanogenesis within natural microbial assemblages and may be an important energy source for thermophilic autotrophs in marine geothermal environments.

  6. Horizontal gene transfer of a chloroplast DnaJ-Fer protein to Thaumarchaeota and the evolutionary history of the DnaK chaperone system in Archaea

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    Petitjean Céline

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In 2004, we discovered an atypical protein in metagenomic data from marine thaumarchaeotal species. This protein, referred as DnaJ-Fer, is composed of a J domain fused to a Ferredoxin (Fer domain. Surprisingly, the same protein was also found in Viridiplantae (green algae and land plants. Because J domain-containing proteins are known to interact with the major chaperone DnaK/Hsp70, this suggested that a DnaK protein was present in Thaumarchaeota. DnaK/Hsp70, its co-chaperone DnaJ and the nucleotide exchange factor GrpE are involved, among others, in heat shocks and heavy metal cellular stress responses. Results Using phylogenomic approaches we have investigated the evolutionary history of the DnaJ-Fer protein and of interacting proteins DnaK, DnaJ and GrpE in Thaumarchaeota. These proteins have very complex histories, involving several inter-domain horizontal gene transfers (HGTs to explain the contemporary distribution of these proteins in archaea. These transfers include one from Cyanobacteria to Viridiplantae and one from Viridiplantae to Thaumarchaeota for the DnaJ-Fer protein, as well as independent HGTs from Bacteria to mesophilic archaea for the DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE system, followed by HGTs among mesophilic and thermophilic archaea. Conclusions We highlight the chimerical origin of the set of proteins DnaK, DnaJ, GrpE and DnaJ-Fer in Thaumarchaeota and suggest that the HGT of these proteins has played an important role in the adaptation of several archaeal groups to mesophilic and thermophilic environments from hyperthermophilic ancestors. Finally, the evolutionary history of DnaJ-Fer provides information useful for the relative dating of the diversification of Archaeplastida and Thaumarchaeota.

  7. Diffuse flow environments within basalt- and sediment-based hydrothermal vent ecosystems harbor specialized microbial communities.

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    Campbell, Barbara J; Polson, Shawn W; Zeigler Allen, Lisa; Williamson, Shannon J; Lee, Charles K; Wommack, K Eric; Cary, S Craig

    2013-01-01

    Hydrothermal vents differ both in surface input and subsurface geochemistry. The effects of these differences on their microbial communities are not clear. Here, we investigated both alpha and beta diversity of diffuse flow-associated microbial communities emanating from vents at a basalt-based hydrothermal system along the East Pacific Rise (EPR) and a sediment-based hydrothermal system, Guaymas Basin. Both Bacteria and Archaea were targeted using high throughput 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing analyses. A unique aspect of this study was the use of a universal set of 16S rRNA gene primers to characterize total and diffuse flow-specific microbial communities from varied deep-sea hydrothermal environments. Both surrounding seawater and diffuse flow water samples contained large numbers of Marine Group I (MGI) Thaumarchaea and Gammaproteobacteria taxa previously observed in deep-sea systems. However, these taxa were geographically distinct and segregated according to type of spreading center. Diffuse flow microbial community profiles were highly differentiated. In particular, EPR dominant diffuse flow taxa were most closely associated with chemolithoautotrophs, and off axis water was dominated by heterotrophic-related taxa, whereas the opposite was true for Guaymas Basin. The diversity and richness of diffuse flow-specific microbial communities were strongly correlated to the relative abundance of Epsilonproteobacteria, proximity to macrofauna, and hydrothermal system type. Archaeal diversity was higher than or equivalent to bacterial diversity in about one third of the samples. Most diffuse flow-specific communities were dominated by OTUs associated with Epsilonproteobacteria, but many of the Guaymas Basin diffuse flow samples were dominated by either OTUs within the Planctomycetes or hyperthermophilic Archaea. This study emphasizes the unique microbial communities associated with geochemically and geographically distinct hydrothermal diffuse flow environments.

  8. Enhancement of fermentative hydrogen production from green algal biomass of Thermotoga neapolitana by various pretreatment methods

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    Nguyen, Tam-Anh D.; Kim, Kyoung-Rok; Nguyen, Minh-Thu; Sim, Sang Jun [Department of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Mi Sun [Bioenergy Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon 305-343 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Donhue [Department of Biochemical Engineering, Dongyang Mirae College, Seoul 152-714 (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-12-15

    Biomass of the green algae has been recently an attractive feedstock source for bio-fuel production because the algal carbohydrates can be derived from atmospheric CO{sub 2} and their harvesting methods are simple. We utilized the accumulated starch in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as the sole substrate for fermentative hydrogen (H{sub 2}) production by the hyperthermophilic eubacterium Thermotoga neapolitana. Because of possessing amylase activity, the bacterium could directly ferment H{sub 2} from algal starch with H{sub 2} yield of 1.8-2.2 mol H{sub 2}/mol glucose and the total accumulated H{sub 2} level from 43 to 49% (v/v) of the gas headspace in the closed culture bottle depending on various algal cell-wall disruption methods concluding sonication or methanol exposure. Attempting to enhance the H{sub 2} production, two pretreatment methods using the heat-HCl treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis were applied on algal biomass before using it as substrate for H{sub 2} fermentation. Cultivation with starch pretreated by 1.5% HCl at 121 C for 20 min showed the total accumulative H{sub 2} yield of 58% (v/v). In other approach, enzymatic digestion of starch by thermostable {alpha}-amylase (Termamyl) applied in the SHF process significantly enhanced the H{sub 2} productivity of the bacterium to 64% (v/v) of total accumulated H{sub 2} level and a H{sub 2} yield of 2.5 mol H{sub 2}/mol glucose. Our results demonstrated that direct H{sub 2} fermentation from algal biomass is more desirably potential because one bacterial cultivation step was required that meets the cost-savings, environmental friendly and simplicity of H{sub 2} production. (author)

  9. Structural and biochemical characterization of the β-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Thermotoga maritima: toward rationalization of mechanistic knowledge in the GH73 family.

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    Lipski, Alexandra; Hervé, Mireille; Lombard, Vincent; Nurizzo, Didier; Mengin-Lecreulx, Dominique; Bourne, Yves; Vincent, Florence

    2015-03-01

    Members of the GH73 glycosidase family cleave the β-1,4-glycosidic bond between the N-acetylglucosaminyl (GlcNAc) and N-acetylmuramyl (MurNAc) moieties in bacterial peptidoglycan. A catalytic mechanism has been proposed for members FlgJ, Auto, AcmA and Atl(WM) and the structural analysis of FlgJ and Auto revealed a conserved α/β fold reminiscent of the distantly related GH23 lysozyme. Comparison of the active site residues reveals variability in the nature of the catalytic general base suggesting two distinct catalytic mechanisms: an inverting mechanism involving two distant glutamate residues and a substrate-assisted mechanism involving anchimeric assistance by the C2-acetamido group of the GlcNAc moiety. Herein, we present the biochemical characterization and crystal structure of TM0633 from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima. TM0633 adopts the α/β fold of the family and displays β-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity on intact peptidoglycan sacculi. Site-directed mutagenesis identifies Glu34, Glu65 and Tyr118 as important residues for catalysis. A thorough bioinformatic analysis of the GH73 sequences identified five phylogenetic clusters. TM0633, FlgJ and Auto belong to a group of three clusters that conserve two carboxylate residues involved in a classical inverting acid-base mechanism. Members of the other two clusters lack a conserved catalytic general base supporting a substrate-assisted mechanism. Molecular modeling of representative members from each cluster suggests that variability in length of the β-hairpin region above the active site confers ligand-binding specificity and modulates the catalytic mechanisms within the GH73 family. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Neelaredoxin, an iron-binding protein from the syphilis spirochete, Treponema pallidum, is a superoxide reductase.

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    Jovanović, T; Ascenso, C; Hazlett, K R; Sikkink, R; Krebs, C; Litwiller, R; Benson, L M; Moura, I; Moura, J J; Radolf, J D; Huynh, B H; Naylor, S; Rusnak, F

    2000-09-15

    Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of venereal syphilis, is a microaerophilic obligate pathogen of humans. As it disseminates hematogenously and invades a wide range of tissues, T. pallidum presumably must tolerate substantial oxidative stress. Analysis of the T. pallidum genome indicates that the syphilis spirochete lacks most of the iron-binding proteins present in many other bacterial pathogens, including the oxidative defense enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase, but does possess an orthologue (TP0823) for neelaredoxin, an enzyme of hyperthermophilic and sulfate-reducing anaerobes shown to possess superoxide reductase activity. To analyze the potential role of neelaredoxin in treponemal oxidative defense, we examined the biochemical, spectroscopic, and antioxidant properties of recombinant T. pallidum neelaredoxin. Neelaredoxin was shown to be expressed in T. pallidum by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Recombinant neelaredoxin is a 26-kDa alpha(2) homodimer containing, on average, 0.7 iron atoms/subunit. Mössbauer and EPR analysis of the purified protein indicates that the iron atom exists as a mononuclear center in a mixture of high spin ferrous and ferric oxidation states. The fully oxidized form, obtained by the addition of K(3)(Fe(CN)(6)), exhibits an optical spectrum with absorbances at 280, 320, and 656 nm; the last feature is responsible for the protein's blue color, which disappears upon ascorbate reduction. The fully oxidized protein has a A(280)/A(656) ratio of 10.3. Enzymatic studies revealed that T. pallidum neelaredoxin is able to catalyze a redox equilibrium between superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, a result consistent with it being a superoxide reductase. This finding, the first description of a T. pallidum iron-binding protein, indicates that the syphilis spirochete copes with oxidative stress via a primitive mechanism, which, thus far, has not been described in pathogenic

  11. Insights into archaeal evolution and symbiosis from the genomes of a nanoarchaeon and its inferred crenarchaeal host from Obsidian Pool, Yellowstone National Park.

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    Podar, Mircea; Makarova, Kira S; Graham, David E; Wolf, Yuri I; Koonin, Eugene V; Reysenbach, Anna-Louise

    2013-04-22

    A single cultured marine organism, Nanoarchaeum equitans, represents the Nanoarchaeota branch of symbiotic Archaea, with a highly reduced genome and unusual features such as multiple split genes. The first terrestrial hyperthermophilic member of the Nanoarchaeota was collected from Obsidian Pool, a thermal feature in Yellowstone National Park, separated by single cell isolation, and sequenced together with its putative host, a Sulfolobales archaeon. Both the new Nanoarchaeota (Nst1) and N. equitans lack most biosynthetic capabilities, and phylogenetic analysis of ribosomal RNA and protein sequences indicates that the two form a deep-branching archaeal lineage. However, the Nst1 genome is more than 20% larger, and encodes a complete gluconeogenesis pathway as well as the full complement of archaeal flagellum proteins. With a larger genome, a smaller repertoire of split protein encoding genes and no split non-contiguous tRNAs, Nst1 appears to have experienced less severe genome reduction than N. equitans. These findings imply that, rather than representing ancestral characters, the extremely compact genomes and multiple split genes of Nanoarchaeota are derived characters associated with their symbiotic or parasitic lifestyle. The inferred host of Nst1 is potentially autotrophic, with a streamlined genome and simplified central and energetic metabolism as compared to other Sulfolobales. Comparison of the N. equitans and Nst1 genomes suggests that the marine and terrestrial lineages of Nanoarchaeota share a common ancestor that was already a symbiont of another archaeon. The two distinct Nanoarchaeota-host genomic data sets offer novel insights into the evolution of archaeal symbiosis and parasitism, enabling further studies of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of these relationships. This article was reviewed by Patrick Forterre, Bettina Siebers (nominated by Michael Galperin) and Purification Lopez-Garcia.

  12. Crystal structure of AFV3-109, a highly conserved protein from crenarchaeal viruses

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    Quevillon-Cheruel Sophie

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The extraordinary morphologies of viruses infecting hyperthermophilic archaea clearly distinguish them from bacterial and eukaryotic viruses. Moreover, their genomes code for proteins that to a large extend have no related sequences in the extent databases. However, a small pool of genes is shared by overlapping subsets of these viruses, and the most conserved gene, exemplified by the ORF109 of the Acidianus Filamentous Virus 3, AFV3, is present on genomes of members of three viral familes, the Lipothrixviridae, Rudiviridae, and "Bicaudaviridae", as well as of the unclassified Sulfolobus Turreted Icosahedral Virus, STIV. We present here the crystal structure of the protein (Mr = 13.1 kD, 109 residues encoded by the AFV3 ORF 109 in two different crystal forms at 1.5 and 1.3 Å resolution. The structure of AFV3-109 is a five stranded β-sheet with loops on one side and three helices on the other. It forms a dimer adopting the shape of a cradle that encompasses the best conserved regions of the sequence. No protein with a related fold could be identified except for the ortholog from STIV1, whose structure was deposited at the Protein Data Bank. We could clearly identify a well bound glycerol inside the cradle, contacting exclusively totally conserved residues. This interaction was confirmed in solution by fluorescence titration. Although the function of AFV3-109 cannot be deduced directly from its structure, structural homology with the STIV1 protein, and the size and charge distribution of the cavity suggested it could interact with nucleic acids. Fluorescence quenching titrations also showed that AFV3-109 interacts with dsDNA. Genomic sequence analysis revealed bacterial homologs of AFV3-109 as a part of a putative previously unidentified prophage sequences in some Firmicutes.

  13. Impact of orientation of carbohydrate binding modules family 22 and 6 on the catalytic activity of Thermotoga maritima xylanase XynB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tajwar, Razia; Shahid, Saher; Zafar, Rehan; Akhtar, Muhammad Waheed

    2017-11-01

    Xylanase XynB of the hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima, which belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 10 (GH10), does not have an associated carbohydrate binding module (CBM) in the native state. CBM6 and CBM22 from a thermophile Clostridium thermocellum were fused to the catalytic domain of XynB (XynB-C) to determine the effects on activity and other properties. XynB-B22C and XynB-CB22, produced by fusing CBM22 to the N- and C-terminal of XynB-C, showed 1.7- and 3.24-fold increase in activity against the insoluble birchwood xylan, respectively. Similarly, CBM6 when attached to the C-terminal of XynB-C resulted in 2.0-fold increase in activity, whereas its attachment to the N-terminal did not show any increase of activity. XynB-B22C and XynB-CB22 retained all the activity, whereas XynB-B6C and XynB-CB6 lost 17 and 11% of activity, respectively, at 60°C for 4h. Thermostability data and the secondary structure contents obtained by molecular modelling are in agreement with the data from circular dichroism analysis. Molecular modelling analysis showed that the active site residues of the catalytic domain and the binding residues of CBM6 and CBM22 were located on the surface of molecule, except XynB-B6C, where the binding residues were found somewhat buried. In the case of XynB-CB22, the catalytic and the binding residues seem to be located favorably adjacent to each other, thus showing higher increase in activity. This study shows that the active site residues of the catalytic domain and the binding residues of the CBM are arranged in a unique fashion, not reported before. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Responses of Microbial Community Composition to Temperature Gradient and Carbon Steel Corrosion in Production Water of Petroleum Reservoir

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    Xiao-Xiao Li

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Oil reservoir production systems are usually associated with a temperature gradient and oil production facilities frequently suffer from pipeline corrosion failures. Both bacteria and archaea potentially contribute to biocorrosion of the oil production equipment. Here the response of microbial populations from the petroleum reservoir to temperature gradient and corrosion of carbon steel coupons were investigated under laboratory condition. Carbon steel coupons were exposed to production water from a depth of 1809 m of Jiangsu petroleum reservoir (China and incubated for periods of 160 and 300 days. The incubation temperatures were set at 37, 55, and 65°C to monitoring mesophilic, thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms associated with anaerobic carbon steel corrosion. The results showed that corrosion rate at 55°C (0.162 ± 0.013 mm year-1 and 37°C (0.138 ± 0.008 mm year-1 were higher than that at 65°C (0.105 ± 0.007 mm year-1, and a dense biofilm was observed on the surface of coupons under all biotic incubations. The microbial community analysis suggests a high frequency of bacterial taxa associated with families Porphyromonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Spirochaetaceae at all three temperatures. While the majority of known sulfate-reducing bacteria, in particular Desulfotignum, Desulfobulbus and Desulfovibrio spp., were predominantly observed at 37°C; Desulfotomaculum spp., Thermotoga spp. and Thermanaeromonas spp. as well as archaeal members closely related to Thermococcus and Archaeoglobus spp. were substantially enriched at 65°C. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens of the family Methanobacteriaceae were dominant at both 37 and 55°C; acetoclastic Methanosaeta spp. and methyltrophic Methanolobus spp. were enriched at 37°C. These observations show that temperature changes significantly alter the microbial community structure in production fluids and also affected the biocorrosion of carbon steel under anaerobic conditions.

  15. Adaptation of model proteins from cold to hot environments involves continuous and small adjustments of average parameters related to amino acid composition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Vendittis, Emmanuele; Castellano, Immacolata; Cotugno, Roberta; Ruocco, Maria Rosaria; Raimo, Gennaro; Masullo, Mariorosario

    2008-01-07

    The growth temperature adaptation of six model proteins has been studied in 42 microorganisms belonging to eubacterial and archaeal kingdoms, covering optimum growth temperatures from 7 to 103 degrees C. The selected proteins include three elongation factors involved in translation, the enzymes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase, the cell division protein FtsZ. The common strategy of protein adaptation from cold to hot environments implies the occurrence of small changes in the amino acid composition, without altering the overall structure of the macromolecule. These continuous adjustments were investigated through parameters related to the amino acid composition of each protein. The average value per residue of mass, volume and accessible surface area allowed an evaluation of the usage of bulky residues, whereas the average hydrophobicity reflected that of hydrophobic residues. The specific proportion of bulky and hydrophobic residues in each protein almost linearly increased with the temperature of the host microorganism. This finding agrees with the structural and functional properties exhibited by proteins in differently adapted sources, thus explaining the great compactness or the high flexibility exhibited by (hyper)thermophilic or psychrophilic proteins, respectively. Indeed, heat-adapted proteins incline toward the usage of heavier-size and more hydrophobic residues with respect to mesophiles, whereas the cold-adapted macromolecules show the opposite behavior with a certain preference for smaller-size and less hydrophobic residues. An investigation on the different increase of bulky residues along with the growth temperature observed in the six model proteins suggests the relevance of the possible different role and/or structure organization played by protein domains. The significance of the linear correlations between growth temperature and parameters related to the amino acid composition improved when the analysis was

  16. Fundamental Studies of Recombinant Hydrogenases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adams, Michael W. [Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)

    2014-01-25

    This research addressed the long term goals of understanding the assembly and organization of hydrogenase enzymes, of reducing them in size and complexity, of determining structure/function relationships, including energy conservation via charge separation across membranes, and in screening for novel H2 catalysts. A key overall goal of the proposed research was to define and characterize minimal hydrogenases that are produced in high yields and are oxygen-resistant. Remarkably, in spite of decades of research carried out on hydrogenases, it is not possible to readily manipulate or design the enzyme using molecular biology approaches since a recombinant form produced in a suitable host is not available. Such resources are essential if we are to understand what constitutes a “minimal” hydrogenase and design such catalysts with certain properties, such as resistance to oxygen, extreme stability and specificity for a given electron donor. The model system for our studies is Pyrococcus furiosus, a hyperthermophile that grows optimally at 100°C, which contains three different nickel-iron [NiFe-] containing hydrogenases. Hydrogenases I and II are cytoplasmic while the other, MBH, is an integral membrane protein that functions to both evolve H2 and pump protons. Three important breakthroughs were made during the funding period with P. furiosus soluble hydrogenase I (SHI). First, we produced an active recombinant form of SHI in E. coli by the co-expression of sixteen genes using anaerobically-induced promoters. Second, we genetically-engineered P. furiosus to overexpress SHI by an order of magnitude compared to the wild type strain. Third, we generated the first ‘minimal’ form of SHI, one that contained two rather than four subunits. This dimeric form was stable and active, and directly interacted with a pyruvate-oxidizing enzyme with any intermediate electron carrier. The research resulted in five peer-reviewed publications.

  17. PCOGR: phylogenetic COG ranking as an online tool to judge the specificity of COGs with respect to freely definable groups of organisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meereis, Florian; Kaufmann, Michael

    2004-10-15

    The rapidly increasing number of completely sequenced genomes led to the establishment of the COG-database which, based on sequence homologies, assigns similar proteins from different organisms to clusters of orthologous groups (COGs). There are several bioinformatic studies that made use of this database to determine (hyper)thermophile-specific proteins by searching for COGs containing (almost) exclusively proteins from (hyper)thermophilic genomes. However, public software to perform individually definable group-specific searches is not available. The tool described here exactly fills this gap. The software is accessible at http://www.uni-wh.de/pcogr and is linked to the COG-database. The user can freely define two groups of organisms by selecting for each of the (current) 66 organisms to belong either to groupA, to the reference groupB or to be ignored by the algorithm. Then, for all COGs a specificity index is calculated with respect to the specificity to groupA, i. e. high scoring COGs contain proteins from the most of groupA organisms while proteins from the most organisms assigned to groupB are absent. In addition to ranking all COGs according to the user defined specificity criteria, a graphical visualization shows the distribution of all COGs by displaying their abundance as a function of their specificity indexes. This software allows detecting COGs specific to a predefined group of organisms. All COGs are ranked in the order of their specificity and a graphical visualization allows recognizing (i) the presence and abundance of such COGs and (ii) the phylogenetic relationship between groupA- and groupB-organisms. The software also allows detecting putative protein-protein interactions, novel enzymes involved in only partially known biochemical pathways, and alternate enzymes originated by convergent evolution.

  18. Enrichment of Thermophilic Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea from an Alkaline Hot Spring in the Great Basin, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, C.; Huang, Z.; Jiang, H.; Wiegel, J.; Li, W.; Dong, H.

    2010-12-01

    One of the major advances in the nitrogen cycle is the recent discovery of ammonia oxidation by archaea. While culture-independent studies have revealed occurrence of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in nearly every surface niche on earth, most of these microorganisms have resisted isolation and so far only a few species have been identified. The Great Basin contains numerous hot springs, which are characterized by moderately high temperature (40-65 degree C) and circumneutral or alkaline pH. Unique thermophilic archaea have been identified based on molecular DNA and lipid biomarkers; some of which may be ammonia oxidizers. This study aims to isolate some of these archaea from a California hot spring that has pH around 9.0 and temperature around 42 degree C. Mat material was collected from the spring and transported on ice to the laboratory. A synthetic medium (SCM-5) was inoculated with the mat material and the culture was incubated under varying temperature (35-65 degree C) and pH (7.0-10.0) conditions using antibiotics to suppress bacterial growth. Growth of the culture was monitored by microscopy, decrease in ammonium and increase in nitrite, and increases in Crenarchaeota and AOA abundances over time. Clone libraries were constructed to compare archaeal community structures before and after the enrichment experiment. Temperature and pH profiles indicated that the culture grew optimally at pH 9.0 and temperature 45 degree C, which are consistent with the geochemical conditions of the natural environment. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the final OTU was distantly related to all known hyperthermophilic archaea. Analysis of the amoA genes showed two OTUs in the final culture; one of them was closely related to Candidatus Nitrososphaera gargensis. However, the enrichment culture always contained bacteria and attempts to separate them from archaea have failed. This highlights the difficulty in bringing AOA into pure culture and suggests that some of the AOA may

  19. Diversity and distribution of microbes in deep-sea sub-vent systems, using newly designed in situ growth chambers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higashi, Y.; Sunamura, M.; Utsumi, M.; Urabe, T.; Maruyama, A.

    2004-12-01

    Subsurface of deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments is one of the most difficult fields on the Earth to approach and collect reliable samples for microbiological study. In our Archaean Park project, we developed in situ incubation instruments to directly collect microbes from sub-vent fields through a drilled borehole. After excavation using a portable submarine driller (BMS) around deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Suiyo Seamount on the Izu-Bonin Arc (2001, 2002) and the South Mariana (2003), microbial diversity was examined in samples collected from the boreholes, as well as natural vents, using catheter- and column-type in situ growth chambers. In the catheter samples collected from the Suiyo Seamount, several novel phylotypes of microbial SSU rRNA genes were assigned within epsilon-Proteobacteria and hyperthermophile-related Euryarchaea groups. The former novel epsilon group (SSSV-BE1) was also detected in the South Mariana, but they only appeared in the catheter samples collected just below the venting seafloor. These suggest that the group must be significant in warm, shallow and microaerobic sub-vent layers over the sea, at least in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The column-type in situ growth chamber was specially designed for creating and maintaining physico-chemical gradients in a ca. 40-cm-long column situated on an active vent. In Suiyo Seamount samples (vent temp.: ca. 30-100 degree C), a unique vertical profile was found in the diversity of Archaea. At the column bottom, most of the clones were assigned to be members within the lithoautotrophic thermophilic Ignicoccus, while heterotrophic thermophilic Thermococcus were abundant at the column top. Similar vertical profile has also been appeared in the column samples from the South Mariana. Further quantitative population analysis is now under going using these samples. Our approach to the sub-vent biosphere by the combination of drilling and in situ incubation is almost sure to give us important clues

  20. Sulfate- and Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria as Terrestrial Analogs for Microbial Life on Jupiter's Satellite Io

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pikuta, Elena V.; Hoover, Richard B.; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    Observations from the Voyager and Galileo spacecraft have revealed Jupiter's moon Io to be the most volcanically active body of our Solar System. The Galileo Near Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (NIMS) detected extensive deposits of sulfur compounds, elemental sulfur and SO2 frost on the surface of Io. There are extreme temperature variations on Io's surface, ranging from -130 C to over 2000 C at the Pillan Patera volcanic vent. The active volcanoes, fumaroles, calderas, and lava lakes and vast sulfur deposits on this frozen moon indicate that analogs of sulfur- and sulfate-reducing bacteria might inhabit Io. Hence Io may have great significance to Astrobiology. Earth's life forms that depend on sulfur respiration are members of two domains: Bacteria and Archaea. Two basic links of the biogeochemical sulfur cycle of Earth have been studied: 1) the sulfur oxidizing process (occurring at aerobic conditions) and 2) the process of sulfur-reduction to hydrogen sulfide (anaerobic conditions). Sulfate-reducing bacteria (StRB) and sulfur-reducing bacteria (SrRB) are responsible for anaerobic reducing processes. At the present time the systematics of StRB include over 112 species distributed into 35 genera of Bacteria and Archaea. Moderately thermophilic and mesophilic SrRB belong to the Bacteria. The hyperthermophilic SrRB predominately belong to the domain Archaea and are included in the genera: Pyrodictium, Thermoproteus, Pyrobaculum, Thermophilum, Desulfurococcus, and Thermodiscus. The StRB and SrRB use a wide spectrum of substrates as electron donors for lithotrophic and heterotrophic type nutrition. The electron acceptors for the StRB include: sulfate, thiosulfate, sulfite, sulfur, arsenate, dithionite, tetrathionate, sulfur monoxide, iron, nitrite, selenite, fumarate, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and chlorine-containing phenol compounds. The Sulfate- and Sulfur-reducing bacteria are widely distributed in anaerobic ecosystems, including extreme environments like hot springs

  1. The Genome Sequence of the psychrophilic archaeon, Methanococcoides burtonii: the Role of Genome Evolution in Cold-adaptation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allen, Michelle A.; Lauro, Federico M.; Williams, Timothy J.; Burg, Dominic; Siddiqui, Khawar S.; De Francisci, David; Chong, Kevin W.Y.; Pilak, Oliver; Chew, Hwee H.; De Maere, Matthew Z.; Ting, Lily; Katrib, Marilyn; Ng, Charmaine; Sowers, Kevin R.; Galperin, Michael Y.; Anderson, Iain J.; Ivanova, Natalia; Dalin, Eileen; Martinez, Michelle; Lapidus, Alla; Hauser, Loren; Land, Miriam; Thomas, Torsten; Cavicchioli, Ricardo

    2009-04-01

    Psychrophilic archaea are abundant and perform critical roles throughout the Earth's expansive cold biosphere. Here we report the first complete genome sequence for a psychrophilic methanogenic archaeon, Methanococcoides burtonii. The genome sequence was manually annotated including the use of a five tiered Evidence Rating system that ranked annotations from Evidence Rating (ER) 1 (gene product experimentally characterized from the parent organism) to ER5 (hypothetical gene product) to provide a rapid means of assessing the certainty of gene function predictions. The genome is characterized by a higher level of aberrant sequence composition (51%) than any other archaeon. In comparison to hyper/thermophilic archaea which are subject to selection of synonymous codon usage, M. burtonii has evolved cold adaptation through a genomic capacity to accommodate highly skewed amino acid content, while retaining codon usage in common with its mesophilic Methanosarcina cousins. Polysaccharide biosynthesis genes comprise at least 3.3% of protein coding genes in the genome, and Cell wall/membrane/envelope biogenesis COG genes are over-represented. Likewise, signal transduction (COG category T) genes are over-represented and M. burtonii has a high 'IQ' (a measure of adaptive potential) compared to many methanogens. Numerous genes in these two over-represented COG categories appear to have been acquired from {var_epsilon}- and {delta}-proteobacteria, as do specific genes involved in central metabolism such as a novel B form of aconitase. Transposases also distinguish M. burtonii from other archaea, and their genomic characteristics indicate they play an important role in evolving the M. burtonii genome. Our study reveals a capacity for this model psychrophile to evolve through genome plasticity (including nucleotide skew, horizontal gene transfer and transposase activity) that enables adaptation to the cold, and to the biological and physical changes that have

  2. Methane: Fuel or Exhaust at the Emergence of Life?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Michael J; Nitschke, Wolfgang

    2017-10-01

    As many of the methanogens first encountered at hydrothermal vents were thermophilic to hyperthermophilic and comprised one of the lower roots of the evolutionary tree, it has been assumed that methanogenesis was one of the earliest, if not the earliest, pathway to life. It being well known that hydrothermal springs associated with serpentinization also bore abiotic methane, it had been further assumed that emergent biochemistry merely adopted and quickened this supposed serpentinization reaction. Yet, recent hydrothermal experiments simulating serpentinization have failed to generate methane so far, thus casting doubt on this assumption. The idea that the inverse view is worthy of debate, that is, that methanotrophy was the earlier, is stymied by the "fact" that methanotrophy itself has been termed "reverse methanogenesis," so allotting the methanogens the founding pedigree. Thus, attempting to suggest instead that methanogenesis might be termed reverse methanotrophy would require "unlearning"-a challenge to the subconscious! Here we re-examine the "impossibility" of methanotrophy predating methanogenesis as in what we have termed the "denitrifying methanotrophic acetogenic pathway." Advantages offered by such thinking are that methane would not only be a fuel but also a ready source of reduced carbon to combine with formate or carbon monoxide-available in hydrothermal fluids-to generate acetate, a target molecule of the first autotrophs. And the nitrate/nitrite required for the putative oxidation of methane with activated NO would also be a ready source of fixed nitrogen for amination reactions. Theoretical conditions for such a putative pathway would be met in a hydrothermal green rust-bearing exhalative pile and associated chimneys subject to proton and electron counter gradients. This hypothesis could be put to test in a high-pressure hydrothermal reaction chamber in which a cool carbonate/nitrate/nitrite-bearing early acidulous ocean simulant is juxtaposed

  3. Characterization of the archaeal ribonuclease P proteins from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terada, Atsushi; Honda, Takashi; Fukuhara, Hideo; Hada, Kazumasa; Kimura, Makoto

    2006-08-01

    Ribonuclease P (RNase P) is a ribonucleoprotein complex involved in the processing of the 5'-leader sequence of precursor tRNA (pre-tRNA). Our earlier study revealed that RNase P RNA (pRNA) and five proteins (PhoPop5, PhoRpp38, PhoRpp21, PhoRpp29, and PhoRpp30) in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 reconstituted RNase P activity that exhibits enzymatic properties like those of the authentic enzyme. In present study, we investigated involvement of the individual proteins in RNase P activity. Two particles (R-3Ps), in which pRNA was mixed with three proteins, PhoPop5, PhoRpp30, and PhoRpp38 or PhoPop5, PhoRpp30, and PhoRpp21 showed a detectable RNase P activity, and five reconstituted particles (R-4Ps) composed of pRNA and four proteins exhibited RNase P activity, albeit at reduced level compared to that of the reconstituted particle (R-5P) composed of pRNA and five proteins. Time-course analysis of the RNase P activities of R-4Ps indicated that the R-4Ps lacking PhoPop5, PhoRpp21, or PhoRpp30 had virtually reduced activity, while omission of PhoRpp29 or PhoRpp38 had a slight effect on the activity. The results indicate that the proteins contribute to RNase P activity in order of PhoPop5 > PhoRpp30 > PhoRpp21 > PhoRpp29 > PhoRpp38. It was further found that R-4Ps showed a characteristic Mg2+ ion dependency approximately identical to that of R-5P. However, R-4Ps had optimum temperature of around at 55 degrees C which is lower than 70 degrees C for R-5P. Together, it is suggested that the P. horikoshii RNase P proteins are predominantly involved in optimization of the pRNA conformation, though they are individually dispensable for RNase P activity in vitro.

  4. Microbial diversity in hydrothermal surface to subsurface environments of Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, using a catheter-type in situ growth chamber.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higashi, Yowsuke; Sunamura, Michinari; Kitamura, Keiko; Nakamura, Ko-ichi; Kurusu, Yasurou; Ishibashi, Jun-ichiro; Urabe, Tetsuro; Maruyama, Akihiko

    2004-03-01

    After excavation using a portable submarine driller near deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, microbial diversity was examined in samples collected from inside the boreholes using an in situ growth chamber called a vent catheter. This instrument, which we devised for this study, consists of a heat-tolerant pipe tipped with a titanium mesh entrapment capsule that is packed with sterilized inorganic porous grains, which serve as an adhesion substrate. After this instrument was deployed inside each of the boreholes, as well as a natural vent, for 3-10 days in the vicinity of hot vent fluids (maxima: 156-305 degrees C), DNA was extracted from the adhesion grains, 16S rDNA was amplified, and randomly selected clones were sequenced. In phylogenetic analysis of more than 120 clones, several novel phylotypes were detected within the epsilon-Proteobacteria, photosynthetic bacteria (PSB)-related alpha-Proteobacteria, and Euryarchaeota clusters. Members of epsilon-Proteobacteria were frequently encountered. Half of these were classified between two known groups, Corre's B and D. The other half of the clones were assigned to new groups, SSSV-BE1 and SSSV-BE2 (Suiyo Seamount sub-vent origin, Bacteria domain, epsilon-Proteobacteria, groups 1 and 2). From this hydrothermal vent field, we detected a novel lineage within the PSB cluster, SSNV-BA1 (Suiyo Seamount natural vent origin, Bacteria domain, alpha-Proteobacteria, group 1), which is closely related to Rhodopila globiformis isolated from a hot spring. A number of archaeal clones were also detected from the borehole samples. These clones formed a novel monophyletic clade, SSSV-AE1 (Suiyo Seamount sub-vent origin, Archaea domain, Euryarchaeota, group 1), approximately between methanogenic hyperthermophilic members of Methanococcales and environmental clone members of DHVE Group II. Thus, this hydrothermal vent environment appears to be a noteworthy microbial and genetic resource. It is also

  5. Asymmetry in the burial of hydrophobic residues along the histone chains of Eukarya, Archaea and a transcription factor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silverman B David

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The histone fold is a common structural motif of proteins involved in the chromatin packaging of DNA and in transcription regulation. This single chain fold is stabilized by either homo- or hetero-dimer formation in archaea and eukarya. X-ray structures at atomic resolution have shown the eukaryotic nucleosome core particle to consist of a central tetramer of two bound H3-H4 dimers flanked by two H2A-H2B dimers. The c-terminal region of the H3 histone fold involved in coupling the two eukaryotic dimers of the tetramer, through a four-fold helical bundle, had previously been shown to be a region of reduced burial of hydrophobic residues within the dimers, and thereby provide a rationale for the observed reduced stability of the H3-H4 dimer compared with that of the H2A-H2B dimer. Furthermore, comparison between eukaryal and archaeal histones had suggested that this asymmetry in the distribution of hydrophobic residues along the H3 histone chains could be due to selective evolution that enhanced the coupling between the eukaryotic dimers of the tetramer. Results and discussion The present work describes calculations utilizing the X-ray structures at atomic resolution of a hyperthermophile from Methanopyrus kandleri (HMk and a eukaryotic transcription factor from Drosophila melanogaster (DRm, that are structurally homologous to the eukaryotic (H3-H42 tetramer. The results for several other related structures are also described. Reduced burial of hydrophobic residues, at the homologous H3 c-terminal regions of these structures, is found to parallel the burial at the c-terminal regions of the H3 histones and is, thereby, expected to affect dimer stability and the processes involving histone structural rearrangement. Significantly different sequence homology between the two histones of the HMk doublet with other archaeal sequences is observed, and how this might have occurred during selection to enhance tetramer stability is

  6. Improving biogas production from anaerobic co-digestion of Thickened Waste Activated Sludge (TWAS) and fat, oil and grease (FOG) using a dual-stage hyper-thermophilic/thermophilic semi-continuous reactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alqaralleh, Rania Mona; Kennedy, Kevin; Delatolla, Robert

    2018-07-01

    This paper investigates the feasibility and advantages of using a dual-stage hyper-thermophilic/thermophilic semi-continuous reactor system for the co-digestion of Thickened Waste Activated Sludge (TWAS) and Fat, Oil and Grease (FOG) to produce biogas in high quantity and quality. The performance of the dual-stage hyper-thermophilic (70°C)/thermophilic (55°C) anaerobic co-digestion system is evaluated and compared to the performance of a single-stage thermophilic (55°C) reactor that was used to co-digest the same FOG-TWAS mixtures. Both co-digestion reactors were compared to a control reactor (the control reactor was a single-stage thermophilic reactor that only digested TWAS). The effect of FOG% in the co-digestion mixture (based on total volatile solids) and the reactor hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the biogas/methane production and the reactors' performance were thoroughly investigated. The FOG% that led to the maximum methane yield with a stable reactor performance was determined for both reactors. The maximum FOG% obtained for the single-stage thermophilic reactor at 15 days HRT was found to be 65%. This 65% FOG resulted in 88.3% higher methane yield compared to the control reactor. However, the dual-stage hyper-thermophilic/thermophilic co-digestion reactor proved to be more efficient than the single-stage thermophilic co-digestion reactor, as it was able to digest up to 70% FOG with a stable reactor performance. The 70% FOG in the co-digestion mixture resulted in 148.2% higher methane yield compared to the control at 15 days HRT. 70% FOG (based on total volatile solids) is so far the highest FOG% that has been proved to be useful and safe for semi-continuous reactor application in the open literature. Finally, the dual-stage hyper-thermophilic/thermophilic co-digestion reactor also proved to be efficient and stable in co-digesting 40% FOG mixtures at lower HRTs (i.e., 9 and 12 days) and still produce high methane yields and Class A effluents

  7. Extreme Mutation Tolerance: Nearly Half of the Archaeal Fusellovirus Sulfolobus Spindle-Shaped Virus 1 Genes Are Not Required for Virus Function, Including the Minor Capsid Protein Gene vp3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iverson, Eric A; Goodman, David A; Gorchels, Madeline E; Stedman, Kenneth M

    2017-05-15

    Viruses infecting the Archaea harbor a tremendous amount of genetic diversity. This is especially true for the spindle-shaped viruses of the family Fuselloviridae , where >90% of the viral genes do not have detectable homologs in public databases. This significantly limits our ability to elucidate the role of viral proteins in the infection cycle. To address this, we have developed genetic techniques to study the well-characterized fusellovirus Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 1 (SSV1), which infects Sulfolobus solfataricus in volcanic hot springs at 80°C and pH 3. Here, we present a new comparative genome analysis and a thorough genetic analysis of SSV1 using both specific and random mutagenesis and thereby generate mutations in all open reading frames. We demonstrate that almost half of the SSV1 genes are not essential for infectivity, and the requirement for a particular gene correlates well with its degree of conservation within the Fuselloviridae The major capsid gene vp1 is essential for SSV1 infectivity. However, the universally conserved minor capsid gene vp3 could be deleted without a loss in infectivity and results in virions with abnormal morphology. IMPORTANCE Most of the putative genes in the spindle-shaped archaeal hyperthermophile fuselloviruses have no sequences that are clearly similar to characterized genes. In order to determine which of these SSV genes are important for function, we disrupted all of the putative genes in the prototypical fusellovirus, SSV1. Surprisingly, about half of the genes could be disrupted without destroying virus function. Even deletions of one of the known structural protein genes that is present in all known fuselloviruses, vp3 , allows the production of infectious viruses. However, viruses lacking vp3 have abnormal shapes, indicating that the vp3 gene is important for virus structure. Identification of essential genes will allow focused research on minimal SSV genomes and further understanding of the structure of

  8. Closed bioregenerative life support systems: Applicability to hot deserts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polyakov, Yuriy S.; Musaev, Ibrahim; Polyakov, Sergey V.

    2010-09-01

    Water scarcity in hot deserts, which cover about one-fifth of the Earth's land area, along with rapid expansion of hot deserts into arable lands is one of the key global environmental problems. As hot deserts are extreme habitats characterized by the availability of solar energy with a nearly complete absence of organic life and water, space technology achievements in designing closed ecological systems may be applicable to the design of sustainable settlements in the deserts. This review discusses the key space technology findings for closed biogenerative life support systems (CBLSS), which can simultaneously produce food, water, nutrients, fertilizers, process wastes, and revitalize air, that can be applied to hot deserts. Among them are the closed cycle of water and the acceleration of the cycling times of carbon, biogenic compounds, and nutrients by adjusting the levels of light intensity, temperature, carbon dioxide, and air velocity over plant canopies. Enhanced growth of algae and duckweed at higher levels of carbon dioxide and light intensity can be important to provide complete water recycling and augment biomass production. The production of fertilizers and nutrients can be enhanced by applying the subsurface flow wetland technology and hyper-thermophilic aerobic bacteria for treating liquid and solid wastes. The mathematical models, optimization techniques, and non-invasive measuring techniques developed for CBLSS make it possible to monitor and optimize the performance of such closed ecological systems. The results of long-duration experiments performed in BIOS-3, Biosphere 2, Laboratory Biosphere, and other ground-based closed test facilities suggest that closed water cycle can be achieved in hot-desert bioregenerative systems using the pathways of evapotranspiration, condensation, and biological wastewater treatment technologies. We suggest that the state of the art in the CBLSS design along with the possibility of using direct sunlight for

  9. The Last Universal Common Ancestor: emergence, constitution and genetic legacy of an elusive forerunner

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Labedan Bernard

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Since the reclassification of all life forms in three Domains (Archaea, Bacteria, Eukarya, the identity of their alleged forerunner (Last Universal Common Ancestor or LUCA has been the subject of extensive controversies: progenote or already complex organism, prokaryote or protoeukaryote, thermophile or mesophile, product of a protracted progression from simple replicators to complex cells or born in the cradle of "catalytically closed" entities? We present a critical survey of the topic and suggest a scenario. Results LUCA does not appear to have been a simple, primitive, hyperthermophilic prokaryote but rather a complex community of protoeukaryotes with a RNA genome, adapted to a broad range of moderate temperatures, genetically redundant, morphologically and metabolically diverse. LUCA's genetic redundancy predicts loss of paralogous gene copies in divergent lineages to be a significant source of phylogenetic anomalies, i.e. instances where a protein tree departs from the SSU-rRNA genealogy; consequently, horizontal gene transfer may not have the rampant character assumed by many. Examining membrane lipids suggest LUCA had sn1,2 ester fatty acid lipids from which Archaea emerged from the outset as thermophilic by "thermoreduction," with a new type of membrane, composed of sn2,3 ether isoprenoid lipids; this occurred without major enzymatic reconversion. Bacteria emerged by reductive evolution from LUCA and some lineages further acquired extreme thermophily by convergent evolution. This scenario is compatible with the hypothesis that the RNA to DNA transition resulted from different viral invasions as proposed by Forterre. Beyond the controversy opposing "replication first" to metabolism first", the predictive arguments of theories on "catalytic closure" or "compositional heredity" heavily weigh in favour of LUCA's ancestors having emerged as complex, self-replicating entities from which a genetic code arose under natural

  10. Structures of SRP54 and SRP19, the two proteins that organize the ribonucleic core of the signal recognition particle from Pyrococcus furiosus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pascal F Egea

    Full Text Available In all organisms the Signal Recognition Particle (SRP, binds to signal sequences of proteins destined for secretion or membrane insertion as they emerge from translating ribosomes. In Archaea and Eucarya, the conserved ribonucleoproteic core is composed of two proteins, the accessory protein SRP19, the essential GTPase SRP54, and an evolutionarily conserved and essential SRP RNA. Through the GTP-dependent interaction between the SRP and its cognate receptor SR, ribosomes harboring nascent polypeptidic chains destined for secretion are dynamically transferred to the protein translocation apparatus at the membrane. We present here high-resolution X-ray structures of SRP54 and SRP19, the two RNA binding components forming the core of the signal recognition particle from the hyper-thermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus (Pfu. The 2.5 A resolution structure of free Pfu-SRP54 is the first showing the complete domain organization of a GDP bound full-length SRP54 subunit. In its ras-like GTPase domain, GDP is found tightly associated with the protein. The flexible linker that separates the GTPase core from the hydrophobic signal sequence binding M domain, adopts a purely alpha-helical structure and acts as an articulated arm allowing the M domain to explore multiple regions as it scans for signal peptides as they emerge from the ribosomal tunnel. This linker is structurally coupled to the GTPase catalytic site and likely to propagate conformational changes occurring in the M domain through the SRP RNA upon signal sequence binding. Two different 1.8 A resolution crystal structures of free Pfu-SRP19 reveal a compact, rigid and well-folded protein even in absence of its obligate SRP RNA partner. Comparison with other SRP19*SRP RNA structures suggests the rearrangement of a disordered loop upon binding with the RNA through a reciprocal induced-fit mechanism and supports the idea that SRP19 acts as a molecular scaffold and a chaperone, assisting the SRP

  11. Molecular and biochemical analyses of CbCel9A/Cel48A, a highly secreted multi-modular cellulase by Caldicellulosiruptor bescii during growth on crystalline cellulose.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhuolin Yi

    endoglucanases produced by this hyperthermophilic bacterium.

  12. Molecular and biochemical analyses of CbCel9A/Cel48A, a highly secreted multi-modular cellulase by Caldicellulosiruptor bescii during growth on crystalline cellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Zhuolin; Su, Xiaoyun; Revindran, Vanessa; Mackie, Roderick I; Cann, Isaac

    2013-01-01

    produced by this hyperthermophilic bacterium.

  13. Bipartite Network Analysis of the Archaeal Virosphere: Evolutionary Connections between Viruses and Capsidless Mobile Elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iranzo, Jaime; Koonin, Eugene V; Prangishvili, David; Krupovic, Mart

    2016-12-15

    Archaea and particularly hyperthermophilic crenarchaea are hosts to many unusual viruses with diverse virion shapes and distinct gene compositions. As is typical of viruses in general, there are no universal genes in the archaeal virosphere. Therefore, to obtain a comprehensive picture of the evolutionary relationships between viruses, network analysis methods are more productive than traditional phylogenetic approaches. Here we present a comprehensive comparative analysis of genomes and proteomes from all currently known taxonomically classified and unclassified, cultivated and uncultivated archaeal viruses. We constructed a bipartite network of archaeal viruses that includes two classes of nodes, the genomes and gene families that connect them. Dissection of this network using formal community detection methods reveals strong modularity, with 10 distinct modules and 3 putative supermodules. However, compared to similar previously analyzed networks of eukaryotic and bacterial viruses, the archaeal virus network is sparsely connected. With the exception of the tailed viruses related to bacteriophages of the order Caudovirales and the families Turriviridae and Sphaerolipoviridae that are linked to a distinct supermodule of eukaryotic and bacterial viruses, there are few connector genes shared by different archaeal virus modules. In contrast, most of these modules include, in addition to viruses, capsidless mobile elements, emphasizing tight evolutionary connections between the two types of entities in archaea. The relative contributions of distinct evolutionary origins, in particular from nonviral elements, and insufficient sampling to the sparsity of the archaeal virus network remain to be determined by further exploration of the archaeal virosphere. Viruses infecting archaea are among the most mysterious denizens of the virosphere. Many of these viruses display no genetic or even morphological relationship to viruses of bacteria and eukaryotes, raising questions

  14. Abundance and Distribution of Diagnostic Carbon Fixation Genes in a Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Gradient Ecosystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blumenfeld, H. N.; Kelley, D. S.; Girguis, P. R.; Schrenk, M. O.

    2010-12-01

    The walls of deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimneys sustain steep thermal and chemical gradients resulting from the mixing of hot (350°C+) hydrothermal fluids with cold, oxygenated seawater. The chemical disequilibrium generated from this process has the potential to drive numerous chemolithoautotrophic metabolisms, many of which have been demonstrated to be operative in microbial pure cultures. In addition to the well-known Calvin Cycle, at least five additional pathways have been discovered including the Reverse Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle (rTCA), the Reductive Acetyl-CoA pathway, and the 3-hydroxyproprionate pathway. Most of the newly discovered pathways have been found in thermophilic and hyperthermophilic Bacteria and Archaea, which are the well represented in microbial diversity studies of hydrothermal chimney walls. However, to date, little is known about the environmental controls that impact various carbon fixation pathways. The overlap of limited microbial diversity with distinct habitat conditions in hydrothermal chimney walls provides an ideal setting to explore these relationships. Hydrothermal chimney walls from multiple structures recovered from the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the northeastern Pacific were sub-sampled and analyzed using PCR-based assays. Earlier work showed elevated microbial abundances in the outer portions of mature chimney walls, with varying ratios of Archaea to Bacteria from the outer to inner portions of the chimneys. Common phylotypes identified in these regions included Epsilonproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Desulfurococcales. Total genomic DNA was extracted from mineralogically distinct niches within these structures and queried for genes coding key regulatory enzymes for each of the well studied carbon fixation pathways. Preliminary results show the occurrence of genes representing rTCA cycle (aclB) and methyl coenzyme A reductase (mcrA) - a proxy for the Reductive Acetyl-CoA Pathway within interior portion of mature

  15. Ancillary contributions of heterologous biotin protein ligase and carbonic anhydrase for CO2 incorporation into 3-hydroxypropionate by metabolically engineered Pyrococcus furiosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lian, Hong; Zeldes, Benjamin M; Lipscomb, Gina L; Hawkins, Aaron B; Han, Yejun; Loder, Andrew J; Nishiyama, Declan; Adams, Michael W W; Kelly, Robert M

    2016-12-01

    Acetyl-Coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC), malonyl-CoA reductase (MCR), and malonic semialdehyde reductase (MRS) convert HCO 3 - and acetyl-CoA into 3-hydroxypropionate (3HP) in the 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrate carbon fixation cycle resident in the extremely thermoacidophilic archaeon Metallosphaera sedula. These three enzymes, when introduced into the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, enable production of 3HP from maltose and CO 2 . Sub-optimal function of ACC was hypothesized to be limiting for production of 3HP, so accessory enzymes carbonic anhydrase (CA) and biotin protein ligase (BPL) from M. sedula were produced recombinantly in Escherichia coli to assess their function. P. furiosus lacks a native, functional CA, while the M. sedula CA (Msed_0390) has a specific activity comparable to other microbial versions of this enzyme. M. sedula BPL (Msed_2010) was shown to biotinylate the β-subunit (biotin carboxyl carrier protein) of the ACC in vitro. Since the native BPLs in E. coli and P. furiosus may not adequately biotinylate the M. sedula ACC, the carboxylase was produced in P. furiosus by co-expression with the M. sedula BPL. The baseline production strain, containing only the ACC, MCR, and MSR, grown in a CO 2 -sparged bioreactor reached titers of approximately 40 mg/L 3HP. Strains in which either the CA or BPL accessory enzyme from M. sedula was added to the pathway resulted in improved titers, 120 or 370 mg/L, respectively. The addition of both M. sedula CA and BPL, however, yielded intermediate titers of 3HP (240 mg/L), indicating that the effects of CA and BPL on the engineered 3HP pathway were not additive, possible reasons for which are discussed. While further efforts to improve 3HP production by regulating gene dosage, improving carbon flux and optimizing bioreactor operation are needed, these results illustrate the ancillary benefits of accessory enzymes for incorporating CO 2 into 3HP production in metabolically engineered P

  16. Sequence of the hyperplastic genome of the naturally competent Thermus scotoductus SA-01

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gounder Kamini

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Many strains of Thermus have been isolated from hot environments around the world. Thermus scotoductus SA-01 was isolated from fissure water collected 3.2 km below surface in a South African gold mine. The isolate is capable of dissimilatory iron reduction, growth with oxygen and nitrate as terminal electron acceptors and the ability to reduce a variety of metal ions, including gold, chromate and uranium, was demonstrated. The genomes from two different Thermus thermophilus strains have been completed. This paper represents the completed genome from a second Thermus species - T. scotoductus. Results The genome of Thermus scotoductus SA-01 consists of a chromosome of 2,346,803 bp and a small plasmid which, together are about 11% larger than the Thermus thermophilus genomes. The T. thermophilus megaplasmid genes are part of the T. scotoductus chromosome and extensive rearrangement, deletion of nonessential genes and acquisition of gene islands have occurred, leading to a loss of synteny between the chromosomes of T. scotoductus and T. thermophilus. At least nine large inserts of which seven were identified as alien, were found, the most remarkable being a denitrification cluster and two operons relating to the metabolism of phenolics which appear to have been acquired from Meiothermus ruber. The majority of acquired genes are from closely related species of the Deinococcus-Thermus group, and many of the remaining genes are from microorganisms with a thermophilic or hyperthermophilic lifestyle. The natural competence of Thermus scotoductus was confirmed experimentally as expected as most of the proteins of the natural transformation system of Thermus thermophilus are present. Analysis of the metabolic capabilities revealed an extensive energy metabolism with many aerobic and anaerobic respiratory options. An abundance of sensor histidine kinases, response regulators and transporters for a wide variety of compounds are indicative

  17. Methanogenesis, Mesospheric Clouds, and Global Habitability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pueschel, Rudolf F.; Condon, Estelle P. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    Hyperthermophilic methanogens can exist in a deep hot biosphere up to 110 C, or 10 km deep. Methane (CH4) itself is thermodynamically stable to depths of 300 km. Geologic (microbial plus abiogenic thermal) methane is transported upward, attested to by its association with helium, to form petroleum pools. Near or at the surface, geologic CH4 mixes with other natural and with anthropogenic CH4 yielding annual emissions into the atmosphere of 500 Tg, of which 200 Tg are natural and 300 Tg are man-made. The atmospheric lifetime of CH4, a greenhouse gas 20 times more effective than CO2 in raising global temperatures, is approximately 10 years. It is removed from the atmosphere mainly by reactions with hydroxyl radical (OH) to form CO2, but also by dry soil and by conversion to H2O in the stratosphere and middle atmosphere. A sudden rise in atmospheric temperatures by 9-12 C some 55 million years ago has been explained by the release in a few thousand years of three trillion tons of CH4 out of 15 trillion tons that had formed beneath the sea floor. What prevented this CH4-induced greenhouse effect from running away? An analog to the CH4-burp of 55 million years ago is the CH4-doubling over the past century which resulted in a increase in upper level H2O from 4.3 ppmv to 6 ppmv. This 30% increase in H2O vapor yielded a tenfold increase in brightness of polar mesospheric clouds because of a strong dependence of the ice particle nucleation rate on the water saturation ratios. Models show that at a given temperature the optical depth of mesospheric clouds scales as [H2O]beta with beta varying between 4 and 8. Radiative transfer tools applied to mesospheric particles suggest that an optical depth of approximately one, or 1000 times the current mesospheric cloud optical depth, would result in tropospheric cooling of about 10 K. Assuming beta=6, a thousandfold increase in optical thickness would require a three-fold increase of H2O, or a 20-fold increase of CH4. At the current

  18. Structural Studies of Archaealthermophilic Adenylate Kinase; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konisky, J.

    2002-01-01

    Through this DOE-sponsored program Konisky has studied the evolution and molecular biology of microbes that live in extreme environments. The emphasis of this work has been the determination of the structural features of thermophilic enzymes that allow them to function optimally at near 100 C. The laboratory has focused on a comparative study of adenylate kinase (ADK), an enzyme that functions to interconvert adenine nucleotides. Because of the close phylogenetic relatedness of members of the Methanococci, differences in the structure of their ADKs will be dominated by structural features that reflect contributions to their optimal temperature for activity, rather than differences due to phylogenetic divergence. We have cloned, sequenced and modeled the secondary structure for several methanococcal ADKs. Using molecular modeling threading approaches that are based on the solved structure for the porcine ADK, we have also proposed a general low resolution three dimensional structure for each of the methanococcal enzymes. These analyses have allowed us to propose structural features that confer hyperthermoactivity to those enzymes functioning in the hyperthermophilic members of the Methanococci. Using protein engineering methodologies, we have tested our hypotheses by examining the effects of selective structural changes on thermoactivity. Despite possessing between 68-81% sequence identity, the methanococcal AKs had significantly different stability against thermal denaturation, with melting points ranging from 69-103 C. The construction of several chimerical AKs by linking regions of the MVO and MJA AKs demonstrated the importance of cooperative interactions between amino- and carboxyl-terminal regions in influencing thermostability. Addition of MJA terminal fragments to the MVO AK increased thermal stability approximately 20 C while maintaining 88% of the mesophilic sequence. Further analysis using structural models suggested that hydrophobic interactions are

  19. International scientific conference biogas science 2009. Vol. 2. Lectures; Internationale Wissenschaftstagung Biogas Science 2009. Bd. 2. Vortraege

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2009-12-15

    Within the international conference of the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (Munich, Federal Republic of Germany) at 2nd to 4th December, 2009, in Erding (Federal Republic of Germany), the following lectures were held: (1) Design and application of a functional oligonucleotide microarray for the identification of cellulose genes and their expression in (different) biogas Fermenters (M. Engel et al.); (2) Evaluation of the potential of hygienisation of the biogas process with regard to phytogenic damage exciter (R. Friedrich et al.); (3) Prevalence and role of hydrolytic bacteria in mesophilic and thermophilic biogas reactors (V.V. Zverlov et al.); (4) System analysis of biogas plants by means of microbiologic and molecular biologic methods: Comparison of hyperthermophilic (60 C) and thermophilic (55 C) (P. Scherer et al.); (5) Methanogenic archaea in agricultural biogas plants (E. Nettmann et al.); (6) Population dynamics of methanogens during acidification of biogas Fermenters fed with maize silage - a causal analysis (M. Lebuhn et al.); (7) Advanced interpretation of anaerobic batch tests - Conclusions for the practical operation (S. Meier et al.); (8) Development of a NIRS calibration for the determination of the biogas yield of maize (B. Darnhofer et al.); (9) Hydrogen and methane: Enhanced methane as well as hydrogen production and increased process stability by Sensorik control (N. Weran); (10) Stable carbon isotopes: A new laser method for the process analysis and identification of microbiologic reactions in the biogas process (S. Laukenmann et al.); (11) Biogas from grass silage - measurements and modelling (K. Koch et al.); (12) Mathematical modelling of the mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobe fermentation of maize silage (M. Luebken et al.); (13) The basket of benefit methodology as a tool for the comparison of electricity, heat, and fuel production from energy crops, exemplified by different utilization pathways for biogas (M. Bystricky et

  20. Chemolithoautotrophy in a shallow-sea hydrothermal system, Milos Island, Greece

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, G. S.; LaRowe, D.; Gilhooly, W., III; Druschel, G. K.; Fike, D. A.; Amend, J.

    2017-12-01

    In recent decades, numerous (hyper)thermophilic microorganisms have been isolated from hydrothermal venting systems. Although they have been shown to have the capabilities to catalyze a wide variety of reactions to gain energy, few pure cultures have been isolated from these environments. In order to more fully understand the catabolic potential of organisms living in and near hydrothermal vents, we have calculated the Gibbs energies (ΔGr) of 730 redox reactions that could be supplying energy to organisms in the shallow-sea hydrothermal sediments of Paleochori Bay, Milos Island, Greece. This analysis required in-depth geochemical data on the pore fluids and minerals in these sediments near the vent site at several depths. The geochemical profiles of Saganaki vent show steep gradients in temperature, pH, and redox-sensitive compounds resulting from the mixing of hot ( 75oC), acidic ( pH 4), chemically reduced venting fluid with colder, slightly basic and oxidized seawater. We determined values of ΔGr for 47 sediment porewater samples along a 20cm x 2m transect for metabolic reactions involving 23 inorganic H-, O-, C-, N-, S-, Fe-, Mn-, and As- bearing compounds. 379 of the reactions considered were exergonic at one or more sampling locations. The most exergonic reactions were anaerobic CO oxidation with NO2- (136 - 162 kJ/mol e-), followed by the O2/CO, NO3-/CO, and NO2-/ H2S redox pairs. ΔGr values exhibit significant variation among sites as temperature, pH and chemical concentration vary, especially concentrations of Fe2+, Mn2+, and H2S. A great diversity of energy sources are available for microbial populations to exploit: in hotter sediments, sulfide oxidation coupled to nitrite reduction yields large amounts of energy per kg of sediment, whereas aerobic S0 oxidation is more energy-yielding in cooler areas. Our results show that at Saganaki there is a substantial amount of energy available from to microorganisms from sulfur-redox reactions. 16S rRNA pyrotag

  1. Astrobiology - The New Synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sik, A.; Simon, T.

    . They research intensified for more reason: by analyzing their biochemistry and genetics we can get closer the understanding of formation and early evolution of life; their special enzymes ("extremozymes") have more and more significant scien- tific and industrial applications [13]; and terrestrial extremophile-analogies can help to understand the possible extreme ecosystems of other planets or moons. Most of the extremophiles are bacteria (eubacteria and archaea-bacteria as well) but in some extreme ecosystems eukaryotes also can be found. The base of their classification is the environmental factor that is tolerated extremely. - Thermophiles and hyperther- mophiles: the best known group and probably the most important in the understand- ing of life. Mainly prokaryotes that tolerate temperatures higher than 45C (if this is higher than 80C, the organism is hyperthermophile). The first species with higher optimum than 70C, Thermus aquaticus, an eubacterium was found in the thermal 3 springs of Yellowstone National Park (DNA polymerase enzyme was produced from it, which has revolutionized many aspects of genetics through the Polymerase Chain Reaction). However the first hyperthermophile was an archaea-bacteria (Sulfolobus acidocaldarius). After 1970 a lot of other species was found near to black smokers, so today approximately 50 hyperthermophiles are known. The record is 121C (Pyrod- ictium occultum) and the upper limit of tolerable temperature-range is not uncertain, 150C is the estimated value. - Psychrofiles: they can live in the polar ice layers, in glacier-ice and in permafrost soils also. - Acidophiles: pH-tolerance between value 5-2, lot of them are hyperthermophiles as well and lives in black smokers. The most ancient genome sequences are from these organisms signing that the first terrestrial organisms were acidophiles- hyperthermophiles. - Alkaliphiles: life functions above 9 pH value, general in soda-lakes. Together with the acidophiles they way of life is not

  2. Transmission of the PabI family of restriction DNA glycosylase genes: mobility and long-term inheritance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kojima, Kenji K; Kobayashi, Ichizo

    2015-10-19

    R.PabI is an exceptional restriction enzyme that functions as a DNA glycosylase. The enzyme excises an unmethylated base from its recognition sequence to generate apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites, and also displays AP lyase activity, cleaving the DNA backbone at the AP site to generate the 3'-phospho alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehyde end in addition to the 5'-phosphate end. The resulting ends are difficult to religate with DNA ligase. The enzyme was originally isolated in Pyrococcus, a hyperthermophilic archaeon, and additional homologs subsequently identified in the epsilon class of the Gram-negative bacterial phylum Proteobacteria, such as Helicobacter pylori. Systematic analysis of R.PabI homologs and their neighboring genes in sequenced genomes revealed co-occurrence of R.PabI with M.PabI homolog methyltransferase genes. R.PabI and M.PabI homolog genes are occasionally found at corresponding (orthologous) loci in different species, such as Helicobacter pylori, Helicobacter acinonychis and Helicobacter cetorum, indicating long-term maintenance of the gene pair. One R.PabI and M.PabI homolog gene pair is observed immediately after the GMP synthase gene in both Campylobacter and Helicobacter, representing orthologs beyond genera. The mobility of the PabI family of restriction-modification (RM) system between genomes is evident upon comparison of genomes of sibling strains/species. Analysis of R.PabI and M.PabI homologs in H. pylori revealed an insertion of integrative and conjugative elements (ICE), and replacement with a gene of unknown function that may specify a membrane-associated toxin (hrgC). In view of the similarity of HrgC with toxins in type I toxin-antitoxin systems, we addressed the biological significance of this substitution. Our data indicate that replacement with hrgC occurred in the common ancestor of hspAmerind and hspEAsia. Subsequently, H. pylori with and without hrgC were intermixed at this locus, leading to complex distribution of hrgC in East

  3. Subseafloor Microbial Life in Venting Fluids from the Mid Cayman Rise Hydrothermal System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, J. A.; Reveillaud, J.; Reddington, E.; McDermott, J. M.; Sylva, S. P.; Breier, J. A.; German, C. R.; Seewald, J.

    2012-12-01

    in Piccard vent fluids, a basalt-hosted black smoker site located at ~4950 m with a maximum temperature of 403 °C. However, hyperthermophilic and thermophilic heterotrophs of the genus Thermococcus were isolated from Piccard vent fluids, but not Von Damm. These obligate anaerobes, growing optimally at 55-90 °C, are ubiquitous at hydrothermal systems and serve as a readily cultivable indicator organism of subseafloor populations. Finally, molecular analysis of vent fluids is on-going and will define the microbial population structure in this novel ecosystem and allow for direct comparisons with other deep-sea and subsurface habitats as part of our continuing efforts to explore the deep microbial biosphere on Earth.

  4. Microbial anaerobic methane cycling in the subseafloor at the Von Damm hydrothermal vent field, Mid-Cayman Rise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, J. A.; Reveillaud, J. C.; Stepanauskas, R.; McDermott, J. M.; Sylva, S. P.; Seewald, J.

    2013-12-01

    methanogenic archaea are also present, including the hyperthermophile Methanopyrus, as well as methanogens that can use acetate, methanol, and other simple carbon compounds for methane generation, such as the genera Methanosaeta and Methermicoccus. In addition, uncultivated lineages related to putative anaerobic methane cycling archaea were detected in the fluids. These include the GOM Arc I clade within the Methanosarcinales, a group previously described from Gulf of Mexico methane seeps and thought to be methanogenic, as well as the ANME-1 and ANME-2 lineages, which are likely anaerobically oxidizing methane. On-going metagenomic sequencing of both mixed microbial communities and single cells from venting fluids will reveal the genomic repertoire, evolutionary relationships, and adaptations of these unique methane-cycling anaerobic archaea in the subseafloor at the Von Damm hydrothermal vent field.

  5. Search for collective excitations in nanoparticles of biological origin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Papp, T.; Hunyadi, M.; Gacsi, Z.; Toth, J.; Varga, D.

    2009-01-01

    resonances are also supported by nanostructures. Therefore, as a first step our direction is to search for such phenomena in biological matter. We have chosen the Se nanoparticles produced by lactic acid bacteria. The microbial diversity of Se-respiring prokaryotes is very broad and includes hyperthermophiles capable of respiring Se oxyanions at 90degC. There is a profound geometric and spectral variations between Te(0) and Se(0) nanoparticles formed by prokaryotes that respire oxyanions of these elements. Lower bandgap energy was noted for the Te(0) nanorods produced by them, suggesting the greater ease with which this material can serve to convert radiant electromagnetic energy into electrical current than the referenced commercially obtained samples. Using XPS and REELS we have studied the electron transport properties of Se nanospheres, produced by various strains of lactic acid bacteria. The first obstacles that we have to overcome are sample preparation and characterization, as bacteria can produce profound variations on nanospheres and nanorods.