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Heterologous production of an energy-conserving carbon monoxide dehydrogenase complex in the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus

Journal Article · · Frontiers in Microbiology
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); University of Georgia
  2. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)
  3. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)
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In this study, 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 CO 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.
Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Biological Electron Transfer and Catalysis (BETCy); Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012518
OSTI ID:
1242375
Journal Information:
Frontiers in Microbiology, Journal Name: Frontiers in Microbiology Vol. 7; ISSN 1664-302X
Publisher:
Frontiers Research FoundationCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (6)

Author Correction: Hydrogen-based metabolism as an ancestral trait in lineages sibling to the Cyanobacteria journal March 2019
Structural and Phylogenetic Diversity of Anaerobic Carbon-Monoxide Dehydrogenases journal January 2019
A simple biosynthetic pathway for 2,3-butanediol production in Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 journal March 2019
Biophysical and structural characterization of the putative nickel chaperone CooT from Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans journal June 2018
Hydrogen-based metabolism as an ancestral trait in lineages sibling to the Cyanobacteria journal January 2019
The biologically mediated water–gas shift reaction: structure, function and biosynthesis of monofunctional [NiFe]-carbon monoxide dehydrogenases journal January 2018

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Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Thermococcales
anaerobic respiration
archaea
carbon monoxide
energy
hydrogen
hyperthermophile