skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Hemerythrins enhance aerobic respiration in Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20ZR, a methane-consuming bacterium

Journal Article · · FEMS Microbiology Letters (Online)
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2]
  1. Biology Department, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, USA
  2. Biology Department, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, USA, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA

ABSTRACT Numerous hemerythrins, di-iron proteins, have been identified in prokaryote genomes, but in most cases their function remains elusive. Bacterial hemerythrin homologs (bacteriohemerythrins, Bhrs) may contribute to various cellular functions, including oxygen sensing, metal binding and antibiotic resistance. It has been proposed that methanotrophic Bhrs support methane oxidation by supplying oxygen to a core enzyme, particulate methane monooxygenase. In this study, the consequences of the overexpression or deletion of the Bhr gene (bhr) in Methylomicrobiam alcaliphillum 20ZR were investigated. We found that the bhrknockout (20ZRΔbhr) displays growth kinetics and methane consumption rates similar to wild type. However, the 20ZRΔbhr accumulates elevated concentrations of acetate at aerobic conditions, indicating slowed respiration. The methanotrophic strain overproducing Bhr shows increased oxygen consumption and reduced carbon-conversion efficiency, while its methane consumption rates remain unchanged. These results suggest that the methanotrophic Bhr proteins specifically contribute to oxygen-dependent respiration, while they have minimal, if any, input of oxygen for the methane oxidation machinery.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
FOA-0001085
OSTI ID:
1604246
Journal Information:
FEMS Microbiology Letters (Online), Journal Name: FEMS Microbiology Letters (Online) Vol. 367 Journal Issue: 2; ISSN 1574-6968
Publisher:
Oxford University PressCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
Netherlands
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 4 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (23)

Engineering and characterization of a superfolder green fluorescent protein journal December 2005
Bacteriohemerythrin bolsters the activity of the particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) in Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) journal June 2012
Methanotrophs and copper journal July 2010
A Hemerythrin-like Domain in a Bacterial Chemotaxis Protein journal May 2000
Ovohemerythrin, a major 14-kDa yolk protein distinct from vitellogenin in leech journal October 1992
Diversity and distribution of hemerythrin-like proteins in prokaryotes journal February 2008
Methane as a Resource: Can the Methanotrophs Add Value? journal March 2015
Characterization of a prokaryotic haemerythrin from the methanotrophic bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath): Characterization of prokaryotic haemerythrin journal April 2005
Structure, function and evolution of the hemerythrin-like domain superfamily: Hemerythrin-like Domain Superfamily journal January 2018
A phylogenomic profile of hemerythrins, the nonheme diiron binding respiratory proteins journal January 2008
A Broad Host Range Mobilization System for In Vivo Genetic Engineering Transposon Mutagenesis in Gram Negative Bacteria journal November 1983
Continuous abatement of methane coupled with ectoine production by Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z in stirred tank reactors: A step further towards greenhouse gas biorefineries journal May 2017
Crystal Structure Analysis of the Repair of Iron Centers Protein YtfE and Its Interaction with NO journal June 2016
Copper stress underlies the fundamental change in intracellular location of methane mono-oxygenase in methane-oxidizing organisms: Studies in batch and continuous cultures journal July 1983
Differential roles of the hemerythrin-like proteins of Mycobacterium smegmatis in hydrogen peroxide and erythromycin susceptibility journal November 2015
Rare Earth Elements Alter Redox Balance in Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20ZR journal November 2018
Diverse electron sources support denitrification under hypoxia in the obligate methanotroph Methylomicrobium album strain BG8 journal October 2015
Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Metabolic Regulation by Copper Ions in Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) journal September 2004
Highly efficient methane biocatalysis revealed in a methanotrophic bacterium journal December 2013
Isolation, purification and characterization of hemerythrin from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) journal August 2008
Enzymatic assembly of DNA molecules up to several hundred kilobases journal April 2009
Genetic Tools for the Industrially Promising Methanotroph Methylomicrobium buryatense journal December 2014
Dioxygen and Hemerythrin journal May 1994

Related Subjects