Showing papers by "Ortwin Meyer published in 2009"
TL;DR: It is shown that AMO resides in the cytoplasm of the bacteria in addition to its location in the membrane and is distributed approximately equally in both subcellular fractions.
Abstract: Ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) of Nitrosomonas europaea is a metalloenzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of ammonia to hydroxylamine. This study shows that AMO resides in the cytoplasm of the bacteria in addition to its location in the membrane and is distributed approximately equally in both subcellular fractions. AMO in both fractions catalyzes the oxidation of ammonia and binds [(14)C]acetylene, a mechanism-based inhibitor which specifically interacts with catalytically active AMO. Soluble AMO was purified 12-fold to electrophoretic homogeneity with a yield of 8%. AMO has a molecular mass of approximately 283 kDa with subunits of ca. 27 kDa (alpha-subunit, AmoA), ca. 42 kDa (beta-subunit, AmoB), and ca. 24 kDa (gamma-subunit, cytochrome c(1)) in an alpha(3)beta(3)gamma(3) sub-unit structure. Different from the beta-subunit of membrane-bound AMO, AmoB of soluble AMO possesses an N-terminal signal sequence. AMO contains Cu (9.4+/-0.6 mol per mol AMO), Fe (3.9+/-0.3 mol per mol AMO), and Zn (0.5 to 2.6 mol per mol AMO). Upon reduction the visible absorption spectrum of AMO reveals absorption bands characteristic of cytochrome c. Electron para-magnetic resonance spectroscopy of air-oxidized AMO at 50 K shows a paramagnetic signal originating from Cu(2+) and at 10 K a paramagnetic signal characteristic of heme-Fe.
43 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the binding site of histidine 191 of AmoA was identified as a binding site for the oxidized mechanism-based inactivator acetylene, which was shown to change the molecular mass of His-191 from 155.15 to 197.2 Da (+42.05), providing evidence that acetylene was oxidized to ketene.
Abstract: The ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) of Nitrosomonas europaea is a metalloenzyme that catalyses the oxidation of ammonia to hydroxylamine. We have identified histidine 191 of AmoA as the binding site for the oxidized mechanism-based inactivator acetylene. Binding of acetylene changed the molecular mass of His-191 from 155.15 to 197.2 Da (+42.05), providing evidence that acetylene was oxidized to ketene (CH2CO; 42.04 Da) which binds specifically to His-191. It must be assumed that His-191 is part of the acetylene-activating site in AMO or at least directly neighbours this site.
39 citations
TL;DR: Recombinant CoxD, which appeared in Escherichia coli in inclusion bodies, occurs exclusively in cytoplasmic membranes of O. carboxidovorans grown in the presence of CO, and its occurrence coincided with GTPase activity upon sucrose density gradient centrifugation of cell extracts, and Sequence information suggests that CoxD is a MoxR-like AAA+ ATPase chaperone related to the hexameric, ring-shaped BchI component
36 citations
TL;DR: In anaerobically ammonia-oxidizing cells of N. europaea, the cellular mRNA concentrations of amoA, hao, rh1,coxA, cbbL, ftsZ, and sodB were reduced compared with aerobically nitrifying cells, but the mRNA levels of nirK, norB, and nsc were significantly increased.
Abstract: Nitrosomonas europaea can grow under conditions of chemolithoautotrophic aerobic (oxygen as oxidant) as well as anaerobic [nitrogen dioxide (NO2) as oxidant] nitrification or chemoorganotrophic anaerobic pyruvate-dependent denitrification. In this study, the adaptation of the transcription (mRNA synthesis/concentration) of N. europaea to aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions was evaluated and the transcription of genes coding for metabolic key functions was analyzed: nitrogen and energy metabolism (amoA, hao, rh1, nirK, norB, nsc, aceE, ldhA, ppc, gltA, odhA, coxA), carbon dioxide fixation (cbbL), gluconeogenesis (ppsA), cell growth (ftsZ), and oxidative stress (sodB). During aerobic ammonia oxidation the specific activities of ammonia oxidation, nitrite reduction, and the growth rates correlated with the transcription level of the corresponding genes amoA/hao, nirK/norB/nsc, and cbbL/ftsZ. In anaerobically ammonia-oxidizing cells of N. europaea, the cellular mRNA concentrations of amoA, hao, rh1,coxA, cbbL, ftsZ, and sodB were reduced compared with aerobically nitrifying cells, but the mRNA levels of nirK, norB, and nsc were significantly increased. During anaerobic pyruvate-dependent denitrification, the mRNA abundance of nirK, norB, nsc, aceE, gltA, and odhA was increased, while the concentrations of amoA,hao, rh1, coxAcbbL, ftsZ, and sodB were significantly reduced. Temperature, pH value, and NH4+, O2, NO, and NO2 concentrations had comparatively small effects on the transcription of the studied genes.
29 citations