J. Bacteriol., Apr 1996, 2005-2009, Vol 178, No. 7
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

Physiology and interaction of nitrate and nitrite reduction in Staphylococcus carnosus

H Neubauer and F Gotz
Mikrobielle Genetik, Universitat Tubingen, Tubingen, Germany.

Staphylococcus carnosus reduces nitrate to ammonia in two steps. (i) Nitrate was taken up and reduced to nitrite, and nitrite was subsequently excreted. (ii) After depletion of nitrate, the accumulated nitrite was imported and reduced to ammonia, which again accumulated in the medium. The localization, energy gain, and induction of the nitrate and nitrite reductases in S. carnosus were characterized. Nitrate reductase seems to be a membrane-bound enzyme involved in respiratory energy conservation, whereas nitrite reductase seems to be a cytosolic enzyme involved in NADH reoxidation. Syntheses of both enzymes are inhibited by oxygen and induced to greater or lesser degrees by nitrate or nitrite, respectively. In whole cells, nitrite reduction is inhibited by nitrate and also by high concentrations of nitrite (> or = 10 mM). Nitrite did not influence nitrate reduction. Two possible mechanisms for the inhibition of nitrite reduction by nitrate that are not mutually exclusive are discussed. (i) Competition for NADH nitrate reductase is expected to oxidize the bulk of the NADH because of its higher specific activity. (ii) The high rate of nitrate reduction could lead to an internal accumulation of nitrite, possibly the result of a less efficient nitrite reduction or export. So far, we have no evidence for the presence of other dissimilatory or assimilatory nitrate or nitrite reductases in S. carnosus.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Handke, L. D., Rogers, K. L., Olson, M. E., Somerville, G. A., Jerrells, T. J., Rupp, M. E., Dunman, P. M., Fey, P. D. (2008). Staphylococcus epidermidis saeR Is an Effector of Anaerobic Growth and a Mediator of Acute Inflammation. Infect. Immun. 76: 141-152 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Schlag, S., Nerz, C., Birkenstock, T. A., Altenberend, F., Gotz, F. (2007). Inhibition of Staphylococcal Biofilm Formation by Nitrite. J. Bacteriol. 189: 7911-7919 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Makhlin, J., Kofman, T., Borovok, I., Kohler, C., Engelmann, S., Cohen, G., Aharonowitz, Y. (2007). Staphylococcus aureus ArcR Controls Expression of the Arginine Deiminase Operon. J. Bacteriol. 189: 5976-5986 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fedtke, I., Kamps, A., Krismer, B., Gotz, F. (2002). The Nitrate Reductase and Nitrite Reductase Operons and the narT Gene of Staphylococcus carnosus Are Positively Controlled by the Novel Two-Component System NreBC. J. Bacteriol. 184: 6624-6634 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Neubauer, H., Pantel, I., Götz, F. (1999). Molecular Characterization of the Nitrite-Reducing System of Staphylococcus carnosus. J. Bacteriol. 181: 1481-1488 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Piñar, G., Ramos, J. L. (1998). Recombinant Klebsiella oxytoca Strains with Improved Efficiency in Removal of High Nitrate Loads. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 5016-5019 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wagner, E, Doskar, J, Gotz, F (1998). Physical and genetic map of the genome of Staphylococcus carnosus TM300. Microbiology 144: 509-517 [Abstract]