This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by van Waasbergen, L. G.
Right arrow Articles by Tebo, B. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by van Waasbergen, L. G.
Right arrow Articles by Tebo, B. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol., Jun 1996, 3517-3530, Vol 178, No. 12
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

Identification and characterization of a gene cluster involved in manganese oxidation by spores of the marine Bacillus sp. strain SG-1

LG van Waasbergen, M Hildebrand and BM Tebo
Marine Biology Research Division and Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0202, USA.

The marine Bacillus sp. strain SG-1 forms spores that oxidize manganese(II) as a result of the activities of uncharacterized components of its spore coat. Nucleotide sequence analysis of chromosomal loci previously identified through insertion mutagenesis as being involved in manganese oxidation identified seven possible genes (designated mnxA to mnxG) in what appears to be an operon. A potential recognition site for the sporulation, mother-cell-specific, RNA polymerase sigma factor, sigmaK, was located just upstream of the cluster, and correspondingly, measurement of beta-galactosidase activity from a Tn917-lacZ insertion in mnxD showed expression at mid- sporulation to late sporulation (approximately stage IV to V of sporulation). Spores of nonoxidizing mutants appeared unaffected with respect to their temperature and chemical resistance properties and germination characteristics. However, transmission electron microscopy revealed alterations in the outermost spore coat. This suggests that products of these genes may be involved in the deposition of the spore coat structure and/or are spore coat proteins themselves. Regions of the deduced protein product of mnxG showed amino acid sequence similarity to the family of multicopper oxidases, a diverse group of proteins that use multiple copper ions to oxidize a variety of substrates. Similar regions included those that are involved in binding of copper, and the addition of copper at a low concentration was found to enhance manganese oxidation by the spores. This suggests that the product of this gene may function like a copper oxidase and that it may be directly responsible for the oxidation of manganese by the spores.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Anderson, C. R., Johnson, H. A., Caputo, N., Davis, R. E., Torpey, J. W., Tebo, B. M. (2009). Mn(II) Oxidation Is Catalyzed by Heme Peroxidases in "Aurantimonas manganoxydans" Strain SI85-9A1 and Erythrobacter sp. Strain SD-21. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 4130-4138 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wang, W., Shao, Z., Liu, Y., Wang, G. (2009). Removal of multi-heavy metals using biogenic manganese oxides generated by a deep-sea sedimentary bacterium - Brachybacterium sp. strain Mn32. Microbiology 155: 1989-1996 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mayhew, L. E., Swanner, E. D., Martin, A. P., Templeton, A. S. (2008). Phylogenetic Relationships and Functional Genes: Distribution of a Gene (mnxG) Encoding a Putative Manganese-Oxidizing Enzyme in Bacillus Species. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 7265-7271 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dick, G. J., Podell, S., Johnson, H. A., Rivera-Espinoza, Y., Bernier-Latmani, R., McCarthy, J. K., Torpey, J. W., Clement, B. G., Gaasterland, T., Tebo, B. M. (2008). Genomic Insights into Mn(II) Oxidation by the Marine Alphaproteobacterium Aurantimonas sp. Strain SI85-9A1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 2646-2658 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dick, G. J., Torpey, J. W., Beveridge, T. J., Tebo, B. M. (2008). Direct Identification of a Bacterial Manganese(II) Oxidase, the Multicopper Oxidase MnxG, from Spores of Several Different Marine Bacillus Species. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 1527-1534 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dick, G. J., Lee, Y. E., Tebo, B. M. (2006). Manganese(II)-Oxidizing Bacillus Spores in Guaymas Basin Hydrothermal Sediments and Plumes.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 3184-3190 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hansel, C. M., Francis, C. A. (2006). Coupled Photochemical and Enzymatic Mn(II) Oxidation Pathways of a Planktonic Roseobacter-Like Bacterium.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 3543-3549 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Webb, S. M., Dick, G. J., Bargar, J. R., Tebo, B. M. (2005). Evidence for the presence of Mn(III) intermediates in the bacterial oxidation of Mn(II). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 5558-5563 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Newman, D. K., Gralnick, J. A. (2005). What Genetics Offers Geobiology. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 59: 9-26 [Full Text]  
  • Hullo, M.-F., Moszer, I., Danchin, A., Martin-Verstraete, I. (2001). CotA of Bacillus subtilis Is a Copper-Dependent Laccase. J. Bacteriol. 183: 5426-5430 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Francis, C. A., Tebo, B. M. (2001). cumA Multicopper Oxidase Genes from Diverse Mn(II)-Oxidizing and Non-Mn(II)-Oxidizing Pseudomonas Strains. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 4272-4278 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brouwers, G.-J., de Vrind, J. P. M., Corstjens, P. L. A. M., Cornelis, P., Baysse, C., de Vrind-de Jong, E. W. (1999). cumA, a Gene Encoding a Multicopper Oxidase, Is Involved in Mn2+ Oxidation in Pseudomonas putida GB-1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 1762-1768 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Driks, A. (1999). Bacillus subtilis Spore Coat. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 63: 1-20 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nelson, Y. M., Lion, L. W., Ghiorse, W. C., Shuler, M. L. (1999). Production of Biogenic Mn Oxides by Leptothrix discophora SS-1 in a Chemically Defined Growth Medium and Evaluation of Their Pb Adsorption Characteristics. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 175-180 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • de Vrind, J. P. M., Brouwers, G. J., Corstjens, P. L. A. M., den Dulk, J., de Vrind-de Jong, E. W. (1998). The Cytochrome c Maturation Operon Is Involved in Manganese Oxidation in Pseudomonas putida GB-1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 3556-3562 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • He, L. M., Tebo, B. M. (1998). Surface Charge Properties of and Cu(II) Adsorption by Spores of the Marine Bacillus sp. Strain SG-1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 1123-1129 [Abstract] [Full Text]