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Journal of Bacteriology, March 2004, p. 1614-1619, Vol. 186, No. 6
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.6.1614-1619.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Molybdenum-Containing Arsenite Oxidase of the Chemolithoautotrophic Arsenite Oxidizer NT-26

Joanne M. Santini* and Rachel N. vanden Hoven

Department of Microbiology, La Trobe University, 3086 Victoria, Australia

Received 9 October 2003/ Accepted 10 December 2003

The chemolithoautotroph NT-26 oxidizes arsenite to arsenate by using a periplasmic arsenite oxidase. Purification and preliminary characterization of the enzyme revealed that it (i) contains two heterologous subunits, AroA (98 kDa) and AroB (14 kDa); (ii) has a native molecular mass of 219 kDa, suggesting an {alpha}2ß2 configuration; and (iii) contains two molybdenum and 9 or 10 iron atoms per {alpha}2ß2 unit. The genes that encode the enzyme have been cloned and sequenced. Sequence analyses revealed similarities to the arsenite oxidase of Alcaligenes faecalis, the putative arsenite oxidase of the beta-proteobacterium ULPAs1, and putative proteins of Aeropyrum pernix, Sulfolobus tokodaii, and Chloroflexus aurantiacus. Interestingly, the AroA subunit was found to be similar to the molybdenum-containing subunits of enzymes in the dimethyl sulfoxide reductase family, whereas the AroB subunit was found to be similar to the Rieske iron-sulfur proteins of cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes. The NT-26 arsenite oxidase is probably exported to the periplasm via the Tat secretory pathway, with the AroB leader sequence used for export. Confirmation that NT-26 obtains energy from the oxidation of arsenite was obtained, as an aroA mutant was unable to grow chemolithoautotrophically with arsenite. This mutant could grow heterotrophically in the presence of arsenite; however, the arsenite was not oxidized to arsenate.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, La Trobe University, 3086 Victoria, Australia. Phone: 61 3 94792206. Fax: 61 3 94791222. E-mail: j.santini{at}latrobe.edu.au.


Journal of Bacteriology, March 2004, p. 1614-1619, Vol. 186, No. 6
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.6.1614-1619.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.




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