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J. Bacteriol. doi:10.1128/JB.00031-07
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

Insights into the Metabolism of Elemental Sulfur by the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus: Characterization of a Coenzyme A-Dependent NAD(P)H Sulfur Oxidoreductase

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: adams{at}bmb.uga.edu.

	Abstract

The hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus, uses carbohydrates as a carbon source and produces acetate, CO₂ and H₂ as end products. When S° is added to a growing culture, within 10 min the rate of H₂ production rapidly decreases and H₂S is detected. After one hour cells contain high NADPH- and coenzyme A-dependent S° reduction activity (0.7 units/mg, 85°C) located in the cytoplasm. The enzyme responsible for this activity was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity (specific activity, 100 units/mg) and is termed NAD(P)H elemental sulfur oxidoreductase (NSR). NSR is a homodimeric flavoprotein (Mr 100 kDa) and is encoded by PF1186. This was previously assigned to an enzyme that reduces coenzyme A disulfide, which is a side-reaction of NSR. Whole genome DNA microarray and quantitative PCR analyses showed that the expression of NSR is up-regulated up to 7-fold within 10 min of S° addition. This primary response to S° also involves the up-regulation (> 16-fold) of a 13 gene cluster encoding a membrane-bound oxidoreductase (MBX). MBX is proposed replace the homologous 14 gene cluster that encodes the ferredoxin-oxidizing, H₂-evolving membrane-bound hydrogenase (MBH), which is down-regulated >12-fold within 10 min of S° addition. Although an activity for MBX could not be demonstrated, it is proposed to conserve energy by oxidizing ferredoxin and reducing NADP, which is used by NSR to reduce S°. A secondary response to S° is observed 30 min after S° addition and includes the up-regulation of genes encoding proteins involved in amino acid biosynthesis and iron metabolism, as well as two so-called sulfur-induced proteins, termed SipA and SipB. This novel S°-reducing system involving NSR and MBX is so far unique to the heterotrophic Thermococcales, and is in contrast to the cytochrome- and quinone-based S°-reducing system in autotrophic archaea and bacteria.

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