Project description:BackgroundWhole-cell biocatalysis has been exploited to convert a variety of substrates into high-value bulk or chiral fine chemicals. However, the traditional whole-cell biocatalysis typically utilizes the heterotrophic microbes as the biocatalyst, which requires carbohydrates to power the cofactor (ATP, NAD (P)H) regeneration.ResultsIn this study, we sought to harness purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacterium (PNSB) as the biocatalyst to achieve light-driven cofactor regeneration for cascade biocatalysis. We substantially improved the performance of Rhodopseudomonas palustris-based biocatalysis using a highly active and conditional expression system, blocking the side-reactions, controlling the feeding strategy, and attenuating the light shading effect. Under light-anaerobic conditions, we found that 50 mM ferulic acid could be completely converted to vanillyl alcohol using the recombinant strain with 100% efficiency, and > 99.9% conversion of 50 mM p-coumaric acid to p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol was similarly achieved. Moreover, we examined the isoprenol utilization pathway for pinene synthesis and 92% conversion of 30 mM isoprenol to pinene was obtained.ConclusionsTaken together, these results suggested that R. palustris could be a promising host for light-powered biotransformation, which offers an efficient approach for synthesizing value-added chemicals in a green and sustainable manner.
Project description:Ternary structures consisting of hollow g-C3N4 nanofibers/MoS2/sulfur, nitrogen-doped graphene and bulk g-C3N4 (TCN) were designed as a dual layered film and fabricated using a spin-coating method. The first ternary structures were spin-coated on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass, followed by spin-coating of g-C3N4 film to form dual layers. We characterized the microstructural morphologies, chemical composition/bonding and optical properties of the dual layered film and observed significantly reduced recombination rates of photo-induced electron-hole pairs due to effective separation of the charge carriers. We tested methylene blue (MB) photodegradation and observed remarkable MB degradation by the dual layered film over 5 hours, with a kinetic rate constant of 1.24 × 10-3 min-1, which is about four times faster than that of bare TCN film. Furthermore, we estimated the H2 evolution of the dual layered film to be 44.9 μmol over 5 hours, and carried out stable recycling over 45 hours under visible irradiation. Due to the lower electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) resistance value of the dual layered film (∼50 ohm cm2) compared to the TCN film, the ternary structures and bulk g-C3N4 film were well-connected as a heterojunction, reducing the resistance at the interface between the film and the electrolyte. These results indicate that the effective separation of the photo-induced electron-hole pairs using the dual layered film dramatically improved its photo-response ability under visible light irradiation.
Project description:Two-component signal transduction is the major signaling mechanism that enables bacteria to survive and thrive in complex environmental conditions. The photosynthetic bacterium R. palustris employs two tandem bacteriophytochromes, RpBphP2 and RpBphP3, to perceive red-light signals that regulate the synthesis of light-harvesting complexes under low-light conditions. Both RpBphP2 and RpBphP3 are photosensory histidine kinases coupled to the same response regulator RPA3017. Together, they constitute a two-component system that converts a red-light signal into a biological signal. In this work, the crystal structure of RPA3017 in the unphosphorylated form at 1.9 Å resolution is presented. This structure reveals a tightly associated dimer arrangement that is conserved among phytochrome-related response regulators. The conserved active-site architecture provides structural insight into the phosphotransfer reaction between RpBphP2/RpBphP3 and RPA3017. Based on structural comparisons and homology modeling, how specific recognition between RpBphP2/RpBphP3 and RPA3017 is achieved at the molecular level is further explored.
Project description:Rhodopseudomonas palustris, a nonsulphur purple photosynthetic bacteria, has been extensively investigated for its metabolic versatility including ability to produce hydrogen gas from sunlight and biomass. The availability of the finished genome sequences of six R. palustris strains (BisA53, BisB18, BisB5, CGA009, HaA2 and TIE-1) combined with online bioinformatics software for integrated analysis presents new opportunities to determine the genomic basis of metabolic versatility and ecological lifestyles of the bacteria species. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the functional annotations available for multiple R. palustris genomes to identify annotations that can be further investigated for strain-specific or uniquely shared phenotypic characteristics. A total of 2,355 protein family Pfam domain annotations were clustered based on presence or absence in the six genomes. The clustering process identified groups of functional annotations including those that could be verified as strain-specific or uniquely shared phenotypes. For example, genes encoding water/glycerol transport were present in the genome sequences of strains CGA009 and BisB5, but absent in strains BisA53, BisB18, HaA2 and TIE-1. Protein structural homology modeling predicted that the two orthologous 240 aa R. palustris aquaporins have water-specific transport function. Based on observations in other microbes, the presence of aquaporin in R. palustris strains may improve freeze tolerance in natural conditions of rapid freezing such as nitrogen fixation at low temperatures where access to liquid water is a limiting factor for nitrogenase activation. In the case of adaptive loss of aquaporin genes, strains may be better adapted to survive in conditions of high-sugar content such as fermentation of biomass for biohydrogen production. Finally, web-based resources were developed to allow for interactive, user-defined selection of the relationship between protein family annotations and the R. palustris genomes.
Project description:Citrate lyase (EC 4.1.3.6) isolated from Rhodopseudomonas palustris was investigated with regard to its kinetic properties and its subunit composition. This enzyme was inactivated by citrate lyase deacetylase (EC 3.1.2.-) of Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa. A corresponding cross-reaction was measured with partially purified deacetylase of R. palustris and citrate lyase of R. gelatinosa. The three different subunit types (alpha, beta, and gamma) of citrate lyase from R. gelatinosa wee purified to homogeneity, and antibodies were prepared against each of the three subunits and against the native enzyme complex. In corresondence with the enzymatic interactions, immunological cross-reactions were found between anti-enzyme and anti-large subunit antibodies and citrate lyase from R. palustris. On the other hand, no immunological cross-reactions were detectable among each of the antibodies and citrate lyases from Enterobacter aerogenes, Streptococcus diacetilactis, and Clostridium sphenoides. Antibodies against the large subunit of citrate lyase inhibited the deacetylase, but antibodies against the middle and small subunits did not, indicating that the large subunits of citrate lyase are involved in binding the deacetylase.
Project description:Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) release in the atmosphere from fossil fuel combustion has inspired scientists to study CO2 to biofuel conversion. Oxygenic phototrophs such as cyanobacteria have been used to produce biofuels using CO2. However, oxygen generation during oxygenic photosynthesis adversely affects biofuel production efficiency. To produce n-butanol (biofuel) from CO2, here we introduce an n-butanol biosynthesis pathway into an anoxygenic (non-oxygen evolving) photoautotroph, Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 (TIE-1). Using different carbon, nitrogen, and electron sources, we achieve n-butanol production in wild-type TIE-1 and mutants lacking electron-consuming (nitrogen-fixing) or acetyl-CoA-consuming (polyhydroxybutyrate and glycogen synthesis) pathways. The mutant lacking the nitrogen-fixing pathway produce the highest n-butanol. Coupled with novel hybrid bioelectrochemical platforms, this mutant produces n-butanol using CO2, solar panel-generated electricity, and light with high electrical energy conversion efficiency. Overall, this approach showcases TIE-1 as an attractive microbial chassis for carbon-neutral n-butanol bioproduction using sustainable, renewable, and abundant resources.
Project description:The biogeography of the purple nonsulfur bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris on a local scale was investigated. Thirty clones of phototrophic bacteria were isolated from each of five unevenly spaced sampling locations in freshwater marsh sediments along a linear 10-m transect, and a total of 150 clones were characterized by BOX-PCR genomic DNA fingerprinting. Cluster analysis of 150 genomic fingerprints yielded 26 distinct genotypes, and 106 clones constituted four major genotypes that were repeatedly isolated. Representatives of these four major genotypes were tentatively identified as R. palustris based on phylogentic analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences. The differences in the genomic fingerprint patterns among the four major genotypes were accompanied by differences in phenotypic characteristics. These phenotypic differences included differences in the kinetics of carbon source use, suggesting that there may be functional differences with possible ecological significance among these clonal linages. Morisita-Horn similarity coefficients (C(MH)), which were used to compare the numbers of common genotypes found at pairs of sampling locations, showed that there was substantial similarity between locations that were 1 cm apart (C(MH), >/=0.95) but there was almost no similarity between locations that were >/=9 m apart (C(MH), </=0.25). These calculations showed there was a gradual decrease in similarity among the five locations as a function of distance and that clones of R. palustris were lognormally distributed along the linear 10-m transect. These data indicate that natural populations of R. palustris are assemblages of genetically distinct ecotypes and that the distribution of each ecotype is patchy.
Project description:UnlabelledRhodopseudomonas palustris is an alphaproteobacterium that has served as a model organism for studies of photophosphorylation, regulation of nitrogen fixation, production of hydrogen as a biofuel, and anaerobic degradation of aromatic compounds. This bacterium is able to transition between anaerobic photoautotrophic growth, anaerobic photoheterotrophic growth, and aerobic heterotrophic growth. As a starting point to explore the genetic basis for the metabolic versatility of R. palustris, we used transposon mutagenesis and Tn-seq to identify 552 genes as essential for viability in cells growing aerobically on semirich medium. Of these, 323 have essential gene homologs in the alphaproteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus, and 187 have essential gene homologs in Escherichia coli. There were 24 R. palustris genes that were essential for viability under aerobic growth conditions that have low sequence identity but are likely to be functionally homologous to essential E. coli genes. As expected, certain functional categories of essential genes were highly conserved among the three organisms, including translation, ribosome structure and biogenesis, secretion, and lipid metabolism. R. palustris cells divide by budding in which a sessile cell gives rise to a motile swarmer cell. Conserved cell cycle genes required for this developmental process were essential in both C. crescentus and R. palustris. Our results suggest that despite vast differences in lifestyles, members of the alphaproteobacteria have a common set of essential genes that is specific to this group and distinct from that of gammaproteobacteria like E. coli.ImportanceEssential genes in bacteria and other organisms are those absolutely required for viability. Rhodopseudomonas palustris has served as a model organism for studies of anaerobic aromatic compound degradation, hydrogen gas production, nitrogen fixation, and photosynthesis. We used the technique of Tn-seq to determine the essential genes of R. palustris grown under heterotrophic aerobic conditions. The transposon library generated in this study will be useful for future studies to identify R. palustris genes essential for viability under specialized growth conditions and also for survival under conditions of stress.
Project description:The purple nonsulfur phototrophic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain CGA009 uses the three-carbon dicarboxylic acid malonate as the sole carbon source under phototrophic conditions. However, this bacterium grows extremely slowly on this compound and does not have operons for the two pathways for malonate degradation that have been detected in other bacteria. Many bacteria grow on a spectrum of carbon sources, some of which are classified as poor growth substrates because they support low growth rates. This trait is rarely addressed in the literature, but slow growth is potentially useful in biotechnological applications where it is imperative for bacteria to divert cellular resources to value-added products rather than to growth. This prompted us to explore the genetic and physiological basis for the slow growth of R. palustris with malonate as a carbon source. There are two unlinked genes annotated as encoding a malonyl coenzyme A (malonyl-CoA) synthetase (MatB) and a malonyl-CoA decarboxylase (MatA) in the genome of R. palustris, which we verified as having the predicted functions. Additionally, two tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic transporters (TRAP systems) encoded by rpa2047 to rpa2049 and rpa2541 to rpa2543 were needed for optimal growth on malonate. Most of these genes were expressed constitutively during growth on several carbon sources, including malonate. Our data indicate that R. palustris uses a piecemeal approach to growing on malonate. The data also raise the possibility that this bacterium will evolve to use malonate efficiently if confronted with an appropriate selection pressure.IMPORTANCE There is interest in understanding how bacteria metabolize malonate because this three-carbon dicarboxylic acid can serve as a building block in bioengineering applications to generate useful compounds that have an odd number of carbons. We found that the phototrophic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris grows extremely slowly on malonate. We identified two enzymes and two TRAP transporters involved in the uptake and metabolism of malonate, but some of these elements are apparently not very efficient. R. palustris cells growing with malonate have the potential to be excellent biocatalysts, because cells would be able to divert cellular resources to the production of value-added compounds instead of using them to support rapid growth. In addition, our results suggest that R. palustris is a candidate for directed evolution studies to improve growth on malonate and to observe the kinds of genetic adaptations that occur to make a metabolic pathway operate more efficiently.
Project description:It is important to determine the most effective method of delivering light onto a specimen for minimal light induced damage. Assays are presented to measure photo-bleaching of fluorophores and photo-toxicity to living cells under different illumination conditions. Turning the light off during part of the experimental time reduced photo-bleaching in a manner proportional to the time of light exposure. The rate of photo-bleaching of EGFP was reduced by 9-fold with light pulsing on the micro-second scale. Similarly, in living cells, rapid line scanning resulted in reduced cell stress as measured by mitochondrial potential, rapid cell protrusion and reduced cell retraction. This was achieved on a commercial confocal laser scanning microscope, without any compromise in image quality, by using rapid laser scan settings and line averaging. Therefore this technique can be implemented broadly without any software or hardware upgrades. Researchers can use the rapid line scanning option to immediately improve image quality on fixed samples, reduce photo-bleaching for large high resolution 3D datasets and improve cell health in live cell experiments. The assays developed here can be applied to other microscopy platforms to measure and optimize light delivery for minimal sample damage and photo-toxicity.