Dataset Information

Enzymatic manganese(II) oxidation by metabolically dormant spores of diverse Bacillus species.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial spores are renowned for their longevity, ubiquity, and resistance to environmental insults, but virtually nothing is known regarding whether these metabolically dormant structures impact their surrounding chemical environments. In the present study, a number of spore-forming bacteria that produce dormant spores which enzymatically oxidize soluble Mn(II) to insoluble Mn(IV) oxides were isolated from coastal marine sediments. The highly charged and reactive surfaces of biogenic metal oxides dramatically influence the oxidation and sorption of both trace metals and organics in the environment. Prior to this study, the only known Mn(II)-oxidizing sporeformer was the marine Bacillus sp. strain SG-1, an extensively studied bacterium in which Mn(II) oxidation is believed to be catalyzed by a multicopper oxidase, MnxG. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA and mnxG sequences obtained from 15 different Mn(II)-oxidizing sporeformers (including SG-1) revealed extensive diversity within the genus Bacillus, with organisms falling into several distinct clusters and lineages. In addition, active Mn(II)-oxidizing proteins of various sizes, as observed in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels, were recovered from the outer layers of purified dormant spores of the isolates. These are the first active Mn(II)-oxidizing enzymes identified in spores or gram-positive bacteria. Although extremely resistant to denaturation, the activities of these enzymes were inhibited by azide and o-phenanthroline, consistent with the involvement of multicopper oxidases. Overall, these studies suggest that the commonly held view that bacterial spores are merely inactive structures in the environment should be revised.

SUBMITTER: Francis CA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC126666 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Enzymatic manganese(II) oxidation by metabolically dormant spores of diverse Bacillus species.

Francis Chris A CA Tebo Bradley M BM

Applied and environmental microbiology 20020201 2

Bacterial spores are renowned for their longevity, ubiquity, and resistance to environmental insults, but virtually nothing is known regarding whether these metabolically dormant structures impact their surrounding chemical environments. In the present study, a number of spore-forming bacteria that produce dormant spores which enzymatically oxidize soluble Mn(II) to insoluble Mn(IV) oxides were isolated from coastal marine sediments. The highly charged and reactive surfaces of biogenic metal oxi ...[more]

PMID: 11823231

Similar Datasets

Project description:Bacterial endospores produced by Bacillus and Clostridium species can remain dormant and highly resistant to environmental insults for long periods, but they can also rapidly germinate in response to a nutrient-rich environment. Multiple proteins involved in sensing and responding to nutrient germinants, initiating solute and water transport, and accomplishing spore wall degradation are associated with the membrane surrounding the spore core. In order to more fully catalog proteins that may be involved in spore germination, as well as to identify protein changes taking place during germination, unbiased proteomic analyses of membrane preparations isolated from dormant and germinated spores of Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus subtilis were undertaken. Membrane-associated proteins were fractionated by SDS-PAGE, gel slices were trypsin digested, and extracted peptides were fractionated by liquid chromatography and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-tandem time of flight mass spectrometry. More than 500 proteins were identified from each preparation. Bioinformatic methods were used to characterize proteins with regard to membrane association, cellular function, and conservation across species. Numerous proteins not previously known to be spore associated, 6 in B. subtilis and 68 in B. anthracis, were identified. Relative quantitation based on spectral counting indicated that the majority of spore membrane proteins decrease in abundance during the first 20 min of germination. The spore membranes contained several proteins thought to be involved in the transport of metal ions, a process that plays a major role in spore formation and germination. Analyses of mutant strains lacking these transport proteins implicated YloB in the accumulation of calcium within the developing forespore.IMPORTANCE Bacterial endospores can remain dormant and highly resistant to environmental insults for long periods but can also rapidly germinate in response to a nutrient-rich environment. The persistence and subsequent germination of spores contribute to their colonization of new environments and to the spread of certain diseases. Proteins of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus anthracis were identified that are associated with the spore membrane, a position that can allow them to contribute to germination. A set of identified proteins that are predicted to carry out ion transport were examined for their contributions to spore formation, stability, and germination. Greater knowledge of spore formation and germination can contribute to the development of better decontamination strategies.

Dataset Information

Enzymatic manganese(II) oxidation by metabolically dormant spores of diverse Bacillus species.

Publications

Enzymatic manganese(II) oxidation by metabolically dormant spores of diverse Bacillus species.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets