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Characterization of a novel methanol dehydrogenase in representatives of Burkholderiales: implications for environmental detection of methylotrophy and evidence for convergent evolution.

ABSTRACT: Some members of Burkholderiales are able to grow on methanol but lack the genes (mxaFI) responsible for the well-characterized two-subunit pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent quinoprotein methanol dehydrogenase that is widespread in methylotrophic Proteobacteria. Here, we characterized novel, mono-subunit enzymes responsible for methanol oxidation in four strains, Methyloversatilis universalis FAM5, Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1, and unclassified Burkholderiales strains RZ18-153 and FAM1. The enzyme from M. universalis FAM5 was partially purified and subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of fight peptide mass fingerprinting. The resulting peptide spectrum was used to identify a gene candidate in the genome of M. petroleiphilum PM1 (mdh2) predicted to encode a type I alcohol dehydrogenase related to the characterized methanol dehydrogenase large subunits but at less than 35% amino acid identity. Homologs of mdh2 were amplified from M. universalis FAM5 and strains RZ18-153 and FAM1, and mutants lacking mdh2 were generated in three of the organisms. These mutants lost their ability to grow on methanol and ethanol, demonstrating that mdh2 is responsible for oxidation of both substrates. Our findings have implications for environmental detection of methylotrophy and indicate that this ability is widespread beyond populations possessing mxaF, the gene traditionally used as a genetic marker for environmental detection of methanol-oxidizing capability. Our findings also have implications for understanding the evolution of methanol oxidation, suggesting a convergence toward the enzymatic function for methanol oxidation in MxaF and Mdh2-type proteins.

SUBMITTER: Kalyuzhnaya MG

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2395034 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Characterization of a novel methanol dehydrogenase in representatives of Burkholderiales: implications for environmental detection of methylotrophy and evidence for convergent evolution.

Kalyuzhnaya Marina G MG Hristova Krassimira R KR Lidstrom Mary E ME Chistoserdova Ludmila L

Journal of bacteriology 20080404 11

Some members of Burkholderiales are able to grow on methanol but lack the genes (mxaFI) responsible for the well-characterized two-subunit pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent quinoprotein methanol dehydrogenase that is widespread in methylotrophic Proteobacteria. Here, we characterized novel, mono-subunit enzymes responsible for methanol oxidation in four strains, Methyloversatilis universalis FAM5, Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1, and unclassified Burkholderiales strains RZ18-153 and FAM1. The en ...[more]

PMID: 18390659

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Project description:The mycobacteria comprise both pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria. Although several features related to pathogenicity in various mycobacterial species, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, have been studied in great detail, methylotrophy, i.e., the ability of an organism to utilize single-carbon (C1) compounds as the sole source of carbon and energy, has remained largely unexplored in mycobacteria. Reports are available that suggest that mycobacteria, including M. tuberculosis and M. smegmatis, are capable of utilizing alternative C1 compounds to meet their carbon and energy requirements. However, physiological pathways that are functional in mycobacteria to utilize such carbon compounds are only poorly understood. Here we report the identification and characterization of the gene products required for establishing methylotrophy in M. smegmatis We present N,N-dimethyl-p-nitrosoaniline (NDMA)-dependent methanol oxidase (Mno) as the key enzyme that is essential for the growth of M. smegmatis on methanol. We show that Mno has both methanol and formaldehyde dehydrogenase activities in vitro Further, M. smegmatis is able to utilize methanol even in the absence of the major formaldehyde dehydrogenase MscR, which suggests that Mno is sufficient to dissimilate methanol and the resulting formaldehyde in vivo Finally, we show that M. smegmatis devoid of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, which has been shown to fix CO2 in M. tuberculosis, does not grow on methanol, suggesting that the final step of methanol utilization requires CO2 fixation for biomass generation. Our work here thus forms the first comprehensive report that explores methylotrophy in a mycobacterial species.IMPORTANCE Methylotrophy, the ability to utilize single-carbon (C1) compounds as the sole carbon and energy sources, is only poorly understood in mycobacteria. Both pathogenic and nonpathogenic mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are capable of utilizing C1 compounds to meet their carbon and energy requirements, although the precise pathways are not well studied. Here we present a comprehensive study of methylotrophy in Mycobacterium smegmatis With several genetic knockouts, we have dissected the entire methanol metabolism pathway in M. smegmatis We show that while methanol dissimilation in M. smegmatis differs from that in other mycobacterial species, the concluding step of CO2 fixation is similar to that in M. tuberculosis It is therefore both interesting and important to examine mycobacterial physiology in the presence of alternative carbon sources.

Dataset Information

Characterization of a novel methanol dehydrogenase in representatives of Burkholderiales: implications for environmental detection of methylotrophy and evidence for convergent evolution.

Publications

Characterization of a novel methanol dehydrogenase in representatives of Burkholderiales: implications for environmental detection of methylotrophy and evidence for convergent evolution.

Similar Datasets

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