Dataset Information

The ropAe gene encodes a porin-like protein involved in copper transit in Rhizobium etli CFN42.

ABSTRACT: Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for all aerobic forms of life. Its oxidation states (Cu+ /Cu2+ ) make this metal an important cofactor of enzymes catalyzing redox reactions in essential biological processes. In gram-negative bacteria, Cu uptake is an unexplored component of a finely regulated trafficking network, mediated by protein-protein interactions that deliver Cu to target proteins and efflux surplus metal to avoid toxicity. Rhizobium etliCFN42 is a facultative symbiotic diazotroph that must ensure its appropriate Cu supply for living either free in the soil or as an intracellular symbiont of leguminous plants. In crop fields, rhizobia have to contend with copper-based fungicides. A detailed deletion analysis of the pRet42e (505 kb) plasmid from an R. etli mutant with enhanced CuCl2 tolerance led us to the identification of the ropAe gene, predicted to encode an outer membrane protein (OMP) with a ?-barrel channel structure that may be involved in Cu transport. In support of this hypothesis, the functional characterization of ropAe revealed that: (I) gene disruption increased copper tolerance of the mutant, and its complementation with the wild-type gene restored its wild-type copper sensitivity; (II) the ropAe gene maintains a low basal transcription level in copper overload, but is upregulated when copper is scarce; (III) disruption of ropAe in an actP (copA) mutant background, defective in copper efflux, partially reduced its copper sensitivity phenotype. Finally, BLASTP comparisons and a maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis highlight the diversification of four RopA paralogs in members of the Rhizobiaceae family. Orthologs of RopAe are highly conserved in the Rhizobiales order, poorly conserved in other alpha proteobacteria and phylogenetically unrelated to characterized porins involved in Cu or Mn uptake.

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Sanchez A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6011978 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The ropAe gene encodes a porin-like protein involved in copper transit in Rhizobium etli CFN42.

González-Sánchez Antonio A Cubillas Ciro A CA Miranda Fabiola F Dávalos Araceli A García-de Los Santos Alejandro A

MicrobiologyOpen 20171227 3

Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for all aerobic forms of life. Its oxidation states (Cu<sup>+</sup> /Cu<sup>2+</sup> ) make this metal an important cofactor of enzymes catalyzing redox reactions in essential biological processes. In gram-negative bacteria, Cu uptake is an unexplored component of a finely regulated trafficking network, mediated by protein-protein interactions that deliver Cu to target proteins and efflux surplus metal to avoid toxicity. Rhizobium etliCFN42 is a facultat ...[more]

PMID: 29280343

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Project description:UnlabelledBacteria play important roles in mineral weathering, soil formation, and element cycling. However, little is known about the interaction between silicate minerals and rhizobia. In this study, Rhizobium yantingense H66 (a novel mineral-weathering rhizobium) and Rhizobium etli CFN42 were compared with respect to potash feldspar weathering, mineral surface adsorption, and metabolic activity during the mineral weathering process. Strain H66 showed significantly higher Si, Al, and K mobilization from the mineral and higher ratios of cell numbers on the mineral surface to total cell numbers than strain CFN42. Although the two strains produced gluconic acid, strain H66 also produced acetic, malic, and succinic acids during mineral weathering in low- and high-glucose media. Notably, higher Si, Al, and K releases, higher ratios of cell numbers on the mineral surface to total cell numbers, and a higher production of organic acids by strain H66 were observed in the low-glucose medium than in the high-glucose medium. Scanning electron microscope analyses of the mineral surfaces and redundancy analysis showed stronger positive correlations between the mineral surface cell adsorption and mineral weathering, indicated by the dissolved Al and K concentrations. The results showed that the two rhizobia behaved differently with respect to mineral weathering. The results suggested that Rhizobium yantingense H66 promoted potash feldspar weathering through increased adsorption of cells to the mineral surface and through differences in glucose metabolism at low and high nutrient concentrations, especially at low nutrient concentrations.ImportanceThis study reported the potash feldspar weathering, the cell adsorption capacity of the mineral surfaces, and the metabolic differences between the novel mineral-weathering Rhizobium yantingense H66 and Rhizobium etli CFN42 under different nutritional conditions. The results showed that Rhizobium yantingense H66 had a greater ability to weather the mineral in low- and high-glucose media, especially in the low-glucose medium. Furthermore, Rhizobium yantingense H66 promoted mineral weathering through the increased adsorption of cells to the mineral surface and through increased organic acid production. Our results allow us to better comprehend the roles of different rhizobia in silicate mineral weathering, element cycling, and soil formation in various soil environments, providing more insight into the geomicrobial contributions of rhizobia to these processes.

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Dataset Information

The ropAe gene encodes a porin-like protein involved in copper transit in Rhizobium etli CFN42.

Publications

The ropAe gene encodes a porin-like protein involved in copper transit in Rhizobium etli CFN42.

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