(1/2) Atomic resolution structures of resting-state, substrate- and product-complexed Cu-nitrite reductase provide insight into catalytic mechanism.

Copper-containing nitrite reductases catalyze the reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide (NO), a key step in denitrification that results in the loss of terrestrial nitrogen to the atmosphere. They are found in a wide variety of denitrifying bacteria and fungi of different physiology from a range of soil and aquatic ecosystems. Structural analysis of potential intermediates in the catalytic cycle is an important goal in understanding enzyme mechanism. Using "crystal harvesting" and substrate-soaking techniques, we have determined atomic resolution structures of four forms of the green Cu-nitrite reductase, from the soil bacterium Achromobacter cycloclastes. These structures are the resting state of the enzyme at 0.9 A, two species exhibiting different conformations of nitrite bound at the catalytic type 2 Cu, one of which is stable and also has NO present, at 1.10 A and 1.15 A, and a stable form with the product NO bound side-on to the catalytic type 2 Cu, at 1.12 A resolution. These structures provide incisive insights into the initial binding of substrate, its repositioning before catalysis, bond breakage (O-NO), and the formation of a stable NO adduct.  (+info)

(2/2) Assessing the impact of denitrifier-produced nitric oxide on other bacteria.

A series of experiments was undertaken to learn more about the impact on other bacteria of nitric oxide (NO) produced during denitrification. The denitrifier Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.3 was chosen as a denitrifier for these experiments. To learn more about NO production by this bacterium, NO levels during denitrification were measured by using differential mass spectrometry. This revealed that NO levels produced during nitrate respiration by this bacterium were in the low muM range. This concentration of NO is higher than that previously measured in denitrifiers, including Achromobacter cycloclastes and Paracoccus denitrificans. Therefore, both 2.4.3 and A. cycloclastes were used in this work to compare the effects of various NO levels on nondenitrifying bacteria. By use of bacterial overlays, it was found that the NO generated by A. cycloclastes and 2.4.3 cells during denitrification inhibited the growth of both Bacillus subtilis and R. sphaeroides 2.4.1 but that R. sphaeroides 2.4.3 caused larger zones of inhibition in the overlays than A. cycloclastes. Both R. sphaeroides 2.4.3 and A. cycloclastes induced the expression of the NO stress response gene hmp in B. subtilis. Taken together, these results indicate that there is variability in the NO concentrations produced by denitrifiers, but, irrespective of the NO levels produced, microbes in the surrounding environment were responsive to the NO produced during denitrification.  (+info)