Soluble Iron Enhances Extracellular Electron Uptake by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Abuyen K
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10465110 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Soluble Iron Enhances Extracellular Electron Uptake by <i>Shewanella oneidensis</i> MR-1.
Abuyen Karla K El-Naggar Mohamed Y MY
ChemElectroChem 20230111 4
Extracellular electron transfer (EET) is a process that microorganisms use to reduce or oxidize external insoluble electron acceptors or donors. Much of our mechanistic understanding of this process is derived from studies of transmembrane cytochrome complexes and extracellular redox shuttles that mediate outward EET to anodes and external electron acceptors. In contrast, there are knowledge gaps concerning the reverse process of inward EET from external electron donors to cells. Here, we descri ...[more]
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Project description:The dissimilatory iron-reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is capable of using extracellular DNA (eDNA) as the sole source of carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen. In addition, we recently demonstrated that S. oneidensis MR-1 requires eDNA as a structural component during all stages of biofilm formation. In this study, we characterize the roles of two Shewanella extracellular endonucleases, ExeS and ExeM. While ExeS is likely secreted into the medium, ExeM is predicted to remain associated with the cell envelope. Both exeM and exeS are highly expressed under phosphate-limited conditions. Mutants lacking exeS and/or exeM exhibit decreased eDNA degradation; however, the capability of S. oneidensis MR-1 to use DNA as the sole source of phosphorus is only affected in mutants lacking exeM. Neither of the two endonucleases alleviates toxic effects of increased eDNA concentrations. The deletion of exeM and/or exeS significantly affects biofilm formation of S. oneidensis MR-1 under static conditions, and expression of exeM and exeS drastically increases during static biofilm formation. Under hydrodynamic conditions, a deletion of exeM leads to altered biofilms that consist of densely packed structures which are covered by a thick layer of eDNA. Based on these results, we hypothesize that a major role of ExeS and, in particular, ExeM of S. oneidensis MR-1, is to degrade eDNA as a matrix component during biofilm formation to improve nutrient supply and to enable detachment.
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