Elucidating the Role of O₂ Uncoupling for the Adaptation of Bacterial Biodegradation Reactions Catalyzed by Rieske Oxygenases.

ABSTRACT: Oxygenation of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons by Rieske oxygenases is the initial step of various biodegradation pathways for environmental organic contaminants. Microorganisms carrying Rieske oxygenases are able to quickly adapt their substrate spectra to alternative carbon and energy sources that are structurally related to the original target substrate, yet the molecular events responsible for this rapid adaptation are not well understood. Here, we evaluated the hypothesis that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by unproductive activation of O₂, the so-called O₂ uncoupling, in the presence of the alternative substrate exert a selective pressure on the bacterium for increasing the oxygenation efficiency of Rieske oxygenases. To that end, we studied wild-ty

SUBMITTER: Bopp CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11258757 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature