Mechanism of oxygen detoxification by the surprisingly oxygen-tolerant hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus.

ABSTRACT: The anaerobic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus grows by fermenting carbohydrates producing H(2), CO(2), and acetate. We show here that it is surprisingly tolerant to oxygen, growing well in the presence of 8% (vol/vol) O(2). Although cell growth and acetate production were not significantly affected by O(2), H(2) production was reduced by 50% (using 8% O(2)). The amount of H(2) produced decreased in a linear manner with increasing concentrations of O(2) over the range 2-12% (vol/vol), and for each mole of O(2) consumed, the amount of H(2) produced decreased by approximately 2 mol. The recycling of H(2) by the two cytoplasmic hydrogenases appeared not to play a role in O(2) resistance because a mutant strain lacking both enzymes was not more sensitive to O(2) than the parent strain. Decreased H

SUBMITTER: Thorgersen MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3494905 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature