Hemerythrins in the microaerophilic bacterium Campylobacter jejuni help protect key iron-sulphur cluster enzymes from oxidative damage.

ABSTRACT: Microaerophilic bacteria are adapted to low oxygen environments, but the mechanisms by which their growth in air is inhibited are not well understood. The citric acid cycle in the microaerophilic pathogen Campylobacter jejuni is potentially vulnerable, as it employs pyruvate and 2-oxoglutarate:acceptor oxidoreductases (Por and Oor), which contain labile (4Fe-4S) centres. Here, we show that both enzymes are rapidly inactivated after exposure of cells to a fully aerobic environment. We investigated the mechanisms that might protect enzyme activity and identify a role for the hemerythrin HerA (Cj0241). A herA mutant exhibits an aerobic growth defect and reduced Por and Oor activities after exposure to 21% (v/v) oxygen. Slow anaerobic recovery of these activities after oxygen damage was observ

SUBMITTER: Kendall JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4257069 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature