Identification of dimethylamine monooxygenase in marine bacteria reveals a metabolic bottleneck in the methylated amine degradation pathway.

ABSTRACT: Methylated amines (MAs) are ubiquitous in the marine environment and their subsequent flux into the atmosphere can result in the formation of aerosols and ultimately cloud condensation nuclei. Therefore, these compounds have a potentially important role in climate regulation. Using Ruegeria pomeroyi as a model, we identified the genes encoding dimethylamine (DMA) monooxygenase (dmmABC) and demonstrate that this enzyme degrades DMA to monomethylamine (MMA). Although only dmmABC are required for enzyme activity in recombinant Escherichia coli, we found that an additional gene, dmmD, was required for the growth of R. pomeroyi on MAs. The dmmDABC genes are absent from the genomes of multiple marine bacteria, including all representatives of the cosmopolitan SAR11 clade. Consequently, the abund

SUBMITTER: Lidbury I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5520151 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature