Cytochromes c Constitute a Layer of Protection against Nitric Oxide but Not Nitrite.

ABSTRACT: Nitric oxide (NO) is a radical gas that reacts with various biological molecules in complex ways to inhibit growth as a bacteriostatic agent. NO is nearly ubiquitous because it can be generated both biotically and abiotically. To protect the cell from NO damage, bacteria have evolved many strategies, with the production of detoxifying enzymatic systems being the most efficient. Here, we report that c-type cytochromes (cytochromes c) constitute a primary NO protection system in Shewanella oneidensis, a Gram-negative environmental bacterium renowned for respiratory versatility due to its high cytochrome c content. By using mutants producing cytochromes c at varying levels, we found that the content of these proteins is inversely correlated with the growth inhibition imposed by NO, whereas th

SUBMITTER: Meng Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6102973 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature