Oxidation of trimethylamine to trimethylamine N-oxide facilitates high hydrostatic pressure tolerance in a generalist bacterial lineage.

ABSTRACT: High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is a characteristic environmental factor of the deep ocean. However, it remains unclear how piezotolerant bacteria adapt to HHP. Here, we identify a two-step metabolic pathway to cope with HHP stress in a piezotolerant bacterium. Myroides profundi D25T, obtained from a deep-sea sediment, can take up trimethylamine (TMA) through a previously unidentified TMA transporter, TmaT, and oxidize intracellular TMA into trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) by a TMA monooxygenase, MpTmm. The produced TMAO is accumulated in the cell, functioning as a piezolyte, improving both growth and survival at HHP. The function of the TmaT-MpTmm pathway was further confirmed by introducing it into Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis Encoded TmaT-like and MpTmm-like sequences extensivel

SUBMITTER: Qin QL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7997507 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature