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Aromatics Degradation in Geobacter metallireducens

ABSTRACT: Geobacter metallireducens serves as the model for Geobacter species that anaerobically oxidize aromatic contaminants with the reduction of Fe(III) oxides in contaminated sediments. Analysis of the complete G. metallireducens genome sequence revealed a 307 kb region, designated the aromatics island, not found in closely related species that do not degrade aromatics. This region encoded enzymes for the degradation of benzoate and other aromatic compounds with the exception of the genes for the conversion of toluene to benzyol-CoA which were in a different region of the genome. Predicted aromatic degradation pathways were similar to those described in more well-studied organisms except that no genes encoding a benzoyl-CoA reductase were present. A genome-wide comparison of gene transcript levels during growth on benzoate versus growth on acetate demonstrated that the majority of the most significant increases in transcript levels were among genes within the aromatics island. Of particular interest were highly expressed genes that encode redox proteins of unknown function, one of which had a homolog outside the aromatics island that was also highly expressed. There was also an apparent shift in the acetyl-CoA oxidation pathway to the use of a putative ATP-yielding succinyl-CoA synthase during growth on benzoate. These results provide new insights into the pathways for the degradation of aromatic compounds in G. metallireducens, indicate genes whose role in benzoate metabolism need to be evaluated further, and suggest target genes whose expression may be monitored in order to better assess the degradation of aromatic compounds in contaminated environments. Keywords: Metabolism

ORGANISM(S): Geobacter metallireducens GS-15

PROVIDER: GSE5401 | GEO | 2007/07/03

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA96299

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Insight into the mechanisms for the anaerobic metabolism of aromatic compounds by the hyperthermophilic archaeon Ferroglobus placidus is expected to improve understanding of the degradation of aromatics in hot (> 80 °C) environments and to identify enzymes that might have biotechnological applications. Analysis of the F. placidus genome revealed genes predicted to encode enzymes homologous to those previously identified as playing a role in benzoate and phenol metabolism in mesophilic bacteria. Surprisingly, F. placidus lacks genes for an ATP-independent class II benzoyl-CoA reductase found in all strictly anaerobic bacteria, but instead has two sets of genes for ATP-consuming class I benzoyl-CoA reductases, similar to those found in facultative bacteria. The lower portion of the benzoate degradation pathway appears to be more similar to that found in the phototroph Rhodopseudomonas palustris, than the pathway reported for all heterotrophic anaerobic benzoate degraders. Many of the genes predicted to be involved in benzoate metabolism were found in one of two gene clusters. Genes for a phenol carboxylation proceeding through a phenylphosphate intermediate and for conversion of p-hydroxybenzoate to benzoyl-CoA were identified in a single gene cluster. Analysis of transcript abundance with a whole-genome microarray and quantitative PCR demonstrated that most of the genes predicted to be involved in benzoate or phenol metabolism had higher transcript abundance during growth on those substrates versus growth on acetate. These results suggest that the general strategies for benzoate and phenol metabolism may be highly conserved between microorganisms living in moderate and hot environments, and that anaerobic metabolism of aromatic compounds might be analyzed in a wide range of environments with similar molecular targets. A four chip study using total RNA recovered from two separate cultures of Ferroglobus placidus DSM 10642 grown with 1 mM sodium benzoate (experimental condition) and two separate cultures of Ferroglobus placidus DSM 10642 grown on 10 mM acetate (control condition). Each chip measures the expression level of 2613 genes from Ferroglobus placidus DSM 10642 with nine 45-60-mer probe pairs (PM/MM) per gene, with three-fold technical redundancy.

Project description:Sun2009 - Genome-scale metabolic network of Geobacter metallireducens (iJS747) This model is described in the article: Genome-scale constraint-based modeling of Geobacter metallireducens. Sun J, Sayyar B, Butler JE, Pharkya P, Fahland TR, Famili I, Schilling CH, Lovley DR, Mahadevan R. BMC Syst Biol 2009; 3: 15 Abstract: BACKGROUND: Geobacter metallireducens was the first organism that can be grown in pure culture to completely oxidize organic compounds with Fe(III) oxide serving as electron acceptor. Geobacter species, including G. sulfurreducens and G. metallireducens, are used for bioremediation and electricity generation from waste organic matter and renewable biomass. The constraint-based modeling approach enables the development of genome-scale in silico models that can predict the behavior of complex biological systems and their responses to the environments. Such a modeling approach was applied to provide physiological and ecological insights on the metabolism of G. metallireducens. RESULTS: The genome-scale metabolic model of G. metallireducens was constructed to include 747 genes and 697 reactions. Compared to the G. sulfurreducens model, the G. metallireducens metabolic model contains 118 unique reactions that reflect many of G. metallireducens' specific metabolic capabilities. Detailed examination of the G. metallireducens model suggests that its central metabolism contains several energy-inefficient reactions that are not present in the G. sulfurreducens model. Experimental biomass yield of G. metallireducens growing on pyruvate was lower than the predicted optimal biomass yield. Microarray data of G. metallireducens growing with benzoate and acetate indicated that genes encoding these energy-inefficient reactions were up-regulated by benzoate. These results suggested that the energy-inefficient reactions were likely turned off during G. metallireducens growth with acetate for optimal biomass yield, but were up-regulated during growth with complex electron donors such as benzoate for rapid energy generation. Furthermore, several computational modeling approaches were applied to accelerate G. metallireducens research. For example, growth of G. metallireducens with different electron donors and electron acceptors were studied using the genome-scale metabolic model, which provided a fast and cost-effective way to understand the metabolism of G. metallireducens. CONCLUSION: We have developed a genome-scale metabolic model for G. metallireducens that features both metabolic similarities and differences to the published model for its close relative, G. sulfurreducens. Together these metabolic models provide an important resource for improving strategies on bioremediation and bioenergy generation. This model is hosted on BioModels Database and identified by: MODEL1507180002. To cite BioModels Database, please use: BioModels Database: An enhanced, curated and annotated resource for published quantitative kinetic models. To the extent possible under law, all copyright and related or neighbouring rights to this encoded model have been dedicated to the public domain worldwide. Please refer to CC0 Public Domain Dedication for more information.

Project description:Anaerobic activation of benzene is expected to represent a novel biochemistry of environmental significance but research into the mechanisms has been stymied by a lack of a genetically tractable pure culture which unequivocally does not use molecular oxygen to activate benzene. Geobacter metallireducens grew in a medium in which benzene was the sole electron donor and Fe(III) was the sole electron acceptor with a stoichiometry of benzene loss and Fe(III) reduction consistent with benzene oxidation to carbon dioxide coupled with Fe(III) reduction. Phenol labeled with 18O was produced when the medium was labeled with H218O, as expected for a true anaerobic conversion of benzene to phenol. Gene expression patterns indicated that benzene was metabolized through a phenol intermediate rather than benzoate or toluene. Deletion of ppcB, which encodes a subunit of the phenylphosphate carboxylase, an enzyme required for phenol metabolism, inhibited metabolism of benzene. Deleting genes specific for benzoate or toluene metabolism did not. Comparison of gene expression patterns in cells grown on benzene versus cells grown on phenol revealed genes specifically expressed in benzene-grown cells. Deletion of one of these, Gmet_3376, inhibited anaerobic benzene oxidation, but not the metabolism of phenol, benzoate, or toluene. The availability of a genetically tractable pure culture that can anaerobically convert benzene to phenol with oxygen derived from water should significantly accelerate elucidation of the mechanisms by which benzene can be activated in the absence of molecular oxygen. Total RNA from three separate cultures of G. metallireducens grown with 250 ÂµM benzene three separate cultures of G. metallireducens grown with 500 ÂµM phenol three separate cultures of G. metallireducens grown with 1 mM benzoate three separate cultures of G. metallireducens grown with 500 ÂµM toluene three separate cultures of G. metallireducens grown with 10 mM acetate were used to study [1] Anaerobic oxidation of benzene by G. metallireducens (Benzene vs. acetate, Benzene vs. benzoate, Benzene vs. phenol, Benzene vs. toluene) [2] Anaerobic oxidation of benzoate by G. metallireducens (Benzoate vs. acetate) [3] Anaerobic oxidation of phenol by G. metallireducens (Phenol vs. acetate) [4] Anaerobic oxidation of toluene by G. metallireducens (Toluene vs. acetate) Each chip measures the expression level of 3,627 genes from G. metallireducens DSM 7210 with nine 45-60-mer probe pairs (PM/MM) per gene, with three-fold technical redundancy.

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Aromatics Degradation in Geobacter metallireducens

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