Project description:Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain BTF08 has the unique property to couple complete dechlorination of tetrachloroethene and 1,2-dichloroethane to ethene with growth by using the halogenated compounds as terminal electron acceptor. The genome of strain BTF08 encodes 20 genes for reductive dehalogenase homologous proteins (RdhA) including those described for dehalogenation of tetrachloroethene (PceA, PteA), trichloroethene (TceA) and vinyl chloride (VcrA). Thus far it is unknown under which conditions the different RdhAs are expressed, what their substrate specificity is and if different reaction mechanisms are employed. Here we found by proteomic analysis from differentially activated batches that PteA and VcrA were expressed during dechlorination of tetrachloroethene to ethene, while TceA was expressed during 1,2-dichloroethane dehalogenation. Carbon and chlorine compound-specific stable isotope analysis suggested distinct reaction mechanisms for the dechlorination of (i) cis-dichloroethene and vinyl chloride and (ii) tetrachloroethene. This differentiation was observed independent of the expressed RdhA proteins. Differently, two stable isotope fractionation patterns were observed for 1,2-dichloroethane transformation, for cells with distinct RdhA inventories. Conclusively, we could link specific RdhA expression with functions and provide an insight into the apparently substrate-specific reaction mechanisms in the pathway of reductive dehalogenation in D. mccartyi strain BTF08.
Project description:Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain BTF08 has the unique property to couple complete dechlorination of tetrachloroethene and 1,2-dichloroethane to ethene with growth by using the halogenated compounds as terminal electron acceptor. The genome of strain BTF08 encodes 20 genes for reductive dehalogenase homologous proteins (RdhA) including those described for dehalogenation of tetrachloroethene (PceA, PteA), trichloroethene (TceA) and vinyl chloride (VcrA). Thus far it is unknown under which conditions the different RdhAs are expressed, what their substrate specificity is and if different reaction mechanisms are employed. Here we found by proteomic analysis from differentially activated batches that PteA and VcrA were expressed during dechlorination of tetrachloroethene to ethene, while TceA was expressed during 1,2-dichloroethane dehalogenation. Carbon and chlorine compound-specific stable isotope analysis suggested distinct reaction mechanisms for the dechlorination of (i) cis-dichloroethene and vinyl chloride and (ii) tetrachloroethene. This differentiation was observed independent of the expressed RdhA proteins. Differently, two stable isotope fractionation patterns were observed for 1,2-dichloroethane transformation, for cells with distinct RdhA inventories. Conclusively, we could link specific RdhA expression with functions and provide an insight into the apparently substrate-specific reaction mechanisms in the pathway of reductive dehalogenation in D. mccartyi strain BTF08.
Project description:Microbial reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE) in groundwater often results in the accumulation of dichloroethenes (DCEs). Dehalococcoides mccartyi (Dhc) are the only known bacteria capable of dechlorination beyond DCE to non-toxic ethene. In this study, two newly isolated Dhc strains (11a and 11a5) with dissimilar functional abilities are described. Strain 11a reductively dechlorinates TCE, 1,1-DCE, cis-DCE, trans-DCE, and vinyl chloride (VC) to ethene, while strain 11a5 dechlorinates TCE and all three DCE isomers only to VC. Each of these dechlorination reactions are coupled to growth by these strains. The VC dechlorination rate of strain 11a occurs at a rate of 258 nmol per min per mg of protein, about two times faster than previously reported stains. Strain 11a possesses the vcrA gene while strain 11a5 contains the tceA gene. Strains 11a and 11a5 share 100% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity with previously sequenced Dhc strains BAV1 and CBDB1, placing it within the Pinellas subgroup, and 85.4% and 89.5% of all genes present in the CBDB1 and BAV1 genomes were detected in strains 11a and 11a5, respectively, using a custom-designed microarray targeting four sequenced Dhc strains. Genes that were not detected in strains 11a and 11a5 are mostly within the high plasticity regions or integrated elements of the sequenced strains. This study reports the functional description and comparative genomics of two additional Dhc isolates and provides evidence that the observed functional incongruence between the activity and core genome phylogenies of Dhc strains is likely driven by the horizontal transfer of key reductive dehalogenase-encoding genes.
Project description:Organohalide-respiring Dehalococcoidia bacteria are one of the few microorganisms capable of transforming chlorinated solvents to benign ethene in anoxic environments. The tceA gene found in these bacteria, coding the trichloroethene-dechlorinating RDase TceA, is frequently detected in contaminated groundwater but not recognized as a biomarker for vinyl chloride detoxification. Here, we demonstrate that the tceA-carrying Dehalococcoides mccartyi (Dhc) strains FL2 and 195 grow with VC as electron acceptor when sufficient vitamin B12 is provided. Global proteomic profiling confirmed the predominant TceA expression in VC-grown Dhc FL2 cells, providing a line of evidence for the implication of TceA in respiratory VC reductive dechlorination.
Project description:Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent, highly toxic, and widely distributed environmental pollutants. The microbial populations and functional reductive dehalogenases (RDases) responsible for PBDEs debromination in anoxic systems remain poorly understood, which confounds bioremediation of PBDE-contaminated sites. Here we report a PBDE-debrominating enrichment culture dominated by a previously undescribed Dehalococcoides mccartyi population. A D. mccartyi strain, designated TZ50, whose genome contains 25 putative RDase encoding genes was isolated from the debrominating enrichment culture. Strain TZ50 dehalogenated a mixture of penta- and tetra-BDE congeners (total BDEs 1.48 uM) to diphenyl ether within two weeks (0.58 uM Br- /d) via ortho- and meta- bromine elimination; strain TZ50 also dechlorinated tetrachloroethene (PCE) to vinyl chloride and ethene (260.2 M Cl- /d). Native-PAGE, proteomic profiling, and in vitro enzymatic activity assays implicated the involvement of three RDases in PBDEs and PCE dehalogenation. Two RDases, TZ50_0172 (PteATZ50) and TZ50_1083 (TceATZ50), were responsible for debromination of penta- and tetra-BDEs to di-BDE. TZ50_0172 and TZ50_1083 were also implicated in dechlorination of PCE to TCE and of TCE to vinyl chloride/ethene, respectively. The other expressed dehalogenase, TZ50_0090, was associated with debromination of di-BDE to diphenyl ether, but its role in PCE dechlorination was unclear. Comparatively few RDases are known to be involved in PBDE debromination and the identification of PteATZ50, TceATZ50, and TZ50_0090 provides additional information for evaluating debromination potential at contaminated sites. Moreover, the bifunctionality of the PteATZ50 and TceATZ50 in both PBDEs and PCE dehalogenation makes strain TZ50 a suitable candidate for remediation of co-contaminated sites.
Project description:The strictly anaerobic bacterium Dehalococcoides mccartyi is obligatory dependent on organohalide respiration for energy conservation and growth. Due to its capability to reductively dehalogenate a multitude of toxic halogenated electron acceptors, it plays an important role in the attenuation of these compounds at respective contaminated sites. Here, D. mccartyi strain CBDB1, specialized on the dehalogenation of chloroaromatic compounds, was grown in a two-liquid phase system with 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene as electron acceptor, acetate plus CO2 as carbon source and hydrogen as electron donor. The proteome and Nε-lysine acetylome were analyzed in the lag, exponential and stationary phases. The high and almost invariable abundance of the membrane-localized organohalide respiration complex consisting of the reductive dehalogenases CbrA and CbdbA80, the uptake hydrogenase HupLS and the organohalide respiration molybdoenzyme OmeAB was shown throughout growth and also after a prolonged stationary phase. Quantification of transcripts of reductive dehalogenase genes revealed their major synthesis starting in the lag phase, which might be a prerequisite for balanced growth in the exponential phase. The analyses of the coverage of functional pathways as well as indicator analysis revealed the growth-phase specificity of the proteome, with regulatory proteins identified as important indicators for the stationary phase. The number of acetylated proteins increased from the lag to the stationary phase. We detected pronounced acetylation of key proteins of the acetate metabolism, i.e. the synthesis of acetyl-CoA and its processing via gluconeogenesis and the incomplete Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, as well as of proteins central for the biosynthesis of amino acids, co-factors and terpenoids. In addition, the partial acetylation of the reductive dehalogenases as well as of TatA, a component of the twin-arginine translocation machinery, suggests that acetylation might be directly involved in the maintenance of the organohalide respiration capacity of D. mccartyi over periods without access to halogenated electron acceptors.