• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.3 s.76
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• pp.485-492
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• 2006

The PrrBA two-component system is one of the major regulatory systems that control expression of photosynthesis genes in response to changes in oxygen tension in the anoxygenic photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The system consists of the PrrB histidine kinase and the PrrA response regulator. The N-terminal transmembrane domain of PrrB serves as a signal-sensing domain and comprises six transmembrane helices forming three periplasmic loops and two cytoplasmic loops. The $3^{rd}$ and $4^{th}$ transmembrane helices and the $2^{nd}$ periplasmic loop were suggested to play a crucial role in redox-sensory function. In this study we demonstrated that mutations of Asp-90, Gln-93, Leu-94, Leu-98, and Asn-106 in the $2^{nd}$ periplasmic loop and its neighboring region led to severe defects in PrrB sensory function, indicating that these amino acids might be related to the redox-sensing function of PrrB. The mutant forms (D90E, D90N, and D90A) of PrrB were heterologously overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified by means of affinity chromatography and their autokinase activities were comparatively assessed. The D90N form of PrrB was shown to possess higher autokinase activity than the wild-type form of PrrB, whereas the D90E form of PrrB displayed lower autokinase activity than the wild-type form of PrrB. The D90A mutation led to the loss of PrrB autokinase activity.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.210-217
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• 1992

A photosynthetic bacterium strain KUP-74 producing high amount of S-amino-levulinic acid(ALA) was isolated from soils, which was identified as Rhodocyclus gelatinosus. After 10 days cultivation under anaerobic-light condition at $30^{\circ}C$, 4 Klux and pH 6.8, 5 mg/l of ALA was formed extracellularly. ALA productions were increased up to 8 mg/l and 12 mg/l in cell cultivations either by the addition of 0.5% glycerol (v/v) or 10 mM of glycine and succinic acid, respectively, using Lascelles basal medium eliminated L-glutamic acid. By cultivation in the presence of 30 mM each D,L-glutamic acids and D,L-glutamines the yield of ALA showing a late induction phenomenon was reached the maximum value of 21 mg/l. Different culture times were needed to generate maximum ALA yields by the addition of initial precursors of $C_4$ and $C_5$ pathways in basal medium, as being 107 h and 262 h, respectively. 40 mg/l yield of ALA was observed by cell cultivation with the basal medium containing each 10 mM levulinic acid(LA) and glycine simultaneously.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 1992

Cytochrome c oxida5e from chemotrophically grown R p , geliitinosu was purified by cytochrome c affinity chromatography and DEAE-Sephacel ion exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of the cytochrome c oxidase was approximately 110.000 Da by sephacryl s-300 gel chromatography and approximately 52, 000 Da by SDS-gel electrophoresis, respectively. Therefore. cytochrolne c oxidase of Rps. gehtinosu seems to be dimer. The cytochrome c oxidasc was very sensitive to temperature. It's Km and Vmax were 20 pM and 44 unitlmg protein for horsc heart cytochrome c as a substrate. respectively, and its optimum pH and temperature were 6.4 and 25$^{\circ}$C. respectively. The absorption peaks of the reduced cytochrome c oxidase showed at 554 nm, 523 nm. and 422 nm. The activiiy of cytochrome c oxidase was inhibited by KCN, and NaN3, but not by CO, antimycir~ A. and myxothiazol. The cytochrome c-551 was produced either in phototrophically or chemotrophically grown Rps. gelaiinosci. The rcduced cytochrome c-551 was oxidized by b-type cytochrome c oxidase from Rp.v. gc.lrtino.sc~. Km and Vmax of cytochrome c oxidase was 26 pM and 31 unitlnlg protein For cytochrome c-551 as a substrate. respectively. Thercfore. thc electron transfer chain of chemotrophically grown Rps. glatinosa seems lo be ubiquinol cytochrome bc, complex -'cytochrome c-55lMb-type cytochrome c oxidase+02.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 1992

The Photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides strain B6 was irnmobilized on agar gel. The optimum concentration of agar for hydrogen production was 2% (w/v). Maximum rates of hydrogen production by immobilized (300 ml of gel; 2.85 rng dry cells/ml) and free cells (1l culture; 0.87 mg dry cells/ml) were 47.5 and 48.0 ml/hr/culture, respectively. However, when both cultures were fed by 10 mmoles of lactate as limited electron donor at the later period of incubation, the activity of hydrogen production by free cells was significantly decreased but, immobilized cells continued hydrogen production with almost the same initial rate. Wc examined hydrogen production by immobilized cells of strain B6 under periodic illumination for 12 hr-intervals. When the culture was periodically fed by basal medium containing 9.3 rnmoles of DL-lactate and 1.86 mmoles of L-glutamate as consumed electron donor and nitrogen source, respectively, for every one liter of hydrogen produced, hydrogen was evolved continuously with the average rate of 510 ml/day/300 ml gel (2.9 rng dry cellslml) during the incubation time for 228 hr.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.1460-1468
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• 2007

In this study, an approx. 2.5-kb gene fragment including the catalase gene from Rhodospirillum rubrum S1 was cloned and characterized. The determination of the complete nucleotide sequence revealed that the cloned DNA fragment was organized into three open reading frames, designated as ORF1, catalase, and ORF3 in that order. The catalase gene consisted of 1,455 nucleotides and 484 amino acids, including the initiation and stop codons, and was located 326 bp upstream in the opposite direction of ORF1. The catalase was overproduced in Escherichia coli UM255, a catalase-deficient mutant, and then purified for the biochemical characterization of the enzyme. The purified catalase had an estimated molecular mass of 189 kDa, consisting of four identical subunits of 61 kDa. The enzyme exhibited activity over a broad pH range from pH 5.0 to pH 11.0 and temperature range from $20^{\circ}C$ to $60^{\circ}C$C. The catalase activity was inhibited by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, cyanide, azide, and hydroxylamine. The enzyme's $K_m$ value and $V_{max}$ of the catalase for $H_2O_2$ were 21.8 mM and 39,960 U/mg, respectively. Spectrophotometric analysis revealed that the ratio of $A_{406}$ to $A_{280}$ for the catalase was 0.97, indicating the presence of a ferric component. The absorption spectrum of catalase-4 exhibited a Soret band at 406 nm, which is typical of a heme-containing catalase. Treatment of the enzyme with dithionite did not alter the spectral shape and revealed no peroxidase activity. The combined results of the gene sequence and biochemical characterization proved that the catalase cloned from strain S1 in this study was a typical monofunctional catalase, which differed from the other types of catalases found in strain S1.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.632-639
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• 2006

Here we examined the expression patterns and regulation of seven photosynthesis (PS) genes (puf, puc, puhA, bchC, bchE, bchF, and bchI) in the anoxygenic photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, based on lacZ reporter gene assay. Expression of the tested PS genes, except puhA and bchI, were strongly induced in R. sphaeroides grown under anaerobic conditions relative to that under aerobic conditions. The puhA and bchI genes appear to form the operons together with bchFNBHLM-RSP0290 and crtA, respectively. Expression of the puf, puc, and bchCXYZ operons in R. sphaeroides grown photosynthetically was proportional to the incident light intensity, whereas that of bchFNBHLM(RSP0290-puhA) was inversely related to light intensity. Expression of bchEJG was lowest under medium-light photosynthetic conditions $(10\;W/m^2)$ and highest under high light conditions $(100\;W/m^2)$. The regulation of PS genes by the three major regulatory systems involved in oxygen- and light-sensing in R. sphaeroides is as following: puf and bchC are regulated by both the PpsR repressor and the PrrBA two-component system. The puc operon is under control of PpsR, FnrL, and PrrBA system. Expression of bchE is controlled by FnrL and PrrBA two-component system, whereas bchF is regulated exclusively by PpsR. It was demonstrated that the PpsR repressor is responsible for high-light repression of bchF and that FnrL might be involved in perceiving the cellular redox state in addition to sensing $O_2$ itself.