Characterization of a flavocytochrome that is induced during the anaerobic respiration of Fe3+ by Shewanella frigidimarina NCIMB400

Paul S. Dobbin, Julea N. Butt, Anne K. Powell, Graeme A. Reid, David J. Richardson

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62 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A 63.9 kDa periplasmic tetrahaem flavocytochrome c3, designated Ifc3, was found to be expressed in Shewanella frigidimarina NCIMB400 grown anaerobically with ferric citrate or ferric pyrophosphate as the sole terminal electron acceptor, but not in anaerobic cultures of the bacterium with other respiratory substrates. Ifc3 was purified to homogeneity and revealed by biochemical, spectroscopic and primary structure analyses to contain four low-spin bis-His-ligated c3-haems, with midpoint reduction potentials of -73, -141, -174 and -259 mV. A low-potential flavin was present in the form of non-covalently bound FAD; the protein possessed a unidirectional fumarate reductase activity. Disruption of the chromosomal gene encoding Ifc3, ifcA, did not lead to a significant change in the rate of Fe3+ reduction in batch culture. However, during such growth the Ifc3-deficient mutant produced both a 35 kDa periplasmic c-type cytochrome and a 45 kDa membrane-associated c-type cytochrome at markedly higher levels than did the parent strain. Nucleotide sequencing data from directly upstream of ifcA indicated the presence of an open reading frame encoding a putative outer-membrane β-barrel protein of 324 amino acid residues.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)439-448
Number of pages10
JournalBiochemical Journal
Volume342
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sep 1999

Keywords

  • Bacteria
  • Ferric reductase
  • Flavin
  • Haem
  • Iron

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