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Membrane-bound respiratory [NiFe]-hydrogenase (MBH), a [H.sub.2]-uptake enzyme found in the periplasmic space of bacteria, catalyses the oxidation of dihydrogen: [H.sub.2] → 2[H.sup.+] [2e.sup.-] (ref. 1). In contrast to the well-studied [O.sub.2]-sensitive [NiFe]-hydrogenases (referred to as the standard enzymes), MBH has an [O.sub.2]-tolerant [H.sub.2] oxidation activity (2-4); however, the mechanism of [O.sub.2] tolerance is unclear (5). Here we report the crystal structures of Hydrogenovibrio marinus MBH in three different redox conditions at resolutions between 1.18 and 1.32 Å. We find that the proximal iron-sulphur (Fe-S) cluster of MBH has a [4Fe-3S] structure coordinated by six cysteine residues-in contrast to the [4Fe-4S] cubane structure coordinated by four cysteine residues found in the proximal Fe-S cluster of the standard enzymes-and that an amide nitrogen of the polypeptide backbone is deprotonated and additionally coordinates the cluster when chemically oxidized, thus stabilizing the superoxidized state of the cluster. The structure of MBH is very similar to that of the [O.sub.2]-sensitive standard enzymes except for the proximal Fe-S cluster. Our results give a reasonable explanation why the [O.sub.2] tolerance of MBH is attributable to the unique proximal Fe-S cluster; we propose that the cluster is not only a component of the electron transfer for the catalytic cycle, but that it also donates two electrons and one proton crucial for the appropriate reduction of [O.sub.2] in preventing the formation of an unready, inactive state of the enzyme., An increasing interest in exploring [H.sub.2] as a clean energy carrier has encouraged the use of hydrogenases as efficient catalysts for [H.sub.2] oxidation in fuel cells and for [H.sub.2] production. [...]

The size and composition of the intracellular pools of nonesterified coenzyme A (CoASH) and coenzyme A (CoA) thioesters in aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria differ significantly. The pools of CoA in aerobic bacteria change hardly and are significantly smaller, while the facultatively anaerobic bacteria CoA pools change quickly in response to the carbon and energy source. The ratio of acetyl-CoA/CoASH in facultatively anaerobic bacteria are significantly higher than those in aerobic bacteria.

Abstract Background Conversion of industrial processes to more nature-friendly modes is a crucial subject for achieving sustainable development. Utilization of hydrogen-oxidation reactions by hydrogenase as a driving force of bioprocess reaction can be an environmentally ideal method because the reaction creates no pollutants. We expressed NAD-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase from Kluyveromyces lactis in a hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium: Ralstonia eutropha. This is the first report of hydrogen-driven in vivo coupling reaction of the alcohol dehydrogenase and indigenous soluble NAD-reducing hydrogenase. Asymmetric reduction of hydroxyacetone to (R)-1,2-propanediol, which is a commercial building block for antibacterial agents, was performed using the transformant as the microbial cell catalyst. Results The two enzymes coupled in vitro in vials without a marked decrease of reactivity during the 20 hr reaction because of the hydrogenase reaction, which generates no by-product that affects enzymes. Alcohol dehydrogenase was expressed functionally in R. eutropha in an activity level equivalent to that of indigenous NAD-reducing hydrogenase under the hydrogenase promoter. The hydrogen-driven in vivo coupling reaction proceeded only by the transformant cell without exogenous addition of a cofactor. The decrease of reaction velocity at higher concentration of hydroxyacetone was markedly reduced by application of an in vivo coupling system. Production of (R)-1,2-propanediol (99.8% e.e.) reached 67.7 g/l in 76 hr with almost a constant rate using a jar fermenter. The reaction velocity under 10% PH2 was almost equivalent to that under 100% hydrogen, indicating the availability of crude hydrogen gas from various sources. The in vivo coupling system enabled cell-recycling as catalysts. Conclusions Asymmetric reduction of hydroxyacetone by a coupling reaction of the two enzymes continued in both in vitro and in vivo systems in the presence of hydrogen. The in vivo reaction system using R. eutropha transformant expressing heterologous alcohol dehydrogenase showed advantages for practical usage relative to the in vitro coupling system. The results suggest a hopeful perspective of the hydrogen-driven bioprocess as an environmentally outstanding method to achieve industrial green innovation. Hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria can be useful hosts for the development of hydrogen-driven microbial cell factories.

The purification procedure of Hyd-2-type [NiFe]-hydrogenase from Citrobacter sp. S-77 was improved by applying treatment with trypsin before chromatography. Purified protein samples both with and without trypsin treatment were successfully crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method with polyethylene glycol as a precipitant. Both crystals belonged to space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 63.90, b = 118.89, c = 96.70 Å, β = 100.61° for the protein subjected to trypsin treatment and a = 65.38, b = 121.45, c = 98.63 Å, β = 102.29° for the sample not treated with trypsin. The crystal obtained from the trypsin-treated protein diffracted to 1.60 Å resolution, which is considerably better than the 2.00 Å resolution obtained without trypsin treatment. The [NiFe]-hydrogenase from Citrobacter sp. S-77 retained catalytic activity with some amount of O2, indicating that it has clear O2 tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NAD+-reducing [NiFe] hydrogenases catalyze the oxidoreduction of dihydrogen concomitant with the interconversion of NAD+ and NADH. Here, the isolation, purification and crystallization of the NAD+-reducing [NiFe] hydrogenase from Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus TH-1 are reported. Crystals of the NAD+-reducing [NiFe] hydrogenase were obtained within one week from a solution containing polyethylene glycol using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method and micro-seeding. The crystal diffracted to 2.58 Å resolution and belonged to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 131.43, b = 189.71, c = 124.59 Å, β = 109.42°. Assuming the presence of two NAD+-reducing [NiFe] hydrogenase molecules in the asymmetric unit, VM was calculated to be 2.2 Å3 Da−1, which corresponds to a solvent content of 43%. Initial phases were determined by the single-wavelength anomalous dispersion method using the anomalous signal from the Fe atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane-bound [NiFe]-hydrogenase from Hydrogenophaga sp. AH-24 was purified to homogeneity. The molecular weight was estimated as 100±10 kDa, consisting of two different subunits (62 and 37 kDa). The optimal pH values for H2 oxidation and evolution were 8.0 and 4.0, respectively, and the activity ratio (H2 oxidation/H2 evolution) was 1.61 × 102 at pH 7.0. The optimal temperature was 75 °C. The enzyme was quite stable under air atmosphere (the half-life of activity was c. 48 h at 4 °C), which should be important to function in the aerobic habitat of the strain. The enzyme showed high thermal stability under anaerobic conditions, which retained full activity for over 5 h at 50 °C. The activity increased up to 2.5-fold during incubation at 50 °C under H2. Using methylene blue as an electron acceptor, the kinetic constants of the purified membrane-bound homogenase (MBH) were Vmax=336 U mg−1, kcat=560 s−1, and kcat/ Km=2.24 × 107 M−1 s−1. The MBH exhibited prominent electron paramagnetic resonance signals originating from [3Fe–4S]+ and [4Fe–4S]+ clusters. On the other hand, signals originating from Ni of the active center were very weak, as observed in other oxygen-stable hydrogenases from aerobic H2-oxidizing bacteria. This is the first report of catalytic and biochemical characterization of the respiratory MBH from Hydrogenophaga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]