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Anaerobic acetate oxidation to CO2 by Desulfotomaculum acetoxidans

Isotopic exchange between CO2 and the carbonyl group of acetyl-CoA and topology of enzymes involved

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Abstract

Desulfotomaculum acetoxidans oxidizes acetate to CO2 with sulfate. This organism metabolizes acetate via a pathway in which C1 units rather than tri- and dicarboxylic acids are intermediates. We report here that cell extracts of D. acetoxidans catalyzed an exchange between CO2 and the carboxyl group of acetate at a rate of 90 nmol · min-1 · mg-1 protein which is sufficient to account for the in vivo acetate oxidation rate of 250 nmol · min-1 · mg-1 protein. The reaction was strictly dependent on both ATP and coenzyme A. The extracts contain high activities of acetate kinase (6.3 U · mg-1 protein) and phosphotransacetylase (60 U · mg-1 protein). These findings indicate that acetyl-CoA rather than acetyl-phosphate or acetate is the substrate of the carbon-carbon cleavage activity. Exchange was only observed in the presence of strong reducing agents such as Ti3+. Interestingly, the cell extracts also catalyzed the reduction of CO2 to CO with Ti3+ as electron donor (120 nmol · min-1 · mg-1 protein). Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase and other oxidoreductases involved in acetate oxidation were found to be partially associated with the membrane fraction suggesting a membrane localization of these enzymes.

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Abbreviations

MOPS:

Morpholinopropane sulfonic acid

Tricine:

N-tris(hydroxymethyl)-methylglycine

DTT:

d,l-1,4-Dithiothreitol

DMN:

2,3-Dimethyl-1,4-naphthoquinone

MVOX :

Methyl viologen, oxidized

APS:

Adenosinephosphosulfate

SRB:

Sulfate reducing bacteria

U:

μmol product formed per min

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorium für Mikrobiologie, FB Biologie, Philipps-Universität, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse, D-3550, Marburg, Germany

    Alfred M. Spormann & Rudolf K. Thauer

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  1. Alfred M. Spormann
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  2. Rudolf K. Thauer
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Spormann, A.M., Thauer, R.K. Anaerobic acetate oxidation to CO2 by Desulfotomaculum acetoxidans . Arch. Microbiol. 152, 189–195 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00456100

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00456100

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