Abstract
The respiratory chain ofAquaspirillum magnetotacticum strain MS-1 cells denitrifying microaerobically included a-, a1-, b-, c-, cd1-, and o-type hemes. More than 85% of the total cytochromes detected were of the c type. Virtually all of the a and b types were detected in cell membranes, whereas 70% of the c-type hemes were soluble. Large quantities of soluble c-type hemes were released with periplasm by freezing and thawing cells. Soluble c551 occurred in two forms: as a single compound of apparent molecular weight of 17,000 daltons, which bound CO, and, together with d1 heme, as a component of nitrite reductase. Both a1-type hemes (which usually comprise part of the “low aeration” cytochrome oxidase) and o types (usually part of the “high aeration” oxidase) were simultaneously expressed in microaerobically grown denitrifying cells ofA. magnetotacticum; this indicated branching of the respiratory chain.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Bazylinski DA, Blakemore RP (1983) Denitrification and assimilatory nitrate reduction inAquaspirillum magnetotacticum. Appl Environ Microbiol 46:1118–1124
Blakemore RP, Maratea D, Wolfe RS (1979) Isolation and pure culture of a freshwater magnetic spirillum in chemically defined medium. J Bacteriol 140:720–729
Blakemore RP, Short KA, Bazylinski DA, Rosenblatt C, Frankel RB (1985) Microaerobic conditions are required for magnetite production withinAquaspirillum magnetotacticum. Geomicrobiol J 4:53–71
Clark-Walker GD, Lascelles J (1970) Cytochrome c550 fromSpirillum itersonii: purification and some properties. Arch Biochem Biophys 136:153–159
Clark-Walker GD, Rittenberg B, Lascelles J (1967) Cytochrome synthesis and its regulation inSpirillum itersonii. J Bacteriol 94:1648–1655
Cliver DO (1967) Detection of enteric viruses by concentration with polyethylene glycol. In: Berg G (ed) Transmission of viruses by the water route. New York: John Wiley and Sons, pp 109–120
Cole JA, Rittenberg SC (1971) A comparison of respiratory processes inSpirillum volutans, Spirillum itersonii andSpirillum serpens. J Gen Microbiol 69:375–383
Daily HA, Lascelles J (1977) Reduction of iron and synthesis of protoheme bySpirillum itersonii and other organisms. J Bacteriol 129:815–820
Escalante-Semerena JC, Blakemore RP, Wolfe RS (1980) Nitrate dissimilation under microaerophilic conditions by a magnetic spirillum. Appl Environ Microbiol 40:429–430
Estabrook R, Holowinsky A (1961) Studies on the content and organization of the respiratory enzymes of mitochondria. J Biophys Biochem Cyt 9:19–28
Frankel RB, Papaefthymiou GC, Blakemore RP, O'Brien W (1983) Fe3O4 precipitation in magnetotactic bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta 763:147–159
Garrard WT (1971) Selective release of proteins fromSpirillum itersonii by tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane and ethylenediaminetetraacetate. J Bacteriol 105:93–100
Gauthier DK, Clark-Walker GD, Garrard WT Jr, Lascelles J (1970) Nitrate reductase and soluble cytochrome c inSpirillum itersonii. J Bacteriol 102:797–803
Green GN, Gennis RB (1983) Isolation and characterization of anEscherichia coli mutant lacking cytochrome d terminal oxidase. J Bacteriol 154:1269–1275
Jones C, Redfearn ER (1966) Electron transport inAzotobacter vinelandii. Biochim Biophys Acta 113:467–481
Jones CW (1982) Bacterial respiration and photosynthesis, vol 5. Washington DC: Am Soc Microbiol
Knowles CJ, Calcott PH, MacLeod RA (1974) Periplasmic CO-binding c-type cytochrome in a marine bacterium. FEBS Letters 49:78–83
Laemmli UK (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature (Lond) 227:680–685
Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275
Maratea D, Blakemore RP (1981)Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum sp. nov., a magnetic spirillum. Int J Syst Bacteriol 31:452–455
McDonnel A, Staehlin LA (1981) Detection of cytochrome f, a c-class cytochrome, with diaminobenzidine in polyacrylamide gels. Anal Biochem 117:40–44
Nevin DF (1984) The cytochrome complement ofHaemophilus parasuis. Can J Microbiol 30:763–773
Paoletti LC, Short KA, Blakemore RP (1986) Freezing and thawing ofAquaspirillum magnetotacticum releases periplasmic proteins. Abstr Annu Meet Am Soc Microbiol 1986:166
Scholes PB, McLain G, Smith L (1971) Purification and properties of a c-type cytochrome fromMicrococcus denitrificans. Biochemistry 10:2072–2076
Short KA, Blakemore RP (1986) Iron respiration-driven proton translocation in aerobic bacteria. J Bacteriol 167:729–731
Smith L (1978) Bacterial cytochromes and their spectral characterization. Methods Enzymol 53:202–212.
Weston JA, Knowles CJ (1974) The respiratory system of the marine bacteriumBeneckea natriegenes. I. Cytochrome composition. Biochim Biophys Acta 333:228–236
Yamanaka T, Okunuki K (1974) Cytochromes. In: Neilands J (ed) Microbial iron metabolism. New York: Academic Press, pp 349–402
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
O'Brien, W., Paoletti, L.C. & Blakemore, R.P. Spectral analysis of cytochromes inAquaspirillum magnetotacticum . Current Microbiology 15, 121–127 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01577258
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01577258