title: Mechanisms involved in Fe(III) respiration by the hyperthermophilic archaeon Ferroglobus placidus.
abstract: The hyperthermophilic archaeon Ferroglobus placidus can utilize a wide variety of electron donors, including hydrocarbons and aromatic compounds, with Fe(III) serving as an electron acceptor. In Fe(III)-reducing bacteria that have been studied to date, this process is mediated by c-type cytochromes and type IV pili. However, there currently is little information available about how this process is accomplished in archaea. In silico analysis of the F. placidus genome revealed the presence of 30 genes coding for putative c-type cytochrome proteins (more than any other archaeon that has been sequenced to date), five of which contained 10 or more heme-binding motifs. When cell extracts were analyzed by SDS-PAGE followed by heme staining, multiple bands corresponding to c-type cytochromes were detected. Different protein expression patterns were observed in F. placidus cells grown on soluble and insoluble iron forms. In order to explore this result further, transcriptomic studies were performed. Eight genes corresponding to multiheme c-type cytochromes were upregulated when F. placidus was grown with insoluble Fe(III) oxide compared to soluble Fe(III) citrate as an electron acceptor. Numerous archaella (archaeal flagella) also were observed on Fe(III)-grown cells, and genes coding for two type IV pilin-like domain proteins were differentially expressed in Fe(III) oxide-grown cells. This study provides insight into the mechanisms for dissimilatory Fe(III) respiration by hyperthermophilic archaea.
authors: Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Jessica A
authors: JA
authors: Smith
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, USA.
authors: Muktak
authors: M
authors: Aklujkar
authors: Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Carla
authors: C
authors: Risso
authors: Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Ching
authors: C
authors: Leang
authors: Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Ludovic
authors: L
authors: Giloteaux
authors: Department of Physical and Biological Sciences, Western New England University, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA dholmes@wne.edu.
authors: Dawn E
authors: DE
authors: Holmes
mesh_terms: D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019608:Archaeoglobales / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020745:Genome, Archaeal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D020543:Proteome; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D020543:Proteome; D045304:Cytochromes c