Proteomic Insights into Sulfur Metabolism in the Hydrogen-Producing Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus onnurineus NA1.
The hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 has been shown to produce H₂ when using CO, formate, or starch as a growth substrate. This strain can also utilize elemental sulfur as a terminal electron acceptor for heterotrophic growth. To gain insight into sulfur metabolism, the proteome of T. onnurineus NA1 cells grown under sulfur culture conditions was quantified and compared with those grown under H₂-evolving substrate culture conditions. Using label-free nano-UPLC-MSE-based comparative proteomic analysis, approximately 38.4% of the total identified proteome (589 proteins) was found to be significantly up-regulated (≥1.5-fold) under sulfur culture conditions. Many of these proteins were functionally associated with carbon fixation, Fe-S cluster biogenesis, ATP synthesis, sulfur reduction, protein glycosylation, protein translocation, and formate oxidation. Based on the abundances of the identified proteins in this and other genomic studies, the pathways associated with reductive sulfur metabolism, H₂-metabolism, and oxidative stress defense were proposed. The results also revealed markedly lower expression levels of enzymes involved in the sulfur assimilation pathway, as well as cysteine desulfurase, under sulfur culture condition. The present results provide the first global atlas of proteome changes triggered by sulfur, and may facilitate an understanding of how hyperthermophilic archaea adapt to sulfur-rich, extreme environments.
Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Korea. moonyj@kbsi.re.kr.
Yoon-Jung
YJ
Moon
Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Korea. joseph@kbsi.re.kr.
Joseph
J
Kwon
Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Korea. sungho@kbsi.re.kr.
Sung-Ho
SH
Yun
Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Korea. bluehyeli@naver.com.
Hye Li
HL
Lim
Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Korea. joseph@kbsi.re.kr.
Jonghyun
J
Kim
Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Korea. sjkim313@kbsi.re.kr.
Soo Jung
SJ
Kim
Marine Biotechnology Research Division, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Ansan 426-744, Korea. sgkang@kiost.ac.
Sung Gyun
SG
Kang
Marine Biotechnology Research Division, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Ansan 426-744, Korea. jlee@kiost.ac.
Jung-Hyun
JH
Lee
Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Korea. ksi@kbsi.re.kr.
Seung Il
SI
Kim
Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Korea. chungyh@kbsi.re.kr.|Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Korea. chungyh@kbsi.re.kr.
Young-Ho
YH
Chung
D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D019848:Gene Expression Regulation, Archaeal; D006031:Glycosylation; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D021381:Protein Transport; D059748:Proteolysis; D020543:Proteome; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism*; D019712:Thermococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D008055:Lipids; D020543:Proteome; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D013455:Sulfur; D006859:Hydrogen