Characterization of Hydrogen Metabolism in the Multicellular Green Alga Volvox carteri.
Hydrogen gas functions as a key component in the metabolism of a wide variety of microorganisms, often acting as either a fermentative end-product or an energy source. The number of organisms reported to utilize hydrogen continues to grow, contributing to and expanding our knowledge of biological hydrogen processes. Here we demonstrate that Volvox carteri f. nagariensis, a multicellular green alga with differentiated cells, evolves H2 both when supplied with an abiotic electron donor and under physiological conditions. The genome of Volvox carteri contains two genes encoding putative [FeFe]-hydrogenases (HYDA1 and HYDA2), and the transcripts for these genes accumulate under anaerobic conditions. The HYDA1 and HYDA2 gene products were cloned, expressed, and purified, and both are functional [FeFe]-hydrogenases. Additionally, within the genome the HYDA1 and HYDA2 genes cluster with two putative genes which encode hydrogenase maturation proteins. This gene cluster resembles operon-like structures found within bacterial genomes and may provide further insight into evolutionary relationships between bacterial and algal [FeFe]-hydrogenase genes.
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
Adam J
AJ
Cornish
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
Robin
R
Green
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
Katrin
K
Gärtner
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
Saundra
S
Mason
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
Eric L
EL
Hegg
D020418:Algal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D023061:Gene Order; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006864:Hydrogenase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D044446:Volvox / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D020418:Algal Proteins; D006859:Hydrogen; D006864:Hydrogenase