Linear alkanesulfonates as carbon and energy sources for gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria

Abstract

Several bacteria from soil and rainwater samples were enriched and isolated with propanesulfonate or butanesulfonate as sole carbon and energy source. Most of the strains isolated utilized nonsubstituted alkanesulfonates with a chain length of C3-C6 and the substituted sulfonates taurine and isethionate as carbon and energy source. A gram-positive isolate, P40, and a gram-negative isolate, P53, were characterized in more detail. Phylogenetic analysis grouped strain P40 within group IV of the genus Rhodococcus and showed a close relationship with Rhodococcus opacus. After phylogenetic and physiological analyses, strain P53 was identified as Comamonas acidovorans. Both bacteria also utilized a wide range of sulfonates as sulfur source. Strain P40, but not strain P53, released sulfite into the medium during dissimilation of sulfonated compounds. Cell-free extracts of strain P53 exhibited high sulfite oxidase activity [2.34 U (mg protein)-1] when assayed with ferricyanide, but not with cytochrome c. Experiments with whole-cell suspensions of both strains showed that the ability to dissimilate 1-propanesulfonate was specifically induced during growth on this substrate and was not present in cells grown on propanol, isethionate or taurine. Whole-cell suspensions of both strains accumulated acetone when oxidizing the non-growth substrate 2-propanesulfonate. Strain P40 cells also accumulated sulfite under these conditions. Stoichiometric measurements with 2-propanesulfonate as substrate in oxygen electrode experiments indicate that the nonsubstituted alkanesulfonates were degraded by a monooxygenase. When strain P53 grew with nonsubstituted alkanesulfonates as carbon and energy source, cells expressed high amounts of yellow pigments, supporting the proposition that an oxygenase containing iron sulfur centres or flavins was involved in their degradation.

Desulfonation of propanesulfonic acid by Comamonas acidovorans strain P53: evidence for an alkanesulfonate sulfonatase and an atypical sulfite dehydrogenase

“…Comamonas acidovorans strain P53 can use linear alkanesulfonates (C 3 -C 6 chain length) as sole carbon and energy sources for growth and as a sulfur source (Reichenbecher and Murrell 1999). Growth with 1-alkanesulfonates [e.g.…”

Isolation and characterization of two new methanesulfonic acid-degrading bacterial isolates from a Portuguese soil sample

“…This supports the contention that a monooxygenase is responsible for the oxidation of methanesulfonate to formaldehyde and sulfite. Some microorganisms, such as Paracoccus denitrificans GB17 (Wodara et al 1997), Beggiatoa strain MS-81-1c (Hagen and Nelson 1997), and Comamonas strain P53 (Reichenbecher and Murrell 1999), are known to oxidize sulfite to sulfate (∆G 0 =-258 kJ mol -1 ; Kelly 1999). We think it possible that our methanesulfonate-degrading isolates could obtain energy from this oxidation.…”

“…Methanesulfonate can be used as a source of sulfur, but not of carbon, by certain microorganisms (Uria-Nickelsen et al 1993a, 1993bKey et al 1998;van der Ploeg et al 1998;Kertesz et al 1999;Reichenbecher and Murrell 1999). However, the C 1 moiety of the molecule can otherwise support the growth of methylotrophic microbes.…”

Aerobic Degradation of Mercaptosuccinate by the Gram-Negative BacteriumVariovorax paradoxusStrain B4

“…Since MS interfered with the quantitative analysis of sulfite, concentrations of sulfite could not be determined. However, sulfite oxidase activity was detected in cell extracts of strain B4 (data not shown), indicating occurrence of sulfite in the cells (65). Thus, sulfite could be oxidized to sulfate either via adenosine 5Ј-phosphosulfate (APS) with participation of APS reductase and ADP sulfurylase or directly by Sox or Sor (41).…”