Unique organizational and functional features of the cytochrome c maturation system in Shewanella oneidensis

PLoS One. 2013 Sep 10;8(9):e75610. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075610. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Shewanella are renowned for their ability to respire on a wide range of electron acceptors, which has been partially accredited to the presence of a large number of the c-type cytochromes. In the model species S. oneidensis MR-1, at least 41 genes encode c-type cytochromes that are predicted to be intact, thereby likely functional. Previously, in-frame deletion mutants for 36 of these genes were obtained and characterized. In this study, first we completed the construction of an entire set of c-type cytochrome mutants utilizing a newly developed att-based mutagenesis approach, which is more effective and efficient than the approach used previously by circumventing the conventional cloning. Second, we investigated the cytochrome c maturation (Ccm) system in S. oneidensis. There are two loci predicted to encode components of the Ccm system, SO0259-SO0269 and SO0476-SO0478. The former is proven essential for cytochrome c maturation whereas the latter is dispensable. Unlike the single operon organization observed in other γ-proteobacteria, genes at the SO0259-SO0269 locus are uniquely organized into four operons, ccmABCDE, scyA, SO0265, and ccmFGH-SO0269. Functional analysis revealed that the SO0265 gene rather than the scyA and SO0269 genes are relevant to cytochrome c maturation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Cytochrome c Group / genetics*
  • Cytochrome c Group / metabolism*
  • Electron Transport
  • Genetic Loci / genetics
  • Mutagenesis
  • Mutation
  • Shewanella / enzymology*
  • Shewanella / genetics
  • Shewanella / metabolism
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • Cytochrome c Group

Grants and funding

This research was supported by Major State Basic Research Development Program (973 Program: 2010CB833803), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31270097), and Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang province (R3110096) to HG. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.