Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1483703
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Fractionating proteins with nitrite-reducing activity in “Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis” strain CSTR1
Author Ude, E.O.; Sure, P.; Rimjhim, R.; Adrian, L. ORCID logo ; Ding, C.
Source Titel Frontiers in Microbiology
Year 2025
Department MEB
Volume 16
Page From art. 1483703
Language englisch
Topic T7 Bioeconomy
Supplements https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1483703/full#supplementary-material
Keywords shotgun proteomics; fractionation; anammoxosome; planktonic cultivation; nitrogen cycle
Abstract The anammox bacteria “Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis” (Ca. Kuenenia) are able to gain energy by combining ammonium and nitrite to produce nitrogen gas, which is an ecologically and technically significant activity process. In this reaction, nitric oxide serves as a recognized intermediate in the reduction of nitrite, which is subsequently combined with ammonium to produce hydrazine. However, the enzyme that converts nitrite to nitric oxide remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the nitrite-reducing activity in “Ca. Kuenenia stuttgartiensis” strain CSTR1 to identify candidates for such an enzyme. An optimized in vitro assay was established to measure nitrite-reducing activities, with which we followed the activity in protein fractions obtained from various fractionation methods. Separation of the cell extract of strain CSTR1 with size exclusion chromatography yielded active fractions corresponding to a molecular size range of 150–200 kDa. Several proteins coeluted with the nitrite-reducing activity, including the hydroxylamine dehydrogenase HOX, an NADP-dependent isopropanol dehydrogenase (Adh), an electron-transfer 4Fe-4S subunit protein (Fcp), and a nitric oxide detoxifying flavorubredoxin (NorVW). However, further separation of the cell extract with anion exchange chromatography, resulted in much lower activity yields, and activities were distributed among several fractions. In addition, fractionation of cell extracts using ultracentrifugation and ultrafiltration linked the activity to HOX, but could not exclude the involvement of other proteins in the activity. Overall, our results suggest that the molecular mechanism for nitrite reduction in “Ca. Kuenenia” strains is more complex than that currently described in the literature. Nitrite reduction appears to be strongly associated with HOX but may additionally require the participation of other proteins.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=29560
Ude, E.O., Sure, P., Rimjhim, R., Adrian, L., Ding, C. (2025):
Fractionating proteins with nitrite-reducing activity in “Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis” strain CSTR1
Front. Microbiol. 16 , art. 1483703 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1483703