Determining the functional role of the Gluconobacter oxydans GOX1969 protein as a BamB homolog.

Publisher: ASM Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101634614 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2165-0497 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 21650497 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Microbiol Spectr Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Washington, DC : ASM Press, 2013-

Gluconobacter oxydans*/metabolism ; Gluconobacter oxydans*/genetics ; Escherichia coli*/genetics ; Escherichia coli*/metabolism; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; Bacterial Proteins/metabolism ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/metabolism ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/genetics ; Oxidoreductases/metabolism ; Oxidoreductases/genetics ; Escherichia coli Proteins/genetics ; Escherichia coli Proteins/metabolism

Acetic acid bacteria are used in many industrial processes such as the production of vinegar, vitamin C, the antidiabetic drug miglitol, and various artificial flavorings. These industrially important reactions are primarily carried out by an arsenal of periplasmic-facing membrane-bound dehydrogenases that incompletely oxidize their substrates and shuttle electrons directly into the respiratory chain. Among these dehydrogenases, GOX 1969 in Gluconobacter oxydans was predicted to be a pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent dehydrogenase of unknown function. However, after multiple analysis by a number of labs, no dehydrogenase activity has been detected. Reanalysis of GOX1969 sequence and structure reveals similarities to Escherichia coli BamB, which functions as a subunit of the β-barrel assembly machinery complex that is responsible for the assembly of β-barrel outer membrane proteins in Gram-negative bacteria. To test if the physiological function of GOX1969 is similar to BamB in E. coli , we introduced the gox1969 gene into an E. coli ∆ bamB mutant. Growth deficiencies in the ∆ bamB mutant were restored when gox1969 was expressed on the plasmid pGox1969. Furthermore, increased membrane permeability conferred by bamB deletion was restored upon gox1969 expression, which suggests a direct link between GOX1969 and a role in maintaining outer membrane stability. Together, this evidence strongly suggests that GOX1969 is functionally acting as a BamB in G. oxydans . As such, functional information on uncharacterized genes will provide new insights that will allow for more accurate modeling of acetic acid bacterial metabolism and further efforts to design rational strains for industrial use.IMPORTANCE Gluconobacter oxydans is an industrially important member of the acetic acid bacteria. Experimental characterization of putative genes is necessary to identify targets for further engineering of rational acetic acid bacteria strains that can be used in the production of vitamin C, antidiabetic compounds, artificial flavorings, or novel compounds. In this study, we have identified an undefined dehydrogenase GOX1969 with no known substrate and defined structural similarities to outer membrane biogenesis protein BamB in E. coli K12. Furthermore, we demonstrate that GOX1969 is capable of complementing bamB knockout phenotypes in E. coli K12. Taken together, these findings enhance our understanding of G. oxydans physiology and expand the list of potential targets for future industrial strain design.
Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Keywords: BAM complex; PQQ dependent; acetic acid bacteria; bamB; outer membrane protein; β-barrel assembly

0 (Bacterial Proteins)
0 (Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins)
EC 1.- (Oxidoreductases)
0 (Escherichia coli Proteins)

Date Created: 20240625 Date Completed: 20240808 Latest Revision: 20240808

20240808

PMC11302035

10.1128/spectrum.01060-24

38916353