On the enigma of glutathione-dependent styrene degradation in Gordonia rubripertincta CWB2

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Thomas Heine - , Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (Author)
  • Juliane Zimmerling - , Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (Author)
  • Anne Ballmann - , Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (Author)
  • Sebastian Bruno Kleeberg - , Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (Author)
  • Christian Rückert - , Bielefeld University (Author)
  • Tobias Busche - , Bielefeld University (Author)
  • Anika Winkler - , Bielefeld University (Author)
  • Jörn Kalinowski - , Bielefeld University (Author)
  • Ansgar Poetsch - , Ruhr University Bochum, University of Plymouth (Author)
  • Anika Scholtissek - , Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (Author)
  • Michel Oelschlägel - , Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (Author)
  • Gert Schmidt - , Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (Author)
  • Dirk Tischler - , Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, Ruhr University Bochum (Author)

Abstract

Among bacteria, only a single styrene-specific degradation pathway has been reported so far. It comprises the activity of styrene monooxygenase, styrene oxide isomerase, and phenylacetaldehyde dehydrogenase, yielding phenylacetic acid as the central metabolite. The alternative route comprises ring-hydroxylating enzymes and yields vinyl catechol as central metabolite, which undergoes meta-cleavage. This was reported to be unspecific and also allows the degradation of benzene derivatives. However, some bacteria had been described to degrade styrene but do not employ one of those routes or only parts of them. Here, we describe a novel "hybrid" degradation pathway for styrene located on a plasmid of foreign origin. As putatively also unspecific, it allows metabolizing chemically analogous compounds (e.g., halogenated and/or alkylated styrene derivatives). Gordonia rubripertincta CWB2 was isolated with styrene as the sole source of carbon and energy. It employs an assembled route of the styrene side-chain degradation and isoprene degradation pathways that also funnels into phenylacetic acid as the central metabolite. Metabolites, enzyme activity, genome, transcriptome, and proteome data reinforce this observation and allow us to understand this biotechnologically relevant pathway, which can be used for the production of ibuprofen.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere00154-18
JournalApplied and environmental microbiology
Volume84
Issue number9
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2018
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 29475871
ORCID /0000-0002-7109-2788/work/142249497

Keywords

Keywords

  • Genomic island, Glutathione in actinobacteria, Glutathione S-transferase, Horizontal gene transfer, Hybrid gene cluster, Microbial ibuprofen production, Proteomics, Styrene monooxygenase, Transcriptomics, Xenobiotic compounds

Library keywords