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The mobA Gene Is Required for Assimilatory and Respiratory Nitrate Reduction but not Xanthine Dehydrogenase Activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

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Abstract

The requirement for the mobA gene in key assimilatory and respiratory nitrogen metabolism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 was investigated by mutational analysis of PA3030 (mobA; MoCo guanylating enzyme), PA1779 (nasA; assimilatory nitrate reductase), and PA3875 (narG; respiratory nitrate reductase). The mobA mutant was deficient in both assimilatory and respiratory nitrate reductase activities, whereas xanthine dehydrogenase activity remained unaffected. Thus, P. aeruginosa requires both the molybdopterin (MPT) and molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide (MGD) forms of the molybdenum cofactor for a complete spectrum of nitrogen metabolism, and one form cannot substitute for the other. Regulation studies using a Φ(PA3030-lacZGm) reporter strain suggest that expression of mobA is not influenced by the type of nitrogen source or by anaerobiosis, whereas assimilatory nitrate reductase activity was detected only in the presence of nitrate.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Vandana Sharma for help with the experiments and Dr. Mary Connolly for help with the manuscript. This work was supported in part by the University of Dayton Summer Fellowship Program, Department of Biology, University of Dayton. Other support came from Public Health Service Grants from the National Institutes of Health (Grants. No. AI 40541 and GM 65873) to D. J. H.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA

    Chris Noriega & John J. Rowe

  2. Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267-0524, USA

    Daniel J. Hassett

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  1. Chris Noriega
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  3. John J. Rowe
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Correspondence to John J. Rowe.

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Noriega, C., Hassett, D.J. & Rowe, J.J. The mobA Gene Is Required for Assimilatory and Respiratory Nitrate Reduction but not Xanthine Dehydrogenase Activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Curr Microbiol 51, 419–424 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-005-0125-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-005-0125-8

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