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The 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase multienzyme complex of Haloferax volcanii

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Abstract

Those aerobic archaea whose genomes have been sequenced possess four adjacent genes that, by sequence comparisons with bacteria and eukarya, appear to encode the component enzymes of a 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase multienzyme complex. However, no catalytic activity of any such complex has ever been detected in the archaea. In Thermoplasma acidophilum, evidence has been presented that the heterologously expressed recombinant enzyme possesses activity with the branched chain 2-oxoacids and, to a lesser extent, with pyruvate. In the current paper, we demonstrate that in Haloferax volcanii the four genes are transcribed as an operon in vivo. However, no functional complex or individual enzyme, except for the dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase component, could be detected in this halophile grown on a variety of carbon sources. Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase is present at low catalytic activities, the level of which is increased three to fourfold when Haloferax volcanii is grown on the branched-chain amino acids valine, leucine and isoleucine.

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Abbreviations

BCOADHC:

Branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complex

DCPIP:

2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol

E1:

2-Oxoacid decarboxylase

E2:

Dihydrolipoyl acyl-transferase

E3:

Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase

FOR:

Ferredoxin oxidoreductase

Mr :

Relative molecular mass

OADHC:

2-Oxoacid dehydrogenase complex

OGDHC:

2-Oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex

PDHC:

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

TPP:

Thiamine pyrophosphate

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Acknowledgments

DMA is grateful for the financial support from the University of Kuwait. We also thank Dr M.L. Dyall-Smith, University of Melbourne, Australia, for invaluable advice and many helpful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat, 13060, State of Kuwait

    Dina M. Al-Mailem

  2. Centre for Extremophile Research, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    David W. Hough & Michael J. Danson

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  1. Dina M. Al-Mailem
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  2. David W. Hough
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  3. Michael J. Danson
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Correspondence to Michael J. Danson.

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Al-Mailem, D.M., Hough, D.W. & Danson, M.J. The 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase multienzyme complex of Haloferax volcanii . Extremophiles 12, 89–96 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-007-0091-0

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