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The Purple Phototrophic Bacteria pp 563–576Cite as

Carbon Dioxide Metabolism and its Regulation in Nonsulfur Purple Photosynthetic Bacteria

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Part of the book series: Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration ((AIPH,volume 28))

Summary

Nonsulfur purple (NSP) photosynthetic bacteria are able to photosynthetically metabolize and grow at the expense of a wide range of reduced and oxidized organic compounds as well as using inorganic carbon dioxide under anaerobic conditions. In addition, these organisms, for the most part, are able to oxidize these compounds under aerobic conditions as well. Thus, NSP bacteria are widely dispersed and survive in diverse environments. Carbon dioxide reduction is important for both photoheterotrophic and photoautotrophic metabolism, and CO2 serves as an essential electron acceptor for the maintenance of cellular redox homeostasis when highly reduced organic carbon is used as the electron donor for growth. Since earlier reviews, much progress towards elucidating molecular mechanisms governing carbon dioxide assimilation has been made, primarily in two representative species, Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides and Rba. capsulatus. These studies established the importance of the main transcriptional regulator, CbbR, and its interaction with specific promoter sequences. Furthermore, the redox-sensitive two-component global regulator system, RegAB/PrrAB, was shown to be important for controlling cbb operon gene expression and appeared to be linked to the regulation of redox balancing mechanisms. A further level of complexity is found in Rhodopseudomonas (Rps.) palustris, where a unique three-protein two-component system, in addition to CbbR, was recently shown to contribute to the regulation of CO2 fixation. This chapter will focus on recent progress made in understanding the mechanism of regulation of CO2 metabolism in NSP bacteria.

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Abbreviations

bp:

base pair(s)

CBB:

Calvin-Benson-Bassham

CbbRRS:

Calvin Benson Bassham response regulators/sensor kinase

LTTR:

LysR-type transcriptional regulator

NSP:

nonsulfur purple

PAS:

Per-Arnt-Sim sensing module

Rba. :

Rhodobacter

Rps. :

Rhodopseudomonas

Rubisco:

ribulose 1,5-bisphospate carboxylase/oxygenase

RuBP:

ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate

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Author notes

  1. Simona Romagnoli

    Present address: Department of Biology, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126, Bologna, Italy

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210-1292, USA

    Simona Romagnoli & F. Robert Tabita

Authors
  1. Simona Romagnoli
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  2. F. Robert Tabita
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Robert Tabita .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Sheffield, UK

    C. Neil Hunter

  2. University of Pennsylvania, USA

    Fevzi Daldal

  3. Argonne National Laboratory, USA

    Marion C. Thurnauer

  4. University of British Columbia, Canada

    J. Thomas Beatty

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Romagnoli, S., Tabita, F.R. (2009). Carbon Dioxide Metabolism and its Regulation in Nonsulfur Purple Photosynthetic Bacteria. In: Hunter, C.N., Daldal, F., Thurnauer, M.C., Beatty, J.T. (eds) The Purple Phototrophic Bacteria. Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, vol 28. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8815-5_28

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