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Triacylglycerol accumulation and oxidative stress in Rhodococcus species: differential effects of pro-oxidants on lipid metabolism

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Abstract

In general, members of Rhodococcus genus are highly resistant to desiccation. Desiccation is a complex process which includes the formation of reactive oxygen species that results in significant damage to cells. In this study, we demonstrate that extremophile actinobacterial strains isolated from diverse environments, mainly belonging to Rhodococcus genus, exhibited high tolerance to the pro-oxidants hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and methyl viologen (MV). In addition, we investigated the possible interconnections between the responses of the oleaginous Rhodococcus opacus PD630 to oxidative stress and lipid metabolism, since both processes demand a metabolic reorganization of cells. Experiments with metabolic inhibitors showed differential effects of both pro-oxidants on lipid metabolism in PD630 cells. The inhibition of carotenoid biosynthesis by the addition of diphenylamine to the media negatively affected the tolerance of cells to H2O2, but not to MV. The inhibition of triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis and accumulation in PD630 did not affect the tolerance of cells to H2O2 and MV; whereas, the blockage of lipolysis decreased the tolerance of cells to H2O2 (but not MV) under carbon-starvation conditions. Interestingly, the addition of MV to the media (but not H2O2) induced a reduction of TAG accumulation by cells. Resuming, results of this study revealed metabolic connections between lipid metabolism and oxidative stress responses in R. opacus PD630, and probably in other extremophile TAG-accumulating rhodococci.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, Argentina (Project PICT-Redes 2006 N° 1707), Project PIP-CONICET Nro. 0764, and SCyT of the University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco. S.B.U. was recipient of a doctoral scholarship from ANPCyT, Argentina and actually from CONICET. H.M.A, M.E.F. and N.C. are researchers of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Científico Tecnológico (CRIDECIT), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Km 4- Ciudad Universitaria, 9000, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina

    Susana Bequer Urbano & Héctor M. Alvarez

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, S2002LRK, Rosario, Argentina

    Cecilia Di Capua & Néstor Cortez

  3. Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), PROIMI Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos Av. Belgrano y Pasaje Caseros, CONICET Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina

    María E. Farías

Authors
  1. Susana Bequer Urbano
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  2. Cecilia Di Capua
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  3. Néstor Cortez
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  4. María E. Farías
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  5. Héctor M. Alvarez
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Correspondence to Héctor M. Alvarez.

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Communicated by M. da Costa.

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Urbano, S.B., Di Capua, C., Cortez, N. et al. Triacylglycerol accumulation and oxidative stress in Rhodococcus species: differential effects of pro-oxidants on lipid metabolism. Extremophiles 18, 375–384 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-013-0623-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-013-0623-8

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