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Evidence for the existence of PAH-quinone reductase and catechol-O-methyltransferase in Mycobacterium vanbaalenii PYR-1

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Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) quinone reductase (PQR) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), from the PAH-degrading Mycobacterium vanbaalenii PYR-1, were demonstrated to be constitutive enzymes located in the soluble fraction of cell extracts. PQR activities for the reduction of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone and 4,5-pyrene- quinone were 1.40±0.13 and 0.12±0.01 μmol min−1 mg-protein−1, respectively. The exogenous catechols alizarin, anthrarobin, 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene and esculetin inhibited PQR activity. Anthrarobin (100 μM) and esculetin (100 μM) inhibited 4,5-pyrenequinone reduction by 64–92%. COMT was involved in the O-methylation of 1,2-dihydroxyphenanthrene to form 1-methoxy-2-hydroxyphenanthrene and 1,2-dimethoxyphenanthrene. Both pyrene and 1-hydroxypyrene were metabolized by M. vanbaalenii PYR-1 to form 1-methoxypyrene, 1-methoxy-2-hydroxypyrene, 1-hydroxy-2-methoxypyrene and 1,2-dimethoxypyrene. Among the catechols tested, anthrarobin showed the highest COMT activity (1.06±0.04 nmol/30 min−1 mg-protein−1). These results suggest that the PQR and COMT activities of M. vanbaalenii PYR-1 may play an important role in the detoxification of PAH catechols.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank John B. Sutherland for critical review of the manuscript, and Diana Mathews for clerical assistance. This research was supported by the Postgraduate Research Participation Program at the National Center for Toxicological Research administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education through an interagency agreement between the United States Department of Energy and the Food and Drug Administration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research, US FDA, 3900 NCTR Rd., Jefferson, AR, 72079, USA

    Yong-Hak Kim, Joanna D. Moody & Carl E. Cerniglia

  2. Division of Chemistry, National Center for Toxicological Research, US FDA, Jefferson, AR, 72079, USA

    James P. Freeman

  3. Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 51, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    Barbara Brezna

  4. Abteilung Biologische Abluftreinigung, ISWA, Universität Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

    Karl-Heinrich Engesser

Authors
  1. Yong-Hak Kim
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  2. Joanna D. Moody
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  3. James P. Freeman
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  4. Barbara Brezna
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  5. Karl-Heinrich Engesser
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  6. Carl E. Cerniglia
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Correspondence to Carl E. Cerniglia.

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Kim, YH., Moody, J.D., Freeman, J.P. et al. Evidence for the existence of PAH-quinone reductase and catechol-O-methyltransferase in Mycobacterium vanbaalenii PYR-1. J IND MICROBIOL BIOTECHNOL 31, 507–516 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-004-0178-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-004-0178-x

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