PNNL

Abstract

The outer membrane decaheme c-type cytochromes (c-Cyt) MtrC and OmcA of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1(MR-1) play critical roles in extracellular reduction of iron [Fe(III)] oxides and uranium [ U(VI)]. To identify and characterize the outer membrane c-Cyts found in the metal-reducing Shewanella strains isolated from the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River (HRCR), 7 HRCR isolates were tested for the presence of mtrC, omcA and undA1 (a gene encoding a putative 11-heme c-Cyt) homologues in their genomes. All 7 tested strains possessed an mtrC homologue, while 3 strains had an omcA homologue and the remaining 4 strains contained an undA1 homologue. The coding region of an undA1 homologue from HRCR isolate 6 was cloned and sequenced. Because it was 93% identical to the UndA of S. baltica OS223, the protein product encoded by this sequenced gene was named as UndA-HRCR6. In MR-1, UndA-HRCR6 (i) restored an MR-1 mutant’s ability to reduce solid phase ferrihydrite at 40% of that for MR-1 wild type, (ii) increased extracellular formation of UO2 associated with the outer membrane and extracellular polymeric substances in a U(VI) reduction assay and (iii) was secreted to the extracellular environment by bacterial type II secretion system. UndA-HRCR6 was purified from the membrane fraction following its overexpression in MR-1 cells. Purified UndA-HRCR6 possessed 11 heme-Fe and reduced ferric complexes. Collectively, these results show that UndA-HRCR6 is an outer membrane endecaheme c-Cyt and can serve an extracellular metal reductase with functions similar to that of MR-1 MtrC and OmcA.