• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.284-292
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• 2006

The cbb3 cytochrome c oxidase has the dual function as a terminal oxidase and oxygen sensor in the photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The cbb3 oxidase forms a signal transduction pathway together with the PrrBA two-component system that controls photosynthesis gene expression in response to changes in oxygen tension in the environment. Under aerobic conditions the cbb3 oxidase generates an inhibitory signal, which shifts the equilibrium of PrrB kinase/phosphatase activities towards the phosphatase mode. Photosynthesis genes are thereby turned off under aerobic conditions. The catalytic subunit (CcoN) of the R. sphaeroides cbb3 oxidase contains five histidine residues (H2l4, B233, H303, H320, and H444) that are conserved in all CcoN subunits of the cbb3 oxidase, but not in the catalytic subunits of other members of copper-heme superfamily oxidases. H214A mutation of CcoN affected neither catalytic activity nor sensory (signaling) function of the cbb3 oxidase, whereas H320A mutation led to almost complete loss of both catalytic activity and sensory function of the cbb3 oxidase. H233V and H444A mutations brought about the partial loss of catalytic activity and sensory function of the cbb3 oxidase. Interestingly, the H303A mutant form of the cbb3 oxidase retains the catalytic function as a cytochrome c oxidase as compared to the wild-type oxidase, while it is defective in signaling function as an oxygen sensor. H303 appears to be implicated in either signal sensing or generation of the inhibitory signal to the PrrBA two-component system.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.852-858
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• 2009

The homeostasis of the pyridine nucleotide pool [NAD(P)H and NAD(P)$^+$] is maintained in Rhodobacter sphaeroides mutant strains defective in the cytochrome bci complex or the cytochrome c oxidases in terms of its concentration and redox state. Aerobic derepression of the puf operon, which is under the control of the PrrBA two-component system, in the CBB3 mutant strain of R. sphaeroides was shown to be not the result of changes in the redox state of the pyridine nucleotides and the ubiquinone/ubiquinol pool. Using the bc$_1$ complex knock-out mutant strain of R. sphaeroides, we clearly demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of cbb$_3$, oxidase on spectral complex formation is not caused indirectly by the redox change of the ubiquinone/ubiquinol pool.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.13-18
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• 2003

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1009-1017
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• 2012

The orf282 gene of Rhodobacter sphaeroides is located between the ccoNOQP operon encoding $cbb_3$ terminal oxidase and the fnrL gene encoding an anaerobic activator, FnrL. Its function remains unknown. In an attempt to reveal the function of the orf282 gene, we disrupted the gene by deleting a portion of the orf282 gene and constructed an orf282-knockout mutant. Two FnrL binding sites were found to be located upstream of orf282, and it was demonstrated that orf282 is positively regulated by FnrL. The orf282 gene is not involved in the regulation of spectral complex formation. The $cbb_3$ oxidase activity detected in the orf282 mutant was comparable to that in the wild-type sample, indicating that the orf282 gene is not involved in the regulation of the ccoNOQP operon and the biosynthesis of the cbb3 cytochrome c oxidase. The elevated promoter activity of the nifH and nifA genes, which are the structural genes of nitrogenase and its regulator, respectively, in the orf282 mutant, suggests that the orf282 gene product acts as a negative effector for nifH and nifA expression.