Energy driven processes in anaerobic bacteria

The goal of this proposal is to show whether H2-formation from glutamate via NADH in the strict anaerobe bacterium Acidaminococcus fermentans is driven by a H+ or Na+ gradient. In order to understand the mechanism of this reversed electron transport, two membrane enzymes, a hydrogenase and a NADH dehydrogenase, which probably participate in this reaction, will be thoroughly characterised by biochemical, genetic and biophysical techniques. The purified enzymes will be incorporated into phospholipid vesicles, in which artificial ion gradients should induce H2-formation from NADH. The thereby achieved amplification of the reductive power of NADH (E°'= -320 mV) to the level of reduced ferredoxin (E°' = 450 mV) could be of general importance for anaerobes. Reduced ferredoxin is inter alia required for pyruvate synthesis from acetyl-CoA, nitrogen fixation, reduction of benzoyl-CoA and probably for the initiation of the dehydrations of (R)-lactyl-CoA and (R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA.

DFG-Verfahren Schwerpunktprogramme

Teilprojekt zu SPP 1070:  Struktur funktioneller Module von energiewandelnden Systemen in Prokaryoten