Anaerobic microbes: Oxygen detoxification without superoxide dismutase

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1999

Abstract

Superoxide reductase from the hyperthermophilic anaerobe Pyrococcus furiosus uses electrons from reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, by way of rubredoxin and an oxidoreductase, to reduce superoxide to hydrogen peroxide, which is then reduced to water by peroxidases. Unlike superoxide dismutase, the enzyme that protects aerobes from the toxic effects of oxygen, SOR does not catalyze the production of oxygen from superoxide and therefore confers a selective advantage on anaerobes. Superoxide reductase and associated proteins are catalytically active 80 °C below the optimum growth temperature (100 °C) of P. furiosus, conditions under which the organism is likely to be exposed to oxygen.

Publication Title

Science

Volume

286

First Page

306

Last Page

309

Comments

This article was published in Science, Volume 286, Issue 5438, Pages 306-309.

The published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.286.5438.306.

Copyright © 1999 AAAS.

This document is currently not available here.

COinS