Open AccessBiosynthesis of superoxide dismutase in eight prokaryotes: Effects of oxygen, paraquat and an iron chelator
Author(s) -
Schiavone Joan R.,
Hassan Hosni M.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1987.tb02295.x
Subject(s) - superoxide dismutase , proteus vulgaris , enterobacter cloacae , microbiology and biotechnology , paraquat , staphylococcus epidermidis , escherichia coli , alcaligenes faecalis , enterobacter , enterococcus faecalis , chemistry , listeria monocytogenes , catalase , biology , staphylococcus aureus , enterobacteriaceae , biochemistry , bacteria , enzyme , genetics , gene
The effect of oxygen, paraquat (PQ 2+ ; 1,1′‐dimethyl‐4,4′‐bipyridinium dichloride) and 2,2′‐dipyridyl (2,2′‐DP) on the synthesis of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in various microorganisms was examined to determine whether the control of SOD biosynthesis in other prokaryotes is similar to that in Escherichia coli . All of the strains tested, with the exception of Alcaligenes faecalis, exhibited SOD levels proportional to the concentration of oxygen in the growth media. Paraquat induced SOD in all of the strains surveyed except Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus faecalis, and Listeria monocytogenes . The iron chelator, 2,2′‐DP, induced SOD in Proteus vulgaris, Enterobacter cloacae and Staphylococcus aureus, but decreased the activity of SOD in A. faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and had no effect in S. epidermidis, S. faecalis or L. monocytogenes . The data indicate that the induction of SOD in P. vulgaris, E. cloacae, and Salmonella typhimurium is similar to that found in E. coli and suggest that the mechanism of SOD regulation in E. coli may be representative of the Enterobacteriaceae family as a whole.