Coenzyme B12-dependent 1,2-propanediol degradation by Salmonella

本研究将探讨肠道沙门氏菌对辅酶b12依赖性1,2-丙二醇的降解。由于b12依赖性过程对环境和生物技术产业至关重要，这些研究可能为保护环境和降低工业化学品的成本提供有益的信息。该项目的目标侧重于维生素B12的回收和维生素B12有效运作所需的不寻常的多面体。这些多面体是生物学中已知的最大的大分子复合物之一。它们由包裹在多蛋白外壳内的代谢酶组成。先前的研究表明，它们作为隔离有毒代谢中间体的微室起作用。研究将集中在了解这些隔室如何影响b12依赖性酶的活性，并将测试它们作为微隔室的假设。此外，还将研究微室的组装和三维结构。更广泛的影响：本研究将有助于2名研究生和1名博士后的科学教育。学生将接受广泛的训练，使用遗传、生化和免疫学方法来研究细菌代谢。该项目将通过爱荷华州立大学卡弗基金会为非裔美国本科生提供研究机会。该研究可能为1,3-丙二醇（一种商业聚合物的基础成分）的工业生产提供有用的信息，因为b12依赖的二醇脱水酶是该过程的关键酶。随着未来几年利用可再生资源生产化学品的微生物工程需求的增长，这一领域预计将变得越来越重要。

The research will investigate coenzyme B12-dependent 1,2-propanediol degradation by Salmonella enterica. Because B12-dependent processes are critically important to the environment and biotechnology industry, these studies may provide information helpful for protecting the environment and reducing the cost of industrial chemicals. The aims of the project focus on vitamin B12 recycling and on an unusual polyhedral body needed for the efficient functioning of vitamin B12. These polyhedral bodies are one of the largest macromolecular complexes known in biology. They consist of metabolic enzyme encased within a multi-protein shell. Prior studies have indicated that they function as microcompartments that sequester toxic metabolic intermediates. Investigations will center on understanding how these compartments affect activity of B12-dependent enzymes, and will test the hypothesis that they act as microcompartments. In addition, the assembly and three-dimensional structure of the microcompartments will be investigated.Broader impacts:This research will contribute to the scientific education of two graduate students and one postdoctoral fellow. Students will receive broad training in the use of genetic, biochemical, and immunological methods for the study of bacterial metabolism. The project will provide research opportunities to African-American undergraduate students through the Iowa State University Carver Foundation. The research may provide information helpful to the industrial production of 1,3-propanediol (a base ingredient of a commercial polymer) since B12-dependent diol dehydratase is a key enzyme for this process. This field is expected to become increasingly important as the need to engineer microbes for the production of chemicals from renewable resources grows in the coming years.