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

本研究将研究肠道沙门氏菌对辅酶B12依赖的1，2-丙二醇的降解。由于依赖于B12的过程对环境和生物技术产业至关重要，这些研究可能会提供有助于保护环境和降低工业化学品成本的信息。该项目的目标集中在维生素B12的回收利用和维生素B12有效发挥作用所需的一种不同寻常的多面体上。这些多面体是生物学中已知的最大的大分子复合体之一。它们由包裹在多蛋白外壳中的代谢酶组成。先前的研究表明，它们的功能是隔离有毒代谢中间产物的微隔室。调查将集中于了解这些隔室如何影响依赖B12的酶的活性，并将检验它们作为微隔室的假设。此外，还将调查微舱的组装和三维结构。广泛的影响：这项研究将有助于两名研究生和一名博士后的科学教育。学生将接受广泛的培训，使用遗传、生化和免疫学方法研究细菌新陈代谢。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。由于依赖于B12的二醇脱水酶是1，3-丙二醇生产过程中的关键酶，因此本研究为1，3-丙二醇的工业化生产提供了有用的信息。随着未来几年对利用可再生资源生产化学品的微生物的需求增加，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.