Insights into the metabolism of elemental sulfur by the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus:: Characterization of a coenzyme A-dependent NAD(P)H sulfur oxidoreductase

The hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus uses carbohydrates as a carbon source and produces acetate, CO2, and H-2 as end products. When S' is added to a growing culture, within 10 min the rate of H-2 production rapidly decreases and H2S is detected. After 1 hour cells contain high NADPH- and coenzyme A-dependent S-o reduction activity (0.7 units/mg, 85 degrees C) located in the cytoplasm. The enzyme responsible for this activity was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity (specific activity, 100 units/mg) and is termed NAD(P)H elemental sulfur oxidoreductase (NSR). NSR is a homodimeric flavoprotein (M-r, 100,000) and is encoded by PF1186. This designation was previously assigned to the gene encoding an enzyme that reduces coenzyme A disulfide, which is a side reaction of NSR. Whole-genome DNA microarray and quantitative PCR analyses showed that the expression of NSR is up-regulated up to sevenfold within 10 min of So addition. This primary response to S-o also involves the up-regulation (> 16-fold) of a 13-gene cluster encoding a membrane-bound oxidoreductase (MBX). The cluster encoding MBX is proposed to replace the homologous 14-gene cluster that encodes the ferredoxin-oxidizing, H-2-evolving membrane-bound hydrogenase (MBH), which is down-regulated > 12-fold within 10 min of S-o addition. Although an activity for MBX could not be demonstrated, it is proposed to conserve energy by oxidizing ferredoxin and reducing NADP, which is used by NSR to reduce S-o. A secondary response to S-o is observed 30 min after S-o addition and includes the up-regulation of genes encoding proteins involved in amino acid biosynthesis and iron metabolism, as well as two so-called sulfur-induced proteins termed SipA and SipB. This novel S-o-reducing system involving NSR and MBX has been found so far only in the heterotrophic Thermococcales and is in contrast to the cytochrome- and quinone-based S-o-reducing system in autotrophic archaea and bacteria.