Nitrite derived from endogenous bacterial nitric oxide synthase activity promotes aerobic respiration

27Citations
Citations of this article
32Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Macrophage-derived nitric oxide (NO·) is a crucial effector against invading pathogens. Yet, paradoxically, several bacterial species, including some pathogens, are known to endogenously produce NO· via nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, despite its apparent cytotoxicity. Here, we reveal a conserved role for bacterial NOS in activating aerobic respiration. We demonstrate that nitrite generated from endogenous NO decomposition stimulates quinol oxidase activity in Staphylococcus aureus and increases the rate of cellular respiration. This not only supports optimal growth of this organism but also prevents a dysbalance in central metabolism. Further, we also show that activity of the SrrAB two-component system alleviates the physiological defects of the nos mutant. Our findings suggest that NOS and SrrAB constitute two distinct but functionally redundant routes for controlling staphylococcal respiration during aerobic growth. IMPORTANCE Despite its potential autotoxic effects, several bacterial species, including pathogenic staphylococcal species, produce NO·endogenously through nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity. Therefore, how endogenous NO influences bacterial fitness remains unclear. Here we show that the oxidation of NO·to nitrite increases aerobic respiration and consequently optimizes central metabolism to favor growth. Importantly, we also demonstrate that cells have a “fail-safe” mechanism that can maintain respiratory activity through the SrrAB two-component signaling regulon should NOS-derived nitrite levels decrease. These findings identify NOS and SrrAB as critical determinants of staphylococcal respiratory control and highlight their potential as therapeutic targets.

References Powered by Scopus

NMRPipe: A multidimensional spectral processing system based on UNIX pipes

12254Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Protein production by auto-induction in high density shaking cultures.

4622Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

HMDB 3.0-The Human Metabolome Database in 2013

2448Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

The Biologically Relevant Coordination Chemistry of Iron and Nitric Oxide: Electronic Structure and Reactivity

136Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Towards Understanding the Molecular Basis of Nitric Oxide-Regulated Group Behaviors in Pathogenic Bacteria

35Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Chemical interactions at the interface of plant root hair cells and intracellular bacteria

30Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Chaudhari, S. S., Kim, M., Lei, S., Razvi, F., Alqarzaee, A. A., Hutfless, E. H., … Thomas, V. C. (2017). Nitrite derived from endogenous bacterial nitric oxide synthase activity promotes aerobic respiration. MBio, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00887-17

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 14

64%

Researcher 5

23%

Professor / Associate Prof. 2

9%

Lecturer / Post doc 1

5%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Agricultural and Biological Sciences 6

35%

Immunology and Microbiology 6

35%

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Bi... 3

18%

Chemistry 2

12%

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free