Characterization of the periplasmic redox network that sustains the versatile anaerobic metabolism of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1.

The versatile anaerobic metabolism of the Gram-negative bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (SOMR-1) relies on a multitude of redox proteins found in its periplasm. Most are multiheme cytochromes that carry electrons to terminal reductases of insoluble electron acceptors located at the cell surface, or bona fide terminal reductases of soluble electron acceptors. In this study, the interaction network of several multiheme cytochromes was explored by a combination of NMR spectroscopy, activity assays followed by UV-visible spectroscopy and comparison of surface electrostatic potentials.

Mind the gap: cytochrome interactions reveal electron pathways across the periplasm of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1.

Extracellular electron transfer is the key metabolic trait that enables some bacteria to play a significant role in the biogeochemical cycling of metals and in bioelectrochemical devices such as microbial fuel cells. In Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, electrons generated in the cytoplasm by catabolic processes must cross the periplasmic space to reach terminal oxidoreductases found at the cell surface. Lack of knowledge on how these electrons flow across the periplasmic space is one of the unresolved issues related with extracellular electron transfer.