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Phototrophic utilization of taurine by the purple nonsulfur bacteria Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Rhodobacter sphaeroides

U-2131 Beach Hall, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA

Correspondence
Walter Godchaux
Godchaux{at}uconn.edu

Taurine metabolism by two phototrophically grown purple nonsulfur bacteria enrichment isolates has been examined. Rhodopseudomonas palustris (strain Tau1) grows with taurine as a sole electron donor, sulfur and nitrogen source during photoautotrophic growth. Rhodobacter sphaeroides (strain Tau3) grows on the compound as sole electron donor, sulfur and nitrogen source, and partial carbon source, in the presence of CO₂ during photoheterotrophic growth. Both organisms utilize an inducible taurine–pyruvate aminotransferase and a sulfoacetaldehyde acetyltransferase. The products of this metabolism are bisulfite and acetyl phosphate. Bisulfite ultimately was oxidized to sulfate, but this was not an adequate source of electrons for photometabolism. Experiments using either [U-¹⁴C]taurine or ¹⁴CO₂ demonstrated that Rb. sphaeroides Tau3 assimilated the carbon from approximately equimolar amounts of taurine and exogenous CO₂. The taurine-carbon assimilation was not diminished by excess non-radioactive bicarbonate. Malate synthase (but not isocitrate lyase) was induced in these taurine-grown cells. It is concluded that assimilation of taurine carbon occurs through an intermediate other than CO₂. Similar labelling experiments with Rp. palustris Tau1 determined that taurine is utilized only as an electron donor for the reduction of CO₂, which contributes all the cell carbon. Photoautotrophic metabolism was confirmed in this organism by the absence of either malate synthase or isocitrate lyase in taurine+CO₂-grown cells. Culture collection strains of these two bacteria did not utilize taurine in these fashions.

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