Volume 19, Issue 11 p. 4684-4699
Research article

A patchwork pathway for oxygenase-independent degradation of side chain containing steroids

Markus Warnke

Markus Warnke

Institute of Biology II, Microbiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

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Christian Jacoby

Christian Jacoby

Institute of Biology II, Microbiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

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Tobias Jung

Tobias Jung

Institute of Biology II, Microbiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

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Michael Agne

Michael Agne

Institute of Biology II, Microbiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

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Mario Mergelsberg

Mario Mergelsberg

Institute of Biology II, Microbiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

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Robert Starke

Robert Starke

Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Sciences, Leipzig, Germany

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Nico Jehmlich

Nico Jehmlich

Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Sciences, Leipzig, Germany

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Martin von Bergen

Martin von Bergen

Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Sciences, Leipzig, Germany

Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

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Hans-Hermann Richnow

Hans-Hermann Richnow

Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Sciences, Leipzig, Germany

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Thomas Brüls

Thomas Brüls

CEA, DRF, IG, Genoscope, Evry, France

CNRS-UMR8030, Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne and Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France

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Matthias Boll

Corresponding Author

Matthias Boll

Institute of Biology II, Microbiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

For correspondence. E-mail [email protected]; Tel. (+49) 761 2032649; Fax (+49) 761 22 2032626.Search for more papers by this author
First published: 21 September 2017
Citations: 17

Summary

The denitrifying betaproteobacterium Sterolibacterium denitrificans serves as model organism for studying the oxygen-independent degradation of cholesterol. Here, we demonstrate its capability of degrading various globally abundant side chain containing zoo-, phyto- and mycosterols. We provide the complete genome that empowered an integrated genomics/proteomics/metabolomics approach, accompanied by the characterization of a characteristic enzyme of steroid side chain degradation. The results indicate that individual molybdopterin-containing steroid dehydrogenases are involved in C25-hydroxylations of steroids with different isoprenoid side chains, followed by the unusual conversion to C26-oic acids. Side chain degradation to androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) via aldolytic C–C bond cleavages involves acyl-CoA synthetases/dehydrogenases specific for the respective 26-, 24- and 22-oic acids/-oyl-CoAs and promiscuous MaoC-like enoyl-CoA hydratases, aldolases and aldehyde dehydrogenases. Degradation of rings A and B depends on gene products uniquely found in anaerobic steroid degraders, which after hydrolytic cleavage of ring A, again involves CoA-ester intermediates. The degradation of the remaining CD rings via hydrolytic cleavage appears to be highly similar in aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Anaerobic cholesterol degradation employs a composite repertoire of more than 40 genes partially known from aerobic degradation in gammaproteobacteria/actinobacteria, supplemented by unique genes that are required to circumvent oxygenase-dependent reactions.