Geobacillus stearothermophilus V ubiE gene product is involved in the evolution of dimethyl telluride in Escherichia coli K-12 cultures amended with potassium tellurate but not with potassium tellurite

A 3.8-kb fragment of chromosomal DNA of Geobacillus stearothermophilus V cloned in pSP72 (p1VH) confers resistance to potassium tellurite (K2TeO3) and to potassium tellurate (K2TeO4) when the encoded genes are expressed in Escherichia coli K-12. The nt sequence of the cloned fragment predicts three ORFs of 780, 399, and 600 bp, whose encoded protein products exhibit about 80% similarity with the SUMT methyltransferase and the BtuR protein of Bacillus megaterium, and with the UbiE methyltransferase of Bacillus anthracis A2012, respectively. In addition, E. coli/p1VH cells evolved dimethyl telluride, which was released into the headspace gas above liquid cultures when amended with K2TeO3 or with K2TeO4. After 48 h of growth in the presence of these compounds, a protein of about 25 kDa was found at a significantly higher level when crude extracts were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The N-terminal amino acid (aa) sequence of this protein, obtained by Edman degradation, matched the deduced aa sequence predicted by the G. stearothermophilus V ubiE gene. This gene was amplified by PCR, subcloned in pET21b, and transformed into E. coli JM109(DE3). Interestingly, DMTe evolution occurred when these modified cells were grown in K2TeO4 – but not in K2TeO3 – amended media. These results may be indicative that the two Te oxyanions could be detoxified in the cell by different metabolic pathways.