Abstract
N-Heterocyclic aromatic compounds (NHACs) are a group of organic molecules commonly produced in manufacturing and prevalent in many commercial products. Environmental contamination by NHACs is concerning given the widely reported presence of these compounds in air, water, and soil, and their toxicity and carcinogenic properties. Several common soil bacteria, including Pseudomonas putida, Eubacterium barkeri, and Bacillus niacini, have been shown to degrade NHACs to useful metabolites making mechanistic understanding of NHAC catabolism in these bacteria of interest for bioremediation efforts. The pathway of nicotinic acid (NA), a model NHAC, degradation in P. putida and E. barkeri is well understood, but the analogous pathway in B. niacini remains largely uncharacterized. The roles of three genes—FMO, HP, and DUF—in the fifteen-gene nic cluster of the B. niacini genome upregulated in the presence of NA remain undetermined. The activity of FMO, DUF, and HP are examined through endpoint kinetic assays of all three enzymes alone and together with 2,6-dihydropyridine (DHP) and 2,3,6-trihydroxypyridine (THP) as potential substrates analyzed by LC-QTOF-MS analysis. Examination of extracted substrate and product chromatograms suggest that FMO and HP together catalyze the simultaneous hydroxylation/reduction of DHP to a reduced form of THP.
Advisor
Snider, Mark
Department
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Recommended Citation
Olson, Katherine, "Determining the Role of FMO in the Bacillus niacini Nicotinic Acid Degradation Pathway" (2024). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 11116.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/11116
Disciplines
Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
Keywords
flavin monooxygenase, mass spectrometry, enzymology
Publication Date
2024
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2024 Katherine Olson