Requirement of hydD, hydE, hypC and hypE genes for hydrogenase activity in Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori possesses a membrane-bound, nickel containing, hydrogen uptake hydrogenase enzyme; its synthesis requires structural as well as accessory proteins, the latter needed for the complete maturation of the enzyme. Our lab previously characterized mutants in the accessory hyp genes, hypA, hypB, hypD and hypF that were all severely affected for hydrogenase activity, and in some cases (hypA and hypB mutants) also affected for urease activity. This finding prompted us to disrupt the two remaining unstudied hyp genes of H. pylori, hypC and hypE, in order to see if the same pleiotropic effect would be observed. In both mutants hydrogenase activity was abolished but urease activity remained unaffected. Addition of 5 microM nickel into the growth medium partially restored the hydrogenase activity in the hypE mutant and to a lesser extent in the hypC mutant. In addition, we also disrupted the genes HP0634 (referred as hydD in the H. pylori 26695 genome database) and HP0635 (whose function was unknown, referred to here as hydE) to address their possible roles in the hydrogenase synthesis/maturation process. In both cases, hydrogenase activities were abolished and addition of nickel could not restore the activity, suggesting that these proteins are involved in the hydrogenase synthesis process rather than in nickel mobilization/insertion steps.