Hydrogen peroxide-dependent uptake of iodine by marine Flavobacteriaceae bacterium strain C-21

The cells of the marine bacterium strain C-21, which is phylogenetically closely related to Arenibacter troitsensis, accumulate iodine in the presence of glucose and iodide (I-). In this study, the detailed mechanism of iodine uptake by C-21 was determined using a radioactive iodide tracer, 125I-. In addition to glucose, oxygen and calcium ions were also required for the uptake of iodine. The uptake was not inhibited or was only partially inhibited by various metabolic inhibitors, whereas reducing agents and catalase strongly inhibited the uptake. When exogenous glucose oxidase was added to the cell suspension, enhanced uptake of iodine was observed. The uptake occurred even in the absence of glucose and oxygen if hydrogen peroxide was added to the cell suspension. Significant activity of glucose oxidase was found in the crude extracts of C-21, and it was located mainly in the membrane fraction. These findings indicate that hydrogen peroxide produced by glucose oxidase plays a key role in the uptake of iodine. Furthermore, enzymatic oxidation of iodide strongly stimulated iodine uptake in the absence of glucose. Based on these results, the mechanism was considered to consist of oxidation of iodide to hypoiodous acid by hydrogen peroxide, followed by passive translocation of this uncharged iodine species across the cell membrane. Interestingly, such a mechanism of iodine uptake is similar to that observed in iodine-accumulating marine algae.