Characterization of catabolic meta-nitrophenol nitroreductase from Cupriavidus necator JMP134

Cupriavidus necator JMP134 utilizes meta-nitrophenol (MNP) as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy. The metabolic reconstruction of MNP degradation performed in silico suggested that the mnp cluster might have played important roles in MNP degradation. In order to experimentally confirm the prediction, we have now characterized mnpA-encoded meta-nitrophenol nitroreductase involved in the initial reaction of MNP degradation. Real-time PCR analysis indicated that mnpA played an essential role in MNP degradation. MnpA was purified to homogeneity as His-tagged proteins and was considered to be a dimer as determined by gel filtration. MnpA was an MNP nitroreductase with a tightly bound flavin mononucleotide (FMN), catalyzing the partial reduction of MNP to meta-hydroxylaminophenol via meta-nitrosophenol in the presence of NADPH and oxygen. The accumulation of meta-nitrosophenol was confirmed with the results of liquid chromatography-diode array detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the first time. The low K (m) and high k (cat) of MnpA as well as MNP-inducible transcription of mnpA suggested that MNP was the physiological substrate for this nitroreductase. In addition, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that nitroreductases of known physiological function including MnpA constituted a new clade in the nitro-FMN-reductase superfamily.