Molybdate reduction by Escherichia coli K-12 and its chl mutants

During anaerobic growth, Escherichia coli can reduce phosphomolybdate. The reduction can also be carried out by washed cells suspended in buffer at pH 5.7. Phosphate, molybdate, glucose, cells, and anaerobic conditions are required. Reduction is inhibited by 200 microM chromate, 290 microM nitrite, 10 mM tungstate, or 20 mM cysteine. Wild-type (chl+) cells are inhibited by addition of 200 microM nitrate, but chlA, chlB, and chlE mutants are not. The inhibition of chl+ cells results from reduction of nitrate to nitrite. This nitrate reduction is not catalyzed by nitrate reductase. Wild-type cells are more sensitive than chl mutants to inhibition by nitrite and cysteine but more resistant to chromate. Pregrowth of chlD cells in 1 mM Na2MoO4 increases their sensitivity to nitrite and cysteine, and pregrowth of chl+ cells in 1 mM Na2MoO4 increases their resistance to these agents. Assays of biotin sulfoxide reductase show that the tightness of the chlD block depends on growth conditions; chlD cells grown aerobically in tryptone broth make about 50% as much active enzyme as chl+ cells, whereas chlD cells grown anaerobically with tryptone plus glucose make less than 10%. The effect of anaerobic pregrowth on the inhibition of molybdate reduction by added nitrate indicates that in vivo nitrate reduction responds to growth conditions in the same manner as biotin sulfoxide reductase does.