Bacterial Energy Metabolism
The Bacterial Energy Metabolism laboratory investigates the molecular basis of metabolic pathways for energy production, in microorganisms that are biotechnologically and environmentally important.
Head of Laboratory
Inês Cardoso Pereira | Research InterestsGroup MembersSelected PublicationsMetabolismo Energético Bacteriano (PT) | |
Phone (+351) 214469327 | |
Research Interests
We are interested in studying Energy Metabolism in bacterial organisms that live by anaerobic respiration of sulfur compounds. These bacteria are ancient organisms that existed long before the appearance of oxygen on Earth, and which are ubiquitously found in the environment and in animal guts. They are implicated in a range of environmental and health issues, and are important research targets in the areas of Bioremediation, Biological Hydrogen Production, Microbial Fuel Cells, Biocorrosion, Waste Treatment and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Understanding the respiratory metabolism of these organisms is important for our understanding of biological diversity in evolutionary terms. It is also essential for a better development of their biotechnological applications and control of their biological activity, including potentially adverse health and environmental effects.
The key players in energy metabolism are membrane-bound protein complexes. One of the important areas in our lab is the study of membrane complexes of sulfate reducing bacteria, organisms that have a quite unique, but still poorly defined, respiratory chain. We isolated and characterised several of these complexes for the first time, which provided important insights into the mechanism of sulfate reduction. Ongoing studies focus on protein-protein interactions to investigate their physiological partners and elucidate the metabolic pathways.
Another area of research involves the study of soluble proteins of these organisms that are directly involved in energy metabolism. The structure determination of the complex between the DsrAB sulfite reductase and the thiol protein DsrC (in collaboration with the MPC lab), revealed the important role of this small protein. We are further investigating the link between DsrC and sulfate reduction, as well as trying to discover the physiological partners to the terminal reductases.
A third topic of interest in our lab is the study of hydrogenases, important targets in clean bioenergy production. We have been studying a [NiFeSe] hydrogenase that has a very high activity of H2-production and shows tolerance to O2 inactivation, making it an interesting target for biological H2 production. We have established that this Hase is the main one present in D. vulgaris when Se is available and showed that it is the first example of a bacterial lipoprotein lacking a standard signal peptide, and which is translocated by the Tat pathway. The recent determination of the crystal structure of this hydrogenase (in collaboration with IMAC lab) in the oxidized state, provided important insight into its oxygen tolerance. Ongoing studies focus on developing cell-based systems metabolically engineered for H2 production, as well as hydrogenases with high activity and O2 tolerance, for practical applications.
Group Members
Fabian Grein, Post-Doc
Mónica Martins Neves, Post-Doc
Sofia S. Venceslau, PhD student
Ana Raquel Ramos, PhD Student
Marta C. Marques, PhD Student
Fábio Silva, PhD student (co-supervision with C. Rodrigues-Pousada)
André Santos, Research student
Isabel Pacheco, Technician
Selected Publications
- Pereira I.A.C., Ramos AR, Grein F, Marques MC, Da Silva SM and Venceslau SS (2011). A comparative genomic analysis of energy metabolism in sulfate reducing bacteria and archaea. Front. Microbiol. 2:69, 10.3389/fmicb.2011.00069
- Venceslau S.S., Lino R. and Pereira I.A.C. (2010) The Qrc membrane complex, related to the alternative complex III, is a menaquinone reductase involved in sulfate respiration, J. Biol. Chem., 285, 22774-22783
- Marques M.C., Coelho R., De Lacey A.L., Pereira I.A.C., Matias P.M. (2010) The Three-Dimensional structure of [NiFeSe] hydrogenase from D.vulgaris Hildenborough: A hydrogenase without a bridging ligand in the active site in its oxidised, "as isolated" state J. Mol. Biol., 396, 893-907
Laboratory's Website
For further information please visit the laboratory's website
Metabolismo Energético Bacteriano (PT)
O laboratório de Metabolismo Energético Bacteriano estuda o metabolismo de bactérias modelo que produzem energia pela respiração de compostos orgânicos ou inorgânicos, em vez de oxigénio. Nestes organismos os processos de respiração celular são muito diferentes dos organismos aeróbios. Em particular, investigamos as bases moleculares dos processos que permitem a um grande grupo de bactérias respirar compostos de enxofre (como sulfato e sulfito). Estas bactérias são organismos ancestrais que existiam muito antes do aparecimento do oxigénio na Terra, e que se encontram disseminadas no ambiente, (incluindo os intestinos de mamíferos). São organismos relevantes em diversas áreas como Bioremediação, Produção Biológica de Hidrogénio, Células de Combustível Biológicas, Biocorrosão e Tratamento de Esgotos. O estudo do metabolismo respiratório destes organismos é essencial para uma adequada exploração do seu potencial biotecnológico, e também para um melhor contrôle da sua actividade biológica, incluindo os seus potenciais efeitos adversos a nível ambiental e de saúde.
