Roles of Electron Transport through Nitrate and Nitrite Reductases in Survival, Growth and Colonisation of Campylobacter Jejuni

We have recently shown that Campylobacter jejuni can use energy conserving electron transport pathways to a variety of alternative electron acceptors to support growth under oxygen-limited conditions. C. jejuni possesses periplasmic nitrate and nitrite reductases which may play several roles in survival in the environment and in vivo. <P>
We propose: <ol> <LI> To determine the function of the genes in the Nap and Nrf operons in enzyme biogenesis and electron transport to nitrate and nitrite. <LI> To evaluate the role of Nap and Nrf in vivo. <LI> To test the hypothesis that Nrf can also act as an nitric oxide reductase and thus contribute to NO detoxification. <LI> To determine the consequences for nitrite and NO reduction of the unique active site haem ligation of the C. jejuni Nrf, by spectroscopic characterisation of purified wild-type and mutant enzymes.