Mapping the Protein Profile Involved in the Biotransformation of Organoarsenicals Using an Arsenic Metabolizing Bacterium.

Alkaliphilus oremlandii strain OhILAs, a gram-positive bacterium, has been shown to ferment lactate as well as use arsenate and roxarsone as a terminal electron acceptor. This study examines the proteome expressed under four growth conditions to further elucidate the bacterial metabolism of inorganic and organic arsenic. The four growth conditions include, sodium lactate (as fermentative control), sodium lactate with 3-nitro-4-hydroxybenzenearsonic acid (roxarsone), sodium lactate with 3-amino-4-hydroxybenzenearsonic acid (3A4HBAA), and sodium lactate with sodium arsenate. Shotgun proteomics using LC-MS/MS was performed on the soluble cytoplasm as well as solubilized membrane proteins using perfluorooctanoic acid, a surfactant with properties similar to sodium dodecyl sulfate. The MS/MS data were analyzed using the Spectrum Mills Proteomic Workbench. Positive protein matches were confirmed with protein scores of 20 or greater and the presence of two or more peptides among the three technical replicates. A total of 1357 proteins (out of 2836 predicted) were identified with 791 in sodium lactate, 816 in sodium lactate and roxarsone, 715 in sodium lactate and 3A4HBAA, and 733 in sodium lactate and arsenate. The relative abundance of each protein was determined using a method called normalized spectral abundance factor (NSAF). Proteins that were identified in both the control and the experimental conditions were compared using the Power Law Global Error Model (PLGEM) to determine proteins that were significantly up or down regulated. All putative proteins were assigned functions and pathways using the COG databases. However, a large number of proteins were classified as hypothetical or had unknown function. Using the statistical information and known functionalities of the identified proteins, a pathway for the degradation of roxarsone and 3A4HBAA by A. oremlandii strain OhILAs is proposed.