Roles of the sodium-translocating NADH:Quinone oxidoreductase (Na ⁺-NQR) on Vibrio cholerae metabolism, motility and osmotic stress resistance

The Na⁺ translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (Na ⁺-NQR) is a unique respiratory enzyme catalyzing the electron transfer from NADH to quinone coupled with the translocation of sodium ions across the membrane. Typically, Vibrio spp., including Vibrio cholerae, have this enzyme but lack the proton-pumping NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Complex I). Thus, Na⁺-NQR should significantly contribute to multiple aspects of V. cholerae physiology; however, no detailed characterization of this aspect has been reported so far. In this study, we broadly investigated the effects of loss of Na⁺-NQR on V. cholerae physiology by using Phenotype Microarray (Biolog), transcriptome and metabolomics analyses. We found that the V. cholerae ΔnqrA-F mutant showed multiple defects in metabolism detected by Phenotype Microarray. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the V. cholerae ΔnqrA-F mutant up-regulates 31 genes and down-regulates 55 genes in both early and mid-growth phases. The most up-regulated genes included the cadA and cadB genes, encoding a lysine decarboxylase and a lysine/cadaverine antiporter, respectively. Increased CadAB activity was further suggested by the metabolomics analysis. The down-regulated genes include sialic acid catabolism genes. Metabolomic analysis also suggested increased reductive pathway of TCA cycle and decreased purine metabolism in the V. cholerae ΔnqrA-F mutant. Lack of Na⁺-NQR did not affect any of the Na⁺ pumping-related phenotypes of V. cholerae suggesting that other secondary Na⁺ pump(s) can compensate for Na⁺ pumping activity of Na⁺-NQR. Overall, our study provides important insights into the contribution of Na ⁺-NQR to V. cholerae physiology.