Functions of Thiol-disulfide Oxidoreductases in E. Coli: Redox Myths, Realities, and Practicalities

A large family of enzymes contributes to the thiol-disulfide redox environment of the cells of most organisms. These proteins belong to pathways that carry out a variety of reactions, including the promotion of disulfide bond formation in extracytoplasmic proteins, the isomerization of proteins with incorrect disulfide bonds, and the reduction of disulfide bonds in the active sites of cytoplasmic proteins. Although the redox activities of these proteins measured in vitro often is consistent with the role (oxidant or reductant) these proteins perform in vivo, this is not always the case. The measured redox potentials can even suggest a function for a protein opposite of that which it carries out in the cell. Structural features of such proteins can contribute to a direction of electron transfer inconsistent with the redox potential. Furthermore, the environment in which such proteins are found may determine the protein's physiological role. Detailed analysis of these proteins in Escherichia coli provides strains that are useful for biotechnological purposes. Increasing the activity of certain of these proteins in the cell envelope or altering the thiol-disulfide redox environment of the cytoplasm to make it more oxidizing enhances the yield of useful disulfide bond-containing proteins such as tissue plasminogen activator and immunoglobulins.