A note on the effect of nitrite inhibition on the metabolism of Clostridium botulinum

Anti-microbial Action against VerotoxigenicEscherichia coliO157:H7 of Nitric Oxide Derived from Sodium Nitrite

“…22) The addition of NaNO 2 to a C. botulinum vegetative cell suspension results in the formation of iron-NO complexes. Since iron-sulfur proteins exist in E. coli 23) and the EPR signal from NaNO 2 -treated cells of E. coli O157:H7 was identical to that of C. botulinum, it appears that iron-NO complexes were also formed in NaNO 2 -treated E. coli O157:H7.…”

“…25) The inactivation of iron-sulfur enzymes in the respiratory chain by binding to NO can inhibit the growth of bacteria. 23) On the other hand, Le Brun et al 26) have reported that the interaction of NO with the non-haem iron sites of E. coli bacterioferritin resulted in the reduction of NO to nitrous oxide and the oxidation of iron(II) to iron(III). These findings attest to the defensive system against NO that also exists in E. coli.…”

Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic investigation of the inhibition of the phosphoroclastic system of Clostridium sporogenes by nitrite

“…Woods et al (1981) found that when nitrite was added to a suspension of C. sporogenes cells in glucose medium, it resulted in a decrease in intracellular ATP and an accumulation of pyruvate in the medium. Similarly in C. botulinum cells, nitrite caused a decrease in intracellular ATP (Woods & Wood, 1982). It was concluded that the inhibition of the phosphoroclastic system of C. sporogenes by nitrite involved the reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide, and that inhibition was likely to occur by attachment to the non-haem iron centres present in ferredoxin and pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase.…”

“…1966; Perigo et al, 1967;Perigo & Roberts, 1968;BairdParker & Baillie, 1973;O'Leary & Solberg, 1976;Woods et al, 1981;Woods & Wood, 1982). The bacteriostatic action of NaN02 in these systems is enhanced when it is reduced by ascorbate (Tompkin et al, 1978a, b ;Pierson & Smoot, 1981).…”

“…The activity of ferredoxin, in an NADH-linked assay, as electron acceptor from pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase was unaffected by preincubation with 6 mM-sodium nitrite. The inhibitory action of nitrite on the phosphoroclastic system was not as evident in vitro as in vivo (Woods & Wood, 1982). Angermaier & Simon (1983) studied the hydrogenase and ferredoxin-mediated reduction of aliphatic and aromatic nitro-compounds in clostridia, and proposed that nitrite possibly reacted with cysteine residues with the formation of stable S-nitrosothiols, thereby releasing the iron and sulphur from the clusters.…”