Novel procedures and instrumentation are described for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and imaging studies of live, in situ microbial films. A perfused NMR/optical microscope sample chamber containing a planar biofilm support was integrated into a recirculation/dilution flow loop growth reactor system and used to grow in situ Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1 biofilms. Localized NMR techniques were developed and used to non-invasively monitor time-resolved metabolite concentrations and to image the biomass volume and distribution. As a first illustration of the feasibility of the methodology an initial 13C-labeled lactate metabolic pathway study was performed, yielding results consistent with existing genomic data for MR-1. These results represent progress toward our ultimate goal of correlating time- and depth-resolved metabolism and mass transport with gene expression in live in situ biofilms using combined NMR/optical microscopy techniques.

Modification of hematite surfaces during colonization by a dissimilatory Fe(III) reducing bacterium under controlled hydrodynamic conditions G.G. GEESEY, G. GONZALEZ-GIL, J.E. AMONETTE, M.F. ROMINE AND Y.A. GORBY Department of Microbiology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717-3520, USA (gill_g@erc.montana.edu) Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology-Soil Biology, Grabenstrasse 3, CH-8952, Schlieren, Switzerland (gonzalez-gil@ito.unmw.ethz.ch) Pacific Northwest national Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA, USA (jim.amonette@pnl.gov, margie.romine@pnl.gov, yuri.gorby@pnl.gov)

The gamma-proteobacterium Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1 is a metabolically versatile organism that can reduce a wide range of organic compounds, metal ions, and radionuclides. Similar to most other sequenced organisms, approximately 40% of the predicted ORFs in the S. oneidensis genome were annotated as uncharacterized "hypothetical" genes. We implemented an integrative approach by using experimental and computational analyses to provide more detailed insight into gene function. Global expression profiles were determined for cells after UV irradiation and under aerobic and suboxic growth conditions. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses confidently identified 538 hypothetical genes as expressed in S. oneidensis cells both as mRNAs and proteins (33% of all predicted hypothetical proteins). Publicly available analysis tools and databases and the expression data were applied to improve the annotation of these genes. The annotation results were scored by using a seven-category schema that ranked both confidence and precision of the functional assignment. We were able to identify homologs for nearly all of these hypothetical proteins (97%), but could confidently assign exact biochemical functions for only 16 proteins (category 1; 3%). Altogether, computational and experimental evidence provided functional assignments or insights for 240 more genes (categories 2-5; 45%). These functional annotations advance our understanding of genes involved in vital cellular processes, including energy conversion, ion transport, secondary metabolism, and signal transduction. We propose that this integrative approach offers a valuable means to undertake the enormous challenge of characterizing the rapidly growing number of hypothetical proteins with each newly sequenced genome.

The authors show that high resolution H-1 under nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can be used to study biofilm metabolism under enviornmentally relevant conditions in a minimally invasive way.

Mechanisms by which dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria utilize iron and manganese oxide minerals as terminal electron acceptors for respiration are poorly understood. In the absence of exogenous electron shuttle compounds, extracellular electron transfer is generally thought to occur through the interfacial contact area between mineral surfaces and attached cells. Possible alternative reduction pathways have been proposed based on the discovery of a link between an excreted quinone and dissimilatory reduction. In this study, we utilize a novel experimental approach to demonstrate that Shewanella putrefaciens reduces the surface of crystalline iron oxides at spatial locations that are distinct from points of attachment.

The atomic and electronic structure of mineral surfaces affects many environmentally important processes such as adsorption phenomena. They are however rarely considered relevant to dissimilatory bacterial reduction of iron and manganese minerals. In this regard, surface area and thermodynamics are more commonly considered. Here we take a first step towards understanding the nature of the influence of mineral surface structure upon the rate of electron transfer from Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1 outer membrane proteins to the mineral surface and the subsequent effect upon cell “activity.” Cell accumulation has been used as a proxy for cell activity at three iron oxide single crystal faces; hematite (001), magnetite (111) and magnetite (100). Clear differences in cell accumulation at, and release from the surfaces are observed, with significantly more cells accumulating at hematite (001) compared to either magnetite face whilst relatively more cells are released into the overlying aqueous phase from the two magnetite faces than hematite. Modeling of the electron transfer process to the different mineral surfaces from a decaheme (protoporphyrin rings containing a central hexacoordinate iron atom), outer membrane-bound cytochrome of S. oneidensis has been accomplished by employing both Marcus and ab initio density functional theories. The resultant model of electron transfer to the three oxide faces predicts that over the entire range of expected electron transfer distances the highest electron transfer rates occur at the hematite (001) surface, mirroring the observed cell accumulation data. Electron transfer rates to either of the two magnetite surfaces are slower, with magnetite (111) slower than hematite (001) by approximately two orders of magnitude. A lack of knowledge regarding the structural details of the heme-mineral interface, especially in regards to atomic distances and relative orientations of hemes and surface iron atoms and the conformation of the protein envelope, precludes a more thorough analysis. However, the results of the modeling concur with the empirical observation that mineral surface structure has a clear influence on mineral surface-associated cell activity. Thus surface structure effects must be accounted for in future studies of cell-mineral interactions.

Dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria (DMRB) catalyze the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) in anoxic soils, sediments, and groundwater. Two-line ferrihydrite is a bioavailable Fe(III) oxide form that is exploited by DMRB as a terminal electron acceptor. A wide variety of biomineralization products result from the interaction of DMRB with 2-line ferrihydrite. Here we describe the state of knowledge on the biotransformation of synthetic 2-line ferrihydrite by laboratory cultures of DMRB using select published data and new experimental results. A facultative DMRB is emphasized (Shewanella putrefaciens) upon which most of this work has been performed. Key factors controlling the identity of the secondary mineral suite are evaluated including medium composition, electron donor and acceptor concentrations, ferrihydrite aging/recrystallization status, sorbed ions, and co-associated crystalline Fe(III) oxides. It is shown that crystalline ferric (goethite, hematite, lepidocrocite), ferrous (siderite, vivianite), and mixed valence (magnetite, green rust) iron solids are formed in anoxic, circumneutral DMRB incubations. Some products are well rationalized based on thermodynamic considerations, but others appear to result from kinetic pathways driven by ions that inhibit interfacial electron transfer or the precipitation of select phases. The primary factor controlling the nature of the secondary mineral suite appears to be the Fe(II) supply rate and magnitude, and its surface reaction with the residual oxide and other sorbed ions. The common observation of end-product mineral mixtures that are not at global equilibrium indicates that microenvironments surrounding respiring DMRB cells or the reaction-path trajectory (over Eh-pH space) may influence the identity of the final biomineralization suite.

The influence of Fe(II) on the dissimilatory bacterial reduction of an Fe(III) aqueous complex (Fe(III)-citrate(aq)) was investigated using Shewanella putrefaciens strain CN32. The sorption of Fe(II) on CN32 followed a Langmuir isotherm. Least-squares fitting gave a maximum sorption capacity of Qmax = 4.19 x 10(-3) mol/10(12) cells (1.19 mmol/m2 of cell surface area) and an affinity coefficient of log K = 3.29. The growth yield of CN32 with respect to Fe(III)aq reduction showed a linear trend with an average value of 5.24 (+/-0.12) x 10(9) cells/mmol of Fe(III). The reduction of Fe(III)aq by CN32 was described by Monod kinetics with respect to the electron acceptor concentration, Fe(III)aq, with a half-saturation constant (Ks) of 29 (+/-3) mM and maximum growth rate (micromax) of 0.32 (+/-0.02) h(-1). However, the pretreatment of CN32 with Fe(II)aq significantly inhibited the reduction of Fe(III)aq, resulting in a lag phase of about 3-30 h depending on initial cell concentrations. Lower initial cell concentration led to longer lag phase duration, and higher cell concentration led to a shorter one. Transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed that many cells carried surface precipitates of Fe mineral phases (valence unspecified) during the lag phase. These precipitates disappeared after the cells recovered from the lag phase. The cell inhibition and recovery mechanisms from Fe(II)-induced mineral precipitation were not identified by this study, but several alternatives were discussed. A modified Monod model incorporating a lag phase, Fe(II) adsorption, and aqueous complexation reactions was able to describe the experimental results of microbial Fe(III)aq reduction and cell growth when cells were pretreated with Fe(II)aq.

Acid-base titration experiments and electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) were used to investigate the cell surface electrochemical heterogeneity of the Fe(III)-reducing bacteria, Shewanella putrefaciens. The acid-base titrations extended from pH 4 to 10, and the titration data were fit using a linear programming pKa spectrum approach. Overall, a five-site model accounted for the observed titration behavior with the most acidic sites corresponding to carboxylic groups and phosphodiester groups, intermediate sites phosphoryl groups, and two basic sites equivalent to amine or hydroxyl groups. The pH for the point of zero charge on the bacteria was 5.4. In EFM images of cells rinsed in solutions at pH 4.0, 7.0, and 8.0, a pronounced increase in small (< or = 100 nm diameter) high contrast patches was observed on the cells with increasing pH. The pH dependence of EFM image contrast paralleled the pattern of cell surface charge development inferred from the titration experiments; however, quantitative analysis of high contrast regions in the EFM images yielded lower surface charge values than those anticipated from the titration data. For example at pH 7, the calculated surface charge of high contrast regions in EFM images of the bacterial cells was -0.23 microC/cm2 versus -20.0 microC/cm2 based on the titration curve. The differences in surface charge estimates between the EFM images and titration data are consistent not only with charge development throughout the entire volume of the bacterial cell wall (i.e., in association with functional groups that are not directly exposed at the cell surface) but also with the presence of a thin structural layer of water containing charge-compensating counterions. In combination, the pKa spectra and EFM data demonstrate that a particularly high degree of electrochemical heterogeneity exists within the cell wall and at the cell surface of S. putrefaciens.

The reductive biotransformation of a Ni(2+)-substituted (5 mol %) hydrous ferric oxide (NiHFO) by Shewanella putrefaciens, strain CN32, was investigated under anoxic conditions at circumneutral pH. Our objectives were to define the influence of Ni2+ substitution on the bioreducibility of the HFO and the biomineralization products formed and to identify biogeochemical factors controlling the phase distribution of Ni2+ during bioreduction. Incubations with CN32 and NiHFO were sampled after 14 and 32 d, and both aqueous chemistry and solid phases were characterized. By comparison of these results with a previous study (Fredrickson, J. K.; Zachara, J. M.; Kennedy, D. W.; Dong, H.; Onstott, T. C.; Hinman, N. W.; Li, S. W. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 1998, 62, 3239-3257), it was concluded that coprecipitated/sorbed Ni2+ inhibited the bioreduction of HFO through an undefined chemical mechanism. Mössbauer spectroscopy allowed analysis of the residual HFO phase and the identity and approximate mass percent of biogenic mineral phases. The presence of AQDS, a soluble electron shuttle that obviates need for cell--oxide contact, was found to counteract the inhibiting effect of Ni2+. Nickel was generally mobilized during bioreduction in a trend that correlated with final pH, except in cases where PO4(3-) was present and vivianite precipitation occurred. CN32 promoted the formation of Ni(2+)-substituted magnetite (Fe2IIIFe(1-x)IINixIIO4) in media with AQDS but without PO4(3-). The formation of this biogenic coprecipitate, however, had little discernible impact on final aqueous Ni2+ concentrations. These results demonstrate that coprecipitated Ni can inhibit dissimilatory microbial reduction of amorphous iron oxide, but the presence of humic acids may facilitate the immobilization of Ni within the crystal structure of biogenic magnetite.

Dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria (DMRB) can utilize Fe(III) associated with aqueous complexes or solid phases, such as oxide and oxyhydroxide minerals, as a terminal electron acceptor coupled to the oxidation of H2 or organic substrates. These bacteria are also capable of reducing other metal ions including Mn(IV), Cr(VI), and U(VI), a process that has a pronounced effect on their solubility and overall geochemical behavior. In spite of considerable study on an individual basis, the biogeochemical behavior of multiple metals subject to microbial reduction is poorly understood. To probe these complex processes, the reduction of U(VI) by the subsurface bacterium, Shewanella putrefaciens CN32, was investigated in the presence of goethite under conditions where the aqueous composition was controlled to vary U speciation and solubility. Uranium(VI), as the carbonate complexes UO2(CO3)3(aq)4− and UO2(CO3)2(aq)2−, was reduced by the bacteria to U(IV) with or without goethite [α-FeOOH(s)] present. Uranium(VI) in 1,4-piperazinediethhanesulfonic acid (PIPES) buffer that was estimated to be present predominantly as the U(VI) mineral metaschoepite [UO3 · 2H2O(s)], was also reduced by the bacteria with or without goethite. In contrast, only ∼30% of the U(VI) associated with a synthetic metaschoepite was reduced by the organism in the presence of goethite with 1 mM lactate as the electron donor. This may have been due to the formation of a layer of UO2(s) or Fe(OH)3(s) on the surface of the metaschoepite that physically obstructed further bioreduction. Increasing the lactate to a non-limiting concentration (10 mM) increased the reduction of U(VI) from metaschoepite to greater than 80% indicating that the hypothesized surface-veneering effect was electron donor dependent. Uranium(VI) was also reduced by bacterially reduced anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) in the absence of cells, and by Fe(II) sorbed to goethite in abiotic control experiments. In the absence of goethite, uraninite was a major product of direct microbial reduction and reduction by AH2DS. These results indicate that DMRB, via a combination of direct enzymatic or indirect mechanisms, can reduce U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) in the presence of solid Fe oxides.

ABSTRACT To help provide a fundamental basis for use of microbial dissimilatory reduction processes in separating or immobilizing99Tc in waste or groundwaters, the effects of electron donor and the presence of the bicarbonate ion on the rate and extent of pertechnetate ion [Tc(VII)O4−] enzymatic reduction by the subsurface metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 were determined, and the forms of aqueous and solid-phase reduction products were evaluated through a combination of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and thermodynamic calculations. When H2served as the electron donor, dissolved Tc(VII) was rapidly reduced to amorphous Tc(IV) hydrous oxide, which was largely associated with the cell in unbuffered 0.85% NaCl and with extracellular particulates (0.2 to 0.001 μm) in bicarbonate buffer. Cell-associated Tc was present principally in the periplasm and outside the outer membrane. The reduction rate was much lower when lactate was the electron donor, with extracellular Tc(IV) hydrous oxide the dominant solid-phase reduction product, but in bicarbonate systems much less Tc(IV) was associated directly with the cell and solid-phase Tc(IV) carbonate may have been present. In the presence of carbonate, soluble (<0.001 μm) electronegative, Tc(IV) carbonate complexes were also formed that exceeded Tc(VII)O4− in electrophoretic mobility. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that the dominant reduced Tc species identified in the experiments would be stable over a range of Eh and pH conditions typical of natural waters. Thus, carbonate complexes may represent an important pathway for Tc transport in anaerobic subsurface environments, where it has generally been assumed that Tc mobility is controlled by low-solubility Tc(IV) hydrous oxide and adsorptive, aqueous Tc(IV) hydrolysis products.

Carbon tetrachloride (CT) was dechlorinated to chloroform (CF) under anoxic conditions by Fe(II) that was sorbed to the surface of goethite (alpha -FeOOH). No reaction occurred when Fe(II) was present and goethite was absent. Several abiotic experiments were conducted with goethite at 30 degreesC in which the total amount of Fe(II) in the system, the amount of sorbed Fe(II), the density of sorbed Fe(II), and the pH were varied. Regeneration of sorbed Fe(II) occurred when dissolved Fe2+ was available and maintained pseudo-first-order conditions with respect to CT. Analysis of the rates of CT loss for experiments with sorbed-Fe(II) regeneration showed the rate-determining-step to be first order with respect to CT, second order with respect to the volumetric concentration of sorbed Fe(II) (i.e., mmol sorbed Fe(II) L-1 suspension), and zero order with respect to H+ for pH between 4.2 and 7.3. The absolute rare constant for the reaction was determined to be 42 +/- 5 M-2 s(-1). Normalization of the observed rate constants to account for different goethite concentrations yielded reaction orders of one and zero, respectively, for CT and H+, and a second-order reaction with respect to the density of sorbed Fe(II) (i.e., mmol sorbed Fe(II) g(-1) goethite). On the basis of the kinetic data, the rate-determining step is proposed to be a termolecular two-electron-transfer reaction involving two Fe2+ ions sorbed to adjacent sites on the goethite surface and a CCl4 molecule that approaches the surface. The primary role of the goethite surface, thus, is to catalyze the reaction by fixing the position of the two charged reactants in a geometry suitable for reaction with CT. In separate experiments, biogenic Fe(II) formed by the enzymatic reduction of goethite by the Fe(III)-reducing bacterium Shewanella alga, strain BrY, dechlorinated CT. Of the CT degraded by abiotic and biogenic Fe(II) on goethite, 83-90% was converted to chloroform (CF), which accumulated in the reaction vial. These results indicate that dechlorination reactions in Fe(III)-reducing environments may indirectly result from the enzymatic or chemical reduction of Fe(III)-bearing minerals such as goethite.

ABSTRACT A thermophilic bacterium that can use O2, NO3−, Fe(III), and S0 as terminal electron acceptors for growth was isolated from groundwater sampled at a 3.2-km depth in a South African gold mine. This organism, designated SA-01, clustered most closely with members of the genusThermus, as determined by 16S rRNA gene (rDNA) sequence analysis. The 16S rDNA sequence of SA-01 was >98% similar to that ofThermus strain NMX2 A.1, which was previously isolated by other investigators from a thermal spring in New Mexico. Strain NMX2 A.1 was also able to reduce Fe(III) and other electron acceptors. Neither SA-01 nor NMX2 A.1 grew fermentatively, i.e., addition of an external electron acceptor was required for anaerobic growth.Thermus strain SA-01 reduced soluble Fe(III) complexed with citrate or nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA); however, it could reduce only relatively small quantities (0.5 mM) of hydrous ferric oxide except when the humic acid analog 2,6-anthraquinone disulfonate was added as an electron shuttle, in which case 10 mM Fe(III) was reduced. Fe(III)-NTA was reduced quantitatively to Fe(II); reduction of Fe(III)-NTA was coupled to the oxidation of lactate and supported growth through three consecutive transfers. Suspensions ofThermus strain SA-01 cells also reduced Mn(IV), Co(III)-EDTA, Cr(VI), and U(VI). Mn(IV)-oxide was reduced in the presence of either lactate or H2. Both strains were also able to mineralize NTA to CO2 and to couple its oxidation to Fe(III) reduction and growth. The optimum temperature for growth and Fe(III) reduction by Thermus strains SA-01 and NMX2 A.1 is approximately 65°C; their optimum pH is 6.5 to 7.0. This is the first report of a Thermus sp. being able to couple the oxidation of organic compounds to the reduction of Fe, Mn, or S.

Codisposal of Co-60(2+) and EDTA has promoted the transport of radioactive Co-60 in the environment as (60)CoEDTA complexes. Chemical oxidation of Co(II)EDTA(2-) to highly stable and mobile Co(III)EDTA(-) by manganese(VI) oxide minerals can occur under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Reduction of Co(lll) to Co(ll) decreases the stability of the radionuclide-chelate complex and can limit the transport of the Co-60 in subsurface environments. This study investigated the microbial reduction of Co(III)EDTA(-) in the presence and absence of reactive manganese(IV) oxides. The metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella alga strain BrY enzymatically reduced Co(III)EDTA(-) to Co(II)EDTA(2-) with a 1:1 stoichiometry. Reduction of Co(III)EDTA(-) was not affected by radioactive (60)Co(III)EDTA(-) at concentrations exceeding those recorded in contaminated environments. Bacterial reduction of Co(III)EDTA(-) could he coupled to the chemical oxidation of Co(II)EDTA(2-) by the manganese(IV) oxide mineral pyrolusite, resulting in biotic-abiotic cycling between Co(II)EDTA(2-) and Co(III)EDTA(-). Co(III)EDTA(-) significantly increased the rate and extent of manganese(IV) oxide reduction in the presence of metal reducing bacteria, and the Co(II)EDTA(2-) complex did not dissociate in these anoxic studies. Direct reduction of Co(III)EDTA(-) by microorganisms and geochemical oxidation of Co(II)EDTA(2-) by manganese(IV) oxides are important components of a complex set of coupled microbial and geochemical reactions that may influence the fate and transport of (60)Co(III)EDTA(2-) in the environment.

Dehalogenation of chlorinated aliphatic contaminants at the surface of zero-valent iron metal (Fe0) is mediated by the thin film of iron (hydr)oxides found on Fe0 under environmental conditions. To evaluate the role this oxide film plays in the reduction of chlorinated methanes, carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) degradation by Fe0 was studied under the influence of various anions, ligands, and initial CCl4 concentrations ([P]o). Over the range of conditions examined in these batch experiments, the reaction kinetics could be characterized by surface-area-normalized rate constants that were pseudo-first order for CCl4 disappearance (kCCl4), and zero order for the appearance of dissolved Fe2+ (kFe2+). The rate of dechlorination exhibits saturation kinetics with respect to [P]o, suggesting that CCl4 is transformed at a limited number of reactive surface sites. Because oxidation of Fe0 by CCl4 is the major corrosion reaction in these systems, kFe2+ also approaches a limiting value at high CCl4 concentrations. The adsorption of borate strongly inhibited reduction of CCl4, but a concomitant addition of chloride partially offset this effect by destabilizing the film. Redox active ligands (catechol and ascorbate), and those that are not redox active (EDTA and acetate), all decreased kCCl4 (and kFe2+). Thus, it appears that the relatively strong complexation of these ligands at the oxide–electrolyte interface blocks the sites where weak interactions with the metal oxide lead to dehalogenation of chlorinated aliphatic compounds.

Dissimilatory metal-reducing microorganisms may be useful in processes designed for selective removal of uranium from aqueous streams. These bacteria can use U(VI) as an electron acceptor and thereby reduce soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV). While significant research has been devoted to demonstrating and describing the mechanism of dissimilatory metal reduction, the reaction kinetics necessary to apply this for remediation processes have not been adequately defined. In this study, pure culture Shewanella alga strain BrY reduced U(VI) under non-growth conditions in the presence of excess lactate as the electron donor. Initial U(VI) concentrations ranged from 13 to 1680 microM. A maximum specific U(VI) reduction rate of 2.37 micromole-U(VI)/(mg-biomass h) and Monod half-saturation coefficient of 132 microM-U(VI) were calculated from measured U(VI) reduction rates. U(VI) reduction activity was sustained at 60% of this rate for at least 80 h. The initial presence of oxygen at a concentration equal to atmospheric saturation at 22 degrees C delays but does not prevent U(VI) reduction. The rate of U(VI) reduction by BrY is comparable or better than rates reported for other metal reducing species. BrY reduces U(VI) at a rate that is 30% of its Fe(III) reduction rate.

The ability of a metal-reducing bacterium to microbially reduce vitamin B-12 was determined to expand our understanding of the role vitamin B-12 plays in the transformation of halogenated compounds in microbial systems. The subsequent transformation of chlorinated methanes catalyzed by this microbially-reduced vitamin B-12 was then evaluated. When incubated in the presence of Shewanella alga strain Cry and an electron donor, the microbial reduction of vitamin B-12a to B-12r was observed as a shift in the vitamin B-12 spectrum. In treatments containing vitamin B-12 and an electron donor but without Cry, the predominant species was vitamin B-12a. The introduction of BrY into the system resulted in the production of vitamin B-12r. The transformation of carbon tetrachloride (CT), chloroform (CF), and dichloromethane (DCM) was examined in batch systems containing vitamin B-12, Shewanella alga strain Cry, and an electron donor. Transformation of both CT and CF was observed, while no significant change in the DCM concentration was detected. Carbon monoxide was the major product of CT transformation. No significant transformation of CT or CF was detected when vitamin B-12 was Omitted from the system. This work demonstrates that a metal-reducing bacterium, with no apparent ability to transform CT or CF directly, mediates the reduction of vitamin B-12, which in turn catalyzes the transformation of CT.