Role of Superoxide Reductase FA796 in Oxidative Stress Resistance in Filifactor alocis

Filifactor alocis, a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium, is now a proposed diagnostic indicator of periodontal disease. Because the stress response of this bacterium to the oxidative environment of the periodontal pocket may impact its pathogenicity, an understanding of its oxidative stress resistance strategy is vital. Interrogation of the F. alocis genome identified the HMPREF0389_00796 gene that encodes for a putative superoxide reductase (SOR) enzyme. SORs are non-heme, iron-containing enzymes that can catalyze the reduction of superoxide radicals to hydrogen peroxide and are important in the protection against oxidative stress. In this study, we have functionally characterized the putative SOR (FA796) from F. alocis ATCC 35896. The recombinant FA796 protein, which is predicted to be a homotetramer of the 1Fe-SOR class, can reduce superoxide radicals. F. alocis FLL141 (∆FA796::ermF) was significantly more sensitive to oxygen/air exposure compared to the parent strain. Sensitivity correlated with the level of intracellular superoxide radicals. Additionally, the FA796-defective mutant had increased sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide-induced stress, was inhibited in its ability to form biofilm and had reduced survival in epithelial cells. Collectively, these results suggest that the F. alocis SOR protein is a key enzymatic scavenger of superoxide radicals and protects the bacterium from oxidative stress conditions.