Perchlorate and nitrate reductase activity in the perchlorate-respiring bacterium perclace.

The perchlorate (ClO4(-))-respiring organism, strain perclace, can grow using nitrate (NO3(-)) as a terminal electron acceptor. In resting cell suspensions, NO(-) grown cells reduced ClO4(-), and ClO4(-) grown cells reduced NO3(-). Activity assays showed that nitrate reductase (NR) activity was 1.31 micromol min(-1) (mg protein)-1 in (ClO4)- grown cells, and perchlorate reductase (PR) activity was 4.24 micromol min(-1) (mg protein)(-1) in NO3(-) grown cells. PR activity was detected within the periplasmic space, with activities as high as 14 pmol min(-1) (mg protein)(-1). The NR had a pH optimum of 9.0 while the PR had an optimum of 8.0. This study suggests that separate terminal reductases are present in strain perclace to reduce NO3(-) and ClO4(-).