Bacterial SBP56 identified as a Cu-dependent methanethiol oxidase widely distributed in the biosphere

Oxidation of methanethiol (MT) is a significant step in the sulfur cycle. MT is an intermediate of metabolism of globally significant organosulfur compounds including dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and dimethylsulfide (DMS), which have key roles in marine carbon and sulfur cycling. In aerobic bacteria, MT is degraded by a MT oxidase (MTO). The enzymatic and genetic basis of MT oxidation have remained poorly characterized. Here, we identify for the first time the MTO enzyme and its encoding gene (mtoX) in the DMS-degrading bacterium Hyphomicrobium sp. VS. We show that MTO is a homotetrameric metalloenzyme that requires Cu for enzyme activity. MTO is predicted to be a soluble periplasmic enzyme and a member of a distinct clade of the Selenium-binding protein (SBP56) family for which no function has been reported. Genes orthologous to mtoX exist in many bacteria able to degrade DMS, other one-carbon compounds or DMSP, notably in the marine model organism Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3, a member of the Rhodobacteraceae family that is abundant in marine environments. Marker exchange mutagenesis of mtoX disrupted the ability of R. pomeroyi to metabolize MT confirming its function in this DMSP-degrading bacterium. In R. pomeroyi, transcription of mtoX was enhanced by DMSP, methylmercaptopropionate and MT. Rates of MT degradation increased after pre-incubation of the wild-type strain with MT. The detection of mtoX orthologs in diverse bacteria, environmental samples and its abundance in a range of metagenomic data sets point to this enzyme being widely distributed in the environment and having a key role in global sulfur cycling.The ISME Journal advance online publication, 24 October 2017; doi:10.1038/ismej.2017.148

Leadership and Behavioral Integrity in the Restaurant Industry: the Moderating Roles of Gender

This study examined the effect of follower’s gender on the relationship between leaders’ enacted behavioral integrity (objective manipulation), follower’s perception of leaders’ behavioral integrity (subjective behavioral integrity), and subsequent trust in the leader. It is proposed that female followers are more sensitive to and have stronger trust reactions to leaders’ behavioral integrity. Data was collected from 257 supervisors working in the restaurant industry using a scenario experiment. Results indicated that females have a stronger perception of the leaders’ behavioral integrity relationship and a stronger trust in the leader than their male counterpart. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings were discussed

Linear spin-wave theory of incommensurably modulated magnets

Calculations of linearized theories of spin dynamics encounter difficulties when applied to incommensurable magnetic phases: lack of translational invariance leads to an infinite coupled system of equations. The authors resolve this for the case of a `single-Q' structure by mapping onto the problem of diagonalizing a quasiperiodic Hamiltonian of tight-binding type in one dimension. This allows for calculation of the correlation functions relevant to neutron scattering or magnetic resonance experiments. With the application to the case of a longitudinally modulated magnet a number of new predictions are made: at higher frequency there appear bands of response sharply defined in frequency, but broad in momentum transfer; at low frequencies there is a response maximum at the q vector corresponding to the modulation vector. They discuss generalizations necessary for application to rare-earth magnet