Isolation of a gene (pbsC) required for siderophore biosynthesis in fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. strain M114

An iron-regulated gene, pbsC, required for siderophore production in fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. strain M114 has been identified. A kanamycin-resistance cassette was inserted at specific restriction sites within a 7 kb genomic fragment of M114 DNA and by marker exchange two siderophore-negative mutants, designated M1 and M2, were isolated. The nucleotide sequence of approximately 4 kb of the region flanking the insertion sites was determined and a large open reading frame (ORF) extending for 2409 by was identified. This gene was designated pbsC (pseudobactin synthesis C) and its putative protein product termed PbsC. PbsC was found to be homologous to a family of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, including EntF of Escherichia coli. These enzymes are believed to act via ATP-dependent binding of AMP to their substrate. Several areas of high sequence homology between these proteins and PbsC were observed, including a conserved AMP-binding domain. The expression of pbsC is iron-regulated as revealed when a DNA fragment containing the upstream region was cloned in a promoter probe vector and conjugated into the wild-type strain, M114. The nucleotide sequence upstream of the putative translational start site contains a region homologous to previously defined ?16 to ?25 sequences of iron-regulated genes but did not contain an iron-box consensus sequence. It was noted that inactivation of the pbsC gene also affected other iron-regulated phenotypes of Pseudomonas M114.     

Isolation of a gene (pbsC) required for siderophore biosynthesis in fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. strain M114

An iron-regulated gene, pbsC, required for siderophore production in fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. strain M114 has been identified. A kanamycin-resistance cassette was inserted at specific restriction sites within a 7 kb genomic fragment of M114 DNA and by marker exchange two siderophore-negative mutants, designated M1 and M2, were isolated. The nucleotide sequence of approximately 4 kb of the region flanking the insertion sites was determined and a large open reading frame (ORF) extending for 2409 by was identified. This gene was designated pbsC (pseudobactin synthesis C) and its putative protein product termed PbsC. PbsC was found to be homologous to a family of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, including EntF of Escherichia coli. These enzymes are believed to act via ATP-dependent binding of AMP to their substrate. Several areas of high sequence homology between these proteins and PbsC were observed, including a conserved AMP-binding domain. The expression of pbsC is iron-regulated as revealed when a DNA fragment containing the upstream region was cloned in a promoter probe vector and conjugated into the wild-type strain, M114. The nucleotide sequence upstream of the putative translational start site contains a region homologous to previously defined –16 to –25 sequences of iron-regulated genes but did not contain an iron-box consensus sequence. It was noted that inactivation of the pbsC gene also affected other iron-regulated phenotypes of Pseudomonas M114.     

Identification and sequencing of beta-myrcene catabolism genes from Pseudomonas sp. strain M1.

The M1 strain, able to grow on beta-myrcene as the sole carbon and energy source, was isolated by an enrichment culture and identified as a Pseudomonas sp. One beta-myrcene-negative mutant, called N22, obtained by transposon mutagenesis, accumulated (E)-2-methyl-6-methylen-2,7-octadien-1-ol (or myrcen-8-ol) as a unique beta-myrcene biotransformation product. This compound was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We cloned and sequenced the DNA regions flanking the transposon and used these fragments to identify the M1 genomic library clones containing the wild-type copy of the interrupted gene. One of the selected cosmids, containing a 22-kb genomic insert, was able to complement the N22 mutant for growth on beta-myrcene. A 5,370-bp-long sequence spanning the region interrupted by the transposon in the mutant was determined. We identified four open reading frames, named myrA, myrB, myrC, and myrD, which can potentially code for an aldehyde dehydrogenase, an alcohol dehydrogenase, an acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase, and an enoyl-CoA hydratase, respectively. myrA, myrB, and myrC are likely organized in an operon, since they are separated by only 19 and 36 nucleotides (nt), respectively, and no promoter-like sequences have been found in these regions. The myrD gene starts 224 nt upstream of myrA and is divergently transcribed. The myrB sequence was found to be completely identical to the one flanking the transposon in the mutant. Therefore, we could ascertain that the transposon had been inserted inside the myrB gene, in complete agreement with the accumulation of (E)-2-methyl-6-methylen-2,7-octadien-1-ol by the mutant. Based on sequence and biotransformation data, we propose a pathway for beta-myrcene catabolism in Pseudomonas sp. strain M1.     

Identification and characterization of two polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis loci in Pseudomonas sp. strain 3Y2

A Pseudomonas strain, 3Y2, that produced polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymers consisting of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3HB) and medium-chain-length 3-hydroxyalkanoate (mcl-HA) units, with up to 30% 3HB, was isolated. Two PHA biosynthesis loci (pha _Ps-1 and pha _Ps-2) from 3Y2 were cloned by polymerase chain reaction amplification techniques. The pha _Ps-2 locus was similar to the PHA biosynthesis loci of other PHA-producing Pseudomonas strains, with five tandem open reading frames (ORFs) located in the order ORF1 _Ps-2-phaC1 _Ps-2-phaZ _Ps-2-phaC2 _Ps-2-phaD _Ps-2. The pha _Ps-1 locus that contains phaC1 _Ps-1-phaZ _Ps-1 appears to have arisen by a duplication event that placed it downstream of a gene (ORF1 _Ps-1), encoding a putative glucose-methanol-choline flavoprotein oxidoreductase. The PHA synthases 1 encoded by phaC1 _Ps-1 and phaC1 _Ps-2 were investigated by heterologous expression in Wautersia eutropha PHB⁻4. Both synthases displayed similar substrate specificities for incorporating 3HB and mcl-HA units into PHA. The ability of PhaC1 _Ps-1 to confer PHA synthesis, however, appeared reduced compared to that of PhaC1 _Ps-2, since cells harboring PhaC1 _Ps-1 accumulated 2.5 to 4.6 times less PHA than cells expressing PhaC1 _Ps-2. Primary sequence analysis revealed that PhaC1 _Ps-1 had markedly diverged from the other PHA synthases with a relatively high substitution rate (14.9 vs 2% within PhaC1 _Ps-2). The mutations affected a highly conserved C-terminal region and the surroundings of the essential active site cysteine (Cys296) with a loss of hydrophobicity. This led us to predict that if phaC1 _Ps-1 produces a protein product in the native strain, it is likely that PhaC1 _Ps-1 may be destined for elimination by the accumulation of inactivating mutations, although its specialization to accommodate different substrates cannot be eliminated.     

Analysis of clustered genes encoding both early and late steps in daunomycin biosynthesis by Streptomyces sp. strain C5.

We recently described the isolation and sequence analysis of the daunomycin polyketide synthase biosynthesis genes of Streptomyces sp. strain C5 (J. Ye, M. L. Dickens, R. Plater, Y. Li, J. Lawrence, and W. R. Strohl, J. Bacteriol. 176:6270-6280, 1994). Contiguous to the daunomycin polyketide synthase biosynthesis gene region in Streptomyces sp. strain C5 are four additional genes involved in daunomycin biosynthesis, two of the products of which show similarity to different types of methyltransferases. The dauC gene, encoding aklanonic acid methyltransferase (AAMT), complements dauC-blocked mutants of Streptomyces sp. strain C5, restores in vitro AAMT activities to the mutant strains, and confers in vitro AAMT activity on Streptomyces lividans. Partial purification through gel filtration, followed by photoaffinity labeling of enriched AAMT with S-adenosyl-L-[3H-methyl]methionine, indicates that AAMT is a homodimer with an M(r) of ca. 48,000 (subunit M(r) of ca. 24,000), which corresponds with the size of the deduced gene product. The dauD gene, encoding aklanonic acid methyl ester cyclase, is divergently arranged with respect to dauC. Immediately downstream and apparently translationally coupled with dauD is the dauK gene, encoding carminomycin 4-O-methyltransferase. The dauK gene confers in vitro carminomycin 4-O-methyltransferase activity on S. lividans and is nearly identical to a similar gene isolated from Streptomyces peucetius and characterized. Directly downstream of dauK lies a gene encoding a deduced protein that is similar to the methyl esterases.     

Transport of mevalonate by Pseudomonas sp. strain M.

Pseudomonas sp. M, isolated from soil by elective culture on R,S-mevalonate as the sole source of carbon, possessed an inducible transport system for mevalonate. This high-affinity system had a pH optimum of 7.0, a temperature optimum of 30 degrees C, a Km for R,S-mevalonate of 88 microM, and a V max of 26 nmol of mevalonate transported per min/mg of cells (dry weight). Transport was energy dependent since azide, cyanide, or m-chlorophenylhydrazone caused complete cessation of transport activity. Transport of mevalonate was highly substrate specific. Of the 16 structural analogs of mevalonate tested, only acetoacetate, mevinolin, and mevaldehyde significantly inhibited transport. Growth of cells on mevalonate induced transport activity by 40- to 65-fold over that observed in cells grown on alternate carbon sources. A biphasic pattern for cell growth, as well as for induction of mevalonate transport activity, was observed when mevalonate was added to a culture actively growing on glucose. The induction of transport activity under these conditions began within 30 min after the addition of mevalonate and reached 60% of maximal activity during phase I. A further increase in mevalonate transport activity occurred during phase II of growth. Glucose was the preferred carbon source for growth during phase I, whereas mevalonate was preferred during phase II. Only one isomer of the R,S-mevalonate mixture appeared to be utilized, since growth ceased after 45 to 50% of the total mevalonate was depleted from the medium. However, nearly 30% of the preferred mevalonate isomer was depleted from the medium during phase I without significant metabolism to CO2. These results suggest that mevalonate or a mevalonate catabolite may accumulate in cells of Pseudomonas sp. M during phase I and that glucose metabolism may inhibit or repress the expression of enzymes further along the mevalonate catabolic pathway.     

Identification and characterization of genes encoding carbazole 1,9a-dioxygenase in Pseudomonas sp. strain CA10.

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the flanking regions of the carBC genes of Pseudomonas sp. strain CA10 revealed that there were two open reading frames (ORFs) ORF4 and ORF5, in the upstream region of carBC. Similarly, three ORFs, ORF6 to ORF8, were found in the downstream region of carBC. The deduced amino acid sequences of ORF6 and ORF8 showed homologies with ferredoxin and ferredoxin reductase components of bacterial multicomponent dioxygenase systems, respectively. ORF4 and ORF5 had the same sequence and were tandemly linked. Their deduced amino acid sequences showed about 30% homology with large (alpha) subunits of other terminal oxygenase components. Functional analysis using resting cells harboring the deleted plasmids revealed that the products of ORF4 and -5, ORF6, and ORF8 were terminal dioxygenase, ferredoxin, and ferredoxin reductase, respectively, of carbazole 1,9a-dioxygenase (CARDO), which attacks the angular position adjacent to the nitrogen atom of carbazole, and that the product of ORF7 is not indispensable for CARDO activity. Based on the results, ORF4, ORF5, ORF6, and ORF8 were designated carAa, carAa, carAc, and carAd, respectively. The products of carAa, carAd, and ORF7 were shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to be polypeptides with molecular masses of 43, 36, and 11 kDa, respectively. However, the product of carAc was not detected in Escherichia coli. CARDO has the ability to oxidize a wide variety of polyaromatic compounds, including dibenzo-p-dioxin, dibenzofuran, biphenyl, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as naphthalene and phenanthrene. Since 2,2',3-trihydroxydiphenyl ether and 2,2',3-trihydroxybiphenyl were identified as metabolites of dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran, respectively, it was considered that CARDO attacked at the angular position adjacent to the oxygen atom of dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran as in the case with carbazole.     

Nucleotide sequence analysis and potential environmental distribution of a ferric pseudobactin receptor gene of Pseudomonas sp. strain M114

We have isolated and characterized two multicopy suppressors, mssA and mssB, which suppress the cold-sensitive growth phenotype of the smbA2 mutant of Escherichia coli. The mssA gene is located immediately upstream of the rpsA gene (20.5 min). MssA protein was found to be related to nucleoside monophosphate kinases. The mssB, gene was found to be identical to the deaD gene (69 min), which encodes a putative RNA helicase. The SmbA protein belongs to the aspartokinase family and probably represents a new, fourth aspartokinase species in E. coli. Expression of the smbA gene is essential for cell growth. The smbA2 mutant shows a pleiotropic phenotype characterized by cold-sensitive growth, hypersensitivity to the detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate, and formation of a translucent segment at midcell or at a pole of the cell when grown at 22° C. In addition, some cellular proteins were either increased or decreased in amount in the smbA2 mutant. SmbA may be a regulatory factor in the expression of a battery of genes. MssA and MssB might also relate to the expression of some of these genes. Multiple copies mssA and mssB, suppressed the various phenotypic features of the smbA2 mutant to various extents, suppressing the cold-sensitive growth completely.     

Identification of two-component regulatory genes involved in o-xylene degradation by Rhodococcus sp. strain DK17

Putative genes for a two-component signal transduction system (akbS and akbT) were detected near the alkylbenzene-degrading operon of Rhodococcus sp. DK17. Sequence analysis indicates that AkbS possesses potential ATP-binding and histidine autophosphorylation sites in the N- and C-terminal regions, respectively, and that AkbT has a typical response regulator domain. Mutant analysis combined with RT-PCR experiments further shows that AkbS is required to induce the expression of o-xylene dioxygenase in DK17.     

Biphenyl uptake by psychrotolerant Pseudomonas sp. strain Cam-1 and mesophilic Burkholderia sp. strain LB400

We investigated the uptake of biphenyl by the psychrotolerant, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-degrader, Pseudomonas sp. strain Cam-1 and the mesophilic PCB-degrader, Burkholderia sp. strain LB400. The effects of growth substrates, metabolic inhibitors, and temperature on [14C]biphenyl uptake were studied. Biphenyl uptake by both strains was induced by growth on biphenyl, and was inhibited by dinitrophenol (DNP) and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), which are metabolic uncouplers. The Vmax and Km for biphenyl uptake by Cam-1 at 22 degrees C were 5.4 +/- 1.7 nmol x min(-1) x (mg of cell protein)(-1) and 83.1 +/- 15.9 micromol x L(-1), respectively. The Vmax and Km for biphenyl uptake by LB400 at 22 degrees C were 3.2 +/- 0.3 nmol x min(-1) x (mg of cell protein(-1)) and 51.5 +/- 9.6 micromol x L(-1), respectively. At 15 degrees C, the maximum rate for biphenyl uptake by Cam-1 and LB400 was 3.1 +/- 0.3 nmol x min(-1) x (mg of cell protein)(-1) and 0.89 +/- 0.1 nmol x min(-1) x (mg of cell protein)(-1), respectively. Thus, the maximum rate for biphenyl uptake by Cam-1 at 15 degrees C was more than 3 times higher than that for LB400.     

Lindane uptake and degradation by aquatic Streptomyces sp. strain M7

Five actinomycete strains isolated from pesticide-contaminated sediments were able to grow in the presence of 10 μg l⁻¹ lindane, an organochlorine pesticide. The strain growing best in the presence of lindane as the only carbon source was identified as Streptomyces sp. M7. After 96 h of incubation in synthetic medium containing lindane and glucose, both substrates were simultaneously consumed; glucose 6.0 g l⁻¹ improved lindane degradation and obtained biomass. When Streptomyces sp. M7 was cultured in presence of lindane plus glucose, the disappearance of the pesticide from the medium and the lindane degradation was observed after 72 h of incubation. This is the first report of lindane degradation without intracellular accumulation or biotransformation products of lindane using Streptomyces sp. under aerobic conditions.Relevance to industryThis is the first report of lindane removal without intracellular accumulation or biotransformation products of lindane using Streptomyces sp. strain M7, an actinomycete isolated from pesticide-contaminated sediments from Tucuman, Argentina.     

Identification of a novel composite transposable element, Tn5280, carrying chlorobenzene dioxygenase genes of Pseudomonas sp. strain P51.

Analysis of one of the regions of catabolic plasmid pP51 which encode chlorobenzene metabolism of Pseudomonas sp. strain P51 revealed that the tcbA and tcbB genes for chlorobenzene dioxygenase and dehydrogenase are located on a transposable element, Tn5280. Tn5280 showed the features of a composite bacterial transposon with iso-insertion elements (IS1066 and IS1067) at each end of the transposon oriented in an inverted position. When a 12-kb HindIII fragment of pP51 containing Tn5280 was cloned in the suicide donor plasmid pSUP202, marked with a kanamycin resistance gene, and introduced into Pseudomonas putida donor plasmid pSUP202, marked with a kanamycin resistance gene, and introduced into Pseudomonas putida KT2442, Tn5280 was found to transpose into the genome at random and in single copy. The insertion elements IS1066 and IS1067 differed in a single base apir located in the inner inverted repeat and were found to be highly homologous to a class of repetitive elements of Bradyrhizobium japonicum and distantly related to IS630 of Shigella sonnei. The presence of the catabolic genes tcbA and tcbB on Tn5280 suggests a mechanism by which gene clusters can be mobilized as gene cassettes and joined with others to form novel catabolic pathways.     

RpoS as an intermediate in RsmA-dependent regulation of secondary antifungal metabolites biosynthesis in Pseudomonas sp. M18

To investigate the regulatory mechanism governing antifungal metabolite biosynthesis, two kinds of global regulator genes in Pseudomonas sp. M18, an rpoS and an rsmA gene, were cloned and mutated by inserting with an aacC1 cassette, respectively. Two mutants showed the same regulatory mode with repression of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and remarkable enhancement of pyoluteorin. In the rpoS-mutant, a translational rsmA'-'lacZ fusion was expressed at the same level corresponding to that in the wild-type strain. In the rsmA-mutant, however, expression of the translational rpoS'-'lacZ fusion was only about 30% of that in the wild-type strain. The results indicated that the absence of RsmA leads to repression of the rpoS gene expression, which has further been confirmed with construction of chromosomal rpoS-lacZ fusion in the rsmA-mutant and the wild-type strain, respectively. The findings showed a new regulatory cascade controlling antifungal metabolite production in Pseudomonas sp. M18, suggesting that RpoS may serve as a mediator in RsmA-dependent regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis.     

Identification of additional genes required for O-antigen biosynthesis in Vibrio cholerae O1.

The cloning and expression of the genes encoding the Vibrio cholerae O1 lipopolysaccharide O antigen in a heterologous host have been described previously (P. A. Manning, M. W. Heuzenroeder, J. Yeadon, D. I. Leavesley, P. R. Reeves, and D. Rowley, Infect. Immun. 53:272-277, 1986). It was thus assumed that all the genes required for O-antigen expression were located on a 20-kb SacI restriction fragment. We present evidence for a number of other as yet undescribed genes that are essential for O-antigen biosynthesis in V. cholerae O1 and that these genes are somehow complemented in Escherichia coli K-12. The two genes termed Vibrio cholerae rfbV and rfbU are transcribed in the opposite orientation from the rest of the rfb operon, whereas the galE dehydratase and rfbP (Salmonella enterica) homologs, designated ORF35x7 and rfbW, respectively, are transcribed in the same orientation. The evidence presented here, using chromosomal insertion mutants, clearly shows that the three genes now designated rfbV, rfbU, and rfbW appear to be accessory rfb genes and are essential for O-antigen biosynthesis in V. cholerae but that ORF35x7 is not.     

Phosphate starvation induces uptake of glyphosate by Pseudomonas sp. strain PG2982

Pseudomonas sp. strain PG2982 has the ability to use the phosphonate herbicide, glyphosate, as a sole phosphorus source (J. K. Moore, H. D. Braymer, and A. D. Larson, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 46:316-320, 1983). Glyphosate uptake is maximal in the late log phase of growth and is induced by phosphate starvation. Uptake is inhibited by phosphate and arsenate, but not by the amino acids glycine and sarcosine. The Km and Vmax for glyphosate uptake were calculated to be 23 microM and 0.97 nmol/mg (dry weight) per min, respectively. A phosphate transport system with a broad substrate specificity may be responsible for glyphosate uptake.     

Phenol biodegradation by a Pseudomonas sp. strain tagged with the gfp gene

Conjugal transfer of the pAG408 suicide vector from E. coli S 17.1 to Pseudomonas sp. cells able to consume phenol yielded transconjugates brightly luminescing under UV illumination. It was shown that tagging of the Pseudomonas sp. cells with the gfp gene did not affect their ability to consume phenol. The change of the population density of the tagged bacteria after their introduction to soil was studied. The potential of the resulting bacterial strain in remediation of phenol-polluted soils is discussed.     

Rhizosphere competence of fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. B24 genetically modified to utilise additional ferric siderophores

Abstract: The ability to utilise additional siderophores may increase the ecological fitness of biocontrol inoculants of Pseudomonas in the rhizosphere. Plasmid pCUP2 carries a copy of the gene pbu A coding for the membrane receptor of ferric pseudobactin M114. Pseudomonas sp. B24Rif containing pCUP2 can utilise ferric pseudobactin of P. fluorescens M114 in addition to its own siderophore. A larger fraction of the culturable resident fluorescent pseudomonads in the rhizosphere of sugarbeet grown in a low-iron sandy loam soil could supply siderophore-complexed iron to B24Rif(pCUP2) rather than to B24Rif. However, B24Rif and B24Rif(pCUP2) were found at similar population levels in the rhizosphere for 21 days after their inoculation on seeds. A total of 25 of 43 isolates of resident fluorescent Pseudomonas unable to cross-feed iron to B24Rif could cross-feed B24Rif(pCUP2) and they were subdivided into seven different strains by arbitrary-primed PCR fingerprinting. The siderophores produced by 11 of them were typed by HPLC and they were similar to pseudobactin M114. However, the ability to utilise ferric pseudobactin M114 did not improve the ecological fitness of B24Rif in the rhizosphere of sugarbeet although a larger fraction of the culturable resident fluorescent pseudomonads could supply pseudobactin M114-complexed iron to B24Rif(pCUP2) than to B24Rif.     

Mechanism of biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in Pseudomonas sp. strain E-3, a psychrotrophic bacterium.

Biosynthesis of palmitic, palmitoleic, and cis-vaccenic acids in Pseudomonas sp. strain E-3 was investigated with in vitro and in vivo systems. [1-14C]palmitic acid was aerobically converted to palmitoleate and cis-vaccenate, and the radioactivities on their carboxyl carbons were 100 and 43%, respectively, of the total radioactivity in the fatty acids. Palmitoyl coenzyme A desaturase activity was found in the membrane fraction. [1-14C]stearic acid was converted to octadecenoate and C16 fatty acids. The octadecenoate contained oleate and cis-vaccenate, but only oleate was produced in the presence of cerulenin. [1-14C]lauric acid was aerobically converted to palmitate, palmitoleate, and cis-vaccenate. Under anaerobic conditions, palmitate (62%), palmitoleate (4%), and cis-vaccenate (34%) were produced from [1-14C]acetic acid, while they amounted to 48, 39, and 14%, respectively, under aerobic conditions. In these incorporation experiments, 3 to 19% of the added radioactivity was detected in released 14CO2, indicating that part of the added fatty acids were oxidatively decomposed. Partially purified fatty acid synthetase produced saturated and unsaturated fatty acids with chain lengths of C10 to C18. These results indicated that both aerobic and anaerobic mechanisms for the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acid are operating in this bacterium.     

Cloning and analysis of s-triazine catabolic genes from Pseudomonas sp. strain NRRLB-12227.

Pseudomonas sp. strain NRRLB-12227 degrades the s-triazine melamine by a six-step pathway which allows it to use melamine and pathway intermediates as nitrogen sources. With the plasmid pLG221, mutants defective in five of the six steps of the pathway were generated. Tn5-containing-EcoRI fragments from these mutants were cloned and identified by selection for Tn5-encoded kanamycin resistance in transformants. A restriction fragment from ammelide-negative mutant RE411 was used as a probe in colony hybridization experiments to identify cloned wild-type s-triazine catabolic genes encoding ammeline aminohydrolase, ammelide aminohydrolase, and cyanuric acid amidohydrolase. These genes were cloned from total cellular DNA on several similar, but not identical, HindIII fragments, as well as on a PstI fragment and a BglII fragment. Restriction mapping and Southern hybridization analyses of these cloned DNA fragments suggested that these s-triazine catabolic genes may be located on a transposable element, the ends of which are identical 2.2-kb insertion sequences.     

Cloning and characterization of Pseudomonas sp. strain DNT genes for 2,4-dinitrotoluene degradation.

The degradation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) by Pseudomonas sp. strain DNT is initiated by a dioxygenase attack to yield 4-methyl-5-nitrocatechol (MNC) and nitrite. Subsequent oxidation of MNC by a monooxygenase results in the removal of the second molecule of nitrite, and further enzymatic reactions lead to ring fission. Initial studies on the molecular basis of DNT degradation in this strain revealed the presence of three plasmids. Mitomycin-derived mutants deficient in either DNT dioxygenase only or DNT dioxygenase and MNC monooxygenase were isolated. Plasmid profiles of mutant strains suggested that the mutations resulted from deletions in the largest plasmid. Total plasmid DNA partially digested by EcoRI was cloned into a broad-host-range cosmid vector, pCP13. Recombinant clones containing genes encoding DNT dioxygenase, MNC monooxygenase, and 2,4,5-trihydroxytoluene oxygenase were characterized by identification of reaction products and the ability to complement mutants. Subcloning analysis suggests that the DNT dioxygenase is a multicomponent enzyme system and that the genes for the DNT pathway are organized in at least three different operons.