scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question

Showing papers on "Pseudomonas putida published in 1994"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The plant growth promoting rhizobacterium Pseudomonas putida GR12-2 can utilize 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate as a sole nitrogen source because it possess the unusual enzyme ACC deaminase, which hydrolyzes ACC to ammonia and α-ketobutyrate.
Abstract: The plant growth promoting rhizobacterium Pseudomonas putida GR12-2 can utilize 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) as a sole nitrogen source because it possess the unusual enzyme ACC deaminase...

330 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The plant growth promoting rhizobacterium Pseudomonas putida GR12-2 was mutagenized with nitrosoguanidine and three separate mutants that were unable to utilize 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid as a sole nitrogen source were selected, promoting root elongation of developing canola seedlings under gnotobiotic conditions.
Abstract: The plant growth promoting rhizobacterium Pseudomonas putida GR12-2 was mutagenized with nitrosoguanidine and three separate mutants that were unable to utilize 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic aci...

243 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results support the hypothesis that the decrease in the degree of saturation induced by ethanol is not an adaptation mechanism but is caused by an inhibitory effect of the compound on the biosynthesis of saturated fatty acids.
Abstract: Pseudomonas putida S12 was more tolerant to ethanol when preadapted to supersaturating concentrations of toluene. Cellular reactions at the membrane level to the toxicities of both compounds were different. In growing cells of P. putida S12, sublethal concentrations of toluene resulted in an increase in the degree of saturation of the membrane fatty acids, whereas toxically equivalent concentrations of ethanol led to a decrease in this value. Contrary to this, cells also reacted to both substances with a strong increase of the trans unsaturated fatty acids and a corresponding decrease of the cis unsaturated fatty acids under conditions where growth and other cellular membrane reactions were totally inhibited. While the isomerization of cis to trans unsaturated fatty acids compensates for the fluidizing effect caused by ethanol, a decrease in the degree of saturation is antagonistic with respect to the chemo-physical properties of the membrane. Consequently, the results support the hypothesis that the decrease in the degree of saturation induced by ethanol is not an adaptation mechanism but is caused by an inhibitory effect of the compound on the biosynthesis of saturated fatty acids.

242 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The finding that 4-hydroxybenzoate chemotaxis can be disrupted without an accompanying effect on metabolism indicates that this chemotactic response is receptor mediated, indicating that aromatic acid detection and transport are integral features of aromatic degradation pathways.
Abstract: Pseudomonas putida PRS2000 is chemotactic to 4-hydroxybenzoate and other aromatic acids. This behavioral response is induced when cells are grown on 4-hydroxybenzoate or benzoate, compounds that are degraded via the beta-ketoadipate pathway. Isolation of a transposon mutant defective in 4-hydroxybenzoate chemotaxis allowed identification of a new gene cluster designated pcaRKF. DNA sequencing, mutational analysis, and complementation studies revealed that pcaR encodes a regulatory protein required for induction of at least four of the enzymes of the beta-ketoadipate pathway and that pcaF encodes beta-ketoadipyl-coenzyme A thiolase, the last enzyme in the pathway. The third gene, pcaK, encodes a transporter for 4-hydroxybenzoate, and this protein is also required for chemotaxis to aromatic acids. The predicted PcaK protein is 47 kDa in size, with a deduced amino acid sequence indicative of membership in the major facilitator superfamily of transport proteins. The protein, expressed in Escherichia coli, catalyzed 4-hydroxybenzoate transport. In addition, whole cells of P. putida pcaK mutants accumulated 4-hydroxybenzoate at reduced rates compared with that in wild-type cells. The pcaK mutation did not impair growth at the expense of 4-hydroxybenzoate under most conditions; however, mutant cells grew somewhat more slowly than the wild type on 4-hydroxybenzoate at a high pH. The finding that 4-hydroxybenzoate chemotaxis can be disrupted without an accompanying effect on metabolism indicates that this chemotactic response is receptor mediated. It remains to be determined, however, whether PcaK itself is a chemoreceptor for 4-hydroxybenzoate or whether it plays an indirect role in chemotaxis. These findings indicate that aromatic acid detection and transport are integral features of aromatic degradation pathways.

215 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A pattern of general cross-protection develops, which enables the cells to survive environmental stresses such as high and low temperatures, elevated osmolarity, solvents, and oxidative agents, and in contrast, strain KT2442 does not survive well under conditions of sulfate and phosphate starvation.
Abstract: The physiology of Pseudomonas putida KT2442 with respect to growth and carbon starvation was studied. During the transition from growth to nongrowth, the cell shape changes from cylindrical to spheric, a change which is accompanied by reductions in cell size, DNA and ribosome content, and the rate of total protein synthesis. In addition, a pattern of general cross-protection develops, which enables the cells to survive environmental stresses such as high and low temperatures, elevated osmolarity, solvents, and oxidative agents. Cultures are almost fully viable during 1 month of carbon, nitrogen, and multiple-nutrient starvation and are considered to be in an active nondormant state. In contrast, strain KT2442 does not survive well under conditions of sulfate and phosphate starvation. Images

214 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The membranes of the toluene- Adapted cells possessed a higher trans/cis ratio and had a higher lipid-ordering since the transition temperature was about 7 centigrade degrees higher compared to the non-adapted cells.
Abstract: Defence mechanisms of three Pseudomonas putida strains growing in the presence of toluene up to 50%

195 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Analysis of PHAs derived from [1-13C]hexanoate showed that both fatty acid metabolic routes can function simultaneously in the synthesis of PHA, and evidence is presented that during growth on medium-chain-length fatty acids, PHA precursors can be generated by elongation of these fatty acids with an acetyl coenzyme A molecule.
Abstract: The formation of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) in Pseudomonas putida KT2442 from various carbon sources was studied by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gas chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. By using [1-13C]decanoate, the relation between beta-oxidation and PHA formation was confirmed. The labeling pattern in PHAs synthesized from [1-13C]acetate corresponded to the formation of PHAs via de novo fatty acid biosynthesis. Studies with specific inhibitors of the fatty acid metabolic pathways demonstrated that beta-oxidation and de novo fatty acid biosynthesis function independently in PHA formation. Analysis of PHAs derived from [1-13C]hexanoate showed that both fatty acid metabolic routes can function simultaneously in the synthesis of PHA. Furthermore, evidence is presented that during growth on medium-chain-length fatty acids, PHA precursors can be generated by elongation of these fatty acids with an acetyl coenzyme A molecule, presumably by a reverse action of 3-ketothiolase.

180 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results indicate that strain OUS82 uses different pathways after o-hydroxycarboxylic aromatics in the catabolism of naphthalene and phenanthrene.
Abstract: A 25-kb DNA SalI fragment cloned from the chromosomal DNA of Pseudomonas putida OUS82, which utilizes phenanthrene (Phn+) and naphthalene (Nah+), carried all of the genes necessary for upper naphthalene catabolism. Cosmid recombinant pIP7 complemented both the Nah- and Phn- defects of OUS8211 (Trp-Nah-Phn-Sal+[salicylate utilizing]Hna+[1-hydroxy-2-naphthoate utilizing]) and only the Phn- defect of OUS8212 (Trp-Nah-Phn-Sal-Hna+). The results indicate that strain OUS82 uses different pathways after o-hydroxycarboxylic aromatics in the catabolism of naphthalene and phenanthrene.

143 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is reported here that this effect is exerted at the level of expression of the xyl catabolic operons, and two xyl promoters, Pu and Ps, were identified as the primary targets of this inhibition.
Abstract: TOL plasmid-encoded degradation of benzyl alcohol by Pseudomonas putida is inhibited by glucose and other compounds related to the main carbohydrate metabolism in Pseudomonas species. We report here that this effect is exerted at the level of expression of the xyl catabolic operons, and two xyl promoters, Pu and Ps, were identified as the primary targets of this inhibition. xyl promoter activation was also inhibited by glucose in the heterologous Escherichia coli system, apparently not however by the classical mechanism of enteric catabolite repression.

130 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Naphthalene and phenanthrene are transformed by enzymes encoded by the pah gene cluster of Pseudomonas putida OUS82, and the DNA sequences showed that pahA and pahB were clustered and that phA consisted of four cistrons, which encode ferredoxin reductase, ferred toxin, and two subunits of the iron-sulfur protein, respectively.
Abstract: Naphthalene and phenanthrene are transformed by enzymes encoded by the pah gene cluster of Pseudomonas putida OUS82. The pahA and pahB genes, which encode the first and second enzymes, dioxygenase and cis-dihydrodiol dehydrogenase, respectively, were identified and sequenced. The DNA sequences showed that pahA and pahB were clustered and that pahA consisted of four cistrons, pahAa, pahAb, pahAc, and pahAd, which encode ferredoxin reductase, ferredoxin, and two subunits of the iron-sulfur protein, respectively.

119 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It was shown that cells growing in a chemostat under succinate growth-limiting conditions express both the upper and meta-cleavage pathways in response to o-xylene, a nonmetabolizable effector of the XylR regulatory protein, and the mRNA level of xylS during nonlimited growth on succinate was very low compared with that in succinate-limited cultures, suggesting that suppression of expression of the meta- Cleavage pathway is regulated mainly by the level of
Abstract: The TOL catabolic genes in Pseudomonas putida (pWW0) are clustered in the upper operon, encoding enzymes for the conversion of toluene and xylenes to benzoate and toluates, and the meta-cleavage operon, encoding enzymes for the conversion of the benzoate and toluates to tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates. In this study, it was shown that cells growing in a chemostat under succinate growth-limiting conditions express both the upper and meta-cleavage pathways in response to o-xylene, a nonmetabolizable effector of the XylR regulatory protein. The dilution rate maintained in the succinate-limited chemostat cultures influenced the synthesis levels of TOL pathway enzymes, their steady-state levels, and their turnover rates. Cells growing in the presence of nonlimiting concentrations of succinate in continuous culture did not express pathway enzymes in response to the addition of o-xylene, which was due to a blockage at the transcriptional level. Expression of the meta-cleavage pathway in response to 2,3-dimethylbenzoate, a nonmetabolizable effector of the XylS regulatory protein, was 93% lower in cultures exposed to succinate at nonlimiting concentrations than in the succinate-limited chemostats. The mRNA level of xylS during nonlimited growth on succinate was very low compared with that in succinate-limited cultures, suggesting that suppression of expression of the meta-cleavage pathway is regulated mainly by the level of the XylS regulator.

01 Jan 1994
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that the hpaBC operon is expressed by a promoter inducible by 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, which resembles that of the coupling protein of the 4hydroxymhenylacetate 3hydroxylase from Pseudomonas putida and it might prevent the wasteful oxidation of NADH in the absence of substrate.
Abstract: cells that express exclusively hpaB showed only a very low hydroxylase activity that was enhanced in the presence of extracts containing the smallest protein HpaC. This behavior resembles that of the coupling protein of the 4-hydroxyphenylacetate 3-hydroxylase from Pseudomonas putida, and it might prevent the wasteful oxidation of NADH in the absence of substrate. Using a promoter-probe plasmid we have demonstrated that the hpaBC operon is expressed by a promoter inducible by 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is proposed that, in one of the pathways, the aromatic ring adjacent to the one bearing the methyl moiety is oxidized leading to the formation of methylsalicylates and methylcatechols, and in another pathway the methyl side chain is hydroxylated to-CH2OH which is further converted to-CHO and-COOH resulting in the creation of naphthoic acid.
Abstract: Pseudomonas putida CSV86, a soil bacterium, grows on 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene as the sole source of carbon and energy. In order to deduce the pathways for the biodegradation of 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene, metabolites were isolated from the spent medium and purified by thin layer chromatography. Emphasis has been placed on the structural characterisation of isolated intermediates by CC-MS, demonstration of enzyme activities in the cell free extracts and measurement of oxygen uptake by whole cells in the presence of various probable metabolic intermediates. The data obtained from such a study suggest the possibility of occurrence of multiple pathways in the degradation of 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene. We propose that, in one of the pathways, the aromatic ring adjacent to the one bearing the methyl moiety is oxidized leading to the formation of methylsalicylates and methylcatechols. In another pathway the methyl side chain is hydroxylated to -CH2-OH which is further converted to -CHO and -COOH resulting in the formation of naphthoic acid as the end product. In addition to this, 2-hydroxymethylnaphthalene formed by the hydroxylation of the methyl group of 2-methylnaphthalene undergoes aromatic ring hydroxylation. The resultant dihydrodiol is further oxidised by a series of enzyme catalysed reactions to form 4-hydroxymethyl catechol as the end product of the pathway.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The apparent superiority of strains carrying toluene degradation pathways that start degradation by hydroxylation of the aromatic nucleus was also found during competition experiments with pairs of strains of P. putida that were freshly isolated from contaminated soil.
Abstract: Pseudomonas putida mt-2, P. cepacia G4, P. mendocina KR1, and P. putida F1 degrade toluene through different pathways. In this study, we compared the competition behaviors of these strains in chemostat culture at a low growth rate (D = 0.05 h-1), with toluene as the sole source of carbon and energy. Either toluene or oxygen was growth limiting. Under toluene-limiting conditions, P. mendocina KR1, in which initial attack is by monooxygenation of the aromatic nucleus at the para position, outcompeted the other three strains. Under oxygen limitation, P. cepacia G4, which hydroxylates toluene in the ortho position, was the most competitive strain. P. putida mt-2, which metabolizes toluene via oxidation of the methyl group, was the least competitive strain under both growth conditions. The apparent superiority of strains carrying toluene degradation pathways that start degradation by hydroxylation of the aromatic nucleus was also found during competition experiments with pairs of strains of P. cepacia, P. fluorescence, and P. putida that were freshly isolated from contaminated soil.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The bacterium elaborated the enzyme organophosphorus acid anhydrase, which hydrolyzed methyl parathion to p-nitrophenol, which was further degraded to hydroquinone and 1,2,4-benzenetriol.
Abstract: Pseudomonas putida utilized methyl parathion as sole carbon and (or) phosphorus source. The bacterium elaborated the enzyme organophosphorus acid anhydrase, which hydrolyzed methyl parathion to p-n...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results indicated that the necessary genes encoding the initial ring fission of the three PAHs in E. coli cells are located in an 8.5-kb EcoRI-XhoI portion, but the lower-pathway genes are not present in a 38-kb neighborhood region.
Abstract: A modified cloning procedure was used to obtain large DNA insertions (20 to 30 kb) from Pseudomonas putida NCIB 9816 that expressed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) transformation activity in Escherichia coli HB101. Four subclones (16 [in both orientations], 12, and 8.5 kb in size) were constructed from the initial clones. Naphthalene, fluorene, and phenanthrene transformations were investigated in these eight NCIB 9816 clones by a simple agar plate assay method, which was developed to detect and identify potential PAH metabolites. Results indicated that the necessary genes encoding the initial ring fission of the three PAHs in E. coli cells are located in an 8.5-kb EcoRI-XhoI portion, but the lower-pathway genes are not present in a 38-kb neighborhood region. These NCIB 9816 clones could transform naphthalene and phenanthrene to salicylic acid and 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, respectively. With the same clones, fluorene was degraded to 9-hydroxyfluorene, 9-fluorenone, and two unidentified compounds. Genetic similarity between the NAH7 upper-pathway genes and the cloned NCIB 9816 genes was confirmed by Southern blot DNA-DNA hybridization. In spite of this genetic similarity, the abilities of the two clusters to transform multiple PAHs were different. Under our experimental conditions, only the metabolites from naphthalene transformation by the NAH7 clone (pE317) were detected, whereas the NCIB 9816 clones produced metabolites from all three PAHs. Images

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The responses of Pseudomonas putida KT2442 to various forms of nutrient starvation and stress conditions were examined by two-dimensional polyacrylamide electrophoresis and a new class of transiently expressed proteins, referred to as maturation proteins, took place.
Abstract: The responses of Pseudomonas putida KT2442 to various forms of nutrient starvation and stress conditions were examined by two-dimensional polyacrylamide electrophoresis. Carbon deprivation resulted in a temporal expression of two classes of starvation-induced proteins: one class was transiently expressed during the initial phase of starvation, and the second class was expressed throughout the entire starvation period. Proteins of the second class could be further subdivided into proteins induced specifically under conditions of carbon starvation, proteins also induced by conditions of stress created by elevated temperature and osmolarity, and finally proteins that were also induced by conditions of nitrogen as well as phosphate starvation. Addition of glucose to a carbon-starved culture led to initiation of a recovery phase. During this phase, repression of starvation-induced proteins as well as induction of a new class of transiently expressed proteins, referred to as maturation proteins, took place.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Characteristics demonstrate that the 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl 1,2-dioxygenases encoded by bphC2 and bPhC3 belong to a new class of extradiol dioxy Genase, which are inducible by biphenyl.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results indicate that the isopropylbenzene degradation pathway encoded by linear plasmid pBD2 is initiated by an isopopylbenZene dioxygenase analogous to toluene dionygenase, as well as the arsenite resistance and mercury resistance phenotypes.
Abstract: Rhodococcus erythropolis BD2, which is able to utilize isopropylbenzene as a sole carbon and energy source, was shown to contain a conjugative linear plasmid, pBD2. The estimated size of pBD2 is 208 to 212 kb. Linear plasmid-deficient strains had lost both the isopropylbenzene degradation and trichloroethene degradation characteristics, as well as the arsenite resistance and mercury resistance phenotypes. Reintroduction of pBD2 restored all four characteristics. Conjugational transfer of pBD2 to a plasmidless mutant of strain BD2 and other R. erythropolis strains occurred at frequencies between 3.5 x 10(-5) and 2.6 x 10(-3) transconjugants per recipient. R. erythropolis BD2 degrades isopropylbenzene via 3-isopropylcatechol and 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-7-methylocta-2,4-dienoate. Both isopropylbenzene-oxidizing and meta-cleavage activities were shown to correspond with the presence of pBD2. Southern hybridizations with DNA encoding the toluene dioxygenase structural genes (todC1C2BA) from Pseudomonas putida F1 revealed homology to linear plasmid DNA. These results indicate that the isopropylbenzene degradation pathway encoded by linear plasmid pBD2 is initiated by an isopropylbenzene dioxygenase analogous to toluene dioxygenase. Images

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The deduced amino acid sequence of the PcaR regulatory peptide bears little resemblance to its counterpart in the other branch of the pathway, CatR, but exhibits significant homology to its regulatory antecedent, PobR, which regulates the initial breakdown of p-hydroxybenzoate into protocatechuate.
Abstract: The pca branch of the beta-ketoadipate pathway in Pseudomonas putida is responsible for the complete degradation of p-hydroxybenzoate through ortho cleavage of the initial pathway metabolite, protocatechuate. The pcaR regulatory locus has been found to be required for both induction of all of the genes within the pca regulon (pcaBDC, pcaIJ, and pcaF) and the chemotactic response of the bacteria to aromatic compounds. Insertional inactivation mutagenesis, using Tn5 and mini-Tn5 transposons, was used to locate, clone, and sequence this pcaR regulatory gene. The pcaR gene product, when overexpressed in Escherichia coli, possessed a specific affinity for the pcaIJ promoter region and demonstrated that the entire PcaR protein was required for this function. The deduced amino acid sequence of the PcaR regulatory peptide bears little resemblance to its counterpart in the other branch of the pathway, CatR, but exhibits significant homology to its regulatory antecedent, PobR, which regulates the initial breakdown of p-hydroxybenzoate into protocatechuate. Comparisons of the pcaIJ and pcaR promoter regions revealed conservation of a 15-bp sequence centered around the -10 region in both sequences. This, together with previously defined deletional studies with the pcaIJ promoter region, suggests that PcaR exerts its regulatory effect through protein-DNA interactions within this region, which would be unusually close to the transcriptional start site of pcaIJ for a positive regulator.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Whole cells of Pseudomonas putida containing toluene dioxygenase were able to remove all detectable trichloroethylene (TCE) from assay mixtures, resulting in a decrease in the growth rate of cultures and caused rapid cell death.
Abstract: Whole cells of Pseudomonas putida containing toluene dioxygenase were able to remove all detectable trichloroethylene (TCE) from assay mixtures. The capacity of cells to remove TCE was 77 microM/mg of protein with an initial rate of removal of 5.2 nmol/min/ng of protein. TCE oxidation resulted in a decrease in the growth rate of cultures and caused rapid cell death. Addition of dithiothreitol to assay mixtures increased the TCE removal capacity of cells by up to 67% but did not prevent TCE-mediated cell death. TCE induced toluene degradation by whole cells to a rate approximately 40% of that induced by toluene itself.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This recombinant strain mineralizes chloroform, grows much faster than M. trichosporium OB3b, and degrades TCE without competitive inhibition from the growth substrate, greater than other TCE-degrading recombinants and most well-studied pseudomonads.
Abstract: Soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b can degrade many halogenated aliphatic compounds that are found in contaminated soil and groundwater. This enzyme oxidizes the most frequently detected pollutant, trichloroethylene (TCE), at least 50 times faster than other enzymes. However, slow growth of the strain, strong competition between TCE and methane for sMMO, and repression of the smmo locus by low concentrations of copper ions limit the use of this bacterium. To overcome these obstacles, the 5.5-kb smmo locus of M. trichosporium OB3b was cloned into a wide-host-range vector (to form pSMMO20), and this plasmid was electroporated into five Pseudomonas strains. The best TCE degradation results were obtained with Pseudomonas putida F1/pSMMO20. The plasmid was maintained stably, and all five of the sMMO proteins (alpha, beta, and gamma hydroxylase proteins, reductase, and component B) were observed clearly by both sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western immunoblotting. TCE degradation rates were quantified for P. putida F1/pSMMO20 with a gas chromatograph (Vmax = 5 nmol per min per mg of protein), and the recombinant strain mineralized 55% of the TCE (10 microM) as indicated by measuring chloride ion concentrations with a chloride ion-specific electrode. The maximum TCE degradation rate obtained with the recombinant strain was lower than that of M. trichosporium OB3b but greater than other TCE-degrading recombinants and most well-studied pseudomonads. In addition, this recombinant strain mineralizes chloroform (a specific substrate for sMMO), grows much faster than M. trichosporium OB3b, and degrades TCE without competitive inhibition from the growth substrate.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the kinetics of mRNA synthesis from the four Pseudomonas putida pWW0 plasmid promoters involved in degradation of xylenes and methylbenzyl alcohols via toluates were investigated.
Abstract: We determined, under several growth conditions, the kinetics of mRNA synthesis from the four Pseudomonas putida pWW0 plasmid promoters involved in degradation of xylenes and methylbenzyl alcohols via toluates. Transcription by XylS of the meta-cleavage pathway operon promoter (Pm) for the metabolism of alkylbenzoates was stimulated immediately after the addition of an effector, both in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium and in minimal medium. Activation of the sigma 54-dependent upper-pathway operon promoter (Pu) and the xylS gene promoter (Ps) by effector-activated XylR was dependent on the growth medium used: on minimal medium, activation of transcription from Pu and Ps occurred immediately after the addition of a XylR effector; in contrast, activation appeared only after several hours when cells were growing on LB medium. When Pm was induced through the physiological overexpression of XylS, mediated by XylR when this regulator was activated by upper-pathway effectors, the kinetics of transcription from Pm was similar to that of Pu and Ps: maximum values were reached after delays of several hours in rich medium and after several minutes in minimal medium. The delay in the induction of transcription of sigma 54-dependent promoters reflects catabolite inhibition exerted by LB components, since the addition of yeast extracts, Casamino Acids, or several combinations of amino acids dramatically inhibited the synthesis of XylR-controlled sigma 54-dependent promoters. Expression from xylR gene tandem promoters occurred independently of the growth medium used.

Journal ArticleDOI
P Cerdan1, Alain Wasserfallen1, M Rekik1, K. N. Timmis1, Shigeaki Harayama1 
TL;DR: The wild-type catechol 2,3-dioxygenase was inactivated during the catalysis of 4-ethylcatechol and thus had a low partition ratio for this substrate, whereas the two mutant enzymes, 4 ECR1 and 4ECR6, had higher partition ratios for it.
Abstract: Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase encoded by TOL plasmid pWW0 of Pseudomonas putida consists of four identical subunits, each containing one ferrous ion. The enzyme catalyzes ring cleavage of catechol, 3-methylcatechol, and 4-methylcatechol but shows only weak activity toward 4-ethylcatechol. Two mutants of catechol 2,3-dioxygenases (4ECR1 and 4ECR6) able to oxidize 4-ethylcatechol, one mutant (3MCS) which exhibits only weak activity toward 3-methylcatechol but retained the ability to cleave catechol and 4-methylcatechol, and one phenotypic revertant of 3MCS (3MCR) which had regained the ability to oxidize 3-methylcatechol were characterized by determining their Km and partition ratio (the ratio of productive catalysis to suicide catalysis). The amino acid substitutions in the four mutant enzymes were also identified by sequencing their structural genes. Wild-type catechol 2,3-dioxygenase was inactivated during the catalysis of 4-ethylcatechol and thus had a low partition ratio for this substrate, whereas the two mutant enzymes, 4ECR1 and 4ECR6, had higher partition ratios for it. Similarly, mutant enzyme 3MCS had a lower partition ratio for 3-methylcatechol than that of 3MCR. Molecular oxygen was required for the inactivation of the wild-type enzyme by 4-ethylcatechol and of 3MCS by 3-methylcatechol, and the inactivated enzymes could be reactivated by incubation with FeSO4 plus ascorbic acid. The enzyme inactivation is thus most likely mechanism based and occurred principally by oxidation and/or removal of the ferrous ion in the catalytic center. In general, partition ratios for catechols lower than 18,000 did not support bacterial growth. A possible meaning of the critical value of the partition ratio is discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Despite the different methods of catabolism of the two substrates and synthesis of the alginate precursors, both strains produced polysaccharides which were consistent in their composition of mannuronic and guluronic acids and in the frequency of occurrence of dimers of d-mannuronic acid.
Abstract: The alginate-like polysaccharides synthesized by Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas putida have been prepared from batch cultures grown with glucose and fructose as carbon substrates. Despite the different methods of catabolism of the two substrates and synthesis of the alginate precursors, both strains produced polysaccharides which were consistent in their composition of mannuronic and guluronic acids and in the frequency of occurrence of dimers of d-mannuronic acid. All preparations lacked homooligomeric sequences of l-guluronic acid and were highly acetylated (12–21%). In all the culture conditions tested, polysaccharide production was growth-associated and maximum M r was obtained after 48 h growth; older cultures contained material of progressively lower M r. This was ascribed to the degradative activity of alginate lyases which were detected intracellularly in both species and are presumably released by cell lysis. At 72 h, alginate from P. putida grown on either substrate had an M r of only 34000–38500, whereas the product from P. fluorescens grown on fructose had an M r of 300000 and that from glucose-grown cultures an M r of 72000.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Treatment with Pseudomonas putida WCS358r, a rifampicin‐resistant derivative of strain WCS358, significantly reduced fusarium wilt of carnation grown in rockwool if disease incidence was moderate, but not if Disease incidence was high.
Abstract: Treatment with Pseudomonas putida WCS358r, a rifampicin‐resistant derivative of strain WCS358, significantly reduced fusarium wilt of carnation grown in rockwool if disease incidence was moderate, but not if disease incidence was high. Differences in disease incidence could intentionally be established by varying the inoculum density of the pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi (Fod). The effectiveness of disease suppression by WCS358r increased with decrease of inoculum density and consequently decrease of disease incidence. WCS358r and a Tn5 marked derivative of WCS358 (B243) reduced fusarium wilt of carnation most effectively if a low iron availability for the pathogen was established by adding unferrated or only partially ferrated ethylenediamine [di(o‐hydroxyphenylacetic) acid]. A Tn5 mutant of WCS358 defective in siderophore biosynthesis (JM218) did not reduce disease incidence. Siderophore production and inhibition of Fod by WCS358r in vitro decreased with increasing iron availability, support...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Antagonism by fluorescent pseudomonads was variable according to the pH, and carbon and nitrogen sources used in the growth medium, but pseudomonad isolates capable of producing phenazine derivatives were strongly inhibitory.
Abstract: Bacteria from polluted and agricultural soils antagonize the growth of Phanerochaete chrysosporium on solid media. The antagonistic bacteria in a soil contaminated with trinitrotoluene included fluorescent pseudomonads. Antagonism by fluorescent pseudomonads was variable according to the pH, and carbon and nitrogen sources used in the growth medium. A fluorescent siderophore produced by a Pseudomonas putida strain did not inhibit the growth of Phanerochaete chrysosporium but pseudomonad isolates capable of producing phenazine derivatives were strongly inhibitory.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Genetic evidence is presented that the two activators can functionally substitute each other in the regulation of their corresponding promoters by binding the same upstream DNA segment.
Abstract: The Pu promoter of the toluene degradation plasmid pWW0 of Pseudomonas putida drives expression of an operon involved in the sequential oxidation of toluene and m- and p-xylenes to benzoate and toluates, respectively. Similarly, the Po promoter of plasmid pVI150 controls expression of an operon of Pseudomonas sp. strain CF600 which is required for the complete catabolism of phenol and cresols. These promoters, which both belong to the sigma 54-dependent class, are regulated by their cognate activators, XylR and DmpR, respectively. XylR and DmpR are homologous proteins, and both require aromatic compounds as effector molecules for activity. However, these two proteins respond to different profiles of aromatic compounds. The activity of each promoter in the presence of the heterologous regulator was monitored using lacZ and luxAB reporter systems. Genetic evidence is presented that the two activators can functionally substitute each other in the regulation of their corresponding promoters by binding the same upstream DNA segment. Furthermore, when coexpressed, the two proteins appear to act simultaneously on each of the promoters, expanding the responsiveness of these systems to the presence of effectors of both proteins. Potential mechanisms for the occurrence of evolutionary divergence between XylR and DmpR are discussed in view of the DNA sequence similarities among Pu, Po, and a third XylR-responsive promoter, Ps.

Journal ArticleDOI
Sol M. Resnick1, D. S. Torok1, Kyoung Lee1, John M. Brand1, David T. Gibson1 
TL;DR: Oxidation of 1- and 2-indanone in the presence of [18O]oxygen indicated that the hydroxyindanones were formed by the incorporation of a single atom of molecular oxygen (monooxygenation) rather than by the dioxygenation of enol tautomers of the ketone substrates.
Abstract: The biotransformation of 1-indanone and 2-indanone to hydroxyindanones was examined with bacterial strains expressing naphthalene dioxygenase (NDO) and toluene dioxygenase (TDO) as well as with purified enzyme components. Pseudomonas sp. strain 9816/11 cells, expressing NDO, oxidized 1-indanone to a mixture of 3-hydroxy-1-indanone (91%) and 2-hydroxy-1-indanone (9%). The (R)-3-hydroxy-1-indanone was formed in 62% enantiomeric excess (ee) (R:S, 81:19), while the 2-hydroxy-1-indanone was racemic. The same cells also formed 2-hydroxy-1-indanone from 2-indanone. Purified NDO components oxidized 1-indanone and 2-indanone to the same products produced by strain 9816/11. P. putida F39/D cells, expressing TDO, oxidized 2-indanone to (S)-2-hydroxy-1-indanone of 76% ee (R:S, 12:88) but did not oxidize 1-indanone efficiently. Purified TDO components also oxidized 2-indanone to (S)-2-hydroxy-1-indanone of 90% ee (R:S, 5:95) and failed to oxidize 1-indanone. Oxidation of 1- and 2-indanone in the presence of [18O]oxygen indicated that the hydroxyindanones were formed by the incorporation of a single atom of molecular oxygen (monooxygenation) rather than by the dioxygenation of enol tautomers of the ketone substrates. As alternatives to chemical synthesis, these biotransformations represent direct routes to 3-hydroxy-1-indanone and 2-hydroxy-1-indanone as the major products from 1-indanone and 2-indanone, respectively.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Paraformaldehyde treatment, acid methanolysis and acid hydrolysis were evaluated as a means of permeabilizing mycolic-acid-containing actinomycetes prior to hybridization with a fluorescently labelled oligonucleotide probe designed to bind to a conserved sequence of bacterial 16S rRNA.
Abstract: The application of whole-cell hybridization using labelled oligonucleotide probes in microbial systematics and ecology is limited by difficulties in permeabilizing many Gram-positive organisms. In this investigation paraformaldehyde treatment, acid methanolysis and acid hydrolysis were evaluated as a means of permeabilizing mycolic-acid-containing actinomycetes prior to hybridization with a fluorescently labelled oligonucleotide probe designed to bind to a conserved sequence of bacterial 16S rRNA. Methods were evaluated on stationary-phase cultures of Gordona bronchialis, Mycobacterium fortuitum, Nocardia asteroides, N. brasiliensis, Rhodococcus equi, R. erythropolis, R. fascians, R. rhodochrous and Tsukamurella paurometabola, none of which could be probed following 4% (w/v) paraformaldehyde fixation. For comparison and to test the general applicability of mild acid pretreatments, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida were also studied. The data showed that most of the mycolic-acid-containing organisms were successfully permeabilized by mild acid hydrolysis in 1 M HCl at 37 °C. Cells were treated for different lengths of time. In general, the mycolic-acid-containing organisms required between 30 and 50 min hydrolysis, whereas B. subtilis, E. coli and P. putida were rendered permeable in only 10 min. Interestingly, L. plantarum could not be permeabilized using acid hydrolysis even after 60 min exposure to 1 M HCl.