This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Prieto, M. A.
Right arrow Articles by Kessler, B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Prieto, M. A.
Right arrow Articles by Kessler, B.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, February 1999, p. 858-868, Vol. 181, No. 3
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

PhaF, a Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Granule-Associated Protein of Pseudomonas oleovorans GPo1 Involved in the Regulatory Expression System for pha Genes

Maria A. Prieto,dagger Bruno Bühler, Kuno Jung, Bernard Witholt,* and Birgit Kessler

Institute of Biotechnology, ETH Hönggerberg, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland

Received 9 September 1998/Accepted 21 November 1998

The phaC1 gene codes for the medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl PHA) synthase of Pseudomonas oleovorans GPo1, which produces mcl PHA when grown in an excess of carbon source and under nitrogen limitation. In this work, we have demonstrated, by constructing a recombinant P. oleovorans strain carrying a phaC1::lacZ reporter system, that the phaC1 gene is expressed efficiently in the presence of octanoic acid while its expression is repressed when glucose or citrate is used as the carbon source. Moreover, a P. oleovorans GPo1 mutant (strain GPG-Tc6) expressing higher levels of the reporter gene than the wild-type strain in the presence of glucose or citrate has been generated by mini-Tn5 insertional mutagenesis. Characterization of this mutant allowed us to conclude that phaF, a gene located downstream of the pha gene cluster, was knocked out in this strain. P. oleovorans GPG-Tc6 regained the ability to control phaC1 gene expression when complemented with the phaF wild-type gene. Sequencing data revealed the presence of three complete open reading frames (ORFs) in this region: ORF1 and phaI and phaF genes. The amino acid sequences of the phaI gene product and the N-terminal half of the PhaF protein showed a significant degree of similarity. Furthermore, the primary structure of the PhaF C terminus identifies this protein as a member of the histone H1-like group of proteins. Northern blot analysis showed two transcription units containing phaF, i.e., phaF and phaIF transcripts. Expression of the phaIF operon is more efficient in the presence of octanoic acid and is enhanced by the lack of the PhaF protein. In addition, it has also been demonstrated that both PhaF and PhaI proteins are bound to PHA granules produced by P. oleovorans. A model for the role of PhaF in regulating PHA synthesis is presented.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Biotechnology, ETH Hönggerberg, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland. Phone: 41-1-6333402. Fax: 41-1-6331051. E-mail: bw{at}biotech.biol.ethz.ch.

dagger Present address: Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas, CSIC C/Velazquez, 144, 28006 Madrid, Spain.


Journal of Bacteriology, February 1999, p. 858-868, Vol. 181, No. 3
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Jendrossek, D. (2009). Polyhydroxyalkanoate Granules Are Complex Subcellular Organelles (Carbonosomes). J. Bacteriol. 191: 3195-3202 [Full Text]  
  • Elbahloul, Y., Steinbuchel, A. (2009). Large-Scale Production of Poly(3-Hydroxyoctanoic Acid) by Pseudomonas putida GPo1 and a Simplified Downstream Process. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 643-651 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • de Eugenio, L. I., Garcia, P., Luengo, J. M., Sanz, J. M., Roman, J. S., Garcia, J. L., Prieto, M. A. (2007). Biochemical Evidence That phaZ Gene Encodes a Specific Intracellular Medium Chain Length Polyhydroxyalkanoate Depolymerase in Pseudomonas putida KT2442: CHARACTERIZATION OF A PARADIGMATIC ENZYME. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 4951-4962 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Potter, M., Muller, H., Reinecke, F., Wieczorek, R., Fricke, F., Bowien, B., Friedrich, B., Steinbuchel, A. (2004). The complex structure of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) granules: four orthologous and paralogous phasins occur in Ralstonia eutropha. Microbiology 150: 2301-2311 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Moldes, C., Garcia, P., Garcia, J. L., Prieto, M. A. (2004). In Vivo Immobilization of Fusion Proteins on Bioplastics by the Novel Tag BioF. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 3205-3212 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Korotkova, N., Chistoserdova, L., Lidstrom, M. E. (2002). Poly-{beta}-Hydroxybutyrate Biosynthesis in the Facultative Methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens AM1: Identification and Mutation of gap11, gap20, and phaR. J. Bacteriol. 184: 6174-6181 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Maehara, A., Taguchi, S., Nishiyama, T., Yamane, T., Doi, Y. (2002). A Repressor Protein, PhaR, Regulates Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Synthesis via Its Direct Interaction with PHA. J. Bacteriol. 184: 3992-4002 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • York, G. M., Stubbe, J., Sinskey, A. J. (2002). The Ralstonia eutropha PhaR Protein Couples Synthesis of the PhaP Phasin to the Presence of Polyhydroxybutyrate in Cells and Promotes Polyhydroxybutyrate Production. J. Bacteriol. 184: 59-66 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • York, G. M., Junker, B. H., Stubbe, J., Sinskey, A. J. (2001). Accumulation of the PhaP Phasin of Ralstonia eutropha Is Dependent on Production of Polyhydroxybutyrate in Cells. J. Bacteriol. 183: 4217-4226 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Klinke, S., de Roo, G., Witholt, B., Kessler, B. (2000). Role of phaD in Accumulation of Medium-Chain-Length Poly(3-Hydroxyalkanoates) in Pseudomonas oleovorans. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 3705-3710 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sun, J., Peng, X., Van Impe, J., Vanderleyden, J. (2000). The ntrB and ntrC Genes Are Involved in the Regulation of Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate Biosynthesis by Ammonia in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 113-117 [Abstract] [Full Text]