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J. Bacteriol., 01 1996, 54-60, Vol 178, No. 1
TJ Brickman and SK Armstrong
Chromosomal insertions defining Bordetella bronchiseptica siderophore
phenotypic complementation group III mutants BRM3 and BRM5 were found to
reside approximately 200 to 300 bp apart by restriction mapping of cloned
genomic regions associated with the insertion markers. DNA hybridization
analysis using B. bronchiseptica genomic DNA sequences flanking the cloned
BRM3 insertion marker identified homologous Bordetella pertussis UT25
cosmids that complemented the siderophore biosynthesis defect of the group
III B. bronchiseptica mutants. Subcloning and complementation analysis
localized the complementing activity to a 2.8-kb B. pertussis genomic DNA
region. Nucleotide sequencing identified an open reading frame predicted to
encode a polypeptide exhibiting strong similarity at the primary amino acid
level with several pyridoxal phosphate-dependent amino acid decarboxylases.
Alcaligin production was fully restored to group III mutants by
supplementation of iron-depleted culture media with putrescine
(1,4-diaminobutane), consistent with defects in an ornithine decarboxylase
activity required for alcaligin siderophore biosynthesis. Concordantly, the
alcaligin biosynthesis defect of BRM3 was functionally complemented by the
heterologous Escherichia coli speC gene encoding an ornithine decarboxylase
activity. Enzyme assays confirmed that group III B. bronchiseptica
siderophore-deficient mutants lack an ornithine decarboxylase activity
required for the biosynthesis of alcaligin. Siderophore production by an
analogous mutant of B. pertussis constructed by allelic exchange was
undetectable. We propose the designation odc for the gene defined by these
mutations that abrogate alcaligin siderophore production. Putrescine is an
essential precursor of alcaligin in Bordetella spp.
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology
The ornithine decarboxylase gene odc is required for alcaligin siderophore biosynthesis in Bordetella spp.: putrescine is a precursor of alcaligin
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4354, USA.
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