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 James, K. D.
Right arrow Articles by Williams, P. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by James, K. D.
Right arrow Articles by Williams, P. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol, April 1998, p. 2043-2049, Vol. 180, No. 8
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

ntn Genes Determining the Early Steps in the Divergent Catabolism of 4-Nitrotoluene and Toluene in Pseudomonas sp. Strain TW3

Keith D. James and Peter A. Williams*

School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, United Kingdom

Received 27 October 1997/Accepted 5 February 1998

Pseudomonas sp. strain TW3 is able to oxidatively metabolize 4-nitrotoluene and toluene via a route analogous to the upper pathway of the TOL plasmids. We report the sequence and organization of five genes, ntnWCMAB*, which are very similar to and in the same order as the xyl operon of TOL plasmid pWW0 and present evidence that they encode enzymes which are expressed during growth on both 4-nitrotoluene and toluene and are responsible for their oxidation to 4-nitrobenzoate and benzoate, respectively. These genes encode an alcohol dehydrogenase homolog (ntnW), an NAD+-linked benzaldehyde dehydrogenase (ntnC), a two-gene toluene monooxygenase (ntnMA), and part of a benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase (ntnB*), which have 84 to 99% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid levels with the corresponding xylWCMAB genes. The xylB homolog on the TW3 genome (ntnB*) appears to be a pseudogene and is interrupted by a piece of DNA which destroys its functional open reading frame, implicating an additional and as-yet-unidentified benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase gene in this pathway. This conforms with the observation that the benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase expressed during growth on 4-nitrotoluene and toluene differs significantly from the XylB protein, requiring assay via dye-linked electron transfer rather than through a nicotinamide cofactor. The further catabolism of 4-nitrobenzoate and benzoate diverges in that the former enters the hydroxylaminobenzoate pathway as previously reported, while the latter is further metabolized via the beta -ketoadipate pathway.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, United Kingdom. Phone: (44) 1248 382363. Fax: (44) 1248 370731. E-mail: p.a.williams{at}bangor.ac.uk.




This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Meyer, D., Witholt, B., Schmid, A. (2005). Suitability of Recombinant Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida Strains for Selective Biotransformation of m-Nitrotoluene by Xylene Monooxygenase. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 6624-6632 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Parales, R. E. (2004). Nitrobenzoates and Aminobenzoates Are Chemoattractants for Pseudomonas Strains. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 285-292 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Baldwin, B. R., Nakatsu, C. H., Nies, L. (2003). Detection and Enumeration of Aromatic Oxygenase Genes by Multiplex and Real-Time PCR. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 3350-3358 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hughes, M. A., Baggs, M. J., al-Dulayymi, J.'a, Baird, M. S., Williams, P. A. (2002). Accumulation of 2-Aminophenoxazin-3-one-7-Carboxylate during Growth of Pseudomonas putida TW3 on 4-Nitro-Substituted Substrates Requires 4-Hydroxylaminobenzoate Lyase (PnbB). Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 4965-4970 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Siciliano, S. D., Fortin, N., Mihoc, A., Wisse, G., Labelle, S., Beaumier, D., Ouellette, D., Roy, R., Whyte, L. G., Banks, M. K., Schwab, P., Lee, K., Greer, C. W. (2001). Selection of Specific Endophytic Bacterial Genotypes by Plants in Response to Soil Contamination. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 2469-2475 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hughes, M. A., Williams, P. A. (2001). Cloning and Characterization of the pnb Genes, Encoding Enzymes for 4-Nitrobenzoate Catabolism in Pseudomonas putida TW3. J. Bacteriol. 183: 1225-1232 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sentchilo, V. S., Perebituk, A. N., Zehnder, A. J. B., van der Meer, J. R. (2000). Molecular Diversity of Plasmids Bearing Genes That Encode Toluene and Xylene Metabolism in Pseudomonas Strains Isolated from Different Contaminated Sites in Belarus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 2842-2852 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • James, K. D., Hughes, M. A., Williams, P. A. (2000). Cloning and Expression of ntnD, Encoding a Novel NAD(P)+-Independent 4-Nitrobenzyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas sp. Strain TW3. J. Bacteriol. 182: 3136-3141 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kallastu, A., Hõrak, R., Kivisaar, M. (1998). Identification and Characterization of IS1411, a New Insertion Sequence Which Causes Transcriptional Activation of the Phenol Degradation Genes in Pseudomonas putida. J. Bacteriol. 180: 5306-5312 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»