Isolation of Constitutive Mutant of xylA Gene in Escherichia coli

대장균 xylA 유전자의 구성적 변이주의 분리

In order to isolate a mutant which was constitutively expressed in xylA gene, Pxyl-cat-xylA fusion gene was constructed by the insertion of cat gene between xylA promoter and xylA structural gene in pEX13 contained xylA gene. The expression of cat and xylA gene from transformants of xylA mutant DH77 with plasmid pEXC131 containing Pxyl-cat-xylA fusion gene was induced by the addition of 0.4% xylose to media. This results indicated that cat and xylA gene were expressed under control of xylA promoter the presence of xylR gene. We have also isolated constitutive mutant plasmid pEXC131-39 from pEXC131 by trementment with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(NTG). cat and xylA gene from pEXC131-39 were constitutively expressed without induction of xylose regardless of xylR gene. Transformants of xylR mutant DH60 with pEXC131-39 also expressed chloramphenicol resistances and xylose isomerase without induction of xylose. This result shows that mutation in region of xylA promoter might make it possible to be constitutively expressed.

xylA 유전자의 발현에 관한 xylR 유전자의 조절 메카니즘을 밝히기 위한 연구의 일환으로 xylA 프로모터 하류에 cat 유전자를 삽입시켜 Pxyl-cat-xylA 융합 플라스미드인 pEXC131을 제작하였고 이 플라스미드를 xylA 변이주인DH77로 형질전환시킨 결과 xylose의 유도시에만 Cm 내성과 xylose isomerase활성이 나타났다. pEXC1131/DH77에 NTG를 처리하여 xylose 유도없이도 Cm 내성과 xylose isomerase의 활성을 나타내는 xylA 유전자의 구성적 변이주인 pEXC131-39를 xylR 변이주인 DH60으로 형질전환시킨 균주가 xylose에 의한 유도와 무관하게 Cm 내성 및 xylose isomerase 활성을 가지는 것으로 보아 xylA 유전자의 프로모터부위의 변이에 의한 구성적 변이주임을 확인하였다.