Molecular Characteristics of Pseudomonas rhodesiae Strain KK1 in Response to Phenanthrene

Radiorespirometric analysis revealed that Pseudomonas sp. strain KKI isolated from a soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons was able to catabolize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as phenanthrene and naphthalene. The rate and extent of phenanthrene mineralization was markedly enhanced when the cells were pregrown on either naphthalene or phenanthrene, compared to the cells grown on universal carbon sources (i.e., TSA medium). Deduced amino acid sequence of the Rieske-type iron-sulfur center of a putative phenanthrene dioxygenase (PhnAl) obtained from the strain KKI shared significant homology with DxnAl (dioxin dioxygenase) from Spingomonas sp. RW1, BphA1b (biphenyl dioxygenase) from Spingomonas aromaticivorans F199, and PhnAc (phenanthrene diokygenase) from Burkholderia sp. RP007 or Alcaligenes faecalis AFK2. Northern hybridization using the dioxygenase gene fragment cloned from KKI showed that the expression of the putative phn dioxygenase gene reached the highest level in cells grown in the minimal medium containing phenanthrene and $KNO_3$, and the expression of the phn gene was repressed in cells grown with glucose. In addition to the metabolic change, phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids (PLFA) analysis revealed that the total cellular fatty acid composition of KKI was significantly changed in response to phenanthrene. Fatty acids such as 14:0, 16:0 3OH, 17:0 cyclo, 18:1$\omega$7c, 19:0 cyclo increased in phenanthrene-exposed cells, while fatty acids such as 10:0 3OH, 12:0, 12:0 2OH, 12:0 3OH, 16:1$\omega$7c, 15:0 iso 2OH, 16:0, 18:1$\omega$6c, 18:0 decreased.