• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.274-281
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• 2002

The competitive quantitative PCR method targeting pcbC gene was developed for monitoring 4-chlorobiphenyl(4CB)-degrading bacteria, Pseudomonas sp. strain DJ-12, in soil microcosms. The method involves extraction of DNA from soil contaminated with 4CB, PCR amplification of a pcbC gene fragment from the introduced strain with a set of strain-specific primers, and quantification of the elec-trophoresed PCR product by densitometry. To test the adequacy of the method, Pseudomonas sp. strain DJ-12 was introduced into both contaminated and non-contaminated soil microcosms amended with 4CB. Pseudomonas sp. strain DJ-12 was monitored and quantified by a competitive quantitative PCR in comparison with 4CB degradation and the result was compared to those obtained by using the conventional cultivation method. We successfully detected and monitored 4CB-degrading bacteria in each microcosm and found a significant linear relationship between the number of 4CB-degrading bacteria and the capacity for 4CB biodegradation. The results of DNA spiking and cell-spreading experiments suggest that this competitive quantitative PCR method targeting the pcbC gene for monitoring 4CB- degrading bacteria appears to be rapid, sensitive and more suitable than the microbiological approach in estimating the capacity of 4CB biodegradation in environmental samples.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 1997

Pseudomonas sp. P20 and Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 isolated from the polluted environment are capable of degrading biphenyl and 4-chlorobiphenyl (4CB) to produce benzoic acid and 4-chlorobenzoic acid (4CBA) respectively, by pcbABCD-encoded enzymes. 4CBA can be further degraded by Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12, but not by Pseudomonas sp P20. However, the meta-cleavage activities of 2, 3-dihydroxybiphenyl (2, 3-DHBP) and 4-chloro-2, 3-DHBP dioxygenases (2, 3-DHBD) encoded by pcbC in Pseudomonas sp. P20 were stronger than Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12. In this study, the pcbC gene encoding 2, 3-DHBD was cloned from the genomic DNA of Pseudomonas sp. P20 by using pKT230. A hybrid plasmid pKK1 was constructed and E. coli KK1 transformant was selected by transforming the pKK1 hybrid plasmid carrying pcbC into E. coli XL1-Blue. By transferring the pKK1 plasmide of E. coli KK1 into Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 by conjugation, a recombinant strain Pseudomonas sp. P20, Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12, and the recombinant cell assay methods. Pseudomonas sp. DJ12-C readily degraded 4CB and 2, 3-DHBP to produce 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6-phenylhexa-2, 4-dienoic acid (HOPDA), and the resulting 4CBA and benzoic acid were continuously catabolized. Pseudomonas sp. DJ12-C degraded 1 mM 4CB completely after incubation for 20 h, but Pseudomonas sp. P20 and Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 showed only 90% and Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 had, but its degradation activity to 2, 3-DHBP, 3-methylcatechol, and catechol was improved.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.657-663
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• 1996

Pseudomonas sp. P20 isolated from the polluted environment is capable of degrading biphenyl and 4-chlorobiphenyl. The pcbABCD genes responsible for degradation of biphenyl and 4-chlorobiphenyl were cloned using pBluescript SK(+) from the chromosomal DNA of Pseudomonas sp. P20 to construct pCK1 and pCK102, harbouring pcbABCD and pcbCD, respectively. The 2, 3-DHBP dioxygenase gene, pcbC, was cloned again from pCK102 by using pKT230 which is known as a shuttle vector and pKK1 hybrid plasmid was constructed. The E. coli KK1 transformant obtained by transforming the pKK1 into E. coli XL1-Blue showed 2, 3-DHBP dioxygenase activity. The specific 2, 3-DHBP dioxygenase activity of E. coli KK1 was similar to that of the E. coli CK102, but much higher than those of the natural isolates, Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 and Pseudomonas sp. P20.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.668-676
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• 2001

Pseudomonas sp. strain SY5 is a PCB-degrading bacterium [24] that includes two different enzymes (BphC1 and BphC2) encoding 2,3-dihdroxybiphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase and BphD encoding 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6-phenylhexa-2,4-dienoate hydrolase. The bphC1 and bphC2 genes were found to consist of 897 based encoding 299 amino acids and 882 bases encoding 294 amino acids, respectively, whereas the bphD gene consisted of 861 bases encoding 287 amino acids. According to a homology search, a 50% and 39% similarity between the bphC1 and bphC2 genes at the nucleotide and amino acid level was shown, respectively. The bphC1 gene showed a 38% and 45% similarity at the amino acid level to Alcaligenes eutrophus A5 and Rhodococcus rhodochrous, respectively, whereas, bphC2 showed a 95% and 43% similarity, respectively. A comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the bphD product of Pseudomonas sp. SY5 with that of A. eutrophus A5, Pseudomons sp. KKS102, and LB400 showed a sequence identity of 92, 92, and 79%, respectively. Strain SY5 was originally isolated from municipal sewage containing recalcitrant organic compounds an found to have a high degradability of various aromatic compounds [23]. The current study found that strain SY5 had two extradiol-type dioxygenases, which did not hybridize with each other as they had a low similarity, yet a similar structure of evolutionarily conserved amino acids residues for catalytic activity between BphC1 and BphC2 was observed.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.1_2
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• pp.20-25
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• 1998

To obtain higher yield of 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl(2,3-DHBP) dioxygenase by recombinant E. coli CK1092 carrying pcbC gene of Pseudomonas sp. P20, the environmental and physiological factors were investigated and the cultural conditions using jar fermentor were studied. E. coli CKl092 was grown in LB medium supplemented with 2% sucrose, as a basal medium. The effect of various metal ions on the enzyme production was investigated. In particular, the enzyme production increased in the presence of $Fe^{3+}$ and $Fe^{2+}$, and showed the maxium at the concentration of $10^{-5}M$. The enzyme production was increased by 55% in the medium containing $Fe^{3+}$ ($10^{-5}M$) ion. The optimal temperature and initial pH for cell growth were $37^{\circ}C$ and 7.0, respectively. In the culture using a fermentor at $37^{\circ}C$, the optimal conditions for the enzyme production were obtained at the initial pH 7.0, 1 v/v/m of aeration rate, 200 rpm of agitation speed. It was found that enzyme activity was higher when cultivated without pH control than with pH control.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.282-289
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• 1996

2,3-DHBP dioxygenase was purified from E. coli CK1092 carrying the pcbC gene, which was cloned from 4-chlorobiphenyl-degrading Pseudomonas sp. P20. Purification of this enzyme was done by acetone precipitation, DEAE- Sephadex A-25 ion exchange chromatography, and preparative gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of subunit was 34 kDa determined by SDS-PAGE, and that of native enzyme was about 270 kDa. It suggests that this enzyme consist of eight identical subunits. This enzyme was specifically active against only 2,3-DHBP as a substrate with 18 $\mu$M of Km value, but not catechol, 3-methylcatechol, 4-methylcatechol and 4-chlorocatechol. The optimal pH and temperature of 2,3-DHBP dioxygenase were pH 8.0 and 40-60$\circ$C. The enzyme was inhibited by Cu$^{2+}$, Fe$^{2+}$ and Fe$^{3+}$ ions, and was inactivated by H$_{2}$0$_{2}$2 and EDTA. The lower concentrations of some organic solvents such as acetone and ethanol don't stabilize the activity of 2,3-DHBP dioxygenase. The enzyme was completely inactivated by adding the reagents such as N-bromosuccinimide, iodine and p- diazobenzene sulfonic acid.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1666-1677
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• 2011

The regulation of gene expression plays an important role in cell cycle controls. In this study, a novel gene, the $mas1^+$($\underline{mi}$tosis $\underline{as}$sociated protein) gene, a homolog of human CIP29/Hcc1, was isolated and characterized from fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe) using a gene-specific polymerase chain reaction. The isolated gene contained a complete open reading frame capable of encoding 245 amino acid residues with a typical promoter, as judged by nucleotide sequence analysis. It was also found that a PCB ($\underline{p}$ombe cell $\underline{c}$ycle $\underline{b}$ox) is located in the promoter region, which controls M-$G_1$ specific transcription in S. pombe. The quantitative analysis of the $mas1^+$ transcript against $adh1^+$ showed that the pattern of expression is similar to that of the septation index. Cytokinesis of mas1 mutant was greatly delayed at $25^{\circ}C$ and $36^{\circ}C$, and a large number of multi-septate cells were produced. The mas1 mutant had 2C, 4C and 6C DNA contents, as determined by FACS analysis. In addition, the number of multi-septate cells significantly increased. When cells were cultured in nitrogen starvation medium to increase proliferation, the abnormal phenotypes of mas1 mutant dramatically increased. These phenotypes could be rescued by an overexpression of the $mas1^+$ gene. The mas1 protein localized in the nuclei of S. pombe and human HeLa cells, as evidenced by Mas1-EGFP signals. The abnormal growth pattern and the morphology of mas1 mutant were complemented by a plasmid carrying human CIP29/Hcc-1cDNA. In addition, CIP29 /Hcc-1 transcript level increased in active cell proliferation stages in the developing mouse embryos. These results indicate that the $mas1^+$ ishomologous to the human CIP29/Hcc1 gene and is involved in cytokinesis and cell shape control.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.150-156
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• 1993

The 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl(2,3-DHBP) dioxygenase, the product of pcbC gene, was purified from the biphenyl and 4-chlorobiphenyl degrading Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 by the methods of acetone precipitation, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 ion exchange chromatography, and Sephadex G-150 gel filtration chromatography. The enzyme was estimated to be about 260 kilodaltons in molecular weight and to be consisted of eight subunits. The Km value of the enzyme was 61 nM to 2,3-DHBP and the highest activity of the enzyme was observed at pH 8 and 30C.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.449-455
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• 2000

Pseudomonas sp. strain DJ-12 is a bacterial isolate capable of degrading 4-chlorobiphenyl (4CBP) as a carbon and energy source. The catabolic degradation of 4CBP by the strain DJ-12 was studied along with the genetic organization of the genes responsible for the crucial steps of the catabolic degradation. The catabolic pathway was characterized as being conducted by consecutive reactions of the meta-cleavage of 4CBP, hydrolytic dechlorination of 4-chlorobenzoate (4CBA), hydroxylation of 4-hydroxybenzoate, and meta-cleavage of protocatechuate. The pcbC gene responsible for the meta-cleavage of 4CBP only showed a 30 to 40% homology in its deduced amino acid sequence compared to those of the corresponding genes from other strains. The amino acid sequence of 4CBA-CoA dechlorinase showed an 86% homology with that of Pseudomonas sp. CBS3, yet only a 50% homology with that of Arthrobacter spp. However, the fcb genes for the hydrolytic dechlorination of 4CBA in Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 showed an uniquely different organization from those of CBS3 and other reported strains. Accordingly, these results indicate that strain DJ-12 can degrade 4CBA completely via meta-cleavage and hydrolytic dechlorination using enzymes that are uniquely different in their amino acid sequences from those of other bacterial strains with the same degradation activities.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.56-60
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• 2001

The pcbC gene encoding (4-chloro-)2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygenase was cloned from the genomic DNA of Pseudomonas sp. P20 using pKT230 to construct pKK1. A recombinant strain, E. coli KK1, was selected by transforming the pKK1 into E. coli XL1-Blue. Another recombinant strain, Pseudomonas sp. DJP-120, was obtained by transferring the pKK1 of E. coli KK1 into Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 by conjugation. Both recombinant strains showed a 23.7 to 26.5 fold increase in the degradation activity to 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl compared with that of the natural isolate, Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12. The DJP-120 strain showed 24.5, 3.5, and 4.8 fold higher degradation activities to 4-chlorobiphenyl, catechol, and 3-methylcatechol than DJ-12 strain, respectively. The pKK1 plasmid of both strains and their ability to degrade 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl were stable even after about 1,200 generations.