• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 1994

The pcb genes of Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 coded for the catabolism of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) and biphenyl. The products of the pcbCD genes were 2,3-dihydroxy-4'-chlorobiphenyl dioxygenase and meta-cleavage product (MCP) hydrolase, which acted on degradation of 2,3-dihydroxy-4'-chlorobiphenyl to 4-chlorobenzoate. The pcbCD genes were cloned in E. coli XLl-Blue, and then the pcbD gene was further subcloned. As a metabolite transformed from 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl by the cloned cell of E coli CU103, benzoate was detected by the resting cell assay. The enzyme activities of 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygease and MCP hydrolase produced in the cloned cells E. coli CU103 and CU105 were about 17 and 3 times higher than those of Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.349-354
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• 1996

Pseudomonas sp. P20 is a natural isolate which is capable of degrading biphenyl and 4-chlorobiphenyl. From a clone of pCK1022 harboring pcbCD genes of Pseudomonas sp P20, a pcbD gene encoding 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6-phenylhexa-2, 4-dienoic acid (HOPDA) hydrolase was subcloned in Escherichia coli XL-1-Blue by using pBluescript SK(+) vector. The 2.8-kb HindII fragment harboring the pcbD gene cloned in pCK 1024 had a single site for each of XhoI, SalI, BstXI, and XbaI restriction enzymes. Escherichia coli CK1024 had a single site for each of XhoI, SalI, BstXI, and XbaI restriction enzymes. Escherichia coli CK1024 carrying pCK0124 degraded HOPDA to benzoate and 2-hydroxypenta-2, 4-dienoate by HOPDA hydrolase encoded by pcbD gene as effectively as E coli CK 1022 HARBORING pcbCD genes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.353-359
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• 1994

Pseudomonas sp. P20 was a bacterial isolate which has the ability to degrade 4-chlorobi- phenyl(4CB) to 4-chlorobenzoic acid via the process of meta-cleavage. The recombinant plasmid pCK1 was constructed by insetting the 14-kb EcoRI fragment of the chromosomal DNA containing the 4CB-degrading genes into the vector pBluescript SK(+). Subsequently, E. coli XL1-Blue was transformed with the hybrid plasmid producing the recombinant E. coli CK1. The recombinant cells degraded 4CB and 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl(2,3-DHBP) by the pcbAB and pcbCD gene products, respectively. The pcbC gene was expressed most abundantly at the late exponential phase in E. coli CK1 as well as in Pseudomonas sp. P20, and the level of the pcbC gene product, 2,3-DHBP dioxygenase, expressed in E. coli CK1 was about two-times higher than in Pseudomonas sp. P20. The activities of 2,3-DHBP dioxygenase on catechol and 3-methylcatechol were about 26 to 31% of its activity on 2,3-DHBP, but the enzyme did not reveal any activities on 4-methylcatechol and 4-chlorocatechol.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 2004

Comamonas sp. strain DJ-12 is a 4-chlobiphenyl(4CB)-degrading bacterium that was reidentified from Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12. The genomic DNA was isolated from the strain DJ-12 and amplified by PCR with primers for cloning pcbABCD genes responsible for degradation of 4CB. The amino acid sequences deduced from the nucleotide sequences of pcbA1, pcbA2, pcbA3, pcbA4, pcbB, pcbC2, and pcbD2 genes showed 91, 87, 99, 87, 97, 90 and 87％ homologies with those of Pseudomonas sp. KKS102, respectively. The pcbC1D1 genes that are involved in the degradation of (4-chloro)1,2-dihydroxybiphenyl produced from 4CB by pcbAB gene products were previously reported in the recombinant plasmid pCU1 from Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12. However, the pcbC2D2 genes in the plasmid pCT4 and pCT5 cloned from Comamonas sp. DJ-12 in this study showed 51 and 62％ homologies with those of pcbC1D1 in their nucleotide sequences. The pcbC1D1 and pcbC2D2 genes were found by Southern hybridization to be located at different loci on the chromosome of DJ-12 strain. These results indicate that Comamonas sp. strain DJ-12 has two different sets of pcbCD genes responsible for deg-radation of (4-chloro)1,2-dihydroxybiphenyl.

• 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.5 no.2
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• pp.68-73
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• 1995

Pseudomonas sp. P20 was shown to be capable of degrading biphenyl and 4-chlorobiphenyl (4CB) to produce the corresponding benzoic acids wnich were not further degraded. But the potential of the strain for biodegradation of 4CB was shown to be excellent. The pcbA, B, C and D genes responsible for the aromatic ring-cleavage of biphenyl and 4CB degradation were cloned from the chromosomal DNA of the strain. In this study, the pebC and D genes specifying degradation of 2, 3-dihydroxybiphenyl (2, 3-DHBP) produced from biphenyl by the pebAB-encoded enzymes were cloned by using pBluescript SK(＋) as a vector. From the pCK102 (9.3 kb) containing pebC and D genes, pCK1022 inserted with a EcoRI-HindIII DNA fragment (4.1 kb) carrying pebC and D and a pCK1092 inserted with EcoRI-XbaI fragment (1.95 kb) carrying pebC were constructed. The expression of pcbC and D' in E. coli CK102 and pebC in E. coli CK1092 was examined by gas chromatography and UV-vis spectrophotometry. 2.3-dihydroxybiphenyl was readily degraded to produce meta-cleavage product (MCP) by E. coli CK102 after incubation for 10 min, and then only benzoic acid(BA) was detected in the 24-h old culture. The MCP was detected in E. coli CK1022 containing pebC and 0 genes (by the resting cells assay) for up to 3 h after incubation and then diminished completely in 8 h, whereas the MCP accumulated in the E. coli CK1092 culture even after 6 h of incubation. The 2, 3-DHBP dioxygenases (product of pebC gene) produced by E. coli CK1, CK102, CK1023, and CK1092 strains were measured by native PAGE analysis to be about 250 kDa in molecular weight, which were about same as those of Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12, P. pseudoa1caligenes KF707, and P. putida OU83.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.109-120
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• 1995

As the genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) and their recombinant plasmid DNAs could be released into natural environments, their stabilities and impacts to indigenous microorganisls have become very importhant research subjects concerning with environmental and ecological aspects. In this study, the genetically modified E. coli CU103 and its recombinant pCU103 plasmid DNA, in which pcbCD genes involving in degradation of biphenyl and 4-chlorobiphenyl were cloned, were studied for their survival and stability in several different waters established under laboratory conditions. E. coli CU103 and its host E. coli XL1-Blue survived longer in sterile distilled water (SDW) and filtered autoclaved river water (FAW) than in filtered river water (FW). A lot of extracellular DNAs were released from E. coli CU103 by lytic action of phages in FW and the released DNAs were degraded by DNase dissolved in the water. Such effects of the factors in FW on stability of the recombinant pCU103 plasmid were also observed in the results of gel electrophoresis, quantitative analysis with bisbenzimide, and transformation assay. Therefore, the recombinant plasmids of pCU103 were found to be readily liberated from the genetically modified E. coli CU103 into waters by normal metabolic processes and lysis of cells. And the plasmid DNAs were quite stable in waters, but their stabilities could be affected by physicoKDICical and biological factors in non-sterile natural waters.