• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1995.10b
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• pp.120-120
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• 1995

The total size of the pF AR1, a genomic clone of Frankia FaCI, was estimated to be about 44Kb by summation of the individual fragment length generated by single or double restriction enzymes. Southern hybridization analyses with Azotobacter vinelandii nif-genes as probes and partial sequencing analyses of the subclones revealed that organization of the nif-gene in the FaCI strain was nifV, H, D, K, E, N, X, W, B. The organization of the structural genes for nitrogenase is the same in this Frankia strain as it is in most other nitrogen-fixing prokaryotes but the positioning of the nifV-like gene relative to the nifHDK cluster differs. A consensus nif-promoter-like sequence, found at 5' of nifH, was not detected upstream of the niJV-like gene. nifV-like gene contained a ORF of 1206 NT encoding 401 amino acids. The nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid sequence of the gene exhibit homology value of 65% and 41% with that from A vinelandii, respectively. The putative Shine-Dargamo sequences were present preceding nitK, nifH, D, K, and nifE, and in nitK gene putative start codon GTG was detected instead of A TG. The nucleotide and amino acid sequence of niIK of FaCI showed 82% and 76% homolgy with those of Frankia HFPCc 13, respectively. Amino acid sequence of niIK showed 69% and 61% homology with those of A vinelandii, Klebsiella pnewnoniae, respectively, while that of nifE 73% and 71%, respecti vely.i vely.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1139-1147
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• 2012

To find out the growth conditions for the maximum activity of nitrogenase which catalyzes nitrogen fixation in Rhodobacter sphaeroides, the promoter activities of nifA and nifH were analyzed and the results indicated that expression of both nifA and nifH was increased in response to deprivation of both O2 concentration and nitrogen source. The nifA mutant was constructed by deleting the gene to investigate the effect of NifA, the transcriptional regulator, on the nifH and nifA expression in R. sphaeroides. Analysis of expression of nif genes using the nifA::lacZ and nifH::lacZ fusions in the nifA mutant revealed that NifA acts as a positive activator for nifH and an autoregulator in its own expression. The promoter activities of nifA and nifH in the prrA mutant grown under anaerobic and ${NH_4}^+$-free conditions were derepressed, comparing with those of the wild-type grown under the same conditions, indicating that the prrA product acts as a positive regulator in expression of nifA and nifH.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1009-1017
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• 2012

The orf282 gene of Rhodobacter sphaeroides is located between the ccoNOQP operon encoding $cbb_3$ terminal oxidase and the fnrL gene encoding an anaerobic activator, FnrL. Its function remains unknown. In an attempt to reveal the function of the orf282 gene, we disrupted the gene by deleting a portion of the orf282 gene and constructed an orf282-knockout mutant. Two FnrL binding sites were found to be located upstream of orf282, and it was demonstrated that orf282 is positively regulated by FnrL. The orf282 gene is not involved in the regulation of spectral complex formation. The $cbb_3$ oxidase activity detected in the orf282 mutant was comparable to that in the wild-type sample, indicating that the orf282 gene is not involved in the regulation of the ccoNOQP operon and the biosynthesis of the cbb3 cytochrome c oxidase. The elevated promoter activity of the nifH and nifA genes, which are the structural genes of nitrogenase and its regulator, respectively, in the orf282 mutant, suggests that the orf282 gene product acts as a negative effector for nifH and nifA expression.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 1988

Three $NIf^{-}$ -mutants were isolated from Enterbacter agglomerans 339 through the transposon umtagenesis using a RP4-mobilising system for its nif-gene characterization. All mutants hadn't acetylene-reduction ability. Then we confirmed that Tn5 was inserted into all conserved nif-plasmids through the Southern Hybridization.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.211-220
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• 1986

Nitrogen fixation (nif) genes of Rhizobium leguminosarum were transferred to nif Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli by conjugation after partial heat induction of $RP_4$ :: Mu cts in Rhizobium $R^+$ transconjugant, and the hybrid plasmids in the transconjugant strains were isolated and characterized. In order to transfer the nif genes from Rhizobium, the hybrid plasmid $RP_4$ :: Mu cts was transferred by conjugation from E. coil to the symbiotic nitrogen fixer, R. leguminosarum. After stabillity test, the $RP_4$ :: Mu cts in Rhixobium $R^+$ transconjugant was subjected to partial heat induction by culturing it statically at $38^{\circ}C$ for 16 hours, and then conjugated with the nif defective mutant strains of K. pneumoniae or nif mutant strains of E. coli having whole nif gene plasmid. Recombinant strains of K. pneumoniae, which could grow in a N-free medium and exhibit the nitrogenase activity were selected. However, in the case of E. coli, they could grow well in a NA medium containing antibiotices, but hardly frow in a N-free medium. The hybrid plasmids in these transconjugal strains were isolated by gel electrophoresis and compared their molecular sizes.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.20-24
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• 1985

The effects of various nitrogen soruces on the expression of nif gene were investigated using nif-lac fusants of Klebsiella pneumoniae. K. pneumoniae UK 2979 was infected with Mudl lysate prepared by heat induction of K. pneumoniae UK 4482. About 80 nif-lac fusants were isolated and designated as LX series. In the prescence of $NH_4^+,\;{\beta}-galactosidase$ activities on nif-lac fusants were greatly repressed. Amino acids, such as serine, glutamine and asparagine, were found to support the growth of K. pneumoniae M5al quite well, and showed a repressive effect on ${\beta}-galactosidase$ activities of nif-lac fusants LX-9 and LX-22 in NFHM. Glutamic acid, histidine and arginine rendered poor growth but high activities of ${\beta}-galactosidase$. Good cell growth and high enzyme activity were observed when complex nitrogen sources, such as casitone, proteose pepone, were employed. ${\beta}-galactosidase$ activities of LX-9 and LX-22 in nitrogen free minimal medium increased sharply within first 4 hours.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.265-269
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• 1984

For the utilization as donor cells of conjugation, DAP-Auxotrophs were isolated from C. coli cells, carrying plasmid $p^{RD1}$ with(a) drug resistance makers from Pseudononas $(Km^r, \;Carb^r, \;Tc^r)$ and (b) the nif-gene group from Klebsiela. E. coli $p^{RD1}$ cells were treated with nitrosoguanidine for the mutagenesis and cephalexin for the isolation of DAP-Auxotrophs. The nature of auxotrophs was verified by suitable biochemical test and checking with 6-cyanopurine as a color indicator for the presence of nif-gene.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.131-138
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• 1977

The effects of various nitrogen soruces on the expression of nif gene were investigated using nif-lac fusants of Klebsiella pneumoniae. K. pneumoniae UK 2979 was infected with Mudl lysate prepared by heat induction of K. pneumoniae UK 4482. About 80 nif-lac fusants were greatly repressed. Amino acids, such as serine, glutamine and asparagine, were found to support the growth of K. pneumoniae M5al quite well, and showed a repressive effect on .betha.-galactosidase activities of nif-lac fusants LX-9 and LX-22 in NFHM. Glutamic acid, histidine and arginine rendered poor growth but high activities of .betha.-galactosidase. Good cell growth and high enzyme activity were observed when complex nitrogen sources, such as casitone, proteose pepone, were employed. .betha.-Galactosidase activities of LX-9 and LX-22 in nitrogen free minimal medium increased sharply within first 4 hours.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.1339-1348
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• 2015

Until now, considerable effort has been made to engineer novel nitrogen-fixing organisms through the transfer of nif genes from various diazotrophs to non-nitrogen fixers; however, regulatory coupling of the heterologous nif genes with the regulatory system of the new host is still not well understood. In this work, a 49 kb nitrogen fixation island from P. stutzeri A1501 was transferred into E. coli using a novel and efficient transformation strategy, and a series of recombinant nitrogen-fixing E. coli strains were obtained. We found that the nitrogenase activity of the recombinant E. coli strain EN-01, similar to the parent strain P. stutzeri A1501, was dependent on external ammonia concentration, oxygen tension, and temperature. We further found that there existed a regulatory coupling between the E. coli general nitrogen regulatory system and the heterologous P. stutzeri nif island in the recombinant E. coli strain. We also provided evidence that the E. coli general nitrogen regulator GlnG protein was involved in the activation of the nif-specific regulator NifA via a direct interaction with the NifA promoter. To the best of our knowledge, this work plays a groundbreaking role in increasing understanding of the regulatory coupling of the heterologous nitrogen fixation system with the regulatory system of the recipient host. Furthermore, it will shed light on the structure and functional integrity of the nif island and will be useful for the construction of novel and more robust nitrogen-fixing organisms through biosynthetic engineering.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.862-870
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• 2010

Cyperus rotundus L. is a perennial herb that was found to be dominating an area in northeast Brazil previously contaminated with petroleum. In order to increase our knowledge of microorganism-plant interactions in phytoremediation, the bacterial community present in the rhizosphere and roots of C. rotundus was evaluated by culture-dependent and molecular approaches. PCR-DGGE analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that the bacterial community in bulk soil, rhizosphere, and root samples had a high degree of similarity. A complex population of alkane-utilizing bacteria and a variable nitrogen-fixing population were observed via PCR-DGGE analysis of alkB and nifH genes, respectively. In addition, two clone libraries were generated from alkB fragments obtained by PCR of bulk and rhizosphere soil DNA samples. Statistical analyses of these libraries showed that the compositions of their respective populations were different in terms of alkB gene sequences. Using culturedependent techniques, 209 bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere and rhizoplane/roots of C. rotundus. Dot-blot analysis showed that 17 strains contained both alkB and nifH gene sequences. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that these strains are affiliated with the genera Bosea, Cupriavidus, Enterobacter, Gordonia, Mycoplana, Pandoraea, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, and Rhodococcus. These isolates can be considered to have great potential for the phytoremediation of soil with C. rotundus in this tropical soil area.