Metabolism of a Plant Wax Paraffin (n-Nonacosane) by a Soil Bacterium (Micrococcus cerificans)

Abstract

S U M M A R YLong-chain paraffins, such as nonacosane, reach the soil from plants and are degraded by micro-organisms. The ability of one soil organism, Micrococcus ceriJicans, to grow on cabbage paraffin (n-nonacosane) was studied. Unlike the pattern seen with hexadecane, waxy esters were not produced when nonacosane was the sole carbon source, but esters were formed when a cooxidation technique of "*C] n-nonacosane with hexadecane was employed. The alcohol and acid portions of the radioactive esters formed were primarily of chain length Cis, G7 and C18; neither nonacosanol nor nonacosanoic acid were detected. Thus the nonacosanol and nonacosanoic acid which might have been produced from n-nonacosane must have been oxidized to shorterchain compounds which in turn were incorporated into waxy esters as well as other lipids.

Cloning of a novel constitutively expressed pectate lyase gene pelB from Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi (Nectria haematococca, mating type VI) and characterization of the gene product expressed in Pichia pastoris

“…Single-spore isolates were routinely maintained on potato dextrose agar containing 1 g of finely ground pea stem per liter. F. solani pisi cultures were grown in mineral medium (14) containing 0.5 to 2% glucose on a rotary shaker at 200 rpm. Escherichia coli DH5␣ was used for construction of the genomic library from F. solani pisi and propagation of plasmids.…”

Identification of a fungal cutinase promoter that is inducible by a plant signal via a phosphorylated trans-acting factor.

“…After glucose depletion of the medium as determined by glucose oxidase assay, nuclei were prepared (4) and nuclear protein extract was isolated (13). Aliquots of the nuclear extract (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) ,tg of protein) were incubated in 20 Al with 32P-labeled DNA fragment (2-5 ng) and 1 Ag of poly(dI-dC) in 25 mM Hepes, pH 7.9/150 mM NaCl/5 mM MgCl2/10 mM dithiothreitol/2 mM EDTA/3 mM phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride/5% (vol/ vol) glycerol for 15 min, the mixture was subjected to electrophoresis, and autoradiograms were prepared. Nuclear extract was incubated for 30 min with or without immobilized calf intestinal mucosal alkaline phosphatase (Sigma) at 220C and beads were removed by centrifugation prior to incubation with labeled DNA.…”

Production of -Haloesters from Alkyl Halides by Micrococcus cerificans

“…Many species of micro-organisms oxidize alkanes (McKenna & Kallio, 1965) and apparently a portion of the hydrocarbons that reach the soil from the cuticular lipids of plants is degraded by micro-organisms (Hankin & Kolattukudy, 1968). Micrococcus ceriJicans, an organism isolated from soil, oxidizes alkanes of medium chain length, C,, to Czs (Finnerty, Hawtrey & Kallio, 1962) as well as very long chains such as n-nonacosane (Hankin & Kolattukudy, 1968).…”

“…Micrococcus ceriJicans, an organism isolated from soil, oxidizes alkanes of medium chain length, C,, to Czs (Finnerty, Hawtrey & Kallio, 1962) as well as very long chains such as n-nonacosane (Hankin & Kolattukudy, 1968). Oxidative attack by this organism on the medium-length paraffins starts from the terminal methyl group, giving primary alcohols as the first stable product.…”