Plasmids specifying ε-caprolactam degradation inPseudomonasstrains

Abstract

The large plasmid DNAs were found in several strains of Pseudomonas sp. capable of growing on ε‐caprolactam as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen. The ability to grow on ε‐caprolactam and ε‐aminocaproic acid as sole sources of carbon or nitrogen and adipic acid as a sole source of carbon could be transferred in interspecies crosses. All transconjugants harboured corresponding large plasmid DNAs. It was suggested that the discovered plasmids possessed the genetic material controlling several consecutive reactions of ε‐caprolactam catabolism yielding acetate and succinate.

Diversity of Pseudomonas plasmids: To what extent?

“…Many degradative (D) plasmids are known to control degradation of various organic compounds including xenobiotics [10,11]. A number of D plasmids that control the degradation of particular compounds, such as E-caprolactam [12,13], or naphthalene and salicylate [14][15][16][17] have been isolated. Specifically, of 190 E-caprolactamdegrading strains isolated from various sources, 70 strains belonged to the genus Pseudomonas.…”