Transmissible plasmid coding for the degradation of benzoate andm-toluate inPseudomonas arvillamt-2

Abstract

SUMMARYPseudomonas arvillamt-2 (ATCC 23073) has been shown to harbour a transmissible plasmid which codes for the degradation of benzoate andm-toluate. Plasmid-borne genetic information codes for the conversion of these compounds to catechol then the assimilation of catechol via themetacleavage pathway.

A Comparative Study of the NAH and TOL Catabolic Plasmids in Pseudomonas putida

“…All mutant strains were derived from PPI-2, which can utilize phenol or benzoate as the sole source of carbon (Wong and Dunn 1974). Phenol 2-monooxygenase and benzoate 1,2-dioxygenase respectively convert these substrates into catechol, which is then degraded via the catechol ortho-cleavage pathway.…”

“…No evidence has so far been obtained to suggest otherwise. No significant catechol 2,3-dioxygenase activity is present in extracts of PPl-2 (PpG572) cells grown with or without inducing substrate (Dunn and Gunsalus 1973;Wong and Dunn 1974). Both the NAH (Dunn and Gunsalus 1973) and the TOL plasmids (Williams and Murray 1974;Wong and Dunn 1974) encode catechol 2,3-dioxygenase which, in each case, is the first enzyme of the plasmid-encoded catechol meta-cleavage pathway.…”

“…These include the SAL plasmid (Chakrabarty 1972), the NAH plasmid (Dunn and Gunsalus 1973), the TOL plasmid (Williams and Murray 1974;Wong and Dunn 1974) and a number of new and independently isolated TOL plasmids (Williams and Worsey 1976). * The SAL, NAH and original TOL plasmids were identified by use of the plasmid-encoded facilities to degrade salicylate, naphthalene and m-toluate respectively.…”

“…* Plasmid nomenclature: the TOL plasmid has been referred to as BENjTOL (Wong and Dunn 1974) and TOL or M1 (Wong and Dunn 1976). All other published work refers to this plasmid as TOL.…”

“…This information is necessary to facilitate experiments aimed at increasing degradative scope. Hence, a comparative study of the NAH plasmid (Dunn and Gunsalus 1973) and the TOL plasmid (Williams and Murray 1974;Wong and Dunn 1974) was carried out to provide data for future genetic manipulation experiments involving these two plasmids. Both plasmids were transferred into host strains which have a defined genetic background, and the following areas were investigated:…”