| Title | Isolation and Characterization of a Rhodococcus Species Strain Able to Grow on ortho- and para-Xylene |
|---|---|
| Author | Jung Yeon Jang1, Dockyu Kim1,3, Hyun Won Bae1, Ki Young Choi1, Jong-Chan Chae2, Gerben J. Zylstra2, Young Min Kim1, and Eungbin Kim1,* |
| Address | 1Department of Biology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea, 2Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-8520, USA3Microbial Resources Bank, Microbial Genomics and Applications Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 305-333, Republic of Korea |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 43(4),325-330, 2005, |
| DOI | |
| Key Words | Rhodococcus, xylene isomers, catechol 2,3-dioxygenase, megaplasmid |
| Abstract | Rhodococcus sp. strain YU6 was isolated from soil for the ability to grow on o-xylene as the sole carbon and energy source. Unlike most other o-xylene-degrading bacteria, YU6 is able to grow on p-xylene. Numerous growth substrate range experiments, in addition to the ring-cleavage enzyme assay data, suggest that YU6 initially metabolizes o- and p-xylene by direct aromatic ring oxidation. This leads to the formation of dimethylcatechols, which was further degraded largely through meta-cleavage pathway. The gene encoding meta-cleavage dioxygenase enzyme was PCR cloned from genomic YU6 DNA using previously known gene sequence data from the o-xylene-degrading Rhodococcus sp. strain DK17. Subsequent sequencing of the 918-bp PCR product revealed a 98% identity to the gene, encoding methylcatechol 2,3-dioxygenase from DK17. PFGE analysis followed by Southern hybridization with the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene demonstrated that the gene is located on an approximately 560-kb megaplasmid, designated pJYJ1 <br> |
| Download PDF | p.325-330.pdf |