This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Reid, J D Articles by Ogrydziak, D M Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Reid, J D Articles by Ogrydziak, D M Agricola Articles by Reid, J D Articles by Ogrydziak, D M

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 March; 41(3): 664-669

Chitinase-overproducing mutant of Serratia marcescens.

ABSTRACT

Genetic modification of Serratia marcescens QMB1466 was undertaken to isolated mutants which produce increased levels of chitinolytic activity. After mutagenesis with ultraviolet light, ethyl methane sulfonate or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, 19,940 colonies were screened for production of enlarged zones of clearing (indicative of chitinase activity) on chitin-containing agar plates. Forty-four chitinase high producers were tested further in shake flask cultures. Mutant IMR-1E1 was isolated which, depending on medium composition, produced two to three times more than the wild type of the other components of the chitinolytic enzyme system--a factor involved in the hydrolysis of crystalline chitin and chitobiase. After induction by chitin, endochitinase and chitobiase activity appeared at similar times for both IMR-1E1 and QMB1466, suggesting possible coordinate control of these enzymes. The results are consistent with IMR-1E1 containing a regulatory mutation which increased production of the components of the chitinolytic enzyme system and/or with IMR-1E1 containing a tandem duplication of the chitinase genes. The high rate of reversion of IMR-1E1 to decreased levels of chitinase production suggests that the overproduction of chitinase by IMR-1E1 is due to a tandem gene duplication.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Cattelan, A.J., Hartel, P.G., Fuhrmann, J.J. (1999). Screening for Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria to Promote Early Soybean Growth. Soil Sci. 63: 1670-1680 [Abstract] [Full Text]