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 Marconi, A. M. Articles by Zennaro, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Marconi, A. M. Articles by Zennaro, E. Agricola Articles by Marconi, A. M. Articles by Zennaro, E.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 01 1996, 121-127, Vol 62, No. 1
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

Cloning and characterization of styrene catabolism genes from Pseudomonas fluorescens ST

AM Marconi, F Beltrametti, G Bestetti, F Solinas, M Ruzzi, E Galli and E Zennaro
Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

A gene bank from Pseudomonas fluorescens ST was constructed in the broad-host-range cosmid pLAFR3 and mobilized into Pseudomonas putida PaW340. Identification of recombinant cosmids containing the styrene catabolism genes was performed by screening transconjugants for growth on styrene and epoxystyrene. Transposon mutagenesis and subcloning of one of the selected genome fragments have led to the identification of three enzymatic activities: a monooxygenase activity encoded by a 3-kb PstI-EcoRI fragment and an epoxystyrene isomerase activity and an epoxystyrene reductase activity encoded by a 2.3-kb BamHI fragment. Escherichia coli clones containing the 3-kb PstI-EcoRI fragment were able to transform styrene into epoxystyrene, and those containing the 2.3-kb BamHI fragment converted epoxystyrene into phenylacetaldehyde or, only in the presence of glucose, into 2-phenylethanol. The three genes appear to be clustered and are probably encoded by the same DNA strand. In E. coli, expression of the epoxystyrene reductase gene was under the control of its own promoter, whereas the expression of the other two genes was dependent on the presence of an external vector promoter.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Scholle, M. D., White, C. A., Kunnimalaiyaan, M., Vary, P. S. (2003). Sequencing and Characterization of pBM400 from Bacillus megaterium QM B1551. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 6888-6898 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• O’Leary, N. D., O’Connor, K. E., Duetz, W., Dobson, A. D. W. (2001). Transcriptional regulation of styrene degradation in Pseudomonas putida CA-3. Microbiology 147: 973-979 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Santos, P. M., Blatny, J. M., Di Bartolo, I., Valla, S., Zennaro, E. (2000). Physiological Analysis of the Expression of the Styrene Degradation Gene Cluster in Pseudomonas fluorescens ST. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 1305-1310 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Iurescia, S., Marconi, A. M., Tofani, D., Gambacorta, A., Paternò, A., Devirgiliis, C., van der Werf, M. J., Zennaro, E. (1999). Identification and Sequencing of beta -Myrcene Catabolism Genes from Pseudomonas sp. Strain M1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 2871-2876 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Di Gennaro, P., Colmegna, A., Galli, E., Sello, G., Pelizzoni, F., Bestetti, G. (1999). A New Biocatalyst for Production of Optically Pure Aryl Epoxides by Styrene Monooxygenase from Pseudomonas fluorescens ST. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 2794-2797 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Panke, S., Witholt, B., Schmid, A., Wubbolts, M. G. (1998). Towards a Biocatalyst for (S)-Styrene Oxide Production: Characterization of the Styrene Degradation Pathway of Pseudomonas sp. Strain VLB120. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 2032-2043 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Velasco, A., Alonso, S., García, J. L., Perera, J., Díaz, E. (1998). Genetic and Functional Analysis of the Styrene Catabolic Cluster of Pseudomonas sp. Strain Y2. J. Bacteriol. 180: 1063-1071 [Abstract] [Full Text]