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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2008, p. 7085-7089, Vol. 74, No. 22
0099-2240/08/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/AEM.01491-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
-Methylacyl Coenzyme A Racemase from Gordonia polyisoprenivorans VH2
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Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstrasse 3, D-48149 Münster, Germany
Received 2 July 2008/ Accepted 18 September 2008
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-Methylacyl coenzyme A (CoA) racemase (Mcr) is a key enzyme in the catabolism by Gordonia polyisoprenivorans VH2 of natural rubber degradation products and of methyl-branched hydrocarbons (2). Only a few bacterial Mcr's have been described so far (2, 21, 22), whereas investigations of mammalian
-methylacyl CoA racemase have attracted much more interest (19, 24, 25, 27). During catabolism of isoprenoids, Mcr catalyzes inversion of (R)-enantiomers to (S)-enantiomers of various substrates (7, 10, 20), e.g., 2-arylpropionic acids (ibuprofen). Although microbial rubber degradation has been investigated since 1914, only two enzymes involved in the initial step of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) biodegradation yielding intermediates with aldehyde and keton groups have been identified—RoxA from Xanthomonas sp. (3, 4) and Lcp from Streptomyces sp. strain K30 (18, 28). This study aimed at the construction of a stable mcr gene disruption mutant of G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 and its characterization with regard to rubber degradation. Therefore, the nucleotide sequence of mcr was identified. Homologous (McrVH2) and heterologous (McrNf) expression of Mcr should exclude a polar effect of disrupted mcr on adjacent genes. Furthermore, other transposon-induced mutants impaired in rubber degradation and the affected genes involved in β-oxidation as well as their organization were characterized. Reverse transcription analysis was done to confirm induced expression of some of these genes in strain VH2 during rubber degradation.
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Two mutants exhibited a leaky phenotype during cultivation in liquid MSM with poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) as the sole carbon and energy source. For these mutant genomes, pMA5096 was mapped in the genes that are most likely to be involved in β-oxidation. Sequence analysis of the genomic DNA was done as described before (2) and by modified directional genome walking (15). The vector had integrated in genes encoding enzymes that catalyze reactions of the β-oxidation or into intergenic regions (Fig. 1). In mutant D6, plasmid pMA5096 was mapped in the intergenic region of two genes coding for an acetyl CoA acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.9) and for a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (EC 1.1.1). In mutant C22, pMA5096 was mapped in a ferA gene coding for a putative feruloyl CoA synthetase (EC 6.2.1.34). Both the acyl CoA synthetase and feruloyl CoA synthetase enzymes catalyze the transfer of CoA to the carboxyl group of their substrates, thereby forming the corresponding CoA thioesters.
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FIG. 1. Localization of transposon insertions in mutants of G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 and localization of the mcr gene locus in G. polyisoprenivorans VH2. Three regions of the genome of G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 that were sequenced in this study and in which transposon insertions were mapped are shown. (a) orf1 (310 aa), encoding methionyl-tRNA formyltransferase (M. vanbaalenii PYR-1; accession no. YP_953500.1; aa identity = 57%); orf2 (394 aa), encoding acetyl CoA acetyltransferase (Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1; accession no. YP_708690.1; aa identity = 30%); orf3 (275 aa), encoding a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (Frankia sp. strain EAN1pec; accession no. ZP_00570976.1; aa identity = 43%); orf4 (385 aa), encoding acyl CoA synthetases (AMP forming)/AMP-acid II ligases (Brevibacterium linens BL2; accession no. ZP_00377854.1; aa identity = 36%). (b) orf1 (509 aa), encoding hypothetical protein RHA1_ro08129 (Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1; accession no. YP_707334.1; aa identity = 34%); orf2 (316 aa), encoding oxidoreductase, short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family (Arthrobacter aurescens TC1; accession no. YP_946751.1; aa identity = 70%); orf3 (146 aa), encoding a transcriptional regulator (Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1; accession no. YP_705064.1; aa identity = 40%); ferA (511 aa), encoding a putative feruloyl CoA synthetase (R. aetherivorans; accession no. AAY98502.1; aa identity = 52%); orf4 (261 aa), encoding enoyl CoA hydratase/isomerase (Mycobacterium sp. strain MCS; accession no. YP_637483.1; aa identity = 73%); orf5 (500 aa), encoding gp34 (Mycobacterium sp. phage 244; accession no. YP_654789.1; aa identity = 43%); orf6 (363 aa), encoding a transposase (Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1; accession no. YP_707596.1; aa identity = 63%) (c) orf1 (387 aa), encoding acetyl CoA acetyltransferase (N. farcinica IFM 10152; accession no. YP_116726.1; aa identity = 74%); orf2 (410 aa), encoding cytochrome P450 [M. vanbaalenii PYR-1; accession no. YP_955928.1; aa identity = 65%); orf3 (139 aa), encoding hypothetical protein nfa5190 (N. farcinica IFM 10152; accession no. YP_116728.1; aa identity = 59%). (d) orf1 (251 aa), encoding a hypothetical creatininase (M. gilvum PYR-GCK; accession no. YP_001136312.1; aa identity = 76%); mcr, encoding a putative methylacyl CoA racemase (Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1; accession no. YP_705495.1; aa identity = 67%); orf2 (427 aa), encoding a probable aspartate aminotransferase (M. abscessus; accession no. YP_001705021.1; aa identity = 56%); orf3 (285 aa), encoding a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (M. vanbaalenii PYR-1; accession no. YP_952126.1; aa identity = 60%). The nucleotide sequence accession numbers were obtained from the GenBank database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/).
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-oxidation of linalool. Genes coding for the putative acyl CoA thiolase and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase as well as for a hypothetical protein (Fig. 1c) are organized in a order similar to that seen in Nocardia farcinica IFM 10152 (nfa5170, acyl CoA thiolase; nfa5180, cytochrome P450 monooxygenase; nfa5190, hypothetical protein). In mutants D6 and I45, plasmid pMA5096 had not inserted into genes, but its insertions into the genome exerted polar effects on the expression of adjacent genes (Fig. 1). Degradation of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) in G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 was expected to be associated with increased expression of β-oxidation pathway enzymes because of the transposon mapped in genes probably encoding enzymes catalyzing reactions of the β-oxidation or adjacent regions (Fig. 1) in the mutant genomes, which caused a reduced ability to degrade poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) in all three mutants.
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-methylacyl CoA racemase of Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1. The missing 5' and 3' regions were obtained by modified nested PCR (15) using the nonbiotinylated primers Mcr_1016_fw and Mcr_924_rv, respectively, and the walker primers Walker1 to Walker4, respectively, in the first amplification step (see Table S2 in the supplemental material). After purification of the PCR products, a second amplification step was performed to obtain the nucleotide sequences in the 3' and 5' regions, using the PCR products as templates and the primers Mcr_1042_nsd_fw and Mcr_33_nsd_rv in, respectively, combination with the primer Nested (see Table S2 in the supplemental material). The mcr gene was amplified from total genomic DNA of G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 by employing oligonucleotides 5'VH2_mcr and 3'StoppVH2_mcr (see Table S2 in the supplemental material) and yielded the entire 1,113-bp mcr gene. The aa sequence of McrVH2 (370 aa) shares highest homologies with the
-methylacyl CoA racemase of Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1 (GenBank accession no. YP_705495.1; 67% identical aa) and the L-carnitine dehydratase/bile acid-inducible F protein of Mycobacterium vanbaalenii PYR-1 (GenBank accession no. YP_955359.1; 67% identical aa). In addition, it showed high levels of homology to the
-methylacyl CoA racemases of mice (GenBank accession no. EDL03288.1; 50% identical aa) and humans (GenBank accession no. AF158378_1; 46% identical aa). |
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Km cassette was cloned into the single KpnI site of pGEMTeasy::mcrVH2 at position 651 of mcr. The
Km cassette was then isolated from pSKsym
Km (17) by digestion with SmaI and ligated with KpnI-linearized pGEMTeasy::mcrVH2 DNA, which was blunted by T4 DNA polymerase treatment (Fermentas, Germany), yielding pGEMTeasy::mcrVH2
Km. Gene disruption mutants generated by homologous recombination via a double-crossover event in G. polyisoprenivorans were obtained by transfer of this mcr
Km DNA fragment. Among 500 transformants, which were transferred onto MSM agar plates with geranylacetone as the sole carbon source, five mutants were impaired in growth. To confirm correct integration of the mcr
Km fragment at the DNA level, Southern analysis of genomic DNA was performed with total DNA prepared from putative mcr disruption mutants and from the wild type, employing a digoxigenin-labeled internal 600-bp mcr fragment: whereas genomic DNA of the wild type digested with EcoRI gave a 2.4-kbp signal, all five disruption mutants gave a 3.4-kbp signal (data not shown), thereby indicating integration of the 1.0-kbp
Km cassette into mcr by homologous recombination. Inactivation of mcr resulted in a total loss of the ability to metabolize methyl-branched isoprenoids but had no effect on the degradation of long-chain alkanes or water-soluble substrates such as acetate and propionate. Obviously, no genes are present in the G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 genome encoding functionally active isoenzymes, because disruption of mcr yielded a fully negative phenotpye. |
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The plasmids were transferred to competent cells of this mutant (1), and transformants were selected on MSM agar plates containing kanamycin (50 µg/ml) and gentamicin (50 µg/ml), with geranylacetone (35 µl/plate) as the carbon source (Fig. 2). All randomly chosen clones harbored pDBMCS5::mcrVH2 or pDBMCS5::mcrNf. The negative phenotype of the mcr knockout mutant in degradation of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) and methyl-branched isoprenoids was complemented by homologous expression of McrVH2 and also by heterologous expression of a fatty acid CoA racemase from N. farcinica IFM 10152 (McrNf; GenBank accession no. YP_121581) exhibiting 62% aa identity with McrVH2 (Fig. 2a and b), indicating the same function of Mcr as that seen in N. farcinica. McrMtub harbors four highly conserved amino acid residues (Arg91, His126, Asp156, and Glu241), which are also found in McrNf (Arg56, His134, Asp164, and Glu249) and McrVH2 (Arg105, His140, Asp170, and Glu255) (22). Amino acid sequence comparisons showed that both racemases—McrVH2 and McrNf—belong to the family III CoA transferases, which are divided into groups of racemases and CoA transferases (13). The conserved Glu residue occurs only in racemase enzymes (22) and confirms McrVH2 and McrNf to be racemases also on the basis of comparisons of aa sequences.
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FIG. 2. Comparison of growth of G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 wild type and mutants. (a) Cells were incubated on MSM agar plates containing geranylacetone (35 µl/plate) as the single carbon and energy source for 7 days at 30°C. Section 1, knockout mutant of G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 mcr Km; section 2, G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 wild type; section 3, mutant G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 mcr Km complemented with pDBMCS5::mcrVH2 6-33; section 4, mutant G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 mcr Km complemented with pDBMCS5::mcrVH2 1-23; section 5, mutant G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 mcr Km complemented with pDBMCS5::mcrNf 2-2; section 6, mutant G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 mcr Km complemented with pDBMCS5::mcrNf 16. (b) Comparison of levels of growth of G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 wild type and mutants in liquid MSM with 0.2% (wt/vol) poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) as the sole carbon and energy source. Cultures were cultivated in Erlenmeyer flasks and incubated on a horizontal rotary shaker at 130 rpm and 30°C. Kanamycin (50 µg/ml) and gentamicin (50 µg/ml) were added when needed. The optical densities of the wild type and the mcr disruption mutant at 600 nm (OD600nm) were measured twice. , G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 wild type; , knockout mutant of G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 mcr Km; , mutant G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 mcr Km complemented with pDBMCS5::mcrVH2 1-23; , mutant G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 mcr Km complemented with pDBMCS5::mcrVH2 6-33; , mutant G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 mcr Km complemented with pDBMCS5::mcrNf 2-2; , mutant G. polyisoprenivorans VH2 mcr Km complemented with pDBMCS5::mcrNf 16.
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-oxidation of fatty acid catalyzed by P450 cytochromes yielding dicarboxylic acids is widespread in nature (for a review, see reference 6), it is possible that intermediates of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) undergo
-oxidation.
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FIG. 3. Transcription analysis of mcr, ferA, the P450 gene, and a gene coding for a short-chain dehydrogenase identified in mutant D6. Expression of the genes was analyzed by RT-PCR using samples derived from cells cultivated in the presence of 0.2% (wt/vol) sodium propionate or 0.2% (wt/vol) poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) as the carbon source. M, 100-bp leader; K, poly(cis-1,4-isoprene); P, sodium propionate.
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Published ahead of print on 26 September 2008. ![]()
Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://aem.asm.org/. ![]()
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-methylacyl-CoA racemase in bile acid synthesis. Biochem. J. 363:801-807.[CrossRef][Medline]
-Methylacyl coenzyme A racemase as a tissue biomarker for prostate cancer. JAMA 287:1662-1670.
-methylacyl coenzyme A racemase in the degradation of methyl-branched alkanes by Mycobacterium sp. strain P101. J. Bacteriol. 186:7214-7220.
-Methylacyl-CoA racemase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mutational and structural characterization of the active site and the fold. J. Biol. Chem. 280:12611-12620.
-methylacyl-CoA racemase from rat liver. Eur. J. Biochem. 222:313-323.[Medline]
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