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Volume 147, Issue 7

Analysis of the gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of the polymeric bioemulsifier from the oil-degrading strain RAG-1

The GenBank/EMBL accession number for the sequence analysis of the eight fragments determined in this work is AJ243431.

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Abstract

A cluster (27 kbp) of genes responsible for the biosynthesis of the amphipathic, polysaccharide bioemulsifier emulsan from the oil-degrading RAG-1 was isolated and characterized. The complete sequence of this cluster, termed , consisted of 20 ORFs. One set of 17 ORFs was transcribed in one direction, while a second set of three ORFs, 607 bp upstream of the first, was transcribed in the opposite direction. Mutations in either of the two regions caused defects in emulsan production, yielding specific activities of 5–14% of parental emulsifying activity. Putative functions could be assigned to proteins involved in production of nucleotide amino sugar precursors, transglycosylation, transacetylation, polymerization and transport. However, no JUMPstart or sequences, normally found associated with some polysaccharide biosynthetic gene clusters, were identified. Evidence is presented suggesting that the bioemulsifier may be a member of the group 1 or group 4 polysaccharides.

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  • Accepted:
  • Revised:
  • Published Online:
Keyword(s): amphipathic biopolymer , biosurfactant , Cm, chloramphenicol , emulsan , Km, kanamycin , polysaccharide biosynthesis , TLU, translucent and TMR, transmembrane helical region
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2001-07-01
2024-05-13
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Analysis of the wee gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of the polymeric bioemulsifier from the oil-degrading strain Acinetobacter lwoffii RAG-1The GenBank/EMBL accession number for the sequence analysis of the eight fragments determined in this work is AJ243431.
Microbiology 147, 1937 (2001); https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-147-7-1937
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-147-7-1937
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-147-7-1937
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