1887

Abstract

CH34 can use biphenyl as carbon and energy source when provided with the catabolic transposon Tn. Previous results suggested that this property was dependent on the RNA polymerase subunit σ. The authors sequenced the CH34 gene and flanking DNA and isolated a CH34 -deficient strain. Analysis of the sequence revealed a set of features conserved in all genes and flanking DNA regions previously analysed in other bacterial species. Nevertheless, despite this conservation, CH34 differed even from the closely related strain H16 by one particular ORF. The null mutation did not affect expression of the Tn operon although it did alter the ability of the Tn host strain to grow on biphenyl. The CH34 mutant had lost the capacity for autotrophic growth and for responding to poor nitrogen sources by a decrease in urease and proline oxidase activity. CH34 RNA polymerase σ thus positively controls autotrophy as well as nitrogen metabolism but only indirectly affects Tn-directed biphenyl utilization.

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2001-07-01
2024-04-25
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