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Isolation of cyanobacterial auxotrophs by direct selection of regulatory-mutant phenotypes

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Abstract

We have isolated a chorismate mutase bradytroph (leaky auxotroph) ofAnabaena sp. PCC 7119 (ATCC 29151) as a spontaneous 6-fluorotryptophan-resistant mutant. The decreased chorismate mutase activity resulted in the production of quantities of the phenylalanine and tyrosine that limited rate of growth. 3-Deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase activity in the mutant was elevated more than twofold over the wild-type activity, suggesting derepression of this enzyme. The physiological deregulation of DAHP synthase and the genetic-based deficiency of chorismate mutase promoted an elevated level of intracellular chorismate, which then overwhelmed the competitive inhibition of anthranilate synthase by tryptophan, resulting in the overproduction of tryptophan and indoleglycerolphosphate. The presence of exogenous serine increased the production of tryptophan at the expense of indoleglycerolphosphate. This indicated that the endogenous potential for increasing the amount of serine available for increased tryptophan production is limited.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Binghamton, 13901, Binghamton, New York, USA

    Geraldine C. Hall

  2. Center for Somatic-Cell Genetics and Biochemistry, State University of New York at Binghamton, 13901, Binghamton, New York, USA

    Roy A. Jensen

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  1. Geraldine C. Hall
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  2. Roy A. Jensen
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Hall, G.C., Jensen, R.A. Isolation of cyanobacterial auxotrophs by direct selection of regulatory-mutant phenotypes. Current Microbiology 6, 189–194 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01642397

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