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Genetic analysis of phenylacetic acid catabolism in Arthrobacter oxydans CECT386

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Abstract

Arthrobacteroxydans CECT386 is a Gram-positive bacterium able to use either phenylacetic acid or phenylacetaldehyde as the sole carbon and energy source for aerobic growth. Genes responsible for the catabolism of these compounds have been located at two chromosomal regions and were organized in one isolated paaN gene and two putative paa operons, one consisting of the paaD, paaF, tetR and prot genes, and one consisting of the paaG, paaH, paaI, paaJ, paaK and paaB genes. The identity of the paaF and paaN genes was supported by functional complementation experiments. A comparison with the paa catabolic genes and/or gene clusters of other bacteria that degrade these aromatic compounds is presented. The results of this study broaden the knowledge regarding the range of metabolic potential of this strain and eventually make it attractive for environmental applications.

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Abbreviations

PAA:

Phenylacetic acid

PA-CoA:

Phenylacetyl-coenzyme A

IPCR:

Inverted PCR

RT-PCR:

Reverse transcription PCR

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (BIO 2003-05309-C04-03) and from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (PR1/03-11648). We thank David Bartolomé-Martín for the Pseudomonas sp. strain Y2 paaF probe and Teresa del Peso-Santos and Victoria Mascaraque for the paaN mutant of Pseudomonas sp. strain Y2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Juana María Navarro-Llorens, Oliver Drzyzga & Julián Perera

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  1. Juana María Navarro-Llorens
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  2. Oliver Drzyzga
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  3. Julián Perera
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Correspondence to Julián Perera.

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Communicated by Jean-Luc Pernodet.

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Navarro-Llorens, J.M., Drzyzga, O. & Perera, J. Genetic analysis of phenylacetic acid catabolism in Arthrobacter oxydans CECT386. Arch Microbiol 190, 89–100 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-008-0370-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-008-0370-x

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