Biochemical and molecular characterisation of the 2,3-dichloro-1-propanol dehalogenase and stereospecific haloalkanoic dehalogenases from a versatile Agrobacterium sp

• Published in: Biodegradation (Dordrecht) Vol. 16; no. 5; pp. 485 - 492
• Main Authors: HIGGINS, Timothy P, HOPE, Stephen J, EFFENDI, Agus J, DAWSON, Shula, DANCER, Brian N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.10.2005; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biodegradation of pollutants; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Cloning; Cloning, Molecular; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; Environment and pollution; Enzymes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes, Bacterial; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; Hydrolases - chemistry; Hydrolases - genetics; Hydrolases - metabolism; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Kinetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Weight; Propionates - chemistry; Propionates - metabolism; Rhizobium - enzymology; Rhizobium - genetics; Rhizobium - growth & development; Stereoisomerism; Substrate Specificity; Biodegradation; Agrobacterium; Acids; dichloropropanol; Bacteria; Rhizobium; Rhizobiaceae; Propanol; dehalogenase; 2-monochloropropionic acid
• ISSN: 0923-9820; 1572-9729
• DOI: 10.1007/s10532-004-5670-5

We previously reported the presence of both haloalcohol and haloalkanoate dehalogenase activity in the Agrobacterium sp. strain NHG3. The versatile nature of the organism led us to further characterise the genetic basis of these dehalogenation activities. Cloning and sequencing of the haloalcohol dehalogenase and subsequent analysis suggested that it was part of a highly conserved catabolic gene cluster. Characterisation of the haloalkanoate dehalogenase enzyme revealed the presence of two stereospecific enzymes with a narrow substrate range which acted on D-2-chloropropionic and L-2-chloropropionoic acid, respectively. Cloning and sequencing indicated that the two genes were separated by 87 bp of non-coding DNA and were preceded by a putative transporter gene 66 bp upstream of the D-specific enzyme.