title: The copy number of the catabolic plasmid pJP4 affects growth of Ralstonia eutropha JMP134 (pJP4) on 3-chlorobenzoate.
abstract: Ralstonia eutropha JMP134 (pJP4) grows on 3-chlorobenzoate (3-CB) or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4-D). The copy number of chlorocatechol genes has been observed to be important for allowing growth of bacterial strains on chloroaromatic compounds. Despite the fact that two functional chlorocatechol degradation tfd gene clusters are harbored on plasmid pJP4, a single copy of the region comprising all tfd genes in strain JMP134-F was insufficient to allow growth on 3-CB, whereas growth on 2,4-D was only slightly retarded compared to the wild-type strain. Using competitive PCR, approximately five copies of pJP4 per genome were observed to be present in the wild-type strain, whereas only one copy of pJP4 was present per chromosome in strain JMP134-F. Therefore, several copies of pJP4 per chromosome are required for full expression of the tfd-encoded growth abilities in the wild-type R. eutropha strain.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microbiología, Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Trefault
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clément
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manzano
authors.forename: Dietmar H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Pieper
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: González
mesh_terms: D015084:2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002723:Chlorobenzoates / Q000378:metabolism*; D020118:Cupriavidus necator / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D018628:Gene Dosage; D005810:Multigene Family; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002723:Chlorobenzoates; C036427:3-chlorobenzoic acid; D015084:2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid