title: Enantioselective transformation of alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane by the dehydrochlorinases LinA1 and LinA2 from the soil bacterium Sphingomonas paucimobilis B90A.
abstract: Sphingomonas paucimobilis B90A contains two variants, LinA1 and LinA2, of a dehydrochlorinase that catalyzes the first and second steps in the metabolism of hexachlorocyclohexanes (R. Kumari, S. Subudhi, M. Suar, G. Dhingra, V. Raina, C. Dogra, S. Lal, J. R. van der Meer, C. Holliger, and R. Lal, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68:6021-6028, 2002). On the amino acid level, LinA1 and LinA2 were 88% identical to each other, and LinA2 was 100% identical to LinA of S. paucimobilis UT26. Incubation of chiral alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH) with Escherichia coli BL21 expressing functional LinA1 and LinA2 S-glutathione transferase fusion proteins showed that LinA1 preferentially converted the (+) enantiomer, whereas LinA2 preferred the (-) enantiomer. Concurrent formation and subsequent dissipation of beta-pentachlorocyclohexene enantiomers was also observed in these experiments, indicating that there was enantioselective formation and/or dissipation of these enantiomers. LinA1 preferentially formed (3S,4S,5R,6R)-1,3,4,5,6-pentachlorocyclohexene, and LinA2 preferentially formed (3R,4R,5S,6S)-1,3,4,5,6-pentachlorocyclohexene. Because enantioselectivity was not observed in incubations with whole cells of S. paucimobilis B90A, we concluded that LinA1 and LinA2 are equally active in this organism. The enantioselective transformation of chiral alpha-HCH by LinA1 and LinA2 provides the first evidence of the molecular basis for the changed enantiomer composition of alpha-HCH in many natural environments. Enantioselective degradation may be one of the key processes determining enantiomer composition, especially when strains that contain only one of the linA genes, such as S. paucimobilis UT26, prevail.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Ueberlandstrasse 133, P.O. Box 611, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mrutyunjay
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suar
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Poiger
authors.forename: Hans-Rudolf
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Buser
authors.forename: Markus D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Charu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dogra
authors.forename: Vishakha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raina
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holliger
authors.forename: Jan Roelof
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: van der Meer
authors.forename: Rup
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lal
authors.forename: Hans-Peter E
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kohler
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001711:Biotransformation; D017931:DNA Primers; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007700:Kinetics; D008190:Lyases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D020578:Sphingomonas / Q000378:metabolism*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; C040534:alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D008190:Lyases; C019994:dehydrochlorinases