title: Characterization of the dszABC genes of Gordonia amicalis F.5.25.8 and identification of conserved protein and DNA sequences.
abstract: Gordonia amicalis F.5.25.8 has the unique ability to desulfurize dibenzothiophene and to metabolize carbazole [Santos et al., Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 71:355-362, 2006]. Efforts to amplify the dsz genes from G. amicalis F.5.25.8 based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers designed using the dsz gene sequences of Rhodococcus erythropolis IGTS8 were mostly unsuccessful. A comparison of the protein sequences of dissimilar desulfurization enzymes (DszABC, BdsABC, and TdsABC) revealed multiple conserved regions. PCR primers targeting some of the most highly conserved regions of the desulfurization genes allowed us to amplify dsz genes from G. amicalis F.5.25.8. DNA sequence data that include nearly the entirety of the desulfurization operon as well as the promoter region were obtained. The most closely related dsz genes are those of G. alkinovorans strain 1B at 85% identity. The PCR primers reported here should be useful in microbial ecology studies and the amplification of desulfurization genes from previously uncharacterized microbial cultures.
authors.affiliation: Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, IL, USA. kilbane@iit.edu
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kilbane
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robbins
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D033601:Gordonia Bacterium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D013876:Thiophenes; C016366:dibenzothiophene