title: Expression of an alkane monooxygenase (alkB) gene and methyl tert-butyl ether co-metabolic oxidation in Pseudomonas citronellolis.
abstract: Pseudomonas citronellolis UAM-Ps1 co-metabolically transforms methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) to tert-butyl alcohol with n-pentane (2.6 mM), n-octane (1.5 mM) or dicyclopropylketone (DCPK) (4.4 mM), a gratuitous inducer of alkane hydroxylase (AlkB) activity. The reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR was used to quantify the alkane monooxygenase (alkB) gene expression. The alkB gene was expressed in the presence of n-alkanes and DCPK and MTBE oxidation occurred only in cultures when alkB was transcribed. A correlation between the number of alkB transcripts and MTBE consumption was found (ΜΤΒΕ consumption in μmol = 1.44e(-13) x DNA copies, R(2) = 0.99) when MTBE (0.84 mM) was added. Furthermore, alkB was cloned and expressed into Escherichia coli and the recombinant AlkB had a molecular weight of 42 kDa. This is the first report where the expression of alkB is related to the co-metabolic oxidation of MTBE.
authors.affiliation: División de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Cuajimalpa, Avenida Vasco de Quiroga 4871, Colonia Santa Fe, Delegación Cuajimalpa de Morelos, 05348, México, D.F., Mexico, ana.sahuaripa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana Luisa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sigala
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Le Borgne
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morales
mesh_terms: D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism*; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020002:tert-Butyl Alcohol / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008738:Methyl Ethers; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C043243:methyl tert-butyl ether; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; D020002:tert-Butyl Alcohol