(Uncorrected OCR)
Abstract of the thesis entitled
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF A CRYPTIC DEHALOGENASE FROM Burkholderia cepacia MBA4
Submitted by
Laiju Sam
For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Hong Kong
in July 2000
Burkholderia cepacia MBA4 has been previously shown to produce a single dehalogenase in batch culture condition. Other cryptic dehalogenases were detected in cells grown in continuous culture. In this study, one of the cryptic dehalogenases was cloned and characterised. This cryptic haloacid dehalogenase was designated Chd 1 and expressed constitutively in Escherichia coli. The structural gene, chdJ, was isolated from a 1.7-kb PstI fragment. This fragment. contains a functional promoter since the expression of chdl in E. coli is orientation independent. The nucleotide sequence of the fragment was determined and analysed and an open reading frame for 840 amino acids was identified. The nucleotide sequence of chdl did not show any homology with those of other dehalogenase genes. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence, however, showed significant homology, ranging from 42-50%, with the amino acid sequences of several other dehalogenases. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Chd 1 is closely related to dehalogenase CI and dehalogenase IVa of Pseudomonas putida CBS3 and B. cepacia MBA4 respectively.
1
The recombinant Chdl had a native molecular weight of 58,000 daltons
whereas the denatured molecular weight was found to be 27,000 daltons. Thus,
the enzyme exists predominantly as a dimer. When the activity towards the two
stereoisomers of 2-monochloropropionic acid were considered individually, the
enzyme was found to be active towards the L-isomer only. The purified enzyme
was most active towards monobromoacetic acid with specific activities of 5.44,
1.5, 4.56, and 1.95 J!mole of halide released/min/mg protein for
monobromoacetic acid, 2-monobromopropionic acid, monochloroacetic acid and
2-monochloropropionic acid respectively. Maximum activity of the enzyme was
observed at pH 6.5. The enzyme was found to be thermolabile.
chdl was cloned in the T7 RNA polymerase driven pRSET A and Irc promoter
based pPROEXHT expression vectors. However, no significant expression of
chdl was obtained in these systems.
Chd 1 differed from other dehalogenases in having a long leader sequence.
This leader sequence contains a potential signal peptidase cleavage site. This is a
property of periplasmic enzymes. In order to detect the unprocessed molecules
of Chd 1, chdl was expressed in the temperature-sensitive E. coli strain IT 41
(lep9-mutant). This strain contains a mutation in the leader peptidase gene. The
leader peptidase is inactive in this strain at the non-permissive temperature of
o
42 C. Precursor molecules of Chd 1 was detected in cultures shifted to this non-
permissive temperature. Periplasmic fractions isolated from E. coli harboring
chdl were found to contain the active dehalogenase.
11 / abstract / toc / Botany / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:HKU/oai:hub.hku.hk:10722/26199 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Creators | Sam, Laiju |
| Publisher | The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) |
| Source Sets | Hong Kong University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | PG_Thesis |
| Source | http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B21827187 |
| Rights | The author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patent rights) and the right to use in future works. |
| Relation | HKU Theses Online (HKUTO) |
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