Haloalkanoate dehalogenase II (DehE) of a Rhizobium sp.--molecular analysis of the gene and formation of carbon monoxide from trihaloacetate by the enzyme.

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A 3-kb EcoRI fragment of genomic DNA from a Rhizobium sp. cloned into pUC19 endowed Escherichia coli K-12 with the ability to grow, albeit slowly, with 2-chloropropionic acid as substrate. The construct expressed weakly a gene that encoded a non-stereospecific 2-chloropropionic acid dehalogenase (dehalogenase II; DehE). The dehE gene was not closely linked to the organism's other two dehalogenase genes, dehD and dehL. The derived amino acid sequence of DehE showed little identity with DehD or DehL, but there was significant identity to two other dehalogenases that act non-selectively on 2-chloropropionic acid. The fragment carried a truncated ORF upstream of dehE that was 51% identical to a positively acting regulatory protein, DehR, required for expression of a Pseudomonas putida dehalogenase gene. In its complete form this gene could encode the Rhizobium sp. dehalogenase-regulatory protein. DehE dehalogenated tribromoacetic acid completely, forming stoichiometric amounts of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide as the other products.