3-Fluorobenzoate enriched bacterial strain FLB 300 degrades benzoate and all three isomeric monofluorobenzoates

The bacterial strain FLB300 was enriched with 3-fluorobenzoate as sole carbon source. Besides benzoate all isomeric monofluorobenzoates were utilized. Regioselective 1,2-dioxygenation rather than 1,6-dioxygenation yielded 4-fluorocatechol and minimized the production of toxic 3-fluorocatechol. Degradation of 4-fluorocatechol was mediated by reactions of ortho cleavage pathway activities. Chemotaxonomic and r-RNA data excluded strain FLB300 from a phylogenetically defined genus Pseudomonas and suggested its allocation to the alpha-2 subclass of Proteobacteria in a new genus of the Agrobacterium-Rhizobium branch

Reclassification of Ubiquinone Q-10 Containing Carboxidotrophic Bacteria: Transfer of “[Pseudomonas] carboxydovorans” OM5T to Oligotropha, gen. nov., as Oligotropha carboxidovorans, comb. nov., Transfer of “[Alcaligenes] carboxydus” DSM 1086T to Carbophilus, gen. nov., as Carbophilus carboxidus, comb. nov., Transfer of “[Pseudomonas] compransoris” DSM 1231T to Zavarzinia, gen. nov., as Zavarzinia compransoris, comb. nov., and Amended Descriptions of the New Genera

Carboxidotrophic bacteria are defined on physiological grounds and characterized by the ability to grow with carbon monoxide (CO) as a sole source of carbon and energy under aerobic or, in some instances, denitrifying conditions. “[Pseudomonas] carboxydovorans”, “[Pseudomonas] compransoris” and “[Alcaligenes] carboxydus” are mesophilic Gram-negative carboxidotrophic species that require reclassification on the basis of chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data. In order to reflect their localization within the alpha subclass of the Proteobacteria we propose the new genera Oligotropha, Carbophilus and Zavarzinia. “[Pseudomonas] carboxydovorans” should be transferred to the genus Oligotropha as Oligotropha carboxidovorans, comb. nov., “[Alcaligenes] carboxydus” should be transferred to the genus Carbophilus as Carbophilus carboxidus, comb. nov., and “[Pseudomonas] compransoris” to the genus Zavarzinia as Zavarzinia compransoris, comb. nov

S434F in NrdE Generates the Thermosensitive Phenotype of Corynebacterium ammoniagenes CH31 and Enhances Thermolability by Increasing the Surface Hydrophobicity of the NrdE(Ts) Protein

The thermosensitive phenotype of strain CH31, a derivative of Corynebacterium ammoniagenes ATCC 6872, was allocated by cloning, sequencing, and genetic complementation to a single C→T exchange in the nrdE (nucleotide reduction) gene at nucleotide 1301. Protein modeling indicates the impaired surface hydrophobicity of NrdE(Ts) due to the S434F transition

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the small subunit (R2F) of native ribonucleotide reductase from Corynebacterium ammoniagenes

The crystallization of the metallo-cofactor (R2F) of native ribonucleotide reductase isolated from the Mn-requiring Gram-positive bacterium C. ammoniagenes is described. The crystals diffracted to 1.36 Å resolution

Description of the Gram-Negative, Obligately Aerobic, Nitrilotriacetate (NTA)-Utilizing Bacteria as Chelatobacter heintzii, gen. nov., sp. nov., and Chelatococcus asaccharovorans, gen. nov., sp. nov

Nine obligately aerobic, Gram-negative, nitrilotriacetate (NTA)-utilizing isolates and the two NTA-utilizing reference strains Pseudomonas spp. ATCC 29600 and ATCC 27109 were investigated by a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The presence of sym-homospermidine as the major polyamine excluded all NTA-utilizing bacteria from the authentic genus Pseudomonas and suggested their allocation into the alpha-2 subclass of the Proteobacteria. Protein patterns and DNA hybridization studies revealed two unrelated groups, neither of which could be allocated to any currently recognized genus. The 16S rRNA fragment sequences (position 1220–1377, Escherichia coli-nomenclature) of representative strains from both groups differ by 13 nucleotides. This indicates that they are not closely related, and justifies placement of the NTA-utilizing bacteria in two different genera, Chelatobacter, gen. nov., and Chelatococcus, gen. nov. These taxa are formally described below. A difference of 10 nucleotides indicated that Rhodopseudomonas acidophila is the most closely related neighbour of Chelatococcus asaccharovorans TE2. Oligonucleotide cataloguing places Chelatobacter heintzii ATCC 29600 next to the carbon monoxide oxidizing bacterium “Alcaligenes carboxydus” DSM 1086, within the Agrobacterium-Rhizobium branch

Aquincola tertiaricarbonis gen. nov., sp nov., a tertiary butyl moiety-degrading bacterium

International audienceStrains L10T, L108 and CIP I-2052 were originally obtained from methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)-contaminated groundwater and from a wastewater treatment plant, respectively. All share the ability to grow on tert-butanol, an intermediate of MTBE degradation. Cells are strictly aerobic, motile by a polar flagellum and exhibit strong pili formation. Poly beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) granules are formed. The DNA G+C content is 69–70.5 mol% and the main ubiquinone is Q-8. The major cellular fatty acids are 16 : 1 cis-9 and 16 : 0 and the only hydroxy fatty acid is 10 : 0 3-OH. The major phospholipids are phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) 16 : 1/16 : 1 and phosphatidylglycerol 16 : 0/16 : 1. A significant amount of PE 17 : 0/16 : 1 is present. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of these strains are almost identical and form a separate line of descent in the Rubrivivax–Roseateles–Leptothrix–Ideonella–Aquabacterium branch of the Betaproteobacteria with 97 % similarity to 16S rRNA genes of the type strains of Rubrivivax gelatinosus, Leptothrix mobilis and Ideonella dechloratans. However, physiological properties, DNA–DNA relatedness values and the phospholipid and cellular fatty acid profiles distinguish the novel isolates from the three closely related genera. Therefore, it is concluded that strains L10T, L108 and CIP I-2052 represent a new genus and novel species for which the name Aquincola tertiaricarbonis gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is strain L10T (=DSM 18512T=CIP 109243T)