Abstract
Alcaligenes eutrophus and three other hydrogen bacteria exposed to plasmid-curing agents generated autotrophic-minus mutants at high frequency. These mutants were blocked in the metabolism of H2 as an energy source and had normal levels of enzymes involved in CO2 fixation. The loss of hydrogenase activity in A. eutrophus was accompanied by the loss or alteration of a plasmid that had molecular weight of approximately 200×106. Mobilization of this plasmid from wild-type A. eutrophus strains into cured hydrogenase-minus derivatives restored hydrogenase function. It is concluded that A. eutrophus contains a large plasmid required for hydrogen metabolism and thereby autotrophic growth.
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Abbreviations
- Aut:
-
autotrophic
- Hup:
-
hydrogen uptake
- NTG:
-
N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine
- RuBP:
-
ribulose bisphosphate
- RuMP:
-
ribulose monophosphate
- Kan:
-
kanamycin
- Nal:
-
nalidixic acid
- Rif:
-
rifampicin
- Tet:
-
tetracycline
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Andersen, K., Tait, R.C. & King, W.R. Plasmids required for utilization of molecular hydrogen by Alcaligenes eutrophus . Arch. Microbiol. 129, 384–390 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406468
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406468