Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1993 Dec;59(12):4189–4197. doi: 10.1128/aem.59.12.4189-4197.1993

Cloning and Characterization of Aerobactin Biosynthesis Genes of the Biological Control Agent Enterobacter cloacae

Joyce E Loper 1,*, Carol A Ishimaru 1,†, Susan R Carnegie 1, Apichart Vanavichit 1,‡
PMCID: PMC195884  PMID: 16349118

Abstract

Five strains of Enterobacter cloacae that are biological control agents of Pythium damping-off diseases produced the hydroxamate siderophore aerobactin under iron-limiting conditions. Genes determining aerobactin biosynthesis of the biocontrol strain E. cloacae EcCT-501 were localized to a 12.3-kb region, which conferred aerobactin production to Escherichia coli DH5α. The aerobactin biosynthesis genes of E. cloacae hybridized to those of the pColV-K30 plasmid of E. coli, but restriction patterns of the aerobactin regions of pColV-K30 and E. cloacae differed. A derivative strain with a deletion in the aerobactin biosynthesis locus was as effective as strain EcCT-501 in biological control of Pythium damping-off of cucumber. Thus, aerobactin production did not contribute significantly to the biological control activity of EcCT-501 under the conditions of this study.

Full text

PDF
4189

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Atkin C. L., Neilands J. B., Phaff H. J. Rhodotorulic acid from species of Leucosporidium, Rhodosporidium, Rhodotorula, Sporidiobolus, and Sporobolomyces, and a new alanine-containing ferrichrome from Cryptococcus melibiosum. J Bacteriol. 1970 Sep;103(3):722–733. doi: 10.1128/jb.103.3.722-733.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bell S. J., Friedman S. A., Leong J. Antibiotic action of N-methylthioformohydroxamate metal complexes. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979 Mar;15(3):384–391. doi: 10.1128/aac.15.3.384. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bindereif A., Braun V., Hantke K. The cloacin receptor of ColV-bearing Escherichia coli is part of the Fe3+-aerobactin transport system. J Bacteriol. 1982 Jun;150(3):1472–1475. doi: 10.1128/jb.150.3.1472-1475.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bindereif A., Neilands J. B. Aerobactin genes in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1985 Feb;161(2):727–735. doi: 10.1128/jb.161.2.727-735.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bindereif A., Neilands J. B. Cloning of the aerobactin-mediated iron assimilation system of plasmid ColV. J Bacteriol. 1983 Feb;153(2):1111–1113. doi: 10.1128/jb.153.2.1111-1113.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Carbonetti N. H., Williams P. H. A cluster of five genes specifying the aerobactin iron uptake system of plasmid ColV-K30. Infect Immun. 1984 Oct;46(1):7–12. doi: 10.1128/iai.46.1.7-12.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Crosa L. M., Wolf M. K., Actis L. A., Sanders-Loehr J., Crosa J. H. New aerobactin-mediated iron uptake system in a septicemia-causing strain of Enterobacter cloacae. J Bacteriol. 1988 Dec;170(12):5539–5544. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.12.5539-5544.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Figurski D. H., Helinski D. R. Replication of an origin-containing derivative of plasmid RK2 dependent on a plasmid function provided in trans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Apr;76(4):1648–1652. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.4.1648. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gibson F., Magrath D. I. The isolation and characterization of a hydroxamic acid (aerobactin) formed by Aerobacter aerogenes 62-I. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1969 Nov 18;192(2):175–184. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(69)90353-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ishimaru C. A., Loper J. E. High-affinity iron uptake systems present in Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora include the hydroxamate siderophore aerobactin. J Bacteriol. 1992 May;174(9):2993–3003. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.9.2993-3003.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lawlor K. M., Payne S. M. Aerobactin genes in Shigella spp. J Bacteriol. 1984 Oct;160(1):266–272. doi: 10.1128/jb.160.1.266-272.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Marolda C. L., Valvano M. A., Lawlor K. M., Payne S. M., Crosa J. H. Flanking and internal regions of chromosomal genes mediating aerobactin iron uptake systems in enteroinvasive Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri. J Gen Microbiol. 1987 Aug;133(8):2269–2278. doi: 10.1099/00221287-133-8-2269. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. McDougall S., Neilands J. B. Plasmid- and chromosome-coded aerobactin synthesis in enteric bacteria: insertion sequences flank operon in plasmid-mediated systems. J Bacteriol. 1984 Jul;159(1):300–305. doi: 10.1128/jb.159.1.300-305.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mircetich S. M., Kraft J. M. Efficiency of various selective media in determining Pythium population in soil. Mycopathol Mycol Appl. 1973 Jul 5;50(2):151–161. doi: 10.1007/BF02049953. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Neilands J. B. Microbial iron compounds. Annu Rev Biochem. 1981;50:715–731. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.50.070181.003435. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Payne S. M. Iron and virulence in the family Enterobacteriaceae. Crit Rev Microbiol. 1988;16(2):81–111. doi: 10.3109/10408418809104468. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Payne S. M. Synthesis and utilization of siderophores by Shigella flexneri. J Bacteriol. 1980 Sep;143(3):1420–1424. doi: 10.1128/jb.143.3.1420-1424.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Perez-Casal J. F., Crosa J. H. Aerobactin iron uptake sequences in plasmid ColV-K30 are flanked by inverted IS1-like elements and replication regions. J Bacteriol. 1984 Oct;160(1):256–265. doi: 10.1128/jb.160.1.256-265.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Ried J. L., Collmer A. An nptI-sacB-sacR cartridge for constructing directed, unmarked mutations in gram-negative bacteria by marker exchange-eviction mutagenesis. Gene. 1987;57(2-3):239–246. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(87)90127-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rioux C., Jordan D. C., Rattray J. B. Colorimetric determination of catechol siderophores in microbial cultures. Anal Biochem. 1983 Aug;133(1):163–169. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(83)90238-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. SIMON E. H., TESSMAN I. THYMIDINE-REQUIRING MUTANTS OF PHAGE T4. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1963 Sep;50:526–532. doi: 10.1073/pnas.50.3.526. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Schwyn B., Neilands J. B. Universal chemical assay for the detection and determination of siderophores. Anal Biochem. 1987 Jan;160(1):47–56. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(87)90612-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Staskawicz B., Dahlbeck D., Keen N., Napoli C. Molecular characterization of cloned avirulence genes from race 0 and race 1 of Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea. J Bacteriol. 1987 Dec;169(12):5789–5794. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.12.5789-5794.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Valvano M. A., Crosa J. H. Aerobactin iron transport genes commonly encoded by certain ColV plasmids occur in the chromosome of a human invasive strain of Escherichia coli K1. Infect Immun. 1984 Oct;46(1):159–167. doi: 10.1128/iai.46.1.159-167.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Van Tiel-Menkveld G. J., Mentjox-Vervuurt J. M., Oudega B., de Graaf F. K. Siderophore production by Enterobacter cloacae and a common receptor protein for the uptake of aerobactin and cloacin DF13. J Bacteriol. 1982 May;150(2):490–497. doi: 10.1128/jb.150.2.490-497.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Waters V. L., Crosa J. H. Divergence of the aerobactin iron uptake systems encoded by plasmids pColV-K30 in Escherichia coli K-12 and pSMN1 in Aerobacter aerogenes 62-1. J Bacteriol. 1988 Nov;170(11):5153–5160. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.11.5153-5160.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Williams P. H. Novel iron uptake system specified by ColV plasmids: an important component in the virulence of invasive strains of Escherichia coli. Infect Immun. 1979 Dec;26(3):925–932. doi: 10.1128/iai.26.3.925-932.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Williams P. H., Warner P. J. ColV plasmid-mediated, colicin V-independent iron uptake system of invasive strains of Escherichia coli. Infect Immun. 1980 Aug;29(2):411–416. doi: 10.1128/iai.29.2.411-416.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES