Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1981 Jul;147(1):198–205. doi: 10.1128/jb.147.1.198-205.1981

Naturally occurring genetic transfer of hydrogen-oxidizing ability between strains of Alcaligenes eutrophus.

B Friedrich, C Hogrefe, H G Schlegel
PMCID: PMC216026  PMID: 6787025

Abstract

Mutants defective in chemolithoautotrophic growth (Aut-) have been isolated from Alcaligenes eutrophus strains H16, N9A, G27, and TF93. Spontaneous Aut- mutants were obtained only with strain TF93. Mutants of the other strains were selected after conventional mutagenesis or treatment with mitomycin. Most of the mutants, including the spontaneous Aut- strains, lacked hydrogenase activity (Hox-) but possessed the ability to fix carbon dioxide (Cfx+). Agar mating of A. eutrophus H16 with Hox- mutants of the various strains resulted in transconjugants which had recovered the ability to grow autotrophically and to express activity of hydrogenase as examined by enzymatic and immunochemical analysis. Transfer of hydrogen-oxidizing ability occurred in the absence of a mobilizing plasmid such as Rp4. The transfer frequency was particularly high (ca. 10(-2) per donor) when the spontaneous Hox- mutants of strain TF93 were used as recipients. These strains proved to be plasmid free, whereas donors, transconjugants, and the mutagen-treated Hox- mutants contained a large plasmid (molecular weight, 270 +/- 10 X 10(6) revealed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The results allow the conclusion that A. eutrophus H16 harbors a self-transmissible plasmid designated pHG1, which carries information for hydrogen-oxidizing ability.

Full text

PDF
198

Images in this article

201Image
on p.201
202Image
on p.202
203Image
on p.203

Selected References

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

  1. Albrecht S. L., Maier R. J., Hanus F. J., Russell S. A., Emerich D. W., Evans H. J. Hydrogenase in Rhizobium japonicum Increases Nitrogen Fixation by Nodulated Soybeans. Science. 1979 Mar 23;203(4386):1255–1257. doi: 10.1126/science.203.4386.1255. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Andersen K. Mutations altering the catalytic activity of a plant-type ribulose biphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase in Alcaligenes eutrophus. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1979 Jun 1;585(1):1–11. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(79)90319-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Datta N., Hedges R. W., Shaw E. J., Sykes R. B., Richmond M. H. Properties of an R factor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol. 1971 Dec;108(3):1244–1249. doi: 10.1128/jb.108.3.1244-1249.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Friedrich B., Heine E., Finck A., Friedrich C. G. Nickel requirement for active hydrogenase formation in Alcaligenes eutrophus. J Bacteriol. 1981 Mar;145(3):1144–1149. doi: 10.1128/jb.145.3.1144-1149.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Friedrich B., Schlegel H. G. Aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in Alcaligenes eutrophus H16. II. The isolation and characterization of mutants auxotrophic for phenylalanine and tyrosine. Arch Microbiol. 1975 Apr 7;103(2):141–149. doi: 10.1007/BF00436341. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Meyers J. A., Sanchez D., Elwell L. P., Falkow S. Simple agarose gel electrophoretic method for the identification and characterization of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid. J Bacteriol. 1976 Sep;127(3):1529–1537. doi: 10.1128/jb.127.3.1529-1537.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. OUCHTERLONY O. Antigen-antibody reactions in gels. IV. Types of reactions in coordinated systems of diffusion. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand. 1953;32(2):230–240. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Pootjes C. F. Evidence for plasmid coding of the ability to utilize hydrogen gas by Pseudomonas facilis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1977 Jun 20;76(4):1002–1006. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(77)90955-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. SCHLEGEL H. G., KALTWASSER H., GOTTSCHALK G. [A submersion method for culture of hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria: growth physiological studies]. Arch Mikrobiol. 1961;38:209–222. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Schink B., Schlegel H. G. Mutants of Alcaligenes eutrophus defective in autotrophic metabolism. Arch Microbiol. 1978 May 30;117(2):123–129. doi: 10.1007/BF00402299. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Schink B., Schlegel H. G. The membrane-bound hydrogenase of Alcaligenes eutrophus. I. Solubilization, purification, and biochemical properties. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1979 Apr 12;567(2):315–324. doi: 10.1016/0005-2744(79)90117-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Schink B., Schlegel H. G. The membrane-bound hydrogenase of Alcaligenes eutrophus: II. Localization and immunological comparison with other hydrogenase systems. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1980;46(1):1–14. doi: 10.1007/BF00422224. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Schlegel H. G. The fifth A.J. Kluyver Memorial Lecture delivered before the Netherlands Society for Microbiology on October 9th, 1975, at the Delft University of Technology, Delft. The physiology of hydrogen bacteria. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1976;42(3):181–201. doi: 10.1007/BF00394115. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Schneider K., Schlegel H. G. Purification and properties of soluble hydrogenase from Alcaligenes eutrophus H 16. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1976 Nov 8;452(1):66–80. doi: 10.1016/0005-2744(76)90058-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. WITTENBERGER C. L., REPASKE R. Studies on hydrogen oxidation in cell-free extracts of Hydrogenomonas eutropha. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1961 Mar 4;47:542–552. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(61)90549-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES