Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1985 Apr;162(1):328–334. doi: 10.1128/jb.162.1.328-334.1985

Alcaligenes eutrophus CH34 is a facultative chemolithotroph with plasmid-bound resistance to heavy metals.

M Mergeay, D Nies, H G Schlegel, J Gerits, P Charles, F Van Gijsegem
PMCID: PMC218993  PMID: 3884593

Abstract

Alcaligenes eutrophus strain CH34, which was isolated as a bacterium resistant to cobalt, zinc, and cadmium ions, shares with A. eutrophus strain H16 the ability to grow lithoautotrophically on molecular hydrogen, to form a cytoplasmic NAD-reducing and a membrane-bound hydrogenase, and most metabolic attributes; however, it does not grow on fructose. Strain CH34 contains two plasmids, pMOL28 (163 kilobases) specifying nickel, mercury, and cobalt resistance and pMOL30 (238 kilobases) specifying zinc, cadmium, mercury, and cobalt resistance. The plasmids are self-transmissible in homologous matings, but at low frequencies. The transfer frequency was strongly increased with IncP1 plasmids RP4 and pUZ8 as helper plasmids. The phenotypes of the wild type, cured strains, and transconjugants are characterized by the following MICs (Micromolar) in strains with the indicated phenotypes: Nic+, 2.5; Nic-, 0.6; Cob+A, 5.0; Cob+B, 20.0; Cob-, less than 0.07; Zin+, 12.0; Zin-, 0.6; Cad+, 2.5; and Cad-, 0.6. Plasmid-free cells of strain CH34 are still able to grow lithoautotrophically and to form both hydrogenases, indicating that the hydrogenase genes are located on the chromosome, in contrast to the Hox structural genes of strain H16, which are located on the megaplasmid pHG1 (450 kilobases).

Full text

PDF
328

Images in this article

331Image
on p.331

Selected References

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

  1. ABELSON P. H., ALDOUS E. Ion antagonisms in microorganisms; interference of normal magnesium metabolism by nickel, cobalt, cadmium, zinc, and manganese. J Bacteriol. 1950 Oct;60(4):401–413. doi: 10.1128/jb.60.4.401-413.1950. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. ADIGA P. R., SASTRY K. S., VENKATASUBRAMANYAM V., SARM P. S. Interrelationships in trace-element metabolism in Aspergillus niger. Biochem J. 1961 Dec;81:545–550. doi: 10.1042/bj0810545. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BARTHA R. [Physiological studies on the chemolithotropic metabolism of recently isolated Hydrogenomonas strains]. Arch Mikrobiol. 1962;41:313–350. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Babich H., Stotzky G. Toxicity of nickel to microbes: environmental aspects. Adv Appl Microbiol. 1983;29:195–265. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2164(08)70358-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bowien B., Mayer F., Codd G. A., Schlegel H. G. Purification, some properties and quaternary structure of the D-ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase of Alcaligenes eutrophus. Arch Microbiol. 1976 Nov 2;110(23):157–166. doi: 10.1007/BF00690223. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bowien B., Schlegel H. G. Physiology and biochemistry of aerobic hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1981;35:405–452. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.35.100181.002201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Don R. H., Pemberton J. M. Properties of six pesticide degradation plasmids isolated from Alcaligenes paradoxus and Alcaligenes eutrophus. J Bacteriol. 1981 Feb;145(2):681–686. doi: 10.1128/jb.145.2.681-686.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dyke K. G., Parker M. T., Richmond M. H. Penicillinase production and metal-ion resistance in Staphylococcus aureus cultures isolated from hospital patients. J Med Microbiol. 1970 Feb;3(1):125–136. doi: 10.1099/00222615-3-1-125. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. ECHOLS H., GAREN A., GAREN S., TORRIANI A. Genetic control of repression of alkaline phosphatase in E. coli. J Mol Biol. 1961 Aug;3:425–438. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(61)80055-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Foster T. J. Plasmid-determined resistance to antimicrobial drugs and toxic metal ions in bacteria. Microbiol Rev. 1983 Sep;47(3):361–409. doi: 10.1128/mr.47.3.361-409.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Friedrich B., Hogrefe C., Schlegel H. G. Naturally occurring genetic transfer of hydrogen-oxidizing ability between strains of Alcaligenes eutrophus. J Bacteriol. 1981 Jul;147(1):198–205. doi: 10.1128/jb.147.1.198-205.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Friedrich B., Meyer M., Schlegel H. G. Transfer and expression of the herbicide-degrading plasmid pJP4 in aerobic autotrophic bacteria. Arch Microbiol. 1983 Feb;134(2):92–97. doi: 10.1007/BF00407938. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Fuhrmann G. F., Rothstein A. The transport of Zn2+, Co2+ and Ni2+ into yeast cells. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1968 Nov 5;163(3):325–330. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(68)90117-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. HEALY W. B., CHENG S. C., McELROY W. D. Metal toxicity and iron deficiency effects on enzymes in Neurospora. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1955 Jan;54(1):206–214. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(55)90023-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Higham D. P., Sadler P. J., Scawen M. D. Cadmium-Resistant Pseudomonas putida Synthesizes Novel Cadmium Proteins. Science. 1984 Sep 7;225(4666):1043–1046. doi: 10.1126/science.225.4666.1043. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kado C. I., Liu S. T. Rapid procedure for detection and isolation of large and small plasmids. J Bacteriol. 1981 Mar;145(3):1365–1373. doi: 10.1128/jb.145.3.1365-1373.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lejeune P., Mergeay M., Van Gijsegem F., Faelen M., Gerits J., Toussaint A. Chromosome transfer and R-prime plasmid formation mediated by plasmid pULB113 (RP4::mini-Mu) in Alcaligenes eutrophus CH34 and Pseudomonas fluorescens 6.2. J Bacteriol. 1983 Sep;155(3):1015–1026. doi: 10.1128/jb.155.3.1015-1026.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Lerch K. Copper metallothionein, a copper-binding protein from Neurospora crassa. Nature. 1980 Mar 27;284(5754):368–370. doi: 10.1038/284368a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Maruthi Mohan P., Sivarama Sastry K. Interrelationships in trace-element metabolism in metal toxicities in nickel-resistant strains of Neurospora crassa. Biochem J. 1983 Apr 15;212(1):205–210. doi: 10.1042/bj2120205. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Mergeay M., Gerits J., Houba C. Facteur transmissible de la résistance au cobalt chez un Pseudomonas du type hydrogenomonas. C R Seances Soc Biol Fil. 1978;172(3):575–579. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Mergeay M., Houba C., Gerits J. Extrachromosomal inheritance controlling resistance to cadmium, cobalt, copper and zinc ions: evidence from curing in a Pseudomonas [proceedings]. Arch Int Physiol Biochim. 1978 May;86(2):440–442. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Nelson D. L., Kennedy E. P. Magnesium transport in Escherichia coli. Inhibition by cobaltous ion. J Biol Chem. 1971 May 10;246(9):3042–3049. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Novick R. P., Murphy E., Gryczan T. J., Baron E., Edelman I. Penicillinase plasmids of Staphylococcus aureus: restriction-deletion maps. Plasmid. 1979 Jan;2(1):109–129. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(79)90010-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Olafson R. W., Abel K., Sim R. G. Prokaryotic metallothionein: preliminary characterization of a blue-green alga heavy metal-binding protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1979 Jul 12;89(1):36–43. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(79)90939-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Robinson J. B., Tuovinen O. H. Mechanisms of microbial resistance and detoxification of mercury and organomercury compounds: physiological, biochemical, and genetic analyses. Microbiol Rev. 1984 Jun;48(2):95–124. doi: 10.1128/mr.48.2.95-124.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. 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]
  27. 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]
  28. Schneider K., Schlegel H. G. Localization and stability of hydrogenases from aerobic hydrogen bacteria. Arch Microbiol. 1977 Apr 1;112(3):229–238. doi: 10.1007/BF00413086. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Tynecka Z., Gos Z., Zajac J. Energy-dependent efflux of cadmium coded by a plasmid resistance determinant in Staphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol. 1981 Aug;147(2):313–319. doi: 10.1128/jb.147.2.313-319.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Villarroel R., Hedges R. W., Maenhaut R., Leemans J., Engler G., Van Montagu M., Schell J. Heteroduplex analysis of P-plasmid evolution: the role of insertion and deletion of transposable elements. Mol Gen Genet. 1983;189(3):390–399. doi: 10.1007/BF00325900. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Webb M. Interrelationships between the utilization of magnesium and the uptake of other bivalent cations by bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1970 Nov 24;222(2):428–439. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(70)90133-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES