Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Genetic determinants of a nickel-specific transport system are part of the plasmid-encoded hydrogenase gene cluster in Alcaligenes eutrophus

Journal Article · · Journal of Bacteriology; (USA)
OSTI ID:7164635
; ;  [1]
  1. Freien Universitaet Berlin (Germany, F.R.)

Nickel-deficient Nic{sup {minus}} mutants of Alcaligenes eutrophus requiring high levels of nickel ions for autotrophic growth with hydrogen were characterizied. The Nic{sup {minus}} mutants carried defined deletions in the hydrogenase gene cluster of the indigenous pHG megaplasmid. Nickel deficiency correlated with a low level of the nickel-containing hydrogenase activity, a slow rate of nickel transport, and reduced activity of urease. The Nic{sup +} phenotype was restored by a cloned DNA sequence (hoxN) of a megaplasmid pHG1 DNA library of A. eutrophus H16. hoxN is part of the hydrogenase gene cluster. The nickel requirement of Nic{sup {minus}} mutants was enhanced by increasing the concentrations of magnesium. This suggests that the Nic{sup {minus}} mutants are impaired in the nickel-specific transport system and thus depend on the second transport activity which normally mediates the uptake of magnesium.

OSTI ID:
7164635
Journal Information:
Journal of Bacteriology; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Bacteriology; (USA) Vol. 171:3; ISSN JOBAA; ISSN 0021-9193
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English