Functional genes for cellobiose utilization in natural isolates of Escherichia coli.
Abstract: The genes for utilization of cellobiose are normally cryptic in both laboratory strains and natural isolates of Escherichia coli. A survey of natural isolates of E. coli reveals that functional genes for cellobiose utilization, while rare, are present. The fraction of E. coli that utilized cellobiose ranged from less than 0.01% in human fecal samples to 7% in fecal samples obtained from horses. Samples obtained from sheep, cows, dogs, and pigs contained 0.1 to 0.5% cellobiose-positive E. coli. Neither the previously identified cel genes nor the bgl genes from E. coli K-12 were expressed during growth on cellobiose by any of the 14 naturally occurring Cel+ isolates that were tested. All of the naturally occurring Cel+ isolates possessed a cel operon, but all were deleted for the major portion of the bgl operon. The functional cel+ genes from these natural isolates differed from the mutationally activated cel+ genes obtained in earlier studies in that (i) the mutationally activated cel+ genes were temperature sensitive, while the functional genes were not, and (ii) transport of cellobiose was inducible in the strains carrying functional cel+ genes, while it was expressed constitutively in strains carrying mutationally activated genes.
Publication Date: 1987-06-01 PubMed ID: 3034866PubMed Central: PMC212171DOI: 10.1128/jb.169.6.2713-2717.1987Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- P.H.S.
Summary
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The research explores the existence and functionality of genes responsible for cellobiose utilization in various natural strains of Escherichia coli. It outlines the variety in the proportion of E.coli utilizing cellobiose in differing environments and discusses the absence and presence of specific genes in these cases.
Understanding the Background
- This study focuses on Escherichia coli (E. coli), a type of bacteria that is commonly found in the lower intestine.
- These bacteria can utilize various sugars for their growth and survival, one of which is cellobiose. The ability to utilize cellobiose is dictated by certain genes which were considered to be frequently ‘cryptic’ or hidden in both lab-made and natural E. coli strains.
- However, this research indicates that functional genes for cellobiose utilization are present in certain natural E. coli strains, although rare.
Methodology and Findings
- Researchers conducted a survey on various natural E. coli samples to determine a fraction that can utilize cellobiose. This yielded results ranging from less than 0.01% in human fecal samples to more substantial percentages in other animals like horses.
- Specific genes, referred to as ‘cel’ genes and ‘bgl’ genes previously identified in certain E. coli strains, were not found to be expressed during growth on cellobiose in the surveyed strains.
- All the examined cellobiose-positive (Cel+) E. coli strains had a particular set of genes (an operon) related to cellobiose utilization, but a significant part of another operon associated with ‘bgl’ genes was absent.
Features of the Cel+ Genes
- The functional cel+ genes found naturally differ from those that are mutationally activated in previous studies.
- Natural cel+ genes are not temperature sensitive as opposed to their mutationally activated counterparts.
- Cellobiose transport was found to be inducible in E. coli strains carrying functional cel+ genes while consistently expressed in those carrying mutationally active genes.
Contributions of the Study
- The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the genetic mechanisms of sugar utilization in natural E. coli strains.
- These findings could have implications for further research in microbial ecophysiology and evolution, and may contribute to optimizing biofuels production.
Cite This Article
APA
Hall BG, Faunce W.
(1987).
Functional genes for cellobiose utilization in natural isolates of Escherichia coli.
J Bacteriol, 169(6), 2713-2717.
https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.169.6.2713-2717.1987 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Biological Transport
- Cellobiose / metabolism
- DNA Restriction Enzymes
- DNA, Bacterial / genetics
- Disaccharides / metabolism
- Escherichia coli / genetics
- Escherichia coli / metabolism
- Feces / microbiology
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Genes
- Genes, Bacterial
- Glucose / metabolism
- Humans
- Mutation
Grant Funding
- AI-14766 / NIAID NIH HHS
- GM-37110 / NIGMS NIH HHS
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Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Jin T, Käldström M, Benavides A, Rechulski MDK, Jarboe LR. Utilization of mechanocatalytic oligosaccharides by ethanologenic Escherichia coli as a model microbial cell factory.. AMB Express 2020 Feb 3;10(1):28.
- Nelson CE, Rogowski A, Morland C, Wilhide JA, Gilbert HJ, Gardner JG. Systems analysis in Cellvibrio japonicus resolves predicted redundancy of β-glucosidases and determines essential physiological functions.. Mol Microbiol 2017 Apr;104(2):294-305.
- Blanch AR, Belanche-Muñoz L, Bonjoch X, Ebdon J, Gantzer C, Lucena F, Ottoson J, Kourtis C, Iversen A, Kühn I, Mocé L, Muniesa M, Schwartzbrod J, Skraber S, Papageorgiou GT, Taylor H, Wallis J, Jofre J. Integrated analysis of established and novel microbial and chemical methods for microbial source tracking.. Appl Environ Microbiol 2006 Sep;72(9):5915-26.
- Keyhani NO, Roseman S. Wild-type Escherichia coli grows on the chitin disaccharide, N,N'-diacetylchitobiose, by expressing the cel operon.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1997 Dec 23;94(26):14367-71.
- Lai X, Ingram LO. Cloning and sequencing of a cellobiose phosphotransferase system operon from Bacillus stearothermophilus XL-65-6 and functional expression in Escherichia coli.. J Bacteriol 1993 Oct;175(20):6441-50.
- Parker LL, Hall BG. A fourth Escherichia coli gene system with the potential to evolve beta-glucoside utilization.. Genetics 1988 Jul;119(3):485-90.
- Parker LL, Hall BG. Mechanisms of activation of the cryptic cel operon of Escherichia coli K12.. Genetics 1990 Mar;124(3):473-82.
- Wood BE, Ingram LO. Ethanol production from cellobiose, amorphous cellulose, and crystalline cellulose by recombinant Klebsiella oxytoca containing chromosomally integrated Zymomonas mobilis genes for ethanol production and plasmids expressing thermostable cellulase genes from Clostridium thermocellum.. Appl Environ Microbiol 1992 Jul;58(7):2103-10.
- Burchhardt G, Ingram LO. Conversion of xylan to ethanol by ethanologenic strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella oxytoca.. Appl Environ Microbiol 1992 Apr;58(4):1128-33.
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