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A gene linB2 responsible for the conversion of β-HCH and 2,3,4,5,6-pentachlorocyclohexanol in Sphingomonas sp. BHC-A

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Abstract

Commercial formulations of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) consist of a mixture of four isomers: α, β, γ, and δ. All four isomers are toxic and recalcitrant pollutants. β-HCH is more problematic due to its longer persistence in the environment. Sphingomonas sp. BHC-A was able to degrade not only α-, γ-, and δ-HCH but also β-HCH. To clone a gene responsible for the degradation of β-HCH, a Tn5 mutation was introduced into BHC-A, and one mutant BHC-A45 defective in β-HCH degradation was selected. Sequencing analysis showed this mutant had a Tn5 insertion at the site of one haloalkane dehalogenase gene, designated linB2. linB2 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and the 32-kDa product LinB2 showed the conversion activity of not only β-HCH to β-2,3,4,5,6-pentachlorocyclohexanol (β-PCHL) but also β-PCHL to β-2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-cyclohexanediol.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. Y. Nagata, Tohoku University, for providing the authentic mass spectrum of β-PCHL. This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation (projects nos. 40471073 and 30400013), the 863 hi-tech research and development program of Ministry of Science and Technology [projects nos. 2003AA241150, 2004AA246070, 2004(249), and 2004(514)] and the hi-tech research program of JiangSu Science & Technology Department of The People’s Republic of China (project nos. BE2002345, BE2003343, and BG2005322).

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  1. Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, 6 Tongwei Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210095, People’s Republic of China

    Jun Wu, Qing Hong, Peng Han, Jian He & Shunpeng Li

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  1. Jun Wu
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  2. Qing Hong
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  3. Peng Han
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  4. Jian He
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  5. Shunpeng Li
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Correspondence to Shunpeng Li.

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Wu, J., Hong, Q., Han, P. et al. A gene linB2 responsible for the conversion of β-HCH and 2,3,4,5,6-pentachlorocyclohexanol in Sphingomonas sp. BHC-A. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 73, 1097–1105 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-006-0579-z

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