Skip to main content

Organization of the Nitrogen Fixation Genes in Clostridium pasteurianum

  • Chapter
Genetics and Molecular Biology of Anaerobic Bacteria

Part of the book series: Brock/Springer Series in Contemporary Bioscience ((BROCK/SPRINGER))

Abstract

Clostridium pasteurianum is an obligately anaerobic and free-living, nitrogen-fixing organism. It appears to be the first nitrogen-fixing organism isolated, being described by Winogradsky in the mid-1890s (Winogradsky, 1895). Consistent nitrogen-fixing activities using cell-free preparations were first obtained using this organism (Carnahan et al., 1960), which ushered in modern studies on the biochemistry of nitrogen fixation (Burris, 1988). Although the nitro-genase from C. pasteurianum has been extensively studied (see references in Chen et al., 1986), the genetics of the nitrogen fixation system of this organism was not actively investigated when genetic manipulation systems became available in Klebsiella pneumoniae and in other free-living and symbiotic species. The nitrogen-fixation (nif) genes of C. pasteurianum have been studied only in recent years.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Arnold, W., A. Rump, W. Klipp, U.B. Priefer, and A. Puhler. 1988. Nucleotide sequence of a 24,206-base-pair DNA fragment carrying the entire nitrogen fixation gene cluster of Klebsiella pneumoniae. J. Mol Biol. 203:715–738.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ausubel, F.M. 1984. Regulation of nitrogen fixation genes. Cell 37:5–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ausubel, F.M. and F.C. Cannon. 1980. Molecular genetic analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae nitrogen-fixation (nif) genes. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 45:487–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, L.T., F. Cannon, and D.R. Dean. 1988. Nucleotide sequence and mutagenesis of the nifA gene from Azotobacter vinelandii. Mol Microbiol. 2:315–321.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bertram, J. and P. Dürre. 1989. Conjugal transfer and expression of streptococcal transposons in Clostridium acetobutylicum. Arch. Microbiol. 151:551–557.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boonsermsuwong, A. and H.P. Blaschek. 1986. Localization and inactivation of DNase activity in Clostridium pasteurianum NRRL-B598. J. Ind. Microbiol. 1:265–270.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burris, R.H. 1988. 100 years of discoveries in biological N2 fixation. In: Nitrogen Fixation: Hundred Years After, H. Bothe, F.J. de Bruijn, and W.E. Newton, eds., pp. 21–30. New York: Fisher.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cardenas, J. and L.E. Mortenson. 1975. Role of molybdenum in dinitrogen fixation by Clostridium pasteurianum. J. Bacteriol. 123:978–984.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carnahan, J.E., L.E. Mortenson, H.F. Mower, and J.E. Castle. 1960. Nitrogen fixation in cell-free extracts of Clostridium pasteurianum. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 44:520–535.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cato, E.P., W.L. George, and S.M. Finegold. 1986. Genus Clostridium Prazmowski 1880, 23AL. In:Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Vol. 2, P.H.A. Sneath, N.S. Mair, M.E. Sharpe, and J.G. Holt, eds., pp. 1141–1200. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, K.C.-K., J.-S. Chen, and J.L. Johnson. 1986. Structural features of multiple nifH-like sequences and very biased codon usage in nitrogenase genes of Clostridium pasteurianum. J. Bacteriol. 166:162–167.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daldal, F. 1985. Isolation of mutants of Clostridium pasteurianum. Arch. Microbiol. 142:93–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dilworth, M.J., R.R. Eady, R.L Robson, and R.W. Miller. 1987. Ethane formation from acetylene as a potential test for vanadium nitrogenase in vivo. Nature (London) 327:167–168.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, R. A. 1984. The genetic complexity of nitrogen fixation. J. Gen. Microbiol. 130:2745–2755.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, B.B. and L.E. Mortenson. 1976. Regulation of molybdate transport by Clostridium pasteurianum. J. Bacteriol. 127:770–779.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gawron-Burke, C. and D.B. Clewell. 1982. A transposon in Streptococcus faecalis with fertility properties. Nature (London) 300:281–284.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobson, M.R., K.E. Brigle, L.T. Bennett, R.A. Setterquist, M.S. Wilson, V.L. Cash, J. Bey non, W.E. Newton, and D.R. Dean. 1989. Physical and genetic map of the major nif gene cluster from Azotobacter vinelandii. J. Bacteriol. 171: 1017–1027.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joerger, R.D. and P.E. Bishop. 1988. Nucleotide sequence and genetic analysis of the nifB-nifQ region from Azotobacter vinelandii. J. Bacteriol. 170:1475–1487.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joerger, R.D., M.R. Jacobson, R. Premakumar, E.D. Wolfinger, and P.E. Bishop. 1989. Nucleotide sequence and mutational analysis of the structural genes (anfHDGK) for the second alternative nitrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii. J. Bacteriol. 171:1075–1086.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johann, S. and S. Hinton. 1987. Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the chlD locus. J. Bacteriol. 169:1911–1916.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, J.L. and B. Francis. 1975. Taxonomy of the Clostridia: ribosomal ribonucleic acid homologies among the species. J. Gen. Microbiol. 88:229–244.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keller, G., K.H. Schleifer, and F. Götz. 1983. Construction and characterization of plasmid vectors for cloning in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus carnosus. Plasmid 10:270–278.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, C. and J.R. Postgate. 1977. Expression of Klebsiella pneumoniae nitrogen fixation genes in nitrate reductase mutants of Escherichia coli. J. Gen. Microbiol. 98:551–557.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kent, H.M., M. Buck, and D.J. Evans. 1989. Cloning and sequencing of the nifH gene of Desulfovibriogigas. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 61:73–78.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • LeBlanc, D.J. and L.N. Lee. 1984. Physical and genetic analyses of streptococcal plasmid pAMβ1 and cloning of its replication region. J. Bacteriol. 157:445–453.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C.-K., P. Dürre, H. Hippe, and G. Gottschalk. 1987. Screening for plasmids in the genus Clostridium. Arch. Microbiol. 148:107–114.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mazur, B.J., D. Rice, and R. Haselkorn. 1980. Identification of blue-green algal nitrogen fixation genes by using heterologous DNA hybridization probes. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 77:186–190.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McCoy, E., E.B. Fred, W.H. Peterson, and E.G. Hastings. 1930. A cultural study of certain anaerobic butyric acid-forming bacteria. J. Infect. Dis. 46:118–137.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Minton, N.P. and J.G. Morris. 1983. Regeneration of protoplasts of Clostridium pasteurianum ATCC 6013. J. Bacteriol. 155:432–434.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mishustin, E.N. and V.T. Yemtsev. 1975. Anaerobic nitrogen-fixing bacteria of different soil types. In: Nitrogen Fixation by Free-Living Microorganisms, W.D.P. Stewart, ed., pp. 29–38. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pienkos, P.T. and W.J. Brill. 1981. Molybdenum accumulation and storage in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Azotobacter vinelandii. J. Bacteriol. 145: 743–751.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, I., W.M. Holmes, and P.B. Hylemon. 1988. Development of a new shuttle plasmid system for Escherichia coli and Clostridium per-fringens. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 54:268–270.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robson, R.L., R.M. Robson, and J.G. Morris. 1974. The biosynthesis of granulose by Clostridium pasteurianum. Biochem. J. 144:503–511.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruvkun, G.B. and F.M. Ausubel. 1980 Interspecies homology of nitrogenase genes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77:191–195.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, M.A and W.J. Brill. 1971. Mutant of Clostridium pasteurianum that does not fix nitrogen. J. Bacteriol. 105:65–69.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spiegelberg, C.H. 1940. Clostridium pasteurianum associated with spoilage of an acid canned fruit. Food Res. 5:115–130.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spiegelberg, C.H. 1944. Sugar and salt tolerance of Clostridium pasteurianum and some related anaerobes. J. Bacteriol. 48:13–30.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka M., M. Haniu, K.T. Yasunobu, and L.E. Mortenson. 1977. The amino acid sequence of Clostridium pasteurianum iron protein, a compo-amino acid sequences. Biochemistry 27:2800–2810.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, S.-Z., J.-S. Chen, and J.L. Johnson. 1989. Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of nifE from Clostridium pasteurianum. Nucleic Acids Res. 17:3299.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, S.-Z., J.-S. Chen, and J.L. Johnson. 1990a. A nitrogen-fixation gene (nifC) in Clostridium pasteurianum with sequence similarity to chlj of Escherichia coli. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 169:1122–1128.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, S.-Z., D.R. Dean, J.-S. Chen, and J.L. Johnson. 1990b. The N- and C-terminal portions of nifV are encoded by two different genes in Clostridium pasteurianum. In: Nitrogen Fixation: Achievements and Objectives, P.M. Gresshoff, L.E. Roth, G. Stacey, and W.E. Newton, eds. New York: Chapman and Hall. p.602.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winogradsky, M.S. 1895. Recherches sur Tassimilation de l’azote libre de l’atmosphère par les microbes. Arch. Sci. Biol. (St. Petersburg) 3:297–352.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Witz, D.F., R.W. Detroy, and P.W. Wilson. 1967. Nitrogen fixation by growing cells and cell-free extracts of the Bacillaceae. Arch. Mikrobiol 55:369–381.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Young, M., N.P. Minton, and W.L. Staudenbauer. 1989. Recent advances in the genetics of the Clostridia. FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 63:301–326.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1993 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Johnson, J.L., Wang, SZ., Chen, JS. (1993). Organization of the Nitrogen Fixation Genes in Clostridium pasteurianum . In: Sebald, M. (eds) Genetics and Molecular Biology of Anaerobic Bacteria. Brock/Springer Series in Contemporary Bioscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7087-5_26

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7087-5_26

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-7089-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-7087-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics