Biomedical subjects

D B Janssen

Publications and source records attributed to D B Janssen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

Degradation of chloroaromatics: purification and characterization of a novel type of chlorocatechol 2,3-dioxygenase of Pseudomonas putida GJ31.

A purification procedure for a new kind of extradiol dioxygenase, termed chlorocatechol 2,3-dioxygenase, that converts 3-chlorocatechol productively was developed. Structural and kinetic properties of the enzyme, which is part of the degradative pathway used for growth of Pseudomonas putida GJ31 with chlorobenzene, were investigated. The enzyme has a subunit molecular mass of 33.4 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Estimation of the native Mr value under nondenaturating conditions by gel filtration gave a molecular mass of 135 +/- 10 kDa, indicating a homotetrameric enzyme structure (4 x 33.4 kDa). The pI of the enzyme was estimated to be 7.1 +/- 0.1. The N-terminal amino acid sequence (43 residues) of the enzyme was determined and exhibits 70 to 42% identity with other extradiol dioxygenases. Fe(II) seems to be a cofactor of the enzyme, as it is for other catechol 2,3-dioxygenases. In contrast to other extradiol dioxygenases, the enzyme exhibited great sensitivity to temperatures above 40 degrees C. The reactivity of this enzyme toward various substituted catechols, especially 3-chlorocatechol, was different from that observed for other catechol 2,3-dioxygenases. Stoichiometric displacement of chloride occurred from 3-chlorocatechol, leading to the production of 2-hydroxymuconate.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Three-dimensional structure of L-2-haloacid dehalogenase from Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 complexed with the substrate-analogue formate.

The L-2-haloacid dehalogenase from the 1,2-dichloroethane degrading bacterium Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 catalyzes the hydrolytic dehalogenation of small L-2-haloalkanoic acids to yield the corresponding D-2-hydroxyalkanoic acids. Its crystal structure was solved by the method of multiple isomorphous replacement with incorporation of anomalous scattering information and solvent flattening, and was refined at 1.95-A resolution to an R factor of 21.3%. The three-dimensional structure is similar to that of the homologous L-2-haloacid dehalogenase from Pseudomonas sp. YL (1), but the X. autotrophicus enzyme has an extra dimerization domain, an active site cavity that is completely shielded from the solvent, and a different orientation of several catalytically important amino acid residues. Moreover, under the conditions used, a formate ion is bound in the active site. The position of this substrate-analogue provides valuable information on the reaction mechanism and explains the limited substrate specificity of the Xanthobacter L-2-haloacid dehalogenase.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed1997

Repositioning the catalytic triad aspartic acid of haloalkane dehalogenase: effects on stability, kinetics, and structure.

Haloalkane dehalogenase (DhlA) catalyzes the hydrolysis of haloalkanes via an alkyl-enzyme intermediate. The covalent intermediate, which is formed by nucleophilic substitution with Asp124, is hydrolyzed by a water molecule that is activated by His289. The role of Asp260, which is the third member of the catalytic triad, was studied by site-directed mutagenesis. Mutation of Asp260 to asparagine resulted in a catalytically inactive D260N mutant, which demonstrates that the triad acid Asp260 is essential for dehalogenase activity. Furthermore, Asp260 has an important structural role, since the D260N enzyme accumulated mainly in inclusion bodies during expression, and neither substrate nor product could bind in the active-site cavity. Activity for brominated substrates was restored to D260N by replacing Asn148 with an aspartic or glutamic acid. Both double mutants D260N+N148D and D260N+N148E had a 10-fold reduced kcat and 40-fold higher Km values for 1,2-dibromoethane compared to the wild-type enzyme. Pre-steady-state kinetic analysis of the D260N+N148E double mutant showed that the decrease in kcat was mainly caused by a 220-fold reduction of the rate of carbon-bromine bond cleavage and a 10-fold decrease in the rate of hydrolysis of the alkyl-enzyme intermediate. On the other hand, bromide was released 12-fold faster and via a different pathway than in the wild-type enzyme. Molecular modeling of the mutant showed that Glu148 indeed could take over the interaction with His289 and that there was a change in charge distribution in the tunnel region that connects the active site with the solvent. On the basis of primary structure similarity between DhlA and other alpha/beta-hydrolase fold dehalogenases, we propose that a conserved acidic residue at the equivalent position of Asn148 in DhlA is the third catalytic triad residue in the latter enzymes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Primary structure and catalytic mechanism of the epoxide hydrolase from Agrobacterium radiobacter AD1.

The epoxide hydrolase gene from Agrobacterium radiobacter AD1, a bacterium that is able to grow on epichlorohydrin as the sole carbon source, was cloned by means of the polymerase chain reaction with two degenerate primers based on the N-terminal and C-terminal sequences of the enzyme. The epoxide hydrolase gene coded for a protein of 294 amino acids with a molecular mass of 34 kDa. An identical epoxide hydrolase gene was cloned from chromosomal DNA of the closely related strain A. radiobacter CFZ11. The recombinant epoxide hydrolase was expressed up to 40% of the total cellular protein content in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and the purified enzyme had a kcat of 21 s-1 with epichlorohydrin. Amino acid sequence similarity of the epoxide hydrolase with eukaryotic epoxide hydrolases, haloalkane dehalogenase from Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10, and bromoperoxidase A2 from Streptomyces aureofaciens indicated that it belonged to the alpha/beta-hydrolase fold family. This conclusion was supported by secondary structure predictions and analysis of the secondary structure with circular dichroism spectroscopy. The catalytic triad residues of epoxide hydrolase are proposed to be Asp107, His275, and Asp246. Replacement of these residues to Ala/Glu, Arg/Gln, and Ala, respectively, resulted in a dramatic loss of activity for epichlorohydrin. The reaction mechanism of epoxide hydrolase proceeds via a covalently bound ester intermediate, as was shown by single turnover experiments with the His275 --> Arg mutant of epoxide hydrolase in which the ester intermediate could be trapped.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Influence of mutations of Val226 on the catalytic rate of haloalkane dehalogenase.

Haloalkane dehalogenase converts haloalkanes to their corresponding alcohols. The 3D structure, reaction mechanism and kinetic mechanism have been studied. The steady state k(cat) with 1,2-dichloroethane and 1,2-dibromoethane is limited mainly by the rate of release of the halide ion from the buried active-site cavity. During catalysis, the halogen that is cleaved off (Cl alpha) from 1,2-dichloroethane interacts with Trp125 and the Cl beta interacts with Phe172. Both these residues have van der Waals contacts with Val226. To establish the effect of these interactions on catalysis, and in an attempt to change enzyme activity without directly mutating residues involved in catalysis, we mutated Val226 to Gly, Ala and Leu. The Val226Ala and Val226Leu mutants had a 2.5-fold higher catalytic rate for 1,2-dibromoethane than the wild-type enzyme. A pre-steady state kinetic analysis of the Val226Ala mutant enzyme showed that the increase in k(cat) could be attributed to an increase in the rate of a conformational change that precedes halide release, causing a faster overall rate of halide dissociation. The k(cat) for 1,2-dichloroethane conversion was not elevated, although the rate of chloride release was also faster than in the wild-type enzyme. This was caused by a 3-fold decrease in the rate of formation of the alkyl-enzyme intermediate for 1,2-dichloroethane. Val226 seems to contribute to leaving group (Cl alpha or Br alpha) stabilization via Trp125, and can influence halide release and substrate binding via an interaction with Phe172. These studies indicate that wild-type haloalkane dehalogenase is optimized for 1,2-dichloroethane, although 1,2-dibromoethane is a better substrate.

Catalysis↗

PubMed1997

Microbial degradation of chloroaromatics: use of the meta-cleavage pathway for mineralization of chlorobenzene.

Pseudomonas putida GJ31 is able to simultaneously grow on toluene and chlorobenzene. When cultures of this strain were inhibited with 3-fluorocatechol while growing on toluene or chlorobenzene, 3-methylcatechol or 3-chlorocatechol, respectively, accumulated in the medium. To establish the catabolic routes for these catechols, activities of enzymes of the (modified) ortho- and meta-cleavage pathways were measured in crude extracts of cells of P. putida GJ31 grown on various aromatic substrates, including chlorobenzene. The enzymes of the modified ortho-cleavage pathway were never present, while the enzymes of the meta-cleavage pathway were detected in all cultures. This indicated that chloroaromatics and methylaromatics are both converted via the meta-cleavage pathway. Meta cleavage of 3-chlorocatechol usually leads to the formation of a reactive acylchloride, which inactivates the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase and blocks further degradation of catechols. However, partially purified catechol 2,3-dioxygenase of P. putida GJ31 converted 3-chlorocatechol to 2-hydroxy-cis,cis-muconic acid. Apparently, P. putida GJ31 has a meta-cleavage enzyme which is resistant to inactivation by the acylchloride, providing this strain with the exceptional ability to degrade both toluene and chlorobenzene via the meta-cleavage pathway.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed1996

Kinetic characterization and X-ray structure of a mutant of haloalkane dehalogenase with higher catalytic activity and modified substrate range.

Conversion of halogenated aliphatics by haloalkane dehalogenase proceeds via the formation of a covalent alkyl-enzyme intermediate which is subsequently hydrolyzed by water. In the wild type enzyme, the slowest step for both 1,2-dichloroethane and 1,2-dibromoethane conversion is a unimolecular enzyme isomerization preceding rapid halide dissociation. Phenylalanine 172 is located in a helix-loop-helix structure that covers the active site cavity of the enzyme, interacts with the C1 beta of 1,2-dichloroethane during catalysis, and could be involved in stabilization of this helix-loop-helix region of the cap domain of the enzyme. To obtain more information about the role of this residue in dehalogenase function, we performed a mutational analysis of position 172 and studied the kinetics and X-ray structure of the Phe172Trp enzyme. The Phe172Trp mutant had a 10-fold higher Kcat/Km for 1-chlorohexane and a 2-fold higher Kcat for 1,2-dibromoethane than the wild-type enzyme. The X-ray structure of the Phe172Trp enzyme showed a local conformational change in the helix-loop-helix region that covers the active site. This could explain the elevated activity for 1-chlorohexane of the Phe172Trp enzyme, since it allows this large substrate to bind more easily in the active site cavity. Pre-steady-state kinetic analysis showed that the increase in Kcat found for 1,2-dibromoethane conversion could be attributed to an increase in the rate of an enzyme isomerization step that preceeds halide release. The observed conformational difference between the helix-loop-helix structures of the wild-type enzyme and the faster mutant suggests that the isomerization required for halide release could be a conformational change that takes place in this region of the cap domain of the dehalogenase. It is proposed that Phe172 is involved in stabilization of the helix-loop-helix structure that covers the active site of the enzyme and creates a rigid hydrophobic cavity for small apolar halogenated alkanes.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1996

Specificity and kinetics of haloalkane dehalogenase.

Haloalkane dehalogenase converts halogenated alkanes to their corresponding alcohols. The active site is buried inside the protein and lined with hydrophobic residues. The reaction proceeds via a covalent substrate-enzyme complex. This paper describes a steady-state and pre-steady-state kinetic analysis of the conversion of a number of substrates of the dehalogenase. The kinetic mechanism for the "natural" substrate 1,2-dichloroethane and for the brominated analog and nematocide 1,2-dibromoethane are given. In general, brominated substrates had a lower Km, but a similar kcat than the chlorinated analogs. The rate of C-Br bond cleavage was higher than the rate of C-Cl bond cleavage, which is in agreement with the leaving group abilities of these halogens. The lower Km for brominated compounds therefore originates both from the higher rate of C-Br bond cleavage and from a lower Ks for bromo-compounds. However, the rate-determining step in the conversion (kcat) of 1, 2-dibromoethane and 1,2-dichloroethane was found to be release of the charged halide ion out of the active site cavity, explaining the different Km but similar kcat values for these compounds. The study provides a basis for the analysis of rate-determining steps in the hydrolysis of various environmentally important substrates.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed1996

Kinetics of halide release of haloalkane dehalogenase: evidence for a slow conformational change.

Haloalkane dehalogenase converts haloalkanes to their corresponding alcohols and halides. The reaction mechanism involves the formation of a covalent alkyl-enzyme complex which is hydrolyzed by water. The active site is a hydrophobic cavity buried between the main domain and the cap domain of the enzyme. The enzyme has a broad substrate specificity, but the kcat values of the enzyme for the best substrates 1,2-dichloroethane and 1,2-dibromoethane are rather low (3 and 3.5 s-1, respectively). Stopped-flow fluorescence experiments with substrate under single-turnover conditions indicated that halide release could limit the overall kcat. Furthermore, at 5mM 1,2-dibromoethane the observed rate of substrate binding to free enzyme was faster than 700 s-1 (within the dead time of the stopped-flow instrument) whereas displacement of halide by 5mM 1,2-dibromoethane occurred at a rate of only 8 s-1. The binding of bromide and chloride to free enzyme was also studied using stopped-flow fluorescence, and the dependence of kobs on the halide concentration suggested that there were two parallel routes for halide binding. One route, in which a slow enzyme isomerization is followed by rapid halide binding, was predominant at low halide concentrations. The other route involves rapid binding into an initial collision complex followed by a slow enzyme isomerization step and prevailed at higher halide concentrations. The overall rate of halide release was low and limited by a slow enzyme isomerization preceding actual release (9 and 14.5 s-1 for bromide and chloride, respectively). We propose that this slow isomerization is a conformational change in the cap domain that is necessary to allow water to enter and solvate the halide ion. A solvent kinetic isotope effect of 2H2O was found both on kcat and on the rate of halide release. 2H2O mainly affected the rate of the conformational change, which is in agreement with this step being rate-limiting and the overall stabilizing effect of 2H2O on the conformation of proteins.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed1996

Adaptation of Pseudomonas sp. GJ1 to 2-bromoethanol caused by overexpression of an NAD-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase with low affinity for halogenated aldehydes.

Pseudomonas sp. GJ1 is able to grow with 2-chloroethanol as the sole carbon and energy source, but not with 2-bromoethanol, which is toxic at low concentrations (1 mM). A mutant that could grow on 2-bromoethanol with a growth rate of 0.034 h-1 at concentrations up to 5 mM was isolated and designated strain GJ1M9. Measurement of enzyme activities showed that mutant and wild-type strains contained a PMS-linked alcohol dehydrogenase that was active with halogenated alcohols and that was threefold overexpressed in the mutant when grown on 2-chloroethanol, but only slightly overproduced when grown on 2-bromoethanol. Both strains also contained an NAD-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase that had no activity with halogenated alcohols. Haloacetate dehalogenase levels were similar in the wild-type and the mutant. Activities of NAD-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase were only slightly higher in extracts of the mutant grown with 2-bromoethanol than in those of the wild-type grown with 2-chloroethanol. SDS-PAGE, however, showed that this enzyme amounted to more than 50% of the total cellular protein in extracts of the mutant from 2-bromoethanol-grown cells, which was fourfold higher than in extracts of the wild-type strain grown on 2-chloroethanol. The enzyme was purified and shown to be a tetrameric protein consisting of subunits of 55 kDa. The enzyme had low Km values for acetaldehyde and other non-halogenated aldehydes (0.8-4 microM), but much higher Km values for chloroacetaldehyde (1.7 mM) and bromoacetaldehyde (10.5 mM), while V(max) values were similar for halogenated and non-halogenated aldehydes. Cultures that were pregrown on 2-chloroethanol rapidly lost aldehyde dehydrogenase activity after addition of 2-bromoethanol and chloroamphenicol, which indicates that bromoacetaldehyde inactivates the enzyme. To achieve growth with 2-bromoethanol, the high expression of the enzyme thus appears to be necessary in order to compensate for the high Km for bromoacetaldehyde and for inactivation of the enzyme of bromoacetaldehyde.

Acetaldehyde↗

PubMed1996

Physiological changes and alk gene instability in Pseudomonas oleovorans during induction and expression of alk genes.

The alk genes of Pseudomonas oleovorans, which is able to metabolize alkanes and alkenes, are organized in alkST and alkBFGHJKL clusters, in which the expression of alkBFGHJKL is positively regulated by AlkS. Growth of the wild-type strain GPo1 and P. oleovorans GPo12 alk recombinants on octane resulted in changes of cellular physiology and morphology. These changes, which included lower growth rates and a reduction of the number of CFU due to filamentation, were also seen when the cells were grown on aqueous medium, and the alk genes were induced with dicyclopropylketone, a gratuitous inducer of the alk genes. These effects were seen only for recombinants carrying both alkST and alkBFGHJKL operons. Deletion of parts of either alkB or alkJ, which encode two major Alk proteins located in the cytoplasmic membrane, modified but did not eliminate the effects described above, suggesting that they were due to induction and expression of several alk genes. Continuous growth of the cells in the presence of dicyclopropylketone for about 10 generations led to inactivation, but not elimination, of the alk genes. This resulted in a return of the recombinants to normal physiology and growth.

Alkanes↗

PubMed1995

Histidine 289 is essential for hydrolysis of the alkyl-enzyme intermediate of haloalkane dehalogenase.

Haloalkane dehalogenase (DhlA) from Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of carbon-halogen bonds in a broad range of halogenated aliphatic compounds. Previous work has shown that Asp124, which is located close to the internal substrate-binding cavity, carries out a nucleophilic attack on the C-alpha of the alkylhalide, displacing the halogen. The resulting alkyl-enzyme intermediate is subsequently hydrolyzed. In order to study the role of His289 in the hydrolysis of the intermediate, a His289-->Gln mutant was constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. The purified mutant enzyme was not catalytically active with haloalkanes, but a halide burst stoichiometric to the amount of enzyme was observed with 1,2-dibromoethane. Using ion spray mass spectrometry, accumulation of the covalent alkyl-enzyme and binding of the alkyl moiety of the substrate to an Asp124-containing tryptic peptide were shown. Fluorescence-quenching experiments indicated that halide ions are strongly bound by the alkyl-enzyme but not by the substrate-free enzyme. The results show that His289 is the base catalyst for the dealkylation of the covalent intermediate, but that it is not essential for the initial nucleophilic attack of Asp124 on the C-1 atom of the haloalkane. Furthermore, the halide ion that is released in the first step probably leaves the active site only after hydrolysis of the alkyl-enzyme.

Alkylation↗

PubMed1995

Replacement of tryptophan residues in haloalkane dehalogenase reduces halide binding and catalytic activity.

Haloalkane dehalogenase catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of carbon-halogen bonds in short-chain haloalkanes. Two tryptophan residues of the enzyme (Trp125 and Trp175) form a halide-binding site in the active-site cavity, and were proposed to play a role in catalysis. The function of these residues was studied by replacing Trp125 with phenylalanine, glutamine or arginine and Trp175 by glutamine using site-directed mutagenesis. All mutants except Trp125-->Phe showed a more than 10-fold reduced kcat and much higher Km values with 1,2-dichloroethane and 1,2-dibromoethane than the wild-type enzyme. Fluorescence quenching experiments showed a decrease in the affinity of the mutant enzymes for halide ions. The 2H kinetic isotope effect observed with the wild-type enzyme in deuterium oxide was lost in the active mutants, except the Trp125-->Phe enzyme. The results indicate that both tryptophans are involved in stabilizing the transition state during the nucleophilic substitution reaction that causes carbon-halogen bond cleavage.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Activation of an Asp-124-->Asn mutant of haloalkane dehalogenase by hydrolytic deamidation of asparagine.

Haloalkane dehalogenase hydrolyses various 1-halo-n-alkanes to the corresponding alcohols by covalent catalysis with formation of an alkyl-enzyme intermediate. The carboxylate function of the nucleophilic aspartate (Asp-124) that displaces the halogen during formation of the intermediate was changed to an amide by site-directed mutagenesis (Asp-124-->Asn). Activity measurements and analysis of peptides containing the nucleophilic residue showed that the mutant enzyme was inactive, but that the activity increased by rapid deamidation of the asparagine residue, yielding wild type enzyme. There was no indication for isoaspartate formation during this process. The results suggest that a water molecule that is located close to the carboxyl function of Asp-124 in the X-ray structure is highly reactive and is responsible for the observed deamidation.

Amides↗

PubMed1995

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of L-2-haloacid dehalogenase from Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10.

Haloacid dehalogenases are enzymes that cleave carbon-chlorine or carbon-bromine bonds of 2-haloalkanoates. X-ray-quality crystals of L-2-haloacid dehalogenase from the 1,2-dichloroethane-degrading bacterium Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 have been grown at room temperature from 20% PEG 8000, 200 mM sodium formate at pH 6.8-7.0, using macroseeding techniques. The crystals, which diffract in the X-ray beam up to 2.0 A resolution, belong to the spacegroup C2221. Cell parameters are a = 58.8 A, b = 93.1 A, c = 84.2 A. A native data set to 2.3 A has been collected, with a completeness of 97% and an Rsym of 6.0%.

Crystallization↗

PubMed1995

Sequence analysis of the upstream region of dhlB, the gene encoding haloalkanoic acid dehalogenase of Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10.

The DNA sequence upstream of the dhlB gene encoding the haloalkanoic acid dehalogenase of Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 was determined and contained an open reading frame, designated dhlC, which encoded a protein with a significant similarity with the family of Na(+)-dependent symport proteins. The dhlC gene was subcloned under control of a T7 promoter, and found to encode a polypeptide of 45 kDa on SDS-PAGE. Upstream of dhlC, a -24/-12 promoter sequence was found. Further upstream, in the opposite direction of transcription, another open reading frame, designated dhlR, with homology with the family of sigma 54-dependent transcriptional activator proteins was detected. The dhlR gene was cloned and expressed under the control of a T7 promoter and encoded a polypeptide of 51 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The genetic organization of the dhlB region suggested that the expression of dhlC and dhlB was controlled by the product of dhlR and sigma 54 which may explain the observed overexpression of the haloalkanoic acid dehalogenase under starvation conditions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Growth on octane alters the membrane lipid fatty acids of Pseudomonas oleovorans due to the induction of alkB and synthesis of octanol.

Growth of Pseudomonas oleovorans GPo1, which contains the OCT plasmid, on octane results in changes in the membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition. These changes were not found for GPo12, an OCT-plasmid-cured variant of GPo1, during growth in the presence or absence of octane, implying the involvement of OCT-plasmid-encoded functions. When recombinant strain GPo12(pGEc47) carrying the alk genes from the OCT plasmid was grown on octane, the cells showed the same changes in fatty acid composition as those found for GPo1, indicating that such changes result from induction and expression of the alk genes. This finding was corroborated by inducing GPo12(pGEc47) with dicyclopropylketone (DCPK), a gratuitous inducer of the alk genes. Further experiments showed that the increase of the mean acyl chain length of fatty acids is related to the expression of alkB, which encodes a major integral membrane protein, while the formation of trans unsaturated fatty acids mainly results from the effects of 1-octanol, an octane oxidation product.

1-Octanol↗

PubMed1995

Adaptation of Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 to bromoacetate due to activation and mobilization of the haloacetate dehalogenase gene by insertion element IS1247.

Monobromoacetate (MBA) is toxic for the 1,2-dichloroethane-degrading bacterium Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 at concentrations higher than 5 mM. Mutants which are able to grow on higher concentrations of MBA were isolated and found to overexpress haloacid dehalogenase, which is encoded by the dhlB gene. In mutant GJ10M50, a DNA fragment (designated IS1247) had copied itself from a position on the chromosome that was not linked to the dhlB region to a site immediately upstream of dhlB, resulting in a 1,672-bp insertion. IS1247 was found to encode an open reading frame corresponding to 464 amino acids which showed similarity to putative transposases from two other insertion elements. In most of the other MBA-resistant mutants of GJ10, IS1247 was also present in one more copy than in the wild type, which had two copies located within 20 kb. After insertion to a site proximal to dhlB, IS1247 was able to transpose itself together with the dhlB gene to a plasmid, without the requirement of a second insertion element being present downstream of dhlB. The results show that IS1247 causes bromoacetate resistance by overexpression and mobilization of the haloacid dehalogenase gene, which mimics steps during the evolution of a catabolic transposon and plasmid during adaptation to a toxic growth substrate.

Acetates↗