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T R de Kievit

Publications and source records attributed to T R de Kievit.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Detection of antibiotic-related genes from bacterial biocontrol agents with polymerase chain reaction.

Pseudomonas chlororaphis PA23, Pseudomonas spp. strain DF41, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BS6 consistently inhibit infection of canola petals by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in both greenhouse and field experiments. Bacillus thuringiensis BS8, Bacillus cereus L, and Bacillus mycoides S have shown significant inhibition against S. sclerotiorum on plate assays. The presence of antibiotic biosynthetic or self-resistance genes in these strains was investigated with polymerase chain reaction and, in one case, Southern blotting. Thirty primers were used to amplify (i) antibiotic biosythetic genes encoding phenazine-1-carboxylic acid, 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol, pyoluteorin, and pyrrolnitrin, and (ii) the zwittermicin A self-resistance gene. Our findings revealed that the fungal antagonist P. chlororaphis PA23 contains biosynthetic genes for phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and pyrrolnitrin. Moreover, production of these compounds was confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography. Pseudomonas spp. DF41 and B. amyloliquefaciens BS6 do not appear to harbour genes for any of the antibiotics tested. Bacillus thuringiensis BS8, B. cereus L, and B. mycoides S contain the zwittermicin A self-resistance gene. This is the first report of zmaR in B. mycoides.

Antibiosis↗
PubMed1997

Pseudomonas aeruginosa rfc genes of serotypes O2 and O5 could complement O-polymerase-deficient semi-rough mutants of either serotype.

Using a gene-replacement strategy and a mutated copy of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa O5 rfc gene, we were able to generate a rfc mutant in P. aeruginosa serotype O2. This mutant, which exhibits the semi-rough (SR) LPS phenotype, was used to isolate the O2 rfc gene. Mobilization of the O2 and O5 rfc genes into SR mutants of the heterologous serotype resulted in 'cross-polymerization' of O-repeat units, indicating that the genes are functionally exchangeable. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the rfc genes revealed that the two Rfc proteins are identical. The results of this study have enabled us to propose the linkage catalyzed by the O5 O-polymerase enzyme.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Isolation and characterization of two genes, waaC (rfaC) and waaF (rfaF), involved in Pseudomonas aeruginosa serotype O5 inner-core biosynthesis.

Recent studies have provided evidence to implicate involvement of the core oligosaccharide region of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in adherence to host tissues. To better understand the role played by LPS in the virulence of this organism, the aim of the present study was to clone and characterize genes involved in core biosynthesis. The inner-core regions of P. aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium are structurally very similar; both contain two main chain residues of heptose linked to lipid A-Kdo2 (Kdo is 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid). By electrotransforming a P. aeruginosa PAO1 library into Salmonella waaC and waaF (formerly known as rfaC and rfaF, respectively) mutants, we were able to isolate the homologous heptosyltransferase I and II genes of P. aeruginosa. Two plasmids, pCOREc1 and pCOREc2, which restored smooth LPS production in the waaC mutant, were isolated. Similarly, plasmid pCOREf1 was able to complement the Salmonella waaF mutant. Sequence analysis of the DNA insert of pCOREc2 revealed one open reading frame (ORF) which could code for a protein of 39.8 kDa. The amino acid sequence of the deduced protein exhibited 53% identity with the sequence of the WaaC protein of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium. pCOREf1 contained one ORF capable of encoding a 38.4-kDa protein. The sequence of the predicted protein was 49% identical to the sequence of the Salmonella WaaF protein. Protein expression by the Maxicell system confirmed that a 40-kDa protein was encoded by pCOREc2 and a 38-kDa protein was encoded by pCOREf1. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to determine the map locations of the cloned waaC and waaF genes, which were found to lie between 0.9 and 6.6 min on the PAO1 chromosome. Using a gene-replacement strategy, we attempted to generate P. aeruginosa waaC and waaF null mutants. Despite multiple attempts to isolate true knockout mutants, all transconjugants were identified as merodiploids.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1995

Molecular cloning and characterization of the rfc gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (serotype O5).

Previous work from our laboratory has shown that cosmid clone pFV100, containing a 26 kb insert, is able to restore O-antigen synthesis in serotype O5 rough mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mobilization of pFV100 into two P. aeruginosa semi-rough (SR) mutants, AK14O1 and rd7513, resulted in O-antigen expression, indicating that pFV100 may contain an O-polymerase (rfc) gene. pFV.TK6, a subclone of pFV100 that contains a 5.6 kb chromosomal insert, was able to complement O-antigen expression in these SR mutants. Mutagenesis of pFV.TK6 using Tn1000 exposed a 1.5 kb region that was essential for complementing O-antigen expression in AK14O1. A 2.0 kb XhoI-HindIII fragment, containing this region, was cloned into vector pUCP26 and the resulting plasmid called pFV.TK8. In Southern analysis of the 20 P. aeruginosa serotypes using a probe generated from the 1.5 kb XhoI fragment of pFV.TK8, the rfc probe hybridized to a common fragment of the cross-reactive O2-O5-O16-O18-O20 serogroup, suggesting that these serotypes may share a common O-polymerase gene. In functional studies of the rfc gene, the PAO1 (serotype O5) chromosomal rfc was mutated using a gene-replacement strategy. These knockout mutants expressed the SR lipopolysaccharide (LPS) phenotype, which indicated that they were no longer producing a functional O-polymerase enzyme. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the insert DNA of pFV.TK8 revealed one open reading frame (ORF), designated ORF48.9, which could code for a 48.9 kDa protein. In comparisons of the P. aeruginosa rfc nucleotide and amino acid sequences with DNA and protein databases, no significant homology was found. However, the deduced structure of the P. aeruginosa Rfc protein indicated that it is very hydrophobic and contains 11 putative membrane-spanning domains. Therefore, the predicted structure is similar to that of other reported Rfc proteins. Furthermore, comparison of the amino acid composition and codon usage of the P. aeruginosa Rfc with other Rfc proteins revealed significant similarity between them.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Characterization of lipopolysaccharide-deficient mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa derived from serotypes O3, O5, and O6.

Well-characterized rough mutants are important for the understanding of structures, functions, and biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in gram-negative organisms. In this study, three series of Pseudomonas aeruginosa LPS-deficient mutants, namely PAC strains derived from serotype O3, AK strains derived from strain PAO1 (serotype O5), and serotype O6-derived mutants were subjected to biochemical analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining as well as immunochemical characterization using LPS-specific monoclonal antibodies. The O-side-chain deficiency among the O6-derived mutants was also examined, and three mutants, A28, R5, and H4, were subsequently chosen for the elucidation of component sugars of the core structure of serotype O6 LPS. LPS of strain A28 has L-rhamnose and proportionally higher amounts of D-glucose, a feature shared by the O5-derived mutant, strain AK1401 (previously demonstrated as a mutant with a core-plus-one O repeat). In contrast strains R5 and H4 were shown to be devoid of L-rhamnose and have low and undetectable amounts of D-glucose, respectively, which indicated their core deficiency. The LPS-deficient or -sufficient characteristics of the P. aeruginosa strains examined correlated will with serum sensitivity data. This report represents a comprehensive analysis of rough mutants derived from O3 and O5 strains that have been used by others in many studies and a first look at the core oligosaccharide region of serotype O6 LPS obtained with the O6-derived mutants generated in this study.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1994

Monoclonal antibodies that distinguish inner core, outer core, and lipid A regions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide.

In order to examine the immunochemistry of the core-lipid A region of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide (LPS), monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for this region were produced in mice. Immunogen was prepared by coating a rough mutant of P. aeruginosa with column-purified core oligosaccharide fractions in order to enhance the immune response to the LPS core-lipid A region. Fourteen hybridoma clones were isolated, characterized, and further divided into three groups on the basis of their reactivities to rough LPS antigens in both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and Western immunoblots. In addition, another MAb, 18-19, designated group 1, was included in this study for defining core-lipid A epitopes. MAb 18-19 recognizes the LPS core-plus-one O-repeat unit of the serologically cross-reactive P. aeruginosa O2, O5, and O16. Group 2 MAbs are specific for the LPS outer core region and reacted with P. aeruginosa O2, O5, O7, O8, O10, O16, O18, O19, and O20, suggesting that these serotypes share a common outer core type. Group 3 MAbs recognize the inner core region and reacted with all 20 P. aeruginosa serotypes as well as with other Pseudomonas species, revealing the conserved nature of this region. Group 4 MAbs are specific for lipid A and reacted with all gram-negative organisms tested. Immunoassays using these MAbs and well-defined rough mutants, in addition to the recently determined P. aeruginosa core structures, have allowed us to precisely define immunodominant epitopes within the LPS core region.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗