Highly conserved coding sequences in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-degraders of Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707 and Pseudomonas putida KF715.

Sixteen strains that utilize biphenyl or polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) as the sole source of carbon and energy have previously been isolated. Nucleotide sequence of the bphABCXD operon (11 kb) of Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707 has now been determined. When bphD region is compared with the previously reported bphD sequence of another PCB-degrader, Pseudomonas putida KF715, homologies at the level of nucleotides as well as amino acids are as high as 96%. Moreover, both bphABCXD operon (KF707) and bphABCD operon (KF715) share the identical transcriptional initiation site. Since these aromatic hydrocarbon-degraders are coded on chromosomes, whereas other majorities of hydrocarbon-degraders are coded on plasmids, there must be a mechanism governing the chromosomal gene-shuffling.