The Organophosphate degradation (opd) island-borne esterase-induced metabolic diversion in Escherichia coli and its influence on p-nitrophenol degradation

In previous studies of the organophosphate degradation gene cluster we showed that expression of an open reading frame (orf306) present within the cluster in E. coli allowed growth on p-nitrophenol (PNP) as sole carbon source. We have now shown that expression of orf306 in E. coli causes a dramatic up-regulation in genes coding for alternative carbon catabolism. The propionate, glyoxylate and Methyl Citrate Cycle (MCC) pathway-specific enzymes are up regulated, along with hca (phenyl propionate) and mhp (hydroxy phenyl propionate) degradation operons. These hca and mhp operons play a key role in degradation of PNP, enabling E. coli to grow using it as sole carbon source. Supporting growth experiments, PNP degradation products entered central metabolic pathways and got incorporated into the carbon backbone. The protein and RNA samples isolated from E. coli (pSDP10) cells grown in C14 labelled PNP indicated incorporation of C14 carbon suggesting Orf306-dependent assimilation of PNP in E. coli cells