Publications

• The atzB gene of Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP encodes the second enzyme of a novel atrazine degradation pathway.

  Boundy-Mills K.L., de Souza M.L., Mandelbaum R.T., Wackett L.P., Sadowsky M.J.

  We previously reported the isolation of a 21.5-kb genomic DNA fragment from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP, which contains the atzA gene, encoding the first metabolic step for the degradation of the herbicide atrazine (M. de Souza, L. P. Wackett, K. L. Boundy-Mills, R. T. Mandelbaum, and M. J. Sadowsk ... >> More

  We previously reported the isolation of a 21.5-kb genomic DNA fragment from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP, which contains the atzA gene, encoding the first metabolic step for the degradation of the herbicide atrazine (M. de Souza, L. P. Wackett, K. L. Boundy-Mills, R. T. Mandelbaum, and M. J. Sadowsky, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 61:3373-3378, 1995). In this study, we show that this fragment also contained the second gene of the atrazine metabolic pathway, atzB. AtzB catalyzed the transformation of hydroxyatrazine to N-isopropylammelide. The product was identified by use of high-performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometery, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Tn5 mutagenesis of pMD1 was used to determine that atzB was located 8 kb downstream of atzA. Hydroxyatrazine degradation activity was localized to a 4.0-kb ClaI fragment, which was subcloned into the vector pACYC184 to produce plasmid pATZB-2. The DNA sequence of this region was determined and found to contain two large overlapping divergent open reading frames, ORF1 and ORF2. ORF1 was identified as the coding region of atzB by demonstrating that (i) only ORF1 was transcribed in Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP, (ii) a Tn5 insertion in ORF2 did not disrupt function, and (iii) codon usage was consistent with ORF1 being translated. AtzB had 25% amino acid identity with TrzA, a protein that catalyzes a hydrolytic deamination of the s-triazine substrate melamine. The atzA and atzB genes catalyze the first two steps of the metabolic pathway in a bacterium that rapidly metabolizes atrazine to carbon dioxide, ammonia, and chloride. << Less

  Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63:916-923(1997) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Atrazine chlorohydrolase from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP is a metalloenzyme.

  Seffernick J.L., McTavish H., Osborne J.P., de Souza M.L., Sadowsky M.J., Wackett L.P.

  Atrazine chlorohydrolase (AtzA) from Pseudomonas sp. ADP initiates the metabolism of the herbicide atrazine by catalyzing a hydrolytic dechlorination reaction to produce hydroxyatrazine. Sequence analysis revealed AtzA to be homologous to metalloenzymes within the amidohydrolase protein superfamil ... >> More

  Atrazine chlorohydrolase (AtzA) from Pseudomonas sp. ADP initiates the metabolism of the herbicide atrazine by catalyzing a hydrolytic dechlorination reaction to produce hydroxyatrazine. Sequence analysis revealed AtzA to be homologous to metalloenzymes within the amidohydrolase protein superfamily. AtzA activity was experimentally shown to depend on an enzyme-bound, divalent transition-metal ion. Loss of activity obtained by incubating AtzA with the chelator 1,10-phenanthroline or oxalic acid was reversible upon addition of Fe(II), Mn(II), or Co(II) salts. Experimental evidence suggests a 1:1 metal to subunit stoichiometry, with the native metal being Fe(II). Our data show that the inhibitory effects of metals such as Zn(II) and Cu(II) are not the result of displacing the active site metal. Taken together, these data indicate that AtzA is a functional metalloenzyme, making this the first report, to our knowledge, of a metal-dependent dechlorinating enzyme that proceeds via a hydrolytic mechanism. << Less

  Biochemistry 41:14430-14437(2002) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Hydroxyatrazine N-ethylaminohydrolase (AtzB): an amidohydrolase superfamily enzyme catalyzing deamination and dechlorination.

  Seffernick J.L., Aleem A., Osborne J.P., Johnson G., Sadowsky M.J., Wackett L.P.

  Hydroxyatrazine [2-(N-ethylamino)-4-hydroxy-6-(N-isopropylamino)-1,3,5-triazine] N-ethylaminohydrolase (AtzB) is the sole enzyme known to catalyze the hydrolytic conversion of hydroxyatrazine to N-isopropylammelide. AtzB, therefore, serves as the point of intersection of multiple s-triazine biodeg ... >> More

  Hydroxyatrazine [2-(N-ethylamino)-4-hydroxy-6-(N-isopropylamino)-1,3,5-triazine] N-ethylaminohydrolase (AtzB) is the sole enzyme known to catalyze the hydrolytic conversion of hydroxyatrazine to N-isopropylammelide. AtzB, therefore, serves as the point of intersection of multiple s-triazine biodegradative pathways and is completely essential for microbial growth on s-triazine herbicides. Here, atzB was cloned from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP and its product was purified to homogeneity and characterized. AtzB was found to be dimeric, with subunit and holoenzyme molecular masses of 52 kDa and 105 kDa, respectively. The k(cat) and K(m) of AtzB with hydroxyatrazine as a substrate were 3 s(-1) and 20 microM, respectively. Purified AtzB had a 1:1 zinc-to-subunit stoichiometry. Sequence analysis revealed that AtzB contained the conserved mononuclear amidohydrolase superfamily active-site residues His74, His76, His245, Glu248, His280, and Asp331. An intensive in vitro investigation into the substrate specificity of AtzB revealed that 20 of the 51 compounds tested were substrates for AtzB; this allowed for the identification of specific substrate structural features required for catalysis. Substrates required a monohydroxylated s-triazine ring with a minimum of one primary or secondary amine substituent and either a chloride or amine leaving group. AtzB catalyzed both deamination and dechlorination reactions with rates within a range of one order of magnitude. This differs from AtzA and TrzN, which do not catalyze deamination reactions, and AtzC, which is not known to catalyze dechlorination reactions. << Less

  J. Bacteriol. 189:6989-6997(2007) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]