Co-regulation of the nitrogen-assimilatory gene cluster in Clostridium saccharobutylicum.

Nitrogen assimilation is important during solvent production by Clostridium saccharobutylicum NCP262, as acetone and butanol yields are significantly affected by the nitrogen source supplied. Growth of this bacterium was dependent on the concentration of organic nitrogen supplied and the expression of the assimilatory enzymes, glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT), was shown to be induced in nitrogen-limiting conditions. The regions flanking the gene encoding GS, glnA, were isolated from C.

GltX from Clostridium saccharobutylicum NCP262: glutamate synthase or oxidoreductase?

A full-length gene encoding a homologue of the small subunit of the glutamate synthase (GOGAT) enzyme was isolated from the anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium saccharobutylicum NCP262, which has been used extensively for the commercial production of solvents. Using a screening system designed to isolate genes involved in electron transport, plasmid pMET13C1 was isolated. Analysis of this plasmid identified a gene (1245 bp) with a predicted approximately 46-kDa product, which was associated with reductive activation of the pro-drug metronidazole.