Abstract:
The present invention relates to a DNA derived from microorganisms of the genus Rhodococcus and conferring kanamycin resistance on hosts with a DNA sequence coding for the amino acid sequence of Sequence No. 1 or a polypeptide containing a partial sequence thereof. The kanamycin resistance gene of the present invention is useful to construct vectors for microorganisms of the genus Rhodococcus, particularly vectors for self-cloning of Rhodococcus rhodochrous.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a gene derived from microorganisms of the genus Rhodococcus and conferring kanamycin resistance on bacteria, as well as a plasmid vector containing the same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Microorganisms belonging to the genus Rhodococcus are known as bacterial catalysts that hydrate or hydrolyze nitriles to the corresponding amides or acids (Japanese Patent Publication No. 4873/92 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 91189/87, 470/90 and 84198/90), and in particular, microorganisms belonging to the species Rhodococcus rhodochrous possess nitrile-hydrating activity of extremely high performance (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 470/90). 
     Under such circumstances, one of the present inventors found cryptic plasmids in a certain strain of the species Rhodococcus rhodochrous and constructed hybrid plasmid vectors to develop a host-vector system of the genus Rhodococcus (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 148685/92, 64589/93 and 68566/93). 
     For construction of a self-cloning system of higher safety, it is also necessary to develop maker genes derived from microorganisms of the genus Rhodococcus. However, only arsenious acid and cadmium resistance genes derived from microorganisms of the species Rhodococcus rhodochrous are known as such drug resistance genes (Plasmid 23, 242-247 (1990)). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     With the aim of establishing a self-cloning system of the genus Rhodococcus, the present inventors extensively studied drug resistance genes derived from microorganisms of the genus Rhodococcus, in particular the species Rhodococcus rhodochrous, so that they found the kanamycin resistance gene of the present invention. 
     That is, the present invention relates to a DNA derived from microorganisms of the genus Rhodococcus and conferring kanamycin resistance on hosts with a DNA sequence coding for the amino acid sequence of Sequence No. 1 or a polypeptide containing a partial sequence thereof. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a restriction enzyme map of plasmid pKM001. 
     FIG. 2 shows the construction of plasmid pKM002, pKM003 and pKM004. 
     FIG. 3 shows a restriction enzyme map of plasmid pKM011. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As the DNA donor in the present invention, mention may be made of kanamycin mutant KM-02 (deposited as FERM BP-5137 with the National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, Japan) which was obtained by spontaneous mutation of Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC 12674. 
     As the vectors used in cloning in the present invention, mention may be made of plasmid vectors including but not limited to E. coli vectors such as pTrc99A, pUC18, etc. and phage vectors such as λgt11 etc. The host microorganisms include but are not limited to E. coli JM109, E. coli JM105, and Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC 12674. 
     Plasmids that provide plasmid vectors constructed of the kanamycin resistance gene of the invention with a region capable of replicating in microorganisms of the genus Rhodococcus include, but are not limited to, plasmids pRCOO1, pRC002, pRC003 and pRC004. The plasmids pRCOO1, pRC002, pRC003 and pRC004 are derived from Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC 4276, ATCC 14349, ATCC 14348 and IFO 3338, respectively, and these plasmids are described in the aforementioned Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 148685/92, 64589/93 and 68566/93, respectively. 
     The present kanamycin resistance gene derived from microorganisms of the genus Rhodococcus is useful to construct vectors for microorganisms of the genus Rhodococcus, particularly vectors for self-cloning of Rhodococcus rhodochrous. 
     EXAMPLES 
     The present invention is described in more detail with reference to the following examples, which however are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     Example 1 
     Cloning of Kanamycin Resistance Gene from Mutant KM-02 into E. coli JM109 
     (1) Preparation of genomic DNA from KM-02 and preparation of a DNA library 
     The KM-02 strain was cultured under shaking at 30° C. in 100 ml MY medium (0.5% polypeptone, 0.3% Bacto-yeast extract, 0.3% Bacto-malt extract) and genomic DNA was prepared from the bacteria according to the method by Saito and Miura (Biochim. Biophys. Acta 72, 619 (1963)). A part of the resulting DNA was partially digested with restriction enzyme Sau3AI and then inserted into a BamHI site of E. coli vector pTrc99A to give a recombinant DNA library. 
     (2) Preparation of transformants and selection of recombinant DNA 
     The recombinant library prepared in step (1) was used to transform E. coli JM109 by the calcium chloride method, and transformants with resistant to kanamycin were selected in the following manner. 
     The transformants obtained above were plated onto LB agar medium (1% Bacto-trypton, 0.5% Bacto-yeast extract, 0.5% NaCl, 1.5% agar) containing 40 μg/ml kanamycin hydrochloride and 1 mM IPTG (isopropyl-β-thiogalactoside) and incubated overnight at 37° C. The colonies occurring thereon were removed and applied onto the same agar medium, and their growth was confirmed. 
     A plasmid DNA was prepared from the thus obtained transformant according to the method by Birnboim and Doly (Nucleic Acid Res. 7, 1513-1523 (1979)) and designated pKM001. This plasmid was reintroduced into E. coli, and the resultant transformant with kanamycin resistance was designated JM109/pKM001 and deposited as FERM BP-5138 with the National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology. IPTG was required for expression of Kanamycin resistance of E. coli JM109/pKM001. 
     (3) A restriction enzyme map of pKM001 and location of the kanamycin resistance gene 
     A restriction enzyme map of plasmid pKM001 obtained in step (2) was prepared (FIG. 1). Thereafter, this plasmid pKM001 was used for preparing plasmids of a smaller DNA fragment. The target gene-containing region was identified by the presence or absence of the kanamycin resistance of transformants prepared in the same manner as in step (2). During this process, plasmid pKM002 (FIG. 2) was constructed. 
     (4) Nucleotide sequencing 
     The nucleotide sequence of the kanamycin resistance gene in plasmid pKM002 was determined by Fluorescence Sequencer ALF II produced by Pharmacia (Sequence No. 3). 
     Example 2 
     Preparation of Hybrid (E. Coli-Rhodococcus) Plasmid Vector Carrying the Kanamycin Resistance Gene Derived from Rhodococcus rhodochrous 
     A hybrid plasmid vector pK4, previously constructed by one of the present inventors by ligating Rhodococcus-derived plasmid pRC004 with E. coli vector pHSG299 and deposited as FERM BP-3731 with the National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 64589/93 and 68566/93), was used for preparing a 3.1 kb HindIII fragment containing the whole of pRC004 and a part of pHSG299, and the resulting fragment was ligated with the plasmid pKM002. 
     As a result, two plasmids carrying the insert in the opposite direction were obtained and designated pKM003 and pKM004 respectively (FIG. 2). These plasmids replicate in both the genus Rhodococcus and E. coli. Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC 12674 was transformed with these plasmids by electroporation, whereby a transformant capable of growing in MY medium containing 75 μg/ml kanamycin was obtained. The plasmids obtained from the transformant were the same plasmids as those introduced. Where microorganisms of the genus Rhodococcus were used as the host, the presence of IPTG was not required for expression of kanamycin resistance. 
     Example 3 
     Construction of Vector for Microorganisms of the Genus Rhodococcus 
     The hybrid plasmid vector pKM004 was cleaved with restriction enzyme KpnI to give a 4.3 kb KpnI fragment which was then self-ligated and introduced into Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC 12674 by electroporation. The resulting transformant showed the same degree of kanamycin resistance as did the transformant of Example 2. From this transformant, a plasmid was obtained and designated pKM011 (FIG. 3). 
     
         __________________________________________________________________________SEQUENCE LISTING(1) GENERAL INFORMATION:(iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 3(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:1:(i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:(A) LENGTH: 144 amino acids(B) TYPE: amino acid(C) STRANDEDNESS: single(D) TOPOLOGY: linear(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: protein(iii) HYPOTHETICAL: NO(iv) ANTI-SENSE: NO(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:1:MetSerAspAsnGlySerGlyThrThrArgProGluGlyAlaProLeu151015ProArgArgAlaArgSerSerArgProSerAlaGlyAsnSerProAla202530ProGlyArgArgAlaValValAlaLysSerArgArgArgLeuAlaAla354045AlaProGluAlaGlyThrThrHisTyrSerIlePheHisGlyAspGln505560LeuIleGlyPheIleGlnTrpTyrGluAlaGluAspAsnProAspPhe65707580ArgHisAlaGlyLeuAspLeuPheLeuAspProAspPheHisGlyArg859095GlyPheGlyArgGluSerIleArgValLeuCysAlaHisLeuIleAsp100105110AspLeuAlaPheHisArgLeuValIleAspProGluValAspAsnSer115120125ValAlaIleAlaCysTyrArgSerValGlyPheLysAspValGlyVal130135140(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:2:(i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:(A) LENGTH: 516 base pairs(B) TYPE: nucleic acid(C) STRANDEDNESS: double(D) TOPOLOGY: linear(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: DNA (genomic)(iii) HYPOTHETICAL: NO(iv) ANTI-SENSE: NO(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:2:ATGAGTGACAACGGCTCCGGAACTACGCGGCCCGAGGGTGCTCCTCTCCCCCGTCGCGCC60CGATCATCACGCCCGTCTGCGGGCAATTCACCTGCACCCGGACGTCGTGCAGTGGTGGCA120AAATCCCGACGACGACTGGCTGCGGCGCCAGAAGCCGGAACCACGCACTACAGCATCTTC180CACGGCGACCAACTGATCGGCTTCATCCAGTGGTACGAAGCGGAAGACAACCCCGACTTC240CGCCACGCCGGGCTCGACTTGTTCCTCGATCCCGACTTCCACGGCCGAGGGTTCGGTCGC300GAATCGATTCGCGTGCTGTGTGCCCACCTGATCGACGACCTCGCATTCCACCGTCTGGTC360ATCGACCCGGAGGTCGACAACTCCGTCGCCATCGCGTGCTACCGATCGGTGGGGTTCAAA420GACGTCGGGGTGATGCGCGAGTATTCGCGAGATCGCCATGGTGTGTGGAAGGACGGACTG480CTGATGGATCTGCTCGCACGGGAATTCATCCGCTGA516(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:3:(i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:(A) LENGTH: 748 base pairs(B) TYPE: nucleic acid(C) STRANDEDNESS: double(D) TOPOLOGY: linear(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: DNA (genomic)(iii) HYPOTHETICAL: NO(iv) ANTI-SENSE: NO(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:3:GGATCCGGGGTCGTCGCCCACCAGGATGGTACCCAAGCCGGGTGTGATGCCCTCTGCCTT60CGAGCGCTCACCCGCACCTTCAGGTCTTCGAAGATTTCGTCGCGGGTAGCTTTGCCGTCG120AGGATCGTTGCAGTCACGGCGACCATTGTTCCAGGTTAGGGTCGATGAGTGACAACGGCT180CCGGAACTACGCGGCCCGAGGGTGCTCCTCTCCCCCGTCGCGCCCGATCATCACGCCCGT240CTGCGGGCAATTCACCTGCACCCGGACGTCGTGCAGTCGTGGCAAAATCCCGACGACGAC300TGGCTGCGGCGCCAGAAGCCGGAACCACGCACTACAGCATCTTCCACGGCGACCAACTGA360TCGGCTTCATCCAGTGGTACGAAGCGGAAGACAACCCCGACTTCCGCCACGCCGGGCTCG420ACTTGTTCCTCGATCCCGACTTCCACGGCCGAGGGTTCGGTCGCGAATCGATTCGCGTGC480TGTGTGCCCACCTGATCGACGACCTCGCATTCCACCGTCTGGTCATCGACCCGGAGGTCG540ACAACTCCGTCGCCATCGCGTGCTACCGATCGGTGGGGTTCAAAGACGTCGGGGTGATGC600GCGAGTATTCGCGAGATCGCCATGGTGTGTGGAAGGACGGACTGCTGATGGATCTGCTCG660CACGGGAATTCATCCGCTGATCGACTGGGACGAGTTCGAAAGGACCGACATCATGTTGCT720GGACAAGGAATTCACGGCCACCCTGCAG748__________________________________________________________________________