Cloning in Escherichia coli of Hahella chejuensis Genes Encoding Prodigiosin Biosynthesis

Abstract

Hahella chejuensis is a novel marine bacterium that produces the red pigment, prodigiosin. The pathway for the biosynthesis of prodigiosin in some Serratia strains has been recently suggested as a furcated pathway that terminates in the enzymatic condensation of the two final products, 4-methoxy-2,2-bipprrole-5-carboxyaldehyde (MBC) and 2-methyl-3-n-amyl-pyrrole(MAP). Full genome sequence analysis of H. chejuensis revealed important similarities between the Serratia prodigiosin biosynthesis gene cluster and several ORFs in H. chejuensis. The respective partial or whole sequences for MAP biosynthesis among those ORFs from H. chejuensis were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Some clones produced the red pigment on the LB agar plate in the presence of MBC. The putative prodigiosin biosynthesis gene cluster and a scheme for the biosynthetic pathway of H. chejuensis are proposed in this study.