Isolation and characterization of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO mutant defective in the structural gene for the LIVAT-binding protein

A mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO which has a defect in the structural gene for a binding protein for leucine, isoleucine, valine, alanine, and threonine (LIVAT-binding protein) was isolated and characterized. DL-4-azaleucine was taken up via the high-affinity branched-chain amino acid transport system (LIV-I), but not via the low affinity system (LIV-II), and then inhibited the growth of P. aeruginosa cells. This finding enabled us to select mutants defective in the LIV-I transport system alone. Among such mutants, strain PAO3530 was found to produce an altered LIVAT-binding protein. The shock fluid of this strain contained a normal level of the protein which corresponded to the wild-type LIVAT-binding protein as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by an immunological test. However, the shock fluid showed almost no binding activity for branched-chain amino acids, suggesting that strain PAO3530 has a defect in the structural gene for the LIVAT-binding protein. The mutation locus (bra-310) was mapped in a region between cnu-9001 and oru-325 on the chromosome of P. aeruginosa PAO by conjugation mediated by plasmid FP5 or R68.45.