Genetic mapping and characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants defective in the formation of extracellular proteins.

We isolated 15 mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO which were defective in the formation of certain extracellular proteins, such as elastase, staphylolytic enzyme, and lipase ( Xcp mutants). The mutations were mapped on the chromosome by conjugation and transduction. The locations were xcp -1 near 0', with the gene order cys-59- xcp -1- proB , and loci xcp -2, xcp -3, and xcp -31 at 35', with the gene order trpC , D- xcp -3/ xcp -31- xcp -2- argC . Loci xcp -4 and xcp -41 through xcp -44 were cotransducible with proA at 40'; loci xcp -5, xcp -51, xcp -52, and xcp53 were located at 55', with the gene order leu-10- trpF -met-9010- xcp -53- xcp -5/ xcp -51/ xcp+ ++-52, and xcp -6 was located at 65' to 70', between catA and mtu-9002. Nine mutations ( xcp -2, xcp -3, xcp -31, xcp -4, and xcp -41 through xcp -45) caused decreased production of extracellular enzymes. Six strains with mutations xcp -1, xcp -5, xcp -51, xcp -52, xcp -53, and xcp -6 produced cell-bound exoproteins and had defective release mechanisms. The regulation of production of alkaline phosphatase and phospholipase C is different from other exoproteins , such as elastase, but they all seem to share a common release mechanism. Alkaline protease had separate mechanisms for regulation and release, since this protease was found in culture supernatants of all but one of the mutants, and none of the strains had cell-bound enzyme.