Advances in MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY This Page Intentionally Left Blank Advances in MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY Edited by A. H. ROSE School of Biological Sciences Bath University, U K and D. W. TEMPEST Depurtmmt of Moleculur Biology and Biorrc~hnologj~ University of Shefield, U K Volume 31 ACADEMIC PRESS Harcourr Brace Jooanovich, Puh1ishcr.s London San Diego New York Boston Sydney Tokyo Toronto ACADEMIC PRESS LIMITED 2 4 2 8 Oval Road London NW 1 7DX US.Edition,puhlished by ACADEMIC PRESS INC. San Diego C A 92101 Copyright 0 1990 by ACADEMIC PRESS LIMITED This book is printed on acid-free paper All Rights Reserved No part o f this book may be reproduced in any form by photostat, microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publishers British Lihrury Cutuloguing in Publication Data Advances in microbial physiology. Vol. 31 I . Micro-organisms-Physiology I. Rose, A. H. 11. Tempest, D. W. 576.11 QR84 ISBN 0-12-027731-X ISSN 0065-291 1 Typeset and printed in Great Britain by Galliard (Printers) Ltd, Great Yarmouth Contributors S. J. Assinder School of Biological Sciences, The University of Wales Bangor, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 4UW, UK R. G. Board School of Biological Sciences, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, YK W. J. Ingledew Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9AL, UK S. Mann School of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK A. D. Moodie Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9AL, UK N. H. C. Sparks School of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK K. Watson Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Nutrition, University of New England, Armidale, Australia 235 1 P. R. Wheeler Department of Applied Biology, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK P. A. Williams School of Biological Sciences, The University of Wales Bangor, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 4UW, UK This Page Intentionally Left Blank Contents Contributors V The TOL Plasmids: Determinants of the Catabolism of Toluene and the Xylenes SUSAN J. ASSINDER and PETER A. WILLIAMS I. Introduction Biochemistry of the pathway Ill. Organization of the catabolic genes IV. Regulation of catabolic genes V. Recombination and transposition VI. Growth of TOL strains on benzoate ("benzoate curing") VII. Evolution of catabolic pathways VIII. Use of TOL plasmid genes in construction of novel strains and vectors IX. Epilogue X. Acknowledgements References 11. 2 12 18 23 34 39 44 55 64 64 64 Recent Research into the Physiology of Mycobacterim leprae PAUL R. WHEELER 1. Introduction 11. Growth of Mycohucterium leprae 111. The cell envelope IV. Metabolism in Mycohucterium leprae V. Interaction of Mvcohucterium leprae with host cells VI. Possible applications VII. Conclusions VTII. Acknowledgements References 71 73 75 86 99 111 115 118 119 * Magnetotactic Bacteria: Microbiology, Biomineralization, Palaeomagnetism and Biotechnology STEPHEN MANN, NICK H. C. SPARKS and RON G. BOARD I. Introduction 11. Occurrence Ill. Methods of study 125 126 134 Physiology Fine structure Biomineralization Magnetotaxis Palaeomagnetism IX. Biotechnological applications X. Addendum XI. Acknowledgements References IV. V. VI. VII. VTII. 141 146 i48 165 173 176 177 179 179 Microbial Stress Proteins K.WATSON I. Introduction 11. What are stress proteins? 111. Stress proteins are highly conserved IV. Induction of stress-protein synthesis V. Acquired thermotolerance VI. Immune response VII. Protein assembly and translocation VIII. Summary IX. Acknowledgements References 183 184 192 194 203 210 212 215 21