Mapping of the ben, ant and cat genes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and evolutionary relationship of the ben region of P. aeruginosa and P. putida.

Genes responsible for the utilization of benzoate, anthranilate or catechol (ben, ant, cat) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO were mapped precisely using a cosmid clone carrying all these genes. Genes were localized either by subcloning and complementation or by Tn5 mutagenesis and mapping of the Tn5 insertions. To achieve this, a novel Tn5 mutagenesis procedure was developed by constructing a Tn5 insertion derivative of the Escherichia coli strain S17-1. Preliminary mapping of the ben cat genes of P. putida PPN was accomplished by complementation using a PPN cosmid bank. Sequence homology was demonstrated by Southern hybridization between the ben regions of both P. aeruginosa and P. putida, implying an evolutionary relationship of this chromosomal region of these two pseudomonads.