PA0335, a Gene Encoding Histidinol Phosphate Phosphatase, Mediates Histidine Auxotrophy in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

Histidine is a common amino acid in proteins. Because it plays critical roles in bacterial metabolism, its biosynthetic pathway in many bacteria has been elucidated. However, the pathway remains unclear in Pseudomonas aeruginosa , an important opportunistic pathogen in clinical settings; in particular, there is scant knowledge about histidinol-phosphate phosphatase (Hol-Pase), which has a complex origin and evolution. In this study, P. aeruginosa Hol-Pase was identified and characterized. Furthermore, the roles of all other predicted genes involved in histidine biosynthesis were examined. Our results illustrate the histidine synthesis pathway of P. aeruginosa . The knowledge obtained from this study may help in developing strategies to control P. aeruginosa -related infections. In addition, some enzymes of the histidine synthesis pathway from P. aeruginosa might be used as elements of histidine synthetic biology in other industrial microorganisms.