Caulobacter crescentus as a whole-cell uranium biosensor.

ABSTRACT: We engineered a strain of the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus to fluoresce in the presence of micromolar levels of uranium at ambient temperatures when it is exposed to a hand-held UV lamp. Previous microarray experiments revealed that several Caulobacter genes are significantly upregulated in response to uranium but not in response to other heavy metals. We designated one of these genes urcA (for uranium response in caulobacter). We constructed a reporter that utilizes the urcA promoter to produce a UV-excitable green fluorescent protein in the presence of the uranyl cation, a soluble form of uranium. This reporter is specific for uranium and has little cross specificity for nitrate (<400 microM), lead (<150 microM), cadmium (<48 microM), or chromium (<41.6 microM). The uranium reporter

SUBMITTER: Hillson NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2168040 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature