Wu Y, Zhang S Q, Ma G H, Song D L, Zhao J Y
Wuhan Institute of Virology, Academia Sinica, Wuchang.
Yi Chuan Xue Bao. 1989;16(4):318-24.
Indigo is one of the brilliant blue dyes, which was used to be extracted from plants, but now synthesized chemically. Indigo is also produced by bacteria. In recent years, Ensley, B. D. (1983) and Mermod, N. (1986) reported a pathway producing indigo of bacteria. We are currently studying indigo formation by bacteria. Using Pseudomonas sp. S13 harboring naphthalene degradation plasmid as donor and E. coli as recipient, conjugates and transformants with the plasmid were obtained. The conjugates and transformants were not only able to grow in medium with naphthalene as the sole carbon and energy source, but also to synthesize indigo in Lennox medium. The conjugates and transformants were grown in Lennox medium at 30 degrees C for 48 hr then resulted in synthesis of indigo. The production of indigo is increased in the presence of tryptophan or indole. Indigo formation was enhanced if the bacteria was grown in a medium supplemented with either 0.1% of naphthalene or 1% of salicylic acid. The present work opens a field for the synthesis of dyes by microbes and it might shed light on the potential use in controlling environmental pollution by engineering bacteria.
靛蓝是一种亮蓝色染料，过去它是从植物中提取的，但现在通过化学合成。靛蓝也由细菌产生。近年来，恩斯利（B. D.，1983年）和默莫德（N.，1986年）报道了细菌产生靛蓝的一条途径。我们目前正在研究细菌形成靛蓝的过程。以携带萘降解质粒的假单胞菌S13作为供体，大肠杆菌作为受体，获得了带有该质粒的接合体和转化体。这些接合体和转化体不仅能够在以萘作为唯一碳源和能源的培养基中生长，而且还能在Lennox培养基中合成靛蓝。将接合体和转化体在30℃的Lennox培养基中培养48小时后，会合成靛蓝。在色氨酸或吲哚存在的情况下，靛蓝的产量会增加。如果细菌在添加了0.1%萘或1%水杨酸的培养基中生长，靛蓝的形成会增强。目前的工作为微生物合成染料开辟了一个领域，并且可能为通过工程细菌控制环境污染的潜在用途提供线索。
