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PMID: 8085836 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Homogentisic acid is the product of MelA, which mediates melanogenesis in the marine bacterium Shewanella colwelliana D.

Applied and environmental microbiology ·Vol. 60 ·No. 8 ·1994-08-00 ·Pages 3006-10

Coon SL, Kotob S, Jarvis BB, Wang S, Fuqua WC, Weiner RM

Abstract

Shewanella colwelliana D is a marine procaryote which produces a diffusible brown pigment that correlates with melA gene expression. Previously, melA had been cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli; however, the reaction product of MelA had not been identified. This report identifies that product as homogentisic acid, provides evidence that the pigment is homogentisic acid-melanin (pyomelanin), and suggests that MelA is p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate hydroxylase. This is the first report of pyomelanin in an obligate marine bacterium.

Related Genes
melA
MeSH Terms
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase/genetics Amino Acid Sequence Genes, Bacterial/genetics Gram-Negative Bacteria/enzymology,genetics,metabolism Homogentisic Acid Melanins/biosynthesis Molecular Sequence Data Seawater Sequence Homology, Amino Acid Water Microbiology
Chemicals
Melanins pyomelanin 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Homogentisic Acid
Authors & Affiliations
6 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Coon S L
Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland, College Park 20742.
Kotob S
Jarvis B B
Wang S
Fuqua W C
Weiner R M
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29 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Applied and environmental microbiology
Abbr.
Appl Environ Microbiol
ISSN
0099-2240
DOI
10.1128/aem.60.8.3006-3010.1994
Published
1994-08-00
Pages
3006-10
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7605801
PMCID
PMC201756
Subset
IM
Grants
NIGMS NIH HHS · GM43724 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1128/aem.60.8.3006-3010.1994 PMC Full Text View journal details
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