• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.360-364
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• 1992

Methylcatechol 2, 3-dioxygenase encoded in pWWO megaplasmid of Pseudomonas putida mt-2 has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. This enzyme gene has been localized inside 2. 3-kb XhoI fragment derived from the pWWO megaplasmid. Analysis of enzyme activity and SDS-PAGE showed that the cloned methylcatechol 2, 3-dioxygenase gene in E. coli was about 100 fold overexpressed compared with the parental gene in P. putida mt-2 (pWWO). The cloned enzyme exhibited higher ring-fission activity to catechol than catechol derivatives including 3-methylcatechol, 4-methylcatechol, and 4-chlorocatechol.