Identification and characterization of IS1411, a new insertion sequence which causes transcriptional activation of the phenol degradation genes in Pseudomonas putida.

A new insertion sequence (IS element), IS1411, was identified downstream of the phenol degradation genes pheBA that originated from plasmid DNA of Pseudomonas sp. strain EST1001. According to sequence analysis, IS1411 belongs to a new family of IS elements that has recently been named the ISL3 family (J. Mahillon and M. Chandler, Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 62:725–774, 1998). IS1411 generates 8-bp duplication of the target DNA and carries 24-bp inverted repeats (IRs), highly homologous to the IRs of other IS elements belonging to this family. IS1411 was discovered as a result of insertional activation of promoterless pheBA genes in Pseudomonas putida due to the presence of outward-directed promoters at the left end of IS1411. Both promoters located on the IS element have sequences that are similar to the consensus sequence of Escherichia coli ς70. IS1411 can produce IS circles, and the circle formation is enhanced when two copies of the element are present in the same plasmid.