Acetic acid bacterium used in the food and pharmacuetical industries. Gluconobacter oxydans 621H

Gluconobacter oxydans 621H. Genome sequencing of Gluconobacter oxydans 621H (DSM 2343) has identified a number of membrane-bound dehydrogenases. The glucose/sorbitol dehydrogenase is responsible for the oxidation of D-sorbitol, gluconate and glycerol, producing L-sorbose, 5-ketogluconate and dihydroxyacetone, respectively. Other identified membrane-bound dehydrogenases include the alcohol, glucose, and sorbitol dehydrogenases, which are involved in acetate, gluconate, and D-fructose formation, respectively. In addition to the dehydrogenases with a recognized substrate, 75 putative dehydrogenase/oxidoreductases, 23 of which are thought to be membrane bound, have been identified in the genome sequence. Expression studies of G. oxydans grown on glucose has shown that a number of these uncharacterized oxidoreductases are transcribed and presumably have a role in cellular metabolism. The plasmids in G. oxydans strain 621H are not homologous to plasmids from other G. oxydans strains. Identified genes include those for plasmid replication, a DNA helicase II, a restriction/modification system, a heavy metal resistance system and, on the megaplasmid, genes for DNA transfer via conjugation.