Random mutagenesis is a powerful tool to evolve sugar transporters like Gal2 towards co-consumption of new substrates. Using a high-throughput screening system based on flow-through cytometry, various mutants were identified with improved xylose-transport characteristics. The Gal2 variants in this work are a promising starting point for further engineering to improve xylose uptake from mixed sugars in biomass.

We report the draft genome sequence of 3.3 Mb and the sequence (19.2 kb) of a natural plasmid isolated from Phenylobacterium immobile strain E (DSM 1986), able to degrade xenobiotic compounds as the sole carbon source. The sequences reveal a large number of novel Rieske nonheme iron aromatic ring-hydroxylating oxygenases (RHOs).

We present the 4.8-Mb draft genome of a soil bacterium identified as Arthrobacter sp. This Gram-positive soil bacterium is able to use the aromatic compound papaverine as sole carbon source and will be examined for novel oxygenases.

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