2-methylisoborneol degradation by the cam operon from pseudomonas putida PpG1

The purpose of this study was to determine whether 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) degradation is coded on the chromosomal DNA or on the plasmid DNA. Result of these studies indicated the genes in Pseudomonas spp. responsible for this degradation may be located in the chromosomal DNA. Moreover, since the structure of MIB is similar to camphor, the cam operon which can decompose camphor was tested for decomposition of MIB. The cam operon consists of five parts; camD,C,A,B and camR. Each gene plays a different note; camR as it is a repressor of expression. The whole cam operon could decompose MIB by much the same pathway as camphor. Overexpressed recombinant plasmids were also constructed to reduce MIB, which was effectively degraded by deleted camR strains.