Isolation, characterization and mapping of mandelate pathway mutants of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus

Mutants of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus EBF 65/65 that could not grow on intermediates of the mandelate or benzyl alcohol pathways were isolated and in some cases the enzymic lesions were identified. Several catabolic markers were mapped using the plasmid pAV1. The mandelate genes appeared to be clustered near the auxotrophic marker phe-1 but were not all contiguous with each other. The gene responsible for the appearance of the novel L(+)-mandelate dehydrogenase appeared to be close to a gene responsible for the activity of the original D(-)-mandelate dehydrogenase.