Table 1 Bacterial strains and plasmids used in this study

Plasmids

 pCDFDuet-1

Expression vector; CDF (pCloDF13 replicon), encodes two multiple cloning sites, each of which is preceded by a T7 promoter, a lac operator, and a ribosome binding site; Sm^R

Merck Millipore, Germany

 pCDF-dhaAwt

pCDFDuet-1 carrying wild-type dhaA gene (encoding haloalkane dehalogenase) from Rhodococcus rhodochrous NCIMB 13064

[22]

 pCDF-dhaA31

pCDFDuet-1 carrying mutant variant (dhaA31) of haloalkane dehalogenase gene

[22]

 pETDuet-1

Expression vector; ColE1 (pBR322 replicon), encodes two multiple cloning sites, each of which is preceded by a T7 promoter, a lac operator, and a ribosome binding site; Amp^R

Merck Millipore, Germany

 pETDuet-echA-hheC

pETDuet-1 carrying wild-type echA and hheC genes (encoding epoxide hydrolase and haloalcohol dehalogenase) from Agrobacterium radiobacter AD1

[22]

 pACYCDuet-1

Expression vector; P15A (pACYC184 replicon), encodes two multiple cloning sites, each of which is preceded by a T7 promoter, a lac operator, and a ribosome binding site; Cm^R

Merck Millipore, Germany

 pACYC-echA-hheC

pACYC-1 carrying the wild-type echA and hheC genes (encoding epoxide hydrolase and haloalcohol dehalogenase) from Agrobacterium radiobacter AD1

[22]

Escherichia coli

 DH5α

Cloning host; Φ80lacZΔM15 recA1 endA1 gyrA96 thi-1 hsdR17(r ⁻_K m ⁺_K ) supE44 relA1 deoR Δ(lacZYA-argF)U169

Life Technologies, USA

 BL21(DE3)

Expression host; F⁻ ompT gal dcm lon hsdS _B (r ⁻_B m ⁻_B ) λ(DE3 [lacI ^Q lacUV5-T7 gene 1 ind1 sam7 nin5])

Life Technologies, USA

 Host control

E. coli BL21(DE3) transformed with pCDF and pETDuet, control strain with empty plasmids

This study

 degWT

E. coli BL21(DE3) transformed with pCDF-dhaAwt and pETDuet-echA-hheC

[22]

 deg31

E. coli BL21(DE3) transformed with pCDF-dhaA31 and pETDuet-echA-hheC

[22]

 deg31opt

E. coli BL21(DE3) transformed with pCDF-dhaA31 and pACYC-echA-hheC

[22]