Heterologous expression, purification, reconstitution and kinetic analysis of an extended type II polyketide synthase.

BACKGROUND: Polyketide synthases (PKSs) are bacterial multienzyme systems that synthesize a broad range of natural products. The 'minimal' PKS consists of a ketosynthase, a chain length factor, an acyl carrier protein and a malonyl transferase. Auxiliary components (ketoreductases, aromatases and cyclases are involved in controlling the oxidation level and cyclization of the nascent polyketide chain. We describe the heterologous expression and reconstitution of several auxiliary PKS components including the actinorhodin ketoreductase (act KR), the griseusin aromatase/cyclase (gris ARO/CYC), and the tetracenomycin aromatase/cyclase (tcm ARO/CYC). RESULTS: The polyketide products of reconstituted act and tcm PKSs were identical to those identified in previous in vivo studies. Although stable protein-protein interactions were not detected between minimal and auxiliary PKS components, kinetic analysis revealed that the extended PKS comprised of the act minimal PKS, the act KR and the gris ARO/CYC had a higher turnover number than the act minimal PKS plus the act KR or the act minimal PKS alone. Adding the tcm ARO/CYC to the tcm minimal PKS also increased the overall rate. CONCLUSIONS: Until recently the principal strategy for functional analysis of PKS subunits was through heterologous expression of recombinant PKSs in Streptomyces. Our results corroborate the implicit assumption that the product isolated from whole-cell systems is the dominant product of the PKS. They also suggest that an intermediate is channeled between the various subunits, and pave the way for more detailed structural and mechanistic analysis of these multienzyme systems.     

Challenges in the Heterologous Production of Furanocoumarins in Escherichia coli

Coumarins and furanocoumarins are plant secondary metabolites with known biological activities. As they are present in low amounts in plants, their heterologous production emerged as a more sustainable and efficient approach to plant extraction. Although coumarins biosynthesis has been positively established, furanocoumarin biosynthesis has been far more challenging. This study aims to evaluate if Escherichia coli could be a suitable host for furanocoumarin biosynthesis. The biosynthetic pathway for coumarins biosynthesis in E. coli was effectively constructed, leading to the production of umbelliferone, esculetin and scopoletin (128.7, 17.6, and 15.7 µM, respectively, from tyrosine). However, it was not possible to complete the pathway with the enzymes that ultimately lead to furanocoumarins production. Prenyltransferase, psoralen synthase, and marmesin synthase did not show any activity when expressed in E. coli. Several strategies were tested to improve the enzymes solubility and activity with no success, including removing potential N-terminal transit peptides and expression of cytochrome P450 reductases, chaperones and/or enzymes to increase dimethylallylpyrophosphate availability. Considering the results herein obtained, E. coli does not seem to be an appropriate host to express these enzymes. However, new alternative microbial enzymes may be a suitable option for reconstituting the furanocoumarins pathway in E. coli. Nevertheless, until further microbial enzymes are identified, Saccharomyces cerevisiae may be considered a preferred host as it has already been proven to successfully express some of these plant enzymes.     

Precursor-directed biosynthesis of epothilone in Escherichia coli

Engineered biosynthetic pathways provide a powerful method for generating complex molecules. Precursor-directed biosynthesis, which combines chemical synthesis and enzymatic transformations, allows non-native starting materials to be incorporated into biosynthetic pathways. Using this approach, we achieved the production of the anticancer agent epothilone C in Escherichia coli. An E. coli strain was engineered to express the last three modules of the epothilone biosynthetic pathway (epoD-M6, epoE, and epoF) and the substrate required to complement the biosynthetic enzymes was obtained by chemical synthesis. Under high-density cell culture conditions, the E. coli strain processed exogenously fed synthetic substrate into epothilone C at levels comparable to the native host (1 mg/L) and at higher levels than other heterologous hosts. Importantly, this precursor-directed approach will allow chemical modifications to be introduced into the polyketide backbone and may ultimately provide access to epothilone analogues with improved pharmacological properties in quantities sufficient for clinical development.     

大肠杆菌异源表达pmoB及催化甲烷氧化生成甲醇的研究

颗粒甲烷单加氧酶(pMMO)是甲烷氧化菌中催化甲烷氧化生成甲醇的一种酶.Methylococcus capsulatus IMV3021的pMMO活性位点是pmoB亚基,该亚基是一种可溶性蛋白.我们研究将pmoB亚基进行异源表达及生物催化活性的验证.当培养基中烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(NADH)浓度为5 mmol/L时,可以观察到异源表达pmoB亚基具有催化甲烷氧化成甲醇活性,生成甲醇浓度为1.04 mmol/L.研究pMMO活性对于开发能直接将甲烷转化成甲醇的新型、环保催化剂有非常重要意义.     

Ieodoglucomides A and B from a marine-derived bacterium Bacillus licheniformis

Ieodoglucomides A (1) and B (2), unique glycolipopeptides consisting of an amino acid, a new fatty acid, a succinic acid, and a sugar, were isolated from a Marine-derived bacterium Bacillus licheniformis. The absolute stereochemistry of 1 and 2 was determined by deploying coupling constants, Marfey's and Mosher's methods, and literature reviews. Compounds 1 and 2 displayed moderate in vitro antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, ieodoglucomide B (2) exhibited cytotoxic activity against lung cancer and stomach cancer cell lines with GI(50) values of 25.18 and 17.78 μg/mL, respectively.     

Functional Analysis of Plantaricin E and Its Mutant by Heterologous Expression in Escherichia coli

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Plantaricins are a group of ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides in Lactobacillus plantarum that exert antimicrobial activities against some...     

Construction, expression, and characterization of recombinant hirudin in Escherichia coli

The mutant gene of HV2-K47 was obtained by polymerase chain reaction-directed mutagenesis and expressed in Escherichia coli. Many elements that could affect its expression level were compared. The product was purified to homogeneity via three chromatographic steps—ion exchange, gel filtration, and reverse phase chromatography—on the AKTA Explorer System. The antithrombin activity of HV2-K47 is much higher than that of recombinant HV2. Some properties and expression conditions were investigated systematically, which would be useful for further studies of hirudin and other small proteins.     

Molecular cloning and expression of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. galleriae insecticidal crystal protein genes in Escherichia coli

The location of the toxin gene of B. thuringiensis subsp. galleriae (H5ab) on the Mr-130Md plasmid is determined by molecular cloning. Double digestion fragments (BamHI and SalI) and PstI restriction fragments as well, from the 130 Md plasmid, of B. thuringiensis subsp. galleriae, are ligated with the cloning vector pAT 153 respectively and transformed into E. coli strain HB 101. Out of 208 transformants, three colonies (FG2, FG9, FG19) give positive hybridization reaction using the HD-1 delta-endotoxin gene as a probe. They are presumed to contain the delta-endotoxin gene of B. thuringiensis subsp. galleriae. Western blot assays indicate that Mr-130 kDal and 68 kDal, crystal proteins produced by clone FG2 react with anticrystal protein antibody. The protein extracts of clone FG2 are lethal to Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee). This is the first report with regard to the cloning and expression of the B. thuringiensis subsp. galleriae (H5ab) delta-endotoxin gene.     

Molecular Cloning and Heterologous Expression of Laccase from Aeromonas hydrophila NIU01 in Escherichia coli with Parameters Optimization in Production

Prior studies disclosed that Aeromonas hydrophila NIU01 was a biodecolorization and bioelectricity bacterium which was isolated from a cross-strait of Taiwan. However, enzymatic function, laccase, involved in this strain had never been reported. This first attempt is to explore its laccase activity, the molecular cloning and heterologous recombinant expression in Escherichia coli. A full-length novel gene of 1,647 bp, LacA, encoding of 549 amino acids was successfully cloned by polymerase chain reaction. The recombinant pET-15b(+)-NIU-LacA expression was compared in different E. coli strains. By applying Taguchi’s L9 in culture optimization, the soluble laccase increased to 22.7 %, in which the conditions were obtained at 22 °C with initial shaking speed at 200 rpm, addition of lactose of 0.2 mM and CuSO₄ of 0.5 mM to the medium, and shaking off while cell mass reached to OD_600nm of 1.5. NIU-LacA was strongly inhibited by chloride ion. The optimal temperature was 60 °C and the optimum pH for ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazolinesulfonic acid) and 2,6-DMP (2,6-dimethoxyphenol) were pH 2.1 and pH 7.5 which enzymatic activity was 274.6 and 44.8 U/L, respectively. Further study in structural modeling of NIU-LacA showed the C terminal domain was the major variance in the three most closely A. hydrophila strains.     

Production and Purification of a Solvent-Resistant Esterase from Bacillus licheniformis S-86

New thermophilic and organic-solvent-tolerant Bacillus licheniformis S-86 strain is able to produce two active and solvent-stable esterases. Production of type I and II esterases was substantially enhanced when oils and surfactants were supplied as carbon sources. Grape oil (0.1% v/v) and Tween 20 to 60 (0.1% v/v) had enhanced enzyme production between 1.6- and 2.2-folds. Type II esterase was purified to homogeneity in a five-step procedure. This esterase was purified 76.7-fold with a specific activity of 135 U mg(-1). Molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 38.4 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Type II esterase was active mostly on esters with short acyl chains, which allowed to classify the enzyme as a carboxylesterase with a K (m) of 80.2 mmol l(-1) and a V (max) of 256.4 micromol min(-1) mg(-1) for p-nitrophenyl acetate. Also, B. licheniformis S-86 type II esterase displayed activity in presence of water-miscible organic solvents at 50% concentration and stability after 1-h incubation.     

Cloning and expression of L-asparaginase gene in Escherichia coli

The L-asparaginase (ASN) from Escherichia coli AS1.357 was cloned as a DNA fragment generated using polymerase chain reaction technology and primers derived from conserved regions of published ASN gene sequences. Recombinant plasmid pASN containing ASN gene and expression vector pBV220 was transformed in different E. coli host strains. The activity and expression level of ASN in the engineering strains could reach 228 IU/mL of culture fluid and about 50% of the total soluble cell protein respectively, more than 40-fold the enzyme activity of the wild strain. The recombinant plasmid in E. coli AS1.357 remained stable after 72h of cultivation and 5h of heat induction without selective pressure. The ASN gene of E. coli AS1.357 was sequenced and had high homology compared to the reported data.     

Analysis of insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis and recombinant Escherichia coli by capillary electrokinetic chromatography

Bacillus thuringiensis and recombinant Escherichia coli proteinaceous protoxins were subject to proteolysis and analyzed by capillary electrokinetic chromatography. Three resulting toxins (65 kDa) were baseline-resolved within 22 min using a 10 mM borate, pH 11 separation buffer consisting of 25 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 30 mM phytic acid. The toxins displayed differential interactions with the SDS and phytic acid phases to effect their separation. The ion-pairing interaction between the analyte and phytic acid was also useful in preventing adsorption to the capillary walls and thus enhanced separation resolution and efficiency. The use of electrokinetic chromatography allows achievement of the separation in a significantly shorter time than conventional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) weak-anion exchanger.     

Comparison of coupled motions in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis dihydrofolate reductase

Hybrid quantum/classical molecular dynamics simulations are used to compare the role of protein motion in the hydride transfer reaction catalyzed by Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). These two enzymes have 44% sequence identity, and the experimentally determined structures and hydride transfer rates are similar. The simulations indicate that the tertiary structures of both enzymes evolve in a similar manner during the hydride transfer reaction. In both enzymes, the donor-acceptor distance decreases to approximately 2.7 Angstroms at the transition state configurations to enable hydride transfer. Zero point energy and hydrogen tunneling effects are found to be significant for both enzymes. Covariance and rank correlation analyses of motions throughout the protein and ligands illustrate that E. coli and B. subtilis DHFR exhibit both similarities and differences in the equilibrium fluctuations and the conformational changes along the collective reaction coordinate for hydride transfer. A common set of residues that play a significant role in the network of coupled motions leading to configurations conducive to hydride transfer for both E. coli and B. subtilis DHFR was identified. These results suggest a balance between conservation and flexibility in the thermal motions and conformational changes during hydride transfer. Homologous protein structures, in conjunction with conformational sampling, enable enzymes with different sequences to catalyze the same hydride transfer reaction with similar efficiency.     

Urethanase of Bacillus licheniformis sp. isolated from mouse gastrointestine.

Trace levels of urethane, a cancer causing chemical, were detected in many kinds of wine, sherry, whisky, brandy and sake. Urethane formation from urea and ethanol in sake can be prevented by the treatment of acid urease, which is produced by Lactobacillus fermentum, but urethane, once formed, is very difficult to decompose. In order to keep the safety of alcoholic beverages, enzymatic removal of urethane has become an urgent problem. We found that Bacillus licheniformis sp., isolated from mouse gastrointestine, decomposed urethane to ethanol and ammonia. The enzyme showed higher urethanase activity at an acidic condition than at a neutral condition, and was resistant against ethyl alcohol of high concentrations. However, the enzyme had a low affinity to urethane for the industrial removal of the compound from alcoholic beverages.     

Heterologous Co-expression of accA, fabD, and Thioesterase Genes for Improving Long-Chain Fatty Acid Production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli

The goal of the present study was to increase the content of intracellular long-chain fatty acids in two bacterial strains, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 and Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655, by co-overexpressing essential enzymes that are involved in the fatty acid synthesis metabolic pathway. Recently, microbial fatty acids and their derivatives have been receiving increasing attention as an alternative source of fuel. By introducing two genes (accA and fabD) of P. aeruginosa into the two bacterial strains and by co-expressing with them the fatty acyl?Cacyl carrier protein thioesterase gene of Streptococcus pyogenes (strain MGAS10270), we have engineered recombinant strains that are efficient producers of long-chain fatty acids (C16 and C18). The recombinant strains exhibit a 1.3?C1.7-fold increase in the production of long-chain fatty acids over the wild-type strains. To enhance the production of total long-chain fatty acids, we researched the carbon sources for optimized culture conditions and results were used for post-culture incubation period. E. coli SGJS17 (containing the accA, fabD, and thioesterase genes) produced the highest content of intracellular total fatty acids; in particular, the unsaturated fatty acid content was about 20-fold higher than that in the wild-type E. coli.     

Isolation and Characterization of Levan from Moderate Halophilic Bacteria Bacillus licheniformis BK AG21

Levan is fructose polymer as the result of biosynthesis by levansucrase. This study is aimed to explore the potential of moderate halophilic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis BK AG21 isolated from Bledug Kuwu, Purwodadi Central Java, in producing levan. This bacteria displayed positive potential in producing levan based on the appearance of slime mucoid on a sucrose medium. The optimum production of levan was attained when the culture medium containing sucrose and peptone as respective carbon and nitrogen sources was shaking incubated with speed of 150 rpm for 24 hours at 37 ^oC. Thermal gravimetric analysis revealed that levan produced by B. licheniformis BK AG21 decomposed at 214 ^oC. The structure of the isolated levan was elucidated with FTIR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies. Based on the obtained spectroscopic data, the isolated levan was composed of β-(2,6)-linkages of fructose residues.     

Ultraviolet action spectra for DNA dimer induction, lethality, and mutagenesis in Escherichia coli with emphasis on the UVB region

Abstract —Ultraviolet (UV) action spectra were obtained for lethality and mutagenesis (reversion to tryptophan independence) in Escherichia coli WP2s for wavelengths 254–405 nm with detailed analysis in the UVB region (290–320 nm). Parallel chemical assay yields of pyrimidine dimers in DNA of E. coli RT4 were determined at the same wavelengths. Spectral regions isolated from a Xe arc and resonance lines from a high-pressure Hg-Xe arc lamp were both used for irradiation. In all cases, precise energy distributions throughout the isolated Xe bands regions were defined.
Lethality, mutagenesis, and dimer induction all decreased in efficiency in a similar fashion as the wavelengths of the radiation increased. Between 300 and 320 nm, all characteristics measured showed differences of about two and a half orders of magnitude. Between these wavelengths, the values of the three end points used either coincide with or parallel the absorption spectrum of DNA. The mutagenesis action spectrum coincides closely with the absorption spectrum of DNA. The lethality spectrum is closely parallel to the mutagenicity spectrum; the points, however, consistently occur at about 2 nm longer wavelengths. A calculation derived from the slope of the UVB spectra reveals that a 1-nm shift of the solar UV spectrum to shorter wavelengths would result in a 35% increase in its mutagenic potential. At 325 nm, both biological action spectra show sharp decreases in slope. In addition, above 325 nm the spectra for lethality. mutagenicity, and dimer formation diverge sharply; lethalities at these UVA wavelengths were approximately tenfold greater relative to mutagenicity than at shorter wavelengths. The relative yield of dimer formation by 365 nm radiation is intermediate between the yields for lethality and mutagenesis.