集胞藻PCC6803 中relA/spoT 同源基因syn-rsh (slr1325)的鉴定

[目的]四磷酸或五磷酸鸟苷(Guanosine 3′,5′-bispyrophosphate,(p)ppGpp)是细菌在遭遇环境胁迫时细胞产生应激反应的信号分子,(p)ppGpp由其合成酶RelA或具有合成酶或水解酶双重催化功能的RelA/SpoT合成.本文证明了集胞藻PCC6803(Synechocystis sp.)中唯一编码RelA/SpoT同源蛋白(命名为Syn-RSH)的基因slr1325(syn-rsh)的功能.[方法]通过互补试验证明syn-rsh表达产物的生物学功能;以纤维素薄层层析检测不同条件下Escherichia coli(p)ppGpp合成缺陷突变株及集胞藻PCC6803细胞中的(p)ppGpp.[结果]诱导Syn-RSH表达可使(p)ppGpp合成酶和水解酶基因缺失的E.coli突变株回复野生型表型,并在细胞中积累一定水平的ppGpp;在实验室培养条件下,集胞藻PCC6803细胞中可检测到低水平的ppGpp,氨基酸饥饿可诱导ppGpp水平升高并维持在相应水平.[结论]Syn-RSH具有(p)ppGpp合成酶和水解酶的双重功能,(p)ppGpp是集胞藻PCC6803在实验室生长条件下细胞生长所必需的.     

集胞藻PCC 6803蛋白SpPhaB和SpPhaE的原核表达及结晶条件筛选

【目的】克隆蓝藻集胞藻PCC 6803 SpPhaB和SpPhaE的编码基因并构建原核表达载体,优化培养条件以提高在大肠杆菌中可溶蛋白的表达量,筛选SpPhaB结晶条件,为PHB家族蛋白的结构与功能研究提供基础。【方法】克隆集胞藻PCC 6803 PHB合成途径的phaB、phaE基因,将phaB、phaE基因构建到表达载体pET28a中,优化IPTG浓度、诱导温度和诱导时间,提高在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中SpPhaB和SpPhaE可溶蛋白的表达产量,经Ni柱亲和层析纯化分别获得His-SpPhaB和His-SpPhaE蛋白,进一步筛选SpPhaB结晶条件。【结果】构建了pET28a-SpPhaB和pET28a-SpPhaE表达载体;优化获得SpPhaB可溶蛋白的最佳表达条件为：诱导温度37 °C、转速220 r/min、IPTG浓度0.1 mmol/L、诱导时间7 h;SpPhaE的可溶性蛋白最佳表达条件为：诱导温度25 °C、转速220 r/min、IPTG浓度0.5 mmol/L、诱导时间7 h,并获得了SpPhaB的结晶条件。【结论】构建了具有高效表达可溶的集胞藻PCC 6803 SpPhaB和SpPhaE的原核表达系统,并筛选优化了SpPhaB的结晶条件,为研究SpPhaB蛋白的结构及功能奠定了基础。     

敲除集胞藻PCC 6803中编码乳酸脱氢酶的slr1556基因对生物合成乙醇的影响

探究在集胞藻PCC 6803中引入外源乙醇合成基因并敲除集胞藻PCC 6803中编码乳酸脱氢酶的slr1556基因对生物合成乙醇的影响。在集胞藻PCC 6803中引入来源于运动型发酵单胞菌的丙酮酸脱羧酶基因（pdc）与大肠杆菌的NADPH依赖型醛还原酶基因（yqhD）光强启动子PrbcL的驱动下组合表达,生物合成乙醇。在此基础上进一步敲除集胞藻PCC 6803中编码乳酸脱氢酶的slr1556基因,以提高乙醇合成前体丙酮酸含量,促进乙醇的生产。结果显示敲除slr1556基因可以提高丙酮酸含量并显著增加乙醇的产量。竞争性丙酮酸转化乳酸代谢途径的阻断可以有效促进丙酮酸的累积,进而促进乙醇的生产。     

集胞藻PCC6803铜离子诱导表达平台的构建

在集胞藻PCC6803中,基因敲除是研究基因功能的最直接有效的方法,但是对于某些生存必需的基因则无法通过这种方法获得突变株。为研究集胞藻PCC6803中此类基因的功能,在其基因组中构建了一个petE基因启动子（PpetE）控制的铜离子诱导表达的平台。将集胞藻PpetE装配在lacZ报告基因的上游,通过同源双交换整合到这种蓝藻的基因组中。通过调节培养基中铜离子的浓度发现,lacZ的表达能够人为控制。特别是当铜离子浓度在6－400nmoL／L范围时,LacZ活力随铜离子浓度增加呈S型增长关系。利用这个铜离子诱导表达平台,可以控制某些必需基因的表达：提供铜离子维持细胞生存;而撤去铜离子时则关闭基因的表达,可以观察其对生命活动的影响。     

集胞藻PCC6803中S2P同源蛋白基因sll0862缺失突变株对热胁迫与氧化胁迫的响应

原核生物中S2P参与应答外界环境刺激,然而行光合作用的蓝细菌-集胞藻PCC6803的S2P同源蛋白功能未知。【目的】考察集胞藻PCC6803中S2P同源蛋白sll0862是否参与外界环境刺激的应答。【方法】监测在高温和氧化胁迫的条件下sll0862基因缺失突变株与野生株在生长速率或存活率上的差异,利用水样调制叶绿素荧光仪(water-PAM,脉冲-振幅-调制叶绿素荧光仪)测量在高温和氧化胁迫的条件下突变株与野生株叶绿素荧光参数的差异,来考察其光合作用差异。【结果】sll0862突变株与野生株在正常的培养环境中生长速率并无差异,但是将sll0862突变株与野生株在48℃加热处理半小时后,sll0862突变株的存活率明显低于野生株。当初始OD730值为0.1的藻液中添加终浓度为1 mmol/L双氧水的时候,sll0862突变株的生长速率比野生株明显低,而且氧化胁迫条件下突变株与野生株的调制叶绿素荧光有差异。【结论】集胞藻PCC6803中sll0862基因的缺失导致突变体对高温与氧化胁迫响应出现缺陷,提示有功能的sll0862参与响应热和氧化胁迫。研究结果为进一步阐述S2P同源蛋白sll0862在集胞藻PCC6803中的功能奠定基础。     

集胞藻PCC6803膜脂循环关键基因酶学性质和生理功能

集胞藻PCC6803野生型和其脂酰ACP合酶敲除突变株的自由脂肪酸含量和组成表明膜脂的重构和降解是细胞内自由脂肪酸的来源之一。在这一过程中脂肪酶起到关键性作用。通过基因组数据库检索,发现集胞藻PCC6803基因组中只有一个脂肪酶编码基因sll1969,但是还没有其功能相关的生化证据。为了确定该基因的功能及其在脂肪酸代谢途径中的作用,加深对集胞藻PCC6803脂肪酸代谢途径的了解,文中将sll1969基因在大肠杆菌中过表达和体外纯化,得到重组蛋白Sll1969,并对其酶学性质进行初步分析。在30℃条件下,测得Sll1969以对硝基苯丁酸酯作为底物时的Km和kcat值分别为(1.16±0.01)mmol/L和(332.8±10.0)/min;该脂肪酶的最适反应温度为55℃。通过比较分析sll1969突变株中脂肪酸含量和组成变化,发现sll1969的表达量与细胞自由脂肪酸的产量呈正相关,但Sll1969不是细胞中唯一的脂肪酶。     

集胞藻PCC 6803高产精氨酸藻株的紫外诱变选育

精氨酸在医药和食品工业上具有广泛用途。集胞藻PCC 6803是单细胞蓝藻, 能利用工业废气(主要成分是氮氧化物NO_x)与水反应生成的硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐合成氨基酸等化合物, 因而选育高产精氨酸藻株, 不仅能提高精氨酸产量, 而且能去除工业废气中的NO_x, 具有潜在的应用前景。研究在集胞藻PCC 6803中利用紫外诱变, 筛选抗0.8 g/L D-精氨酸和抗0.2 g/L 6-氮尿嘧啶的突变株, 选育到了一株精氨酸产量显著提高的突变株#13807-111-55, 它每OD₇₃₀值细胞的胞外精氨酸产量相比出发株提高了62.3倍, 达到(0.76±0.1) mg/(L·OD₇₃₀), 总精氨酸产量相比出发株提高了6.0倍, 达到(0.82±0.08) mg/(L·OD₇₃₀)。该突变株每OD₇₃₀值细胞的胞外精氨酸产量明显高于胞内, 表明该突变藻株是精氨酸分泌型, 因而具有潜在的应用前景。     

集胞藻PCC 6803中脂肪酸激活酶Slr1609互作蛋白的鉴定

集胞藻中slr1609是编码脂肪酸激活酶的基因,对与其相关的重要功能伴侣蛋白进行研究,可以完善对脂肪酸合成模块的认识,为进一步通过合成生物学技术改造蓝细菌提供理论支持。本研究在集胞藻PCC 6803中建立了蛋白质复合体分析及鉴定技术:利用氯霉素抗性基因筛选,构建带有3×FLAG标签的Slr1609突变株,通过RT-PCR优化重组蛋白表达条件;同时对突变株进行了Western blotting鉴定,以及利用Native-PAGE验证了蛋白质复合体的存在。最后,LC-MS/MS质谱鉴定获得了Slr1609蛋白复合体中的可能伴侣蛋白。     

集胞藻PCC6803中基因slr1761突变体的构建

PCR扩增了集胞藻PCC6803的slr1761基因,进一步以PGEM-T为载体将其克隆到大肠杆菌中,构建了P1761质粒。通过DNA体外重组,以卡那霉素抗性基因插入目的基因片段,构建了既含目的基因上游及下游序列、又携带选择性标记卡那霉素抗性的PK1761质粒。该质粒转化野生型集胞藻PCC6803细胞,利用同源重组原理获得了能在含卡那霉素的培养基上正常生长的基因敲除突变株。对该突变株基因组DNA进行PCR扩增,验证了其基因结构的正确性。     

Glucosylglycerol,a compatible solute,sustains cell division under salt stress

The cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 accumulates the compatible solute glucosylglycerol (GG) and sucrose under salt stress. Although the molecular mechanisms for GG synthesis including regulation of the GG-phosphate synthase (ggpS) gene, which encodes GgpS, has been intensively investigated, the role of GG in protection against salt stress remains poorly understood. In our study of the role of GG in the tolerance to salt stress, we found that salt stress due to 450 mM NaCl inhibited cell division and significantly increased cell size in DeltaggpS mutant cells, whereas the inhibition of cell division and increase in cell size were observed in wild-type cells at high concentrations of NaCl, such as 800 mM. Electron microscopy revealed that, in DeltaggpS cells, separation of daughter cells was incomplete, and aborted division could be recognized by the presence of a structure that resembled a division ring. The addition of GG to the culture medium protected DeltaggpS cells against salt stress and reversed the adverse effects of NaCl on cell division and cell size. These observations suggest that GG is important for salt tolerance and thus for the proper division of cells under salt stress conditions.     

Sucrose accumulation in salt-stressed cells of agp gene deletion-mutant in cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp PCC 6803

The agp gene encoding the ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase is involved in cyanobacterial glycogen synthesis and glucosylglycerol formation. By in vitro DNA recombination technology, a mutant with partial deletion of agp gene in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was constructed. This mutant could not synthesize glycogen or the osmoprotective substance glucosylglycerol. In the mutant cells grown in the medium containing 0.9 M NaCl for 96 h, no glucosylglycerol was detected and the total amount of sucrose was 29 times of that of in wild-type cells. Furthermore, the agp deletion mutant could tolerate up to 0.9 M salt concentration. Our results suggest that sucrose might act as a similar potent osmoprotectant as glucosylglycerol in cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.     

Effect of increased PHA synthase activity on polyhydroxyalkanoates biosynthesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase activity in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 was increased two-fold by introducing the PHA biosynthetic genes of Ralstonia eutropha. The resulting recombinant Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 strain was subjected to conditions that favor PHA accumulation and the effects of various carbon sources were studied. In addition, the fine structure of both wild-type and recombinant Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 was examined using freeze-fracture electron microscopy technique. The PHA granules in the recombinant Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 were localised near the thylakoid membranes. Maximum amount of PHA accumulation was obtained in the presence of acetate, where the number of granules in the recombinant cells ranged from 4 to 6 and their sizes were in the range of 70-240 nm. In comparison to wild-type Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, recombinant cells with increased PHA synthase activity showed only a marginal increase in PHA content suggesting that PHA synthase is not the rate limiting enzyme of PHA biosynthesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803.     

Substrate specificities and availability of fucosyltransferase and beta-carotene hydroxylase for myxol 2'-fucoside synthesis in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 compared with Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803

To elucidate the biosynthetic pathways of carotenoids, especially myxol 2'-glycosides, in cyanobacteria, Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 (also known as Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120) and Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 deletion mutants lacking selected proposed carotenoid biosynthesis enzymes and GDP-fucose synthase (WcaG), which is required for myxol 2'-fucoside production, were analyzed. The carotenoids in these mutants were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography, field desorption mass spectrometry, and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance. The wcaG (all4826) deletion mutant of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 produced myxol 2'-rhamnoside and 4-ketomyxol 2'-rhamnoside as polar carotenoids instead of the myxol 2'-fucoside and 4-ketomyxol 2'-fucoside produced by the wild type. Deletion of the corresponding gene in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 (sll1213; 79% amino acid sequence identity with the Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 gene product) produced free myxol instead of the myxol 2'-dimethyl-fucoside produced by the wild type. Free myxol might correspond to the unknown component observed previously in the same mutant (H. E. Mohamed, A. M. L. van de Meene, R. W. Roberson, and W. F. J. Vermaas, J. Bacteriol. 187:6883-6892, 2005). These results indicate that in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, but not in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803, rhamnose can be substituted for fucose in myxol glycoside. The beta-carotene hydroxylase orthologue (CrtR, Alr4009) of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 catalyzed the transformation of deoxymyxol and deoxymyxol 2'-fucoside to myxol and myxol 2'-fucoside, respectively, but not the beta-carotene-to-zeaxanthin reaction, whereas CrtR from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 catalyzed both reactions. Thus, the substrate specificities or substrate availabilities of both fucosyltransferase and CrtR were different in these species. The biosynthetic pathways of carotenoids in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 are discussed.     

Exploring the photosynthetic production capacity of sucrose by cyanobacteria

Because cyanobacteria are photosynthetic, fast-growing microorganisms that can accumulate sucrose under salt stress, they have a potential application as a sugar source for the biomass-derived production of renewable fuels and chemicals. In the present study, the production of sucrose by the cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942, and Anabaena sp. PCC7120 was examined. The three species displayed different growth curves and intracellular sucrose accumulation rates in response to NaCl. Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 was used to examine the impact of modifying the metabolic pathway on the levels of sucrose production. The co-overexpression of sps (slr0045), spp (slr0953), and ugp (slr0207) lead to a 2-fold increase in intracellular sucrose accumulation, whereas knockout of ggpS (sll1566) resulted in a 1.5-fold increase in the production of this sugar. When combined, these genetic modifications resulted in a fourfold increase in intracellular sucrose accumulation. To explore methods for optimizing the transport of the intracellular sucrose to the growth medium, the acid-wash technique and the CscB (sucrose permease)-dependent export method were evaluated using Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. Whereas the acid-wash technique proved to be effective, the CscB-dependent export method was not effective. Taken together, these results suggest that using genetic engineering, photosynthetic cyanobacteria can be optimized for efficient sucrose production.     

PII-regulated arginine synthesis controls accumulation of cyanophycin in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803

Cyanophycin (multi-L-arginyl-poly-L-aspartic acid) is a nitrogen storage polymer found in most cyanobacteria and some heterotrophic bacteria. The cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 accumulates cyanophycin following a transition from nitrogen-limited to nitrogen-excess conditions. Here we show that the accumulation of cyanophycin depends on the activation of the key enzyme of arginine biosynthesis, N-acetyl-L-glutamate kinase, by signal transduction protein PII.     

Regulation of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 glutamine synthetase activity in a Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 derivative strain bearing the Anabaena glnA gene and a mutated host glnA gene.

The glnA gene from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 was cloned by hybridization with the glnA gene from Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, and a deletion-insertion mutation of the Synechocystis gene was generated in vitro. A strain derived from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 which contained integrated into the chromosome, in addition to its own glnA gene, the Anabaena glnA gene was constructed. From that strain, a Synechocystis sp. glnA mutant could be obtained by transformation with the inactivated Synechocystis glnA gene; this mutant grew by using Anabaena glutamine synthetase and was not a glutamine auxotroph. A Synechocystis sp. glnA mutant could not be obtained, however, from the wild-type Synechocystis sp. The Anabaena glutamine synthetase enzyme was subject to ammonium-promoted inactivation when expressed in the Synechocystis strain but not in the Anabaena strain itself.