Genetic and biochemical properties of an extracellular neutral metalloprotease from Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus

The gene encoding the extracellular neutral metalloprotease ShpI from Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus was cloned. DNA sequencing revealed an ORF of 1317 nucleotides encoding a 438 amino acid protein with Mr of 49698. When the cloned gene was expressed in Staphylococcus carnosus, a 42 kDa protease was found in the culture medium. The protease was purified from both S. carnosus (pCAshp1) and S. hyicus subsp. hyicus. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of the two proteases revealed that ShpI is organized as a pre-pro-enzyme with a proposed 26 amino acid signal peptide, a 75 amino acid hydrophilic pro-region, and a 337 amino acid extracellular mature form with a calculated Mr of 38394. The N-termini showed microheterogeneity in both host strains. ShpI had a maximum proteolytic activity at 55°C and pH 7.4–8.5. The protease, which had a low substrate specificity, could be inhibited by metal- and zinc-specific inhibitors, such as EDTA and 1,10-phenanthroline. Insensitivity to phosphoramidon separates ShpI from the thermolysin-like family. The conserved Zn²⁺ binding motif, the only homology to other proteases, and the reactivation of the apoenzyme by Zn²⁺, indicated that Zn²⁺ is the catalytic ion. Ca²⁺ very probably acts as a stabilizer. We also demonstrated the presence of a second extracellular protease in S. hyicus subsp. hyicus.     

Cloning of the ribokinase gene of Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus in Staphylococcus carnosus

Summary A gene library with DNA of Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus was established in S. carnosus by using the plasmid vector pCT20. Two clones of S. carnosus were isolated which were able to ferment d-ribose. The two hybrid plasmids (pRib 1) and (pRib 2) were isolated and characterized. They contained inserted DNA fragments of S. hyicus subsp. hyicus with sizes of 10.2 and 8.2 kb, respectively. d-Ribose uptake and enzyme activities were studied. All strains tested [S. hyicus subsp. hyicus, S. carnosus (wild type) and the two S. carnosus clones] possessed an inducible uptake system for d-ribose. S. hyicus subsp. hyicus possessed in addition enzyme activities of d-ribokinase and d-ribose-5-P isomerase. None of these enzyme activities could be detected in S. carnosus (wildtype). Only in the S. carnosus clones containing (pRib 1) or (pRib 2) could a d-ribokinase activity be demonstrated, indicating that the gene for d-ribokinase of S. hyicus subsp. hyicus was cloned in S. carnosus.Abbreviations bp base pairs - C-TLC cellulose-thin layer chromoatography - kb kilo base pairs - pR_ib 1 and 2 ribokinase activity conferring hybridplasmids - MBq megabequerel - wt wild type     

Biochemical properties of a novel metalloprotease from Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus involved in extracellular lipase processing.

Two extracellular proteases from Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus, ShpI and ShpII, have been characterized. ShpI is a neutral metalloprotease with broad substrate specificity; the gene has been cloned and sequenced. ShpII, characterized here, is mainly produced in the late logarithmic growth phase in contrast to ShpI, which is mainly produced in the late stationary growth phase. ShpII was purified from culture medium of S. hyicus by ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE-Sepharose chromatography. The molecular mass, estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was 34 kDa. The temperature optimum of ShpII was 55 degrees C, and the pH optimum was 7.4. ShpII, a neutral metalloprotease, was strongly inhibited by zinc and calcium chelators. The amino-terminal sequence of the active enzyme was similar to the corresponding region of a Staphylococcus epidermidis metalloprotease. The substrate specificity of ShpII was similar to that of thermolysin-like proteases, with the exception that ShpII also recognized aromatic amino acids. We demonstrated in vitro that ShpII, but not ShpI, cleaved the 86-kDa S. hyicus subsp. hyicus prolipase between Thr-245 and Val-246 to generate the mature 46-kDa lipase. Results of additional in vivo experiments supported the model that ShpII is necessary for the extracellular processing and maturation of S. hyicus subsp. hyicus lipase.     

Cloning and sequencing of two genes fromStaphylococcus carnosus coding for glucose-specific PTS and their expression inEscherichia coliK-12

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-dependent phosphorylation experiments have indicated that the grampositive bacteriumStaphylococcus carnosus possesses an EIICBA fusion protein specific for glucose. Here we report the cloning of a 7 kb genomic DNA fragment containing two genes,glcA andglcB, coding for the glucose-specific PTS transporters EII^Glc1 and EII^Glc2 which are 69% identical. The translation products derived from the nucleotide sequence consist of 675 and 692 amino acid residues and have calculated molecular weights of 73 025 and 75 256, respectively. Both genes can be stably maintained inEscherichia coli cells and restore the ability to ferment glucose toptsG deletion mutants ofE. coli. This demonstrates the ability of the PTS proteins HPr and/or EIIA^Glc of a gram-negative organism (E. coli) to phosphorylate an EIICBA^Glc from a gram-positive organism (S. carnosus).     

Analysis of Two Aspergillus nidulans Genes Encoding Extracellular Proteases

vanKuyk, P. A., Cheetham, B. F., and Katz, M. E. 2000. Analysis of two Aspergillus nidulans genes encoding extracellular proteases. Characterization of prtAΔ mutants, generated by gene disruption, showed that the prtA gene is responsible for the majority of extracellular protease activity secreted by Aspergillus nidulans at both neutral and acid pH. The prtAΔ mutation was used to map the prtA gene to chromosome V. Though aspartic protease activity has never been reported in A. nidulans and the prtAΔ mutants appear to lack detectable acid protease activity, a gene (prtB) encoding a putative aspartic protease was isolated from this species. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of PrtB to the sequence of other aspergillopepsins suggests that the putative prtB gene product contains an eight-amino-acid deletion prior to the second active site Asp residue of the protease. RT-PCR experiments showed that the prtB gene is expressed, albeit at a low level.     

Cloning,sequencing, and characterization of a gene (narT) encoding a transport protein involved in dissimilatory nitrate reduction inStaphylococcus carnosus

A Tn917 mutant ofStaphylococcus carnosus TM300, nrIII, was isolated and characterized. Mutant nrIII did not take up nitrate or accumulate nitrite when grown in B-medium supplemented with up to 10 mM nitrate under anoxic conditions; however, it displayed wild-type levels of benzyl viologen-linked nitrate reductase activity. Cultivated in B-medium with nitrate under oxic conditions, mutant nrIII accumulated fivefold less nitrite than the wild-type. The mutation inS. carnosus nrIII could be complemented with a 2-kb chromosomalEcoRI-HpaI fragment from the wild-type. The gene affected by transposon insertion in mutant nrIII was cloned and sequenced. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed that this gene, designatednarT, encodes a highly hydrophobic 42-kDa transmembrane protein of 388 amino acids and shows similarities to transport proteins that play a role in nitrate import or nitrite export. The inability of nrIII to take up nitrate under anoxic conditions and its ability to take up and accumulate nitrite in the presence of benzyl viologen, a nitrate ionophore, under the same conditions suggest that NarT represents a transport protein required for nitrate uptake under anoxic conditions inS. carnosus.     

Cloning and biochemical characterization of Staphylococcus aureus type IA DNA topoisomerase comprised of distinct five domains

DNA topoisomerases play critical roles in regulating DNA topology and are essential enzymes for cell survival. In this study, a gene encoding type IA DNA topoisomerase was cloned from Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) sp. strain C-66, and the biochemical properties of recombinant enzyme was characterized. The nucleotide sequence analysis showed that the cloned gene contained an open reading frame (2070 bp) that could encode a polypeptide of 689 amino acids. The cloned gene actually produced 79.1 kDa functional enzyme (named Sau-TopoI) in Escherichia coli (E. coli). Sau-TopoI enzyme purified from E. coli showed ATP-independent and Mg²⁺-dependent manners for relaxing negatively supercoiled DNA. The relaxation activity of Sau-TopoI was inhibited by camptothecin, but not by nalidixic acid and etoposide. Cleavage site mapping showed that the enzyme could preferentially bind to and cleave the sequence GGNN↓CAT (N and ↓ represent any nucleotide and cleavage site, respectively). All these results suggest that the purified enzyme is type IA DNA topoisomerase. In addition, domain mapping analysis showed that the enzyme was composed of conserved four domains (I through IV), together with a variable C-terminal region containing a unique domain V.     

In vivo immobilization of enzymatically active polypeptides on the cell surface of Staphylococcus carnosus

Many surface proteins of Gram-positive bacteria are covalently anchored to the cell wall by a ubiquitous mechanism, involving a specific, C-terminal sorting signal. To achieve cell-wall immobilization of a normally secreted enzyme in vivo, we constructed a hybrid protein consisting of Staphylococcus hyicus lipase and the C-terminal region of Staphylococcus aureus fibronectin binding protein B (FnBPB). This region comprised the authentic cell-wall-spanning region and cell-wall sorting signal of FnBPB. Expression of the hybrid protein in Staphylococcus carnosus resulted in efficient cell-wall anchoring of enzymatically active lipase. The cell-wall-immobilized lipase (approximately 10000 molecules per cell) retained more than 80% of the specific activity, compared to the C-terminally unmodified S. hyicus lipase secreted by S. carnosus cells. After releasing the hybrid protein from the cell wall by lysostaphin treatment, its specific activity was indistinguishable from that of the unmodified lipase. Thus, the C-terminal region of FnBPB per se was fully compatible with folding of the lipase to an active conformation. To study the influence of the distance between the cell-wall sorting signal and the C-terminus of the lipase on the activity of the immobilized lipase, the length of this spacer region was varied. Reduction of the spacer length gradually reduced the activity of the surface-immobilized lipase. On the other hand, elongation of this spacer did not stimulate the activity of the immobilized lipase, indicating that the spacer must exceed a critical length of approx. 90 amino acids to allow efficient folding of the enzyme, which probably can only be achieved outside the pep-tidoglycan web of the cell wall. When the lipase was replaced by another enzyme, the Escherichia coliβ-lactamase, the resulting hybrid was also efficiently anchored in an active conformation to the cell wall of S, carnosus. These results demonstrate that it is possible to immobilize normally soluble enzymes on the cell wall of S. carnosus - without radically altering their catalytic activity - by fusing them to a cell-wall-immobilization unit, consisting of a suitable cellwall-spanning region and a standard cell-wall sorting signal.     

地毯草黄单胞菌双组分系统VgrS-VgrR基因敲除及表型筛选

【目的】研究地毯草黄单胞菌双组分系统VgrS-VgrR与致病性的关系,为木薯细菌性病害的高效防控提供分子生物学证据。【方法】采用同源重组方法构建vgrS和vgrR的插入失活突变体,用可移动的cosmid载体p HM1构建互补菌株。检测突变体的致病性、细菌游动性、胞外酶、胞外多糖的变化,观察细菌对H_2O_2和金属离子胁迫的反应。【结果】相比野生型菌株,vgrS和vgrR突变体接种寄主植物木薯后致病力显著降低,突变体的游动性减少、蛋白酶活性减弱、H_2O_2耐受性降低,在高浓度金属离子Fe²⁺、Fe³⁺、Cu²⁺、Ni²⁺、Zn²⁺、Co²⁺的胁迫条件下菌体生长显著减弱。然而,vgrS和vgrR突变体的胞外多糖含量显著升高,分别是野生型的2.14和1.89倍。【结论】阐明了VgrS-VgrR系统在细菌致病过程中发挥的重要作用,为鉴定VgrS-VgrR调控机制提供线索,为药物筛选提供靶向目标。     

Tissue-specific position effects on alcohol dehydrogenase expression in Drosophila melanogaster

Summary Erwinia chrysanthemi, a phytopathogenic enterobacterium, secretes three proteases (PrtA, PrtB and PrtC) into the extracellular medium. The gene encoding the 50 kDa protease, prtA, was subcloned from a recombinant cosmid carrying a fragment of the E. chrysanthemi B374 chromosome. prtA was shown to be located immediately 3 to the structural genes for the other two extracellular proteases. The amino acid sequence of PrtA, as predicted from the prtA nucleotide sequence, showed a high level of homology with a family of metalloproteases that are all secreted via a signal peptide-independent pathway, including PrtB and PrtC of E. chrysanthemi B374, PrtC of E. chrysanthemi EC16, PrtSM of Serratia marcescens and AprA of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PrtA secretion requires the E. chrysanthemi protease secretion factors PrtD, PrtE and PrtF. The secretion signal of PrtA is near to the carboxy-terminal end of the protein, as was previously shown to be the case for PrtB and PrtSM and for Escherichia coli -hemolysin. The C-termini of these four proteins do not show extensive primary sequence homology, but PrtA, PrtB and PrtSM each have a potential amphipathic -helix located close to the C-terminus.     

Molecular cloning,nucleotide sequence and expression of the structural gene for a thermostable alkaline protease from Bacillus sp. no. AH-101

Summary Alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. no. AH-101 produces an extremely thermostable alkaline serine protease that has a high optimum pH (pH 12–13) and shows keratinolytic activity. The gene encoding this protease was cloned in Escherichia coli and expressed in B. subtilis. The cloned protease was identical to the AH-101 protease in its optimum pH and thermostability at high alkaline pH. An open reading frame of 1083 bases, identified as the protease gene, was preceded by a putative Shine-Dalgarno sequence (AAAGGAGG) with a spacing of 11 bases. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed a pre-pro-peptide of 93 residues followed by the mature protease comprising 268 residues. AH-101 protease showed slightly higher homology to alkaline proteases from alkaliphilic bacilli (61.2% and 65.3%) than to those from neutrophilic bacilli (54.9–56.7%). Also AH-101 protease and other proteases from alkaliphilic bacilli shared common amino acid changes and a four amino acid deletion when compared to the proteases from neutrophilic bacilli. AH-101 protease, however, was distinct among the proteases from alkaliphilic bacilli in showing the lowest homology to the others.Correspondence to: H. Takami     

Characterization of an Extracellular Serine Protease Gene from the Nematophagous Fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lecanicillium psalliotae</Emphasis>

The gene encoding a cuticle-degrading serine protease was cloned from three isolates of Lecanicillium psalliotae (syn. Verticillium psalliotae) by 3′ and 5′ RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) method. The gene encodes for 382 amino acids and the protein shares conserved motifs with subtilisin N and peptidase S8. Comparison of translated cDNA sequences of three isolates revealed one amino acid polymorphism at position 230. The deduced protease sequence shared high degree of similarities to other cuticle-degrading proteases from other nematophagous fungi.     

The molecular organization of the lysostaphin gene and its sequences repeated in tandem

Summary The gene encoding lysostaphin of Staphylococcus staphylolyticus was cloned in Escherichia coli and its DNA sequence was determined. The complete coding region comprises 1440 base pairs corresponding to a precursor of 480 amino acids (molecular weight 51669). It was shown by NH₂-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the purified extracellular lysostaphin from S. staphylolyticus that the mature lysostaphin consists of 246 amino acid residues (molecular weight 26926). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a similar molecular weight for the most active form. By computer analysis the secondary protein structure was predicted. It revealed three distinct regions in the precursor protein: a typical signal peptide (ca. 38 aa), a hydrophilic and highly ordered protein domain with 14 repetitive sequences (296 aa) and the hydrophobic mature lysostaphin. The lysostaphin precursor protein appears to be organized as a preprolysostaphin.Abbreviations aa amino acid(s)     

Biochemical and molecular characterisation of a thermoactive, alkaline and detergent-stable lipase from a newly isolated Staphylococcus aureus strain

A newly soil-isolated Staphylococcus aureus strain secretes a non-induced lipase in the culture medium. The extracellular lipase from S. aureus (SAL3) is purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme is a tetrameric protein (180 kDa) corresponding to the association of four lipase molecules. The 15 N-terminal amino acid residues showed a high degree of homology with other staphylococcal lipase sequences. The part of the gene encoding the mature SAL3 is cloned and sequenced. The deduced polypeptide sequence, corresponding to the mature SAL3, was very similar to the mature Staphylococcus simulans lipase sequence with two additional amino acid residues (LK) at the N-terminus of SAL3. The lipase activity is maximal at pH 9.5 and 55 °C. The specific activity of about 4200 U/mg or 3500 U/mg was measured using tributyrin or olive oil emulsion as substrate, respectively, at pH 9.5 and 55 °C.In contrast to other staphylococcal lipases previously characterised, SAL3 is found to be stable between pH 5 and 12 after 24 h incubation. The enzyme retained 50% of its activity after 60 min incubation at 60 °C. This novel lipase is able to hydrolyse its substrate in presence of various oxidizing agents as well as some surfactants and some commercial detergents, then SAL3 can be considered as a good candidate for industrial and biotechnological applications.     

Isolation and characterization of Perkinsus marinus proteases using bacitracin–sepharose affinity chromatography

Extracellular proteases were isolated from the cell-free culture supernatant of the oyster-pathogenic protozoan, Perkinsus marinus, by bacitracin–sepharose affinity chromatography. The purified protease fractions contained >75% of the protease activity initially loaded onto the column with very high specific activity that corresponded to 8–11-fold level of protease enrichment. The isolated proteases hydrolysed a variety of protein substrates including oyster plasma. All of the isolated P. marinus proteases belonged to the serine class of proteases. Inhibitor studies involving spectrophotometric assay and gelatin gel electrophoresis showed high levels of inhibition in the presence of the serine protease inhibitors PMSF, benzamidine and chymostatin, whereas inhibitors of cysteine, aspartic, and metalloproteases showed little or no inhibition. Spectrophotometric assays involving serine-specific peptide substrates further revealed that the isolated proteases belong to the class of chymotrypsin-like serine proteases. A 41.7 kDa monomeric, N-glycosylated, serine protease (designated Perkinsin) has been identified as the major P. marinus extracellular protease.     

Purification and characterization of fibrinolytic metalloprotease from Perenniporia fraxinea mycelia

In this study we purified and characterized a fibrinolytic protease from the mycelia of Perenniporia fraxinea. The apparent molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 42 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), fibrin zymography and size exclusion using fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). The first 20 amino acid residues of the N-terminal sequence were ASYRVLPITKELLPPEFFVA, which shows a high degree of similarity with a fungalysin metallopeptidase from Coprinopsis cinerea. The optimal reaction pH value and temperature were pH 6.0 and 35–40 °C, respectively. Results for the fibrinolysis pattern showed that the protease rapidly hydrolyzed the fibrin α-chain followed by the β-chain. The γ–γ chains were also hydrolyzed, but more slowly. The purified protease effectively hydrolyzed fibrinogen, preferentially digesting the Aα-chains of fibrinogen, followed by Bβ- and γ-chains. We found that protease activity was inhibited by Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺, and Zn²⁺, but enhanced by the additions of Mn²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ metal ions. Furthermore, the protease activity was inhibited by EDTA, and it was found to exhibit a higher specificity for the chromogenic substrate S-2586 for chymotrypsin, indicating that the enzyme is a chymotrypsin-like metalloprotease. The mycelia of P. fraxinea may thus represent a source of new therapeutic agents to treat thrombosis.     

ore2, a mutation affecting proline biosynthesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, leads to a cdc phenotype

Summary We report here the isolation of temperature-sensitive mutants of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae which exhibit cdc phenotypes. The recessive mutations defined four complementation groups, named ore1, ore2, ore3 and ore4. At the non-permissive temperature, strains bearing these mutations arrested in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. The wild-type allele of the gene altered in ore2 mutants was cloned. The nucleotide sequence of a fragment which can complement the mutation showed the presence of an open reading frame capable of encoding a protein with 286 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 25% identity with that of the Escherichia coli 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase, an enzyme of the pathway for the biosynthesis of proline. The ore2 mutants, correspondingly, were found to be capable of growing at the non-permissive temperature on a synthetic medium supplemented with proline. In addition, the chromosomal location of the gene and its restriction map were compatible with those previously reported for the PRO3 gene which encodes the S. cerevisiae ¹-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase.     

丹参抗性基因SmORA1的克隆及诱导表达分析

该研究采用PCR方法从丹参中克隆出一条乙烯应答因子结合蛋白(ERF)转录因子编码基因,命名为SmORA1,GenBank登录号为KT359598。经分析发现该基因全长648bp,不包含内含子,编码206个氨基酸残基。编码蛋白SmORA1含有典型的AP2结合结构域。表达分析结果表明,SmORA1主要在丹参根中表达,且该基因的表达明显受到茉莉酸甲酯(MeJA)、脱落酸(ABA)、乙烯(ET)、机械创伤和病原菌等逆境信号的诱导,但低温和脱水情况下SmORA1表达下调。研究表明,SmORA1参与丹参生物胁迫反应,可整合JA、ABA、ET和病原菌等胁迫信号途径。     

Molecular Cloning,Nucleotide Sequence,and Expression of the Structural Gene for Alkaline Serine Protease from Alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. 221

The gene encoding an alkaline serine protease from alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. 221 was cloned in Escherichia coli and expressed in Bacillus suhtilis. An open reading frame of 1,140 bases, identified as the protease gene was preceded by a putative Shine-Dalgarno sequence (AGGAGG) with a spacing of 7 bases. The deduced amino acid sequence had a pre-pro-peptide of 111 residues followed by the mature protease comprising 269 residues. The alkaline protease from alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. 221 had higher homology to the protease from alkaliphilic bacilli (82.1% and 99.6%) than to those from neutrophilic bacilli (60.6—61.70/0). Also Bacillus sp. 221 protease and other protease from alkaliphilic bacilli shared common amino acid changes and 4 amino acid deletions that seemed to be related to characteristics of the enzyme of alkaliphilic bacilli when compared to the proteases from neutrophilic bacilli.     

Cloning and analysis of CUT1, a cutinase gene from Magnaporthe grisea

Summary A gene from Magnaporthe grisea was cloned using a cDNA clone of the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides cutinase gene as a heterologous probe; the nucleotide sequence of a 2 kb DNA segment containing the gene has been determined. DNA hybridization analysis shows that the M. grisea genome contains only one copy of this gene. The predicted polypeptide contains 228 amino acids and is homologous to the three previously characterized cutinases, showing 74% amino acid similarity to the cutinase of C. gloeosporioides. Comparison with previously determined cutinase sequences suggests that the gene contains two introns, 115 and 147 bp in length. The gene is expressed when cutin is the sole carbon source but not when the carbon source is cutin and glucose together or glucose alone. Levels of intracellular and extracellular cutinase activity increase in response to growth in the presence of cutin. The activity level is higher in a transformant containing multiple copies of the cloned gene than in the parent strain. Non-denaturing polyacrylamide gels stained for esterase activity show a single major band among intracellular and extracellular proteins from cutin-grown cultures that is not present among intracellular and extracellular proteins prepared from glucose-grown or carbon-starved cultures. This band stains more intensely in extracts from the multicopy transformant than in extracts from the parent strain. We conclude that the cloned DNA contains a M. grisea gene for cutinase, which we have named CUT1.