Variations du taux d'amp cyclique et des activités spécifiques de l'adénylate cyclase et de l'amp cyclique-phosphodiestérase pendant le cycle cellulaire d'un actinomycète

The variations in the concentrations of intra- and extracellular cyclic AMP and in the specific activities of adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1) and cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.17) have been monitored in synchronized culture of Nocardia restricta, a prokaryote belonging to the group of Actinomycetes. At the beginning of the cell cycel, during a first period of RNA and protein synthesis, there is an increasing synthesis of adenylate cyclase which can be suppressed in the presence of chloramphenicol or rifampicin. Simultaneously, the specific activity of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase decreases and the concentrations of intra- and extracellular cyclic AMP rise. After the end of DNA replication, during a second period of RNA and protein synthesis, the specific activity of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase increases; during the same time, the specific activity of adenylate cyclase and the level of intracellular cyclic AMP drop. It appears that the overall metabolism of cyclic AMP is coordinated so that the cyclic AMP level will be high at the beginning of DNA replication and will fall thereafter. The results are discussed in comparison with known data about the variations of cyclic AMP during the cell cycle of mammalian cells in cultures.     

In vivo analysis of straight-chain and branched-chain fatty acid biosynthesis in three actinomycetes

Abstract The starter units for branched-chain and straight-chain fatty acid biosynthesis was investigated in vivo in three actinomycetes using stable isotopes. Branched-chain fatty acids, which constitute the majority of the fatty acid pool, were confirmed to be biosynthesized using the amino acid degradation products methylbutyryl-CoA and isobutyryl-CoA as starter units. Straight-chain fatty acids were shown to be constructed using butyryl-CoA as a starter unit. Isomerization of the valine catabolite isobutyryl-CoA was shown to be only a minor source of this butyryl-CoA.     

白蚁共生放线菌研究进展

白蚁与微生物的共生关系是目前较受关注的研究热点,其肠道及巢内的共生微生物在降解木质纤维素的过程中扮演着重要的角色。放线菌是这些共生微生物中的重要一类,广泛存在于肠道、蚁巢及其周围土壤中,目前已探明共生放线菌在参与白蚁碳氮循环及保护巢群免受外来病菌侵染等方面发挥着极大的作用。近年来,人们利用分子生物学技术鉴定了部分共生放线菌的类群,发现了许多具应用前景的新放线菌及相关酶和代谢产物。因此,研究与白蚁相关的放线菌不仅有助于人们了解白蚁共生菌群落间的互作及其与宿主间的关系,而且对人类开发自然资源也有较大的帮助。本文对白蚁共生放线菌的研究进展作一综述,供同行参考。     

产甾体皂甙华重楼内生真菌、放线菌的分离与筛选

目的:研究重楼内生菌的次生代谢产物的医用价值。方法:从产自四川彭州的华重楼(Paris polyphylla vat．chinensis Franch)地下块茎中分离、筛选内生菌,采用PDA液体培养基26℃发酵培养;发酵液分别经泡沫反应、Salkowski反应、Liberman反应及以薯蓣皂甙元为标准对照的薄层层析分析。结果:表明其中编号为SNUF-1的真菌和编号为SNUA-1、SNUA-2的放线菌菌株均能分泌甾体皂甙或其类似化合物。结论:华重楼内生菌发酵液具有产生宿主药用活性的成份。     

16SrRNA二级结构可变区图形分析在放线菌分类中的应用*

采用16SrRNA可变区二级结构图形分析,比较了姜氏菌属及几个相关属种可变区二级结构的变化。结果表明,在9个可变区二级结构中茎的长度、环的数目和类型、茎的碱基对、以及环内部碱基均有不同。尤其在V5和V6两个区,这种差别尤为明显。这为姜氏菌属的建立提供了又一个证据,并认为16SrRNA可变区二级结构分析,可以应用于属以上原核生物的分类。     

Molecular identification of a novel β-1,3-glucanase from alkaliphilic Nocardiopsis sp. strain F96

Alkaliphilic Nocardiopsis sp. strain F96 produced three -1,3-glucanase isozymes of different molecular masses (BglF1, BglF2 and BglF3). The N-terminal amino acid sequences of BglFs indicated that these isozymes were the products of a single gene. The -1,3-glucanase gene (bglF) was cloned from the chromosomal DNA of strain F96. The bglF gene encoded a polypeptide of 270 amino acids including a signal sequence. The deduced amino acid sequence of mature BglF exhibited the highest homology to those of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 16 -1,3-glucanases, suggesting that the enzyme belonged to the GH family 16. The mature region of bglF gene was functionally expressed in Escherichia coli. The optimum pH and temperature of purified recombinant BglF were pH 9.0 and 70°C, respectively. This enzyme efficiently hydrolyzed insoluble -1,3-glucans and showed the highest activity toward a -1,3-1,4-glucan rather than -1,3-glucans. These results suggested that BglF would be a novel -1,3-glucanse. Mutational analysis revealed that Glu123 and Glu128 should be the catalytic residues of BglF.     

Amylolytic activity of Thermomonospora fusca

Amylases which produce maltotriose as the major end-product from starch are relatively rare. The thermophilic actinomycete, Thermomonospora fusca, produced an extracellular -amylase which generated maltotriose as 61% of the identified products. The addition of maltotriose to a glucose-adapted exponential phase culture at 55°C in mineral salts medium caused rapid induction of amylase biosynthesis. Addition of glucose to cells growing on starch did not repress amylase biosynthesis because the actinomycete had a marked preference for maltotriose over glucose. The pH and temperature optima for the amylase activity of concentrated, washed extracellular protein were 6.0 and 65°C, respectively, with an energy of activation of 59kJ/mol. The thermostability of the concentrated, washed amylase was increased by the presence of its starch reaction products, but not by added Ca2+.     

Occurrence of Myrica-nodulating Frankia in Hawaiian volcanic soils

The ability of Hawaiian volcanic soils to nodulate actinorhizal Myrica cerifera, Casuarina equisetifolia, and Alnus glutinosa was determined using a host-plant bioassay. Myrica-nodulating Frankia occurred in five volcanic deposits with depositional ages ranging from 20 to 162 years before present. The oldest deposit had a mean estimated nodulation capacity from 450 to 1200 times greater than those of the younger deposits. Only the oldest deposit had high moisture content, high organic matter content, and increased vegetative cover, including an abundance of actinorhizal M. faya. Casuarina- and Alnus-nodulating Frankia were not detected in any of these volcanic deposits.     

Bioconversion of the sodium salt of Simvastatin (MK-733) to 6-desmethyl-6-α-hydroxymethyl Simvastatin

Summary An actinomycete (MA 6474, ATCC 53828) isolated from a soil sample (Mutare, Zimbabwe) was found to biotransform the sodium salt of Simvastatin (MK-733) to 6--hydroxymethyl MK-733, 6--hybroxymethyl MK-733, and 6-ring-hydroxy MK-733. The bioconversion efficiency to the desired compound, 6--hydroxymethyl MK-733, was enhanced by optimizing the physico-chemical parameters of the process. In shake flask cultures, addition of magnesium (0.125 mg/l Mg SO₄·7H₂O) to the medium resulted in a five-fold increase in the rate of bioconversion to the diastereomer. The ratio of bioconversion products (6--hydroxymethyl, 6--hydroxymethyl, and 6-ring-hydroxy MK-733) was regulated by pH. Process improvements and scale up in 23-1 fermentors, which consisted of a controlled addition of substrate (MK-733), resulted in a 2-fold increase in alpha diastereomer Production (42 vs. 79 U/ml) and a 23-fold rate increase in the formation of -diastereomer. A high diastereomeric ratio (: =91) facilitated downstream processing.