The two 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase isoenzymes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae show different kinetic modes of inhibition

Activity of the tyrosine-inhibitable 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase (EC 4.1.2.15) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae that was encoded by the ARO4 gene cloned on a high-copy-number plasmid was enhanced 64-fold as compared to the wild-type. The enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity from the strain that harbored this recombinant plasmid. The estimated molecular weight of 42,000 of the enzyme corresponded to the calculated molecular mass of 40 kDa deduced from the DNA sequence. The enzyme could be inactivated by EDTA in a reaction that was reversed by several bivalent metal ions; presumably a metal cofactor is required for enzymatic catalysis. The Michaelis constant of the enzyme was 125 μM for phosphoenolpyruvate and 500 μM for erythrose 4-phosphate. The rate constant was calculated as 6 s^–1, and kinetic data indicated a sequential mechanism of the enzymatic reaction. Tyrosine was a competitive inhibitor with phosphoenolpyruvate as substrate of the enzyme (K _i of 0.9 μM) and a noncompetitive inhibitor with erythrose 4-phosphate as substrate. This is in contrast to the ARO3-encoded isoenzyme, where phenylalanine is a competitive inhibitor with erythrose 4-phosphate as a substrate of the enzyme and a noncompetitive inhibitor with phosphoenolpyruvate as substrate. Received: 29 December 1997 / Accepted: 3 March 1998     

Mode of action of glyphosate in Candida maltosa

The broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate inhibits the growth of Candida maltosa and causes the accumulation of shikimic acid and shikimate-3-phosphate. Glyphosate is a potent inhibitor of three enzymes of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in this yeast. In relation to tyrosine-sensitive 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase and dehydroquinate synthase, the inhibitory effect appears at concentrations in the mM range, but 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase is inhibited by micromolar concentrations of glyphosate. Inhibition of partially purified EPSP synthase reaction by glyphosate is competitive with respect to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) with a K _i -value of 12 M. The app. K _m for PEP is about 5-fold higher and was 62 M. Furthermore, the presence of glyphosate leads to derepression of many amino acid biosynthetic enzymes.Abbreviations DAHP 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate - EPSP synthase 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase - PEP phosphoenolpyruvate - S-3-P shikimate-3-phosphate     

北京棒杆菌DAHP合成酶Ⅰ基因的克隆﹑序列分析及表达

摘要：【目的】从北京棒杆菌(Corynebacterium pekinense)中克隆DAHP合成酶 (EC 2.5.1.54,3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase, DS)Ⅰ基因,对其进行功能验证;并将DAHP合成酶Ⅰ基因在C. pekinensePD-67进行同源表达,研究该酶的比活力与生长的相关性。【方法】分别以C. pekinense野生株AS1.299和突变株PD-67的基因组为模板,用PCR方法扩增了DAHP合成 酶Ⅰ的全基因序列aroⅠ和前端控制序列;通过pAK6载体提高DAHP合成酶Ⅰ基因在C. pekinen-sePD-67中的拷贝数实现其同源表达。【结果】核苷酸序列分析结果表明,C. pekinense 野生株AS1.299与突变株PD-67相比较,DAHP合成酶Ⅰ基因序列完全一样;通过PCR方法得到的DAHP合成酶Ⅰ基因结构功能完整,能与DAHP合成酶完全缺陷的E.coli 3257实现异源互补。突变株PD-67来源的DAHP合成酶Ⅰ基因在重组菌PD-67( pAD1)中进行了表达,在稳定期初期重组菌PD-67( pAD1)的DAHP合成酶Ⅰ的酶比活力比同期的对照菌株PD-67( pAK6)中的该酶酶比活力提高了约5倍。【结论】本工作首次证实了 C. pekinense 1.299和PD-67中存在DAHP合成酶Ⅰ基因,异源互补试验证明扩增得到的DNA片段编码DAHP合成酶Ⅰ,酶学性质研究表明DAHP合成酶Ⅰ基因在C. pekinensePD-67中的同源表达将有助于提高该菌的色氨酸积累。     

利用代谢工程改善大肠杆菌的3-脱氢莽草酸生产

3-脱氢莽草酸是芳香族氨基酸合成代谢途径中的一种重要中间产物。除可作为一种高效的抗氧化剂,还可用于合成己二酸、香草醛等一些重要的化工产品,具有重要的应用价值。相关研究证明具有去酪氨酸反馈抑制的3-脱氧-D-阿拉伯庚酮糖-7-磷酸合成酶基因aroFFBR以及转酮醇酶基因tktA可以有效影响3-脱氢莽草酸的过量合成。通过增加aroFFBR和tktA串联过量表达的拷贝数,可使工程菌株在摇瓶发酵条件下3-脱氢莽草酸产量提高2.93倍。通过同源重组无痕基因敲除技术依次敲除出发菌大肠杆菌Escherichia coli AB2834的乳酸、乙酸、乙醇等副产物合成途径中的重要基因ldhA、ackA-pta和adhE,可使工程菌株的3-脱氢莽草酸产量进一步提高,达到了1.83 g/L,是初始出发菌株大肠杆菌E.coli AB2834产量的6.7倍。利用5 L发酵罐进行分批补料发酵,62 h后工程菌株3-脱氢莽草酸产量达到了25.48 g/L。本研究可为构建有应用前景的3-脱氢莽草酸生产菌株提供重要参考。     

A radiometric assay for 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase

A new assay for 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase is described. This enzyme of the shikimate pathway of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis generates 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate and orthophosphate from phosphoenolpyruvate and shikimate 3-phosphate. The shikimate pathway is present in bacteria and plants but not in mammals. The assay employs a paper-chromatographic separation of radiolabeled substrate from product. The method is specific, is sensitive to 50 pmol of product, and is suitable for use in crude extracts of bacteria. This enzyme appears to be the primary target site of the commercial herbicide glyphosate (N-phosphonomethyl glycine). A procedure for the enzymatic synthesis of [¹⁴C]shikimate 3-phosphate from the commercially available precursor [¹⁴C]shikimic acid is also described.     

Enhanced glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in adipose tissue of obese humans

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine whether adipose tissue glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity is associated with human obesity. The data presented in this paper indicate that the glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in adipose tissue from morbidly obese subjects is approximately 2-fold higher than from lean individuals. Moreover, positive correlation between adipose tissue glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.5; p < 0.01) was found. In contrast, the adipose tissue fatty acid synthase (FAS) and ATP-citrate lyase (ACL) activities in morbidly obese patients are significantly lower than in lean subjects. Furthermore, negative correlation between adipose tissue FAS activity and BMI (r = –0.3; p < 0.05) as well as between ACL activity and BMI (r = –0.3; p < 0.05) was found.These data indicate that elevated glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase might contribute to the increase of triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis in obese subjects, however, fatty acids necessary for glycerol 3-phosphate esterification must be derived (because of lower FAS and ACL activities) mainly from TAG in circulating lipoproteins formed in liver (VLDL), and/or from the intake with food (chylomicrons).The conclusion is, that the enhanced activity of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and hence the generation of more glycerol 3-phosphate in adipose tissue offers a novel explanation for increased TAG production in adipose tissue of obese subjects.     

5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase from Staphylococcus aureus is insensitive to glyphosate

The enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) catalyzes the penultimate step of the shikimate pathway, and is the target of the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate. Kinetic analysis of the cloned EPSPS from Staphylococcus aureus revealed that this enzyme exerts a high tolerance to glyphosate, while maintaining a high affinity for its substrate phosphoenolpyruvate. Enzymatic activity is markedly influenced by monovalent cations such as potassium or ammonium, which is due to an increase in catalytic turnover. However, insensitivity to glyphosate appears to be independent from the presence of cations. Therefore, we propose that the Staphylococcus aureus EPSPS should be classified as a class II EPSPS. This research illustrates a critical mechanism of glyphosate resistance naturally occurring in certain pathogenic bacteria.     

Expression of glyphosate resistance in carrot somatic hybrid cells through the transfer of an amplified 5-enolpyruvylshikimic acid-3-phosphate synthase gene

Summary A Daucus carota cell line selected as resistant to N-(phosphonomethyl)-glycine (glyphosate) was found to have increased levels of 5-enolpyruvylshikimic acid-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) activity of 5.5 times over wild-type carrot and an EPSPS protein level increase of 8.7 times as confirmed by Western hybridization analysis. Southern blot hybridization using a petunia EPSPS probe showed increases in the number of copies of EPSPS genes in the glyphosate-resistant line which correlated with the higher levels of the EPSPS enzyme. The mechanism of resistance to glyphosate is therefore due to amplification of the EPSPS gene. To examine the stability of the amplified genes, cloned lines selected as doubly resistant to Dl-5-methyltryptophan (5MT) and azetidine-2-carboxylate (A2C) were fused with the amplified EPSPS glyphosate-resistant cell line. Somatic hybrids expressed resistances to 5MT in a semidominant fashion while A2C and glyphosate resistance was expressed as dominant, or semi-dominant traits, in a line-specific manner. The hybrid lines possessed additive chromosome numbers of the parental lines used and no double minute chromosomes were observed. The glyphosate-resistant parental line and most somatic hybrids retained the amplified levels of EPSPS in the absence of selection pressure over a 3-year period.     

Characterization of a glyphosate-insensitive 5-enolpyruvylshikimic acid-3-phosphate synthase

A glyphosate (N-[phosphonomethyl]glycine)-insensitive 5-enolpyruvylshikimic acid-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase has been purified from a strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae which is resistant to this herbicide [(1984) Arch. Microbiol. 137, 121-123] and its properties compared with those of the glyphosate-sensitive EPSP synthase of the parent strain. The apparent K_m values of the insensitive enzyme for phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and shikimate 3-phosphate (S-3-P) were increased 15.6- and 4.3-fold, respectively, as compared to those of the sensitive enzyme, and significant differences were found for the optimal pH and temperature, as well as the isoelectric points of the two enzymes. While PEP protected both enzymes against inactivation by N-ethylmaleimide, 3-bromopyruvate, and phenylglyoxal, glyphosate protected only the sensitive enzyme.     

Insulin-like effects of vanadate and selenate on the expression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and fatty acid synthase in diabetic rats

Isulin is capable of regulating cellular and metabolic processes as well as gene expression. In recent years, enthusiasm has surfaced for using insulin mimetics to study the mechanism of action of insulin. Vanadata and selenate are two compounds that have been found to mimic the action of insulin on control to blood glucose levels in vivo. Vanadata has also been shown to regulate the expression of several enzymes both in vivo, however, studies concerning selenate's ability to regulate expression have not been reported. In his study we show that administration of vanadate or selenate to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats not only normalizes blood glucose levels similarly to insulin but also positively affects the expression of two key metabolic enzymes, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and fatty acid synthase (FAS). Both G6PDH and FAS activity are significantly decreased in diabetic animals compared to non-diabetic control. Treatment of the diabetic animals with either insulin, vanadate or selenate restored both activities to about 80–90% of control. All treatment conditions exhibited activities significantly higher than those determined for the diabetic group but did not differ significantly from each other. Increases in GPDH or FAS activity are due to increases in mRNA level. Increase in both G6PDH and FAS mRNA was comparable to the observed increase in activity suggesting that regulation of expression by the mimetics occurs pretranslationally.     

Ultrastructural localisation by protein A-gold immunocytochemistry of 5-enolpyruvylshikimic acid 3-phosphate synthase in a plant cell culture which overproduces the enzyme

Recently we have shown that cultured cells of the higher plant Corydalis sempervirens Pers., adapted to growth in the presence of high concentrations of the herbicide glyphosate, a potent specific inhibitor of the shikimate pathway enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimic acid 3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase (EC 2.5.1.19, 3-phosphoshikimate 1-carboxyvinyltransferase) oversynthesize the EPSP synthase protein (Smart et al., 1985, J. Biol. Chem. 260, 16338–16346). We now report that the EPSP synthase protein can be detected in cells of the adapted as well as of the non-adapted strain by the use of protein A-colloidal gold immunocytochemistry. The overproduced EPSP synthase in the glyphosate-adapted cells is located exclusively in the plastid and we find no evidence for the existence of extra-plastidic EPSP synthase in either strain.Abbreviations EPSP 5-enolpyruvylshikimic acid 3-phosphate     

Differential sensitivity of bacterial 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthases to the herbicide glyphosate

Abstract The potent inhibition of the shikimate pathway enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase by the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate ( N -[phosphonomethyl]glycine) was confirmed for the enzymes extracted from various bacteria, a green alga and higher plants. However, 5 out of 6 species belonging to the genus Pseudomonas were found to have EPSP synthases with a 50- to 100-fold decreased sensitivity to the inhibitor. Correspondingly, growth of these 5 species was not inhibited by 5 mM glyphosate, and the organisms did not excrete shikimate-3-phosphate in the presence of the herbicide.     

Structure of the amplified 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase gene in glyphosate-resistant carrot cells

The structure of amplified 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) DNA of carrot suspension-cultured cell lines selected for glyphosate resistance was analyzed to determine the mechanism of gene amplification in this plant system. Southern hybridization of the amplified DNA digested with several restriction enzymes probed with a petunia EPSPS cDNA clone showed that there were differences in fragment sizes in the amplified DNA from one highly resistant cell line in comparison with the parental line. Cloning of the EPSPS gene and 5 flanking sequences was carried out and two different DNA structures were revealed. A 13 kb clone contained only one copy of the EPSPS gene while a 16 kb clone contained an inverted duplication of the gene. Southern blot analysis with a carrot DNA probe showed that only the uninverted repeated DNA structure was present in all of the cell lines during the selection process and the inverted repeat (IR) was present only in highly amplified DNA. The two structures were present in about equal amounts in the highly amplified line, TC 35G, where the EPSPS gene was amplified about 25-fold. The presence of the inverted repeat (IR) was further verified by resistance to S1 nuclease hydrolysis after denaturation and rapid renaturation, showing foldback DNA with the IR length being 9.5 kb. The junction was also sequenced. Mapping of the clones showed that the size of the amplified carrot EPSPS gene itself is about 3.5 kb. This is the first report of an IR in amplified DNA of a target enzyme gene in selected plant cells.     

Glyphosate as a selective agent for the production of fertile transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) plants

Efficient and reproducible selection of transgenic cells is an essential component of a good transformation system. In this paper, we describe the development of glyphosate as a selective agent for the recovery of transgenic embryogenic corn callus and the production of plants tolerant to Roundup^® herbicide. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup^® herbicide inhibits the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) and thus prevents the synthesis of chorismate-derived aromatic amino acids and secondary metabolites in plants. A maize EPSPS gene has been cloned, mutated to produce a modified enzyme resistant to inhibition by glyphosate, and engineered into a monocot expression vector. In addition, a bacterial gene which degrades glyphosate (glyphosate oxidoreductase, or GOX) was also cloned into a similar expression vector. Stably transformed callus has been reproducibly recovered following introduction of mutant maize EPSPS and GOX genes into tissue culture cells by particle bombardment and selection on glyphosate-containing medium. Plants have been regenerated both on and off glyphosate selection medium, and are tolerant to normally lethal levels of Roundup^®. Excellent seed set has been obtained from both self and outcross pollinations from both sprayed and unsprayed regenerated plants. Progeny tests have demonstrated normal Mendelian transmission and tolerance to the herbicide for some of the transgenic events.     

Structure of a Peptidal Antibiotic P168 Produced by Paecilomyces lilacinus (Thom) Samson

( + )-α-Kainic acid (1) was synthesized by starting from a building block, N-Boc-3-acetoxyallylglycine ethyl ester (2). The key intermediate, a methyl 4-[(tert-butoxycarbonyl)prenylamino]-5-hydroxy-2-pentenoate derivative (9), was prepared from 2 in eight synthetic steps. After converting 10 into a methyl ester (11), intramolecular ene-carbocyclization of 11 gave a pyrrolidine derivative (12), which was converted to 1 in a moderate yield.     

Isolation and Culture Conditions of Thermophilic Hydrogen Bacteria

Isolation of thermophilic hydrogen bacteria was performed at 50°C using enrichment culture method. One of the four strains isolated, strain TH-1 grew most rapidly. Culture conditions of strain TH-1 were investigated. Optimum temperature and pH for growth proved to be 52°C and 7.0, respectively. There existed a positive correlation between the specific growth rate and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the gas phase. Ammonium and nitrate are the good nitrogen sources in that order. Effect of concentrations of nitrogen source, magnesium, ferrous and phosphate ions on the cell growth was also investigated. The maximum specific growth rate (μ_max) of strain TH-1 was determined as 0.68 hr^?1 by the cultivation at 52°C in a jar fermentor containing the optimal medium at pH 7.0.     

Cloning of genomic DNA of rice 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase gene and chromosomal localization of the gene

The shikimate pathway enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase (EPSPs) is the target of nonselective herbicide glyphosate. A partial rice epsps cDNA was generated by RT-PCR with primers designed according to EST sequence in GenBank and used as probe for rice genomic library screening. In a screen of approximately 8.0×104 clones from the rice genomic library, sixteen positive clones were obtained, which strongly hybridized to the probe. One clone, E11, was selected for further analysis and the full-length 3661 bp rice epsps genomic sequence was obtained. Sequence analysis and homologous comparison revealed that epsps gene is composed of 8 exons and 7 introns. Analysis by restriction fragment length polymorphism with the probe of rice epsps cDNA fragment confirmed that rice epsps is located on chromosome 6 with an indica-japonica (ZYQ8-JX17) double-haploid (DH) population. This is the first report on the EPSP synthase from monocotyledons.     

Cloning of genomic DNA of rice 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase gene and chromosomal localization of the gene

The shikimate pathway enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase (EPSPs) is the target of nonselective herbicide glyphosate. A partial rice epsps cDNA was generated by RT-PCR with primers designed according to EST sequence in GenBank and used as probe for rice genomic library screening. In a screen of approximately 8.0 ×10⁴ clones from the rice genomic library, sixteen positive clones were obtained, which strongly hybridized to the probe. One clone, E11, was selected for further analysis and the full-length 3661 bp rice epsps genomic sequence was obtained. Sequence analysis and homologous comparison revealed that epsps gene is composed of 8 exons and 7 introns. Analysis by restriction fragment length polymorphism with the probe of rice epsps cDNA fragment confirmed that rice epsps is located on chromosome 6 with an indicajaponica (ZYQ8-JX17) double-haploid (DH) population. This is the first report on the EPSP synthase from monocotyledons.