Expression of four <Emphasis Type="Italic">pha</Emphasis> genes involved in poly-β-hydroxybutyrate production and accumulation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodobacter sphaeroides</Emphasis> FJ1

A cluster of genes encoding polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) depolymerase (phaZ), PHB synthase (phaC), phasin (phaP), and the regulator protein (phaR) was previously identified in Rhodobacter sphaeroides FJ1 (R. sphaeroides FJ1). In this study, we investigated the role of the PhaR protein on the expression of the pha genes. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the expressions of phaP, phaZ and phaR genes in wild-type cells of R. sphaeroides FJ1 are repressed during the active growth phase, with the exception of phaC. A phaR deletion mutant of R. sphaeroides FJ1 was constructed, and the basal level of phaP and phaZ expression in this mutant was markedly increased. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that PhaR binds to the promoter region of phaP as well as those of phaR and phaZ. These results suggest that the PhaR protein is a repressor of phaP, phaR, and phaZ genes in R. sphaeroides FJ1.     

Inactivation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">pycA</Emphasis>, encoding pyruvate carboxylase activity,increases poly-β-hydroxybutyrate accumulation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Azotobacter vinelandii</Emphasis> on solid medium

Strain AJ1678, an Azotobacter vinelandii mutant overproducing the storage polymer poly--hydroxybutyrate (PHB) in solid but not liquid complex medium with sucrose, was isolated after mini-Tn5 mutagenesis of strain UW136. Cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the affected locus led to identification of pycA, encoding a protein with high identity to the biotin carboxylase subunit of pyruvate carboxylase enzyme (PYC). A gene (pycB) whose product is similar to the biotin-carrying subunit of PYC is present immediately downstream from pycA. An assay of pyruvate carboxylase activity and an avidin-blot analysis confirmed that pycA and pycB encode the two subunits of this enzyme. In many organisms, PYC catalyzes ATP-dependent carboxylation of pyruvate to generate oxaloacetate and is responsible for replenishing oxaloacetate for continued operation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. We propose that the pycA mutation causes a slow-down in the TCA cycle activity due to a low oxaloacetate concentration, resulting in a higher availability of acetyl-CoA for the synthesis of poly--hydroxybutyrate.     

In-fusion expression and characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-xylanase and <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-1,3-1,4-glucanase in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pichia pastoris</Emphasis>

Two chimeric genes, XynA-Bs-Glu-1 and XynA-Bs-Glu-2, encoding Aspergillus sulphureus β-xylanase (XynA, 26 kDa) and Bacillus subtilis β-1,3-1,4-glucanase (Bs-Glu, 30 kDa), were constructed via in-fusion by different linkers and expressed successfully in Pichia pastoris. The fusion protein (50 kDa) exhibited both β-xylanase and β-1,3-1,4-glucanase activities. Compared with parental enzymes, the moiety activities were decreased in fermentation supernatants. Parental XynA and Bs-Glu were superior to corresponding moieties in each fusion enzymes because of lower K_n higher k_cat. Despite some variations, common optima were generally 50°C and pH 3.4 for the XynA moiety and parent, and 40°C and pH 6.4 for the Bs-Glu counterparts. Thus, the fusion enzyme XynA-Bs-Glu-1 and XynA-Bs-Glu-2 were bifunctional.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Carex</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">involuta</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carex juncella</Emphasis> in the flora of Slovakia

The paper brings information on an isolated occurrence and morphological characters of Carex × involuta and C. juncella populations in the Vel’ká Fatra Mts. Their presence has been known neither from the territory of Slovakia nor from the whole Western Carpathians till now.     

A Synthesis of Heteroaromatic <Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-β-Glycosides of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Acetylglucosamine under Phase-Transfer Conditions

The use of crown ethers for a phase transfer-catalyzed synthesis of heteroaromatic glycosides of N-acetylglucosamine was studied. The solid-liquid system and catalysis by 15-crown-5 were found to provide for both the 100% conversion of α-D-glucosaminyl chloride peracetate and a high reaction rate. The interaction of α-D-glucosaminyl chloride peracetate and oxadiazole and triazole mercapto derivatives capable of thiol-thione tautomerism carried out at room temperature in acetonitrile in the presence of anhydrous potassium carbonate and crown ethers was shown to lead to both S- and N-glucosides. The structures of the compounds synthesized were confirmed by X-ray analysis and ¹³C and ¹H NMR spectroscopy.     

Characteristics of β-lactamases and their genes (<Emphasis Type="Italic">blaA</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">blaB</Emphasis>) in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Yersinia intermedia</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Y. frederiksenii</Emphasis>

Background  

The presence of β-lactamases in Y. enterocolitica has been reported to vary with serovars, biovars and geographical origin of the isolates. An understanding of the β-lactamases in other related species is important for an overall perception of antibiotic resistance in yersiniae. The objective of this work was to study the characteristics of β-lactamases and their genes in strains of Y. intermedia and Y. frederiksenii, isolated from clinical and non-clinical sources in India.     

Functional expression of the lipase gene Lip2 of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pleurotus</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">sapidus</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">coli</Emphasis>

The lipase Lip2 of the edible basidiomycete, Pleurotus sapidus, is an extracellular enzyme capable of hydrolysing xanthophyll esters with high efficiency. The gene encoding Lip2 was expressed in Escherichia coli TOP10 using the gene III signal sequence to accumulate proteins in the periplasmatic space. The heterologous expression under control of the araBAD promoter led to the high level production of recombinant protein, mainly as inclusion bodies, but partially in a soluble and active form. A fusion with a C-terminal His tag was used for purification and immunochemical detection of the target protein. This is the first example of a heterologous expression and periplasmatic accumulation of a catalytically active lipase from a basidiomycete fungus.     

Expression and purification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zantedeschia aethiopica</Emphasis> agglutinin in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia </Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">coli</Emphasis>

Recombinant Zantedeschia aethiopica agglutinin (ZAA) was expressed in Escherichia coli as N-terminal His-tagged fusion. After induction with isopropylthio-β-d-galactoside (IPTG), the recombinant ZAA was purified by metal-affinity chromatography. The purified ZAA protein was applied in anti-fungal assay and the result showed that recombinant ZAA had anti-fungal activity towards leaf mold (Fulvia fulva), one of the most serious phytopathogenic fungi causing significant yield loss of crops. This study suggests that ZAA could be an effective candidate in genetic engineering of plants for the control of leaf mold.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Azotobacter vinelandii</Emphasis> mutants that overproduce poly-β-hydroxybutyrate or alginate

Azotobacter vinelandii produces two polymers of industrial importance, i.e. alginate and poly--hydroxybutyrate (PHB). Alginate synthesis constitutes a waste of substrate when seeking to optimize PHB production and, conversely, synthesis of PHB is undesirable when optimizing alginate production. In this study we evaluated the effect of a mutation in algA, the gene encoding the enzyme that catalyzes the first step of the alginate biosynthetic pathway in the production of PHB. We also evaluated production of alginate in strain AT6 carrying a phbB mutation that impairs PHB synthesis. The algA mutation prevented alginate production and increased PHB accumulation up to 5-fold, determined in milligrams per milligram of protein. Similarly, the phbB mutation increased alginate production up to 4-fold.     

Differential expression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gnrh2</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gthβ</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gthr</Emphasis> genes in sterile triploids and fertile tetraploids

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), gonadotropin hormone (GTH), and gonadotropin hormone receptor (GTHR) are the pivotal signal molecules of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis, which plays a crucial role in regulating gonadal development in vertebrate. In this study, we comparatively analyze the expression characteristics of Gnrh2, Gthβ, and Gthr in red crucian carp diploids, triploids, and allotetraploids. The expression patterns of these genes are similar in the three fish ploidy types: the Gnrh2 gene is expressed in midbrains, pituitaries, and gonads; the Gthβ gene is expressed in pituitaries; the Gthr gene is mainly expressed in gonads. These results indicate that the three genes participate in the regulation of gonadal development. By real-time polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization, we find that, among these three fish ploidy types, the expression level of Gthr in the gonads of triploids is lower than those of diploids and tetraploids; this weakens the combination of GTHR with GTH released from the pituitary and leads to the sterility of triploids, since the gonad cannot produce enough sex steroids. In addition, the low expression of Gthr in triploids may affect the down-regulation of Gthβ, which then affects the down-regulation of Gnrh2; hence, the expression levels of Gnrh2 and Gthβ genes in triploids are the highest after the breeding season. In conclusion, the differential expression of Gnrh2, Gthβ, and Gthr in triploids and tetraploids is related to their sterility and bisexual fertility, respectively.     

Sequence Analysis of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactoferrin</Emphasis> Gene and Variation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis>.<Emphasis Type="Italic">7605C</Emphasis>→<Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis> in 10 Chinese Indigenous Goat Breeds

Much attention has been focused on the study of lactoferrin at the protein or nucleotide level in mice, humans, and cattle, but little is known about it in goats. The goat LF gene from 5' UTR to exon 17 was amplified, and the variation of g.7605C→T in 10 Chinese indigenous goat breeds was analyzed. Among the three ruminant species (cattle, sheep, and goats), the intron-exon distribution pattern was similar, and all the exons had the same length, but the length of introns varied greatly due to insertions or deletions. The frequency of allele T at g.7605C→T (50.12%) was a little higher than that of allele C (49.88%), and the genotype distribution differed greatly between goat populations. The g.7605C→T site showed higher genetic diversity in goat populations. The genetic differentiation was 0.0783, and gene flow was 2.9433 among the 10 Chinese indigenous goat populations.     

Rapid induction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">tumefaciens</Emphasis>-mediated transgenic roots directly from adventitious roots in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Panax</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">ginseng</Emphasis>

Root segments from seedlings of Panax ginseng produced adventitious roots directly when cultured on 1/2 MS solid medium lacking NH₄NO₃ and containing 3.0 mg l⁻¹ IBA. Using this adventitious root formation, we developed rapid and efficient transgenic root formation directly from adventitious root segments in P. ginseng. Root segments were co-cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens (GV3101) caring β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene. Putative transgenic adventitious roots were formed directly from root segments on medium with 400 mg l⁻¹ cefotaxime and 50 mg l⁻¹ kanamycin. Kanamycin resistant adventitious roots were selected and proliferated as individual lines by subculturing on medium with 300 mg l⁻¹ cefotaxime and 50 mg l⁻¹ kanamycin at two weeks subculture interval. Frequency of transient and stable expression of GUS gene was enhanced by acetosyringon (50 mg l⁻¹) treatment. Integration of transgene into the plants was confirmed by the X-gluc reaction, PCR and Southern analysis. Production of transgenic plants was achieved via somatic embryogenesis from the embryogenic callus derived from independent lines of adventitious roots. The protocol for rapid induction of transgenic adventitious roots directly from adventitious roots can be applied for a new Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation protocol in P. ginseng.     

Novel peroxidases of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Marasmius scorodonius</Emphasis> degrade <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-carotene

Two extracellular enzymes (MsP1 and MsP2) capable of efficient β-carotene degradation were purified from culture supernatants of the basidiomycete Marasmius scorodonius (garlic mushroom). Under native conditions, the enzymes exhibited molecular masses of ~150 and ~120 kDa, respectively. SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometric data suggested a composition of two identical subunits for both enzymes. Biochemical characterisation of the purified proteins showed isoelectric points of 3.7 and 3.5, and the presence of heme groups in the active enzymes. Partial amino acid sequences were derived from N-terminal Edman degradation and from mass spectrometric ab initio sequencing of internal peptides. cDNAs of 1,604 to 1,923 bp, containing open reading frames (ORF) of 508 to 513 amino acids, respectively, were cloned from a cDNA library of M. scorodonius. These data suggest glycosylation degrees of ~23% for MsP1 and 8% for MsP2. Databank homology searches revealed sequence homologies of MsP1 and MsP2 to unusual peroxidases of the fungi Thanatephorus cucumeris (DyP) and Termitomyces albuminosus (TAP).     

Brood cell size of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">mellifera</Emphasis> modifies the reproductive behavior of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Varroa</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">destructor</Emphasis>

We undertook a field study to determine whether comb cell size affects the reproductive behavior of Varroa destructor under natural conditions. We examined the effect of brood cell width on the reproductive behavior of V. destructor in honey bee colonies, under natural conditions. Drone and worker brood combs were sampled from 11 colonies of Apis mellifera. A Pearson correlation test and a Tukey test were used to determine whether mite reproduction rate varied with brood cell width. Generalized additive model analysis showed that infestation rate increased positively and linearly with the width of worker and drone cells. The reproduction rate for viable mother mites was 0.96 viable female descendants per original invading female. No significant correlation was observed between brood cell width and number of offspring of V. destructor. Infertile mother mites were more frequent in narrower brood cells.     

Cryopreservation of cell suspension cultures of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxus</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">media</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxus floridana</Emphasis>

Different lines of cell suspension cultures of Taxus × media Rehd. and Taxus floridana Nutt. were cryopreserved with a two-step freezing method using a simple and inexpensive freezing container instead of a programmable freezer. Four to seven days old suspension cell cultures were precultured in growth medium supplemented with 0.5 M mannitol for 2 d. The medium was then replaced with cryoprotectant solution (1 M sucrose, 0.5 M glycerol and 0.5 M dimethylsulfoxide) and the cells incubated on ice for 1 h. Before being plunged into liquid nitrogen, cells were frozen with a cooling rate of approximately −1 °C per min to −80 °C. The highest post-thaw cell viability was 90 %. The recovery was line dependent. The cryopreservation procedure did not alter the nuclear DNA content of the cell lines. The results indicate that cryopreservation of Taxus cell suspension cultures using inexpensive freezing container is possible.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis> inhibition of α-amylases of stored-product mite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acarus siro</Emphasis>

The stored-product mites are the most abundant and frequent group of pests living on the stored food products in Europe. They endanger public health since they produce allergens and transmit mycotoxin-producing fungi. Novel acaricidal compounds with inhibitory effects on the digestive enzymes of arthropods are a safe alternative to the traditional neurotoxic pesticides used for control of the stored-product pests. In this work, we explored the properties of acarbose, the low molecular weight inhibitor of -amylases (AI), as a novel acaricide candidate for protection of the stored products from infestation by Acarus siro (Acari: Acaridae). In vitro analysis revealed that AI blocked efficiently the enzymatic activity of digestive amylases of A. siro, and decreased the physiological capacity of mites gut in utilizing a starch component of grain flour. In vivo experiments showed that AI suppressed the population growth of A. siro. The mites were kept for three weeks on experimental diet enriched by AI in concentration range of 0.005 to 0.25%. Population growth of A. siro was negatively correlated with the content of AI in the treated diet with a half-population dose of 0.125%. The suppressive effect of AIs on stored-product mites is discussed in the context of their potential application in GMO crops     

Expression and characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichoderma virens</Emphasis> UKM-1 endochitinase in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">coli</Emphasis>

A gene encoding endochitinase from Trichoderma virens UKM-1 was cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). Both the endochitinase gene and its cDNA sequences were obtained. The endochitinase gene encodes 430 amino acids from an open reading frame comprising of 1,690 bp nucleotide sequence with three introns. The endochitinase was expressed as soluble and active enzyme at 20°C when induced with 1 mM IPTG. Maximum activity was observed at 4 h of post-induction time. SDS-PAGE showed that the purified endochitinase exhibited a single band with molecular weight of 42 kDa. Biochemical characterization of the enzyme displayed a near neutral pH characteristic with an optimum pH at 6.0 and optimum temperature at 50°C. The enzyme is stable between pH 3.0–7.0 and is able to retain its activity from 30 to 60°C. The presence of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions increased the enzyme activity up to 20%. The purified enzyme has a strong affinity towards colloidal chitin and low effect on ethyl cellulose and D-cellubiose which are non-chitin related substrates. HPLC analysis from the chitin hydrolysis showed the release of (GlcNAc)₃, (GlcNAc)₂ and GlcNAc, in which (GlcNAc)₂ was the main product.     

Synthesis and transformations of a pyrazole containing <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-didehydro-<Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-amino acid derivatives

Summary.  2H-Pyran-2-ones 1 were transformed with various hydrazines into (E)- or (Z)-α,β-didehydro-α-amino acid (DDAA) derivatives 4 (and 7) containing a highly substituted pyrazolyl moiety attached at the β-position. With heterocyclic hydrazines, the products 4 were accompanied also by decarboxylated enamines E-6. In order to separate (E/Z)-mixtures of acids, they were transformed to the corresponding methyl esters 9 and 10 by the application of diazomethane. Catalytic hydrogenation under high pressures with Pd/C as a catalyst resulted in the formation of racemic alanine derivatives 11. Received January 29, 2002 Accepted May 27, 2002 Published online December 18, 2002 RID="*" ID="*"  Dedicated with deep respect to Professor Waldemar Adam on the occasion of his 65^th birthday. Acknowledgements We thank the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia for the financial support (P0-0503-103). Dr. B. Kralj and Dr. D. Žigon (Center for Mass Spectroscopy, “Jožef Stefan” Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia) are gratefully acknowledged for the mass measurements. Authors' address: Prof. Marijan Kočevar, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 5, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, E-mail: marijan.kocevar@uni-lj.si     

Effect of Phenolic Compounds Against A<Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis> Aggregation and A<Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-Induced Toxicity in Transgenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. elegans</Emphasis>

Substantial evidence suggests that the aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide into fibrillar structures that is rich in β-sheets is implicated as the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, an attractive therapeutic strategy is to prevent or alter Aβ aggregation. Phenolic compounds are natural substances that are composed of one or more aromatic phenolic rings and present in wine, tea, fruits, vegetables and a wide variety of plants. In this work, we investigated the effects of ferulic acid, morin, quercetin and gossypol against Aβ aggregation. From the ThT and turbidity assays, it is observed that in addition to the fibril aggregate, another type of aggregate is formed in the presence of morin, quercetin, and gossypol. On the other hand, ferulic acid did not prevent fibril formation, but it did appear to reduce the average length of fibrils compared to Aβ alone. To study the protective effects of phenolic compounds on Aβ-induced toxicity, we utilized the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as an in vivo model organism, human Aβ is expressed intracellularly in the body wall muscle. We found that exposure of Caenorhabditis elegans to ferulic acid give more protection against Aβ toxicity than morin, quercetin and gossypol.