Characterization of an inhibitor of the intracellular protease from Bacillus subtilis.

A specific inhibitor of intracellular serylprotease from Bacillus subtilis has been isolated from both growing and sporulating cells. Like other protease inhibitors isolated from eukaryotic cells, the inhibitor from B. subtilis is a thermostable protein. A purification method is described. The molecular weight estimated by Biogel filtration and SDS gel electrophoresis is about 15,500. Both proteolytic and esterolytic activities of intracellular protease are equally sensitive to inhibition. With azocoll or Z-tyrosine p-nitrophenylester as substrates, noncompetitive inhibition patterns are observed. The inhibitor has no effect on the proteolytic or esterolytic activities of the extracellular serylprotease. A similar thermostable inhibitor is also present in Bacillus megaterium.     

Characterization of a keratinolytic serine protease from Bacillus subtilis KS-1

A keratinolytic enzyme produced by Bacillus subtilis KS-1 isolated from poultry waste was purified and characterized using ultrfiltration, DEAE-Sephadex, and Sephadex G-100 chromatographies. The specific activity of the purified protease was 538.2 units/mg. The enzyme was shown to have a relative molecular mass of 25.4 kDa. The enzyme was made completely inactive by PMSF, which indicates a serine-protease. Dithiothreitol enhanced keratinolytic activity by 1.6 times at a concentration of 5.0 mM. These results suggest that the cleavage of the disulfide bonds with reducing agents can occur directly or by excretion of sulfite, which causes the sulfitolysis of the disulfide bonds. The first 10 amino acids of the N-terminal sequence are Ala-Gin-Pro-Val-Glu-Trp-Gly-Ile-Ser-Gln. The enzyme hydrolyzed casein and feather, but hydrolyzed casein more effectively than it did feather.     

Improvements in the transformation of Bacillus subtilis protoplasts with plasmid DNA

Abstract The transformation system currently used for Bacillus subtilis protoplasts has been improved. Special emphasis was made on three parameters of practical importance:
(a) conditions for direct selection of transformants, (b) optimization of the transformation system for Rec⁻ mutants, and (c) conservation of protoplast suspensions for further use.
Selective regeneration was efficiently achieved for kanamycin or neomycin. Chloramphenicol, tetracycline and erythromycin were only expressed when low concentrations of the antibiotics were used to select transformants during regeneration.     

The yabG gene of Bacillus subtilis encodes a sporulation specific protease which is involved in the processing of several spore coat proteins

The synthesis and proteolysis of the spore coat proteins, SpoIVA and YrbA, of Bacillus subtilis were analyzed using antisera. Almost no intact full-length proteins of either type were extracted from wild-type spores, while yabG mutant spores contained intact SpoIVA and YrbA proteins. We purified recombinant YrbA and YabG proteins from Escherichia coli transformants and found that YrbA was cleaved to the smaller moiety in the presence of YabG in vitro. These observations indicate that YabG is a protease involved in the proteolysis and maturation of SpoIVA and YrbA proteins, conserved with the cortex and/or coat assembly by B. subtilis.     

Properties of regeneration mutants of Bacillus subtilis

Abstract Higher regeneration mutants were isolated from Bacillus subtilis . Protoplasts from two out of four mutants regenerated at a 100% frequency on a semi-synthetic hypertonic medium. They conferred less autolytic productivity, and a revertant regained the parental levels of regeneration frequency and autolytic activities. This mutation ( rgn -1) expressed the other pleiotropic properties, i.e., nonmotility, phage PBS1 resistance and different cell morphology.     

Cloning in Bacillus subtilis of temperature-dependent promoter fragments from Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis

Abstract Using promoter-probe plasmids, more than 200 promoter-containing fragments from Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis were cloned in B. subtilis . Among these, 15 promoter fragments were highly temperature-dependent in activity compared to the promoter sequence (TTGAAA for the −35 region, TATAAT for the −10 region) of the amylase gene, amyT , from B. stearothermophilus . Some fragments exhibited higher promoter activities at elevated temperature (48°C), others showed higher activities at lower temperature (30°C). Active promoter fragments at higher and lower temperatures were obtained mainly from the thermophile ( B. stearothermophilus ) and the mesophile ( B. subtilis ), respectively. A promoter fragment active at high temperature was sequenced, and the feature of the putative promoter region was discussed.     

Spherical and rod shaped protoplasts from β-lactam antibiotic treated cultures of Bacillus subtilis

Abstract Addition of β-lactams to exponentially growing cultures of an autolytically deficient Bacillus subtilis met c3 lyt -2 strain FJ6 caused increase in optical density to stop after 1 h when it had about doubled, and thereafter to remain constant for at least 6 h. The number of protoplasts to be derived per unit dry weight of bacteria started to fall when the antibiotic was added and after 1 h had reached 50% of the initial value. Also during the first hour but after a lag of 20–30 min an increasing number of membrane bound rod shaped protoplasts were seen among the normal spherical ones. These swelled to spheres and ultimately burst if the concentration of sucrose in the suspending fluid was gradually reduced. These results would be best explained by rapid inhibition of initiation of cell division followed by membrane damage to an increasing proportion of cells.     

Expression, purification, and characterization of a thermophilic neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus in Bacillus subtilis

The gene coding for a thermophilic neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus was expressed in Bacillus subtilis DB104, under the control of the sacB gene promoter. This was followed by either the native signal peptide sequence of this protease or the signal peptide sequence of the sacB gene. The protease was purified 3.8-fold, with a specific activity of 16530 U mg-1. As analyzed by SDS-PAGE, the molecular mass of the expressed protease was about 35 kDa, and the optimal temperature and pH of the protease were 65℃ and 7.5, respectively. Moreover, it still had about 80% activity after 1 h reaction at 65 ℃ .     

Expression, purification, and characterization of a thermophilic neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus in Bacillus subtilis

The gene coding for a thermophilic neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus was expressed in Bacillus subtilis DB104, under the control of the sacB gene promoter. This was followed by either the native signal peptide sequence of this protease or the signal peptide sequence of the sacB gene. The protease was purified 3.8-fold, with a specific activity of 16530 U mg-1. As analyzed by SDS-PAGE, the molecular mass of the expressed protease was about 35 kDa, and the optimal temperature and pH of the protease were 65℃ and 7.5, respectively. Moreover, it still had about 80% activity after 1 h reaction at 65℃.     

Isolation of the Bacillus subtilis antimicrobial peptide subtilosin from the dairy product-derived Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

Aims: To purify and characterize an antimicrobial protein (bacteriocin) isolated from the dairy product‐derived Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Methods and Results: An unknown bacterial species cultured from the Yogu Farm? probiotic dairy beverage was identified through 16S ribosomal RNA analysis as B. amyloliquefaciens, a phylogenetically close relative of Bacillus subtilis. The cell‐free supernatant (CFS) of overnight cultures was active against Listeria monocytogenes and also against clinical isolates of Gardnerella vaginalis and Streptococcus agalactiae. At the same time, several isolates of vaginal probiotic Lactobacilli were resistant to the CFS. The nature of the compound causing inhibitory activity was confirmed as proteinaceous by enzymatic digestion. The protein was isolated using ammonium sulfate precipitation, and further purified via column chromatography. PCR analysis was conducted to determine relatedness to other bacteriocins produced by Bacillus spp. Conclusion: The antimicrobial protein isolated from B. amyloliquefaciens was shown to be subtilosin, a bacteriocin previously reported as produced only by B. subtilis. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first report of intra‐species horizontal gene transfer for subtilosin and the first fully characterized bacteriocin isolated from B. amyloliquefaciens. Finally, this is the first report on subtilosin’s activity against bacterial vaginosis‐associated pathogens.     

枯草芽孢杆菌内切木聚糖酶的分离纯化与鉴定

目的：建立一种简便、快速的木聚糖酶分离和提取方法。方法：采用活性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和均质提取法相结合,分离纯化枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)固体培养基发酵产物中的木聚糖酶,进一步用薄层色谱和高压液相色谱对木聚糖酶进行鉴定。结果：采用活性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和均质提取法相结合,从枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)固体培养基发酵产物中分离得到了两种内切木聚糖酶,酶解桦木木聚糖的产要产物以木二糖和木三糖为主。结论：活性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和均质提取法相结合是一种新的分离纯化木聚糖酶的简便、有效方法。     

Bioprocess optimization for production of thermoalkali-stable protease from Bacillus subtilis K-1 under solid-state fermentation

Cost-effective production of proteases, which are robust enough to function under harsh process conditions, is always sought after due to their wide industrial application spectra. Solid-state production of enzymes using agro-industrial wastes as substrates is an environment-friendly approach, and it has several advantages such as high productivity, cost-effectiveness, being less labor-intensive, and less effluent production, among others. In the current study, different agro-wastes were employed for thermoalkali-stable protease production from Bacillus subtilis K-1 under solid-state fermentation. Agricultural residues such as cotton seed cake supported maximum protease production (728?U?ml^?1), which was followed by gram husk (714?U?ml^?1), mustard cake (680?U?ml^?1), and soybean meal (653?U?ml^?1). Plackett–Burman design of experiment showed that peptone, moisture content, temperature, phosphates, and inoculum size were the significant variables that influenced the protease production. Furthermore, statistical optimization of three variables, namely peptone, moisture content, and incubation temperature, by response surface methodology resulted in 40% enhanced protease production as compared to that under unoptimized conditions (from initial 728 to 1020?U?ml^?1). Thus, solid-state fermentation coupled with design of experiment tools represents a cost-effective strategy for production of industrial enzymes.     

枯草芽胞杆菌L-天冬氨酸a脱羧酶的酶学性质

b-丙氨酸是一种重要的医药化工原料,目前主要依靠化学法进行生产。探寻更为环保和高效的生物生产法是未来研究的一个方向。L-天冬氨酸a脱羧酶 (PanD) 能特异地脱去L-天冬氨酸的a羧基,生成b-丙氨酸。本文比较了3种分别来源于大肠杆菌、谷氨酸棒状杆菌及枯草芽胞杆菌的PanD比酶活 (分别为0.98、7.52和8.4 U/mg)。后两者的最适pH均为6.5,最适反应温度分别为65 ℃及60 ℃。与目前研究最多的来源于大肠杆菌和谷氨酸棒状杆菌的PanD相比,来源于枯草芽胞杆菌的PanD具有更好的活性和热稳定性,具有更强的工业应用潜力。同时,本文对该酶特有的翻译后自剪切及机理性失活现象进行了分析和讨论。     

枯草杆菌谷氨酰胺转胺酶的克隆及其在大肠杆菌中的融合表达

利用PCR技术 ,从枯草杆菌DB40 3染色体上扩增出谷氨酰胺转胺酶基因 ,将其克隆到大肠杆菌载体pET32a( + )中 ,成功构建谷氨酰胺转胺酶表达载体pET32-BTGase ,并转化大肠杆菌BL2 1 (DE3)。重组克隆在IPTG诱导下 ,表达出硫氧还蛋白 谷氨酰胺转胺酶 (Trx-BTGase)融合蛋白 ,表达量占细菌总蛋白量的 2 6%。利用金属螯合层析纯化菌体裂解上清中表达的融合蛋白 ,纯度超过 80 %,再通过分子筛层析进一步纯化得到融合蛋白纯品。酶活性分析表明表达的Trx-BTGase融合蛋白具有交联蛋白的活性 ,并发现Trx-BTGase融合蛋白和经凝血酶酶切后得到的BTGase单体都能催化牛血清白蛋白的聚合反应     

Sequence of a PAL-related lipoprotein from Bacillus subtilis

The sequence of a small Bacillus subtilis lipoprotein is reported. The gene encodes a protein of 124 amino acids, which shows a low but statistically significant homology to the peptidoglycan-associated lipoproteins (PAL) of Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenzae. Although the functions of these proteins have not been confirmed, they are obviously structural proteins. In E. coli the gene for the peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein appears to be essential.     

巨大芽孢杆菌青霉素G酰化酶基因在枯草杆菌中的高表达

用ＰＣＲ方法从巨大芽孢杆菌的基因组ＤＮＡ中扩增到青霉素Ｇ酰化酶基因,并装载到枯草杆菌质粒ｐＰＺＷ１０３中,将其转化到枯草杆菌ＤＢ１０４中进行了分泌表达,重组菌株产酶无需苯乙酸诱导。在３７℃培养２４ｈ,菌液酶活力可达６ｕ／ｍｌ。１０天的连续传代实验表明重组菌株的稳定性很高。     

Expression of a pepT homologue from Bacillus subtilis

Abstract We isolated pepT from Bacillus subtilis , a gene with homology to various tripeptidases from different bacterial sources, pepT is preceded by genes encoding a two component regulatory system. Its expression is activated during stationary phase. In minimal medium this activation is boosted in the presence of phosphate. The response regulator is preceded by putative promoter consensus sequences recognized by the stationary phase specific sigma factors σ ^H, σ ^F, and σ ^G. This is in accordance with the initiation of expression at the beginning of stationary phase. Inactivation of pepT causes no obvious phenotype.     

Crystallization of NAD+ synthetase from Bacillus subtilis

NAD⁺-synthetase is a ubiquitous enzyme catalyzing the last step in the biosynthesis of NAD⁺. Mutants of NAD⁺ synthetase with impaired cellular functions have been isolated, indicating a key role for this enzyme in cellular metabolism. Crystals of the enzyme from Bacillus subtilis suitable for x-ray crystallographic investigation have been grown from polyethylene glycol solutions. Investigation on the structural organization of NAD⁺ synthetase, an enzyme fundamental for NAD⁺ biosynthesis, and belonging to the recently characterized amidotransferase enzymatic family, will provide more insight into the catalytic mechanism of deamido-NAD⁺ → NAD⁺ conversion, a biosynthetic process that is a potential target for the development of antibiotic compounds against Bacillus sp. and related bacteria. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

产纤溶酶枯草杆菌液体发酵工艺优化研究

采用单因子实验和正交实验对高产纤溶酶的枯草杆菌最佳发酵工艺进行了优化,结果表明,该菌株分泌的胞外酶具有较强的体外溶栓作用,产纤溶酶最佳的发酵条件为：3％可溶性淀粉,2％豆浆全汁(鲜豆),0．02％CaCl2,培养温度为37℃,初始pH8．3,装液量为250mL三角瓶50mL,发酵时间44h左右,Ca^2 、Mg^2 和Mn^2 对酶活力有促进作用,Cu^2 对酶活性有强烈抑制作用。