Purification of acetohydroxy acid synthase by separation in an aqueous two-phase system

Extraction in a polyethylene glycol (PEG)–phosphate aqueous two-phase system was considered as a primary step in purification of the acetohydroxy acid synthase III large catalytic subunit from an E. coli extract. Extraction optimization was achieved by varying the system parameters. Two systems with the following weight compositions were chosen for purification: PEG-2000 (16%)–phosphate (6%) and PEG-4000 (14%)–phosphate (5.5%)–KCl (8%), both at pH 7.0 and 1 mg total protein per 1 g system. Significant purification was achieved by a single extraction step with 70% recovery of the enzyme. After an additional ion-exchange chromatography step, pure enzyme was obtained in a 50% overall yield.     

Determination of the dissociation constant of valine from acetohydroxy acid synthase by equilibrium partition in an aqueous two-phase system

An aqueous polyethylene glycol/salt two-phase system was used to estimate the dissociation constant, K_dis, of the Escherichia coli isoenzyme AHAS III regulatory subunit, IlvH protein, from the feedback inhibitor valine. The amounts of the bound and free radioactive valine in the system were determined. A Scatchard plot of the data revealed a 1:1 valine–protein binding ratio and K_dis of 133±14 μM. The protein did not bind leucine, and the ilvH protein isolated from a valine resistant mutant showed no valine binding. This method is very simple, rapid and requires only a small amounts of protein compared to the presently used equilibrium dialysis method.     

Regulation of acetohydroxy acid synthase in Corynebacterium glutamicum during isoleucine formation from α-hydroxybutyric acid

When Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 14310 (leu^-) was cultured with 200 mg/l leucine and 150 mM -hydroxybutyric acid the acetohydroxy acid synthase activity was increased to 0.17 U/mg as compared to 0.03 U/mg in the wildtype. This increase was a combined effect of the limiting amounts of leucine added, together with an apparent additional internal leucine/valine shortage resulting from accumulated -ketobutyric acid (5 mM) and the kinetic characteristics of the acetohydroxy acid synthase. The increase in the specific AHAS activity by the appropriate amino acid limitation resulted in an increased isoleucine yield of 71 mmol/l as compared to 27 mmol/l obtained under non-limiting conditions.Abbreviation AHAS Acetohydroxy acid synthase     

Transformation with a mutant Arabidopsis acetolactate synthase gene renders tobacco resistant to sulfonylurea herbicides

Summary A gene encoding acetolactate synthase was cloned from a chlorsulfuron-resistant mutant of Arabidopsis. The DNA sequence of the mutant gene differed from that of the wild type by a single base pair substitution. When introduced into tobacco by Ti plasmid-mediated transformation the gene conferred a high level of herbicide resistance. These results suggest that the cloned gene may confer agronomically useful levels of herbicide resistnace in other crop species, and that it may be useful as a selectable marker for plant transformation experiments.     

钝顶螺旋藻突变株FBL细胞超微结构

利用透射电镜技术观察钝顶螺旋藻出发株和突变株FBL的细胞超微结构。观察结果表明L出发株和突变株均为多细胞丝状体,细胞间横隔膜清晰,细胞壁均由四层结构组成,细胞质膜内陷形成类囊体,类囊体由双层膜堆积而成,膜上附着藻胆体,类囊体与细胞壁呈垂直方向排列,细胞质内包含有充气液泡等细胞器。与出发株相比,突变株细胞壁表面较光滑,四层结构电子密度较深;类囊体膜增多、变发达;羧化体数量增多;横隔膜收缢明显。     

The active site and mechanism of action of recombinant acetohydroxy acid synthase from tobacco

Acetohydroxy acid synthase (AHAS) is one of several enzymes that require thiamine diphosphate and a divalent cation as essential cofactors. Recently, the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme from yeast has been determined [Pang et al., J. Mol. Biol. 317 (2002) 249-262]. While this structure sheds light on the binding of the cofactors and the reaction mechanism, the interactions between the substrates and the enzyme remain unclear. We have studied the pH dependence of kinetic parameters in order to obtain information about the chemical mechanism in the active site. Data are consistent with a mechanism in which substrate selectively catalyzed to the enzyme with an unprotonated base having a pK of 6.48, and a protonated group having a pK of 8.25 for catalysis. The temperature dependence of kinetic parameters was pH-dependent, and the enthalpies of ionization, DeltaH(ion), calculated from the slope of pK(1) and pK(2) are both pH-independent. The solvent perturbation of kinetic parameters was pH-dependent, and the pK(1) from the acidic side and the pK(2) from the basic side were shifted down 0.4 pH units and shifted up 0.6 units as water was replaced by 15% ethanol, respectively. The data are discussed in terms of the acid-base chemical mechanism.     

An acetohydroxy acid synthase mutant reveals a single site involved in multiple herbicide resistance

Acetohydroxy acid synthase (AHAS) is an essential enzyme for many organisms as it catalyzes the first step in the biosynthesis of the branched-chain amino acids valine, isoleucine, and leucine. The enzyme is under allosteric control by these amino acids. It is also inhibited by several classes of herbicides, such as the sulfonylureas, imidazolinones and triazolopyrimidines, that are believed to bind to a relic quinone-binding site. In this study, a mutant allele of AHAS3 responsible for sulfonylurea resistance in a Brassica napus cell line was isolated. Sequence analyses predicted a single amino acid change (557 TrpLeu) within a conserved region of AHAS. Expression in transgenic plants conferred strong resistance to the three classes of herbicides, revealing a single site essential for the binding of all the herbicide classes. The mutation did not appear to affect feedback inhibition by the branched-chain amino acids in plants.     

培养条件对钝顶螺旋藻(Sp)NS-90020脂肪酸组成和含量的影响

研究了不同培养条件对钝顶螺旋藻（Ｓｐ）ＮＳ－９００２０脂肪酸合成的影响,随着温度升高,其不饱和脂肪酸,γ－亚麻酸（ＧＬＡ）相对含量降低,总脂肪酸含量升高,当温度为４０℃时总脂肪酸和γ－亚麻酸绝对含量都是达到最大值,分别为７３．４ｍｇ／ｇ干重和１１．９ｍｇ／ｇ干重,当培养基中ＮａＣｌ浓度高于０．０１７ｍｇ／Ｌ时,其ＧＬＡ相对含量降低,但低于０．００１７ｍｏｇ／Ｌ时,对其脂肪酸组成无显著影响;氨水使其     

钝顶螺旋藻细胞的超微结构

钝顶螺旋藻是一种丝状多细胞蓝藻。经透射电源观察证实,细胞的核区无核膜,核仁,细胞质内无线粒体、叶绿体、高尔基体等细胞器分化。     

大螺旋藻营养成分研究

通过对大螺旋藻的6种营养成分进行分析表明,大螺旋藻含有61％～66％蛋白质,4．5％～4．7％核酸,6％～8％碳水化合物,4％～5％粗纤维,1％～2％粗脂肪和13～14mg／100g维生素C,这些成分与极大螺旋藻及钝顶螺旋藻的成分很相似。因此大螺旋藻与钝顶螺旋藻、极大螺旋藻同样可被开发利用。     

两株钝顶螺旋藻紫外诱变株的特征

采用紫外诱变的方法筛选获得了两株优良的稳定钝顶螺旋藻突变株M1-3和M5-1,与出发株相比,M5-1较粗大,M1-3较细,但长很长,藻体螺旋数超过40;两株突变株的生长速度和光合放氧速率均有显著提高;M1-3的藻蓝蛋白含量高于出发藻株20.2%;突变株的长碳连不饱和脂肪酸含量高于出发藻株,总脂中M1-3含花生四烯酸（20：4）4.93%、M5-1含EPA（20：5）2.49%。两株突变株对NH4^ 和Zn^2 的抗性也发生了改变。     

培养条件对钝顶螺旋藻(Sp)NS-90020脂肪酸组成和含量的影响

研究了不同培养条件对钝顶螺旋藻（Sp）NS－90020脂肪酸合成的影响。随着温度升高,其不饱和脂肪酸,γ一亚麻酸（GLA）相对含量降低,总脂肪酸含量升高,当温度为40℃时总脂肪酸和γ-亚麻酸绝对含量都达到最大值,分别为73．4mg／g干重和11．9mg／g干重;当培养基中NaCl浓度高于0．017mol／L时,其GLA相对含量降低,但低于0．0017mol／L时,对其脂肪酸组成无显著影响;氨水使其脂肪酸和GLA绝对含量升高,并在50mgN（NH3·H2O）时达到最大值,分别为67．96mg／g干重和13．63mg／g千重;暗处理92h使其总脂肪酸和GLA绝对含量升高;缺乏Fe2 或Mg2 或Mo2 时,其总脂肪酸和GLA绝对含量降低,而缺乏PO43-时,其总脂肪酸和GLA绝对含量略有升高。     

螺旋藻中药用成分的综合开发与应用

综述了螺旋藻中藻蓝蛋白、γ-亚麻酸、螺旋藻多糖、色素等综合开发与应用.     

螺旋藻多糖抗单纯疱疹病毒作用的实验研究

在体外进行了钝顶螺旋藻多糖(polysaccharides fromSpirulina platensis,PSP)抗单纯疱疹病毒活性的研究。以不同剂量的PSP分别作用于HSV-1及HSV-2病毒复制周期的各个环节,以病毒半数感染量(TCID50),细胞病变效应(CPE),蚀斑形成单位(PFU),MTT染色细胞保护率(MTT法)作为评价指标,判断PSP的抗病毒效果;FQ-PCR检测PSP抗病毒作用的时效关系。结果表明PSP对Vero细胞毒性极低(TC50为1750μg/mL),对HSV-1及HSV-2均无直接灭活作用,可阻滞HSV-1及HSV-2病毒吸附和抑制感染细胞内病毒的复制,但不影响病毒的释放;FQ-PCR结果显示随着PSP浓度及作用时间的增加,PSP对HSV-1病毒DNA的抑制作用明显增强,具有良好的剂量和时效关系。提示PSP抗HSV-1及HSV-2病毒作用的机制与抑制病毒吸附和感染细胞内病毒的生物合成有关。     

富硒螺旋藻中硒别藻蓝蛋白的纯化及其特性

从富硒螺旋藻(Se richSpirulina platensis,Se-SP)中分离纯化高纯度的含硒别藻蓝蛋白(Se-containingallophycocyanin,Se-APC)并观察其生化特性。羟基磷灰石和DEAE-52柱层析方法结合制备电泳技术纯化Se-APC;光谱扫描、Native-PAGE、SDS-PAGE和IEF方法鉴定Se-APC生化特性;2,3-DAN荧光光度法检测蛋白质中Se含量。结果发现3种高纯度Se-APC的光谱特征分别与APCI、APCII、APCIII吻合;电泳鉴定它们可能都是(αβ)3,α、β亚基分别为18.3和15.7 kDa,其pI值分别为:4.76、4.85和5.02;3种Se-APC中Se含量分别为316、273和408μg/g,Se-APC经0.5mol/L NaSCN解聚和β-巯基乙醇变性处理后,蛋白质中Se含量依次减低并趋于稳定。结果提示Se-SP中APC可结合Se,APC中Se含量与其分子聚态有关,亚基中含Se量稳定,可能是以共价键方式结合,Se-APC生物活性及硒在蛋白质中的结合位点值得深入研究。     

螺旋藻多糖抗柯萨奇B3病毒的体外实验研究

在体外进行了钝顶螺旋藻多糖(polysaccharides from Spirulina platensis,PSP)抗柯萨奇病毒B3(Coxsackie virus B3,CVB3)活性的研究.以不同剂量的PSP作用于病毒复制周期的各个环节,以病毒半数感染量(TCID50),细胞病变效应(CPE),蚀斑形成单位(PFU),MTT染色细胞保护率(MTT法)作为评价指标,判断PSP的抗病毒效果.结果表明PSP对Vero细胞毒性极低(TC50为1750μg/mL),对CVB3无直接灭活作用,PSP可干扰病毒向宿主细胞的吸附,其抗病毒生物合成的活性最高(IC50为5.26,TI为237.6),是阳性对照药病毒唑的3.95倍,但不影响病毒的释放.提示PSP抗病毒靶位可能在于抑制病毒吸附和感染细胞内病毒的生物合成.     

钝顶螺旋藻(Spirulina platensis)光系统Ⅰ的分离表征及稳定性

采用蔗糖密度梯度离心法对钝顶螺旋藻光合膜蛋白(PSI)进行分离纯化,并对其光谱学性质、热稳定性及光合放氧活性进行分析表征。结果发现,采用蔗糖密度精度离心法,可以成功分离出4条色素蛋白质复合体条带,其中最下层条带为完整的PSI三聚体,其每毫克叶绿素a光合放氧活性达到420μmol/h。当温度达到50℃左右时,分离得到的PSI在溶液开始变性失活。     

螺旋藻（Spirulina platensis）藻胆体在解离过程中荧光发射光谱和光能传递的研究

对螺旋藻（Ｓｐｉｒｕｌｉｎａｐｌａｔｅｎｓｉｓ）藻胆体在室温和７７Ｋ处于不同浓度磷缓冲溶液和不同解离时间的荧光发射光谱进行了研究。藻胆体在０．９ｍｏｌ／Ｌ磷酸缓冲溶液中,由于没有发生解离,光能传递效率高,在７７Ｋ荧光发射光谱中只有一个峰,位于６８７ｎｍ,属于别藻蓝蛋白－Ｂ。当藻胆体悬浮在０．３ｍｏｌ／Ｌ磷酸缓冲溶液中１分钟,７７Ｋ荧光光谱的主峰出现在６８４ｎｍ．又出现６５５ｎｍ和６６６ｎｍ荧光峰,它们依次属子Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白和别藻蓝蛋白。在２小时;６５５ｎｍ荧先峰成为主峰,６８４ｎｍ荧光峰为次峰,６６６ｎｍ荧光肩消失。这表明Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白所捕获的先能已不能传递给别藻蓝蛋白,但能传给别藻蓝蛋白－Ｂ。我们提出在螺旋藻藻胆体中存在两类Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白,一是与别藻蓝蛋白相连接,另一是与别藻蓝蛋白－Ｂ相连接。     

A potent anti-oxidant property: fluorescent recombinant α-phycocyanin of Spirulina

Aims:  To express and product a fluorescent antioxidant holo-α-phycocyanin (PC) of Spirulina platensis ( Sp ) with His-tag (rHHPC; recombinant holo-α-phycocyaninof Spirulina platensis with His-tag) in 5-l bench scale.
Methods and Results:  A vector harbouring two cassettes was constructed: cpcA along with cpcE - cpcF in one cassette; ho1 - pcyA in the other cassette. Lyases CpcE/F of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 ( S6 ) could catalyse the 82 site Cys in apo-α-PC of Sp linking with bilin chromophores, and rHHPC was biosynthesized in Escherichia coli BL21. The constant feeding mode was adopted, and transformant reached the biomass of rHHPC up to 0·55 g l⁻¹ broth in 5-litre bench scale. rHHPC was purified by Ni²⁺ affinity column conveniently. The absorbance and the fluorescence emission spectra of rHHPC had λ_max at 621 and 650 nm, respectively. The IC₅₀ values of rHHPC were 277·5 ± 25·8 μ g ml⁻¹ against hydroxyl radicals and 20·8 ± 2·2  μ g ml⁻¹ against peroxyl radicals.
Conclusions:  Combinational biosynthesis of rHHPC was feasible, and the constant feeding mode was adopted to produce good yields of rHHPC. Fluorescent rHHPC with several unique qualitative and quantitative features was effective on scavenging hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals.
Significance and impact of the study:  A potent antioxidant rHHPC was co-expressed, produced and characterized for nutritional and pharmacological values, which would help to develop phycobiliproteins' applications in their fluorescent and biological activities.