The BmChi-h gene, a bacterial-type chitinase gene of Bombyx mori, encodes a functional exochitinase that plays a role in the chitin degradation during the molting process

The silkworm, Bombyx mori, has been recently demonstrated to contain a bacterial-type chitinase gene (BmChi-h) in addition to a well-characterized endochitinase gene (BmChitinase). The deduced amino acid sequence of BmChi-h showed extensive structural similarities with chitinases from bacteria such as Serratia marcescens chiA and baculoviruses (v-CHIA). Bacterial-type chitinase genes have not been found from any eukaryotes and viruses except for lepidopteran insects and lepidopteran baculoviruses. Thus, it was suggested that BmChi-h may be derived from a bacterial or baculovirus chitinase gene via horizontal gene transfer. In this report, we investigated the biological function of BmChi-h. Our enzymological study indicated that a chitinase encoded by BmChi-h has exo-type substrate preference, which is the same as S. marcescens chiA and v-CHIA, and different from BmChitinase, which has endo-type substrate preference. An immunohistochemical study revealed that BmChi-h localizes in the chitin-containing tissues during the molting stages, indicating that it plays a role in chitin degradation during molting. These results suggest that BmChi-h (exochitinase) and BmChitinase (endochitinase) may catalyze a native chitin by a concerted mechanism. Cloning and comparison of BmChi-h orthologues revealed that bacterial-type chitinase genes are highly conserved among lepidopteran insects, suggesting that the utilization of a bacterial-type chitinase during the molting process may be a general feature of lepidopteran insects.     

Comparative studies of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus chitinase and its host ortholog, BmChi-h

Baculovirus-encoded chitinases (V-CHIAs) were first proposed to be acquired from a bacterium via horizontal gene transfer. However, we have recently reported that lepidopteran hosts also encode v-chiA orthologs. Here we describe comparative studies of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) chitinase and its host ortholog, BmChi-h. We constructed recombinant BmNPVs in which native and modified forms of BmChi-h were driven under the polyhedrin promoter and the authentic v-chiA was deleted. Western blot analysis indicated that BmCHI-h was rapidly secreted from virus-infected BmN cells whereas BmNPV CHIA was localized within the virus-infected cells; probably because of the presence of a C-terminal endoplasmic reticulum retention motif on BmNPV CHIA. Enzymological studies showed that BmNPV CHIA was able to retain much higher chitinolytic activity under alkaline conditions. For B. mori larvae infected with v-chiA-deleted BmNPV, the terminal liquefaction of dead larvae and the activation of baculovirus-encoded cysteine protease were not observed, and the introduction of BmChi-h did not rescue these defects. Our findings show that BmNPV chiA possesses unique features that are not shared by host orthologs, which may reflect functional specialization of baculovirus chitinases.     

Characterization of a chitinase gene (chiA) from Serratia marcescens BJL200 and one-step purification of the gene product

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of the chiA gene from Serratia marcescens strain BJL200 was determined. The gene was found to encode a protein of 563 amino acid residues, with a typical N-terminal signal peptide of 23 residues, that is cleaved off during export. The gene exhibited striking differences with two previously characterized chiA genes of S. marcescens in the region corresponding to amino acid residues 410–467 of the gene product. Periplasmic fractions of an Escherichia coli strain harbouring the cloned gene were used as starting material for the development of a fast, one-step purification protocol for the chitinase that is based on hydrophobic interaction chromatography.     

Identification and characterization of the gene cluster involved in chitin degradation in a marine bacterium, Alteromonas sp. strain O-7.

Alteromonas sp. strain O-7 secretes chitinase A (ChiA), chitinase B (ChiB), and chitinase C (ChiC) in the presence of chitin. A gene cluster involved in the chitinolytic system of the strain was cloned and sequenced upstream of and including the chiA gene. The gene cluster consisted of three different open reading frames organized in the order chiD, cbp1, and chiA. The chiD, cbp1, and chiA genes were closely linked and transcribed in the same direction. Sequence analysis indicated that Cbp1 (475 amino acids) was a chitin-binding protein composed of two discrete functional regions. ChiD (1,037 amino acids) showed sequence similarity to bacterial chitinases classified into family 18 of glycosyl hydrolases. The cbp1 and chiD genes were expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant proteins were purified to homogeneity. The highest binding activities of Cbp1 and ChiD were observed when alpha-chitin was used as a substrate. Cbp1 and ChiD possessed a chitin-binding domain (ChtBD) belonging to ChtBD type 3. ChiD rapidly hydrolyzed chitin oligosaccharides in sizes from trimers to hexamers, but not chitin. However, after prolonged incubation with large amounts of ChiD, the enzyme produced a small amount of (GlcNAc)(2) from chitin. The optimum temperature and pH of ChiD were 50 degrees C and 7.0, respectively.     

Cloning,sequencing, and expression of the chitinase gene chiA74 from Bacillus thuringiensis

The endochitinase gene chiA74 from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar kenyae strain LBIT-82 was cloned in Escherichia coli DH5 alpha F'. A sequence of 676 amino acids was deduced when the gene was completely sequenced. A molecular mass of 74 kDa was estimated for the preprotein, which includes a putative 4-kDa signal sequence located at the N terminus. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high degree of identity with other chitinases such as ChiB from Bacillus cereus (98%) and ChiA71 from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar pakistani (70%). Additionally, ChiA74 showed a modular structure comprised of three domains: a catalytic domain, a fibronectin-like domain, and a chitin-binding domain. All three domains showed conserved sequences when compared to other bacterial chitinase sequences. A ca. 70-kDa mature protein expressed by the cloned gene was detected in zymograms, comigrating with a chitinase produced by the LBIT-82 wild-type strain. ChiA74 is active within a wide pH range (4 to 9), although a bimodal activity was shown at pH 4.79 and 6.34. The optimal temperature was estimated at 57.2 degrees C when tested at pH 6. The potential use of ChiA74 as a synergistic agent, along with the B. thuringiensis insecticidal Cry proteins, is discussed.     

Cloning, Sequencing, and Expression of the Chitinase Gene chiA74 from Bacillus thuringiensis

The endochitinase gene chiA74 from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar kenyae strain LBIT-82 was cloned in Escherichia coli DH5αF′. A sequence of 676 amino acids was deduced when the gene was completely sequenced. A molecular mass of 74 kDa was estimated for the preprotein, which includes a putative 4-kDa signal sequence located at the N terminus. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high degree of identity with other chitinases such as ChiB from Bacillus cereus (98%) and ChiA71 from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar pakistani (70%). Additionally, ChiA74 showed a modular structure comprised of three domains: a catalytic domain, a fibronectin-like domain, and a chitin-binding domain. All three domains showed conserved sequences when compared to other bacterial chitinase sequences. A ca. 70-kDa mature protein expressed by the cloned gene was detected in zymograms, comigrating with a chitinase produced by the LBIT-82 wild-type strain. ChiA74 is active within a wide pH range (4 to 9), although a bimodal activity was shown at pH 4.79 and 6.34. The optimal temperature was estimated at 57.2°C when tested at pH 6. The potential use of ChiA74 as a synergistic agent, along with the B. thuringiensis insecticidal Cry proteins, is discussed.     

一株Sanguibacter sp.C4产几丁质酶基因的克隆与表达

Chi58是Sanguibacter sp．strain C4产生的一种胞外几丁质酶。通过chiA的特异性PCR引物探测到菌株C4中存在几丁质酶,并将扩增到的几丁质酶基因片段（chiA-F）克隆、测序后,提交GenBank数据库进行同源性搜索。对从GenBank中获得的高同源性序列进行比对,并根据保守区域设计2对PCR引物进行嵌套PCR,扩增出Chi58基因的开放阅读框（ORF）。测序结果表明该酶的ORF由1692个核苷酸组成,编码563个氨基酸,在N端有23个氨基酸的信号肽,其成熟蛋白的分子量应为58．544kDa。对其推导氨基酸的序列分析表明Chi58与沙雷氏菌的几丁质酶（如徂）有高度同源性（88．9％-99．6％）,其结构主要包括信号肽序列、PKD结构域和18家族糖苷水解酶结构域。将该基因克隆到pET32a（＋）载体构建重组质粒pChi58,转入大肠杆菌BL-21（DE3）进行融合表达。经IPTG诱导后,可见分子量约81．1kDa的融合蛋白的表达。     

HaSNPV几丁质酶基因在大肠杆菌和昆虫细胞中的表达及其产物对Bt杀虫剂的增效作用

为了探索杆状病毒几丁质酶对微生物杀虫剂的增效作用及其利用途径 ,分别在大肠杆菌和昆虫细胞中表达棉铃虫单粒包埋型核型多角体病毒 (HaSNPV)几丁质酶 .用PCR方法扩增出不含N端信号肽编码序列的几丁质酶基因片段 ,并分别克隆至原核表达载体pET2 8a和重组到杆状病毒BactoBac表达系统 ,在大肠杆菌 (E .coli)BL2 1和粉纹夜蛾 (Trichoplusiani)细胞系Tn 5B1 4中分别进行了表达 .在大肠杆菌中表达量约占细菌总蛋白 15 % ,在昆虫细胞中表达量约占细胞总蛋白10 % .将含有几丁质酶的大肠杆菌和昆虫细胞表达产物添加到苏云金杆菌 (Bt)菌液中一起喂食 2龄家蚕 .结果显示 ,HaSNPV几丁质酶基因的 2种表达产物和Bt杀虫剂的混合物使处理的家蚕的致死时间较对照处理均明显缩短 .昆虫细胞和大肠杆菌表达产物与Bt混合物处理的LT50 分别从 93 5h和 95 1h缩短到 5 6 2h及 6 7 2h ,并且供试家蚕的生长速度明显缓慢 .研究结果表明 ,重组的HaSNPV几丁质酶有望作为Bt杀虫剂的增效剂     

BmNPV chitinase gene deletion enhances foreign gene expression in a BmN cell system

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is extensively being studied as an expression vector for heterologous gene expression in silkworm-derived cells as well as in the host larvae or pupae. BmNPV chitinase is necessary for liquefaction of the virus-infected host insect. The influence of chitinase on the efficiency of foreign gene expression was studied to provide a scientific basis for improving the BmNPV expression system. The BmNPV chitinase gene ( chiA ) was deleted and the expression level of the polyhedrin promoter controlling the lac Z gene in BmN cells was determined. Sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) showed that β-galactosidase accounted for approximately 6.9 and 7.7% of the total protein in BmN cells infected with the chiA deficient Bm lac Z⁺ chiA ⁻ at 3 and 4 days post infection, while the total protein was 3.2 and 4.2% in cells infected with Bm lac Z⁺. The relative β-galactosidase activities in Bm lac Z⁺ chiA ⁻-infected cells improved 2.33- and 1.56-fold compared to those of Bm lac Z⁺-infected cells at 3 and 4 days post infection. The results of the present study suggest that chitinase deletion could improve the lacZ expression level in the BmNPV-BmN cell expression system.     

苏云金芽孢杆菌chiA,chiB全基因的克隆、表达及其序列分析

以苏云金芽孢杆菌科默尔亚种15A3菌株基因组DNA为模版,用touchdown PCR方法扩增几丁质酶ChiA和ChiB的全基因序列(GenBank登录号:EF103273和DQ512474)。将PCR产物连接pUCm-T克隆载体,获得重组质粒pUCm-chiA和pUCm-chiB,分别转化E.coliXL-Blue。克隆的几丁质酶基因可以利用本身的启动子异源表达各自的蛋白,不需要几丁质作为诱导物。表达的几丁质酶能够分泌到胞外。证明15A3菌株可组成型表达2种几丁质酶。经核苷酸及氨基酸序列分析证明,chiA基因全长1426bp,含有343bp的上游非编码区和1083bp的ORF,编码360个氨基酸。推测成熟蛋白分子量为36kD,只有一个几丁质酶催化域。chiB基因全长2279bp,含有248bp的上游非编码区和2031bp的ORF,编码676个氨基酸。推测成熟蛋白分子量约为70.6kD,具有三个功能域。核苷酸序列分析显示chiA和chiB的启动子所处的位置及转录起始碱基都不相同,-35区相同,而-10区有两个碱基不同,SD序列也不完全一致。     

苏云金芽孢杆菌chiA,chiB全基因的克隆、表达及其序列分析

以苏云金芽孢杆菌科默尔亚种15A3菌株基因组DNA为模版,用touchdown PCR方法扩增几丁质酶ChiA和ChiB的全基因序列(GenBank登录号:EF103273和DQ512474)。将PCR产物连接pUCm-T克隆载体,获得重组质粒pUCm-chiA和pUCm-chiB,分别转化E.coliXL-Blue。克隆的几丁质酶基因可以利用本身的启动子异源表达各自的蛋白,不需要几丁质作为诱导物。表达的几丁质酶能够分泌到胞外。证明15A3菌株可组成型表达2种几丁质酶。经核苷酸及氨基酸序列分析证明,chiA基因全长1426bp,含有343bp的上游非编码区和1083bp的ORF,编码360个氨基酸。推测成熟蛋白分子量为36kD,只有一个几丁质酶催化域。chiB基因全长2279bp,含有248bp的上游非编码区和2031bp的ORF,编码676个氨基酸。推测成熟蛋白分子量约为70.6kD,具有三个功能域。核苷酸序列分析显示chiA和chiB的启动子所处的位置及转录起始碱基都不相同,-35区相同,而-10区有两个碱基不同,SD序列也不完全一致。     

Chitinase from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. pakistani

The chitinase gene (chiA71) from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. pakistani consists of an open reading frame of 1,905 nucleotides encoding 635 amino acid residues with an estimated molecular mass of 71 kDa. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the mature enzyme to other microbial chitinases shows a putative catalytic domain and a region with conserved amino acids similar to that of the type III module of fibronectin and a chitin-binding domain. By activity detection of chitinase on SDS-PAGE after renaturation, the molecular mass of protein bands with chitinase activity were 66, 60, 47, and 32 kDa. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of each chitinase activity band was the same (Asp-Ser-Pro-Lys-Gln), suggesting that the 60-, 47-, and 32-kDa chitinases were derived from the 66-kDa chitinase by processing step(s) at the C-terminus. The enzyme was identified as an exochitinase, since it generated N-acetylglucosamine from early stage of colloidal chitin hydrolysis. The crude protein (2.3-18.4 mg/ml), containing chitinase at final activities of 8, 16, 32, and 64 mU/ml, was toxic to Aedes aegypti larvae and caused mortalities of 7.5, 15.0, 51.3, and 70.0% respectively, but the same amount of crude protein from a B. thuringiensis subsp. pakistani mutant lacking chitinase was not toxic.     

A unique chitinase with dual active sites and triple substrate binding sites from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus kodakaraensis KOD1

We have found that the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus kodakaraensis KOD1 produces an extracellular chitinase. The gene encoding the chitinase (chiA) was cloned and sequenced. The chiA gene was found to be composed of 3,645 nucleotides, encoding a protein (1,215 amino acids) with a molecular mass of 134,259 Da, which is the largest among known chitinases. Sequence analysis indicates that ChiA is divided into two distinct regions with respective active sites. The N-terminal and C-terminal regions show sequence similarity with chitinase A1 from Bacillus circulans WL-12 and chitinase from Streptomyces erythraeus (ATCC 11635), respectively. Furthermore, ChiA possesses unique chitin binding domains (CBDs) (CBD1, CBD2, and CBD3) which show sequence similarity with cellulose binding domains of various cellulases. CBD1 was classified into the group of family V type cellulose binding domains. In contrast, CBD2 and CBD3 were classified into that of the family II type. chiA was expressed in Escherichia coli cells, and the recombinant protein was purified to homogeneity. The optimal temperature and pH for chitinase activity were found to be 85 degrees C and 5.0, respectively. Results of thin-layer chromatography analysis and activity measurements with fluorescent substrates suggest that the enzyme is an endo-type enzyme which produces a chitobiose as a major end product. Various deletion mutants were constructed, and analyses of their enzyme characteristics revealed that both the N-terminal and C-terminal halves are independently functional as chitinases and that CBDs play an important role in insoluble chitin binding and hydrolysis. Deletion mutants which contain the C-terminal half showed higher thermostability than did N-terminal-half mutants and wild-type ChiA.     

Cloning, expression, and characterization of a chitinase from the chitinolytic bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila strain SUWA-9

The chitinolytic bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila strain SUWA-9, which was isolated from freshwater in Lake Suwa (Nagano Prefecture, Japan), produced several kinds of chitin-degrading enzymes. A gene coding for an endo-type chitinase (chiA) was isolated from SUWA-9. The chiA ORF encodes a polypeptide of 865 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 91.6 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high similarity to those of bacterial chitinases classified into family 18 of glycosyl hydrolases. chiA was expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant chitinase (ChiA) was purified and examined. The enzyme hydrolyzed N-acetylchitooligomers from trimer to pentamer and produced monomer and dimer as a final product. It also reacted toward colloidal chitin and chitosan with a low degree of deacetylation. When cells of SUWA-9 were grown in the presence of colloidal chitin, a 60 kDa-truncated form of ChiA that had lost the C-terminal chitin-binding domain was secreted.     

Cloning, sequence, and expression of a chitinase gene from a marine bacterium, Altermonas sp. strain O-7.

The gene encoding an extracellular chitinase from marine Alteromonas sp. strain O-7 was cloned in Escherichia coli JM109 by using pUC18. The chitinase produced was not secreted into the growth medium but accumulated in the periplasmic space. A chitinase-positive clone of E. coli produced two chitinases with different molecular weights from a single chitinase gene. These proteins showed almost the same enzymatic properties as the native chitinase of Alteromonas sp. strain O-7. The N-terminal sequences of the two enzymes were identical. The nucleotide sequence of the 3,394-bp SphI-HindIII fragment that included the chitinase gene was determined. A single open reading frame was found to encode a protein consisting of 820 amino acids with a molecular weight of 87,341. A putative ribosome-binding site, promoter, and signal sequence were identified. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cloned chitinase showed sequence homology with chitinases A (33.4%) and B (15.3%) from Serratia marcescens. Regardless of origin, the enzymes of the two bacteria isolated from marine and terrestrial environments had high homology, suggesting that these organisms evolved from a common ancestor.     

The chitinase gene of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, contains a novel Tc-like transposable element

We have determined the cDNA sequence and the genomic organization of the chitinase gene of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. The cDNA encodes 544 amino acids having 83% amino acid homology to the chitinase of the tobacoo hornworm, Manduca sexta. The total length of the gene is larger than 25 kilobase pairs, and it is separated into 11 exons. The intron-exon boundaries are all in accordance with the GT-AG rule. Also, the TATA box sequence was found in the 5' upstream region of the gene, and the gene is mapped on the seventh chromosome. A novel DNA type transposon that shows similarity to the Tc-like element was found in the third intron in some strains of B. mori; other strains, however, lack this element in the same intron. This element has long terminal inverted repeats, presumably encodes a transposase of about 340 amino acids with a DDE motif, and has an amino-terminal domain with a strong nuclear localization function. Seven other transposable elements with homologous but distinct sequences were isolated from the B. mori genome. Together with plaque hybridization results, our findings suggest that these novel elements exist in multiple copies constituting a new Tc-like transposable element family in the silkworm genome.