Cloning of two chloramphenicol acetyltransferase genes from Clostridium butyricum and their expression in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis

Summary Two non-homologous chloramphenicol (Cm) acetyltransferase (CAT) genes, designated catA and catB, were cloned from Clostridium butyricum type strains and characterized by restriction mapping. Both genes are efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. In contrast to analogous genes from staphylococci and bacilli, gene expression is not dependent on induction by Cm. The genes are considered as chromosomal, since no association with endogenous plasmids was detectable. Southern hybridization revealed a homology between catA and the staphylococcal Cm resistance plasmid, pC194. The subunit size of the clostridial CAT enzymes expressed in E. coli was determined as 22.5 kDa (catA) and 24 kDa (catB), respectively. The C. butyricum cat genes provide potentially useful selection markers for the construction of cloning vectors from cryptic clostridial plasmids.     

枯草芽孢杆菌聚谷氨酸合成途径相关基因功能研究

聚谷氨酸(polyglutamic acid,PGA)作为一种天然多功能的聚合物,近年来成为研究的热点。由于很难通过化学方法合成,微生物发酵是目前生产聚谷氨酸的有效途径。【目的】从基因水平探究枯草芽孢杆菌聚谷氨酸合成途径中degS、degQ、degU、swrA、rocA、putM基因的功能,通过分子改造实现对代谢途径的调控。【方法】以枯草芽孢杆菌为出发菌株,通过对代谢途径中相关基因进行敲除或过表达,分别构建degS、degQ和degU基因缺失的重组菌,swrA、rocA和putM基因过表达的重组菌,借助菌株胞外聚谷氨酸积累的变化分析影响途径的关键节点。【结果】在摇瓶发酵条件下,重组菌Bacillus subtilis 168-swrA、Bacillus subtilis 168-rocA、Bacillus subtilis 168-putM的胞外聚谷氨酸含量分别是原始菌株的1.28倍、1.47倍和1.37倍。重组菌Bacillus subtilis 168-ΔdegS、Bacillus subtilis 168-ΔdegQ、Bacillus subtilis 168-ΔdegU的胞外聚谷氨酸含量分别是原始菌株的1.01倍、0.98倍和0.94倍。在静态培养时,BS168-ΔdegU不能形成完整的生物膜,Bacillus subtilis 168-ΔdegS、Bacillus subtilis 168-ΔdegQ、Bacillus subtilis 168-swrA、Bacillus subtilis 168-rocA和Bacillus subtilis 168-putM菌株的生物膜形成量分别是原始菌株的1.48倍、1.31倍、1.77倍、2.59倍和2.16倍,且胞外蛋白含量与生物膜的形成量呈正相关。【结论】degS、degQ和degU基因的缺失不会明显影响聚谷氨酸的合成,swrA、rocA和putM基因的过表达均能显著提升细胞合成聚谷氨酸的能力,rocA和putM基因的表达量增强能提高胞内谷氨酸的积累,从而增加聚谷氨酸的合成。     

Primary structure of the tms and prs genes of Bacillus subtilis

Summary The nucleotide sequence was determined of a 3211 nucleotide pair EcoRI-PvuII DNA fragment containing the tms and prs genes as well as a part of the ctc gene of Bacillus subtilis. The prs gene encodes phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase, whereas the functioning of the tms and ctc gene products remains to be established. The prs gene contains an open reading frame of 317 codons resulting in a subunit M_r of 34828. An open reading frame comprising the tms gene contained 456 codons resulting in a putative translation product with an M_r of 49554. Comparison of the deduced B. subtilis PRPP synthetase amino acid sequence with PRPP synthetases from Escherichia coli and rat liver showed extensive similarity. The deduced Tms amino acid sequence was found to be 43% similar to the deduced amino acid sequence of ecourfl, a gene of E. coli with unknown function.     

枯草芽胞杆菌降解毒死蜱特性研究

研究生物量、pH、毒死蜱浓度和温度对枯草芽胞杆菌3374菌株(编号为GU086422)在水溶液中降解毒死蜱特性,考察该菌株对白菜上毒死蜱残留的降解特性。结果表明,在毒死蜱质量浓度为240 mg/L、pH7.0、温度30℃的适宜条件下,枯草芽胞杆菌3374菌株对毒死蜱的降解率达到92.48%。该菌株能够有效提高白菜叶面上毒死蜱残留的降解速度,表明其在白菜上具有有效降解毒死蜱的能力,在无公害农产品生产中具有广阔的应用潜力。     

芽胞杆菌产生的环脂肽类物质的研究进展

环脂肽类物质具有抗菌、抗肿瘤、抗病毒等多种生物活性,其潜在的应用价值已逐渐引起了人们的注意。主要针对芽胞杆菌产生的环脂肽,综述了环脂肽类物质的结构及分类、生理活性、生物合成机制。由于环脂肽结构的不同,分离纯化及鉴定方法也会有所差异,因此对环脂肽的分离纯化及鉴定方法方面也做了简单的综述。最后展望了我国对于环脂肽研究的不足及未来的发展前景。     

一株抑制产气荚膜梭菌的枯草芽孢杆菌BS-2特性

【背景】感染产气荚膜梭菌会引起动物坏死性肠炎,通常使用抗生素进行预防和治疗。随着我国饲料禁抗、养殖减抗的实施,寻找绿色微生态制剂及其代谢产物成为当前研究的热点。【目的】旨在研究前期筛选的一株抑制产气荚膜梭菌的枯草芽孢杆菌BS-2特性。【方法】检测了菌株生长曲线、代谢物质的抑菌特性及细菌素基因簇mRNA表达。【结果】枯草芽孢杆菌BS-2代谢物质对革兰氏阴性菌无抑制作用,而对革兰氏阳性菌具有较强的抑菌性能,并且对产气荚膜梭菌的抑菌性能在2-12 h内迅速增长,在12-24 h内抑菌性能较稳定;该抑菌性能不受胃蛋白酶、胰蛋白酶、蛋白酶K的影响,具有良好的热稳定性;进一步分析抑菌物质基因簇mRNA表达,发现枯草芽孢杆菌BS-2抑制产气荚膜梭菌的活性可能与表面活性素(surfactin)和美杀菌素(mersacidin)表达有关。【结论】枯草芽孢杆菌BS-2对产气荚膜梭菌具有较强的抑制作用,可能通过抑菌物质surfactin和mersacidin表达发挥作用。     

枯草芽胞杆菌蛋白质表达分泌系统发展及展望

枯草芽胞杆菌作为革兰阳性模式菌株是基础研究和工业应用的常用宿主细胞。介绍了枯草芽胞杆菌中蛋白合成和分泌过程中的重要步骤及重要调控位点。在枯草芽胞杆菌蛋白表达及分泌系统中,可以针对目标基因在体内的转录、翻译、折叠、转运和菌株改造等方面对表达分泌系统进行优化改良,针对不同的目标蛋白,可进行不同优化模块的组装和拼搭,以达到针对目标蛋白产物定制化地提高产量和分泌量的目的。在未来,随着基因编辑和合成生物技术的发展,菌株改良策略的不断优化,枯草芽胞杆菌将会在工业生产蛋白质制品领域发挥更大的应用价值。     

Intramolecular homologous recombination in Bacillus subtilis 168

Summary Ribosomal protein synthesis is regulated by controlling the fraction of mRNA associated with polysomes. It is known that this value changes in different developmental stages during Xenopus embryogenesis or, more generally, with changing cell growth conditions. We present here an analysis of the proportion of mRNA loaded on polysomes, carried out with probes for five different ribosomal proteins on several batches of Xenopus embryos obtained from different individuals. The results obtained indicate the existence of probe-dependent and individual differences, which reflect genetic variations in the cis- and trans-acting regulatory elements responsible for translational regulation. The fraction of ribosomal protein mRNA loaded onto polysomes can be used as an index of an individual's capacity for ribosome production.     

Cloning and expression of the gene for neutral protease of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in Bacillus subtilis

A Bacillus amyloliquefaciens neutral protease gene was cloned and expressed in Bacillus subtilis.The chromosomal DNA of B. amyloliquefaciens strain F was partially digested with restriction endonuclease Sau3AI, and 2 to 9 kb fragments isolated were ligated into the BamHI site of plasmid pUB110. Then, B. subtilis strain 1A289 was transformed with the hybrid plasmids by the method of protoplast transformation and kanamycin-resistant transformants were screened for the formation of large halo on a casein plate. A transformant that produced a large amount of an extracellular neutral protease harbored a plasmid, designated as pNP150, which contained a 1.7 kb insert.The secreted neutral protease of the transformant was found to be indistinguishable from that of DNA donor strain B. amyloliquefaciens by double immunodiffusion test and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.The amount of the neutral protease activity excreted into culture medium by the B. subtilis transformed with pNP150 was about 50-fold higher than that secreted by B. amyloliquefaciens. The production of the neutral protease in the transformant was partially repressed by addition of glucose to the medium.     

Molecular characterization of thirteen gyrA mutations conferring nalidixic acid resistance in Bacillus subtilis

We isolated 607 independent nalidixic acid-resistant mutants from Bacillus subtilis. A 163 by DNA segment from a 5 portion of the gyrA gene was amplified from the DNA of each mutant strain. After heat denaturation, the product was subjected to gel electrophoresis to detect conformational polymorphism of single-strand DNA (PCR-SSCP analysis). Mobility patterns of the two DNA strands from all the mutant strains examined differed from those of the parental wild-type strains. The patterns were classified into 13 types, and the DNA sequence of each type was determined. A unique sequence alteration was found in mutants belonging to each of the 13 types, defining 13 gyrA alleles. Eight were single base pair substitutions, four were substitutions of two consecutive base pairs, and one was a substitution of three consecutive base pairs. Only three amino acid residues (Ser-84, Ala-85, and Glu-88) were altered in the deduced amino acid sequences of the mutated genes. We conclude that molecular typing based on the PCR-SSCP method is a powerful technique for the exhaustive identification of allelic variants among mutants selected for a phenotypic trait.     

枯草芽孢杆菌中bacilosarcin B对美人鱼发光杆菌的抑菌机理

【背景】美人鱼发光杆菌(Photobacteriumdamselae)是一种海洋条件致病菌,能够引起多种海洋生物和人类疾病。因此,探究美人鱼发光杆菌的生物防治技术具有重要意义。【目的】探究枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)中bacilosarcin B对美人鱼发光杆菌的抑菌活性及其可能的抑菌机理。【方法】利用高效液相色谱法从枯草芽孢杆菌fmb60发酵液中制备bacilosarcin B,采用分光光度法测定bacilosarcinB对多种致病菌的最小抑菌浓度及其对美人鱼发光杆菌的时间-抑菌曲线。测定bacilosarcin B对美人鱼发光杆菌生物被膜、胞外核酸、蛋白质和胞内碱性磷酸酶含量的影响,结合荧光显微镜、扫描电镜和透射电镜检测美人鱼发光杆菌细胞膜通透性和细胞壁完整性,并研究bacilosarcin B对细菌运动能力和胞内DNA的作用。【结果】Bacilosarcin B对美人鱼发光杆菌最小抑菌浓度为8μg/mL。抑菌机理研究表明bacilosarcin B通过破坏细菌细胞壁和细胞膜的完整性使细胞膜通透性增强,造成细胞内成分渗出。此外,bacilosarcinB还可与...     

Genetic structure and domains of DNA polymerase III of Bacillus subtilis

Summary We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the polC gene of Bacillus subtilis which codes for DNA polymerase III. Our recent analysis has revealed that the gene comprises 4311 nucleotides, from the start to the stop codon, 306 nucleotides more than we reported earlier. The plasmid reported by us and by N.C. Brown's laboratory contained a sequence at the end of the gene which is not related to the polC region of B. subtilis. We have isolated the rest of the gene, the sequence of which is presented in this paper. The new stop codon is followed by a hyphenated palindromic sequence of 13 nucleotides. The C-terminus' of the coding region contains the novel mutation, dnaF, which results in a defect in the initiation of replication due to a change in the codon TCC to TTC (serine to phenylalanine). The hypermutator mutation mut-1 is due to two point mutations in the 3 to 5 exonuclease domain, the proof reading function. The codon changes are GGA to GAA (glycine to glutamic acid) and AGC to AAC (serine to asparagine). The elongation defective mutation, polC26, affecting the catalytic site that adds nucleotides to the growing chain, is due to a change in the codon GTC to GAC (valine to aspartic acid). It is separated from the mutation reported earlier, azp-12, by 306 nucleotides. Knowing the locations of the mutational sites allowed us to deduce the domains of the gene and the enzyme it encodes, and permitted us to present a precise map of the gene at the molecular level.Abbreviations HPUra p-hydroxyphenyl azouracil - nt nucleotide - PCR polymerase chain reaction     

A quantitative analysis of shotgun cloning in Bacillus subtilis protoplasts

Summary We used the Escherichia coli-Bacillus subtilis shuttle vector pHP13, which carries the replication functions of the cryptic B. subtilis plasmid pTA1060, to study the effects of BsuM restriction, plasmid size and DNA concentration on the efficiency of shotgun cloning of heterologous E. coli DNA in B. subtilis protoplasts. In a restriction-deficient strain, clones were obtained with low frequency (19% of the transformants contained a recombinant plasmid) and large inserts (>6 kb) were relatively rare (12% of the clones contained inserts in the range of 6–9 kb). The efficiency of shotgun cloning was severely reduced in restricting protoplasts: the class of large inserts (>6 kb) was under-represented in the clone bank (4% of the clones contained inserts in the range of 6–6.1 kb). Furthermore, BsuM restriction caused structural instability of some recombinant plasmids. Transformation of protoplasts with individual recombinant plasmids showed that plasmid size and transforming activity were negatively correlated. The size effect was most extreme with cut and religated plasmid DNA. The yield of clones was independent of the DNA concentration during transformation. It is therefore unlikely that clones were not detected because of simultaneous uptake of more than one plasmid. It is concluded that shotgun cloning in B. subtilis protoplasts is inferior to that in competent cells.     

枯草芽孢杆菌L-脯氨酸合成途径中glnA、proB、proA基因功能探究

【目的】从基因水平探究枯草芽孢杆菌渗透压调节因子L-脯氨酸合成途径中glnA、proB、proA基因的功能,通过分子改造实现对代谢途径的人工扰动。【方法】从枯草芽孢杆菌WB600出发,通过向胞内引入一系列基因敲除或过表达,分别构建了proB和proA基因过表达的重组菌WB601和WB602、glnA基因缺失的重组菌WB603以及在此基础之上过表达proB基因的重组菌WB604。借助菌株胞外和胞内游离脯氨酸积累的表型分析影响途径的关键节点。【结果】在非胁迫条件下,重组菌WB601和WB602胞外脯氨酸含量分别是原始菌的2.21倍和2.82倍,单位细胞胞外脯氨酸得率分别是原始菌的4.09倍和9.80倍,胞内游离脯氨酸含量分别是原始菌的1.91倍和3.34倍;重组菌WB603胞外脯氨酸含量上升至1221.43 mg/L,是原始菌的6.28倍,单位细胞胞外和胞内游离脯氨酸得率分别为原始菌的9.13倍和3.66倍;而重组菌WB604胞外脯氨酸含量最高达1391.65 mg/L,相比菌株WB603,其胞外脯氨酸含量及单位细胞得率分别提高了13.94%和14.10%,且胞内游离脯氨酸含量提高了32.60%。在5%Na Cl胁迫条件下,重组菌WB601和WB602的胞外脯氨酸含量分别是原始菌的1.94倍和1.54倍,单位细胞胞外脯氨酸得率分别是原始菌的2.15倍和2.19倍;重组菌WB603胞外脯氨酸含量及其单位细胞得率分别是原始菌的4.16倍和7.29倍;相同条件下,相比于重组菌WB603,重组菌WB604的胞外脯氨酸含量及其单位细胞得率分别提高了32.61%和5.54%。此外,实验组菌株的胞内游离脯氨酸含量均高于非胁迫时,并达到相对平衡状态。【结论】proB和proA基因的过表达均能显著提升细胞合成脯氨酸的能力,并且能增强细胞的耐盐性;glnA基因的缺失能增强脯氨酸合成途径,提高脯氨酸的积累;两种效应的正向叠加可进一步提升细胞脯氨酸合成能力。     

褐藻胶裂解酶在枯草芽胞杆菌中的重组表达及催化特性研究

为拓展褐藻胶裂解酶在高效、安全的枯草芽胞杆菌体系中的表达,成功构建一株海洋来源的贝特氏菌(Cobetia sp.)WG-007褐藻胶裂解酶枯草芽胞杆菌工程菌Bacillus subtilis WB600/pMA5-aly-cob,对主要发酵条件进行优化,并对重组酶Aly-Cob的酶学性质进行表征.结果 表明,优化后的工...     

Direct selection of recombinant plasmids in Bacillus subtilis

A system is described which permits the direct, positive selection of recombinant plasmids in Bacillus subtilis. This system relies on the plasmid pBD214 which confers chloramphenicol (Cm) resistance and carries a thy gene, and on BD393, a highly competent B. subtilis thy A thy B host. Thy⁻ strains are resistant to trimethoprim (Tmp), and Thy⁺ strains are sensitive. Inactivation of the pBD214 thy determinant by insertion of a DNA fragment permits selection of Cm^r Tmp^r clones, all of which carry recombinant plasmids. This insertional inactivation can be accomplished using the unique EcoRl, Bell, Pvull, or EcoRV sites, all of which are located within the thy gene on pBD214. Some properties of this selective system are described, and its uses for molecular cloning are discussed     

Defects in the nutrient-dependent methylation of a membrane-associated protein in spo mutants of Bacillus subtilis

Summary Methylation of a membrane-associated protein with an apparent molecular mass of 40000 daltons has been observed in Bacillus subtilis. The methylation was nutrient dependent and occurred with a doubling time of 4 ± 1 min. In wild-type strains, the half-life of turnover of the methyl group(s) was 17 ± 6 min. Several isogenic strains of B. subtilis containing spo0 mutations (spo0A and spo0H) were found to be normal in glutamate-dependent methylation of the protein and turnover of the methyl group(s). In strains containing spo0B and spo0E mutations, the methyl group(s) were incorporated in response to glutamate addition but turnover was not at a normal rate. The half-life of methyl group turnover was extended to 45 ± 3 min in these strains. In a spo0K mutant and in spoILI and spoIIF mutants, the protein was not significantly methylated. The methylation of a 40000 dalton protein was also found to be dependent on phosphate. This methylation was observed in wild-type and spo0A and spo0H strains with a doubling time of 4 ± 1 min and a half-life of turnover of the methyl group(s) of 11 + 3 min. In strains containing spo0B, spo0E, and spo0F mutations, the phosphate-dependent incorporation of the methyl group(s) was normal (5 ± 1 min) but the turnover half-life was extended to 46 ± 8 min. It is not known whether the nitrogen-dependent and phosphate-dependent systems methylated the same protein. The spo0 mutants are defective in the initial stages of sporulation, and it has been proposed that the spo0 gene products may play a role in nutrient sensing. The discovery of defects in the methylation of the 40 kDa protein in some of these spo0 mutants supports the proposal that the protein methylation may be part of a nutrient sensing system for the control of growth and sporulation in Bacillus species.