Characteristics of chimeric enzymes constructed between Thermotoga maritima and Agrobacterium tumefaciens β-glucosidases: Role of C-terminal domain in catalytic activity

The importance of C-terminal domain of β-glucosidase (family 3 glycosidase) from Thermotoga maritima, a hyper-thermophilic bacterium was investigated by gene shuffling. The amino acid sequences of β-glucosidases from T. maritima and A. tumefaciens share high degree of homology (approximately 40%). However, despite such a high homology, both enzymes exhibited quite distinct characteristics in terms of their pH and temperature profile and substrate specificities. To investigate the functional role of the C-terminal domains of T. maritima and A. tumefaciens β-glucosidases, three chimeric genes were constructed by shuffling at three selected regions. Out of the three chimeric enzymes, only two (Tm533/626At and Tm630/727At) were catalytically active. Parental and the chimeric enzymes were subsequently characterized for the substrate specificities and their response towards pH and temperature. Our results revealed that C-terminal domain was catalytically important. The study clearly establishes the significance of gene shuffling in probing the structure and function relationship in hyper-thermophilic bacterium and evolving enzymes with altered features.     

Foreign gene expression (beta-galactosidase) during the cell cycle phases in recombinant CHO cells

Recombinant mammalian cultures for heterologous gene expression typically involve cells traversing the cell cycle. Studies were conducted to characterize rates of accumulation of intracellular foreign protein in single cells during the cell cycle of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with an expression vector containing the gene for dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) and the lacZ gene for bacterial beta-galactosidase (a nonsecreated protein). The lacZ gene was under the control of the constitutive cytomegalovirus promoter. These normally attachment-grown cells were adapted to suspension culture in 10(-7) M methotrexate, and a dual-laser flow cytometer was used to simultaneously determine the DNA and foreign protein (beta-galactosidase) content of single living cells. Expression of beta-galactosidase as a function of cell cycle phase was evaluated for cells in the exponential growth phase, early plateau phase, and inhibited traverse of the cell cycle during exponential growth. The results showed that the beta-galactosidase production rate is higher in the S phase than that in the G1 or G2/M phases. Also, when cell cycle progression was stopped at the S phase by addition of aphidicolin, beta-galactosidase content in single cells was higher than that in exponential phase or plateau phase cells and increased with increasing culture time. Although the cells did not continue to divide after aphidicolin addition, the production of beta-galactosidase per unit volume of culture was very similar to that in normal exponential growth. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Stereochemistry of tissue distribution of racemic propranolol in the dog

Only limited information is available on the stereochemistry of the in vivo distribution of beta-receptor-blocking drugs. In this study we determined the levels of the propranolol enantiomers in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and central nervous system (CNS), and peripheral tissues in the dog following an intravenous dose of a deuterium-labeled pseudoracemate. The appearance of the propranolol enantiomers in the CSF was rapid and nonstereoselective, with maximum concentrations reached at 15 min after dosing. The levels of the enantiomers in both CSF and plasma then declined in a parallel biphasic fashion, with a terminal t1/2 of about 125 min. Except for an early high CSF/plasma concentration ratio of 0.35, the CSF propranolol levels corresponded to the unbound concentration in plasma, CSF/plasma 0.20. All areas of the brain showed a similar uptake of propranolol, with a tissue concentration exceeding that in plasma about 10-fold during the terminal phase of elimination. The uptake of propranolol by peripheral tissues varied widely, ranging from a 50-fold accumulation by the lungs compared to plasma to no accumulation by adipose tissue. However, as for the CSF, there was no evidence of stereoselective uptake of propranolol by any CNS or peripheral tissue except for the liver. A significantly higher level of (+)-vs. (-)-propranolol in liver tissue presumably was a reflection of stereoselective hepatic metabolism of (-)-propranolol by this tissue. The slight stereoselectivity in plasma binding of propranolol known to exist in the dog had no significant influence on tissue or CSF distribution.     

Influence of various biological matrices (plasma, blood microdialysate) on chromatographic performance in the determination of β-blockers using an alkyl-diol silica precolumn for sample clean-up

A HPLC column-switching system with LiChrospher RP-8 ADS precolumn was applied for the determination of beta-blockers (atenolol, pindolol, propranolol) in human plasma. The influence of biological matrices on the changes of the chromatographic parameters such as retention time, peak symmetry, area and selectivity were investigated. After injection of 5 ml plasma a decrease of retention times of the analytes was observed of up to 25% and an increase of asymmetry factors of up to 5%. Peak areas and selectivities were not changed. The observed effect could indicate changes of chromatographic performance caused by contributions of the analytical column or the ADS precolumn. The experiments with microdialysis excluded the contribution of the analytical column. A detailed investigation of experiments have been discussed in this paper.     

Immobilization of beta-galactosidase for application in organic chemistry using a chelating peptide

The strong interaction of hexa-histidine fusion proteins with metal chelate adsorbents was utilized to immobilize beta-galactosidase with a hexa-histidine peptide at the N-terminus to the Ni(2+)-nitrilotriacetic acid adsorbent. The fusion protein was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified soluble fusion protein showed the same specific activity as the purified beta-galactosidase and retained 64 percent of its beta-galactosidase activity when bound to the adsorbent. To demonstrate the potential of the immobilized beta-galactosidase in organic chemistry, allyl-beta-D-galactosidase was synthesized from lactose and allyl alcohol on a gram scale. The same enzyme preparation was reused in three subsequent batches to prepare the model compound with high yield. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Use of nfsB, encoding nitroreductase, as a reporter gene to determine the mutational spectrum of spontaneous mutations in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Background  

Organisms that are sensitive to nitrofurantoin express a nitroreductase. Since bacterial resistance to this compound results primarily from mutations in the gene encoding nitroreductase, the resulting loss of function of nitroreductase results in a selectable phenotype; resistance to nitrofurantoin. We exploited this direct selection for mutation to study the frequency at which spontaneous mutations arise (transitions and transversions, insertions and deletions).     

A protein complex from Choristoneura fumiferana gut-juice involved in the precipitation of δ-endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp, sotto

A 75 kDa protein from spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) gut-juice has been isolated and shown to cause a specific precipitation of the δ-endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. sotto. This 75 kDa protein, separated by either column chromatography or SDS-PAGE, caused precipitation of the sotto toxin in both agarose diffusion gels and the PAGE gels. The precipitation event leads to limited proteolysis of the toxin and loss of larval toxicity. SDSPAGE analysis of the precipitated toxin indicates that proteolysis of the toxin is not a prerequisite for precipitation. The protein responsible for precipitation, exhibits elastase-like activity and appears to be a complex which partially dissociates during boiling in SDS-PAGE sample buffer. Gut-juice from gypsy moth, forest tent caterpillar and white mark tussock moth also precipitated δ-endotoxin, but silkworm gut-juice gave a much weaker response. These results provide further evidence that, in the larval gut, differential processing of δ-endotoxin may play a role in the expression of activity towards various insect larvae.     

Botryosphaeran, a new substrate for the production of β-1,3-glucanases by Botryosphaeria rhodina and Trichoderma harzianum Rifai

Botryosphaeria rhodina and Trichoderma harzianum Rifai were grown on botryosphaeran (an exopolysaccharide (EPS) of the β-1,3;1,6-d-glucan type produced by B. rhodina) as sole carbon source with the objective of producing β-glucanases of the 1,3-type. Conditions for β-1,3-glucanase production by T. harzianum were examined by a statistical response surface method, and showed maximal enzyme production at 5 days growth in media containing 1.5 g/l of EPS. Good agreement was obtained between the experimental values of β-1,3-glucanase activity and the corresponding values predicted by the mathematical model. The crude β-1,3-glucanase preparations were active towards a number of different β-1,3-glucans and β-glucosides. The mycelium of B. rhodina also proved to be a good substrate for β-1,3-glucanase production by both fungal species.     

Purification, characterization and synergistic activity of β-1,3-glucanase and antibiotic extract from an antagonistic Bacillus subtilis NSRS 89-24 against rice blast and sheath blight

Antifungal compounds in the culture filtrate from Bacillus subtilis NSRS 89-24 that inhibited the growth of Pyricularia grisea and Rhizoctonia solani were mainly heat stable as the filter sterilized culture filtrate showed higher activity than an autoclaved one. The heat stable and labile components were due to an antibiotic and a β-1,3-glucanase, respectively. This β-1,3-glucanase was purified and characterized. Glucanase activity in the culture medium of B. subtilis NSRS 89-24 was inducible in the presence of 0.3% chitin, reaching a maximum on day 5. After purification, activity was associated with a protein of molecular mass of approximately 95.5 kDa by both gel filtration and native PAGE. Two major bands of M_r 64.6 and 32.4 kDa were revealed by SDS–PAGE. The enzyme had a K_m of 0.9 mg/ml, and V_max of 0.11 U, the optimal pH was 6.5–9.5 and was stable up to 50 °C. Both the pure enzyme and the antibiotic extract from the culture filtrate of the B. subtilis separately inhibited R. solani and P. grisea with MIC values of 12.5 and 6.25 mU/ml and 3.13 and 1.56 μg/ml, respectively. The glucanase enzyme in combination with the antibiotic showed a strong synergistic inhibitory effect on the hyphal growth of both fungi.     

The promoter of the gene Itr1 from barley confers a different tissue specificity in transgenic tobacco

Tissue-specific expression of the gene coding for trypsin inhibitor BTI-CMe in barley (Itr1) occurs during the first half of endosperm development. In transgenic tobacco, theItr1 promoter drives expression of the β-glucuronidase reporter gene not only in developing endosperm but also in embryo, cotyledons and the meristematic intercotyledonary zone of germinating seedlings. A promoter fragment extending 343 bp upstream of the translation initiation ATG codon was sufficient for full transgene expression, whereas, the proximal 83 bp segment of the promoter was inactive. Possible reasons for the differences in expression patterns are discussed. These authors have contributed equally to this work     

The potential value of the seaweed Ceylon moss (Gelidium amansii) as an alternative bioenergy resource

Sea weed (Ceylon moss) possesses comparable bioenergy production potential to that of land plants. Ceylon moss has high content of carbohydrates, typically galactose (23%) and glucose (20%). We have explored the possibility of sodium chlorite in Ceylon moss pretreatment that can ultimately increase the efficiency of enzymatic saccharification. In an acidic medium, chlorite generates ClO₂ molecules that transform lignin into soluble compounds without any significant loss of carbohydrate content and this procedure is widely used as an analytical method for holocellulose determination. Sodium chlorite-pretreated samples resulted in glucose yield up to 70% with contrast of only 5% was obtained from non-pretreated samples.The efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis is significantly improved by sodium chlorite pretreatment, and thus sodium chlorite pretreatment is potentially a very useful tool in the utilisation of Ceylon moss biomass for ethanol production or bioenergy purposes.     

Optimization of media for β-fructofuranosidase production by Aspergillus niger in submerged and solid state fermentation

The kinetics of β-fructofuranosidase (Ffase) production by Aspergillus niger in submerged (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) systems was investigated. The maximum productivity of Ffase (81.8 U/l per h) was obtained in SSF for 72 h while it was 18.3 U/l per h in SmF for 120 h. The productivity of extra cellular Ffase produced in SSF was 5-fold higher than in SmF. Optimization of fermentation medium for Ffase production was carried out using De Meo's fractional factorial design with seven components such as (NH₄)₂SO₄, KH₂PO₄, FeSO₄, MgSO₄ · 7H₂O, sucrose, urea and yeast extract. The media designed for SmF after two steps of optimization supported the growth of A. niger and higher productivity of Ffase (58.3 U/l per h) than with the medium before optimization. The optimized medium of SmF when used in SSF, did not improve the Ffase productivity and therefore medium for SSF was optimized independent of SmF. After two optimization steps, the media was defined for SSF which supported the growth and high level of Ffase productivity (149.1 U/l per h) in SSF compared to the medium before optimization (81.8 U/l per h) and optimized medium for SmF (58.3 U/l per h). Our results suggested that the optimized media for SmF and SSF for the production of Ffase have to be different.     

The posttranslational modification of β-endorphin in the intermediate pituitary of the toad, Bufo marinus, includes processing at a monobasic cleavage site

Fractionation of an acid extract of 15 B. marinus intermediate pituitaries by a combination of gel filtration chromatography and cation exchange chromatography revealed one major and five minor forms of β-endorphin in this tissue. Based on reversed-phase HPLC and immunological properties, as well as amino acid composition and primary sequence analysis, it was deduced that the sequence of the major form of B. marinus β-endorphin is N-acetyl-YGGFMTPE. Overall, the steady-state analyses of the minor forms of β-endorphin indicated that the posttranslational processing of β-endorphin in the toad intermediate pituitary includes endoproteolytic cleavage at both paired basic and monobasic cleavage sites.