弗氏链霉菌丝氨酸蛋白酶基因的克隆及表达

从一株具有极强的降解羽毛能力的弗氏链霉菌菌株（Streptomyces fradiae var.k11）中纯化得到了一种丝氨酸蛋白酶SFP2。经蛋白测序,得到部分氨基酸序列,设计简并引物,PCR扩增得到部分基因序列,通过构建基因文库,获得了包括信号肽序列在内的完整的基因sfp2(EMBL收录号AJ784940),开放阅读框全长924bp,包括114bp的信号肽编码序列和810bp的酶原编码序列, 其中成熟蛋白编码基因长576bp,编码191个氨基酸,理论分子量为19.112kD。酶原编码基因和成熟蛋白编码基因均在大肠杆菌和枯草芽孢杆菌中得到了表达,酶原编码基因表达产物具有正常的生物学活性,证明了克隆基因的生物学功能。     

青花菜雄性不育相关基因BoDHAR的克隆与表达分析

以一个与甘蓝显性核不育相关的差异表达片段的序列为信息探针,通过在NCBI与TAIR网站数据库中进行同源EST序列搜索,经人工拼接、RT-PCR、PCR 克隆与序列分析,获得了青花菜脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶DHAR dehydroascorbate reductase 基因的 cDNA 与 DNA 全长序列,命名为BoDHAR。并利用双链接头介导 PCR 的染色体步行技术（genome walking）克隆了其上游 644bp 的5′端序列。所获的BoDHAR基因全长 1486bp,存在两个内含子,DNA 编码区序列633bp,编码210个氨基酸;序列分析表明：BoDHAR与同源基因AT1G195701cDNA 序列有 82.3% 的一致性,推导的氨基酸序列有 79.6% 的一致性;编码的水溶性蛋白存在多个磷酸化位点;5′端上游区存在明显的转录调控序列。半定量RT-PCR结果表明：BoDHAR 在可育系花蕾中的表达量明显高于不育系花蕾,在花药中的表达明显高于其它部位。     

侵染人参果的马铃薯M病毒基因组全序列分析

测定了侵染人参果的马铃薯M病毒(PVMCh)基因组全序列。线状、单链正义RNA全长8526bp,含6个开读框(ORF),具麝香石竹潜隐病毒属(Genus Carlavirus)典型结构特征。序列比较表明它与其他PVM分离物各基因核苷酸和编码蛋白氨基酸序列同源性分别为62.5%～9702%和60.9%～97.4%,其中CP基因最保守,而TGB3基因变异最大。系统进化树分析表明美国爱达荷州马铃薯分离物(PVMId) (AF023877)为PVM的一个远缘株系,而其他4个PVM分离物的成簇在外壳蛋白(Coat protein, CP)和核酸结合蛋白(Nucleic acid binding protein, NABP)区域略有差异。这是PVM在人参果上侵染的首次报道。     

浑球红细菌谷氨酸合酶大亚单位基因(gltB)的序列分析

测定了浑球红细菌(Rhodobacter sphaeroides)谷氨酸合酶大亚单位基因(gltB)及其5'端和3'端的序列,全长为5510bp。序列分析表明,R. sphaeroides gltB基因全长为4636bp。从核苷酸序列推测其蛋白质分子量约为164kD。R. sphaeroides gltB基因与Azospirillum brasilense和Escherichia coli的gltB基因DNA序列有很高的同源性。其蛋白质氨基酸序列与A. brasilense gltB基因产物GltB也具有很高的同源性。此外,还对R. sphaeroides GltB的各可能功能区进行了分析,发现它们具有很高的保守性。     

芒果炭疽病菌β-微管蛋白基因的克隆及其与多菌灵抗药性发生的关系

参照豆科合萌属（Aeschynomene）作物炭疽病菌的tub1和tub2基因序列设计了2对引物,分别从芒果（Mangifera）炭疽病菌对多菌灵(MBC)田间抗药性（MBCR）和敏感（MBCS）的菌株中扩增β_微管蛋白基因。结果只有以tub2为参照设计的引物扩增到了特异片段。进一步对全基因进行了克隆和测序。该基因序列全长1344bp,编码447aa,其核苷酸和氨基酸序列与豆科合萌属炭疽病菌的tub2基因高度同源。对芒果炭疽病菌抗、感菌株β_微管蛋白氨基酸序列进行比较分析,发现第181、237和363位氨基酸发生了突变,而其它位置（如第198位或200位）均不变。     

水母雪莲Myb转录调控因子SmP基因的克隆及序列分析

采用TDPCR(Touch down PCR)法从水母雪莲(Saussurea medusa Maxim)红色系愈伤组织cDNA文库中筛选并克隆了雪莲Myb转录调控因子SmP (S.medusa Maxim Mybrelated P gene)基因。序列分析表明该基因全长969bp,包括一个771bp的完整开放阅读框架（ORF）,编码一个256氨基酸残基的蛋白质。氨基酸序列的同源性分析表明在N-端具有两个典型的R2R3-Myb-DNA结合结构域。C-端富含亲水的丝氨酸S(18.38%),且以寡聚体的形式存在,具有转录调控因子激活结构域常见的特征。     

交替假单胞菌(Pseudoalteromonas sp.)DY3菌株产内切葡聚糖酶的性质研究及基因克隆

从深海样品ES0109中分离到一株具有高内切葡聚糖酶活力的细菌DY3, 16ＳrDNA序列分析表明该菌与交替假单胞菌属(Pseudoalteromonas sp.)的Pseudoalteromonas citrea和Pseudoalteromonas elyakovii的同源性为99%。PCR扩增DY3的内切葡聚糖酶基因cel-X全长1479bp,编码一个492AA的蛋白质。酶的氨基酸序列分析表明CelX与Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis的内切葡聚糖酶CelG有95%的相似性,包括一个糖基水解酶家族5的催化结构域,一个连接序列和位于C端的的CBM5结构域。对酶性质的初步研究发现,CelX的最适温度为40 ℃,酶的最适pH在6～7之间。     

菊粉酶酶源菌株筛选及其基因克隆

筛选出一株产菊粉酶酶源菌株AF10,鉴定为黑曲霉(Aspergillus niger)。PCR扩增AF10的内切菊粉酶基因inuA1并进行核苷酸序列分析。结果表明inuA1全长1551bp,没有内含子,所编码的氨基酸序列中,存在4个潜在的N糖基化位点,其中存在菊粉酶的保守序列WMNEPN。以pUC118为克隆载体,以E.coli JM109为受体菌株,获得菌粉酶基因克隆。     

来源于Bacillus subtilis的中性植酸酶基因的克隆及在大肠杆菌中的表达

通过PCR的方法从Bacillus subtilis基因组中克隆了中性植酸酶基因nphy,DNA全序列分析表明其结构基因全长1152个核苷酸(编码383个氨基酸),5′端有一编码26个氨基酸的信号肽序列。去除信号肽编码序列的nphy克隆到大肠杆菌IPTG诱导表达载体pTYB40上,在大肠杆菌中得到了高效表达,表达量达到大肠杆菌可溶性蛋白的40%以上,表达产物具有生物学活性,证实了克隆到的中性植酸酶的编码基因有正常的生物学功能。     

来源于Aspergillus candidus的乳糖酶基因的克隆及序列分析

从一株产乳糖酶的亮白曲霉(Aspergillus candidus)中克隆到了乳糖酶基因组DNA及cDNA序列(EMBL ACCESSION No. AJ431643),序列分析表明,乳糖酶基因组DNA序列长3458bp,其中含有8个内含子,cDNA编码区长3015bp,共编码1005个氨基酸,前19个氨基酸为信号肽序列,氨基酸序列中共含有11个潜在的糖基化位点。将此基因与不同来源的乳糖酶基因序列进行比较发现,该基因与绝大多数乳糖酶基因同源性较低。虽与米曲霉ATCC 20423的乳糖酶序列同源性较高,但其在酶学性质上更优于后者,亮白曲霉的乳糖酶基因可能是一个具有更广阔的生产应用前景的新基因。      

马铃薯腐烂茎线虫L 型半胱氨酸蛋白酶新基因(Dd-cpl-1) 的克隆与序列分析

L型半胱氨酸蛋白酶基因 (Cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinase gene) 为与植物寄生线虫寄生能力相关的多功能基因。运用RT-PCR和RACE的方法从马铃薯腐烂茎线虫Ditylenchus destructor中克隆出1个L型半胱氨酸蛋白酶新基因Dd-cpl-1 (GenBank登录号为GQ180107)。该基因Dd-cpl-1 cDNA全长序列含有1个1 131 bp的开放性阅读框 (ORF),编码376个氨基酸残基,其5′末端及3′末端分别含有29 bp和159 bp的非编码区 (UTR)。Dd-cpl-1内含子外显子结构分析结果表明,其基因组序列包含7个内含子,且各内含子两端剪接位点序列遵守GT/AG规则。Dd-cpl-1基因推定的蛋白Dd-CPL-1与松材线虫L型半胱氨酸蛋白酶高度同源,一致性达到77％。以不同物种中L 型半胱氨酸蛋白酶氨基酸序列进行比对分析,推测推定的蛋白 Dd-CPL-1含有L型半胱氨酸蛋白酶基因家族高度保守的催化三联体 (Cys183,His322 和Asn343) 以及ERFNIN基系和GNFD基系。半胱氨酸蛋白酶系统发育分析表明,Dd-cpl-1 属于由L型半胱氨酸蛋白酶组成的进化分支。Dd-cpl-1的这些序列特征进一步表明其为L型半胱氨酸蛋白酶基因。这是首次在马铃薯腐烂茎线虫中克隆到的L型半胱氨酸蛋白酶,为今后在蛋白水平对其进行进一步的功能分析提供基础。     

Molecular cloning and functional characterisation of a cathepsin L-like proteinase from the fish kinetoplastid parasite Trypanosoma carassii

Trypanosoma carassii is a fish kinetoplastid parasite that belongs to the family Trypanosomatida. In the present study we cloned a cathepsin L-like proteinase from T. carassii. The nucleotide sequence of 1371bp translated into a preproprotein of 456 amino acids. The preproprotein contained the oxyanion hole (Gln), the active triad formed by Cys, His and Asn and the conserved ERFNIN-like, GNFD and GCNGG motifs, characteristic for cathepsin L proteinases. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the T. carassii cysteine proteinase clustered with other cathepsin L-like proteinases from the Trypanosomatida. We produced a recombinant T. carassii cysteine proteinase in Escherichia coli and demonstrated that it has cathepsin L activity. Immunization of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) with the recombinant protein induced a very high increase in proteinase-specific antibodies but only slightly lowered parasitaemia. Our findings suggest that the T. carassii cysteine proteinase is highly conserved within the Trypanosomatida with respect to structure and activity but is not a major protective antigen in carp.     

Characterization and classification of five cysteine proteinases expressed by Paragonimus westermani adult worm

Three new members of the cysteine proteinase gene family of Paragonimus westermani have been isolated and classified. Comparisons of the predicted amino acid sequences of PwCP2 (U69121), PwCP4 (U56958), and PwCP5 (U33215) were performed with those of the previously reported PwCP1 (U69120) and PwCP3 (U56865) sequence. The amino acid alignment showed conservation of the cysteine, histidine, and asparagine residue that form the catalytic triad. With 57 cysteine proteinases including PwCP1-5, we conducted phylogenetic analysis using neighbor joining method (NJ). A resultant unrooted tree revealed that PwCP1-5 were clustered with cruzipain-like or cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinases. More detailed phylogenetic analyses with a reduced alignment set (22 cysteine proteinases) were performed by NJ and maximum parsimony (MP) methods. The results showed coincidently that PwCP1, 2, 3, and 4 belonged to the group of previously reported cruzipain-like cysteine proteinases (bootstrapping values of 97 and 100% in the MP and NJ trees) but PwCP5 to cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinases (the value of 76 and 100% in MP and NJ trees). Within the cruzipain-like clade, PwCP2 and 4 were found to be the most closely related. PwCP 2, 3, and 4 have five of six cruzipain signature sequences known previously, whereas PwCP5 do not have any cruzipain sequences in the corresponding sites. We found that two signature candidate sites (Gly 174, Asn 175--human cathepsin L numbering) for cathepsin L-like group are conserved in PwCP5, which are conserved within cathepsin L-like group and also different from those of cruzipain and other cysteine proteinase groups. PwCP5 has three-residue insertion (hydrophilic residues, Ser-Tyr-Gly) within the position corresponding to S3 subsite of SmCL2. Compared to the two-residue insertion (Tyr-Gly) in SmCL2, the three-residue insertion appeared in PwCP5 may bring bigger difference in substrate specificity between PwCP1-4 (cruzipain) and PwCP5 (cathepsin L-like). Such presumption is quite plausible considering extremely lower amino acid sequence similarity (18.2%) between PwCP1-4 and PwCP5. The present study is worthy of reporting one another case, the third organism after Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum, which has the two kinds of genes encoding both the cruzipain and cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinases. In addition, the fact that most of cysteine proteinases from P. westermani are cruzipain-like type implies strongly that a new powerful drug for paragonimiasis could be designed and developed if we focus on the exploration of anti-agents against P. westermani cruzipain-like cysteine proteinases.     

Peptidoglycan inducible expression of a serine proteinase homologue from kuruma shrimp (Marsupenaeus japonicus)

A cDNA encoding a serine proteinase homologue of kuruma shrimp (Marsupenaeus japonicus) was cloned. The 1257 bp cDNA encodes a 339 amino acid putative peptide, with a signal sequence of 16 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence is 42-67% similar to the immune-related serine proteinases and serine proteinase homologues of arthropods. It contains catalytic triad residues in the putative catalytic domain except for one substitution of Ser by a Gly residue. The six cysteine residues that form three disulphide bridges in most serine proteinases were conserved. The M. japonicus serine proteinase homologue was mainly expressed in haemocytes, in which expression dramatically increased after 3 days feeding with peptidoglycan at 0.2 mg kg(-1) shrimp body weight per day.     

Molecular cloning and structural and functional characterization of human cathepsin F, a new cysteine proteinase of the papain family with a long propeptide domain.

A cDNA encoding a new cysteine proteinase belonging to the papain family and called cathepsin F has been cloned from a human prostate cDNA library. This cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 484 amino acids, with the same domain organization as other cysteine proteinases, including a hydrophobic signal sequence, a prodomain, and a catalytic region. However, this propeptide domain is unusually long and distinguishes cathepsin F from other proteinases of the papain family. Cathepsin F also shows all structural motifs characteristic of these proteinases, including the essential cysteine residue of the active site. Consistent with these structural features, cathepsin F produced in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase degrades the synthetic peptide benzyloxycarbonyl-Phe-Arg-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin, a substrate commonly used for functional characterization of cysteine proteinases. Furthermore, this proteolytic activity is blocked by trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido-(4-guanidino)butane, an inhibitor of cysteine proteinases. The gene encoding cathepsin F maps to chromosome 11q13, close to that encoding cathepsin W. Cathepsin F is widely expressed in human tissues, suggesting a role in normal protein catabolism. Northern blot analysis also revealed a significant level of expression in some cancer cell lines opening the possibility that this enzyme could be involved in degradative processes occurring during tumor progression.     

Characterisation of cysteine proteinases responsible for digestive proteolysis in guts of larval western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera) by expression in the yeast Pichia pastoris

Cysteine proteinases are the major class of enzymes responsible for digestive proteolysis in western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera), a serious pest of maize. A larval gut extract hydrolysed typical cathepsin substrates, such as Z-phe-arg-AMC and Z-arg-arg-AMC, and hydrolysis was inhibited by Z-phe-tyr-DMK, specific for cathepsin L. A cDNA library representing larval gut tissue mRNA contained cysteine proteinase-encoding clones at high frequency. Sequence analysis of 11 cysteine proteinase cDNAs showed that 9 encoded cathepsin L-like enzymes, and 2 encoded cathepsin B-like enzymes. Three enzymes (two cathepsin L-like, DvRS5 and DvRS30, and one cathepsin B-like, DvRS40) were expressed as recombinant proteins in culture supernatants of the yeast Pichia pastoris. The cathepsin L-like enzymes were active proteinases, whereas the cathepsin B-like enzyme was inactive until treated with bovine trypsin. The amino acid residue in the S2 binding pocket, the major determinant of substrate specificity in cathepsin cysteine proteinases, predicted that the two cathepsin L-like enzymes, DvRS5 and DvRS30, should differ in substrate specificity, with the latter resembling cathepsin B in hydrolysing substrates with a positively charged residue at P2. This prediction was confirmed; DvRS5 only hydrolysed Z-phe-arg-AMC and not Z-arg-arg-AMC, whereas DvRS30 hydrolysed both substrates. The enzymes showed similar proteolytic activity towards peptide substrates.     

Simple modifications of the serpin reactive site loop convert SCCA2 into a cysteine proteinase inhibitor: a critical role for the P3' proline in facilitating RSL cleavage

The human squamous cell carcinoma antigens (SCCA) 1 and 2 are members of the serpin family that are 92% identical in their amino acid sequence. Despite this similarity, they inhibit distinct classes of proteinases. SCCA1 neutralizes the papain-like cysteine proteinases, cathepsins (cat) S, L, and K; and SCCA2 inhibits the chymotrypsin-like serine proteinases, catG and human mast cell chymase. SCCA2 also can inhibit catS, as well as other papain-like cysteine proteinases, albeit at a rate 50-fold less than that of SCCA1. Analysis of the mechanism of inhibition by SCCA1 revealed that the reactive site loop (RSL) is important for cysteine proteinase inhibition. The inhibition of catS by a mutant SCCA2 containing the RSL of SCCA1 is comparable to that of wild-type SCCA1. This finding suggested that there were no motifs outside and only eight residues within the RSL that were directing catS-specific inhibition. The purpose of this study was to determine which of these residues might account for the marked difference in the ability of SCCA1 and SCCA2 to inhibit papain-like cysteine proteinases. SCCA2 molecules containing different RSL mutations showed that no single amino acid substitution could convert SCCA2 into a more potent cysteine proteinase inhibitor. Rather, different combinations of mutations led to incremental increases in catS inhibitory activity with residues in four positions (P1, P3', P4', and P11') accounting for 80% of the difference in activity between SCCA1 and SCCA2. Interestingly, the RSL cleavage site differed between wild-type SCCA2 and this mutant. Moreover, these data established the importance of a Pro residue in the P3' position for efficient inhibition of catS by both wild-type SCCA1 and mutated SCCA2. Molecular modeling studies suggested that this residue might facilitate positioning of the RSL within the active site of the cysteine proteinase.     

Bombyx cysteine proteinase inhibitor (BCPI) homologous to propeptide regions of cysteine proteinases is a strong, selective inhibitor of cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinases.

Bombyx cysteine proteinase inhibitor (BCPI) is a novel cysteine proteinase inhibitor. The protein sequence is homologous to the proregions of certain cysteine proteinases. Here we report the mechanism of its inhibition of several cysteine proteinases. BCPI strongly inhibited Bombyx cysteine proteinase (BCP) activity with a K(i) = 5.9 pM, and human cathepsin L with a K(i) = 36 pM. The inhibition obeyed slow-binding kinetics. The inhibition of cathepsin H was much weaker (K(i) = 82 nM), while inhibition of papain (K(i) > 1 microM) and cathepsin B (K(i) > 4 microM) was negligible. Following incubation with BCP, BCPI was first truncated at the C-terminal end, and then gradually degraded over time. The truncation mainly involved two C-terminal amino acid residues. Recombinant BCPI lacking the two C-terminal amino acid residues still retained substantial inhibitory activity. Our results indicate that BCPI is a stable and highly selective inhibitor of cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinases.