Genetic recombination in Micromonospora rosaria by protoplast fusion

Auxotrophic strains of Micromonospora rosaria were isolated by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N'-nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis and used in intraspecific recombination by protoplast fusion. High-frequency fusion of protoplasts of M. rosaria strains was induced by polyethylene glycol (molecular weight, 1,000) (PEG 1,000). The optimum concentration of PEG 1,000 for fusion of M. rosaria was 50% (wt/vol). PEG 4,000 was slightly better than PEG 1,000 at concentrations lower than 50% (wt/vol). The recombinant frequency did not increase after treatment with PEG 1,000 (50% [wt/vol]) for longer than 20 min. Under these conditions, fusion with many auxotrophic strains of M. rosaria resulted in a high frequency of formation of true recombinants (sometimes more than 10%). Additionally, when ros (rosamicin nonproducing) strains were crossed by protoplast fusion; about 5% of the resultant prototrophic recombinants were shown to have the ros+ (rosamicin producing) characteristic restored. Rosamicin production by M. rosaria colonies was clearly distinguished by the broth overlay method. The results of fusion experiments between ros and ros+ strains indicated that either the chromosomal mutation or pleiotrophic effect of some auxotrophic markers is involved.     

High-frequency fusion of Streptomyces parvulus or Streptomyces antibioticus protoplasts induced by polyethylene glycol.

Conditions were established for the regeneration of protoplasts of Streptomyces parvulus and Streptomyces antibioticus to the mycelial form. Regeneration was accomplished with a hypertonic medium that contained sucrose, CaCl2, MgCl2, and low levels of phosphate. High-frequency fusion of protoplasts derived from auxotrophic strains of S. parvulus or S. antibioticus was induced by polyethylene glycol 4,000 (42%, wt/vol). The frequency of genetic transfer by the fusogenic procedure varied with the auxotrophic strains examined. Fusion with auxotrophic strains of S. parvulus resulted in the formation of true prototrophic recombinants. Similar studies with S. antibioticus revealed that both stable prototrophic recombinants and heterokaryons were formed.     

Factors affecting recombinant frequency in protoplast fusions of Streptomyces coelicolor.

The optimum concentration of polyethylene glycol 1000 (PEG) for the production of recombinants through protoplast fusion in Streptomyces coelicolor was about 50% (w/v). The addition of 14% (v/v) dimethyl sulphoxide to the fusion mixture enhanced recombination frequencies, but only at sub-optimal PEG concentrations. After treatment of protoplasts with 50% PEG for 1 min, the frequency of recombinants in a multi-factor 'cross' sometimes exceeded 20% of the total progeny. The frequency of recombinants in the progeny could be significantly enhanced by ultraviolet irradiation of the parental protoplast suspensions immediately before fusion.     

Genetic analysis of the actinomycin-producing determinants (plasmid) in Streptomyces parvulus using the protoplast fusion technique

Doubly auxotrophic, actinomycin-producing and nonproducing strains of Streptomyces parvulus were crossed by protoplast fusion. A strong bias toward the act+ character was noted in all recombinant classes obtained. Analysis of four nutritional markers revealed that they are ordered on a circular linkage map as follows: ura-lys-met-rib-(ura). This sequence resulted in the lowest frequency (2.4-3.4%) of quadruple crossover (QCO) recombinants. Inclusion of the property of actinomycin production in this sequence resulted in a much more greater minimum frequency of QCO recombinants (3-4 times higher). Moreover, the location of the act character minimizing the QCO frequency varied from cross to cross despite the fact that fusion of the act- strains did not yield act+ recombinants. It is concluded that actinomycin synthesis is determined (or controlled) by an episomic factor(s).     

Protoplast fusion permits high-frequency transfer of a Streptomyces determinant which mediates actinomycin synthesis.

Prototrophic recombinants and heterocaryotic colonies developed at high frequency when protoplasts of nutritionally complementary actinomycin-producing and nonproducing strains of Streptomyces antibioticus were fused in the presence of polyethylene glycol and plated on minimal regeneration medium. Of the spores obtained from aerial hyphae of a single heterocaryotic colony, 99% carried the act+ character regardless of whether the nutritional markers of the spore were derived from the act+ or the act parent. Similarly, a high-frequency transfer (68% in S. antibioticus, 48% in Streptomyces parvulus) of act+ determinant(s) to act was achieved by protoplast fusion. Protoplasts of a doubly auxotrophic act strain of S. parvulus were efficiently transformed in the presence of polyethylene glycol with respect to the auxotrophic markers by DNA of an act+ auxotrophic strain with complementary nutritional requirements. The transformation frequency of the nutritional (chromosomal) markers was 17%. In contrast, the transformation frequency for actinomycin synthesis was less than 1%.     

Genetic interactions in Streptomyces rimosus mediated by conjugation and by protoplast fusion

The development of a protoplast fusion technique for oxytetracycline-producing Streptomyces rimosus strains, and its evaluation for the application for a breeding programme, has been described. Treatment of S. rimosus protoplasts with 40% (w/v) PEG 1550 for 30 min gave optimal numbers of recombinants ranging from 1 to 10% of the total progeny. Therefore, by comparison with conjugation, protoplast fusion increased the frequency of recombination by two to three orders of magnitude. The proportion of multiple crossover classes amongst recombinants was higher, by a factor of ten, after protoplast fusion (13.3%) than after conjugation (1.5%). Participation of less frequent complementary genotype doubled from 9.0% in conjugation to 17.9% in protoplast fusion. Overall, this suggested that the opportunities for crossing over in a fusion of S. rimosus protoplasts were spatially and/or temporally extended leading to a loosening of linkage with a near-random assortment of genotypes in a cross. However, by minimizing the multiple crossover classes and calculating allele frequency gradients, it was shown that the protoplast fusion technique allows arrangement of genetic markers on the S. rimosus chromosome. These are ideal characteristics for the recombination of divergent lines in a strain improvement programme.     

赤霉素产生菌——藤仓赤霉菌融合重组的研究

以一对营养互补的缺陷型突变株作为亲本,酶法去除细胞壁制成原生质体,以等量相混,用30%PEG 4000诱导融合,在最低营养再生培养基上直接选择原养型融合重组子,重组频率约为10~-,同时产生一定数量的不稳定异核体,频率约为10~(-5)—10~(-6).融合重组导致色素产生和菌丝形态及赤霉素产生能力的多种变异.融合重组子中赤霉素产量的正变率为15.3%.其中RN2和RG14菌株的赤霉素产量比原养型出发菌株207提高25%以上.     

Removal of peroxides in polyethylene glycols by vacuum drying: Implications in the stability of biotech and pharmaceutical formulations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of vacuum drying for removing peroxides from polyethylene glycols (PEGs). PEG solutions (PEG 1450 and PEG 20000) containing varying levels of peroxides were prepared by storing under different light and temperature conditions. PEGs containing low and high levels of peroxides were vacuum dried from dilute and concentrated solutions (2.5%, 7.5%, 15%, and 50% wt/vol of PEG 1450 and 2.5%, 7.5%, 15%, and 25% wt/vol of PEG 20000). Ferrous ion oxidation in presence of ferric ion indicator xylenol orange (FOX) colorimetric assay was used to determine the concentration of peroxides. Peroxide content in PEGs increased upon storage. The increase was more pronounced when PEGs were stored at higher temperatures and exposed to light. Vacuum drying at 0.1 mm Hg for 48 hours at 25°C resulted in greater than 90% decrease in the level of peroxides in all cases except when high peroxide containing 25% wt/vol solution of PEG 20000 or 50% wt/vol solution of PEG 1450 were dried. The reduction in the level of peroxides for PEGs dried from high peroxide containing 25% wt/vol solution of PEG 2000 and 50% wt/vol solution of PEG 1450 was found to be 88% and 52%, respectively. Oxidation of methionine in Met-Leu-Phe peptide was significantly reduced when vacuum-dried PEGs were used. Vacuum drying PEG solutions at low pressures is an effective method for the removal of the residual peroxides present in commercially available PEGs. Published: July 28, 2006     

Protoplast Fusion of Lactobacillus casei

Lactobacillus casei ATCC 7469 was successfully converted to protoplasts by treatment with endo-7V-acetyl muramidase in sucrose phosphate buffer. For full hydrolysis of cell walls, a high concentration of sucrose and a cold shock were necessary. Mg²⁺ ions enhanced the stability of protoplasting cells. The cell wall regeneration of protoplasts was more effective on gelatin-induced regeneration medium than with the soft overlay method. The optimal concentration of gelatin was 2.5%. The frequency of regeneration was found to be about 6% for the protoplast prepared by enzyme treatment for 20 min. The mutants having streptomycin resistance and rifampicin resistance, as selection markers for the detection of fusion, were isolated by UV irradiation and NTG treatment. These mutants were stable for at least several transfers. Protoplast fusion was carried out using PEG (50% solution of polyethyleneglycol, M.W. 6,000). The frequency of protoplast fusion was found to be about 10^-5.     

Plasmid transfer and genetic recombination by protoplast fusion in staphylococci.

The experimental conditions for plasmid transfer and genetic recombination in Staphylococcus aureus and some coagulase-negative staphylococci by protoplast fusion are described. Protoplasts were prepared by treatment with lysostaphin and lysozyme in a buffered medium with 0.7 to 0.8 M sucrose. Regeneration of cell walls was accomplished on a hypertonic agar medium containing succinate and bovine serum albumin. Transfer of plasmids occurred after treatment of the protoplast mixtures with polyethylene glycol (molecular weight, 6,000) not only between strains of the same species but also between parents of different species, although at approximately 100 times lower frequency in the latter case. Recombination of the chromosomal genes in fused protoplasts required simultaneous treatment of the mixed protoplasts with polyethylene glycol and CaCl2. A method was developed for isolation of recombinants after fusion between mutants of S. areus carrying unselectable markers. Antibiotic resistance plasmids were introduced into the parental strains and used as primary markers to detect protoplast fusion. Chromosomal recombinants were found among the clones with both parental plasmids at a high frequency. The method appears to have simple applications in the construction of strains with multiple mutant characters.     

Recombination after protoplast fusion in the yeast Candida tropicalis

Candida tropicalis protoplasts obtained by snail enzyme treatment were induced to fuse by the use of polyethylene-glycol. Heterokaryons formed by two auxotrophic strains were selected by complementation on minimal medium. These heterokaryons were unstable and readily dissociated into their nuclear components. Under appropriate conditions, the parental nuclei of an heterokaryon fused. The homokaryon so obtained was unstable and segregated into various types of auxotrophic and prototrophic recombinants.List of Abbreviations Used MM minimal medium - YEA yeast extract agar (complete medium) - YPGT yeast-peptone-glucosethiol (medium for protoplast preparation) - PTP medium for cell pretreatment (used before the action of snail enzyme) - PEG polyethylene glycol - p-FPA para-fluorophenylalanine - 5-FC 5-fluorocytosine     

Direct selection of complementing diploids from PEG-induced fusion of Bacillus subtilis protoplasts

Summary A minimal medium containing horse serum is described on which Bacillus subtilis protoplasts revert to bacillary forms at high frequency (ca. 30%). Used as a plating medium for a mixture of polyethyleneglycol-treated protoplasts from two complementary polyauxotrophic parental strains, it selects the prototrophic fusion products efficently, and also allows isolation of various auxotrophic recombinants. These prototrophs and recombinants amount respectively to 1% and 10% of the regenerated bacteria.We confirm that two types of prototrophs can be isolated after fusion: stable recombinants and complementing diploids, the latter segregating into various types of recombinants. Based on easily recognized colonial aspects, an approximate estimation of the proportion of the two types becomes possible when a spoOA mutation has been introduced in one of the parents. At least 50% of the prototrophic fusion products are complementing diploids. Incidently, the data also settle a controversy by showing the dominance of spoOA mutations in heterozygotic bacteria.This work was supported by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Contrat L.A. 136).     

Intraspecific protoplast fusion of citric acid-producing strains of Aspergillus niger

Intraspecific protoplast fusion was carried out between different citric acid-producing strains of Aspergillus niger. Protoplasts prepared from the mycelia of auxotrophic mutants were treated in 30% (w/v) polyethylene glycol solution containing 0.01 M CaCl₂ and 0.5 M KCl, and fusion frequencies were 2.0–6.3%. Fusants were heterokaryons and in some cases formed sectors of the prototroph. Heterodiploids were induced from a heterokaryon by d-camphor treatment. Citric acid productivity of one heterodiploid was intermediate between those of parent strains in both shaking and solid cultures.     

Construction of Lactose-Assimilating and High-Ethanol-Producing Yeasts by Protoplast Fusion

The availability of a yeast strain which is capable of fermenting lactose and at the same time is tolerant to high concentrations of ethanol would be useful for the production of ethanol from lactose. Kluyveromyces fragilis is capable of fermenting lactose, but it is not as tolerant as Saccharomyces cerevisiae to high concentrations of ethanol. In this study, we have used the protoplast fusion technique to construct hybrids between auxotrophic strains of S. cerevisiae having high ethanol tolerance and an auxotrophic strain of lactose-fermenting K. fragilis isolated by ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis. The fusants obtained were prototrophic and capable of assimilating lactose and producing ethanol in excess of 13% (vol/vol). The complementation frequency of fusion was about 0.7%. Formation of fusants was confirmed by the increased amount of chromosomal DNA per cell. Fusants contained 8 × 10⁻⁸ to 16 × 10⁻⁸ μg of DNA per cell as compared with about 4 × 10⁻⁸ μg of DNA per cell for the parental strains, suggesting that multiple fusions had taken place.     

Visualization of protoplast fusion and quantitation of recombination in fused protoplasts of auxotrophic strains of Escherichia coli

Protoplast fusion has been used to combine genes from different organisms to create strains with desired properties. A recently developed variant on this approach, genome shuffling, involves generation of a genetically heterogeneous population of a single organism, followed by recursive protoplast fusion to allow recombination of mutations within the fused protoplasts. These are powerful techniques for engineering of microbial strains for desirable industrial properties. However, there is a prevailing opinion that it will be difficult to use these methods for engineering of Gram-negative bacteria because the outer membrane makes protoplast fusion more difficult. Here we describe the successful use of protoplast fusion in Escherichia coli. Using two auxotrophic strains of E. coli, we obtained prototrophic strains by recombination in fused protoplasts at frequencies of 0.05-0.7% based on the number of protoplasts subjected to fusion. This frequency is three-four orders of magnitude better than those previously reported for recombination in fused protoplasts of Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli and Providencia alcalifaciens.     

酿酒酵母和粟酒裂殖酵母属间融合和融合子特性

酿酒酵母(Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen)PW218和粟酒裂殖酵母(Schizosaccharomyces pombe Lindn)PW232的原生质体用20mmol/L CaCl_2和30％PEG(MW6000)处理进行属间融合,获得了10多株融合子,融合率为0.65～1.96×10~(-5)。对F_2和F_(10)两株融合子进行了葡萄糖、木糖及葡萄糖和木糖混合液的摇瓶实验结果表明F_(10)融合子利用葡萄糖、木糖及两种糖混合液产乙醇的能力大大高于两亲株。F_2融合子对木糖以及葡萄糖和木糖混合液的发酵能力亦较两亲株高,其中利用木糖产乙醇的量分别比PW218和PW232提高1.38倍和2.65倍。     

Protoplast fusion in the yeast, Schwanniomyces alluvius

Summary This first application of the technique of protoplast fusion to Schwanniomyces suggests that it is possible to overcome the genetic isolation of this genus imposed by its inability to undergo conventional intraspecific mating. The stability, increased ploidy, and cell volumes of such fusion hybrids over the parental strains indicate the possibility of construction of polyploid strains suitable for use in industry.Nuclear fusion (karyogamy) appears to occur in intraspecific hybrids as evidenced by isolation of recombinants after mitotic segregation of parental auxotrophic genetic markers.Intergeneric hybrids formed from Schw. alluvius and Saccharomyces spp. were unstable and spontaneously segregated into original auxotrophic parent cultures. Genetic diversity between these genera may be too great to allow stable co-existance of the two genomes within a single nucleus. Nuclear fusion in such cases could not be confirmed.     

甘蓝型油菜与蔊菜的原生质体融合与植株再生

以甘蓝型油菜下胚轴和蔊菜叶片为外植体提取原生质体, 采用PEG-高pH、高Ca²⁺附加DMSO的原生质体融合方法, 用液体浅层静置培养融合体, 获得了10株融合杂种, 观察了杂种形态学和细胞学。结果表明：1%纤维素酶+0.2%离析酶+3 mmol/L MES 酶解14 h 可获得较高产率的油菜原生质体, 0.25% 纤维素酶+0.5%离析酶+5 mmol/L MES酶解12 h可获得较高产率的蔊菜原生质体; 30% PEG + 0.3 mol/L葡萄糖+50 mmol/L CaCl₂•2H₂O +15%DMSO的融合条件下, 获得了10.4%的融合率; 实验所获的原生质体融合材料可作为新种质。     

Intraspecific heterokaryon and fruit body formation in Coprinus macrorhizus by protoplast fusion of auxotrophic mutants

Summary Fusion of protoplasts of Coprinus macrorhizus mutants with different amino acid requirements resulted in the production of prototrophic clones at frequencies of 1–4% of the protoplasts surviving the fusion treatment. The frequencies were at least 200 times higher than those of the appearance of revertants. Few prototrophic colonies appeared also when the mutant protoplasts were individually subjected to fusion treatment, or when they were mixedly cultured without fusion treatment. It was thus concluded that intraspecific heterokaryons were formed by protoplast fusion.The auxotrophic mutants did not form fruit bodies when cultured singly or mixedly with each other. In contrast, the heterokaryons produced by protoplast fusion between the mutants of compatible mating types developed into fruit bodies with intermediate morphology of those of the strains from which the mutants were derived. Heterokaryons were also formed by fusion of mutant protoplasts with identical mating genotype, but they failed to form fruit bodies.Abbreviations PEG polyethyleneglycol - HEPES N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-2-ethane sulfonic acid     

Oxytetracycline production in solid state and submerged fermentation by protoplast fusants of Streptomyces rimosus

Streptomyces rimosus TM-55 was treated with 3% EMS, and 29 auxotrophic mutants (AM-1 - AM-29) were isolated from 5457 colonies at a survival rate between 6.6-66.7%. Three sets of the auxotrophic mutants, AM-3 and AM-27, AM-7 and AM-28, and AM-3 and AM-21, were chosen for protoplast fusion with 50% PEG 1000 for 30 minutes at 25 degrees C, and 25 fusants were isolated (f-1 - f-25). In solid substrate, oxytetracycline production of 20% fusants was higher than that of the wild strain, while in submerged fermentation, it was 44%. Oxytetracycline productions of fusants f-1, f-6, f-11, f-12, f-20 and f-21 were lower than that of the wild strain in solid substrate, but this was reversed in submerged fermentation. On the other hand, OTC production of fusant f-8 was higher than that of the wild strain in solid substrate, and this was reversed in submerged fermentation.