Effects of critical medium components on the production of antifungal lipopeptides from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Q-426 exhibiting excellent biosurfactant properties

In this study, influence of three critical parameters nitrogen sources, initial pH and metal ions was discussed in the production of antifungal lipopeptides from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Q-426. The results revealed that lipopeptide biosynthesis might have relations with the population density of strain Q-426 and some special amino acids. Also, the alkali-resistant strain Q-426 could grow well in the presence of Fe²⁺ ions below 0.8 M l^?1 and still maintain the competitive advantage below 0.2 M l^?1. Moreover, lipopeptides exhibited significant inhibitory activities against Curvularia lunata (Walk) Boed even at the extreme conditions of temperature, pH and salinity. Finally, biosurfactant properties of lipopeptides mixture were evaluated by use with totally six different methods including bacterial adhesion to hydrocarbons assay, lipase activity, hemolytic activity, emulsification activity, oil displacement test and surface tension measurement. The research suggested that B. amyloliquefaciens Q-426 may have great potential in agricultural and environmental fields.     

Functions of lipopeptides bacillomycin D and fengycin in antagonism of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens C06 towards Monilinia fructicola

In previous studies, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens C06 has been proven to be effective in controlling brown rot of stone fruit caused by Monilinia fructicola. When tested in vitro, cell-free filtrate of B. amyloliquefaciens C06 significantly inhibited mycelial growth and conidial germination of the fungal pathogen. This study aimed to determine the role of the antifungal compound(s) in the cell-free filtrate of B. amyloliquefaciens C06 by an approach combining a DNA-based suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method with MALDI-TOF-MS analysis. It was demonstrated that B. amyloliquefaciens C06 harbored two genes, bmyC and fenD, involved in biosynthesis of bacillomycin D and fengycin, two lipopeptides belonging to the iturin and fengycin family, respectively. To determine the roles of bacillomycin D and fengycin of B. amyloliquefaciens C06 in suppressing M. fructicola, the mutants of B. amyloliquefaciens C06 deficient in producing bacillomy- cin D, fengycin or both were constructed, and evaluated in vitro together with the wild-type B. amyloliquefaciens C06. The results indicated that bacillomycin D and fengycin jointly contributed to the inhibition of conidial germination of M. fructicola, and fengycin played a major role in suppressing mycelial growth of the fungal pathogen.     

氮源和碳源对解淀粉芽孢杆菌Q-426抗菌脂肽合成的影响

微生物来源的环状脂肽在生物农药以及医学领域极具应用潜力。通过测量抑菌活性并利用反相高效液相色谱(RP-HPLC),液相质谱联用(HPLC-MS)和串联质谱(MS/MS)技术检测抗菌脂肽组分的变化研究了氮(N)源、碳(C)源和培养基中的初始pH值对解淀粉芽孢杆菌Q-426菌株中抗菌脂肽bacillomycin D和fengycins合成的影响,从而为进一步研究它们生物合成的基因调控以及更有目的性提高产量提供理论依据。结果表明:L-组氨酸、L-赖氨酸、甘油、山梨醇以及培养基中的[OH]-均能促进脂肽bacillomycin D的合成,但它们在该实验菌株抗菌脂肽bacillomycinD合成途径中的调控靶点有所不同。     

DKPs对解淀粉芽孢杆菌Q-426抗菌活性物质基因表达量的影响

目的:解淀粉芽孢杆菌Q-426在其生长过程中能够产生芬枯草菌素、依枯草菌素、枯草杆菌素等多种脂肽类抗菌物质。利用实时荧光定量PCR的方法考察细菌群体感应信号分子二酮哌嗪类化合物(diketopiperazines, DKPs)对脂肽类抗菌物质合成的调控作用。方法:当Q-426菌进入对数生长期中期,向发酵液中加入终浓度为5 mg/L的DKPs,并继续培养至48 h,并利用实时荧光定量PCR的方法进行抗菌物质mRNA表达水平的定量分析。结果:二酮哌嗪类化合物能够抑制抗菌活性物质相关基因的表达。     

解淀粉芽孢杆菌Q-426群体感应系统ComX信息素前体肽的合成研究

采用Fmoc固相合成法合成了解淀粉芽孢杆菌Q-426群体感应系统Com X信息素的前体五肽。利用反向半制备色谱(RP-HPLC)和液质联用仪(LC-MS)对合成的五肽进行了分离纯化及纯度分析。建立了检测游离氨基酸的新方法,并详细考察了合成条件对树脂上肽链连接效率的影响。结果表明,新型NNA试剂(茚三酮+正丁醇+乙酸溶液)可替代传统的Kaiser试剂用于Fmoc固相合成中游离氨基的检测;在35℃下,使用DCM和DMF对树脂交替溶胀1h后,树脂上肽链的连接效率最高。合成的Com X信息素前体五肽粗品产率为98%,纯度为58.60%;经半制备型高效液相纯化后,纯度达99%。抑菌实验表明,Com X信息素前体五肽具有明显的生物活性。     

bmy基因敲除对解淀粉芽孢杆菌Q-426溶血性及抗菌活性的影响

Iturin家族环脂肽对于红色毛癣菌等病原真菌具有较强的抑菌活性,有潜力成为治疗皮肤疾病的新型抗真菌药物。解淀粉芽孢杆菌Q-426菌株能够产生环脂肽fengycins和iturin家族的bacillomycin D,但该菌株发酵液具有溶血活性。为确定bacillomycin D是否为引发溶血作用的主要物质,本文利用同源重组基因敲除技术,构建解淀粉芽孢杆菌bmy基因缺失菌株,抑制bacillomycin D的合成,研究对其溶血性及抗菌活性的影响。突变菌株发酵液中未检测到bacillomycin D产生,且发酵液的溶血性及抗菌活性明显减小,表明bacillomycin D与该菌的溶血活性及抑菌活性密切相关。     

Genetic evidence for a role of thioesterase domains, integrated in or associated with peptide synthetases, in non-ribosomal peptide biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis

Next to almost all prokaryotic operons encoding peptide synthetases, which are involved in the nonribosomal synthesis of peptide antibiotics, distinct genes have been detected that encode proteins with strong sequence similarity to type II fatty acid thioesterases of vertebrate origin. Furthermore, sequence analysis of bacterial and fungal peptide synthetases has revealed a region at the C-terminal end of modules that are responsible for adding the last amino acid to the peptide antibiotics; that region also exhibits significant similarities to thioesterases. In order to investigate the function of these putative thioesterases in non-ribosomal peptide synthesis of the lipopeptide antibiotic surfactin in Bacillus subtilis, srfA fragments encoding the thioesterase domain of the surfactin synthetase 3 and the thioesterase-like protein SrfA-TE were deleted. This led to a 97 and 84% reduction of the in vivo surfactin production, respectively. In the double mutant, however, no surfaction production was detectable. These findings demonstrate for the first time that the C-terminal thioesterase domains and the SrfA-TE protein are directly involved in nonribosomal peptide biosynthesis. Received: 30 September 1997 / Accepted: 4 December 1997     

Isolation and characterization of a co-producer of fengycins and surfactins, endophytic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ES-2, from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi

An endophytic bacterium was isolated from Chinese medicinal plant Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. The phylogenetic and physiological characzterization indicated that the isolate, strain ES-2, was Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, which produced two families of secondary metabolites with broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activities. Culture filtrate of ES-2 displayed antagonism against some phytopathogenic, food-borne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria and fungi owing to the existence of antimicrobial compounds. A HPLC-MS analysis showed two series of ion peaks from the culture filtrate. A further electrospray ionization/collision-induced dissociation spectrum revealed that the two series ion peaks represented different fengycin homologues and surfactin homologues, respectively, which had a potential for food preservation and the control of several fungal plant diseases.     

Identification and natural functions of cyclic lipopeptides from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens An6

Lipopeptides constitute a structurally diverse group of metabolites produced by various bacterial and fungal genera. In the past decades, research on lipopeptides has been fueled by their surfactant activities. However, natural functions of lipopeptides compounds have received considerably less attention. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the lipopeptides from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens An6, and further evaluate their biological activities. An6 lipopeptides were detected by PCR using degenerated primers and MALDI‐TOF‐MS. An6 strain was found to produce surfactin, fengycin, and bacillomycin. Following their purification, the in vitro antioxidant activity of An6 lipopeptides was studied through different assays. The scavenging effect on 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl radicals at a dosage of 0.75 mg/mL was 81%. Its reducing power was concentration‐dependant and reached a maximum of 1.07 at 2.5 mg/mL. Moreover, they showed a strong inhibition of β‐carotene bleaching. An6 lipopeptides mixture was also found to display significant antimicrobial activity against several Gram‐positive, Gram‐negative bacteria, and fungal strains. An6 lipopeptides were insensitive to proteolytic enzymes, stable between pH 4.0 and 12.0, and resistant to high temperature. Our results provided enough evidence proving that An6 lipopeptides could be used as functional‐food components.     

Understanding the crucial interactions between Cytochrome P450s and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases during glycopeptide antibiotic biosynthesis

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Sequence specificity of DNA methylases from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus brevis

DNA methylation in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain H (Bam)² and Bacillus brevis (Bbv) has been examined by a variety of techniques. In vivo labelling studies revealed that Bam DNA contains no N⁶-methyladenine (MeAde), but contains 5-methylcytosine (MeCyt); approximately 0·7% of the cytosine residues are methylated.DNA methylase activity was partially purified from both Bam and Bbv; the Bam enzyme preparation transferred methyl groups from S-adenosyl-l-[methyl-³H]methionine ([³H]AdoMet) to specific DNA cytosine residues only; in agreement with Vanyushin & Dobritsa (1975), the Bbv enzyme preparation methylated both DNA adenine and cytosine residues. The (partial) sequence specificity of the methylases was determined by analyzing [³H]methyl-labelled dinucleotides obtained from enzymatic digests of DNA methylated in vitro. Bam and Bbv each contain a DNA-cytosine methylase with overlapping sequence specificity; e.g. both enzymes produce G-C1, C1-A and C1-T. This is consistent with a single, twofold symmetrical methylation sequence of 5′ … G-C1-(A or T)-G-C … 3′; this was observed by Vanyushin & Dobritsa (1975) for a different Bbv strain. Bam contains a second DNA-cytosine methylase (not present in Bbv), which produces T-C1 and C1-T. We propose that this methylase is the BamI modification enzyme, and that the modified sequence is 5′ … G-G-A-T-C1-C … 3′.Bbv appears to contain two DNA-adenine methylases which produce the (partial) methylated sequences, 5′ … G-A1-T … 3′ and 5′ … A-A1-G … 3′, respectively; in the former case, all the G-A-T-C sites on Bbv DNA appear to be methylated.     

Deep sequencing of non-ribosomal peptide synthetases and polyketide synthases from the microbiomes of Australian marine sponges

The biosynthesis of non-ribosomal peptide and polyketide natural products is facilitated by multimodular enzymes that contain domains responsible for the sequential condensation of amino and carboxylic subunits. These conserved domains provide molecular targets for the discovery of natural products from microbial metagenomes. This study demonstrates the application of tag-encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing (TEFAP) targeting non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) genes as a method for determining the identity and diversity of natural product biosynthesis genes. To validate this approach, we assessed the diversity of NRPS and PKS genes within the microbiomes of six Australian marine sponge species using both TEFAP and metagenomic whole-genome shotgun sequencing approaches. The TEFAP approach identified 100 novel ketosynthase (KS) domain sequences and 400 novel condensation domain sequences within the microbiomes of the six sponges. The diversity of KS domains within the microbiome of a single sponge species Scopalina sp. exceeded that of any previously surveyed marine sponge. Furthermore, this study represented the first to target the condensation domain from NRPS biosynthesis and resulted in the identification of a novel condensation domain lineage. This study highlights the untapped potential of Australian marine sponges for the isolation of novel bioactive natural products. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that TEFAP approaches can be applied to functional genes, involved in natural product biosynthesis, as a tool to aid natural product discovery. It is envisaged that this approach will be used across multiple environments, offering an insight into the biological processes that influence the production of secondary metabolites.     

Structure, biosynthesis, and properties of kurstakins, nonribosomal lipopeptides from Bacillus spp.

A new family of lipopeptides produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, the kurstakins, was discovered in 2000 and considered as a biomarker of this species. Kurstakins are lipoheptapeptides displaying antifungal activities against Stachybotrys charatum. Recently, the biosynthesis mechanism, the regulation of this biosynthesis and the potential new properties of kurstakins were described in the literature. In addition, kurstakins were also detected in other species belonging to Bacillus genus such as Bacillus cereus. This mini-review gathers all the information about these promising bioactive molecules.     

Isolation and characterization of levansucrase-encoding gene from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

The gene encoding levansucrase (LVS) from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (sacB[BamP]) was isolated, sequenced and expressed in Bacillus subtilis. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of sacB[BamP] reveals extensive homology with that of the B. subtilis LVS-encoding gene in the promoter and coding region. The sacB[BamP] gene cloned in a multicopy plasmid is induced by sucrose in B. subtilis.     

Molecular characterization and analysis of the operon encoding the antifungal lipopeptide bacillomycin D

Bacillus subtilis AU195 produces bacillomycin D, a cyclic lipopeptide that is an inhibitor of the aflatoxin producing fungus Aspergillus flavus. Sequence analysis of the bacillomycin D operon revealed four ORFs with the structural organization of the peptide synthetases. Disruption of ORF 2, which links the amino acid moiety to the b-amino fatty acid, resulted in the loss of antifungal activity. By comparing the sequence of bacillomycin D, iturin A and mycosubtilin operons, our results showed that intergenic module replacement have occurred between B. subtilis lipopeptide synthetases including the iturin family and the plipastatin and fengycin family.