重组酿酒酵母催化二氢大豆苷元生产雌马酚

雌马酚是大豆异黄酮的代谢产物,是一种天然的选择性雌激素受体调节剂,稳定性和生物学活性高。为实现雌马酚的微生物合成,采用模块途径工程策略,构建编码雌马酚合成关键酶基因 orf-1、orf-2和orf-3 的表达载体,成功用于转化酿酒酵母BY4741,得到工程菌株。结果表明,工程菌株有效表达了外源基因,并可将大豆异黄酮代谢中间体二氢大豆苷元转化为雌马酚。为构建从头合成雌马酚的微生物细胞工厂提供了重要科学参考。     

兔肠道大豆异黄酮还原菌株的分离鉴定及其转化特性

【目的】从兔新鲜粪样中分离对大豆异黄酮黄豆苷原和染料木素具有转化作用的特定细菌菌株。【方法】在厌氧工作站内对獭兔新鲜粪样进行梯度稀释后涂板,挑取单菌落与底物黄豆苷原和染料木素分别厌氧混合培养,用高效液相色谱检测底物被转化情况。【结果】分离得到一株对大豆异黄酮黄豆苷原和染料木素均具有转化作用的革兰氏阳性严格厌氧细菌菌株AUH-JLR41(KJ188150)。根据产物的高效液相保留时间、紫外吸收图谱和质谱分析结果,将菌株AUH-JLR41代谢底物黄豆苷原和染料木素生成的产物分别鉴定为二氢黄豆苷原和二氢染料木素。经手性高效液相系统检测,产物二氢黄豆苷原和二氢染料木素均呈现两个等面积物质峰,表明这两个产物的对映体过量率均为0。通过转化动态研究发现,菌株AUH-JLR41分别在底物黄豆苷原和染料木素加入48 h和72 h后将底物全部转化为产物,该菌株能转化底物黄豆苷原和染料木素的最大浓度均为0.6 mmol/L。经BLAST比对,菌株AUH-JLR41的16S r RNA基因序列与斯奈克氏菌属菌株Slackia equolifaciens DZE(EU377663)的相似性高达99.6%。【结论】兔肠道分离的斯奈克氏菌属菌株Slackia sp.AUH-JLR41在厌氧条件下能将大豆异黄酮黄豆苷原和染料木素分别还原为二氢黄豆苷原和二氢染料木素。     

Evaluation of inter‐individual differences in gut bacterial isoflavone bioactivation in humans by PCR‐based targeting of genes involved in equol formation

Aim

To identify human subjects harbouring intestinal bacteria that bioactivate daidzein to equol using a targeted PCR‐based approach.

Methods and Results

In a pilot study including 17 human subjects, equol formation was determined in faecal slurries. In parallel, faecal DNA was amplified by PCR using degenerate primers that target highly conserved regions of dihydrodaidzein reductase and tetrahydrodaidzein reductase genes. PCR products of the expected size were observed for six of the eight subjects identified as equol producers. Analysis of clone libraries revealed the amplification of sequences exclusively related to Adlercreutzia equolifaciens in four of the subjects tested positive for equol formation, whereas in three of the equol producers, only sequences related to Slackia isoflavoniconvertens were observed. No amplicons were obtained for one equol‐forming subject, thus suggesting the presence of nontargeted alternative genes. Amplicons were only sporadically observed in the nonequol producers.

Conclusion

The majority of human subjects who produced equol were also detected with the developed PCR‐based approach.

Significance and Impact of the Study

The obtained results shed light on the distribution and the diversity of known equol‐forming bacterial species in the study group and indicate the presence of as yet unknown equol‐forming bacteria.     

Serum equol, bone mineral density and biomechanical bone strength differ among four mouse strains

The extent of conversion of daidzein to its metabolite, equol, by intestinal microflora may be a critical step that determines if a diet rich in daidzein protects against the deterioration of bone after estrogen withdrawal. The objective was to determine the extent that daidzein is converted to equol. In addition, bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD) and strength of femurs and lumbar vertebrae (LV) in four mouse strains were measured. Mice were ovariectomized and fed control diet (AIN93G) with or without daidzein (200 mg daidzein/kg diet) for 3 weeks, after which serum, femurs and LV were collected. Serum daidzein and equol were elevated in all mice fed daidzein. Among mice fed daidzein, the CD-1 and Swiss–Webster (SW) mice had higher (P<.001) serum equol than C57BL/6 (C57) and C3H mice. Differences due to mouse strain were observed for all bone outcomes. C57 mice had lower femur BMC (P<.001), BMD (P<.001) and peak load at femur midpoint (P<.001) and neck (P<.001) than other mouse strains. C57 mice also had a lower femur midpoint yield load (P<.001) and resilience (P<.001) than C3H mice. C57 mice had a lower LV1–4 BMC (P<.001) and BMD (P<.001) compared with all mouse strains and peak load of LV3 was lower than CD-1 and SW mice. Differences in serum equol, BMD and bone strength properties should be considered when selecting a mouse strain for investigating whether dietary strategies that include isoflavones preserve bone tissue after ovariectomy.     

Identification of a novel dihydrodaidzein racemase essential for biosynthesis of equol from daidzein in Lactococcus sp. strain 20-92

Equol is metabolized from daidzein, a soy isoflavone, by the gut microflora. In this study, we identified a novel dihydrodaidzein racemase (L-DDRC) that is involved in equol biosynthesis in a lactic acid bacterium, Lactococcus sp. strain 20-92, and confirmed that histidine-tagged recombinant L-DDRC (L-DDRC-His) was able to convert both the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of dihydrodaidzein to the racemate. Moreover, we showed that recombinant L-DDRC-His was essential for in vitro equol production from daidzein by a recombinant enzyme mixture and that efficient in vitro equol production from daidzein was possible using at least four enzymes, including L-DDRC. We also proposed a model of the metabolic pathway from daidzein to equol in Lactococcus strain 20-92.     

Isolation and identification of equol-producing bacterial strains from cultures of pig faeces.

Transformation of daidzein to equol was compared during fermentation of three growth media inoculated with faeces from Erhualian piglets, but equol was produced from only one medium, M1. Two equol-producing strains (D1 and D2) were subsequently isolated using medium M1. Both strains were identified as Eubacterium sp., on the basis of morphological and physiological characteristics, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strains D1 and D2 were most closely related to previously characterized daidzein-metabolizing bacteria isolated from human faecal and rumen samples, respectively. This suggests that the ability to metabolize daidzein can be found among bacteria present within the mammalian intestine. The results provided the first account of conversion of daidzein directly to equol by bacterial species from farm animals. These strains may be of importance to the improvement of animal performance, and the use of medium M1 could provide a simple way to isolate bacterial strains capable of transforming daidzein into equol.     

Identification of the gonococcal glmU gene encoding the enzyme N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate uridyltransferase involved in the synthesis of UDP-GlcNAc.

In searching for the gonococcal sialyltransferase gene(s), we cloned a 3.8-kb DNA fragment from gonococcus strain MS11 that hybridized with the oligonucleotide JU07, which was derived from the conserved C terminus of the sialyl motif present in mammalian sialyltransferases. Sequencing of the fragment revealed four putative open reading frames (ORFs), one of which (ORF-1) contained a partial sialyl motif including the amino acid sequence VGSKT, which is highly conserved among sialyltransferases. The gene was flanked by two inverted repeats containing the neisserial DNA uptake sequence and was preceded by a putative sigma 54 promoter. Database searches, however, revealed a high degree of homology between ORF-1 and the N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GlmU) of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis and not with any known sialyltransferase. This homology was further established by the successful complementation of an orf-1 mutation by the E. coli glmU gene. Enzyme assays demonstrated that ORF-1 did not possess sialyltransferase activity but mimicked GlmU function catalyzing the conversion of N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate into UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, which is a key metabolite in the syntheses of lipopolysaccharide, peptidoglycan, and sialic acids.     

Conversion of Daidzein and Genistein by an Anaerobic Bacterium Newly Isolated from the Mouse Intestine

The metabolism of isoflavones by gut bacteria plays a key role in the availability and bioactivation of these compounds in the intestine. Daidzein and genistein are the most common dietary soy isoflavones. While daidzein conversion yielding equol has been known for some time, the corresponding formation of 5-hydroxy-equol from genistein has not been reported previously. We isolated a strictly anaerobic bacterium (Mt1B8) from the mouse intestine which converted daidzein via dihydrodaidzein to equol as well as genistein via dihydrogenistein to 5-hydroxy-equol. Strain Mt1B8 was a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium identified as a member of the Coriobacteriaceae. Strain Mt1B8 also transformed dihydrodaidzein and dihydrogenistein to equol and 5-hydroxy-equol, respectively. The conversion of daidzein, genistein, dihydrodaidzein, and dihydrogenistein in the stationary growth phase depended on preincubation with the corresponding isoflavonoid, indicating enzyme induction. Moreover, dihydrogenistein was transformed even more rapidly in the stationary phase when strain Mt1B8 was grown on either genistein or daidzein. Growing the cells on daidzein also enabled conversion of genistein. This suggests that the same enzymes are involved in the conversion of the two isoflavones.     

Isolation and characterisation of an equol-producing mixed microbial culture from a human faecal sample and its activity under gastrointestinal conditions

Only about one third of humans possess a microbiota capable of transforming the dietary isoflavone daidzein into equol. Little is known about the dietary and physiological factors determining this ecological feature. In this study, the in vitro metabolism of daidzein by faecal samples from four human individuals was investigated. One culture produced the metabolites dihydrodaidzein and O-desmethylangolensin, another produced dihydrodaidzein and equol. From the latter, a stable and transferable mixed culture transforming daidzein into equol was obtained. Molecular fingerprinting analysis (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) showed the presence of four bacterial species of which only the first three strains could be brought into pure culture. These strains were identified as Lactobacillus mucosae EPI2, Enterococcus faecium EPI1 and Finegoldia magna EPI3, and did not produce equol in pure culture. The fourth species was tentatively identified as Veillonella sp strain EP. It was found that hydrogen gas in particular, but also butyrate and propionate, which are all colonic fermentation products from poorly digestible carbohydrates, stimulated equol production by the mixed culture. However, when fructo-oligosaccharides were added, equol production was inhibited. Furthermore, the equol-producing capacity of the isolated culture was maintained upon its addition to a faecal culture originating from a non-equol-producing individual.     

Enhanced biosynthesis of dihydrodaidzein and dihydrogenistein by a newly isolated bovine rumen anaerobic bacterium

A rod-shaped and Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium, named Niu-O16, which was isolated from bovine rumen contents, was found to be capable of anaerobically converting isoflavones daidzein and genistein to dihydrodaidzein (DHD) and dihydrogenistein (DHG), respectively. The metabolites DHD and DHG were identified using EI-MS and NMR spectrometric analyses. Stereoisomeric metabolites, which were separated on chiral stationary phase HPLC, were formed in equal amounts by the strain Niu-O16. Tautomerization reaction occurred on the B-ring of DHD and DHG seems to be attributed to the equal production of stereoisomeric metabolites. For the synthesis of DHD, the strain Niu-O16 showed an optimal pH range from 6.0 to 7.0 and completely reduced up to 800 microM of daidzein to DHD with the initial OD600nm=1.0 and pH 7.0 for 3 days incubation. The strain Niu-O16, showed relatively faster reduction activity toward daidzein to produce DHD than the previously isolated human intestinal bacterium Clostridium sp. HGH6.     

Stereospecific Biotransformation of Dihydrodaidzein into (3S)-Equol by the Human Intestinal Bacterium Eggerthella Strain Julong 732

Stereochemical course of isoflavanone dihydrodaidzein (DHD) reduction into the isoflavan (3S)-equol via tetrahydrodaidzein (THD) by the human intestinal anaerobic bacterium Eggerthella strain Julong 732 was studied. THD was synthesized by catalytic hydrogenation, and each stereoisomer was separated by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography. Circular dichroism spectroscopy was used to elucidate the absolute configurations of four synthetic THD stereoisomers. Rapid racemization of DHD catalyzed by Julong 732 prevented the substrate stereospecificity in the conversion of DHD into THD from being confirmed. The absolute configuration of THD, prepared by reduction of DHD in the cell-free incubation, was assigned as (3R,4S) via comparison of the retention time to that of the authentic THD by chiral chromatography. Dehydroequol (DE) was unable to produce the (3S)-equol both in the cell-free reaction and in the bacterial transformation, negating the possible intermediacy of DE. Finally, the intermediate (3R,4S)-THD was reduced into (3S)-equol by the whole cell, indicating the inversion of stereochemistry at C-3 during the reduction. A possible mechanism accounting for the racemization of DHD and the inversion of configuration of THD during reduction into (3S)-equol is proposed.Isoflavones are natural dietary phytoestrogens mainly occurring in the leguminous plants, such as soybean. Daidzein and genistein, two major isoflavones in soybean, have received a considerable attention due to their bioactivities beneficial to the human health, including estrogenic (9), anticancer (14), antioxidant (1, 21), and cardioprotective (11) activities. Recently, special interest has been focused on the biological effects of the daidzein metabolites, which are being actively studied for drug development (5, 16).Daidzein is known to be metabolized in the human intestine by the resident microflora, and various metabolites, such as dihydrodaidzein (DHD), 7,4′-dihydroxyisoflavan-4-ol (tetrahydrodaidzein; THD), 7,4′-dihydroxyisoflav-3-ene (dehydroequol; DE), O-desmethylangolensin (O-DMA), and equol, are detected in the human urine (Fig. ​(Fig.1)1) (6, 7, 10). Among the metabolites, (3S)-equol has about 100 times higher estrogenic activity than daidzein itself (15). However, only about 30 to 50% of humans can produce equol from daidzein (12). In addition, a high correlation was found between the beneficial effects on females by soy food intake and the presence of equol in their urine (4). Therefore, the ability to metabolize daidzein into equol conferred by the intestinal microflora in human is regarded as a hallmark of daidzein responsiveness (3, 34).Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.Proposed pathway for isoflavone daidzein reduction by intestinal microflora leading to equol formation. The absolute configuration of THD is depicted as (3R,4S) according to the conclusion of the present study.The daidzein metabolic sequence has been proposed based on the presence of various metabolites of daidzein produced by the human intestinal bacteria; daidzein is reduced into DHD, then into THD and DE, and finally into (3S)-equol in sequential reactions (Fig. ​(Fig.1)1) (7, 10). However, the pathway and the individual reactions in the pathway have not been fully elucidated partly due to the unavailability of pure microbial isolates.To confirm the proposed metabolic pathway of the human intestinal microflora, attempts have been made to isolate the daidzein-metabolizing bacterial phenotype from human feces. The reduction of daidzein into equol through the cooperation of the microfloral community in the human intestine is thought to be likely and was demonstrated by using the whole microflora from human (2) and monkey (23) feces. However, daidzein metabolism by the whole-rat intestinal flora results in the formation of DHD, and further reaction leading to the formation of unknown aliphatic compounds was implied (24).Various bacterial phenotypes have been suggested to have a responsible role in daidzein metabolism in the small intestines of animals. An anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium sp. strain HGH6 (8), and a Clostridium-like strain, TM-40 (27), were found to reduce daidzein into DHD, and the C-ring cleavage was executed by a strain of Eubacterium (25). A human intestinal bacterium that could produce equol was first reported in 2005. Eggerthella strain Julong 732, which could not reduce daidzein into DHD, was found to reduce DHD into equol (28), thus establishing the aforementioned reduction sequence leading to the biologically active (S)-equol from daidzein via DHD in the human intestine (7, 10). Eggerthella species are normal residents of the human gut, and some species are implicated as causative agents of bacteremia (13). The microbial phenotypes that can reduce daidzein all the way into equol were recently isolated from mice (19), rats (20), pigs (33), and humans (18, 32). Nevertheless, the enzymology of the reduction, such as the nature of the enzyme responsible and the reaction mechanism, has yet to be established.In the present study, the enzyme reaction mechanisms of two consecutive reduction reactions converting DHD into (3S)-equol were stereochemically assessed. To this end, four stereoisomers of THD were first synthesized, and their absolute configurations were determined. With the correlation of the absolute configuration of the synthetic THD isomers and the circular dichroism (CD) spectra at hand, the absolute configuration of THD produced through the cell-free bacterial reduction of DHD was determined. Each synthetic THD stereoisomer was then tested as a metabolic feedstock for (3S)-equol production during the growth of Julong 732. We found that only one of the THD steroisomers, (3R,4S)-THD, the very stereoisomer produced by the bacterial DHD reduction, was converted into (3S)-equol and that the final reduction accompanied the inversion of the configuration at C-3 of THD.     

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the ispA gene responsible for farnesyl diphosphate synthase activity in Escherichia coli

The molecular cloning and the determination of the nucleotide sequence of the ispA gene responsible for farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase [EC 2.5.1.1] activity in Escherichia coli are described. E. coli ispA strains have temperature-sensitive FPP synthase, and the defective gene is located at about min 10 on the chromosome. The wild-type ispA gene was subcloned from a lambda phage clone containing the chromosomal fragment around min 10, picked up from the aligned genomic library of Kohara et al. [Kohara, Y., Akiyama, K., & Isono, K. (1987) Cell 50, 495-508]. The cloned gene was identified as the ispA gene by the recovery and amplification of FPP synthase activity in an ispA strain. A 1,452-nucleotide sequence of the cloned fragment was determined. This sequence specifies two open reading frames, ORF-1 and ORF-2, encoding proteins with the expected molecular weights of 8,951 and 32,158, respectively. A part of the deduced amino acid sequence of ORF-2 showed similarity to the sequences of eucaryotic FPP synthases and of crtE product of a photosynthetic bacterium. The plasmid carrying ORF-2 downstream of the lac promoter complemented the defect of FPP synthase activity of the ispA mutant, showing that the product encoded by ORF-2 is the ispA product. The maxicell analysis indicated that a protein of molecular weight 36,000, approximately consistent with the molecular weight of the deduced ORF-2-encoded protein, is the gene product.     

Nucleotide sequence analysis of genes purH and purD involved in the de novo purine nucleotide biosynthesis of Escherichia coli

5'-Phosphoribosylglycinamide synthetase (EC 6.3.4.13) and 5'-phosphoribosyl 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide transformylase (EC 2.1.2.3) are enzymes involved in the de novo purine nucleotide synthesis and are encoded by purD and purH genes of Escherichia coli, respectively. A 3535-nucleotide sequence containing the purHD locus and the upstream region of the rrnE gene was determined. This sequence specifies two open reading frames, ORF-1 and ORF-2, encoding proteins with the expected Mr of 57,329 and 46,140, respectively. The plasmids carrying ORF-1 complemented not only the mutant cells defective in purH of E. coli but also the cells of Salmonella typhimurium lacking the activity of IMP cyclohydrolase (EC 3.5.4.10) which catalyzes the conversion of 5'-phosphoribosyl 5-formylaminoimidazole-4-carboxamide to IMP. The E. coli purH gene, therefore, specifies bifunctional 5'-phosphoribosyl 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide transformylase-IMP cyclohydrolase. The plasmids carrying ORF-2 were able to complement the mutant cells defective in purD. Both purH and purD genes constitute a single operon and are coregulated in expression by purines as other purine genes are. A highly conserved 16-nucleotide sequence termed the PUR box (Watanabe, W., Sampei, G., Aiba, A., and Mizobuchi, K. (1989) J. Bacteriol. 171, 198-204; Tiedeman, A.A., Keyhani, J., Kamholz, J., Daum, H. A., III, Gots, J.S., and Smith, J.M. (1989) J. Bacteriol. 171, 205-212) was found in the control region of the purHD operon and compared with the sequences of the control regions of other purine operons.     

Quantitative analysis of urinary daidzein and equol by gas chromatography after solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography

Daidzein and its main metabolite equol are isoflavone phytoestrogens. Several studies have suggested that intake of an isoflavone-rich diet may prevent hormone-related cancer and estrogen-related disorders (cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms). To better understand the role of isoflavones in preventing such severe disease, several methods have been developed to measure these compounds in biological fluids. However, the analytical procedures to measure isoflavones are often time-consuming and require highly skilled technicians. In this paper we describe a method for urinary daidzein and equol measurement that combines solid phase extraction and HPLC purification before gas chromatographic determination. The specificity of the method was confirmed by the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique. The mean recovery of daidzein and equol was 94.6% and 97.0%, respectively. The repeatability of the method was in the range of 2.0-7.4% for daidzein and 1.3-4.9% for equol. A linear relationship between observed and expected values was found in the dilution (r2=0.9983 for daidzein; r2=0.9982 for equol) and addition (r2=0.9984 for daidzein; r2=0.9989 for equol) assays. The method is suitable to measure changes in the urinary excretion of isoflavones and to investigate urinary isoflavonoids as biomarkers of isoflavone exposure.     

Cloning and Expression of a Novel NADP(H)-Dependent Daidzein Reductase,an Enzyme Involved in the Metabolism of Daidzein,from Equol-Producing Lactococcus Strain 20-92

Equol is a metabolite produced from daidzein by enteric microflora, and it has attracted a great deal of attention because of its protective or ameliorative ability against several sex hormone-dependent diseases (e.g., menopausal disorder and lower bone density), which is more potent than that of other isoflavonoids. We purified a novel NADP(H)-dependent daidzein reductase (L-DZNR) from Lactococcus strain 20-92 (Lactococcus 20-92; S. Uchiyama, T. Ueno, and T. Suzuki, international patent WO2005/000042) that is involved in the metabolism of soy isoflavones and equol production and converts daidzein to dihydrodaidzein. Partial amino acid sequences were determined from purified L-DZNR, and the gene encoding L-DZNR was cloned. The nucleotide sequence of this gene consists of an open reading frame of 1,935 nucleotides, and the deduced amino acid sequence consists of 644 amino acids. L-DZNR contains two cofactor binding motifs and an 4Fe-4S cluster. It was further suggested that L-DZNR was an NAD(H)/NADP(H):flavin oxidoreductase belonging to the old yellow enzyme (OYE) family. Recombinant histidine-tagged L-DZNR was expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein converted daidzein to (S)-dihydrodaidzein with enantioselectivity. This is the first report of the isolation of an enzyme related to daidzein metabolism and equol production in enteric bacteria.Isoflavones are flavonoids present in various plants and are known to be abundant in soybeans and legumes. These compounds have been called phytoestrogens because their chemical structure is similar to that of the female sex hormone, estrogen. Isoflavones have an ability to bind to estrogen receptors and show protection against or improvement in several sex hormone-dependent diseases, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, menopausal disorder, lower bone density, and hypertension, due to their weak agonistic or antagonistic effects (1, 19, 27).Daidzein is one of the main soy isoflavonoids produced from daidzin by the glucosidase of intestinal bacteria (17). Equol is a metabolite produced from daidzein by the enterobacterial microflora (5). Recently, equol has attracted a great deal of attention because its estrogenic activity is more potent than that of other isoflavonoids, including daidzein (27). It is well known that individual variation exists in the ability of these enteric microflora to produce equol and that less than half the human population is capable of producing equol after ingesting soy isoflavones (3). Therefore, to increase the production of equol in the enteric environment of each individual, the development of probiotics using safe bacteria which have the ability to produce equol from daidzein is ongoing.Lactococcus strain 20-92 (Lactococcus 20-92; 30a) is an equol-producing lactic acid bacterium isolated from the feces of healthy humans by Uchiyama et al. (30). This bacterium is spherical and Gram positive and is a strain of L. garvieae. The application of Lactococcus 20-92 in probiotics is advantageous because L. garvieae is not pathogenic or toxic to humans.To date, other bacterial strains that are capable of transforming daidzein to dihydrodaidzein or equol have been isolated (9, 21, 22, 23, 29, 32, 36, 37). Daidzein is thought to be metabolized by human intestinal bacteria to equol or to O-desmethylangolensin via dihydrodaidzein and tetrahydrodaidzein (14, 15, 22, 32); however, neither the enzymes involved in the metabolism of daidzein to equol nor even the metabolic pathway has been clarified fully for equol-producing bacteria.In this study, we purified an enzyme from Lactococcus 20-92 that assisted in the conversion of daidzein to dihydrodaidzein. Furthermore, we cloned the L-DZNR gene and expressed the active recombinant enzyme in E. coli.     

Identification of differences in genome content among phlD-positive Pseudomonas fluorescens strains by using PCR-based subtractive hybridization

Certain 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol-producing strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens colonize roots and suppress soilborne diseases more effectively than others from which they are otherwise phenotypically almost indistinguishable. We recovered DNA fragments present in the superior colonizer P. fluorescens Q8r1-96 but not in the less rhizosphere-competent strain Q2-87. Of the open reading frames in 32 independent Q8r1-96-specific clones, 1 was similar to colicin M from Escherichia coli, 3 resembled known regulatory proteins, and 28 had no significant match with sequences of known function. Seven clones hybridized preferentially to DNA from strains with superior rhizosphere competence, and sequences in two others were highly expressed in vitro and in the rhizosphere.