罗氏真养菌W50的L-阿拉伯糖代谢途径工程改造北大核心CSCD

【目的】在产聚-β-羟基丁酸酯(Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate,PHB)的罗氏真养菌(Ralstonia eutropha)H16突变株W50中建立完整的阿拉伯糖代谢途径,引入高亲和力阿拉伯糖转运蛋白,获得能利用L-阿拉伯糖的重组菌株,为获得能高效利用纤维质降解物并积累PHB的工程菌株奠定基础。【方法】利用PCR技术扩增R.eutropha H16的PHB合酶启动子P pha C1、大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)W3110的阿拉伯糖代谢酶基因araBAD和高亲和力阿拉伯糖转运蛋白基因araFGH。将P pha C1、araBAD与表达载体pBBR1MCS连接,构建带有阿拉伯糖代谢酶基因的表达载体,转化R.eutropha W50得到重组菌株W50-1。利用双质粒和染色体重组两种方法将araFGH导入W50-1菌,分别得到重组菌株W50-2和W50-3。通过摇瓶发酵研究重组菌株W50-1、W50-2和W50-3的发酵特性。【结果】酶活分析结果表明,阿拉伯糖代谢酶基因实现了表达。重组菌株W50-1、W50-2和W50-3均能利用L-阿拉伯糖,并且表达了转运蛋白基因的重组菌利用L-阿拉伯糖的能力提高。摇瓶发酵结果表明,W50-1可以在含0.1 mol/L阿拉伯糖的发酵培养基中生长,但不能利用低浓度(0.01 mol/L)阿拉伯糖。W50-2、W50-3菌株能够利用低浓度阿拉伯糖生长,并且在含0.1 mol/L阿拉伯糖的培养基中,W50-3的生物量是W50-1的2.5倍,合成的PHB占菌体干重的38.6%。【结论】在R.eutropha W50中表达阿拉伯糖代谢酶基因及转运蛋白基因,可以使其高效利用L-阿拉伯糖生长并积累一定水平的PHB。     

重组菌Ralstonia eutropha W50-EAB D-木糖代谢相关的限速靶点

【目的】通过代谢工程改造真养罗氏菌(Ralstonia eutropha)W50-EAB木糖代谢的相关限速靶点,进一步提高R.eutropha W50-EAB的D-木糖利用效率,为获得高效利用纤维素水解液的菌株奠定基础。【方法】利用PCR技术扩增R.eutropha转酮酶基因tkt A,cbb T2和转醛酶基因tal,将扩增的tkt A,cbb T2和tal基因分别构建到表达载体p BBR1MCS-3上,获得重组质粒p WL1-TKT,p WL1-CBBT2,p WL1-TAL。通过电转的方式将质粒分别转化W50-EAB获得重组菌W50-KAB,W50-CAB和W50-TAB。利用基因敲除的方法,获得醛还原酶基因h16_A3186敲除株W50’-EAB。通过电转的方式将重组质粒p WL1-TAL导入敲除株W50’-EAB获得重组菌株W50’-TAB。通过摇瓶发酵研究重组菌株W50-KAB,W50-CAB,W50-TAB,W50’-EAB以及W50’-TAB的发酵特性。【结果】酶活分析结果表明,转酮酶和转醛酶基因实现表达。摇瓶发酵结果表明,转酮酶基因过表达菌株W50-KAB和W50-CAB相比于对照菌株W50-EAB/p3,表现出降低的木糖利用能力;而转醛酶基因过表达重组菌株W50-TAB以及敲除菌株W50’-EAB对木糖的利用得到一定的提高。在0.1 mol/L木糖的发酵培养基中,W50-EAB的最大比生长速率为0.035 h-1,PHB干重比为16.2±1.01%;而W50-TAB的最大比生长速率提高到0.039 h-1,PHB干重比达到20.5±0.76%;醛还原酶基因敲除菌株W50’-EAB最大比生长速率提高到0.040 h-1,PHB含量提高到19.8±1.05%。结果显示转醛酶基因的过表达与醛还原酶基因的敲除对木糖利用均表现出一定的优势,将这两种优势组合获得菌株W50’-TAB,摇瓶发酵分析结果为最大比生长速率达到0.042 h-1,PHB积累达到27.9±0.47%,相比于对照菌株提高了72.2%。另外,在含有葡萄糖(0.01 mol/L)和木糖(0.09 mol/L)的混合糖培养下,重组菌株W50-TAB,W50’-EAB和W50’-TAB相比于在纯木糖培养下都表现出更高的生物量和胞内PHB积累量。【结论】磷酸戊糖途径关键酶转醛酶基因的过表达加速了木糖代谢流,从而可以高效利用木糖积累一定量的PHB。醛还原酶对木糖代谢有阻碍作用,敲除该酶基因后木糖代谢能力有了一定的提高,而两者协同作用可以进一步提高重组菌株的木糖利用效率和PHB积累能力。     

一株嗜酸化能异养菌产胞内聚合物的研究

目的:探讨Fe3+对嗜酸兼性异养菌产聚-β-羟基丁酸酯(vim)的作用及其作用机制.方法:采用两种不同的培养基培养DXI-1,并利用浓硫酸煮沸法,定时检测菌体内PHB含量、细胞干种、培养基中剩余葡萄糖的含量变化.结果:在透射电镜照片中,我们发现细胞内聚集了大量的透明颗粒,并且已经鉴定为聚-β-羟基丁酸酯(PHB).我们还发现,在Fe3+存在的情况下,细菌DXI-1产PHB的能力急剧下降,仅为细胞干重的14.2%;而无Fe3+存在的情况下,细菌产PHB的能力达细胞干重的40.9%.结论:Fe3+对DXI=1产PHB的能力有一定的抑制作用.     

产聚β-羟基丁酸酯菌株的筛选及发酵条件的优化

作为一类可望替代传统塑料的新型可降解生物高分子材料,聚β-羟基丁酸酯(PHB)日益引起人们的重视。采用尼罗蓝荧光法从污水中初筛得到产PHB的细菌,摇瓶发酵复筛得到一株PHB产量较高的菌株AE13,同时对该菌株的发酵条件进行了正交优化,PHB的产量达到0.85g/L。     

一株新型高产PHB假单胞菌SCH17的分离和特征分析

通过丁醇富集筛选,从土壤样品中筛选到一株菌株SCH17。经过生理特性和16S rRNA分析,鉴定菌株SCH17属于假单胞菌属。透射电镜显示该菌细胞内聚集了大量颗粒状物质,经过氯仿抽提和核磁共振分析,确认这些颗粒物质是聚β-羟基丁酸(PHB)。通过对碳源和氮源的优化,得到最佳积累PHB的碳源是果糖,氮源是蛋白胨。在该培养基中仅需发酵14 h,菌体干重和PHB含量均达到最大,分别为3.52 g/L和2.69 g/L,PHB含量高达细胞干重的76%。     

来源于马赛菌(Massilia sp.) UMI-21的ACSMU和PhaCMU体外表达及功能研究

【目的】构建马赛菌(Massilia sp.) UMI-21来源乙酰辅酶A合成酶ACS_MU和聚羟基脂肪酸酯(polyhydroxyalkanoate, PHA)合酶PhaC_MU的体外重组表达体系并过表达2种酶,利用体外合成体系确定2种酶在Massilia sp. UMI21聚3-羟基丁酸(polyhydroxybutyrate, PHB)合成途径中的主要功能。【方法】利用无缝克隆技术将来源于Massilia sp. UMI-21的乙酰辅酶A合成酶基因acs_MU和PHA合酶基因phaC_MU扩增后与pQE-80L质粒连接,转导大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli) BL21(DE3)构建2个基因的重组表达体系;利用6×His标签纯化蛋白ACS_MU和PhaC_MU,并采用5,5′-二硫双(2-硝基苯甲酸) [5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid), DTNB]法测定其活性;使用体外单相合成系统(one-phase reaction system, OPRS),以(R)-3HB为底物,验证ACS_MU和PhaC_MU这2种酶在合成PHB途径中的功能。【结果】成功构建了ACS_MU和PhaC_MU蛋白重组表达菌株BL21-pQE-80L-acs_MU和BL21-pQE-80L-phaC_MU,提纯得到过表达蛋白ACS_MU和PhaC_MU产率分别为24.8 mg/L和25.6 mg/L;ACS_MU酶比活力为(0.148±0.011) U/mg。PhaC_MU酶对(R)-3HBCoA的比活力为(0.102±0.011) U/mg;核磁共振氢谱(nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy, ¹H-NMR)分析结果表明,使用ACS_Pt-PCT_CP-PhaC_Re、ACS_MU-PCT_CP-PhaC_Re和ACS_MU-PCT_CP-PhaC_MU这3条OPRS途径均能合成PHB,产量分别为0.62、0.76和0.64 g/L。【结论】acs_MU和phaC_MU基因可利用大肠杆菌表达体系过表达并可获得具有活性的可溶性蛋白;对比ACS_Pt-PCT_CP-PhaC_Re合成体系,ACS_MU替代ACS_Pt合成PHB产量增加22.58%,在聚合酶相同的情况下,PHB的合成产量依赖乙酰辅酶A合成酶(acetyl-CoA synthase, ACS)合成乙酰辅酶A的稳定性。使用PhaC_MU代替PhaC_Re,对比ACS_MU-PCT_CP-PhaC_Re组合,合成PHB产量减少了15.79%。在聚合前体浓度相同的情况下,PHB合成量依赖聚合酶的活性。     

内含肽介导PHB纯化人源抗菌肽LL-37体系的构建

新颖的内含肽介导PHB纯化蛋白体系,是一种高效表达、自动切割、纯化方便、费用低廉的蛋白表达纯化体系,有利于蛋白规模化纯化。本研究选用对原核细胞具有毒害作用的小肽--人源抗菌肽LL-37作为纯化对象,通过基因工程技术,构建内含肽介导PHB纯化人源抗菌肽LL-37体系,并利用该体系纯化LL-37。研究结果表明,本研究构建的内含肽介导PHB纯化人源抗菌肽LL-37体系可高效表达LL-37融合蛋白,利用构建的纯化体系能对目的蛋白进行纯化。     

Genetic and biochemical characterization of a 2,4,6-trichlorophenol degradation pathway in Ralstonia eutropha JMP134

Ralstonia eutropha JMP134 can grow on several chlorinated aromatic pollutants, including 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP). Although a 2,4,6-TCP degradation pathway in JMP134 has been proposed, the enzymes and genes responsible for 2,4,6-TCP degradation have not been characterized. In this study, we found that 2,4,6-TCP degradation by JMP134 was inducible by 2,4,6-TCP and subject to catabolic repression by glutamate. We detected 2,4,6-TCP-degrading activities in JMP134 cell extracts. Our partial purification and initial characterization of the enzyme indicated that a reduced flavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH2)-utilizing monooxygenase converted 2,4,6-TCP to 6-chlorohydroxyquinol (6-CHQ). The finding directed us to PCR amplify a 3.2-kb fragment containing a gene cluster (tcpABC) from JMP134 by using primers designed from conserved regions of FADH2-utilizing monooxygenases and hydroxyquinol 1,2-dioxygenases. Sequence analysis indicated that tcpA, tcpB, and tcpC encoded an FADH2-utilizing monooxygenase, a probable flavin reductase, and a 6-CHQ 1,2-dioxygenase, respectively. The three genes were individually inactivated in JMP134. The tcpA mutant failed to degrade 2,4,6-TCP, while both tcpB and tcpC mutants degraded 2,4,6-TCP to an oxidized product of 6-CHQ. Insertional inactivation of tcpB may have led to a polar effect on downstream tcpC, and this probably resulted in the accumulation of the oxidized form of 6-CHQ. For further characterization, TcpA was produced, purified, and shown to transform 2,4,6-TCP to 6-CHQ when FADH2 was supplied by an Escherichia coli flavin reductase. TcpC produced in E. coli oxidized 6-CHQ to 2-chloromaleylacetate. Thus, our data suggest that JMP134 transforms 2,4,6-TCP to 2-chloromaleylacetate by TcpA and TcpC. Sequence analysis suggests that tcpB may function as an FAD reductase, but experimental data did not support this hypothesis. The function of TcpB remains unknown.     

Establishment of an alternative phosphoketolase-dependent pathway for fructose catabolism in Ralstonia eutropha H16

The β-proteobacterium Ralstonia eutropha H16 utilizes fructose and gluconate as carbon sources for heterotrophic growth exclusively via the Entner–Doudoroff pathway with its key enzyme 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate (KDPG) aldolase. By deletion of the responsible gene eda, we constructed a KDPG aldolase-negative strain, which is disabled to supply pyruvate for energy metabolism from fructose or gluconate as sole carbon sources. To restore growth on fructose, an alternative pathway, similar to the fructose-6-phosphate shunt of heterofermentative bifidobacteria, was established. For this, the xfp gene from Bifidobacterium animalis, coding for a bifunctional xylulose-5-phosphate/fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase (Xfp; Meile et al. in J Bacteriol 183:2929–2936, 2001), was expressed in R. eutropha H16 PHB⁻4 Δeda. This Xfp catalyzes the phosphorolytic cleavage of fructose 6-phosphate to erythrose 4-phosphate and acetylphosphate as well as of xylulose 5-phosphate to glyceralaldehyde 3-phosphate and acetylphosphate. The recombinant strain showed phosphoketolase (PKT) activity on either substrate, and was able to use fructose as sole carbon source for growth, because PKT is the only enzyme that is missing in R. eutropha H16 to establish the artificial fructose-6-phosphate shunt. The Xfp-expressing strain R. eutropha H16 PHB⁻4 Δeda (pBBR1MCS-3::xfp) should be applicable for a novel variant of a plasmid addiction system to stably maintain episomally encoded genetic information during fermentative production processes. Plasmid addiction systems are often used to ensure plasmid stability in many biotechnology relevant microorganisms and processes without the need to apply external selection pressure, like the addition of antibiotics. By episomal expression of xfp in a R. eutropha H16 mutant lacking KDPG aldolase activity and cultivation in mineral salt medium with fructose as sole carbon source, the growth of this bacterium was addicted to the constructed xfp harboring plasmid. This novel selection principle extends the applicability of R. eutropha H16 as production platform in biotechnological processes.     

Ralstonia eutropha as a biocatalyst for desulfurization of dibenzothiophene

The potential of Ralstonia eutropha as a biocatalyst for desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) was studied in growing and resting cell conditions. The results of both conditions showed that sulfur was removed from DBT which accompanied by the formation of 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP). In growing cell experiments, glucose was used as an energy supplying substrate in initial concentrations of 55 mM (energy-limited) and 111 mM (energy-sufficient). The growing cell behaviors were quantitatively described using the logistic equation and maintenance concept. The results indicated that 2-HBP production was higher for the energy-sufficient cultures, while the values of the specific growth rate and the maintenance coefficient for these media were lower than those of the energy-limited cultures. Additionally, the kinetic studies showed that the half-saturation constant for the energy-limited cultures was 2 times higher than the energy-sufficient ones where the inhibition constant (0.08 mM) and the maximum specific DBT desulfurization rate (0.002 mmol g_cell ⁻¹ h⁻¹) were almost constant. By defining desulfurizing capacity (D _DBT) including both the biomass concentration and time to reach a particular percentage of DBT conversion, the best condition for desulfurizing cell was determined at 23% g_cell L⁻¹ h⁻¹ which corresponded with the resting cells that were harvested at the mid-exponential growth phase.

     

Engineering of Ralstonia eutropha H16 for Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Production of Methyl Ketones

Ralstonia eutropha is a facultatively chemolithoautotrophic bacterium able to grow with organic substrates or H₂ and CO₂ under aerobic conditions. Under conditions of nutrient imbalance, R. eutropha produces copious amounts of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB). Its ability to utilize CO₂ as a sole carbon source renders it an interesting new candidate host for the production of renewable liquid transportation fuels. We engineered R. eutropha for the production of fatty acid-derived, diesel-range methyl ketones. Modifications engineered in R. eutropha included overexpression of a cytoplasmic version of the TesA thioesterase, which led to a substantial (>150-fold) increase in fatty acid titer under certain conditions. In addition, deletion of two putative β-oxidation operons and heterologous expression of three genes (the acyl coenzyme A oxidase gene from Micrococcus luteus and fadB and fadM from Escherichia coli) led to the production of 50 to 65 mg/liter of diesel-range methyl ketones under heterotrophic growth conditions and 50 to 180 mg/liter under chemolithoautotrophic growth conditions (with CO₂ and H₂ as the sole carbon source and electron donor, respectively). Induction of the methyl ketone pathway diverted substantial carbon flux away from PHB biosynthesis and appeared to enhance carbon flux through the pathway for biosynthesis of fatty acids, which are the precursors of methyl ketones.     

Growth and localization of polyhydroxybutyrate granules in Ralstonia eutropha

The bacterium Ralstonia eutropha forms cytoplasmic granules of polyhydroxybutyrate that are a source of biodegradable thermoplastic. While much is known about the biochemistry of polyhydroxybutyrate production, the cell biology of granule formation and growth remains unclear. Previous studies have suggested that granules form either in the inner membrane, on a central scaffold, or in the cytoplasm. Here we used electron cryotomography to monitor granule genesis and development in 3 dimensions (3-D) in a near-native, "frozen-hydrated" state in intact Ralstonia eutropha cells. Neither nascent granules within the cell membrane nor scaffolds were seen. Instead, granules of all sizes resided toward the center of the cytoplasm along the length of the cell and exhibited a discontinuous surface layer more consistent with a partial protein coating than either a lipid mono- or bilayer. Putatively fusing granules were also seen, suggesting that small granules are continually generated and then grow and merge. Together, these observations support a model of biogenesis wherein granules form in the cytoplasm coated not by phospholipid but by protein. Previous thin-section electron microscopy (EM), fluorescence microscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) results to the contrary may reflect both differences in nucleoid condensation and specimen preparation-induced artifacts.     

Production and purification of self-assembling peptides in Ralstonia eutropha

Self-assembling peptides have emerged as an attractive scaffold material for tissue engineering, yet the expense associated with solid phase chemical synthesis has limited their broad use. In addition, the fidelity of chemical synthesis constrains the length of polypeptides that can be produced homogeneously by this method. Template-derived biosynthesis by recombinant DNA technology may overcome both of these problems. However, recovery of polypeptides from recombinant protein expression systems typically involves multi-step purification schemes. In this study, we report an integrated approach to recombinantly produce and purify self-assembling peptides from the recently developed expression host Ralstonia eutropha. The purification is based on the specific affinity of carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) to cellulose. In a first step, we identified CBMs that express well in R. eutropha by assembling a fusion library of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and CBMs and determining the fluorescence of cell-free extracts. Three GFP::CBM fusions were found to express at levels similar to GFP alone, of which two CBMs were able to mediate cellulose binding of the GFP::CBM fusion. These two CBMs were then fused to multiple repeats of the self-assembling peptide RAD16-I::E (N-RADARADARADARADAE-C). The fusion protein CBM::E::(RAD16-I::E)4 was expressed in R. eutropha and purified using the CBM's affinity for cellulose. Subsequent proteolytic cleavage with endoproteinase GluC liberated RAD16-I::E peptide monomers with similar properties to the chemically synthesized counterpart RAD16-I.