Effect of Microwaves on Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis

Suspensions of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis spores were exposed to conventional thermal and microwave energy at 2,450 MHz. The degrees of inactivation by the different energy sources were compared quantitatively. During the transient heating period by microwave energy, approximately a 6 log cycle reduction in viability was encountered for E. coli. This reduction was nearly identical to what is expected for the same time-temperature exposure to conventional heating. Heating of B. subtilis spores by conventional and microwave energy was also carried out at 100 C, in ice and for transient heating. The degree of inactivation by microwave energy was again identical to that by conventional heating. In conclusion, inactivation of E. coli and B. subtilis by exposure to microwaves is solely due to the thermal energy, and there is no per se effect of microwaves.     

In vivo transfer of genes from Escherichia coli to Bacillus subtilis

Summary Escherichia coli cells, carrying plasmid pRD1 with (a) drug resistance markers from Pseudomonas (km^r, carb^r, tc^r) and (b) the nif-gene group from Klebsiella, were incubated together with Bacillus subtilis cells (str^r), whose cell wall had been disintegrated with lysozyme. Upon plating the cell mixtures onto appropriately supplemented selective medium, multiple drug resistant Bacillus subtilis cells were obtained. Their nature was verified by suitable biochemical tests and checking for the presence of additional genetic markers. The majority of the isolates was unstable. Some however retained multiple drug resistance for longer periods of time, and several produced nitrogenase activity. The data are interpreted as evidence not only for the transfer of the respective genes but also for their expression in the gram-positive recipient cells.Abbreviations pRD1 a hybrid plasmid, renamed by Ray Dixon - pRP4 plasmid from Pseudomonas, originally described by Datta et al., J. Bacteriol 108, 1244 (1971) - km ^r, carb ^r, tc ^r, str ^r resistance against kanamycin, carbenicillin, tetracyclin and streptomycin, respectively - r restriction negative. For other bacterial markers refer to Bachmann, B.J. et al., Bacteriological Reviews 40, 116 (1976)     

Purification of Intact Flagella from Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis

A procedure is described for the purification of bacterial flagella in the form of a filament-hook-basal body complex (intact flagella) free from detectable cell wall, membrane, or cytoplasmic material. Spheroplasts produced with lysozyme and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid were lysed with Triton X-100, and the flagella were purified by (NH(4))(2)SO(4) precipitation, differential centrifugation, and CsCl gradient centrifugation. As much as 40% of the flagella were recovered, and they contained about one basal body per 4 to 6 mum of flagella. The same procedure developed for Escherichia coli was also successful for purifying intact flagella from Bacillus subtilis.     

High-level expression of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis thymidylate synthases

Procedures are described for the preparation of highly purified thymidylate synthases from Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The yields in each case are quite high with about 350 mg of pure protein obtained from 1 liter of cells. Basically all that is required to obtain pure enzyme is an induction step from a high-expression vector, followed by a DE-52 column elution. Both enzymes appeared to be fairly stable in that incubation at 43 degrees C for 10 min resulted in the loss of 50% of the E. coli thymidylate synthase activity, while 50 degrees C for 10 min was required to obtain the same effect with the B. subtilis enzyme. In the presence of the substrate, dUMP, each protein was stabilized further by 6 to 7 degrees C, which was increased to 9 to 10 degrees C on addition of dihydrofolate. It was shown also that the E. coli thymidylate synthase could be maintained at 4 degrees C for at least 4 months with little or no loss in activity provided that mercaptoethanol was not present. The presence of the latter led to a progressive loss in activity until little activity could be detected after 18 weeks, which was due, in part, to the formation of a disulfide bond with the active site cysteine. Addition of dithiothreitol restored the enzyme activity to its original state.     

Bioimmobilization of keratinase using Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli systems

Immobilized keratinase can improve stability while retaining its proteolytic and keratinolytic properties. Conventional purification followed by chemical immobilization is a laborious and costly process. A new genetic construct was developed to produce the keratinase-streptavidin fusion protein. Consequently, the purification and immobilization of the fusion protein onto a biotinylated matrix can be accomplished in a single step. The method was tested in both the Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli systems. In B. subtilis, the fusion protein was produced extracellularly and readily immobilized from the medium. In E. coli, the fusion protein was produced intracellularly in inclusion bodies; additional separation and renaturation processes were required prior to immobilization from the cell extract. The overall efficiencies were approximately the same, 24-28%, using both systems.     

Bacteristatic activity of phenanthrolines against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis

Using optical turbidimetry to measure the growth of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, we determined the mean lethal dose (LD50) values for various phenanthrolines. The dimethyl-substituted compounds are found to be more toxic to bacteria, with doses near 5 micrograms/mL reducing the number of viable cells by 50% over a 24-h period. 2,9-Dimethyl phenanthroline is the most potent compound against B. subtilis, being six times more effective than against E. coli. Bipyridine is the least toxic substance and is twice as effective against E. coli as it is against B. subtilis. Evidence is presented to show copper ions enhance the antibacterial action of phenanthrolines and may be required for activity.     

Efficient cloning in Bacillus megaterium: comparison to Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli cloning hosts

Quantitative cloning efficiencies for B. megaterium, B. subtilis , and E. coli were compared. Transformation of B. megaterium is less efficient than transformation of B. subtilis or E. coli . The frequency of recombinant clones was equal in E. coli and B. megaterium ; both somewhat higher than in B. subtilis . Equivalent average insert sizes were found in B. megaterium and E. coli clones, but significantly smaller inserts were obtained in B. subtilis clones. Clones obtained and propagated in B. megaterium were structurally stable when grown under plasmid selection.     

Biosynthesis of Bacillus licheniformis penicillinase in Escherichia coli and in Bacillus subtilis.

Modified prepenicillinase was accumulated in both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis treated with globomycin. Although the inhibitions of processings of prepenicillinase and prolipoprotein by globomycin in E. coli are qualitatively similar, they differ in the degree of inhibition at given concentrations of globomycin. The processing of prepenicillinase proceeds much more rapidly in E. coli than in B. subtilis.     

Cloning and expression of the Escherichia coli recA gene in Bacillus subtilis

By means of homopolymer dG-dC tailing, using PstI linearized pBR327 as vector, we constructed small plasmids containing the entire Escherichia coli recA gene. The 1.8-kb inserts were recloned in the Bacillus subtilis expression vector pPL608 in a B. subtilis recE4 strain. Analysis of plasmid-coded proteins showed expression of the E. coli recA gene both in minicells and whole cells of B. subtilis. Expression was under control of the bacteriophage SP02 promoter, which is part of pPL608. A recA-expressing plasmid completely abolished the transformation deficiency of the recE4 mutant as well as its sensitivity to mitomycin C (MC). The expressed recA gene also restored recombination in other B. subtilis strains lacking the recE gene product. These results indicate a high similarity between the functions of the E. coli RecA and B. subtilis RecE proteins.     

枯草杆菌及大肠杆菌异柠檬酸脱氢酶的酶学性质研究

对枯草杆菌异柠檬酸脱氢酶（BsIDH）、大肠杆菌异柠檬酸脱氢酶（EcIDH）和大肠杆菌异柠檬酸脱氢酶的突变体酶（EmIDH）进行了纯化和酶学性质鉴定。BsIDH和EcIDH对辅酶NADP^＋的特异性与NAD^＋相比,分别是NAD^＋的1330倍和3890倍。而EmIDH对NAD^＋的特异性与NADP^＋相比,是NADP^＋的122倍。因此BsIDH和EcIDH是NADP^＋依赖性异柠檬酸脱氢酶,而EmIDH的辅酶特异性已转换为NAD^＋依赖性。EcIDH、BsIDH和EmIDH对底物异柠檬酸的Km值分别为67.4 μmol/L、60.6 μmol/L和105.6 μmol/L。BsIDH和EcIDH的最适反应pH分别为8.2和8.0,EmIDH的最适pH为7.0。BsIDH和EmIDH的最适反应温度是45℃,EcIDH的最适温度为43℃。三种IDH的活性依赖于不同的二价金属离子的存在,Mn^2＋ 、Mg^2＋存在时酶活性最强,Cu^2＋ 、Ca^2＋ 、Zn^2＋和Ni2＋强烈抑制酶的活性。系统的酶学性质研究为深入认识IDH的催化与调节机制提供了更多依据。     

Autolysis of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis cells in low gravity

The role of gravity in the autolysis of Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli was studied by growing cells on Earth and in microgravity on Space Station Mir. Autolysis analysis was completed by examining the death phase or exponential decay of cells for approximately 4 months following the stationary phase. Consistent with published findings, the stationary-phase cell population was 170% and 90% higher in flight B. subtilis and E. coli cultures, respectively, than in ground cultures. Although both flight autolysis curves began at higher cell densities than control curves, the rate of autolysis in flight cultures was identical to that of their respective ground control rates. Received: 3 December 1998 / Received revision: 23 February 1999 / Accepted: 14 March 1999     

High-level expression of Bacillus subtilis tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase in Escherichia coli

The trpS gene encoding Bacillus subtilis tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (TrpRS) was prepared from the pUC8-derived pTSQ2 plasmid, mutagenized to introduce an EcoRI site immediately in front of the ATG start codon, and inserted into the pKK223-3 vector downstream to the tac promoter to yield the pKSW1 plasmid. Upon induction with isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside, Escherichia coli JM109[pKSW1] cells synthesized TrpRS to a level corresponding to 45% of total cell proteins. This high level of gene expression facilitates large scale preparation of TrpRS for physical studies, detection of in vivo degradation of mutant forms of TrpRS, and comparative assays of TrpRS by [3H]Trp-tRNA formation and by Trp-hydroxamate formation for the purpose of mutant characterization. Finally, since pKSW1 could complement the temperature-sensitive TrpRS mutation on E. coli trpS 10343 cells, defective mutations of the trpS gene on pKSW1 would be deductible on the basis of complementation testing.     

Pseudosecretion of Escherichia coli chloramphenicol acetyltransferase by Bacillus subtilis.

Bacillus subtilis harboring the vector 25RBSII secrets an Escherichia coli-derived chloramphenicol acetyltransferase into culture supernatants. The secreted enzyme lacks 18 amino acids; these are removed externally rather than during secretion.