Effects of pre- and pro-sequence of thaumatin on the secretion by Pichia pastoris

Thaumatin is a 22-kDa sweet-tasting protein containing eight disulfide bonds. When thaumatin is expressed in Pichia pastoris using the thaumatin cDNA fused with both the alpha-factor signal sequence and the Kex2 protease cleavage site from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the N-terminal sequence of the secreted thaumatin molecule is not processed correctly. To examine the role of the thaumatin cDNA-encoded N-terminal pre-sequence and C-terminal pro-sequence on the processing of thaumatin and efficiency of thaumatin production in P. pastoris, four expression plasmids with different pre-sequence and pro-sequence were constructed and transformed into P. pastoris. The transformants containing pre-thaumatin gene that has the native plant signal, secreted thaumatin molecules in the medium. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the secreted thaumatin molecule was processed correctly. The production yield of thaumatin was not affected by the C-terminal pro-sequence, and the pro-sequence was not processed in P. pastoris, indicating that pro-sequence is not necessary for thaumatin synthesis.     

Cloning,characterization, and expression of cDNA encoding a lipase from Kurtzmanomyces sp. I-11

A cDNA clone of the lipase secreted by Kurtzmanomyces sp. I-11 was isolated from a cDNA library of this yeast by PCR screening using oligonucleotide primers designed on the basis of the partial amino acid sequence of the lipase. The cloned cDNA (lip1) encoded a hydrophobic protein of 484 amino acids, where the first 20 amino acids and the following 6 amino acid sequences were predicted to be the signal sequence for secretion and a pro-sequence, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of the Kurtzmanomyces lipase was most similar to Candida antarctica DSM 3855 lipase A (74% identity) and weakly to other lipases. The consensus pentapeptide (-Gly-X-Ser-X-Gly-) that forms a part of the interfacial lipid recognition site in lipases was conserved. A high level of lipase was produced by Pichia pastoris transformed with the lip1 cDNA, indicating that the cloned cDNA indeed encodes a lipase.     

Unique precursor structure of an extracellular protease, aqualysin I, with NH2- and COOH-terminal pro-sequences and its processing in Escherichia coli

Aqualysin I is a subtilisin-type serine protease which is secreted into the culture medium by Thermus aquaticus YT-1, an extremely thermophilic Gram-negative bacterium. The nucleotide sequence of the entire gene for aqualysin I was determined, and the deduced amino acid sequence suggests that aqualysin I is produced as a large precursor, consisting of at least three portions, an NH2-terminal pre-pro-sequence (127 amino acid residues), the protease (281 residues), and a COOH-terminal pro-sequence (105 residues). When the cloned gene was expressed in Escherichia coli cells, aqualysin I was not secreted. However, a precursor of aqualysin I lacking the NH2-terminal pre-pro-sequence (38-kDa protein) accumulated in the membrane fraction. On treatment of the membrane fraction at 65 degrees C, enzymatically active aqualysin I (28-kDa protein) was produced in the soluble fraction. When the active site Ser residue was replaced with Ala, cells expressing the mutant gene accumulated a 48-kDa protein in the outer membrane fraction. The 48-kDa protein lacked the NH2-terminal 14 amino acid residues of the precursor, and heat treatment did not cause any subsequent processing of this precursor. These results indicate that the NH2-terminal signal sequence is cleaved off by a signal peptidase of E. coli, and that the NH2- and COOH-terminal pro-sequences are removed through the proteolytic activity of aqualysin I itself, in that order. These findings indicate a unique four-domain structure for the aqualysin I precursor; the signal sequence, the NH2-terminal pro-sequence, mature aqualysin I, and the COOH-terminal pro-sequence, from the NH2 to the COOH terminus.     

The structure of subtilisin ALP I from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. NKS-21

The gene for an alkaline serine protease from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. NKS-21 (subtilisin ALP I) was cloned, and its nucleotide sequence was determined. The gene (aprQ) contained an open reading frame of 1125 bp, encoding a primary product of 374 amino acids. The mature protease, composed of 272 amino acids, was preceded by a putative signal sequence of 37 amino acids and a pro-sequence of 65 amino acids. The mature protease conserved the catalytic triad, Asp, His, and Ser, as subtilisin BPN or other subtilisins, and the subtilisin ALP I might belong to the subtilisin super family. The primary structure of subtilisin ALP I was compared and discussed with those of 13 subtilisins, 5 subtilisins from alkalophilic Bacillus, and 8 from neutrophiles. Low homology was shown between subtilisin ALP I and subtilisins from alkalophiles or subtilisins from neutrophiles. Forty-five amino acid residues of the mature protein of subtilisin ALP I were entirely independent of other subtilisins. According to the homology of ALP I with other subtilisins, subtilisin ALP I might be in the middle point between alkaline subtilisins and neutral ones.     

Human fibronectin is synthesized as a pre-propolypeptide

Fibronectins (FNs) are extracellular glycoproteins consisting of dimers or multimers of similar but not identical subunits. The subunit differences result from variations in internal primary sequence due to alternative splicing in at least 2 regions of the pre-mRNA. The complete amino acid sequence of mature human cellular FN has been reported recently from cDNA cloning and sequencing. The same approach has now enabled us to deduce, for the first time, that FN has a 26 amino acid signal peptide and that it undergoes proteolytic processing at its N-terminus to eliminate a 5 amino acid pro-sequence (Ser-Lys-Ser-Lys-Arg). The signal sequence matches the consensus format, while this pro-sequence is a distinctive, very hydrophilic and basic peptide.     

Molecular cloning of preprocathepsin E cDNA from the stomach of bullfrog Rana catesbeiana

A cDNA library was constructed from a poly(A)⁺ RNA fraction of the gastric mucosa of bullfrog Rana catesbeiana. We cloned a cDNA encoding preprocathepsin E (Pre-Pro-CE) from the library. The present study is the first demonstration of the Pre-Pro-CE cDNA of lower vertebrate such as amphibian. Amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA was compared with partial amino acid sequence determined by Edman degradation, suggesting that the cDNA comprises an open reading frame encoding a signal peptide (16 amino acids), a pro-sequence (33 amino acids) and a mature protein region (348 amino acids). Two consensus tri-peptide sequences (FDT and VDT) as active site and positions of seven cysteine residues were conserved in this amphibian CE. Although the bullfrog CE was deduced to contain one potential N-linked glycosylation site, its position (Asn¹³⁹-Leu¹⁴⁰-Thr¹⁴¹) was different from that of mammalian CEs. Molecular phylogenetic analysis showed that the bullfrog Pro-CE belongs to the typical Pro-CE group among various aspartic proteinases.     

Isolation of subtilisin pro-sequence mutations that affect formation of active protease by localized random polymerase chain reaction mutagenesis

In order to analyze the role of the pro-sequence in folding of the alkaline serine protease subtilisin, localized random mutagenesis using the polymerase chain reaction with Taq DNA polymerase was employed to obtain mutations in the pro-sequence which prevent production of active protease. The unique aspect of this procedure is that random mutations can be easily generated in vitro over large but defined regions of a specific gene. The method was applied to a 458-base pair fragment encompassing the coding region of the pro-sequence of subtilisin, a region of the protein which has been shown to be required for proper folding. Protease-deficient mutants containing a variety of amino acid substitutions were isolated with a frequency of 4.3%. From analysis of these mutants, four independent amino acid substitution mutations in the pro-sequence were identified. The present results demonstrate that polymerase chain reaction is an efficient and simple method for obtaining random mutations within a localized region of a given gene.     

Production of Recombinant Der fI with the Native IgE-Binding Activity Using a Baculovirus Expression System

Der fI is a cysteine protease contained in feces of mites and is one of major mite allergens. Recombinant Der fI (reDer fI) that is produced using a baculovirus expression system contains pro-sequences of different lengths. Most of these can be removed by acid treatment. However, IgE-binding activity of acid-treated reDer fI is lower than that of native Der fI at high protein concentrations, and N-terminal amino acids of acid-treated reDer fI are not uniform. Now, a method for processing of the pro-sequence has been developed by producing reDer fI E(?1)K with baculovirus expression system in which the carboxy terminal amino acid of the pro-sequence (glutamate) was replaced by lysine using site directed mutagenesis. No difference in the amount of production was observed upon introducing the mutation into the pro-sequence. Addition of lysylendopeptidase into the culture medium led to processing of the pro-sequence of reDer fI E(?1)K and proceeded the degradation of the other proteins in the medium. Lysylendopeptidase-treated reDer fI E(?1)K was easily purified with an anion exchange column, resulting in 20% increase of the yield. Lysylendopeptidase-treated reDer fI E(?1)K obtained through these processes was compared with the native Der fI. Although some differences were found in protease activity and reactivity with lectins, their N-terminal amino acid and the IgE-binding activity were the same as those of the native one, indicating its usefulness for diagnostic purpose.     

Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the 90k serine protease gene,hspK, from Bacillus subtilis (natto) No. 16

We previously reported purification and characterization of a 90k serine protease with pI 3.9 from Bacillus subtilis (natto) No. 16 [Kato et al. 1992 Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 56:1166]. The enzyme showed different and unique substrate specificity towards the oxidized B-chain of insulin from those of well-known bacterial serine proteases from Bacillus subtilisins. The structural gene, hspK, for the 90k serine protease was cloned and sequenced. The cloned DNA fragment contained a single open reading frame of 4302 bp coding a protein of 1433 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of the 90k-protease indicated the presence of a typical signal sequence of the first 30 amino acids region and that there was a pro-sequence of 164 amino acid residues after the signal sequence. The mature region of the 90k-protease started from position 195 of amino acid residue, and the following peptide consisted of 1239 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 133k. It might be a precursor protein of the 90k-protease, and the C-terminal region of 43k might be degraded to a mature protein from the precursor protein. The catalytic triad was thought to consist of Asp33, His81, and Ser259 from comparison of the amino acid sequence of the 90k-protease with those of the other bacterial serine proteases. The high-molecular-weight serine protease, the 90k-protease, may be an ancient form of bacterial serine proteases.     

Cloning and characterization of the cpyA gene encoding intracellular carboxypeptidase from Aspergillus nidulans.

Carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) has been used as a maker enzyme for investigations on intracellular transport of vacuolar proteins and on vacuolar biogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We describe the cloning and characterization of the CPY homologue encoding gene (cpyA) from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. The cpyA gene has one intron and encodes a protein with 552 amino acids containing a putative signal sequence and pro-sequence. The predicted CpyA protein is highly similar in sequence with carboxypeptidases from several yeast species and contains a catalytic triad (Asp-His-Ser) like that of serine carboxypeptidase. The cpyA disruptant cells showed reduced levels of intracellular carboxypeptidase. These results suggest that the cpyA gene encodes a vacuolar carboxypeptidase in A. nidulans.     

Requirement of pro-sequence for the production of active subtilisin E in Escherichia coli

Subtilisin E, an alkaline serine protease of Bacillus subtilis 168, is first produced as a precursor, pre-pro-subtilisin, which consists of a signal peptide for protein secretion (pre-sequence) and a peptide extension of 77 amino acid residues (pro-sequence) between the signal peptide and mature subtilisin. When the entire coding region for pre-pro-subtilisin E was cloned into an Escherichia coli expression vector, active mature subtilisin E was secreted into the periplasmic space. When the pre-sequence was replaced with the E. coli OmpA signal peptide, active subtilisin E was also produced. When the OmpA signal peptide was directly fused to the mature subtilisin sequence, no protease activity was detected, although this product had the identical primary structure as subtilisin E as a result of cleavage of the OmpA signal peptide and was produced at a level of approximately 10% of total cellular protein. When the OmpA signal peptide was fused to the 15th or 44th amino acid residue from the amino terminus of the pro-sequence, active subtilisin was also not produced. These results indicate that the pro-sequence of pre-pro-subtilisin plays an important role in the formation of enzymatically active subtilisin. It is proposed that the pro-sequence is essential for guiding appropriate folding of the enzymatically active conformation of subtilisin E.     

Isolation and sequencing of a genomic clone encoding aspartic proteinase of Rhizopus niveus.

A gene encoding Rhizopus niveus aspartic proteinase was isolated from an R. niveus genomic library by using oligonucleotides probes corresponding to its partial amino acid sequence, and its nucleotide sequence was determined. By comparing its deduced amino acid sequence with the amino acid sequence of rhizopuspepsin (5, 26), we concluded that the R. niveus aspartic proteinase gene has an intron within its coding region and that it has a preproenzyme sequence of 66 amino acids upstream of the mature enzyme of 323 amino acids.     

Gene encoding a novel extracellular metalloprotease in Bacillus subtilis.

The gene for a novel extracellular metalloprotease was cloned, and its nucleotide sequence was determined. The gene (mpr) encodes a primary product of 313 amino acids that has little similarity to other known Bacillus proteases. The amino acid sequence of the mature protease was preceded by a signal sequence of approximately 34 amino acids and a pro sequence of 58 amino acids. Four cysteine residues were found in the deduced amino acid sequence of the mature protein, indicating the possible presence of disulfide bonds. The mpr gene mapped in the cysA-aroI region of the chromosome and was not required for growth or sporulation.     

蝮蛇毒碱性磷脂酶A_2基因的克隆

从蝮蛇毒腺中抽提总ＲＮＡ．利用人工合成寡核苷酸引物作逆转录,以ｃＤＮＡ为模板进行体外扩增,获得磷脂酶Ａ２（简称ＰＬＡ２）基因,克隆至ｐＢＳ－ｋｓ载体中。通过对３个碱性ＰＬＡ２（简称ＢＰＬＡ２）基因单独克隆分别作ＤＮＡ全序列分析,推导ｐｒｏ－ＢＰＬＡ２由１３８个氨基酸残基构成,与已测定的部分氨基酸序列比较,基本相符。该基因成功的克隆,不仅推导出ＢＰＬＡ２的蛋白质全序列,也为进一步开展蛇毒功能肽蛋白质工程的研究工作打下了良好的基础。     

Import of proteins into mitochondria: nucleotide sequence of the gene for a 70-kd protein of the yeast mitochondrial outer membrane.

The nucleotide sequence of the yeast chromosomal gene coding for the 70-kd protein of the mitochondrial outer membrane was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence of the protein agrees with the experimentally determined size and amino acid composition of the purified protein and correctly predicts the fragments obtained by cleaving the protein at its single tryptophan residue. The deduced NH2-terminal sequence features an uninterrupted stretch of 28 uncharged amino acids flanked on both sides by basic amino acids. By sequencing a truncated version of the gene it was found that the corresponding polypeptide product lacks the 203 carboxy-terminal amino acids of the authentic 70-kd protein. As shown in the accompanying paper, this protein fragment still becomes attached to the mitochondrial outer membrane in vivo.     

Nucleotide sequence of the Bacillus stearothermophilus alpha-amylase gene.

The nucleotide sequence of the Bacillus stearothermophilus alpha-amylase gene and its flanking regions was determined. An open reading frame was found, comprising a total of 1,647 base pairs (549 amino acids) and starting from a GUG codon as methionine. It was shown by NH2-terminal amino acid sequence analysis that the extracellular amylase consisted of 515 amino acid residues, which corresponded to a molecular weight of 58,779. Thus the NH2-terminal portion of the gene encodes 34 amino acid residues as a signal peptide. The amino acid sequence deduced from the alpha-amylase gene was fairly homologous (61%) with that of another thermostable amylase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.     

Molecular characterization of a wound-inducible inhibitor I gene from potato and the processing of its mRNA and protein

Genomic blotting of restriction fragments of Russet Burbank DNA indicated that at least 6 copies of Inhibitor I are present in the tetraploid potato genome. A library of potato genes in bacteriophage was screened for the presence of Inhibitor I genes using a wound-inducible tomato Inhibitor I cDNA as a hybridization probe. One phage with an insert of 13.1 kb was isolated that hybridized most strongly with the probe. A 4.2 kb Eco RI fragment containing the gene was isolated from the clone and 2.2 kb region was sequenced that included about 800 bp of both the 5 and 3 regions. The gene contained two introns of 479 and 417 bp respectively, and the splice junctions were typical of other eukaryotic genes. Putative TATAA and CAAT boxes were identified. The nucleotide sequence, when compared with a wound-inducible tomato Inhibitor I cDNA, exhibited over 90% identity. The gene codes for a prepro-Inhibitor I protein of 96 amino acids. The putative pre-sequence of 19 amino acids, differs in only one residue from that of tomato Inhibitor I. The potato pro-sequence, however, is lacking a tetrapeptide that is found in the tomato pro-sequence in the region of pro-peptide processing. This deletion, together with a substitution of a Gln for a Leu (4 residues toward the N terminus) provides an explanation for the differences at the N-termini between tomato and potato Inhibitor I natural proteins by providing different processing sites in the two pro-inhibitors. Thus, amino acid sequence differences between the N termini of tomato and potato Inhibitor I are easily explained by the mutational events. The different proposed pro-processing sites of the tomato and potato inhibitors suggest that a processing protease may be present in the vacuole with a specificity for Asn-X and Gln-X bonds.This is Scientific Paper No. 7493, Project 1791, College of Agriculture and Home Economics Research Center, Washington State UniversityThis is Scientific Paper No. 7493, Project 1791, College of Agriculture and Home Economics Research Center, Washington State University     

Cloning and characterization of a novel beta-transaminase from Mesorhizobium sp. strain LUK: a new biocatalyst for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure beta-amino acids

A novel beta-transaminase gene was cloned from Mesorhizobium sp. strain LUK. By using N-terminal sequence and an internal protein sequence, a digoxigenin-labeled probe was made for nonradioactive hybridization, and a 2.5-kb gene fragment was obtained by colony hybridization of a cosmid library. Through Southern blotting and sequence analysis of the selected cosmid clone, the structural gene of the enzyme (1,335 bp) was identified, which encodes a protein of 47,244 Da with a theoretical pI of 6.2. The deduced amino acid sequence of the beta-transaminase showed the highest sequence similarity with glutamate-1-semialdehyde aminomutase of transaminase subgroup II. The beta-transaminase showed higher activities toward d-beta-aminocarboxylic acids such as 3-aminobutyric acid, 3-amino-5-methylhexanoic acid, and 3-amino-3-phenylpropionic acid. The beta-transaminase has an unusually broad specificity for amino acceptors such as pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate/oxaloacetate. The enantioselectivity of the enzyme suggested that the recognition mode of beta-aminocarboxylic acids in the active site is reversed relative to that of alpha-amino acids. After comparison of its primary structure with transaminase subgroup II enzymes, it was proposed that R43 interacts with the carboxylate group of the beta-aminocarboxylic acids and the carboxylate group on the side chain of dicarboxylic alpha-keto acids such as alpha-ketoglutarate and oxaloacetate. R404 is another conserved residue, which interacts with the alpha-carboxylate group of the alpha-amino acids and alpha-keto acids. The beta-transaminase was used for the asymmetric synthesis of enantiomerically pure beta-aminocarboxylic acids. (3S)-Amino-3-phenylpropionic acid was produced from the ketocarboxylic acid ester substrate by coupled reaction with a lipase using 3-aminobutyric acid as amino donor.