Identification and characterization of Clostridium difficile promoter element that is functional in Escherichia coli

The promoter element involved in the expression of a previously characterized cloned clostridial antigen was isolated and characterized. A restriction fragment containing the promoter element of the Clostridium difficile insert was cloned using the promoter probe vector, pGA46. Subclones of the clostridial DNA insert in pGA46 were then analyzed by nucleotide sequencing and by S1 nuclease experiments. The clostridial promoter element exhibits a high degree of homology with typical Escherichia coli promoter elements. This sequence probably represents a unique class of clostridial promoter elements which, given their ability to function in E. coli and C. difficile, can be used in the construction of a shuttle vector capable of gene expression in E. coli and C. difficile.     

Development of cloning vehicles from the Streptomyces plasmid pFJ103

A 20-kb plasmid, pFJ103, was isolated from a strain of Streptomyces granuloruber. A restriction endonuclease map of the plasmid was constructed. A Streptomyces gene that specifies resistance to the antibiotic thiostrepton was subcloned into Escherichia coli plasmid pBR322, inserted into pFJ103 and transformed into Streptomyces ambofaciens protoplasts. Two classes of transformants were obtained. One carries the pFJ104 plasmid consisting of the entire pFJ103 with the 1.8-kb thiostrepton resistance gene insert. The other carries the pFJ105 plasmid consisting of the 2.9-kb replicon segment of pFJ103 with the same thiostrepton resistance insert. A gene for neomycin resistance together with the entire E. coli pBR322 plasmid were cloned into pFJ105. The resulting E. coli-Streptomyces bifunctional vector, pFJ123, transformed both E. coli and Streptomyces. The small size of pFJ105, its ease of isolation, and efficient transformation of Streptomyces protoplasts establishes it, and its derivatives, as useful plasmid cloning vehicles for fundamental and applied studies     

Expression of hepatitis B virus surface antigen gene in Escherichia coli

Direct expression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) gene under the control of the Escherichia coli tryptophan operon (trp) promoter has been achieved. Synthesis of HBsAg (both complete and lacking its N-terminal segment) as a part of hybrid proteins with the N-terminal portion coded by genes cat, kan or bla is controlled by the appropriate promoters, as well as by the trp promoter. The highest levels of expression, including those for direct synthesis of HBsAg, provide the accumulation of about 10⁵ polypeptide molecules per bacterial cell.     

Immunological detection of cloned antigenic genes of Vibrio cholerae in Escherichia coli

Antibodies have been used as probe to detect cloned genes coding for toxin and surface antigens of Vibrio cholerae E1 Tor strain KB207. Eco RI-digested chromosomal DNA of KB207 was cloned in plasmid pBR325 and transformed in Escherichia coli HB 101(λcI857). Transformants were grown at 32° C on plates containing antibodies. Lysogen was induced at 42 °C to release expressed antigens. Antigen-antibody reaction produced a halo around positive clones.     

A plasmid vector that allows fusion of the Escherichia coli galactokinase gene to the translation startpoint of other genes

By genetic manipulation of cloned Escherichia coli galactose operon DNA, we have constructed a new plasmid in which the N terminal segment of the galK gene is replaced by the N terminal of the galE gene. This plasmid encodes a hybrid protein that confers a Gal K⁺ phenotype on host cells: differences in initiation at the galE translation start point cause different phenotypes. The plasmid has unique restriction sites at the junction of the galE and galK gene segments and thus can be used to replace the N terminal of galK with any other translation start.     

Regulation of the phosphate regulon of Escherichia coli: Characterization of the promoter of the pstS gene

Summary The pstS gene belongs to the phosphate regulon whose expression is induced by phosphate starvation and regulated positively by the PhoB protein. The phosphate (pho) box is a consensus sequence shared by the regulatory regions of the genes in the pho regulon. We constructed two series of deletion mutations in a plasmid in vitro, with upstream and downstream deletions in the promoter region of pstS, which contains two pho boxes in tandem, and studied their promoter activity by connecting them with a promoterless gene for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. Deletions extending into the upstream pho box but retaining the downstream pho box greatly reduced promoter activity, but the remaining activity was still regulated by phosphate levels in the medium and by the PhoB protein, indicating that each pho box is functional. No activity was observed in deletion mutants which lacked the remaining pho box or the-10 region. Therefore, the pstS promoter was defined to include the two pho boxes and the-10 region. The PhoB protein binding region in the pstS regulatory region was studied with the deletion plasmids by a gelmobility retardation assay. The results suggest the protein binds to each pho box on the pstS promoter. A phoB deletion mutant was constructed, and we demonstrated that expression of pstS was strictly dependent on the function of the PhoB protein.     

Cloning and expression of a collagen-analog-encoding synthetic gene in Escherichia coli

A family of totally synthetic genes coding for multiple tandem repeats of the amino acid sequence (Gly-Pro-Pro) has been prepared and inserted into the ClaI cloning site of the expression vector pJL6. A representative recombinant plasmid, pAC1, with an insert of about 340 bp was established in an Escherichia coli strain bearing a defective λ prophage, to study expression of the CII-collagen analog fusion protein produced from pAC1 upon heat induction. Authentic fusion protein production was demonstrated by nucleotide sequencing, Northern-blot analysis, and in vivo synthesis. Conversion of a wild-type rpoH allele to the rpoH165 mutation was shown to suppress proteolysis of the unstable fusion protein.     

Cloning of the nitrile hydratase gene from Nocardia sp. in Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris and its functional expression using site-directed mutagenesis

To obtain a recombinant Rhodococcus or Nocardia with not only higher enzymatic activity but also better operational stability and product-tolerance ability for bioconversion of acrylamide from acrylonitrile, an active and stable expression system of nitrile hydratase (NHase) was tried to construct as the technical platform of genetic manipulations. Two NHase genes, NHBA and NHBAX, from Nocardia YS-2002 were successfully cloned, based on bioinformatics design of PCR primers, and inserted into plasmid pUC18 and pET32a, respectively. Then, two recombinant Escherichia coli strains, JM105 (pUC18-NHBA) and BL21 (DE3) (pET32a-NHBAX) were constructed and their expressions of NHase were focused. The induction results showed that there was either no NHase activity in JM105 (pUC18-NHBA), or as low as 0.04 U (1 U=1 μmol acrylamide min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ dry cell) in BL21 (DE3) (pET32a-NHBAX). SDS-PAGE results showed that the -subunit of NHBA and NHBAX could not be efficiently expressed in both recombinant E. coli strains. The novel Pichia pastoris system was also applied to express NHase, but the expression level remained quite low (0.5–0.6 U) and the protein was unstable. For solving this problem, a possible genetic strategy, site-directed mutagenesis of the -subunit of the NHase was carried out. After the successful mutagenesis of the original rare start codon gtg into atg, a new recombinant strain, E. coli XL1-Blue (pUC18-NHBA^M), was screened and the NHase activity stably reached as high as 51 U under the same induction conditions.     

Purification and characterization of the -xylose isomerase gene from Escherichia coli

A DNA fragment containing both the Escherichia coli -xylose isomerase ( -xylose ketol-isomerase, EC 5.3.1.5) gene and the -xylulokinase (ATP: -xylulose 5-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.17) gene has been cloned on an E. coli plasmid. The -xylose isomerase gene was separated from the -xylulokinase gene by the construction of a new deletion plasmid, pLX7. The -xylose isomerase gene cloned on pLX7 was found still to be an intact gene. The precise location of the -xylose isomerase gene on the plasmid pLX7 was further determined by the construction of two more plasmids, pLX8 and pLX9. This is believed to be the first -xylose isomerase gene that has been isolated and extensively purified from any organism. -Xylose isomerase, the enzyme product of the -xylose isomerase gene, is responsible for the conversion of -xylose to -xylulose, as well as -glucose to -fructose. It is widely believed that yeast cannot ferment -xylose to ethanol primarily because of the lack of -xylose isomerase in yeast. -Xylose isomerase (also known as -glucose isomerase) is also used for the commercial production of high-fructose syrups. The purification of the -xylose isomerase gene may lead to the following industrial applications: (1) cloning and expression of the gene in yeast to make the latter organism capable of directly fermenting -xylose to ethanol, and (2) cloning of the gene on a high-copy-number plasmid in a proper host to overproduce the enzyme, which should have a profound impact on the high-fructose syrup technology.     

不同培养时期的大肠杆菌和枯草芽孢杆菌间发生的跨属自然遗传转化

携带穿梭质粒的大肠杆菌与作为受体的枯草芽孢杆菌分别培养至不同生长阶段混合均匀后静置40min,涂布选择性平板,37℃培养30h后得到一定数目的转化子,DNaseⅠ敏感实验证实质粒是通过自然遗传转化而非其它形式发生转移。实验发现大肠杆菌可以在特定生长时期向胞外分泌DNA,并且在对数期具有最高的提供质粒的能力,而生长后期的细胞因为体系中DNase量的增加转化频率下降。进一步的研究发现枯草芽孢杆菌在营养丰富的LB培养基中也具有与基本培养基中相当的转化能力,并且在对数生长前期具有较高的转化频率。     

基因编辑技术在大肠杆菌中的应用

利用基因编辑技术对大肠杆菌基因组进行改造可以研究基因功能,或改变其代谢途径大量生产原本成本较高的产物,从而获得可以生产特定产物的遗传稳定性工程菌株.目前可以对细菌基因组编辑的方法有Red同源重组、CRISPR/Cas9技术等.Red同源重组是比较传统的基因编辑技术,应用广泛,但编辑效率受整合片段大小的限制,基因编辑过程...     

The cloning of the rorB gene of Escherichia coli

Summary A segment of the Escherichia coli genome which complements the ionising radiation sensitivity of the rorB mutation was cloned into pBR322. This DNA segment also complements the mitomycin C sensitivity of the rorB mutation. The gene was subcloned until defined in a fragment of 1.05 kb. Only one gene product, a protein of approximately 16.5 kDa, was found on maxicell analysis of the various subclones. Iso-electric focusing of this gene product suggests it may function in a complex.     

Hfr-mediated conjugative transfer of pBR322 vector carrying the chromosomal DNA of Escherichia coli

Hybrid plasmids consisting of a non-mobilized plasmid, pBR322, and a segment of chromosomal DNA of Escherichia coli could be transferred from an Hfr donor to recipient cells by a bacterial mating. When the chromosomal DNA in the plasmid corresponded to the early transfer region of the Hfr, the frequency of the transfer was high. The recA function of both donor and recipient cells was required in the transfer. The physical association of the hybrid plasmid with the transferring Hfr chromosome through the homologous sequences may mediate the transfer of the non-mobilized plasmid. This phenomenon is useful for the determination of the chromosomal location of an unidentified fragment cloned in a non-mobilized plasmid.     

Cloning of two chloramphenicol acetyltransferase genes from Clostridium butyricum and their expression in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis

Summary Two non-homologous chloramphenicol (Cm) acetyltransferase (CAT) genes, designated catA and catB, were cloned from Clostridium butyricum type strains and characterized by restriction mapping. Both genes are efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. In contrast to analogous genes from staphylococci and bacilli, gene expression is not dependent on induction by Cm. The genes are considered as chromosomal, since no association with endogenous plasmids was detectable. Southern hybridization revealed a homology between catA and the staphylococcal Cm resistance plasmid, pC194. The subunit size of the clostridial CAT enzymes expressed in E. coli was determined as 22.5 kDa (catA) and 24 kDa (catB), respectively. The C. butyricum cat genes provide potentially useful selection markers for the construction of cloning vectors from cryptic clostridial plasmids.