Glr, a glutamate racemase, supplies D-glutamate to both peptidoglycan synthesis and poly-gamma-glutamate production in gamma-PGA-producing Bacillus subtilis

Poly-gamma-glutamate (gamma-PGA)-producing Bacillus subtilis contains two glutamate racemase genes, glr and yrpC, as does gamma-PGA-nonproducing B. subtilis strain 168. glr and yrpC on the chromosome of gamma-PGA-producing strain r22 were separately disrupted by means of gene replacement with an erythromycin resistance determinant. yrpC-disruption caused no effects on growth or gamma-PGA-production, whereas glr was disrupted only when an exogenous glr copy was present on a plasmid. In addition, the D-glutamate content of gamma-PGA produced by the yrpC-disruptant was the same as that produced by the parental strain r22. Glr in strain r22 is therefore responsible for the supply of D-glutamate to the synthesis of both peptidoglycan and gamma-PGA. Consistent with this idea, glr was transcribed actively during the exponential growth phase for peptidoglycan synthesis and continuously at a low, but distinct, level during the stationary phase for gamma-PGA production, whereas yrpC was transcribed at a very low level throughout growth. Phylogenetic analysis of glutamate racemases from eubacteria showed that YrpC is distinct from other glutamate racemases.     

Differences in effects on DNA gyrase activity between two glutamate racemases of Bacillus subtilis,the poly-gamma-glutamate synthesis-linking Glr enzyme and the YrpC (MurI) isozyme

Bacillus subtilis possesses two isogenes encoding glutamate racemases, the poly-gamma-glutamate synthesis-linking Glr enzyme and the YrpC isozyme, and produces abundant amounts of the Glr enzyme. The YrpC isozyme, but not the Glr enzyme, was found to influence the activity of DNA gyrase, as did the MurI-type glutamate racemase of Escherichia coli, which is involved in peptidoglycan synthesis during cell division.     

Glutamate racemase is an endogenous DNA gyrase inhibitor

Almost all bacteria possess glutamate racemase to synthesize d-glutamate as an essential component of peptidoglycans in the cell walls. The enforced production of glutamate racemase, however, resulted in suppression of cell proliferation. In the Escherichia coli JM109/pGR3 clone, the overproducer of glutamate racemase, the copy number (i.e. replication efficiency) of plasmid DNA declined dramatically, whereas the E. coli WM335 mutant that is defective in the gene of glutamate racemase showed little genetic competency. The comparatively low and high activities for DNA supercoiling were contained in the E. coli JM109/pGR3 and WM335 cells, respectively. Furthermore, we found that the DNA gyrase of E. coli was modulated by the glutamate racemase of E. coli in the presence of UDP-N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanine, which is a peptidoglycan precursor and functions as an absolute activator for the racemase. This is the first finding of the enzyme protein participating in both d-amino acid metabolism and DNA processing.     

Staphylococcus haemolyticus contains two D-glutamic acid biosynthetic activities, a glutamate racemase and a D-amino acid transaminase.

Two D-glutamic acid biosynthetic activities, glutamate racemase and D-amino acid transaminase, have been described previously for bacteria. To date, no bacterial species has been reported to possess both activities. Genetic complementation studies using Escherichia coli WM335, a D-glutamic acid auxotroph, and cloned chromosomal DNA fragments from Staphylococcus haemolyticus revealed two distinct DNA fragments containing open reading frames which, when present, allowed growth on medium without exogenous D-glutamic acid. Amino acid sequences of the two open reading frames derived from the DNA nucleotide sequences indicated extensive identity with the amino acid sequence of Pediococcus pentosaceous glutamate racemase in one case and with that of the D-amino acid transaminase of Bacillus spp. in the second case. Enzymatic assays of lysates of E. coli WM335 strains containing either the cloned staphylococcal racemase or transminase verified the identities of these activities. Subsequent DNA hybridization experiments indicated that Staphylococcus aureus, in addition to S. haemolyticus, contained homologous chromosomal DNA for each of these genes. These data suggest that S. haemolyticus, and probably S. aureus, contains genes for two D-glutamic acid biosynthetic activities, a glutamate racemase (dga gene) and a D-amino acid transaminase (dat gene).     

Gene cloning and characterization of a second alanine racemase from Bacillus subtilis encoded by yncD

Alanine racemase activity was investigated in Bacillus subtilis. A putative second alanine racemase gene (yncD) was cloned in parallel with the previously identified alanine racemase gene, dal. Each of the B. subtilis genes, dal and yncD complemented the Escherichia coli Alr- DadX- double mutant alanine auxotrophic strain MB2159 in vivo, restoring the prototrophic phenotype. Alanine racemase activity was also detected in vitro in cell-free extracts prepared from cultures of E. coli MB2159 harboring plasmids expressing either of the cloned B. subtilis genes and preliminary characterization of enzyme activity is presented.     

Genetic design of conditional D-glutamate auxotrophy for Bacillus subtilis: use of a vector-borne poly-gamma-glutamate synthetic system

Bacillus subtilis possesses two glutamate racemase isozymes, RacE and YrpC. For the first time, we succeeded in constructing glutamate racemase-gene disruptants of B. subtilis. Phenotypic analysis of their D-glutamate auxotrophy indicated that the RacE-type glutamate racemase is important for ensuring maximum growth rate but dispensable. The YrpC-type glutamate racemase probably operates as an anaplerotic enzyme for RacE, especially under liquid culture conditions. We found novel applicability of RacE-less mutants inheriting only a marginal activity for endogenous D-glutamate supply, viz. the employment for the in vivo identification of D-glutamate-consuming systems. In fact, the genetic induction of a poly-gamma-glutamate synthetic system led a RacE-less mutant to severe growth suppression, which was overcome in the presence of a high concentration of exogenous D-glutamate. The results indicate that a significant amount of D-glutamate is consumed during poly-glutamate biosynthesis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of conditional D-glutamate auxotrophy for B. subtilis.     

The Escherichia coli Dga (MurI) protein shares biological activity and structural domains with the Pediococcus pentosaceus glutamate racemase.

The Pediococcus pentosaceus glutamate racemase gene product complemented the D-glutamate auxotrophy of Escherichia coli WM335. Amino acid sequence analysis of the two proteins revealed 28% identity, primarily in six clusters scattered throughout the sequence. Further analyses indicated secondary structure similarities between the two proteins. These data support a recent report that the dga (murI) gene product is a glutamate racemase.     

利用温控载体构建碱性果胶酯裂解酶工程菌

从筛选出的Bacillus subtilisWSHB04-02菌株中扩增出编码碱性果胶酯裂解酶的结构基因PL,将其插入载体pET22b( )多克隆位点,得到带有前导序列PelB重组质粒pET22b( )PL。以pET22b( )PL为模板扩增出带前导序列的碱性果胶酯裂解酶的结构基因PL,将其插入温控载体pHsh,重组载体在大肠杆菌JM109中得到表达。其表达量与以T7为启动子的重组菌BL21DE3[(pET22b( )PL]相比,表达量相近。SDS-PAGE分析显示表达产物的分子量均为43kDa,同核酸序列测定所推导的值相符。研究表明利用pHsh构建的JM109(pHsh PL)诱导表达好,诱导方式简单廉价,这对该酶的大规模发酵具有重要意义。     

The murI gene of Escherichia coli is an essential gene that encodes a glutamate racemase activity.

The murI gene of Escherichia coli was recently identified on the basis of its ability to complement the only mutant requiring D-glutamic acid for growth that had been described to date: strain WM335 of E. coli B/r (P. Doublet, J. van Heijenoort, and D. Mengin-Lecreulx, J. Bacteriol. 174:5772-5779, 1992). We report experiments of insertional mutagenesis of the murI gene which demonstrate that this gene is essential for the biosynthesis of D-glutamic acid, one of the specific components of cell wall peptidoglycan. A special strategy was used for the construction of strains with a disrupted copy of murI, because of a limited capability of E. coli strains grown in rich medium to internalize D-glutamic acid. The murI gene product was overproduced and identified as a glutamate racemase activity. UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine (UDP-MurNAc-L-Ala), which is the nucleotide substrate of the D-glutamic-acid-adding enzyme (the murD gene product) catalyzing the subsequent step in the pathway for peptidoglycan synthesis, appears to be an effector of the racemase activity.     

枯草杆菌DC-2纳豆激酶基因的克隆及其融合蛋白在E.coli中的表达

纳豆激酶是一种纤维蛋白溶解酶 ,有望开发成为新型的溶栓药物 .从中国豆豉中分离的具有较强纤溶活性的枯草杆菌DC 2中提取总DNA ,根据纳豆激酶 (NK)基因序列设计引物 ,用PCR法扩增NK基因 .序列分析表明 ,NK基因成熟肽编码区含有 82 5bp ,编码 2 75个氨基酸残基 ,与文献报道的序列分别有 93 4 %和 94 5 %同源性 .将NK基因插入载体pGEX 4T1构建表达质粒pGEX NK ,转化大肠杆菌JM10 9后 ,经 1mmol LIPTG诱导 4h ,发现大量NK融合蛋白表达 ,并形成包涵体 .SDS PAGE分析表明 ,NK融合蛋白作为包涵体的分子量为 5 3kD .凝胶自动扫描结果显示 ,NK融合蛋白约占菌体可溶性蛋白的 2 6 % .     

Expression and characterization of the genes encoding azoreductases from Bacillus subtilis and Geobacillus stearothermophilus

Azoreductases have been characterized as enzymes that can decolorize azo dyes by reducing azo groups. In this study, genes encoding proteins having homology with the azoreductase gene of Bacillus sp. OY1-2 were obtained from Bacillus subtilis ATCC6633, B. subtilis ISW1214, and Geobacillus stearotherophilus IFO13737 by polymerase chain reaction. All three genes encoded proteins with 174 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequences of azoreductase homologs from B. subtilis ISW1214, B. subtilis ATCC6633, and G. stearotherophilus IFO13737 showed similarity of 53.3, 53.9, and 53.3% respectively to that of Bacillus sp. OY1-2.All three genes were expressed in Escherichia coli, and were characterized as having the decolorizing activity of azo dyes in a beta-NADPH dependent manner. The transformation of several azo dyes into colorless compounds by recombinant enzymes was demonstrated to have distinct substrate specificity from that of azoreductase from Bacillus sp. OY1-2.     

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.     

Cloning and nucleotide sequencing of a novel 7 beta-(4-carboxybutanamido)cephalosporanic acid acylase gene of Bacillus laterosporus and its expression in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.

A strain of Bacillus species which produced an enzyme named glutaryl 7-ACA acylase which converts 7 beta-(4-carboxybutanamido)cephalosporanic acid (glutaryl 7-ACA) to 7-amino cephalosporanic acid (7-ACA) was isolated from soil. The gene for the glutaryl 7-ACA acylase was cloned with pHSG298 in Escherichia coli JM109, and the nucleotide sequence was determined by the M13 dideoxy chain termination method. The DNA sequence revealed only one large open reading frame composed of 1,902 bp corresponding to 634 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence contained a potential signal sequence in its amino-terminal region. Expression of the gene for glutaryl 7-ACA acylase was performed in both E. coli and Bacillus subtilis. The enzyme preparations purified from either recombinant strain of E. coli or B. subtilis were shown to be identical with each other as regards the profile of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and were composed of a single peptide with the molecular size of 70 kDa. Determination of the amino-terminal sequence of the two enzyme preparations revealed that both amino-terminal sequences (the first nine amino acids) were identical and completely coincided with residues 28 to 36 of the open reading frame. Extracellular excretion of the enzyme was observed in a recombinant strain of B. subtilis.     

A recombinant cellulolytic Escherichia coli: Cloning of the cellulase gene and characterization of a bifunctional cellulase

A genomic library of Bacillus subtilis CD4 was constructed in Escherichia coli JM83. A clone designated as E. coli pBcelR was identified which formed blue colony in presence of 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl--d-glucopyranoside (X-Glu) and hydrolysed carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The clone E. coli (pBcelR) expressed both cellobiase and endoglucanase activities and contained an insert of 1.2 kb. E. coli pBcelR encoded a protein of 12.9 kDa which was endowed with bifunctional (endoglucanase and cellobiase) activities. In recombinant E. coli, the encoded protein and enzyme activity were localized in periplasm. Recombinant E. coli pBcelR utilized CMC, cellobiose and soluble cellulose as sole carbon source.     

γ-谷氨酰基转肽酶（GGT）基因工程菌的构建及其发酵条件的初步研究

利用PCR技术以Bacillus subtilis SYU 20016基因组DNA为模板,扩增出1.8kb编码γ-谷氨酰基转肽酶的基因ggt,将其连接到温控表达载体pBV220,得到重组载体pBV220-ggt,重组载体在大肠杆菌JM109中得到表达。SDS-PAGE分析显示融合表达产物的分子量大小为65kD,同核酸序列测定所推导的值相符。对含有ggt的基因工程菌进行表达研究表明：发酵的培养温度为30℃,pH为7.2,装液量为20mL(在250mL的锥形瓶中)的条件下42℃诱导4h后,重组菌的γ-谷氨酰基转肽酶酶活力达到6U/mL,目前报道的非基因工程菌（枯草芽孢杆菌NX-2）酶活力最高仅为3.2U/mL。     

Expression of the gene for Bacillus subtilis aspartokinase II in Escherichia coli

The gene coding for the subunits of aspartokinase II from Bacillus subtilis has been identified in a B. subtilis DNA library and cloned in a bacterial plasmid (Bondaryk, R. P., and Paulus, H. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 585-591). The introduction of a plasmid carrying the aspartokinase II gene into an auxotrophic Escherichia coli strain lacking all three aspartokinases restored its ability to grow in the absence of L-lysine, L-threonine, and L-methionine. The B. subtilis aspartokinase gene could thus be functionally expressed in E. coli and substitute for the E. coli aspartokinases. Measurement of aspartokinase levels in extracts of aspartokinaseless E. coli transformed with the B. subtilis aspartokinase II gene revealed an enzyme level comparable to that in a genetically derepressed B. subtilis strain. In spite of the high level of aspartokinase, the growth of the transformed E. coli strain was severely inhibited by the addition of L-lysine but could be restored by also adding L-homoserine. This apparently paradoxical sensitivity to lysine was due to the allosteric inhibition of B. subtilis aspartokinase II by that amino acid, a property which was also observed in extracts of the transformed E. coli strain. The synthesis and degradation of the aspartokinase II subunits were measured by labeling experiments in E. coli transformed with the B. subtilis aspartokinase II gene. In contrast to exponentially growing cells of B. subtilis which contained equimolar amounts of the aspartokinase alpha and beta subunits, the transformed E. coli strain contained a 3-fold molar excess of beta subunit. Pulse-chase experiments showed that the disproportionate level of beta subunit was not due to more rapid turnover of alpha subunit, both subunits being quite stable, but presumably to a more rapid rate of synthesis. After the addition of rifampicin, the synthesis of alpha subunit declined much more rapidly than that of beta subunit, indicating that the two subunits were translated independently from mRNA species that differ in functional stability. In conjunction with the results described in the preceding paper which demonstrated that the aspartokinase subunits are encoded by a single DNA sequence, these observations imply that the alpha and beta subunits of B. subtilis aspartokinase II are the products of in-phase overlapping genes.     

过氧化氢酶基因在大肠杆菌中的克隆表达及发酵优化

利用PCR扩增技术得到枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)过氧化氢酶基因katA,将该基因与表达载体pET-20b(+)连接构建重组质粒,经测序验证后,在大肠杆菌JM109中进行表达得到重组大肠杆菌基因工程菌E.coli BL21(DE3)(pET-20b(+)-katA).SDS-PAGE电泳结果显示出...     

含甘油脱水酶激活因子编码基因的产1,3-丙二醇新型重组菌的构建

利用PCR技术扩增来源于弗氏柠檬杆菌(Citrobacter freundii)的甘油脱水酶编码基因dhaB以及甘油脱水酶激活因子编码基因dhaGdhaF,将其与1,3-丙二醇氧化还原酶同工酶的编码基因yqhD串联在温控表达载体pHsh上,构建重组菌E.coliJM109(pHsh-dhaB-dhaG-dhaF-yqhD)。SDS-PAGE分析显示,融合表达产物的分子量同核酸序列测定的推导值相符。与未串联甘油脱水酶激活因子编码基因的重组菌E.coliJM109(pHsh-dhaB-yqhD)相比,1,3-丙二醇的产量提高了28%。     

枯草芽孢杆菌耐盐突变株proA基因克隆及proBA基因渗透压调节功能研究

利用TaKaRaLAPCRTM试剂盒扩增枯草芽孢杆菌 931 5 1耐盐突变株proA基因的未知下游序列。根据测序结果 ,设计引物 ,克隆出发菌株和突变株全长proBA基因。将出发菌株和突变株的proBA基因分别转化大肠杆菌JM83(proBA- ) ,均能够与其功能互补。SDS PAGE分析其表达产物 ,有两条分子量分别约为 4 0kD和 4 5kD的新蛋白带出现。测定 4种转化子 (分别含有出发菌株和突变株proB基因的大肠杆菌 1 1 2 5 2转化子及proBA基因的大肠杆菌JM83转化子 )的耐盐能力。发现含有突变株proB或proBA基因转化子的耐盐能力 ,均比相应的含有出发菌株proB或proBA基因的转化子高。另外含有出发菌株和突变株的proBA基因转化子的耐盐能力 ,也均比相应的仅含proB基因的转化子高 ,表明枯草芽孢杆菌的ProA比大肠杆菌的ProA更为有效。测定所有JM83转化子胞内自由脯氨酸 ,发现其含量随盐浓度的上升而提高 ,其中含突变菌株proBA基因的转化子提高更为显著