高山被孢霉淬灭方法及胞内代谢产物的气相色谱-质谱分析比较

在花生四烯酸生产菌高山被孢霉代谢组学研究中,需利用胞内代谢物的提取手段并基于气相色谱-质谱（GC-MS）分析方法对其进行检测。比较了3种胞内代谢物提取方法及不同色谱柱条件下GC-MS分析结果。研究表明：采用冷甲醇淬灭分别较液氮直接淬灭及真空过滤后,减少了胞内代谢物的泄露并更好地实现了胞外及胞内代谢物的分离。在对代谢物分析的比较中,极性色谱柱（DB-FFAP）检出的代谢物仅为11种,主要为有机酸、醛类;而代谢物经衍生化后采用非极性色谱柱（DB-5）共检出32种化合物,主要为糖、糖苷及醇类。     

A novel two-step fermentation process for improved arachidonic acid production by Mortierella alpina

A novel two-step fermentation process was developed to enhance arachidonic acid (ARA) production by Mortierella alpina ME-1 in a 5 l fermentor. Agitation speed and aeration rate were adjusted from 180 to 40 rpm and from 0.6 to1 vvm, respectively, after 5 days cultivation, to decrease physical damage to the mycelia and to extend the stationary phase. Moreover, 3% (w/v) and 2% (w/v) ethanol were fed after 5 and 7 days cultivation, respectively, to enhance ARA content of total lipid. Eventually, an ARA yield of 19.8 g/l was achieved, which was 1.7 times higher than that of a one-step fed-batch cultivation.     

Phytosterol biosynthesis pathway in Mortierella alpina

The Zygomycetes fungus Mortierella alpina was cultured to growth arrest to assess the phytosterol biosynthesis pathway in a less-advanced fungus. The mycelium was found to produce 13 sterols, but no ergosterol. The sterol fractions were purified to homogeneity by HPLC and their identifies determined by a combination of GC-MS and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The principal sterol of the mycelium was cholesta-5, 24-dienol (desmosterol) (83%), with lesser amounts of 24beta-methyl-cholesta-5,25(27)-dienol (codisterol) (2%), 24-methyldesmosterol (6%), 24(28)-methylene cholesterol (3%) and lanosterol (3%) and several other minor compounds (3%). The total sterol accounted for approximately 0.07% of the mycelial dry wt. Mycelium fed methionine-methyl-2H3 for 6 days, generated 3 2H-24-methyl(ene) sterols, [C28-2H2]24(28)-methylenecholesterol, [C28-2H3]24-methylcholesta-5,24-dienol and [C28-2H3]24beta-methyl-cholesta-5,25(27)-dienol. The formation of the 24-methyl sterols seems to be catalyzed by the direct methylation of a common Delta24-acceptor sterol thereby bypassing the intermediacy of an isomerization step for rearrangement of the Delta24(28)-bond to Delta25(25)-position as operates in Ascomycetes fungi and all plants.     

Sesamin inhibits lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase in Mortierella alpina

The filamentous fungus, Mortierella alpina, accumulates complex lipids relatively rich in arachidonic acid (C(20:4) Delta(5,8,11,14)). The lignan, sesamin, has been used to reduce arachidonic acid production by specifically inhibiting Delta(5)-desaturation [Shimizu, Akimoto, Shinmen, Kawashima, Sugano and Yamada (1991) Lipids 26, 512-516]. Microsomal membrane preparations from M. alpina exhibit acyl-CoA:1-acyl lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT) activity. LPCAT is an enzyme involved in channelling fatty acid substrates to phosphatidylcholine for subsequent desaturation. Sesamin was found to inhibit this enzyme as measured in both spectrophotometric and radioactive assays. The inhibitory effect of sesamin on LPCAT was only evident in species of Mortierella and could not be demonstrated in other organisms.     

Mycelial pellet intrastructure and visualization of mycelia and intracellular lipid in a culture of Mortierella alpina

The intrastructure of mycelial pellets of Mortierella alpina, which accumulate fatty acids in mycelia, was visualized following labeling with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and Nile red using fluorescence microscopy. The pellet was an ellipse shape, but its intrastructure was shaped as a doughnut with a cave inside. Using three-dimensional image analysis, it was shown that the lipid was produced on the edge of the pellet, which corresponded to the area where the mycelial density was high. The cavity ratio of the pellet section was determined on the basis of the FITC fluorescence intensity, and in the early culture stage remained at 0.2 in a 10-kl fermentor culture, but finally increased to 0.35. Mycelial pellet volume paralleled the cavity ratio. Application of the technique used here allows analysis of the intrastructure of fungal pellets and new types of fungal biological study.     

Dielectric analysis for estimation of oil content in the mycelia of Mortierella alpina.

The dielectric behavior of the filamentous fungi Mortierella alpina SAM2104 and 1S-4, which produce polyunsaturated fatty acid enriched oil in the mycelia, was investigated. During the cultivation carried out in a 10-kL fermentor for 12-15 days, the relative permittivity and conductivity of the broth were measured in the frequency range of 100 kHz to 30 MHz. The dielectric parameters, i.e., the amplitude of dielectric relaxation (Deltaepsilon) and the characteristic frequency (f(c)), were obtained by fitting the Cole-Cole equation to the observed dielectric relaxation, and the conductivity of the medium (kappa(a)) was also measured. The value of Deltaepsilon gradually increased from the second day through the end of cultivation, suggesting that volume fraction of the cell increased with oil accumulation. The conductivity of the cytoplasm (kappa(i)) was calculated from the experimental values of f(c) and kappa(a), using a theoretical equation based on an ellipsoidal cell model. As a result, good correlation between the calculated kappa(i) and the oil content was obtained. These findings indicate that dielectric analysis enables us to estimate the oil content in the mycelia of oleaginous fungi and also provides a useful tool for monitoring cell growth and for controlling the cultivation process.     

高山被孢霉产花生四烯酸发酵条件的研究

通过一株高山被孢霉M_(20)(Mortierella alpina)产花生四烯酸的摇瓶发酵研究,确定了其最佳发酵培养基组成及最适摇瓶发酵工艺条件。摇瓶实验确定的最佳培养基组成为(g/L):玉米粉水解液葡萄糖150,酵母粉15,KH_2PO_4 3.0,NaNO_3 3.0,MgSO_4·7H_2O 0.5。最佳发酵工艺条件为:初始pH6.5,装液量为50ml/500ml摇瓶,摇床转速150r/min,温度在菌体生长前三天控制在25℃培养,以后调至20℃培养。在此条件下,发酵培养被孢霉的生物量、菌体总油脂及花生四烯酸分别高达35.5g/L、13.2g/L及2.2g/L,在15L及1000L自动机械搅拌罐进行发酵试验,AA产量分别高达1.86g/L及1.70g/L。     

An improved intracellular staining protocol for efficient detection of nuclear proteins in YFP-expressing cells

Intracellular staining is a widely used flow cytometry (FCM)-based technique to detect the expression of cytoslio nucleic antigens. However, intracellular staining of cells expressing cytosolic fluorescent protein (FP) markers was proven to be problematic as significant loss of the FP-signal was routinely observed. Using splenocytes harvested from mice constitutively expressing the enhanced yellow fluorescent proteins (YFP) as a model, we modified the widely used intracellular staining protocol and successfully achieved simultaneous detection of both the nuclear proteins and YFP in T-regulatory cells. The improved protocol can be used to perform antibody-based intracellular characterization of FP-labeled target cells, while maintaining their fluorescent reporter signals for easy tracing and identification.     

高山被孢霉发酵生产花生四烯酸的宏观形态

采用图像处理技术对高山被孢霉(Mortierella alpina)发酵过程中的不同形态进行分析,并对其产花生四烯酸(ARA)能力进行了比较。研究发现:复合N源中蛋白胨与酵母粉比例是影响高山被孢霉宏观形态的重要因素,球形形态生长的菌体中ARA产量较分散,菌丝体中ARA产量高;在球形形态中,空心球的菌体生物量低,ARA比例低,蓬松球可以兼顾菌体高生物量、高油脂比例及高ARA比例。产ARA能力由生物量、油脂比例及油脂中ARA比例共同决定。结果表明:直径大约4 mm、成核区域面积大约为43.6%、紧密度为71.36的蓬松球形态,是高山被孢霉一种相对较佳的发酵形态,其菌体产ARA能力分别是空心球和分散丝状菌体产ARA能力的2.01和2.70倍。     

Genome characterization of the oleaginous fungus Mortierella alpina

Mortierella alpina is an oleaginous fungus which can produce lipids accounting for up to 50% of its dry weight in the form of triacylglycerols. It is used commercially for the production of arachidonic acid. Using a combination of high throughput sequencing and lipid profiling, we have assembled the M. alpina genome, mapped its lipogenesis pathway and determined its major lipid species. The 38.38 Mb M. alpina genome shows a high degree of gene duplications. Approximately 50% of its 12,796 gene models, and 60% of genes in the predicted lipogenesis pathway, belong to multigene families. Notably, M. alpina has 18 lipase genes, of which 11 contain the class 2 lipase domain and may share a similar function. M. alpina's fatty acid synthase is a single polypeptide containing all of the catalytic domains required for fatty acid synthesis from acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA, whereas in many fungi this enzyme is comprised of two polypeptides. Major lipids were profiled to confirm the products predicted in the lipogenesis pathway. M. alpina produces a complex mixture of glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids. In contrast, only two major sterol lipids, desmosterol and 24(28)-methylene-cholesterol, were detected. Phylogenetic analysis based on genes involved in lipid metabolism suggests that oleaginous fungi may have acquired their lipogenic capacity during evolution after the divergence of Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota and Mucoromycota. Our study provides the first draft genome and comprehensive lipid profile for M. alpina, and lays the foundation for possible genetic engineering of M. alpina to produce higher levels and diverse contents of dietary lipids.     

高山被孢霉遗传操作系统的构建与应用

高山被孢霉是一种重要的产油丝状真菌,其油脂积累量高达细胞干重的50%,其中具有重要生理活性的多不饱和脂肪酸含量较高且种类丰富。近年来,针对高山被孢霉遗传操作系统建立的分子生物学研究进展迅速,这为进一步提高其多不饱和脂肪酸合成水平奠定了基础。对高山被孢霉遗传操作系统的最新应用进展进行了综述,包括高山被孢霉的转化方法、筛选标记的种类、各种方法的优缺点及遗传操作系统的应用。     

花生四烯酸油脂高产菌株的选育

以高山被孢霉为出发菌株,抗氧化剂——没食子酸辛酯为筛选剂,经过紫外-LiCl复合诱变处理,筛选出抗脂肪酸脱氢酶抑制剂的菌株。将筛选出的菌株经过摇瓶发酵复筛,筛选到1株生产性能优于出发菌株的突变株R807。与原始菌株相比,该菌株的油脂组成脂肪酸分布中C18系列脂肪酸相对较少,花生四烯酸(ARA)占总脂肪酸的含量保持在40%(质量分数)以上。其菌体生物量达到39.2 g/L,油脂产量达到16.3 g/L,ARA占总脂肪酸含量为41.72%(质量分数),ARA产量达6.81 g/L。各数值比原始菌株分别提高了22.9%、3.2%、35.1%和39.8%。连续传代多次,其产量性状无显著变化。     

Optimized blood sampling with cytidine deaminase inhibitor for improved analysis of capecitabine metabolites

The 5FU prodrug capecitabine undergoes a 3-step enzymatic conversion, including the conversion of 5'DFRC into 5'DFUR by cytidine deaminase (CDA). The presence of CDA activity in blood led us to analyze the possible ex vivo conversion of 5'DFCR into 5'DFUR in blood samples. We thus examined the impact of the addition of a CDA inhibitor (tetrahydrouridine (THU) 1 microM final) in blood. Blood samples from 3 healthy volunteers were taken on tubes containing or not THU. Blood was spiked with 5'DFCR (20 microM final) (T0) and was maintained at room temperature for 2 h. Plasma concentrations of 5'DFRC and 5'DFUR were analyzed with an optimized HPLC assay. In the absence of THU, 5'DFUR was detectable as early as T0. The percent of 5'DFUR produced relative to 5'DFCR increased over time, up to 7.7 % at 2h. In contrast, the presence of THU totally prevents the formation of 5'DFUR. The impact of THU for preventing the conversion of 5'DFCR was confirmed by the analysis of blood samples from 2 capecitabine-treated patients. Addition of THU in the sampling-tube before the introduction of blood is thus strongly recommended in order to guarantee accurate conditions for reliable measurement of capecitabine metabolites in plasma, and thus faithful pharmacokinetic data.     

Oil biosynthesis in microsomal membrane preparations from Mortierella alpina

Microsomal membrane preparations from Mortierella alpina catalysed the conversion of sn-glycerol 3-phosphate and [(14)C]oleoyl-CoA to radioactive phosphatidic acid, diacylglycerol and triacylglycerol. Experiments with lysophosphatidic acid and [(14)C]oleoyl-CoA gave a similar pattern of radioactivity in the complex lipids. The specific activity of lysophosphatidate acyltransferase was almost eight times greater than sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase, indicating that the first acylation step was limiting in oil assembly in the microsomal membranes. Little conversion of radioactive oleate into phosphatidylcholine occurred, suggesting that triacylglycerol assembly and its relationship to phosphatidylcholine metabolism differed to that found in oilseeds.     

KLa对高山被孢霉产花生四烯酸的影响

研究了体积溶氧系数(K1a)对被孢霉产生四烯酸的影响。结果表明在摇瓶水平放大培养中,K1a、被孢霉生长、花生四烯酸（AA）产量均降低。利用0.3％Tween20作为氧载体提高各级的K1a,可以较大幅度提高AA产量。     

Functional characterization of two diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 genes in Mortierella alpina

Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) is a crucial enzyme in the triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis pathway. The oleaginous fungus Mortierella alpina can accumulate large amounts of arachidonic acid (ARA, C20:4) in the form of TAG. Therefore, it is important to study the functional characteristics of its DGAT. Two putative genes MaDGAT1A/1B encoding DGAT1 were identified in M. alpina ATCC 32222 genome by sequence alignment. Sequence alignment with identified DGAT1 homologs showed that MaDGAT1A/1B contain seven conserved motifs that are characteristic of the DGAT1 subfamily. Conserved domain analysis showed that both MaDGAT1A and MaDGAT1B belong to the Membrane-bound O-acyltransferases superfamily. The transforming with MaDGAT1A/1B genes could increase the accumulation of TAG in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to 4·47 and 7·48% of dry cell weight, which was 7·3-fold and 12·3-fold of the control group, respectively, but has no effect on the proportion of fatty acids in TAG. This study showed that MaDGAT1A/1B could effectively promote the accumulation of TAG and therefore may be used in metabolic engineering aimed to increase TAG production of oleaginous fungi.     

An improved micropropagation protocol for teak

An improved micropropagation protocol has been developed for teak (Tectona grandis). Nodal explants placed on MS medium supplemented with 22.2 M benzylaminopurine and then serially transferred to fresh medium after 12, 24, 48 and 72 h gave maximum culture establishment (76.8%). Establishment was reduced when explants were retained in the initial culture medium longer than 12 h. Explants collected in May showed maximum (76.8%) response. Placement of the explants on MS medium supplemented with 22.2 M benzylaminopurine and 0.57 M indole-3-acetic acid resulted in the maximum average number of shoots. In vitro raised micro shoots were rooted ex vitro by dipping in indole-3-butyric acid (9.8 mM) for 2 min followed by planting in polyethylene pots containing a soil:vermiculite (1:1 v/v) mixture. This treatment resulted in 77.9% survival of the plantlets. They were weaned in a glasshouse and finally moved to an agro-net shade house.     

Isolating Mortierella alpina strains of high yield of arachidonic acid

AIMS: To develop a fast isolation method for arachidonic acid-producing fungi of high yield. METHODS AND RESULTS: Relation between the staining degree of mycelia of Mortierella alpina stained with triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) and arachidonic acid content in the fungal lipids was investigated. Results showed that staining degree of mycelia stained with TTC increased when arachidonic acid content in mycelia lipids increased. This finding was used to isolate strains of high arachidonic acid yield. Arachidonic acid producing fungi were selectively isolated from soil at a low temperature of 4 degrees C and the mycelia of these isolates were stained with TTC. CONCLUSIONS: The strain M. alpina M6 that had the highest staining degree had the highest arachidonic acid content (72.3%). The yield of arachidonic acid in this strain reached 4.82 g l(-1). SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: A fast and effective method to isolate strains of high arachidonic acid yield was established according to the finding that staining degree of mycelia of M. alpina was positively correlated with arachidonic acid content in mycelia lipid.     

Effect of glutamate on arachidonic acid production from Mortierella alpina

AIMS: To evaluate the effect of glutamate on arachidonic acid production from Mortierella alpina. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cell growth, arachidonic acid production, proportions of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PuFAs) in fatty acids and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity were analysed when glutamate concentration was 0.8 g l(-1). Biomass and arachidonic acid production were higher in the culture containing glutamate than those in the control culture, and both reached their maximum of 25 g l(-1) and 1.4 g l(-1) after 7 d, respectively. The proportions of some PuFAs, oleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid were decreased while linoleic acid and arachidonic acid were enhanced by glutamate addition. Glutamate addition enhanced G6PDH activity compared with the control during the whole culture process. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of 0.8 g l(-1) glutamate was beneficial to enhance arachidonic acid production from Mortierella alpina, which was a result of activating the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study shows that the addition of glutamate and regulation of PPP had a positive influence on arachidonic acid synthesis in Mortierella species.     

Monitoring of morphological development of the arachidonic-acid-producing filamentous microorganism Mortierella alpina

Morphological parameters, such as hyphal growth rate, tip formation rate, tip extension rate and branch formation rate, of Mortierella alpina have been measured using a flow-through chamber under 25 different combinations of carbon and nitrogen concentrations. Morphological parameters were influenced not by C/N ratio but by carbon concentration in the medium. Specific rates of hyphal growth and tip formation both remained constant at a low carbon concentration of 5 g/l. Tip extension rate from one tip was 60 microm tip(-1) h(-1) at a carbon concentration below 15 g/l, and the branching formation rate was independent of carbon concentration. Tip extension rate was a function of specific hyphal growth rate, which in turn was linearly proportional to the specific tip formation rate, demonstrating that tip extension rate was exponentially proportional to the specific tip formation rate. Branch formation rate per hyphal element remained unchanged even at tip extension rates lower than 60 microm tip(-1) h(-1) and at specific hyphal growth rates lower than 0.83 h(-1), but decreased drastically at higher rates of tip extension and hyphal growth.