Molecular and Biochemical Characterization of the Protein Template Controlling Biosynthesis of the Lipopeptide Lichenysin

Lichenysins are surface-active lipopeptides with antibiotic properties produced nonribosomally by several strains of Bacillus licheniformis. Here, we report the cloning and sequencing of an entire 26.6-kb lichenysin biosynthesis operon from B. licheniformis ATCC 10716. Three large open reading frames coding for peptide synthetases, designated licA, licB (three modules each), and licC (one module), could be detected, followed by a gene, licTE, coding for a thioesterase-like protein. The domain structure of the seven identified modules, which resembles that of the surfactin synthetases SrfA-A to -C, showed two epimerization domains attached to the third and sixth modules. The substrate specificity of the first, fifth, and seventh recombinant adenylation domains of LicA to -C (cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli) was determined to be Gln, Asp, and Ile (with minor Val and Leu substitutions), respectively. Therefore, we suppose that the identified biosynthesis operon is responsible for the production of a lichenysin variant with the primary amino acid sequence l-Gln–l-Leu–d-Leu–l-Val–l-Asp–d-Leu–l-Ile, with minor Leu and Val substitutions at the seventh position.Many strains of Bacillus are known to produce lipopeptides with remarkable surface-active properties (11). The most prominent of these powerful lipopeptides is surfactin from Bacillus subtilis (1). Surfactin is an acylated cyclic heptapeptide that reduces the surface tension of water from 72 to 27 mN m⁻¹ even in a concentration below 0.05% and shows some antibacterial and antifungal activities (1). Some B. subtilis strains are also known to produce other, structurally related lipoheptapeptides (Table ​(Table1),1), like iturin (32, 34) and bacillomycin (3, 27, 30), or the lipodecapeptides fengycin (50) and plipastatin (29).

TABLE 1

Lipoheptapeptide antibiotics of Bacillus spp.

The Atrazine Catabolism Genes atzABC Are Widespread and Highly Conserved

Pseudomonas strain ADP metabolizes the herbicide atrazine via three enzymatic steps, encoded by the genes atzABC, to yield cyanuric acid, a nitrogen source for many bacteria. Here, we show that five geographically distinct atrazine-degrading bacteria contain genes homologous to atzA, -B, and -C. The sequence identities of the atz genes from different atrazine-degrading bacteria were greater than 99% in all pairwise comparisons. This differs from bacterial genes involved in the catabolism of other chlorinated compounds, for which the average sequence identity in pairwise comparisons of the known members of a class ranged from 25 to 56%. Our results indicate that globally distributed atrazine-catabolic genes are highly conserved in diverse genera of bacteria.Atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)- 1,3,5-triazine] is a herbicide used for controlling broad-leaf and grassy weeds and is relatively persistent in soils (51). Atrazine and other s-triazine compounds have been detected in ground and surface waters at levels exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant level of 3 ppb (30).Microbial populations exposed to synthetic chlorinated compounds, such as atrazine, often respond by producing enzymes that degrade these molecules. Most of our current understanding of the genes and enzymes involved in atrazine degradation derives from studies using Pseudomonas strain ADP, in which the first three enzymatic steps in atrazine degradation have been defined (6, 14, 15, 48). The genes atz A, -B, and -C, which encode these enzymes, have been cloned and sequenced. Atrazine chlorohydrolase (AtzA), hydroxyatrazine ethylaminohydrolase (AtzB), and N-isopropylammelide isopropylaminohydrolase (AtzC) sequentially convert atrazine to cyanuric acid (6, 14, 15, 48) (Fig. ​(Fig.1).1). Cyanuric acid and related compounds are catabolized by many soil bacteria (10, 11, 17, 24, 26, 61), and by Pseudomonas sp. ADP, to carbon dioxide and ammonia (35). This provides the evolutionary pressure for the atzA, -B, and -C genes to permit bacterial growth on the more than one billion pounds of atrazine that have been applied to soils globally (20). Here we used a knowledge of the atzA, -B, and -C gene sequences to investigate the presence of homologous genes in other atrazine-degrading bacteria. In this study, we report that five atrazine-degrading microorganisms, which were recently isolated from geographically separated sites exposed to atrazine, contained nearly identical atzA, -B, and -C genes. Open in a separate windowFIG. 1Pathway for atrazine catabolism to cyanuric acid in Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP.

Atrazine-catabolizing bacteria used in this study.

Until recently, attempts at isolating bacteria (18) or fungi (27) that completely degrade atrazine to carbon dioxide, ammonia, and chloride were unsuccessful. While several microorganisms were shown to dealkylate atrazine, they were unable to displace the chlorine atom (41, 54). Since 1994, several research groups have independently isolated atrazine-degrading bacteria that displaced the chlorine atom and mineralized atrazine (3, 7, 13, 35, 39, 46). Six of these bacterial cultures, listed in Table ​Table1,1, were studied here, and the Clavibacter strain had been investigated previously (13).

TABLE 1

Recently isolated atrazine-catabolizing bacteria

Protein Identification Using Top-Down Spectra

In the last two years, because of advances in protein separation and mass spectrometry, top-down mass spectrometry moved from analyzing single proteins to analyzing complex samples and identifying hundreds and even thousands of proteins. However, computational tools for database search of top-down spectra against protein databases are still in their infancy. We describe MS-Align+, a fast algorithm for top-down protein identification based on spectral alignment that enables searches for unexpected post-translational modifications. We also propose a method for evaluating statistical significance of top-down protein identifications and further benchmark various software tools on two top-down data sets from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Salmonella typhimurium. We demonstrate that MS-Align+ significantly increases the number of identified spectra as compared with MASCOT and OMSSA on both data sets. Although MS-Align+ and ProSightPC have similar performance on the Salmonella typhimurium data set, MS-Align+ outperforms ProSightPC on the (more complex) Saccharomyces cerevisiae data set.In the past two decades, proteomics was dominated by bottom-up mass spectrometry that analyzes digested peptides rather than intact proteins. Bottom-up approaches, although powerful, do have limitations in analyzing protein species, e.g. various proteolytic forms of the same protein or various protein isoforms resulting from alternative splicing. Top-down mass spectrometry focuses on analyzing intact proteins and large peptides (1–10) and has advantages in localizing multiple post-translational modifications (PTMs)¹ in a coordinated fashion (e.g. combinatorial PTM code) and identifying multiple protein species (e.g. proteolytically processed protein species) (11). Until recently, most top-down studies were limited to single purified proteins (12–15). Top-down studies of protein mixtures were restricted by difficulties in separating and fragmenting intact proteins and a shortage of robust computational tools.In the last two years, because of advances in protein separation and top-down instrumentation, top-down mass spectrometry moved from analyzing single proteins to analyzing complex samples containing hundreds and even thousands of proteins (16–21). Because algorithms for interpreting top-down spectra are still in their infancy, many recent developments include computational innovations in protein identification.Because top-down spectra are complex, the first step in top-down spectral interpretation is usually spectral deconvolution, which converts a complex top-down spectrum to a list of monoisotopic masses (a deconvolved spectrum). Every protein (possibly with modifications) can be scored against a top-down deconvoluted spectrum, resulting in a Protein-Spectrum-Match (PrSM). The top-down protein identification problem is finding a protein in a database with the highest scoring PrSM for a top-down spectrum and further output the PrSM if it is statistically significant. There are several software tools for top-down protein identification (

Evidence for Interspecies Gene Transfer in the Evolution of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid Degraders

Small-subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) from 20 phenotypically distinct strains of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)-degrading bacteria was partially sequenced, yielding 18 unique strains belonging to members of the alpha, beta, and gamma subgroups of the class Proteobacteria. To understand the origin of 2,4-D degradation in this diverse collection, the first gene in the 2,4-D pathway, tfdA, was sequenced. The sequences fell into three unique classes found in various members of the beta and gamma subgroups of Proteobacteria. None of the α-Proteobacteria yielded tfdA PCR products. A comparison of the dendrogram of the tfdA genes with that of the SSU rDNA genes demonstrated incongruency in phylogenies, and hence 2,4-D degradation must have originated from gene transfer between species. Only those strains with tfdA sequences highly similar to the tfdA sequence of strain JMP134 (tfdA class I) transferred all the 2,4-D genes and conferred the 2,4-D degradation phenotype to a Burkholderia cepacia recipient.Bacteria capable of mineralizing 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), a commonly used herbicide, are found in many different phylogenetic groups (2, 3, 7, 11, 22, 23). Evidence suggests that numerous variants of 2,4-D catabolic genes exist and that catabolic operons consist of a near-random mixing of these variants (7). Interspecies gene transfer is a well-documented phenomenon (13), and horizontal gene transfer of the 2,4-D-degrading plasmid pJP4 has been shown (3, 5). However, not all 2,4-D catabolic operons are found on plasmids (10, 11, 16, 20). The extent to which other 2,4-D genes have been exchanged in nature is unknown. The aim of this research was to assess the role of horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of 2,4-D-degrading strains. This article summarizes the results of two aspects of this work—the study of the transfer of the entire 2,4-D pathway by using standard mating experiments and a phylogenetic study of the tfdA gene. The tfdA gene codes for an α-ketoglutarate-dependent 2,4-D dioxygenase which converts 2,4-D into 2,4-dichlorophenol and glyoxylate (6). This 861-bp gene was first sequenced from Ralstonia eutropha JMP134 (19). Two more tfdA genes were cloned from chromosomal locations in Burkholderia strain RASC and Burkholderia strain TFD6 (16, 20). These proved to be identical to each other and 78.5% similar to the original. An alignment of the two variants allowed conserved areas to be identified and primers to be designed for the amplification of tfdA-like genes from other sources (24). Sequence analysis of putative tfdA fragments and the small-subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) of the strains carrying them allowed us to construct phylogenies of the genes and their hosts and to look for congruency between them.

Mating experiments.

A collection of 2,4-D degraders containing 15 unique strains as determined by genomic fingerprinting (7) was used as a source of donors in a series of mating experiments (Table ​(Table1).1). Burkholderia cepacia D5, lacking the ability to grow on 2,4-D and not hybridizing to any tfd genes, was used as a recipient in mating experiments. Strain D5 contains neomycin phosphotransferase genes (nptII) carried on transposon Tn5 and is resistant to 50 μg each of kanamycin, carbenicillin, and bacitracin per ml. All of the 2,4-D strains used were sensitive to these antibiotics. Filter matings were performed with a donor-to-recipient ratio of 1:10. Colonies which grew on selective medium (500 ppm of 2,4-D in mineral salts agar [MMO] [23] including 50 μg of kanamycin, carbenicillin, and bacitracin per ml) were subjected to further tests. Their ability to catabolize 2,4-D was tested in liquid medium (same composition as that described above).

TABLE 1

2,4-D-degrading strains, geographic origins, and GenBank accession numbers

Point Mutations in the Integron Integrase IntI1 That Affect Recombination and/or Substrate Recognition

The site-specific recombinase IntI1 found in class 1 integrons catalyzes the excision and integration of mobile gene cassettes, especially antibiotic resistance gene cassettes, with a site-specific recombination system. The integron integrase belongs to the tyrosine recombinase (phage integrase) family. The members of this family, exemplified by the lambda integrase, do not share extensive amino acid identities, but three invariant residues are found within two regions, designated box I and box II. Two conserved residues are arginines, one located in box I and one in box II, while the other conserved residue is a tyrosine located at the C terminus of box II. We have analyzed the properties of IntI1 variants carrying point mutations at the three conserved residues of the family in in vivo recombination and in vitro substrate binding. We have made four proteins with mutations of the conserved box I arginine (R146) and three mutants with changes of the box II arginine (R280); of these, MBP-IntI1(R146K) and MBP-IntI1(R280K) bind to the attI1 site in vitro, but only MBP-IntI1(R280K) is able to excise cassettes in vivo. However, the efficiency of recombination and DNA binding for MBP-IntI1(R280K) is lower than that obtained with the wild-type MBP-IntI1. We have also made two proteins with mutations of the tyrosine residue (Y312), and both mutant proteins are similar to the wild-type fusion protein in their DNA-binding capacity but are unable to catalyze in vivo recombination.Integrons are DNA elements that capture genes, especially antibiotic resistance genes, by a site-specific recombination system (32). The recombination system consists of a DNA integrase (Int) and two types of recombination sites, attI and attC (59-base element). The integrase gene (int) is located in the 5′ conserved segment of the integron structure (Fig. ​(Fig.1)1) and is a member of the tyrosine recombinase family (1, 4, 13, 23, 24). Three types of integrases, sharing around 50% identity among themselves, have been identified; they define integron classes 1, 2, and 3 (30). The 5′ conserved segment found in class 1 integrons also contains a promoter region responsible for the expression of inserted cassettes (11, 21) and the recombination site attI1 (31). The 3′ conserved segment of the class 1 integrons includes an ethidium bromide resistance determinant (qacEΔ1), a sulfonamide resistance gene (sulI), an open reading frame (ORF5) of unknown function, and further sequences that differ from one integron to another (5, 6, 28). The 3′ conserved segment of class 2 integrons includes transposition genes (20) while that of class 3 integrons has not yet been studied (2). The variable region, located between the two conserved segments, usually contains antibiotic resistance genes; In0 contains no inserted genes while In21 possesses eight cassettes with ten genes (or ORFs) in this region (5, 16). These genes are part of mobile cassettes which include a recombination site, attC, that differs from one gene to another (18, 33). Incoming genes must be associated with an attC to be recognized by the integron integrase and are preferentially inserted at the recombination site attI1 (11). Cassettes are excised as circular intermediates and integrated at core sites by the action of the integrase (8–10). The core site, defined as GTTRRRY, makes up the 3′ end of attI1 and attC, with the crossover taking place between the G and the first T (19). Antibiotic selection pressure can reveal cassette rearrangements in which a given resistance is nearest the promoter and thus most strongly expressed (10). Open in a separate windowFIG. 1General structure of class 1 integrons. Cassettes are inserted in the integron variable region by a site-specific recombination mechanism. The attI1 site is shown by a black circle, core sites are represented by ovals, the attC site is indicated by a black rectangle, and promoters are denoted by P. intIl, integrase gene; qacEΔ1, antiseptic resistance gene; sulI, sulfonamide resistance gene; orf5, gene of unknown function.Site-specific recombination, unlike homologous recombination, is characterized by relatively short, specific DNA sequences and requires only limited homology of the recombining partners (12). Site-specific recombination is an entirely conservative process since all DNA strands that are broken (two per exchange site) are rejoined in a process that involves neither ATP nor DNA synthesis. Homology alignments of site-specific recombinases assign them to two families: the resolvase family, named after the TnpR proteins encoded by the transposons γδ and Tn3, and the integrase family. The integrase family includes over 140 members to date, but they are highly diversified proteins (13, 23). Members of this family, which include the well-studied λ integrase, recombine DNA duplexes by executing two consecutive strand breakage and rejoining steps and a topoisomerization of the reactants. The first pair of exchanges form a four-way Holliday junction and the second pair resolve the junction to complete the recombination. The integrase nucleophile is a conserved tyrosine that becomes associated with a phosphate group on DNA. The cleavage sites on each DNA duplex are separated by 6 to 8 bp with a 5′ stagger, and the tyrosine joins to the 3′ phosphate (17).The initial definition of the integrase family was based on comparisons of seven sequences, and three invariant residues were identified: an HXXR cluster and a Y residue (4). Alignment of 28 sequences identified a fourth invariant position, occupied by an arginine residue (1). These four conserved residues are found in two boxes located in the second half of the protein. A recent analysis has shown that the conserved histidine is present in 136 of the 147 members (93%); this residue is then not conserved in all members of the family (13). Another recent analysis has identified three patches of residues located around box I, which seem to be important in the secondary structure of these proteins (23). In this study, we analyzed the properties of several mutants of the conserved residues R146, R280, and Y312 of the integron integrase IntI1 in in vivo recombination and in vitro substrate binding.

Construction of plasmids overexpressing mutant MBP-IntI1 fusion proteins.

The plasmids encoding various mutants of MBP-IntI1 were constructed by PCR using pLQ369 (50 ng) as a template (15). Two primer pairs, designed with the OLIGO software package (version 4.1; National Biosciences, Plymouth, Minn.), were used to construct each set of mutants. The R146 mutants were constructed with an XcmI-BamHI primer pair [IntI1(R146)-XcmI, 5′-TTCACCAGCTTCTGTATGGAACGGGCATG(A/G)(A/T)AATCAG-3′; IntI1(R146)-BamHI, 5′-CCGGATCCCTACCTCTCACT-3′], the R280 mutants were constructed with an NruI-XmnI primer pair [IntI1(R280)-NruI, 5′-AGCCGTCGCGAACGAGTGC(C/T)(C/T)GAGGG-3′; IntI1(R280)-XmnI, 5′-ACCCCTAATGAAGTGGTTCGTATCC-3′], and the Y312 mutants were constructed with a AatII-ScaI primer pair [IntI1(Y312)-AatII, 5′-ATTCCGACGTCTCTACTACGATGATTT(C/T)CACGC-3′; pLQ369-ScaI, 5′-ATGCTTTTCTGTGACTGGTG-3′] (restriction sites within primer sequences are underlined). PCR conditions were 10 min at 94°C, three cycles consisting of 45 s at 94°C, 45 s at 47°C, and 90 s at 72°C, 30 cycles consisting of 45 s at 94°C, 45 s at 60°C (50°C for Y312 mutants), and 90 s at 72°C, and a final elongation step of 10 min at 72°C. The XcmI, NruI, and AatII primers were degenerate in one or two positions, so that a single primer could give all mutants. Mutant PCR fragments were digested and cloned directly into pLQ369 digested with the same enzymes, except for the R146 mutant fragments that were subcloned into pLQ364 at first. New mutant PCR fragments were then amplified on these subclones, using IntI1(R146)-BamHI and IntI1(R280)-XmnI primers. These mutant PCR fragments were cleaved with BamHI and XmnI, and the resulting fragments were cloned into pLQ369. This avoids the necessity of partial digestion of pLQ369 with XcmI. Mutant clones were digested with restriction endonucleases and sequenced to determine the mutation.

In vivo recombination.

Mutant MBP-IntI1 clones were introduced into Escherichia coli TB1 {F′ araΔ(lac-proAB) rpsL (Str^r) [φ80dlacΔ(lacZ)M15] hsdR(r_K⁻m_K⁻)} containing pLQ428 by transformation (Fig. ​(Fig.22 and Table ​Table1).1). E. coli TB1 cells containing pLQ428 and one of the MBP-IntI1 mutants were grown at 37°C for 3 h in Luria-Bertani medium. Excision of the aacA1-ORFG and/or ORFH cassettes was induced by the overexpression of the malE-intI1 gene by using 0.3 mM isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG; Sigma Chemical Co.) and by incubation at 37°C for another 3 h. Cell culture was done in the presence of 50 μg of ampicillin per ml, 15 μg of amikacin per ml, and 50 μg of chloramphenicol per ml. Plasmid DNA was then prepared from 5-ml cultures with the Perfect Prep DNA extraction kit (Mandel Corporation). In order to determine the capacity of mutant MBP-IntI1 proteins to excise aacA1-ORFG and/or ORFH cassettes of In21, we used PCR primers pACYC184-5′ (5′-TGTAGCACCTGAAGTCAGCC-3′) and pACYC184-3′ (5′-ATACCCACGCCGAAACAAG-3′) (Fig. ​(Fig.2,2, primers 1 and 2) to detect the reduction of pLQ428 length. PCR conditions were 10 min at 94°C, 30 cycles consisting of 1 min at 94°C, 1 min at 60°C, and 5 min at 72°C, and a final elongation step of 10 min at 72°C. A major PCR fragment can be seen in each lane containing a DNA preparation from a mutant clone (Fig. ​(Fig.3,3, lanes 2 to 9). This band is 2,499 bp long and, as determined by restriction enzyme digestions, represents the pLQ428 clone without any cassette excision (data not shown). This band is also observed in the negative control, which is the pMAL-c2 vector without any gene fused to malE (Fig. ​(Fig.3,3, lane 12). Open in a separate windowFIG. 2Representation of plasmids used in this study. The positions of the three invariant residues of the integrase family are indicated, along with restriction sites used to construct mutant proteins. Core sites are represented by black circles, and attCs are shown by white boxes. The numbered arrows represent the PCR primers used to detect excision events, pACYC184-5′ (1) and pACYC184-3′ (2). bla, gene encoding β-lactamase; cat, gene encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase; intIl, gene encoding the integron integrase (IntI1); malE, gene encoding the maltose binding protein (MBP); ori, origin of replication; P_tac, tac promoter; P_tet, tetracycline promoter. Only relevant restriction sites are indicated.

TABLE 1

Plasmids used in this study

Disease Mutations in the Human Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase Thumb Subdomain Impart Severe Defects in Mitochondrial DNA Replication

Forty-five different point mutations in POLG, the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of the human mitochondrial DNA polymerase (pol γ), cause the early onset mitochondrial DNA depletion disorder, Alpers syndrome. Sequence analysis of the C-terminal polymerase region of pol γ revealed a cluster of four Alpers mutations at highly conserved residues in the thumb subdomain (G848S, c.2542g→a; T851A, c.2551a→g; R852C, c.2554c→t; R853Q, c.2558g→a) and two Alpers mutations at less conserved positions in the adjacent palm subdomain (Q879H, c.2637g→t and T885S, c.2653a→t). Biochemical characterization of purified, recombinant forms of pol γ revealed that Alpers mutations in the thumb subdomain reduced polymerase activity more than 99% relative to the wild-type enzyme, whereas the palm subdomain mutations retained 50–70% wild-type polymerase activity. All six mutant enzymes retained physical and functional interaction with the pol γ accessory subunit (p55), and none of the six mutants exhibited defects in misinsertion fidelity in vitro. However, differential DNA binding by these mutants suggests a possible orientation of the DNA with respect to the polymerase during catalysis. To our knowledge this study represents the first structure-function analysis of the thumb subdomain in pol γ and examines the consequences of mitochondrial disease mutations in this region.As the only DNA polymerase found in animal cell mitochondria, DNA polymerase γ (pol γ)³ bears sole responsibility for DNA synthesis in all replication and repair transactions involving mitochondrial DNA (1, 2). Mammalian cell pol γ is a heterotrimeric complex composed of one catalytic subunit of 140 kDa (p140) and two 55-kDa accessory subunits (p55) that form a dimer (3). The catalytic subunit contains an N-terminal exonuclease domain connected by a linker region to a C-terminal polymerase domain. Whereas the exonuclease domain contains essential motifs I, II, and III for its activity, the polymerase domain comprising the thumb, palm, and finger subdomains contains motifs A, B, and C that are crucial for polymerase activity. The catalytic subunit is a family A DNA polymerase that includes bacterial pol I and T7 DNA polymerase and possesses DNA polymerase, 3′ → 5′ exonuclease, and 5′-deoxyribose phosphate lyase activities (for review, see Refs. 1 and 2). The 55-kDa accessory subunit (p55) confers processive DNA synthesis and tight binding of the pol γ complex to DNA (4, 5).Depletion of mtDNA as well as the accumulation of deletions and point mutations in mtDNA have been observed in several mitochondrial disorders (for review, see Ref. 6). mtDNA depletion syndromes are caused by defects in nuclear genes responsible for replication and maintenance of the mitochondrial genome (7). Mutation of POLG, the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of pol γ, is frequently involved in disorders linked to mutagenesis of mtDNA (8, 9). Presently, more than 150 point mutations in POLG are linked with a wide variety of mitochondrial diseases, including the autosomal dominant (ad) and recessive forms of progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO), Alpers syndrome, parkinsonism, ataxia-neuropathy syndromes, and male infertility (tools.niehs.nih.gov/polg) (9).Alpers syndrome, a hepatocerebral mtDNA depletion disorder, and myocerebrohepatopathy are rare heritable autosomal recessive diseases primarily affecting young children (10–12). These diseases generally manifest during the first few weeks to years of life, and symptoms gradually develop in a stepwise manner eventually leading to death. Alpers syndrome is characterized by refractory seizures, psychomotor regression, and hepatic failure (11, 12). Mutation of POLG was first linked to Alpers syndrome in 2004 (13), and to date 45 different point mutations in POLG (18 localized to the polymerase domain) are associated with Alpers syndrome (9, 14, 15). However, only two Alpers mutations (A467T and W748S, both in the linker region) have been biochemically characterized (16, 17).During the initial cloning and sequencing of the human, Drosophila, and chicken pol γ genes, we noted a highly conserved region N-terminal to motif A in the polymerase domain that was specific to pol γ (18). This region corresponds to part of the thumb subdomain that tracks DNA into the active site of both Escherichia coli pol I and T7 DNA polymerase (19–21). A high concentration of disease mutations, many associated with Alpers syndrome, is found in the thumb subdomain.Here we investigated six mitochondrial disease mutations clustered in the N-terminal portion of the polymerase domain of the enzyme (Fig. 1A). Four mutations (G848S, c.2542g→a; T851A, c.2551a→g; R852C, c.2554c→t; R853Q, c.2558g→a) reside in the thumb subdomain and two (Q879H, c.2637g→t and T885S, c.2653a→t) are located in the palm subdomain. These mutations are associated with Alpers, PEO, mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), ataxia-neuropathy syndrome, Leigh syndrome, and myocerebrohepatopathy (POLG mutationDiseaseGeneticsReferenceG848SAlpers syndromeIn trans with A467T, Q497H, T251I-P587L, or W748S-E1143G in Alpers syndrome15, 35, 43–50Leigh syndromeIn trans with R232H in Leigh syndrome49MELASIn trans with R627Q in MELAS38PEO with ataxia-neuropathyIn trans with G746S and E1143G in PEO with ataxia50PEOIn trans with T251I and P587L in PEO51, 52T851AAlpers syndromeIn trans with R1047W48, 53In trans with H277CR852CAlpers syndromeIn trans with A467T14, 48, 50In cis with G11D and in trans with W748S-E1143G or A467TAtaxia-neuropathyIn trans with G11D-R627Q15R853QMyocerebrohepatopathyIn trans with T251I-P587L15Q879HAlpers syndrome with valproate-induced hepatic failureIn cis with E1143G and in trans with A467T-T885S35, 54T885SAlpers syndrome with valproate-induced hepatic failureIn cis with A467T and in trans with Q879H-E1143G35, 54Open in a separate windowOpen in a separate windowFIGURE 1.POLG mutations characterized in this study. A, the location of the six mutations characterized is shown in red in the primary sequence of pol γ. Four mutations, the G848S, T851A, R852C, and R853Q, are located in the thumb domain, whereas two mutations, the Q879H and T885S, are in the palm domain of the polymerase region. B, sequence alignment of pol γ from yeast to humans. The amino acids characterized in this study are shown in red. Yellow-highlighted amino acids are highly conserved, and blue-highlighted amino acids are moderately conserved.     

Stress-induced flowering

Many plant species can be induced to flower by responding to stress factors. The short-day plants Pharbitis nil and Perilla frutescens var. crispa flower under long days in response to the stress of poor nutrition or low-intensity light. Grafting experiments using two varieties of P. nil revealed that a transmissible flowering stimulus is involved in stress-induced flowering. The P. nil and P. frutescens plants that were induced to flower by stress reached anthesis, fruited and produced seeds. These seeds germinated, and the progeny of the stressed plants developed normally. Phenylalanine ammonialyase inhibitors inhibited this stress-induced flowering, and the inhibition was overcome by salicylic acid (SA), suggesting that there is an involvement of SA in stress-induced flowering. PnFT2, a P. nil ortholog of the flowering gene FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) of Arabidopsis thaliana, was expressed when the P. nil plants were induced to flower under poor-nutrition stress conditions, but expression of PnFT1, another ortholog of FT, was not induced, suggesting that PnFT2 is involved in stress-induced flowering.Key words: flowering, stress, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, salicylic acid, FLOWERING LOCUS T, Pharbitis nil, Perilla frutescensFlowering in many plant species is regulated by environmental factors, such as night-length in photoperiodic flowering and temperature in vernalization. On the other hand, a short-day (SD) plant such as Pharbitis nil (synonym Ipomoea nil) can be induced to flower under long days (LD) when grown under poor-nutrition, low-temperature or high-intensity light conditions.^1–9 The flowering induced by these conditions is accompanied by an increase in phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity.¹⁰ Taken together, these facts suggest that the flowering induced by these conditions might be regulated by a common mechanism. Poor nutrition, low temperature and high-intensity light can be regarded as stress factors, and PAL activity increases under these stress conditions.¹¹ Accordingly, we assumed that such LD flowering in P. nil might be induced by stress. Non-photoperiodic flowering has also been sporadically reported in several plant species other than P. nil, and a review of these studies suggested that most of the factors responsible for flowering could be regarded as stress. Some examples of these factors are summarized in 12^–14

Table 1

Some cases of stress-induced flowering