Increased Lysine Content Is the Main Characteristic of the Soluble Form of the Polyamide Cyanophycin Synthesized by Recombinant Escherichia coli

Cyanophycin, a polyamide of cyanobacterial or noncyanobacterial origin consisting of aspartate, arginine, and lysine, was synthesized in different recombinant strains of Escherichia coli expressing cphA from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6308 or PCC 6803, Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, or Acinetobacter calcoaceticus ADP1. The molar aspartate/arginine/lysine ratio of the water-soluble form isolated from a recombinant strain expressing CphA₆₃₀₈ was 1:0.5:0.5, with a lysine content higher than any ever described before. The water-insoluble form consisted instead of mainly aspartate and arginine residues and had a lower proportion of lysine, amounting to a maximum of only 5 mol%. It could be confirmed that the synthesis of soluble cyanobacterial granule polypeptide (CGP) is independent of the origin of cphA. Soluble CGP isolated from all recombinant strains contained a least 17 mol% lysine. The total CGP portion of cell dry matter synthesized by CphA₆₃₀₈ from recombinant E. coli was about 30% (wt/wt), including 23% (wt/wt) soluble CGP, by using terrific broth complex medium for cultivation at 30°C for 72 h. Enhanced production of soluble CGP instead of its insoluble form is interesting for further application and makes recombinant E. coli more attractive as a suitable source for the production of polyaspartic acid or dipeptides. In addition, a new low-cost, time-saving, effective, and common isolation procedure for mainly soluble CGP, suitable for large-scale application, was established in this study.     

Guanidination of Soluble Lysine-Rich Cyanophycin Yields a Homoarginine-Containing Polyamide

Soluble cyanobacterial granule polypeptide (CGP), especially that isolated from recombinant Escherichia coli strains, consists of aspartic acid, arginine, and a greater amount of lysine than that in insoluble CGP isolated from cyanobacteria or various other recombinant bacteria. In vitro guanidination of lysine side chains of soluble CGP with o-methylisourea (OMIU) yielded the nonproteinogenic amino acid homoarginine. The modified soluble CGP consisted of 51 mol% aspartate, 14 mol% arginine, and 35 mol% homoarginine. The complete conversion of lysine residues to homoarginine was confirmed by (i) nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, (ii) coupled liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and (iii) high-performance liquid chromatography. Unlike soluble CGP, this new homoarginine-containing polyamide was soluble only under acidic or alkaline conditions and was insoluble in water or at a neutral pH. Thus, it showed solubility behavior similar to that of the natural insoluble polymer isolated from cyanobacteria, consisting of aspartic acid and arginine only. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed similar degrees of polymerization of the native (12- to 40-kDa) and modified (10- to 35-kDa) polymers. This study showed that the chemical structure and properties of a biopolymer could be changed by in vitro introduction of a new functional group after biosynthesis of the native polymer. In addition, the modified CGP could be digested in vitro using the cyanophycinase from Pseudomonas alcaligenes strain DIP1, yielding a new dipeptide consisting of aspartate and homoarginine.     

Protamylasse, a residual compound of industrial starch production, provides a suitable medium for large-scale cyanophycin production

Protamylasse is a residual compound occurring during the industrial production of starch from potatoes. It contains a variety of nutrients and all necessary minerals and could be used as a carbon, nitrogen, and energy source for the growth of bacteria and also for cyanophycin (CGP) biosynthesis. Media containing protamylasse as the sole compound diluted only in water were therefore examined for their suitability in CGP production. Among various bacterial strains investigated in this study, a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli DH1 harboring plasmid pMa/c5-914::cphA6803, which carries the cyanophycin synthetase structural gene (cphA) from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803, was found to be most suitable. Various cultivation conditions for high CGP contents were first optimized in shake flask cultures. The optimized conditions were then successfully applied to 30- and 500-liter fermentation scales in stirred tank reactors. A maximum CGP content of 28% (wt/wt) CGP per cell dry matter was obtained in 6% (vol/vol) protamylasse medium at an initial pH of 7.0 within a cultivation period of only 24 h. The CGP contents obtained with this recombinant strain employing protamylasse medium were higher than those obtained with the same strain cultivated in mineral salts medium or in expensive commercial complex media such as Luria-Bertani or Terrific broth. It was shown that most amino acids present in the protamylasse medium were almost completely utilized by the cells during cultivation. Exceptions were alanine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and most interestingly, arginine. Furthermore, CGP was easily isolated from protamylasse-grown cells by applying the acid extraction method. The CGP exhibited a molecular mass of about 26 to 30 kDa and was composed of 50% (mol/mol) aspartate, 46% (mol/mol) arginine, and 4% (mol/mol) lysine. The use of cheap residual protamylasse could contribute in establishing an economically and also ecologically feasible process for the biotechnological production of CGP.     

Heterologous expression of Anabaena sp. PCC7120 cyanophycin metabolism genes cphA1 and cphB1 in Sinorhizobium (Ensifer) meliloti 1021

Sinorhizobium meliloti infects leguminous plants resulting in a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis. Free living cells accumulate poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) as carbon and energy source under imbalanced growth conditions. The cphA1 ₇₁₂₀ gene encoding a cyanophycin (CGP) synthetase of Anabaena sp. PCC7120 in plasmids pVLT31::cphA1 ₇₁₂₀ and pBBR1MCS-3::cphA1 ₇₁₂₀ was expressed in the wild-type S. meliloti 1021 and in a phbC-negative mutant generated in this study. Expression of cphA1 ₇₁₂₀ and accumulation of CGP in cells were studied in various media. Yeast mannitol broth (YMB) and pBBR1MCS-3::cphA1 ₇₁₂₀ yielded the highest CGP contents in both S. meliloti 1021 strains. Supplying the YMB medium with isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside, aspartic acid, and arginine enhanced CGP contents about 2.5- and 2.8-fold in S. meliloti 1021 (pBBR1MCS-3::cphA1 ₇₁₂₀) and S. meliloti 1021 phbCΩKm (pBBR1MCS-3::cphA1 ₇₁₂₀), respectively. Varying the nitrogen-to-carbon ratio in the medium enhanced the CGP content further to 43.8% (w/w) of cell dry weight (CDW) in recombinant cells of S. meliloti 1021 phbCΩKm (pBBR1MCS-3::cphA1 ₇₁₂₀). Cells of S. meliloti 1021 (pBBR1MCS-3::cphA1 ₇₁₂₀) accumulated CGP up to 39.6% in addition to 12.1% PHB (w/w, of CDW). CGP from the S. meliloti strains consisted of equimolar amounts of aspartic acid and arginine and contained no other amino acids even if the medium was supplemented with glutamic acid, citrulline, ornithine, or lysine. CGP isolated from cells of S. meliloti 1021 (pBBR1MCS-3::cphA1 ₇₁₂₀) and S. meliloti 1021 phbCΩKm (pBBR1MCS-3::cphA1 ₇₁₂₀) exhibited average molecular weights between 20 and 25 kDa, whereas CGP isolated from Escherichia coli S17-1 (pBBR1MCS-3::cphA1 ₇₁₂₀) exhibited average molecular weight between 22 and 30 kDa. Co-expression of cyanophycinase from Anabaena sp. PCC7120 encoded by cphB1 ₇₁₂₀ in cphA1 ₇₁₂₀-positive E. coli S17-1, S. meliloti 1021, and its phbC-negative mutant gave cyanophycinase activities in crude extracts, and no CGP granules occurred. A higher PHB content in S. meliloti 1021 (pBBR1MCS-3::cphB1 ₇₁₂₀::cphA1 ₇₁₂₀) in comparison to the control indicated that the cells used CGP degradation product (β-aspartate-arginine dipeptide) to fuel PHB biosynthesis.     

Establishment of Cyanophycin Biosynthesis in Pichia pastoris and Optimization by Use of Engineered Cyanophycin Synthetases

Two strains of the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris were used to establish cyanophycin (multi-l-arginyl-poly-l-aspartic acid [CGP]) synthesis and to explore the applicability of this industrially widely used microorganism for the production of this polyamide. Therefore, the CGP synthetase gene from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6308 (cphA₆₃₀₈) was expressed under the control of the alcohol oxidase 1 promoter, yielding CGP contents of up to 10.4% (wt/wt), with the main fraction consisting of the soluble form of the polymer. To increase the polymer contents and to obtain further insights into the structural or catalytic properties of the enzyme, site-directed mutagenesis was applied to cphA₆₃₀₈ and the mutated gene products were analyzed after expression in P. pastoris and Escherichia coli, respectively. CphA₆₃₀₈Δ1, which was truncated by one amino acid at the C terminus; point mutated CphA₆₃₀₈C595S; and the combined double-mutant CphA₆₃₀₈Δ1C595S protein were purified. They exhibited up to 2.5-fold higher enzyme activities of 4.95 U/mg, 3.20 U/mg, and 4.17 U/mg, respectively, than wild-type CphA₆₃₀₈ (2.01 U/mg). On the other hand, CphA proteins truncated by two (CphA₆₃₀₈Δ2) or three (CphA₆₃₀₈Δ3) amino acids at the C terminus showed similar or reduced CphA enzyme activity in comparison to CphA₆₃₀₈. In flask experiments, a maximum of 14.3% (wt/wt) CGP was detected after the expression of CphA₆₃₀₈Δ1 in P. pastoris. For stabilization of the expression plasmid, the his4 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned into the expression vector used and the constructs were transferred to histidine auxotrophic P. pastoris strain GS115. Parallel fermentations at a one-to-one scale revealed 26°C and 6.0 as the optimal temperature and pH, respectively, for CGP synthesis. After optimization of fermentation parameters, medium composition, and the length of the cultivation period, CGP contents could be increased from 3.2 to 13.0% (wt/wt) in cells of P. pastoris GS115 expressing CphA₆₃₀₈ and up to even 23.3% (wt/wt) in cells of P. pastoris GS115 expressing CphA₆₃₀₈Δ1.Since the first isolation of a methylotrophic yeast, Kloeckera sp. strain 2201, in 1969 (43), the two methylotrophic yeasts Pichia pastoris and Hansenula polymorpha have become the most popular methylotrophs in industry and academia (9, 23, 24). The main benefits of these organisms for the production of recombinant proteins are their growth to cell densities as high as 130 g cell dry matter per liter (50, 57) and the availability of strong and tightly regulated promoters that result in a high product yield (13). Viral hepatitis B surface antigen, S. cerevisiae mating factor α, and S. cerevisiae invertase are only a few examples of compounds produced by recombinant P. pastoris (reviewed in reference 9).A variety of strains were optimized for the expression of recombinant proteins (9). Protease-deficient strains such as strain KM71(H) were generated to circumvent the proteolytic degradation of recombinant proteins (17). Three different phenotypes exist that differ in the ability to utilize methanol (reviewed in reference 37). (i) Mut⁺ strains grow on methanol as the sole carbon and energy source at the wild-type rate. (ii) Mut^s strains possess a disrupted alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1) gene and therefore rely on the weaker AOX2 gene, leading to decreased methanol utilization rates in comparison to those exhibited by Mut⁺ strains. (iii) Mut⁻ strains are not able to utilize methanol as a carbon and energy source; consequently, such strains use the compound as an inducer only and are dependent on the concomitant addition of carbon sources that do not repress the AOX1 promoter (30, 31). Depending on the required product, any of these phenotypes can be optimal (37). The AOX1 promoter is totally repressed during growth on, e.g., glycerol, whereas it is strongly expressed after methanol is supplied (11). Therefore, P. pastoris fermentations are divided into two phases. (i) During growth on glycerol, high cell densities are reached; (ii) subsequent growth on methanol leads to induction of heterologous protein synthesis, resulting in a high product yield (14). Besides glycerol, several other carbon sources, such as, e.g., glucose, acetate, ethanol, or sorbitol, were used for the production of foreign proteins (30, 31). Several fermentation strategies that allow optimal cell and product yields have been established (8, 25, 28).Besides the AOX1 promoter, several other suitable promoters are available (10), e.g., the copper-inducible CUP1 promoter from S. cerevisiae (33, 38), the inducible ICL1 promoter from the isocitrate lyase gene (8), or the constitutive GAP promoter from glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (56).Synthesis of cyanophycin (multi-l-arginyl-poly-l-aspartic acid [CGP]) was only recently established in the yeast S. cerevisiae. Recombinant strains harboring cphA from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6308 but otherwise with a wild-type background accumulated CGP up to 6.9% (wt/wt) (52), whereas recombinant strains with a mutation in arginine metabolism accumulated CGP even up to 15.3% (wt/wt) of the cell dry mass (CDM) (54). All of the strains synthesized the polymer in soluble and insoluble forms, which was also observed in transgenic plants (29, 42); the soluble type of CGP was first observed in Escherichia coli expressing the cphA gene from Desulfitobacterium hafniense (59). Several cyanobacterial and heterotrophic CGP synthetase genes were expressed heterologously in the past (16, 26, 29, 52, 59). To unravel structurally or catalytically relevant residues of the enzyme, a few site-directed mutations were generated in cyanobacterial cphA genes (26, 27, 35, 53). In addition, several variations in the amino acid composition of the polymer were recently obtained; while cyanobacterial CGP or CGP synthesized by specific CphA proteins exhibiting a narrow substrate range contained aspartate and arginine only (18, 51); lysine was observed as a component replacing arginine at up to 18 mol% in recombinant strains of E. coli and S. cerevisiae harboring CphA with a broader substrate range (34, 54). Moreover, citrulline and ornithine were also detected as constituents replacing arginine in mutants of S. cerevisiae expressing CphA from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6308 (54). The soluble CGP contained up to 20 mol% citrulline or up to 8 mol% ornithine instead of arginine. The latter enzyme also revealed a wide substrate range in vitro comprising agmatine and canavanine besides arginine, lysine, citrulline, and ornithine (2, 58).A multitude of technical or pharmaceutical applications are known for degradation products of CGP (44, 48, 49). Dipeptides obtained after α cleavage of the polymer by cyanophycinases are employed as high-value pharmaceuticals (45, 46). Through β cleavage of the polymer, polyaspartic acid can be obtained, which serves as a biodegradable alternative to the persistent polyacrylic acid (9). Finally, research on the synthesis of bulk chemicals such as urea or acrylonitrile from CGP has become of special interest (40, 48, 49).In this study, the methylotrophic yeast P. pastoris was, for the first time, employed for synthesis of the polyamide CGP to analyze if this organism provides a perspective for the production of the polymer. For further optimization of polymer yields, mutated CphA proteins were generated by site-directed mutagenesis and characterized and optimal growth parameters were determined in parallel fermentations.     

Solubility Behavior of Cyanophycin Depending on Lysine Content

Study of the synthesis of cyanophycin (CGP) in recombinant organisms focused for a long time mostly on the insoluble form of CGP, due to its easy purification and its putative use as a precursor for biodegradable chemicals. Recently, another form of CGP, which, in contrast to the insoluble form, was soluble at neutral pH, became interesting due to its high lysine content, which was also assumed to be the reason for the solubility of the polymer. In this study, we demonstrate that lysine incorporated into insoluble CGP affected the solubility of the polymer in relation to its lysine content. Insoluble CGP can be separated along a temperature gradient of 90°C to 30°C, where CGP showed an increasing lysine content corresponding to a decreasing temperature needed for solubilization. CGP with less than 3 to 4 mol% lysine did not become soluble even at 90°C, while CGP with 31 mol% lysine was soluble at 30°C. In lysine fractions at higher than 31 mol%, CGP was soluble. The temperature separation will be suitable for improving the downstream processing of CGP synthesized in large-scale fermentations, including faster and more efficient purification of CGP, as well as enrichment and separation of dipeptides and CGP with specific amino acid compositions.     

Identification of the Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120 cyanophycin synthetase as suitable enzyme for production of cyanophycin in gram-negative bacteria like Pseudomonas putida and Ralstonia eutropha

The cyanophycin synthetase gene cphA1 encoding the major cyanophycin synthetase (CphA) of Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120 was expressed in Escherichia coli conferring so far the highest specific CphA activity to E. coli (6.7 nmol arginine per min and mg protein). CphA1 and cphA genes of Synechocystis sp. strains PCC6803 and PCC6308 and Synechococcus strain MA19 were also expressed in wild types and polyhydroxyalkanoate-negative (PHA) mutants of Pseudomonas putida and Ralstonia eutropha. Recombinant strains of these bacteria expressing cphA1 accumulated generally more cyanophycin (23.0 and 20.0% of cellular dry matter, CDM, respectively) than recombinants expressing any other cphA (6.8, 9.0, or 15.8% of CDM for P. putida strains and 7.3, 12.6, or 14.1% of CDM for R. eutropha). Furthermore, PHA-negative mutants of P. putida (9.7, 10.0, 17.5, or 24.0% of CDM) and R. eutropha (8.9, 13.8, 16.0, or 22.0% of CDM) accumulated generally more cyanophycin than the corresponding PHA-positive parent strains (6.8, 9.0, 15.8, and 23.0% of CDM for P. putida strains and 7.3, 12.6, 14.1, or 20.0% of CDM for R. eutropha strains). Recombinant strains of Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus megaterium, Corynebacterium glutamicum) were not suitable for cyanophycin production due to accumulation of less cyanophycin and retarded release of cyanophycin. PHA-negative mutants of P. putida and R. eutropha expressing cphA1 of Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120 are therefore preferred candidates for industrial production of cyanophycin.     

The CUP2 gene product regulates the expression of the CUP1 gene, coding for yeast metallothionein.

The yeast CUP1 gene codes for a copper-binding protein similar to metallothionein. Copper sensitive cup1s strains contain a single copy of the CUP1 locus. Resistant strains (CUP1r) carry 12 or more multiple tandem copies. We isolated 12 ethyl methane sulfonate-induced copper sensitive mutants in a wild-type CUP1r parental strain, X2180-1A. Most mutants reduce the copper resistance phenotype only slightly. However, the mutant cup2 lowers resistance by nearly two orders of magnitude. We cloned CUP2 by molecular complementation. The smallest subcloned fragment conferring function was approximately 2.1 kb. We show that CUP2, which is on chromosome VII, codes for or controls the synthesis or activity of a protein which binds the upstream control region of the CUP1 gene on chromosome VIII. Mutant cup2 cells produced extremely low levels of CUP1-specific mRNA, with or without added copper ions and lacked a factor which binds to the CUP1 promoter. Integrated at the cup2 site, the CUP2 plasmid restored the basal level and inducibility of CUP1 expression and led to reappearance of the CUP1-promoter binding factor. Taken collectively, our data establish CUP2 as a regulatory gene for expression of the CUP1 metallothionein gene product.     

Optimization of cyanophycin production in recombinant strains of Pseudomonas putida and Ralstonia eutropha employing elementary mode analysis and statistical experimental design

Elementary mode analysis was applied to simulate conditions for cyanophycin (CGP) biosynthesis and to optimize its production in bacteria. The conclusions from these simulations were confirmed by experiments with recombinant strains of the wild types and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-negative mutants of Ralstonia eutropha and Pseudomonas putida expressing CGP synthetase genes (cphA) of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6308 or Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120. In particular, the effects of suitable precursor substrates and of oxygen supply as well as of the capability to accumulate PHA in addition to CGP biosynthesis were investigated. Since CGP consists of the amino acids aspartate and arginine, the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCC), which provides intermediates for biosynthesis of these amino acids, seems to be important. Excretion of intermediates of the TCC upon cultivation at restricted oxygen supply and conversion of fumarate mainly to malate and to only little succinate in the absence of oxygen indicated that TCC intermediates for arginine and aspartate biosynthesis were provided by the oxidative or reductive parts of the TCC, respectively. The following important conclusions were made from the experiments and the simulations: (i) external arginine additionally supplied to the medium, (ii) oxygen limitation, and (iii) absence of PHA accumulation exerted positive effects on CGP accumulation. These conclusions were utilized to obtain CGP contents in the cells of as high as 17.9% (w x w(-1)) during cultivation of the investigated bacteria at the 30-L scale using mineral salts medium. Such high CGP contents were previously not obtained with these bacteria at a 30-L scale, even if complex media were used.     

Tissue-specific and developmental regulation of cotton gene FbL2A. Demonstration of promoter activity in transgenic plants.

A gene (FbL2A) that is preferentially expressed in cotton (Gossypium barbadense L. cv Sea Island) fiber was isolated and characterized. Genomic and cDNA analyses suggest multiple FbL2A genes in cotton. The gene is developmentally regulated and is activated during late primary and early secondary wall synthesis stages. FbL2A encodes a polypeptide of 43.4 kD and a predicted isoelectric point of 5.97. The nucleotide-derived protein is highly hydrophilic except for a hydrophobic N terminus and has a compositional bias for glutamic acid (26.3 mol%) and lysine (18.9 mol%). Sixty-two percent of the putative protein is composed of repeat motifs. A 55-amino-acid peptide region is repeated four times in a concatenate fashion within the protein. The function of the protein in the fiber cells is not known. A 2.3-kb DNA fragment 5' from the FbL2A gene is shown to direct expression of heterologous proteins in transgenic cotton in a fiber-specific and developmentally regulated fashion. The FbL2A promoter was used to express in transgenic cotton genes encoding acetoacetyl-coenzyme A reductase and polyhydroxyalkanoic acid synthase, which are involved in the synthesis of the thermoplastic polymer polyhydroxybutyric acid. Transgenic plants containing both enzymes produced polyhydroxybutyric acid in fiber. Thus, the FbL2A promoter is useful in genetic engineering schemes to modify cotton fiber.     

Regulation of the yeast metallothionein gene

To study regulation of the yeast CUP1 gene, we have employed plasmids containing the CUP1 regulatory sequences fused to the Escherichia coli galK gene. A comparison of galK expression from low- and high-copy-number CUP1/galK fusion plasmids demonstrated that both basal and induced levels of galactokinase (GalK) increase proportionately with plasmid copy number. Host strains with an amplified, single or deleted CUP1 locus were compared to look for effects of chromosomal CUP1 gene dosage on expression from the episomal CUP1 promoter. Basal GalK levels are similar in CUP1R and cupls hosts, but can be induced to higher levels in the cup1s than the CUP1R host. In contrast, in a strain deleted for the chromosomal copy of CUP1, synthesis of GalK is constitutive but can be induced to yet higher levels by copper. A hybrid vector, placing the CUP1 coding sequence under the control of a constitutive promoter, was constructed. Introduction of this hybrid CUP1 gene into the deletion host containing the CUP1/galK plasmid restores regulation. Thus, metallothionein, in trans, can effect repression of the CUP1 promoter. The possible roles of metallothionein and free copper in CUP1 regulation are discussed.     

云南5个地区戟叶酸模花中酵母菌和类酵母的多样性

[目的]研究云南5个地区(晋宁、祥云、程海、泸沽湖、洱海)的戟叶酸模(Rumex hastatus)花中的酵母菌和类酵母.[方法]采用涂布平板法对5个地区的戟叶酸模花中酵母菌和类酵母进行分离,通过26S rDNA Dl/D2区域序列分析并结合形态观察对分离获得的酵母菌和类酵母进行鉴定;采用胞外酶定性筛选培养基进行产酶筛选;用苏丹黑B染色法筛选产油脂菌株.[结果]从戟叶酸模花中分离得到82株酵母菌和99株类酵母;82株酵母菌鉴定为6个属16个种和1个潜在新种,99株类酵母鉴定为短梗霉属(Aureobasidium)的普鲁兰类酵母(A.pullulans)及3个变种;戟叶酸模花中的优势属是类酵母短梗霉属,其次为红酵母属(Rhodotorula)和隐球酵母属(Cryptococcus);筛选到134株具有产胞外酶活性和83株产油脂的酵母菌和类酵母.[结论]研究结果显示5个地区的戟叶酸模花中酵母菌和类酵母种类多样性较为丰富,并具有产淀粉酶、蛋白酶、纤维素酶、脂肪酶和油脂的特点,有潜在的应用前景.     

Identification and localization of cyanophycin in bacteria cells via imaging of the nitrogen distribution using energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy

In this study the technique of energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy was applied to localize cyanophycin (CGP) in recombinant strains of Ralstonia eutropha. Since CGP is a polymer consisting of the amino acids aspartate and arginine, which functions as a temporary nitrogen reserve that is deposited as insoluble inclusions in the cytoplasm of the cell, its nitrogen content is significantly higher than that of the other cell matter. In this study, we recorded nitrogen distribution maps, which represent the location of CGP in ultrathin sections of resin-embedded cells of recombinant strains of R. eutropha expressing the cyanophycin synthetase of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. Furthermore, the existence of nitrogen in CGP granules was additionally proven by recording electron energy-loss spectra. The samples of R. eutropha H16 (pBBR1MCS-2::cphA1(7120)) revealed a second type of granule, which does not show nitrogen in the corresponding maps and which can be identified as an inclusion containing poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid). The methods applied in this study are suitable to identify storage compounds with elevated nitrogen contents and to reveal their location in the bacterial cell. The methods are also very helpful to distinguish between inclusions of different chemical compositions that occur both at the same time in the cells but cannot or only hardly be distinguished by other methods.     

Conversion of pentoses by yeasts

The utilization and conversion of D-xylose, D-xylulose, L-arabinose, and xylitol by yeast strains have been investigated with the following results: (1) The majority of yeasts tested utilize D-xylose and produce polyols, ethanol, and organic acids. The type and amount of products formed varies with the yeast strains used. The most commonly detected product is xylitol. (2)The majority of yeasts tested utilize D-xylulose aerobically and fermentatively to produce ethanol, xylitol, D-arabitol, and organic acids. The type and amount of products varies depending upon the yeast strains used. (3) Xylitol is a poor carbon and energy source for most yeasts tested. Some yeast strains produce small amounts of ethanol from xylitol. (4) Most yeast strains utilize L-arabinose, and L-arabitol is the common product. Small amounts of ethanol are also produced by some yeast strains. (5) Of the four substrates examined, D-xylulose was the perferred substrate, followed by D-xylose, L-arabinose, and xylitol. (6) Mutant yeast strains that exhibit different metabolic product patterns can be induced and isolated from Candida sp. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and other yeasts. These mutant strains can be used for ethanol production from D-xylose as well as for the study of metabolic regulation of pentose utilization in yeasts.     

云南程海湖酵母菌多样性及应用

【目的】针对云南丽江永胜县境内程海湖环境的特殊性,研究高原湖泊环境中酵母菌的多样性,初步探索程海湖环境中酵母菌的利用价值。【方法】对程海湖的湖水和其周边土壤样品中的酵母菌进行分离;应用26S rDNA的D1/D2区域序列分析,并结合形态及生理生化指标对分离获得的酵母菌进行鉴定;采用筛选培养基对已鉴定酵母菌进行产酶定性实验,分析高原湖泊中酵母菌的多样性及可应用性。【结果】分离得到酵母菌64株,对其中63株进行鉴定,归属于9个属22个种(包括4个疑似新种或新变种);地霉属Geotrichum和隐球酵母属Cryptococcus是2种环境中的共有属;在产酶活性筛选中发现有9株产胞外酶活性的菌株,其中YM24373既产蛋白酶又可产淀粉酶。【结论】研究结果显示程海湖中酵母菌组成具有较为丰富的多样性,其应用价值值得进一步研究。     

High-Efficiency Carbohydrate Fermentation to Ethanol at Temperatures above 40 degrees C by Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus Isolated from Sugar Mills

A number of yeast strains, isolated from sugar cane mills and identified as strains of Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus, were examined for their ability to ferment glucose and cane syrup to ethanol at high temperatures. Several strains were capable of rapid fermentation at temperatures up to 47 degrees C. At 43 degrees C, >6% (wt/vol) ethanol was produced after 12 to 14 h of fermentation, concurrent with retention of high cell viability (>80%). Although the type strain (CBS 712) of K. marxianus var. marxianus produced up to 6% (wt/vol) ethanol at 43 degrees C, cell viability was low, 30 to 50%, and the fermentation time was 24 to 30 h. On the basis of currently available strains, we suggest that it may be possible by genetic engineering to construct yeasts capable of fermenting carbohydrates at temperatures close to 50 degrees C to produce 10 to 15% (wt/vol) ethanol in 12 to 18 h with retention of cell viability.     

Ubp8p, a histone deubiquitinase whose association with SAGA is mediated by Sgf11p, differentially regulates lysine 4 methylation of histone H3 in vivo

Despite recent advances in characterizing the regulation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3-K4) methylation at the GAL1 gene by the H2B-K123-specific deubiquitinase activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SAGA (Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase)-associated Ubp8p, our knowledge on the general role of Ubp8p at the SAGA-dependent genes is lacking. For this study, using a formaldehyde-based in vivo cross-linking and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, we have analyzed the role of Ubp8p in the regulation of H3-K4 methylation at three other SAGA-dependent yeast genes, namely, PHO84, ADH1, and CUP1. Like that at GAL1, H3-K4 methylation is increased at the PHO84 core promoter in the UBP8 deletion mutant. We also show that H3-K4 methylation remains invariant at the PHO84 open reading frame in the Deltaubp8 mutant, demonstrating a highly localized role of Upb8p in regulation of H3-K4 methylation at the promoter in vivo. However, unlike that at PHO84, H3-K4 methylation at the two other SAGA-dependent genes is not controlled by Ubp8p. Interestingly, Ubp8p and H3-K4 methylation are dispensable for preinitiation complex assembly at the core promoters of these genes. Our ChIP assay further demonstrates that the association of Ubp8p with SAGA is mediated by Sgf11p, consistent with recent biochemical data. Collectively, the data show that Ubp8p differentially controls H3-K4 methylation at the SAGA-dependent promoters, revealing a complex regulatory network of histone methylation in vivo.