Structure and expression properties of the endo-β-1,4-glucanase A gene from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans

Endo-beta-1,4-glucanase A (EG A) of Aspergillus nidulans was purified to homogeneity, and its genomic gene (eglA) was cloned based on partial amino acid sequences of the purified enzyme and sequenced. The eglA gene comprised 1228 bp with four putative introns and encoded a polypeptide of 326 amino acids bearing high homology to the family A cellulases. The eglA promoter activity in A. nidulans was examined using the A. oryzae Taka-amylase A gene as a reporter. Expression of the reporter gene was induced by carboxymethylcellulose and cellobiose, and repressed by glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, sorbitol, glycerol and succinate. Lactose neither induced nor repressed the expression.     

Molecular and expression analysis of the Rhizobium meliloti phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pckA) gene.

The pckA gene of Rhizobium meliloti, encoding phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, was isolated from a genomic cosmid library by complementation of the succinate growth phenotype of a Pck- mutant. The gene region was mapped by subcloning and Tn5 insertion mutagenesis. The DNA sequence for a 2-kb region containing the structural gene and its promoter was determined. The pckA gene encodes as 536-amino-acid protein that shows homology with other ATP-dependent Pck enzymes. The promoter was identified following primer extension analysis and is similar to sigma 70-like promoters. Expression analysis with a pckA::lacZ gene fusion indicated that the pckA gene was strongly induced at the onset of stationary phase in complex medium. When defined carbon sources were tested, the expression level of the pckA gene was found to be high when cells were grown in minimal media with succinate or arabinose as the sole carbon source but almost absent when glucose, sucrose, or glycerol was the sole carbon source. Glucose and sucrose were not found to strongly repress pckA induction by succinate.     

Cloning and characterization of the SIL promoter

The SIL gene undergoes a site-specific rearrangement with the SCL gene in 25% of patients with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The functional result of this rearrangement is that the SIL regulatory elements aberrantly drive expression of the SCL gene. We have cloned and sequenced the human SIL promoter, cloned a murine homolog, found the sequence to be highly conserved, and defined a minimal promoter region. Both the cloned murine and human sequences were found to be highly active in either human or murine cells. SCL mRNA, driven by a cloned SIL promoter, could be downregulated by DMSO in stably transfected F4-6 murine erythroleukemia cells. The SIL promoter was found to be partially unmethylated in proliferating tissues, in which it is highly expressed, and more highly methylated in post-mitotic tissues, in which SIL is not expressed. The isolation of the SIL promoter provides an important tool for the study of both the SIL gene expression as well as the role of the SIL promoter in leukemogenesis.     

玉米淀粉分支酶基因启动子的克隆与功能分析

以玉米品种“吉糯1号”的基因组DNA为模板,通过PCR扩增得到玉米淀粉分支酶基因的启动子序列,克隆到pMD18-TVector上,经测序,该启动子大小为934bp。与已报道的序列比较仅有14个核苷酸发生改变,同源性为98.5%。用该启动子取代植物表达载体pBI121的35S启动子,与GUS基因编码区连接,构建成融合质粒pSBE-GUS。经农杆菌介导法转化烟草,获得了转基因植株。GUS活性检测结果表明,由该启动子序列引导的GUS基因能在种子中表达,而在其他组织中表达微弱或未表达,证实该启动子具有种子特异性表达的功能。     

Analysis of the nourseothricin-resistance gene (nat) of Streptomyces noursei

A gene (nat) conferring resistance to the streptothricin antibiotic nourseothricin (Nc) was cloned from the producer Streptomyces noursei into Streptomyces lividans on the vector pIJ702 to form pNAT1. The nat gene was localized on a 1-kb SalI-MboI fragment, which also carries the nat promoter. Divergent promoter activity from the nat promoter region was identified on the cloned fragment using promoter probe plasmids pIJ486 and pIJ487. The nat gene is not expressed from its own promoter in Escherichia coli as shown by its failure to promote cat expression in promoter-less plasmid pBB100 and by the expression of NcR in only one orientation, when cloned in pUC19. In S. lividans 7A, harbouring plasmid pNAT1, an Nc-acetylating activity (NAT) was associated with the cloned resistance gene. The substrate specificity of NAT correlated well with the substrate range of the acetyltransferase in S. noursei and Tn1825-determined streptothricin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, an extract of S. lividans carrying pNAT1 showed specific serological cross-reactivity with an extract of E. coli carrying Tn1825.     

Expression of the mouse lactate dehydrogenase-A promoter fused with the bacterial gpt gene in Chinese hamster ovary cells

The promoter region of the cloned mouse lactate dehydrogenase-A gene was fused with the gpt gene of Escherichia coli, and this fusion gene was shown to express in Chinese hamster ovary cells. This result demonstrates that the cloned LDH-A promoter is indeed functional.     

转查尔酮合酶基因对烟草花色及花器官的影响

花色是重要的园艺性状,一直是育种工作者苦苦追求的目标。利用植物基因工程技术可定向改良花色。根据已知的CHS序列(序列号M20308.),用PCR方法从拟南芥中克隆CHS基因,并分别将其以正向、反向插入到真核表达载体pBI121,在农杆菌介导下用叶盘转化法转化烟草。对转基因烟草进行检测,结果表明,转基因烟草的花色变淡、花青素含量降低;叶片颜色变浅、叶绿素含量降低。转基因烟草花的形态也发生了明显变异。     

Expression and regulation of the penicillin G acylase gene from Proteus rettgeri cloned in Escherichia coli.

The penicillin G acylase genes from the Proteus rettgeri wild type and from a hyperproducing mutant which is resistant to succinate repression were cloned in Escherichia coli K-12. Expression of both wild-type and mutant P. rettgeri acylase genes in E. coli K-12 was independent of orientation in the cloning vehicle and apparently resulted from recognition in E. coli of the P. rettgeri promoter sequences. The P. rettgeri acylase was secreted into the E. coli periplasmic space and was composed of subunits electrophoretically identical to those made in P. rettgeri. Expression of these genes in E. coli K-12 was not repressed by succinate as it is in P. rettgeri. Instead, expression of the enzymes was regulated by glucose catabolite repression.     

Overproduction of extracellular endoglucanase by genetically engineered Bacillus subtilis

Summary Overproduction of extracellular endoglucanase was attempted by modifying promoter region of an endoglucanase gene cloned from Bacillus subtilis BSE616 and expressing in B. subtilis DB104. A strong promoter was cloned from B. subtilis 168 chromosomal DNA and fused to the endoglucanase gene after removing its native promoter. An effective Shine-Dalgarno sequence was inserted between the promoter and the endoglucanase structural gene. The modified gene was expressed well in B. subtilis and produced 265 units of endoglucanase per mg protein that is 60 % of total protein which was secreted into culture medium.     

Biochemical and molecular characterization of a succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase involved in the catabolism of 4-hydroxybutyric acid in Ralstonia eutropha

A succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase gene (gabD) was identified to be disrupted in a transposon-induced mutant of Ralstonia eutropha exhibiting the phenotype 4-hydroxybutyric acid-leaky. The native gabD gene was cloned by colony hybridization using a homologous gabD-specific DNA probe. DNA sequencing revealed an 1452-bp open reading frame, and the deduced amino acid sequence showed strong similarities to NADP(+)-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenases from Escherichia coli, Rhizobium sp., Homo sapiens and Rattus norvegicus. The gabD gene was heterologously expressed in a recombinant E. coli strain harboring plasmid pSK::EE6.8. Similar to the molecular organization of the gab cluster in E. coli, additional genes encoding enzymes for the degradation of gamma-aminobutyrate are closely related to gabD in R. eutropha. Enzymatic studies indicated the existence of a second NAD(+)-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase in R. eutropha.     

Expression of a subcloned alpha-amylase gene under the control of a Xanthomonas campestris promoter

Abstract Using the promoter probe pKK232-8 a 0.6-kb fragment containing an active promoter sequence from Xanthomonas campestris pv campestris was cloned. Two new plasmids were constructed: (a) pAP2, which contains the amy gene from Bacillus subtilis cloned between the Eco RI and Hin dIII sites in the pMFY40 plasmid, and (b) pAP2X, obtained after introduction of the cloned X. campestris promoter upstream from the amy gene. These plasmids were introduced into amylolytic and non-amylolytic strains of X. campestris pv campestris and pv manihotis , respectively. Quantification of alpha-amylase specific activity in liquid culture showed that the introduction of a Xanthomonas promoter doubled the expression of amy gene when the host strain was the pathovar campestris but had little effect on the strain from pathovar manihotis . This difference in the promoter activity might indicate that the cloned promoter is specific and could be involved in pathovar differentiation or plant-pathogen interaction.     

枯草杆菌表达载体pUB23的构建及地衣杆菌α-淀粉酶基因的表达

将克隆的解淀粉芽胞杆菌强启动子经DNA序列分析后连接到能在枯草杆菌中复制的质粒pUB18上,构建枯草杆菌表达载体pUB23。为了测试构建的表达载体能否表达外源基因,将地衣杆菌抉失了启动子的α-淀粉酶基因接到pUB23上启动子的下游,组建重组质粒,转化枯草杆菌QB1130(amy~-),获得能分泌α-淀粉酶的转化株,证明缺失了启动子的结构基因在pUB23上克隆启动子的启动下获得表达。酶活力测定结果表明,表达水平是用原启动子时的2.5倍.     

Control of cloned gene expression by promoter inversion in vivo: construction of the heat-pulse-activated att-nutL-p-att-N module

We have constructed a prototype of gene-expression plasmids with three novel properties: its "OFF phase" is absolute in all common hosts because the expression promoter is facing away from the studied gene and is blocked by a strong terminator; the "ON phase" is attained by the rapid and efficient inversion of the promoter; only a short heat pulse or exposure to other inducing agents is required to initiate this two-stage process. In the first stage, synthesis of the phage lambda Int protein is induced by the transient derepression of the properly engineered lambda xis- cIts857 prophage. In the immediately following second stage, Int causes inversion of a promoter cloned between the inverted ----P'OP phage att site and the normally oriented ----delta PO delta P' pseudo-bacterial att site. The inverted promoter can now control the expression of the studied gene and also of the lambda N gene cloned in tandem. The N product, in conjunction with the nutL site placed downstream of the promoter, permits efficient antitermination of any terminators present in the att sites, in the plasmid or in the cloned DNA, making this system efficient and of practical value. Employing the promoter-inverting plasmid, it was possible to obtain rapid onset and a high level of galactokinase synthesis from the cloned galK gene. Only a transient, 10-min induction at 42 degrees C was employed, permitting protein synthesis at 30 degrees C, which might be of importance for thermosensitive products. Furthermore, the entire promoter-inversion module can be transferred to any plasmid as a 1.3-kb AvaI-ClaI fragment (see Fig. 1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)