Production of Extracellular l-Asparaginases by Microorganisms

A variety of microorganisms were tested for their extracellular l-asparaginase productivity and it was found that many bacteria, fungi and yeasts are positive for it. Especially some strains in the genera Pseudomonas, Candida and Rhodotorula were able to produce a large amounts of the enzyme. Escherichia coli, however, that contained intracellular enzyme was unable to produce extracellular one. In enzymological properties some differences were noted among these extracellular enzymes. Pseudomonas asparaginase showed glutaminase activity too, but the asparaginases of Candida and Rhodotorula were unable to hydrolyze glutamine. Candida l-asparaginase was most stable to heat-treatment.     

Effect of asparaginase on cell membranes of sensitive and resistants mouse lymphoma cells

Summary High concentrations ofEscherichia coli asparaginase (80 U/ml) altered the binding of concanavalin A (Con A) to L 5178Y murine lymphoma cells that are sensitive to the cytotoxic action of this enzyme. Incubation of the asparaginase sensitive line in asparagine-free media or media containingAcinetobacter glutaminase-asparaginase did not alter the Con A binding of these cells.Escherichia coli asparaginase had no effect on Con A binding of two asparaginase resistant L5178Y cell lines that were isolate and maintained in asparagine depleted or asparaginase containing medium. TheE. coli asparaginase preparation inhibited protein and glycoprotein biosythesis to comparable degrees. It did not have proteolytic or glycolytic activity.Escherichia coli asparaginases did not alter the binding of wheat germ, soybean or ricin agglutinins to any of these cell lines. These data suggest that high concentration ofE. coli asparaginase have a specific effect on the Con A receptor in the sensitive line. Results of the lecting binding studies were presented at the Federation meeting in Atlanta, GA, 1981. This work was supported by U.S. Public Health Service Grant CA20061, the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer Fund, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.     

Partial Purification and Some Properties of Extracellular Asparaginase from Candida utilis

Extracellular asparaginase from Candida utilis was partially purified by precipitation with acetone and by column chromatography on DEAE Sephadex A-50 and Sephadex G-200. The specific activity of the enzyme preparation was 3900 units per mg of protein. Candida asparaginase characteristically had deaminating activity for d-asparagine as well as for l-asparagine. But this enzyme was not able to hydrolyzed l- or d-glutamine. SH inhibitor, chelating agents and metal ions did not show any inhibition or activation of l-asparaginase activity. Optimum pH was about 6 for both l- and d-asparagine. This asparaginase was stable between pH 4 and pH 10 in heating for 10 min at 50°C.     

Application of repeated aspartate tags to improving extracellular production of Escherichia coli l-asparaginase isozyme II

Asparaginase isozyme II from Escherichia coli is a popular enzyme that has been used as a therapeutic agent against acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Here, fusion tag systems consisting of the pelB signal sequence and various lengths of repeated aspartate tags were devised to highly express and to release active asparaginase isozyme II extracellularly in E. coli. Among several constructs, recombinant asparaginase isozyme II fused with the pelB signal sequence and five aspartate tag was secreted efficiently into culture medium at 34.6 U/mg cell of specific activity. By batch fermentation, recombinant E. coli produced 40.8 U/ml asparaginase isozyme II in the medium. In addition, deletion of the gspDE gene reduced extracellular production of asparaginase isozyme II, indicating that secretion of recombinant asparaginase isozyme II was partially ascribed to the recognition by the general secretion machinery. This tag system composed of the pelB signal peptide, and repeated aspartates can be applied to extracellular production of other recombinant proteins.     

Structural stability and functional analysis of L-asparaginase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pyrococcus furiosus</Emphasis>

We report studies on an L-asparaginase from Pyrococcus furiosus, cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Protein stability and enzyme kinetic parameters were determined. The enzyme was found to be thermostable, natively dimeric, and glutaminase-free, with optimum activity at pH 9.0. It showed a K _m of 12 mM and a substrate inhibition profile above 20 mM L-asparagine. Urea could not induce unfolding and enzyme inactivation; however, with guanidine hydrochloride (GdnCl) a two-state unfolding pattern was observed. Reduced activity and an altered near-UV-CD signal for protein at low GdnCl concentration (1 M) suggested tertiary structural changes at the enzyme active site. A homology three-dimensional model was developed and the structural information was combined with activity and stability data to give functional clues about the asparaginase.     

Regulatory Properties of Sucrose Synthetase in Sweet Potato Roots

The molecular weight of the yeast tannase [E.C. 3.1.1.20, tannin acyl-hydrolase] of Candida sp. was determined to be 250,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G–200. The enzyme was dissociable into two identical subunits with molecular weight of 120,000 on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amino acid analysis revealed that the enzyme consisted of 786 amino acid residues per protein molecule. The polypeptide moiety of the enzyme was 38 % by the Lowry-Folin reaction and 35% by the amino acid analysis. The enzyme contained 62% neutral sugars, which were identified as mannose and galactose on cellulose thin-layer chromatogram and 2.2 % hexosamines.     

Cloning, expression, and purification of Helicobacter pylori L-asparaginase

Asparaginase from Helicobacter pylori (HpA) has been cloned and expressed in E. coli cells. The recombinant strain stably expressed catalytically active HpA. Optimization of culturing and expression conditions resulted in the expression level of the recombinant enzyme amounting up to 6% of total protein of the producer strain. A method developed for HpA purification included a single chromatographic stage and provided more than 60%-yield of the active enzyme. Specific asparaginase activity was 92 U/mg of protein, whereas the rate of glutamine hydrolysis was just 8.3 × 10^?3 U/mg, respectively. Data obtained indicate that due to low glutaminase specificity HpA may be employed as a non-toxic enzyme preparation for treatment of leukemia.     

Determinants that govern the recognition and uptake of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 by Acanthamoeba castellanii

Predation by phagocytic predators is a major source of bacterial mortality. The first steps in protozoan predation are recognition and consumption of their bacterial prey. However, the precise mechanisms governing prey recognition and phagocytosis by protists, and the identities of the molecular and cellular factors involved in these processes are, as yet, ill‐characterized. Here, we show that that the ability of the phagocytic bacterivorous amoebae, Acanthamoeba castellanii, to recognize and internalize Escherichia coli, a bacterial prey, varies with LPS structure and composition. The presence of an O‐antigen carbohydrate is not required for uptake of E. coli by A. castellanii. However, O1‐antigen types, not O157 O‐antigen types, inhibit recognition and uptake of bacteria by amoeba. This finding implies that O‐antigen may function as an antipredator defence molecule. Recognition and uptake of E. coli by A. castellanii is mediated by the interaction of mannose‐binding protein located on amoebae's surface with LPS carbohydrate. Phagocytic mammalian cells also use mannose‐binding lectins to recognize and/or mediate phagocytosis of E. coli. Nonetheless, A. castellanii's mannose binding protein apparently displays no sequence similarity with any known metazoan mannose binding protein. Hence, the similarity in bacterial recognition mechanisms of amoebae and mammalian phagocytes may be a result of convergent evolution.     

Characterization of the new β-glucuronidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptococcus equi</Emphasis> subsp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">zooepidemicus</Emphasis>

Recently, a new gene encoding β-glucuronidase from Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (SEZ) was identified and expressed in Escherichia coli. In this paper, the characterization of the enzyme is described. Specific enzyme activity was 120,000 U/mg purified protein at 37°C and pH = 7.0. The temperature and pH value, at which the enzyme has the highest specific activity, were determined and were found to be approximately 52°C and 5.6, respectively. The mutant strain SEZ glcHis was designed for the efficient isolation of β-glucuronidase from S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus. It was observed that the specific activity of β-glucuronidase in the cytoplasmic extract of a mutated strain was about 45% lower than in the cytoplasmic extract of a wild-type strain. The specific activity of purified β-glucuronidase from SEZ glcHis was four times as low as β-glucuronidase purified from E. coli. Comparing the specific activity of purified streptococcal β-glucuronidase from E. coli with E. coli β-glucuronidase (the enzyme with the highest specific activity was supplied by Sigma), the former is 1.8 higher than the latter.     

Engineered single‐ and multi‐cell chemotaxis pathways in E. coli

We have engineered the chemotaxis system of Escherichia coli to respond to molecules that are not attractants for wild‐type cells. The system depends on an artificially introduced enzymatic activity that converts the target molecule into a ligand for an E. coli chemoreceptor, thereby enabling the cells to respond to the new attractant. Two systems were designed, and both showed robust chemotactic responses in semisolid and liquid media. The first incorporates an asparaginase enzyme and the native E. coli aspartate receptor to produce a response to asparagine; the second uses penicillin acylase and an engineered chemoreceptor for phenylacetic acid to produce a response to phenylacetyl glycine. In addition, by taking advantage of a ‘hitchhiker’ effect in which cells producing the ligand can induce chemotaxis of neighboring cells lacking enzymatic activity, we were able to design a more complex system that functions as a simple microbial consortium. The result effectively introduces a logical ‘AND’ into the system so that the population only swims towards the combined gradients of two attractants.     

The ORF1 of the gentamicin-resistance operon (aac) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa encodes adenosine 5'-phosphosulphate kinase

The gentamicin-resistance operon of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (aac) contains two cistrons for which only the second gene product has an identified function. The 813bp second cistron (ORF2) encodes a protein that confers gentamicin resistance by catalysis of the transfer of an acetyl group from acetyl Coenzyme A to gentamicin. The first open reading frame (ORF1) encodes a 23.9 kDa protein that we have found, by enzyme activity and immunological reactivity, to be adenosine-5′-phosphosulphate (APS) kinase. APS kinase catalyses the transfer of the gamma phosphoryl group of ATP to the 3′-hydroxyl group of APS. The 70% sequence similarity between the Pseudomonas and Escherichia coli APS kinases suggests that the Pseudomonas enzyme may catalyse phosphoryl transfer to the 3′-hydroxyl group of other nucleotides such as dephosphocoenzyme A, as does the purified E. coli APS kinase. In extracts of pseudomonad cells we have also detected a higher molecular mass (70 kDa) protein that cross-reacts with an anti-E. coli APS kinase antibody. This cross-reactive protein is also present in Pseudomonas strains lacking the gentamicin-resistance plasmid, and apparently reflects an APS kinase analogous to the nodQ-encoded high-molecular-weight APS kinase present in Rhizobium meliloti. Production of the Pseudomonas aac APS kinase was repressed by cysteine when expressed in E. coli, as is E. coli APS kinase. However, cysteine did not repress production of the Pseudomonas enzyme when the aac ORF1 -encoded enzyme was expressed in a Pseudomonas strain, indicating differential regulation of gene expression in the two organisms.     

3-Ketoglycoside-mediated metabolism of sucrose in E. coli as conferred by genes from Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Escherichia coli strains that did not have the ability to use sucrose as a sole carbon source gained this ability after receiving a cloned fragment of DNA from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. No invertase was detected in the sucrose-metabolizing E. coli, but evidence for the activity of certain enzymes, known to be produced by biotype 1 strains of Agrobacterium, were found. Evidence was found for the presence of d-glucoside 3-dehydrogenase (G3DH) and α-3-ketoglucosidase. The activity of enzyme extracts on 3-ketosucrose also indicated that 3-ketoglucose reductase, or some enzyme that acts on 3-ketoglucose, was present in the Suc⁺ E. coli as well. The fragment was found to complement a G3DH mutant of A. tumefaciens and was also found to confer chemotaxis towards sucrose in E. coli. Received: 13 September 1996 / Received revision: 15 January 1997 / Accepted: 24 January 1997     

Consortium of fold-catalyzing proteins increases soluble expression of cyclohexanone monooxygenase in recombinant<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

The cyclohexanone monooxygenase (CHMO) gene of Acinetobacter sp. NCIMB 9871 was simultaneously expressed with the genes encoding molecular chaperones and foldases in Escherichia coli. While the expression of the CHMO gene alone resulted in the formation of inclusion bodies, coexpression of the chaperone or foldase genes remarkably increased the production of soluble CHMO enzyme in recombinant E. coli. Furthermore, it was found that molecular chaperones were more beneficial than foldases for enhancing active CHMO enzyme production. The recombinant E. coli strain simultaneously expressing the genes for CHMO, GroEL/GroES and DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE showed a specific CHMO activity of 111 units g^–1 cell protein, corresponding to a 38-fold enhancement in CHMO activity compared with the control E. coli strain expressing the CHMO gene alone.     

Evidence for Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase Activity in the Escherichia coli

N-Acetyltransferase activities with p-aminobenzoic acid and 2-aminofluorene as substrates were determined in isolates of the bacterium Escherichia coli. The N-acetyltransferase activity was determined by an acetyl CoA recycling assay and high pressure liquid chromatography. The N-acetyltransferase activities from a number of E. coli isolates were found to be 0.67 ± 0.04 nmole/min/mg protein for 2-aminofluorene, and 0.46 ± 0.02 nmole/min/mg protein for p-aminobenzoic acid. The apparent K _m and V _max values obtained were 2.85 ± 0.65 mM and 7.51 ± 0.86 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively, for 2-aminofluorene, and 2.35 ± 0.39 mM and 9.43 ± 0.78 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively, for p-aminobenzoic acid. The optimal pH value for the enzyme activity was 7.0 for both substrates tested. The optimal temperature for enzyme activity was 37°C for both substrates. The N-acetyltransferase activity was inhibited by iodoacetamide: at 0.25 mM iodoacetamide, activity was reduced 50%, and at 1.0 mM, more than 90%. Among a series of divalent cations and salts, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ were demonstrated to be the most potent inhibitors. This report is the first demonstration of acetyl CoA:arylamine N-acetyltransferase activity in E. coli. Received: 29 April 1997 / Accepted: 2 July 1997     

Physiological consequence of expression of soluble and active hen egg white lysozyme in Escherichia coli

Hen egg white lysozyme was expressed as a protein fusion with the OmpA signal sequence and an octapeptide linker in Escherichia coli. The expression yielded soluble and enzymatically active lysozyme. Lysozyme activity was detected in the periplasmic space, in the cytosol and in the insoluble cytosolic fraction of E. coli. The results indicate that the environmental conditions in both the cytosol and the periplasmic space of E. coli were sufficient for correct protein folding and disulphide bond formation of eukaryotic recombinant lysozyme. However, the expression of active enzyme in E. coli consequently led to bacterial cell lysis due to hydrolysis of the peptidoglucan. Correspondence to: B. Fischer     

Engineering Cell‐Free Protein Synthesis for High‐Yield Production and Human Serum Activity Assessment of Asparaginase: Toward On‐Demand Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a common childhood cancer in the United States, with over 6000 new cases diagnosed each year. Administration of bacterial asparaginase (ASNase) has improved survival rates to nearly 80%, however these therapeutics have high incidence of immunological neutralization and serum activity must be monitored for most effective treatment regimens. Here, a 72% improvement in cell‐free protein synthesis (CFPS) of FDA approved l ‐asparaginase (crisantaspase) is demonstrated by employing an aspartate‐fed‐batch reactor format. A CFPS‐based ASNase activity assay as a tool for therapeutic regimentation and production quality control is also presented. This work suggests that shelf‐stable and low‐cost Escherichia coli‐based CFPS reactions may be employed on‐demand to 1) synthesize biologics on‐site for patient administration, 2) verify biologic activity for dosage calculations, and 3) monitor therapeutic activity in human serum during the treatment regimen. The combination of both therapeutic production and activity assessment introduces a concept of synergistic utility for bacterial cell lysates in modern medical treatment. Indeed, recent work with CFPS biosensors supports a not‐too‐distant future when shelf‐stable E. coli CFPS systems are used to diagnose, treat, and monitor treatment of diseases in the clinical setting.     

Aeromonas spp. can secrete Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase into the culture supernatant, and its release requires a functional general secretion pathway

Aerolysin is a channel-forming protein secreted by Aeromonas hydrophila. To determine if regions of aerolysin could direct the secretion of another protein, portions of aerA were fused to phoA, the Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase gene and cloned into E. coli, Aeromonas salmonicida, and A. hydrophila. We were surprised to find that secretion of the enzyme by both Aeromonas spp. was independent of the aerolysin segments fused to it. The smallest fusion product contained only the signal sequence and two amino acids of aerolysin. The largest had more than 90% of the aerolysin molecule. The fusion proteins were found in the periplasms of E. coli and A. salmonicida grown in LB medium containing glucose, as well as in the shocked cells. Aerolysin itself was secreted by A. salmonicida under these conditions. In contrast, when A. salmonicida containing any of the fused genes was grown in LB medium without glucose, most of the alkaline phosphatase activity was extracellular, whereas β-lactamase remained in its normal periplasmic location. Similar results were obtained with A. hydrophila. The change in location of the enzyme in A. salmonicida appeared to be related to the pH of the growth medium. A. salmonicida and A. hydrophila also secreted native E. coli alkaline phosphatase, but A. hydrophila strains with mutations in the general secretion pathway were unable to release the enzyme. We conclude that the Aeromonas secretion system can recognize the E. coli enzyme as an extracellular protein and direct it outside the cell.     

Functional expression of the γ-isoenzyme of pig liver carboxyl esterase in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

The previously reported functional expression of the γ-isoenzyme of pig liver carboxylesterase (γ-rPLE) in Pichia pastoris is hampered by the small amount of active enzyme formed. Earlier attempts for expression in Escherichia coli failed completely and not even inactive protein was detected. The lack of glycosylation ability of E. coli was ruled out as a possible reason, as it could be shown in this work that deglycosylated PLE also is active. Expression of γ-rPLE was studied using a range of E. coli strains with careful design of the constructs used and control of the cultivation conditions. Indeed, expression in E. coli strains Rosetta, Origami and Rosetta-gami was successful, but the majority of enzymes was present as inclusion bodies and only little soluble but inactive protein was detected. Denaturation and refolding of inclusion bodies failed. However, with the E. coli strain Origami, coexpressing the molecular chaperones GroEL und GroES, a functional expression of γ-rPLE was possible. The recombinant enzyme was released by cell disruption and subjected to His-tag purification. The purified esterase had a specific activity of 92 U mg⁻¹ protein and a V _max/K _m value of 10.8×10⁻³ min⁻¹ towards p-nitrophenyl acetate. Activity staining of native polyacrylamide gels gave a single band at 175 kDa with esterolytic activity indicating a trimeric form of γ-rPLE (∼60 kDa per monomer). γ-rPLE was biochemically characterized and its properties were compared to the enzyme previously expressed in P. pastoris. pH and temperature profiles were identical and highest activity was found at pH 8–8.5 and 60 °C, respectively. In the kinetic resolution of (R,S)-1-phenyl-2-butyl acetate with esterase from both expression hosts, similar enantioselectivities (E=50) were found.     

Inhibition of Candida albicans Growth by Murine Peritoneal Neutrophils and Augmentation of the Inhibitory Activity by Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide and Cytokines

Anti-Candida activity of murine neutrophils and its regulation by immunomodulators were studied in vitro. Murine neutrophils which were prepared from peritoneal-exudated cells inhibited the growth of Candida albicans at an effector: target (E/T) ratio of 30/1 or above. This anti-Candida activity of neutrophils was augmented by lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli, murine tumor necrosis factor (TNF), murine interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and murine granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) but not by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) added to the incubation medium. Greater extent of augmentation was obtained when TNF plus GM-CSF or INF-γ plus GM-CSF were used in combination. These results indicate that anti-Candida activity of murine neutrophils is regulated similarly to that of the human neutrophils reported previously. Therefore murine peritoneal neutrophils can be used as a favorable substitute for human neutrophils in studies on protective machinery against C. albicans infection.     

Cloning and expression of the soybean DapA gene encoding dihydrodipicolinate synthase

The rate-limiting step in the pathway for lysine synthesis in plants is catalyzed by the enzyme dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DS). We have cloned the portion of the soybean (Glycine max cv. Century) DapA cDNA that encodes the mature DS protein. Expression of the cloned soybean cDNA as a lacZ fusion protein was selected in a dapA ^- Escherichia coli auxotroph. The DS activity of the fusion protein was characterized in E. coli extracts. The DS activity of the fusion protein was inhibited by lysine concentrations that also inhibited native soybean DS, while E. coli DS activity was much less sensitive to inhibition by lysine.