Properties of transposon SCTn1 of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

Summary Chloramphenicol resistance (Cml^r) of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) behaves like a transposon locus, not being localisable in any region of the map and yet being transferable in crosses at a rate comparable to that of chromosomal markers. It can, also be transposed onto a plasmid (SCP1) and back to the chromosome. Some traits, such as arginino-succinate synthase production (ArgG), aerial mycelium formation (AmyA), resistance to tetracycline and to rifamycin C appear to be joined to Cml in three processes: co-mutation, i.e. simultaneous loss, post-mutation, i.e. spontaneous loss at high, frequency in subclones from Cml^s strains, co-transfer, i.e. joint transfer with the cml locus in crosses or during infection by the aggregate SCP1::SCTn1 plasmid. All these processes have been consistently observed with special attention to the argG locus.     

Regulation of sporulation in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2): a checkpoint multiplex?

By complementing developmental mutants of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), at least 15 regulatory genes for sporulation have been identified and studied at the molecular level, and some of their intracellular interactions have been characterised. Extensive interplay of the regulatory cascade with metabolic, morphological, homeostatic and stress-related checkpoints is emerging.     

Product shifting by controlling medium pH in immobilised Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) culture

Actinorhodin production by Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) immobilised naturally in a porous support material was investigated in a 20 l bioreactor. The effect of pH-control on actinorhodin fermentation was conducted by performing different strategies. The combination of pH-control and immobilisation of the cells produced a different result than pH-control with freely suspended cells. The control of pH at 7.2 in an immobilised cell system altered the physiology of the cells shifting the product, actinorhodin, to another pigmented secondary metabolite, undecylprodigiosin. Although the cells were biologically active in such an environment, they were unable to produce actinorhodin. In the freely suspended cell system, however, actinorhodin biosynthesis was not hindered by controlling the medium pH.     

Chloramphenicol resistance in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2): Possible involvement of a transposable element

Summary The transfer of a Chl element, causing resistance to chloramphenicol in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), was studied in NF x SCP1^– superfertile crosses. When the Chl element is on the donor side (NF) its transfer to the recombinant cells was virtually total as if the element acted as a second concomitant transfer origin. When the Chl element was on the recipient side (SCP1^–) it was never displaced by the immigrant chromosome even when the region facing chl ⁺ was selected for. A fraction of the original Chl^– mutants presented a requirement for arginine (ArgB^–). A Chl^– mutant gave rise spontaneously to ArgB^– derivatives at high frequency. The same ArgB^– requirement come out at high frequency among Chl^– derivatives from a cross NFChl^– x SCP1^–Chl⁺ in which neither parent required arginine or produced spontaneously arginineless derivatives. It is suggested that the Chl element is a transposable element (Tn) presumably associated with insertion sequences (IS). The insertional inactivation of the Chl element may be accompanied or followed by a deletion in the adjacent ArgB gene.     

Glucose repression in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2): a likely regulatory role for glucose kinase

The glucose kinase gene (glkA-ORF3) of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) plays an essential role in glucose utilisation and in glucose repression of a variety of genes involved in the utilisation of alternative carbon sources. These genes include dagA, which encodes an extracellular agarase that permits agar utilisation. Suppressor mutants of glkA-ORF3 deletion strains capable of utilising glucose (Glc⁺) arise at a frequency of about 10^–5 on prolonged incubation. The Glc⁺ phenotype of the mutants is reversible (at a frequency of about 10^–3) and reflects either the activation of a normally silent glucose kinase gene or the modification of an existing sugar kinase. Although the level of glucose kinase activity in the Glc⁺ supressor mutants is similar to that in the glkA ⁺ parental strain, glucose repression of dagA remains defective. Expression of the glucose kinase gene of Zymomonas mobilis in glkA-ORF3 mutants restored glucose utilisation, but not glucose repression of dagA. Over-expression of glkA-ORF3 on a high-copy-number plasmid failed to restore glucose repression of dagA in glkA-ORF3 mutants and led to loss of glucose repression of dagA in a glkA ⁺ strain. These results suggest that glucose phosphorylation itself is not sufficient for glucose repression and that glkA-ORF3 plays a specific regulatory role in triggering glucose repression in S. coelicolor A3(2).     

Modelling growth kinetics of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) in a pressurised membrane gradostat reactor (MGR)

Limited information is available with regards to the microbial growth kinetics of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) immobilised in pressurised membrane gradostat reactors (MGR). The purpose of this study was to quantify the growth kinetics of the filamentous bacterium immobilised on the external surface of ceramic membranes. The single fibre MGR's (SFMGR) were operated using a pneumatic system to supply humidified pressurised air to the extra capillary space (ECS). The nutrient growth medium was supplied to the lumen of the ceramic membrane in the dead-end mode. The growth curve that was obtained for S. coelicolor A3(2) showed the presence of two growth cycles (biphasic growth) from ±66 to 162 h and ±162 to 354 h, respectively, with no noticeable intermediate lag phase. A faster specific growth rate of 0.049 h⁻¹ was obtained for the first growth cycle, with a lower specific growth rate in the range of ±0.013 to 0.019 h⁻¹ obtained for the second growth cycle. The growth kinetics of S. coelicolor A3(2) within a pressurised MGR has not been reported previously.     

NsdB——天蓝色链霉菌A3(2)中一个负调控抗生素产量蛋白的研究

TPR(tetratricopeptide repeat)是在很多蛋白中均被发现到的一个含有34个氨基酸的蛋白重复序列,其基本功能是参与蛋白间的相互作用。天蓝色链霉菌A3(2)中有70个蛋白含有类TPR结构域,NsdA是其中的一个,研究发现该蛋白对天蓝色链霉菌的产孢和产素都有负调控作用。本研究中发现基因SCO7252和SCO1593编码含TPR结构的蛋白,中断SCO7252基因后菌株放线紫红素和钙依赖抗生素产量均提高,但形态分化没有明显变化,基因SCO1593中断后菌株在产孢产素及形态等各方面均未受到影响。基因SCO7252被命名为nsdB,RT-PCR分析表明,该基因在生长30h时开始表达。通过生物信息分析表明,天蓝色链霉菌的70个含类TPR结构的蛋白中有32个仅含该结构域,有25个另外含有DNA结合区域,这些暗示着它们可能直接控制基因的表达。     

An operon for histidine biosynthesis in Streptomyces coelicolor

Summary In order to demonstrate that a cluster of five his genes (eight cistrons) on the circular chromosome of S. coelicolor is an operon, a constitutive mutant was characterized biochemically, and some aspects of enzyme repression were studied.The specific activities of three enzymes, two of which coded by genes of the his cluster and one specified by a his gene located far from the his cluster, were tested under different repression and derepression conditions and at various times of grwoth in a constitutive his mutant, in two leaky his mutants and in the wild type strains of S. coelicolor.The results of such investigations demonstrate that the constitutive mutant is derepressed exclusively for the synthesis of enzymes coded by genes of the his cluster; moreover only the synthesis of such enzymes takes place in a strictly coordinate way, suggesting that the his cluster behaves as a single unit of expression and regulation.     

Physical and genetical characterisation of a second sex factor, SCP2, for Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

Summary Covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA of uniform monomer size (c. 18×10⁶ daltons) and restriction endonuclease cleavage pattern was isolated from strains of S. coelicolor A3(2) of differing constitution in respect of the SCP1 sex factor: SCP1⁺, SCP1, SCP1^- and NF (integrated SCP1). No such ccc DNA was found in strains of S. lividans 66 or S. parvulus ATCC 12434 whether or not they contained SCP1. These results confirmed that the 18×10⁶ dalton plasmid is not, and does not include, SCP1, which has not so far been isolated by any of a variety of methods.Genetic data served to identify a second sex factor, SCP2, postulated to be present in SCP2⁺ state in the starting strains and to be capable of mutation to a variant form, SCP2^*, with enhanced sex factor activity. From SCP2^* strains, SCP2^- cultures were isolated, at an average spontaneous frequency of about 0.8%. Crosses of pairs of SCP1^- SCP2^- strains were almost, but not completely, sterile; thus SCP1 and SCP2 probably contribute nearly all the fertility naturally occurring in the A3(2) strain. The two sex factors share the property of exerting an effect that may be comparable with lethal zygosis caused by F in E. coli: it is shown by SCP1-carrying strains against SCP1^-, or SCP2^* (but not SCP2⁺) strains against SCP2^- and is revealed as a narrow zone of growth inhibition surrounding the plasmid-carrying culture on a background of the appropriate plasmid-negative strain.Genetically defined SCP^2- strains lacked the ccc DNA found in SCP2⁺ and SCP2^* strains. Thus this DNA apparently represents the SCP2 sex factor. A preliminary restriction endonuclease cleavage map of SCP2 was constructed, with single sites for EcoRI and HindIII, four sites for SalPI (=PstI) and more than 20 sites for SalGI (SalI).     

Nucleotide sequence of genes hrdA, hrdC, and hrdD from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) having similarity to rpoD genes

Summary The complete nucleotide sequences were determined of hrdA, hrdC, and hrdD from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). They indicate the presence of a single open reading frame in each gene coding for polypeptides of 396 (43747 daltons), 339 (38173 daltons), and 332 amino acid residues (37190 daltons), respectively. These amino acid sequences revealed extensive similarities with the principal sigma factors of Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Mxyococcus xanthus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and also the katF gene product of E. coli. Besides the highly conserved amino acid residues in the rpoD box region, alignment of hrd gene products and the known principal sigma factors and sigma-related factors allowed us to postulate a common basic structure for the principal sigma type factors as distinct from the alternative sigma factors.     

Molecular and functional analysis of the ribosomal L11 and S12 protein genes ( rplK and rpsL ) of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

A RelC deletion mutant, KO-100, of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) has been isolated from a collection of spontaneous thiostrepton-resistant mutants. KO-100 grows as vigorously as the parent strain and possesses a 6-bp deletion within the rplK, previously termed relC. When the wild-type rplK gene was propagated on a low-copy-number vector in mutant KO-100, the ability to produce ppGpp, actinorhodin and undecylprodigiosin, which had been lost in the RelC mutant, was completely restored. Allele replacement by gene homogenotization demonstrated that the RelC mutation is responsible for the resistance to thiostrepton and the inactivation of ppGpp, actinorhodin and undecylprodigiosin production. Western blotting showed that ribosomes from the RelC mutant KO-100 contain only one-eighth the amount of L11 protein found in ribosomes of the parent strain. The impairment of antibiotic production in KO-100 could be rescued by the introduction of mutations that confer resistance to streptomycin (str), which result in alteration of Lys-88 in ribosomal protein S12 to Glu or Arg. No accompanying restoration of ppGpp synthesis was detected in these RelC str double mutants. Received: 12 May 1997 / Accepted: 22 July 1997     

天蓝色链霉菌孢子色素whiE在大肠杆菌中的异源生物合成

【目的】在大肠杆菌中完整重构孢子色素whiE的生物合成途径,分离纯化表达体系中合成的新化合物,并解析whiE的生物合成途径。【方法】构建whiE-ORFII、whiE-ORFVII和whiE-ORFI的单基因重组质粒,SDS-PAGE检测蛋白表达情况;借助Xba I与Spe I互为同尾酶的特性,实现多基因组合串联;构建好的重组质粒再导入大肠杆菌菌株BAP1中进行异源表达,并用高效液相色谱(HPLC)检测发酵产物;依次使用正相硅胶柱和反向半制备柱分离发酵产物,四级杆飞行时间质谱仪(Q-TOFMS)鉴定发酵产物分子量。【结果】whiE-ORFII、whiE-ORFVII和whiE-ORFI均获得可溶性表达;这3个基因单个串联到菌株BTw95中均未检测到新的产物生成;而whiE-ORFII和whiE-ORFVII、 whiE-ORFI和whiE-ORFVII双基因组合以及三基因组合串联到BTw95中可检测得到两种化合物ZYC-1和ZYC-2。在负离子模式下进行Q-TOFMS检测,ZYC-1的[M-H]-为419.0748,推测分子式为C_(23)H_(16)O_8;ZYC-2的[M-H]-为465.0743,推测分子式为C_(24)H_(18)O_(10)。【结论】本研究推进了孢子色素whiE生物合成途径在大肠杆菌中的异源重构,分离鉴定了2个十二酮II型聚酮化合物,并推测了孢子色素whiE的生物合成途径。     

New classes ofStreptomyces coelicolor A3(2) mutants blocked in undecylprodigiosin (Red) biosynthesis

Summary Fifteen mutants ofStreptomyces coelicolor A3(2) blocked in both the bipyrrole branch (redA) and a second site specific to the undecylprodigiosin pathway were characterized. Some of the mutants were ordered biosynthetically based on cosynthesis experiments. Complementation of each of the mutants with wild-type DNA cloned in low- and high-copy number plasmid vectors allowed the mutants to be separated into 12 new classes which are physically clustered within approximately 37 kb on theS. coelicolor genome. Early-step biosynthetic genes are centrally located and are flanked by later-step and regulatory genes.     

Localized mutagenesis in Streptomyces coelicolor A3 (2)

Nutritional mutants (co-mutants) were scored among nitrosoguanidine-induced revertants of four mutations in Streptomyces coelicolor A3 (2). All co-mutations were due to mutations in genes linked to the revertant locus. The co-mutant loci were located in a region of about 20 map units around the revertant locus (co-mutation region). Revertants for different loci showed co-mutation patterns different from each otehr and from that of random nitroso-guanidine-induced forward mutations. Mutations appeared to be completely abolished outside the co-mutation region (mutation restriction).     

Organisation and functions of the actV A region of the actinorhodin biosynthetic gene cluster of Streptomyces coelicolor

Summary Sequence analysis of the actVA region of the actinorhodin biosynthetic gene cluster of Streptomyces coelicolor revealed a succession of six open reading frames (ORFs), all running in the same direction and extending over 5.32 kb. The protein product of actVA-ORF1 strongly resembles that of another gene, elsewhere in the act cluster (actII-ORF2), which codes for a trans-membrane protein previously implicated in actinorhodin export from the mycelium. This suggests that the two gene products may co-operate in actinorhodin export, perhaps being sufficient for self-protection of the organism against suicide. At least four of the other five ORFs are implicated in the control of the C-6 and C-8 ring-hydroxylation reactions, lacking in actVA mutants, that occur at middle to late stages in the actinorhodin biosynthetic pathway. This conclusion was reached by genetic mapping of actVA mutants to actVA-ORF3 and-ORF5 (and perhaps -ORF4), and by the finding of strong resemblances between the protein products of actVA-ORF2 and -ORF6 and the products of genes of the oxytetracycline or tetracenomycin gene clusters that have been implicated in ring-hydroxylation reactions in the biosynthesis of these other aromatic polyketide antibiotics.     

The Linear Plasmid SCP1 of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) Possesses a Centrally Located Replication Origin and Shows Significant Homology to the Transposon Tn4811

The linear plasmid SCP1 of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) is one of the genetically more studied linear streptomycete replicons. Although the genetics of SCP1 and its interaction with the host chromosome have been analyzed for nearly three decades no information exists on its replication. With the help of an ordered cosmid contig for the complete 360-kb element, we have localized a 5439-bp fragment from the central region that confers autonomous replication in Streptomyces lividans. The minimal origin contains two overlapping ORFs which are separated from an AT-rich region which might correspond to the replication start point. ORF1 revealed intensive similarity to a class of DNA-primase/helicases of actinophages and archael plasmids. In addition, we have identified a region in both terminal inverted repeats of SCP1 that shows significant homology to the transposable element Tn4811 located near the ends of the S. lividans 66 chromosome.