Bacterial hemoglobins and flavohemoglobins: versatile proteins and their impact on microbiology and biotechnology

In response to oxygen limitation or oxidative and nitrosative stress, bacteria express three kinds of hemoglobin proteins: truncated hemoglobins (tr Hbs), hemoglobins (Hbs) and flavohemoglobins (flavo Hbs). The two latter groups share a high sequence homology and structural similarity in their globin domain. Flavohemoglobin proteins contain an additional reductase domain at their C-terminus and their expression is induced in the presence of reactive nitrogen and oxygen species. Flavohemoglobins detoxify NO in an aerobic process, termed nitric oxide dioxygenase reaction, which protects the host from various noxious nitrogen compounds. Only a small number of bacteria express hemoglobin proteins and the best studied of these is from Vitreoscilla sp. Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) has been expressed in various heterologous hosts under oxygen-limited conditions and has been shown to improve growth and productivity, rendering the protein interesting for biotechnology industry. The close interaction of VHb with the terminal oxidases has been shown and this interplay has been proposed to enhance respiratory activity and energy production by delivering oxygen, the ultimate result being an improvement in growth properties.     

Expression of Vitreoscilla haemoglobin in tobacco cell cultures relieves nitrosative stress in vivo and protects from NO in vitro

Targeted expression of Vitreoscilla haemoglobin (VHb) has been analysed in Nicotiana tabacum plants and suspension cultures under various growth and stress conditions. VHb localization to different cell compartments (cytoplasm, chloroplast and mitochondria) was successful, as judged by signal peptide cleavage. The presence of VHb in subcellular compartments did not result in phenotypical differences between these plant lines. In contrast with previous reports, we were unable to discern any significant changes in growth and other phenotypical characteristics between VHb-expressing and transformed control plants under standard growth conditions. When exposed to nitrosative stress, growth of VHb-expressing cultures was less affected relative to transformed controls. Furthermore, a diminished inactivation of the NO-sensitive enzyme aconitase was observed in the presence of VHb. In contrast, no protective effect of VHb expression against oxidative stress could be detected.     

Nitric oxide detoxification--a new era for bacterial globins in biotechnology?

For more than a decade, the expression of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) has been used to improve the growth and/or productivity of various organisms that are important for the production of valuable metabolites and recombinant proteins by biotechnological processes. Extensive experimental data have shown that VHb enhances the energy status of the cell under oxygen-limited conditions, presumably by improving the supply of intracellular oxygen. Recently, bacterial globin proteins have gained more attention in research because of their ability to detoxify nitric oxide (NO) in vivo. These new results have increased our knowledge, encouraging us to reconsider the role of VHb in vivo. The expression of heterologous globins might improve cellular protection against nitrosative stress under oxygen-limited conditions.     

Expression of vitreoscilla hemoglobin improves growth and levels of extracellular enzyme in Yarrowia lipolytica

Enhancement in oxygen uptake by high-cell-density cultivations has been achieved previously by expression of the bacterial hemoglobin gene from Vitreoscilla. The Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) gene was expressed in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica to study the effect of expression in this commercially important yeast. The expression of VHb in this yeast was found to enhance growth, contrary to reported observations in wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae in which there was no significant growth enhancement. VHb-expressing Y. lipolytica exhibited higher specific growth rate, enhanced oxygen uptake rate, and higher respiratory activity. We report the beneficial effects of VHb expression on growth under microaerobic as well as under nonlimiting dissolved oxygen conditions. Earlier studies in Y. lipolytica have demonstrated inhibition of mycelia formation by respiratory inhibitors and poor nitrogen source, conditions poor for growth. VHb(+) Y. lipolytica cells were more efficient at forming mycelia, indicating better utilization of available oxygen as compared with the VHb(-) cells. Expression of VHb was also found to increase the levels of enzyme ribonuclease secreted into the medium, a property that may be beneficial for producing heterologous proteins in Y. lipolytica.     

透明颤菌血红蛋白基因调控与功能的研究

透明颤菌(Vitreoscila)血红蛋白(VHB)是一种氧调节、氧结合蛋白。其基因(vgb)已被克隆及表达。Vgb基因表达在转录水平上受氧控制．FNR蛋白作为厌氧激活于介入该调节过程。VHb可与氧结合参与细胞代谢过程,使细胞适应贫氧环境。Vgb基因的氧调控启动子和VHb蛋白的生理功能在基因工程和发酵工程具有良好的应用前景。     

从透明颤菌血红蛋白谈到植物缺氧与转基因作物

扼要介绍透明颤菌血红蛋白基因在多种微生物的表达、调节和生理功能,特别是在生物工程方面可能的应用。但最值得重视的是这一基因在烟草中的表达及其生理效应,它为我们提出一个重要的问题,就是植物是否缺氧,透明颤菌血红蛋白基因很可能是构建转基因作物的重要元件。     

Recent developments and future prospects of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin application in metabolic engineering

In hypoxic conditions, bacteria express a kind of hemoglobin, which is proposed to enhance respiration and energy metabolism by promoting oxygen delivery. Bacteria hemoglobin from Vitreoscilla stercoraria - Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb), when expressed in various hosts in oxygen-limited conditions, has been shown to improve growth, protein secretion, metabolite productivity and stress resistance of hosts, thus rendering the protein promising in metabolic engineering, especially in plant metabolism optimization. In this review, many well-studies areas are presented to illustrate the potential of VHb application in biotechnology industry, to discuss the cellular mechanisms of VHb function and to show the wide variety of approaches taken within the field.     

透明颤菌血红蛋白基因的研究与应用

总结了近 15年来透明颤菌血红蛋白的研究结果 ,包括它的分布、结构、功能、合成等分子生物学以及在基因工程中的应用。透明颤菌的血红蛋白是 2 0世纪 70年代被发现的 ,由于它具有结合氧的特性 ,可使透明颤菌这一专性好氧的革兰氏阴性菌在贫氧环境中生长。透明颤菌血红蛋白是同型二聚体形式的可溶性血红蛋白分子 ,每分子透明颤菌血红蛋白由两个分子量为 15 775的亚基和两个b型血红素组成。透明颤菌血红蛋白的功能是为透明颤菌强大的呼吸膜增加氧的流量。完整的有功能的血红蛋白由血红蛋白亚基和血红素组成 ,血红蛋白亚基由基因vgb编码 ,血红素由生化代谢合成。透明颤菌血红蛋白基因在野生透明颤菌中是以单拷贝的方式随染色体一起复制表达的。透明颤菌血红蛋白基因已经被克隆和测序。同时也讨论了将透明颤菌血红蛋白基因整合到异源宿主菌中增加重组蛋白产量和发酵产量方面的研究。最后 ,概述了当透明颤菌血红蛋白在植物中表达时 ,转基因植物表现出生长增加以及代谢物产量发生变化的情况。     

Vitreoscilla hemoglobin. Intracellular localization and binding to membranes

The obligate aerobic bacterium, Vitreoscilla, synthesizes elevated quantities of a homodimeric hemoglobin (VHb) under hypoxic growth conditions. Expression of VHb in heterologous hosts often enhances growth and product formation. A role in facilitating oxygen transfer to the respiratory membranes is one explanation of its cellular function. Immunogold labeling of VHb in both Vitreoscilla and recombinant Escherichia coli bearing the VHb gene clearly indicated that VHb has a cytoplasmic (not periplasmic) localization and is concentrated near the periphery of the cytosolic face of the cell membrane. OmpA signal-peptide VHb fusions were transported into the periplasm in E. coli, but this did not confer any additional growth advantage. The interaction of VHb with respiratory membranes was also studied. The K(d) values for the binding of VHb to Vitreoscilla and E. coli cell membranes were approximately 5-6 microm, a 4-8-fold higher affinity than those of horse myoglobin and hemoglobin for these same membranes. VHb stimulated the ubiquinol-1 oxidase activity of inverted Vitreoscilla membranes by 68%. The inclusion of Vitreoscilla cytochrome bo in proteoliposomes led to 2.4- and 6-fold increases in VHb binding affinity and binding site number, respectively, relative to control liposomes, suggesting a direct interaction between VHb and cytochrome bo.     

透明颤菌血红蛋白基因在产PHB重组大肠杆菌中的引入

将透明颤菌血红蛋白基因 (vgb)采用插入染色体的方式引入产聚 β 羟基丁酸酯(PHB)重组大肠杆菌VG1 (pTU1 4)中 ,以从分子水平上提高克隆菌对氧的利用率 ,解决PHB发酵生产过程中的供氧矛盾 ,透明颤菌血红蛋白的一氧化碳差光谱分析明表 ,vgb基因可以在VG1 (pTU1 4)中成功表达 ,且其表达量受溶氧水平的调控。Vgb基因的引入可以同时促进菌体生长和PHB产品的积累 ,且溶氧水平越低 ,VHB表达量越高 ,这种促进作用就越明显     

在链霉菌中表达透明颤菌血红蛋白需要异源启动子

构建了质粒pIJ4083Mpro、pIJ4083\|pro\,pWLD8和pFW3。在浅青紫链霉菌TK24中,启动子探针质粒pIJ4083上的邻苯二酚双加氧酶基因(xylE)不能被透明颤菌血红蛋白基因(vgb)的启动子带动转录,表明vgb启动子在链霉菌中无作用。TK24中,pWLD8和pFW3均能表达透明颤菌血红蛋白(VHb),pWLD8上可能是由Plac带动vgb的表达;pFW3上vgb基因去掉了非必要部分,克隆在PCR扩增得到的glnA启动子下游,两者连成嵌合基因。     

透明颤菌血红蛋白的研究与发展前景

在缺氧条件下,透明颤菌血红蛋白(VHb)通过促进氧输送增强呼吸和能量代谢,并在各种宿主中表达,显示出改善增长,蛋白质分泌,代谢产物的生产力和提高宿主抗逆性等的生理效应,从而使蛋白质在代谢工程尤其在优化植物代谢中应用前景广阔.概括了VHb在生物技术工业的诸多研究领域中的应用潜力,探讨VHb功能的细胞机制,并显示出各领域所采取的各种方法.     

Recombinant E. coli expressing Vitreoscilla haemoglobin prefers aerobic metabolism under microaerobic conditions: A proteome-level study

Vitreoscilla haemoglobin (VHb) expression in heterologous host was shown to enhance growth and oxygen utilization capabilities under oxygen-limited conditions. The exact mechanism by which VHb enhances the oxygen utilization under oxygen-limiting conditions is still unknown. In order to understand the role of VHb in promoting oxygen utilization, changes in the total protein profile of E. coli expressing the vgb gene under its native promoter was analysed. Two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D DIGE) was employed to quantify the differentially expressed proteins under oxygen-limiting conditions. Overexpression of proteins involved in aerobic metabolic pathways and suppression of proteins involved in non-oxidative metabolic pathways shown in this study indicates that the cells expressing VHb prefer aerobic metabolic pathways even under oxygen limitation. Under these conditions, the expression levels of proteins involved in central metabolic pathways, cellular adaptation and cell division were also found to be altered. These results imply that Vitreoscilla haemoglobin expression alters aerobic metabolism specifically, in addition to altering proteins involved in other pathways, the significance of which is not clear as of now.     

Role of hemoglobin in improving biodegradation of aromatic contaminants under hypoxic conditions

Genetic engineering of bacteria using the Vitreoscilla (bacterial) hemoglobin gene has been used to enhance bioremediation of several compounds which are models for, or are themselves, toxic chemicals which may contaminate soil and water. Initial experiments, done mostly in shake flasks, with Escherichia coli, Burkholderia sp. DNT and Pseudomonas aeruginosa demonstrated that expression of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin in heterologous hosts can enhance biodegradation of several aromatic compounds as well as an organophosphorus compound. These studies concentrated for the most part on enhancement of endogenous catabolic capabilities of the hosts; the presence of vgb/VHb enhanced both growth and biodegradation. The initial studies were followed by experiments in systems which more closely approximated conditions that would exist in field applications. These included soil columns, continuous flow reactors and membrane bioreactors. The latter work also enabled calculation of the effects of the presence of vgb/VHb on kinetic parameters such as growth rate, substrate and oxygen utilization rate, and degradation rate of pollutants, etc. Although not always the case, for the most part, and particularly in bioreactors, the advantages due to vgb/VHb were greater under conditions of limited aeration or hypoxic conditions.     

Improved cell growth in tobacco suspension cultures expressing Vitreoscilla hemoglobin

Expression of the gene encoding bacterial hemoglobin (VHb) from Vitreoscilla has been previously used to improve recombinant cell growth and enhance product formation under microaerobic conditions, a common phenomenon in large-scale cultivations of bacteria. This technology has now been applied to tobacco suspension cultures. Tobacco suspension cultures have been generated from VHb-expressing tobacco plants. Cell cultures were capable of producing an active hemoglobin. When grown in shake flasks, the cells did not show any lag-phase and exhibited improved cell growth, compared to controls carrying the parental plasmid.     

Vitreoscilla hemoglobin binds to subunit I of cytochrome bo ubiquinol oxidases

The bacterium, Vitreoscilla, can induce the synthesis of a homodimeric hemoglobin under hypoxic conditions. Expression of VHb in heterologous bacteria often enhances growth and increases yields of recombinant proteins and production of antibiotics, especially under oxygen-limiting conditions. There is evidence that VHb interacts with bacterial respiratory membranes and cytochrome bo proteoliposomes. We have examined whether there are binding sites for VHb on the cytochrome, using the yeast two-hybrid system with VHb as the bait and testing every Vitreoscilla cytochrome bo subunit as well as the soluble domains of subunits I and II. A significant interaction was observed only between VHb and intact subunit I. We further examined whether there are binding sites for VHb on cytochrome bo from Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two organisms in which stimulatory effects of VHb have been observed. Again, in both cases a significant interaction was observed only between VHb and subunit I. Because subunit I contains the binuclear center where oxygen is reduced to water, these data support the function proposed for VHb of providing oxygen directly to the terminal oxidase; it may also explain its positive effects in Vitreoscilla as well as in heterologous organisms.     

Error-prone PCR of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) to support the growth of microaerobic Escherichia coli

Expression of the gene encoding bacterial hemoglobin (VHb) from Vitreoscilla has been previously used to improve recombinant cell growth and enhance product formation under microaerobic conditions. It is very likely that the properties of VHb are not optimized for foreign hosts; therefore, we used error-prone PCR to generate a number of randomly mutated vhb genes to be expressed and studied in Escherichia coli. In addition, the mutated VHb proteins also contained an extension of eight residues (MTMITPSF) at the amino terminus. VHb mutants were screened for improved growth properties under microaerobic conditions and 15 clones expressing mutated hemoglobin protein were selected for further characterization and cultivated in a microaerobic bioreactor to analyze the physiological effects of novel VHb proteins on cell growth. The expression of four VHb mutants, carried by pVM20, pVM50, pVM104, and pVM134, were able to enhance microaerobic growth of E. coli by approximately 22%, 155%, 50%, and 90%, respectively, with a concomitant decrease of acetate excretion into the culture medium. The vhb gene in pVM20 contains two mutations substituting residues Glu19(A17) and Glu137(H23) to Gly. pVM50 expresses a VHb protein carrying two mutations: His36(C1) to Arg36 and Gln66(E20) to Arg66. pVM104 and pVM134 express VHb proteins carrying the mutations Ala56(E10) to Gly and Ile24(B5) to Thr, respectively. Our experiments also indicate that the positive effects elicited by mutant VHb-expression from pVM20 and pVM50 are linked to the peptide tail. Removal of the N-terminal sequence reduced cell growth approximately 23% and 53%, respectively, relative to wild-type controls. These results clearly demonstrate that it is possible to obtain mutated VHb proteins with improved characteristics for improving microaerobic growth of E. coli by using combined mutation techniques, addition of a peptide tail, and random error-prone PCR.     

毕赤酵母中表达透明颤菌血红蛋白提高重组脂肪酶的表达

解脂耶氏酵母胞外脂肪酶Lip2(YlLip2)是一种具有广泛应用前景的工业酶.为了改善高密度发酵生产Y1Lip2过程中的溶氧限制,提高Y1Lip2的表达量,将YlLip2基因lip2和透明颤菌血红蛋白(VHb)基因vgb分别置于AOXl启动子和PsADH2启动子的调控之下,进行YlLip2和VHb在毕赤酵母中的共表达.PsADH2启动子来源于树干毕赤酵母Pichia stipitis,在低氧条件下能被激活.SDS-PAGE和CO-差式光谱分析表明,Y1Lip2和VHb在重组菌中成功实现了共表达.在氧限制性条件下,VHb表达的细胞(VHb+,GS 115/9Klip2-pZPVT)与对照细胞(VHb-,GS 115/9Klip2)相比,摇瓶和10 L发酵罐中YlLip2表达量分别提高了25％和83％.此外,在低氧条件下,VHb+细胞在10 L发酵罐中的生物量也比VHb-细胞高.文中也获得了一株表达了VHb的并携带有多个lip2基因拷贝的克隆子GS 115/9Klip2-pZP VTlip2 49#,在低氧条件下,该克隆子在10L发酵罐中的最高脂肪酶水解活力达33 900 U/mL.因此,在毕赤酵母中用PsADH2启动子表达VHb,同时增加lip2基因的拷贝数是提高YlLip2表达量的一种有效策略.