Transformation of Kluyveromyces lactis by Electroporation

The physical and biological parameters involved in efficient transformation of Kluyveromyces lactis by electroporation have been analyzed. By using an optimum voltage and a constant volume of cell suspension in a cuvette, the efficiency of transformation increased with increases in cell numbers and plasmid concentration. However, the most important parameter was the time of the pulse. Changes of 1 ms decreased the efficiency of transformation more than 70 to 80%. Under our best conditions, between 10⁶ and 10⁷ transformants per μg of plasmid DNA could be obtained. Under certain conditions, the size of the plasmid also affected electroporation efficiency. In any case, we did not obtain integrative transformation with an autonomously replicating plasmid.     

克鲁维酵母种间原生质体融合的研究

乳酸克鲁维酵母(Kluyueromyces lactis Y12—1)和脆壁克鲁维酵母(K.fragilis8554)是乳糖酶生产菌株。应用原生质体融合技术进行了两菌株种问融合的研究。通过试验．原生质体形成及再生的最佳条件为：对数期的细胞,2％的蜗牛酶．30℃酶解30分钟．原生质体形成率90％以上,再生率20%左右。原生质体融合由聚乙二醇(PEG)诱导。K.lactisY12-l不能旋酵菊糖;K.fragilis 8554不能同化D－松三糖和麦芽糖;利用二菌株自身的营养缺陷性质获得融合子。融合子既能发酵菊糖又能同化D－松三糖和麦芽糖;融合子的DNA含量约为二亲株之和;融合子的菌落形态与亲株相比有一定差别．在以乳糖为碳源的培养基中,融合子的乳糖酶产量提高14一l6％;连续15次传代,融合子稳定。     

Reoxidation of cytosolic NADPH in Kluyveromyces lactis

Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces lactis are considered to be the prototypes of two distinct metabolic models of facultatively-aerobic yeasts: Crabtree-positive/fermentative and Crabtree-negative/respiratory, respectively. Our group had previously proposed that one of the molecular keys supporting this difference lies in the mechanisms involved in the reoxidation of the NADPH produced as a consequence of the activity of the pentose phosphate pathway. It has been demonstrated that a significant part of this reoxidation is carried out in K. lactis by mitochondrial external alternative dehydrogenases which use NADPH, the enzymes of S. cerevisiae being NADH-specific. Moreover, the NADPH-dependent pathways of response to oxidative stress appear as a feasible alternative that might co-exist with direct mitochondrial reoxidation.     

The pheromone response pathway of Kluyveromyces lactis

The mating pheromone response pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the best understood signalling pathways in eukaryotes. Comparison of this system with pathways in other fungal species has generated surprises and insights. Cloning and targetted disruption of genes encoding components of the pheromone response pathway has allowed the attribution of specific functions to these signal transduction components. In this review we describe current knowledge of the Kluyveromyces lactis mating system, and compare it with the well-understood S. cerevisiae pathway, emphasizing the similarities and differences in the heterotrimeric G protein activity. This mating pathway is controlled positively by both the Galpha and the Gbeta subunits of the heterotrimeric G protein.     

Electroinduced extraction of beta-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis

A new methodology for the extraction of beta-galactosidase from the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis was obtained by electropulsation. The application of a series of electric pulses (2 ms duration, 1 Hz frequency, and 4-4.5 kV/cm field strength) to fresh cells suspended in deionized water, followed by incubation in PBS, led to a spontaneous slow release of enzyme at a yield of 75-80% without any further treatment. Most of the enzyme was extracted within 8 h after electropulsation. This release was dependent on the growth phase. The specific activity of beta-galactosidase in the supernatant of pulsed cells was higher by a factor of 1.5-1.7 in comparison with crude extract.     

Characterization of lactose transport in Kluyveromyces lactis

We have determined that lactose uptake in Kluyveromyces lactis is mediated by an inducible transport system. Induction, elicited by lactose or galactose, of the transporter required protein synthesis. Transport of lactose required an energy-generating system and occurred by an active process, since an intracellular lactose concentration 175 times greater than the extracellular concentration could be obtained. The Km for lactose transport was about 2.8 mM in uninduced and lactose- or galactose-induced cells. The lactose transporters in K. lactis and Escherichia coli appear to be different since they respond uniquely to inhibition by substrate analogs.     

Nucleosome organization on Kluyveromyces lactis centromeric DNAs

The preferential assembly of specialized nucleosomes on budding yeast centromeres can be due either to the higher stability of specialized centromeric nucleosomes and/or to the lower stability of canonical centromeric nucleosomes with respect to bulk nucleosomes. We have evaluated the thermodynamic stability of canonical nucleosomes, assembled on Kluyveromyces lactis centromeric DNAs, with a competitive reconstitution assay and a theoretical method recently developed by us. The results, obtained by both methods, show that all five known centromeric DNAs from K. lactis are able to organize canonical nucleosomes, characterized by higher stability with respect those of bulk DNA. With 'footprinting' and theoretical prediction, based on sequence-dependent DNA elasticity, we have found that centromeric canonical nucleosomes are characterized by nucleosome dyad axis multiple positioning, rotationally phased. The isoenergetic nucleosome multiple positions are relevant in understanding the transition from canonical to specialized nucleosomes in interacting with centromere protein complexes. The satisfactory agreement between the results obtained from theoretical and experimental methods shows that sequence-dependent centromeric DNA elasticity has a main role in nucleosome thermodynamic stability and positioning.     

The Kluyveromyces lactis gamma-toxin targets tRNA anticodons

Kluyveromyces lactis killer strains secrete a heterotrimeric toxin (zymocin), which causes an irreversible growth arrest of sensitive yeast cells. Despite many efforts, the target(s) of the cytotoxic gamma-subunit of zymocin has remained elusive. Here we show that three tRNA species tRNA(Glu)(mcm(5)s(2)UUC), tRNA(Lys)(mcm(5)s(2)UUU), and tRNA(Gln)(mcm(5)s(2)UUG) are the targets of gamma-toxin. The toxin inhibits growth by cleaving these tRNAs at the 3' side of the modified wobble nucleoside 5-methoxycarbonylmethyl-2-thiouridine (mcm(5)s(2)U). Transfer RNA lacking a part of or the entire mcm(5) group is inefficiently cleaved by gamma-toxin, explaining the gamma-toxin resistance of the modification-deficient trm9, elp1-elp6, and kti11-kti13 mutants. The K. lactis gamma-toxin is the first eukaryotic toxin shown to target tRNA.     

Regulation of primary carbon metabolism in Kluyveromyces lactis

In the recent past, through advances in development of genetic tools, the budding yeast Kluyveromyces lactis has become a model system for studies on molecular physiology of so-called “Nonconventional Yeasts.” The regulation of primary carbon metabolism in K. lactis differs markedly from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and reflects the dominance of respiration over fermentation typical for the majority of yeasts. The absence of aerobic ethanol formation in this class of yeasts represents a major advantage for the “cell factory” concept and large-scale production of heterologous proteins in K. lactis cells is being applied successfully. First insight into the molecular basis for the different regulatory strategies is beginning to emerge from comparative studies on S. cerevisiae and K. lactis. The absence of glucose repression of respiration, a high capacity of respiratory enzymes and a tight regulation of glucose uptake in K. lactis are key factors determining physiological differences to S. cerevisiae. A striking discrepancy exists between the conservation of regulatory factors and the lack of evidence for their functional significance in K. lactis. On the other hand, structurally conserved factors were identified in K. lactis in a new regulatory context. It seems that different physiological responses result from modified interactions of similar molecular modules.     

Mannoproteins from the cell wall of Kluyveromyces lactis

Abstract Wall mannoproteins from Kluyveromyces lactis have been solubilised by treatment of cell walls with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) or zymolyase. While the former reagent liberates a large number of molecular species, zymolyase preferentially releases a high-molecular-weight material that is sensitive to endo- β - N -acetylglucosaminidase H, and a 29-kDa molecule that reacts with the antiserum raised against a similar species from walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae . In contrast with observations on isolated walls of S. cerevisiae , dithiothreitol pretreatment of K. lactis walls does not enhance the effect of zymolyase upon mannoprotein release. However, the action of thiol agents is still necessary to obtain protoplasts by zymolyase digestion from K. lactis whole cells.     

Bioconversion of d-xylose to d-xylonate with Kluyveromyces lactis

d-Xylonate was produced from d-xylose using Kluyveromyces lactis strains which expressed the gene for NADP(+)-dependent d-xylose dehydrogenase from Trichoderma reesei (xyd1). Up to 19 ± 2g d-xylonatel(-1) was produced when K. lactis expressing xyd1 was grown on 10.5 gd-galactosel(-1) and 40 g d-xylosel(-1). Intracellular accumulation of d-xylonate (up to ～70 mg [gbiomass](-1)) was observed. d-Xylose was metabolised to d-xylonate, xylitol and biomass. Oxygen could be reduced to 6mmolO(2)l(-1)h(-1) without loss in titre or production rate, but metabolism of d-xylose and xylitol were more efficient when 12 mmolO(2)l(-1)h(-1) were provided. d-Xylose uptake was not affected by deletion of either the d-xylose reductase (XYL1) or a putative xylitol dehydrogenase encoding gene (XYL2) in xyd1 expressing strains. K. lactis xyd1ΔXYL1 did not produce extracellular xylitol and produced more d-xylonate than the xyd1 strain containing the endogenous XYL1. K. lactis xyd1ΔXYL2 produced high concentrations of xylitol and significantly less d-xylonate than the xyd1 strain with the endogenous XYL2.     

Transformation of Kluyveromyces lactis by killer plasmid DNA

A single plasmid of 55 kilobases was found in crude cell lysates of each of nine strains of Rhodospirillum rubrum. Restriction endonuclease analysis showed identical fragment patterns with a given nuclease for all plasmids except one, for which an additional EcoRI site was observed. Elimination of the plasmid required that the cells be passaged several times in 25 mM calcium-containing medium, followed by at least two passages under photosynthetic growth conditions in low-calcium medium before treatment with ethyl methanesulfonate. The resulting plasmidless mutants only grew aerobically and were all incapable of pigment formation and photosynthetic growth, suggesting that plasmid DNA is required for photosynthetic competence in R. rubrum.     

腺苷酸脱氨酶在乳酸克鲁维酵母中构建表达

【目的】实现鼠灰链霉菌来源经密码子优化后的腺苷酸脱氨酶基因在乳酸克鲁维酵母(Kluyveromyces lactis GG799)中组成型表达。【方法】以鼠灰链霉菌(Streptomyces murinus)来源的腺苷酸脱氨酶(AMP)基因经密码子优化后作为模板,设计特异性引物,PCR扩增AMP脱氨酶基因opt-AMPD,以p KLAC1为载体构建重组表达质粒p KLAC1-opt-AMPD,经Sac II线性化后电转化法转入K.lactis GG799,筛选得到重组菌株,测定酶活,经His TrapTM HP纯化后得到AMP脱氨酶,并优化重组菌的发酵培养基。【结果】对AMP脱氨酶基因进行了密码子优化后,构建了重组K.lactis GG799/p KLAC1-opt-AMPD,实现组成型表达,密码子优化后AMP脱氨酶酶活提高到586±50 U/m L。SDS-PAGE结果显示,纯化后的AMP脱氨酶为单一条带,蛋白大小约为60 k D。优化的发酵培养基为(g/L):葡萄糖40、蛋白胨20、酵母粉15、Na Cl 8、KCl 10、Mg SO4 2,30°C、200 r/min发酵120 h,酶活达到2 100±60 U/m L。【结论】实现了密码子优化后的腺苷酸脱氨酶基因在乳酸克鲁维酵母GG799内的组成型表达,为实现腺苷酸脱氨酶的重组高效表达和发酵生产进行了有益探索。     

Magnification of the rDNA cluster in Kluyveromyces lactis

Summary By employing pulsed field gel electrophoresis we find that slow growing strains of Kluyveromyces lactis have only 43%–55% of the wild-type level of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeats. When subjected to prolonged vegetative growth these strains can increase both the number of rDNA repeats and their growth rate.     

Physiological studies of beta-galactosidase induction in Kluyveromyces lactis

We examined the kinetics of beta-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) induction in the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis. Enzyme activity began to increase 10 to 15 min, about 1/10 of a cell generation, after the addition of inducer and continued to increase linearly for from 7 to 9 cell generations before reaching a maximum, some 125- to 150-fold above the basal level of uninduced cells. Thereafter, as long as logarithmic growth was maintained, enzyme levels remained high, but enzyme levels dropped to a value only 5- to 10-fold above the basal level if cells entered stationary phase. Enzyme induction required the constant presence of inducer, since removal of inducer caused a reduction in enzyme level. Three nongratuitous inducers of beta-galactosidase activity, lactose, galactose, and lactobionic acid, were identified. Several inducers of the lac operon of Escherichia coli, including methyl-, isopropyl- and phenyl-1-thio-beta-d-galactoside, and thioallolactose did not induce beta-galactosidase in K. lactis even though they entered the cell. The maximum rate of enzyme induction was only achieved with lactose concentrations of greater than 1 to 2 mM. The initial differential rate of beta-galactosidase appearance after induction was reduced in medium containing glucose, indicating transient carbon catabolite repression. However, glucose did not exclude lactose from K. lactis, it did not cause permanent carbon catabolite repression of beta-galactosidase synthesis, and it did not prevent lactose utilization. These three results are in direct contrast to those observed for lactose utilization in E. coli. Furthermore, these results, along with our observation that K. lactis grew slightly faster on lactose than on glucose, indicate that this organism has evolved an efficient system for utilizing lactose.