Pseudomonas mosselii E1铁载体合成相关基因cysI的克隆与功能初步分析

从棉花根际分离的铁载体产生菌E1,其16SrDNA与Pseudomonas mosselii ATCCBAA-99的同源性为100%。采用三亲本杂交方法将携带转座子Tn5-1063的质粒pRL1063a导入E1中进行转座子插入诱变。利用CAS法,从1000个突变株中,筛选到一株铁载体合成缺失突变株E1-185。利用TAIL-PCR方法,扩增位于Tn5-1063两端的侧翼序列。测序结果表明,转座子插入到E1的cysI基因内。该基因与Pseudomonas entomophila L48的cysI同源性为96%,其CysI氨基酸序列相似性为97%。该基因与半胱氨酸的合成密切相关,而在加有半胱氨酸的CAS平板上,突变株恢复了铁载体产生能力,证明cysI在E1铁载体合成过程中具有重要作用。据推测,cysI可能与铁载体合成途径中关键蛋白acyl-S-PCPs的形成有关。     

Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes B50铁载体合成相关基因pyrD的克隆与功能分析

从棉花根际分离的一株细菌B50在低铁条件下可以产生铁载体。通过形态学特征、生理生化特征及其16SrDNA序列分析,将其鉴定为Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes。采用三亲本杂交的方法将转座子Tn5-1063a(含luxAB)导入B50中,进行转座子插入诱变,获得突变株。用TAIL-PCR方法得到与铁吸收有关的pyrD基因序列。通过互补实验验证pyrD与铁载体的合成有关。Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes能够产生铁载体属于首次报道。     

利用Tn5-1063转座诱变法分离苜蓿中华根瘤菌042BM noeB基因的研究

采用三亲本杂交方法将带有Tn5-1063(含luxAB)的质粒pRL1063a导入苜蓿中华根瘤菌(Sinorhizobium meldoti)042BM,进行转座子插入诱变,在含有氯霉素、卡那霉素的TY平板上筛选接合子。通过结瘤试验,从1000个突变株中,筛选到3个结瘤突变株042BMR5、042BMR11和042BRM29。它们都表现出发光酶活性,表明转座子正向插入到基因组中的某个启动子下游。Southern杂交结果证实,转座子均为单一位点插入。对042BMR5突变株基因组进行反向PCR,扩增位于Tn5-1063两端的侧翼序列。测序结果表明,转座子插入到苜蓿中华根瘤菌的共生质粒pSymA noeB基因内。根据基因组中noeB上游和下游序列扩增出042BM noeB,其与苜蓿中华根瘤菌1021 noeB的同源性为98％,而与NoeB蛋白的氨基酸序列相似性为95％。疏水性分析发现,NoeB是一个跨膜蛋白,在N末端有4个跨膜区,其中包含3个初级螺旋和1个次级螺旋。     

转座子挽救法对苜蓿中华根瘤菌与耐盐有关基因的定位

用含Tn5转座子的质粒pRL1063a诱变苜蓿中华根瘤菌(Sinorhizobium meliloti)042BM,得到盐敏感突变株042BML-2。采用转座子挽救法对Tn5插入位点两边的序列进行克隆与测序,获得了1179bp的转座子插入位点侧翼DNA序列。在GenBank中进行序列同源性和基因定位分析,结果表明：转座子插入在一个功能未知的基因内部,此基因长6270bp。研究证明：该基因与042BM的耐盐性有关,并定名为rtsC。氨基酸疏水性分析表明,在RtsC蛋白的N端有两个跨膜区,该蛋白与细菌趋化性相关蛋白的功能域有同源性。并对RtsC蛋白在苜蓿中华根瘤菌042BM耐盐性中的作用进行了讨论。     

利用Tn51063转座诱变法分离苜蓿中华根瘤菌042BMnoeB基因的研究

采用三亲本杂交方法将带有Tn51063（含luxAB）的质粒pRL1063a导入苜蓿中华根瘤菌(Sinorhizobium meliloti)042BM,进行转座子插入诱变,在含有氯霉素、卡那霉素的TY平板上筛选接合子。通过结瘤试验,从1000个突变株中,筛选到3个结瘤突变株042BMR5、042BMR11和 042BRM29。它们都表现出发光酶活性,表明转座子正向插入到基因组中的某个启动子下游。Southern杂交结果证实,转座子均为单一位点插入。对042BMR5突变株基因组进行反向PCR,扩增位于Tn51063两端的侧翼序列。测序结果表明,转座子插入到苜蓿中华根瘤菌的共生质粒pSymA noeB基因内。根据基因组中noeB上游和下游序列扩增出042BM noeB,其与苜蓿中华根瘤菌1021 noeB的同源性为98％,而与NoeB蛋白的氨基酸序列相似性为95％。疏水性分析发现,NoeB是一个跨膜蛋白,在N末端有4个跨膜区,其中包含3个初级螺旋和1个次级螺旋。     

利用TAIL-PCR克隆耐盐基因及其分析

通过大量筛选得到一株高耐盐的豇豆根瘤菌WME7,最高可耐15g/L NaCl,利用Tn5-sacB转座子对该菌株进行随机插入突变,从突变子中筛选获得30个共生缺陷型突变株。利用TAIL-PCR(thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR)方法克隆了突变株Tn5-sacB侧翼序列,通过BLAST发现有1个突变株的插入失活基因与鼠伤寒沙门氏菌抗银的结合蛋白SilE有94%同源性,表明有关Na+离子的抗性基因可能与Ag+离子的抗性基因有某种关系。该基因在其它菌中也能抗其它金属离子(铜、锌、钴、铬)。     

假单胞杆菌BS1转座突变及高产生物表面活性剂突变株初步筛选

利用含转座子Tn917的温敏性质粒pTV1-OK转化假单胞杆菌BS1原生质体,成功获得3个稳定的转化子;通过Tn917诱导转座突变,产生大量突变体,构建了转座突变体库,采用特异引物对随机挑取的5株突变体进行PCR扩增,获得与预期大小一致片段,表明突变体基因组中有Tn917插入;通过对随机挑取24株突变体乳化(E24)性能测定,发现有一株突变体E24值达到67%,明显高于野生菌株。结果表明转座突变是假单胞杆菌BS1获得高产生物表面活性剂菌株的一种有效手段。     

食甲基杆菌J1-1吡咯喹啉醌生物合成突变株的筛选和鉴定

目的:通过Tn5转座诱变筛选食甲基杆菌J1-1吡咯喹啉醌(PQQ)生物合成相关基因。方法:构建食甲基杆菌J1-1 Tn5转座突变体库,筛选PQQ合成水平差异明显的突变株,利用质粒拯救法鉴定突变基因,通过基因敲除、回补及过表达进一步研究该基因与PQQ合成的关系。结果:构建了J1-1的Tn5转座突变体库,筛选得到一株PQQ合成水平显著下降的突变株,经鉴定Tn5插入位点为mpq0056基因,该突变株在以甲醇为惟一碳源的培养基中生长速度略慢;敲除J1-1中mpq0056基因后,PQQ的合成水平下降,与Tn5诱变结果一致;回补该基因后,PQQ产量恢复到野生菌水平。结论:mpq0056基因参与了PQQ的生物合成,该基因可能编码分支酸盐裂合酶,并在PQQ生物合成中起重要作用。     

α-氨基苄青霉素抗性转座子Tn2在E.coli K12乳糖操纵子Z基因中的插入区域特异性

转座子Tn2是大肠杆菌质粒RSF 1030上一段带有α-氨基苄青霉素抗性基因的DNA序列。这段序列具有转座能力,它能通过不同于一般的DNA重组机理从一个复制子转座到另一个复制子。已知,噬菌体Mu,插入序列IS1、IS2、IS3和抗药性转座子TnA、Tn5、Tn9、Tn10等均能使被插入的基因发生突变。已有报道,不同的转座子在E.coli K12乳糖操纵子Z基因中的插入模式不同。Mu噬菌体在Z基因     

防御假单胞菌双突变体H78ΔrsmA/E中hmgA基因对藤黄绿菌素生物合成的抑制

【背景】防御假单胞菌(Pseudomonas protegens) H78是分离于油菜根际的一株生防菌,其能合成藤黄绿菌素(pyoluteorin,Plt)等多种广谱抗生素,H78的rsmA/E双突变体中Plt合成被完全抑制。【目的】通过转座子诱变技术,筛选H78ΔrsmA/E双突变体中重新激活Plt合成的下游调控因子。【方法】通过同源重组的方法在pltL基因下游插入红色荧光蛋白(redfluorescentprotein,RFP)基因来指示Plt操纵子表达的激活情况;利用转座子随机插入突变、半随机PCR技术筛选并定位目标基因;通过基因回补等方法进一步验证基因功能。【结果】从约2万株H78ΔrsmA/E的转座子突变体中筛选到一株高产Plt和某种黑色素的菌株,并确定其插入位点为hmgA基因,hmgA基因回补能重新抑制H78ΔrsmA/E的Plt合成。【结论】假单胞菌双突变体H78ΔrsmA/E中hmgA基因对Plt的合成存在强烈抑制作用,是潜在的RsmA/E下游调控基因。本研究为进一步阐明Plt合成的调控机制与网络及通过基因工程提高Plt产量奠定了基础。     

Symbiotic characteristics of cysteine and methionine auxotrophs of Sinorhizobium meliloti

Twenty one cysteine and 13 methionine auxotrophs of Sinorhizobium meliloti Rmd201 were obtained by random mutagenesis with transposon Tn5. The cysteine auxotrophs were sulfite reductase mutants and each of these auxotrophs had a mutation in cysI/cysJ gene. The methionine auxotrophs were metA/metZ, metE and metF mutants. One hundred per cent co-transfer of Tn5-induced kanamycin resistance and auxotrophy from each Tn5-induced auxotrophic mutant indicated that each mutant cell most likely had a single Tn5 insertion. However, the presence of more than one Tn5 insertions in the auxotrophs used in our study cannot be ruled out. All cysteine and methionine auxotrophs induced nodules on alfalfa plants. The nodules induced by cysteine auxotrophs were fully effective like those of the parental strain-induced nodules, whereas the nodules induced by methionine auxotrophs were completely ineffective. The supplementation of methionine to the plant nutrient medium completely restored symbiotic effectiveness to the methionine auxotrophs. These results indicated that the alfalfa host provides cysteine but not methionine to rhizobia during symbiosis. Histological studies showed that the defective symbiosis of methionine auxotrophs with alfalfa plants was due to reduced number of infected nodule cells and incomplete transformation of bacteroids.     

cysQ, a gene needed for cysteine synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12 only during aerobic growth.

The initial steps in assimilation of sulfate during cysteine biosynthesis entail sulfate uptake and sulfate activation by formation of adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate, conversion to 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate, and reduction to sulfite. Mutations in a previously uncharacterized Escherichia coli gene, cysQ, which resulted in a requirement for sulfite or cysteine, were obtained by in vivo insertion of transposons Tn5tac1 and Tn5supF and by in vitro insertion of resistance gene cassettes. cysQ is at chromosomal position 95.7 min (kb 4517 to 4518) and is transcribed divergently from the adjacent cpdB gene. A Tn5tac1 insertion just inside the 3' end of cysQ, with its isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside-inducible tac promoter pointed toward the cysQ promoter, resulted in auxotrophy only when isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside was present; this conditional phenotype was ascribed to collision between converging RNA polymerases or interaction between complementary antisense and cysQ mRNAs. The auxotrophy caused by cysQ null mutations was leaky in some but not all E. coli strains and could be compensated by mutations in unlinked genes. cysQ mutants were prototrophic during anaerobic growth. Mutations in cysQ did not affect the rate of sulfate uptake or the activities of ATP sulfurylase and its protein activator, which together catalyze adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate synthesis. Some mutations that compensated for cysQ null alleles resulted in sulfate transport defects. cysQ is identical to a gene called amtA, which had been thought to be needed for ammonium transport. Computer analyses, detailed elsewhere, revealed significant amino acid sequence homology between cysQ and suhB of E. coli and the gene for mammalian inositol monophosphatase. Previous work had suggested that 3'-phosphoadenoside 5'-phosphosulfate is toxic if allowed to accumulate, and we propose that CysQ helps control the pool of 3'-phosphoadenoside 5'-phosphosulfate, or its use in sulfite synthesis.     

Genetic analysis, nucleotide sequence, and products of two Pseudomonas denitrificans cob genes encoding nicotinate-nucleotide: dimethylbenzimidazole phosphoribosyltransferase and cobalamin (5''-phosphate) synthase.

Tn5 Sp(r) transposons have been inserted into the 8-kb Pseudomonas denitrificans DNA fragment from complementation group D, which carries cob genes. Genetic analysis and the nucleotide sequence revealed that only two cob genes (cobU and cobV) were found on this cob genomic locus. Nicotinate-nucleotide: dimethylbenzimidazole phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.21) was assayed and purified to homogeneity from a P. denitrificans strain in which cobU and cobV were amplified. The purified enzyme was identified as the cobU gene product on the basis of identical molecular weights and N-terminal sequences. Cobalamin (5'-phosphate) synthase activity was increased when cobV was amplified in P. denitrificans. The partially purified enzyme catalyzed not only the synthesis of cobalamin 5'-phosphate from GDP-cobinamide and alpha-ribazole 5'-phosphate but also the one-step synthesis of cobalamin from GDP-cobinamide and alpha-ribazole. Biochemical data provided evidence that cobV encodes cobalamin (5'-phosphate) synthase.     

A single oligonucleotide can be used to rapidly isolate DNA sequences flanking a transposon Tn5 insertion by the polymerase chain reaction.

We have developed a strategy to rapidly construct DNA hybridization probes for the isolation of genes disrupted by transposon Tn5 insertions. A single oligonucleotide complementary to and extending outward from the ends of the inverted repeat of Tn5 was used to prime DNA synthesis in the polymerase chain reaction. The amplified product consisted of DNA sequences adjacent to both ends of the transposon insertion. The general feasibility of the approach was tested by amplifying pBR322 sequences from a derivative of pBR322 containing a Tn5 insertion. To amplify genomic DNA sequences flanking a Tn5 insertion in the chromosome of a Pseudomonas syringae strain, circular substrates were generated by ligating EcoRI-digested genomic DNA. Tn5 was contained intact within one such circular molecule, as the transposon does not contain sites for cleavage by EcoRI. The amplified product (approximately 2.5 kb) was used as a DNA hybridization probe to isolate the homologous fragment from a cosmid library of wild-type Pseudomonas syringae genomic DNA. This approach may be applied to the efficient isolation of sequences flanking any Tn5 insertion.     

Genes downstream from pucB and pucA are essential for formation of the B800-850 complex of Rhodobacter capsulatus.

The formation of the light-harvesting complex B800-850 (LH-II) of Rhodobacter capsulatus requires, in addition to the synthesis of the polypeptides alpha and beta (the gene products of pucA and pucB), the synthesis of bacteriochlorophyll and carotenoids and the expression of at least one gene localized downstream from the pucBA operon. This was concluded from the observation that a Tn5 insertion downstream from pucBA inhibited the formation of the LH-II complex and the formation of the pucBA mRNA. The Tn5 insertion point was mapped and found to be over 500 base pairs (bp) downstream from the end of the pucA gene, suggesting the presence of additional puc genes. A region of about 3,000 bp including the pucB and pucA genes and DNA downstream from pucA was sequenced and found to contain three open reading frames (ORFs C, D, and E). The polypeptide deduced from the first ORF (C) contains 403 amino acids with strongly hydrophobic stretches and one large and three small hydrophilic domains carrying many charged residues. The other two ORFs contain 113 (D) and 118 (E) codons. The amino acid sequences of the N terminus and two tryptic peptides of an alkaline-soluble Mr-14,000 subunit of the isolated LH-II complex were identical with the deduced amino acid sequence of ORF E.