Allosteric Activation and Contrasting Properties of l-Serine Dehydratase Types 1 and 2

Bacterial l-serine dehydratases differ from mammalian l- and d-serine dehydratases and bacterial d-serine dehydratases by the presence of an iron-sulfur center rather than a pyridoxyl phosphate prosthetic group. They exist in two forms, types 1 and 2, distinguished by their sequence and oligomeric configuration. Both types contain an ASB domain, and the type 1 enzymes also contain an ACT domain in a tandem arrangement with the ASB domain like that in type 1 d-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenases (PGDHs). This investigation reveals striking kinetic differences between l-serine dehydratases from Bacillus subtilis (bsLSD, type 1) and Legionella pneumophila (lpLSD, type 2). lpLSD is activated by monovalent cations and inhibited by monovalent anions. bsLSD is strongly activated by cations, particularly potassium, and shows a mixed response to anions. Flouride is a competitive inhibitor for lpLSD but an apparent activator for bsLSD at low concentrations and an inhibitor at high concentrations. The reaction products, pyruvate and ammonia, also act as activators but to different extents for each type. Pyruvate activation is competitive with l-serine, but activation of the enzyme is not compatible with it simply competing for binding at the active site and suggests the presence of a second, allosteric site. Because activation can be eliminated by higher levels of l-serine, it may be that this second site is actually a second serine binding site. This is consistent with type 1 PGDH in which the ASB domain functions as a second site for substrate binding and activation.     

重组点状产气单胞菌脯氨酰内肽酶的性质

以特异性底物和多态的对大肠杆菌表达的重组点状产气单胞菌脯氨酰内肽酶（简称ａｐＰＥＰ）催化性质的研究表明,ａｐＰＥＰ在４～３２℃比较稳定,最适催化温度为３４℃;在ｐＨ６～１０比较稳定,最适ｐＨ为８．４;ａｐＰＥＰ的比活力为６７．６ｕ／ｍｇ。对Ｚ－Ｇｌｙ－Ｐｒｏ－βＮＡ底物的酶解常数Ｋｍ为０．０３ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ。一些蛋白酶抑制剂和金属离子的抑制作用结果表明,ａｐＰＥＰ不受ＰＭＳＦ、ＴＬＣＫ、ＴＰＣＫ、胰     

点状产气单胞菌脯氨酰内肽酶在大肠杆菌中的高效表达

采用ＰＣＲ分段克隆法将点状产气单胞菌点状亚种（Ａｅｒｏｍｏｎａｓ ｐｕｃｔａｔａ ｓｕｂｓｐ．ｊｐｕｃｔａｔａ）脯氨酰内肽酶（ｐｒｏｌｙｌ ｅｎｄｏｐｅｐｔｉｄａｓｅ,ａｐＰＥＰ）的编码区基因分成３段扩增并拼接成编码６９０个氨基酸的完整基因ａｐＰＥＰ,将其克隆在表达载体ｐＢＬ和ｐＫＫＨ上,构建成温度和ＩＰＴＧ诱导型高效表达ａｐＰＥＰ的重组大肠杆菌ＢＬ２１／ｐＢＬ－ＰＥＰ和ＢＬ２１／ｐＫＫＨ－ＰＥＰ     

点状产气单胞菌脯氨酰内肽酶基因克隆与序列测定

点状产气单胞菌点状亚种（Ａｅｒｏｍｏｎａｓ ｐｕｎｃａｔａ ｓｕｂｓｐ．ｐｕｎｃｔａｔａ）具有脯氨酰内肽酶（ｐｒｏｌｙｌ ｅｎｄｏｐｅｐｔｉｄａｓｅ ＰＥＰ）活性。将其染色体ＤＮＡ有Ｅｃｏ ＲⅠ部分酶切后回收８－１６ｋｂ的ＤＮＡ片段,与ＥｃｏＲⅠ消化载体ｐＵＣ１８连接后转化Ｅ．ｃｏｉｌ ＤＨ５α,用该酶的专一性底物Ｂｅｎｚｙｌｏｘｙｃａｒｂｏｎｙｌ－Ｇｌｙ－β－ｎａｐｈｔｈｙｌａｍｉｄｅ从质粒库中     

重组点状产气单胞菌脯氨酰内肽酶的纯化和鉴定

报道重组点状产气单胞菌脯氨酰内肽酶(简称apPEP)的基因工程下游工艺研究。工程菌株E.coli BL21/pKKH\|PEP表达产物apPEP为可溶性蛋白,在NBS BioFlo 3000型5L自控发酵罐中经14h培养每升发酵液可达到22.5g干重菌体,含apPEP 3.0g左右。发酵菌体经超声破碎、硫酸铵沉淀后,依次经Sephadex G-25、High performance Q sepharose FF(HP\|Q)、Phenyl separose 6 FF柱层析分离纯化,每升发酵产物最终可得0.86g纯度达96%的重组apPEP,比活力达到65.5u/mg,整个纯化工艺的蛋白回收率为8.2%,活力回收率为24.4%。纯化的apPEP经电喷雾质谱测定分子量为76464±30D,N端氨基酸序列与基因序列推导的一致。等电点为pI6.0左右。与Aeromonas hydrophila来源的PEP(pI=5.5)相近。     

The reaction of Anopheles annulipes larvae to infection by Aeromonas punctata

Black lesions observed internally in larvae of laboratory-reared Anopheles annulipes were found to be associated with bacteria, which were isolated from the hemolymph of infected larvae and identified as Aeromonas punctata. The black lesions were formed by deposition of black pigment around the invading bacteria, which penetrated the hemocoel through the cuticle or intestinal epithelium of weakened larvae; the action of chintinase and phospholipase possibly facilitate the entry of the bacteria to the hemocoel.     

l-Serine Production by a Mutant of Sarcina albida Defective in l-Serine Degradation

For improved l-serine production, an l-serine dehydratase-defective mutant of Sarcina albida IAM 1012 was obtained. In the mutant, the activities of the enzymes responsible for l-serine production were as high as those in the parent strain, and, at a low glycine concentration, the mutant accumulated l-serine more efficiently than the parent. Under optimum conditions, 21 mg of l-serine per ml accumulated from 100 mg of glycine per ml. l-Serine was isolated from a reaction mixture as l-serine m-xylene-4-sulfonate, and free amino acid was obtained in high yields by use of an ion-exchange resin. Residual glycine was recovered at a yield of 61%.     

Morphological and Biochemical Characteristics of Aeromonas punctata (hydrophila, liquefaciens) Isolated from Human Sources

The isolation of Aeromonas punctata (hydrophila, liquefaciens) from feces, throat, and sputum cultures is presented as further evidence that aeromonads are found in man. Morphological and biochemical studies of these strains indicate that the chief differences between the aeromonads and physiologically similar members of the Enterobacteriaceae are found in the polar arrangement of the flagella and in the production of oxidase by the former. The oxidase test should be performed on all paracolon-like bacteria, and a flagella stain should be employed when an oxidase-positive, gram-negative bacillus is isolated. Application of these tests will undoubtedly result in more frequent identification of Aeromonas species from human sources.     

Isolation and Partial Characterization of a Virulent Bacteriophage IHQ1 Specific for Aeromonas punctata from Stream Water

Aeromonas punctata is the causative agent of septicemia, diarrhea, wound infections, meningitis, peritonitis, and infections of the joints, bones and eyes. Bacteriophages are often considered alternative agents for controlling bacterial infection and contamination. In this study, we described the isolation and preliminary characterization of bacteriophage IHQ1 (family Myoviridae) active against the Gram-negative bacterial strain A. punctata. This virulent bacteriophage was isolated from stream water sample. Genome analysis indicated that phage IHQ1 was a double-stranded DNA virus with an approximate genome size of 25–28 kb. The initial characterization of this newly isolated phage showed that it has a narrow host range and infects only A. punctata as it failed to infect seven other clinically isolated pathogenic strains, i.e., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 6403, MRSA 17644, Acinetobacter 33408, Acinetobacter 1172, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 22250, P. aeruginosa 11219, and Escherichia coli. Proteomic pattern of phage IHQ1, generated by SDS-PAGE using purified phage particles, showed three major and three minor protein bands with molecular weights ranging from 25 to 70 kDa. The adsorption rate of phage IHQ1 to the host bacterium was also determined, which was significantly enhanced by the addition of 10 mM CaCl₂. From the single-step growth experiment, it was inferred that the latent time period of phage IHQ1 was 24 min and a burst size of 626 phages per cell. Moreover, the pH and thermal stability of phage IHQ1 were also investigated. The maximum stability of the phage was observed at optimal pH 7.0, and it was totally unstable at extreme acidic pH 3; however, it was comparatively stable at alkaline pH 11.0. At 37°C the phage showed maximum number of plaques, and the viability was almost 100%. The existence of Aeromonas bacteriophage is very promising for the eradication of this opportunistic pathogen and also for future applications such as the design of new detection and phage typing (diagnosis) methods. The specificity of the bacteriophage for A. punctata makes it an attractive candidate for phage therapy of A. punctata infections.     

Distribution of Aldoxime Dehydratase in Microorganisms

The distribution of phenylacetaldoxime-degrading and pyridine-3-aldoxime-degrading ability was examined with intact cells of 975 microorganisms, including 45 genera of bacteria, 11 genera of actinomyces, 22 genera of yeasts, and 37 genera of fungi, by monitoring the decrease of the aldoximes by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The abilities were found to be widely distributed in bacteria, actinomyces, fungi, and some yeasts: 98 and 107 strains degraded phenylacetaldoxime and pyridine-3-aldoxime, respectively. All of the active strains exhibited not only the aldoxime-dehydration activity to form nitrile but also nitrile-hydrolyzing activity. On the other hand, all of 19 nitrile-degrading microorganisms (13 species, 7 genera) were found to exhibit aldoxime dehydration activity. It is shown that aldoxime dehydratase and nitrile-hydrolyzing activities are widely distributed among 188 aldoxime and 19 nitrile degraders and that the enzymes were induced by aldoximes or nitriles.     

l-Serine transport in growing and maturing mouse oocytes

Serine has roles in cell metabolism besides protein synthesis including providing one-carbon units to the folate cycle. Since growing mouse oocytes undergo a burst of folate accumulation as they near full size, we have investigated whether oocytes transport serine. Substantial serine transport appeared in oocytes near the end of their growth. Serine transport continued when oocytes resumed meiosis but ceased partway through first meiotic metaphase, remaining quiescent in mature eggs in second meiotic metaphase. The serine transporter was sodium dependent and inhibited by alanine, cysteine, leucine, or histidine, and had a Michaelis–Menten constant (K_m) for serine of 200 µM. Unexpectedly, exposing cumulus cell-enclosed oocytes to the physiological mediator of meiotic arrest, natriuretic peptide precursor Type C, substantially stimulated serine transport by the enclosed oocyte. Finally, in addition to transport by the oocyte itself, cumulus cells also supply serine to the enclosed oocyte via gap junctions within intact cumulus–oocyte complexes.     

Aeromonas punctata PNS-1: a promising candidate to change the root morphogenesis of Arabidopsis thaliana in MS and sand system

A model system of sand, comprising Arabidopsis plants inoculated with Aeromonas punctata PNS-1 strain, was used to evaluate the bacterial effect in modulation of plant root structure at second-order lateral root level. In MS media, the root morphogenesis was changed only at first-order lateral root level when inoculated with PNS-1 strain. Inoculation with PNS-1 strain was subjected to significant (P < 0.01) increase in primary root length and lateral root density in both MS and sand system. However, this strain modulated the root structure in the sand environment in a complex manner that may be helpful for incitation of the plant–microbe interaction close to natural environment. In order to determine whether this change in root morphology was due to bacterial auxin, Arabidopsis transgenic line (DR5:GUS) was used to reveal the change in homeostasis of endogenous auxin. In PNS-1 inoculated transgenic seedlings of Arabidopsis plant (DR5:GUS), endogenous auxin in primary root apices and lateral roots was enhanced. For confirmation, PNS-1 was evaluated for auxin production in vitro, showed an increase in auxin production after supplementation of l-tryptophan. The presence of ACC deaminase activity in PNS-1 showed its possible involvement in primary root elongation. In the present study Aeromonas punctata PNS-1 is the potential candidate for triggering the change in root morphogenesis of Arabidopsis thaliana with the involvement of auxin and ACC deaminase production.     

Molecular Evolution of Threonine Dehydratase in Bacteria

Threonine dehydratase converts L-threonine to 2-ketobutyrate. Several threonine dehydratases exist in bacteria, but their origins and evolutionary pathway are unknown. Here we analyzed all the available threonine dehydratases in bacteria and proposed an evolutionary pathway leading to the genes encoding three different threonine dehydratases CTD, BTD1 and BTD2. The ancestral threonine dehydratase might contain only a catalytic domain, but one or two ACT-like subdomains were fused during the evolution, resulting BTD1 and BTD2, respectively. Horizontal gene transfer, gene fusion, gene duplication, and gene deletion may occur during the evolution of this enzyme. The results are important for understanding the functions of various threonine dehydratases found in bacteria.     

Induction of apoptosis in Vero cells by Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria vacuolating cytotoxic factor

Recently, a cytotoxin named vacuolating cytotoxic factor (VCF) in Aeromonas sobria and Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria was described. We have now purified this factor using ion metallic affinity chromatography. The VCF is a nonhemolytic enterotoxin that acts as a serine protease. The toxin can be partially neutralized by serum antiaerolysin and it induced not only cytoplasmatic vacuole formation, but also mitochondrial disorders that must be signaling the apoptotic pathways, leading to Vero (African green monkey kidney) cell death. These results suggest that the VCF is a virulence factor of these bacteria, participating in the processes of human disease provoked by preformed toxins in food and infection.     

Inhibition of Threonine Dehydratase Is Herbicidal

Threonine dehydratase, the first enzyme in isoleucine biosynthesis, catalyzes deamination and dehydration of threonine to produce 2-ketobutyrate and ammonia. An antimetabolite, 2-(1-cyclohexen-3(R)-yl)-S-glycine (CHG), inhibits the plant enzyme. CHG inhibits the growth of Black Mexican Sweet corn (Zea mays) cells and of Arabidopsis thaliana plants. The herbicidal effects of CHG can be reversed by 2-ketobutyrate, other intermediates of isoleucine biosynthesis, and by isoleucine itself. These results suggest that the herbicidal effects observed with CHG are a consequence of inhibition of threonine dehydratase. The enzyme could be a potential target site for an herbicide screening program.