Construction of an expression vector for propionibacteria and its use in production of 5-aminolevulinic acid by Propionibacterium freudenreichii

Several promoters from Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii were isolated using a promoter probe vector, pCVE1, containing the Streptomyces cholesterol oxidase gene (choA) as a reporter gene. Three of four promoters isolated exhibiting a strong activity in Escherichia coli also expressed a strong activity in P. freudenreichii subsp. shermanii IFO12426. Using two promoters with a strong activity and a previously constructed shuttle vector, pPK705, shuttling between E. coli and Propionibacterium. we constructed expression vectors for propionibacteria. To overproduce 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), which is the first intermediate in the synthesis of porphyrins, the ALA synthase gene (hemA) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides was recombined with the expression vectors. The activity of ALA synthase in the recombinant P freudenreichii subsp. shermanii increased about 70-fold that in the strain without a vector. The recombinant Propionibacterium produced ALA at a maximum concentration of 8.6 mM in the absence of levulinic acid, an inhibitor of ALA dehydratase, with 1% glucose as a carbon source. The recombinant P. freudenreichii accumulated 18.8 mmol/g cells ALA in the presence of 1 mM levulinic acid and 30 mM glycine. The construction of an efficient expression vector will facilitate genetic studies of a vitamin B12 producer, Propionibacterium.     

Heterologous production of antimicrobial peptides in Propionibacterium freudenreichii

Heterologous bacteriocin production in Propionibacterium freudenreichii is described. We developed an efficient system for DNA shuttling between Escherichia coli and P. freudenreichii using vector pAMT1. It is based on the P. freudenreichii rolling-circle replicating plasmid pLME108 and carries the cml(A)/cmx(A) chloramphenicol resistance marker. Introduction of the propionicin T1 structural gene (pctA) into pAMT1 under the control of the constitutive promoter (P4) yielded bacteriocin in amounts equal to those of the wild-type producer Propionibacterium thoenii 419. The P. freudenreichii clone showed propionicin T1 activity in coculture, killing 90% of sensitive bacteria within 48 h. The pamA gene from P. thoenii 419 encoding the protease-activated antimicrobial peptide (PAMP) was cloned and expressed in P. freudenreichii, resulting in secretion of the pro-PAMP protein. Like in the wild type, PAMP activation was dependent on externally added protease. Secretion of the antimicrobial peptide was obtained from a clone in which the pamA signal peptide and PAMP were fused in frame. The promoter region of pamA was identified by fusion of putative promoter fragments to the coding sequence of the pctA gene. The P4 and Ppamp promoters directed constitutive gene expression, and activity of both promoters was enhanced by elements upstream of the promoter core region.     

人Cuedc2启动子区的克隆与鉴定

目的:克隆并鉴定和分析人Cuedc2启动子,为进一步研究其转录调控机制和功能提供实验基础。方法:对Cuedc2基因翻译起始位点上游约2000bp的序列进行在线生物信息学分析,使用PCR技术扩增该序列并测序,将扩增获得的该片段定向克隆入PGL-3basic载体中,构建荧光素酶报告基因质粒Cuedc2-luc。荧光素酶分析检测启动子的活性。结果:本实验成功构建了含有Cuedc2基因启动子序列的荧光报告系统,经体外验证该报告基因重组载体具有转录活性。结论:本实验所构建的Cuedc2基因启动子报告基因载体,为进一步研究Cuedc2基因的转录调控及其功能奠定了基础。     

Development of a Gateway-compatible two-component expression vector system for plants

Genetic transformation of plants offers the possibility of functional characterization of individual genes and the improvement of plant traits. Development of novel transformation vectors is essential to improve plant genetic transformation technologies for various applications. Here, we present the development of a Gateway-compatible two-component expression vector system for Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation. The expression system contains two independent plasmid vector sets, the activator vector and the reporter vector, based on the concept of the GAL4/UAS trans-activation system. The activator vector expresses a modified GAL4 protein (GAL4-VP16) under the control of specific promoter. The GAL4-VP16 protein targets the UAS in the reporter vector and subsequently activates reporter gene expression. Both the activator and reporter vectors contain the Gateway recombination cassette, which can be rapidly and efficiently replaced by any specific promoter and reporter gene of interest, to facilitate gene cloning procedures. The efficiency of the activator–reporter expression system has been assessed using agroinfiltration mediated transient expression assay in Nicotiana benthamiana and stable transgenic expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. The reporter genes were highly expressed with precise tissue-specific and subcellular localization. This Gateway-compatible two-component expression vector system will be a useful tool for advancing plant gene engineering.

     

转基因鸡生物反应器载体的构建及其表达特性分析

以增强型绿色荧光蛋白和萤火虫荧光素酶为报告基因,构建了鸡卵清蛋白启动子表达载体和慢病毒载体,以巨细胞病毒 (Cytomegalovirus,CMV)启动子表达载体为对照,转染或感染鸡原代输卵管上皮细胞、鸡胚成纤维细胞、鼠3T3-L1前脂肪细胞和牛乳腺上皮细胞,通过荧光和酶活性检测,旨在筛选出用于实现转基因鸡生物反应器的高效特异性表达载体。结果发现,鸡卵清蛋白启动子表达载体转染以上4种细胞后2种标记基因均有表达,没有表现出明显的细胞特异性,且荧光素酶检测结果表明其在各细胞组中表达活性都低于CMV启动子表达载体100倍以上;慢病毒载体感染以上4种细胞后2种标记基因均有表达,在鸡输卵管上皮细胞组感染单个细胞的病毒颗粒 (Multiplicity of infection,MOI) 为20时绿色荧光蛋白表达量就可以达到CMV启动子表达载体的水平。上述结果表明,基于卵清蛋白基因调控序列构建的表达载体无法实现外源基因的高效、特异性表达,而慢病毒载体在表达活性和广泛性上可以用于进行鸡输卵管生物反应器的研究。     

EphA3基因启动子区域定位表达及活性分析

目的构建含有不同长度EphA3基因启动子片段的报告基因载体,研究其在293T细胞和MEF细胞中的转录活性。方法以Balb／C小鼠基因组DNA为模板,扩增不同长度的EphA3基因启动子片段,并克隆进入荧光素酶报告基因质粒pGL3-Basic真核表达载体内。酶切鉴定及基因测序无误后,将重组质粒和pRL—CMV内对照质粒共转染293T和MEF细胞,分析不同长度的OhA3基因启动子片段的转录活性。结果酶切和测序鉴定表明表达载体构建成功,EphA3基因的核心启动子区域位于-279bp～＋110bp之间,在293T细胞和MEF细胞中其转录活性相似。结论成功构建了荧光素报告基因重组质粒,并确定了BphA3基因的核心启动子区域。     

一种利用基因表达变化检测、鉴别抗生素的新方法

本研究利用基因表达变化构建一个高通量检测筛选抗生素化合物的新方法。采用含luxCDABE报道子的质粒pCS26和pMS402为载体,构建大肠杆菌重组质粒、筛选铜绿假单胞菌以及沙门氏菌的随机启动子库,获得对抗生素有反应的启动子-报道子融合体,构成抗生素筛选体系。通过重复实验筛选出15个启动子-报道子融合体,它们对不同抗生素有不同的反应,通过这一系统可以检测样品中的抗生素,并初步判断与现有抗生素的异同。使用这种方法可以进行高通量筛选潜在的抗菌物质。     

Construction of a lentiviral T/A vector for direct analysis of PCR-amplified promoters

The promoter plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression. To analyze a promoter’s activity, we developed a novel lentiviral T/A vector that contains two reporter genes, a luciferase (Luc2) gene and a green fluorescent protein (Venus) gene, that are linked via an internal ribosome entry site (IRES2). To test the performance of this vector, phosphoglycerate kinase-1 (PGK) and elongation factor-1α (EF1α) promoters were amplified by PCR and inserted into this lentiviral T/A vector using T4 DNA ligase, yielding two promoter–reporter vectors: pLent-T-PGK and pLent-T-EF1α. When these vectors were transfected into 293T cells, we observed a higher level of Venus expression under a fluorescence microscopy in the case of pLent-T-EF1α as compared to pLent-T-PGK. The results of the luciferase reporter assay showed that the ratio of the promoter activities of EF1α and PGK was approximately 9:1. The two promoter–reporter vectors were also packaged as lentiviral particles to conduct promoter activity assay in cultured cells. The ratio of the promoter activities of EF1α and PGK was 4.23:1 when they were infected into 293T cells at a multiplicity of infection of 1. This value is comparable to that of a parallel experiment using the commercial luciferase reporter vector pGL4.10 with an activity ratio of 5.99:1 for EF1α and PGK. These results indicate that lentiviral T/A vector will be a useful tool for analysis of promoter activity and specificity.     

基于对虾白斑综合症病毒极早期启动子的新型杆状病毒表达载体的构建与分析

摘要：【目的】构建携带有受杆状病毒多角体启动子控制的疱疹性口腔炎病毒糖蛋白(vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein, VSV G)和受白斑综合症病毒极早期基因(immediately-early gene 1,ie1)启动子控制的绿色荧光蛋白(enhanced green fluorescent protein, EGFP)两个表达阅读框的新型重组病毒vAc-G-EGFP,分析其在无脊椎动物和脊椎动物细胞系中表达报道基因的能力。【方法】 利用Bac-To-Bac 系统构建重组杆状病毒,利用病毒感染或转导实验介导报道基因在待测细胞系中的表达,用荧光显微镜和免疫印迹技术分析报道基因在待测细胞系中的实时表达情况。 【结果】成功构建了分别含VSV G 和 ie1启动子两个阅读框的重组杆状病毒vAc-G-EGFP,发现vAc-G-EGFP可以在无脊椎和脊椎动物细胞系中有效表达报道基因EGFP,免疫印迹实验显示,在不同时间点EGFP于这两类细胞中的表达存在差异。【结论】 基于白斑综合症病毒ie1启动子并携带有VSV G表达框的单一杆状病毒载体可以实现同时在不同种类细胞系中有效表达外源基因。本文构建的新型杆状病毒表达载体有希望普遍应用于基础和应用生物学研究。     

高效缺氧诱导表达载体的构建与鉴定

目的：构建缺氧诱导表达载体,以介导报告基因在缺氧环境下的特异、高效表达。方法：通过分子生物学方法,将鼠磷酸甘油酸激酶基因的缺氧应答元件（HRE）和最小CMV（mCMV）启动子重组,构建增强型绿色荧光蛋白（EGFP）或萤光素酶报告基因的可诱导载体;通过酶切鉴定和测序分析,证实载体获得正确的构建;将重组载体转染HeLa细胞,观察EGFP荧光强度并检测萤光素酶活性。结果：HRE／mCMV启动子调控的报告基因载体具有特异和高效的诱导活性。结论：构建了可以进行特异和高效缺氧诱导的报告基因载体,为其进一步的开发和应用奠定了实验基础。     

人p53启动子萤光素酶报告基因的构建及其活性测定

目的：克隆p53基因的启动子,插入萤光素酶报告基因载体,并检测启动子活性。方法：采用PCR技术从人肝癌细胞系HepG2基因组中扩增人p53启动子,插入萤光素酶报告基因载体pGL4．0-empty,将重组质粒转染293T、ZR75-1、HepG2、A549细胞,测定p53启动子的转录活性。结果：构建了p53启动子的萤光素酶报告基因;通过测序及质粒酶切鉴定,所构建的p53启动子正确;活性实验表明,报告基因在多种细胞中显示构建的p53启动子活性,并呈现一定的剂量效应;转录因子USF能以剂量效应方式提高p53报告基因的转录活性。结论：克隆了人p53启动子,为进一步研究调控p53的转录因子奠定了基础。     

Efficient transformation system for Propionibacterium freudenreichii based on a novel vector

A 3.6-kb endogenous plasmid was isolated from a Propionibacterium freudenreichii strain and sequenced completely. Based on homologies with plasmids from other bacteria, notably a plasmid from Mycobacterium, a region harboring putative replicative functions was defined. Outside this region two restriction enzyme recognition sites were used for insertion of an Escherichia coli-specific replicon and an erythromycin resistance gene for selection in Propionibacterium. Hybrid vectors obtained in this way replicated in both E. coli and P. freudenreichii. Whereas electroporation of P. freudenreichii with vector DNA isolated from an E. coli transformant yielded 10 to 30 colonies per microg of DNA, use of vector DNA reisolated from a Propionibacterium transformant dramatically increased the efficiency of transformation (> or =10(8) colonies per microg of DNA). It could be shown that restriction-modification was responsible for this effect. The high efficiency of the system described here permitted successful transformation of Propionibacterium with DNA ligation mixtures.     

GCLC基因上游AHR/ARNT元件负性调控GCLC基因在大鼠支气管上皮细胞的表达

研究谷氨酰半胱氨酸合成酶催化亚单位(GCLC)基因上游调控序列中2个AHR/ARNT元件的功能,从而了解γ-谷氨酰半胱氨酸合成酶(γ-GCS)基因转录调节特征．分别构建缺失2个位点AHR/ARNT元件的GCLC基因上游近端序列的萤光素酶报道基因载体以及含有2个AHR/ARNT元件核心序列的萤光素酶报道基因载体．转染大鼠支气管上皮细胞(RTE),比较检测野生与缺失报道载体的基因转录调控效率;利用电泳迁移率变动实验（EMSA）和超级迁移率变动实验检测AHR/ARNT元件与AHR以及ARNT因子的特异性结合;通过转染AHR因子真核表达质粒进一步确定AHR/ARNT元件与AHR结合在GCLC基因表达中的最终作用．结果显示,相比其野生序列,缺失AHR/ARNT元件（-1 090～-1 085）和双缺失AHR/ARNT元件（-1 090～-1 085,-215～-210）的GCLC上游调控序列报道载体在RTE显著提高萤光素酶表达（均P＜0.05）,而缺失AHR/ARNT元件（-215～-210）则未见显著影响（P＞0.05）; 独立AHR/ARNT元件（-1 090～-1 085）具有转录促进作用（P＜0.05）而独立AHR/ARNT元件（-215～-210）无明显影响（P＞0.05）．转染CMV2-AHR能够抑制野生型和缺失型报道载体的萤光素酶表达（P＜0.05）．EMSA证实GCLC基因上游调控区域的2个AHR/ARNT元件均有核蛋白结合,并且超级迁移率变动实验显示结合的蛋白主要含有转录因子AHR以及ARNT．因此,2个AHR/ARNT元件均可以与异源二聚体AHR/ARNT结合,AHR/ARNT元件（-1 090～-1 085）是GCLC基因中重要的抑制元件．     

Characterization of pRGO1, a plasmid from Propionibacterium acidipropionici, and its use for development of a host-vector system in propionibacteria

The complete nucleotide sequence of pRGO1, a cryptic plasmid from Propionibacterium acidipropionici E214, was determined. pRGO1 is 6, 868 bp long, and its G+C content is 65.0%. Frame analysis of the sequence revealed six open reading frames, which were designated Orf1 to Orf6. The deduced amino acid sequences of Orf1 and Orf2 showed extensive similarities to an initiator of plasmid replication, the Rep protein, of various plasmids of gram-positive bacteria. The amino acid sequence of the putative translation product of orf3 exhibited a high degree of similarity to the amino acid sequences of DNA invertase in several bacteria. For the putative translation products of orf4, orf5, and orf6, on the other hand, no homologous sequences were found. The function of these open reading frames was studied by deletion analysis. A shuttle vector, pPK705, was constructed for shuttling between Escherichia coli and a Propionibacterium strain containing orf1 (repA), orf2 (repB), orf5, and orf6 from pRGO1, pUC18, and the hygromycin B-resistant gene as a drug marker. Shuttle vector pPK705 successfully transformed Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii IFO12426 by electroporation at an efficiency of 8 x 10(6) CFU/microg of DNA under optimized conditions. Transformation of various species of propionibacteria with pPK705 was also performed at efficiencies of about 10(4) to 10(7) CFU/microg of DNA. The vector was stably maintained in strains of P. freudenreichii subsp. shermanii, P. freudenreichii, P. pentosaceum, and P. freudenreichii subsp. freudenreichii grown under nonselective conditions. Successful manipulation of a host-vector system in propionibacteria should facilitate genetic studies and lead to creation of genes that are useful industrially.