具有a-淀粉酶分泌活性以及低双乙酰产量的啤酒酵母工程菌的构建

扣囊复膜酵母(Saccharomycopsis fibuligera)因具有较强的a-淀粉酶以及葡聚糖酶活性, 使其在以淀粉为唯一碳源的培养基上能够良好的生长。从其基因组中克隆了a-淀粉酶的编码区, 构建了由酵母磷酸甘油酸激酶基因(PGK1)启动子、酿酒酵母a-因子信号序列以及扣囊复膜酵母a-淀粉酶基因编码序列组成的基因表达盒。将该表达盒插入到质粒pPLZ-2的ILV2基因序列内部, 使其两翼具有ILV2基因的同源区。将该表达盒通过同源重组的方式整合到啤酒酵母工业菌株YSF-5的a-乙酰乳酸合成酶(AHAS)基因ILV2内部。在以淀粉为唯一碳源的培养基上进行转化子的筛选。通过多对引物PCR、a-淀粉酶活性以及AHAS活性分析对转化子进行鉴定, 得到一株具有a-淀粉酶分泌表达活性、较低AHAS活性, 并且发酵液中双乙酰产量也相对较低的啤酒酵母工程菌。该菌株在非选择压力条件下连续培养50代后仍然保持其遗传稳定性。还对pH、温度以及金属离子对该转化菌株的a-淀粉酶活性的影响进行了研究。由于所构建的菌株不含有非酵母来源的DNA, 所以生物安全性相对较高, 对酵母育种以及啤酒生产工业都具有较为重要的意义。     

Construction of an Arxula adeninivorans host-vector system based on trp1 complementation

A host/vector expression system based on an Arxula adeninivorans Delta atrp1 gene disruption mutant has been constructed. For this purpose the ATRP1 gene encoding a phosphoribosyl anthranilate isomerase was isolated from the yeast A. adeninivorans and its genome locus was characterized. The Delta atrp1 mutant was generated applying an amplified DNA fragment containing the ALEU2m gene flanked by ATRP1 gene sequences of some 750 bp. The generated auxotrophic host strain was transformed with the plasmid pAL-ATRP1-amyA, which contains the ATRP1 gene as selection marker and the 25S rDNA for targeting. For expression assessment, the plasmid was equipped with an expression cassette consisting of the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens-derived amyA gene fused to the constitutive A. adeninivorans-derived TEF1 promoter and Saccharomyces cerevisiae-derived PHO5 terminator. Transformants contained a single chromosomal copy of the heterologous DNA and were found to be mitotically stable. In initial fermentation trials on a 200 ml shake flask scale maximal alpha-amylase product levels of ca. 300 nkat ml(-1) were observed after 72 h of cultivation with more than 95% of the recombinant alpha-amylase accumulated in the culture medium.     

High frequency one-step gene replacement in Trichoderma reesei. I. Endoglucanase I overproduction

The chromosomal cellobiohydrolase 1 locus (cbh1) of the biotechnologically important filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei was replaced in a single-step procedure by an expression cassette containing an endoglucanase I cDNA (egl1) under control of the cbh1 promoter. CBHI protein was missing from 37–63% of the transformants, showing that targeting of the linear expression cassette to the cbh1 locus was efficient. Studies of expression of the intact cbh1-egl1 cassette at the cbh1 locus revealed that egl1 cDNA is expressed from the cbh1 promoter as efficiently as cbh1 itself. Furthermore, a strain carrying two copies of the cbh1-egl1 expression cassette produced twice as much EG I as the amount of CBHI, the major cellulase protein, produced by the host strain. The level of egl1-specific mRNA in the single-copy transformant was about 10-fold higher than that found in the non transformed host strain, indicating that the cbh1 promoter is about 10 times stronger than the egl1 promoter. The 10-fold increase in the secreted EG I protein, measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), correlated well with the increase in egl1-specific mRNA.     

High frequency one-step gene replacement in Trichoderma reesei. I. Endoglucanase I overproduction

The chromosomal cellobiohydrolase 1 locus (cbh1) of the biotechnologically important filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei was replaced in a single-step procedure by an expression cassette containing an endoglucanase I cDNA (egl1) under control of the cbh1 promoter. CBHI protein was missing from 37–63% of the transformants, showing that targeting of the linear expression cassette to the cbh1 locus was efficient. Studies of expression of the intact cbh1-egl1 cassette at the cbh1 locus revealed that egl1 cDNA is expressed from the cbh1 promoter as efficiently as cbh1 itself. Furthermore, a strain carrying two copies of the cbh1-egl1 expression cassette produced twice as much EG I as the amount of CBHI, the major cellulase protein, produced by the host strain. The level of egl1-specific mRNA in the single-copy transformant was about 10-fold higher than that found in the non transformed host strain, indicating that the cbh1 promoter is about 10 times stronger than the egl1 promoter. The 10-fold increase in the secreted EG I protein, measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), correlated well with the increase in egl1-specific mRNA.     

Integrative transformation system for the metabolic engineering of the sphingoid base-producing yeast Pichia ciferrii

We have developed an integrative transformation system for metabolic engineering of the tetraacetyl phytosphingosine (TAPS)-secreting yeast Pichia ciferrii. The system uses (i) a mutagenized ribosomal protein L41 gene of P. ciferrii as a dominant selection marker that confer resistance to the antibiotic cycloheximide and (ii) a ribosomal DNA (rDNA) fragment of P. ciferrii as a target for multicopy gene integration into the chromosome. A locus within the nontranscribed region located between 5S and 26S rDNAs was selected as the integration site. A maximum frequency of integrative transformation of approximately 1,350 transformants/ microg of DNA was observed. To improve the de novo synthesis of sphingolipid, the LCB2 gene, encoding a subunit of serine palmitoyltransferase, which catalyzes the first committed step of sphingolipid synthesis, was cloned from P. ciferrii and overexpressed under the control of the P. ciferrii glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter. After transformation of an LCB2 gene expression cassette, several transformants that contained approximately five to seven copies of transforming DNA in the chromosome and exhibited about 50-fold increase in LCB2 mRNA relative to the wild type were identified. These transformants were observed to produce approximately two times more TAPS than the wild type.     

Multiple non-allelic genes encoding pancreatic alpha-amylase of mouse are expressed in a strain-specific fashion.

The number of active Amy-2 genes has been estimated in strain CE/J mice which produce four distinct electrophoretic forms of alpha-amylase in their pancreas. cDNA cloning and DNA sequence analysis discloses five distinct mRNA sequences which differ by approximately 1% of their nucleotides. Two of these mRNAs specify the same protein. Changes in the nucleotide sequences result in amino acid replacements that alter the net charges of the deduced proteins. This has allowed a tentative assignment of individual mRNAs to isozymes detected by electrophoresis. Quantitative Southern blot hybridization using a DNA probe specific for the first exon of Amy-2 reveals the presence of greater than 10 Amy-2 related sequences per haploid CE/J genome. Models which could account for the mouse strain-specific differences with respect to the number of pancreatic alpha-amylase isozymes and their variable but genetically determined quantitative ratios are discussed.     

Cloning of the mating-type gene MATA of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

Summary The mating type gene MA TA of the dimorphic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica was cloned. The strategy used was based on the presumed function of this gene in the induction of sporulation. A diploid strain homozygous for the mating type B was transformed with an integrative gene bank from an A wild-type strain. A sporulating transformant was isolated, which contained a plasmid with an 11.6 kb insert. This sequence was rescued from the chromosomal DNA of the transformant and deletion mapping was performed to localize the MAT insert. The MAT gene conferred both sporulating and non-mating phenotypes on a B/B diploid. A LEU2 sequence targeted to this locus segregated like a mating type-linked gene. The A strain did not contain silent copies of the MAT gene.     

High frequency vector-mediated transformation and gene replacement in Tetrahymena.

Recently, we developed a mass DNA-mediated transformation technique for the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila that introduces transforming DNA by electroporation into conjugating cells. Other studies demonstrated that a neomycin resistance gene flanked by Tetrahymena H4-I gene regulatory sequences transformed Tetrahymena by homologous recombination within the H4-I locus when microinjected into the macronucleus. We describe the use of conjugant electrotransformation (CET) for gene replacement and for the development of new independently replicating vectors and a gene cassette that can be used as a selectable marker in gene knockout experiments. Using CET, the neomycin resistance gene flanked by H4-I sequences transformed Tetrahymena, resulting in the replacement of the H4-I gene or integrative recombination of the H4-I/neo/H4-I gene (but not vector sequences) in the 5' or 3' flanking region of the H4-I locus. Gene replacement was obtained with non-digested plasmid DNA but releasing the insert increased the frequency of replacement events about 6-fold. The efficiency of transformation by the H4-I/neo/H4-I selectable marker was unchanged when a single copy of the Tetrahymena rDNA replication origin was included on the transforming plasmid. However, the efficiency of transformation using CET increased greatly when a tandem repeat of the replication origin fragment was used. This high frequency of transformation enabled mapping of the region required for H4-I promoter function to within 333 bp upstream of the initiator ATG. Similarly approximately 300 bp of sequence downstream of the translation terminator TGA of the beta-tubulin 2 (BTU2) gene could substitute for the 3' region of the H4-I gene. This hybrid H4-I/neo/BTU2 gene did not transform Tetrahymena when subcloned on a plasmid lacking an origin of replication, but did transform at high frequency on a two origin plasmid. Thus, the H4-I/neo/BTU2 cassette is a selectable marker that can be used for gene knockout in Tetrahymena. As a first step toward constructing a vector suitable for cloning genes by complementation of mutations in Tetrahymena, we also demonstrated that the vector containing 2 origins and the H4-I/neo/BTU2 cassette can co-express a gene encoding a cycloheximide resistant ribosomal protein.     

Nucleotide sequences of cloned cDNA fragments specific for six Xenopus laevis ribosomal proteins

We have previously constructed and selected six recombinant plasmids containing cDNA sequences specific for different ribosomal proteins of Xenopus laevis (Bozzoni et al., 1981). DNA cloned in these plasmids have been isolated and sequenced. Amino acid sequences of the corresponding portions of the proteins have been derived from DNA sequences; they are arginine- and lysine-rich as expected for ribosomal proteins. One of the cDNA sequences has an open reading frame also on the strand complementary to the one coding for the ribosomal protein; this fragment has inverted repeats twenty nucleotides long at the two ends. The codon usage for the six sequences appears to be non-random with some differences among the ribosomal proteins analysed.     

Construction of self-disruptive Bacillus megaterium in response to substrate exhaustion for polyhydroxybutyrate production

In order to establish a novel recovery system for polyhydroxyalkanoates, a self-disruptive strain of Bacillus megaterium that responds to substrate exhaustion was constructed. A gene cassette carrying the lysis system of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens phage - holin and endolysin - was inserted into the Escherichia coli- Bacillus subtilis shuttle vector pX under the control of a xylose-inducible expression system, xylR-xylA '. In this system, the expression of a target gene is induced by xylose but inhibited by glucose, which acts as an anti-inducer. B. megaterium was transformed with pX conveying the phage lysis system, which was integrated into the amyE locus of chromosomal DNA of B. megaterium by homologous recombination. The lysis system caused self-disruption of the transformant cells effectively even when expression of the lysis genes was induced during stationary phase. For the production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), the transformant was grown in a medium containing glucose as a substrate in the presence of xylose. When the glucose concentration approached zero, self-disruption was spontaneously induced, releasing intracellularly accumulated PHB into the culture broth. This system realizes timely cell disruption immediately after the PHB content in the cell reaches a maximum level.     

Sequences homologous to glutamic acid decarboxylase cDNA are present on mouse chromosomes 2 and 10

The chromosomal locations of mouse DNA sequences homologous to a feline cDNA clone encoding glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) were determined. Although cats and humans are thought to have only one gene for GAD, GAD cDNA sequences hybridize to two distinct chromosomal loci in the mouse, chromosomes 2 and 10. The chromosomal assignment of sequences homologous to GAD cDNA was determined by Southern hybridization analysis using DNA from mouse-hamster hybrid cells. Mouse genomic sequences homologous to GAD cDNA were isolated and used to determine that GAD is encoded by a locus on mouse chromosome 2 (Gad-1) and that an apparent pseudogene locus is on chromosome 10 (Gad-1ps). An interspecific backcross and recombinant inbred strain sets were used to map these two loci relative to other loci on their respective chromosomes. The Gad-1 locus is part of a conserved homology between mouse chromosome 2 and the long arm of human chromosome 2.     

Intron-dependent accumulation of mRNA in Coriolus hirsutus of lignin peroxidase gene the product of which is involved in conversion/degradation of polychlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons

The homobasidiomycete Coriolus hirsutus coding sequences of a lignin peroxidase (LiP) gene (lip, containing six (I-VI) introns), a lip cDNA (lipc), and three lipc derivatives containing one (I), three (I-III), or five (I-V) introns were inserted into chromosome-integrating expression vector. These recombinant plasmids were introduced into C. hirustus monokaryotic strain. The transformant carrying the promoter-lipc-terminator cassette did not contain enough mRNA molecules to be detectable by Northern-blot analysis. On the other hand, all the transformants carrying cassettes of genomic lip and intron(s)-containing lipc sequences contained sufficient amounts of mRNAs to be easily detected by Northern-blot analysis. LiP activities in the culture supernatants of these transformants were found to be about five times as high as those of transformants carrying the lipc cassette (or no cassette). The culture supernatants of the transformants with high LiP activity showed remarkably high conversion activity toward pentachlorophenol (PCP) and degradation activity toward 2,7-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,7-DCDD). These results indicate that at least one intron (intron I) is required for accumulation of lip mRNA and its subsequent translational expression in C. hirsutus.     

An efficient method to optimize Kluyveromyces lactis gene targeting

Kluyveromyces lactis strains impaired in the nonhomologous end-joining pathway are relevant tools for the homologous integration of exogenous DNA into the genome, as in the mutant strains, close to 100% of the integrants are targeted to the homologous locus, compared with a few per cent for the wild-type recipient. Using a loxP-kanMX-loxP cassette together with a Cre-recombinase plasmid, a nej1∷loxP mutant strain suitable for multiple gene disruption has been constructed. Furthermore, using this strain, PCR-generated constructs with only 50 bp of homologous flanking sequences resulted in efficient exogenous DNA targeting.     

mazF, a novel counter-selectable marker for unmarked chromosomal manipulation in Bacillus subtilis

Here, we present a novel method for the directed genetic manipulation of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome free of any selection marker. Our new approach employed the Escherichia coli toxin gene mazF as a counter-selectable marker. The mazF gene was placed under the control of an isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)-inducible expression system and associated with a spectomycin-resistance gene to form the MazF cassette, which was flanked by two directly-repeated (DR) sequences. A double-crossover event between the linearized delivery vector and the chromosome integrated the MazF cassette into a target locus and yielded an IPTG-sensitive strain with spectomycin-resistance, in which the wild-type chromosome copy had been replaced by the modified copy at the targeted locus. Another single-crossover event between the two DR sequences led to the excision of the MazF cassette and generated a strain with IPTG resistance, thereby realizing the desired alteration to the chromosome without introducing any unwanted selection markers. We used this method repeatedly and successfully to inactivate a specific gene, to introduce a gene of interest and to realize the in-frame deletion of a target gene in the same strain. As there is no prerequisite strain for this method, it will be a powerful and universal tool.     

Starch fermentation by recombinant saccharomyces cerevisiae strains expressing the alpha-amylase and glucoamylase genes from lipomyces kononenkoae and saccharomycopsis fibuligera

Lipomyces kononenkoae and Saccharomycopsis fibuligera possess highly efficient alpha-amylase and/or glucoamylase activities that enable both of these yeasts to utilize raw starch as a carbon source. Eight constructs containing the L. kononenkoae alpha-amylase genes (LKA1 and LKA2), and the S. fibuligera alpha-amylase (SFA1) and glucoamylase (SFG1) genes were prepared. The first set of constructs comprised four single gene cassettes each containing one of the individual amylase coding sequences (LKA1, LKA2, SFA1 or SFG1) under the control of the phosphoglycerate kinase gene (PGK1) promoter and terminator, while the second set comprised two single cassettes containing SFA1 and SFG1 linked to their respective native promoters and terminators. The third set of constructs consisted of two double-gene cassettes, one containing LKA1 plus LKA2 under the control of the PGK1 promoter and terminator, and the other SFA1 plus SFG1 controlled by their respective native promoters and terminators. These constructs were transformed into a laboratory strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sigma1278b). Southern-blot analysis confirmed the stable integration of the different gene constructs into the S. cerevisiae genome and plate assays revealed amylolytic activity. The strain expressing LKA1 and LKA2 resulted in the highest levels of alpha-amylase activity in liquid media. This strain was also the most efficient at starch utilization in batch fermentations, utilizing 80% of the available starch and producing 0.61g/100 mL of ethanol after 6 days of fermentation. The strain expressing SFG1 under the control of the PGK1 expression cassette gave the highest levels of glucoamylase activity. It was shown that the co-expression of these heterologous alpha-amylase and glucoamylase genes enhance starch degradation additively in S. cerevisiae. This study has resulted in progress towards laying the foundation for the possible development of efficient starch-degrading S. cerevisiae strains that could eventually be used in consolidated bioprocessing, and in the brewing, whisky, and biofuel industries.     

Enhanced expression of human cDNA by phosphoglycerate kinase promoter-puromycin cassette in the mouse transthyretin locus

To produce a humanized mouse, it is critical to obtain a correct expression of a human gene/cDNA after insertion into a mouse locus. We previously generated a targeted allele in which the PGK-neo cassette, flanked by lox71 and loxP, was inserted into the first exon of the mouse endogenous transthyretin (Ttr) gene in ES cells. Using these ES cells, we showed that a human transthyretin (TTR) cDNA with the PGK-puro cassette can be efficiently inserted into this locus by Cre-mediated recombination, and that the human TTR cDNA was expressed in a tissue-specific manner under the control of the mouse endogenous Ttr promoter. To examine whether the PGK-puro cassette or IRES could affect the expression of human TTR cDNA, we generated four mouse lines using Cre and Flp-mediated recombination. The mouse line containing the PGK-puro cassette, but not IRES, exhibited quantitatively and temporally similar expression of human TTR cDNA. Removal of the PGK-puro cassette significantly downregulated the expression of the cDNA. The insertion of IRES sequence upstream of the human TTR cDNA resulted in decreased expression, even in the presence of the PGK-puro cassette. The mouse line containing IRES, but not PGK-puro, showed the lowest level of expression. These results suggest that the PGK-puro cassette is necessary to obtain the enhanced expression of a co-existing human cDNA in the mouse Ttr locus, even though the expression of co-existing cDNA was under the control of the mouse endogenous promoter.     

Integrative Transformation System for the Metabolic Engineering of the Sphingoid Base-Producing Yeast Pichia ciferrii

We have developed an integrative transformation system for metabolic engineering of the tetraacetyl phytosphingosine (TAPS)-secreting yeast Pichia ciferrii. The system uses (i) a mutagenized ribosomal protein L41 gene of P. ciferrii as a dominant selection marker that confer resistance to the antibiotic cycloheximide and (ii) a ribosomal DNA (rDNA) fragment of P. ciferrii as a target for multicopy gene integration into the chromosome. A locus within the nontranscribed region located between 5S and 26S rDNAs was selected as the integration site. A maximum frequency of integrative transformation of approximately 1,350 transformants/μg of DNA was observed. To improve the de novo synthesis of sphingolipid, the LCB2 gene, encoding a subunit of serine palmitoyltransferase, which catalyzes the first committed step of sphingolipid synthesis, was cloned from P. ciferrii and overexpressed under the control of the P. ciferrii glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter. After transformation of an LCB2 gene expression cassette, several transformants that contained approximately five to seven copies of transforming DNA in the chromosome and exhibited about 50-fold increase in LCB2 mRNA relative to the wild type were identified. These transformants were observed to produce approximately two times more TAPS than the wild type.