Use of Feedback-Resistant Threonine Dehydratases of Corynebacterium glutamicum To Increase Carbon Flux towards l-Isoleucine

The biosynthesis of l-isoleucine proceeds via a highly regulated reaction sequence connected with l-lysine and l-threonine synthesis. Using defined genetic Corynebacterium glutamicum strains characterized by different fluxes through the homoserine dehydrogenase reaction, we analyzed the influence of four different ilvA alleles (encoding threonine dehydratase) in vectors with two different copy numbers on the total flux towards l-isoleucine. For this purpose, 18 different strains were constructed and analyzed. The result was that unlike ilvA in vectors with low copy numbers, ilvA in high-copy-number vectors increased the final l-isoleucine yield by about 20%. An additional 40% increase in l-isoleucine yield was obtained by the use of ilvA alleles encoding feedback-resistant threonine dehydratases. The strain with the highest yield was characterized by three hom(Fbr) copies encoding feedback-resistant homoserine dehydrogenase and ilvA(Fbr) encoding feedback-resistant threonine dehydratase on a multicopy plasmid. It accumulated 96 mM l-isoleucine, without any l-threonine as a by-product. The highest specific productivity was 0.052 g of l-isoleucine per g of biomass per h. This comparative flux analysis of isogenic strains showed that high levels of l-isoleucine formation from glucose can be achieved by the appropriate balance of homoserine dehydrogenase and threonine dehydratase activities in a strain background with feedback-resistant aspartate kinase. However, still-unknown limitations are present within the entire reaction sequence.     

Isoleucine and Valine Metabolism in Escherichia coli XVIII. Induction of Acetohydroxy Acid Isomeroreductase

The regulation by substrate induction of the acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase was studied in Escherichia coli. Induction was inhibited by chloramphenicol and rifampin. The addition of rifampin resulted in a decay of the capacity to form isomeroreductase. This was attributed to the breakdown of the isomeroreductase messenger, which had a half-life of about 45 sec at 37 C. Induction of isomeroreductase was enhanced by including glucose in the medium. This effect was shown to be due in part to the lowering of the pH of the medium, which presumably made inducer entry more rapid.     

不同来源的谷氨酸棒杆菌氨基脱氧分支酸合成酶的活性分析

分别以高产L-丝氨酸的谷氨酸棒杆菌(Corynebacterium glutamicum)SYPS-062与模式菌株谷氨酸棒杆菌(Corynebacterium glutamicum) ATCC 13032的基因组DNA为模板,运用PCR技术扩增出氨基脱氧分支酸合成酶(ADC synthase)的编码基因pabAB。实验结果表明：来源于SYPS-062和ATCC 13032的pabAB片段全长均为1863bp,编码620个氨基酸。两片段存在16个碱基的差异,引起了7个氨基酸的突变。将pabAB连接表达载体pET-28a(+),构建表达质粒pET-28a-pabAB,并转化E.coli BL21(DE3),在IPTG诱导下,E.coli BL21(DE3)(pET-28a-pabAB)高效表达分子量约为67kDa的可溶性蛋白。表达产物带有His-tag标记,选用Ni柱对表达产物进行纯化,纯化后酶活测定结果表明,来源于SYPS-062氨基脱氧分支酸合成酶的比酶活低于ATCC 13032达46.6%。     

Engineering of a Glycerol Utilization Pathway for Amino Acid Production by Corynebacterium glutamicum

The amino acid-producing organism Corynebacterium glutamicum cannot utilize glycerol, a stoichiometric by-product of biodiesel production. By heterologous expression of Escherichia coli glycerol utilization genes, C. glutamicum was engineered to grow on glycerol. While expression of the E. coli genes for glycerol kinase (glpK) and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (glpD) was sufficient for growth on glycerol as the sole carbon and energy source, additional expression of the aquaglyceroporin gene glpF from E. coli increased growth rate and biomass formation. Glutamate production from glycerol was enabled by plasmid-borne expression of E. coli glpF, glpK, and glpD in C. glutamicum wild type. In addition, a lysine-producing C. glutamicum strain expressing E. coli glpF, glpK, and glpD was able to produce lysine from glycerol as the sole carbon substrate as well as from glycerol-glucose mixtures.     

Acetohydroxy Acid Synthase Activity in Chlorella emersonii under Auto- and Heterotrophic Growth Conditions

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) activity was studied in the green unicellular alga Chlorella emersonii. This activity and its regulation was compared in the algae grown autotrophically and heterotrophically on glucose in the dark. No evidence for the existence of more than one enzyme was found. The activity in crude extracts from either heterotrophically or autotrophically grown cells showed a K_m for pyruvate of 9 millimolar, a 22-fold preference for 2-ketobutyrate over pyruvate as the second substrate, 50% inhibition by 0.5 millimolar valine, and 50% inhibition by 0.3 micromolar sulfometuron methyl (SMM). Spontaneous mutants of the alga resistant to SMM were isolated, which appeared to be single gene mutants containing SMM-resistant AHAS activity. Hence, AHAS appears to be the sole direct target site of SMM in C. emersonii. The fact that the mutants had equivalent SMM resistance under auto- and heterotrophic conditions further supports the conclusion that the same enzyme functions under both physiological regimes. The addition of valine and isoleucine leads to partial relief of SMM inhibition of biomass increase, but not of SMM inhibition of cell division.     

Metabolic Engineering of the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle for Improved Lysine Production by Corynebacterium glutamicum

In the present work, lysine production by Corynebacterium glutamicum was improved by metabolic engineering of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. The 70% decreased activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase, achieved by start codon exchange, resulted in a >40% improved lysine production. By flux analysis, this could be correlated to a flux shift from the TCA cycle toward anaplerotic carboxylation.With an annual market volume of more than 1,000,000 tons, lysine is one of the dominating products in biotechnology. In recent years, rational metabolic engineering has emerged as a powerful tool for lysine production (16, 18, 22). Hereby, different target enzymes and pathways in the central metabolism could be identified and successfully modified to create superior production strains (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 17-20). The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle has not been rationally engineered so far, despite its major role in Corynebacterium glutamicum (6). From metabolic flux studies, however, it seems that the TCA cycle might offer a great potential for optimization (Fig. ​(Fig.1),1), which is also predicted from in silico pathway analysis (13, 22). Experimental evidence comes from studies with Brevibacterium flavum exhibiting increased lysine production due to an induced bottleneck toward the TCA cycle (21). In the present work, we performed TCA cycle engineering by downregulation of isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICD). ICD is the highest expressed TCA cycle enzyme in C. glutamicum (7). Downregulation was achieved by start codon exchange, controlling ICD expression on the level of translation.Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.Stoichiometric correlation of lysine yield (%), biomass yield (g/mol) and TCA cycle flux (%; entry flux through citrate synthase) determined by ¹³C metabolic flux analysis achieved by paraboloid fitting of the data set (parameters were determined with Y0 = 105.1, a = −1.27, b = 0.35, c = −9.35 × 10⁻³, d = −11.16 × 10⁻³). The data displayed represent values from 18 independent experiments with different C. glutamicum strains taken from previous studies (1-3, 11, 12, 15, 23).     

Production of Native-Type Streptoverticillium mobaraense Transglutaminase in Corynebacterium glutamicum

We previously observed secretion of active-form transglutaminase in Corynebacterium glutamicum by coexpressing the subtilisin-like protease SAM-P45 from Streptomyces albogriseolus to process the prodomain. However, the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the transglutaminase differed from that of the native Streptoverticillium mobaraense enzyme. In the present work we have used site-directed mutagenesis to generate an optimal SAM-P45 cleavage site in the C-terminal region of the prodomain. As a result, native-type transglutaminase was secreted.     

Production of native-type Streptoverticillium mobaraense transglutaminase in Corynebacterium glutamicum

We previously observed secretion of active-form transglutaminase in Corynebacterium glutamicum by coexpressing the subtilisin-like protease SAM-P45 from Streptomyces albogriseolus to process the prodomain. However, the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the transglutaminase differed from that of the native Streptoverticillium mobaraense enzyme. In the present work we have used site-directed mutagenesis to generate an optimal SAM-P45 cleavage site in the C-terminal region of the prodomain. As a result, native-type transglutaminase was secreted.     

Production of l-valine from metabolically engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - l-Valine is one of the three branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine) essential for animal health and important in metabolism;...     

Fermentative Production of l-Proline with Auxotrophs of Corynebacterium glutamicum

Two auxotrophic mutants of Corynebacterium glutamicum were found to produce a large amount of l-proline in the culture medium. High concentration of MgSO₄ or MnSO₄ in the medium stimulated the l-proline production by an isoleucine auxotroph. Optimum concentration of l-isoleucine was 200 μg/ml, and the higher concentration of l-isoleucine reduced the l-proline production. The auxotroph produced 14.8 mg/ml of l-proline when cultured in a medium containing 12% glucose, 1.7% NH₄C1,0.6% MgSO₄·7H₂O, 0.06% MnSO₄·4H₂O and 200 μg/ml of l-isoleucine. The other mutant, whose growth responds to the bases of nucleic acids, produced 7 to 13 mg/ml of l-proline in a cane molasses (15%, as glucose concentration)-medium containing 2% of the acid-hydrolyzate of soybean meal. The l-proline production by this mutant increased to a level of 27 to 31 mg/ml when the growth was suppressed by the addition of 4% NH₄C1 to the medium, or by the addition of 2 mg/ml of polyoxyethylenestearylamine, a surfactant, to a culture at an appropriate stage of the fermentation.     

Identification of Essential Cysteine Residues in 3-Deoxy-d-Arabino-Heptulosonate-7-Phosphate Synthase from Corynebacterium glutamicum

To ascertain the functional role of cysteine residue in 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase from Corynebacterium glutamicum, site-directed mutagenesis was performed to change each of the three residues to serine. Plasmids were constructed for high-level overproduction and one-step purification of histidine-tagged DAHP synthase. Analysis of the purified wild-type and mutant enzymes by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed an apparent protein band with a molecular mass of approximately 45 kDa. Cys¹⁴⁵Ser mutant retained about 16% of the enzyme activity, while DAHP synthase activity was abolished in Cys⁶⁷Ser mutant. Kinetic analysis of Cys¹⁴⁵Ser mutant with PEP as a substrate revealed a marked increase in K _m with significant change in k _cat , resulting in a 13.6-fold decrease in k _cat /K _m ^PEP. Cys³³⁴ was found to be nonessential for catalytic activity, although it is highly conserved in DAHP synthases. From these studies, Cys⁶⁷ appears important for synthase activity, while Cys¹⁴⁵ plays a crucial role in the catalytic efficiency through affecting the mode of substrate binding. Received: 10 October 2000 / Accepted: 17 November 2000     

Reversal by Citrate of the Iodoacetate and Fluoride Inhibition of Glutamic Acid Production by Corynebacterium glutamicum

Citrate reversal of iodoacetate inhibition of glutamate synthesis is nonmetabolic. Reversal of fluoride inhibition is metabolic, occurring only at low Mg concentrations.     

Production of organic acids by Corynebacterium glutamicum under oxygen deprivation

Under oxygen deprivation, aerobic Corynebacterium glutamicum produce organic acids from glucose at high yields in mineral medium even though their proliferation is arrested. To develop a new, high-productivity bioprocess based on these unique features, characteristics of organic acid production by C. glutamicum under oxygen deprivation were investigated. The main organic acids produced from glucose under these conditions were lactic acid and succinic acid. Addition of bicarbonate, which is a co-substrate for anaplerotic enzymes, increased the glucose consumption rate, leading to increased organic acid production rates. With increasing concentration of bicarbonate, the yield of succinic acid increased, whereas that of lactic acid decreased. There was a direct correlation between cell concentration and organic acid production rates even at elevated cell densities, and productivities of lactic acid and succinic acid were 42.9 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹ and 11.7 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively, at a cell concentration of 60 g dry cell l⁻¹. This cell-recycling continuous reaction demonstrated that rates of organic acid production by C. glutamicum could be maintained for at least 360 h.     

Ethanol catabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Corynebacterium glutamicum grows on a variety of carbohydrates and organic acids as single or combined sources of carbon and energy. Here we show the ability of C. glutamicum to grow on ethanol with growth rates up to 0.24 h(-1) and biomass yields up to 0.47 g dry weight (g ethanol)(-1). Mutants of C. glutamicum deficient in phosphotransacetylase (PTA), isocitrate lyase (ICL) and malate synthase (MS) were unable to grow on ethanol, indicating that acetate activation and the glyoxylate cycle are essential for utilization of this substrate. In accordance, the expression profile of ethanol-grown C. glutamicum cells compared to that of glucose-grown cells revealed an increased expression of genes encoding acetate kinase (AK), PTA, ICL and MS. Furthermore, the specific activities of these four enzymes as well as those of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) were found to be high in ethanol-grown and low in glucose-grown cells. Growth of C. glutamicum on a mixture of glucose and ethanol led to a biphasic growth behavior, which was due to the sequential utilization of glucose before ethanol. Accordingly, the specific activities of ADH, ALDH, AK, PTA, ICL and MS in cells grown in medium containing both substrates were as low as in glucose-grown cells in the first growth phase, but increased 5- to 100-fold during the second growth phase. The results indicate that ethanol catabolism in C. glutamicum is subject to carbon source-dependent regulation, i.e., to a carbon catabolite control.     

Protein secretion in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Corynebacterium glutamicum, a Gram-positive bacterium, has been widely used for the industrial production of amino acids, such as glutamate and lysine, for decades. Due to several characteristics – its ability to secrete properly folded and functional target proteins into culture broth, its low levels of endogenous extracellular proteins and its lack of detectable extracellular hydrolytic enzyme activity – C. glutamicum is also a very favorable host cell for the secretory production of heterologous proteins, important enzymes, and pharmaceutical proteins. The target proteins are secreted into the culture medium, which has attractive advantages over the manufacturing process for inclusion of body expression – the simplified downstream purification process. The secretory process of proteins is complicated and energy consuming. There are two major secretory pathways in C. glutamicum, the Sec pathway and the Tat pathway, both have specific signal peptides that mediate the secretion of the target proteins. In the present review, we critically discuss recent progress in the secretory production of heterologous proteins and examine in depth the mechanisms of the protein translocation process in C. glutamicum. Some successful case studies of actual applications of this secretory expression host are also evaluated. Finally, the existing issues and solutions in using C. glutamicum as a host of secretory proteins are specifically addressed.     

Vanillate Metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Corynebacterium glutamicum, a Gram-positive soil bacterium belonging to the mycolic acids-containing actinomycetes, is able to use the lignin degradation products ferulate, vanillate, and protocatechuate as sole carbon sources. The gene cluster responsible for vanillate catabolism was identified and characterized. The vanAB genes encoding vanillate demethylase are organized in an operon together with the vanK gene, coding for a transport system most likely responsible for protocatechuate uptake. While gene disruption mutagenesis revealed that vanillate demethylase is indispensable for ferulate and vanillate utilization, a vanK mutation does not lead to a complete growth arrest but to a decreased growth rate on protocatechuate, indicating that one or more additional protocatechuate transporter(s) are present in C. glutamicum.