Recombinant Production of Hispidin-3-Hydroxylase: the Key Enzyme in Fungal Luciferin Biosynthesis

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - Bioluminescence is a phenomenon of light emission resulting from oxidation of a substrate, luciferin, catalyzed by the enzyme luciferase. The fungus...     

Novel Biological Process for L-DOPA Production from L-Tyrosine by P-Hydroxyphenylacetate 3-Hydroxylase

A novel biological method was developed for the production of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) from L-tyrosine by p-hydroxyphenylacetate 3-hydroxylase of Escherichia coli strain W (ATCC 11105). About 48 mM (or 1% w/v) L-DOPA was obtained by a fed batch operation in 50 h when a recombinant strain constitutively producing the enzyme was used.     

Biotechnological Production of Plant-Based Insecticides

ABSTRACT:?

The demand for natural and nonpersistent insecticides is increasing day by day. Plant cell cultures could be an alternative to conventional methods of production of insecticides from field-grown plants. In vitro cultured plant cells produce a wide array of insecticides as a part of their secondary metabolism. Their ability to synthesize key enzymes and the manipulation of these could lead to the enhanced production of many insecticides of industrial importance. The development of a high-yielding hairy root culture system for thiophenes, nicotine, and phytoecdysones is of considerable interest. In this article, the current literature on various factors that influence the growth, production, and secretion of six insecticidal compounds, namely, pyrethrins, azadirachtin, thiophenes, nicotine, rotenoids, and phytoecdysones which have been prospects for the scale-up of cell cultures, genetic engineering to obtain transgenic plants, and metabolically engineered plants for increased production of bio-molecules, has been discussed. Environmental safety clearance and the future prospects of application of bio-molecules for plant-derived insecticides are presented.     

微生物催化生产丁酸研究进展

丁酸传统上可用于制造丁酸纤维素、合成丁酸酯、食品香料等,近年来研究发现丁酸是肠道上皮细胞的优选能量来源,能抑制组蛋白去乙酰化酶,具有抗癌作用.随着丁酸在生物相关领域功用的不断发现和实际应用,而消费者又日趋青睐生物源制品,微生物催化生产丁酸将越来越具有竞争力.产物浓度低、选择性差是当前丁酸发酵的主要限制因素.许多研究从选用廉价培养基料、优化发酵工艺、简化提取步骤、遗传改造生产菌株等方面来提高生产效率、降低成本,并取得一定进展.今后这些方面更多的突破,都将使微生物催化生产丁酸的产业化成为可能.     

生物技术法生产丙酮酸的研究进展

丙酮酸是一种重要的有机酸,广泛应用于制药、日化、农用化学品和食品等工业中。相对于化工法生产的丙酮酸而言,生物技术法生产的丙酮酸具有低成本、高质量等优势。生物技术法生产丙酮酸主要包括发酵法和酶法,前者又包括直接发酵法和休止细胞法。在对比各种生产方法的基础上,考虑到球拟酵母属的多重维生素营养缺陷型菌株是目前最具竞争力的丙酮酸生产菌,因此重点介绍了发酵法生产丙酮酸在菌种、发酵条件优化等方面的研究进展,并给出了生物技术法将来可能的发展方向。      

芜菁类黄酮3′-羟化酶基因的功能鉴定及启动子初步分析

类黄酮3′-羟化酶（Flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase,F3′H）是细胞色素P450单加氧酶,在花青素合成途径中催化二氢山奈酚生成二氢槲皮素,进而形成矢车菊色素。利用津田芜菁BrF3′H1和赤丸芜菁BrF3′H2基因构建过量表达载体后遗传转化烟草,转基因植株的花色加深。通过染色体步移法克隆了BrF3′H1和BrF3′H2基因上游846和851 bp的启动子序列。生物信息学分析表明,BrF3′H1P和BrF3′H2P均包含TATA box、CAAT box、光调控元件、MRE、ABRE、ATGCAAAT-motif、ERE、O2-site、RY-element、LTR等多个顺式作用元件;二者的核苷酸序列在7个位点存在差异。利用BrF3′H1P和BrF3′H2P序列替换pCAMBIA1301植物表达载体的35S启动子后遗传转化烟草。GUS组织化学染色结果表明,BrF3′H1P和BrF3′H2P序列均能驱动GUS基因表达。通过PCR方法获得了BrF3′H1P和BrF3′H2P的一系列缺失片段,融合GUS基因后转化烟草。染色结果显示,BrF3′H1P和BrF3′H2P系列缺失片段均具有起始GUS基因表达的活性。BrF3′H1和BrF3′H2基因的功能鉴定及启动子的初步分析将为揭示津田芜菁和赤丸芜菁F3′H基因的光诱导表达调控机理奠定研究基础。     

Endophytic Fungal Strains of Soybean for Lipid Production

Lipids created via microbial biosynthesis are a potential raw material to replace plant-based oil for biodiesel production. Oleaginous microbial species currently available are capable of accumulating high amount of lipids in their cell biomass, but rarely can directly utilize lignocellulosic biomass as substrates. Thus this research focused on the screening and selection of new fungal strains that generate both lipids and hydrolytic enzymes. To search for oleaginous fungal strains in the soybean plant, endophytic fungi and fungi close to the plant roots were studied as a microbial source. Among 33 endophytic fungal isolates screened from the soybean plant, 13 have high lipid content (>20 % dry biomass weight); among 38 fungal isolates screened from the soil surrounding the soybean roots, 14 have high lipid content. Also, five fungal isolates with both high lipid content and promising biomass production were selected for further studies on their cell growth, oil accumulation, lipid content and profile, utilization of various carbon sources, and cellulase production. The results indicate that most strains could utilize different types of carbon sources and some strains accumulated >40 % of the lipids based on the dry cell biomass weight. Among these promising strains, some Fusarium strains specifically showed considerable production of cellulase, which offers great potential for biodiesel production by directly utilizing inexpensive lignocellulosic material as feedstock.     

口腔黏膜真菌鉴定方法的比较

比较常见用于黏膜真菌菌种鉴别的多种方法,探寻最佳的鉴别方法。采集230例普通人群口腔黏膜样本,分别用玉米吐温-80培养观察厚膜孢子法、糖发酵生化反应法、CHROMagar假丝酵母菌显色培养基法、ITS基因的PCR-RFLP(聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态性)法、ITS测序菌种鉴定法,鉴别真菌各菌株。结果显示:有56例菌株至少通过1种方法检出真菌;玉米吐温-80分离培养假丝酵母菌37株;50例菌株ITS基因测序共鉴定出8个菌种,白假丝酵母菌(C.albicans)29株,近平滑假丝酵母菌(C.parapsilosis)10株,热带假丝酵母菌(C.tropicalis)5株,Candida metapsilosis 1株,Lodderomyces elongisporus 1株,克柔假丝酵母菌(Candida krusei)1株,乙醇假丝酵母菌(C.ethanolica)1株,季也蒙毕赤酵母菌(Pichia guilliermondii)2株;CHROMagar假丝酵母菌显色培养基法鉴定出3种菌株,分别是白假丝酵母菌、热带假丝酵母菌、近平滑假丝酵母菌;PCR-RFLP法检出5种菌株,分别是白假丝酵母菌、热带假丝酵母菌、近平滑假丝酵母菌、季也蒙毕赤酵母菌、克柔假丝酵母菌,与基因的测序鉴定一致率为91%;糖发酵生化反应法阳性标本占被检出真菌例数的46.4%(26/56)。结果表明:ITS基因的测序法可以准确鉴定真菌各个菌种;PCR-RFLP法能鉴定常见的菌种,但操作繁琐;CHROMagar假丝酵母菌显色培养基法能快速准确鉴别3种常见假丝酵母菌菌种;玉米吐温-80可以准确培养鉴别白假丝酵母菌;糖发酵生化反应法,缺乏足够的敏感度和特异性,难以准确鉴别各个菌种。     

5-氨基乙酰丙酸的光动力应用研究进展

对光合细菌、藻类及其它细菌的5-氨基乙酰丙酸(5-ALA)产量进行了对比,类球红细菌(Rhodobacter sphaeoides)在黑暗、厌氧条件下培养,可产生大量的胞外5-ALA。5-ALA在农业生产中作为光动力除草剂、杀虫剂取得了很好效果。并且,ALA对提高植物的抗盐、抗冷冻能力也有一定作用。近年来,ALA在癌症治疗、肿瘤诊断方面也得到了广泛应用。     

1株产酸碱指示剂的真菌的鉴定

采用形态学和分子生物学鉴定的方法,对1株产生酸碱指示剂的真菌进行鉴定.结果表明,该菌株的子囊壳呈球形或卵形,单生或聚生,子囊孢子双胞,无色,椭圆形,分隔处稍缢缩,无性态为串珠镶孢.通过该菌株rDNA ITS的PCR扩增和序列测定,与NCBI网站进行同源性比对分析,结果表明待测菌株与藤仓赤霉菌(Gibberella fujikuroi)同源性为100％,确定该菌株为蘑仓赤霉菌.     

Genome Sequence of Aureobasidium pullulans AY4, an Emerging Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen with Diverse Biotechnological Potential

Aureobasidium pullulans AY4 is an opportunistic pathogen that was isolated from the skin of an immunocompromised patient. We present here the draft genome of strain AY4, which reveals an abundance of genes relevant to bioindustrial applications, including biocontrol and biodegradation. Putative genes responsible for the pathogenicity of strain AY4 were also identified.     

Crystal Structure of 3-Hydroxybenzoate 6-Hydroxylase Uncovers Lipid-assisted Flavoprotein Strategy for Regioselective Aromatic Hydroxylation

3-Hydroxybenzoate 6-hydroxylase (3HB6H) from Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 is a dimeric flavoprotein that catalyzes the NADH- and oxygen-dependent para-hydroxylation of 3-hydroxybenzoate to 2,5-dihydroxybenzoate. In this study, we report the crystal structure of 3HB6H as expressed in Escherichia coli. The overall fold of 3HB6H is similar to that of p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase and other flavoprotein aromatic hydroxylases. Unexpectedly, a lipid ligand is bound to each 3HB6H monomer. Mass spectral analysis identified the ligand as a mixture of phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The fatty acid chains occupy hydrophobic channels that deeply penetrate into the interior of the substrate-binding domain of each subunit, whereas the hydrophilic part is exposed on the protein surface, connecting the dimerization domains via a few interactions. Most remarkably, the terminal part of a phospholipid acyl chain is directly involved in the substrate-binding site. Co-crystallized chloride ion and the crystal structure of the H213S variant with bound 3-hydroxybenzoate provide hints about oxygen activation and substrate hydroxylation. Essential roles are played by His-213 in catalysis and Tyr-105 in substrate binding. This phospholipid-assisted strategy to control regioselective aromatic hydroxylation is of relevance for optimization of flavin-dependent biocatalysts.     

Induction of 3-Hydroxybenzoate 2-Hydroxylase in a Pseudomonas testosteroni Mutant

Benzoate was established as the inducer of a unique 3-hydroxybenzoate 2-hydroxylase activity found in a Pseudomonas testosteroni mutant which is unable to grow on m-hydroxybenzoate as its sole source of carbon and energy.     

Effects on Lignin Structure of Coumarate 3-Hydroxylase Downregulation in Poplar

The lignin structural ramifications of coumarate 3-hydroxylase (C3H) downregulation have not been addressed in hardwoods. Such information is required to accompany an assessment of the digestibility and bioenergy performance characteristics of poplar, in particular. Structurally rich 2D NMR methods were applied to the entire lignin fraction to delineate lignin p-hydroxyphenyl:guaiacyl:syringyl (H:G:S) levels and linkage distribution changes (and to compare with traditional degradative analyses). C3H downregulation reduced lignin levels by half and markedly increased the proportion of H units relative to the normally dominant G and S units. Relative stem H unit levels were up by ???100-fold to ???31?%, almost totally at the expense of G units; differences in the lignin interunit linkage distributions were more subtle. The H level in the most drastically C3H-downregulated transgenic poplar falls well beyond the H:G:S compositional bounds of normal angiosperms. The response observed here, in poplar, differs markedly from that reported for alfalfa where the S:G ratio remained almost constant even at substantial H levels, highlighting the often differing responses among plant species.     

Biotechnological potential of inulin for bioprocesses

Inulin consists of linear chains of β-2,1-linked d-fructofuranose molecules terminated by a glucose residue through a sucrose-type linkage at the reducing end. In this review article, inulin and its applications in bioprocesses are overviewed. The tubers of many plants, such as Jerusalem artichoke, chicory, dahlia, and yacon contain a large amount of inulin. Inulin can be actively hydrolyzed by microbial inulinases to produce fructose, glucose and inulooligosaccharides (IOS). The fructose and glucose formed can be further transformed into ethanol, single-cell protein, single cell oil and other useful products by different microorganisms. IOS formed have many functions. Therefore, inulin can be widely used in food, feed, pharmaceutical, chemical and biofuels industries.     

一株黄瓜枯萎病拮抗菌的筛选和鉴定

目的：从蚯蚓粪和黄粉虫沙中筛选对该土传病害病原菌——尖孢镰刀菌（Fusarium oxysporum）具有拮抗效果的微生物菌株,可以有效控制黄瓜枯萎病（CucumberFusarium wilt）的发生。方法：经PDA平板对峙实验、紫外线诱变处理和黄瓜种子胚轴抑制试验,得到具有拮抗效果的菌株,通过真菌的18S rRNA的PCR扩增及克隆、18S rRNA的全序列分析等手段。结果：从23株具有拮抗效果的菌株中得到突变菌株syx-2及该菌株的18S rRNA基因序列。结论：syx-2为白地霉（Geotrichum candidum）的一个变种,对黄瓜枯萎病活体拮抗作用可高达81.1%,具有明显的抑制作用。     

17α-Hydroxylase/17,20-lyase defects

Congential adrenal hyperplasia due to 17α-hydroxylase/17/20-lyase deficiency is caused by genetic defects in the gene encoding P450c17 (CYP17). To date, 18 different mutations in 27 individuals have been identified and all of them are located in the coding region of CYP17. Several mutations have been reconstructed in human P450c17 cDNA and expressed in COS cells to characterize the kinetic properties of 17α-hydroxylase and 17,20-lyase activities. The molecular bases of cases clinically reported as 17α-hydroxylase deficiency have turned out to result from complete or partial combined deficiencies of 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase. The elucidation of the molecular bases generally explains the patient's clinical profiles including the sexual phenotype of the external genitalia. In one case initially reported as isolated 17,20-lyase deficiency, the molecular basis was found to be partial combined deficiency of both activities, somewhat discordant with the patient's clinical profile. However, the patient was subsequently found to have 17α-hydroxylase deficiency, suggesting involvements of age-dependent unknown factors affecting P450c17 activity.