Isolation and characterisation of promoter regions from Streptococcus thermophilus

Abstract Four promoter regions required for the expression of a promoterless antibiotic resistance gene ( cat194 ) in Streptococcus thermophilus were isolated by random chromosomal cloning experiments. These were shown to be functional in vivo, and their sequences were determined. Each region expressed different amounts of Cat protein as determined by enzyme activities. One region, STP10, was found to contain the 5' coding region of the large ribosomal subunit protein L20.     

嗜热链球菌高密度发酵过程的优化方案探讨

本研究介绍了嗜热链球菌（Streptococcus thermophilus）高密度发酵过程的优化方案。首先从培养基优化方案入手,讨论了单因素法与正交实验法在培养基优化过程中的利弊。第二,介绍了培养条件以及发酵过程的优化,包括pH、培养温度、搅拌转速、接种量和培养时间。第三,介绍了菌体的后处理过程,包括降温处理、超声解链、离心冻干。     

粘性嗜热链球菌ST-1产胞外多糖发酵条件优化

应用响应面法对一株粘性嗜热链球菌ST-1的产胞外多糖的发酵条件进行了优化.根据单因素的实验结果,选取接种量,发酵温度,发酵时间作为考察因素,以胞外多糖的产量作为响应值,利用Box-Behnken实验设计方法,建立了胞外多糖产量与三个考察因素之间的回归方程并得到最佳发酵条件为:接种量5%,发酵时间14 h,发酵温度42℃...     

Characterisation of Streptococcus thermophilus CNRZ1205 and its cured and re-lysogenised derivatives

Streptococcus thermophilus CNRZ1205 is the lysogenic host for the temperate phage phi O1205. A derivative of CNRZ1205 was isolated which was cured of phi O1205 and this strain was used to construct a re-lysogenised derivative. Pulse field gel electrophoresis and sequencing of the attachment site regions confirmed that excision and re-integration of the phage was a site-specific event. Interestingly, cells from the cured, as well as its re-lysogenised derivative, were found to have a very long chain length.     

Identification of four loci isolated from two Streptococcus thermophilus phage genomes responsible for mediating bacteriophage resistance

Sequence data derived from the Streptococcus thermophilus phages phiO1205 and phi7201 indicated that each of these phages contains a distinct DNA region dedicated to replication. Southern blotting experiments showed that phages infecting S. thermophilus may be divided into at least two groups, each containing the presumptive replication functions of either φO1205 (group I) or φ7201 (group II). Specific regions from the putative replication module of each of the two phages were examined for their ability to provide phage resistance.     

Comparison of Streptococcus thermophilus strains by pulse field gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA

Pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was utilised to compare the genomes of 16 Streptococcus thermophilus cultures from yoghurt, cheese, laban and dahi after digestion with the restriction endonucleases, SfiI, SmaI and BssHII. PFGE profiles could be used for strain identification and were also useful in predicting relatedness of certain strains. Genetic variations between specific morphotypes of a highly proteolytic culture were not detectable by PFGE in this study. Statistical analysis of SmaI restriction patterns enabled the clustering of strains into two groups which corresponded with biochemical properties of the strains examined and suggested that PFGE profiles could be useful in predicting biochemical characteristics.     

High-frequency deletion involving closely spaced rRNA gene sets in Streptococcus thermophilus

Abstract Homologous rDNA probes were used to study the number of rRNA genes in a five-generation genealogy of Streptococcus thermophilus CNRZ368. Whereas the CNRZ368 strain contained six rRNA loci, four independant mutants with five rrn loci were obtained. The deletion frequency was 5 × 10⁻². Molecular analysis provided identical hybridization patterns for all the deletion mutants. The deletion was shown to occur within the two close rRNA loci, rrnD and rrnE , probably due to a homologous recombination event and to give rise to a hybrid rrnD/E locus.     

Carbamoylphosphate synthetase activity is essential for the optimal growth of Streptococcus thermophilus in milk

Aim:  The aim of the study was to study the role of carbon dioxide metabolism in Streptococcus thermophilus through investigation of the phenotype of a carbamoylphosphate synthetase-negative mutant.
Methods and results:  The effect of carbon dioxide on the nutritional requirements of Strep. thermophilus DSM20617^T and its derivative, carbamoylphosphate synthetase-negative mutant A17( ΔcarB ), was investigated by cultivating the strain in a chemically defined medium under diverse gas compositions and in milk. The results obtained revealed that CO₂ depletion or carB gene inactivation determined the auxotrophy of Strep. thermophilus for l -arginine and uracil. In addition, the parent strain grew faster than the mutant, even when milk was supplemented with uracil or arginine.
Conclusions:  Milk growth experiments underlined that carbamoylphosphate synthetase activity was essential for the optimal growth of Strep. thermophilus in milk.
Significance and impact of the study:  The study of the carbon dioxide metabolism in Strep. thermophilus revealed new insights with regard to the metabolism of this species, which could be useful for the optimization of dairy fermentation processes.     

Mur1, a Streptococcus thermophilus peptidoglycan hydrolase devoid of a specific cell wall binding domain

The gene encoding Mur1, a Streptococcus thermophilus peptidoglycan hydrolase, was cloned by homology with acmA, the Lactococcus lactis major autolysin gene. Mur1 is a 24.7-kDa protein endowed with a putative signal peptide. Sequence analysis evidenced that Mur1 encompasses exactly the AcmA region containing the catalytic domain, but lacks the one containing amino acid repeats involved in cell wall binding. Mur1 appears to be expressed and cell-associated in S. thermophilus, as revealed by immunoblot analysis. These results suggest that the cell wall attachment mode of Mur1 differs from that of most peptidoglycan hydrolases described so far.     

The role of aminopeptidase PepS in the growth of Streptococcus thermophilus is not restricted to nitrogen nutrition

Aims:  To investigate the effect of an absence of aminopeptidase PepS on the growth of Streptococcus thermophilus on different media and at different temperatures.
Methods and Results:  Using gene interruption, a negative mutant of the Strep. thermophilus CNRZ385 strain was constructed for the aminopeptidase PepS (strain Δ pepS ). Checks were first of all made using biochemical assays that the Δ pepS strain lacks the peptide hydrolase activity of aminopeptidase PepS. It was demonstrated that the absence of the aminopeptidase PepS exerted a negative effect on growth whatever the culture medium (M17, chemically defined medium, milk). The role of aminopeptidase PepS in growth was enhanced at a high temperature (45°C vs 37°C). The Δ pepS strain was more resistant to lysozyme than the wild-type strain .
Conclusions:  We were able to demonstrate that aminopeptidase PepS probably plays a pleiotropic role through its involvement in growth via nitrogen nutrition, as well as via other cellular functions/metabolisms (such as peptidoglycane metabolism).
Significance and Impact of the Study:  This study constitutes the first report on the role of a member of the M29 MEROPS family of metallopeptidases ( http://merops.sanger.ac.uk/ ).     

响应面法优化嗜热链球菌AR333电转化条件

【背景】嗜热链球菌AR333是本实验室从发酵乳中筛选出的一株高产活性胞外多糖乳酸菌。【目的】建立嗜热链球菌AR333高效电转化体系。【方法】通过单因素试验和Box-Behnken响应面法优化电转化条件。【结果】嗜热链球菌AR333最优电转化条件为甘氨酸浓度8.3g/L,OD_(600)为0.8,10%甘油(体积比)和0.5 mol/L蔗糖的电转缓冲液,pIB184质粒80 ng,电场强度14 kV/cm,0.4 mol/L山梨醇、2 mmol/L CaCl_2和20 mmol/L MgCl_2的LM17复苏培养基,复苏时间5 h。【结论】在最优电转化条件下,嗜热链球菌AR333电转化效率达到3.68×10~5 CFU/μg-DNA,比优化前提高了14倍,实现了嗜热链球菌AR333的高效遗传转化,为其功能解析和基因工程改造奠定基础。     

Anti-adipogenesis and metabolism-regulating effects of heat-inactivated Streptococcus thermophilus MN-ZLW-002

Metabolic syndrome and obesity have become serious threats to public health worldwide. This study was conducted to evaluate the anti-adipogenesis and metabolism-regulating effects of heat-inactivated Streptococcus thermophilus MN-ZLW-002 (MN-ZLW-002), which can be used as a yogurt starter. In vitro study suggested that MN-ZLW-002 stimulated the RAW264.7 macrophages to produce significant amounts of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and induced intense phosphorylation of P38, p44/42 MAPK and nuclear factor κB. MN-ZLW-002-stimulated RAW264.7-conditioned medium (CM) notably suppressed the differentiation and adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. The 12-week in vivo study suggested that orally administered MN-ZLW-002 significantly reduced the weight gain of mice caused by the high-fat diet (HFD) at weeks 3–8; decreased fasting blood glucose levels at week 4 and week 8; decreased serum total triglyceride level at week 12. MN-ZLW-002 also reduced serum IL-1β and chemokine ligand 3 levels in the HFD-fed mice. These findings suggest that heat-inactivated MN-ZLW-002 can suppress adipocytes differentiation and lipid accumulation by regulating the immune response, possibly via the release of cytokines, particularly TNF-α; MN-ZLW-002 can improve metabolism-related indicators in the early stage of HFD intervention and regulate the related pro-inflammatory immune response.     

Inhibition of microbial adhesion to silicone rubber treated with biosurfactant from Streptococcus thermophilus A

Microbial adhesion of four bacterial and two yeast strains isolated from explanted voice prostheses to silicone rubber before and after conditioning with a biosurfactant obtained from the probiotic bacterium Streptococcus thermophilus A was investigated in a parallel plate flow chamber. The silicone rubber with and without an adsorbed biosurfactant layer was characterized using contact angle measurements. Water contact angles indicated that the silicone rubber surface with adsorbed biosurfactant was more hydrophilic (58 degrees) than bare silicone rubber (109 degrees). The results obtained showed that the biosurfactant was effective in decreasing the initial deposition rates, and the number of bacterial cells adhering after 4 h, for all microorganisms tested. A decrease in the initial deposition rate was observed for Rothia dentocariosa GBJ 52/2B and Staphylococcus aureus GB 2/1 from 1937+/-194 to 179+/-21 microorganisms cm(-2) s(-1) and from 1255+/-54 to 233+/-26 microorganisms cm(-2) s(-1), respectively, accounting for an 86% reduction of the initial deposition rate for both strains. The number of bacterial cells adhering to the silicone rubber with preadsorbed biosurfactant after 4 h was further reduced by 89% and 97% by the two strains, respectively. The two yeast strains tested showed less reduction in adhesion after 4 h, to values between 67% and 70%. Such a pretreatment with surface-active compounds may constitute a promising strategy to reduce the microbial colonization rate of silicone rubber voice prostheses.     

Isolation and characterization of a type II restriction endonuclease from Streptococcus thermophilus

The alpha-toxin (phospholipase C) of Clostridium perfringens has been reported to contain catalytically essential zinc ions. We report here that histidine residues are essential for the co-ordination of these ion(s). Incubation of alpha toxin with diethylpyrocarbonate, a histidine modifying reagent, did not result in the loss of phospholipase C activity unless the protein was first incubated with EDTA, suggesting that zinc ions normally protect the susceptible histidine residues. When the amino acid sequences of three phospholipase C's were aligned, essential zinc binding histidine residues in the non-toxic B. cereus phospholipase C were found in similar positions in the toxic C. perfringens enzyme and the weakly toxic C. bifermentans phospholipase C.     

A study of Streptococcus thermophilus proteome by integrated analytical procedures and differential expression investigations

Streptococcus thermophilus is a Gram-positive bacterium belonging to the group of lactic acid bacteria, among which several genera play an essential role in manufacture of food products. Recently, a genomic consortium sequenced and annotated its entire genome, which has been demonstrated to contain 1900 coding sequences. In this study, we have revealed the expression products of almost 200 different genes using a proteomic strategy combining 2-DE plus MALDI-TOF PMF and differential 1-DE plus muLC-ESI-IT-MS/MS. Thus, a number of cellular pathways related to important physiological processes were described at the proteomic level. Almost 50 genes were related to multiple electrophoretic species, whose heterogeneity was mainly due to variability in pI values. A 2-DE reference map obtained for lactose-grown cells was compared with those obtained after heat, cold, acid, oxidative and starvation stresses. Protein up/down-regulation measurements demonstrated that adaptation to different environmental challenges may involve the contribution of unique as well as combined physiological mechanisms. Common regulatory sites in the promoter region of genes whose expression was induced after stress were identified. These results provide a better comprehension of biochemical processes related to stress resistance in S. thermophilus, allowing defining the molecular bases of adaptative responses or markers for the identification of strains with potential industrial applications.     

Characterization of a bacteriocin, Thermophilin 1277, produced by Streptococcus thermophilus SBT1277

AIMS: To assess the inhibitory activity and the influence of culture condition on the growth and bacteriocin, Thermophilin 1277, production by Streptococcus thermophilus SBT1277. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thermophilin 1277, which was produced by S. thermophilus SBT1277, showed an antimicrobial activity against several lactic acid bacteria and food spoilage bacteria including Clostridium butylicum, C. sprogenes and Bacillus cereus. Thermophilin 1277 was inactivated by proteinase K. Heating treatment did not affect the antimicrobial activity. The partially purified Thermophilin 1277 had an apparent molecular mass of 3.7 kDa. N-terminal sequence analysis revealed 15 amino acid residues that correspond with amino acid sequence of the lantibiotics bovicin HJ50 produced by Streptococcus bovis HJ50. The effects of culture condition for the bacteriocin production by S. thermophilus SBT1277 were studied. During the batch fermentation, Thermophilin 1277 was produced in M17 broth, but no bacteriocin production occurred in the sucrose-tryptone (ST) broth. Bacteriocin production was detected in pH controlled ST broth at pH values of 5.5-6.5. CONCLUSIONS: Thermophilin 1277 production from S. thermophilus strain depended on the culture conditions. Some characters and N-terminal amino acid sequence of Thermophilin 1277 differed from bacteriocins produced by S. thermophilus reported previously. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Streptococcus thermophilus SBT1277 or its bacteriocin which has a wide inhibitory spectrum has a potential use as a biopreservative in dairy products.     

嗜热链球菌CGMCC 1.1864所产的一种新型细菌素ST9

本文利用琼脂扩散法测定嗜热链球菌(Streptocccus thermophilus) CGMCC 1.1864发酵上清液的抑菌效果, 结果表明此菌能够产生抑菌物质, 且在排除有机酸和过氧化氢的影响后上清液不但能抑制革兰氏阳性菌, 对革兰氏阴性菌也有抑制能力。此抑菌物质具有热稳定性, 于100°C处理 2 h及121°C处理20 min仍保留抑菌活性, 但若将其在100°C处理2 h的上清液立即置于?20°C保存, 其抑菌活性有较大损失。常温下(37°C), 该抑菌物质在pH 2.0?9.0范围内有很好的稳定性。发酵上清液经各种蛋白酶及?-淀粉酶处理后抑菌活性完全消失, 而对过氧化氢酶不敏感, 表明此抑菌物质为多肽, 属于细菌素, 本文初步将其命名为嗜热链球菌素ST9。由于ST9对其产生菌具有吸附作用, 选择pH吸附释放法对该嗜热链球菌素进行粗提, 然后经SephadexG-25凝胶层析柱除去杂蛋白, 最后冷冻干燥得纯品。通过Tricine-SDS-PAGE分析得到其分子量约为5.0 kD。