The Mutational Specificity of Two Escherichia Coli Dnae Antimutator Alleles as Determined from Laci Mutation Spectra

In a companion study we have described the isolation of a series of mutants of Escherichia coli that replicate their DNA with increased fidelity. These mutants carry a mutation in the dnaE gene, encoding the α (polymerase) subunit of DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, which is responsible for the faithful replication of the bacterial chromosome. The mutants were detected as suppressors of the high mutability of a mutL strain (defective in postreplicative mismatch correction), in which mutations may be considered to arise predominantly from errors of DNA replication. To investigate the specificity of these antimutator effects, we have analyzed spectra of forward mutations in the N-terminal part of the lacI gene (i(-d) mutations) for two of the mutL dnaE derivatives (dnaE911 and dnaE915), as well as the control mutL strain. DNA sequencing of over 600 mutants revealed that in the mutL background both antimutator alleles reduce specifically transition mutations (A·T -> G·C and G·C -> A·T). However, the two alleles behave differently in this respect. dnaE911 reduces A·T -> G·C more strongly than it does G·C -> A·T, whereas the reverse is true for dnaE915. Second, dnaE911 does not appear to affect either transversion or frameshift mutations, whereas dnaE915 displays a distinct mutator effect for both. This mutator effect of dnaE915 for frameshift mutations was confirmed by the frequency of reversion of the trpE9777 frameshift mutation. The discovery that dnaE antimutator alleles possess distinct specificities supports the notion that DNA polymerases discriminate against errors along multiple pathways and that these pathways can be influenced independently.     

Spontaneous Mutation in Escherichia Coli Containing the Dnae911 DNA Polymerase Antimutator Allele

We have previously isolated mutants of Escherichia coli that replicate their DNA with increased fidelity. These mutants have a mutation in the dnaE gene, encoding the α subunit of DNA polymerase III. They were isolated in a mismatch-repair-defective mutL background, in which mutations can be considered to represent uncorrected DNA replication errors. In the present study we analyze the effect of one of these alleles, dnaE911, on spontaneous mutagenesis in a mismatch-repair-proficient background. In this background, spontaneous mutations may be the sum of uncorrected replication errors and mutations resulting from other pathways. Hence, the effect of the dnaE allele may provide insights into the contribution of uncorrected DNA replication errors to spontaneous mutation. The data show that dnaE911 decreases the level of Rif(r), lacI and galK mutations in this background by 1.5-2-fold. DNA sequencing of 748 forward mutants in the lacI gene reveals that this effect has a clear specificity. Transversions are decreased by ~3-fold, whereas transitions, frameshifts, deletions and duplications remain essentially unchanged. Among the transversions, A·T -> T·A are affected most strongly (~6-fold). In addition to this effect on transversions within the lacI gene, one previously recognized A·T -> G·C base-pair substitution hotspot in the lac operator is also reduced (~5-fold). The data are discussed in the light of the role of DNA replication errors in spontaneous mutation, as well as other possible explanations for the observed antimutator effects.     

Adaptive Reversion of a Frameshift Mutation in Escherichia Coli

Mutation rates are generally thought not to be influenced by selective forces. This doctrine rests on the results of certain classical studies of the mutations that make bacteria resistant to phages and antibiotics. We have studied a strain of Escherichia coli which constitutively expresses a lacI-lacZ fusion containing a frameshift mutation that renders it Lac-. Reversion to Lac+ is a rare event during exponential growth but occurs in stationary cultures when lactose is the only source of energy. No revertants accumulate in the absence of lactose, or in the presence of lactose if there is another, unfulfilled requirement for growth. The mechanism for such mutation in stationary phase is not known, but it requires some function of RecA which is apparently not required for mutation during exponential growth.     

A Temperature Sensitive Suppressor Mutation of Escherichia Coli

Abstract

In an Escherichia coli K 12 strain, with a Pho ^- nonsense mutation and the suppressor gene Su-4, we have induced a mutant with a temperature dependent alkaline phosphatase negative phenotype. This phenotype can be ascribed to a mutation mapping in the Su-4 gene that makes the suppression temperature sensitive.     

小鼠cAMP应答元件结合蛋白基因在大肠杆菌中的表达

采用PCR技术,删除了小鼠CREBcDNA5′端和3′端非编码序列,并引入便于基因操作的酶切位点。经30次循环的扩增,得到改造后的CREBcDNA,全长1071bp。亚克隆后,对此扩增片段进行了限制性内切酶物理图谱分析,测定了DNA序列,并以其为插入物,构建了pBV220-PCR-CREB重组表达载体。经Western印迹法分析证明,在大肠杆菌中的表达获得成功 。     

Opposing Roles of the Holliday Junction Processing Systems of Escherichia Coli in Recombination-Dependent Adaptive Mutation

Aspects of the molecular mechanism of ``adaptive' mutation are emerging from one experimental system: reversion of an Escherichia coli lac frameshift mutation carried on a conjugative plasmid. Homologous recombination is required and the mutations resemble polymerase errors. Reports implicating a role for conjugal transfer proteins suggested that the mutation mechanism is ordinary replication error occurring during transfer synthesis, followed by conjugation-like recombination, to capture the replicated fragment into an intact replicon. Whereas conjugational recombination uses either of two systems of Holliday junction resolution, we find that the adaptive lac reversions are inhibited by one resolution system and promoted by the other. Moreover, temporary absence of both resolution systems promotes mutation. These results imply that recombination intermediates themselves promote the mutations.     

Double-Stranded Gap Repair of DNA by Gene Conversion in Escherichia Coli

We demonstrated repair of a double-stranded DNA gap through gene conversion by a homologous DNA sequence in Escherichia coli. We made a double-stranded gap in one of the two regions of homology in an inverted orientation on a plasmid DNA molecule and introduced it into an E. coli strain which has the RecE system of recombination (genotype; sbcA23 recB21 recC22). We detected repair products by genetic selection. The repair products were those expected by the double-strand-gap repair model. Gene conversion was frequently accompanied by crossing over of the flanking sequences as in eukaryotes. This double-strand gap repair mechanism can explain plasmid recombination in the absence of an artificial double-stranded break reported in a companion study by Yamamoto et al.     

大肠杆菌邻氨基苯甲酸合成酶编码基因trpED的克隆与表达

目的:通过基因重组的方法获得在体外具有邻氨基苯甲酸合成酶活性的基因trpED,为进一步解除反馈抑制的基因改造寻找靶标。方法:分别构建重组质粒pBV220-trpE和pBV220-trpD;由于trpE和trpD存在翻译偶联现象,将其自大肠杆菌基因组中经PCR扩增得到,构建新的表达质粒pBV220-trpED。结果:SDS-PAGE显示,包含质粒pBV220-trpED的重组菌在相对分子质量约53000(trpE基因表达)和56000(trpD基因表达)处的蛋白表达量明显增多,且邻氨基苯甲酸合成酶活性是对照的3倍。结论:翻译偶联的存在直接影响蛋白活性的发挥;重组质粒pBV220-trpED的获得为进一步的基因改造,以提高色氨酸产量奠定了研究基础。     

牛肠激酶轻链基因的克隆及其在大肠杆菌中的融合表达

为克隆表达牛肠激酶（enterokinase）轻链(EKL)编码基因,以期应用于融合蛋白的切割与纯化,从市售北方黄牛十二指肠组织中提取总RNA,以RT-PCR方法扩增其cDNA片段,将此片段克隆于pUCmT载体中,经过特异性限制性内切酶酶切分析片段正确后,进行全序列分析。结果表明,克隆的cDNA与GenBank上的序列相比完全一致,得到了编码正确的牛肠激酶轻链基因全序列。随后,将目的基因片段插入pET39b中,构建了融合型表达载体pET39b-EKL,转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),用IPTG诱导表达。所获得的pET39b-EKL经过酶切鉴定和测序,证实其插入方向、读码框架正确,所表达重组蛋白经SDS-PAGE分析,相对分子量为65 kDa,表达量达28%,通过镍亲和层析纯化得到融合蛋白DsbA-rEKL的单一条带。该粗酶经脱盐后在适宜的缓冲体系中21℃温育过夜,显示出较高的自催化切割活性,为进一步进行重组牛肠激酶活性的研究及应用奠定了基础。 Abstract:The objective of the study was to obtain the gene of bovine enterokinase light chain,which would be used in the cleavage and purification of fusion proteins．The fragment of bovine enterokinase light chain cDNA was obtained by RT-PCR from a sold bovine′s duodenal mucosa, then cloned into the pUCmT cloning vector and sequenced.Compared with the sequence deposited in GenBank,the cloned gene sequence is correct.Then the interested gene fragment was inserted into the pET39b expression plasmid.The recombinant vector pET39b-EKL was transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3) and induced by IPTG.It was confirmed that the nucleotide sequence was correct on the conjunction site between the recombinant DNA 5′terminal multi-cloning site and recombinant fragment after the analysis of the nucleotide sequence.SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that target product was about 65 kDa which occupied 28% of the total protein.A pure fusion protein was obtained by nickel chelating chromatogram using His*Binding Resin.After desalting and changing buffer,the crude kinase was incubated at 21℃ overnight and demonstrated a high autocatalytic cleavage activity.This investigation would be able to lay a foundation for enterokinase activity research and farther application of expression products on a large scale.