Molecular Cloning of the Genes for Pyruvate Kinase of Two Bacilli,Bacillus psychrophilus and Bacillus licheniformis,and Comparison of the Properties of the Enzymes Produced in Escherichia coli

The genes for the pyruvate kinases of a psychrophile, Bacillus psychrophilus, and a mesophile, Bacillus licheniformis, have been cloned in Escherichia coli, and all their nucleotides were sequenced. The two bacterial enzymes each had an extra C-terminal sequence consisting of about 110 amino acid residues, which has been found in the B. stearothermophilus enzyme. Both enzymes were overexpressed in E. coli and the properties of the purified enzymes were compared to those of the B. stearothermophilus enzyme. Both enzymes were less stable than the B. stearothermophilus one. The B. psychrophilus enzyme was more stable than the B. licheniformis one. Similarly to the B. licheniformis and B. stearothermophilus pyruvate kinases, the B. psychrophilus enzyme was activated by AMP or ribose 5-phosphate, and inhibited by A TP or fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. Thus, these enzymes were very similar in the sigmoidal saturation curve for phosphoenolpyruvate and allosteric effectors, but their optimum temperatures and thermostabilities were very different.     

Gene cloning and characterization of thermostable peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) from Bacillus stearothermophilus SIC1

The peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase, EC 5.2.1.8) gene (ppiT) from Bacillus stearothermophilus SIC1 was cloned on the basis of a partial amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme. ppiT was found as an open reading frame (501 bases) which coded for a protein consisting of 167 amino acid residues (molecular weight, 18,349) (GenBank accession number D42050). The cloned ppiT was overexpressed in Escherichia coli cells using pET-8c as an expression vector. The enzyme was purified by heat treatment and column chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B. Purification was about 148-fold and the molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be about 18.0 kDa by SDS-PAGE. PPIase activity was determined using synthetic peptide as a substrate in a 2-step reaction coupled with chymotrypsin treatment. The enzyme was stable at pH 7.5–8.0. No heat denaturation was observed when the enzyme was treated at 60°C for 30 min. The PPIase purified from recombinant E. coli has almost the same characteristics as that from B. stearothermophilus SIC1. In refolding solution, the PPIase enhanced the isomerization rate of unfolded RNase T1.     

Gene cloning,purification and characterization of thermostable alanine dehydrogenase of Bacillus stearothermophilus

The alanine dehydrogenase (l-alanine: NAD⁺ oxidoreductase, deaminating, EC 1.4.1.1) gene of Bacillus stearothermophilus IFO12550 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli C600 with a recombinant plasmid, pICD301, which was constructed from pBR322 and the alanine dehydrogenase gene derived from B. stearothermophilus. The enzyme overproduced in the clone was purified about 30 fold to homogeneity by heat treatment and two subsequent steps with a yield of 46%. The enzyme of E. coli-pICD301 was immunochemically identical with that of B. stearothermophilus. The enzyme has a molecular weight of about 240,000 and consists of six subunits identical in molecular weight (40,000). The enzyme is not inactivated by heat treatment: at pH 7.2 and 75°C for 30 min; at 55°C and various pHs between 6.0 and 11.5 for 10 min. The enzymological properties are very similar to those of the mesophilic B. sphaericus enzyme (Ohshima, T. and Soda, K., Eur. J. Biochem., 100, 29–39, 1979) except for thermostability.     

Expression of the Cellulase (FI-CMCase) Gene of Aspergillus aculeatus in Escherichia coli

FI-CMCase cDNA of Aspergillus aculeatus was expressed in Escherichia coli by using the tac promoter of E. coli. Transformants of E. coli harboring a plasmid pHEM06 containing mature form FI-CMCase cDNA produced FI-CMCase in the cytoplasm of the cells. The enzyme from E. coli cells was purified to yield 56% and it was immunological identical to that of FI-CMCase purified from A. aculeatus.     

Studies on Antioxidative Substances of Microbial Origin

Aminopeptidase T (AP-T) is a metallo-dependent dimeric enzyme of Thermus aquaticus YT-1, an extremely thermophilic bacterium. We cloned the AP-T gene from T. aquaticus YT-1 into Escherichia coli using a synthetic oligonucleotide as a hybridization probe. The nucleotide sequence of the AP-T gene was found to encode 408 amino acid residues with GTG as a start codon. The molecular weight was calculated to be 44,820. The AP-T was overproduced in E. coli (about 5% of total soluble protein) when the start codon of the gene was changed from GTG to ATG, and the gene was downstream from the tac promoter. The AP-T expressed in E. coli was heat stable and easily purified by heat treatment (80°C, 30 min). The N-terminal amino acid sequence of AP-T showed similarity with that of aminopeptidase II from Bacillus stearothermophilus.     

Overexpression,Purification, and Characterization of the Recombinant Leucine Aminopeptidase II of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus stearothermophilus</Emphasis>

For expression of Bacillus stearothermophilus NCIB 8924 leucine aminopeptidase II (LAP II) in Escherichia coli regulated by a T5 promoter, the gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and cloned into expression vector pQE-32 to generate pQE-LAPII. The His₆-tagged enzyme was overexpressed in IPTG-induced E. coli M15 (pQE-LAPII) as a soluble protein and was purified to homogeneity by nickel-chelate chromatography to a specific activity of 425 U/mg protein with a final yield of 76%. The subunit molecular mass of the purified protein was estimated to be 44.5 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The temperature and pH optima for the purified protein were 60°C and 8.0, respectively. Under optimal condition, the purified enzyme showed a marked preference for Leu-p-nitroanilide, followed by Arg- and Lys-derivatives. The His₆-tagged enzyme was stimulated by Co²⁺ ions, but was strongly inhibited by Cu²⁺ and Hg²⁺ and by the chelating agents, DTT and EDTA. The EDTA-treated enzyme could be reactivated with Co²⁺ ions, indicating that it is a cobalt-dependent exopeptidase. Taking the biochemical characteristics together, we found that the recombinant LAP II exhibits no important differences from those properties described for the native enzyme. Received: 16 August 2002 / Accepted: 4 September 2002     

Construction of a new shuttle vector pSTE33 and its stabilities in Bacillus stearothermophilus,bacillus subtilis,and Escherichia coli

Summary A shuttle vector that could replicate in B. stearothermophilus, B. subtilis, and E. coli was constructed from B. stearothermophilus cryptic plasmid pSTK1, E. coli vector pUC19, and a thermostable kanamycin-resistance marker. This new vector was stably maintained in B. stearothermophilus at 67°C without selective pressure.     

Purification and Partial Characterization of Alkaline Xylanase from Escherichia coli Carrying pCX311

Xylanase produced by E. coli HB 101 carrying plasmid pCX311, which contains the xylanase A gene of alkalophilic Bacillus sp. strain C-125, was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose column chromatography and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. The purified enzyme had a molecular weight of 43,000. The pH and temperature optima for its activity were 6~10 and 70°C, respectively. The enzyme retained full activity after incubation at 50°C for 10 min. These enzymatic properties of the xylanase were almost the same as those of xylanase A. But this enzyme was less stable than xylanase A at low pHs. Furthermore, we could purify a larger amount of alkaline xylanase from E. coli than from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. strain C-125.     

Colorimetric Determination of α-Amino Nitrogen in Urine and Plasma with Ninhydrin Reaction

Bacillus stearothermophilus TH 6–2 has two kinds of purine nucleoside phosphorylases (Pu-NPase I and Pu-NPase II). The Pu-NPase I is a functional homolog of eukaryotic purine nucleoside phosphorylases that can catalyze the phosphorolysis of inosine and guanosine, but not adenosine, the primary substrate of Pu-NPase II. The Pu-NPase I gene of TH 6–2 has been cloned, sequenced, and expressed in E. coli. The gene corresponded to an open reading frame of 822 nucleotides that translates into a putative 274-amino acid protein with a molecular weight of 29,637. The deduced amino terminus sequence completely coincided with that found for the purified enzyme. The cloned gene was overexpressed in E. coli by using the trc promoter to produce an active enzyme in large quantities. The amino acid sequence of Pu-NPase I shared 50% similarity with those of human and mouse purine nucleoside phosphorylases.     

A simple method for the purification of over-expressed extracellular sucrase of Zymomonas mobilis from a recombinant Escherichia coli

The over-expressed extracellular sucrase (SacC) of Zymomonas mobilisfrom a recombinant Escherichia coli (pZSP62) carrying the sacC gene was purified partially by repeated cycles of freezing and thawing. This method separated the highly expressed recombinant protein from the bulk of endogenous E. coli proteins. The enzyme was further purified 14 fold with a 55% yield from the cellular extract of E. coli by hydroxyapatite chromatography. The purified enzyme had a Mr of 46 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Its km value for sucrose was 86 mM and was optimal at pH 5.0 and at 36°C.     

Bacillus stearothermophilus plasmid pSTK1 replicon is functional in Escherichia coli

Summary A kanamycin-resistant plasmid possessing a thermostable replicon derived from Bacillus stearothermophilus cryptic plasmid pSTK1 was constructed. The plasmid could transform not only B. stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis, but also Gram-negative Escherichia coli. The behavior of the plasmid in the hosts was examined. The plasmid was stably maintained even at 67°C in B. stearothermophilus without selective pressure. During the plasmid replication, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) intermediates were found in E. coli, while these were not found in B. subtilis.     

Overexpression and characterization of dimeric and tetrameric forms of recombinant serine hydroxymethyltransferase from Bacillus stearothermophilus

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT), a pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzyme catalyzes the interconversion of L-Ser and Gly using tetrahydrofolate as a substrate. The gene encoding for SHMT was amplified by PCR from genomic DNA ofBacillus stearothermophilus and the PCR product was cloned and overexpressed inEscherichia coli. The purified recombinant enzyme was isolated as a mixture of dimer (90%) and tetramer (10%). This is the first report demonstrating the existence of SHMT as a dimer and tetramer in the same organism. The specific activities at 37°C of the dimeric and tetrameric forms were 6.7 U/mg and 4.1 U/mg, respectively. The purified dimer was extremely thermostable with aT _m of 85°C in the presence of PLP and L-Ser. The temperature optimum of the dimer was 80°C with a specific activity of 32.4 U/mg at this temperature. The enzyme catalyzed tetrahydrofolate-independent reactions at a slower rate compared to the tetrahydrofolate-dependent retro-aldol cleavage of L-Ser. The interaction with substrates and their analogues indicated that the orientation of PLP ring ofB. stearothermophilus SHMT was probably different from sheep liver cytosolic recombinant SHMT (scSHMT).     

Fusion of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus stearothermophilus</Emphasis> leucine aminopeptidase II with the raw-starch-binding domain of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus</Emphasis> sp. strain TS-23 α-amylase generates a chimeric enzyme with enhanced thermostability and catalytic activity

Bacillus stearothermophilus leucine aminopeptidase II (LAPII) was fused at its C-terminal end with the raw-starch-binding domain of Bacillus sp. strain TS-23 -amylase. The chimeric enzyme (LAPsbd), with an apparent molecular mass of approximately 61 kDa, was overexpressed in IPTG-induced Escherichia coli cells and purified to homogeneity by nickel-chelate chromatography. The purified enzyme retained LAP activity and adsorbed raw starch. LAPsbd was stable at 70°C for 10 min, while the activity of wild-type enzyme was completely abolished under the same environmental condition. Compared with the wild-type enzyme, the twofold increase in the catalytic efficiency for LAPsbd was due to a 218% increase in the k _cat value.     

Heterologous expression,secretion and characterization of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Geobacillus thermoleovorans</Emphasis> US105 type I pullulanase

Pullulanase type I of Geobacillus thermoleovorans US105 strain (PUL US105) was produced and secreted efficiently in the E. coli periplasmic or extracellular fraction using two different signal peptides. Hence, the open reading frame was connected downstream of the lipase A signal peptide of Bacillus subtilis strain leading to an efficient secretion of an active form enzyme on the periplasmic fraction. In addition, pul US105 was fused to the α-amylase signal sequence of the Bacillus stearothermophilus US100 strain. The monitoring of the pullulanase activity and Western blot analysis for this last construction showed that the most activity was found in the supernatant culture, proving the efficient secretion of this natively cytoplasmic enzyme as an active form. The PUL US105 was purified to homogeneity from the periplasmic fraction, using heat treatment, size exclusion, and anion-exchange chromatography. The native pullulanase has a molecular mass of 160 kDa and is composed of two identical subunits of 80 kDa each. It was independent for metallic ions for its activity, while its thermostability was obviously improved in presence of only 0.1 mM CaCl₂.     

Cloning,sequence analysis,and expression of a gene encoding <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chromobacterium</Emphasis> sp. DS-1 cholesterol oxidase

Chromobacterium sp. strain DS-1 produces an extracellular cholesterol oxidase that is very stable at high temperatures and in the presence of organic solvents and detergents. In this study, we cloned and sequenced the structural gene encoding the cholesterol oxidase. The primary translation product was predicted to be 584 amino acid residues. The mature product is composed of 540 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of the product showed significant similarity (53–62%) to the cholesterol oxidases from Burkholderia spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The DNA fragment corresponding to the mature enzyme was subcloned in the pET-21d(+) expression vector and expressed as an active product in Escherichia coli. The cholesterol oxidase produced from the recombinant E. coli was purified to homogeneity. The physicochemical properties were similar to those of native enzyme purified from strain DS-1. K _m and V _max values of the cholesterol oxidase were estimated from Lineweaver–Burk plots. The V _max/K _m ratio of the enzyme was higher than those of commercially available cholesterol oxidases. The circular dichroism spectral analysis of the recombinant DS-1 enzyme and Burkholderia cepacia ST-200 cholesterol oxidase showed that the conformational stability of the DS-1 enzyme was higher than that of B. cepacia ST-200 enzyme at higher temperatures.     

Gene Cloning and Characterization of α-Glucuronidase of Bacillus stearothermophilus No. 236

The α-glucuronidase gene of Bacillus stearothermophilus No. 236 was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene, designated aguA, encoded a 691-residue polypeptide with calculated molecular weight of 78,156 and pI of 5.34. The α-glucuronidase produced by a recombinant E. coli strain containing the aguA gene was purified to apparent homogeneity and characterized. The molecular weight of the α-glucuronidase was 77,000 by SDS-PAGE and 161,000 by gel filtration; the functional form of the α-glucuronidase therefore was dimeric. The optimal pH and temperature for the enzyme activity were pH 6.5 and 40°C, respectively. The enzyme's half-life at 50°C was 50 min. The values for the kinetic parameters of K_m and V_max were 0.78 mM and 15.3 U/mg for aldotriouronic acid [2-O-α- (4-O-methyl-α-D-glucopyranosyluronic)-D-xylobiose]. The α-glucuronidase acted mainly on small substituted xylo-oligomers and did not release methylglucuronic acid from intact xylan. Nevertheless, synergism in the release of xylose from xylan was found when α-glucuronidase was added to a mixture of endoxylanase and β-xylosidase.     

Characterization of the new β-glucuronidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptococcus equi</Emphasis> subsp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">zooepidemicus</Emphasis>

Recently, a new gene encoding β-glucuronidase from Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (SEZ) was identified and expressed in Escherichia coli. In this paper, the characterization of the enzyme is described. Specific enzyme activity was 120,000 U/mg purified protein at 37°C and pH = 7.0. The temperature and pH value, at which the enzyme has the highest specific activity, were determined and were found to be approximately 52°C and 5.6, respectively. The mutant strain SEZ glcHis was designed for the efficient isolation of β-glucuronidase from S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus. It was observed that the specific activity of β-glucuronidase in the cytoplasmic extract of a mutated strain was about 45% lower than in the cytoplasmic extract of a wild-type strain. The specific activity of purified β-glucuronidase from SEZ glcHis was four times as low as β-glucuronidase purified from E. coli. Comparing the specific activity of purified streptococcal β-glucuronidase from E. coli with E. coli β-glucuronidase (the enzyme with the highest specific activity was supplied by Sigma), the former is 1.8 higher than the latter.     

Purification, enzymatic properties of a recombinant d-hydantoinase and its dissociation by zinc ion

Summary A d-hydantoinase was expressed in the soluble form by a recombinant E. coli strain, pE-HDT/E. coli BL21 in LB medium. The enzymatic activity of cultured cells reached 5.2–6.5 IU/ml culture at a cell turbidity of 10 at 600 nm. The expressed enzyme was efficiently purified by three steps, ammonium sulfate fractionation, Phenyl-Sepharose hydrophobic interaction chromatography and Sephacryl S-200 size-exclusion chromatography. With the above purification process, the enzyme was purified to more than 95% purity as estimated by SDS-PAGE. The overall recovery of enzymatic activity was 54.4% and the specific activity for substrate dl-hydantoin achieved 48 U/mg. The purified enzyme appeared as a dimer with a molecular mass of 103 kDa, as measured by size-exclusion chromatography. The enzyme was stable from pH 6 to 12 with an optimum pH at 9.5 The optimum temperature of the enzyme was 45 °C and it activity was rapidly lost over 55 °C. Divalent metal ions, including Co²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Ni ²⁺ ions obviously enhanced the enzymatic activity, while Zn²⁺ ion had a slight inhibitory effect. In addition, the dissociation of purified enzyme into its subunits occurred in the presence of 1 mM Zn²⁺ ion. The effect of different metal ions on the d-hydantoinase activation/attenuation was discussed.     

Cloning of a Microbispora bispora cellobiohydrolase gene in Streptomyces lividans

The cellobiohydrolase II (CBHII) of Microbispora bispora, originally cloned in Escherichia coli, was subcloned into Streptomyces lividans using shuttle vectors pSKN 01 and pSKN 02. The enzyme was secreted from Streptomyces, whereas it was intracellular in E. coli. The yields of CBHII produced by S. lividans transformants were 15–20-fold higher than those produced by E. coli transformants. The optimal pH of M. bispora native cellobiohydrolase and the cloned enzyme from S. lividans is 6.5. The thermal and pH stability of CHBII produced in M. bispora, E. coli and S. lividans were compared. Enzyme produced in E. coli was inactivated more rapidly (k = 0.252 min^–1 at 90° C; 90% inactivation after 10 min vs. 0.119 min^–1 for the others). CBHII was monitored following electrophoretic separation by reaction with a monoclonal antibody. The apparent molecular mass of the protein produced from the S. lividans clone was 93 kDa, the same as that of the native enzyme, but that of the enzyme produced in E. coli was smaller (82 kDa). Correspondence to: P. Hu