Molecular cloning of Bacillus sphaericus penicillin V amidase gene and its expression in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.

The Bacillus sphaericus gene coding for penicillin V amidase, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of penicillin V to yield 6-aminopenicillanic acid and phenoxyacetic acid, has been isolated by molecular cloning in Escherichia coli. The gene is contained within a 2.2-kilobase HindIII-PstI fragment and is expressed when transferred into E. coli and Bacillus subtilis. The expression in B. subtilis carrying the recombinant plasmid is approximately two times higher than in the original B. sphaericus strain. A comparison of the purified enzyme from B. sphaericus and the expressed gene product in E. coli minicells suggests that the native enzyme consists of four identical subunits, each with a molecular weight of 35,000.     

Molecular cloning of Bacillus sphaericus penicillin V amidase gene and its expression in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis

The Bacillus sphaericus gene coding for penicillin V amidase, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of penicillin V to yield 6-aminopenicillanic acid and phenoxyacetic acid, has been isolated by molecular cloning in Escherichia coli. The gene is contained within a 2.2-kilobase HindIII-PstI fragment and is expressed when transferred into E. coli and Bacillus subtilis. The expression in B. subtilis carrying the recombinant plasmid is approximately two times higher than in the original B. sphaericus strain. A comparison of the purified enzyme from B. sphaericus and the expressed gene product in E. coli minicells suggests that the native enzyme consists of four identical subunits, each with a molecular weight of 35,000.     

Thermostable phenylalanine dehydrogenase of Thermoactinomyces intermedius: cloning, expression, and sequencing of its gene

The gene encoding the thermostable phenylalanine dehydrogenase [EC 1.4.1.-] of a thermophile, Thermoactinomyces intermedius, was cloned and its complete DNA sequence was determined. The phenylalanine dehydrogenase gene (pdh) consists of 1,098 nucleotides and encodes 366 amino acid residues corresponding to the subunit (Mr 41,000) of the hexameric enzyme. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the pdh gene of T. intermedius was 56.0 and 42.1% homologous to those of the phenylalanine dehydrogenases of Bacillus sphaericus and Sporosarcina ureae, respectively. It shows 47.5% homology to that of the thermostable leucine dehydrogenase from B. stearothermophilus. The pdh gene was highly expressed in E. coli JM109, the amount of phenylalanine dehydrogenase produced amounting up to about 8.3% of that of the total soluble protein. We purified the enzyme to homogeneity from transformant cells in a day, with a 58% recovery.     

Single amino acid substitution in Bacillus sphaericus phenylalanine dehydrogenase dramatically increases its discrimination between phenylalanine and tyrosine substrates

Homology-based modeling of phenylalanine dehydrogenases (PheDHs) from various sources, using the structures of homologous enzymes Clostridium symbiosum glutamate dehydrogenase and Bacillus sphaericus leucine dehydrogenase as a guide, revealed that an asparagine residue at position 145 of B. sphaericus PheDH was replaced by valine or alanine in PheDHs from other sources. This difference was proposed to be the basis for the poor discrimination by the B. sphaericus enzyme between the substrates L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine. Residue 145 of this enzyme was altered, by site-specific mutagenesis, to hydrophobic residues alanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine, respectively. The resultant mutants showed a high discrimination, above 50-fold, between L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine. This higher specificity toward L-phenylalanine was due to K(m) values for L-phenylalanine lowered more than 20-fold compared to the values for L-tyrosine. The greater specificity for L-phenylalanine in the wild-type Bacillus badius enzyme, which has a valine residue in the corresponding position, was also found to be largely due to a lower K(m) for this substrate. Activities were also measured with a range of six amino acids with aliphatic, nonpolar side chains, and with the corresponding oxoacids, and in all cases the specificity constants for these substrates were increased in the mutant enzymes. As with phenylalanine, these increases are mainly attributable to large decreases in K(m) values.     

Distribution, purification, and characterization of thermostable phenylalanine dehydrogenase from thermophilic actinomycetes.

Phenylalanine dehydrogenase (L-phenylalanine:NAD oxidoreductase, deaminating; EC 1.4.1.-) was found in various thermophilic actinomycetes. We purified the enzyme to homogeneity from Thermoactinomyces intermedius IFO 14230 by heat treatment and by Red Sepharose 4B, DEAE-Toyopearl, Sepharose CL-4B, and Sephadex G-100 chromatographies with a 13% yield. The relative molecular weight of the native enzyme was estimated to be about 270,000 by gel filtration. The enzyme consists of six subunits identical in molecular weight (41,000) and is highly thermostable: it is not inactivated by incubation at pH 7.2 and 70 degrees C for at least 60 min or in the range of pH 5 to 10.8 at 50 degrees C for 10 min. The enzyme preferably acts on L-phenylalanine and its 2-oxo analog, phenylpyruvate, in the presence of NAD and NADH, respectively. Initial velocity and product inhibition studies showed that the oxidative deamination proceeds through a sequential ordered binary-ternary mechanism. The Km values for L-phenylalanine, NAD, phenylpyruvate, NADH, and ammonia were 0.22, 0.078, 0.045, 0.025, and 106 mM, respectively. The pro-S hydrogen at C-4 of the dihydronicotinamide ring of NADH was exclusively transferred to the substrate.     

Purification and characterization of cystathionine gamma-synthase type II from Bacillus sphaericus

Cystathionine gamma-synthase type II, which catalyzes L-cystathionine synthesis from O-acetyl-L-homoserine and L-cysteine was purified from Bacillus sphaericus (IFO 3536) in seven steps. The purified enzyme appeared to be homogeneous by the results of polyacrylamide electrophoresis and ampholyte electrofocusing. The enzyme is a typical pyridoxal-P dependent enzyme, has a molecular mass of 165 kDa and consists of four subunits identical in molecular mass. The enzyme catalyzed the gamma-replacement reaction and the elimination reaction was hardly detected even when a large amount of enzyme was added. In the replacement reaction, O-acetyl-L-homoserine and the following thiol compounds: L and D-cysteine, L and D-homocysteine, sodium sulfide, various alkyl and aryl mercaptans, acted as the most suitable substrate to produce L-cystathionine and the corresponding S-substituted L-homocysteine derivatives.     

Thermostable D-amino acid aminotransferase from a thermophilic Bacillus species. Purification, characterization, and active site sequence determination

D-Amino acid aminotransferase was found in several thermophilic Bacillus species and purified to homogeneity from the best producer, Bacillus sp. YM-1, which was newly isolated from a sauna dust. The enzyme has a molecular weight of about 62,000 and consists of two subunits identical in molecular weight (30,000). It catalyzes transamination between various D-amino acids and alpha-keto acids, although the substrate specificity is narrower than the enzyme from the mesophile, Bacillus sphaericus (Yonaha, K., Misono, H., Yamamoto, T., and Soda, K. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 6983-6989). The Bacillus sp. YM-1 enzyme is most active at 60 degrees C and stable at high temperatures. Automated Edman degradation provided the N-terminal sequence of the first 20 amino acids, and carboxypeptidase Y digestion provided the C-terminal sequence of the last 3 amino acids. The amino acid sequence in the vicinity of the lysyl residue, Lys(Pxy), that binds pyridoxal 5'-phosphate was determined as Cys-Asp-Ile-Lys(Pxy)-Ser-Leu-Asn-Leu-Leu-Gly-Ala-Val-Leu-Ala-Lys- from the pyridoxyl peptide obtained by digestion with trypsin. The active site sequence is markedly different from those of L-amino acid aminotransferases and other pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzymes.     

Enzymatic determination of L-phenylalanine and phenylpyruvate with L-phenylalanine dehydrogenase

An enzymatic method is described for the determination of L-phenylalanine or phenylpyruvate using L-phenylalanine dehydrogenase. The enzyme catalyzes the NAD-dependent oxidative deamination of L-phenylalanine or the reductive amination of the 2-oxoacid, respectively. The stoichiometric coupling of the coenzyme allows a direct spectrophotometric assay of the substrate concentration. The equilibrium of the reaction favors L-phenylalanine formation; however, by measuring initial reaction velocities, the enzyme can be used for L-phenylalanine determination, too. Standard solutions of L-phenylalanine in the range of 10-300 microM and of phenylpyruvate (5-100 microM) show a linearity between the value for dENADH/min and the substrate concentration. Besides phenylalanine, the enzyme can convert tyrosine and methionine, and their oxoacids, respectively. The Km values of these substrates are higher. The influence of tyrosine on the determination of phenylalanine was studied and appeared tolerable for certain applications.     

Comparative 16S rRNA oligonucleotide analyses and murein types of round-spore-forming bacilli and non-spore-forming relatives

The phylogenetic incoherency of the genus Bacillus as presently described is demonstrated by analysis of both published and new data from comparative 16S rRNA cataloguing of nine Bacillus species and a number of related non-Bacillus taxa, i.e. Caryophanon latum, Filibacter limicola and Planococcus citreus. While the ellipsoidal-spore-forming bacilli, e.g. B. subtilis and allied species, formed a coherent cluster, the round-spore-forming bacilli showed a higher degree of relationship to the non-spore-forming organisms than these bacilli show among each other. Thus B. sphaericus clustered with C. latum, B. globisporus grouped with F. limicola, B. pasteurii with Sporosarcina ureae, and 'B. aminovorans' with P. citreus, respectively. These organisms formed two related subclusters which, in their phylogenetic depth, are comparable to that of the B. subtilis subline. With the exception of 'B. aminovorans', the 16S rRNA phylogeny was entirely consistent with the distribution of murein types. Even more distantly related to and grouping outside the main Bacillus cluster was B. stearothermophilus, which displayed a moderate relationship to Thermoactinomyces vulgaris. Taxonomic problems arising from the new insights into the intrageneric relationships of Bacillus are discussed.     

Phylogenetic analysis of the genera Planococcus, Marinococcus and Sporosarcina and their relationships to members of the genus Bacillus

A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA was performed on the genera Planococcus, Marinococcus, Sporosarcina and endospore-forming rods. In agreement with earlier 16S rRNA cataloguing data, Planococcus citreus and Sporosarcina ureae clustered with Bacillus pasteurii and other bacilli containing lysine in their cell walls. Sporosarcina halophila was shown to be genetically distinct from S. ureae and formed a loose association with the main Bacillus subtilis grouping. Marinococcus halophilus (formerly Planococcus halophilus) exhibited low levels of relatedness to all reference species examined and formed a distinct line of descent.     

Propionyl-CoA condensing enzyme from Ascaris muscle mitochondria. I. Isolation and characterization of multiple forms

The condensation of two propionyl-CoA units or a propionyl-CoA with acetyl-CoA is required for the synthesis of 2-methylvalerate or 2-methylbutyrate, respectively, two of the major fermentation products of Ascaris anaerobic muscle metabolism. An enzyme that preferentially catalyzes the condensation of propionyl-CoA rather than acetyl-CoA has been purified from the mitochondria of the parasitic intestinal nematode Ascaris lumbricoides var. suum. The purified enzyme is over 10 times more active with propionyl-CoA than with acetyl-CoA as substrate. It also catalyzes the coenzyme A-dependent hydrolysis of acetoacetyl-CoA at a rate four times higher than the propionyl-CoA condensation reaction. The purified Ascaris condensing enzyme preferentially forms the 2-methyl-branched-chain keto acids rather than the corresponding straight chain compounds. The native molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 160,000 by gel filtration chromatography and 158,000 by high pressure liquid chromatography. The enzyme migrated as a single protein band with Mr 40,000 during sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis, indicating that the enzyme is composed of four subunits of the same molecular weight. Chromatography on CM-sephadex resulted in the isolation of two separate peaks of activity, designated as A and B. Both A and B had the same molecular weight and subunit composition. However, they differed in their specific activities and isoelectric points. The pIs of condensing enzymes A and B were 7.6 and 8.4, respectively. Propionyl-CoA was the best substrate for the condensation reaction with both enzymes. However, the specific activity of enzyme B for both propionyl-CoA condensation (3.4 mumol/min/mg protein) and acetoacetyl-CoA thiolysis (13.8 mumol/min/mg protein) was 2.4 times higher than that obtained with enzyme A. Similarly, chromatography on phosphocellulose resolved the Ascaris condensing enzyme activity into one minor and two major peaks. All of these components had the same molecular weight and subunit composition, but differed in their specific activities. The two major phosphocellulose peaks cross-reacted immunologically when examined by the Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion technique. In addition, antiserum against the phosphocellulose most active form cross-reacted with forms A and B isolated by chromatography of the enzyme on CM-Sephadex, indicating that all forms were immunochemically related.     

A simple spectrophotometric assay for arogenate dehydratase

A simple spectrophotometric assay for arogenate dehydratase, the enzyme that catalyzes the formation of L-phenylalanine from L-arogenate, is presented. The method couples the arogenate dehydratase reaction with that of an aromatic aminotransferase partially purified from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. In the presence of 2-ketoglutarate, phenylpyruvate formation is measured at 320 nm at basic pH. The method was compared with two other methods already in use in our laboratory for arogenate dehydratase. The new method is simple, quick, fairly sensitive, and especially suitable for the screening of a large number of samples.     

Purification and characterization of a dimeric phenylalanine dehydrogenase from Rhodococcus maris K-18.

NAD+-dependent phenylalanine dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.) was purified to homogeneity from a crude extract of Rhodococcus maris K-18 isolated from soil. The enzyme had a molecular mass of about 70,000 daltons and consisted of two identical subunits. The enzyme catalyzed the oxidative deamination of L-phenylalanine and several other L-amino acids and the reductive amination of phenylpyruvate and p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate. The enzyme required NAD+ as a natural coenzyme. The NAD+ analog 3-acetylpyridine-NAD+ showed much greater coenzyme activity than did NAD+. D-Phenylalanine, D-tyrosine, and phenylethylamine inhibited the oxidative deamination of L-phenylalanine. The enzyme reaction was inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate and HgCl2. Initial-velocity and product inhibition studies showed that the reductive amination proceeded through a sequential ordered ternary-binary mechanism. NADH bound first to the enzyme, followed by phenylpyruvate and then ammonia, and the products were released in the order L-phenylalanine and NAD+. The Michaelis constants were as follows: L-phenylalanine, 3.8 mM; NAD+, 0.25 mM; NADH, 43 microM; phenylpyruvate, 0.50 mM; and ammonia, 70 mM.     

Monitoring of phenylketonuria: a colorimetric method for the determination of plasma phenylalanine using L-phenylalanine dehydrogenase

A simple, rapid, accurate, and precise colorimetric assay for the determination of L-phenylalanine in plasma samples using L-phenylalanine dehydrogenase [L-phenylalanine:NAD+-oxidoreductase (deaminating)] from Rhodococcus sp. M 4 is described. The enzyme catalyzes the NAD-dependent oxidative deamination of L-phenylalanine. However, the equilibrium of reaction favors L-phenylalanine formation. By stoichiometric coupling of this reaction with diaphorase/iodonitro tetrazolium chloride (INT) the formed NADH converts INT to a formazan whereby the reaction is displaced in favor of phenylpyruvate. Using a kinetic approach the increase in absorbance at 492 nm shows linearity over more than 30 min. Deproteinized standard solutions of L-phenylalanine in the range from 30 to 1200 mumol/liter show a linearity between the dAformazan/30 min and the substrate concentration. In phenylketonuria (PKU) plasma samples no interferences caused by L-tyrosine or phenylpyruvic acid are seen. Applicability is demonstrated by comparative determination of plasma L-phenylalanine of treated PKU patients by the colorimetric method and automated amino acid analysis.     

Small, acid-soluble, spore proteins and their genes from two species of Sporosarcina

Small, acid-soluble proteins (SASP) of both the alpha/beta- and gamma-type were present in spores of Sporosarcina ureae and S. halophila, and three genes encoding alpha/beta-type SASP in these species have been cloned and sequenced. The amino acid sequences of the Sporosarcina alpha/beta-type SASP are extremely homologous to those of Bacillus SASP, further indicative of the close evolutionary relationship between these genera.     

Taxonomy of Psychrophilic Strains of Bacillus

The morphological and physiological characteristics of 20 isolates of psychrophilic Bacillus were compared with 29 strains representing nine species of mesophilic Bacillus and 2 strains of Sporosarcina ureae to determine the taxonomic position of the psychrophiles. The psychrophiles formed four distinct groups which were sufficiently different from the mesophiles to warrant their designation as new species of Bacillus. The names B. psychrosaccharolyticus, B. insolitus, B. globisporus, and B. psychrophilus are proposed for the new species.     

Sequence characterization of 5S ribosomal RNA from eight gram positive procaryotes

Summary The available comparative data on procaryotic 5S rRNA was extended through sequencing studies of eight gram positive procaryotes. Complete nucleotide sequences were presented for 5S rRNA fromBacillus subtilis, B. firmus, B.pasteurii, B.brevis, Lactobacillus brevis andStreptococcus faecalis. In addition, 5S rRNA oligonucleotide catalogs and partial sequence data were provided forB.cereus andSporosarcina ureae. These sequences and catalogs were discussed in terms of known features of procaryotic 5S rRNA architecture.     

Purification and partial characterization of N-hydroxy-l-phenylalanine decarboxylase/oxidase from Bacillus sp. strain OxB-1, an enzyme involved in aldoxime biosynthesis in the "aldoxime-nitrile pathway"

An enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of N-hydroxy-l-phenylalanine to phenylacetaldoxime was shown to be present in the Z-phenylacetaldoxime-degrading bacterium, Bacillus sp. strain OxB-1. The aldoxime-forming enzyme, which is induced by L-phenylalanine, was purified 8,050-fold to apparent homogeneity with a yield of 15.2%. The enzyme has a subunit M(r) of about 86,000. The enzyme converts N-hydroxy-L-phenylalanine (K(m) 0.99 mM) to only one geometrical isomer, namely Z-phenylacetaldoxime. Relatively large amounts of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) are required to be present in the reaction mixture because PLP reacts non-enzymatically with the N-hydroxy amino acid substrate to form a nitrone. Several characteristics of the enzyme were compared with those of other PLP-dependent aromatic amino acid-converting enzymes described in the literature. The enzyme is tentatively named "N-hydroxy-L-phenylalanine decarboxylase/oxidase". Finally, the possible biosynthesis and metabolism of phenylacetaldoxime in Bacillus sp. strain OxB-1 is discussed.     

一株β-葡萄糖苷酶产生菌株的分离鉴定及酶学性质研究

【目的】分离获得β-葡萄糖苷酶高产菌株,确定该菌分类地位,并对其所产β-葡萄糖苷酶的酶学性质进行初步研究。【方法】采用七叶灵显色法从土壤样品中筛选β-葡萄糖苷酶产生菌,再用对硝基苯基-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷(PNPG)显色法进行复筛;通过形态特征、生理生化特征及16S rDNA序列相似性分析等方法确定其分类学地位;利用超滤、疏水层析、阴离子层析、分子筛层析法对β-葡萄糖苷酶进行分离纯化;以PNPG为底物,测定β-葡萄糖苷酶的最适反应pH及最适反应温度,通过双倒数作图法确定β-葡萄糖苷酶催化不同底物水解的米氏常数Km值。【结果】从土壤样品中筛选得到一株β-葡萄糖苷酶高产菌株ZF-6C,初步鉴定为Bacillus korlensis;芽胞杆菌ZF-6C所产β-葡萄糖苷酶的分子量约为90 kD,最适反应pH和温度分别为7.0和40°C,该酶具有水解β(1,4)糖苷键的活性,最适底物为邻硝基苯-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷,Km值为0.73 mmol/L。金属离子Ca2+、Pb2+增强酶活,而Cu2+、Fe2+抑制酶活。【结论】首次报道从Bacillus korlensis中分离得到β-葡萄糖苷酶,Bacillus korlensis ZF-6C所产β-葡萄糖苷酶在分子量、最适反应条件及底物特异性等方面均不同于已知酶,可能为一结构新颖且催化效率较高的β-葡萄糖苷酶。