合成生物学与代谢工程

随着DNA重组技术的日趋成熟,代谢工程的理论和应用已经得到了迅速发展。合成生物学是近年来蓬勃发展的一门新兴学科,在许多领域都具有重要的应用。以下从改造细胞代谢的关键因子、代谢途径的调节和宿主细胞与代谢途径构建的关系等方面详细讨论了合成生物学的最新进展和合成生物学在代谢工程领域的应用。     

Early Steps in Isoprenoid Biosynthesis: Multilevel Regulation of the Supply of Common Precursors in Plant Cells

Isoprenoids are produced in all organisms but are especially abundant and diverse in plants. Two separate pathways operate in plant cells to synthesize prenyl diphosphate precursors common to all isoprenoids. Cytosolic and mitochondrial precursors are produced by the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway whereas the recently discovered methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway is located in plastids. However, both pathways may participate in the synthesis of at least some isoprenoids under certain circumstances. Although genes encoding all the enzymes from both pathways have already been cloned, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms that control the supply of isoprenoid precursors. Genetic approaches are providing valuable information on the regulation of both pathways. Thus, recent data from overexpression experiments in transgenic plants show that several enzymes share control over the metabolic flux through the MEP pathway, whereas a single regulatory step has been proposed for the MVA pathway. Identification of Arabidopsis thaliana mutants that are resistant to the inhibition of the MVA and the MEP pathways is a promising approach to uncover mechanisms involved in the crosstalk between pathways. The characterization of some of these mutants impaired in light perception and signaling has recently provided genetic evidence for a role of light as a key factor to modulate the availability of isoprenoid precursors in Arabidopsis seedlings. The picture emerging from recent data supports that a complex regulatory network appears to be at work in plant cells to ensure the supply of isoprenoid precursors when needed.     

木薯品种（系）类胡萝卜素代谢相关基因和蛋白表达水平分析

以白心木薯华南6068、华南9号、紫叶黄心木薯BGM019和粉红木薯Mirasol为材料,探究木薯块根膨大期和成熟期与类胡萝卜素代谢通路相关的14个基因和4种蛋白质表达水平变化。用HPLC检测块根β-胡萝卜素含量的变化,分别用qRT-PCR和Western blot方法对类胡萝卜素代谢通路相关基因和蛋白酶的表达水平进行分析。以华南6068为对照,研究结果表明:华南9号和紫叶黄心木薯BGM019成熟期中的类胡萝卜素合成途径关键基因PSY2、LCYB基因显著高于膨大期,而降解相关的关键基因CCD1、NCED3在成熟期的表达量显著低于膨大期(P0.05)。粉红木薯Mirasol成熟期中PSY2、LCYB的显著下调与CCD1、NCED3的显著上调(P0.05)是造成β-胡萝卜素含量差异的原因之一。通过分析不同木薯品种(系)在膨大期和成熟期块根类胡萝卜素代谢途径相关基因的表达水平,有助于解析β-胡萝卜素积累的分子机理。此外,Western blot结果显示抗坏血酸过氧化物酶、谷胱甘肽还原酶、超氧化物歧化酶和HSP70虽然和块根类胡萝卜素代谢途径没有直接关联,但它们在木薯膨大期和成熟期块根表达水平有显著差异(P0.05)。     

代谢工程改造大肠杆菌一碳模块高效合成L-甲硫氨酸

L-甲硫氨酸又名L-蛋氨酸,是人体必需8种氨基酸之一,在饲料、医药、食品领域具有重要应用。以实验室前期构建的M2(Escherichia coli W3110?IJAHFEBC/PAM)为出发菌株,以模块化代谢工程策略构建了一株L-甲硫氨酸高产菌株。首先通过过表达亚甲基四氢叶酸还原酶(methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase,MetF)和筛选不同来源的丝氨酸羟甲基转移酶(hydroxymethyltransferase,GlyA),增强了一碳模块甲基供体的生成,优化了一碳模块。随后针对一碳模块的前体供应,过表达了胱醚裂解酶(cysteamine lyase,MalY)和半胱氨酸内运基因(fliY),有效地提高了L-高半胱氨酸和L-半胱氨酸的供应。最终摇瓶发酵L-甲硫氨酸的产量由2.8 g/L提高至4.05 g/L,5 L发酵罐中达到18.26 g/L。研究结果表明,一碳模块对L-甲硫氨酸的生物合成具有十分重要的影响,在细胞内通过优化一碳模块,可以实现L-甲硫氨酸的高效生物合成。本研究为进一步提高微生物发酵生产L-甲硫氨酸的水平奠定了基础。     

基于碳硫模块平衡策略的大肠杆菌高产L-半胱氨酸菌株构建

l-半胱氨酸是一种重要的含硫氨基酸,因其多样的生理功能,l-半胱氨酸在医药、化妆品和食品工业中有着广泛的应用。模块化代谢工程策略在细胞工厂的构建中具有极大的潜力。本研究利用碳硫模块协同表达策略进行大肠杆菌的l-半胱氨酸合成途径构建,构建了一株l-半胱氨酸合成基因工程菌。首先,通过增强l-半胱氨酸前体物质l-丝氨酸(serA^f、serB和serC^Cg)的生物合成以及转录调控因子CysB的表达,l-半胱氨酸的产量由0提高到(0.38±0.02)g/L。然后,通过促进l-半胱氨酸转运和无机硫源的吸收同化、减弱l-半胱氨酸和l-丝氨酸的降解以及异源表达cysE^f和cysB^St,l-半胱氨酸的产量提升至(3.82±0.01)g/L。最后,为了优化碳模块和硫模块的代谢通量,协同表达硫酸盐同化途径与硫代硫酸盐同化途径的基因cysM、nrdH、cysK以及cysIJ,得到l-半胱氨酸高产菌株。在500mL摇瓶和2L发酵罐中分别实现了(4.17±0.07)g/L和(11.94±0.1)g/L的l-半胱氨酸积累。研究结果表明,在细胞内通过对硫碳模块间代谢通量的协调控制,可以实现l-半胱氨酸的高效生物合成。研究结果为微生物发酵生产l-半胱氨酸的产业化奠定了基础。     

药用植物PAL基因及其功能研究进展

苯丙烷代谢途径是植物主要代谢途径之一,可产生黄酮、酚酸和木质素类等物质,这些物质不仅参与调控植物生长发育和抗逆等生理活动,还被用于预防和治疗疾病,是决定药用植物品质的关键因素之一。苯丙氨酸解氨酶(phenylalanine ammonia-lyase,PAL)负责催化苯丙烷类代谢途径中第一个反应,是此途径的关键酶和限速酶。本文就药用植物中PAL基因的基本特性、表达调控机制等方面的研究进行综述,为进一步阐明药用植物中PAL的功能提供参考依据。     

Visualising gene expression in its metabolic context

Relative changes in mRNA as well as protein levels induced by sublethal doses of antibiotics on bacteria are measured and results visualised in the context of metabolic pathway diagrams. The mRNA levels present at a given time point after the addition of the antibiotic are measured using microarrays from Affymetrix. Additionally, the relative amount of each protein synthesised during 3 minute intervals sampled at the given times is measured using radio-labelling followed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the subsequent analysis of the images produced by exposure to a phosphorimager. Metabolic pathway diagrams are both constructed in-house and imported from KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes). Both protein and mRNA expression data can be displayed in the pathway diagrams such that the colour of the vectors or enzyme identifiers indicate the relative change in expression level and reproducibility.     

Genome-wide analysis of Nilaparvata lugens nymphal responses to high-density and low-quality rice hosts

The brown planthopper （BPH） Nilaparvata lugens is an economically impor- tant pest on rice plants. In this study, the higher population density and yellow-ripe stage of rice plants were used to construct adverse survival conditions （ASC） against BPH nymphs. Simultaneously, the low population density and tillering stage of rice plants were used to establish a suitable survival condition （SSC） as a control. Solexa/Illumina sequencing was used to identify genes of BPH nymphs responding to ASC. Significantly longer duration development of BPH nymphs and significantly lower brachypterous ratio of BPH adults were observed by ASC compared with SSC. A total of 2 544 differentially expressed genes （DEGs） were obtained and analyzed by BLASTx, Gene Ontology and KEGG Orthology. Gene ontology analysis revealed that the DEGs were mainly involved in categories of cell, cell part, cellular process, binding, catalytic, organelle and metabolic processes. 1138 DEGs having enzyme commission numbers were assigned to different metabolic pathways. The largest clusters were neurodegenerative diseases （137, 12.0%）, followed by carbohy- drate metabolism （113, 9.9%）, amino acid metabolism （94, 8.3%）, nucleotide metabolism （76, 6.7%）, energy metabolism （64, 5.6%）, translation （60, 5.3%）, lipid metabolism （58, 5.1%）, and folding, sorting and degradation （52, 4.6%）. Expressing profile of 11 DEGs during eight nymphal developmental stages of BPH were analyzed by quantitative real- time polymerase chain reaction. The 11 genes exhibited differential expression between ASC and SSC during at least one developmental stage. The DEGs identified in this study provide molecular proof of how BPH reconfigures its gene expression profile to adapt to overcrowding and low-quality hosts.     

植物脂氧合酶研究进展

脂氧合酶（简称LOX）是广泛分布的含有非血红素离子的双加氧酶,它是植物十八碳酸代谢途径的关键酶．该途径也称LOX途径。因为该酶作用的产物在植物的生长发育过程中以及在植物对环境胁迫反应中起着重要的作用,因此一直是人们研究的热点。目前对于植物脂氧舍酶的研究主要集中在脂氧合酶基因的表达调控、LOX途径的生化研究以及代谢产物的生理功能这几个方面。     

低氧环境对三阴性乳腺癌细胞糖代谢途径的重编程

代谢改变是癌细胞的特征之一。研究表明,低氧会使癌细胞的糖代谢发生改变,但是更详细的分子机制仍有待进一步研究。本研究利用转录物组测序技术(RNA-sequencing,RNA-seq)和生物信息学分析发现,低氧导致BT549细胞中334个基因和MDA-MB-231细胞中215个基因在转录水平的表达改变。这些表达变化的基因多与糖代谢相关。进一步分析RNA-seq数据并应用Western 印迹、酶活性检测和代谢产物定量测定的结果显示,低氧通过升高BT549细胞中葡萄糖转运蛋白1(GLUT1)和MDA-MB-231细胞中GLUT1和GLUT3的表达以增加葡萄糖的摄入;低氧使催化糖的无氧氧化途径几乎全部反应的酶都至少有一种同工酶或酶蛋白亚基,以及调节酶6-磷酸果糖-2-激酶/果糖-2,6-二磷酸酶3(PFKFB3)和4(PFKFB4)同工酶的表达增加来促进了糖的无氧氧化;低氧还通过增加调节丙酮酸脱氢酶激酶1(PDK1)和3(PDK3)同工酶基因的表达,以及降低关键酶异柠檬酸脱氢酶3(IDH3)同工酶、琥珀酸脱氢酶B亚基和D亚基的表达来减少糖的有氧氧化途径进行;低氧可能还增加磷酸戊糖途径的关键酶葡糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶、糖原合成途径的关键酶糖原合酶GYS1同工酶的表达以促进这2条途径的进行,而对糖异生和糖原分解代谢途径酶基因的表达影响较小。生物信息学分析乳腺癌组织样本在线数据库中糖代谢途径酶基因在转录水平表达结果与细胞研究结果基本一致。总之,该文系统分析了低氧对糖代谢6条代谢途径中全部酶以及2种重要调节酶的影响,可见低氧会通过改变这些酶的同工酶或亚基的基因表达使糖代谢途径进行重编程,这对进一步认识低氧环境下癌细胞糖代谢的分子机制具有一定的意义。     

酰基辅酶A硫酯酶在脂肪酸代谢途径中的作用

酰基辅酶A硫酯酶(acyl-CoA thioeaterase, ACOT)属于广泛的硫酯水解酶的一类酶,分属于α/β水解酶超家族和\"HotDog\"超家族。ACOT作用范围很广,可以裂解支链脂肪酸、短链和长链饱和及不饱和酰基辅酶A等多种含辅酶A的底物,在脂肪酸代谢途径中发挥信号转导、基因调控等生理生化作用。因此研究ACOT的结构和功能,可以为某些疾病治疗和发病机理研究提供依据,也可以为指导现有的代谢途径和重新设计新的合成途径来合成天然或非天然产物提供依据和基础。     

组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂影响的代谢相关基因的组学筛查及验证

组蛋白去乙酰化酶(Histone deacetylases, HDACs)催化组蛋白去乙酰化,与细胞增殖、分化及凋亡等诸多过程密切相关。HDAC抑制剂(HADC inhibitors, HADCIs)具有潜在的抗肿瘤作用,是近年药物筛查的热点之一。近期研究提示HDAC2可通过影响细胞代谢过程发挥抗肿瘤作用,但各类HDACIs调控代谢过程的机制尚待研究。本研究以肝细胞系(HepG2)为研究对象,整合比较了两种HDACIs(TSA和SAHA)的表达谱数据。在TSA处理组中,筛查到380个差异表达基因(DEGs)及35个DEGs富集的KEGG通路;SAHA处理组的表达分析印证了大多数DEGs(177/380)和富集通路(23/35)。比较分析发现,在这两类HDACIs共同影响的通路中,近一半通路(9/23)与代谢有关;近1/3共享DEGs(66/177)参与代谢过程。通过HDAC2 siRNA细胞实验证实了TSA和SAHA对代谢基因的影响。本研究结果显示HDACIs在治疗肿瘤等代谢性疾病方面具有潜在的应用 价值。     

Metabolic engineering of plant secondary products

Plants interact with their environment by producing a diverse array of secondary metabolites. Many of these compounds are valued for their medicinal, industrial or agricultural properties. Other secondary products are toxic or otherwise undesirable and can reduce the commercial value of crops. Gene transfer technology offers new opportunities to modify directly plant secondary product synthesis through metabolic engineering. This article reviews some of the strategies which have been used to increase or decrease the synthesis of specific plant metabolites, as well as methods for expanding the biosynthetic capabilities of individual species.