Interplasmidic illegitimate recombination in Bacillus subtilis

Summary The illegitimate recombination between Staphylococcus aureus plasmids pE194 (or pGG20, the hybrid between pE194 and Escherichia coli plasmid pBR322) and pBD17 (plasmid pUB110 without HpaII C-fragment) was studied in Bacillus subtilis. Cointegrates were generated with the frequency of 1–3x10^-8. Among 22 hybrids analysed 9 types of recombinants were found. Nucleotide sequences of all three parental plasmids were involved in intermolecular recombination. Nucleotide sequencing of recombinant DNA junctions revealed that in 8 cases recombination occurred between short homologous regions (9–15 bp). One recombinant was formed using nonhomologous sites. The similarity was demonstrated between nucleotide sequences of the recombination sites of two types of cointegrates and those used for pE194 integration into the B. subtilis chromosome. Possible mechanisms of illegitimate recombination are discussed.     

Determination of the complete nucleotide sequence of pNS1, a staphylococcal tetracycline-resistance plasmid propagated in Bacillus subtilis

Abstract The complete nucleotide sequence of pNS1 (3879 bp), a tetracycline-resistance (Tc^R) plasmid drived from staphylococcal plasmid pTP5, has been determined and compared with that of the staphylococcal Tc^R plasmid pT181 [6]. The nucleotide sequences of the 2 plasmids are in agreement, except for 18 nucleotides, but these differences are significant in that they give rise to new open reading frames (ORFs). A short ORF-D is found in the copy control region, and the Tc^R region contains a single large ORF-A, that encodes the Tet protein (50 kDa). The upstream region of ORF-A contains 3 inverted repeat sequences, which can generate structures very similar in conformation of the structure of the control region of the inducible erythromycin-resistance gene of pE194.     

枯草芽孢杆菌整合载体研究进展

芽孢杆菌质粒经常在复制时出现不稳定的单链(ssDNA)形式,从而导致质粒载体的丢失,而采用整合载体将克隆基因整合到宿主染色体,是克服枯草杆菌质粒不稳定性的一个有效途径。本综述了芽孢杆菌整合载体的研究历程、整合机理、整合类型及其应用和前景。     

Analysing recombination in nucleotide sequences

Throughout the living world, genetic recombination and nucleotide substitution are the primary processes that create the genetic variation upon which natural selection acts. Just as analyses of substitution patterns can reveal a great deal about evolution, so too can analyses of recombination. Evidence of genetic recombination within the genomes of apparently asexual species can equate with evidence of cryptic sexuality. In sexually reproducing species, nonrandom patterns of sequence exchange can provide direct evidence of population subdivisions that prevent certain individuals from mating. Although an interesting topic in its own right, an important reason for analysing recombination is to account for its potentially disruptive influences on various phylogenetic-based molecular evolution analyses. Specifically, the evolutionary histories of recombinant sequences cannot be accurately described by standard bifurcating phylogenetic trees. Taking recombination into account can therefore be pivotal to the success of selection, molecular clock and various other analyses that require adequate modelling of shared ancestry and draw increased power from accurately inferred phylogenetic trees. Here, we review various computational approaches to studying recombination and provide guidelines both on how to gain insights into this important evolutionary process and on how it can be properly accounted for during molecular evolution studies.     

产脂肪酶重组枯草芽胞杆菌的发酵优化

笔者所在实验室前期筛选到1株产脂肪酶粘质沙雷氏菌,克隆其脂肪酶基因,构建重组枯草芽胞杆菌Bacillus subtilis 168/pMA5-lipA,成功实现了来源于粘质沙雷氏菌的脂肪酶基因在枯草芽胞杆菌中的表达。基于以上工作基础上,对B.subtilis 168/pMA5-lipA进行了摇瓶水平上的产酶发酵优化。首先通过单因素和正交试验确定了有利于产脂肪酶的最佳培养基成分,并对发酵条件进行了优化。结果表明:优化后的培养基组分为蔗糖35 g/L,玉米浆27.5 g/L,(NH4)2SO41.25 g/L,CaCl24 g/L,pH 7.0。在最优发酵培养基的条件下,37℃、160 r/min摇床培养33 h,每毫升发酵液中重组菌脂肪酶酶活可达98.6 U,是优化前的3倍。     

Targeting the Bacillus subtilis genome: an efficient and clean method for gene disruption

A method to disrupt multiple Bacillus subtilis genes is described. A resistance cassette is used to interrupt an amplified target sequence from the B. subtilis chromosome. The cassette is composed of a gene conferring resistance to chloramphenicol (Cm) or spectinomycin (Sp) flanked by two directly oriented β cognate sites (six site) (SCS or SSS, respectively). The linearized construct is used to transform B. subtilis competent cells with selection for Cm or Sp resistance. Transformants with the desired gene disrupted by the SCS or SSS cassette, integrated by a double cross-over event, were confirmed by PCR analysis. A segregationally unstable plasmid-borne β site-specific recombinase is transferred into the background. Protein β catalyzes excision of the intervening sequence between the two six sites leading to a target gene disrupted only by a six site. This site has an internal promoter capable of reading downstream genes. To generate multiple disruptions, the cycle can be repeated many times provided that two six sites are separated by about a 70-kb interval.     

Cloning in Bacillus subtilis of temperature-dependent promoter fragments from Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis

Abstract Using promoter-probe plasmids, more than 200 promoter-containing fragments from Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis were cloned in B. subtilis . Among these, 15 promoter fragments were highly temperature-dependent in activity compared to the promoter sequence (TTGAAA for the −35 region, TATAAT for the −10 region) of the amylase gene, amyT , from B. stearothermophilus . Some fragments exhibited higher promoter activities at elevated temperature (48°C), others showed higher activities at lower temperature (30°C). Active promoter fragments at higher and lower temperatures were obtained mainly from the thermophile ( B. stearothermophilus ) and the mesophile ( B. subtilis ), respectively. A promoter fragment active at high temperature was sequenced, and the feature of the putative promoter region was discussed.     

Homologous recombination between plasmid and chromosomal DNA in Bacillus subtilis requires approximately 70 bp of homology

Summary To determine the minimal DNA sequence homology required for recombination in Bacillus subtilis, we developed a system capable of distinguishing between homologous and illegitimate recombination events during plasmid integration into the chromosome. In this system the recombination frequencies were measured between is pE194 derivatives carrying segments of the chromosomal -gluconase gene (bglS) of various lengths and the bacterial chromosome, using selection for erythromycin resistance at the non-permissive temperature. Homologous recombination events, resulting in disruption of the bglS gene, were easily detected by a colorimetric assay for -gluconase activity. A linear dependence of recombination frequency on homology length was observed over an interval of 77 bp. It was found that approximately 70 bp of homology is required for detectable homologous recombination. Homologous recombination was not detected when only 25 by of homology between plasmid and chromosome were provided. The data indicate that homology requirements for recombination in B. subtilis differ from those in Escherichia coli.     

枯草芽孢杆菌cdd基因敲除及对胞苷发酵的影响

目的:通过敲除出发菌株上的胞苷脱氨酶基因,阻断嘧啶代谢通量由胞苷流向尿苷和尿嘧啶,选育胞苷产生菌。方法:采用同源重组的方法敲除枯草芽孢杆菌TS8的胞苷脱氨酶基因cdd,并通过遗传稳定性实验验证其缺失标记和胞苷产量,通过摇瓶发酵实验对比出发菌株和缺失株的产苷水平。结果:cdd基因缺失菌株TSb发酵72h,发酵液中胞苷产量达到1.72g/L,与原始菌株相比提高了44.19%,且遗传性状稳定。结论:cdd基因的缺失可有效阻断嘧啶代谢通量由胞苷流向尿苷和尿嘧啶,提高胞苷产量。     

枯草杆菌基因组中的回文结构

统计了枯草杆菌全序列中中间间隔S从0到29、侧翼序列长度L从4开始的所有回文结构,以及这些回文结构在编码区和非编码区的分布。通过分析不同S、L的回文结构的频数以及AT含量,发现枯草杆菌基因组中长的回文结构是过表达的、AT含量高并且对非编码区有偏好。     

Plasmid DNA in a groundwater aquifer microcosm -adsorption, DNAase resistance and natural genetic transformation of Bacillus subtilis

Prokaryotes can exchange chromosomal and plasmid genes via extracellular DNA in a process termed genetic transformation. This process has been observed in the test tube for several bacterial species living in the environment but it is not clear whether transformation occurs in natural bacterial habitats. A major constituent of terrestrial environments are solid particles such as quartz, silt and clay, which have considerable surface areas and which make up the solid-liquid interfaces of the habitat. In previous experiments the adsorption of DNA to chemically purified quartz and clay minerals was shown and the partial protection of adsorbed DNA against DNAase I. In a microcosm consisting of natural groundwater aquifer material (GWA) sampled directly from the environment and groundwater (GW) both linear duplex and supercoiled plasmid DNA molecules bound rapidly and quantitatively to the minerals. The divalent cations required to form the association were those present in the GWA/GW microcosm. The association was stable to extended elution over one week at 23°C. Upon adsorption, the DNA became highly resistant against enzymatic degradation. About 1000 times higher DNAase I concentrations were needed to degrade bound DNA to the same extent as DNA dissolved in GW. Furthermore, chromosomal and plasmid DNA bound on GWA transformed competent cells of Bacillus subtilis. However, in contrast to DNA in solution, on GWA the chromosomal DNA was more active in transformation than the plasmid DNA. The studies also revealed that in the transformation of B. subtilis Mg²⁺ can be replaced by Na⁺, K⁺ or NH₄ The observations suggest that in soil and sediment environments, mineral material with inorganic precipitates and organic matter can harbour extracellular DNA leaving it available for genetic transformation.     

The Bacillus subtilis spoIIA locus is expressed at two times during sporulation

Abstract The Bacillus subtilis spoIIA and spoIIAB genes were fused to the Escherichia coli lacZ gene on a novel integrational plasmid vector. The constructs were integrated into the B. subtilis chromosome, and used to show that the spoIIA locus was expressed at two times during sporulation.     

芽孢杆菌基因工程新载体的构建

利用从Bacillus pumilus 289中分离出的隐秘质粒pNK289(7.2kb)的复制起始调控区及启动区DNA片段和质粒pPL 601上的氯霉素乙酰基转移酶结构基因(cat-86),构建了能在B.subtilis和B. pumilus中稳定传代的质粒pNQ216(4.1kb)和pNQ402(2.8kb)。在非诱导条件下,其在含Cm的LB平皿上的外显率都比pPL600高约30％,可以用作芽孢杆菌基因克隆的质粒载体。     

Enrichment of plasmid DNA in cell membranes of Bacillus subtilis

Abstract The discrepancy between previously reported copy numbers for the plasmid pUB110 in Bacillus subtilis and the copy number determined by nucleic acid sandwich hybridization of a pUB110-derivative, pKTH10, was studied. The bulk of plasmid DNA was found to be enriched in the cell membranes in a non-covalently closed circular (ccc) form. The binding was strong enough to resist standard solubilization procedures. The conventional methods for copy number determination fail to detect plasmid DNA in this form, which explains the discrepancy we encountered. The copy number of the parental plasmid, pUB110, was also determined by the sandwich hybridization method and found to be of the same order of magnitude as that of pKTH10.     

Stability of a recombinant plasmid carrying a-amylase gene in Bacillus subtilis

Plasmid pSB6 is a streptococcal recombinant plasmid carrying the a-amylase gene of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and the chloramphenicol resistance gene. The segregational and structural instabilities of this plasmid were examined under non-selective conditions in Bacillus subtilis. These instabilities were modelled according to a kinetic expression derived from the difference in the growth between plasmid-bearing and plasmid-free cells. This plasmid showed slight segregational instability and much higher levels of structural instability under the conditions examined.     

Oscillations in the activities of respiratory enzymes in synchronized Bacillus subtilis

Abstract The activities of NADH, succinate and lactate dehydrogenases have been measured during the cell cycle of Bacillus subtilis . All three enzymes showed an oscillatory pattern of activity expressed as two maxima and two minima per division cycle. For both succinate and lactate dehydrogenases the maxima occurred at approximately 0.2 and 0.6 of a cycle. The maxima of NADH dehydrogenase activity were out of phase at 0.4 and 0.9 of a cycle and occurred at the same time as the rises in respiratory activity previously reported for this bacterium.     

PspA外源表达对枯草芽孢杆菌168蛋白质分泌的影响

PspA同源物广泛存在于细菌和高等生物的组织中.在本研究中克隆了来源于地衣芽孢杆菌的PspA基因,并将其克隆于用于大肠-芽孢穿梭诱导表达载体pDG-StuI中构建重组质粒pDG-PspA.将构建的诱导表达型的重组质粒转化到Bacillus subtilis 168中,研究PspA的外源表达对该菌的生长,总蛋白分泌,以及Sec分泌途径中α-淀粉酶分泌的影响,结果表明,PspA基因的外源表达,在发酵过程后期能在一定程度上提高总蛋白的分泌量,在发酵过程后期能在一定程度上提高分泌的α-淀粉酶浓度.