Development and characterization of a xylose-dependent system for expression of cloned genes in Bacillus subtilis: conditional complementation of a teichoic acid mutant

We have developed a xylose-dependent expression system for tight and modulated expression of cloned genes in Bacillus subtilis. The expression system is contained on plasmid pSWEET for integration at the amyE locus of B. subtilis and incorporates components of the well-characterized, divergently transcribed xylose utilization operon. The system contains the xylose repressor encoded by xylR, the promoter and 5' portion of xylA containing an optimized catabolite-responsive element, and intergenic xyl operator sequences. We have rigorously compared this expression system to the isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside-induced spac system using a thermostable beta-galactosidase reporter (BgaB) and found the xyl promoter-operator to have a greater capacity for modulated expression, a higher induction/repression ratio (279-fold for the xyl system versus 24-fold with the spac promoter), and lower levels of expression in the absence of an inducer. We have used this system to probe an essential function in wall teichoic acid biosynthesis in B. subtilis. Expression of the teichoic acid biosynthesis gene tagD, encoding glycerol-3-phosphate cytidylyltransferase, from the xylose-based expression system integrated at amyE exhibited xylose-dependent complementation of the temperature-sensitive mutant tag-12 when grown at the nonpermissive temperature. Plasmid pSWEET thus provides a robust new expression system for conditional complementation in B. subtilis.     

Catabolite repression of the Bacillus subtilis xyl operon involves a cis element functional in the context of an unrelated sequence, and glucose exerts additional xylR-dependent repression.

Catabolite repression (CR) of xylose utilization by Bacillus subtilis involves a 14-bp cis-acting element (CRE) located in the translated region of the gene encoding xylose isomerase (xylA). Mutations of CRE making it more similar to a previously proposed consensus element lead to increased CR exerted by glucose, fructose, and glycerol. Fusion of CRE to an unrelated, constitutive promoter confers CR to beta-galactosidase expression directed by that promoter. This result demonstrates that CRE can function independently of sequence context and suggests that it is indeed a generally active cis element for CR. In contrast to the other carbon sources studied here, glucose leads to an additional repression of xylA expression, which is independent of CRE and is not found when CRE is fused to the unrelated promoter. This repression requires a functional xylR encoding Xyl repressor and is dependent on the concentrations of glucose and the inducer xylose in the culture broth. Potential mechanisms for this glucose-specific repression are discussed.     

Sugar uptake and carbon catabolite repression in Bacillus megaterium strains with inactivated ptsHI

We have determined the role played by the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) in carbon catabolite repression (CCR) of xylose utilization in Bacillus megaterium. For that purpose we have cloned, sequenced and inactivated the genes ptsH and ptsl of B. megaterium, encoding HPr and EI of the PTS, respectively. While glucose uptake of a ptsHI mutant is not affected at 12.5 mM of glucose, CCR of the xyl operon is reduced in this mutant from 16-fold to 3-fold. This may be attributed to the loss of the corepressor of CcpA, HPr(Ser-P), or could result from the slower growth rate of the mutant. In contrast, CCR exerted by fructose or mannitol is completely abolished. We conclude that glucose triggers additional mechanisms of CCR than fructose or mannitol. The remaining 3-fold glucose repression is relieved in a strain in which ptsHI and glk, encoding glucokinase, are inactivated. This result indicates that glucose metabolism is necessary for CCR. The ability of the ptsHI mutant to take up glucose suggests the existence of a second, non-PTS glucose uptake system. The Km and vmax values of this transporter ranged between 2 and 5 mM and 154 to 219 nmol/[(mg protein)*min], respectively.     

Codon optimized Thermobifida fusca hydrolase secreted by Bacillus megaterium

Production and secretion of a 28,172 Da hydrolase from Thermobifida fusca (TFH) in Bacillus megaterium MS941 and WH323 was investigated in shake flask and pH controlled bioreactors. Successful production of heterologous TFH was achieved by adapting the original tfh gene to the optimal codon usage of B. megaterium. A codon adaption index close to one was reached. The codon optimized tfh was cloned into an open reading frame with DNA sequence for the N-terminal signal peptide of B. megaterium lipase A and a C-terminal His(6)-tag, all under the control of a xylose inducible promoter. Successful TFH production and secretion were observed using batch reactor cultivations with complex medium. Expression of the tfh gene from the P(xylA) promoter and secretion of produced TFH were compared in detail to batch reactor cultivations with semi-defined growth medium. For the first time, significant TFH secretion was achieved using a semi-defined medium in glucose limited fed batch cultivations yielding 10-fold higher cell densities compared to LB medium cultivation. Comparable volumetric TFH activities were obtained for both cultivation strategies. Surprisingly, measured specific TFH activities exhibited drastic discrepancies between preparations from LB and semi-defined medium grown B. megaterium. TFH recovery by Ni-chelate affinity chromatography resulted in higher purification factors when LB medium was used. These results indicated that secreted TFH is favorably produced by batch cultures of B. megaterium WH323 in LB medium.     

Catabolite repression in Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 is mediated by CcpA.

The chromosomal ccpA gene from Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 has been cloned and sequenced. It encodes the CcpA protein, a central catabolite regulator belonging to the LacI-GalR family of bacterial repressors, and shows 54% identity with CcpA proteins from Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megaterium. The L. casei ccpA gene was able to complement a B. subtilis ccpA mutant. An L. casei ccpA mutant showed increased doubling times and a relief of the catabolite repression of some enzymatic activities, such as N-acetylglucosaminidase and phospho-beta-galactosidase. Detailed analysis of CcpA activity was performed by using the promoter region of the L. casei chromosomal lacTEGF operon which is subject to catabolite repression and contains a catabolite responsive element (cre) consensus sequence. Deletion of this cre site or the presence of the ccpA mutation abolished the catabolite repression of a lacp::gusA fusion. These data support the role of CcpA as a common regulatory element mediating catabolite repression in low-GC-content gram-positive bacteria.     

Cloning, expression, and carbon catabolite repression of the bamM gene encoding beta-amylase of Bacillus megaterium DSM319

The bamM gene from Bacillus megaterium DSM319 encoding an extracellular beta-amylase was isolated and completely sequenced. Chromosomal inactivation by deletion mutagenesis resulted in total loss of amylolytic activity, indicative of a single starch-degrading enzyme. Functional characterization of the expressed protein revealed a maltogenic enzyme exhibiting optimal activities at pH 7.5 and 50 degrees C. Amylase expression is subject to catabolite repression by glucose. A putative cis-acting catabolite-responsive element (CRE) was identified; it is located within the bamM coding region, matching the position of the predicted signal peptide processing site. Base substitutions introduced by site-directed mutagenesis within the bamM-CRE--retaining unchanged the amino acid sequence--provoked a remarkable relief from carbon catabolite repression (CCR), thereby proving functionality of the CRE for CCR.     

代谢改造克雷伯氏菌合成D-1,2,4-丁三醇

【背景】D-1,2,4-丁三醇(D-1,2,4-butanetriol,BT)是一种重要的四碳多元醇,应用范围广,以木糖为底物的四步生化反应是目前最高效的BT生物合成路线。但大肠杆菌宿主存在严重的碳代谢抑制,限制了工程菌在木糖葡萄糖混合糖下的生长和BT合成。然而克雷伯氏菌具有生长速度更快、葡萄糖木糖混合糖利用效果好等优点。【目的】在碳代谢抑制效应较弱的克雷伯氏菌中构建以木糖为底物的BT合成途径,以提高混合糖下BT合成能力。【方法】将来源于Clostridium crescenti的木糖脱氢酶基因xdh和来源于Lactococcus lactis的2-酮异戊酸脱羧酶基因kivD及来源于Escherichia coli W3110的木糖酸脱水酶基因yjhG克隆至KlebsiellapneumoniaeZG25,得到重组菌K.pneumoniae ZG25-BT,对重组菌进行培养条件和培养基优化,进一步敲除xylA以提高BT产量。【结果】在37°C、200 r/min、接种量1%、诱导时间2 h、添加10.0 g/L CaCO3控制pH条件下,敲除xylA的重组菌在1.5倍LB培养基中以30.0 g/L木糖和10.0 g/L葡萄糖为底物,BT的产量达到4.52 g/L,摩尔转化率为0.21mol/mol,收率为15%,较优化前分别提高150%、62%和67%。【结论】实现了BT在K.pneumoniaeZG25中的发酵生产,同时通过培养条件和培养基的优化及xylA的敲除提高了BT合成能力,为进一步实验奠定了基础。     

Analysis of the elements of catabolite repression in Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824

The PTSH gene, encoding the phosphotransferase protein HPr, from Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 was identified from the genome sequence, cloned and shown to complement a PTSH mutant of Escherichia coli. The deduced protein sequence shares significant homology with HPr proteins from other low-GC gram-positive bacteria, although the highly conserved sequence surrounding the Ser-46 phosphorylation site is not well preserved in the clostridial protein. Nevertheless, the HPr was phosphorylated in an ATP-dependent manner in cell-free extracts of C. Acetobutylicum. Furthermore, purified His-tagged HPr from Bacillus Subtilis was also a substrate for the clostridial HPr kinase/phosphorylase. This phosphorylation reaction is a key step in the mechanism of carbon catabolite repression proposed to operate in B. Subtilis and other low-GC gram-positive bacteria. Putative genes encoding the HPr kinase/phosphorylase and the other element of this model, namely the catabolite control protein CcpA, were identified from the C. Acetobutylicum genome sequence, suggesting that a similar mechanism of carbon catabolite repression may operate in this industrially important organism.