Branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase of Escherichia coli: nucleotide sequence of the ilvE gene and the deduced amino acid sequence

The ilvE gene of the Escherichia coli K-12 ilvGEDA operon, which encodes branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase [EC 2.6.1.42], was cloned. The nucleotide sequence of 1.5 kilobase pairs containing the gene was determined. The coding region of the ilvE gene contained 927 nucleotide residues and could encode 309 amino acid residues. The predicted molecular weight, amino acid composition and the sequence of the N-terminal 15 residues agreed with the enzyme data reported previously (Lee-Peng, F.-C., et al. (1979) J. Bacteriol. 139, 339-345). From the deduced amino acid sequence, the secondary structure was predicted.     

Transaminase B from Escherichia coli: quaternary structure, amino-terminal sequence, substrate specificity, and absence of a separate valine-alpha-ketoglutarate activity.

Transaminase B (branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.42), the ilvE gene product, was purified to apparent homogeneity from an Escherichia coli K-12 strain which carries the ilvE gene both on the host chromosome and on a plasmid. The oligomeric structure of the enzyme, as determined by analytical ultracentrifugation and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was confirmed to be that of a hexamer with a molecular weight of about 182,000 and apparently identical subunits. Cross-linking with dimethylsuberimidate yielded trimers, dimers, and monomers, but essentially no species of higher molecular weight. These results are consistent with a double-trimer arrangement of the subunits in native enzyme. The amino-terminal sequence was found to be: Gly Thr Lys Lys Ala Asp Tyr Ile (Trp) Phe Asn Gly (Thr) (Met) Val. Purified transaminase B catalyzed transamination between alpha-ketoglutarate and l-isoleucine, l-leucine, l-valine, and, to a lesser extent, l-phenylalanine and l-tyrosine, the latter reacting very sluggishly. The enzyme was free of aspartate transaminase and of transaminase C. The apparent K(m) values for the branched-chain alpha-ketoacids were smaller than those for the corresponding amino acids. The lowest K(m) was recorded for dl-alpha-keto-beta-methyl-n-valerate, and the highest was recorded for l-valine. The ratio of the valine- and isoleucine-alpha-ketoglutarate activities did not change significantly during purification, and both activities were quantitatively removed from crude extract by antibody raised against purified transaminase B. These observations argue against the existence of a separate valine-alpha-ketoglutarate transaminase. Anti-E. coli transaminase B antibody cross-reacted with crude extract from Salmonella typhimurium, but not with extract obtained from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.     

Identification of a lysA-like gene required for tabtoxin biosynthesis and pathogenicity in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci strain PTBR2.024.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci strain PTBR2.024 produces tabtoxin and causes wildfire disease on tobacco and green bean. PTBR7.000, a Tn5 mutant of PTBR2.024, does not produce tabtoxin, is nonpathogenic on tobacco, and is prototrophic. A 3-kb fragment from a genomic library of the parent strain PTBR2.024 complemented both mutant phenotypes. This 3-kb fragment contains two open reading frames (ORFs), ORF1 and ORF2, and two truncated ORFs, ORF3 and ORF4. The Tn5 insert in PTBR7.000 was mapped to ORF2, and complementation studies showed that an intact ORF2 was sufficient to restore tabtoxin production and pathogenicity. The deduced amino acid sequences of ORF2 and truncated ORF3 contain significant homology to bacterial lysine biosynthetic enzymes, diaminopimelate decarboxylase, and delta 1-piperidine-2,6-dicarboxylate succinyl transferase, respectively. ORF2, however, is not required for lysine biosynthesis. We designated the sequence corresponding to ORF2 as gene tabA and propose that the product of tabA is an enzyme in the tabtoxin biosynthetic pathway that recognizes a substrate analogue of a compound in the lysine biosynthetic pathway.     

Cloning and sequence analysis of a plasmid replicon from Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris FG2

A replication region from one of the Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris FG2 plasmids was isolated by cloning of a 4.8-kb XbaI fragment into a replication probe vector and transformation into L. lactis LM0230. A 1.8-kb region within this fragment was sequenced and confirmed by PCR subcloning to encode a functional replicon in LM0230. The replicon consists of an open reading frame encoding a putative replication protein (Rep) of 386 amino acids and a non-coding region (ori) which features several structural motifs typical of other known replication origins, including a 22-bp iteron sequence tandemly repeated three and a half times, a 10-bp direct repeat and two sets of inverted repeats. The ori region could drive replication of its plasmid when supplied with the replication region in-trans. The lack of detectable single-stranded DNA during replication and the existence of extensive homology with other known lactococcal theta replicons strongly suggest that this region encodes a theta-replicating mechanism.     

基于易错PCR的黄曲霉毒素解毒酶体外分子定向进化

运用定向进化-易错PCR方法,提高黄曲霉毒素解毒酶的活力及稳定性,并结合辣根过氧化物酶 (HRP)-隐性亮绿 (RBG) 快速高通量筛选系统,构建了库容约为104的突变体库。经过两轮易错PCR,最终分别获得了耐高温70 ℃突变酶A1773、pH 4.0稳定性的突变酶A1476,pH 4.0和pH 7.5均表现稳定性的突变酶A2863,其酶活力比野生酶分别提高了6.5倍、21倍和12.6倍。经序列分析表明,发现突变酶A1773发生了Glu127Lys和Gln613Arg突变;突变酶A2863发生了Gly73     

Amino acids Glu323, Tyr324, Glu330, and Val331 of factor Va heavy chain are essential for expression of cofactor activity

We have recently demonstrated that amino acid region 323-331 of factor Va heavy chain (9 amino acids, AP4') contains a binding site for factor Xa (Kalafatis, M., and Beck, D. O. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 12715-12728). To ascertain which amino acids within this region are important for the effector and receptor properties of the cofactor with respect to factor Xa, we have synthesized three overlapping peptides (5 amino acids each) spanning the amino acid region 323-331 and tested them for their effect on prothrombinase complex assembly and function. Peptide containing amino acids 323EYFIA327 alone was found to increase the catalytic efficiency of factor Xa but had no effect on the fluorescent anisotropy of active site-labeled factor Xa (human factor Xa labeled in the active site with Oregon Green 488; [OG488]-EGR-hXa). In contrast, peptide containing the sequence 327AAEEV331 was found to interact with [OG488]-EGR-hXa with half-maximal saturation reached at approximately 150 microm, but it was unable to produce a cofactor effect on factor Xa. Peptide 325FIAAE329 inhibited prothrombinase activity and was able to partially decrease the fluorescent anisotropy of [OG488]-EGR-hXa but could not increase the catalytic efficiency of factor Xa with respect to prothrombin. A control peptide with the sequence FFFIA did not increase the catalytic efficiency of factor Xa, whereas a peptide with the sequence AAEMI was impaired in its capability to interact with [OG488]-EGR-hXa. Two mutant recombinant factor Va molecules (Glu323 --> Phe/Tyr324 --> Phe, factor VaFF; Glu330 --> Met/Val331 --> Ile, factor VaMI) showed impaired cofactor activity when used at limiting cofactor concentration, whereas the quadruple mutant (Glu323 --> Phe/Tyr324 --> Phe and Glu330 --> Met/Val331 --> Ile, factor VaFF/MI) had no cofactor activity under similar experimental conditions. Our data demonstrate that amino acid residues Glu323, Tyr324, Glu330, and Val331 of factor Va heavy chain are critical for expression of factor Va cofactor activity.     

Escherichia coli mutants deficient in the aspartate and aromatic amino acid aminotransferases.

Two new mutations are described which, together, eliminate essentially all the aminotransferase activity required for de novo biosynthesis of tyrosine, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid in a K-12 strain of Escherichia coli. One mutation, designated tyrB, lies at about 80 min on the E. coli map and inactivates the "tyrosine-repressible" tyrosine/phenylalanine aminotransferase. The second mutation, aspC, maps at about 20 min and inactivates a nonrespressible aspartate aminotransferase that also has activity on the aromatic amino acids. In ilvE- strains, which lack the branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase, the presence of either the tyrosine-repressible aminotransferase or the aspartate aminotransferase is sufficient for growth in the absence of exogenous tyrosine, phenylalanine, or aspartate; the tyrosine-repressible enzyme is also active in leucine biosynthesis. The ilvE gene product alone can reverse a phenylalanine requirement. Biochemical studies on extracts of strains carrying combinations of these aminotransferase mutations confirm the existence of two distinct enzymes with overlapping specificities for the alpha-keto acid analogues of tyrosine, phenylalanine, and aspartate. These enzymes can be distinguished by electrophoretic mobilities, by kinetic parameters using various substrates, and by a difference in tyrosine repressibility. In extracts of an ilvE- tyrB- aspC- triple mutant, no aminotransferase activity for the alpha-keto acids of tyrosine, phenylalanine, or aspartate could be detected.     

Analysis of two gene regions involved in the expression of the imipenem-specific, outer membrane porin protein OprD of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A Tn501 mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to imipenem and lacking the imipenem-specific outer membrane porin protein OprD was isolated. The mutation could be complemented to imipenem susceptibility and OprD-sufficiency by a cloned 6-kb EcoRI-PstI fragment of DNA from the region of chromosome of the wild-type strain surrounding the site of Tn501 insertion. However, this fragment did not contain the oprD structural gene as judged by its inability to hybridize with an oligonucleotide corresponding to the N-terminal amino acid sequence of OprD. DNA sequencing of 3.9 kb of the region surrounding the Tn501 insertion site revealed three large open reading frames, one of which would be interrupted by the Tn501 insertion in the mutant. This latter open reading frame, named opdE (for putative regulator of oprD expression), predicted a hydrophobic protein of M(r) 41,592. Using the above-mentioned oligonucleotide, the oprD structural gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli on a 2.1-kb Bam HI-KpnI fragment. DNA sequencing predicted a 420 amino acid mature OprD protein with a 23 amino acid signal sequence.     

耐高温耐酸稳定假密环菌(Armillariella tabescens) MAN47β-甘露聚糖酶体外分子定向进化

从已经建立的易错PCR初级突变文库中筛选得到的16个兼具耐酸、高温稳定、高酶活力的克隆出发,将其作为DNA shuffling的亲本基因,利用DNA shuffling技术,结合易化筛选和96微孔板通量筛选的方法获得耐酸、高温稳定的克隆。并且,对筛选出来的耐酸高温稳定的突变子进行测序分析和同源建模,比较分析β-甘露聚糖酶突变基因序列的生物学信息。经过两轮DNAshuffling,最终筛选得到一个耐酸高温稳定突变体1108,其在90℃时酶活力还能维持在70%;在pH 3.0时酶活力维持在70%;在高温80℃和pH 4.0的条件下,酶活力是野生型的10倍;常规条件下(pH 6.0,40℃),酶活力是野生型酶的5倍。序列比对发现耐酸、高温稳定突变体1108有三个碱基发生了改变(T289A、A535T、T1085C),导致相应的氨基酸发生了改变(Ser97Thr、Val362Ala、Ile179Leu)。根据同源建模结果和氨基酸性质研究发现,突变位点位于催化中心附近,推测第97位的突变与酶的耐酸性和活性有关,第179位和第362位的突变与酶的高温稳定性有关。实验结果为进一步了解β-甘露聚糖酶MAN47的结构与功能之间的关系提供有用参考。     

Regulation of Transaminase C Synthesis in Escherichia coli: Conditional Leucine Auxotrophy

The regulation of synthesis of the valine-alanine-alpha-aminobutyrate transaminase (transaminase C) was studied in Escherichia coli mutants lacking the branched-chain amino acid transaminase (transaminase B). An investigation was made of two strains, CU2 and CU2002, each carrying the same transaminase B lesion but exhibiting different growth responses on a medium supplemented with branched-chain amino acids. Both had the absolute isoleucine requirement characteristic of ilvE auxotrophs, but growth of strain CU2 was stimulated by valine, whereas that of strain CU2002 was markedly inhibited by valine. Strain CU2002 behaved like a conditional leucine auxotroph in that the inhibition by valine was reversed by leucine. Results of enzymatic studies showed that synthesis of transaminase C was repressed by valine in strain CU2002 but not in strain CU2. Inhibition by valine in strain CU2002 appears to be the combined effect of repression on transaminase C synthesis and valine-dependent feedback inhibition of alpha-acetohydroxy acid synthase activity, causing alpha-ketoisovalerate (and hence leucine) limitation. The ilvE markers of strains CU2 and CU2002 were each transferred by transduction to a wild-type genetical background. All ilvE recombinants from both crosses resembled strain CU2002 and were inhibited by valine in the presence of isoleucine. Thus, strain CU2 carries an additional lesion that allows it to grow on a medium containing isoleucine plus valine. It is concluded that conditional leucine auxotrophy is characteristic of mutants carrying an ilvE lesion alone.     

Improvement in the alkaline stability of subtilisin using an efficient random mutagenesis and screening procedure

An efficient random mutagenesis procedure coupled to a replica plate screen facilitated the isolation of mutant subtilisins from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens that had altered autolytic stability under alkaline conditions. Out of about 4000 clones screened, approximately 70 produced subtilisins with reduced stability (negatives). Two clones produced a more stable subtilisin (positives) and were identified as having a single mutation, either Ile107Val or Lys213Arg (the wild-type amino acid is followed by the codon position and the mutant amino acid). One of the negative mutants, Met50Val, was at a site where other homologous subtilisins contained a Phe. When the Met50Phe mutation was introduced into the B. amyloliquefaciens gene, the mutant subtilisin was more alkaline stable. The double mutant (Ile107Val/Lys213Arg) was more stable than the isolated single mutant parents. The triple mutant (Met50Phe/Ile107Val/Lys213Arg) was even more stable than Ile107Val/Lys213Arg (up to two times the autolytic half-time of wild-type at pH 12). These studies demonstrate the feasibility for improving the alkaline stability of proteins by random mutagenesis and identifying potential sites where substitutions from homologous proteins can improve alkaline stability.     

Amino acid sequence of acylphosphatase from porcine skeletal muscle

The amino acid sequence of acylphosphatase from porcine skeletal muscle was determined. It consists of 98 amino acid residues with N-acetylserine at the amino (N)-terminus: Ac-Ser-Thr-Ala-Arg-Pro-Leu-Lys-Ser-Val-Asp-Tyr-Glu-Val-Phe-Gly -Arg-Val-Gln-Gly-Val-Cys-Phe-Arg-Met-Tyr-Thr-Glu-Asp-Glu-Ala-Arg-Lys-Ile -Gly-Val-Val-Gly-Trp-Val-Lys-Asn-Thr-Ser-Lys-Gly-Thr-Val-Thr-Gly-Gln -Val-Gln-Gly-Pro-Glu-Glu-Lys-Val-Asn-Ser-Met-Lys-Ser-Trp-Leu-Ser-Lys -Ile-Gly-Ser-Pro-Ser-Ser-Arg-Ile-Asp-Arg-Thr-Asn-Phe-Ser-Asn-Glu-Lys- Thr-Ile-Ser-Lys-Leu-Glu-Tyr-Ser-Asn-Phe-Ser-Ile-Arg-Tyr-OH. This sequence has three substitutions of amino acid residues, i.e., Thr/Ala, Ile/Val, and Ile/Val at positions 26, 68, and 96, respectively, from that of horse muscle acylphosphatase, formerly the only mammalian acylphosphatase with known sequence.     

Role of Aminotransferase IlvE in Production of Branched-Chain Fatty Acids by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis

The objective of this study was to determine the role of a lactococcal branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase gene, ilvE, in the production of branched-chain fatty acids. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis LM0230 and an ilvE deletion mutant, JLS450, produced branched-chain fatty acids from amino and α-keto acids at levels above α-keto acid spontaneous degradation and the fatty acids' flavor thresholds. The deletion mutant produced the same amounts of branched-chain fatty acids from precursor amino acids as did the parent. This was not the case, however, for the production of branched-chain fatty acids from the corresponding precursor α-keto acids. The deletion mutant produced a set of fatty acids different from that produced by the parent. We concluded from these observations that ilvE plays a role in the specific type of fatty acids produced but has little influence on the total amount of fatty acids produced by lactococci.     

Cloning of a cDNA encoding the ovine interleukin-2 receptor 55-kDa protein, CD25.

A 1.3-kb cDNA that encodes the entire 825-bp coding region of ovine CD25, the interleukin-2 receptor 55-kDa protein, has been isolated. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with CD25 proteins from other species shows the ovine sequence to have the greatest homology with that of the bovine species.