Food-grade expression of human glutathione S-transferase and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase in Lactococcus lactis

A food-grade gene expression system in Lactococcus lactis was established by the combination of a vector containing the lacF gene as the selection marker and a strain WZ103 carrying an in-frame deletion of this gene in the chromosome as the host. The human glutathione S-transferase A1-1 (hGSTA1) and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (hSOD) genes were respectively cloned into a food-grade vector under the control of the lactococcal inducible promoter P(lacA). The resulting expression plasmids were separately introduced into the lactose-deficient (Lac(-)) host, and the lactose-utilizing (Lac(+)) transformants were directly selected on a chemically defined medium, using lactose as the sole carbon source. The successful food-grade expression of hGSTA1 and hSOD in the L. lactis WZ103 transformed with these plasmids were analyzed by Western blotting and enzymatic activity assay, respectively.     

人铜锌超氧化物歧化酶基因在乳酸乳球菌中的食品级表达

以lacF基因为食品级选择标记,构建了乳酸乳球菌食品级基因表达系统,并进而实现了人铜锌超氧化物歧化酶基因在乳酸乳球菌中的食品级表达。首先构建了含有lacF基因两侧同源DNA序列(0.5kb)的整合型质粒pUCEmDE,通过pUCEmDE与乳酸乳球菌MG5267染色体上单拷贝的乳糖操纵子之间的同源双交换,构建了lacF基因缺失突变的食品级受体菌WZ103 (Lac-),并经PCR及Lac表型检测所验证。然后构建了互补质粒pMG36eF,其lacF基因的表达受组成型的强启动子P32的控制。将其电转化导入WZ103后,Lac+表型得到恢复,表明WZ103中lacF基因的功能可被互补质粒pMG36eF上的lacF基因互补。随后,以互补质粒pMG36eF为基础,构建了不含任何抗生素抗性选择标记的人铜锌超氧化物歧化酶基因的食品级表达质粒pWZ104。通过非变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和SOD活性凝胶染色分析,检测到WZ103(pWZ104)中Cu/Zn SOD的表达,并且具有生物活性。     

Expression of a β-galactosidase gene from Clostridium acetobutylicum in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis

A β-galactosidase gene from Clostridium acetobutylicum NCIB 2951 was expressed after cloning into pSA3 and electroporation into derivatives of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strains H1 and 7962. When the clostridial gene was introduced into a plasmid-free derivative of the starter-type Lact. lactis subsp. lactis strain H1, the resulting construct had high β-galactosidase activity but utilized lactose only slightly faster than the recipient. β-galactosidase activity in the construct decreased by over 50% if the 63 kb Lac plasmid pDI21 was also present with the β-galactosidase gene. Growth rates of Lac⁺ H1 and 7962 derivatives were not affected after introduction of the clostridial β-galactosidase, even though β-galactosidase activity in a 7962 construct was more than double that of the wild-type strain. When pDI21 was electroporated into a plasmid-free variant of strain 7962, the recombinant had high phospho-β-galactosidase activity and a growth rate equal to that of the H1 wild-type strain. The H1 plasmid-free strain grew slowly in T5 complex medium, utilized lactose and contained low phospho-β-galactosidase activity. We suggest that β-galactosidase expression can be regulated by the lactose phosphotransferase system-tagatose pathway and that Lact. lactis subsp. lactis strain H1 has an inefficient permease for lactose and contains chromosomally-encoded phospho-β-galactosidase genes.     

Conjugal transfer of the determinants for bacteriocin (lacticin 481) production and immunity in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis CNRZ 481

Abstract The lacticin 481-producer (Lct⁺), L. lactis subsp. lactis (L. lactis ) CNRZ 481 harbours 5 plasmids of 6.5, 7.5, 20, 37 and 69 kb. Novobiocin treatment of L. lactis 481 led to the appearance of lacticin 481 deficient variants which had all lost the 69 kb plasmid. Conjugal transfer of the lacticin 481 structural gene ( lct ) into the plasmid free strain L. lactis IL1441 yielded Lct⁺ transconjugants at a 10⁻⁴ frequency, which carried a plasmid with an apparent size of 120–130 kb. Southern hybridization analyses showed that the lct gene was located on the 69 kb plasmid in L. lactis 481 and on the 120–130 kb plasmid in the transconjugants. The lct gene was in higher copy number in transconjugants than in the parental strain resulting in two-fold higher lacticin 481 production in the former strain.     

Integrative food-grade expression system based on the lactose regulon of Lactobacillus casei

The lactose operon from Lactobacillus casei is regulated by very tight glucose repression and substrate induction mechanisms, which made it a tempting candidate system for the expression of foreign genes or metabolic engineering. An integrative vector was constructed, allowing stable gene insertion in the chromosomal lactose operon of L. casei. This vector was based on the nonreplicative plasmid pRV300 and contained two DNA fragments corresponding to the 3' end of lacG and the complete lacF gene. Four unique restriction sites were created, as well as a ribosome binding site that would allow the cloning and expression of new genes between these two fragments. Then, integration of the cloned genes into the lactose operon of L. casei could be achieved via homologous recombination in a process that involved two selection steps, which yielded highly stable food-grade mutants. This procedure has been successfully used for the expression of the E. coli gusA gene and the L. lactis ilvBN genes in L. casei. Following the same expression pattern as that for the lactose genes, beta-glucuronidase activity and diacetyl production were repressed by glucose and induced by lactose. This integrative vector represents a useful tool for strain improvement in L. casei that could be applied to engineering fermentation processes or used for expression of genes for clinical and veterinary uses.     

Conjugation and heterologous gene expression in Gluconobacter oxydans ssp. suboxydans

Abstract: Conjugal transfer of a series of incompatibility group P and Q plasmids has been studied in the acetic acid bacterium, Gluconobacter oxydans ssp. suboxydans . Transfer frequencies for the IncP/Q vectors ranged from 10⁻⁵−10⁻⁹ exconjugants per recipient cell. It was found in the case of the IncP vector, pRK290, that Bgl II insert constructs displayed increased conjugal transfer frequencies over pRK290 per se, the parent plasmid. A gentamycin-resistant encoding pRK290 vector which was constructed offers considerable potential as a versatile gene delivery system for Gluconobacter . The lactose transposon, Tn951, was used as a model to examine heterologous gene expression in G. oxydans ssp. suboxydans . The expression level of Tn951 encoded β-galactosidase in this strain was found to be less than 5% of that found in the parent Escherichia coli strain, JC3272.     

Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase yspI mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe: Genetic mapping of dpa1+ on chromosome III

Abstract A mutant strain of Schizosaccharomyces pombe lacking dipeptidyl aminopeptidase yspI was isolated from a strain already defective in aminopeptidase activity by means of a staining technique with the chromogenic substrate ala-pro-4-methoxy-β-naphthylamide to screen colonies for the absence of the enzyme. The defect segregated 2⁺ :2⁻ in meiotic tetrads, indicating a single chromosomal gene mutation, which was shown to be recessive. Gene dosage experiments indicated that the mutation resides in the structural gene of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase yspI, dpa 1⁺. The dpa 1⁺ gene was located on chromosome III by using l m- fluorophen-ylalanine-induced haploidization and mitotic analysis. dpa1 mutants did not show any obvious phenotype under a variety of conditions tested.     

Glucose metabolism and internal pH of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis cells utilizing NMR spectroscopy

The metabolism of glucose was studied in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis CNRZ 125 by ¹³C NMR. The initial rate of glucose utilization was higher for exponential phase cells than for stationary phase cells [150 vs 85 nmol g (dry wt)^-1 s^-1]. ³¹P NMR was used to determine changes in glycolytic phosphorylated intermediates (fructose-1,6-diphosphate, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and phosphoglycerate). The internal pHs of L. lactis subsp. lactis CNRZ 141 and CNRZ 125 were also measured by ³¹P NMR as a function of the external pH during growth. When the external pH was 6·8, the internal pHs of strain CNRZ 141 and CNRZ 125 were similar, 7·4. After the external pH had decreased to 5·5, the internal pH of strain CNRZ 141 had declined by 0·6 unit, whereas that of strain CNRZ 125 had decreased by only 0·2 unit of pH.     

Conjugal plasmid transfer between lactococci on solid surface matings and during cheese making

Abstract The concept of deliberate use of genetically enginereed microorganisms in dairy products requires a clear understanding of their behaviour and of the dissemination of introduced DNA in these strains. Thus, transfer of a self-transmissible plasmid and a non-self-transmissible but mobilizable plasmid from an engineered strain of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis IL 1403 to wild-type strains of L. lactis subsp. lactis and subsp. cremoris of technological interest was studied on standard solid surface matings and in cheese during manufacture. On solid surface matings, transfer of the conjugative plasmid occurred at frequencies ranging from < 2.3 × 10⁻⁹ to 2.8 × 10⁻⁴. Mobilization of the non-conjugative plasmid was observed at a lower frequency (ca. 10⁻⁵) in only one recipient which was then selected along with another recipient strain (presenting intermediate transfer frequencies) for making Camembert cheese. During cheese making, only the transfer of the self-transmissible plasmid was observed. It occurred in the early stages of manufacturing. The transfer frequencies were 7.0 × 10⁻⁸ or 7.6 × 10⁻¹ 1, depending upon the recipient strain. These were about 3 to 4 orders of magnitude lower than on solid surface matings. Mobilization of the non-conjugative plasmid was never detected in cheese.     

Controlled expression of click beetle luciferase using a bacterial operator-repressor system

Abstract The bioluminescent phenotype conferred by luciferase genes in a particular bacterium has demonstrated to be one of the most versatile and useful methods to detect microorganisms. Genetic constructions derived from miniTn5 vectors have been constructed for the introduction and stable maintenance of the click beetle luciferase gene, lucOR , in various Gram-negative bacteria. To attenuate the expression in the environment where the marked strain has to survive (and to allow sensitive detection when desired) a DNA fragment containing the repressor gene lacI ^q and a P _trc:: lucOR fusion was cloned onto a suicide plasmid. This construction is able to express high luciferase levels only when induced by IPTG. Matings between Escherichia coli containing the suicide transposoon vector and different recipient bacteria gave transposition frequencies from 10⁻⁷ to 10⁻⁵. Strains with miniTn5- lucOR insertions showed luciferase activity induced by IPTG addition. The stringency of the regulation and the intensity of light emission depended on the tagged strain. This system allows stable maintenance of the marker and tight control of luciferase expression in the environment.     

Isolation and characterization of large lactococcal phage resistance plasmids by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

Abstract Five phage-resistant Lactococcus lactis strains were able to transfer by conjugation the lactose-fermenting ability (Lac⁺) to a plasmid-free Lac⁻ L. lactis strain. In each case, some Lac⁺ transconjugants were phage-resistant and contained one or two additional plasmids of high molecular mass, as demonstrated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Plasmids pPF144 (144 kb), pPF107 (107 kb), pPF118 (118 kb), pPF72 (72 kb) and pPF66 (66 kb) were characterized: they are conjugative (Tra⁺), they confer a phage-resistant phenotype and they bear lactose-fermenting ability (Lactose plasmid) except for the last two. Plasmids pPF144, pPF107 and pPF118 resulted probably from a cointegrate formation between the Lactose plasmid and another plasmid of the donor strain, whereas pPF72, pPF66 and the Lactose plasmid were distinct in the corresponding transconjugants. Plasmids pPF72 and pPF66 produced a bacteriocin. At 30°C, the phage resistance conferred by the plasmids was complete against small isometric-headed phage and partial against prolate-headed phage, except for pPF107 whose phage resistance mechanism was totally effective against both types of phages, but was completely inactivated at 40°C. Restriction maps of four of the plasmids were constructed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.     

Isolation of chromosomal mutations of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis 18-16 after introduction of Tn919

Abstract: The conjugative transposon Tn 919 was introduced at high frequency to L. lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis 18-16 and transconjugants were screened for mutations in two chromosomally located genotypes; citrate metabolism and maltose utilization. A citrate negative mutant, lacking citritase activity, was isolated at a frequency of 1.18 × 10⁻⁴. The mutant, 18-16C5, contained a single copy of Tn 919 in a chromosomal location. A junction fragment of Tn 919 ::18-16C5 chromosomal DNA was cloned in Escherichia coli . Mutations in maltose metabolism were detected at a frequency of 4.0 × 10⁻⁴. No mutants were detected when Tn 919 was not introduced. Reversion to a Mal⁺ phenotype occurred at high frequency, but was not due to Tn 919 transposition.     

Isolation of cadmium sensitive mutants in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by transformation/insertional mutagenesis

Abstract An arg7, cw15, mt⁺ strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CC1618) was transformed with pARG7.8, a plasmid containing the wild-type ARG7 gene. Over 2300 arg⁺ transformants were selected on TAP media. Upon subsequent analysis on TAP plus cadmium plates, five of the transformants failed to grow at a level of 400 μM cadmium and were designated as cadmium sensitive (Cd^s) mutants. Hybridization data indicated that vector (pBR329) sequences were present in these five mutants, but not in the untransformed parental strain. Two of the mutants have been back crossed to an arg7, cw15, Cd⁺, mt⁻ strain (CC425) and found to have progeny which always cosegregate the arg⁺ and Cd^s phenotypesin these two mutants results from the insertion of the plasmid pARG7.8 into a gene involving cadmium detoxification, and it provides a method by which to clone the interrupted gene(s).     

Food-grade host/vector expression system for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus casei</Emphasis> based on complementation of plasmid-associated phospho-β-galactosidase gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">lacG</Emphasis>

A new food-grade host/vector system for Lactobacillus casei based on lactose selection was constructed. The wild-type non-starter host Lb. casei strain E utilizes lactose via a plasmid-encoded phosphotransferase system. For food-grade cloning, a stable lactose-deficient mutant was constructed by deleting a 141-bp fragment from the phospho-beta-galactosidase gene lacG via gene replacement. The deletion resulted in an inactive phospho-beta-galactosidase enzyme with an internal in-frame deletion of 47 amino acids. A complementation plasmid was constructed containing a replicon from Lactococcus lactis, the lacG gene from Lb. casei, and the constitutive promoter of pepR for lacG expression from Lb. rhamnosus. The expression of the lacG gene from the resulting food-grade plasmid pLEB600 restored the ability of the lactose-negative mutant strain to grow on lactose to the wild-type level. The vector pLEB600 was used for expression of the proline iminopeptidase gene pepI from Lb. helveticus in Lb. casei. The results show that the food-grade expression system reported in this paper can be used for expression of foreign genes in Lb. casei.     

Conjugative transfer of the transposon Tn919 to lactic acid bacteria

Abstract The streptococcal transposon Tn 919 was transferred from Streptococcus faecalis GF590 to selected Group N Streptococcus strains and to one strain each of Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc cremoris , using the filter mating method. An S. lactis MG1363 Rif^r Tc^r transconjugant also acted as a donor, but was less efficient than GF590. Frequencies of transfer varied between 4.0 × 10⁻⁸ and 5.29 × 10⁻⁵ per recipient. Further analysis of S. lactis MG1363 Sm^r Tc^r transconjugants showed that insertion of Tn 919 into the chromosome was site-specific.     

Isolation and characterization of nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis from bean-sprouts

Bacterial isolates from bean-sprouts were screened for anti- Listeria monocytogenes bacteriocins using a well diffusion method. Thirty-four of 72 isolates inhibited the growth of L.monocytogenes Scott A. One, HPB 1688, which had the biggest inhibition zone against L.monocytogenes Scott A, was selected for subsequent analysis. Both ribotyping and DNAsequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA gene demonstrated that the isolate was Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis . Polymerase chain reaction and nucleotide sequencing revealed that thegenomic DNA of the bean-sprout isolates contained a nisin Z structural gene. In MRS broth,bean-sprout isolate HPB 1688 survived at 3–4·5°C for at least 20 d, grew at 4°Cand produced anti-listerial compoundsat 5°C. When co-cultured with L. monocytogenes in MRS broth, the isolate inhibited thegrowth of L. monocytogenes at 4°C after 14d and at 10°C after 2 d. When co-inoculatedwith 10²cells g⁻¹ of L.monocytogenes on fresh-cut ready-to-eat Caesar salad, L. lactis subsp. lactis (10⁸cells g⁻¹) was able to reduce the number of L. monocytogenes by 1–1·4 logs after storage for 10 d at 7° and 10°C. A bacteriocin-producing Enterococcusfaecium was also able to reduce the numbers of L. monocytogenes onCaesar salad, butdid not act synergistically when co-inoculated with L. lactis subsp. lactis .     

Liposome-enhanced transformation of streptococcus lactis and plasmid transfer by intergeneric protoplast fusion of streptococcus lactis and bacillus subtilis

Abstract An efficient protoplast transformation system and a procedure of plasmid transfer by means of protoplast fusion is described for Streptococcus lactis . Protoplasts of S. lactis IL1403 and S. lactis MG1363 were transformed by pGK12 [2.9 MDa erythromycin resistance (Em^r)] with an efficiency of 3 × 10⁵ transformants per μg plasmid DNA. This high efficiency was obtained by the inclusion in the transformation mixture of liposomes composed of cardiolipin and phosphatidyl choline in a molar ratio of 1 to 6 in the presence of 22.5% polyethylene glycol (PEG). This paper also reports an efficient plasmid transfer method between lactic and streptococci and Bacillus subtilis by means of protoplast fusion. When S. lactis and B. lactis protoplasts undergo fusion mediated by exposure to 37.5% polyethylene glycol, plasmid pGKV21 (3.2 MDa; Em^r) was transfered from one host to the other with a frequency of 10⁻³−10⁻⁵ transformants per regenerating recipient protoplast.     

The effects of osmotic stress on survival and alkaline phosphatase activity of Aeromonas hydrophila

Abstract Lactococcus lactis MG5267 is a plasmid-free strain in which the lactose operon is integrated in the bacterial chromosome. The chromosomal lac G gene which encodes phospho-β-galactosidase was inactivated by a double cross-over integration event. Unexpectedly, the resultant mutant was shown to retain a Lac-positive phenotype. The lysin gene from Listeria monocytogenes bacteriophage LM-4 was subsequently integrated into the chromosome of this strain such that expression of the heterologous gene was mediated by the lactose operon promoter. Expression of the lysin gene was shown to be regulated by growth on lactose. This represents an important strategy for the controlled and stabilised expression of biotechnologically useful genes in L lactis .