Determination of the active sites serine of the poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerases of Pseudomonas lemoignei (PhaZ5) and of Alcaligenes faecalis

Abstract Mutational analysis of the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) depolymerase A of Pseudomonas lemoignei and of the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase of Alcaligenes faecalis revealed that S¹³⁸ ( P. lemoignei ) and S¹³⁹ ( A. faecalis ) are essential for activity. Both serines are part of a strictly conserved pentapeptide sequence which is present in all poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerases analyzed so far (G-L-S-S(A)-G) and which resembles the lipase box of lipases and other serine hydrolases (G-X-S-X-G). Mutation of another conserved serine, namely S¹⁹⁵ ( P. lemoignei ) and S¹⁹⁶ ( A. faecalis ), resulted in mutant proteinswith almost full activity and proved that S195 and S196 are not essential for activity. The results indicate the structural and functional relationship of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerases to the family of serine hydrolases.     

Suppression of ethanolamine-containing glycerophospholipid synthesis in HL-60 cells during retinoic acid-induced differentiation.

Synthesis and degradation of glycerophospholipids in HL-60 cells and retinoic acid (RA)-treated HL-60 cells were examined. The synthesis of each subclass of ethanolamine-containing glycerophospholipids was extremely suppressed in RA-treated HL-60 cells, while that of other glycerophospholipids was not seriously affected. A pulse-chase experiment revealed that about 88% of 1,2-diacyl and 28% of 1-alkenyl-2-acyl glycerophosphoethanolamine were degraded during 4 days in RA-treated HL-60 cells. These characteristics of metabolism observed in RA-treated HL-60 cells might be responsible for the change of subclass composition of ethanolamine-containing glycerophospholipids in HL-60 cells during differentiation to granulocytes.     

Improved conditions for the transformation by electroporation of the extracellular polysaccharide-producing methylotroph Methylobacillus sp.

The transformation efficiency of Methylobacillus sp. strain 12S, using electroporation, was unaffected by the growth phase of the cells but competent cells grown at 21 °C had a 1.9 × 10³ times higher transformation efficiency than those grown at 30 °C. Heat shock treatment further increased the transformation efficiency up to 7 times.