Punctin, a novel ADAMTS-like molecule, ADAMTSL-1, in extracellular matrix.

Punctin (ADAMTSL-1) is a secreted molecule resembling members of the ADAMTS family of proteases. Punctin lacks the pro-metalloprotease and the disintegrin-like domain typical of this family but contains other ADAMTS domains in precise order including four thrombospondin type I repeats. Punctin is the product of a distinct gene on human chromosome 9p21-22 and mouse chromosome 4 that is expressed in adult skeletal muscle. His-tagged punctin expressed in stably transfected High-Five(TM) insect cells was purified to apparent homogeneity by Ni-chromatography of conditioned medium. The NH(2) terminus is not blocked and has the sequence EEDRD and so forth as determined by Edman degradation, demonstrating signal peptidase processing. Recombinant epitope-tagged punctin has a calculated mass of 59,991 Da but exhibits major molecular species of 61970 +/- 6 Da and 62131 +/- 5 Da as measured by liquid chromatography electrospray mass spectrometry. Punctin is a glycoprotein based on carbohydrate staining and liquid chromatography electrospray mass spectrometry glycopeptide analysis. Glycosylation occurs at a single N-linked site as demonstrated by altered electrophoretic migration of punctin expressed in the presence of tunicamycin A. Punctin contains disulfide bonds based on antibody accessibility and electrophoretic migration under reducing versus nonreducing conditions. Rotary shadowing demonstrates that punctin is hatchet-shaped having a globular region attached to a short stem. In transfected COS-1 cells, punctin is deposited in the cell substratum in a punctate fashion and is excluded from focal contacts. Punctin is the first member of a novel family of ADAMTS-like proteins that may have important functions in the extracellular matrix.     

2,3-Butanediol production by the non-pathogenic bacterium Paenibacillus brasilensis

2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BDO) is of considerable importance in the chemical, plastic, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. The main bacterial species producing this compound are considered pathogenic, hindering large-scale productivity. The species Paenibacillus brasilensis is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and is phylogenetically similar to P. polymyxa, a species widely used for 2,3-BDO production. Here, we demonstrate, for the first time, that P. brasilensis strains produce 2,3-BDO. Total 2,3-BDO concentrations for 15 P. brasilensis strains varied from 5.5 to 7.6 g/l after 8 h incubation at 32 °C in modified YEPD medium containing 20 g/l glucose. Strain PB24 produced 8.2 g/l of 2,3-BDO within a 12-h growth period, representing a yield of 0.43 g/g and a productivity of 0.68 g/l/h. An increase in 2,3-BDO production by strain PB24 was observed using higher concentrations of glucose, reaching 27 g/l of total 2,3-BDO in YEPD containing about 80 g/l glucose within a 72-h growth period. We sequenced the genome of P. brasilensis PB24 and uncovered at least six genes related to the 2,3-BDO pathway at four distinct loci. We also compared gene sequences related to the 2,3-BDO pathway in P. brasilensis PB24 with those of other spore-forming bacteria, and found strong similarity to P. polymyxa, P. terrae, and P. peoriae 2,3-BDO-related genes. Regulatory regions upstream of these genes indicated that they are probably co-regulated. Finally, we propose a production pathway from glucose to 2,3-BDO in P. brasilensis PB24. Although the gene encoding S-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (butA) was found in the genome of P. brasilensis PB24, only R,R-2,3- and meso-2,3-butanediol were detected by gas chromatography under the growth conditions tested here. Our findings can serve as a basis for further improvements to the metabolic capabilities of this little-studied Paenibacillus species in relation to production of the high-value chemical 2,3-butanediol.

     

Evaluation of Biolog system for identification of strains of Paenibacillus azotofixans

Biolog system was evaluated for the identification of strains of Paenibacillus azotofixans as no data concerning this species were in the list of Bacillus currently identified using Biolog data base. The P. azotofixans type strain P3L5 was first tested with the results recorded manually or using the automatic plate reader. In both cases, P3L5 utilized 22 carbon sources and when the results obtained were compared to data of Biolog software (Release 3.50), P3L5 was identified as B. azotoformans with a similarity coefficient of 0.913 (data recorded manually) and of 0.791 (data recorded automatically). Metabolic profiles of P3L5 were also compared after readings of 4 and 24 h using the computer-driven automatic plate reader. No significant difference was observed in both cases and P3L5 was identified again as B. azotoformans with indices of similarity considered only for excellent identification. Besides P3L5, other 15 P. azotofixans strains were tested with the Biolog system and all were identified as B. azotoformans with similarity coefficients varying from 0.511 to 0.927. Phenotypic and genetic characteristics of B. azotoformans were compared to those described for P. azotofixans to explain the misidentification of the latter species. We could conclude that these two species are quite different and that data of Biolog software are from P. azotofixans and not from B. azotoformans.     

Heterogeneity in primary structure, post-translational modifications, and germline gene usage of nine full-length amyloidogenic kappa1 immunoglobulin light chains

Immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis is a protein misfolding disease in which a monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig) light chain (LC) with a critically folded beta-conformation self-aggregates to form highly ordered, nonbranching amyloid fibrils. The insoluble nature of amyloid fibrils ultimately results in the extracellular deposition of the LC in tissues and organs throughout the body. Structural features that confer amyloidogenic properties on an Ig LC likely include amino acid sequence variations and post-translational modifications, but the specific natures of these changes remain to be defined. As part of an exploration of the effective range of amyloidogenic modifications, this study details the structural and genetic analyses of nine kappa1 LC proteins. Urinary LCs were purified by size exclusion chromatography using FPLC, and structural analyses were performed by electrospray ionization, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, and tandem mass spectrometry. RT-PCR amplification, cloning, and sequencing of the monoclonal LC genes were accomplished using bone marrow-derived mRNA. Clinical data were reviewed retrospectively. Characterization of the urinary kappa1 LCs revealed extensive post-translational modification in all proteins, in addition to somatic mutations expected on the basis of results from genetic analyses. Post-translational modifications included disulfide-linked dimerization, S-cysteinylation, glycosylation, fragmentation, S-sulfonation, and 3-chlorotyrosine formation. Genetic analyses showed that several LC variable region germline gene donors were represented including O18/O8, O12/O2, L15, and L5. Clinical features included soft tissue, cardiac, renal, and hepatic involvement. This study demonstrated the extensive heterogeneity in primary structure, post-translational modifications, and germline gene usage that occurred in nine amyloidogenic kappa1 LC proteins.