A new approach to retrieve full lengths of functional genes from soil by PCR-DGGE and metagenome walking

Metagenomes are a vast genetic resource, and various approaches have been developed to explore them. Here, we present a new approach to retrieve full lengths of functional genes from soil DNA using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) followed by metagenome walking. Partial fragments of benzoate 1,2-dioxygenase alpha subunit gene (benA) were detected from a 3-chlorobenzoate (3CB)-dosed soil by PCR-DGGE, and one DGGE band induced by 3CB was used as a target fragment for metagenome walking. The walking retrieved the flanking regions of the target fragment from the soil DNA, resulting in recovery of the full length of benA and also downstream gene (benB). The same strategy retrieved another gene, tfdC, and a complete tfdC and two downstream genes were obtained from the same soil. PCR-DGGE allows screening for target genes based on their potential for degrading contaminants in the environment. This feature provides an advantage over other existing metagenomic approaches.     

Environmental DNA as a source of a novel epoxide hydrolase reacting with aliphatic terminal epoxides

We describe a convenient method for amplification of novel epoxide hydrolase-encoding genes directly from the metagenome. In a first step, small specific regions of putative epoxide hydrolase genes were amplified by using PCR with degenerate consensus primers specific for prokaryotic epoxide hydrolases, and environmental DNA as template. In a second step, the sequence obtained from one randomly selected epoxide hydrolase gene fragment served as the starting point for genome-walking PCR. This technique enabled us to recover a complete novel epoxide hydrolase gene with a GC content of 64.7%. A database search revealed that this novel gene was 44% and 43% identical to two putative epoxide hydrolases from Ralstonia metallidurans and Ralstonia eutropha, respectively, at the amino acid level, the highest among all orthologs searched. The gene, which encodes a polypeptide with a molecular mass of 34 kDa, was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzyme showed hydrolyzing activity toward aliphatic terminal epoxides with chain lengths ranging from 6 to 10 carbon atoms. In all cases, the enantioselectivity of the enzyme was low. Determination of the regioselectivity coefficients α_R and α_S revealed that the oxirane ring was attacked almost exclusively at the non-substituted carbon of the R-epoxide. The preference for attack at the non-substituted ring carbon of the S-epoxide was dependent on the chain length of the substrate and ranged from 55% to 78%, resulting in a partially enantioconvergent reaction.     

富集宏基因组DNA中α淀粉酶全长基因的克隆及重组表达

利用反向-巢式PCR（IN-PCR）从富集土壤宏基因组DNA中克隆到一种α-淀粉酶基因的全序列,其基因登录号为GU045523,测序分析显示与来自Bacillus sp. KR-8104耐酸淀粉酶不完整基因同源性为99%。将获得的α-淀粉酶成熟肽基因与表达载体pSE380连接,导入Escherichia coli JM109中,IPTG诱导表达。粗酶液经Ni-NTA、Sephacryl S-200纯化后测定酶学性质：重组酶GXAA的最适作用pH为7.0,最适作用温度为75℃,对可溶性淀粉的Km值为11.6g/L。构建突变子E27G、A450T、E27G-A450T,其酶学性质与原始酶没有显著差别。     

宏基因组测序分析东寨港红树林淤泥和水体微生物的多样性

为深入了解海南东寨港红树林生态系统微生物多样性及其在氮、磷、硫等代谢循环中的功能特点,本研究采用宏基因组测序,从物种注释与丰度、群落功能及多样性指数等角度,分析红树林淤泥和水体生境中微生物群落结构及生态功能的特异性。结果显示,在淤泥中检测到53个门、909个属的微生物类群,有3个占比超过1%的优势门类,其中变形杆菌门为83.78%,处于绝对优势,其下的12个优势属全部来自变形杆菌门;不动杆菌属是聚磷微生物的主要类群,其在淤泥中含量是水体的107.7倍,硫氧化单胞菌属、脱硫杆菌属是硫化物代谢的主要菌属,主要存在于淤泥生境当中。在水体中检测到64个门、1 522个属,包括13个优势门类、7个优势属;Nitrospinae和硝化螺旋菌门是亚硝酸盐氧化代谢的关键类群,两者在水体中占比分别是淤泥中的28.1倍和6.8倍。多样性评估得知,水体样品中的Shannon Wiener指数和Simpson指数均高于淤泥样品,两样品在属分类学单元上的Simpson指数趋近于1,表明红树林生态系统具有非常高的微生物多样性,水体生境的微生物多样性高于淤泥;亚硝酸盐的微生物代谢循环主要发生在水体生境中,微生物对磷的富集作用和硫化合物的氧化还原代谢主要发生在淤泥生境中。本研究有助于认识东寨港红树林湿地生境中的微生物资源状况,为保护红树林生态系统和开发利用其中的微生物资源提供依据。     

Characterization of a new and thermostable esterase from a metagenomic library

A new gene encoding an esterase (designated as EstEP16) was identified from a metagenomic library prepared from a sediment sample collected from a deep-sea hydrothermal field in east Pacific. The open reading frame of this gene encoded 249 amino acid residues. It was cloned, overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein was purified to homogeneity. The monomeric EstEP16 presented a molecular mass of 51.7 kDa. Enzyme assays using p-nitrophenyl esters with different acyl chain lengths as the substrates confirmed its esterase activity, yielding highest specific activity with p-nitrophenyl acetate. When p-nitrophenyl butyrate was used as a substrate, recombinant EstEP16 exhibited highest activity at pH 8.0 and 60 °C. The recombinant enzyme retained about 80% residual activity after incubation at 90 °C for 6 h, which indicated that EstEP16 was thermostable. Homology modeling of EstEP16 was developed with the monoacylglycerol lipase from Bacillus sp. H-257 as a template. The structure showed an α/β-hydrolase fold and indicated the presence of a typical catalytic triad. The activity of EstEP16 was inhibited by addition of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, indicating that it contains serine residue, which plays a key role in the catalytic mechanism.     

宏基因组技术在开拓天然产物新资源中的应用

微生物代谢产物具有巨大的化学多样性,是多种抗生素和其它药物的重要来源。由于现有培养手段的局限性,可培养的微生物不到微生物总数的1％,使绝大部分微生物资源的开发利用受到制约。近年来．直接提取环境样品中混合微生物总基因组DNA,利用可培养的宿主细菌构建宏基因组文库,通过筛选目的克隆,寻找活性代谢产物,取得瞩目进展。对这一新领域的研究进展结合我们的研究概况进行了简要综述。     

Functional gene networks based on the gene neighborhood in metagenomes

The gene neighborhood in prokaryotic genomes has been effectively utilized in inferring co-functional networks in various organisms. Previously, such genomic context information has been sought among completely assembled prokaryotic genomes. Here, we present a method to infer functional gene networks according to the gene neighborhood in metagenome contigs, which are incompletely assembled genomic fragments. Given that the amount of metagenome sequence data has now surpassed that of completely assembled prokaryotic genomes in the public domain, we expect benefits of inferring networks by the metagenome-based gene neighborhood. We generated co-functional networks for diverse taxonomical species using metagenomics contigs derived from the human microbiome and the ocean microbiome. We found that the networks based on the metagenome gene neighborhood outperformed those based on 1748 completely assembled prokaryotic genomes. We also demonstrated that the metagenome-based gene neighborhood could predict genes related to virulence-associated phenotypes in a bacterial pathogen, indicating that metagenome-based functional links could be sufficiently predictive for some phenotypes of medical importance. Owing to the exponential growth of metagenome sequence data in public repositories, metagenome-based inference of co-functional networks will facilitate understanding of gene functions and pathways in diverse species.     

Identifying ‘prime suspects’: symbioses and the evolution of multicellularity

The possible involvement of symbioses in the evolution of multicellularity is explored. Evidence is drawn principally from the biology of present day associations of plants and animals with prokaryotes. A particular emphasis is placed on future research opportunities in this area of biology that have been provided by the advent of specific molecular techniques and new model systems. With the application of new approaches that result from these advances, a more holistic understanding of the biology of the coevolved communities, composed of animals or plants and their associated prokaryotes, is within the reach of biologists over the next few decades.     

源于红树林土壤宏基因组文库的新型磷脂酶A1基因的筛选、克隆表达及酶学性质

【目的】利用宏基因组学的方法从红树林土壤中筛选新型酯水解酶类。【方法】构建红树林土壤宏基因组文库,采用以三丁酸甘油酯为底物的功能筛选方法,对筛选出的阳性克隆进行系统发育树分析,实现新型磷脂酶A1基因的原核表达,研究重组酶的酶学性质。【结果】筛选到一个新的磷脂酶A1编码基因phop1413 (GenBank登录号KF767097),测序表明其全长1 413 bp,可编码470个氨基酸残基,表达蛋白约51.7 kD,表达量高达220 mg/L,NCBI中Blast比对及系统进化树分析显示该蛋白属于磷脂酶类的fAMILY Ⅵ家族;酶学性质分析表明,该重组酶的最适反应底物为对硝基苯酚己酸酯,比酶活为124 U/mg;最适反应温度为54 °C,最适pH 7.8;50 °C热处理1.5 h剩余相对酶活为44%,表现出很好的热稳定性。【结论】通过构建宏基因组文库利用功能筛选方法获得一个新型磷脂酶A1基因;研究中获得的新型磷脂酶A1性质较好,可用于植物油酶法脱胶。