Correlation between lethality and DNA single-strand breaks in Bacillus subtilis cells treated with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

The effects of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) treatment two Bacillus subtilis strains which exhibit different UV sensitivities were monitored at both the cellular (survival) and subcellular (DNA strand break) levels. The MNNG-induced single strand DNA breaks (SSB) in either strain, as measured by alkaline sucrose gradient centrifugation, were shown to be well correlated with lethality. These DNA lesions were shown by a computer simulation to be randomly induced. Cell survival after MNNG treatment is inversely related to the number of replication forks per cell which in turn depends upon the doubling time of the culture and the growth phase. The production of single-strand breaks and cell killing are proportional to the log of the initial MNNG concentration and may imply that decomposition of the mutagen is (pseudo) second order.     

一种快速定量检测益生菌制品中植物乳杆菌的方法

目的建立快速定量检测植物乳杆菌的方法,排除近缘菌的干扰。方法利用SMM系统筛选植物乳杆菌种特异序列,根据特异序列设计引物进行实时荧光定量PCR反应。结果设计的引物具有良好的种特异性,检测限为2．26×10^2CFU／mL。结论该方法快速灵敏,可以在实际生产中应用。     

Acetohydroxyacid synthase from Mycobacterium avium and its inhibition by sulfonylureas and imidazolinones

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world's leading causes of death from infectious disease. It is caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis or sometimes, particularly in immune-compromised patients, Mycobacterium avium. The aim of this study was to create a tool that could be used in the search for new anti-TB drugs that inhibit branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) biosynthesis, as these are essential amino acids that are not available to a mycobacterium during growth in an infected organism. To this end, we cloned, overexpressed, purified and characterised for the first time an acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), a key enzyme in the pathway to the biosynthesis of the BCAAs, from the genus Mycobacterium. Nine commercial herbicides of the sulfonylurea and imidazolinone classes were tested for their influence on this enzyme. Four of the sulfonylureas were potent inhibitors of the enzyme. The relative potency of the different inhibitors towards the M. avium enzyme was unlike their potency towards other AHASs whose inhibitor profile has been reported, emphasising the advantage of using a mycobacterial enzyme as a tool in the search for new anti-TB drugs.     

Cloning, mutagenesis, and characterization of the microalga Parietochloris incisa acetohydroxyacid synthase, and its possible use as an endogenous selection marker

Parietochloris incisa is an oleaginous fresh water green microalga that accumulates an unusually high content of the valuable long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) arachidonic acid within triacylglycerols in cytoplasmic lipid bodies. Here, we describe cloning and mutagenesis of the P. incisa acetohydroxyacid synthase (PiAHAS) gene for use as an herbicide resistance selection marker for transformation. Use of an endogenous gene circumvents the risks and regulatory difficulties of cultivating antibiotic-resistant organisms. AHAS is present in plants and microorganisms where it catalyzes the first essential step in the synthesis of branched-chain amino acids. It is the target enzyme of the herbicide sulfometuron methyl (SMM), which effectively inhibits growth of bacteria and plants. Several point mutations of AHAS are known to confer herbicide resistance. We cloned the cDNA that encodes PiAHAS and introduced a W605S point mutation (PimAHAS). Catalytic activity and herbicide resistance of the wild-type and mutant proteins were characterized in the AHAS-deficient E. coli, BUM1 strain. Cloned PiAHAS wild-type and mutant genes complemented AHAS-deficient bacterial growth. Furthermore, bacteria expressing the mutant PiAHAS exhibited high resistance to SMM. Purified PiAHAS wild-type and mutant proteins were assayed for enzymatic activity and herbicide resistance. The W605S mutation was shown to cause a twofold decrease in enzymatic activity and in affinity for the Pyruvate substrate. However, the mutant exhibited 7 orders of magnitude higher resistance to the SMM herbicide than that of the wild type.