Cold glycerol-saline: the promising quenching solution for accurate intracellular metabolite analysis of microbial cells

Microbial metabolomics has been seriously limited by our inability to perform a reliable separation of intra- and extracellular metabolites with efficient quenching of cell metabolism. Microbial cells are sensitive to most (if not all) quenching agents developed to date, resulting in leakage of intracellular metabolites to the extracellular medium during quenching. Therefore, as yet we are unable to obtain an accurate concentration of intracellular metabolites from microbial cell cultures. However, knowledge of the in vivo concentrations of intermediary metabolites is of fundamental importance for the characterization of microbial metabolism so as to integrate meaningful metabolomics data with other levels of functional genomics analysis. In this article, we report a novel and robust quenching method for microbial cell cultures based on cold glycerol-saline solution as the quenching agent that prevents significant leakage of intracellular metabolites and, therefore, permits more accurate measurement of intracellular metabolite concentrations in microbial cells.     

An exodeoxyribonuclease from Streptomyces coelicolor: Expression,purification and biochemical characterization

Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) produces several intra and extracellular enzymes with deoxyribonuclease activities. The examined N-terminal amino acid sequence of one of extracellular DNAases (TVTSVNVNGLL) and database search on S. coelicolor genome showed a significant homology to the putative secreted exodeoxyribonuclease. The corresponding gene (exoSc) was amplified, cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity and characterized. Exonuclease recExoSc degraded chromosomal, linear dsDNA with 3′-overhang ends, linear ssDNA and did not digest linear dsDNA with blunt ends, supercoiled plasmid ds nor ssDNA. The substrate specificity of recExoSc was in the order of dsDNA > ssDNA > 3′-dAMP. The purified recExoSc was not a metalloprotein and exhibited neither phosphodiesterase nor RNase activity. It acted as 3′-phosphomonoesterase only at 3′-dAMP as a substrate. The optimal temperature for its activity was 57 °C in Tris–HCl buffer at optimal pH = 7.5 for either ssDNA or dsDNA substrates. It required a divalent cation (Mg²⁺, Co²⁺, Ca²⁺) and its activity was strongly inhibited in the presence of Zn²⁺, Hg²⁺, chelating agents or iodoacetate.     

链霉菌ZG0429的分类鉴定与链霉亲和素的分离纯化研究

从土壤中筛选得到1株高产链霉亲和素的放线菌ZG0429,根据形态观察、培养特征、生理生化鉴定以及16S rRNA序列分析,初步判定该菌株为链霉菌属中的淡紫灰链霉菌(Streptomyces lavendulae)。经发酵,ZG0429的链霉亲和素产量可达201.0mg/L。进一步采用硫铵沉淀和凝胶过滤层析纯化,链霉亲和素的回收率为76.87%,纯度可以达到97.03%。该方法简单易行,成本低廉,可得到高产量、高纯度、高活性的目的蛋白,为链霉亲和素发酵产品的大规模纯化提供了依据。     

Screening rhizobacteria for biological control of Ralstonia solanacearum in Ethiopia

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) has become a severe problem mainly on potato and tomato in Ethiopia and no effective control measure is available yet. To explore possibilities for the development of biological control for the disease, 118 rhizobacteria, most of them collected from Ethiopia, were screened against an Ethiopian R. solanacearum strain. On the basis of in vitro screening, six strains (RP87, B2G, APF1, APF2, APF3, and APF4) with good inhibitory effect were selected for in planta testing in a greenhouse. In the greenhouse, soil and tomato seedlings were treated with the antagonists and their effects studied. The study showed that APF1 and B2G strains significantly reduced disease incidence and increased weight of tomato plants. Area under disease progress curves (AUDPC) was reduced by 60% and 56% in plants inoculated with APF1 and B2G strains, respectively. Plant dry weight increase in plants inoculated with APF1 and B2G strains was 96% and 75%, respectively. APF1 was found to be the most beneficial strain in disease suppression and also growth promotion resulting in 63% dry weight increase compared to untreated control. The study revealed that APF1 and B2G strains are promising strains whose effectiveness under field conditions and their mode of action should be investigated.     

Statistical optimization of medium components for avilamycin production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces viridochromogenes</Emphasis> Tü57-1 using response surface methodology

A fermentation medium for avilamycin production by Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü57-1 has been optimized. Important components and their concentrations were investigated using fractional factorial design and Box–Behnken Design. The results showed that soybean flour, soluble starch, MgSO₄·7H₂O and CaCl₂·2H₂O are important for avilamycin production. A polynomial model related to medium components and avilamycin yield had been established. A high coefficient of determination (R ² = 0.92) was obtained that indicated good agreement between the experimental and predicted values of avilamycin yield. Student’s T-test of each coefficient showed that all the linear and quadratic terms had significant effect (P > |T| < 0.05) on avilamycin yield. The significance of tested components was related to MgSO₄·7H₂O (0.37 g/L), CaCl₂·2H₂O (0.39 g/L), soybean flour (21.97 g/L) and soluble starch (37.22 g/L). The yield of avilamycin reached 88.33 ± 0.94 mg/L (p < 0.05) that was 2.8-fold the initial yield.     

A cold-active esterase of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces coelicolor</Emphasis> A3(2): from genome sequence to enzyme activity

The genome sequence of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) contains 51 putative lipase and esterase genes mostly of unknown function. The gene estB (locus SCO 6966) was expressed as a His-tagged protein in E. coli. Esterase B was active at low temperatures exerting its maximum activity at 30°C and retaining more than 25% of its activity at 4°C. The optimum pH was 8–8.5. The enzyme was active against short synthetic p-nitrophenylesters (C₂–C₁₀) with maximum activity towards the acetate ester (C₂). The esterase was tested on 13 series of racemic esters of potential interest for the synthesis of chiral pharmaceutical compounds. 4 of the series were substrates and a modest degree of enantioselectivity was observed (enantiomeric ratios of 1.1–1.9).     

氮离子注入诱变选育恩拉霉素高产菌株

利用氮离子注入对链霉菌的诱变效应,筛选高产恩拉霉素的变异菌株。利用不同剂量的氮离子对杀真菌放线菌S.fungicidicus NL629-3菌株进行诱变处理,研究低能氮离子注入对其存活率及产恩拉霉素能力的影响。低能氮离子注入剂量在60×1013ions/cm2时对链霉菌的诱变效应显著,试验得到了5株恩拉霉素产量较高的突变菌株,其中N3-643菌株经连续传代4次,遗传稳定性较好,其摇瓶发酵水平较对照提高了41%,放大发酵生产后平均发酵水平提高25.8%。离子注入诱变是获得高产恩拉霉素突变菌株的有效方法。     

海洋沉积物来源链霉菌属次生代谢产物及其生物活性研究进展

海洋沉积物是营养较为丰富的微生物栖息地,近年来从海洋沉积物中分离培养出了大量海洋链霉菌,从中还发现了一些新的属种。人们已从海洋沉积物来源链霉菌属中发现了许多具有药用价值的活性化合物,有力推动了海洋天然产物化学的发展,并为新药研发提供基础。本文就海洋沉积物来源链霉菌属次生代谢产物的结构类型及其生物活性进行简要综述。