L-苹果酸产生菌筛选及高产突变株诱变选育

通过广泛收集和分离,获得根霉属(Rhizopus)、曲霉属(Aspergillus)及裂褶菌属(Schizophyllum)等属菌株897株。产酸指示平板上的变色圈测定结果表明,它们中间628株为产酸菌。通过纸层析对产酸菌发酵液酸谱的分析,获得129株L-苹果酸产生菌,经进一步测定发酵液中L-苹果酸的含量,筛选出以葡萄糖为原料,摇瓶发酵140小时,L-苹果酸产率48．37g／L,对糖转化率48．37×10^-2 的菌株LMO2。经初步鉴定,这一菌株为曲霉(Asper-gillus sp.)以LM02作为出发株,采用亚硝基胍、自然污染细菌、甲基磺酸乙酯及紫外线进行诱变处理,选育出葡萄糖为原料,L-苹果酸产率较高的突变抹N1-14、N1-14、NE1412、NU1416及NU1419。其中N1-14 的L-苹果酸产量最高,比出发株提高46．2×10^-2。N1-14 的菌丝生长速度快,产孢能力强,摇瓶发酵葡萄糖140小时,平均L-苹果酸产率为72．53g／L,对糖转化率53．74×10^-2。全发酵液经薄层层析测定,不含黄曲霉毒素。发酵产物分离提纯后,得到白色粉末状结晶,经纸层析、质谱及红外光谱测定,证明为L-苹果酸。     

Primary structure of a photoactive yellow protein from the phototrophic bacterium Ectothiorhodospira halophila,with evidence for the mass and the binding site of the chromophore.

The complete amino acid sequence of the 125-residue photoactive yellow protein (PYP) from Ectothiorhodospira halophila has been determined to be MEHVAFGSEDIENTLAKMDDGQLDGLAFGAIQLDGDGNILQYNAAEGDITGRDPKEVIGKNFFKDVAP+ ++ CTDSPEFYGKFKEGVASGNLNTMFEYTFDYQMTPTKVKVHMKKALSGDSYWVFVKRV. This is the first sequence to be reported for this class of proteins. There is no obvious sequence homology to any other protein, although the crystal structure, known at 2.4 A resolution (McRee, D.E., et al., 1989, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 6533-6537), indicates a relationship to the similarly sized fatty acid binding protein (FABP), a representative of a family of eukaryotic proteins that bind hydrophobic molecules. The amino acid sequence exhibits no greater similarity between PYP and FABP than for proteins chosen at random (8%). The photoactive yellow protein contains an unidentified chromophore that is bleached by light but recovers within a second. Here we demonstrate that the chromophore is bound covalently to Cys 69 instead of Lys 111 as deduced from the crystal structure analysis. The partially exposed side chains of Tyr 76, 94, and 118, plus Trp 119 appear to be arranged in a cluster and probably become more exposed due to a conformational change of the protein resulting from light-induced chromophore bleaching. The charged residues are not uniformly distributed on the protein surface but are arranged in positive and negative clusters on opposite sides of the protein. The exact chemical nature of the chromophore remains undetermined, but we here propose a possible structure based on precise mass analysis of a chromophore-binding peptide by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and on the fact that the chromophore can be cleaved off the apoprotein upon reduction with a thiol reagent. The molecular mass of the chromophore, including an SH group, is 147.6 Da (+/- 0.5 Da); the cysteine residue to which it is bound is at sequence position 69.     

Regulated expression of the rat medium chain hydrolase gene in transgenic rape seed

Medium chain hydrolase (MCH) is an enzyme which regulates the chain length of fatty acid synthesis specifically in the mammary gland of the rat. During lactation, MCH interacts with fatty acid synthase (FAS) to cause premature release of acyl chains, thus providing medium chain fatty acids for synthesis of milk fat. In this study we have investigated the ability of rat MCH to interact with the phylogenetically more distant FAS structure present in plant systems and to cause a perturbation of fatty acid synthesis. Inin vitro experiments, addition of purified MCH to rapeseed homogenates was found to cause a significant perturbation of fatty acid synthesis towards medium chain length products. The rat MCH gene was expressed in transgenic oilseed rape using a seed specific rape acyl carrier protein (ACP) promoter and a rape ACP plastid targeting sequence. Western analysis showed MCH protein to be present in transgenic seed and for its expression to be developmentally regulated in concert with storage lipid synthesis. The chimaeric preprotein was correctly processed and immunogold labelling studies confirmed MCH to be localized within plastid organelles. However, fatty acid analysis of oil from MCH-expressing rape seed showed no significant differences to that from control seed.     

Macromolecular solvation energies derived from small molecule crystal morphology.

The morphology of small molecule crystals provides a model for evaluating surface solvation energies in a system with similar packing density to that observed for amino acid residues in proteins. The solvation energies associated with the transfer of methylene and carboxyl groups between vacuum and aqueous phases are estimated to be approx. $40 and -260 cal/A2, respectively, from an analysis of the morphology of succinic acid crystals. These solvation energies predict values for contact angles in reasonable agreement with measurements determined from macroscopic monolayer surfaces. Transfer free energies between vapor and water phases for a series of carboxylic acids are also predicted reasonably well by these solvation energies, provided the surface exposure of different groups is quantitated with the molecular surface area rather than the more traditional accessible surface area. In general, molecular surfaces and molecular surface areas are seen to have important advantages for characterizing the structure and energetics of macromolecular surfaces. Crystal faces of succinic acid with the lowest surface energies in aqueous solution are characteristically smooth. Increasing surface roughness and apolarity are associated with higher surface energies, which suggests an approach for modifying the surface properties of proteins and other macromolecules.     

Effect of chronic vanadium administration in drinking water to rats

Two-month old Wistar rats of both sexes received, as sole drinking liquid, an aqueous solution of ammonium metavanadate (AMV) at a concentration of 0.01 or 0.05 mg V cm^–3 (0.2 or 1.0 mM) for a period of 4 weeks. It was calculated that the animals took up doses of 1.5 and 5–6 mg V kg body weight^–1 24 h^–1, respectively. Food and AMV solution consumption in the experimental groups was similar to food and water consumption in the control group. A statistically significant decrease of consumption of AMV solution at a concentration of 0.05 mg V cm^–3 was noted only in males. Hematological examination demonstrated a decrease in the erythrocyte count, hemoglobin level and hematocrit index. This decrease in the erythrocyte count was associated with an increased percentage of reticulocytes in the peripheral blood of the animals drinking the solution with a higher vanadium content. Biochemical analyses demonstrated a decrease of l-ascorbic acid levels in the plasma and erythrocytes of animals drinking the AMV solutions. A distinct tendency for the malonyldialdehyde level to increase in the blood was also observed. Among the enzymes examined in the erythrocytes (catalase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase and -aminolevulinic acid dehydratase [ALA-D]) only ALA-D activity was depressed.     

解淀粉芽胞杆菌hemX基因缺失对血红素合成的影响

血红素是一种广泛存在于生物体中的卟啉类化合物,具有多种生理功能。解淀粉芽胞杆菌(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens)具有易于培养、分泌表达能力较强等特点,是一种重要的工业菌株。为了筛选血红素合成的最优出发菌株,以不添加和添加5-氨基乙酰丙酸(5-aminolevulinic acid, ALA)的方式,对实验室保藏菌株进行筛选,发现不添加ALA时,菌株BA、BAΔ6、BAΔ6ΔsigF的血红素产量无明显差别;然而添加ALA后,BAΔ6ΔsigF的血红素产量和比生产能力均为最高,分别达到200.77μmol/L和615.70μmol/(L·g DCW)。因此,以BAΔ6ΔsigF为出发菌株,敲除编码细胞色素组装蛋白HemX的hemX基因,探究其在血红素合成途径中的作用,发现敲除菌株发酵液明显变红,且生长未受到明显影响;摇瓶发酵12 h时ALA浓度最高,为82.13 mg/L,略高于对照的75.11 mg/L;不添加ALA时,血红素产量和比生产能力分别为对照的1.99倍和1.45倍;添加ALA后,血红素产量和比生产能力分别为对照的2.08倍和1.72倍;实时定量荧光PCR...     

利用酵母菌生产有机酸的研究进展

有机酸是含有一种或多种低分子量酸性基团(如羧基、磺酸基)的可生物合成的有机化合物,广泛应用于食品、农业、医药、生物基材料工业等领域。酵母菌具有生物安全、抗逆性强、底物谱广泛、方便遗传改造,以及大规模培养技术成熟等独特优点,因此利用酵母菌生产有机酸的研究日益受到国内外学者的关注。目前利用酵母生产有机酸还存在浓度低、副产物多,以及发酵效率低等缺陷。随着酵母菌代谢工程和合成生物学技术的发展,利用酵母菌生产有机酸取得了快速进展。本文总结了利用酵母合成11种有机酸的研究,包括内源和异源合成的大宗羧酸和高价值有机酸,并对该领域的未来研究方向进行了展望。     

评论：塑料结合模块促进聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯的酶法降解

塑料的大量生产和无节制的使用已造成严重的环境污染。为了减少塑料废物对环境的影响,近年来塑料酶法降解已成为国内外研究者关注的热点。例如,通过蛋白质工程策略提高塑料降解酶催化活性和热稳定性,进一步提高酶法降解的效率。另外,通过融合酶策略将塑料结合模块与塑料降解酶融合,也可以促进塑料降解。近期发表在期刊Chem Catalysis的一项研究表明,采用碳水化合物结合模块融合策略可以在低浓度(<10 wt%)的底物聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯[poly(ethylene terephthalate),PET]中提高塑料降解酶的活性。但是在高浓度底物(10 wt%−20 wt%)中,该策略无法提高PET的酶法降解。该项研究对于采用塑料结合模块促进酶法降解塑料具有重要的指导意义。     

A new approach for extracting information from protein dynamics

Increased ability to predict protein structures is moving research focus towards understanding protein dynamics. A promising approach is to represent protein dynamics through networks and take advantage of well-developed methods from network science. Most studies build protein dynamics networks from correlation measures, an approach that only works under very specific conditions, instead of the more robust inverse approach. Thus, we apply the inverse approach to the dynamics of protein dihedral angles, a system of internal coordinates, to avoid structural alignment. Using the well-characterized adhesion protein, FimH, we show that our method identifies networks that are physically interpretable, robust, and relevant to the allosteric pathway sites. We further use our approach to detect dynamical differences, despite structural similarity, for Siglec-8 in the immune system, and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Our study demonstrates that using the inverse approach to extract a network from protein dynamics yields important biophysical insights.