Evolutionary History of the Enzymes Involved in the Calvin–Benson Cycle in Euglenids

Euglenids are an ancient lineage that may have existed as early as 2 billion years ago. A mere 65 years ago, Melvin Calvin and Andrew A. Benson performed experiments on Euglena gracilis and elucidated the series of reactions by which carbon was fixed and reduced during photosynthesis. However, the evolutionary history of this pathway (Calvin–Benson cycle) in euglenids was more complex than Calvin and Benson could have imagined. The chloroplast present today in euglenophytes arose from a secondary endosymbiosis between a phagotrophic euglenid and a prasinophyte green alga. A long period of evolutionary time existed before this secondary endosymbiotic event took place, which allowed for other endosymbiotic events or gene transfers to occur prior to the establishment of the green chloroplast. This research revealed the evolutionary history of the major enzymes of the Calvin–Benson cycle throughout the euglenid lineage and showed that the majority of genes for Calvin–Benson cycle enzymes shared an ancestry with red algae and/or chromophytes suggesting they may have been transferred to the nucleus prior to the acquisition of the green chloroplast.     

Pin1-mediated Modification Prolongs the Nuclear Retention of β-Catenin in Wnt3a-induced Osteoblast Differentiation

The canonical Wnt signaling pathway, in which β-catenin nuclear localization is a crucial step, plays an important role in osteoblast differentiation. Pin1, a prolyl isomerase, is also known as a key enzyme in osteogenesis. However, the role of Pin1 in canonical Wnt signal-induced osteoblast differentiation is poorly understood. We found that Pin1 deficiency caused osteopenia and reduction of β-catenin in bone lining cells. Similarly, Pin1 knockdown or treatment with Pin1 inhibitors strongly decreased the nuclear β-catenin level, TOP flash activity, and expression of bone marker genes induced by canonical Wnt activation and vice versa in Pin1 overexpression. Pin1 interacts directly with and isomerizes β-catenin in the nucleus. The isomerized β-catenin could not bind to nuclear adenomatous polyposis coli, which drives β-catenin out of the nucleus for proteasomal degradation, which consequently increases the retention of β-catenin in the nucleus and might explain the decrease of β-catenin ubiquitination. These results indicate that Pin1 could be a critical target to modulate β-catenin-mediated osteogenesis.     

产葡萄糖异构酶工程菌工业发酵条件模拟研究

高效表达葡萄糖异构酶的大肠杆菌工程菌Ｋ３８／ｐＧＰＩ－２,ｐＴＫＤ－ＧＩ菌株,在玉米浆培养基中能高效合成葡萄糖异构酶,观察了细菌生长的细胞浓度（ＯＤ）、ｐＨ和酶产生的动态变化。玉米浆培养基成本低、制备工艺简单,在５０Ｌ发酵罐中酶活力为１４３ｕ／ｍＬ,比在ＬＢ培养基中高约１０倍。用超声波破碎细胞液作酶源吸附于大孔阴离子交换树脂制成固定化葡萄糖异构酶、其酶活力达到１０２００ｕ／ｇ（干）。     

葡萄糖异构酶基因工程菌的改造初探

葡萄糖异构酶（ｇｌｕｃｏｓｅｉｓｏｍｅｒａｓｅ,ＧＩ）是使用量最大的工业酶之一,可用于高果糖浆的生产,也可以用含木聚糖物质及废料为底物发酵生产乙醇,具有重要的经济价值．本文选择了表达载体ｐＢＶ２２０［１］,利用ＰＣＲ方法删除了原表达质粒ｐＴＫＤＧＩ１中ＧＩ结构基因５′端多余的核苷酸,并添加了合适的酶切位点,重新构建了能在大肠杆菌ＤＨ５α中高效表达ＧＩＧ１３８Ｐ的表达质粒ｐＢＺＧＩ１．传代实验表明,新表达体系的稳定性明显优于原表达体系．粗酶液经热处理、ＤＥＡＥＳｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅＦＦ和分子筛Ｓｅ…     

Preparation of fluorescence quenched libraries containing interchain disulphide bonds for studies of protein disulphide isomerases

Protein disulphide isomerase is an enzyme that catalyses disulphide redox reactions in proteins. In this paper, fluorogenic and interchain disulphide bond containing peptide libraries and suitable substrates, useful in the study of protein disulphide isomerase, are described. In order to establish the chemistry required for the generation of a split-synthesis library, two substrates containing an interchain disulphide bond, a fluoroescent probe and a quencher were synthesized. The library consists of a Cys residue flanked by randomized amino acid residues at both sides and the fluoroescent Abz group at the amino terminal. All the 20 natural amino acids except Cys were employed. The library was linked to PEGA‒beads via methionine so that the peptides could be selectively removed from the resin by cleavage with CNBr. A disulphide bridge was formed between the bead‒linked library and a peptide containing the quenching chromophore (Tyr(NO₂)) and Cys(pNpys) activated for reaction with a second thiol. The formation and cleavage of the interchain disulphide bonds in the library were monitored under a fluoroescence microscope. Substrates to investigate the properties of protein disulphide isomerase in solution were also synthesized. © 1998 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of ketosteroid isomerase from Pseudomonas putida biotype B

The Δ⁵-3-ketosteroid isomerase from Pseudomonas putida biotype B has been crystallized. The crystals belong to the space group P2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell dimensions of a = 36.48 Å, b = 74.30 Å, c = 96.02 Å, and contain one homodimer per asymmetric unit. Native diffraction data to 2.19 Å resolution have been obtained from one crystal at room temperature indicating that the crystals are quite suitable for structure determination by multiple isomorphous replacement.     

An exception among diatoms: unique organization of genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis in Rhizosolenia setigera CCMP 1694

The marine diatom Rhizosolenia setigera is unique among this group of microalgae given that it is only one of a handful of diatom species that can produce highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) hydrocarbons. In our efforts to determine distinguishing molecular characteristics in R. setigera CCMP 1694 that could help elucidate the underlying mechanisms for its ability to biosynthesize HBIs, we discovered the occurrence of independent genes encoding for two isopentenyl diphosphate isomerases (RsIDI1 and RsIDI2) and one squalene synthase (RsSQS), enzymes that catalyze non‐consecutive steps in isoprenoid biosynthesis. These genes are peculiarly fused in all other genome‐sequenced diatoms to date, making their organization in R. setigera CCMP 1694 a clear distinguishing molecular feature. Phylogenetic and sequence analysis of RsIDI1, RsIDI2, and RsSQS revealed that such an arrangement of individually transcribed genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis could have arisen through a secondary gene fission event. We further demonstrate that inhibition of squalene synthase (SQS) shifts the flux of exogenous isoprenoid precursors towards HBI biosynthesis suggesting the competition for isoprenoid substrates in the form of farnesyl diphosphate between the sterol and HBI biosynthetic pathways in this diatom.     

小球藻亲环蛋白A的酶活性及过表达拟南芥抗盐性分析

在前期研究中分离到噬碳酸盐小球藻（Chlorella sp.X1）的亲环蛋白基因CsCyp1A（登录号：KY207381）,编码CsCyp1A蛋白是否具有肽酰脯氨酰顺反异构酶（PPIase）活性功能是进一步研究它参与小球藻耐盐生物学过程的基础。通过His标签的pQE-30-CsCyp1A原核蛋白表达载体,经IPTG诱导它的E.coli M15菌株表达融合蛋白,Nitra-柱纯化后获得纯化的30 kDa左右的His-CsCyp1A融合蛋白质,Western杂交检测到HisCsCyp1A蛋白的杂交信号。酶活性分析显示,HisCsCyp1A融合蛋白中生色基团的产生速度明显快于对照,表明CsCyp1A蛋白可以催化底物N-succinyl-Xaa-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide中Xaa-Pro肽键的顺反折叠,说明纯化的CsCyp1A蛋白具有PPIase活性。典型的亲环蛋白家族成员具有肽酰脯氨酰顺反异构酶（PPIase）活性,参与折叠和转运、信号转导、免疫调节、细胞凋亡等生物学过程。真空渗入法侵染转化的拟南芥在35S启动子驱动下超表达CsCyp1A基因,耐盐性研究表明它提高了过表达株系对NaCl胁迫的耐性,揭示小球藻CsCyp1A基因的抗盐性功能,它将成为抗逆育种的基因资源。本研究也为探索小球藻亲环蛋白A的抗盐碱胁迫生物学作用和分子育种奠定了基础。     

Crystal structure of 5-methylthioribose 1-phosphate isomerase product complex from Bacillus subtilis: implications for catalytic mechanism

The methionine salvage pathway (MSP) plays a crucial role in recycling a sulphahydryl derivative of the nucleoside. Recently, the genes and reactions in MSP from Bacillus subtilis have been identified, where 5-methylthioribose 1-phosphate isomerase (M1Pi) catalyzes a conversion of 5-methylthioribose 1-phosphate (MTR-1-P) to 5-methylthioribulose 1-phosphate (MTRu-1-P). Herein, we report the crystal structures of B. subtilis M1Pi (Bs-M1Pi) in complex with its product MTRu-1-P, and a sulfate at 2.4 and 2.7 A resolution, respectively. The electron density clearly shows the presence of each compound in the active site. The structural comparison with other homologous proteins explains how the substrate uptake of Bs-M1Pi may be induced by an open/closed transition of the active site. The highly conserved residues at the active site, namely, Cys160 and Asp240 are most likely to be involved in catalysis. The structural analysis sheds light on its catalytic mechanism of M1Pi.