Expression of a xylanase gene of Bacillus pumilus in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis

Summary A hybrid plasmid, pOXN29 (10.4 Mdal), coding the xylanase (xynA) and -xylosidase (xynB) genes of Bacillus pumilus IPO was constructed by the ligation of pBR322 and a 7.7 Mdal PstI-fragment of chromosomal DNA as reported in our previous paper (Panbangred et al. 1983). A deletion plasmid of pOXN29, pOXN293 (9.2 Mdal), which contains xynA and xynB, was ligated with pUB110 at an EcoRI site, and used to transform B. subtilis MI111. Two selected clones of B. subtilis as xylanase hyper-producers contained plasmids pOXW11 (4.2 Mdal) and pOXW12 (4.0 Mdal), both consisting of only pUB110, xynA, and its flanking regions, as the result of spontaneous deletion. These B. subtilis clones produced 2.7–3.0 times as much xylanase as B. pumilus. Escherichia coli and B. subtilis clones harbouring the hybrid plasmids synthesized xylanase and -xylosidase constitutively, whereas both enzymes were induced by xylose in B. pumilus.Xylanase synthesized by B. subtilis harbouring pOXW11 or pOXW12 was excreted into the medium like that of B. pumilus IPO, but xylanase synthesized in E. coli harbouring pOXN29, 293 or pOXW1 coding xynA was intracellular. In a previous investigation (Panbangred et al. 1983), xylanase was found to be located in the cytoplasm, not the periplasm nor the membrane fraction in E. coli cells harbouring pOXN29 derivatives. In spite of the abnormal location of xylanase synthesized in E. coli, the signal peptide was processed in the same way as in B. pumilus, with the same molecular weight and the same amino terminal sequences of xylanase prepared from E. coli cells and B. pumilus culture fluid.     

Flower color modulations of Torenia hybrida by downregulation of chalcone synthase genes with RNA interference

Suppression of biosynthetic genes involved in flower color formation is an important approach for obtaining target flower colors. Here we report that flower color of the garden plant Torenia hybrida was successfully modulated by RNA interference (RNAi) against a gene of chalcone synthase (CHS), a key enzyme for anthocyanin and flavonoid biosynthesis. By using each of the coding region and the 3'-untranslated region of the CHS mRNA as an RNAi target, exhaustive and gene-specific gene silencing were successfully induced, and the original blue flower color was modulated to white and pale colors, respectively. Our results indicate that RNAi is quite useful for modulations of flower colors of commercially important garden plants.     

In-situ chemical analyses of trans-polyisoprene by histochemical staining and Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy in a rubber-producing plant,Eucommia ulmoides Oliver

The localization of polyisoprene in young stem tissues of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver was investigated by histochemical staining and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy. The fibrous structures were stained with Oil Red O. FT-IR microspectroscopic analysis proved that the fibrous structures were trans-polyisoprene. Granular structures stained with the dye, and characteristic absorptions at 2,960 cm(-1) and 1,430 cm(-1) in FT-IR suggested that trans-polyisoprene accumulated in the vicinity of the cambium layer. We have thus successfully shown for the first time the localization of trans-polyisoprene in plant tissues, and our histological investigation allowed us to presume the main sites of biosynthesis and accumulation of trans-rubber. Furthermore, a new technical approach, the preparation of sections using an electronic freezing unit and the in situ analysis of polyisoprene using FT-IR microspectroscopy, is demonstrated to be a promising method for determining the accumulation of polyisoprene as well as other metabolites.     

Removal of magnesium by Mg-dechelatase is a major step in the chlorophyll-degrading pathway in Ginkgo biloba in the process of autumnal tints

Autumnal tints are one of the most manifest and fascinating natural phenomena, but the mechanism of chlorophyll (Chl)-breakdown in deciduous trees has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the composition of Chl-related compounds and determined the activities of initial Chl-degrading enzymes in Ginkgo leaves at various stages in the process of autumnal coloring. Only pheophytin a (Pheo a, Mg-free Chl a) was detected in yellow leaves by HPLC analysis, and the activity of Mg-dechelatase in yellow leaves was found to be higher than in green leaves. These findings showed that the removal of magnesium from Chl a occurred in advance of dephytylation in the Ginkgo.     

Enzymatic and structural characterization of type II isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase from hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis

Enzymatic and thermodynamic characteristics of type II isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP):dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) isomerase (Tk-IDI) from Thermococcus kodakaraensis, which catalyzes the interconversion of IPP and DMAPP, were examined. FMN was tightly bound to Tk-IDI, and the enzyme required NADPH and Mg2+ for the isomerization in both directions. The melting temperature (Tm), the change of enthalpy (deltaH(m)), and the heat capacity change (deltaC(p)) of Tk-IDI were 88.0 degrees C, 444 kJ mol(-1), and 13.2 kJ mol(-1) K(-1), respectively, indicating that Tk-IDI is fairly thermostable. Kinetic parameters dramatically changed when the temperature crossed 80 degrees C even though its native overall structure was stably maintained up to 90 degrees C, suggesting that local conformational change would occur around 80 degrees C. This speculation was supported by the result of the circular dichroism analysis that showed the shift of the alpha-helical content occurred at 80 degrees C.     

Separation of polyprenol and dolichol by monolithic silica capillary column chromatography

We attempted an analysis of naturally occurring polyprenol and dolichol using a monolithic silica capillary column in HPLC. First, the separation of the polyprenol mixture alone was performed using a 250 x 0.2 mm inner diameter (ID) octadecylsilyl (ODS)-monolithic silica capillary column. The resolution of the separation between octadecaprenol (prenol 18) and nonadecaprenol (prenol 19) exceeded by >or=2-fold the level recorded when using a conventional ODS-silica particle-packed column (250 x 4.6 mm ID) under the same elution conditions. Next, the mixture of the prenol type (polyprenol) and dolichol type (dihydropolyprenol) was subjected to this capillary HPLC system, and the separation of each homolog was successfully achieved. During the analysis of polyprenol fraction derived from Eucommia ulmoides leaves, dolichols were found as a single peak, including all-trans-polyprenol and cis-polyprenol previously identified. This sensitive high-resolution system is very useful for the analysis of compounds that are structurally close to polyprenols and dolichols and that have a low content.