Molecular Analysis of Expression of the Lantibiotic Pep5 Immunity Phenotype

1999 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 591-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike Pag ◽  
Christoph Heidrich ◽  
Gabriele Bierbaum ◽  
Hans-Georg Sahl

ABSTRACT The lantibiotic Pep5 is produced by Staphylococcus epidermidis 5. Within its biosynthetic gene cluster, the immunity gene pepI, providing producer self-protection, is localized upstream of the structural gene pepA. Pep5 production and the immunity phenotype have been found to be tightly coupled (M. Reis, M. Eschbach-Bludau, M. I. Iglesias-Wind, T. Kupke, and H.-G. Sahl, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60:2876–2883, 1994). To study this phenomenon, we analyzed pepA and pepItranscription and translation and constructed a number of strains containing various fragments of the gene cluster and expressing different levels of immunity. Complementation of apepA-expressing strain with pepI intrans did not result in phenotypic immunity or production of PepI. On the other hand, neither pepA nor its product was found to be involved in immunity, since suppression of the translation of the pepA mRNA by mutation of the ATG start codon did not reduce the level of immunity. Moreover, homologous and heterologous expression of pepI from a xylose-inducible promoter resulted in significant Pep5 insensitivity. Most important for expression of the immunity phenotype was the stability ofpepI transcripts, which in the wild-type strain, is achieved by an inverted repeat with a free energy of −56.9 kJ/mol, localized downstream of pepA. We performed site-directed mutagenesis to study the functional role of PepI and constructed F13D PepI, I17R PepI, and PepI 1-65; all mutants showed reduced levels of immunity. Western blot analysis indicated that F13D PepI and PepI 1-65 were not produced correctly or were partially degraded, while I17R PepI apparently was less efficient in providing self-protection than the wild-type PepI.

2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 1210-1218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daren W. Brown ◽  
Robert A. E. Butchko ◽  
Mark Busman ◽  
Robert H. Proctor

ABSTRACT Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by some Fusarium species and can contaminate maize or maize products. Ingestion of fumonisins is associated with diseases, including cancer and neural tube defects, in humans and animals. In fungi, genes involved in the synthesis of mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites are often located adjacent to each other in gene clusters. Such genes can encode structural enzymes, regulatory proteins, and/or proteins that provide self-protection. The fumonisin biosynthetic gene cluster includes 16 genes, none of which appear to play a role in regulation. In this study, we identified a previously undescribed gene (FUM21) located adjacent to the fumonisin polyketide synthase gene, FUM1. The presence of a Zn(II)2Cys6 DNA-binding domain in the predicted protein suggested that FUM21 was involved in transcriptional regulation. FUM21 deletion (Δfum21) mutants produce little to no fumonisin in cracked maize cultures but some FUM1 and FUM8 transcripts in a liquid GYAM medium. Complementation of a Δfum21 mutant with a wild-type copy of the gene restored fumonisin production. Analysis of FUM21 cDNAs identified four alternative splice forms (ASFs), and microarray analysis indicated the ASFs were differentially expressed. Based on these data, we present a model for how FUM21 ASFs may regulate fumonisin biosynthesis.


1994 ◽  
Vol 302 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Schejter ◽  
T I Koshy ◽  
T L Luntz ◽  
R Sanishvili ◽  
I Vig ◽  
...  

Asn-52 of rat cytochrome c and baker's yeast iso-1-cytochrome c was changed to isoleucine by site-directed mutagenesis and the mutated proteins expressed in and purified from cultures of transformed yeast. This mutation affected the affinity of the haem iron for the Met-80 sulphur in the ferric state and the reduction potential of the molecule. The yeast protein, in which the sulphur-iron bond is distinctly weaker than in vertebrate cytochromes c, became very similar to the latter: the pKa of the alkaline ionization rose from 8.3 to 9.4 and that of the acidic ionization decreased from 3.4 to 2.8. The rates of binding and dissociation of cyanide became markedly lower, and the affinity was lowered by half an order of magnitude. In the ferrous state the dissociation of cyanide from the variant yeast cytochrome c was three times slower than in the wild-type. The same mutation had analogous but less pronounced effects on rat cytochrome c: it did not alter the alkaline ionization pKa nor its affinity for cyanide, but it lowered its acidic ionization pKa from 2.8 to 2.2. These results indicate that the mutation of Asn-52 to isoleucine increases the stability of the cytochrome c closed-haem crevice as observed earlier for the mutation of Tyr-67 to phenylalanine [Luntz, Schejter, Garber and Margoliash (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 3524-3528], because of either its effects on the hydrogen-bonding of an interior water molecule or a general increase in the hydrophobicity of the protein in the domain occupied by the mutated residues. The reduction potentials were affected in different ways; the Eo of rat cytochrome c rose by 14 mV whereas that of the yeast iso-1 cychrome c was 30 mV lower as a result of the change of Asn-52 to isoleucine.


1995 ◽  
Vol 312 (1) ◽  
pp. 273-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Haraguchi ◽  
S Yamashiro ◽  
K Furukawa ◽  
K Takamiya ◽  
H Shiku ◽  
...  

The amino acid sequence deduced from the cloned human cDNA of beta-1,4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (GalNAc-T; EC 2.4.1.92) gene predicted three potential sites for N-linked glycosylation. Although many glycosyltransferases isolated contain from 2 to 6 N-glycosylation sites, their significance has not been adequately demonstrated. To clarify the roles of N-glycosylation in GalNAc-T function, we generated a series of mutant cDNAs, in which some or all of the glycosylation recognition sites were eliminated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-mediated site-directed mutagenesis. Using transcription/translation in vitro, we confirmed that all potential N-glycosylation sites could be used. Although cell lines transfected with mutant cDNAs showed equivalent levels of GalNAc beta 1-->4(NeuAc alpha 2-->3)Gal beta 1-->4Glc-Cer (GM2) to that of the wild-type, the extracts from mutant cDNA transfectants demonstrated lower enzyme activity than in the wild-type. The decrease in enzyme activity was more evident as the number of deglycosylated sites increased, with about 90% decrease in a totally deglycosylated mutant. The enzyme kinetics analysis revealed no significant change of Km among wild-type and mutant cDNA products. The intracellular localization of GalNAc-T expressed in transfectants with wild-type or mutant cDNAs also showed a similar perinuclear pattern (Golgi pattern). These results suggest that N-linked carbohydrates on GalNAc-T are required for regulating the stability of the enzyme structure.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan-Jie Wu ◽  
Song-Bai Yang ◽  
Zheng-Yu Zhang ◽  
Shao-Xin Chen

AbstractNemadectin, a 16-member macrocyclic lactone antiparasitic antibiotic, is produced by Streptomyces cyaneogriseus subspecies noncyanogenus. Moxidectin, a C-23 oximate derivative of nemadectin, is widely used as a pesticide due to its broad-spectrum, highly efficient, and safe anthelmintic activity. NemR, a LAL family regulator, is encoded by nemR and is involved in nemadectin biosynthesis in S. cyaneogriseus. In this report, gene disruption and complementation experiments showed that nemR plays a positive role in the biosynthesis of nemadectin. The transcription level of nemadectin biosynthetic genes in the nemR knockout strain was significantly decreased compared with those in the wild-type strain MOX-101. However, overexpression of nemR under the control of native or strong constitutive promoters resulted in the opposite, increasing the production of nemadectin by 56.5 or 73.5%, respectively, when compared with MOX-101. In addition, the gene cluster of nemadectin biosynthesis was further cloned and overexpressed using a CRISPR method, which significantly increase nemadectin yield by 108.6% (509 mg/L) when compared with MOX-101.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Iorio ◽  
Sahar Davatgarbenam ◽  
Stefania Serina ◽  
Paolo Criscenzo ◽  
Mitja M. Zdouc ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTWe report a metabolomic analysis of Streptomyces sp. ID38640, a soil isolate that produces the bacterial RNA polymerase inhibitor pseudouridimycin. The analysis was performed on the wild type and on ten different pum mutants blocked at different steps in pseudouridimycin biosynthesis. The results indicate that Streptomyces sp. ID38640 is able to produce, in addition to pseudouridimcyin, lydicamycins and deferroxiamines, as previously reported, also the lassopeptide ulleungdin, the non-ribosomal peptide antipain and the osmoprotectant ectoine. The corresponding biosynthetic gene clusters were readily identified in the strain genome. We also detected the known compound pyridindolol, for which we propose a previously unreported biosynthetic gene cluster, as well as three families of unknown metabolites. Remarkably, the levels of the different metabolites varied strongly in the different mutant strains, allowing detection of metabolites not normally seen in the wild type. Three newly constructed pum mutants, along with systematic investigation of the accumulated metabolites, shed further lights on pseudouridimycin biosynthesis. We also show that several Streptomyces strains, harboring the pum biosynthetic gene cluster and unrelated to ID38640, readily produce pseudouridimycin.


2008 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 1686-1696 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Eys ◽  
D. Schwartz ◽  
W. Wohlleben ◽  
E. Schinko

ABSTRACT Phosphinothricin tripeptide (PTT) is a peptide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494, and it is synthesized by nonribosomal peptide synthetases. The PTT biosynthetic gene cluster contains three peptide synthetase genes: phsA, phsB, and phsC. Each of these peptide synthetases comprises only one module. In neither PhsB nor PhsC is a typical C-terminal thioesterase domain present. In contrast, a single thioesterase GXSXG motif has been identified in the N terminus of the first peptide synthetase, PhsA. In addition, two external thioesterase genes, theA and theB, are located within the PTT biosynthetic gene cluster. To analyze the thioesterase function as well as the assembly of the peptide synthetases within PTT biosynthesis, several mutants were generated and analyzed. A phsA deletion mutant (MphsA) was complemented with two different phsA constructs that were carrying mutations in the thioesterase motif. In one construct, the thioesterase motif comprising 45 amino acids of phsA were deleted. In the second construct, the conserved serine residue of the GXSXG motif was replaced by an alanine. In both cases, the complementation of MphsA did not restore PTT biosynthesis, revealing that the thioesterase motif in the N terminus of PhsA is required for PTT production. In contrast, TheA and TheB might have editing functions, as an interruption of the theA and theB genes led to reduced PTT production, whereas an overexpression of both genes in the wild type enhanced the PTT yield. The presence of an active single thioesterase motif in the N terminus of PhsA points to a novel mechanism of product release.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Iorio ◽  
Sahar Davatgarbenam ◽  
Stefania Serina ◽  
Paolo Criscenzo ◽  
Mitja M. Zdouc ◽  
...  

AbstractWe report a metabolomic analysis of Streptomyces sp. ID38640, a soil isolate that produces the bacterial RNA polymerase inhibitor pseudouridimycin. The analysis was performed on the wild type, on three newly constructed and seven previously reported mutant strains disabled in different genes required for pseudouridimycin biosynthesis. The results indicate that Streptomyces sp. ID38640 is able to produce, in addition to lydicamycins and deferroxiamines, as previously reported, also the lassopeptide ulleungdin, the non-ribosomal peptide antipain and the osmoprotectant ectoine. The corresponding biosynthetic gene clusters were readily identified in the strain genome. We also detected the known compound pyridindolol, for which we propose a previously unreported biosynthetic gene cluster, as well as three families of unknown metabolites. Remarkably, the levels of most metabolites varied strongly in the different mutant strains, an observation that enabled detection of metabolites unnoticed in the wild type. Systematic investigation of the accumulated metabolites in the ten different pum mutants identified shed further light on pseudouridimycin biosynthesis. We also show that several Streptomyces strains, able to produce pseudouridimycin, have distinct genetic relationship and metabolic profile with ID38640.


1994 ◽  
Vol 302 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Inukai ◽  
T Asano ◽  
H Katagiri ◽  
M Anai ◽  
M Funaki ◽  
...  

A mutated GLUT1 glucose transporter, a Trp-388, 412 mutant whose tryptophans 388 and 412 were both replaced by leucines, was constructed by site-directed mutagenesis and expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Glucose transport activity was decreased to approx. 30% in the Trp-388, 412 mutant compared with that in the wild type, a similar decrease in transport activity had been observed previously in the Trp-388 mutant and the Trp-412 mutant which had leucine at 388 and 412 respectively. Cytochalasin B labelling of the Trp-388 mutant was only decreased rather than abolished, a result similar to that obtained previously for the Trp-412 mutant. Cytochalasin B labelling was finally abolished completely in the Trp-388, 412 mutant, while cytochalasin B binding to this mutant was decreased to approx. 30% of that of the wild-type GLUT1 at the concentration used for photolabelling. This level of binding is thought to be adequate to detect labelling, assuming that the labelling efficiency of these transporters is similar. These findings suggest that cytochalasin B binds to the transmembrane domain of the glucose transporter in the vicinity of helix 10-11, and is inserted covalently by photoactivation at either the 388 or the 412 site.


1997 ◽  
Vol 326 (3) ◽  
pp. 861-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy P. O'CONNELL ◽  
Regina M. DAY ◽  
Ekaterina V. TORCHILIN ◽  
William W. BACHOVCHIN ◽  
J. Paul G. MALTHOUSE

By removing one of the hydrogen-bond donors in the oxyanion hole of subtilisin BPN, we have been able to determine how it affects the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme and the pKa of the oxyanion formed in a choloromethane inhibitor derivative. Variant 8397 of subtilisin BPN contains five mutations which enhance its stability. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to prepare the N155A mutant of this variant. The catalytic efficiencies of wild-type and variant 8397 are similar, but replacing Asn-155 with alanine reduces catalytic efficiency approx. 300-fold. All three forms of subtilisin were alkylated using benzyloxycarbonylglycylglycyl[2-13C]phenylalanylchloromethane and examined by 13C-NMR. A single signal due to the 13C-enriched carbon was detected in all the derivatives and it was assigned to the hemiketal carbon of a tetrahedral adduct formed between the hydroxy group of Ser-221 and the inhibitor. This signal had chemical shifts in the range 98.3–103.6 p.p.m., depending on the pH. The titration shift of 4.7–4.8 p.p.m. was assigned to oxyanion formation. The oxyanion pKa values in the wild-type and 8397 variants were 6.92 and 7.00 respectively. In the N155A mutant of the 8397 variant the oxyanion pKa increased to 8.09. We explain why such a small increase is observed and we conclude that it is the interaction between the oxyanion and the imidazolium cation of the active-site histidine that is the main factor responsible for lowering the oxyanion pKa.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (7) ◽  
pp. 2873-2885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuqing Tian ◽  
Kay Fowler ◽  
Kim Findlay ◽  
Huarong Tan ◽  
Keith F. Chater

ABSTRACT WhiI, a regulator required for efficient sporulation septation in the aerial mycelium of Streptomyces coelicolor, resembles response regulators of bacterial two-component systems but lacks some conserved features of typical phosphorylation pockets. Four amino acids of the abnormal “phosphorylation pocket” were changed by site-directed mutagenesis. Unlike whiI null mutations, these point mutations did not interfere with sporulation septation but had various effects on spore maturation. Transcriptome analysis was used to compare gene expression in the wild-type strain, a D27A mutant (pale gray spores), a D69E mutant (wild-type spores), and a null mutant (white aerial mycelium, no spores) (a new variant of PCR targeting was used to introduce the point mutations into the chromosomal copy of whiI). The results revealed 45 genes that were affected by the deletion of whiI. Many of these showed increased expression in the wild type at the time when aerial growth and development were taking place. About half of them showed reduced expression in the null mutant, and about half showed increased expression. Some, but not all, of these 45 genes were also affected by the D27A mutation, and a few were affected by the D69E mutation. The results were consistent with a model in which WhiI acts differently at sequential stages of development. Consideration of the functions of whiI-influenced genes provides some insights into the physiology of aerial hyphae. Mutation of seven whiI-influenced genes revealed that three of them play roles in spore maturation.


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