scholarly journals Identification and Inactivation of Genetic Loci Involved with Lactobacillus acidophilus Acid Tolerance

2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (9) ◽  
pp. 5315-5322 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Andrea Azcarate-Peril ◽  
Eric Altermann ◽  
Rebecca L. Hoover-Fitzula ◽  
Raul J. Cano ◽  
Todd R. Klaenhammer
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Lactobacillus Acidophilus ◽  
Acid Stress ◽  
Acid Tolerance ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Open Reading Frames ◽  
Amino Acid Permease ◽  
Physiological Limits ◽  
Insertional Inactivation ◽  
Genes Encoding

ABSTRACT Amino acid decarboxylation-antiporter reactions are one of the most important systems for maintaining intracellular pH between physiological limits under acid stress. We analyzed the Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM complete genome sequence and selected four open reading frames with similarities to genes involved with decarboxylation reactions involved in acid tolerance in several microorganisms. Putative genes encoding an ornithine decarboxylase, an amino acid permease, a glutamate γ-aminobutyrate antiporter, and a transcriptional regulator were disrupted by insertional inactivation. The ability of L. acidophilus to survive low-pH conditions, such as those encountered in the stomach or fermented dairy foods, was investigated and compared to the abilities of early- and late-stationary-phase cells of the mutants by challenging them with a variety of acidic conditions. All of the integrants were more sensitive to low pH than the parental strain. Interestingly, each integrant also exhibited an adaptive acid response during logarithmic growth, indicating that multiple mechanisms are present and orchestrated in L. acidophilus in response to acid challenge.

Streptococcus salivarius Isolates of Varying Acid Tolerance Exhibit F1F0-ATPase Conservation

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Lauren L. Allen ◽  
Nicholas C.K. Heng ◽  
Geoffrey R. Tompkins
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Structure ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Acid Tolerance ◽  
Mutans Streptococci ◽  
Streptococcus Salivarius ◽  
Synonymous Substitutions ◽  
Carious Lesions ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Atpase Subunits ◽  
Membrane Bound

Genes encoding the subunits of the membrane-bound F<sub>1</sub>F<sub>0</sub>-ATPase (responsible for exporting protons from the cytoplasm and contributing to acid tolerance) were sequenced for 24 non-mutans streptococci isolated from carious lesions. Isolates, mostly <i>Streptococcus salivarius</i>, displayed a continuum of acid tolerance thresholds ranging from pH 4.55 to 3.39, but amino acid alignments of F<sub>1</sub>F<sub>0</sub>-ATPase subunits revealed few non-synonymous substitutions and these were unrelated to acid tolerance. Thus, the F<sub>1</sub>F<sub>0</sub>-ATPase is highly-conserved among <i>S. salivarius</i> isolates despite varying acid tolerance thresholds, supporting the contention that acid tolerance is determined by the level of gene/protein expression rather than variation in molecular structure.

Involvement of the ornithine decarboxylase gene in acid stress response in probiotic Lactobacillus delbrueckii UFV H2b20

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 719-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.B. Ferreira ◽  
M.N.V. de Oliveira ◽  
F.S. Freitas ◽  
A.D. Paiva ◽  
P. Alfenas-Zerbini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Stress Response ◽  
Intracellular Ph ◽  
Ornithine Decarboxylase ◽  
Ph Regulation ◽  
Acid Stress ◽  
Lactobacillus Delbrueckii ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Amino Acid Permease ◽  
Acid Stress Response

Amino acid decarboxylation is important for the maintenance of intracellular pH under acid stress. This study aims to carry out phylogenetic and expression analysis by real-time PCR of two genes that encode proteins involved in ornithine decarboxylation in Lactobacillus delbrueckii UFV H2b20 exposed to acid stress. Sequencing and phylogeny analysis of genes encoding ornithine decarboxylase and amino acid permease in L. delbrueckii UFV H2b20 showed their high sequence identity (99%) and grouping with those of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus ATCC 11842. Exposure of L. delbrueckii UFV H2b20 cells in MRS pH 3.5 for 30 and 60 min caused a significant increase in expression of the gene encoding ornithine decarboxylase (up to 8.1 times higher when compared to the control treatment). Increased expression of the ornithine decarboxylase gene demonstrates its involvement in acid stress response in L. delbrueckii UFV H2b20, evidencing that the protein encoded by that gene could be involved in intracellular pH regulation. The results obtained show ornithine decarboxylation as a possible mechanism of adaptation to an acidic environmental condition, a desirable and necessary characteristic for probiotic cultures and certainly important to the survival and persistence of the L. delbrueckii UFV H2b20 in the human gastrointestinal tract.

scholarly journals Characterization of Novel Carbazole Catabolism Genes from Gram-Positive Carbazole Degrader Nocardioides aromaticivorans IC177

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 3321-3329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kengo Inoue ◽  
Hiroshi Habe ◽  
Hisakazu Yamane ◽  
Hideaki Nojiri
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Open Reading Frames ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Mononuclear Iron ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Genes Encoding

ABSTRACT Nocardioides aromaticivorans IC177 is a gram-positive carbazole degrader. The genes encoding carbazole degradation (car genes) were cloned into a cosmid clone and sequenced partially to reveal 19 open reading frames. The car genes were clustered into the carAaCBaBbAcAd and carDFE gene clusters, encoding the enzymes responsible for the degradation of carbazole to anthranilate and 2-hydroxypenta-2,4-dienoate and of 2-hydroxypenta-2,4-dienoate to pyruvic acid and acetyl coenzyme A, respectively. The conserved amino acid motifs proposed to bind the Rieske-type [2Fe-2S] cluster and mononuclear iron, the Rieske-type [2Fe-2S] cluster, and flavin adenine dinucleotide were found in the deduced amino acid sequences of carAa, carAc, and carAd, respectively, which showed similarities with CarAa from Sphingomonas sp. strain KA1 (49% identity), CarAc from Pseudomonas resinovorans CA10 (31% identity), and AhdA4 from Sphingomonas sp. strain P2 (37% identity), respectively. Escherichia coli cells expressing CarAaAcAd exhibited major carbazole 1,9a-dioxygenase (CARDO) activity. These data showed that the IC177 CARDO is classified into class IIB, while gram-negative CARDOs are classified into class III or IIA, indicating that the respective CARDOs have diverse types of electron transfer components and high similarities of the terminal oxygenase. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) experiments showed that the carAaCBaBbAcAd and carDFE gene clusters are operonic. The results of quantitative RT-PCR experiments indicated that transcription of both operons is induced by carbazole or its metabolite, whereas anthranilate is not an inducer. Biotransformation analysis showed that the IC177 CARDO exhibits significant activities for naphthalene, carbazole, and dibenzo-p-dioxin but less activity for dibenzofuran and biphenyl.

Comparative Analysis of Acid Resistance between Susceptible and Multi-Antimicrobial-Resistant Salmonella Strains Cultured under Stationary-Phase Acid Tolerance–Inducing and Noninducing Conditions

2003 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 732-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. T. BACON ◽  
J. N. SOFOS ◽  
P. A. KENDALL ◽  
K. E. BELK ◽  
G. C. SMITH
Keyword(s):  
Stationary Phase ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Acid Stress ◽  
Acid Tolerance ◽  
Acid Resistance ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Acid Exposure ◽  
Acid Adaptation ◽  
Acid Shock ◽  
Resistant Strains

This study compared acid resistance levels among five antimicrobial-susceptible strains of Salmonella and five strains that were simultaneously resistant to a minimum of six antimicrobial agents. The induction of a stationary-phase acid tolerance response (ATR) was attempted by both transient low-pH acid shock and acid adaptation. For acid shock induction, strains were grown for 18 h in minimal E medium containing 0.4% glucose (EG medium) and exposed to sublethal acid stress (pH 4.3) for 2 h, and subsequently, both shocked and nonshocked cultures were acid challenged (pH 3.0) for 4 h. Acid adaptation was achieved by growing strains for 18 h in tryptic soy broth containing 1.0% glucose (TSB+G), while nonadapted cultures were grown for 18 h in glucose-free tryptic soy broth (TSB−G). Acid-adapted and nonadapted inocula were acid challenged (pH 2.3) for 4 h. Initial (0 h) mean populations of nonchallenged Salmonella were 8.5 to 8.7, 8.4 to 8.8, and 8.2 to 8.3 log CFU/ml for strains grown in EG medium, TSB−G, and TSB+G, respectively. After 4 h of acid challenge, mean populations were 3.0 to 4.8 and 2.5 to 3.7 log CFU/ml for previously acid-shocked susceptible and resistant strains, respectively, while corresponding counts for nonshocked strains were 4.3 to 5.5 log CFU/ml and 3.9 to 4.9 log CFU/ml. Following 4 h of acid exposure, acid-adapted cultures of susceptible and resistant strains had mean populations of 6.1 to 6.4 log CFU/ml and 6.4 to 6.6 log CFU/ml, respectively, while corresponding counts for nonadapted cultures were 1.9 to 2.1 log CFU/ml and 1.8 to 2.0 log CFU/ml, respectively. A low-pH–inducible ATR was not achieved through transient acid shock, while an ATR was evident following acid adaptation, as adapted populations were 4.2 to 4.8 log units larger than nonadapted populations following acid exposure. Although some strain-dependent variations in acid resistance were observed, results from this study suggest no association between susceptibility to antimicrobial agents and the ability of the Salmonella strains evaluated to survive low-pH stress.

scholarly journals Multiple Nonidentical Reductive-Dehalogenase-Homologous Genes Are Common in Dehalococcoides

2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (9) ◽  
pp. 5290-5297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Hölscher ◽  
Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown ◽  
Kirsti M. Ritalahti ◽  
Friedrich von Wintzingerode ◽  
Helmut Görisch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Restriction Analysis ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Comparative Sequence Analysis ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Open Reading Frames ◽  
Degenerate Primers ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenase ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenase Genes

ABSTRACT Degenerate primers were used to amplify large fragments of reductive-dehalogenase-homologous (RDH) genes from genomic DNA of two Dehalococcoides populations, the chlorobenzene- and dioxin-dechlorinating strain CBDB1 and the trichloroethene-dechlorinating strain FL2. The amplicons (1,350 to 1,495 bp) corresponded to nearly complete open reading frames of known reductive dehalogenase genes and short fragments (approximately 90 bp) of genes encoding putative membrane-anchoring proteins. Cloning and restriction analysis revealed the presence of at least 14 different RDH genes in each strain. All amplified RDH genes showed sequence similarity with known reductive dehalogenase genes over the whole length of the sequence and shared all characteristics described for reductive dehalogenases. Deduced amino acid sequences of seven RDH genes from strain CBDB1 were 98.5 to 100% identical to seven different RDH genes from strain FL2, suggesting that both strains have an overlapping substrate range. All RDH genes identified in strains CBDB1 and FL2 were related to the RDH genes present in the genomes of Dehalococcoides ethenogenes strain 195 and Dehalococcoides sp. strain BAV1; however, sequence identity did not exceed 94.4 and 93.1%, respectively. The presence of RDH genes in strains CBDB1, FL2, and BAV1 that have no orthologs in strain 195 suggests that these strains possess dechlorination activities not present in strain 195. Comparative sequence analysis identified consensus sequences for cobalamin binding in deduced amino acid sequences of seven RDH genes. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the presence of multiple nonidentical RDH genes is characteristic of Dehalococcoides strains.

scholarly journals A novel role for protein kinase Gcn2 in yeast tolerance to intracellular acid stress

2011 ◽  
Vol 441 (1) ◽  
pp. 255-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillem Hueso ◽  
Rafael Aparicio-Sanchis ◽  
Consuelo Montesinos ◽  
Silvia Lorenz ◽  
José R. Murguía ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Acid Stress ◽  
Acid Tolerance ◽  
Cellular Systems ◽  
Initiation Factor ◽  
Intracellular Acidification ◽  
Acid Growth ◽  
Leucine Transport ◽  
Yeast Genes

Intracellular pH conditions many cellular systems, but its mechanisms of regulation and perception are mostly unknown. We have identified two yeast genes important for tolerance to intracellular acidification caused by weak permeable acids. One corresponded to LEU2 and functions by removing the dependency of the leu2 mutant host strain on uptake of extracellular leucine. Leucine transport is inhibited by intracellular acidification, and either leucine oversupplementation or overexpression of the transporter gene BAP2 improved acid growth. Another acid-tolerance gene is GCN2, encoding a protein kinase activated by uncharged tRNAs during amino acid starvation. Gcn2 phosphorylates eIF2α (eukaryotic initiation factor 2α) (Sui2) at Ser51 and this inhibits general translation, but activates that of Gcn4, a transcription factor for amino acid biosynthetic genes. Intracellular acidification activates Gcn2 probably by inhibition of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases because we observed accumulation of uncharged tRNAleu without leucine depletion. Gcn2 is required for leucine transport and a gcn2-null mutant is sensitive to acid stress if auxotrophic for leucine. Gcn4 is required for neither leucine transport nor acid tolerance, but a S51A sui2 mutant is acid-sensitive. This suggests that Gcn2, by phosphorylating eIF2α, may activate translation of an unknown regulator of amino acid transporters different from Gcn4.

scholarly journals A Low pH-Inducible, PhoPQ-Dependent Acid Tolerance Response Protects Salmonella typhimurium against Inorganic Acid Stress

1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (9) ◽  
pp. 2409-2417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley L. Bearson ◽  
Lee Wilson ◽  
John W. Foster
Keyword(s):  
Organic Acids ◽  
Salmonella Typhimurium ◽  
Organic Acid ◽  
Acid Stress ◽  
Acid Tolerance ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Inorganic Acid ◽  
Acid Tolerance Response ◽  
Acid Shock ◽  
Tolerance Response

ABSTRACT The acid tolerance response enables Salmonella typhimurium to survive exposures to potentially lethal acidic environments. The acid stress imposed in a typical assay for acid tolerance (log-phase cells in minimal glucose medium) was shown to comprise both inorganic (i.e., low pH) and organic acid components. A gene previously determined to affect acid tolerance, atbR, was identified as pgi, the gene encoding phosphoglucoisomerase. Mutations in pgi were shown to increase acid tolerance by preventing the synthesis of organic acids. Protocols designed to separate the stresses of inorganic from organic acids revealed that the regulators ς38 (RpoS), Fur, and Ada have major effects on tolerance to organic acid stress but only minor effects on inorganic acid stress. In contrast, the two-component regulatory system PhoP (identified as acid shock protein ASP29) and PhoQ proved to be important for tolerance to organic acid stress but had little effect against organic acid stress. PhoP mutants also failed to induce four ASPs, confirming a role for this regulator in acid tolerance. Acid shock induction of PhoP appears to occur at the transcriptional level and requires the PhoPQ system. Furthermore, induction by acid occurs even in the presence of high concentrations of magnesium, the ion known to be sensed by PhoQ. These results suggest that PhoQ can sense both Mg2+ and pH. SincephoP mutants are avirulent, the low pH activation of this system has important implications concerning the pathogenesis ofS. typhimurium. The involvement of four regulators, two of which are implicated in virulence, underscores the complexity of the acid tolerance stress response and further suggests that features of acid tolerance and virulence are interwoven.

Cloning and sequencing of two genes encoding chitinases A and B from Bacillus cereus CH

2001 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 895-902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoto Mabuchi ◽  
Yoshio Araki
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Bacillus Cereus ◽  
Catalytic Domain ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Open Reading Frames ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Chitinase A ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Fibronectin Type Iii ◽  
Polypeptide Chains

Two genes encoding chitinases A and B (chiA and chiB) from Bacillus cereus CH were cloned into Escherichia coli XL1-Blue MRF' by using pBluescript II SK+, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. Open reading frames of the chiA and chiB genes encoded distinct polypeptide chains consisting of 360 and 674 amino acid residues, respectively, with calculated molecular sizes of 39 470 and 74 261 Da, respectively. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences with those of other bacterial chitinases revealed that chitinase A consisted of a catalytic domain, while chitinase B consisted of three functional domains, a catalytic domain, a fibronectin type III-like domain, and a cellulose-binding domain. The primary structures of these two proteins were not similar to each other.Key words: Bacillus cereus, chitinase, cloning.

scholarly journals Selection and Characterization of Escherichia coliVariants Capable of Growth on an Otherwise Toxic Tryptophan Analogue

2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (18) ◽  
pp. 5414-5425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie M. Bacher ◽  
Andrew D. Ellington
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Unnatural Amino Acids ◽  
Trna Synthetase ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Amino Acid Permease ◽  
Mass Spectral ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Tryptophan Analogues ◽  
Tryptophan Uptake

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli isolates that were tolerant of incorporation of high proportions of 4-fluorotryptophan were evolved by serial growth. The resultant strain still preferred tryptophan for growth but showed improved growth relative to the parental strain on other tryptophan analogues. Evolved clones fully substituted fluorotryptophan for tryptophan in their proteomes within the limits of mass spectral and amino acid analyses. Of the genes sequenced, many genes were found to be unaltered in the evolved strain; however, three genes encoding enzymes involved in tryptophan uptake and utilization were altered: the aromatic amino acid permease (aroP) and tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (trpS) contained several amino acid substitutions, and the tyrosine repressor (tyrR) had a nonsense mutation. While kinetic analysis of the tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase suggests discrimination against 4-fluorotryptophan, an analysis of the incorporation and growth patterns of the evolved bacteria suggest that other mutations also aid in the adaptation to the tryptophan analogue. These results suggest that the incorporation of unnatural amino acids into organismal proteomes may be possible but that extensive evolution may be required to reoptimize proteins and metabolism to accommodate such analogues.

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