scholarly journals A Propionate-Inducible Expression System for Enteric Bacteria

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (11) ◽  
pp. 6856-6862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Kuk Lee ◽  
Jay D. Keasling

ABSTRACT A series of new expression vectors (pPro) have been constructed for the regulated expression of genes in Escherichia coli. The pPro vectors contain the prpBCDE promoter (P prpB ) responsible for expression of the propionate catabolic genes (prpBCDE) and prpR encoding the positive regulator of this promoter. The efficiency and regulatory properties of the prpR-P prpB system were measured by placing the gene encoding the green fluorescent protein (gfp) under the control of the inducible P prpB of E. coli. This system provides homogenous expression in individual cells, highly regulatable expression over a wide range of propionate concentrations, and strong expression (maximal 1,500-fold induction) at high propionate concentrations. Since the prpBCDE promoter has CAP-dependent activation, the prpR-P prpB system exhibited negligible basal expression by addition of glucose to the medium.

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (8) ◽  
pp. 2240-2246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex I. Kanno ◽  
Cibelly Goulart ◽  
Henrique K. Rofatto ◽  
Sergio C. Oliveira ◽  
Luciana C. C. Leite ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe expression of many antigens, stimulatory molecules, or even metabolic pathways in mycobacteria such asMycobacterium bovisBCG orM. smegmatiswas made possible through the development of shuttle vectors, and several recombinant vaccines have been constructed. However, gene expression in any of these systems relied mostly on the selection of natural promoters expected to provide the required level of expression by trial and error. To establish a systematic selection of promoters with a range of strengths, we generated a library of mutagenized promoters through error-prone PCR of the strong PL5promoter, originally from mycobacteriophage L5. These promoters were cloned upstream of the enhanced green fluorescent protein reporter gene, and recombinantM. smegmatisbacteria exhibiting a wide range of fluorescence levels were identified. A set of promoters was selected and identified as having high (pJK-F8), intermediate (pJK-B7, pJK-E6, pJK-D6), or low (pJK-C1) promoter strengths in bothM. smegmatisandM. bovisBCG. The sequencing of the promoter region demonstrated that it was extensively modified (6 to 11%) in all of the plasmids selected. To test the functionality of the system, two different expression vectors were demonstrated to allow corresponding expression levels of theSchistosoma mansoniantigen Sm29 in BCG. The approach used here can be used to adjust expression levels for synthetic and/or systems biology studies or for vaccine development to maximize the immune response.


1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Mueller ◽  
Eckard Wimmer

ABSTRACT Using a strategy developed by R. Andino, D. Silvera, S. D. Suggett, P. I. Achacoso, C. J. Miller, D. Baltimore, and M. B. Feinberg (Science 265:1448–1451, 1994), we constructed recombinant polioviruses by fusing the open reading frame (ORF) of the green fluorescent protein gene (gfp) of Aequorea victoria or the gag gene (encoding p17-p24) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) to the N terminus of the poliovirus polyprotein. All poliovirus expression vectors constructed by us and those obtained from Andino et al. were found to be severely impaired in viral replication and genetically unstable. Upon replication, inserted sequences were rapidly deleted as early as the first growth cycle in HeLa cells. However, the vector viruses did not readily revert to the wild-type sequence but rather retained some of the insert plus the artificial 3Cpro/3CDprocleavage site, engineered between the heterologous sequence and the poliovirus polyprotein, to give rise to genotypes reminiscent of cardioviruses. These virus variants that carry a small leader polypeptide were now relatively stable, and they grew better than their progenitor strains. Reverse transcription followed by PCR and sequence analysis of the genomic RNAs reproducibly revealed a few preferred genotypes among the isolated deletion variants. The remaining truncated inserts were retained through subsequent passages. In the immediate vicinity of the deletion borders, we observed short direct sequence repeats that we propose are involved in aligning RNA strands for illegitimate (nonhomologous) RNA recombination during minus-strand synthesis. On the basis of our results, which are at variance with published data, the utility of poliovirus vectors to express proteins >10 kDa in size through fusion with the polyprotein needs to be reevaluated.


2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (16) ◽  
pp. 5831-5838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Zhang ◽  
Xiuling Shang ◽  
Shujuan Lai ◽  
Guoqiang Zhang ◽  
Yong Liang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCorynebacterium glutamicumis currently used for the industrial production of a variety of biological materials. Many available inducible expression systems in this species uselac-derived promoters fromEscherichia colithat exhibit much lower levels of inducible expression and leaky basal expression. We developed an arabinose-inducible expression system that contains thel-arabinose regulator AraC, thePBADpromoter from thearaBADoperon, and thel-arabinose transporter AraE, all of which are derived fromE. coli. The level of induciblePBAD-based expression could be modulated over a wide concentration range from 0.001 to 0.4%l-arabinose. This system tightly controlled the expression of the uracil phosphoribosyltransferase without leaky expression. When the gene encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) was under the control ofPBADpromoter, flow cytometry analysis showed that GFP was expressed in a highly homogeneous profile throughout the cell population. In contrast to the case inE. coli,PBADinduction was not significantly affected in the presence of different carbon sources inC. glutamicum, which makes it useful in fermentation applications. We used this system to regulate the expression of theodhIgene fromC. glutamicum, which encodes an inhibitor of α-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, resulting in high levels of glutamate production (up to 13.7 mM) under biotin nonlimiting conditions. This system provides an efficient tool available for molecular biology and metabolic engineering ofC. glutamicum.


Author(s):  
Eduardo P. Hernández-Ortega ◽  
Sjoerd van der Meulen ◽  
Lucas J. Kuijpers ◽  
Jan Kok

Previous RNA sequencing has allowed identifying 129 long 5'-UTRs in the L. lactis MG1363 transcriptome. These sequences potentially harbor cis -acting riboswitches. One of the identified extended 5'-UTRs is a putative thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) riboswitch. It is located immediately upstream of the thiamine transporter gene thiT ( llmg_0334 ). To confirm this assumption, the 5'-UTR sequence was placed upstream of the gene encoding the super folder green fluorescent protein, sfgfp , allowing examining the expression of sfGFP in the presence or absence of thiamine in the medium. The results show that this sequence indeed represents a thiamine-responsive TPP riboswitch. This RNA-based genetic control device was used to successfully restore the mutant phenotype of an L. lactis strain lacking the major autolysin gene acmA . The L. lactis thiT TPP riboswitch (RS thiT ) is a useful molecular genetic tool enabling to gradually downregulate the expression of genes under its control by adjusting thiamine concentration. Importance The capacity of microbes with biotechnological importance to adapt and survive under quickly changing industrial conditions depends on their ability to adequately control gene expression. Riboswitches are important RNA-based elements involved in rapid and precise gene regulation. Here we present the identification of a natural thiamine-responsive riboswitch of Lactococcus lactis , a bacterium used worldwide in the production of dairy products. We used it to restore a genetic defect in an L. lactis mutant and show that it is a valuable addition to the ever-expanding L. lactis genetic toolbox.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 4073
Author(s):  
Yifan Lai ◽  
Qingyuan Feng ◽  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Jing Shang ◽  
Hui Zhong

To investigate a possible methodology of exploiting herbal medicine and design polytherapy for the treatment of skin depigmentation disorder, we have made use of Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd., a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that has been proven to be effective in treating vitiligo. Here, we report that the extract of Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd. effectively enhances melanogenesis responses in B16F10. In its compound library, we found three ingredients (butin, caffeic acid and luteolin) also have the activity of promoting melanogenesis in vivo and in vitro. They can reduce the accumulation of ROS induced by hydrogen peroxide and inflammatory response induced by sublethal concentrations of copper sulfate in wild type and green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled leukocytes zebrafish larvae. The overall objective of the present study aims to identify which compatibility proportions of the medicines may be more effective in promoting pigmentation. We utilized the D-optimal response surface methodology to optimize the ratio among three molecules. Combining three indicators of promoting melanogenesis, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities, we get the best effect of butin, caffeic acid and luteolin at the ratio (butin:caffeic acid:luteolin = 7.38:28.30:64.32) on zebrafish. Moreover, the effect of melanin content recovery in the best combination is stronger than that of the monomer, which suggests that the three compounds have a synergistic effect on inducing melanogenesis. After simply verifying the result, we performed in situ hybridization on whole-mount zebrafish embryos to further explore the effects of multi-drugs combination on the proliferation and differentiation of melanocytes and the expression of genes (tyr, mitfa, dct, kit) related to melanin synthesis. In conclusion, the above three compatible compounds can significantly enhance melanogenesis and improve depigmentation in vivo.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 3009-3020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan-Owen De Craene ◽  
Jeff Coleman ◽  
Paula Estrada de Martin ◽  
Marc Pypaert ◽  
Scott Anderson ◽  
...  

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) contains both cisternal and reticular elements in one contiguous structure. We identified rtn1Δ in a systematic screen for yeast mutants with altered ER morphology. The ER in rtn1Δ cells is predominantly cisternal rather than reticular, yet the net surface area of ER is not significantly changed. Rtn1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) associates with the reticular ER at the cell cortex and with the tubules that connect the cortical ER to the nuclear envelope, but not with the nuclear envelope itself. Rtn1p overexpression also results in an altered ER structure. Rtn proteins are found on the ER in a wide range of eukaryotes and are defined by two membrane-spanning domains flanking a conserved hydrophilic loop. Our results suggest that Rtn proteins may direct the formation of reticulated ER. We independently identified Rtn1p in a proteomic screen for proteins associated with the exocyst vesicle tethering complex. The conserved hydophilic loop of Rtn1p binds to the exocyst subunit Sec6p. Overexpression of this loop results in a modest accumulation of secretory vesicles, suggesting impaired exocyst function. The interaction of Rtn1p with the exocyst at the bud tip may trigger the formation of a cortical ER network in yeast buds.


2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 2438-2441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeynep Baharoglu ◽  
Didier Mazel

ABSTRACTAntibiotic resistance development has been linked to the bacterial SOS stress response. InEscherichia coli, fluoroquinolones are known to induce SOS, whereas other antibiotics, such as aminoglycosides, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol, do not. Here we address whether various antibiotics induce SOS inVibrio cholerae. Reporter green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions were used to measure the response of SOS-regulated promoters to subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. We show that unlike the situation withE. coli, all these antibiotics induce SOS inV. cholerae.


2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 3904-3909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Caballero ◽  
F. Xavier Abad ◽  
Fabienne Loisy ◽  
Françoise S. Le Guyader ◽  
Jean Cohen ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Virus-like particles (VLPs) with the full-length VP2 and VP6 rotavirus capsid proteins, produced in the baculovirus expression system, have been evaluated as surrogates of human rotavirus in different environmental scenarios. Green fluorescent protein-labeled VLPs (GFP-VLPs) and particles enclosing a heterologous RNA (pseudoviruses), whose stability may be monitored by flow cytometry and antigen capture reverse transcription-PCR, respectively, were used. After 1 month in seawater at 20°C, no significant differences were observed between the behaviors of GFP-VLPs and of infectious rotavirus, whereas pseudovirus particles showed a higher decay rate. In the presence of 1 mg of free chlorine (FC)/liter both tracers persisted longer in freshwater at 20°C than infectious viruses, whereas in the presence of 0.2 mg of FC/liter no differences were observed between tracers and infectious rotavirus at short contact times. However, from 30 min of contact with FC onward, the decay of infectious rotavirus was higher than that of recombinant particles. The predicted Ct value for a 90% reduction of GFP-VLPs or pseudoviruses induces a 99.99% inactivation of infectious rotavirus. Both tracers were more resistant to UV light irradiation than infectious rotavirus in fresh and marine water. The effect of UV exposure was more pronounced on pseudovirus than in GFP-VLPs. In all types of water, the UV dose to induce a 90% reduction of pseudovirus ensures a 99.99% inactivation of infectious rotavirus. Recombinant virus surrogates open new possibilities for the systematic validation of virus removal practices in actual field situations where pathogenic agents cannot be introduced.


1998 ◽  
Vol 111 (15) ◽  
pp. 2181-2188 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Hagmann ◽  
M. Grob ◽  
A. Welman ◽  
G. van Willigen ◽  
M.M. Burger

Platelets are anuclear, membrane-bounded fragments derived from megakaryocytes which, upon stimulation, assemble an actin skeleton including stress fibres and focal contacts. The focal contacts resemble those of tissue culture cells. However, they lack paxillin, a conspicuous component of these organelles. We found that instead of paxillin, platelets contain a related protein with a molecular mass of 55 kDa that crossreacts with a monoclonal antibody against paxillin. The gene for the 55 kDa protein was cloned from a bone marrow cDNA library and turned out to be identical to a recently discovered gene encoding hic-5. Like paxillin, hic-5 is a cytoskeletal protein containing four carboxy-terminal LIM domains and LD motifs in the amino-terminal half. The LIM domains of both hic-5 and paxillin are capable of targetting green fluorescent protein to focal contacts. In addition, GST-hic-5 precipitates the focal adhesion kinase pp125(FAK) and talin from platelet extracts. Only trace amounts of hic-5 occur in DAMI cells, a megakaryocytic cell line, and in megakaryocytes cultured from CD34+ cells obtained from umbilical cord blood. However, RT-polymerase chain reactions performed with RNA obtained from platelets gave a positive result when primers specific for hic-5 were used, but were negative with paxillin-specific primers, indicating that a switch from paxillin expression to hic-5 expression must occur late in the maturation of megakaryocytes into platelets.


Development ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 127 (9) ◽  
pp. 1953-1960 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.C. Halloran ◽  
M. Sato-Maeda ◽  
J.T. Warren ◽  
F. Su ◽  
Z. Lele ◽  
...  

Over the past few years, a number of studies have described the generation of transgenic lines of zebrafish in which expression of reporters was driven by a variety of promoters. These lines opened up the real possibility that transgenics could be used to complement the genetic analysis of zebrafish development. Transgenic lines in which the expression of genes can be regulated both in space and time would be especially useful. Therefore, we have cloned the zebrafish promoter for the inducible hsp70 gene and made stable transgenic lines of zebrafish that express the reporter green fluorescent protein gene under the control of a hsp70 promoter. At normal temperatures, green fluorescent protein is not detectable in transgenic embryos with the exception of the lens, but is robustly expressed throughout the embryo following an increase in ambient temperature. Furthermore, we have taken advantage of the accessibility and optical clarity of the embryos to express green fluorescent protein in individual cells by focussing a sublethal laser microbeam onto them. The targeted cells appear to develop normally: cells migrate normally, neurons project axons that follow normal pathways, and progenitor cells divide and give rise to normal progeny cells. By generating other transgenic lines in which the hsp70 promoter regulates genes of interest, it should be possible to examine the in vivo activity of the gene products by laser-inducing specific cells to express them in zebrafish embryos. As a first test, we laser-induced single muscle cells to make zebrafish Sema3A1, a semaphorin that is repulsive for specific growth cones, in a hsp70-sema3A1 transgenic line of zebrafish and found that extension by the motor axons was retarded by the induced muscle.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document