scholarly journals Family Shuffling of Soil DNA To Change the Regiospecificity of Burkholderia xenovorans LB400 Biphenyl Dioxygenase

2006 ◽  
Vol 189 (3) ◽  
pp. 779-788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Vézina ◽  
Diane Barriault ◽  
Michel Sylvestre

ABSTRACT Previous work has shown that the C-terminal portion of BphA, especially two amino acid segments designated region III and region IV, influence the regiospecificity of the biphenyl dioxygenase (BPDO) toward 2,2′-dichlorobiphenyl (2,2′-CB). In this work, we evolved BPDO by shuffling bphA genes amplified from polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated soil DNA. Sets of approximately 1-kb DNA fragments were amplified with degenerate primers designed to amplify the C-terminal portion of bphA. These fragments were shuffled, and the resulting library was used to replace the corresponding fragment of Burkholderia xenovorans LB400 bphA. Variants were screened for their ability to oxygenate 2,2′-CB onto carbons 5 and 6, which are positions that LB400 BPDO is unable to attack. Variants S100, S149, and S151 were obtained and exhibited this feature. Variant S100 BPDO produced exclusively cis-5,6-dihydro-5,6-dihydroxy-2,2′-dichlorobiphenyl from 2,2′-CB. Moreover, unlike LB400 BPDO, S100 BphA catalyzed the oxygenation of 2,2′,3,3′-tetrachlorobiphenyl onto carbons 5 and 6 exclusively and it was unable to oxygenate 2,2′,5,5′-tetrachlorobiphenyl. Based on oxygen consumption measurements, variant S100 oxygenated 2,2′-CB at a rate of 16 ± 1 nmol min−1 per nmol enzyme, which was similar to the value observed for LB400 BPDO. cis-5,6-Dihydro-5,6-dihydroxy-2,2′-dichlorobiphenyl was further oxidized by 2,3-dihydro-2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dehydrogenase (BphB) and 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygenase (BphC). Variant S100 was, in addition, able to oxygenate benzene, toluene, and ethyl benzene. Sequence analysis identified amino acid residues M237S238 and S283 outside regions III and IV that influence the activity toward doubly ortho-substituted chlorobiphenyls.

Author(s):  
Wei He ◽  
Wenhui Zhang ◽  
Zhenhua Chu ◽  
Yu Li

The aim of this paper is to explore the mechanism of the change in oestrogenic activity of PCBs molecules before and after modification by designing new PCBs derivatives in combination with molecular docking techniques through the constructed model of oestrogenic activity of PCBs molecules. We found that the weakened hydrophobic interaction between the hydrophobic amino acid residues and hydrophobic substituents at the binding site of PCB derivatives and human oestrogen receptor alpha (hERα) was the main reason for the weakened binding force and reduced anti-oestrogenic activity. It was consistent with the information that the hydrophobic field displayed by the 3D contour maps in the constructed oestrogen activity CoMSIA model was one of the main influencing force fields. The hydrophobic interaction between PCB derivatives and oestrogen-active receptors was negatively correlated with the average distance between hydrophobic substituents and hydrophobic amino acid residues at the hERα-binding site, and positively correlated with the number of hydrophobic amino acid residues. In other words, the smaller the average distance between the hydrophobic amino acid residues at the binding sites between the two and the more the number of them, and the stronger the oestrogen activity expression degree of PCBS derivative molecules. Therefore, hydrophobic interactions between PCB derivatives and the oestrogen receptor can be reduced by altering the microenvironmental conditions in humans. This reduces the ability of PCB derivatives to bind to the oestrogen receptor and can effectively modulate the risk of residual PCB derivatives to produce oestrogenic activity in humans.


Blood ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 84 (7) ◽  
pp. 2340-2345 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Jaskiewicz ◽  
M Czerwinski ◽  
D Syper ◽  
E Lisowska

Abstract Some monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) directed against blood group M- related epitope of glycophorin A (GPA) were found to agglutinate rare variant erythrocytes carrying GPA of Mg type. In contradistinction to normal GPA-M or -N, the N-terminal portion of GPA-Mg is not glycosylated. Therefore, the multipin peptide synthesis was used for testing the specificity of the cross-reacting MoAbs. Among several anti- M and anti-N MoAbs tested, only three anti-M (E3, E6, 425/2B) agglutinated Mg erythrocytes and showed binding to the synthetic octapeptides corresponding to N-terminal sequences of GPA-M (SSTTGVAM), GPA-N (LSTTEVAM), and GPA-Mg (LSTNEVAM). Testing multiple peptide analogs (window and replacement analysis) showed that these MoAbs were specific for peptidic epitope in which Met8 and Val6 were the most essential amino acid residues. The amino acid replacements Ser<-->Leu1 or Gly<-->Glu5 (M v N) and Thr<-->Asn4 (M and N v Mg) had no or negligible effect on the reaction of synthetic peptides with the MoAbs. However, when Ser2, Thr3, and Thr4 carry O-linked sialooligosaccharides (normal GPA-M or -N), the MoAbs recognize Gly5- and sialic acid- dependent blood group M-related epitope. An interesting finding concerning anti-M/Mg MoAbs described here is the fact that glycosylation of amino acid residues adjacent to the most important part of peptidic epitope not only differentially modulates the proper exposure of peptidic epitope, but also alters the requirement for some amino acid residues present within the epitope. Pathologic conditions, including hematologic disorders, are often accompanied by alterations in protein glycosylation, resulting not only from differences in the structure of antigen polypeptide chain, but also from changes in specificity or expression of enzymes involved in glycosylation. Our present findings draw attention to possibility of the bidirectional modulation of protein antigenicity by glycosylation and may be helpful in interpretation of some results obtained with MoAb used for diagnostic or other purposes.


2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 585-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. J. Denef ◽  
J. A. Klappenbach ◽  
M. A. Patrauchan ◽  
C. Florizone ◽  
J. L. M. Rodrigues ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of Burkholderia xenovorans LB400, a potent polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) degrader, have implicated growth substrate- and phase-dependent expression of three benzoate-catabolizing pathways: a catechol ortho cleavage (ben-cat) pathway and two benzoyl-coenzyme A pathways, encoded by gene clusters on the large chromosome (boxC ) and the megaplasmid (boxM ). To elucidate the significance of this apparent redundancy, we constructed mutants with deletions of the ben-cat pathway (the ΔbenABCD::kan mutant), the boxC pathway (the ΔboxABC ::kan mutant), and both pathways (the ΔbenABCDΔ boxABC ::kan mutant). All three mutants oxidized benzoate in resting-cell assays. However, the ΔbenABCD::kan and ΔbenABCD ΔboxABC ::kan mutants grew at reduced rates on benzoate and displayed increased lag phases. By contrast, growth on succinate, on 4-hydroxybenzoate, and on biphenyl was unaffected. Microarray and proteomic analyses revealed that cells of the ΔbenABCD::kan mutant growing on benzoate expressed both box pathways. Overall, these results indicate that all three pathways catabolize benzoate. Deletion of benABCD abolished the ability of LB400 to grow using 3-chlorobenzoate. None of the benzoate pathways could degrade 2- or 4-chlorobenzoate, indicating that the pathway redundancy does not directly contribute to LB400's PCB-degrading capacities. Finally, an extensive sigmaE-regulated oxidative stress response not present in wild-type LB400 grown on benzoate was detected in these deletion mutants, supporting our earlier suggestion that the box pathways are preferentially active under reduced oxygen tension. Our data further substantiate the expansive network of tightly interconnected and complexly regulated aromatic degradation pathways in LB400.


2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 6607-6614 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jacob Parnell ◽  
Joonhong Park ◽  
Vincent Denef ◽  
Tamara Tsoi ◽  
Syed Hashsham ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) relies on the ability of aerobic microorganisms such as Burkholderia xenovorans sp. LB400 to tolerate two potential modes of toxicity presented by PCB degradation: passive toxicity, as hydrophobic PCBs potentially disrupt membrane and protein function, and degradation-dependent toxicity from intermediates of incomplete degradation. We monitored the physiological characteristics and genome-wide expression patterns of LB400 in response to the presence of Aroclor 1242 (500 ppm) under low expression of the structural biphenyl pathway (succinate and benzoate growth) and under induction by biphenyl. We found no inhibition of growth or change in fatty acid profile due to PCBs under nondegrading conditions. Moreover, we observed no differential gene expression due to PCBs themselves. However, PCBs did have a slight effect on the biosurface area of LB400 cells and caused slight membrane separation. Upon activation of the biphenyl pathway, we found growth inhibition from PCBs beginning after exponential-phase growth suggestive of the accumulation of toxic compounds. Genome-wide expression profiling revealed 47 differentially expressed genes (0.56% of all genes) under these conditions. The biphenyl and catechol pathways were induced as expected, but the quinoprotein methanol metabolic pathway and a putative chloroacetaldehyde dehydrogenase were also highly expressed. As the latter protein is essential to conversion of toxic metabolites in dichloroethane degradation, it may play a similar role in the degradation of chlorinated aliphatic compounds resulting from PCB degradation.


1996 ◽  
Vol 314 (3) ◽  
pp. 727-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela BRUZZANITI ◽  
Katrina GOODGE ◽  
Philippe JAY ◽  
Sylvie A. TAVIAUX ◽  
Mark H. C. Lam ◽  
...  

A novel subtilisin-like protein, PC8, was identified by PCR using degenerate primers to conserved amino acid residues in the catalytic region of members of the prohormone convertase family. PC8 was predicted to be 785 residues long and was structurally related to the mammalian convertases furin, PACE4, PC1 and PC2, sharing more than 50% amino acid identity over the catalytic region with these family members. PC8 possessed the catalytically important Asp, His, Asn and Ser amino acids, the homo B domain of this family of enzymes and a C-terminal hydrophobic sequence indicative of a transmembrane domain. Structurally, PC8 is more related to furin and PACE4 than to PC1 or PC2. Like furin and PACE4, PC8 mRNA was found to be widely expressed; this is in contrast with PC1 and PC2, which have a restricted distribution. Two transcripts, of 4.5 and 3.5 kb, were detected in both human cell lines and rat tissues. Unlike furin and PACE4, both of which map to chromosome 15, PC8 maps to chromosome 11q23–11q24, suggesting that this gene may have resulted from an ancient gene duplication event from either furin or PACE4, or conversely that these genes arose from PC8.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 1025-1025
Author(s):  
Jamila Hirbawi ◽  
Melissa A. Blum ◽  
Michael A. Bukys ◽  
Tivadar Orban ◽  
Michael Kalafatis

Abstract The proteolytic conversion of prothrombin to thrombin is catalyzed by the prothrombinase complex composed of the enzyme, factor Xa (fXa), the cofactor, factor Va (fVa), assembled on a membrane surface in the presence of divalent metal ions. Incorporation of fVa into the prothrombinase complex results in a 300,000-fold increase in the catalytic efficiency of fXa for thrombin generation. A first cleavage of prothrombin by prothrombinase at Arg320 produces the active intermediate meizothrombin, while the second cleavage at Arg271 produces thrombin. It has been demonstrated that elimination of the carboxyl terminal portion of the heavy chain of fVa by proteolytic enzymes results in a cofactor molecule with decreased clotting activity and slightly increased to normal chromogenic activity. In addition, we have previously shown that the carboxyl terminal portion of the heavy chain of fVa is involved in the interaction of the cofactor with prothrombin. To further ascertain the importance of this region of the molecule for cofactor activity we used PCR based methods to produce recombinant fVa molecules with several portions of the COOH-terminus deleted. Recombinant fV653 has amino acids 653–709 deleted, recombinant fV696 has amino acid residues 680–696 deleted, recombinant fV680 has amino acid residues 653–680 deleted, while recombinant fV709 has amino acid residues 680–709 missing. These recombinant molecules along with wild type fV (fVWT) were transiently expressed in COS7L cells and assessed for their capability to promote prothrombin activation following activation by Russell’s Viper Venom factor V activator (RVV-V activator). Thrombin generation was evaluated by SDS-PAGE and the kinetic parameters of the reactions were determined. While fVa653 and fVa680 were devoid of clotting activity, fVa696 and fVa709 had reduced clotting activities compared to fVaWT and plasma-derived fVa. This level of clotting activity was similar to the clotting activity of a fV molecule that was treated with thrombin and human neutrophil elastase (HNE) resulting in fVaHNE. fVaHNE is cleaved at Ala677/Thr678 resulting in a cofactor with a shorter heavy chain. Further analyses revealed that all mutant recombinant molecules as well as fVaHNE have similar KD values for fXa when compared to plasma fVa and fVaWT. SDS-PAGE analyses of prothrombin activation time courses revealed that the overall cleavage of prothrombin by prothrombinase assembled with fVa696, fVa709, or fVaHNE was slower resulting in accumulation of meizothrombin. This data confirm our previous findings and suggest that this region on the heavy chain of fVa contribute to cofactor function. A logical explanation for these findings is that the COOH-terminus of the heavy chain of fVa participates in the regulation of the rates of appearance/disappearance of meizothrombin. Increased persistence of meizothrombin in the reaction mixture can explain the slower clotting times since it is well known that meizothrombin has poor clotting activity. Thus at a given time point there will be more meizothrombin present in a sample where prothrombinase was assembled with fVa709, or fVa696, or fVaHNE than in a sample where prothrombinase was formed with fVaWT. Overall the data suggests that the COOH-terminal portion of the factor Va heavy chain contributes to the appropriate orientation of prothrombin with respect to the catalytic site of fXa resulting in efficient cleavages at Arg320 /Arg271 and competent thrombin formation.


2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 2476-2482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge L. M. Rodrigues ◽  
C. Alan Kachel ◽  
Michael R. Aiello ◽  
John F. Quensen ◽  
Olga V. Maltseva ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Burkholderia xenovorans strain LB400, which possesses the biphenyl pathway, was engineered to contain the oxygenolytic ortho dehalogenation (ohb) operon, allowing it to grow on 2-chlorobenzoate and to completely mineralize 2-chlorobiphenyl. A two-stage anaerobic/aerobic biotreatment process for Aroclor 1242-contaminated sediment was simulated, and the degradation activities and genetic stabilities of LB400(ohb) and the previously constructed strain RHA1(fcb), capable of growth on 4-chlorobenzoate, were monitored during the aerobic phase. The population dynamics of both strains were also followed by selective plating and real-time PCR, with comparable results; populations of both recombinants increased in the contaminated sediment. Inoculation at different cell densities (104 or 106 cells g−1 sediment) did not affect the extent of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) biodegradation. After 30 days, PCB removal rates for high and low inoculation densities were 57% and 54%, respectively, during the aerobic phase.


1996 ◽  
Vol 199 (5) ◽  
pp. 1053-1061 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Meredith ◽  
M Ring ◽  
A Macins ◽  
J Marschall ◽  
N N Cheng ◽  
...  

Ion transport peptide (ITP) purified from locust nervous corpus cardiacum (CC) has previously been shown to stimulate salt and water reabsorption and inhibit acid secretion in the ileum of Schistocerca gregaria. We used the partial amino acid sequence of purified ITP to derive degenerate primers. These were used to amplify a cDNA from brain RNA using reverse transcription and the polymerase chain reaction (RtPCR). This sequence was extended using anchored PCR to yield a partial, 517bp cDNA clone. This cDNA encodes a putative ITP prohormone which could be cleaved at two dibasic amino acid sites to yield a 72 residue active amidated peptide. The deduced amino acid sequence from the cDNA agrees completely with the amino acid sequence and molecular mass (8564Da) derived from analysis of purified ITP. Relative to a family of crustacean hyperglycaemic hormones (CHH), all six cysteine residues and many other amino acid residues are conserved in ITP, establishing that ITP is a homologue. However, CHH, crab eyestalk and CC extracts from distantly related insects have no action, whereas CC extracts from closely related insects are active on the locust ITP assay, showing that the bioassay is selective. Insect Sf9 cells transfected with a baculovirus containing our partial cDNA secreted a potent stimulant of locust ileal transport, confirming that the peptide encoded by our ITP clone has biological activity. The mRNA for ITP is restricted to the brain and CC. Interestingly, a related mRNA is observed in other tissues which are not active on the ITP bioassay.


2006 ◽  
Vol 13 (2-4) ◽  
pp. 125-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Guilherme ◽  
K. C. Faé ◽  
F. Higa ◽  
L. Chaves ◽  
S. E. Oshiro ◽  
...  

Rheumatic fever (RF) is an autoimmune disease which affects more than 20 million children in developing countries. It is triggered byStreptococcus pyogenesthroat infection in untreated susceptible individuals. Carditis, the most serious manifestation of the disease, leads to severe and permanent valvular lesions, causing chronic rheumatic heart disease (RHD). We have been studying the mechanisms leading to pathological autoimmunity in RF/RHD for the last 15 years. Our studies allowed us a better understanding of the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of RHD, paving the way for the development of a safe vaccine for a post-infection autoimmune disease. We have focused on the search for protective T and B cell epitopes by testing 620 human blood samples against overlapping peptides spanning 99 residues of the C-terminal portion of the M protein, differing by one amino acid residue. We identified T and B cell epitopes with 22 and 25 amino acid residues, respectively. Although these epitopes were from different regions of the C-terminal portion of the M protein, they showed an identical core of 16 amino acid residues. Antibodies against the B cell epitope inhibited bacterial invasion/adhesionin vitro. Our results strongly indicated that the selected T and B cell epitopes could potentially be protective againstS. pyogenes.


1998 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 2006-2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akihiro Yamada ◽  
Hidekazu Kishi ◽  
Katsumi Sugiyama ◽  
Takashi Hatta ◽  
Kanji Nakamura ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The two 2-hydroxy-6-oxohepta-2,4-dienoate (HOHD) hydrolase genes,etbD1 and etbD2, were cloned from a strong polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) degrader, Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. TheetbD2 gene was located in the vicinity of bphAgene homologs and encoded an enzyme whose amino-terminal sequence was very similar to the amino-terminal sequence of the HOHD hydrolase which was purified from RHA1. Using the etbD2 gene fragment as a probe, we cloned the etbD1 gene encoding the purified HOHD hydrolase by colony hybridization. Both genes encode a product having 274 amino acid residues and containing the nucleophile motif conserved in α/β hydrolase fold enzymes. The deduced amino acid sequences were quite similar to the amino acid sequences of the products of the single-ring aromatic hydrolase genes, such as dmpD,cumD, todF, and xylF, and not very similar to the amino acid sequences of the products of bphDgenes from PCB degraders, including RHA1. The two HOHD hydrolase genes and the RHA1 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6-phenylhexa-2,4-dienoate (HPDA) hydrolase gene, bphD, were expressed in Escherichia coli, and their relative enzymatic activities were examined. The product ofbphD was very specific to HPDA, and the products ofetbD1 and etbD2 were specific to HOHD. All of the gene products exhibited poor activities against themeta-cleavage product of catechol. These results agreed with the results obtained for BphD and EtbD1 hydrolases purified from RHA1. The three hydrolase genes exhibited similar induction patterns both in an RNA slot blot hybridization analysis and in a reporter gene assay when a promoter probe vector was used. They were induced by biphenyl, ethylbenzene, benzene, toluene, and ortho-xylene. Strain RCD1, an RHA1 mutant strain lacking both the bphDgene and the etbD2 gene, grew well on ethylbenzene. This result suggested that the etbD1 gene product is involved in the meta-cleavage metabolic pathway of ethylbenzene.


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