Overexpression of a plant cysteine synthase gene and biosynthesis of a plant specific metabolite, β-(pyrazol-1-yl)-L-alanine, in Escherichia coli

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 188-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuki Saito ◽  
Reiko Kanda ◽  
Makoto Kurosawa ◽  
Isamu Murakoshi

Cysteine synthase (EC 4.2.99.8) in higher plants is responsible for biosynthesis of not only cysteine but also some nonprotein amino acids such as β-(pyrazol-1-yl)-L-alanine. The cDNA of a cysteine synthase from spinach (Spinacia oleracea) was inserted into pET8c (=pET3d) under the transcriptional control of strong T7 promoter to yield an overexpression vector pCEK1. The amount of the exogenous cysteine synthase was increased up to 40% of the total soluble protein of Escherichia coli transformed with pCEK1. β-(Pyrazol-1-yl)-L-alanine, a specific metabolite in plants of the Cucurbitaceae, was biosynthesized by overexpressed cysteine synthase from pyrazole in the presence of O-acetyl-L-serine and serine, in vitro and in vivo, respectively. The present study provides the system for mechanistic investigation of biosynthesis of cysteine and biogenetically related β-substituted alanines at molecular genetic level.

Microbiology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 157 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena C. Gaubig ◽  
Torsten Waldminghaus ◽  
Franz Narberhaus

The Escherichia coli ibpAB operon encodes two small heat-shock proteins, the inclusion-body-binding proteins IbpA and IbpB. Here, we report that expression of ibpAB is a complex process involving at least four different layers of control, namely transcriptional control, RNA processing, translation control and protein stability. As a typical member of the heat-shock regulon, transcription of the ibpAB operon is controlled by the alternative sigma factor σ 32 (RpoH). Heat-induced transcription of the bicistronic operon is followed by RNase E-mediated processing events, resulting in monocistronic ibpA and ibpB transcripts and short 3′-terminal ibpB fragments. Translation of ibpA is controlled by an RNA thermometer in its 5′ untranslated region, forming a secondary structure that blocks entry of the ribosome at low temperatures. A similar structure upstream of ibpB is functional in vitro but not in vivo, suggesting downregulation of ibpB expression in the presence of IbpA. The recently reported degradation of IbpA and IbpB by the Lon protease and differential regulation of IbpA and IbpB levels in E. coli are discussed.


1999 ◽  
Vol 181 (7) ◽  
pp. 2084-2093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edita Sužiede˙liene˙ ◽  
Ke˛stutis Sužiede˙lis ◽  
Vaida Garbenčiute˙ ◽  
Staffan Normark

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli responds to external acidification (pH 4.0 to 5.0) by synthesizing a newly identified, ∼450-nucleotide RNA component. At maximal levels of induction it is one of the most abundant small RNAs in the cell and is relatively stable bacterial RNA. The acid-inducible RNA was purified, and the gene encoding it, designated asr (for acid shock RNA), mapped at 35.98 min on the E. coli chromosome. Analysis of the asr DNA sequence revealed an open reading frame coding for a 111-amino-acid polypeptide with a deduced molecular mass of approximately 11.6 kDa. According to computer-assisted analysis, the predicted polypeptide contains a typical signal sequence of 30 amino acids and might represent either a periplasmic or an outer membrane protein. Theasr gene cloned downstream from a T7 promoter was translated in vivo after transcription using a T7 RNA polymerase transcription system. Expression of a plasmid-encodedasr::lacZ fusion under a nativeasr promoter was reduced ∼15-fold in a complex medium, such as Luria-Bertani medium, versus the minimal medium. Transcription of the chromosomal asr was abolished in the presence of aphoB-phoR (a two-component regulatory system, controlling the pho regulon inducible by phosphate starvation) deletion mutant. Acid-mediated induction of the asr gene in the Δ(phoB-phoR) mutant strain was restored by introduction of the plasmid with cloned phoB-phoR genes. Primer extension analysis of the asr transcript revealed a region similar to the Pho box (the consensus sequence found in promoters transcriptionally activated by the PhoB protein) upstream from the determined transcription start. The asr promoter DNA region was demonstrated to bind PhoB protein in vitro. We discuss our results in terms of how bacteria might employ the phoB-phoRregulatory system to sense an external acidity and regulate transcription of the asr gene.


Author(s):  
D. Reis ◽  
B. Vian ◽  
J. C. Roland

Wall morphogenesis in higher plants is a problem still open to controversy. Until now the possibility of a transmembrane control and the involvement of microtubules were mostly envisaged. Self-assembly processes have been observed in the case of walls of Chlamydomonas and bacteria. Spontaneous gelling interactions between xanthan and galactomannan from Ceratonia have been analyzed very recently. The present work provides indications that some processes of spontaneous aggregation could occur in higher plants during the formation and expansion of cell wall.Observations were performed on hypocotyl of mung bean (Phaseolus aureus) for which growth characteristics and wall composition have been previously defined.In situ, the walls of actively growing cells (primary walls) show an ordered three-dimensional organization (fig. 1). The wall is typically polylamellate with multifibrillar layers alternately transverse and longitudinal. Between these layers intermediate strata exist in which the orientation of microfibrils progressively rotates. Thus a progressive change in the morphogenetic activity occurs.


Author(s):  
Ирина Владимировна Акулина ◽  
Светлана Ивановна Павлова ◽  
Ирина Семеновна Степаненко ◽  
Назира Сунагатовна Карамова ◽  
Александр Владиславович Сергеев ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

Проведено токсикологическое исследование соединений с антибактериальными свойствами из группы терпенов ментанового ряда в условиях in vitro и in vivo: лимонена (B34), его производного (+)-1,2-оксида лимонена (B60) и серосодержащего монотерпенового соединения 2-(1’-гидрокси-4’-изопренил-1’-метилциклогексил-2’-тио)метилэтаноата (B65). В условиях in vitro (культура опухолевых клеток HeLa) изучаемые монотерпены в диапазоне концентраций 2 – 200 мкг/мл обладали цитотоксичностью. Ингибирующая концентрация (ИК50) для B34 составила 231 (167 – 295) мкг/мл, для B60 – 181 (105 – 257) мкг/мл, ИК50 B65 – 229 (150 – 308) мкг/мл. Исследование генотоксичности показало, что B34 и B65 в диапазоне концентраций 50 – 1000 мкг/мл не индуцируют SOS мутагенез в клетках Escherichia coli PQ37, тогда как B60 в концентрациях 500 и 1000 мкг/мл проявляет генотоксичность. In vivo в остром эксперименте на беспородных мышах установлена низкая токсичность B34 и его производных при различных путях введения. Наименьший показатель острой токсичности имеет B65, в связи с чем дополнительно на крысах проведено изучение его хронической токсичности. Ежедневное внутрижелудочное введение B65 в разовых дозах, составляющих 1/10 и 1/20 ЛД50 (1000 мг/кг и 500 мг/кг), в течение 1 мес не вызывало гибели животных, значимых нарушений общего состояния, изменения динамики массы тела, морфопатологических изменений. Внутрижелудочное введение B65 крысам в высокой токсической дозе 2000 мг/кг (1/5 ЛД50) в течение месяца вызывает патоморфологические изменения структуры печени.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Nan Wang ◽  
Xiang-Lei Peng ◽  
Min Xu ◽  
Yuan-Bo Zheng ◽  
Yue-Ying Jiao ◽  
...  

AbstractHuman respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI), and no vaccine against LRTI has proven to be safe and effective in infants. Our study assessed attenuated recombinant RSVs as vaccine candidates to prevent RSV infection in mice. The constructed recombinant plasmids harbored (5′ to 3′) a T7 promoter, hammerhead ribozyme, RSV Long strain antigenomic cDNA with cold-passaged (cp) mutations or cp combined with temperature-sensitive attenuated mutations from the A2 strain (A2cpts) or further combined with SH gene deletion (A2cptsΔSH), HDV ribozyme (δ), and a T7 terminator. These vectors were subsequently co-transfected with four helper plasmids encoding N, P, L, and M2-1 viral proteins into BHK/T7-9 cells, and the recovered viruses were then passaged in Vero cells. The rescued recombinant RSVs (rRSVs) were named rRSV-Long/A2cp, rRSV-Long/A2cpts, and rRSV-Long/A2cptsΔSH, respectively, and stably passaged in vitro, without reversion to wild type (wt) at sites containing introduced mutations or deletion. Although rRSV-Long/A2cpts and rRSV-Long/A2cptsΔSH displayed  temperature-sensitive (ts) phenotype in vitro and in vivo, all rRSVs were significantly attenuated in vivo. Furthermore, BALB/c mice immunized with rRSVs produced Th1-biased immune response, resisted wtRSV infection, and were free from enhanced respiratory disease. We showed that the combination of ΔSH with attenuation (att) mutations of cpts contributed to improving att phenotype, efficacy, and gene stability of rRSV. By successfully introducing att mutations and SH gene deletion into the RSV Long parent and producing three rRSV strains, we have laid an important foundation for the development of RSV live attenuated vaccines.


Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 154 (2) ◽  
pp. 503-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongbo Liu ◽  
Stephen R Hewitt ◽  
John B Hays

Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that the Escherichia coli MutHLS mismatch-repair system can process UV-irradiated DNA in vivo and that the human MSH2·MSH6 mismatch-repair protein binds more strongly in vitro to photoproduct/base mismatches than to “matched” photoproducts in DNA. We tested the hypothesis that mismatch repair directed against incorrect bases opposite photoproducts might reduce UV mutagenesis, using two alleles at E. coli lacZ codon 461, which revert, respectively, via CCC → CTC and CTT → CTC transitions. F′ lacZ targets were mated from mut+ donors into mutH, mutL, or mutS recipients, once cells were at substantial densities, to minimize spontaneous mutation prior to irradiation. In umu+ mut+ recipients, a range of UV fluences induced lac+ revertant frequencies of 4–25 × 10−8; these frequencies were consistently 2-fold higher in mutH, mutL, or mutS recipients. Since this effect on mutation frequency was unaltered by an Mfd− defect, it appears not to involve transcription-coupled excision repair. In mut+ umuC122::Tn5 bacteria, UV mutagenesis (at 60 J/m2) was very low, but mutH or mutL or mutS mutations increased reversion of both lacZ alleles roughly 25-fold, to 5–10 × 10−8. Thus, at UV doses too low to induce SOS functions, such as Umu2′D, most incorrect bases opposite occasional photoproducts may be removed by mismatch repair, whereas in heavily irradiated (SOS-induced) cells, mismatch repair may only correct some photoproduct/base mismatches, so UV mutagenesis remains substantial.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jess Vergis ◽  
S V S Malik ◽  
Richa Pathak ◽  
Manesh Kumar ◽  
Nitin V Kurkure ◽  
...  

Abstract High throughput in vivo laboratory models is need for screening and identification of effective therapeutic agents to overcome microbial drug-resistance. This study was undertaken to evaluate in vivo antimicrobial efficacy of short-chain antimicrobial peptide- Cecropin A (1–7)-Melittin (CAMA) against three multi- drug resistant enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (MDR-EAEC) field isolates in a Galleria mellonella larval model. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC; 2.0 mg/L) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC; 4.0 mg/L) of CAMA were determined by microdilution assay. CAMA was found to be stable at high temperatures, physiological concentration of cationic salts and proteases; safe with sheep erythrocytes, secondary cell lines and commensal lactobacilli at lower MICs; and exhibited membrane permeabilisation. In vitro time-kill assay revealed concentration- and time-dependent clearance of MDR-EAEC in CAMA-treated groups at 30 min. CAMA- treated G. mellonella larvae exhibited an increased survival rate, reduced MDR-EAEC counts, immunomodulatory effect and proved non-toxic which concurred with histopathological findings. CAMA exhibited either an equal or better efficacy than the tested antibiotic control, meropenem. This study highlights the possibility of G. mellonella larvae as an excellent in vivo model for investigating the host-pathogen interaction, including the efficacy of antimicrobials against MDR-EAEC strains.


1987 ◽  
Vol 248 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Charlier ◽  
R Sanchez

In contrast with most aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, the lysyl-tRNA synthetase of Escherichia coli is coded for by two genes, the normal lysS gene and the inducible lysU gene. During its purification from E. coli K12, lysyl-tRNA synthetase was monitored by its aminoacylation and adenosine(5′)tetraphospho(5′)adenosine (Ap4A) synthesis activities. Ap4A synthesis was measured by a new assay using DEAE-cellulose filters. The heterogeneity of lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LysRS) was revealed on hydroxyapatite; we focused on the first peak, LysRS1, because of its higher Ap4A/lysyl-tRNA activity ratio at that stage. Additional differences between LysRS1 and LysRS2 (major peak on hydroxyapatite) were collected. LysRS1 was eluted from phosphocellulose in the presence of the substrates, whereas LysRS2 was not. Phosphocellulose chromatography was used to show the increase of LysRS1 in cells submitted to heat shock. Also, the Mg2+ optimum in the Ap4A-synthesis reaction is much higher for LysRS1. LysRS1 showed a higher thermostability, which was specifically enhanced by Zn2+. These results in vivo and in vitro strongly suggest that LysRS1 is the heat-inducible lysU-gene product.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document