Characterization of the sec1-1 and sec1-11 mutations.

Sec1 proteins are implicated in positive and negative regulation of SNARE complex formation. To better understand the function of Sec1 proteins we have identified the nature of the temperature-sensitive mutations in sec1-1 and sec1-11. The sec1-1 mutation changes a conserved glycine(443) to glutamic acid. The sec1-11 mutation changes a highly conserved arginine(432) to proline. Based on homology and the crystal structure of the mammalian nSec1p, the corresponding amino acids localize to the 3b domain of nSec1p. Compared to the wild-type Sec1p the mutant proteins are less abundant even at the permissive temperature. Thus, the R432P and G443E mutations may cause structural alterations that affect folding and make the mutant proteins more susceptible to degradation. The remaining part is sufficient for growth and protein secretion at 24 degrees C and thus is likely to be properly folded. At 37 degrees C the mutant proteins become non-functional. In pulse-chase-type experiments the newly synthesized Sec1-1 and Sec1-11 proteins decayed similarly with the wild-type protein. Thus, the non-functionality of the mutant proteins cannot be explained by denaturation-induced degradation only. It is possible that the newly synthesized mutant proteins fold slowly and are susceptible to degradation before they have managed to fold and associate with other proteins. The mutant proteins were unable to interact with the Sec1p-interacting proteins Mso1p and Sso2p in the two-hybrid assay, even at the permissive temperature. These results localize sec1-1 and sec1-11 mutations to a domain of Sec1p and suggest a mechanism by which sec1-1 and sec1-11 cells become temperature-sensitive.     

带有突变穿膜肽重组凋亡素可溶性表达的研究

目的构建apoptin（凋亡素）-HBDCK-pET28a突变体重组表达载体,在大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中实现高效可溶性表达,并观察突变后穿膜肽（CPP）在HeLa细胞中的转导活性。方法采用PCR介导突变方法将重组蛋白apoptin-HBD及EGFP-HBD的HBD结构域中的Cys（C）突变为Lys（K）。突变的重组质粒在大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中表达,Ni2＋-NTA亲和层析纯化目的蛋白,进一步观察HeLa细胞突变后HBD的转导活性。结果经双酶切鉴定和序列分析,突变后的重组质粒apoptin-HBDCK-pET28a及EGFP-HBDCK-pET28a构建正确。转化E.coli BL21（DE3）后,融合蛋白均获得可溶性表达。EGFP-HBDCK作用于HeLa细胞13 h后,可观察到细胞内强绿色荧光。结论 HBD结构域中C突变为K,可达到融合蛋白可溶性表达的目的,且仍能保持很强的转导活性,可携带EGFP蛋白进入HeLa细胞。     

大豆蛋白-黄芩素的结合机制及蛋白构象和功能变化

探索大豆蛋白组分中β-伴大豆蛋白（7S）/大豆蛋白（11S）与黄芩素的结合机制,考察复合物构象及功能特性的变化。傅里叶变换红外光谱表明黄芩素诱导蛋白的β-折叠转化为α-螺旋和无规卷曲。内源荧光光谱证实了黄芩素的加入使7S、11S结构变得更紧密。黄芩素与蛋白的反应自发进行,并通过静态方式猝灭蛋白荧光。7S、11S蛋白分别通过氢键和疏水相互作用与黄芩素结合。分子对接结果表明,黄芩素对11S的亲和力高于7S。扫描电子显微镜显示了7S、11S与复合物的微观结构差异。此外,与黄芩素结合后,7S、11S的表面疏水性下降,热稳定性及其他功能特性提升。     

Effect of small, acid-soluble proteins on spore resistance and germination under a combination of pressure and heat treatment

To find the range of pressure required for effective high-pressure inactivation of bacterial spores and to investigate the role of alpha/beta-type small, acid-soluble proteins (SASP) in spores under pressure treatment, mild heat was combined with pressure (room temperature to 65 degrees C and 100 to 500 MPa) and applied to wild-type and SASP-alpha-/beta- Bacillus subtilis spores. On the one hand, more than 4 log units of wild-type spores were reduced after pressurization at 100 to 500 MPa and 65 degrees C. On the other hand, the number of surviving mutant spores decreased by 2 log units at 100 MPa and by more than 5 log units at 500 MPa. At 500 MPa and 65 degrees C, both wild-type and mutant spore survivor counts were reduced by 5 log units. Interestingly, pressures of 100, 200, and 300 MPa at 65 degrees C inactivated wild-type SASP-alpha+/beta+ spores more than mutant SASP-alpha-/beta- spores, and this was attributed to less pressure-induced germination in SASP-alpha-/beta- spores than in wild-type SASP-alpha+/beta+ spores. However, there was no difference in the pressure resistance between SASP-alpha+/beta+ and SASP-alpha-/beta- spores at 100 MPa and ambient temperature (approximately 22 degrees C) for 30 min. A combination of high pressure and high temperature is very effective for inducing spore germination, and then inactivation of the germinated spore occurs because of the heat treatment. This study showed that alpha/beta-type SASP play a role in spore inactivation by increasing spore germination under 100 to 300 MPa at high temperature.     

Interaction of 6-phosphofructokinase with cytosolic proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Hetero-octameric 6-phosphofructokinase (Pfk-1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is composed of two types of subunits, alpha and beta, which are encoded by the unlinked genes PFK1 and PFK2. Pfk single deletion mutants expressing only one type of subunit exhibit Pfk-1 activity in vivo which, however, is completely lost immediately after cell disruption. In order to elucidate the preconditions of the in vivo activity of the mutant enzymes composed of either alpha- or beta-subunits, we have investigated their potential interaction with selected heat shock and cytoskeletal proteins, employing co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence microscopy. Western blot analysis identified the mitochondrial chaperonin Hsp60, as well as the cytoskeleton proteins alpha-tubulin and actin, in complexes with Pfk-1 that were co-precipitated from a cell-free extract of a pfk2 single deletion mutant expressing only the alpha-subunit. The interaction of the corresponding mutant enzyme and Hsp60 was found to depend on the ATP concentration of the extract. Immunofluorescence microscopy displayed a conspicuously filamentous arrangement of the Pfk-1 mutant protein, exclusively in the pfk2 single deletion mutant. The analysis of structure and activity of Pfk-1 expressed in S. cerevisiae mutant strains defective in various heat shock proteins (TRiC/CCT, Hsp70, Hsp 104) and in the respective wild-type background did not reveal significant differences.     

Engineering of a β-galactosidase from Bacillus coagulans to relieve product inhibition and improve hydrolysis performance

Most β-galactosidases reported are sensitive to the end product (galactose), making it the rate-limiting component for the efficient degradation of lactose through the enzymatic route. Therefore, there is ongoing interest in searching for galactose-tolerant β-galactosidases. In the present study, the predicted galactose-binding residues of β-galactosidase from Bacillus coagulans, which were determined by molecular docking, were selected for alanine substitution. The asparagine residue at position 148 (N148) is correlated with the reduction of galactose inhibition. Saturation mutations revealed that the N148C, N148D, N148S, and N148G mutants exhibited weaker galactose inhibition effects. The N148D mutant was used for lactose hydrolysis and exhibited a higher hydrolytic rate. Molecular dynamics revealed that the root mean square deviation and gyration radius of the N148D-galactose complex were higher than those of wild-type enzyme-galactose complex. In addition, the N148D mutant had a higher absolute binding free-energy value. All these factors may lead to a lower affinity between galactose and the mutant enzyme. The use of mutant enzyme may have potential value in lactose hydrolysis.     

Influence of Campylobacter jejuni fliA, rpoN and flgK genes on colonization of the chicken gut

Campylobacter jejuni, a commensal Gram-negative motile bacterium commonly found in chickens is a frequent cause of human gastrointestinal infections. The polar flagellum of C. jejuni is an important virulence and colonization factor, providing motility to the cell as well as a type III secretion function. The flagellar biosynthesis genes fliA (sigma28) and rpoN (sigma54) of C. jejuni regulate a large number of genes involved in motility, protein secretion and invasion, which have been shown to be important factors for the virulence of this organism. To understand the role of the flagellar sigma factors, sigma28 and sigma54, in regulating colonization of the chicken intestinal tract, we assessed fliA and rpoN mutants of C. jejuni NCTC11168 for their ability to secrete Cia proteins and to adhere to and invade Hela cells. The mutants were also tested for their in vivo colonization potential in a chicken model with two different challenge doses. The fliA mutant showed reduced motility (25% that of the wild type) but secreted Cia proteins, yet it did not colonize the chicken cecum. The rpoN mutant cells lacked the spiral shape of C. jejuni and motility was reduced to 10% of the wild-type. The rpoN mutant did not secrete any Cia proteins but RT-PCR analysis showed the presence of ciaB mRNA, indicating that ciaB gene expression was independent of sigma54. Not surprisingly, the colonization defects of both fliA and rpoN mutants were more severe than the flgK mutant. We also demonstrated that FlgK, the hook filament junction protein of C. jejuni, is required for assembly of the flagellar secretory apparatus and an flgK mutant of C. jejuni expressing only the hook showed diminished motility and was completely attenuated for cecal colonization in chickens.     

A novel mechanism regulates H(2) S and SO(2) production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Sulfite (SO(2) ) plays an important role in flavour stability in alcoholic beverages, whereas hydrogen sulfide (H(2) S) has an undesirable aroma. To discover the cellular processes that control SO(2) and H(2) S production, we screened a library of Saccharomyces cerevisiae deletion mutants. Deletion of 12 genes led to increased H(2) S productivity. Ten of these genes are known to be involved in sulfur-containing amino acid metabolism, whereas UBI4 functions in the ubiquitin-proteasome system and SKP2 encodes an F-box-containing protein whose function is unknown. We found that the skp2 mutant accumulated H(2) S and SO(2) , because the adenosylphophosulfate kinase Met14p is a substrate of SCF(Skp2) and more stable in the skp2 mutant than in the wild-type strain. Furthermore, the skp2 mutant grew more slowly than the wild-type strain under nutrient-limited conditions. Metabolome analysis showed that the concentration of intracellular cysteine is lower in the skp2 mutant than in the wild-type strain. The slow growth of the skp2 mutant was due to a lower concentration of intracellular cysteine, because the addition of cysteine suppressed the slow growth. In the skp2 mutant, the cysteine biosynthesis proteins Str2p, Str3p and Str4p are more stable than in the wild-type strain. Moreover, supplementation with methionine, S-adenosylmethionine, S-adenosylhomocysteine and homocysteine also suppressed the slow growth. Overexpression of STR1 or STR4 caused a more severe defect in the skp2 mutant. These results suggest that the balance of methionine and cysteine biosynthesis is important for yeast cell growth. Thus, Skp2p is one of the key components regulating this balance and H(2) S/SO(2) production.     

新型天冬氨酸激酶突变株构建及酶学性质表征

通过定点随机突变技术,提高天冬氨酸代谢途径中首个关键限速酶天冬氨酸激酶(aspartate kinase,AK)的催化活力,减弱或解除代谢产物对其协同反馈抑制,并通过Discovery Studio等软件对其空间结构进行分析,借助分子动力学模拟对其机制进行分析.首先选择ATP附近关键残基位点,在前期T379N/A380...     

脱氮硫杆菌ATCC25259 SQR蛋白及突变体的结构分析与活性研究

本文研究了通过Discovery Studio 3.5利用同源建模法构建了脱氮硫杆菌ATCC25259的硫化物:醌氧化还原酶(Sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase,SQR)野生型蛋白及突变体蛋白模型,通过GROMACS 5.1.2对所有模型进行分子力学及分子动力学的优化,使蛋白模型处于能量较低且结构稳定的状态。使用PROCHECK,Verify 3D和Pro SA三种模型评价方法对模型进行评价,表明蛋白模型具有较高的合理性。使用该蛋白模型计算蛋白相互作用、SAS及能量值。将构建好的SQR及突变体的表达载体转入大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)诱导表达分子量约65 ku的蛋白。使用镍柱亲和层析纯化经大量表达含有6×His标签的野生型与突变体蛋白,采用已经建立的SQR活性测定方法,进行酶活性测定实验,结果表明突变体酶活性较低。从模拟计算与实验验证两方面说明SQR C端α螺旋结构对蛋白的结构稳定性具有重要影响,蛋白结构稳定性降低,从而酶活性降低。     

The cyclic AMP/PKA signal pathway is required for initiation of spore germination in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Spore germination, a transition from the quiescent G0 phase to the proliferation cycle, is triggered by glucose in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The role of cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signalling in germination is investigated. Gene disruption of cyr1+, pka1+ and gpa2+ encoding adenylate cyclase, PKA and the alpha-subunit of a trimeric GTP-binding protein, respectively, reduced the colony-forming efficiency of spores in minimal medium. Isolated spores of these null mutants did not germinate in minimal medium for up to 12 h, at which time wild-type spores had completed germination and formed germ projections. In wild-type spores, cortical actin patches randomly distributed in the early stage of outgrowth and then localized to one side of spores before the formation of projections. In contrast, the mutant spores exhibited no actin patches, but the cell surface was predominantly stained, like ungerminated spores of wild-type. Flow fluorocytometric analysis of propidium iodide-stained spores revealed a distinct 1C DNA peak after germination was completed. The fluorescent profile of the mutant spores, however, did not change during 12 h incubation in the minimal medium. These observations indicate that spores harbouring either cyr1Delta, pka1Delta or gpa2Delta are hardly triggered to germination. When wild-type spores were exposed to glucose, the intracellular cAMP level transiently increased in a few minutes, but gpa2Delta spores did not respond to glucose. We conclude that S. pombe spores initiate germination in response to glucose through the cyclic AMP-PKA pathway.     

Interactions between Whey Protein Isolate and Soy Protein Fractions at Oil–Water Interfaces: Effects of Heat and Concentration of Protein in the Aqueous Phase

ABSTRACT:  The 2 main storage proteins of soy—glycinin (11S) and β-conglycinin (7S)—exhibit unique behaviors during processing, such as gelling, emulsifying, or foaming. The objective of this work was to observe the interactions between soy protein isolates enriched in 7S or 11S and whey protein isolate (WPI) in oil–water emulsion systems. Soy oil emulsion droplets were stabilized by either soy proteins (7S or 11S rich fractions) or whey proteins, and then whey proteins or soy proteins were added to the aqueous phase. Although the emulsifying behavior of these proteins has been studied separately, the effect of the presence of mixed protein systems at interfaces on the bulk properties of the emulsions has yet to be characterized. The particle size distribution and viscosity of the emulsions were measured before and after heating at 80 and 90 °C for 10 min. In addition, SDS-PAGE electrophoresis was carried out to determine if protein adsorption or exchanges at the interface occurred after heating. When WPI was added to soy protein emulsions, gelling occurred with heat treatment at WPI concentrations >2.5%. In addition, whey proteins were found adsorbed at the oil–water interface together with 7S or 11S proteins. When 7S or 11S fractions were added to WPI-stabilized emulsions, no gelation occurred at concentrations up to 2.5% soy protein. In this case also, 7S or 11S formed complexes at the interface with whey proteins during heating.     

Corticoid binding in mammary tissue slices from lactating cows.

Mammary tissue slices (from lactating Holstein cows) incubated at 37 C with various concentrations of either hydrogen-3 cortisol or hydrogen-3 dexamethasone bound both hormones with high affinity [dissociation constants (Kd) approximately equal to 10-10M]. There were approximately 2900 and 3800 total high affinity binding sites per mammary cell for cortisol and dexamethasone, respectively. In addition, a major nonspecific component bound cortisol and dexamethasone and was unsaturable. Unlabeled cortisol and dexamethasone reduced binding of hydrogen-3 cortisol and dexamethasone whereas unlabeled 17beta-estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone were without effect. Incubation of tissue slices at 4 C reduced the total number of high affinity binding sites for cortisol by about 56% compared with similar measurements at 37 C. However, dissociation constants for the high affinity components were similar at both temperatures (Kd approximately equal to 10-10M). Macromolecules which specifically bound cortisol in the 700 X g supernatant and precipitate tissue fractions were isolated by gel filtration chromatography. Enzyme digestion experiments and treatment with p-chloromercuribenzoate indicated that the macromolecules binding cortisol were proteins. Thin-layer chromatography of bound hydrogen-3 cortisol in the 700 X g supernatant indicated that the majority of bound radioactivity was authentic cortisol. We conclude that fresh mammary tissue from lactating cows possesses protein which specifically binds corticoids with high affinity.     

Cloning of a fatty acid synthase component FAS1 gene from Saccharomyces kluyveri and its functional complementation of S. cerevisiae fas1 mutant

A gene encoding a fatty acid synthase component, FAS1, has been cloned from a genomic library of the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-producing yeast Saccharomyces kluyveri. This gene (named Sk-FAS1) was found to contain an open reading frame of 6150 bp, coding for 2049 amino acids. The deduced Sk-FAS1 protein showed significant (75-59%) homology with FAS proteins from the other yeasts, including S. cerevisiae, Candida albicans and Yarrowia lipolytica. The substrate-binding sites of the acetyl transferase and malonyl/palmitoyl transferase domains, and the FMN- and NADPH-binding sites of the enoyl reductase domain, were all highly conserved. Expression of the Sk-FAS1 gene in S. cerevisiae complemented genetic disruption of the S. cerevisiae FAS1 gene (Sc-FAS1), suggesting the formation of a heterogeneous complex of Sk-FAS1 (beta) and Sc-FAS2 (alpha), which is able to function to synthesize fatty acids. Compared with the isogenic wild-type of S. cerevisiae, as well as S. kluyveri, the S. cerevisiae fas1 mutant carrying the Sk-FAS1 gene showed an increase in the relative amount of 16-carbon fatty acids and a decrease in 18-carbon fatty acids.     

基于定向进化技术提高巨大芽孢杆菌谷氨酸脱羧酶活性

为提高巨大芽孢杆菌谷氨酸脱羧酶活性,通过定向进化技术对其进行酶工程改造。经过二轮易错聚合酶链式反应,从13 000 多个突变株中筛选到突变株A5-3、E2-4、E3-11,相对于野生型,其酶比活力提高了157%、115%、97%,且Kcat/Km都有所增大。其中A5-3氨基酸序列发生了2 个突变（A55D和D451E）。三维模拟结果表明,第55位丙氨酸突变为天冬氨酸很可能为酶促反应提供H＋,从而加快酶促反应效率;突变株E2-4第34位由亮氨酸突变成谷氨酰胺,一定程度上改善了酶的热稳定性;突变株E3-11的第325位由丙氨酸突变成丝氨酸有利于蛋白内部形成更多氢键,增大了该部位的柔性,更有利于氨基酸残基之间发生相互作用。圆二色谱分析表明,突变株与野生型具有相似的三维结构,相比于野生酶,突变酶的α-螺旋减少,无规则卷曲增加,说明突变酶刚性有所下降而柔性增加。利用定向进化技术可以明显改善谷氨酸脱羧酶的酶活性,为其工业化的应用提供实验参考。     

Evaluation of cell wall binding domain of Staphylococcus aureus autolysin as affinity reagent for bacteria and its application to bacterial detection

We evaluated the cell wall binding (CWB) domain of Staphylococcus aureus autolysin as an affinity reagent for bacteria. A fusion of CWB domain and green fluorescent protein (CWB-GFP) bound to S. aureus with a dissociation constant of 15 nM. CWB-GFP bound to a wide range of gram-positive bacteria, but not to most gram-negative bacteria. We suspected that the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria inhibits the access of CWB-GFP to peptidoglycan layer. Indeed, CWB-GFP bound to gram-negative bacteria when they were treated with benzalkonium chloride. Because CWB-GFP bound to the bacterial peptidoglycan layer, it appeared to be an effective affinity reagent for bacteria and CWB fusion with reporter proteins could be applied to detect bacteria. We also constructed a fusion of CWB and luciferase, which can be used for the rapid detection of bacteria.     

Aggregation profile of 11S, 7S and 2S coagulated with GDL

The aggregation process of the proteins coagulated by glucono-δ-lactone (GDL) was monitored by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Solutions of 11S, 7S and 2S proteins, after heating at 100 °C for 10 min, were mixed with GDL and formed aggregates with different aggregation profiles. When the three protein solutions (11S, 7S and 2S) were mixed with GDL and deposited onto the mica for 1, 2 and 4 min, 11S proteins formed the largest clusters of aggregates, 2S proteins formed smaller clusters of aggregates than 11S but bigger clusters of aggregates than 7S and 7S proteins formed the smallest cluster of aggregates. It was also found, by turbidity measurement, that when GDL was added to the three protein fractions, the level of turbidity was in the order of 11S > 2S > 7S. Both these results showed that, when GDL was added to the three protein fractions, the speed of aggregation was in the order of 11S > 2S > 7S.     

Initial characterization of the nascent polypeptide-associated complex in yeast

The three subunits of the nascent polypeptide-associated complex (alpha, beta1, beta3) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are encoded by three genes (EGD2, EGD1, BTT1). We found the complex bound to ribosomes via the beta-subunits in a salt-sensitive manner, in close proximity to nascent polypeptides. Estimation of the molecular weight of the complex of wild-type cells and cells lacking one or two subunits revealed that the composition of the complex is variable and that as yet unknown proteins might be included. Regardless of the variability, a certain balance of the subunits has to be maintained: the deletion of one subunit causes downregulation of the remaining subunits at physiological growth temperature. Cells lacking both beta-subunits are unable to grow at 37 degrees C, most likely due to a toxic effect of the alpha-subunit. Based on in vitro experiments, it has been proposed that the function of mammalian nascent-polypeptide associated complexes (NAC) is to prevent inappropriate targeting of non-secretory nascent polypeptides. In vivo, however, the lack of NAC does not cause secretion of signal-less invertase in yeast. This result and the lack of a drastic phenotype of cells missing one, two or three subunits at optimal conditions (28 degrees C, YPD-medium) suggest either the existence of a substitute for NAC or that cells tolerate or 'repair' the damage caused by the absence of NAC.     

大豆7S和11S蛋白二级结构与表面疏水性相关性的研究

以6 个具有代表性的大豆品种作为实验材料提取7S和11S蛋白,并经Superdex 200凝胶柱层析进行纯化,采用十二烷基硫酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳验证其纯度均在90%以上。采用傅里叶红外光谱分析7S和11S蛋白的二级结构,采用ANS荧光探针法测定7S和11S蛋白的表面疏水性,利用相关性分析探讨7S和11S蛋白表面疏水性与二级结构的构效关系。经分析得出：大豆蛋白的表面疏水性与α-螺旋含量成负相关;与β-折叠含量成负相关;与β-转角含量成正相关,与无规卷曲含量成正相关。     

Functional analysis of a conserved amino-terminal region of HSP70 by site-directed mutagenesis.

Hsp70 proteins have been highly conserved throughout evolution. As a first step in a structure-function analysis of hsp70, we constructed and analysed the consequences of mutations in a portion of the SSA1 gene, a member of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae HSP70 multigene family, that encodes a nearly invariant region near the amino terminus. Analysis of strains expressing SSA1 proteins with alterations at positions 8, 11 and 15 showed that these conserved residues within this region are critical for normal functioning of the protein. SSA1 protein containing either of two changes at position 15 was able to slightly complement the inviability of an ssa1ssa2ssa4 strain, but was inactive in other complementation assays. The other mutant proteins tested were unable to complement any tested phenotype. Effective interallelic complementation of several phenotypes was observed when a mutant protein substituted at position 8 was expressed in the same cell with either of two proteins carrying substitutions at position 15, suggesting that hsp70 acts as a multimer. Evidence from previous studies suggests that hsp70 proteins engage in ATP-driven cycles of binding and release from peptides. The ability of the mutant proteins to bind ATP and a peptide was tested. The Ssa1p carrying a substitution at position 8, which inhibits growth of cells carrying wild-type SSA proteins, showed a defect in release from a peptide relative to wild type. Two mutations, one each at position 8 and 15, resulted in accumulation of phosphorylated isoforms which may be a normal, transient hsp70 intermediate.