Stereochemical modeling of disulfide bridges. Criteria for introduction into proteins by site-directed mutagenesis

A computer modeling procedure for assessing the stereochemicalsuitability of pairs of residues in proteins as potential sitesfor introduction of cystine disulfide crosslinks has been developed.Residue pairs with C – C distances of 6.5 Å andC^beta;–C^ß distances of 4.5 Å are chosenfor geometrical fixation of S atoms using the program MODIP.The stereochemistry of the modeled disulfides is evaluated usinglimits for the structural parameters of the various torsionangles and S–S bond length in the disulfide bridge. Theability of the procedure to correctly model disulfides has beenchecked with examples of cystine peptides of known crystal structuresand 103 disulfide bridges from 25 available protein crystalstructures determined at 2 Å resolution. An analysis ofresults on three proteins with engineered disulfides, T4 lysozyme,dihydrofolate reductase and subtilisin, is presented. Two positionsfor the introduction of ‘stereochemically optimal’disulfides are identified in subtilisin.     

Replacement of cysteine-107 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae iso-1-cytochrome c with threonine: improved stability of the mutant protein

Site-directed mutagenesis has been used to change the codonfor cysteine-107 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae iso-1-cytochromec to a threonine codon. The resulting protein is active in vivo,is methylated as in the wild-type protein and has optical propertiesindistinguishable from those of the wild-type protein. The threonine-107iso-1-cytochrome c demonstrated fully reversible electrochemicalbehaviour and a mid-point reduction potential of 272 mV versusNHE. In addition, this mutant does not demonstrate a tendencyto autoreduce or to dimerize as does the wild-type protein.These properties of the threonine-107 mutant establish thatit will provide a useful background in which to make subsequentmutations for mechanistic and physical studies of yeast iso-1-cytochromec.     

Characteristics of spontaneous revertants in haploid yeast

The appearance dynamics of spontaneous revertants in adenine- or leucine-auxotrophic haploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains has been studied using mathematical simulation methods. In the case of adenine auxotrophs an increase in the number of revertants with decreasing metabolite content is found to result mainly from increasing the rate of intragenic suppressor mutations. In the case of leucine auxotrophs revertants result from increasing the appearance of mutants formed at similar rates under different cultivation conditions. In the latter case the appearance of mutant colonies increases with decreasing size of colonies of the initial auxotrophic cells. The last can simulate so-called adaptive mutagenesis. The heterogeneity of revertants appearing in different time periods is described.     

衣康酸生产菌的激光诱变育种及其产酸条件

本文利用纯铜蒸气激光对土曲霉ＡＴ１进行诱变育种。获得突变株ＡＴ８９－４的遗传性状稳定。在初始葡萄糖为１０ｇ／１００ｍｌ的摇瓶培养条件下，产衣康酸大于５ｇ／１００ｍｌ，糖转化率达６０％左右。     

Introduction of sulphydryl groups into pea vicilin: Formation of intra-and inter-polypeptide disulphide bonds

Site directed mutagenesis was used to introduce two cysteine residues into the hydrophilic regions of the pea vichlin polypeptide previously expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The mutated polypeptide was expresed and the resultant protein was characterised by sodium dodecyl sulphatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The presence of both intra- and inter-polypeptide sulphydryl bonds was indicated by bands of different mobility from those of the native polypeptide. The association of mutated vicili polypeptides into disulphide-bonded aggregates within the yeast was not a random process, trimers being the major aggregate produced. When the mutated vicilin was extracted from yeast and purified, random aggregates of the vicilin polypeptide were formed.     

Rational Biosynthetic Engineering for Optimization of Geldanamycin Analogues

Tailor made : We report the rational biosynthesis of C15 hydroxylated non‐quinone geldanamycin analogues by site‐directed mutagenesis of the geldanamycin polyketide synthase (PKS), together with a combination of post‐PKS tailoring genes. Rational biosynthetic engineering allowed the generation of geldanamycin derivatives, such as DHQ3 illustrated in the figure, which had superior pharmacological properties in comparison to the parent compound.

     

Probing the Role of Backbone Hydrogen Bonding in a Critical β Sheet of the Extracellular Domain of a Cys‐Loop Receptor

Probing the sheet : The network of hydrogen bonds formed in the outer β sheet of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR; see figure) is fairly robust and tolerates single amide‐to‐ester mutations throughout. However, eliminating two proximal hydrogen bonds completely destroys receptor function; this adds further support to gating models that ascribe important roles to these β strands of the nAChR extracellular domain.

     

紫外诱变筛选高耐性低产高级醇优良啤酒酵母及其高浓发酵后啤酒风味的研究

以啤酒酵母泥X为出发菌株,经筛选,得到高耐渗,高耐酒精的酵母菌Y,并与以诱变得到高耐性低产高级醇菌株MS-5,经研究发现些菌株在高耐性发酵条件下能有效降低高级醇含量。对该菌株在28°P麦芽汁培养基中的发酵性能和发酵终止时啤酒的风味物质含量进行分析,与出发菌种X及菌株Y作对比,菌株MS-5更适合于高浓酿造。     

纤维素酶产酶菌株的选育与固态发酵

从高产纤维素酶菌株绿色木霉D-2出发,经微波诱变和紫外线辐射2种诱变方法对该菌株进行改良,经筛选获得一高产纤维素酶突变株WLZ-2,所产酶活力从207×10-7 kat/g(以干曲计)增加到296×10-7 kat/g(以干曲计);固态发酵中研究了不同麸皮稻草比例、培养基含水量、氮源种类、无机盐、表面活性剂、起始pH等因素对菌株产酶活力的影响。通过以上单因素试验和正交试验,得到优化的培养基配方为:麸皮3 g,稻草5 g,(NH4)2SO4 0.24 g,水12.8 mL。     

微波结合盐酸羟铵诱变选育高产醋酸菌

以醋酸菌AFA-01为出发菌株,首先利用微波诱变菌株,之后再采用盐酸羟铵点式平板法处理,获得产酸性能较好的突变株AFA-WH3,其产酸量为7.35g/100mL,较出发菌株提高了43.55％,乙醇脱氢酶(ADH)活力达2786U/mL,较出发菌株提高94.83％.该菌株经8次传代,产酸稳定,可进行下一步的研究.