枯草芽孢杆菌sacB基因的功能验证及应用

本研究将枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)基因组DNA中克隆的1.4 kbsacB基因片段连接到表达载体pET-28a(+),构建了sacB基因表达载体pSacB。通过测定蔗糖水解产生的葡萄糖具有的还原性,确定sacB基因产物具有蔗糖果聚糖酶活性。该基因表达后,导致大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)细胞不能在含5%蔗糖的培养基中生存。同时发现sacB基因也能赋予耐辐射菌株Deinococcussp.BR501蔗糖敏感性。利用条件致死sacB基因的这一特性,我们分析了D.sp.BR501的突变率,结果表明DNA错配修复缺失突变株(ΔmutS1)的突变频率明显高于野生型。因此枯草芽孢杆菌sacB基因可作为验证DNA损伤修复能力的一种筛选标记。     

Effects of temperature and sodium chloride concentration on the activities of proteases and amylases in soy sauce koji

This study investigated the effects of temperature and sodium chloride concentration on the proteolytic and amylolytic activities of soy sauce koji. The optimal temperatures for both protease and amylase were found in the range of 50-55 degrees C. The protease was not stable at 55 degrees C and retained only approximately 20% residual activity after incubation at 55 degrees C for 4 h. The protease was labile in sodium chloride solution, whereas the amylase was quite stable. The residual protease activity in an 18% NaCl solution was only approximately 3%. The harvested koji was mixed with 1.5 volumes of water (v/w) and incubated at 45 degrees C for 48 h; the total nitrogen and amino nitrogen contents were 1.3 and 0.56%, respectively. The results indicated that the hydrolysis of koji at the critical temperature of 45 degrees C could be employed as a rapid fermentation method to reduce the time for soy sauce manufacturing. According to this study, the combination of 5% sodium chloride and fermentation at 45 degrees C was considered as the best condition for the prohydrolysis of koji for making soy sauce. In addition, the critical temperature of 45 degrees C was very important when used in the preparation of protein hydrolysates for the flavoring industry and for the preparation of biologically active peptides.     

Overexpression of the soluble form of chicken cystatin in Escherichia coli and its purification

A cDNA encoding chicken cystatin was cloned into the pET-23a(+) expression vector and then transformed into Escherichia coli AD494(DE3)pLysS expression host. An active soluble form of cystatin was expressed in the cytoplasm of E. coli induced by isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside. The recombinant chicken cystatin was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by a simple and rapid method involving heat treatment and Sephacryl S-100 gel filtration chromatography. The recombinant cystatin behaved as a thermal-stable protein and exhibited papain-like protease inhibition activity comparable to the natural chicken cystatin.     

Inhibition of protease in intact fish fillets by soaking in or injection of recombinant soy cystatin or bovine plasma

Arrowtooth flounder (AF) fillets are known to contain a heat-activated cysteine protease similar to that found in Pacific whiting, which results in soft texture upon cooking. A crude recombinant soy cystatin (CRSC) produced by Escherichia coli, which has been shown to inhibit the protease(s) in Pacific whiting, was introduced into AF fillets by immersion or injection at one of three levels of inhibitory activity: 10 times less than, equal to, or 10 times greater than that of a 20% bovine plasma protein (BPP) solution, a known inhibitor of AF protease(s). Fillets treated with CRSC or BPP at equal inhibitory strength subsequently exhibited the same degree of protection against textural degradation during cooking. Fillets treated with CRSC at lesser or greater levels of inhibitory activity than those of BPP exhibited lesser or higher protection, accordingly. As revealed by SDS-PAGE, the outer portion of fillets soaked with inhibitory solutions was more effectively protected than the inner portion. Such differences between the outer and inner portions of the fillets were not evident when inhibitory solutions were injected into the fillets.     

Method for bacterial expression and purification of sesame cystatin via artificial oil bodies

A method was developed for production of sesame cystatin, a thermostable cysteine protease inhibitor. Sesame cystatin was first expressed in Escherichia coli as an insoluble recombinant protein fused to oleosin, a unique structural protein of seed oil bodies, by a short hydrophilic linker peptide. Stable artificial oil bodies were constituted with triacylglycerol, phospholipid, and the insoluble oleosin-cystatin fusion protein. After centrifugation, the oleosin-cystatin fusion protein was exclusively found in the artificial oil bodies. Proteolytic cleavage with papain, a cysteine protease effectively inhibited by cystatin, separated soluble cystatin from oleosin that was firmly embedded in the artificial oil bodies. After recentrifugation, papain that coexisted with cystatin in the collected supernatant was denatured by incubating at 55 degrees C for 30 min. The insoluble denatured papain was removed by one more centrifugation, and the expressed cystatin of high yield and purity was harvested simply by concentrating the ultimate supernatant. Comparable inhibitory activity toward papain was observed between the expressed cystatin and the native one purified from sesame seeds. This method is presumably applicable to production of other protease inhibitors whose target proteases are economically available.     

Evidence for an extracellular acid proteolytic activity secreted by living cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae PlR1: impact on grape proteins

In this work, Saccharomyces cerevisiae PlR1, a strain isolated from Pinot noir grapes in the Champagne area, was shown to secrete an acid proteolytic activity against bovine serum albumin. This proteolytic activity was detectable in cell-free culture supernatants at the beginning of the exponential growth phase and increased with yeast growth. Using a zymography method, only one protease band with a molecular mass of 72 kDa was observed. This extracellular proteolytic activity was detected in the pH range from 2 to 4 with a maximal value at pH 2.5 and 38 °C and was completely inhibited by pepstatin A. The secretion of this protease did not need any protein inducer and seemed to be insensitive to nitrogen catabolic repression. S. cerevisiae PlR1 was also able to secrete this proteolytic activity during alcoholic fermentation, and it was found to be active against grape proteins, with a molecular mass around 25 kDa, at optimal conditions of 38 °C, pH 3.5.     

Cloning, functional expression, and characterization of cystatin in sesame seed

A cDNA fragment encoding cystatin, a cysteine protease inhibitor, was obtained from maturing sesame seeds. The clone was constructed in a nonfusion or fusion vector and then overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant cystatins were found in the soluble fraction of cell extract and were demonstrated to be functionally active in a reverse zymographic assay. The corresponding endogenous 22 kDa cystatin of low abundance in mature seeds was purified to homogeneity via a papain-coupling affinity column and confirmed by western blotting with antibodies against the recombinant cystatin. Both endogenous and recombinant cystatin proteins showed effective inhibitory activities against papain with K(i) values of 7.89 x 10(-8) M and 2.77 x 10(-8) M, respectively. Immunodetection indicated that cystatin was specifically expressed in maturing seeds and rapidly degraded in germination. Accordingly, zymographic and inhibition analyses showed that sesame cystatin could not inhibit the de novo synthesized proteases in germinating seeds. It is suggested that sesame cystatin may play a role in the regulation of endogenous cysteine proteases during seed maturation and germination.     

Cloning and expression of buffalo active chymosin in Pichia pastoris

To date, only recombinant chymosin has been obtained in its active form from supernatants of filamentous fungi, which are not as good candidates as yeasts for large-scale fermentations. Since Bos taurus chymosin was cloned and expressed, the world demand for this protease has increased to such an extent that the cheesemaking industry has been looking for novel sources of chymosin. In this sense because buffalo chymosin has properties that are more stable than those of B. taurus chymosin, it may occupy a space of its own in the chymosin market. The main objective of the present work was the production of active recombinant buffalo chymosin in the culture supernatant of Pichia pastoris . This yeast has demonstrated its usefulness as an excellent large-scale fermentation tool for the secretion of recombinant foreign proteins. RNA was extracted from the abomasum of a suckling calf water buffalo ( Bubalus arnee bubalis ). Preprochymosin, prochymosin, and chymosin DNA sequences were isolated and expressed into P. pastoris. Only the recombinant clones of P. pastoris containing the prochymosin sequence gene were able to secrete the active form of the chymosin to the culture supernatant. This paper describes for the first time the production of active recombinant chymosin in P. pastoris without the need of a previous in vitro activation. The new recombinant yeast strain could represent a novel and excellent source of rennet for the cheesemaking industry.     

Transcriptome profiling of heat-resistant strain Bacillus licheniformis CGMCC3962 producing Maotai flavor

Although Maotai flavor liquor is exclusive due to its soy sauce flavor, knowledge of its key compound and production mechanism is still scarce until now. To gain insight into the production mechanism of soy sauce flavor, a soy sauce flavor producing strain with high efficiency and heat-resistant capability was obtained, and the metabolic mechanism of the strain was investigated with the technique of microarray profiling. Because high temperature was a key factor for soy sauce flavor production, the global gene expression of this heat-resistant strain fermented at 55 °C was analyzed. Except for the responsive increase of heat shock proteins, which maintained cell survival during heat stress, biosynthesis of cysteine was also up-regulated. In addition, some metabolites were significantly increased when cysteine was added to the fermentation medium, such as 2,3-butanediol, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, and tetramethylpyrazine, which were important flavor compounds in soy sauce flavor liquor and might be related with soy sauce flavor. The results indicated that cysteine might play an important role in the formation of soy sauce flavor compound, and it might act as an indirect precursor or stimulator of soy sauce flavor formation. This was the first use of the microarray profiling tool to investigate the fermentative strains for Chinese traditional liquor, which would allow a deeper insight into the mechanism of the formation of soy sauce flavor compound.     

Expression of soluble form carp (Cyprinus carpio) ovarian cystatin in Escherichia coli and its purification

A DNA encoding thioredoxin-mature carp ovarian cystatin (trx-cystatin) fusion protein was ligated into a pET-23a(+) expression vector and then transformed into Escherichia coli AD494(DE3) expression host. After induction by isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside, a high level of the soluble form of recombinant trx-cystatin was expressed in the cytoplasm of E. coli. The recombinant trx-cystatin could be purified by Ni(2+)-NTA agarose affinity chromatography. The molecular mass (M) of the recombinant trx-cystatin was approximately 28 kDa composed of recombinant thioredoxin (16 kDa) and recombinant mature carp ovarian cystatin (12 kDa). Both recombinant trx-fused and mature carp ovarian cystatins were stable at pH 6-11. No obvious decrease in activity was observed even after 5 min of incubation at 60 degrees C. They exhibited papain-like protease inhibition activity comparable to that of the mature carp ovarian cystatin, which could inhibit papain and mackerel cathepsins L and L-like, but not cathepsin B.     

Production and characterization of human extracellular superoxide dismutase in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

Reactive oxygen species are associated with various diseases including cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and pulmonary diseases. Extracellular superoxide dismutase (ECSOD) is an antioxidant enzyme secreted by cells to prevent overproduction of reactive oxygen species. We expressed an ECSOD gene isolated from a human aortic smooth muscle cDNA library in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. A synthetic secretion cassette was constructed with the inducible promoter of the alcohol oxidase 1 gene (AOX1) and the yeast alpha-mating factor signal peptide. As much as 25% of the total protein was ECSOD in some transformants grown under inducing conditions. After 36 h of methanol induction, ECSOD was exported into the culture medium at a concentration of approximately 440 mg/L with an antioxidative activity of 760 +/- 20 U/mg ECSOD. Transformed yeast cells were more resistant to heat shock and H(2)O(2) oxidative stress, indicating that the human ECSOD expressed by P. pastoris had multiple biological functions. Our data suggest that the methylotrophic yeast inducible system is suitable for large-scale production of enzymatically active human ECSOD.     

传统农家酱产蛋白酶菌株的分离及其在豆浆的应用

豆浆富含植物蛋白,但由于植物蛋白相较动物蛋白不易被人体吸收。利用产蛋白酶菌株发酵豆浆,可将植物蛋白降解成多肽和氨基酸,提高其消化吸收率。传统农家酱是以大豆为主要原料的传统发酵食品,含有大量能够水解大豆蛋白的优良菌株。该研究从传统农家酱中分离到8株产蛋白酶的芽孢杆菌并用于豆浆处理,处理后豆浆的可溶性肽含量显著提高,其中菌株BJ-20处理效果最显著;氨基态氮含量和水解度也有显著变化,其中BJ-6处理后的豆浆最佳,氨基态氮含量提高了10.87%,水解度为23.49%。同时,处理后豆浆的组织状态得到了明显改善。本研究丰富了豆类发酵菌种库,提高了大豆蛋白利用率,丰富了大豆产品种类,为大豆保健产品开发提供参考及理论支持。     

十字花科黑腐病菌中调控致病相关基因hpaS的XC_2486基因鉴定

十字花科黑腐病菌hpaS影响致病性、HR其编码产物分别与HpaR2、HrpG形成双组分系统。为了深入了解hapS的表达调控机制,本研究将hpaS的启动子与蔗糖敏感基因sacB融合,构建了hpaS的表达报告质粒pL6sacB3670并导入十字花科黑腐病菌野生型菌株8004中,获得了报告菌株8004/pL6sacB3670。然后利用转座子EZ：Tn5对该报告菌株进行诱变,筛选到一株转座子EZ：Tn5插入基因组的克隆。通过测序定位分析发现该克隆是由转座子EZ：Tn5插入到编号为XC_2486的ORF所产生的。然后将hpaS启动子与报告基因gusA融合的报告质粒pL6GUS3670分别导入野生型8004和XC_2486的突变体239C02中,测定比较pL6GUS3670的GUS表达水平,结果显示在突变体背景下GUS表达水平明显比在野生型背景下降低。这表明XC_2486正调控hpaS的表达。对XC_2486突变体239C02进行致病性和过敏反应检测发现,XC_2486与致病性相关,与HR无关。     

Bowman-Birk and Kunitz Protease Inhibitors among Antinutrients and Bioactives Modified by Germination and Hydrolysis in Brazilian Soybean Cultivar BRS 133

Soybean contains constituents that have antinutritional and bioactive properties. Enzymatic hydrolysis and germination can enhance the biological activity of these compounds in soybean. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of germination, Alcalase (protease) hydrolysis, and their combination on the concentrations of antinutritional and bioactive compounds in Brazilian soybean cultivar BRS 133. A combination of germination and Alcalase hydrolysis resulted in the degradation of Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI), Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI), and lunasin by 96.9, 97.8, and 38.4%. Lectin was not affected by any of the processing treatments when compared to nongerminated and nonhydrolyzed soy protein extract. Total isoflavones (ISF) and total saponins (SAP) increased by 16.2 and 28.7%, respectively, after 18 h of germination, while Alcalase hydrolysis led to the reduction of these compounds. A significant correlation was found between concentrations of BBI and KTI, BBI and lunasin, BBI and ISF, KTI and lunasin, KTI and ISF, KTI and SAP, lunasin and ISF, and ISF and SAP. Germination and Alcalase hydrolysis interacted in reducing BBI, ISF, and SAP. This study presents a process of preparing soy flour ingredients with lower concentrations of antinutritional factors and with biologically active constituents, important for the promotion of health associated with soybean consumption. In conclusion, 18 h of germination and 3 h of Alcalase hydrolysis is recommended for elimination of protease inhibitors, while bioactives are maintained by at least 50% of their original concentrations.     

Effect of Sorghum Decortication and Use of Protease Before Liquefaction with Thermoresistant α‐Amylase on Efficiency of Bioethanol Production

The aim was to study the dual effect of sorghum decortication and protease treatment before liquefaction with α‐amylase on the performance of subsequent steps of saccharification and fermentation. A bifactorial experiment with a level of confidence of P < 0.05 was designed to study differences among grains (maize, whole, and decorticated sorghum) and the effectiveness of the protease before liquefaction. Sorghum was decorticated to remove most of the pericarp and part of the germ and increase starch concentration of the feedstock. The decorticated sorghum had significantly higher starch hydrolysis during liquefaction compared with the whole kernel. These hydrolyzates contained ≈50% more reducing sugars than the untreated counterparts. At the end of saccharification, the final glucose concentration in hydrolyzates treated without protease was the highest for maize (180 mg/mL), followed by decorticated sorghum (165 mg/mL), and whole sorghum (145 mg/mL). Decortication and protease treatment had a significant effect on fermentation times. In decorticated sorghum mash treated with and without protease, fermentation times were 22 and 60 hr, respectively. The decorticated sorghum treated with protease yielded similar amounts of ethanol compared with maize and 44% more ethanol compared with the untreated whole sorghum. Both sorghum decortication and protease treatments before hydrolysis with α‐amylase are recommended to increase ethanol yields, lower yields of distilled grains, and save liquefaction, saccharification, and fermentation times.     

Detection of protease genes in field soil applied with liquid livestock feces and speculation on their function and origin

The origin of soil protease in field soil was estimated using culture-dependent and independent approaches. Overall soil protease activity was much higher in field soils with an annual application of liquid livestock feces (120 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 600 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) compared with the activity recorded in other field soils, and the character of the soil proteases became highly homogeneous (approximately 70% metalloprotease in a 600 t field). Selective incubation studies suggested that bacteria were the most important source of soil protease. There were significantly higher correlations between serratial metalloprotease and the overall soil protease in both feces-applied fields in terms of the effect of inhibitors, and the bacteria, which produced serratial metalloprotease, were suggested to proliferate in both the 120 t and 600 t fields. The gene homologous to serratial metalloprotease gene was amplified in directly extracted DNA from field soils using selective DNA primer and proteolytic Serratia marcescens was certified to be one source of soil protease in these field soils. Proteolytic S. marcescens and its metalloprotease gene have occasionally been isolated and detected in field soils applied with raw feces, and have rarely been isolated or detected from other field soils. Proteolytic S. marcescens is believed to be introduced in the raw feces and subsequently colonizes the field soil and replaces the indigenous bacteria in the soil.     

益母草抗菌蛋白LJAMP2的表达及抗菌活性分析

LJAMP2是一种分离自益母草(Leonurus japonicus Houtt.)种子的非专一性脂转移蛋白类抗菌蛋白.将编码成熟的LJAMP2蛋白的基冈(GenBank Accession No.AY971513)插入到巴斯德毕赤酵母(Pichia pas-toris)表达载体pPIC9K中;重组质粒pPIC9K-LJAMP2经线性化后,用电转化法导入毕赤酵母菌株GS115(his-/mut+)中.转化子用含1.75 mg/mL G418的YPD平板筛选获得多拷贝Mut+转化子.将1%甲醇诱导LJAMP2表达后的发酵液,经进一步浓缩、凝胶过滤脱盐、CM FF阳离子交换色谱和反相HPLC进行纯化,获得纯度90%以上的LJAMP2菌株诱导24 h即有LJAMP2的表达,诱导168 h表达量达到最高;表达的LJAMP2蛋白对黑曲霉(Aspergillus niger)、玉米小斑病菌(Bipolaris maydis)、镰刀菌(Fusarium graminearum)真菌表现出抑制活性.     

瘤胃微生物Fosmid文库蛋白酶活性克隆的筛选与序列分析

在日粮蛋白质的降解过程中,蛋白酶是把蛋白质水解为肽或氨基酸的关键酶,由于受到纯培养技术的影响,瘤胃内产生蛋白酶活性的细菌和各种蛋白酶的遗传信息知之甚少。本实验旨在利用蛋白酶选择性培养基从瘤胃微生物 Fosmid 文库中筛选出含蛋白酶活性的克隆子,通过生物信息学分析获得这些克隆子的遗传信息。应用脱脂乳粉和大豆蛋白粉两种蛋白酶选择性培养基,从 30 000 个克隆中筛选得到 14 个具有蛋白酶活性的活性克隆。利用福林酚试剂法检测 14 个蛋白酶克隆子的酶活力,结果表明,每个克隆子分别具有不同的蛋白质分解能力。以酪蛋白为底物的克隆子酶活力介于 0.59~2.74 U/mg 之间,以大豆蛋白粉为底物的克隆子酶活力在 0.70~7.19 U/mg 之间,而且同一克隆对于不同的底物所表现的酶活力也不同。随机挑选 10 个活性克隆进行末端测序(GenBank 登录号:JY084410~JY084429),经 Blast 比对后发现,45%的基因序列与已知编码基因无法匹配,pro10F 末端序列与金属肽酶匹配度为 54%,属于肽酶 M13 家族,且该克隆蛋白酶最适 pH 值为 7.0,为下一步研究该克隆的酶学性质和序列特征分析提供了基础资料。     

Potent fibrinolytic enzyme from a mutant of Bacillus subtilis IMR-NK1

A mutant of Bacillus subtilis IMR-NK1, which is used for the production of domestic "natto" in Taiwan, produced high fibrinolytic enzyme activity by solid-state fermentation using wheat bran as medium. In addition, a strong fibrinolytic enzyme was purified from the cultivation media. The purified enzyme was almost homogeneous, as examined by SDS-PAGE and capillary electrophoresis. The enzyme had an optimal pH of 7.8, an optimal temperature of 55 degrees C, and a K(m) of 0.15% for fibrin hydrolysis. The molecular mass estimated by gel filtration was 31.5 kDa, and the isoelectric point estimated by isoelectric focusing electrophoresis was 8.3. The enzyme also showed activity for hydrolysis of fibrinogen, casein, and several synthetic substrates. Among the synthetic substrates, the most sensitive substrate was N-succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-pNA. PMSF and NBS almost completely inhibited the activity of the enzyme. These results indicate that the enzyme is a subtilisin-like serine protease, similar to nattokinase from Bacillus natto.