Molecular cloning of the whole biosynthetic pathway of a Streptomyces antibiotic and its expression in a heterologous host

The application of molecular cloning to antibiotic-producing microorganisms should lead to enhanced antibiotic productivity and to the biosynthesis of novel antibiotics by in vitro interspecific recombination. To allow such approaches, the genes for antibiotic synthesis must be isolated, analysed and perhaps modified. Certain Streptomyces species produce nearly two-thirds of the known natural antibiotics; the recent development of cloning systems in the genus makes it possible to isolate and analyse Streptomyces genes. However, antibiotics are metabolites which require sets of several enzymes for their synthesis and attempts to isolate the corresponding genes have so far yielded clones carrying either individual genes of the set, or only incomplete gene sets. We describe here the isolation of a large continuous segment of Streptomyces coelicolor DNA which apparently carries the complete genetic information required for synthesis of an antibiotic, actinorhodin , from simple primary metabolites. Not only can the cloned DNA 'complement' all available classes of actinorhodin non-producing mutants of S. coelicolor but, on introduction into a different host, Streptomyces parvulus , it directs the synthesis of the antibiotic. The tendency for the genes for antibiotic synthesis to be clustered together on the chromosomes of Streptomyces species and the availability of plasmid vectors which can carry stable inserts of DNA larger than 30 kilobase pairs (kb) and which can be introduced efficiently into Streptomyces protoplasts, suggest that the experiments described have general significance for this area of biotechnology.     

A pair of two－component regulatory genes ecrA1／A2 in S. coelicolor

Two-component genes are kinds of genetic elements involved in regulation of antibiotic production in Streptomyces coelicolor. DNA microarray analysis revealed that ecrA1/A2, which mapped at distant sites from red locus and encode respectively the kinase and regulator, expressed coordinately with genes of Red specific biosynthetic pathway, ecrA1 and ecrA2 gene-disruptive mutants were constructed using homogenotisation by reciprocal double crossover. Fermentation data showed that the undecylprodigiosin (Red) level of production was lower than that of wild-type strain. However, the change of the actinorhodin (Act) production level was not significant compared with wild type. Thus, these experiment results confirmed that the two-component system ecrA 1/A2 was positive regulatory element for red gene cluster.     

Homology between Streptomyces genes coding for synthesis of different polyketides used to clone antibiotic biosynthetic genes

Many important antibiotics such as tetracyclines, erythromycin, adriamycin, monensin, rifamycin and avermectins are polyketides. In their biosynthesis, multifunctional synthases catalyse iterated condensation of thio-esters derived from acetate, propionate or butyrate to yield aliphatic chains of varying length and carrying different alkyl substituents. Subsequent modifications, including aromatic or macrolide ring closure or specific methylations or glycosylations, generate further chemical diversity. It has been suggested that, if different polyketide synthases had a common evolutionary origin, cloned DNA coding for one synthase might be used as a hybridization probe for the isolation of others. We show here that this is indeed possible. Study of a range of such synthase genes and their products should help to elucidate what determines the choice and order of condensation of different residues in polyketide assembly, and might yield, by in vitro recombination or mutagenesis, synthase genes capable of producing novel antibiotics. Moreover, because genes for entire antibiotic pathways are usually clustered in Streptomyces, cloned polyketide synthase genes are valuable in giving access to groups of linked biosynthetic genes.     

一株产环己酰亚胺的链霉菌遗传操作研究

 对一株高产环己酰亚胺的链霉菌菌株系统进行遗传操作体系的建立研究,并初步探索了相关生物合成的基因.采用了接合转移,电击转化菌丝体和PEG介导的原生质体转化3种方法进行外源基因的导入实验.使用了7种配方差异较大的培养基进行发酵,并使用HPLC对发酵产物进行分析,摸索了合适的发酵及检测条件.最后通过依赖于λ-RED介导的PCR-targeting方法进行了可能参与环己酰亚胺生物合成的PKS基因片段的敲除.通过实验,最终确定了使用优化的接合转移方法并采用新鲜孢子能够有效地导入外源基因,获得了较高的转化效率(10^-6),成功确立了遗传操作体系,获得了合适的发酵条件和HPLC检测方法.在建立遗传操作体系的基础上,成功找到了负责该类化合物生物合成的PKS基因片段,为深入研究其生物合成机理并进一步通过遗传工程改良以获得新化合物及提高化合物产量打下基础,并为链霉菌遗传操作研究提供了新的参考.     

利迪链霉菌A02细菌人工染色体基因组文库的构建

 利迪链霉菌A02是从京郊森林土壤中分离筛选出的植物真菌病害高效生防菌,其活性产物为安全高效广谱的抗真菌剂纳他霉素。为了克隆纳他霉素生物合成基因簇和调控其表达相关的功能基因,通过基因改良的方式进行A02的定向分子改造,提高纳他霉素的效价和产量,提取了利迪链霉菌A02的基因组DNA,用Hind III和Bam HI部分酶解后,回收了97~194kb和48.5~97kb大小的高分子量DNA,与质粒载体Copycontrol pCC1BAC连接,分别构建了含有800个和1500个克隆的两个BAC文库。从文库中随机挑选20个克隆,酶切检测平均插入片段分别为133kb和65kb,空载率小于1%,假定利迪链霉菌的基因组有8×10⁶kb,计算文库基因组覆盖率分别为12.28倍和11.25倍。因此,从文库筛选到目的片段的概率达99.99%以上。     

DNA cloning in Streptomyces: resistance genes from antibiotic-producing species

The biochemical and morphological differentiation of actinomycetes makes them academically and economically interesting. Their secondary metabolites provide the majority of medically and agriculturally important antibiotics (streptomycete genes may also be the primary source of clinically important antibiotic resistance); their complex morphological developmental cycle involves a series of changes from vegetative mycelial growth to spore formation. Recombinant DNA technology would add a powerful new dimension to the analysis of these various aspects of actinomycete biology and would also facilitate the development of industrial strains with increased antibiotic yield, or capable of making new antibiotics. For most of these purposes, cloning of genes within and between actinomycetes is required to study the expression of particular genes in genetic backgrounds defined by mutations of the characters under study. To achieve this, we have now developed a method for molecular cloning involving the transfer of genes between unrelated streptomycetes.     

Enzymic activation and transfer of fatty acids as acyl-adenylates in mycobacteria

The metabolic repertoire in nature is augmented by generating hybrid metabolites from a limited set of gene products. In mycobacteria, several unique complex lipids are produced by the combined action of fatty acid synthases and polyketide synthases (PKSs), although it is not clear how the covalently sequestered biosynthetic intermediates are transferred from one enzymatic complex to another. Here we show that some of the 36 annotated fadD genes, located adjacent to the PKS genes in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome, constitute a new class of long-chain fatty acyl-AMP ligases (FAALs). These proteins activate long-chain fatty acids as acyl-adenylates, which are then transferred to the multifunctional PKSs for further chain extension. This mode of activation and transfer of fatty acids is contrary to the previously described universal mechanism involving the formation of acyl-coenzyme A thioesters. Similar mechanisms may operate in the biosynthesis of other lipid-containing metabolites and could have implications in engineering novel hybrid products.     

Complete genome sequence of the model actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

Streptomyces coelicolor is a representative of the group of soil-dwelling, filamentous bacteria responsible for producing most natural antibiotics used in human and veterinary medicine. Here we report the 8,667,507 base pair linear chromosome of this organism, containing the largest number of genes so far discovered in a bacterium. The 7,825 predicted genes include more than 20 clusters coding for known or predicted secondary metabolites. The genome contains an unprecedented proportion of regulatory genes, predominantly those likely to be involved in responses to external stimuli and stresses, and many duplicated gene sets that may represent 'tissue-specific' isoforms operating in different phases of colonial development, a unique situation for a bacterium. An ancient synteny was revealed between the central 'core' of the chromosome and the whole chromosome of pathogens Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The genome sequence will greatly increase our understanding of microbial life in the soil as well as aiding the generation of new drug candidates by genetic engineering.     

An unusually large multifunctional polypeptide in the erythromycin-producing polyketide synthase of Saccharopolyspora erythraea

Erythromycin A, a clinically important polyketide antibiotic, is produced by the Gram-positive bacterium Saccharopolyspora erythraea. In an arrangement that seems to be generally true of antibiotic biosynthetic genes in Streptomyces and related bacteria like S. erythraea, the ery genes encoding the biosynthetic pathway to erythromycin are clustered around the gene (ermE) that confers self-resistance on S. erythraea. The aglycone core of erythromycin A is derived from one propionyl-CoA and six methylmalonyl-CoA units, which are incorporated head-to-tail into the growing polyketide chain, in a process similar to that of fatty-acid biosynthesis, to generate a macrolide intermediate, 6-deoxyerythronolide B. 6-Deoxyerythronolide B is converted into erythromycin A through the action of specific hydroxylases, glycosyltransferases and a methyltransferase. We report here the analysis of about 10 kilobases of DNA from S. erythraea, cloned by chromosome 'walking' outwards from the erythromycin-resistance determinant ermE, and previously shown to be essential for erythromycin biosynthesis. Partial sequencing of this region indicates that it encodes the synthase. Our results confirm this, and reveal a novel organization of the erythromycin-producing polyketide synthase, which provides further insight into the mechanism of chain assembly.     

植物抗病基因克隆的研究进展

植物抗病基因的分子生物学研究已成为一个热点，抗病基因克隆研究突飞猛进的发展展示了诱人的应用前景。分别从功能克隆、定位克隆、序列克隆和表型克隆4个方面分析讨论了植物抗病基因克隆的研究进展，指出了存在的问题及今后可能解决的策略。     

Giant linear plasmids in Streptomyces which code for antibiotic biosynthesis genes

A number of examples of circular plasmids with specific functions are known in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Several linear plasmids have also been identified, but these are all relatively small: large linear plasmids cannot be separated from chromosomal DNA by conventional techniques. There are several cases where the genetic evidence suggests that a character is encoded by a plasmid but no plasmid can be physically detected. This has been the case for antibiotic synthesis genes in Streptomyces; in particular a plasmid SCP1 in Streptomyces coelicolor has been shown to be involved in methylenomycin production by genetic evidence. We report here the application of orthogonal-field-alternation gel electrophoresis to the isolation of linear plasmids from Streptomyces. We have discovered a large linear plasmid of around 520 kilobases in Streptomyces lasaliensis and subsequently similar giant linear plasmids in other Streptomyces strains. We have confirmed that genes for methylenomycin biosynthesis are located on a series of giant linear plasmids in S. coelicolor. These observations may bear on the genetic variability and unstable genetic character of Streptomyces species.     

DNA cloning in Streptomyces: a bifunctional replicon comprising pBR322 inserted into a Streptomyces phage

The Gram-positive, mycelial, differentiating streptomycetes are responsible for the production of many important antibiotics. The availability of gene cloning systems in this microbial group would have many industrial applications besides allowing more penetrating study of the genetics of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) (which, as the best understood streptomycete genetically, serves as a model for much other Streptomyces genetics). Recent successes (see previous paper) in introducing Streptomyces DNA into S. coelicolor and Streptomyces lividans on plasmid vectors would be nicely complemented by the availability of Streptomyces bacteriophage vectors (discussed in ref. 5): for example, many phages have wide and easily defined host ranges; heat-inducible prophages might be used to give high copy number of cloned DNA; efficient phage promoters might be used to increase gene expression; there may be differential stabilities for particular DNA sequences cloned in plasmids vis-à-vis phages; selective insertion of DNA, utilizing packaging constraints, may be possible with phages; and in situ hybridization of radioactive probes to DNA in plaques is likely to be simple. We describe here the use of the moderately wide host range temperate phage, phi C31, for this purpose.     

宁夏牛源克雷伯菌和大肠埃希菌分离株产超广谱β-内酰胺酶基因型检测

为了解宁夏牛源产超广谱β-内酰胺酶（ESBLs）肺炎克雷伯菌（Klebsiella pneumonia）和大肠埃希菌（Esche-richia coli）的耐药性和基因型分布,采用美国临床实验室标准化研究所（CLSI）2008年推荐的双纸片确证试验,对宁夏地区100株克雷伯菌和大肠埃希菌进行产ESBLs确定,并采用PCR扩增法和克隆测序法对产ESBLs菌株进行基因分型.结果显示,宁夏地区有42株产ESBLs菌株,阳性率为42%;其中31株菌扩增呈阳性,产TEM型菌17株,产SHV型菌14株,产CTX型菌15株;同时产3种基因型菌1株,同时产2种基因型菌13株,产单一基因型菌17株,分别占产ESBLs菌株的2.38%,30.95%,40.48%;多表现为多重耐药.     

小链霉菌HCCB10043敲除硫酯酶基因的工程菌株构建及其代谢产物的研究

小链霉菌(Streptomyces parvus)HCCB10043的主要代谢产物为脂肽类化合物A21978C,其基因组序列中包括了非核糖体肽合成酶(NRPS non ribosomal peptide synthetase)、聚酮合酶(PKS polyketide synthases)以及NRPS-PKS混合的多酶体系基因簇,它们的共同特点是在代谢产物生物合成簇中连接有一个硫酯酶域,即TE(thioesterase)domain.硫酯酶可以使已经合成的化合物链的合成过程终止,并且具有水解释放成熟脂肽以及环化线性脂肽链的功能.通过对联二吡啶类代谢产物合成簇中TE基因的敲除构得工程菌株,工程菌发酵结果表明联二吡啶类代谢产物产量减少.     

A transglutaminase homologue as a condensation catalyst in antibiotic assembly lines

The unrelenting emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens demands the investigation of antibiotics with new modes of action. The pseudopeptide antibiotic andrimid is a nanomolar inhibitor of the bacterial acetyl-CoA carboxylase that catalyses the first committed step in prokaryotic fatty acid biosynthesis. Recently, the andrimid (adm) biosynthetic gene cluster was isolated and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. This establishes a heterologous biological host in which to rapidly probe features of andrimid formation and to use biosynthetic engineering to make unnatural variants of this important and promising new class of antibiotics. Bioinformatic analysis of the adm cluster revealed a dissociated biosynthetic assembly system lacking canonical amide synthases between the first three carrier protein domains. Here we report that AdmF, a transglutaminase (TGase) homologue, catalyses the formation of the first amide bond, an N-acyl-beta-peptide link, in andrimid biosynthesis. Hence, AdmF is a newly discovered biosynthetic enzyme that acts as a stand-alone amide synthase between protein-bound, thiotemplated substrates in an antibiotic enzymatic assembly line. TGases (enzyme class (EC) 2.3.2.13) normally catalyse the cross-linking of (poly)peptides by creating isopeptidic bonds between the gamma-carboxamide group of a glutamine side chain of one protein and various amine donors, including lysine side chains. To the best of our knowledge, the present study constitutes the first report of a TGase-like enzyme recruited for the assembly of an antibiotic. Moreover, genome mining using the AdmF sequence yielded additional TGases in unassigned natural product biosynthetic pathways. With many more microbial genomes being sequenced, such a strategy could potentially unearth biosynthetic pathways producing new classes of antibiotics.     

放线菌素研究进展

放线菌素是色素肽内酯抗生素(chromopeptide lactone antibiotics),是许多链霉菌属和一些小单胞菌的产物,种类繁多.研究发现一些放线菌素具有抗菌、抗病毒及抗肿瘤的功效,其中对放线菌素D的研究最为广泛,并作为抗癌药物用于临床治疗.本文概述了放线菌素目前的研究现状,并为今后对放线菌素的研究提供参...     

大肠埃希菌ESBLs检测及其耐药性分析

目的探讨本地区大肠埃希菌分离株中超广谱β-内酰胺酶（ESBLs）的阳性率及产酶株对β-内酰胺类抗生素的耐药性。方法采用双纸片协同法检测菌株的ESBLs,并用Kirby-Bauer法检测了415株产ESBLs的大肠埃希菌对16种β-内酰胺类抗生素的耐药性,并对其标本来源和病区分布进行了分析。结果ESBLs总检出率为50．8％,其中ESBLs检出率较高的科室为普外科、脑外科、肾内科、骨科、呼吸内科。所有大肠埃希菌分离株均对Imipenem和Meropenem敏感。产ESBLs株对其他14种β-内酰胺类抗生素的耐药性均高于非产酶株。结论本地区ESBLs检出率较高,分布科室有特殊性,产ESBLs株对抗生素的耐药性高于非产酶株。     

A new pathway for polyketide synthesis in microorganisms.

Chalcone synthases, which biosynthesize chalcones (the starting materials for many flavonoids), have been believed to be specific to plants. However, the rppA gene from the Gram-positive, soil-living filamentous bacterium Streptomyces griseus encodes a 372-amino-acid protein that shows significant similarity to chalcone synthases. Several rppA-like genes are known, but their functions and catalytic properties have not been described. Here we show that a homodimer of RppA catalyses polyketide synthesis: it selects malonyl-coenzyme-A as the starter, carries out four successive extensions and releases the resulting pentaketide to cyclize to 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxynaphthalene (THN). Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that, as in other chalcone synthases, a cysteine residue is essential for enzyme activity. Disruption of the chromosomal rppA gene in S. griseus abolished melanin production in hyphae, resulting in 'albino' mycelium. THN was readily oxidized to form 2,5,7-trihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (flaviolin), which then randomly polymerized to form various coloured compounds. THN formed by RppA appears to be an intermediate in the biosynthetic pathways for not only melanins but also various secondary metabolites containing a naphthoquinone ring. Therefore, RppA is a chalcone-synthase-related synthase that synthesizes polyketides and is found in the Streptomyces and other bacteria.     

Nitration of a peptide phytotoxin by bacterial nitric oxide synthase

Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent intercellular signal in mammals that mediates key aspects of blood pressure, hormone release, nerve transmission and the immune response of higher organisms. Proteins homologous to full-length mammalian nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) are found in lower multicellular organisms. Recently, genome sequencing has shown that some bacteria contain genes coding for truncated NOS proteins; this is consistent with reports of NOS-like activities in bacterial extracts. Biological functions for bacterial NOSs are unknown, but have been presumed to be analogous to their role in mammals. Here we describe a gene in the plant pathogen Streptomyces turgidiscabies that encodes a NOS homologue, and we reveal its role in nitrating a dipeptide phytotoxin required for plant pathogenicity. High similarity between bacterial NOSs indicates a general function in biosynthetic nitration; thus, bacterial NOSs constitute a new class of enzymes. Here we show that the primary function of Streptomyces NOS is radically different from that of mammalian NOS. Surprisingly, mammalian NO signalling and bacterial biosynthetic nitration share an evolutionary origin.