scholarly journals Effects of nucleotide substitutions within the T-loop of precursor tRNAs on interaction with ATP/CTP:tRNA nucleotidyltransferases from Escherichia coli and yeast

1996 ◽  
Vol 314 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zengji LI ◽  
Kimberly A. GILLIS ◽  
Lisa A. HEGG ◽  
Jianchao ZHANG ◽  
David L. THURLOW
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Inhibitory Effects ◽  
Nucleotide Substitutions ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Base Substitutions

Recognition of tRNA and tRNA-like substrates by the enzyme ATP/CTP:tRNA nucleotidyltransferase requires chemically intact nucleotides within the T-loop, especially at positions 57 and 58, which are invariant purines among naturally occurring tRNAs. To test the effects of base substitutions at these positions, which are distant from the site of catalysis, we synthesized mutant tRNAGlu molecules. These in vitro-synthesized RNAs also contained an extra 33 bases at the 5´ end and lacked post-transcriptionally modified bases. The precursor tRNAs were used as substrates for nucleotidyltransferases from Escherichia coli and yeast. Substitution of cytidines at either position 57 or 58 had dramatic inhibitory effects on recognition by both enzymes, including raising the apparent Km and lowering the apparent Vmax.; substitution of an adenosine at position 57 or a uridine at position 58 inhibited the reaction only slightly by comparison. Our results demonstrate that the identities of nucleotides at positions 57 and 58 are relevant to recognition by nucleotidyltransferase, and that a purine is required at position 57. The extra bases at the 5´ end and the lack of post-transcriptionally modified bases did not substantially inhibit interaction with the enzyme, as judged by the wild-type precursor tRNAGlu acting as an effective substrate for both enzymes in the presence of equal concentrations of appropriate tRNA substrates isolated from E. coli.

scholarly journals Enhancement of the Efficiency of Secretion of Heterologous Lipase in Escherichia coli by Directed Evolution of the ABC Transporter System

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 3468-3474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gyeong Tae Eom ◽  
Jae Kwang Song ◽  
Jung Hoon Ahn ◽  
Yeon Soo Seo ◽  
Joon Shick Rhee
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Directed Evolution ◽  
Abc Transporter ◽  
Microtiter Plate ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Single Amino Acid Change ◽  
Secretion Efficiency

ABSTRACT The ABC transporter (TliDEF) from Pseudomonas fluorescens SIK W1, which mediated the secretion of a thermostable lipase (TliA) into the extracellular space in Escherichia coli, was engineered using directed evolution (error-prone PCR) to improve its secretion efficiency. TliD mutants with increased secretion efficiency were identified by coexpressing the mutated tliD library with the wild-type tliA lipase in E. coli and by screening the library with a tributyrin-emulsified indicator plate assay and a microtiter plate-based assay. Four selected mutants from one round of error-prone PCR mutagenesis, T6, T8, T24, and T35, showed 3.2-, 2.6-, 2.9-, and 3.0-fold increases in the level of secretion of TliA lipase, respectively, but had almost the same level of expression of TliD in the membrane as the strain with the wild-type TliDEF transporter. These results indicated that the improved secretion of TliA lipase was mediated by the transporter mutations. Each mutant had a single amino acid change in the predicted cytoplasmic regions in the membrane domain of TliD, implying that the corresponding region of TliD was important for the improved and successful secretion of the target protein. We therefore concluded that the efficiency of secretion of a heterologous protein in E. coli can be enhanced by in vitro engineering of the ABC transporter.

scholarly journals In Vivo Titration of Mitomycin C Action by Four Escherichia coli Genomic Regions on Multicopy Plasmids

2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (7) ◽  
pp. 2259-2264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Wei ◽  
Amy C. Vollmer ◽  
Robert A. LaRossa
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Mitomycin C ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Efflux Pump ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Potent Inducer ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Genomic Regions

ABSTRACT Mitomycin C (MMC), a DNA-damaging agent, is a potent inducer of the bacterial SOS response; surprisingly, it has not been used to select resistant mutants from wild-type Escherichia coli. MMC resistance is caused by the presence of any of four distinctE. coli genes (mdfA, gyrl, rob, andsdiA) on high-copy-number vectors. mdfAencodes a membrane efflux pump whose overexpression results in broad-spectrum chemical resistance. The gyrI (also called sbmC) gene product inhibits DNA gyrase activity in vitro, while the rob protein appears to function in transcriptional activation of efflux pumps. SdiA is a transcriptional activator of ftsQAZ genes involved in cell division.

scholarly journals Role of Motility and the flhDC Operon in Escherichia coli MG1655 Colonization of the Mouse Intestine

2007 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 3315-3324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Gauger ◽  
Mary P. Leatham ◽  
Regino Mercado-Lubo ◽  
David C. Laux ◽  
Tyrrell Conway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Regulatory Region ◽  
Flagellar Motor ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Mouse Intestine ◽  
Flagellum Biosynthesis ◽  
Colonizing Ability

ABSTRACT Previously, we reported that the mouse intestine selected mutants of Escherichia coli MG1655 that have improved colonizing ability (M. P. Leatham et al., Infect. Immun. 73:8039-8049, 2005). These mutants grew 10 to 20% faster than their parent in mouse cecal mucus in vitro and 15 to 30% faster on several sugars found in the mouse intestine. The mutants were nonmotile and had deletions of various lengths beginning immediately downstream of an IS1 element located within the regulatory region of the flhDC operon, which encodes the master regulator of flagellum biosynthesis, FlhD4C2. Here we show that during intestinal colonization by wild-type E. coli strain MG1655, 45 to 50% of the cells became nonmotile by day 3 after feeding of the strain to mice and between 80 and 90% of the cells were nonmotile by day 15 after feeding. Ten nonmotile mutants isolated from mice were sequenced, and all were found to have flhDC deletions of various lengths. Despite this strong selection, 10 to 20% of the E. coli MG1655 cells remained motile over a 15-day period, suggesting that there is an as-yet-undefined intestinal niche in which motility is an advantage. The deletions appear to be selected in the intestine for two reasons. First, genes unrelated to motility that are normally either directly or indirectly repressed by FlhD4C2 but can contribute to maximum colonizing ability are released from repression. Second, energy normally used to synthesize flagella and turn the flagellar motor is redirected to growth.

scholarly journals Natural Genetic Transformation of Clinical Isolates of Escherichia coli in Urine and Water

2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 440-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Woegerbauer ◽  
Bernard Jenni ◽  
Florian Thalhammer ◽  
Wolfgang Graninger ◽  
Heinz Burgmann
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Natural Genetic Transformation ◽  
Type Strains

ABSTRACT Transfer of plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance genes in Escherichia coli wild-type strains is possible by transformation under naturally occurring conditions in oligotrophic, aquatic environments containing physiologic concentrations of calcium. In contrast, transformation is suppressed in nitrogen-rich body fluids like urine, a common habitat of uropathogenic strains. Current knowledge indicates that transformation of these E. coli wild-type strains is of no relevance for the acquisition of resistance in this clinically important environment.

scholarly journals Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 gal Mutants Are Sensitive to Bacteriophage P1 and Defective in Intestinal Colonization

2006 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 1661-1666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa Deland Ho ◽  
Matthew K. Waldor
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Genetic Manipulation ◽  
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia Coli ◽  
Deletion Strain ◽  
Growth Defect ◽  
Intestinal Colonization ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
O Antigen

ABSTRACT Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), especially E. coli O157:H7, is an emerging cause of food-borne illness. Unfortunately, E. coli O157 cannot be genetically manipulated using the generalized transducing phage P1, presumably because its extensive O antigen obscures the P1 receptor, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core subunit. The GalE, GalT, GalK, and GalU proteins are necessary for modifying galactose before it can be assembled into the repeating subunit of the O antigen. Here, we constructed E. coli O157:H7 gal mutants which presumably have little or no O antigen. These strains were able to adsorb P1. P1 lysates grown on the gal mutant strains could be used to move chromosomal markers between EHEC strains, thereby facilitating genetic manipulation of E. coli O157:H7. The gal mutants could easily be reverted to a wild-type Gal+ strain using P1 transduction. We found that the O157:H7 galETKM::aad-7 deletion strain was 500-fold less able to colonize the infant rabbit intestine than the isogenic Gal+ parent, although it displayed no growth defect in vitro. Furthermore, in vivo a Gal+ revertant of this mutant outcompeted the galETKM deletion strain to an extent similar to that of the wild type. This suggests that the O157 O antigen is an important intestinal colonization factor. Compared to the wild type, EHEC gal mutants were 100-fold more sensitive to a peptide derived from bactericidal permeability-increasing protein, a bactericidal protein found on the surface of intestinal epithelial cells. Thus, one way in which the O157 O antigen may contribute to EHEC intestinal colonization is to promote resistance to host-derived antimicrobial polypeptides.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic Evidence for Horizontal Transfer ofmutS Alleles among Naturally Occurring Escherichia coli Strains

2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (5) ◽  
pp. 1631-1644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric W. Brown ◽  
J. Eugene LeClerc ◽  
Baoguang Li ◽  
William L. Payne ◽  
Thomas A. Cebula
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Horizontal Transfer ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Enzyme Electrophoresis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Polymorphic Region ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Phylogenetic Discordance ◽  
Homeologous Recombination

ABSTRACT mutS mutators accelerate the bacterial mutation rate 100- to 1,000-fold and relax the barriers that normally restrict homeologous recombination. These mutators thus afford the opportunity for horizontal exchange of DNA between disparate strains. While much is known regarding the mutS phenotype, the evolutionary structure of the mutS + gene inEscherichia coli remains unclear. The physical proximity ofmutS to an adjacent polymorphic region of the chromosome suggests that this gene itself may be subject to horizontal transfer and recombination events. To test this notion, a phylogenetic approach was employed that compared gene phylogeny to strain phylogeny, making it possible to identify E. coli strains in whichmutS alleles have recombined. Comparison ofmutS phylogeny against predicted E. coli“whole-chromosome” phylogenies (derived from multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and mdh sequences) revealed striking levels of phylogenetic discordance among mutS alleles and their respective strains. We interpret these incongruences as signatures of horizontal exchange among mutS alleles. Examination of additional sites surrounding mutS also revealed incongruous distributions compared to E. coli strain phylogeny. This suggests that other regional sequences are equally subject to horizontal transfer, supporting the hypothesis that the 61.5-minmutS-rpoS region is a recombinational hot spot within theE. coli chromosome. Furthermore, these data are consistent with a mechanism for stabilizing adaptive changes promoted bymutS mutators through rescue of defective mutSalleles with wild-type sequences.

Biofilm Growth of Escherichia coli Is Subject to cAMP-Dependent and cAMP-Independent Inhibition

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 209-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Sutrina ◽  
Kia Daniel ◽  
Michael Lewis ◽  
Naomi T. Charles ◽  
Cherysa K.E. Anselm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Catabolite Repression ◽  
Ph Effects ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Inhibitory Effects ◽  
Phosphotransferase System ◽  
Biofilm Growth ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
High Concentrations

We established that <i>Escherichia coli </i>strain 15 (ATCC 9723) produces both curli and cellulose, and forms robust biofilms. Since this strain is wild type with respect to the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS), it is an ideal strain in which to investigate the effects of the PTS on the biofilm growth of <i>E. coli</i>. We began by looking into the effects of PTS and non-PTS sugars on the biofilm growth of this strain. All the sugars tested tended to activate biofilm growth at low concentrations but to inhibit biofilm growth at high concentrations. Acidification of the medium was an inhibitory factor in the absence of buffer, but buffering to prevent a pH drop did not prevent the inhibitory effects of the sugars. The concentration at which inhibition set in varied from sugar to sugar. For most sugars, cyclic (c)AMP counteracted the inhibition at the lowest inhibitory concentrations but became ineffective at higher concentrations. Our results suggest that cAMP-dependent catabolite repression, which is mediated by the PTS in <i>E. coli</i>, plays a role in the regulation of biofilm growth in response to sugars. cAMP-independent processes, possibly including Cra, also appear to be involved, in addition to pH effects.

scholarly journals Positive control of sulphate reduction in Escherichia coli. The nature of the pleiotropic cysteineless mutants of E. coli K 12

1968 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Jones-Mortimer
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Mutant Allele ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Wild Type Allele ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Type Allele ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Sulphite Reductase

1. The function of the wild-type alleles of the pleiotropic mutants cysB and cysE of Escherichia coli was investigated. 2. The wild-type allele cysB+ is dominant to the mutant allele cysB in stable and transient heterozygotes. 3. The wild-type allele cysE+ is dominant to the mutant allele cysE, as predicted. 4. Sulphur-starved cultures of cysB or cysE strains contain less than 0·2nmole of free cysteine/mg. dry wt. 5. Complementation in vitro is not observed between extracts of cysB mutants and mutants lacking sulphite reductase only. 6. A scheme, involving positive control of the enzymes of sulphate activation and reduction, is suggested to account for the control of cysteine biosynthesis.

ucFabV Requires Functional Reductase Activity to Confer Reduced Triclosan Susceptibility in Escherichia coli

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 394-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor L. Fischer ◽  
Robert J. White ◽  
Katherine F.K. Mares ◽  
Devin E. Molnau ◽  
Justin J. Donato
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Reductase Activity ◽  
Acid Synthesis ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Enoyl Acp Reductase ◽  
Selection For

<b><i>Background/Aims:</i></b> We previously identified the Triclo1 fosmid in a functional metagenomic selection for clones that increased triclosan tolerance in <i>Escherichia coli</i>. The active enzyme encoded by Triclo1 is ucFabV. Although ucFabV is homologous to FabV from other organisms, ucFabV contains substitutions at key positions that would predict differences in substrate binding. Therefore, a detailed characterization of ucFabV was conducted to link its biochemical activity to its ability to confer reduced triclosan sensitivity. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> ucFabV and a catalytic mutant were purified and used to reduce crotonoyl-CoA in vitro. The mutant and wild-type enzymes were introduced into <i>E. coli</i>, and their ability to confer triclosan tolerance as well as suppress a temperature-sensitive mutant of FabI were measured. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Purified ucFabV, but not the mutant, reduced crotonoyl-CoA in vitro. The wild-type enzyme confers increased triclosan tolerance when introduced into <i>E. coli</i>, whereas the mutant remained susceptible to triclosan<i>. </i>Additionally, wild-type ucFabV, but not the mutant, functionally replaced FabI within living cells. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> ucFabV confers increased tolerance through its function as an enoyl-ACP reductase. Furthermore, ucFabV is capable of restoring viability in the presence of compromised FabI, suggesting ucFabV is likely facilitating an alternate step within fatty acid synthesis, bypassing FabI inhibition.

scholarly journals Purification and characterization of recombinant pea-seed ferritins expressed in Escherichia coli: influence of N-terminus deletions on protein solubility and core formation in vitro

1995 ◽  
Vol 305 (1) ◽  
pp. 253-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
O Van Wuytswinkel ◽  
G Savino ◽  
J F Briat
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Inclusion Bodies ◽  
Dna Fragments ◽  
Core Formation ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
N Terminus ◽  
Ferroxidase Activity ◽  
Pea Seed

Plant ferritin subunits are synthesized as precursor molecules; the transit peptide (TP) in their NH2 extremity, responsible for plastid targeting, is cleaved during translocation to this compartment. In addition, the N-terminus of the mature subunit contains a plant-specific sequence named extension peptide (EP) [Ragland, Briat, Gagnon, Laulhère, Massenet, and Theil, E.C. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 18339-18344], the function of which is unknown. A novel pea-seed ferritin cDNA, with a consensus ferroxidase centre conserved within H-type animal ferritins has been characterized. This pea-seed ferritin cDNA has been engineered using oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis to produce DNA fragments (1) corresponding to the wild-type (WT) ferritin precursor, (2) with the TP deleted, (3) with both the TP and the plant specific EP sequences deleted and (4) containing the TP but with the EP deleted. These four DNA fragments have been cloned in an Escherichia coli expression vector to produce the corresponding recombinant pea-seed ferritins. Expression at 37 degrees C led to the accumulation of recombinant pea-seed ferritins in inclusion bodies, whatever the construct introduced in E. coli. Expression at 25 degrees C in the presence of sorbitol and betaine allowed soluble proteins to accumulate when constructs with the TP deleted were used; under this condition, E. coli cells transformed with constructs containing the TP were unable to accumulate recombinant protein. Recombinant ferritins purified from inclusion bodies were found to be assembled only when the TP was deleted; however assembled ferritin under this condition had a ferroxidase activity undetectable at acid pH. On the other hand, soluble recombinant ferritins with the TP deleted and expressed at 25 degrees C were purified as 24-mers containing an average of 40-50 iron atoms per molecule. Despite the conservation in the plant ferritin subunit of a consensus ferroxidase centre, the iron uptake activity in vitro at pH 6.8 was found to be lower than that of the recombinant human H-ferritin, though it was much more active than the recombinant human L-ferritin. The recombinant ferritin with both the TP and the EP deleted (r delta TP/EP) assembled correctly as a 24-mer; it has slightly higher ferroxidase activity and decreased solubility compared with the wild-type protein with the TP deleted (r delta TP). In addition, on denaturation by urea followed by renaturation by dialysis the r delta TP/EP protein showed a 25% increase in core-formation in vitro compared with the r delta TP protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

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