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Kenji Sonomoto

Publications and source records attributed to Kenji Sonomoto.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Heterologous expression and functional analysis of the gene cluster for the biosynthesis of and immunity to the lantibiotic, nukacin ISK-1.

Nukacin ISK-1 is a lantibiotic produced by Staphylococcus warneri ISK-1. The gene cluster of nukacin ISK-1 consists of at least nukAMTFEG, ORF1 and ORF7. In this study, we demonstrated the heterologous production of nukacin ISK-1 in Lactococcus lactis by the artificial polycistronic expression of nukAMTFEG-ORF7 under the control of the nisin-controlled expression (NICE) system. Consequently, the recombinant L. lactis showed antimicrobial activity. Mass analysis clarified the presence of nukacin ISK-1 produced in the culture supernatant. These results suggested that the recombinant L. lactis produced nukacin ISK-1 heterologously. Inactivation of nukA, -M or -T resulted in the complete loss of the nukacin ISK-1 production phenotype. This finding suggested that nukAMT are indispensably associated with the biosynthesis of nukacin ISK-1. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the heterologous production of lantibiotic using the NICE system.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Characterization of a gene cluster of Staphylococcus warneri ISK-1 encoding the biosynthesis of and immunity to the lantibiotic, nukacin ISK-1.

We characterized a gene cluster in a plasmid designated pPI-1 of Staphylococcus warneri ISK-1 encoding the biosynthesis of and immunity to the lacticin-481 type lantibiotic, nukacin ISK-1. The DNA sequence suggested that the nukacin ISK-1 gene cluster consists of at least six genes, nukA (a structural gene), -M, -T, -F, -E, -G, and two open reading frames, ORF1 and ORF7. NukM and NukT were predicted to be involved in post-translational modification and secretion of nukacin ISK-1 respectively. NukF, -E, and -G were predicted to form a membrane complex which contributes to self-protection from nukacin ISK-1. Transcriptional analyses revealed that nukM through ORF7 comprises an operon, and that ORF1 is transcribed independently from downstream of nukA. The transcriptional levels of the nukA and nukM genes were enhanced by osmotic stress. The expression level of the nukA transcript was scarcely enhanced by nukacin ISK-1, suggesting that expression is not under the control of the autoregulatory circuit.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Effect of heterologous expression of molecular chaperone DnaK from Tetragenococcus halophilus on salinity adaptation of Escherichia coli.

Molecular chaperone DnaK of halophilic Tetragenococcus halophilus JCM5888 was characterized under salinity conditions both in vitro and in vivo. The dnaK gene was cloned into an expression vector and transformed into Escherichia coli. The DnaK protein obtained from the recombinant E. coli showed a significantly higher refolding activity of denatured lactate dehydrogenase than that from non-halophilic Lactococcus lactis under NaCl concentrations higher than 1 M. E. coli without the overexpression of DnaK exhibited a growth profile with a prolonged lag phase and suppressed maximum cell density in Luria-Bertani medium containing 5% (0.86 M) NaCl. On the contrary, the overexpression of T. halophilus DnaK greatly shortened this prolonged lag phase with no effect on maximum growth, while that of L. lactis DnaK decreased maximum growth. The amount of protein aggregates was increased by salt stress in the E. coli cells, while this aggregation was greatly suppressed by the overexpression of T, halophilus DnaK. These results suggest that heterologous overexpression of T. halophilus DnaK, via its chaperone activity, promotes salinity adaptation of E. coli.

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PubMed2003

Identification of the lantibiotic nisin Q, a new natural nisin variant produced by Lactococcus lactis 61-14 isolated from a river in Japan.

Lactococcus lactis 61-14 isolated from river water produced a bacteriocin active against a wide range of Gram-positive bacteria. N-terminal amino acid sequencing, mass spectral analysis of the purified bacteriocin, and genetic analysis using nisin-specific primers showed that the bacteriocin was a new natural nisin variant, termed nisin Q. Nisin Q and nisin A differ in four amino acids in the mature peptide and two in the leader sequence.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Synchronized fresh cell bioreactor system for continuous L-(+)-lactic acid production using Lactococcus lactis IO-1 in hydrolysed sago starch.

An efficient bioreactor, termed a 'synchronized fresh cell bioreactor', was developed and consisted of a pH-dependent substrate feed system coupled with cross flow filtration and turbidity control. The effect of high dilution rate and high cell density coupled with high cell viability on the production of l-lactic acid in continuous culture by Lactococcus lactis IO-1 in enzyme-hydrolysed sago starch medium was investigated. For all changes in dilution rate, cells responded in a synchronized way to the addition of glucose by increasing the rate of biomass formation. Consequently, a glucose-free feed solution was required to maintain the cell concentration at a particular pre-set value. This set-up facilitated the maintenance of the cells in a permanent log phase. At a cell concentration of 15 gl(-1) and a feed glucose concentration of 53 gl(-1), volumetric LA productivities of 8.2, 19.3 and 33.1 gl(-1)h(-1) were obtained at dilution rates of 0.21, 0.50 and 1.1 h(-1), respectively. The respective residual glucose concentrations in the spent medium were 1.90, 0.24 and 3.80 gl(-1). By increasing the cell density, the volumetric productivity increased proportionally. At high cell density, higher dilution rates resulted in lower lactate concentrations in the culture medium resulting in higher productivity. This reactor facilitated efficient operation with high cell viability by maintaining the cells in continuous growth phase for long-term fermentation. Therefore, the growth rate (mu) was calculated according to the Monod equation. Using this system, high specific productivities can be obtained which guarantees high commercial productivity at economical cost with only a small investment for setting up the sago industry.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

The groESL operon of the halophilic lactic acid bacterium Tetragenococcus halophila.

The groESL operon of the halophilic lactic acid bacterium Tetragenococcus halophila was cloned by a PCR-based method. The molecular masses of GroES and GroEL proteins were calculated to be 10,153 and 56,893 Da, respectively. The amount of groESL mRNA was increased 3.8-fold by heat shock (45 degrees C), and 4-fold by high NaCl (3-4 M). The Bacillus subtilis sigmaA-like constitutive promoter existed in front of groES, and was used under both normal and stress (heat shock and high salinity) conditions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Molecular characterization and regulatory analysis of dnaK operon of halophilic lactic acid bacterium Tetragenococcus halophila.

We have cloned and characterized the dnaK operon of Tetragenococcus halophila JCM5888. Nucleotide sequence analysis of cloned fragments showed that the dnaK operon consists of four open reading frames with the organization hrcA-grpE-dnaK-dnaJ. Two regulatory CIRCE (Controlling Inverted Repeat of Chaperone Expression) elements were identified in the region up-stream of hrcA. The T. halophila dnaK encoded a protein of 618 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 67 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence of T. halophila DnaK showed high similarities with those of the corresponding DnaK homologues of Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus sakei and Bacillus subtilis. Using a pET expression system, the T. halophila DnaK was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and the purified DnaK was found to exhibit ATPase and refolding activities. Northern hybridization analysis revealed that the transcription of the dnaK gene was induced by heat shock, and several transcripts were detected including a tetra-cistronic mRNA with a maximum size of 4.9-kb which corresponds to the transcript of the complete dnaK operon. The amount of dnaK transcripts increased about 3.5-fold at high NaCl concentration of 3-4 M, but not at the same KCl concentrations. These results suggest that the cloned DnaK acts as a functional molecular chaperone and plays an important role in salinity adaptation.

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