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Engineering of the aspartate family biosynthetic pathway in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) by transformation with heterologous genes encoding feed-back-insensitive aspartate kinase and dihydrodipicolinate synthase.

In prokaryotes and plants the synthesis of the essential amino acids lysine and threonine is predominantly regulated by feed-back inhibition of aspartate kinase (AK) and dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHPS). In order to modify the flux through the aspartate family pathway in barley and enhance the accumulation of the corresponding amino acids, we have generated transgenic barley plants that constitutively express mutant Escherichia coli genes encoding lysine feed-back insensitive forms of AK and DHPS. As a result, leaves of primary transformants (T0) exhibited a 14-fold increase of free lysine and an 8-fold increase in free methionine. In mature seeds of the DHPS transgenics, there was a 2-fold increase in free lysine, arginine and asparagine and a 50% reduction in free proline, while no changes were observed in the seeds of the two AK transgenic lines analysed. When compared to that of control seeds, no differences were observed in the composition of total amino acids. The introduced genes were inherited in the T1 generation where enzymic activities revealed a 2.3-fold increase of AK activity and a 4.0-9.5-fold increase for DHPS. T1 seeds of DHPS transformants showed the same changes in free amino acids as observed in T0 seeds. It is concluded that the aspartate family pathway may be genetically engineered by the introduction of genes coding for feed-back-insensitive enzymes, preferentially giving elevated levels of lysine and methionine.

Amino Acids↗

Activities and regulation of the enzymes involved in the first and the third steps of the aspartate biosynthetic pathway in Enterococcus faecium.

The enzymes aspartokinase and homoserine dehydrogenase catalyze the reaction at key branching points in the aspartate pathway of amino acid biosynthesis. Enterococcus faecium has been found to contain two distinct aspartokinases and a single homoserine dehydrogenase. Aspartokinase isozymes eluted on gel filtration chromatography at molecular weights greater than 250,000 and about 125,000. The molecular weight of homoserine dehydrogenase was determined to be 220,000. One aspartokinase isozyme was slightly inhibited by meso-diaminopimelic acid. Another aspartokinase was repressed and inhibited by lysine. Although the level of diaminopimelate-sensitive (DAPs) enzyme was not much affected by growth conditions, the activity of lysine-sensitive (Lyss) aspartokinase disappeared rapidly during the stationary phase and was depressed in rich media. The synthesis of homoserine dehydrogenase was controlled by threonine and methionine. Threonine also inhibited the specific activity of this enzyme. The regulatory properties of aspartokinase isozymes and homoserine dehydrogenase from E. faecium are discussed and compared with those from Bacillus subtilis.

Amino Acids↗

Physical and biochemical characterization of the cloned LYS5 gene required for alpha-aminoadipate reductase activity in the lysine biosynthetic pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The LYS5 and LYS2 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are required for the synthesis of alpha-aminoadipate reductase in the lysine pathway. The LYS5 gene, originally cloned as a DNA insert of the plasmid pSC5, has been subcloned on a 3.2 kb SphI-Sau3AI DNA fragment of the recombinant plasmid pSR7. An internal 2.1 kb HpaI-HpaI DNA fragment of the subclone, upon Southern hybridization, exhibits homology with HpaI-restricted wild-type S. cerevisiae genomic DNA. The lys5+ transformants exhibited alpha-aminoadipate reductase activity similar to that of wild-type cells. S1 nuclease analysis localizes the transcription initiation site relative to the detailed restriction map, and reveals the direction of transcription, as well as the transcript size of the LYS5 gene which can be no greater than 1.65 kb. From this it is estimated that the encoded polypeptide is appreciably smaller than the 4 kb LYS2 gene product. These results provide a physical and biochemical characterization of the cloned LYS5 gene. Based on these observations, it is concluded that the LYS5 gene encodes a relatively small polypeptide of the large heteropolymeric alpha-aminoadipate reductase.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases↗

General organization of the genes specifically involved in the diaminopimelate-lysine biosynthetic pathway of Corynebacterium glutamicum.

We utilized diaminopimelate-lysine mutants of Escherichia coli K12 to clone the genes specifically involved in the Corynebacterium glutamicum diaminopimelate-lysine anabolic pathway. From a cosmid genomic bank of C. glutamicum strain AS019, we isolated cosmids pSM71, pSM61 and pSM531, that are respectively able to complement dapA/dapB, dapD, and lysA mutants of E. coli. DNA hybridization analysis indicates that these complementing genes are located on the chromosome of C. glutamicum in at least three separate transcription units. Subcloning of parental cosmids in dapA, dapD, and lysA mutants of E. coli localized these genes, respectively, within 1.4, 3.4, and 1.8 kb fragments, cloned in an E. coli/C. glutamicum shuttle vector. Enzymatic analysis in C. glutamicum identified the dapA-complementing gene as L-2,3-dihydrodipicolinate synthetase (dapA), and the lysA-complementing gene as meso-diaminopimelate decarboxylase (lysA). In contrast, complementation of E. coli dapD8, presumably lacking L-delta 1-tetrahydrodipicolinate synthetase (dapD), led us to clone a diaminopimelate-lysine anabolic gene of C. glutamicum which does not exist in E. coli: meso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase. Although meso-diaminopimelate is crucial in lysine formation and in cell wall biosynthesis, expression of the genomic copies of the cloned genes, which encode activities involved at key branching points of the diaminopimelate-lysine pathway of C. glutamicum, appears constitutive with regard to the addition of diaminopimelate and/or lysine during cell growth.

Amino Acids, Diamino↗

Sequence of the bifunctional ade1 gene in the purine biosynthetic pathway of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

The ade1 gene of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe encodes a bifunctional polypeptide with glycinamide ribotide synthetase (GARSase) and aminoimidazole ribotide synthetase (AIRSase) enzyme activities. These enzyme activities carry out the 2nd and 5th steps, respectively, of the purine synthetic pathway. We report the cloning of the ade1 gene on a 4.4 kb Sau3A insert in the yeast shuttle vector pWH5. Integration of this genomic insert at or near the ade1 locus and its ability to complement, by transformation, three different types of ade1 mutants proved that it contains the ade1 chromosomal gene. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of this insert revealed the presence of an uninterrupted open reading frame of 2,367 pb. This sequence, and the predicted 789 amino acid sequence encoded, both show a high degree of homology with the functionally equivalent ade5,7 gene sequence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (approx. 60% overall in both cases) and Gart gene sequences of Drosophila melanogaster. The size of the ade1 RNA transcript is about 2.7 kb.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Biosynthetic Pathways of Vibrio succinogenes growing with fumarate as terminal electron acceptor and sole carbon source.

1. With fumarate as the terminal electron acceptor and either H2 or formate as donor, Vibrio succinogenes could grow anaerobically in a mineral medium using fumarate as the sole carbon source. Both the growth rate and the cell yield were increased when glutamate was also present in the medium. 2. Glutamate was incorporated only into the amino acids of the glutamate family (glutamate, glutamine, proline and arginine) of the protein. The residual cell constituents were synthesized from fumarate. 3. Pyruvate and phosphoenolpyruvate, as the central intermediates of most of the cell constituents, were formed through the action of malic enzyme and phosphoenolpyruvate synthetase. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase was present in the bacterium suggesting that this enzyme is involved in carbohydrate synthesis. 4. In the absence of added glutamate the amino acids of the glutamate family were synthesized from fumarate via citrate. The enzymes involved in glutamate synthesis were present. 5. During growth in the presence of glutamate, net reducing equivalents were needed for cell synthesis. Glutamate and not H2 or formate was used as the source of these reducing equivalents. For this purpose part of the glutamate was oxidized to yield succinate and CO2. 6. The alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase involved in this reaction was found to use ferredoxin as the electron acceptor. The ferredoxin of the bacterium was reoxidized by means of a NADP-ferredoxin oxidoreductase. Enzymes catalyzing the reduction of NAD, NADP or ferredoxin by H2 or formate were not detected in the bacterium.

Electron Transport↗

Alpha-isopropylmalate synthase as a marker for the leucine biosynthetic pathway in several clostridia and in Bacteroides fragilis.

Alpha-Isopropylmalate synthase (EC 4.1.3.12) is present in extracts of Bacteroides fragilis, Clostridium thermoaceticum, Clostridium formicoaceticum, Clostridium pasteurianum, and Clostridium kluyveri with specific activities (micromol alpha-isopropylmalate formed per min and g protein) of 8.6, 8.9, 2.4, 1.9, and 0.3, respectively. The product alpha-isopropylmalate was identified by gas chromatography combined with mass spectroscopy. The presence of 5mM leucine in the growth medium represses the synthesis of alpha-isopropylmalate synthase in C. thermoaceticum by 40 and 70%. The enzyme from c. pasteurianum was partially purified to a specific activity of 1413. All studied enzyme properties are similar to those of the enzymes from aerobic bacteria. It is suggested that in these anaerobic bacteria the alpha-isopropylmalate pathway is present in addition to the pathway via the ferrodoxin-dependent, reductive carboxylation of branched chain fatty acids.

2-Isopropylmalate Synthase↗

Mechanism of suppression in Drosophila. V. Localization of the purple mutant of Drosophila melanogaster in the pteridine biosynthetic pathway.

The suppressible eye color mutant purple (pr) of Drosophila melanogaster is known to be unable to synthesize a wild-type complement of pteridine eye pigments. This study measures the reduced levels of drosopterins, sepiapterin, and an unidentified presumed pteridine in pr and prbw. Pteridine analyses in double mutants combining pr with one of three other eye color mutants sepia, Henna-recessive3, and prune2, suggest that the metabolic block in pr occurs prior to sepiapterin biosynthesis. Measurements of GTP and GTP cyclohydrolase in pr showed wild-type levels and indicate the metabolic block in pr to be at one of the steps converting dihydroneopterin triphosphate to sepiapterin. Quantitation of pteridines in suppressed purple [su(s)2; pr and pr; su(pr)e3] shows restoration of pteridines to wild-type or nearly wild-type levels.

Aging↗

The ommochrome biosynthetic pathway in Drosophila melanogaster: the head particulate phenoxazinone synthase and the developmental onset of xanthommatin synthesis.

Particulate fractions from the heads of Drosophila melanogaster catalyze the conversion of o-aminophenols to phenoxazinones. This particulate enzyme is stimulated by Mn2+. It has a number of features which distinguish it clearly from the Mn2+-dependent activity found in the soluble fraction. The particulate enzyme has a characteristic developmental pattern, showing a marked increase in activity at about the time of onset of xanthommatin synthesis. In addition, it is much reduced in activity in a number of xanthommatin-deficient mutants (v, cn, st, cd, and w). We believe that the head particulate enzyme is involved in xanthommatin biosynthesis and that the developmental onset of synthesis of this pigment is brought about by the synthesis or activation of this enzyme.

Abdomen↗

Regulation of N-terminus-deleted human tyrosine hydroxylase type 1 by end products of catecholamine biosynthetic pathway.

The N-terminal 52-, 70-, and 157-amino acids-deleted mutants and wild-type tyrosine hydroxylases were expressed in Escherichia coli and utilized to investigate the roles of the N-terminus in the catecholamine inhibition on enzyme activity. Their lysate's supernatants were used as enzyme samples. Three catecholamines, namely dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, affected both wild-type and mutant enzymes after preincubation in the mode of mixed inhibition, and the most marked alteration among the kinetic parameters produced by the deletion was the increase in the inhibition constants. The deletions also abolished the catecholamine-induced shift of the pH profile of the enzyme activity toward a more acidic pH optimum. All three mutants responded to catecholamines almost in the same way. These results suggest that the three catecholamine end products exert their inhibition on tyrosine hydroxylase to the same extent and that the N-terminal 52 amino acid residues contain the key sequence in mediating the inhibitory action.

Catalysis↗

Prebiotic synthesis of orotic acid parallel to the biosynthetic pathway.

By heating an aqueous solution of aspartic acid and urea, carbamylaspartic acid is first formed and then the molecule is cyclized to dihydroorotic acid (DHO) with loss of water. Irradiation of an aqueous solution of DHO with a tungsten lamp yields orotic acid by photo-dehydrogenation of the molecule. This pathway of orotic acid formation is quite similar to that of biosynthesis of the molecule.

Aspartic Acid↗

Some insights into the possible development of a biosynthetic pathway and biological function for anthramycin in Streptomyces refuineus.

Using anthramycin, a potent antitumor antibiotic produced by Streptomyces refuineus, as an example, we have developed a rational model for the evolution of the capability of this microorganism to produce, tolerate and retain the genetic information needed to make this extremely potent secondary metabolite. The concepts and ideas outlined in this article have also been applied in a more general way to other antibiotics with the hope that this might stimulate research designed to test some of these concepts.

Anthramycin↗

Impaired thyroglobulin (Tg) secretion by FRTL-5 cells transfected with soluble receptor associated protein (RAP): evidence for a role of RAP in the Tg biosynthetic pathway.

Secretion of thyroglobulin (Tg) by thyrocytes requires several endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident molecular chaperones. The receptor-associated protein (RAP), a known molecular chaperone, binds to Tg in thyroid cells shortly after biosynthesis. Here we investigated whether RAP is involved in Tg secretion by FRTL-5 cells. For this purpose, we studied Tg secretion by FRTL-5 cells transfected with a soluble RAP chimera, as a mean for interfering with endogenous RAP. We used a RAP-human IgG Fc (RAP-Ig) chimeric cDNA, which was designed in order to exclude the ER retention sequence of RAP and to allow generation of a secreted form of RAP. FRTL-5 cells were transiently transfected with the RAP-Ig cDNA or, as control, with a CD8-Ig cDNA. Media were collected at 24, 48 and 72 h after transfection. Secretion of fusion proteins and of Tg in the media was measured by ELISA. As expected, under standard culture conditions, RAP was not secreted into the media by FRTL-5 cells, even though it could be detected by Western blotting in cell extracts. In transfection experiments, fusion proteins were present in the media of FRTL-5 cells transfected with either RAP-Ig or CD8-Ig, indicating that transfection was successful. Although Tg was found in the media of FRTL-5 cells transfected with either CD8-Ig or RAP-Ig, a lower amount was found in cells transfected with RAP-Ig. Therefore, we concluded that RAP is involved in Tg secretion by FRTL-5 cells suggesting that RAP may function as a Tg molecular chaperone.

Blotting, Western↗