RESUMO
ChiA74 is a secreted endochitinase produced by Bacillus thuringiensis. Previously we have partially characterized the physical parameters that affect enzymatic activity of ChiA74 in crude preparations of bacterial secretomes. In the present study, we cloned the chiA74 open reading frame (ORF) lacking the 5' sequence coding for its secretion signal peptide (chiA74Δsp) into a cold shock expression vector (pColdI) for production of the enzyme in Escherichia coli BL21-Rosetta 2. As a result, the N-terminal end of ChiA74Δsp ORF was fused to an artificial sequence of 28 amino acid, including a 6× histidine tag for purification of recombinant 6×His tagged-ChiA74Δsp (rChiA74, â¼74kDa). Along with a protein of â¼74kDa, we co-purified its â¼55kDa processed form which was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Optimal endochitinase activity of purified rChiA74 occurred at pH 7 and 40°C. Most divalent cations (e.g. Ba(+2), Ca(+2), Mn(+2), Mg(+2), Zn(+2) and Cu(+2)) at concentration of 10mM reduced chitinase activity by â¼30%, and Hg(+2) (10mM) drastically inhibited ChiA74 activity by â¼75-100%. The Vmax, Km and kcat for rChiA74 were 0.11±0.01nmol/min, 2.15µM±0.45 and 3.81s(-1), respectively, using 4-MU-GlcNAc3 as substrate. Using purified rChiA74 and colloidal chitin as substrate, chitin-derived oligosaccharides with degree of polymerization of 2 and 1 were detected.
Assuntos
Bacillus thuringiensis/enzimologia , Bioquímica/métodos , Quitinases/isolamento & purificação , Quitinases/metabolismo , Expressão Gênica , Western Blotting , Cátions Bivalentes/farmacologia , Quitina/metabolismo , Cromatografia em Camada Fina , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Cinética , Modelos Moleculares , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/isolamento & purificação , TemperaturaRESUMO
The chitinase gene was molecularly characterized in five Bacillus thuringiensis Mexican isolates, MR10, MR11, MR21, MR33, and RN52. The proteins derived from these genes were tested for their chitinase activity using fluorogenic chitin derivatives. In order to verify if chitinase genes were functional, they were cloned, and enzymatic activity of recombinant chitinases was also tested. Results indicated that enzymes exhibited endochitinase activity. The highest hydrolytic activity shown against the chitin tetrameric derivative occurred at pH value of 6.5, and the optimum activity temperature was around 60 °C. The recombinant endochitinases showed a molecular mass of â¼77 kDa with isoelectric points from 6.5 to 7.0. Analysis of the nucleotide sequences showed highly conserved sequences among all isolates (97-99 %). Gene sequence analysis revealed a putative promoter (-35 TTGAGA and -10 TTAATA) and a Shine-Dalgarno sequence (5´-AGGAGA-3´) upstream from the open reading frame. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed that the proteins are modular enzymes composed by a family 18 glycosyl hydrolase domain located between amino acids 134 and 549, a fibronectin-binding domain (580 through 656), and a chitin-binding domain (664 through 771). The deduced amino acid sequences of our isolates showed a similarity close to 100 % respect to the sequences reported in the GenBank database.
Assuntos
Bacillus thuringiensis/enzimologia , Bacillus thuringiensis/genética , Quitina/metabolismo , Quitinases/genética , Quitinases/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Bacillus thuringiensis/isolamento & purificação , Sítios de Ligação , Quitinases/química , Clonagem Molecular , DNA Bacteriano/química , DNA Bacteriano/genética , Estabilidade Enzimática , Expressão Gênica , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Ponto Isoelétrico , México , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Peso Molecular , Fases de Leitura Aberta , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Alinhamento de Sequência , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Homologia de Sequência de Aminoácidos , TemperaturaRESUMO
Previously we described a rapid fluorogenic method to measure the activity of five bacteriocins produced by Mexican strains of Bacillus thuringiensis against B. cereus 183. Here we standardize this method to efficiently determine the activity of bacteriocins against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It was determined that the crucial parameter required to obtain reproducible results was the number of cells used in the assay, that is, ~4 × 10(8) cell/mL and ~7 × 10(8) cell/mL, respectively, for target Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Comparative analyses of the fluorogenic and traditional well-diffusion assays showed correlation coefficients of 0.88 to 0.99 and 0.83 to 0.99, respectively, for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The fluorogenic method demonstrated that the five bacteriocins of B. thuringiensis have bacteriolytic and bacteriostatic activities against all microorganisms tested, including clinically significant bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, Proteus vulgaris, and Shigella flexneri reported previously to be resistant to the antimicrobials as determined using the well-diffusion protocol. These results demonstrate that the fluorogenic assay is a more sensitive, reliable, and rapid method when compared with the well-diffusion method and can easily be adapted in screening protocols for bacteriocin production by other microorganisms.
Assuntos
Bacillus thuringiensis/química , Bacteriocinas/farmacologia , Bactérias Gram-Negativas/efeitos dos fármacos , Bactérias Gram-Positivas/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
We have shown previously that in the presence of inducer Bacillus cereus 183, significant increases in bacteriocin production and bactericidal activity of B. thuringiensis occur when the latter is cultivated at pH 7.2, 28°C, and 180 rpm. Here we show that this activity can be further improved when B. thuringiensis is induced with B. cereus 183 and then cultivated with modification of pH, temperature, and agitation. Five native strains of B. thuringiensis, LBIT 269, LBIT 287, LBIT 404, LBIT 420, and LBIT 524 which synthesize, respectively, morricin 269, kurstacin 287, kenyacin 404, entomocin 420, and tolworthcin 524, were cultivated in four different fermentation media. Of these, fermentation in tryptic soy broth (TSB) yielded the highest level of bacteriocin activity (~100-133 FU). Bacteria grown in TSB were induced with B. cereus 183 and cultivated at different pH (6.0, 7.2, 8.0), temperature (26, 28, 30°C), and agitation (150, 180, 210 rpm). Full factorial design was performed and results were analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey multiple comparison tests at significant level of α ≤ 0.05 to study the influence of the three variables on bacterial growth and bacteriocin production. Our data show that the highest bacteriocin activity was found with LBIT 269 and LBIT 404 with an increase of ~95-100% compared with induced B. thuringiensis strains cultivated under fixed conditions (pH 7.2, 28°C, 180 rpm), for which the data were set at 0%. The optimal conditions for morricin 269 and kenyacin 404 production were, respectively, pH 8, 30°C, 210 rpm and pH 7.2, 26°C, 210 rpm.
Assuntos
Antibacterianos/biossíntese , Bacillus thuringiensis/metabolismo , Bacteriocinas/biossíntese , Bacillus cereus/fisiologia , Bacillus thuringiensis/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Meios de Cultura , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , México , TemperaturaRESUMO
Bacillus thuringiensis HD-73 was transformed with the endochitinase gene chiA74 under the control of a strong promoter (pcytA) and a 5' mRNA stabilizing (STAB-SD) sequence (HD-73-pEBchiA74). Expression levels were compared with those observed from the wild type strain (HD-73) and the recombinant HD-73 strain expressing chiA74 under the control of its native promoter (HD-73-pEHchiA74). The chitinolytic activity of HD-73-pEBchiA74 was markedly elevated, being ~58- and 362-fold higher than, respectively, HD-73-pEHchiA74 and parental HD-73, representing the highest levels of chitinase expression in recombinant B. thuringiensis reported to date. Parasporal crystals measured under transmission electron microscopy showed that HD-73 produced crystals of 1.235 (+/-0.214) and 1.356 (+/-0.247) mum in length when the bacterium was grown in respectively, NBS and NBS with glucose. Otherwise, HD-73-pEBchiA74 synthesized crystals of 1.250 (+/-0.222) and 1.139 (+/-0.202) mum in length when cultivated in NBS and NBS with glucose, respectively, values that showed a diminution of ~10 and 20% compared with crystals produced by HD-73-pEHchiA74 grown under the same conditions. Comparison of viable spore counts per ml showed that HD-73-pEBchiA74 produced fewest viable spores (1.5 x 10(9), 1.3 x 10(9)), compared to HD-73-pEHchiA74 (4.9 x 10(9), 5.3 x 10(9)) and HD-73 (6.8 x 10(9), 8.8 x 10(9)) when grown in NBS and NBS supplemented with glucose, respectively. No change in cellular protease activity was observed despite the overproduction of the chitinase.
Assuntos
Bacillus thuringiensis/enzimologia , Bacillus thuringiensis/fisiologia , Proteínas de Bactérias/biossíntese , Quitinases/biossíntese , Endotoxinas/biossíntese , Proteínas Hemolisinas/biossíntese , Esporos Bacterianos/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Bacillus thuringiensis/genética , Toxinas de Bacillus thuringiensis , Proteínas de Bactérias/ultraestrutura , Quitina/metabolismo , Quitinases/genética , Contagem de Colônia Microbiana , Expressão Gênica , Proteínas Hemolisinas/ultraestrutura , Microscopia Eletrônica de Transmissão , Transformação BacterianaRESUMO
An endochitinase gene (chiA-HD73) from the insecticidal bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-73 was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli DH5alphaF'. The chitinase activity of the encoded protein was studied in assays with different fluorogenic substrates. The chiA-HD73 gene contained an open-reading frame that encoded an endochitinase with a deduced molecular weight and an isoelectric point of, respectively, 74.5 kDa and 5.75. A putative signal peptide with cleavage sites for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was identified. Comparison of ChiA-HD73 with other chitinases revealed a modular structure composed of a catalytic domain and a putative chitin-binding domain. ChiA-HD73 hydrolyzed both tetrameric and trimeric fluorogenic substrates, but not a chitobiose analog substrate, suggesting that the activity of ChiA-HD73 is mainly endochitinolytic. In addition, ChiA-HD73 showed high enzymatic activity within a broad pH range (pH 4-10), with a peak activity at pH 6.5. The optimal temperature for enzymatic activity was observed at 55 degrees C. Its activity in a broad range of temperatures and pH suggests ChiA-HD73 could have biotechnological applications in insect control, particularly in synergizing the insecticidal crystal protein toxins of B. thuringiensis.
Assuntos
Bacillus thuringiensis/enzimologia , Quitinases/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Domínio Catalítico , Quitinases/química , Clonagem Molecular , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Hidrólise , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Plasmídeos/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo , Alinhamento de Sequência , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Homologia de Sequência de Aminoácidos , Temperatura , Transformação GenéticaRESUMO
Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides synthesized and secreted by bacteria and could potentially be used as natural food preservatives. Here, we report the production of bacteriocin-like inhibitor substances (Bt-BLIS) by five Mexican strains of Bacillus thuringiensis. Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. morrisoni (LBIT 269), B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (LBIT 287), B. thuringiensis subsp kenyae (LBIT 404), B. thuringiensis subsp. entomocidus (LBIT 420) and B. thuringiensis subsp. tolworthi (LBIT 524) produced proteinaceous Bt-BLIS with high levels of activity against Bacillus cereus and other gram-positive bacteria. Although none was active against the gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli, Shigella species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the five Bt-BLIS demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Vibrio cholerae, the etiologic agent of cholera. Biochemical and biophysical studies demonstrated that the five Bt-BLIS could be categorized into two groups, those produced by LBIT 269 and 287 (Group A) and LBIT 404, 420, 524 (Group B), based on relative time of peptide synthesis, distinctive bacterial target specificity and stability in a wide range of temperatures and pH. Because of their stability and bactericidal activities against B. cereus and V. cholerae agents of emetic, diarrheal and lethal syndromes in humans, these Bt-BLIS could potentially be used as biodegradable preservatives in the food industry.
Assuntos
Bacillus thuringiensis/química , Bacteriocinas/farmacologia , Vibrio cholerae/efeitos dos fármacos , Bacillus cereus/efeitos dos fármacos , Bacillus cereus/genética , Bacillus cereus/metabolismo , Bacillus thuringiensis/metabolismo , Bacteriocinas/biossíntese , Bacteriocinas/isolamento & purificação , Testes de Sensibilidade MicrobianaRESUMO
A chitinolytic enzyme from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. aizawai has been purified and its molecular mass was estimated ca. 66 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The enzyme was able to hydrolyze chitin to chitobiosides but not carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose, pullulan, and laminarin. Optimal pH and temperature were detected at 6 and 50 degrees C, respectively. Stability, in the absence of substrate, was observed at temperatures less than 60 degrees C and pH between 5 and 8. Enzyme activity was significantly inhibited by K+ and EDTA and completely inhibited by Hg2+. Purified chitinase showed lytic activity against cell walls from six phytopathogenic fungi and inhibited the mycelial growth of both Fusarium sp. and Sclerotium rolfsii. The biocontrol efficacy of the enzyme was tested in the protection of bean seeds infested with six phytopathogenic fungi.