• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.2046-2056
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• 2018

Phospholipase D has great commercial value due to its transphosphatidylation products that can be used in the food and medicine industries. In order to construct a strain for use in the production of PLD, we employed a series of combinatorial strategies to increase PLD expression in Bacillus subtilis WB600. These strategies included screening of signal peptides, selection of different plasmids, and optimization of the sequences of the ribosome-binding site (RBS) and the spacer region. We found that using the signal peptide amyE results in the highest extracellular PLD activity (11.3 U/ml) and in a PLD expression level 5.27-fold higher than when the endogenous signal peptide is used. Furthermore, the strain harboring the recombinant expression plasmid pMA0911-PLD-amyE-his produced PLD with activity enhanced by 69.03% (19.1 U/ml). We then used the online tool \RBS Calculator v2.0 to optimize the sequences of the RBS and the spacer. Using the optimized sequences resulted in an increase in the enzyme activity by about 26.7% (24.2 U/ml). In addition, we found through a transfer experiment that the retention rate of the recombinant plasmid after 5 generations was still 100%. The final product, phosphatidylserine (PS), was successfully detected, with transphosphatidylation selectivity at 74.6%. This is similar to the values for the original producer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.194-203
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• 2009

$HpaG_{Xooc}$, from rice pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola, is a member of the harpin group of proteins, eliciting hypersensitive cell death in non-host plants, inducing disease and insect resistance in plants, and enhancing plant growth. To express and secret the $HpaG_{Xooc}$ protein in Bacillus subtilis, we constructed a recombinant expression vector pM43HF with stronger promoter P43 and signal peptide element nprB. The SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis demonstrated the expression of the protein $HpaG_{Xooc}$ in B. subtilis. The ELISA analysis determined the optimum condition for $HpaG_{Xooc}$ expression in B. subtilis WBHF. The biological function analysis indicated that the protein $HpaG_{Xooc}$ from B. subtilis WBHF elicits hypersensitive response(HR) and enhances the growth of tobacco. The results of RT-PCR analysis revealed that $HpaG_{Xooc}$ induces expression of the pathogenesis-related genes PR-1a and PR-1b in plant defense response.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.766-772
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• 2002

The plasmid, pJHKJ4, containing the endoxylanase gene, was introduced into Bacillus subtilis DB 104. The recombinant cells produced 587 unit/ml of endoxylanase at 33 h. The endoxylanase was immobilized covalently on the surface of silica fur effective xylan hydrolysis. The activities of the immobilized and free endoxylanases were optimal at pH 6.5 and 10 mM $MnSO_4$. The optimal temperature of the immobilized endoxylanase was $60^{\circ}C$, whereas that of the free endoxylanase was $65^{\circ}C$. Under these optimal conditions, the activity of the immobilized endoxylanase was 1.7 times higher than that of the fee endoxylanase. From microscope photographs, the immobilized endoxylanase was found to be bounded and evenly distributed on the surface of silica, a nonporous solid support. The enzyme kinetics between the immobilized and free endoxylanases was estimated to be uncompetitive, when plotting double-reciprocal plots against xylan concentrations and endoxylanase activities. These results suggest that the higher activity of the immobilized endoxylanase may be due to increased formation of enzyme-substrate complex, because of the easy accessibility of the immobilized enzyme to the polysaccharide-xylan as a high molecular weight substrate.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1720-1728
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• 2020

We have previously characterized AprESJ4, the major fibrinolytic enzyme from Bacillus subtilis SJ4 (Yao et al., 2019). During that study, we observed a 68 kDa protein with fibrinolytic activity. In this study, we cloned the gene (vprSJ4) encoding the 68 kDa protein, a mature Vpr and minor protease secreted by Bacillus species. vprSJ4 encodes a preproenzyme consisting of 810 amino acids (aa) including signal sequence (28 aa) and prosequence (132 aa). The mature enzyme (650 aa) has a predicted molecular weight of 68,467.35. Unlike Vprs from other B. subtilis strains, VprSJ4 has 4 additional amino acids (DEFA) at the C-terminus. vprSJ4 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. PreproVprSJ4 was localized in inclusion bodies, and subjected to in vitro renaturation and purification by an affinity column. SDS-PAGE and western blot showed that autoprocessing of preproVprSJ4 occurred and 68 kDa and smaller proteins were produced. The optimum pH and temperature of the recombinant VprSJ4 were pH 7.0 and 40℃, respectively. Kinetic parameters of recombinant VprSJ4 were measured by using an artificial substrate, N-succinyl-ala-ala-pro-phe-p-nitroanilide. Coexpression of vprSJ4 and aprESJ4 using pHY300PLK increased the fibrinolytic activity a further 117% when compared with aprESJ4 single expression using the same vector in B. subtilis WB600.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.468-475
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• 1988

The cloned B. subtilis cdd gene encoding cytidine/2'deoxycytidine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.5) was expressed in the cdd deficient B. subtilis mutant ED40. The gene was isolted from the cdd complementing plasmid pSO21, and inserted into the EcoR1/Pvu1 sites of pGB215-110 ΔB, which is a temperature sensitivie E. coli-B. subtilis shuttle vector. In the transformed B. subtilis ED4O harboring the resulting plasmid pSO100, cdd was expressed at several hundred fold elevated levels, and the cytidine deaminase activity in E. coli containing pSO100 was twice the level in B. subtilis/pSO0100. The Km value for cytidine of the partially purified enzyme is 1.88$\times$10$^{-4}$M at pH 7.0 and the V$_{max}$ = 11.1 $\mu$mol/min/mg of protein. The enzyme was completely inhibited by 0.1M mercaptoethanol and HgCl$_2$. The inhibition by p-chrolomercurybenzoic acid showed a Ki = 5 uM. These results suggest that sulfhydryl reagents block an active site thiol group, and/or disturb the formation of the tetrameic holoenzyme.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.508-514
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• 2001

A stuructural gene (ycl) encoding novel yeast cell wall hydrolase, YCL, was cloned from alkalophilic Bacillus alcalophilus subsp. YB380 by PCR, and transformed into E. coli JM83. Based on the N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences of the enzyme, primers were designed for PCr. The positive clone that harbors 1.8 kb of the yeast cell wall hydrolase gene was selected by the colony hybridization method with a PCR fragment as a probe. According to the computer analysis, this gene contained a 400-base-paired N-terminal domain of the enzyme. Based on nucletide homology of the cloned gene, a 850 bp fragment was amplified and the C-terminal domain of the enzyme was sequenced. With a combination of the two sequences, a full nucleotide sequence for YCL was obtained. This gene, ycl, consisted of 1,297 nucleotides with 27 nucleotides with 27 amino acids of signal sequence, 83 redundant amino acids of prosequence, and 265 amino acids of the mature protein. This gene was then cloned into the pJH27 shuttle vector and transformed into the Bacillus subtilis DB104 to express the enzyme. It was confirmed that the expressed cell wall hydrolase that was produced by Bacillus subtilis DB104 was the same as that of the donor strain, by Western blot using polyclonal antibody (IgY) prepared from White Leghorn hen. Purified yeast cell wall hydrolase and expressed recombinant protein showed a single band at the same position in the Western blot analysis.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.347-351
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• 2004

Hydrolysis of manno-oligosaccharides and galactomannan was studied with the purified Bacillus subtilis WL-7 mannanase from recombinant Eschericoli. The predominant products of hydrolysis were mannose, mannobiose and mannotriose. The enzyme could hydrolyze $\beta$-1 A-linked manno-oligosaccharides larger than mannobiose, but was not active on mannobiose. When the mannanase hydrolyzed manno-oligo saccharides of degree of polymerization(DP) 4-6, it was more active on the substrate of higher DP. Based on analysis of transient reaction products by TLC, the enzyme was found to have a preference for internal $\beta$-IA-mannosidic linkages, which are the central mannosidic bond of mannotetraose and the two middle mannosidic bonds of mannopentaose. The $\beta$-l A-mannosidic bonds situated at the second and fourth positions from the nonreducing end of mannohexaose were preferenhydrolyzed by the mannanase. Locust bean gum(LBG) was enzymatically hydrolyzed with higher efficiency than guar gum, resulting that amount of reducing sugars was liberated more efficiently from LBG than guar gum with same activity of mannanase.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1383-1390
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• 2019

In this study, we expressed cotA laccase from Bacillus subtilis on the surface of B. subtilis spores for efficient decolorization of synthetic dyes. The cotE, cotG, and cotY genes were used as anchoring motifs for efficient spore surface display of cotA laccase. Moreover, a $His_6$ tag was inserted at the C-terminal end of cotA for the immunological detection of the expressed fusion protein. Appropriate expression of the CotE-CotA (74 kDa), CotG-CotA (76 kDa), and CotY-CotA (73 kDa) fusion proteins was confirmed by western blot. We verified the surface expression of each fusion protein on B. subtilis spore by flow cytometry. The decoloration rates of Acid Green 25 (anthraquinone dye) for the recombinant DB104 (pSDJH-EA), DB104 (pSDJH-GA), DB104 (pSDJH-YA), and the control DB104 spores were 48.75%, 16.12%, 21.10%, and 9.96%, respectively. DB104 (pSDJH-EA) showed the highest decolorization of Acid Green 25 and was subsequently tested on other synthetic dyes with different structures. The decolorization rates of the DB104 (pSDJH-EA) spore for Acid Red 18 (azo dye) and indigo carmine (indigo dye) were 18.58% and 43.20%, respectively. The optimum temperature for the decolorization of Acid Green 25 by the DB104 (pSDJH-EA) spore was found to be $50^{\circ}C$. Upon treatment with known laccase inhibitors, including EDTA, SDS, and $NaN_3$, the decolorization rate of Acid Green 25 by the DB104 (pSDJH-EA) spore decreased by 23%, 80%, and 36%, respectively.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.571-579
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• 1997

For the overproduction of pectate lyase (PL), the recombinant plasmid pl2BS fl which has strong promoter from alkali-tolerent Bacillus sp. YA-14 was used. In order to overexpress the pectate lyase by the action of overlapping strong promoter in pl2BS$\Delta$fl, 1.6 kb of PL gene was inserted into pl2BS$\Delta$fl to form pl2BS$\delta$f1-PL and the enzyme was expressed. But decreased expression efficiency of the PL gene was observed and it was due to the presence of the transcription terminator region on the upstream of the PL gene. The transcription terminator of the PL gene in pl2BS$\delta$f1-PL was removed and the resulting plasmid p12BS$\Delta$fl$\Delta$PL was formed. Bacillus subtilis 207-25 harboring the recombinant plasmid, p12BS$\Delta$fl$\Delta$PL, revealed increased expression efficiency with chloramphenicol induction when cat-86 was used as a reporter gene.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.122-135
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• 2018

Listeriolysin O (LLO), one of the most immunogenic proteins of Listeria monocytogenes and its main virulence factor, mediates bacterial escape from the phagosome of the infected cell. Thus, its expression in a nonpathogenic bacterial host may enable effective delivery of heterologous antigens to the host cell cytosol and lead to their processing predominantly through the cytosolic MHC class I presentation pathway. The aim of this project was to characterize the delivery of a model antigen, chicken egg ovalbumin (OVA), to the cytosol of dendritic cells by recombinant Bacillus subtilis vegetative cells expressing LLO. Our work indicated that LLO produced by non-sporulating vegetative bacteria was able to support OVA epitope presentation by MHC I molecules on the surface of antigen presenting cells and consequently influence OVA-specific cytotoxic T cell activation. Additionally, it was proven that the genetic context of the epitope sequence is of great importance, as only the native full-sequence OVA fused to the N-terminal fragment of LLO was sufficient for effective epitope delivery and activation of $CD8^+$ lymphocytes. These results demonstrate the necessity for further verification of the fusion antigen potency of enhancing the MHC I presentation, and they prove that LLO-producing B. subtilis may represent a novel and attractive candidate for a vaccine vector.