Site-directed mutagenesis of conserved inverted repeat sequences in the xylanase C promoter region from Streptomyces sp EC3

Streptomyces sp. EC3, a strain which was originally isolated from cattle manure compost, was shown to possess a strong xylanolytic activity. One of the genes responsible for this activity, xlnC, encodes a secreted xylanase. In the native strain, as in the heterologous host S. lividans, expression of xlnC was detectable in the presence of xylan but not in the presence of glucose. Induction by xylan was shown to take place at the transcriptional level. The transcriptional start site of xlnC was mapped and likely -35 (5'-TTGACA-3') and -10 (5'-GAGAAC-3') motifs were identified. In order to localise putative conserved regulatory sequences, the promoter regions of xylanase-encoding genes from various Streptomyces species were aligned. This alignment revealed the existence of three sets of quite well conserved palindromic AT rich sequences called boxes 1, 2 and 3. Box 3 (5'-CGAAA N TTTCG-3') is the farthest away from the promoter region (150-200 bp). A shorter version of this palindrome (5'-GAAA NN TTTC-3') or (5'-CGAAA-3') constitutes box 1, which is located just upstream of the putative -35 promoter sequence. Box 2, located 5-7 bp upstream of box 1, comprises a shorter palindrome than box 3, with inverted polarity [5'-(G/C)TTTC (N) GAAA(G/C)-3']. The putative regulatory role of the conserved inverted repeats in boxes 2 and 3 in the promoter region of the xlnC gene from Streptomyces sp. EC3, was assessed. These boxes were modified by site-directed mutagenesis, and the mutant promoter regions, as well as the wild-type promoter region, were separately fused to a beta-lactamase reporter gene. Analysis of the expression patterns of these fusions in cultures grown in the presence of glucose, xylan or both carbon sources demonstrated that these motifs were cis -acting negative regulatory elements, each playing a specific role in the regulation of xlnC expression. Box 3 was shown to be critical for the establishment of repression of xlnC expression by glucose, whereas box 2 was shown to play an important role in the induction of xlnC expression by xylan.Peer reviewe

Ecological and genetic analysis of copper and streptomycin resistance in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae

Strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae resistant to copper, streptomycin, or both compounds were recovered from symptomless and diseased tissue of four woody hosts in three nurseries in Oklahoma. In strains resistant to copper and streptomycin (Cu^r Sm^r), resistance to both compounds was cotransferred with a single plasmid which was either 68, 190, or 220 kilobase pairs (kb). All Cu^s Sm^r strains contained a 68-kb conjugative plasmid. Cu^r Sm^s, strains contained one plasmid which varied in size from 60 to 73 kb. All conjugative plasmids which transferred streptomycin resistance contained sequences homologous to the strA and strB Sm^r genes from the broad-host-range plasmid RSF1010. The Sm^r determinant was subsequently cloned from a 68-kb Cu^r Sm^r plasmid designated pPSR1. A restriction map detailing the organization of the homologous Sm^r genes from pPSR1 and RSF1010 and cloned Sm^r genes from P. syringae pv. papulans and Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria revealed the conservation of all sites studied. The Cu^r genes cloned from P. syringae pv. tomato PT23 and X. campestris pv. vesicatoria XV10 did not hybridize to the Cu^r plasmids identified in the present study, indicating that copper resistance in these P. syringae pv. syringae strains may be conferred by a distinct genetic determinant.Peer reviewedPlant Patholog

Monoclonal Antibodies to Escherichia coli-Expressed P46 and P65 Membranous Proteins for Specific Immunodetection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in Lungs of Infected Pigs

The P46 and P65 proteins of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae are two membranous proteins carrying species-specific antigenic determinants. Based on the genomic sequence of the reference strain ATCC 25934, primers were designed for PCR amplification of the genes encoding entire P46 (1,260 bp) and P65 (1,803 bp) and N-terminally truncated P65(c) (1,200 bp). These primers were shown to be specific to M. hyopneumoniae since no DNA amplicons could be obtained with other mycoplasma species that commonly colonize the porcine respiratory tract. Both amplified genes were then cloned into the pGEX-4T-1 vector to be expressed in Escherichia coli cells as recombinant fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase (GST). Prior to generation of expression constructs, TGA nonsense codons, exceptionally used for tryptophan residues by M. hyopneumoniae, had been converted to TGG codons by PCR-directed mutagenesis. Following induction by IPTG (isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside), both GST-P46 and GST-P65(c) recombinant fusion proteins were recovered by disrupting transformed cells by sonication, purified by affinity chromatography, and then cut with thrombin to release the P46 and P65(c) moieties. The enriched E. coli-expressed P46 and P65c proteins were used to immunize female BALB/c mice for the generation of anti-P46 and anti-P65(c) monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). The polypeptide specificities of MAbs obtained was confirmed by Western blotting with cell lysates prepared from the homologous strain. Cross-reactivity study of the anti-P46 and anti-P65(c) MAbs towards two other M. hyopneumoniae reference strains (ATCC 25095 and J strains) and Quebec field strains that had been isolated in culture, suggested that the MAbs obtained against both membranous proteins were directed against highly conserved species-specific epitopes. No reactivity to other mycoplasma species tested was demonstrated. Clinical signs and lesions suggestive of enzootic pneumonia were reproduced in specific-pathogen-free pigs that had been inoculated intratracheally with a virulent Quebec field strain (IAF-DM9827) of M. hyopneumoniae. Both anti-P46 and anti-P65(c) MAbs permitted effective detection by indirect immunofluorescence and indirect immunoperoxidase assay of M. hyopneumoniae in, respectively, frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung sections from pigs that were killed after the 6- to 7-week observation period