Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 47 in total

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  1. Fulltext Proof of concept in utilizing in-trans surface display system of Lactobacillus plantarum as mucosal tuberculosis vaccine via oral administration in mice
    Mustafa AD, Kalyanasundram J, Sabidi S, Song AA, Abdullah M, Abdul Rahim R, et al.
    BMC Biotechnol, 2018 10 11;18(1):63.
    PMID: 30309359 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-018-0461-y
    BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is one of the most common and deadliest infectious diseases worldwide affecting almost a third of the world's population. Although this disease is being prevented and controlled by the Bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccine, the protective efficacy is highly variable and substandard (0-80%) in adults. Therefore, novel and effective tuberculosis vaccine that can overcome the limitations from BCG vaccine need to be developed.

    RESULTS: A novel approach of utilizing an in-trans protein surface display system of Lactobacillus plantarum carrying and displaying combination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis subunit epitope antigens (Ag85B, CFP-10, ESAT-6, Rv0475 and Rv2031c) fused with LysM anchor motif designated as ACERL was constructed, cloned and expressed in Esherichia coli Rossetta expression host. Subsequently the binding capability of ACERL to the cell wall of L. plantarum was examined via the immunofluorescence microscopy and whole cell ELISA where successful attachment and consistent stability of cell wall binding up to 4 days was determined. The immunization of the developed vaccine of L. plantarum surface displaying ACERL (Lp ACERL) via the oral route was studied in mice for its immunogenicity effects. Lp ACERL immunization was able to invoke significant immune responses that favor the Th1 type cytokine response of IFN-γ, IL-12 and IL-2 as indicated by the outcome from the cytokine profiling of spleen, lung, gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and the re-stimulation of the splenocytes from the immunized mice. Co-administration of an adjuvant consisting of Lactococcus lactis secreting mouse IL-12 (LcIL-12) with Lp ACERL was also investigated. It was shown that the addition of LcIL-12 was able to further generate significant Th1 type cytokines immune responses, similar or better than that of Lp ACERL alone which can be observed from the cytokine profiling of the immunized mice's spleen, lung and GIT.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study represents a proof of concept in the development of L. plantarum as a carrier for a non-genetically modified organism (GMO) tuberculosis vaccine, which may be the strategy in the future for tuberculosis vaccine development.

    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/administration & dosage; Acyltransferases/genetics; Acyltransferases/immunology
  2. Biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxy-4-methylvalerate) by recombinant Escherichia coli expressing leucine metabolism-related enzymes derived from Clostridium difficile
    Saika A, Watanabe Y, Sudesh K, Tsuge T
    J Biosci Bioeng, 2014 Jun;117(6):670-5.
    PMID: 24484910 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2013.12.006
    An obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium difficile has a unique metabolic pathway to convert leucine to 4-methylvalerate, in which 4-methyl-2-pentenoyl-CoA (4M2PE-CoA) is an intermediate of this pathway. 4M2PE-CoA is also able to be converted to 3-hydroxy-4-methylvalerate (3H4MV), a branched side chain monomer unit, for synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymer. In this study, to synthesize 3H4MV-containing PHA copolymer from leucine, the leucine metabolism-related enzymes (LdhA and HadAIBC) derived from C. difficile and PHA biosynthesis enzymes (PhaPCJAc and PhaABRe) derived from Aeromonas caviae and Ralstonia eutropha were co-expressed in the codon usage-improved Escherichia coli. Under microaerobic culture conditions, this E. coli was able to synthesize P(3HB-co-12.2 mol% 3H4MV) from glucose with the supplementation of 1 g/L leucine. This strain also produced P(3HB-co-12.6 mol% 3H4MV) using the culture supernatant of leucine overproducer E. coli strain NS1391 as the medium for PHA production, achieving 3H4MV copolymer synthesis only from glucose. Furthermore, we tested the feasibility of the 3H4MV copolymer synthesis in E. coli strain NS1391 from glucose. The recombinant E. coli NS1391 was able to synthesize P(3HB-co-3.0 mol% 3H4MV) from glucose without any leucine supplementation. This study demonstrates the potential of the new metabolic pathway for 3H4MV synthesis using leucine metabolism-related enzymes from C. difficile.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/biosynthesis; Acyltransferases/genetics
  3. Fulltext Transcriptional regulation of Lonicera japonica Thunb. during flower development as revealed by comprehensive analysis of transcription factors
    Wang T, Yang B, Guan Q, Chen X, Zhong Z, Huang W, et al.
    BMC Plant Biol, 2019 May 14;19(1):198.
    PMID: 31088368 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-019-1803-1
    BACKGROUND: Lonicera japonica Thunb. flower has been used for the treatment of various diseases for a long time and attracted many studies on its potential effects. Transcription factors (TFs) regulate extensive biological processes during plant development. As the restricted reports of L. japonica on TFs, our work was carried out to better understand the TFs' regulatory roles under different developmental stages in L. japonica.

    RESULTS: In this study, 1316 TFs belonging to 52 families were identified from the transcriptomic data, and corresponding expression profiles during the L. japonica flower development were comprehensively analyzed. 917 (69.68%) TFs were differentially expressed. TFs in bHLH, ERF, MYB, bZIP, and NAC families exhibited obviously altered expression during flower growth. Based on the analysis of differentially expressed TFs (DETFs), TFs in MYB, WRKY, NAC and LSD families that involved in phenylpropanoids biosynthesis, senescence processes and antioxidant activity were detected. The expression of MYB114 exhibited a positive correlation with the contents of luteoloside; Positive correlation was observed among the expression of MYC12, chalcone synthase (CHS) and flavonol synthase (FLS), while negative correlation was observed between the expression of MYB44 and the synthases; The expression of LSD1 was highly correlated with the expression of SOD and the total antioxidant capacity, while the expression of LOL1 and LOL2 exhibited a negative correlation with them; Many TFs in NAC and WRKY families may be potentially involved in the senescence process regulated by hormones and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The expression of NAC19, NAC29, and NAC53 exhibited a positive correlation with the contents of ABA and H2O2, while the expression of WRKY53, WRKY54, and WRKY70 exhibited a negative correlation with the contents of JA, SA and ABA.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our study provided a comprehensive characterization of the expression profiles of TFs during the developmental stages of L. japonica. In addition, we detected the key TFs that may play significant roles in controlling active components biosynthesis, antioxidant activity and flower senescence in L. japonica, thereby providing valuable insights into the molecular networks underlying L. japonica flower development.

    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases
  4. PHA synthase (PhaC): interpreting the functions of bioplastic-producing enzyme from a structural perspective
    Chek MF, Hiroe A, Hakoshima T, Sudesh K, Taguchi S
    Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2019 Feb;103(3):1131-1141.
    PMID: 30511262 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9538-8
    Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biopolymers synthesized by a wide range of bacteria, which serve as a promising candidate in replacing some conventional petrochemical-based plastics. PHA synthase (PhaC) is the key enzyme in the polymerization of PHA, and the crystal structures were successfully determined using the catalytic domain of PhaC from Cupriavidus necator (PhaCCn-CAT) and Chromobacterium sp. USM2 (PhaCCs-CAT). Here, we review the beneficial mutations discovered in PhaCs from a structural perspective. The structural comparison of the residues involved in beneficial mutation reveals that the residues are near to the catalytic triad, but not inside the catalytic pocket. For instance, Ala510 of PhaCCn is near catalytic His508 and may be involved in the open-close regulation, which presumably play an important role in substrate specificity and activity. In the class II PhaC1 from Pseudomonas sp. 61-3 (PhaC1Ps), Ser325 stabilizes the catalytic cysteine through hydrogen bonding. Another residue, Gln508 of PhaC1Ps is located in a conserved hydrophobic pocket which is next to the catalytic Asp and His. A class I, II-conserved Phe420 of PhaCCn is one of the residues involved in dimerization and its mutation to serine greatly reduced the lag phase. The current structural analysis shows that the Phe362 and Phe518 of PhaC from Aeromonas caviae (PhaCAc) are assisting the dimer formation and maintaining the integrity of the core beta-sheet, respectively. The structure-function relationship of PhaCs discussed in this review will serve as valuable reference for future protein engineering works to enhance the performance of PhaCs and to produce novel biopolymers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases
  5. Fulltext Biosynthesis of novel polyhydroxyalkanoate containing 3-hydroxy-4-methylvalerate by Chromobacterium sp. USM2
    Ling SC, Tsuge T, Sudesh K
    J Appl Microbiol, 2011 Sep;111(3):559-71.
    PMID: 21689225 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2011.05084.x
    Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) with enhanced physicochemical properties will be ideal for a wide range of practical applications. The incorporation of 3-hydroxy-4-methylvalerate (3H4MV) into the polymer backbone is known to improve the overall properties of the resulting polymer. However, the most suitable micro-organism and PHA synthase that can synthesize this monomer efficiently still remain unknown at present. Therefore, we evaluated the abilities of a locally isolated Chromobacterium sp. USM2 to produce PHA containing 3H4MV.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/metabolism
  6. Biosynthesis and characterization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3- hydroxyhexanoate) from palm oil products in a Wautersia eutropha mutant
    Loo CY, Lee WH, Tsuge T, Doi Y, Sudesh K
    Biotechnol Lett, 2005 Sep;27(18):1405-10.
    PMID: 16215858
    Palm kernel oil, palm olein, crude palm oil and palm acid oil were used for the synthesis of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] by a mutant strain of Wautersia eutropha (formerly Ralstonia eutropha) harboring the Aeromonas caviae polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase gene. Palm kernel oil was an excellent carbon source for the production of cell biomass and P(3HB-co-3HHx). About 87% (w/w) of the cell dry weight as P(3HB-co-3HHx) was obtained using 5 g palm kernel oil/l. Gravimetric and microscopic analyses further confirmed the high PHA content in the recombinant cells. The molar fraction of 3HHx remained constant at 5 mol % regardless of the type and concentration of palm oil products used. The small amount of 3HHx units was confirmed by 13C NMR analysis. The number average molecular weight (M(n)) of the PHA copolymer produced from the various palm oil products ranged from 27 0000 to 46 0000 Da. The polydispersity was in the range of 2.6-3.9.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/genetics; Acyltransferases/metabolism
  7. Discovery of a new polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase from limestone soil through metagenomic approach
    Tai YT, Foong CP, Najimudin N, Sudesh K
    J Biosci Bioeng, 2016 Apr;121(4):355-64.
    PMID: 26467694 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2015.08.008
    PHA synthase (PhaC) is the key enzyme in the production of biodegradable plastics known as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). Nevertheless, most of these enzymes are isolated from cultivable bacteria using traditional isolation method. Most of the microorganisms found in nature could not be successfully cultivated due to the lack of knowledge on their growth conditions. In this study, a culture-independent approach was applied. The presence of phaC genes in limestone soil was screened using primers targeting the class I and II PHA synthases. Based on the partial gene sequences, a total of 19 gene clusters have been identified and 7 clones were selected for full length amplification through genome walking. The complete phaC gene sequence of one of the clones (SC8) was obtained and it revealed 81% nucleotide identity to the PHA synthase gene of Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472. This gene obtained from uncultured bacterium was successfully cloned and expressed in a Cupriavidus necator PHB(-)4 PHA-negative mutant resulting in the accumulation of significant amount of PHA. The PHA synthase activity of this transformant was 64 ± 12 U/g proteins. This paper presents a pioneering study on the discovery of phaC in a limestone area using metagenomic approach. Through this study, a new functional phaC was discovered from uncultured bacterium. Phylogenetic classification for all the phaCs isolated from this study has revealed that limestone hill harbors a great diversity of PhaCs with activities that have not yet been investigated.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases
  8. Identification of a new polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) producer Aquitalea sp. USM4 (JCM 19919) and characterization of its PHA synthase
    Ng LM, Sudesh K
    J Biosci Bioeng, 2016 Nov;122(5):550-557.
    PMID: 27132174 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2016.03.024
    Aquitalea sp. USM4 (JCM 19919) was isolated from a freshwater sample at Lata Iskandar Waterfall in Perak, Malaysia. It is a rod-shaped, gram-negative bacterium with high sequence identity (99%) to Aquitalea magnusonii based on 16S rRNA gene analysis. Aquitalea sp. USM4 also possessed a PHA synthase gene (phaC), which had amino acid sequence identity of 77-78% to the PHA synthase of Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC12472 and Pseudogulbenkiania sp. NH8B. PHA biosynthesis results showed that wild-type Aquitalea sp. USM4 was able to accumulate up to 1.5 g/L of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), [P(3HB)]. The heterologous expression of the PHA synthase gene of Aquitalea sp. USM4 (phaCAq) in Cupriavidus necator PHB(-)4 had resulted in PHA accumulation up to 3.2 g/L of P(3HB). It was further confirmed by (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis that Aquitalea sp. USM4 and C. necator PHB(-)4 transformant were able to produce PHA containing 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV), 4-hydroxybutyrate (4HB) and 3-hydroxy-4-methylvalerate (3H4MV) monomers from suitable precursor substrates. Interestingly, relatively high PHA synthase activity of 863 U/g and 1402 U/g were determined in wild-type Aquitalea sp. USM4 and C. necator PHB(-)4 transformant respectively. This is the first report on the member of genus Aquitalea as a new PHA producer as well as in vitro and in vivo characterization of a novel PHA synthase from Aquitalea sp. USM4.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/genetics*; Acyltransferases/isolation & purification; Acyltransferases/metabolism*
  9. Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Producer, Jeongeupia sp. USM3 (JCM 19920) and Characterization of Its PHA Synthases
    Zain NA, Ng LM, Foong CP, Tai YT, Nanthini J, Sudesh K
    Curr Microbiol, 2020 Mar;77(3):500-508.
    PMID: 31893298 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-019-01852-z
    A novel polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-producing bacterium, Jeongeupia sp. USM3 (JCM 19920) was isolated from the limestone soil at Gua Tempurung, Perak, Malaysia. This is the first report on the complete genome sequence for the genus Jeongeupia. This genome consists of a circular chromosome with a size of 3,788,814 bp and contains 3557 genes. Two PHA synthase (phaC) genes encoding for the key enzyme in the polymerization of PHA monomers and other PHA-associated genes were identified from the genome. Phylogenetic analysis of the PhaC protein sequences has revealed that both PhaC1 and PhaC2 of Jeongeupia sp. USM3 are categorized as Class I PHA synthases with 56% similarity to each other. Both of the PHA synthase genes of this isolate were cloned and heterologously expressed in a PHA mutant strain Cupriavidus necator PHB-4. The ability of the transformants to accumulate PHA showed that both PhaC1 and PhaC2 were functional.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/genetics; Acyltransferases/metabolism*
  10. Formation of new polyhydroxyalkanoate containing 3-hydroxy-4-methylvalerate monomer in Burkholderia sp
    Lau NS, Tsuge T, Sudesh K
    Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2011 Mar;89(5):1599-609.
    PMID: 21279348 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-011-3097-6
    Burkholderia sp. synthase has been shown to polymerize 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), 3-hydroxyvalerate, and 3-hydroxy-4-pentenoic acid monomers. This study was carried out to evaluate the ability of Burkholderia sp. USM (JCM 15050) and its transformant harboring the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase gene of Aeromonas caviae to incorporate the newly reported 3-hydroxy-4-methylvalerate (3H4MV) monomer. Various culture parameters such as concentrations of nutrient rich medium, fructose and 4-methylvaleric acid as well as harvesting time were manipulated to produce P(3HB-co-3H4MV) with different 3H4MV compositions. The structural properties of PHA containing 3H4MV monomer were investigated by using nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The relative intensities of the bands at 1,183 and 1,228 cm⁻¹ in the FTIR spectra enabled the rapid detection and differentiation of P(3HB-co-3H4MV) from other types of PHA. In addition, the presence of 3H4MV units in the copolymer was found to considerably lower the melting temperature and enthalpy of fusion values compared with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB)). The copolymer exhibited higher thermo-degradation temperature but similar molecular weight and polydispersity compared with P(3HB).
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/genetics; Acyltransferases/metabolism*
  11. Fulltext Revelation of the ability of Burkholderia sp. USM (JCM 15050) PHA synthase to polymerize 4-hydroxybutyrate monomer
    Lau NS, Sudesh K
    AMB Express, 2012;2(1):41.
    PMID: 22877240 DOI: 10.1186/2191-0855-2-41
    The nutrition-versatility of Burkholderia sp. strain USM (JCM 15050) has initiated the studies on the use of this bacterium for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production. To date, the Burkholderia sp. has been reported to synthesize 3-hydroxybutyrate, 3-hydroxyvalerate and 3-hydroxy-4-methylvalerate monomers. In this study, the PHA biosynthetic genes of this strain were successfully cloned and characterized. The PHA biosynthetic cluster of this strain consisted of a PHA synthase (phaC), β-ketothiolase (phaA), acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (phaB) and PHA synthesis regulator (phaR). The translated products of these genes revealed identities to corresponding proteins of Burkholderia vietnamiensis (99-100 %) and Cupriavidus necator H16 (63-89%). Heterologous expression of phaCBs conferred PHA synthesis to the PHA-negative Cupriavidus necator PHB¯4, confirming that phaCBs encoded functionally active protein. PHA synthase activity measurements revealed that the crude extracts of C. necator PHB¯4 transformant showed higher synthase activity (243 U/g) compared to that of wild-types Burkholderia sp. (151 U/g) and C. necator H16 (180 U/g). Interestingly, the transformant C. necator PHB¯4 harbouring Burkholderia sp. PHA synthase gene accumulated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) with 4-hydroxybutyrate monomer as high as up to 87 mol% from sodium 4-hydroxybutyrate. The wild type Burkholderia sp. did not have the ability to produce this copolymer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases
  12. Evaluation of BP-M-CPF4 polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase on the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) from plant oil using Cupriavidus necator transformants
    Tan HT, Chek MF, Lakshmanan M, Foong CP, Hakoshima T, Sudesh K
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2020 Sep 15;159:250-257.
    PMID: 32417540 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.05.064
    Among the various types of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate] [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] has a high potential to serve as commercial bioplastic due to its striking resemblance to petroleum-based plastics. In this study, five different genotypes of Cupriavidusnecator transformants harbouring the phaCBP-M-CPF4 gene (including PHB¯4/pBBR1-CBP-M-CPF4) were developed to evaluate the efficiency of 3HHx monomer incorporation. The fraction of 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx) monomer that was incorporated into the PHA synthesized by these C. necator transformants using palm oil as the sole carbon source, was examined. Overall, co-expression of enoyl-CoA hydratase gene (phaJ1) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, along with PHA synthase (PhaC), increased the 3HHx composition in the PHA copolymer. The differences in the enzyme activities of β-ketothiolase (PhaACn) and NADPH-dependent acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (PhaBCn) of the C. necator mutant hosts used in this study, were observed to alter the 3HHx composition and molecular weight of the PHA copolymer produced. The 3HHx fractions in the P(3HB-co-3HHx) produced by these C. necator transformants ranged between 1 and 18 mol%, while the weight-average molecular weight ranged from 0.7 × 106 to 1.8 × 106 Da. PhaCBP-M-CPF4 displayed a typical initial lag-phase and a relatively low synthase activity in the in vitro enzyme assay, which is thought to be the reason for the higher molecular weights of PHA obtained in this study.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/metabolism*
  13. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase genes and PHA-associated gene clusters in Pseudomonas spp. and Janthinobacterium spp. isolated from Antarctica
    Tan IKP, Foong CP, Tan HT, Lim H, Zain NA, Tan YC, et al.
    J Biotechnol, 2020 Apr 10;313:18-28.
    PMID: 32171790 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2020.03.006
    The polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) producing capability of four bacterial strains isolated from Antarctica was reported in a previous study. This study analyzed the PHA synthase genes and the PHA-associated gene clusters from the two antarctic Pseudomonas isolates (UMAB-08 and UMAB-40) and the two antarctic Janthinobacterium isolates (UMAB-56 and UMAB-60) through whole-genome sequence analysis. The Pseudomonas isolates were found to carry PHA synthase genes which fall into two different PHA gene clusters, namely Class I and Class II, which are involved in the biosynthesis of short-chain-length-PHA (SCL-PHA) and medium-chain-length-PHA (MCL-PHA), respectively. On the other hand, the Janthinobacterium isolates carry a Class I and an uncharacterized putative PHA synthase genes. No other gene involved in PHA synthesis was detected in close proximity to the uncharacterized putative PHA synthase gene in the Janthinobacterium isolates, therefore it falls into a separate clade from the ordinary Class I, II, III and IV clades of PHA synthase (PhaC) phylogenetic tree. Multiple sequence alignment showed that the uncharacterized putative PHA synthase gene contains all the highly conserved amino acid residues and the proposed catalytic triad of PHA synthase. PHA biosynthesis and in vitro PhaC enzymatic assay results showed that this uncharacterized putative PHA synthase from Janthinobacterium sp. UMAB-60 is funtional. This report adds new knowledge to the PHA synthase database as we describe scarce information of PHA synthase genes and PHA-associated gene clusters from the antarctic bacterial isolates (extreme and geographically isolated environment) and comparing with those from non-antarctic PHA-producing bacteria.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases
  14. Biosynthesis of P(3HB-co-3HHx) with improved molecular weights from a mixture of palm olein and fructose by Cupriavidus necator Re2058/pCB113
    Murugan P, Gan CY, Sudesh K
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2017 Sep;102:1112-1119.
    PMID: 28476592 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.05.006
    A combination of palm olein (POl) and fructose was used as carbon source for the biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] by recombinant Cupriavidus necator Re2058/pCB113. Cultures grown using 5g/L PO alone as carbon source produced cell dry weight (CDW) of 5.13g/L, 67% PHA/CDW and accumulated a copolymer containing 27mol% 3HHx in shake flask cultures. When cultures were grown in 5g/L fructose alone as the carbon source they produced CDW of 2.32g/L, 11% PHA/CDW and accumulated only poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] homopolymer. When the cells were cultured in 5g/L POl in combination with 7g/L fructose, CDW of 7.41g/L and 80% PHA/CDW was obtained with 17mol% 3HHx monomer fraction. Biosynthesis was carried out using a 13L fermenter to study the accumulation of 3HHx monomer fraction in the bacterial cells at different time point. The molecular weights of P(3HB-co-3HHx) with 4-15mol% 3HHx monomer were in the range between 5.47-6.85×105Da, which were at least two fold higher than previously reported values. Interestingly, the increase in Mwof the copolymer along with the increase in 3HHx molar fraction was observed. The viscoelastic property of the copolymer further confirmed the increase in Mw.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/metabolism
  15. Modelling of polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase from Aquitalea sp. USM4 suggests a novel mechanism for polymer elongation
    Teh AH, Chiam NC, Furusawa G, Sudesh K
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2018 Nov;119:438-445.
    PMID: 30048726 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.07.147
    Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase, PhaC, is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of PHA, a type of bioplastics with huge potential to replace petroleum-based plastics. While two structures have been determined, the exact mechanism remains unclear partly due to the absence of a tunnel for product passage. A model of the class I PhaC from Aquitalea sp. USM4, characterised with Km of 394 μM and kcat of 476 s-1 on 3-(R)-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, revealed a three-branched channel at the dimeric interface. Two of them are opened to the solvent and are expected to serve as the putative routes for substrate entrance and product exit, while the third is elongated in the class II PhaC1 model from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, indicating a role in accommodating the hydroxyalkanoate (HA) moiety of a HA-CoA substrate. Docking of the two tetrahedral intermediates, formed during the transfer of the growing PHA chain from the catalytic Cys to a new molecule of substrate and back to Cys, suggests a common elongation mechanism requiring the HA moiety of the ligand to rotate ~180°. Substrate specificity is determined in part by a bulky Phe/Tyr/Trp residue in the third branch in class I, which is conserved as Ala in class II to create room for longer substrates.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/metabolism*; Acyltransferases/chemistry*
  16. Identification of regions affecting enzyme activity, substrate binding, dimer stabilization and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) granule morphology in the PHA synthase of Aquitalea sp. USM4
    Lim H, Chuah JA, Chek MF, Tan HT, Hakoshima T, Sudesh K
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2021 Sep 01;186:414-423.
    PMID: 34246679 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.07.041
    Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biopolyesters synthesized by microorganisms as intracellular energy reservoirs under stressful environmental conditions. PHA synthase (PhaC) is the key enzyme responsible for PHA biosynthesis, but the importance of its N- and C-terminal ends still remains elusive. Six plasmid constructs expressing truncation variants of Aquitalea sp. USM4 PhaC (PhaC1As) were generated and heterologously expressed in Cupriavidus necator PHB-4. Removal of the first six residues at the N-terminus enabled the modulation of PHA composition without altering the PHA content in cells. Meanwhile, deletion of 13 amino acids from the C-terminus greatly affected the catalytic activity of PhaC1As, retaining only 1.1-7.4% of the total activity. Truncation(s) at the N- and/or C-terminus of PhaC1As gradually diminished the incorporation of comonomer units, and revealed that the N-terminal region is essential for PhaC1As dimerization whereas the C-terminal region is required for stabilization. Notably, transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that PhaC modification affected the morphology of intracellular PHA granules, which until now is only known to be regulated by phasins. This study provided substantial evidence and highlighted the significance of both the N- and C-termini of PhaC1As in regulating intracellular granule morphology, activity, substrate specificity, dimerization and stability of the synthase.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/genetics; Acyltransferases/metabolism*; Acyltransferases/chemistry
  17. Complete genome sequence of Aquitalea pelogenes USM4 (JCM19919), a polyhydroxyalkanoate producer
    Wan JH, Ng LM, Neoh SZ, Kajitani R, Itoh T, Kajiwara S, et al.
    Arch Microbiol, 2023 Jan 16;205(2):66.
    PMID: 36645481 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03406-1
    Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a type of biopolymer produced by most bacteria and archaea, resembling thermoplastic with biodegradability and biocompatibility features. Here, we report the complete genome of a PHA producer, Aquitalea sp. USM4, isolated from Perak, Malaysia. This bacterium possessed a 4.2 Mb circular chromosome and a 54,370 bp plasmid. A total of 4067 predicted protein-coding sequences, 87 tRNA genes, and 25 rRNA operons were identified using PGAP. Based on ANI and dDDH analysis, the Aquitalea sp. USM4 is highly similar to Aquitalea pelogenes. We also identified genes, including acetyl-CoA (phaA), acetoacetyl-CoA (phaB), PHA synthase (phaC), enoyl-CoA hydratase (phaJ), and phasin (phaP), which play an important role in PHA production in Aquitalea sp. USM4. The heterologous expression of phaC1 from Aquitalea sp. USM4 in Cupriavidus necator PHB-4 was able to incorporate six different types of PHA monomers, which are 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV), 4-hydroxybutyrate (4HB), 5-hydroxyvalerate (5HV), 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx) and isocaproic acid (3H4MV) with suitable precursor substrates. This is the first complete genome sequence of the genus Aquitalea among the 22 genome sequences from 4 Aquitalea species listed in the GOLD database, which provides an insight into its genome evolution and molecular machinery responsible for PHA biosynthesis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/genetics; Acyltransferases/metabolism
  18. Fulltext Characterization of the highly active polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase of Chromobacterium sp. strain USM2
    Bhubalan K, Chuah JA, Shozui F, Brigham CJ, Taguchi S, Sinskey AJ, et al.
    Appl Environ Microbiol, 2011 May;77(9):2926-33.
    PMID: 21398494 DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01997-10
    The synthesis of bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) is very much dependent on the expression and activity of a key enzyme, PHA synthase (PhaC). Many efforts are being pursued to enhance the activity and broaden the substrate specificity of PhaC. Here, we report the identification of a highly active wild-type PhaC belonging to the recently isolated Chromobacterium sp. USM2 (PhaC(Cs)). PhaC(Cs) showed the ability to utilize 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV), and 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx) monomers in PHA biosynthesis. An in vitro assay of recombinant PhaC(Cs) expressed in Escherichia coli showed that its polymerization of 3-hydroxybutyryl-coenzyme A activity was nearly 8-fold higher (2,462 ± 80 U/g) than that of the synthase from the model strain C. necator (307 ± 24 U/g). Specific activity using a Strep2-tagged, purified PhaC(Cs) was 238 ± 98 U/mg, almost 5-fold higher than findings of previous studies using purified PhaC from C. necator. Efficient poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] accumulation in Escherichia coli expressing PhaC(Cs) of up to 76 ± 2 weight percent was observed within 24 h of cultivation. To date, this is the highest activity reported for a purified PHA synthase. PhaC(Cs) is a naturally occurring, highly active PHA synthase with superior polymerizing ability.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/genetics*; Acyltransferases/metabolism*; Acyltransferases/chemistry
  19. N-terminal truncation of PhaCBP-M-CPF4 and its effect on PHA production
    Neoh SZ, Tan HT, Trakunjae C, Chek MF, Vaithanomsat P, Hakoshima T, et al.
    Microb Cell Fact, 2024 Feb 15;23(1):52.
    PMID: 38360657 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02329-w
    BACKGROUND: Among the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate] [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] is reported to closely resemble polypropylene and low-density polyethylene. Studies have shown that PHA synthase (PhaC) from mangrove soil (PhaCBP-M-CPF4) is an efficient PhaC for P(3HB-co-3HHx) production and N-termini of PhaCs influence its substrate specificity, dimerization, granule morphology, and molecular weights of PHA produced. This study aims to further improve PhaCBP-M-CPF4 through N-terminal truncation.

    RESULTS: The N-terminal truncated mutants of PhaCBP-M-CPF4 were constructed based on the information of the predicted secondary and tertiary structures using PSIPRED server and AlphaFold2 program, respectively. The N-terminal truncated PhaCBP-M-CPF4 mutants were evaluated in C. necator mutant PHB-4 based on the cell dry weight, PHA content, 3HHx molar composition, molecular weights, and granule morphology of the PHA granules. The results showed that most transformants harbouring the N-terminal truncated PhaCBP-M-CPF4 showed a reduction in PHA content and cell dry weight except for PhaCBP-M-CPF4 G8. PhaCBP-M-CPF4 G8 and A27 showed an improved weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of PHA produced due to lower expression of the truncated PhaCBP-M-CPF4. Transformants harbouring PhaCBP-M-CPF4 G8, A27, and T74 showed a reduction in the number of granules. PhaCBP-M-CPF4 G8 produced higher Mw PHA in mostly single larger PHA granules with comparable production as the full-length PhaCBP-M-CPF4.

    CONCLUSION: This research showed that N-terminal truncation had effects on PHA accumulation, substrate specificity, Mw, and granule morphology. This study also showed that N-terminal truncation of the amino acids that did not adopt any secondary structure can be an alternative to improve PhaCs for the production of PHA with higher Mw in mostly single larger granules.

    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/genetics; Acyltransferases/metabolism
  20. Construction of PHB and PHBV multiple-gene vectors driven by an oil palm leaf-specific promoter
    Masani MY, Parveez GK, Izawati AM, Lan CP, Siti Nor Akmar A
    Plasmid, 2009 Nov;62(3):191-200.
    PMID: 19699761 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2009.08.002
    One of the targets in oil palm genetic engineering programme is the production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) in the oil palm leaf tissues. Production of PHB requires the use of phbA (beta-ketothiolase type A), phbB (acetoacetyl-CoA reductase) and phbC (PHB synthase) genes of Ralstonia eutropha, whereas bktB (beta-ketothiolase type B), phbB, phbC genes of R. eutropha and tdcB (threonine dehydratase) gene of Escherichia coli were used for PHBV production. Each of these genes was fused with a transit peptide (Tp) of oil palm acyl-carrier-protein (ACP) gene, driven by an oil palm leaf-specific promoter (LSP1) to genetically engineer the PHB/PHBV pathway to the plastids of the leaf tissues. In total, four transformation vectors, designated pLSP15 (PHB) and pLSP20 (PHBV), and pLSP13 (PHB) and pLSP23 (PHBV), were constructed for transformation in Arabidopsis thaliana and oil palm, respectively. The phosphinothricin acetyltransferase gene (bar) driven by CaMV35S promoter in pLSP15 and pLSP20, and ubiquitin promoter in pLSP13 and pLSP23 were used as the plant selectable markers. Matrix attachment region of tobacco (RB7MAR) was also included in the vectors to stabilize the transgene expression and to minimize silencing due to positional effect. Restriction digestion, PCR amplification and/or sequencing were carried out to ensure sequence integrity and orientation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acyltransferases/genetics
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