C.A.M.J.J. van den Hondel

A host-vector system for gene cloning in the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans R2

We describe the construction of a series of vectors suitable for gene cloning in the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans R2. From the indigenous plasmid pUH24, derivatives were constructed with streptomycin as the selective marker; one of these plasmids was used to construct pUC303, a shuttle vector capable of replication in A. nidulans R2 as well as in Escherichia coli K12. It has two markers, streptomycin and chloramphenicol resistance, and three unique restriction sites. Instability of recombinant plasmids was overcome by using a derivative of A. nidulans R2 cured of the indigenous plasmid pUH24. This strain, R2-SPc, can be transformed stably and at high frequency by the plasmids described in this paper. The combination of the cured strain R2-SPc and the new plasmid pUC303 serves as a suitable host-vector system for gene cloning in cyanobacteria.

Homology of plasmids in strains of unicellular cyanobacteria

Six strains of unicellular cyanobacteria were examined for the presence of plasmids. Analysis of lysates of these strains by CsCl-ethidium bromide density centrifugation yielded a major chromosomal DNA band and a minor band containing covalently closed circular plasmid DNA, as shown by electron microscopy and agarose gel electrophoresis. The sizes of the various plasmid species were determined; in each of the Synechococcus strains 6301, 6707, and 6908 two plasmid species were found with molecular weights of 5.3 × 106 and 32.7 × 106. Synechococcus strain 7425 had two plasmids of molecular weight 5.4 × 106 and 24 × 106. Synechococcus strain 6312 and Synechocystis strain 7005 each contained one plasmid species with molecular weight of 15.9 × 106 and 2.0 × 106, respectively. Restriction enzyme analysis revealed identical cleavage patterns for the plasmids of identical molecular weight.

Vectors for cloning in cyanobacteria: Construction and characterization of two recombinant plasmids capable of transformation to Escherichia coli K12 and Anacystis nidulans R2

SummaryTwo plasmids were constructed consisting of the E. coli vector pACYC184 and the cyanobacterial plasmid pUC1. These recombinants, designated pUC104 and pUC105, can be transformed to E. coli K12 as well as to the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans R2 and in both hosts they express their antibiotic markers. pUC104 and pUC105 differ with respect to the location and the orientation of the pACYC184 segment in pUC1. pUC104 was found to be stable under all circumstances. Transformation of pUC105 to A. nidulans R2 gave intact plasmids when chloramphenicol was the selective agent, but upon ampicillin selection a deletion derivative was produced identical to pUC1. Further characteristics of pUC104 and pUC105 are described and their usefulness as cloning vectors is discussed.

Regulation of expression of the Aspergillus niger benzoate para-hydroxylase cytochrome P450 system.

Abstract Cytochrome P450 enzyme systems are found throughout nature and are involved in many different, often complex, bioconversions. In the endoplasmic reticulum of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger a cytochrome P450 enzyme system is present that is capable of the para-hydroxylation of benzoate. The expression of the two genes encoding the components of this system, the cytochrome P450 gene encoding benzoate para-hydroxylase (bphA) and the gene encoding cytochrome P450 reductase (cprA), is inducible by benzoate. The BPH system was used as a model system to study the mechanisms that result in co-regulation of both components of an eukaryote cytochrome P450 enzyme system. Deletion analysis of the transcription control regions of cprA and bphA resulted in the identification of a region that was involved in benzoate induction of gene expression. The functional competence of the cprA Benzoate Responsive Region thus defined was demonstrated directly by cloning this fragment upstream of a constitutively expressed mini-promoter and analysing expression of the hybrid transcription control region in a lacZ reporter system. Further analysis of cprA gene expression revealed a clear quantitative discrepancy between induction at the protein level (approximately 4-fold) and at the transcription level (>20-fold). The majority of the transcripts observed after benzoate induction (cprAβ) were larger then the constitutively expressed cprAα transcript. The difference in size between the cprAα and cprAβ transcript is caused by differential promoter use. As the longer cprAβ transcript carries a small uORF we propose that post-transcriptional regulation of CPR expression underlies the discrepancy in the degree of induction at the protein and transcriptional level. Our results show that regulation of CPR expression is particularly complex, involving regulatory promoter elements, differential promoter use and regulation at the post-transcriptional level.

Isolation and analysis of functional homologues of the secretion-related SAR1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae from Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei.

Abstract The Aspergillusniger and Trichodermareesei genes encoding the functional homologues of the small GTP-binding protein SAR1p, which is involved in the secretion pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have been cloned and characterised. The A. niger gene (sarA) contains five introns, whereas the T. reesei gene (sar1) has only four. In both cases the first intron is at the same position as the single S. cerevisiae SAR1 intron. The encoded proteins show 70–80% identity to the SAR1 protein. Complementation of S. cerevisiaesar1 and sec12 mutants by expression vectors carrying the A. nigersarA and T. reesei sar1 cDNA clones confirmed that the cloned genes are functional homologues of the S. cerevisiae SAR1 gene. Three mutant alleles of the A. nigersarA gene (D29G, E109K, D29G/E109K), generated by site-directed mutagenesis, revealed a thermosensitive dominant-negative phenotype in the presence of the wild-type sarA allele. This result contrasts with the situation in S. cerevisiae, where similar mutations have a thermosensitive phenotype. Taken together, our results indicate that the sarA gene is involved in an essential function in A. niger.

Analysis of Transcription-Control Signals in Aspergillus

Genetic studies in Aspergillus have shown that expression of a number of genes is controlled by trans-acting elements [1,2,3]. These elements may interact with controlling regions located adjacent to structural genes [4, 5]. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of gene expression and gene regulation. The recent cloning of genes whose expression is regulated such as the amdS gene [6], trpC gene [7], yA. gene [8] and brlA gene [9] opens the possibility to study gene expression and gene regulation at the molecular level. A powerful and convenient method for such a study is fusion of the gene of interest to the lacZ gene of E. coli [10]. Studies in E. coli [10], Saccharomyces cerevisiae [10] and animal cells [11] have shown that the expression and regulation of genes fused to the lacZ gene can be assayed qualitatively and quantitatively.