Sándor Biró

The complex extracellular biology of Streptomyces

Streptomycetes, soil-dwelling mycelial bacteria that form sporulating aerial branches, have an exceptionally large number of predicted secreted proteins, including many exported via the twin-arginine transport system. Their use of noncatalytic substrate-binding proteins and hydrolytic enzymes to obtain soluble nutrients from carbohydrates such as chitin and cellulose enables them to interact with other organisms. Some of their numerous secreted proteases participate in developmentally significant extracellular cascades, regulated by inhibitors, which lead to cannibalization of the substrate mycelium biomass to support aerial growth and sporulation. They excrete many secondary metabolites, including important antibiotics. Some of these play roles in interactions with eukaryotes. Surprisingly, some antibiotic biosynthetic enzymes are extracellular. Antibiotic production is often regulated by extracellular signalling molecules, some of which also control morphological differentiation. Amphipathic proteins, assembled with the help of cellulose-like material, are required for both hyphal attachment to surfaces and aerial reproductive growth. Comparative genomic analysis suggests that the acquisition of genes for extracellular processes has played a huge part in speciation. The rare codon TTA, which is present in the key pleiotropic regulatory gene adpA and many pathway-specific regulatory genes for antibiotic production, has a particular influence on extracellular biology.

Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the Streptomyces glaucescens tcmI genes provides key information about the enzymology of polyketide antibiotic biosynthesis.

Key information about the biosynthesis of polyketide metabolites has been uncovered by sequence analysis of the tetracenomycin C polyketide synthase genes (tcml) from Streptomyces glaucescens GLA.0. The sequence data revealed the presence of three complete open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 and ORF2 appear to be translationally coupled and would encode proteins containing 426 and 405 amino acids, respectively. The two deduced proteins are homologous to known beta‐ketoacyl synthases. ORF3 begins 70 nucleotides after the stop codon of ORF2 and would code for an 83 amino acid protein with a strong resemblance to known bacterial, animal and plant acyl‐carrier proteins (ACP). The presence of an ACP gene within the tcm gene cluster suggests that different ACPs are used in fatty acid and polyketide biosynthesis in Streptomyces. We conclude from these data and earlier information that polyketide biosynthesis in S. glaucescens, and most likely in other bacteria, involves a multienzyme complex consisting of at least five types of enzymes: acylCoA transferases that load the acyl and 2‐carboxyacyl precursors onto the ACP; a beta‐ketoacyl synthase that, along with the acylated ACP, forms the poly‐beta‐ketoacyl intermediates; a poly‐beta‐ketone cyclase that forms carbocyclic structures from the latter intermediates; a beta‐ketoacyl oxidoreductase that forms beta‐hydroxyacyl intermediates or reduces ketone groups in fully formed polyketides; and a thioesterase that releases the assembled polyketide from the enzyme.

Regulation of formation of the intracellular β-gaiactosidase activity ofAspergillus nidulans

The regulation of formation of the single intracellular β-galactosidase activity ofAspergillus nidulans was investigated. β-Galactosidase was not formed during growth on glucose or glycerol, but was rapidly induced during growth on lactose orD-galactose.L-Arabinose, and — with lower efficacy —D-xylose also induced β-galactosidase activity. Addition of glucose to cultures growing on lactose led to a rapid decrease in β-galactosidase activity. In contrast, in cultures growing onD-galactose, addition of glucose decreased the activity of β-galactosidase only slightly. Glucose inhibited the uptake of lactose, but not ofD-galactose, and required the carbon catabolite repressor CreA for this. In addition, CreA also repressed the formation of basal levels of β-galactosidase and partially interfered with the induction of β-galactosidase byD-galactose,L-arabinose, andD-xylose.D-Galactose phosphorylation was not necessary for β-galactosidase induction, since induction byD-galactose occurred in anA. nidulans mutant defective in galactose kinase, and by the non-metabolizableD-galactose analogue fucose in the wild-type strain. Interestingly, a mutant in galactose-1-phosphate uridylyl transferase produced β-galactosidase at a low, constitutive level even on glucose and glycerol and was no longer inducible byD-galactose, whereas it was still inducible byL-arabinose. We conclude that biosynthesis of the intracellular β-galactosidase ofA. nidulans} is regulated by CreA, partially repressed by galactose-1-phosphate uridylyl transferase, and induced byD-galactose andL-arabinose in independent ways.

Cloning and Analysis of a DNA Fragment Stimulating Avermectin Production in Various Streptomyces avermitilis Strains

ABSTRACT To isolate a gene for stimulating avermectin production, a genomic library of Streptomyces avermitilis ATCC 31267 was constructed in Streptomyces lividans TK21 as the host strain. An 8.0-kb DNA fragment that significantly stimulated actinorhodin and undecylprodigiosin production was isolated. When wild-type S. avermitilis was transformed with the cloned fragment, avermectin production increased approximately 3.5-fold. The introduction of this fragment into high-producer (ATCC 31780) and semi-industrial (L-9) strains also resulted in an increase of avermectin production by more than 2.0- and 1.4-fold, respectively. Subclones were studied to locate the minimal region involved in stimulation of pigmented-antibiotic and avermectin production. An analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the entire DNA fragment identified eight complete and one incomplete open reading frame. All but one of the deduced proteins exhibited strong homology (68 to 84% identity) to the hypothetical proteins of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). The orfX gene product showed no significant similarity to any other protein in the databases, and an analysis of its sequence suggested that it was a putative membrane protein. Although the nature of the stimulatory effect is still unclear, the disruption of orfX revealed that this gene was intrinsically involved in the stimulation of avermectin production in S. avermitilis.

Cyanide-resistant alternative respiration is strictly correlated to intracellular peroxide levels in Acremonium chrysogenum

A strict correlation between the intensity of the cyanide-resistant alternative respiratory pathway and the intracellular peroxide levels in the cephalosporin C producer filamentous fungus Acremonium chrysogenum was demonstrated. Intracellular peroxide levels increased in a dose-dependent manner after addition of H2O2 to the culture media. A similar phenomenon was observed due to the specific inhibition of catalase by salicylic acid. In both cases, cyanide-resistant respiration was markedly stimulated. On the other hand, both cyanide-resistant respiration and intracellular peroxide levels were effectively suppressed by the lipid peroxyl radical scavenger DL-α-tocopherol, which breaks lipid peroxidation chains effectively. Our findings firmly supported the assumption that there is a connection between the intracellular peroxide levels and the intensity of the alternative respiratory pathway in fungi.

Characterization of the gene for factor C, an extracellular signal protein involved in morphological differentiation of Streptomyces griseus.

The gene encoding factor C (facC), an extracellular signal protein involved in cellular differentiation, was cloned from Streptomyces griseus 45H, and the complete nucleotide sequence was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence was confirmed by HPLC/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analysis. The full-length protein consists of 324 amino acids and has a predicted molecular mass of 34,523 Da. The mature extracellular 286 amino acid protein (31,038 Da) is probably produced by cleaving off a 38 amino acid secretion signal sequence. Southern hybridization detected facC in several other Streptomyces strains, but database searches failed to identify a protein with significant homology to factor C. Expression of facC from a low-copy-number vector in S. griseus 52-1 resulted in a phenotypic effect similar to that given by exogenously added factor C protein.

The secreted signaling protein factor C triggers the A-factor response regulon in Streptomyces griseus: Overlapping signaling routes

Members of the prokaryotic genus Streptomyces produce over 60% of all known antibiotics and a wide range of industrial enzymes. A leading theme in microbiology is which signals are received and transmitted by these organisms to trigger the onset of morphological differentiation and antibiotic production. The small γ-butyrolactone A-factor is an important autoregulatory signaling molecule in streptomycetes, and A-factor mutants are blocked in development and antibiotic production. In this study we showed that heterologous expression of the 324-amino acid secreted regulatory protein Factor C resulted in restoration of development and enhanced antibiotic production of an A-factor-deficient bald mutant of Streptomyces griseus, although the parental strain lacks an facC gene. Proteome analysis showed that in the facC transformant the production of several secreted proteins that belong to the A-factor regulon was restored. HPLC-MS/MS analysis indicated that this was due to restoration of A-factor production to wild-type levels in the transformant. This indicates a connection between two highly divergent types of signaling molecules and possible interplay between their regulatory networks.

Carbon source regulation of β-galactosidase biosynthesis in Penicillium chrysogenum

Growth and β‐galactosidase activity of the penicillin producer industrial Penicillium chrysogenum NCAIM 00237 strain were examined using different carbon sources. Good growth was observed using glucose, sucrose, glycerol and galactose, while growth on lactose was substantially slower. β‐Galactosidase activity was high on lactose and very low on all the other carbon sources tested. In glucose grown cultures after exhaustion of glucose as repressing carbon source a derepressed low level of the enzyme was observed. cAMP concentration in lactose grown cultures was relatively high, in glucose grown cultures was low. Caffeine substantially decreased glucose consumption and growth but did not increase β‐galactosidase activity and did not prevent glucose repression which rules out the involvement of cAMP in the regulation of β‐galactosidase biosynthesis in Penicillium chrysogenum.

Nucleotide sequence of the putative regulatory gene and major promoter region of the Streptomyces griseus glycerol operon

Nucleotide sequencing of the deduced major promoter region of the glycerol utilization operon and an upstream regulatory gene of Streptomyces griseus reveals extensive similarity to the previously sequenced homologous S. coelicolor region [Smith and Chater, J. Mol. Biol. 204 (1988) 569-580]. However, regions showing extensive divergence are found in the noncoding parts of the sequence. These may help to evaluate the significance of various sequence features in relation to promoter activity.

Lack of A-factor Production Induces the Expression of Nutrient Scavenging and Stress-related Proteins in Streptomyces griseus

The small γ-butyrolactone A-factor is an important autoregulatory signaling molecule for the soil-inhabiting streptomycetes. Starvation is a major trigger for development, and nutrients are provided by degradation of the vegetative mycelium via a process of programmed cell death, reusing proteins, nucleic acids, and cell wall material. The A-factor regulon includes many extracellular hydrolases. Here we show via proteomics analysis that many nutrient-scavenging and stress-related proteins were overexpressed in an A-factor non-producing mutant of Streptomyces griseus B-2682. Transcript analysis showed that this is primarily due to differential transcription of the target genes during early development. The targets include proteins relating to nutrient stress and environmental stress and an orthologue of the Bacillus sporulation control protein Spo0M. The enhanced expression of these proteins underlines the stress that is generated by the absence of A-factor. Wild-type developmental gene expression was restored to the A-factor non-producing mutant by the signaling protein Factor C in line with our earlier observation that Factor C triggers A-factor production.