Youichi Tamai

Characterization of a second gene (ZSOD22) of Na+/H+ antiporter from salt‐tolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and functional expression of ZSOD2 and ZSOD22 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We reported in our previous paper on the characterization of the Na+/H+‐antiporter gene (ZSOD2) closely related to the salt‐tolerance of yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. In the present paper, we have cloned a second gene (ZSOD22) of Na+/H+ antiporter from Z. rouxii. The deduced amino acid sequence of Zsod22p was highly homologous to that of Zsod2p, Sod2p from Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Nha1p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The open reading frames (ORFs) from ZSOD2 or ZSOD22 were inserted into a yeast expression vector pYES2, and their constructs (pZSOD2 and pZSOD22) were used to transform the salt‐sensitive S. cerevisiae. pZSOD2‐ or pZSOD22‐harboring‐recombinant S. cerevisiae cells showed increases in salt tolerance. However, the Z. rouxii disruptant of ZSOD22 did not show any phenotypes related to salt tolerance or osmotolerance, unlike that of ZSOD2. The transcriptional expression of ZSOD22 was not observed by Northern blot analysis even in Z. rouxii cells subjected to NaCl‐shock. From these results we conclude that although Z. rouxii includes at least two copies of the Na+/H+‐antiporter gene (ZSOD2 and ZSOD22), ZSOD2 encodes a functional product as an antiporter and ZSOD22 is poorly transcribed, if at all. The nucleotide sequence data of ZSOD22 will appear in the DDBJ, EMBL and GenBank nucleotide sequence databases with the following accession number: AB010106.

Two putative MAP kinase genes, ZrHOG1 and ZrHOG2, cloned from the salt-tolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii are functionally homologous to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae HOG1 gene

The salt-tolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii can adjust its osmotic balance when responding to osmotic shock by accumulating glycerol as the compatible osmolyte. However, the mechanism of glycerol production in Z. rouxii cells and its genetic regulation remain to be elucidated. Two putative mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase genes, ZrHOG1 and ZrHOG2, were cloned from Z. rouxii by their homology with HOG1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The deduced amino acid sequences of ZrHog1p and ZrHog2p indicated close homology to that of Hog1p and contained a TGY motif for phosphorylation by MAP kinase kinase. When ZrHOG1 or ZrHOG2 was expressed in an S. cerevisiae hog1delta null mutant, the salt tolerance and osmotic tolerance characteristics of wild-type S. cerevisiae were restored. In addition, the aberrant cell morphology and low glycerol content of the hog1delta null mutant were corrected, indicating that ZrHog1p and ZrHog2p have functions similar to Hog1p. While the transcription of the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (GPD1) of the ZrHOG1-harbouring S. cerevisiae mutant was similar to that of wild-type S. cerevisiae, the ZrHOG2-harbouring strain showed prolonged GPD1 transcription. Both Zrhog1delta and Zrhog2delta Z. rouxii null mutants showed a decrease in salt tolerance compared to the wild-type strain. The present study suggested the presence of a high-osmolarity glycerol response (HOG) pathway in Z. rouxii similar to that elucidated in S. cerevisiae. Two putative MAP kinase genes in Z. rouxii appeared to be significant in either osmotic regulation or ion homeostasis.

Effects of Milk Fermented by Culturing with Various Lactic Acid Bacteria and a Yeast on Serum Cholesterol Level in Rats

Abstract The effects of aged fermented milk produced by a mixture of various lactic acid bacteria and a yeast on serum and liver lipid concentrations were investigated in rats fed high-cholesterol diets. The serum total cholesterol and phospholipid levels significantly decreased in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet supplemented with fermented milk; however, there were no significant differences in the serum HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels among the treatment groups. The total cholesterol and phospholipid levels in the liver showed no significant difference among the treatment groups. The bile acid levels in the serum and feces significantly decreased in rats fed the high-cholesterol diet containing fermented milk.

Cloning of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes (ZrGPD1 and ZrGPD2) and glycerol dehydrogenase genes (ZrGCY1 and ZrGCY2) from the salt-tolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii.

The ZrGPD1 and ZrGPD2 genes encoding putative glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenases were isolated from the salt‐tolerant yeast, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. Both genes are homologous to GPD1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and are constitutively expressed in Z. rouxii cells. Putative glycerol dehydrogenase genes, ZrGCY1 and ZrGCY2, which are highly homologous to GCY1 of S. cerevisiae, were also isolated. Since the level of transcripts of ZrGCY1 and ZrGCY2 increased in Z. rouxii cells subjected to salt stress, it is suggested that the pathway of the signal transduction of salt stress controls the expression of these genes. The Accession Nos of these sequences in GenBank are as follows: ZrGPD1, AB047394; ZrGPD2, AB047395; ZrGCY1, AB047396; ZrGCY2, AB047397. Copyright

Yeast protease B-digested skimmed milk inhibits angiotensin-I-converting-enzyme activity.

Angiotensin‐1‐converting‐enzyme (ACE) inhibitoryactivity was identified in skimmed milk digested with cell‐free extract of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Simultaneously, a protease enzyme involved in the production of ACE‐inhibition materials in digested skimmed milk was purified to homogeneity from the cell‐free extracts of S. cerevisiae by ammonium sulphate fractionation and chromatography in DEAE‐Sephacel, D‐tryptophan methyl ester‐Sepharose 4B, Hiload Superdex G‐200 and HPLC Mono‐Q chromatography. The purified enzyme was identified as protease B, based on the molecular mass on SDS/PAGE and the N‐terminal amino acid sequence of the enzyme. The optimum pH for digestion of skimmed milk and production of ACE‐inhibition materials was pH 4.8. The IC50 of the hydrolysate was 0.42 mg of protein/ml when skimmed milk was digested with yeast protease B

Characterization of the Na+-ATPase gene (ZENA1) from the salt-tolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii.

In order to clarify the relationship between the salt tolerance of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and the function of Na+-ATPase, a gene which exhibited homology to the Na+-ATPase gene (ZENA1) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was isolated from Z. rouxii. This newly isolated gene (ZENA1) encoded a product of 1048 amino acids. The predicted amino-acid sequence of Zena1p was highly homologous to that of S. cerevisiae Ena1p and Ena2p, and Schwanniomyces occidentalis Ena1p and Ena2p, but showed low homology to that of Zpma1p, which is the product of the Z. rouxii plasma membrane H+.ATPase gene (ZENA1). Zena1p shares the peptide motifs which have been suggested to participate in the function of ATPase. Expression of ZENA1 was observed, but was independent of NaCl shock. When ZENA1 was expressed in salt-sensitive S. cerevisiae under the regulation of a GAL1 promoter by using the expression vector pYES2, salt tolerance of the transformants was observed. The growth characteristics of Zena1Delta-disruptants of Z. rouxii and the pH profiles of their plasma membrane ATPase activity were almost the same as those of the wild-type strain, indicating that the function of Zena1p is of little relevance to the salt tolerance property of Z. rouxii. By considering the close relationship between the salt tolerance of Z. rouxii and the function of its Na+/H+-antiporter, we concluded that the extrusion of Na+ across the plasma membrane in Z. rouxii cells might be carried out mainly via the function of the Na+/H+-antiporter in a high salinity environment.

Antihypertensive effect of the milk fermented by culturing with various lactic acid bacteria and a yeast

A aged fermented milk prepared by culturing with various lactic acid bacteria and a yeast exhibited a significant antihypertensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) following oral intake. However, the fermented milk showed weak inhibition against angiotensin I-converting enzyme activity in vitro, suggesting that in addition to the direct inhibition of angiotensin I-converting enzyme activity, other mechanisms also participate in the antihypertensive effect of the aged fermented milk in SHR.

Induction of apoptosis in HL-60 cells by skimmed milk digested with a proteolytic enzyme from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Bovine skimmed milk digested with cell-free extract of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to exhibit proliferation inhibition activity towards human leukemia (HL-60) cells. The optimum pH for digestion of skimmed milk and production of the proliferation inhibition factor was pH 4.8. Nondigested skimmed milk exhibited little suppressive effect on the proliferation of HL-60 cells. An active enzyme involved in the production of cell proliferation inhibitory materials from skimmed milk was purified from the cell-free extract of S. cerevisiae by a series of column chromatographies: DEAE-Sephacel, D-tryptophan methyl ester-Sepharose 4B, Hiload Superdex G-200 and HPLC Mono Q. The homogeneous purified enzyme and exhibited a molecular mass of 33 kDa in sodium dodeceyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and was identified as protease B by N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis. Bovine skimmed milk digested with purified protease B was found to inhibit proliferation activity of HL-60 cells most strongly when digestion was conducted at pH 4.8. The cell proliferation inhibition activity induced by digested skimmed milk was shown to be due to the induction of apoptosis, demonstrated by the formation of apoptotic bodies and fragmentation of DNA in treated cells. The proliferation inhibition factors produced were recovered in the soluble fraction of 92% ethanol, suggesting that the factors were hydrophilic low molecular mass substances derived from skimmed milk.

Purification and characterization of an alkaline protease from Oerskovia xanthineolytica TK-1

Abstract Alkaline protease from Oerskovia xanthineolytica TK-1 was purified to an electrophoretically homogeneous state by phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B and DEAE-Sephacel. The molecular mass of the enzyme was 20,000 Da by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme was most active at pH 9.5–11.0 and 50°C. It was inhibited by inhibitors of serine protease. The enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed the ester of phenylalanine among N-CBZ amino acid p-nitrophenol esters. These results indicate that the protease can be classified as an alkaline serine protease.

Heterologous expression of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (ZrGPD1) and glycerol dehydrogenase gene (ZrGCY1) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We examined the effects of heterologous expression of the open reading frames (ORF) of two genes on salt tolerance and glycerol production in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain deficient in glycerol synthesis (gpd1Deltagpd2Delta). When the ORF of the Zygosaccharomyces rouxii glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (ZrGPD1) was expressed under the control of the GAL10 promoter, salt tolerance and glycerol production increased; when the ORF of the glycerol dehydrogenase gene (ZrGCY1) was expressed under the control of the GAL1 promoter, no such changes were observed. Zrgcy1p had a weak effect on glycerol production. These results suggest that Zrgpd1p is the primary enzyme involved in Z. rouxii glycerol production, following a mechanism similar to that of S. cerevisiae (Gpd1p). When the ORFs of the S. cerevisiae glycerol 3-phosphatase gene (GPP2) and ZrGPD1 were simultaneously expressed, glycerol production increased, compared with that in yeast expressing only ZrGPD1.