33 research outputs found
Small-world in Author community of biotechnology: A study
The present research emphasizes the small world phenomenon in author community of Biotechnology. The author-community data for the study has been extracted from Web of Knowledge for tenure of 2003-2012 i.e. ten years. The data was then analyzed using scientometirc and social network analysis criteria’s.The results show 94.52% of articles were written by Collaborative authors and 5.47% articles were written by solo authors. Puhler, A stands first in the list of prolific authors of Biotechnology with highest number of articles 62(0.34%) and SNA results also shows that Puhler is highly collaborative. The Characteristic path length of Biotechnology author community is 2.49which supports small world phenomeno
The N-glycan Glycoprotein Deglycosylation Complex (Gpd) from Capnocytophaga canimorsus Deglycosylates Human IgG
Author Summary Capnocytophaga canimorsus are Gram-negative bacteria from the normal oral flora of dogs and cats. They cause rare but severe infections in humans that have been bitten or simply licked by a dog or cat. Fulminant septicemia and peripheral gangrene with a high mortality are the most common symptoms. A surprising feature of these bacteria is their capacity to feed by foraging the glycan moieties of glycoproteins from animal cells, including phagocytes. Here we show that C. canimorsus can also deglycosylate human IgGs reinforcing the idea that this property of harvesting host glycoproteins may contribute to pathogenesis. We also unravel the complete deglycosylation system which belongs to a large family of systems devoted to foraging complex glycans, found exclusively in the Capnocytophaga-Flavobacteria-Bacteroides group, and whose archetype is the starch harvesting system Sus. It is the first system devoted to deglycosylation of glycoproteins to be characterized
Highlights from ECB12 - Bringing genomes to life
Nielsen J, Pühler A. Highlights from ECB12 - Bringing genomes to life. JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY. 2006;124(4):627-628
Genome sequence of Lactobacillus amylovorus GRL1112
Lactobacillus amylovorus is a common member of the normal gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiota in pigs. Here, we report the genome sequence of L. amylovorus GRL1112, a porcine feces isolate displaying strong adherence to the pig intestinal epithelial cells. The strain is of interest, as it is a potential probiotic bacteriu
A Sinorhizobium meliloti lipopolysaccharide mutant induces effective nodules on the host plant Medicago sativa (Alfalfa) but fails to establish a symbiosis with Medicago truncatula
Niehaus K, Lagares A, Pühler A. A Sinorhizobium meliloti lipopolysaccharide mutant induces effective nodules on the host plant Medicago sativa (Alfalfa) but fails to establish a symbiosis with Medicago truncatula. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS. 1998;11(9):906-914.The specific Sinorhizobium meliloti lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mutant Rm6963 (A. Lagares, G. Caetano Anolles, K. Niehaus, J. Lorenzen, H. D. Ljunggren, A. Puhler, and G. Favelukes, J. Bacteriol. 174:5941-5952, 1992) was shown to be mutated in a region corresponding to a cloned 5-kb SstI DNA fragment that was able to complement the lpsB and lpsC mutants of S. meliloti described by Clover et al. (R. H. Clover, J. Kieber, and E. R. Signer, J. Bacteriol. 171:3961-3967, 1989). Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis revealed that the LPS-I and LPS-II fractions of the LPS mutant Rm6963 were shifted to lower molecular weights. While the majority of the Medicago spp. tested established an effective symbiosis with both the S. meliloti wild-type Rm2011 and the LPS mutant Rm6963, the latter induced ineffective nodules on M. truncatula. A light- and electron-microscopic analysis of the ineffective M.. truncatula root nodules revealed that the bacteria were released from the infection threads but failed to colonize the plant cells effectively. The plant cytoplasm was filled with numerous vesicles, probably the result of a disturbed bacteroid development. Sections of ineffective At truncatula root nodules induced by the LPS mutant Rm6963 showed brown, necrotic cells within the central nodule tissue that autofluoresced when viewed under UV light. These observations are best explained by a plant defense response. Evidently, the rhizobial LPS plays a role in plant-microbe signaling during the formation of M. truncatula nodules
The role of sigma factor RpoH1 in the pH stress response of Sinorhizobium meliloti
Abstract
Background
Environmental pH stress constitutes a limiting factor for S. meliloti survival and development. The response to acidic pH stress in S. meliloti is versatile and characterized by the differential expression of genes associated with various cellular functions. The purpose of this study was to gain detailed insight into the participation of sigma factors in the complex stress response system of S. meliloti 1021 using pH stress as an effector.
Results
In vitro assessment of S meliloti wild type and sigma factor mutants provided first evidence that the sigma factor RpoH1 plays a major role in the pH stress response. Differential expression of genes related to rhizobactin biosynthesis was observed in microarray analyses performed with the rpoH1 mutant at pH 7.0. The involvement of the sigma factor RpoH1 in the regulation of S. meliloti genes upon pH stress was analyzed by comparing time-course experiments of the wild type and the rpoH1 mutant. Three classes of S. meliloti genes could be identified, which were transcriptionally regulated in an RpoH1-independent, an RpoH1-dependent or in a complex manner. The first class of S. meliloti genes, regulated in an RpoH1-independent manner, comprises the group of the exopolysaccharide I biosynthesis genes and also the group of genes involved in motility and flagellar biosynthesis. The second class of S. meliloti genes, regulated in an RpoH1-dependent manner, is composed of genes known from heat shock studies, like ibpA, grpE and groEL5, as well as genes involved in translation like tufA and rplC. Finally, the third class of S. meliloti genes was regulated in a complex manner, which indicates that besides sigma factor RpoH1, further regulation takes place. This was found to be the case for the genes dctA, ndvA and smc01505.
Conclusions
Clustering of time-course microarray data of S. meliloti wild type and sigma factor rpoH1 mutant allowed for the identification of gene clusters, each with a unique time-dependent expression pattern, as well as for the classification of genes according to their dependence on RpoH1 expression and regulation. This study provided clear evidence that the sigma factor RpoH1 plays a major role in pH stress response.
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The complete genome sequence of the acarbose producer Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110
Schwientek P, Szczepanowski R, Rückert C, et al. The complete genome sequence of the acarbose producer Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110. BMC Genomics. 2012;13(1): 112.Background
Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 is known as the wild type producer of the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose, a potent drug used worldwide in the treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus. As the incidence of diabetes is rapidly rising worldwide, an ever increasing demand for diabetes drugs, such as acarbose, needs to be anticipated. Consequently, derived Actinoplanes strains with increased acarbose yields are being used in large scale industrial batch fermentation since 1990 and were continuously optimized by conventional mutagenesis and screening experiments. This strategy reached its limits and is generally superseded by modern genetic engineering approaches. As a prerequisite for targeted genetic modifications, the complete genome sequence of the organism has to be known.
Results
Here, we present the complete genome sequence of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 [GenBank:CP003170], the first publicly available genome of the genus Actinoplanes, comprising various producers of pharmaceutically and economically important secondary metabolites. The genome features a high mean G + C content of 71.32% and consists of one circular chromosome with a size of 9,239,851 bp hosting 8,270 predicted protein coding sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the core genome revealed a rather distant relation to other sequenced species of the family Micromonosporaceae whereas Actinoplanes utahensis was found to be the closest species based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison. Besides the already published acarbose biosynthetic gene cluster sequence, several new non-ribosomal peptide synthetase-, polyketide synthase- and hybrid-clusters were identified on the Actinoplanes genome. Another key feature of the genome represents the discovery of a functional actinomycete integrative and conjugative element.
Conclusions
The complete genome sequence of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 marks an important step towards the rational genetic optimization of the acarbose production. In this regard, the identified actinomycete integrative and conjugative element could play a central role by providing the basis for the development of a genetic transformation system for Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 and other Actinoplanes spp. Furthermore, the identified non-ribosomal peptide synthetase- and polyketide synthase-clusters potentially encode new antibiotics and/or other bioactive compounds, which might be of pharmacologic interest
ExoS/ChvI Two-Component Signal-Transduction System Activated in the Absence of Bacterial Phosphatidylcholine
Geiger O, Sohlenkamp C, Vera-Cruz D, et al. ExoS/ChvI Two-Component Signal-Transduction System Activated in the Absence of Bacterial Phosphatidylcholine. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2021;12: 678976.Sinorhizobium meliloti contains the negatively charged phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin as well as the zwitterionic phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) as major membrane phospholipids. In previous studies we had isolated S. meliloti mutants that lack PE or PC. Although mutants deficient in PE are able to form nitrogen-fixing nodules on alfalfa host plants, mutants lacking PC cannot sustain development of any nodules on host roots. Transcript profiles of mutants unable to form PE or PC are distinct; they differ from each other and they are different from the wild type profile. For example, a PC-deficient mutant of S. meliloti shows an increase of transcripts that encode enzymes required for succinoglycan biosynthesis and a decrease of transcripts required for flagellum formation. Indeed, a PC-deficient mutant is unable to swim and overproduces succinoglycan. Some suppressor mutants, that regain swimming and form normal levels of succinoglycan, are altered in the ExoS sensor. Our findings suggest that the lack of PC in the sinorhizobial membrane activates the ExoS/ChvI two-component regulatory system. ExoS/ChvI constitute a molecular switch in S. meliloti for changing from a free-living to a symbiotic life style. The periplasmic repressor protein ExoR controls ExoS/ChvI function and it is thought that proteolytic ExoR degradation would relieve repression of ExoS/ChvI thereby switching on this system. However, as ExoR levels are similar in wild type, PC-deficient mutant and suppressor mutants, we propose that lack of PC in the bacterial membrane provokes directly a conformational change of the ExoS sensor and thereby activation of the ExoS/ChvI two-component system. Copyright © 2021 Geiger, Sohlenkamp, Vera-Cruz, Medeot, Martinez-Aguilar, Sahonero-Canavesi, Weidner, Puhler and Lopez-Lara
Organization and partial sequence of a DNA region of the Rhizobium leguminosarum symbiotic plasmid pRL6JI containing the genes fixABC, nifA, nifB and a novel open reading frame
Grönger P, Manian SS, Reiländer H, O´Connell M, Priefer UB, Pühler A. Organization and partial sequence of a DNA region of the Rhizobium leguminosarum symbiotic plasmid pRL6JI containing the genes fixABC, nifA, nifB and a novel open reading frame. Nucleic Acids Research. 1987;15(1):31-49.By hybridization and heteroduplex studies the fixABC and nifA genes of the Rhizobium leguminosarum symbiotic plasmid pRL6JI have been identified. DNA sequencing of the region containing nifA showed an open reading frame of 1557 bp encoding a protein of 56,178 D. Based on sequence homology, this ORF was confirmed to correspond to the nifA gene. Comparison of three nifA proteins (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Rhizobium meliloti, Rhizobium leguminosarum) revealed only a weak relationship in their N-terminal regions, whereas the C-terminal parts exhibited strong homology. Sequence analysis also showed that the R. leguminosarum nifA gene is followed by nifB and preceded by fixC with an open reading frame inserted in between. This novel ORF of 294 bp was found to be highly conserved also in R. meliloti. No known promoter and termination signals could be defined on the sequenced R. leguminosarum fragment
