Lucifensin II, a defensin of medicinal maggots of the blowfly Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

A novel homolog of insect defensin, designated lucifensin II (Lucilia cuprina Wiedemann [Diptera: Calliphoridae] defensin), was purified from hemolymph extract from larvae of the blowfly L. cuprina. The full-length primary sequence of this peptide of 40 amino acid residues and three intramolecular disulfide bridges was determined by electrospray ionization-orbitrap mass spectrometry and Edman degradation and is almost identical to the previously identified sequence of lucifensin (Lucilia sericata Meigen defensin). Lucifensin II sequence differs from that of lucifensin by only one amino acid residue, that is, by isoleucine instead of valine at position 11. The presence of lucifensin II also was detected in the extracts of other larval tissues, such as gut, salivary glands, fat body, and whole body extract.

Inhibitors of N(alpha)-acetyl-L-ornithine deacetylase: synthesis, characterization and analysis of their inhibitory potency.

A series of N (alpha)-acyl (alkyl)- and N (alpha)-alkoxycarbonyl-derivatives of L- and D-ornithine were prepared, characterized, and analyzed for their potency toward the bacterial enzyme N (alpha)-acetyl-L-ornithine deacetylase (ArgE). ArgE catalyzes the conversion of N (alpha)-acetyl-L-ornithine to L-ornithine in the fifth step of the biosynthetic pathway for arginine, a necessary step for bacterial growth. Most of the compounds tested provided IC(50) values in the muM range toward ArgE, indicating that they are moderately strong inhibitors. N (alpha)-chloroacetyl-L-ornithine (1g) was the best inhibitor tested toward ArgE providing an IC(50) value of 85 microM while N (alpha)-trifluoroacetyl-L-ornithine (1f), N (alpha)-ethoxycarbonyl-L-ornithine (2b), and N (alpha)-acetyl-D-ornithine (1a) weakly inhibited ArgE activity providing IC(50) values between 200 and 410 microM. Weak inhibitory potency toward Bacillus subtilis-168 for N (alpha)-acetyl-D-ornithine (1a) and N (alpha)-fluoro- (1f), N (alpha)-chloro- (1g), N (alpha)-dichloro- (1h), and N (alpha)-trichloroacetyl-ornithine (1i) was also observed. These data correlate well with the IC(50) values determined for ArgE, suggesting that these compounds might be capable of getting across the cell membrane and that ArgE is likely the bacterial enzymatic target.

Genomic organization of the mouse src gene. Sequencing of src introns revealed a new chromosome 2 microsatellite marker.

Ten introns interrupting the coding sequence of the mouse src protooncogene were sequenced (in total 11260 bp) and their general characteristics compared with the homologous genes in human and chicken. While the study of genome organization of the src gene was performed only in the inbred mouse strain BALB/cHeA (Mus musculus domesticus), one special region in the intron 5 was also sequenced in additional mouse strains (M. musculus musculus and M. spretus), because the discovered CA and GT repeat array differences could serve as a new polymorphic marker in the chromosome No. 2 and help elucidate some evolutionary relations between mouse strains.

Cloning and characterization of the str operon and elongation factor Tu expression in Bacillus stearothermophilus.

The complete primary structure of the str operon of Bacillus stearothermophilus was determined. It was established that the operon is a five-gene transcriptional unit: 5'-ybxF (unknown function; homology to eukaryotic ribosomal protein L30)-rpsL (S12)-rpsG (S7)-fus (elongation factor G [EF-G])-tuf (elongation factor Tu [EF-Tu])-3'. The main operon promoter (strp) was mapped upstream of ybxF, and its strength was compared with the strength of the tuf-specific promoter (tufp) located in the fus-tuf intergenic region. The strength of the tufp region to initiate transcription is about 20-fold higher than that of the strp region, as determined in chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays. Deletion mapping experiments revealed that the different strengths of the promoters are the consequence of a combined effect of oppositely acting cis elements, identified upstream of strp (an inhibitory region) and tufp (a stimulatory A/T-rich block). Our results suggest that the oppositely adjusted core promoters significantly contribute to the differential expression of the str operon genes, as monitored by the expression of EF-Tu and EF-G.

Effect of host bacteria genotype on spontaneous reversions of Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage phi29 sus17 nonsense codon.

Gene 17 of Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage Phi29 is an early gene playing a role in DNA replication. Its mutant sus17(112) carries the TAA nonsense triplet at the fifth codon of the gene. We isolated and sequenced 73 spontaneous revertants producing normal-size plaques on bacteria without an informational suppressor gene. In all revertants, the TAA triplet was changed by a one-base substitution and the sequences CAA, AAA, TTA, TAC and TAT were recovered at its place. The spectrum of these mutations was markedly influenced by the genotype of the bacteria in which the revertants arose. In agreement with the results described in Escherichia coli, the ratio of transversions to transitions (CAA being the only transition acceptable) was higher in strains harboring the functional allele recA(+) than in those with recA4. Our results support the idea that also in the Gram-positive B. subtilis, the spectra of spontaneous mutations are specifically modified by an SOS function. It is assumed that the single-stranded DNA chains generated in the course of phage DNA replication might act as an inducing factor.

Structure and expression of elongation factor Tu from Bacillus stearothermophilus.

The tuf gene coding for elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) of Bacillus stearothermophilus was cloned and sequenced. This gene maps in the same context as the tufA gene of Escherichia coli str operon. Northern-blot analysis and primer extension experiments revealed that the transcription of the tuf gene is driven from two promoter regions. One of these is responsible for producing a 4.9-kb transcript containing all the genes of B. stearothermophilus str operon and the other, identified adjacent to the stop codon of the fus gene and designated tufp, for producing a 1.3-kb transcript of the tuf gene only. In contrast to the situation in E. coli, the ratio between the transcription products was found to be about 10:1 in favour of the tuf gene transcript. This high transcription activity from the tufp promoter might be accounted for by the presence of an extremely A+T-rich block consisting of 29 nucleotides which immediately precedes the consensus -35 region of the promoter. A very similar tuf gene transcription strategy and the same tufp promoter organization with the identical A/T block were found in Bacillus subtilis. The tuf gene specifies a protein of 395 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 43,290 Da, including the N-terminal methionine. A computer-generated three-dimensional homology model shows that all the structural elements essential for binding guanine nucleotides and aminoacyl-tRNA are conserved. The presence of serine at position 376 and a low affinity for kirromycin determined by zone-interference gel electrophoresis (Kd approximately 8 microM) and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions are in agreement with the reported resistance of this EF-Tu to the antibiotic. The replacement of the highly conserved Leu211 by Met was identified as a possible cause of pulvomycin resistance.

The pyrAb gene coding for the large subunit of carbamoylphosphate synthetase from Bacillus stearothermophilus: molecular cloning and functional characterization.

The Bacillus stearothermophilus pyrAb gene, encoding the large subunit of carbamoylphosphate synthetase, was isolated and characterized. The DNA sequence is a 3195-nucleotide long reading frame coding for a polypeptide of 1064 amino acids and deduced Mr approximately 116,160 Da. The pyrAb gene is part of the B. stearothermophilus pyrimidine biosynthesis operon pyr. The 5' end of thepyrAb gene overlaps with the 3' end of the pyrAa gene coding for the small subunit of carbamoylphosphate synthetase, while the 3' end of the pyrAb gene is overlapped with the 5' end of the pyrD gene, which by analogy with the B. subtilis genomic organization, codes for dihydroorotate dehydrogenase. The deduced amino acid sequence of the large subunit of B. stearothermophilus carbamoylphosphate synthetase was compared with the known sequences of the large subunit of carbamoylphosphate synthetase enzymes from other organisms via the NCBI database. Extremely high (98%) identity in amino acid sequence with the large subunit of carbamoylphosphate synthetase from Bacillus caldolyticus was detected.

Tolerated variations in a genome: the case of closely related Bacillus phages PZA, phi 29 and phi 15--a review.

Restriction-site analysis was used to estimate the relationship of bacteriophages PZA, phi 29 and phi 15. Complete nucleotide sequences of PZA and luminal diameter 29 genomes were compared and tolerated variations were assessed. Most of the base-pair changes are silent nucleotide substitutions in the third position of codons but amino acid changing substitutions are also observed. The terminal portions of the phage genomes diverged faster than their central parts. Gene mutations in phage PZA were induced by hydroxylamine and their frequency was compared with the evolutionary mutability.

Comparison of Bacillus subtilis phages PZA, phi 29 and phi 15.

Morphologically identical phages PZA, PZE , phi 29, and phi 15 can be distinguished by the neutralization test with rabbit antisera and by host range specificity. Each member of this phage group contains 18 kb double-stranded linear DNA carrying proteins covalently attached to its 5' ends. Physical maps of their DNA constructed with the use of restriction endonucleases EcoRI, HpaI, HindIII, BspRI, and XbaI and DNA-DNA hybridization experiments show a closer relationship between phi 29 and PZE than between phi 29 and phi 15 or phi 29 and PZA. phi 15 is closer to PZA than to phi 29. This conclusion is supported by analysis of differential denaturation profiles of the phage DNAs. Sequencing of selected parts of phi 29 and PZA DNAs reveals 93% homology with a preference for synonymous base replacements (silent mutations) randomly distributed in the coding regions. Using promoter-probe plasmid pPV33 -H the region functioning as a promoter in E. coli was localized on the smallest EcoRI fragment of PZA and phi 29 DNAs. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of this region with known promoters of B. subtilis shows extensive homologies with at least two types of promoters of different specificities, namely those recognized by factors sigma 28 of B. subtilis and sigma gp28 of phage SPO1 . These promoter-like regions overlap and the whole sequence is conserved in both phages.

Restriction and modification in Bacillus subtilis 168. Regulation of hsrM(nonB) expression in spoOA mutants and effects on permissiveness for phi15 and phi105 phages.

Gene hsr M (nonB) of Bacillus subtilis 168, causing non-permissiveness to phage SP10 (Saito et al. 1979) and reduced plating efficiency of unmodified phage phi105, is responsible for non-permissiveness of B. subtilis 168 for phages phi15 and PZA. Upon transformation to sporulation deficiency (allele spoOA) B. subtilis 168 becomes permissive for phi15 and PZA and loses the ability to restrict phi105. spoOA str-1 double transformants of B. subtilis 168, however, retain the restriction 168 and non-permissiveness for phi15 and PZA phages, in spite of their Spo- phenotype. Therefore it appears that a functional product of the spoOA gene is required for expression of gene hsrM in wild-type bacteria, but is not essential in streptomycin-resistant bacteria. Phage genomes (PZA) were trapped in spores of the restriction deficient strain with much higher efficiency than in the wild-type.

Transport of nucleosides in Bacillus subtilis: characteristics of cytidine-uptake.

In Bacillus subtilis SMYW cytidine and uridine are transported by a common system. Transport of these substances requires metabolic energy. After 60 sec of (3)II-cytidine-uptake practically all accumulated radioactivity was found in phosphorylated products. Addition of ribonucleosides with inhibitory effect upon cytidine-uptake resulted in competitive type of inhibition while interference with deoxyribonucleosides was of hyperbolic competitive type. Adenosine possesses a high affinity to cytidine-transporting site but requires different system(s) for its own transport. Guanosine, adenine, cytosine and 5-nucleotides do not interfere with cytidine-uptake.

Transport of nucleosides in Bacillus subtilis: the effect of purine nucleosides on the cytidine-uptake.

The structural effects of chemical modifications upon the affinity of purine nucleosides to cytidine-transport system in Bacillus subtilis were investigated using a series of modified derivatives. The interaction involves protein molecule(s) which require the presence and proper orientation of the sugar residue and its hydroxylic functions. Moreover, a specific interaction with the heterocyclic ring system is involved in the process which results in a requirement for an aromatic pi -electron system and an absence of a polarizable function at position 6 of the purine heterocycle. The region in the protein responsible for the latter interaction is rather limited and, consequently, a proper nucleoside conformation is required.