Immunodetection and N-terminal sequencing of DNA replication proteins of bacteriophage BFK20 - lytic phage of Brevibacterium flavum.

Phages are excellent models for studying the mechanism of DNA replication in prokaryotes. Identification of phage proteins involved in phage DNA replication is the first prerequisite for elucidation of the phage replication module. We focused on replication proteins gp41 (a putative helicase from SF2 superfamily), gp43 (a RepA-like protein), and gp44 (a putative DNA polymerase A) of phage BFK20 grown in Brevibacterium flavum. To identify them in the phage-host system, we prepared antibodies to these proteins which were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as his-tagged recombinant proteins. After purification to homogeneity the recombinant proteins served for raising specific polyclonal antibodies in mice. Using these antibodies in Western blot analysis the phage proteins gp41, gp43 and gp44 were detected during the phage growth cycle. The proteins gp41 and gp43, prepared from cell lysate by ammonium sulphate precipitation, were N-terminally sequenced and found to contain the sequences N-SVKPRELR-C and N-MLGSTML-C, respectively. This means that gp41 starts with serine but not with common methionine. We consider these findings an initial but important step towards more thorough characterization of replication proteins of phage BFK20.

Assay design and optimization of mutant-enriched PCR based method for detection of K-ras gene mutations in pancreatic carcinoma.

The aim of our work was to develop a fast, reliable and sensitive PCR method to detect K-ras mutations in various clinical samples. There is a need for an unimpeachable method for early diagnosis and/or screening of pancreatic cancer (PC). We optimized and subsequently analyzed four methods based on mutant-enriched PCR for the sensitivity, cost and time expense. Using the selected optimal method we examined codon 12 K- ras mutations in a study population of 59 patients with upper GIT malignancies. Reliability of the genotyping was confirmed by sequencing. By using the best of our modified mutant-enriched PCR methods we achieved sensitivity of 1:1 x 10(5). Further studies are necessary to determine the optimal biological material sampling in PC.

Resistance of corynebacterial strains to infection and lysis by corynephage BFK 20.

AIMS: Defence mechanisms of the corynebacterial strains against corynephage BFK 20, which causes lysis of Brevibacterium flavum CCM 251. METHODS AND RESULTS: We tested adsorption of the phage BFK 20 to the corynebacterial cell surface. We observed strong adsorption ranging from ca 79 to 93% on the cells of B. flavum ATCC strains, but only ca 76% for B. flavum CCM 251. Minor adsorption for Brevibacterium lactofermentum BLOB (ca 13%) and no adsorption for Corynebacterium glutamicum RM3 were determined. BFK 20 infection had no significant effect on growth and viability of C. glutamicum and B. lactofermentum, but significantly influenced growth and viability of B. flavum ATCC 21127, 21128 and 21474. Cell growth stopped in short time after infection but with no lysis. Brevibacterium flavum CCM 251 cell growth was arrested too and lysis occurred. The Southern hybridization confirmed the presence of significant amount of BFK 20 DNA in samples from B. flavum CCM 251 and B. flavum ATCC strains after BFK 20 infection. Only weak hybridization signal was detected for DNA from infected cells of B. lactofermentum BLOB and no signal for C. glutamicum RM3. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the above results we suggest presence of a mechanism leading to abortive infection in B. flavum ATCC 21127, 21128 and 21474. In B. lactofermentum BLOB and C. glutamicum RM3 the adsorption barrier is more likely. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study increases the knowledge on defence mechanisms of corynebacteria against bacteriophages.

Cloning and transcriptional characterization of two sigma factor genes, sigA and sigB, from Brevibacterium flavum.

Using a DNA fragment containing the principal sigma factor gene hrdB of Streptomyces aureofaciens, we identified two sigma70-like genes in a library of Brevibacterium flavum. Sequence analysis of the complete genes revealed two ORFs coding for gene products of 498 and 331 amino acid residues, which showed the greatest similarity to SigA and SigB sigma factors from Brevibacterium lactofermentum. We designated them similarly sigA and sigB. Transcription of B. flavum sigA and sigB has been investigated by S1-nuclease mapping by using RNA from different growth phases and after exposure to several stress conditions. Both genes are transcribed from a single promoter with transcription start points of 368 bp and 25 bp upstream from the proposed translation initiation codon of the sigA and sigB genes, respectively. Whereas sigA is transcribed almost constitutively during growth and after stress conditions, expression of sigB is significantly induced after several stress conditions, like acid stress, ethanol shock, and cold shock. Expression of both genes is significantly reduced after heat shock. Considering these transcriptional results, and also on the basis of the similarity to other principal sigma factor genes, sigA probably encodes the functional principal sigma factor, and sigB might have a function in stress response.

Identification and transcriptional characterization of the gene encoding the stress-response sigma factor sigma(H) in streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

We cloned a new gene, sigH, encoding an alternative sigma factor in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). The deduced protein of 354 amino acids with an M(r) of 39486 showed greatest similarity to the sporulation sigma factor (sigma(F)) of S. coelicolor, general stress-response sigma(B) of Bacillus subtilis, and stationary-phase stress-response sigma(F) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Sequence analysis of the upstream region revealed an ORF encoding a protein (UshX) similar to several anti-sigma factors, and short ORF (UshY) containing zinc-finger DNA binding motif. Transcriptional analysis revealed that all three genes are located on the same polycistronic transcript in order ushY, ushX, and sigH. Expression of the operon was directed by four promoters differentially expressed in the course of differentiation. The first (P1) constitutive promoter was located upstream of ushY. The other three promoters (P2, P3, and P4) were located upstream of ushX, and were differentially induced after various stress conditions. The magnitude of the induction was greatest after osmotic stress and heat shock.

Purification and some characteristics of the acetylxylan esterase from Schizophyllum commune.

Acetylxylan esterase from Schizophyllum commune was purified using ion-exchange and hydrophobic chromatography. The enzyme has a molecular mass of 31 kDa, as determined by SDS/PAGE, or 18 kDa, according to gel filtration. Glycosylation of the enzyme was not detected. Acetylxylan esterase is relatively stable under laboratory conditions; it retains full activity at pH 6.2-8.5 upon incubation at 25 degrees C for 7 h, but loses nearly the whole activity upon incubation at 60 degrees C for 30 min. The pH optimum of the enzyme activity is 7.7 and its temperature optimum lies between 30 and 45 degrees C. Ca2+ and Co2+ inhibit markedly the activity of acetylxylan esterase at a concentration of 10 mM, as do Mn2+, Zn2+, Fe2+ and Cu2+ at a concentration of 1 mM.