This work explores bacterial motility from the mechanisms of propulsion of an individual cell to the complex behavior of collective motility. The shear modulus of bacterial flagella was measured by stretching isolated flagella with an optical trap and by measuring force extension curves of the stretched flagella shedding light onto the me-chanics involved in the motility of single micro-organisms. Experiments in concentrated suspensions of bacteria show collective behavior with large scale mixing on a time and length scale greater than can be understood from the standard model of "run and tumble" motility of a single organism are reported. To further understand the transition from individual to collective motility a novel form of motility where an individual bacterium can reverse direction without changing cell orientation is reported here. These experiments further the understanding of bacterial motility.

Bacteria can quickly adapt to changing environmental conditions by activating alternative sigma factors. It has been shown previously that single cell approaches can reveal hidden dynamics in sigma factor activation. Here, we investigate the single cell response dynamics of the B. subtilis extracytoplasmic function sigma factors, which are an important part of the cell envelope stress response, under their specific stresses. To do this we use transcriptional reporters of sigma factors, quantitative single cell snapshots, time-lapse microscopy, and microfluidics. By developing an improved microfluidics setup for single cell time-lapse microscopy, as well as improved single cell analysis code, we are able to observe new sigma factor dynamics. First, we observe heterogeneous entry into a higher $\sigma^{V}$ activity state in response to lysozyme, which displays a memory, as the heterogeneity is lost on removal and reapplication of the stress. Next, we observe a pulse amplitude and duration modulated sigma factor response of $\sigma^{M}$ to bacitracin. Finally, for $\sigma^{M}$ under ethanol and acidic stress, and for $\sigma^{Y}$ under ethanol stress, we observe a noisy increase in activity to a new steady state level, where the degree of variability between cells depends on the stress condition. This thesis also discusses efforts on building a single cell microfluidic device based on the ”mother machine” design, for the rod-shaped cyanobacterium, S. elongatus, which forces the cells to grow in a straight line. Growing this organism in a traditional mother machine device has, so far, proved challenging. To adapt the mother machine for cyanobacteria we modify the channel geometry using electron beam lithography, and improve the loading protocol. The research presented here reveals the range of regulatory dynamics possible for ECF sigma factors in B. subtilis, and provides improved microfluidics and analysis code that will enable easier quantification of bacterial gene circuits at the single cell level in the future.

O DNA de plasmídeos naturais de uma cepa de B. stearothermophilus foi clivado com a enzima de restrição Hind III e os fragmentos resultantes foram ligados com T 4 DNA ligase ao vetor pBR 322 (Bolívar et. al., 1977) que já havia sido previamente tratado com Hind III e fosfatase alcalina. A terça parte desta mistura de ligação foi usada para transformar células de E. coli HB 101. Foram obtidos cerca de 3.500 transformantes, dos quais 46% eram recombinantes. Duas cepas que mostraram caracter amilolítico consideravelmente maior que a doadora do gene continham o plasmídeo pBR 322 com uma inserção de 5.4 Kb. O mapa de restrição, tratamento com a enzima BAL 31 e, sucessivas subclonagens (Silva, E.F. et. al.,1986)mostraram que o gene que codifica e expressa a enzima amilolítica está contido em um fragmento de 2 Kb. A enzima produzida pelas células transformadas tem peso molecular de 60.000, é estabilizada por Ca+2, tem um ótimo de temperatura de 72ºC e retém 90% da atividade original após aquecimento a 85°C por 1 hora. Estes resultados, em conjunto com a análise dos produtos de hidrólise desta enzima em cromatografia de papel, sugerem que foi clonada a alfa - amilase de B. stearothermophilus em células de E. coli. Células de duas cêpas de B. subtilis, IA 289 e BD 241 foram transformadas respectivamente com os plasmídeos p USP 33.2 (Silva, E.F. et al., 1986;1987) e p BU 217 ami 2 (Silva, E.F. & Pueyo, M.T.,1988) para produzir em ambos os casos colônias fortemente amiloliticas. Os mecanismos pelos quais as 2 cêpas passaram a apresentar o fenótipo AMY + , são provavelmente diferentes. / The DNA of natural plasmids. from a B. stearothermophilus strain was cut with Hind III endonuclease and the resulting fragments were joined with T4 DNA ligase to the vector pBR 322 (Bolivar et al. , 1977), which had previously been treated with Hind III and alkaline phosphatase. One-third of the ligation mixture was used to transform E. coli HB 101 cells. It was obtained about 3.500 transformants, which included 46% recombinans. Two strains displayng amylolytic act ivity remarkably higher than the donor gene strain, harbored the plasmid pBR 322 with an insertion of 5.4 kb. The restriction map, Bal 31 treatment and successive subcloning (Silva, E.F, et al.,1986) showed that the entire gene which codifies and allows the expression of the amylolytic enzyme is contained in a 2 Kb fragment. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 60.000, is stabilized by Cata, has a temperature optimum at 72°C and retains 90% of the original activity after heating for 1h at 85°C. These features, together with the analysis of hydrolysis produts carried on paper chromatography , suggests that we succeded in cloning the amylase from B. stearothermophilus in E. coli cells. Cells from two B. subtilis strains, IQ 289 and BD 241 were transformed with the plasmid sp USP 33.2 (Silva E. F. et al., 1986 1987) and pBU 271 ami 2 (Silva, E. F. & Pueyo, M.T., 1988) , and produce in both strains, amyiolytic colonies. The methods in which the two strains have got the AMY + fenotype, may be very different.

O DNA de plasmídeos naturais de uma cepa de B. stearothermophilus foi clivado com a enzima de restrição Hind III e os fragmentos resultantes foram ligados com T 4 DNA ligase ao vetor pBR 322 (Bolívar et. al., 1977) que já havia sido previamente tratado com Hind III e fosfatase alcalina. A terça parte desta mistura de ligação foi usada para transformar células de E. coli HB 101. Foram obtidos cerca de 3.500 transformantes, dos quais 46% eram recombinantes. Duas cepas que mostraram caracter amilolítico consideravelmente maior que a doadora do gene continham o plasmídeo pBR 322 com uma inserção de 5.4 Kb. O mapa de restrição, tratamento com a enzima BAL 31 e, sucessivas subclonagens (Silva, E.F. et. al.,1986)mostraram que o gene que codifica e expressa a enzima amilolítica está contido em um fragmento de 2 Kb. A enzima produzida pelas células transformadas tem peso molecular de 60.000, é estabilizada por Ca+2, tem um ótimo de temperatura de 72ºC e retém 90% da atividade original após aquecimento a 85°C por 1 hora. Estes resultados, em conjunto com a análise dos produtos de hidrólise desta enzima em cromatografia de papel, sugerem que foi clonada a alfa - amilase de B. stearothermophilus em células de E. coli. Células de duas cêpas de B. subtilis, IA 289 e BD 241 foram transformadas respectivamente com os plasmídeos p USP 33.2 (Silva, E.F. et al., 1986;1987) e p BU 217 ami 2 (Silva, E.F. & Pueyo, M.T.,1988) para produzir em ambos os casos colônias fortemente amiloliticas. Os mecanismos pelos quais as 2 cêpas passaram a apresentar o fenótipo AMY + , são provavelmente diferentes. / The DNA of natural plasmids. from a B. stearothermophilus strain was cut with Hind III endonuclease and the resulting fragments were joined with T4 DNA ligase to the vector pBR 322 (Bolivar et al. , 1977), which had previously been treated with Hind III and alkaline phosphatase. One-third of the ligation mixture was used to transform E. coli HB 101 cells. It was obtained about 3.500 transformants, which included 46% recombinans. Two strains displayng amylolytic act ivity remarkably higher than the donor gene strain, harbored the plasmid pBR 322 with an insertion of 5.4 kb. The restriction map, Bal 31 treatment and successive subcloning (Silva, E.F, et al.,1986) showed that the entire gene which codifies and allows the expression of the amylolytic enzyme is contained in a 2 Kb fragment. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 60.000, is stabilized by Cata, has a temperature optimum at 72°C and retains 90% of the original activity after heating for 1h at 85°C. These features, together with the analysis of hydrolysis produts carried on paper chromatography , suggests that we succeded in cloning the amylase from B. stearothermophilus in E. coli cells. Cells from two B. subtilis strains, IQ 289 and BD 241 were transformed with the plasmid sp USP 33.2 (Silva E. F. et al., 1986 1987) and pBU 271 ami 2 (Silva, E. F. & Pueyo, M.T., 1988) , and produce in both strains, amyiolytic colonies. The methods in which the two strains have got the AMY + fenotype, may be very different.

Orientador: Danielle Biscaro Pedrolli / Resumo: Os métodos de indução da expressão gênica disponíveis para linhagens bacterianas envolvem a adição de compostos indutores ao meio de cultura (por exemplo, isopropil β-D-1-tiogalactopiranosideo, xilose e arabinose), o que é indesejável para linhagens industriais, pois encarece o processo produtivo. Já a utilização da expressão constitutiva, alternativa à indução, pode ocasionar stress metabólico durante a fase lag de crescimento quando são utilizados promotores fortes. O objetivo do trabalho foi construir e padronizar um novo modelo de indução da expressão gênica para linhagens bacterianas industriais. O novo modelo de autoindução baseado no sistema de quorum-sensing bacteriano, permitindo que a célula se automonitore e induza a expressão gênica durante a fase exponencial de crescimento, eliminando assim não só a necessidade de adição de composto indutor como a necessidade de monitoramento da densidade celular pré-indução. Realizou-se amplificação e clonagem dos genes luxR e luxI, com e sem caudas de histidina, e suas respectivas sequências regulatórias de Aliivibrio fischeri, em plasmídeo contendo os genes responsáveis pela bioluminescência ou fluorescência com códons otimizados para Bacillus subtilis. Em seguida, foi realizada transformação e a integração do plasmídeo no cromossomo de B. subtilis. A funcionalidade do sistema foi avaliada em diferentes etapas de crescimento microbiano com o auxílio de um leitor de microplacas durante intervalos regulares. O sistema de autoind... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Current methods available for the autoinduction of gene expression in genetically engineered bacterial strains require addition of inducing compounds to the culture medium (e.g. Isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside, xylose, and arabinose), which is undesirable for industrial strains due to additional costs to the production process. Alternatively, constitutive gene expression is employed. However, the later can possibly cause metabolic stress during the lag growth phase if strong promoters are employed. The objective of this work was to construct and to standardize a new model for induction of gene expression in industrial bacterial strains. The new model is based on an autoinduction process triggered by the bacterial quorum-sensing system. It allows the cell to monitor itself and induce its own gene expression during the exponential growth phase, thereby eliminating both the need for an external inducing compound and the need for monitoring pre-inducing cell density. Bacterial cultures were grown in rich media, supplemented or not with antibiotics. Amplification and cloning of luxR and luxI genes, with and without histidine tags, and their respective regulatory sequences of Aliivibrio fischeri, were performed on a plasmid containing the genes responsible for bioluminescence or fluorescence with codons optimized for Bacillus subtilis. Next, transformation and integration of the plasmid into the B. subtilis chromosome were performed. The functionality of the system was evalua... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Seja no meio ambiente, dentro de um hospedeiro ou em outro habitat, bactérias estarão frequentemente enfrentando condições adversas, como exposição a compostos antibacterianos ou carência nutricional. Em situações como essas, as bactérias são capazes de ativar a chamada resposta estringente, modulada pelo alarmônio (p)ppGpp. O acúmulo de (p)ppGpp promove a inibição da transcrição de rRNAs e tRNAs e a supressão do processo de tradução, e a ativação de operons de biossíntese de aminoácidos. Sabe-se também hoje que a resposta estringente está relacionada a outras importantes carências nutricionais em Escherichia coli, como a falta de ácidos graxos, porém não se sabe se o mesmo ocorre em Bacillus subtilis ou em outras Grampositivas. (p)ppGpp atua também direta e indiretamente em vários outros processos celulares, como motilidade, resistência a antibióticos, virulência e persistência, indicando que (p)ppGpp é um regulador central que integra informação metabólica e respostas adaptativas. O presente trabalho buscou estudar a correlação da resposta estringente de B. subtilis com a carência de ácidos graxos e a busca por pequenas moléculas capazes de modular RelA (a principal proteína envolvida na síntese de (p)ppGpp) e impedir o acúmulo de (p)ppGpp. Para a indução da carência de ácidos graxos, foram utilizadas duas estratégias; uso da droga Cerulenina (inibidor de FabF) e mutantes condicionais no gene FabF. Observou-se que mutantes incapazes de ativar a resposta estringente (cepa ppGpp(0) ou RelAD264G) apresentaram grande perda de viabilidade celular durante a carência de ácidos graxos, ao passo que a cepa selvagem manteve sua viabilidade celular. A causa da morte se deu majoritariamente devido ao colapso do potencial de membrana. Apesar de não termos observado aumento de (p)ppGpp nas células selvagens durante a carência de ácidos graxos, observou-se uma redução da razão GTP/ATP, ao passo que na cepa ppGpp(0), a razão GTP/ATP aumentou, devido ao acúmulo de GTP. O uso da droga decoinina, capaz de reduzir os níveis intracelulares de GTP, resgatou parcialmente a viabilidade da cepa e impediu a perda do potencial de membrana, indicando que os níveis de GTP são importantes durante a carência de ácidos graxos em B. subtilis. Para a triagem de pequenas moléculas inibidoras do acúmulo de (p)ppGpp, foi utilizada uma biblioteca de 2320 diferentes compostos químicos, e buscou-se drogas capazes de reverter o fenótipo de crescimento lento de cepas de B. subtilis que acumulam (p)ppGpp (via mutação pontual; mutante RelAH77A e via tratamento com o indutor hidroxamato de arginina) em meio rico. A primeira etapa selecionou 40 moléculas capazes de resgatar o crescimento de células tratadas com arginina-hidroxamato, porém apenas uma, salicilanilida, foi capaz de também resgatar o crescimento da cepa RelAH77A. Todavia, apesar de ser capaz de acelerar o crescimento de B. subtilis esse efeito é limitado. Diversos análogos de salicilanilida foram testados, porém não apresentaram efeito superior a salicilanilida para a reversão do fenótipo de crescimento lento de B. subtilis. Em adição, a droga não foi capaz de aumentar a sensibilidade dos organismos a diversos antibióticos testados, e aparentemente é incapaz de alterar os níveis internos de (p)ppGpp, porém é capaz de causar alterações nos níveis de ATP. Logo, acredita-se que o efeito observado para o crescimento das células seja devido a efeitos indiretos, possivelmente envolvendo alteração de outros nucleotídeos fosforilados. / In the environment, inside a host or other habitat, bacteria will always face adverse conditions, as for example exposure to antimicrobials or starvation. In situations like those, bacteria activate the stringent response, modulated by the alarmone (p)ppGpp. (p)ppGpp accumulation promotes inhibition of rRNA and tRNA transcription and suppression of translational process, at the same time that it activates several amino acid biosynthesis operons. It is known also that the stringent response it is related to other starvation stress in Escherichia coli, like lack of fatty acids, but there is no knowledge if the same occurs for Bacillus subtilis or other gram-positive bacteria. ppGpp acts directly and indirectly affecting several other cellular process, as motility, resistance to antibiotics, virulence and persistence, indicating that (p)ppGpp is a central regulator that integrates metabolic information and adaptive responses. This work aimed to study the correlation between the stringent response in B. subtilis with fatty acid starvation, and search for small moleculas capable of modulating RelA (the main enzyme responsible for ppGpp synthesis) and stop (p)ppGpp production. For fatty acid starvation induction, two strategies were used; use of the drug Cerulenin (inhibitor of the FabF protein) and conditional mutants of the FabF gene. We observed that mutants incapable of activating the stringent response (strains ppGpp(0) ou RelAD264G) presented great loss of viability during fatty acid starvation, whereas the wild-type strain keeps its viability. The main cause of death is due membrane rupture in some cells, but mainly due to membrane potential collapse. Although we did not observed increase of (p)ppGpp in wild-type strains during fatty acid starvation, we observed reduction in GTP/ATP ratios, a hallmark of (p)ppGpp production in gram-positive bacteria. In the strain ppGpp(0) GTP/ATP ratio increased, mainly due to GTP increase. Using the drug decoyinine, capable of reducing GTP levels, partially recued viability and protects cells of losing its membrane potential, indicating that GTP levels plays an important role during fatty acid starvation in B. subtilis. For the screening of small molecules capable of inhibit (p)ppGpp production, a library of 2320 different chemical compounds were used, and we looked for drugs capable of reverting the slow growth phenotype of B. subtilis strains with (p)ppGpp accumulation (using a mutant RelAH77A; and using a stringent response inductor, arginine hidroxamate). The first step selected for 40 molecules capable of rescuing the growth of cells treated with arginine hidroxamate, but only one drug, salicilanilyde could also rescue the growth of the strain RelAH77A. Although capable of rescuing growth of B. subtilis that accumulates (p)ppGpp, this rescue is limited. Several analogues of salicilanilyde were tested, but none were stronger than salicilanilyde itself in rescuing growth of slow growing strains of B. subtilis. In addition, the drug was not capable of increasing antibiotic sensibility and it is incapable of changing intracellular (p)ppGpp levels, but it does shifts ATP levels. Therefore, we believe that the observed effects of salicilanilyde is due indirect action, probably involving other phosphorylated nucleotides, rather than modifying (p)ppGpp levels

Seja no meio ambiente, dentro de um hospedeiro ou em outro habitat, bactérias estarão frequentemente enfrentando condições adversas, como exposição a compostos antibacterianos ou carência nutricional. Em situações como essas, as bactérias são capazes de ativar a chamada resposta estringente, modulada pelo alarmônio (p)ppGpp. O acúmulo de (p)ppGpp promove a inibição da transcrição de rRNAs e tRNAs e a supressão do processo de tradução, e a ativação de operons de biossíntese de aminoácidos. Sabe-se também hoje que a resposta estringente está relacionada a outras importantes carências nutricionais em Escherichia coli, como a falta de ácidos graxos, porém não se sabe se o mesmo ocorre em Bacillus subtilis ou em outras Grampositivas. (p)ppGpp atua também direta e indiretamente em vários outros processos celulares, como motilidade, resistência a antibióticos, virulência e persistência, indicando que (p)ppGpp é um regulador central que integra informação metabólica e respostas adaptativas. O presente trabalho buscou estudar a correlação da resposta estringente de B. subtilis com a carência de ácidos graxos e a busca por pequenas moléculas capazes de modular RelA (a principal proteína envolvida na síntese de (p)ppGpp) e impedir o acúmulo de (p)ppGpp. Para a indução da carência de ácidos graxos, foram utilizadas duas estratégias; uso da droga Cerulenina (inibidor de FabF) e mutantes condicionais no gene FabF. Observou-se que mutantes incapazes de ativar a resposta estringente (cepa ppGpp(0) ou RelAD264G) apresentaram grande perda de viabilidade celular durante a carência de ácidos graxos, ao passo que a cepa selvagem manteve sua viabilidade celular. A causa da morte se deu majoritariamente devido ao colapso do potencial de membrana. Apesar de não termos observado aumento de (p)ppGpp nas células selvagens durante a carência de ácidos graxos, observou-se uma redução da razão GTP/ATP, ao passo que na cepa ppGpp(0), a razão GTP/ATP aumentou, devido ao acúmulo de GTP. O uso da droga decoinina, capaz de reduzir os níveis intracelulares de GTP, resgatou parcialmente a viabilidade da cepa e impediu a perda do potencial de membrana, indicando que os níveis de GTP são importantes durante a carência de ácidos graxos em B. subtilis. Para a triagem de pequenas moléculas inibidoras do acúmulo de (p)ppGpp, foi utilizada uma biblioteca de 2320 diferentes compostos químicos, e buscou-se drogas capazes de reverter o fenótipo de crescimento lento de cepas de B. subtilis que acumulam (p)ppGpp (via mutação pontual; mutante RelAH77A e via tratamento com o indutor hidroxamato de arginina) em meio rico. A primeira etapa selecionou 40 moléculas capazes de resgatar o crescimento de células tratadas com arginina-hidroxamato, porém apenas uma, salicilanilida, foi capaz de também resgatar o crescimento da cepa RelAH77A. Todavia, apesar de ser capaz de acelerar o crescimento de B. subtilis esse efeito é limitado. Diversos análogos de salicilanilida foram testados, porém não apresentaram efeito superior a salicilanilida para a reversão do fenótipo de crescimento lento de B. subtilis. Em adição, a droga não foi capaz de aumentar a sensibilidade dos organismos a diversos antibióticos testados, e aparentemente é incapaz de alterar os níveis internos de (p)ppGpp, porém é capaz de causar alterações nos níveis de ATP. Logo, acredita-se que o efeito observado para o crescimento das células seja devido a efeitos indiretos, possivelmente envolvendo alteração de outros nucleotídeos fosforilados. / In the environment, inside a host or other habitat, bacteria will always face adverse conditions, as for example exposure to antimicrobials or starvation. In situations like those, bacteria activate the stringent response, modulated by the alarmone (p)ppGpp. (p)ppGpp accumulation promotes inhibition of rRNA and tRNA transcription and suppression of translational process, at the same time that it activates several amino acid biosynthesis operons. It is known also that the stringent response it is related to other starvation stress in Escherichia coli, like lack of fatty acids, but there is no knowledge if the same occurs for Bacillus subtilis or other gram-positive bacteria. ppGpp acts directly and indirectly affecting several other cellular process, as motility, resistance to antibiotics, virulence and persistence, indicating that (p)ppGpp is a central regulator that integrates metabolic information and adaptive responses. This work aimed to study the correlation between the stringent response in B. subtilis with fatty acid starvation, and search for small moleculas capable of modulating RelA (the main enzyme responsible for ppGpp synthesis) and stop (p)ppGpp production. For fatty acid starvation induction, two strategies were used; use of the drug Cerulenin (inhibitor of the FabF protein) and conditional mutants of the FabF gene. We observed that mutants incapable of activating the stringent response (strains ppGpp(0) ou RelAD264G) presented great loss of viability during fatty acid starvation, whereas the wild-type strain keeps its viability. The main cause of death is due membrane rupture in some cells, but mainly due to membrane potential collapse. Although we did not observed increase of (p)ppGpp in wild-type strains during fatty acid starvation, we observed reduction in GTP/ATP ratios, a hallmark of (p)ppGpp production in gram-positive bacteria. In the strain ppGpp(0) GTP/ATP ratio increased, mainly due to GTP increase. Using the drug decoyinine, capable of reducing GTP levels, partially recued viability and protects cells of losing its membrane potential, indicating that GTP levels plays an important role during fatty acid starvation in B. subtilis. For the screening of small molecules capable of inhibit (p)ppGpp production, a library of 2320 different chemical compounds were used, and we looked for drugs capable of reverting the slow growth phenotype of B. subtilis strains with (p)ppGpp accumulation (using a mutant RelAH77A; and using a stringent response inductor, arginine hidroxamate). The first step selected for 40 molecules capable of rescuing the growth of cells treated with arginine hidroxamate, but only one drug, salicilanilyde could also rescue the growth of the strain RelAH77A. Although capable of rescuing growth of B. subtilis that accumulates (p)ppGpp, this rescue is limited. Several analogues of salicilanilyde were tested, but none were stronger than salicilanilyde itself in rescuing growth of slow growing strains of B. subtilis. In addition, the drug was not capable of increasing antibiotic sensibility and it is incapable of changing intracellular (p)ppGpp levels, but it does shifts ATP levels. Therefore, we believe that the observed effects of salicilanilyde is due indirect action, probably involving other phosphorylated nucleotides, rather than modifying (p)ppGpp levels

Biotin is an essential vitamin in plants and mammals functioning as the carbon dioxide carrier within central lipid metabolism. Biotin is composed of a fused bicylic ring system and a five carbon, carboxylic acid chain. Biotin biosynthesis in bacteria is catalysed by a series of enzymes that use fatty acid, amino acid and sulfur-containing substrates. In Bacillus subtilis, pimeloyl-CoA synthetase (PCAS, EC 6.2.1.14, UNIPROT code: P53559, 29.6 kDa) is the first enzyme in the biotin biosynthetic pathway and acts as a highly specific substrate selection gate ensuring the integrity of the carbon chain in biotin synthesis. PCAS catalyses the synthesis of the key acyl-thioester, pimeloyl-CoA in two steps; the first involves activation of pimelic acid (C7 dicarboxylic acid) using ATP to give an acyl-adenylate, enzyme-bound intermediate and pyrophosphate (PPi), and in the second step, this pimeloyl-adenylate reacts with coenzyme A (CoASH) to form the pimeloyl-CoA thioester. This thesis describes the results of biochemical, structural and mechanistic studies of B. subtilis PCAS. Recombinant PCAS was prepared by expressing the B. subtilis BioW gene in E. coli in various hexa-histidine affinity-tagged forms and the enzyme purified in high purity and yield. Enzyme activity and kinetic constants were measured using reverse-phase HPLC and enzyme coupled spectroscopic assays. These revealed the enzyme to have a strict carboxylic acid specificity. In collaboration with colleagues at the University of St. Andrews various commercial and in-house screens were used to obtain diffraction-quality crystals suitable for X-ray crystallography. This also included the generation of seleno-methionine (SeMet) labelled PCAS, as well as heavy-metal derivatives. Structures of B. subtilis PCAS in complex with the substrate pimelic acid and the pimeloyl-adenylate intermediate and product PPi were determined at 2.04 Å and 2.34 Å resolution respectively. The B. subtilis PCAS displays a novel 3D fold and defines a new class (Class IV) in the ANL superfamily of adenylate forming enzymes. The enzyme is a homodimer composed of two domains, a short N-terminus and a large C-terminal domain and the ligand-bound structures revealed the residues potentially involved in substrate specificity and enzyme catalysis. The enzyme uses an internal ruler composed of a number of conserved arginine residues (Arg213, Arg227 and Arg170) to select the correct dicarboxylic acid substrate. The X-ray structures guided the production of a number of site directed mutants to identify residues involved in the catalytic mechanism and stabilising the acyl-adenylate intermediate. This also allowed rational engineering of the PCAS active site to generate mutants with altered substrate specificity. Mutant PCAS Y211F was shown to synthesise both heptanoyl (C7) and octanoyl (C8) mono carboxylic acid-CoA and C8 dicarboxylic-CoA thioester products, highlighting the synthetic potential of PCAS. The PCAS pimeloyl-CoA product is the substrate for the next enzyme in the biotin pathway, a pyridoxal 5'phosphate (PLP)-dependent 8-amino 7-oxononanoate synthase (AONS). AONS catalyses the condensation of pimeloyl-CoA with L-alanine to give AON which is converted to biotin by the action of three other enzymes. We used genome mining to identify a putative ~66 kDa, bi-functional PCAS/AONS enzyme with an N-terminal PCAS domain fused to C-terminal AONS domain in the organism Corynebacterium amycolatum. A recombinant C. amycolatum PCAS/AONS fusion protein was expressed and purified from E. coli and initial studies suggest that it forms a functional, fused, dimeric enzyme.

The members of the genus Bacillus produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites with antimetabolic and pharmacological activities. These metabolites are mostly small peptides and have unusual components and chemical bonds. These metabolites are synthesized nonribosomally by multifunctional enzyme complexes called peptide synthetases. One of those small peptides, bacilysin, is a dipeptide antibiotic composed of L-alanine and L-anticapsin which is produced and excreted by certain strains of Bacillus subtilis. Proteins that are responsible to synthesize bacilysin are encoded by bac operon. It has been shown that the biosynthesis of bacilysin is under the control of quorum sensing global regulatory pathway through the action of ComQ/ComX, PhrC (CSF), ComP/ComA in a Spo0K (Opp)-dependent manner. The objective of the study is to identify the functional roles of bacilysin biosynthesis in the regulatory cascade and idiophase cell physiology operating in B. subtilis by using gel-based and gel-free proteomics techniques. For this, we employed comparative proteome-wide analysis of the bacilysin producer B. subtilis PY79 and its bacilysin nonproducer derivative bacA::lacz::erm OGU1 strain which was recently constructed by our group. Identification via GeLC analysis of 76 differentially expressed proteins from total soluble proteome of wild-type PY79 and bacilysin minus OGU1 strain indicated the direct or indirect multiple effects of bacilysin on metabolic pathways, global regulatory systems and sporulation.

No description available.