Biomedical subjects

G G Chestukhina

Publications and source records attributed to G G Chestukhina.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Modification of substrate-binding site of glutamyl endopeptidase from Bacillus intermedius.

Glutamyl endopeptidases (GEPs) are serine proteases belonging to the chymotrypsin structural family. Although the family as a whole has been described in detail, the molecular mechanism underlying strict substrate specificity of GEPs remains unclear. The most popular hypothesis attributes the key role in recognition of the charged substrates by GEPs to the conserved amino acid His213 (chymotrypsin numbering system). In order to test the role of this residue in the substrate specificity, we obtained a GEP from Bacillus intermedius with an amino acid substitution (His213-Thr) and studied its catalytic properties. Such modification proved not to affect the primary specificity of the enzyme. The introduced substitution had little effect on the Michaelis constant (Km increased 4.9 times) but considerably affected the catalytic constant (kcat decreased 615 times). The obtained data suggest that the conserved His213 residue in Bacillus GEPs is not a key element determining their primary substrate specificity.

Bacillus↗

PubMed2004

Reconstruction of Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis Cry11A endotoxin from fragments corresponding to its N- and C-moieties restores its original biological activity.

Subtilisin hydrolyzes Cry11A endotoxin (of 70 kD) produced by Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis to fragments of 33- and 36-kD, which correspond to N- and C-terminal halves of the endotoxin molecule. Thermitase (a serine protease from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris) and insect gut proteases from Diptera and Lepidoptera exhibit the same hydrolytic effect on Cry11A. Hydrolyzates maintain high toxicity with respect to larvae of Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi, and Culex pipiens. The 33- and 36-kD Cry11A endotoxin components purified by ion-exchange chromatography from the subtilisin hydrolyzate were inactive; however, equimolar mixture of these proteins exhibited almost the same activity as the initial hydrolyzate.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Interaction of 65- and 62-kD proteins from the apical membranes of the Aedes aegypti larvae midgut epithelium with Cry4B and Cry11A endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis.

A protein with the molecular weight of 65 kD is the only component of Aedes aegypti larvae BBM capable to specifically bind mosquitocidal toxins Cry4B and Cry11A of Bacillus thuringiensis. This protein lacks the leucine aminopeptidase activity which is characteristic for the toxin-binding proteins from the membranes of caterpillars. Cry-toxins inactive against A. aegypti larvae either fail to bind to the 65-kD protein and to a putative product of its proteolysis with the molecular weight of 62 kD (Cry1Ab), or bind but do not compete for this binding with mosquitocidal proteins (Cry9A). The proteolytic splitting out of the first five alpha-helices in the Cry4B toxin molecule does not affect its binding to the 65- and 62-kD proteins, but an additional removal of 20-30 amino acids from the C-terminal of the molecule sharply spoils this binding. Monosaccharide residues are not involved in the binding of the 65- and 62-kD proteins with Cry4B, Cry11A, and Cry9A.

Aedes↗

PubMed2001

Enzymatic synthesis of chromogenic substrates for Glu,Asp-specific proteinases.

Glu,Asp-specific endopeptidases represent a new subfamily of chymotrypsin-like proteolytic enzymes. These enzymes prefer Glu or Asp residues in the P1 position of the substrates. p-Nitroanilides of N-acylated di-, tri- and tetrapeptides with C-terminal glutamic or aspartic acid residues have been obtained. Acyl peptide p-nitroanilides were synthesized via acylation of glutamic or aspartic acid p-nitroanilides using methyl esters of the respective N-acylated peptides, generally with good yields. The reactions were performed in organic solvents using subtilisin 72 sorbed on silica as a catalyst. The kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis of these p-nitroanilides with proteinases from Bacillus intermedius and Bacillus licheniformis were determined.

Anilides↗

PubMed2000

Introduction of a mini-gene encoding a five-amino acid peptide confers erythromycin resistance on Bacillus subtilis and provides temporary erythromycin protection in Proteus mirabilis.

A 15-bp mini-gene was introduced into Bacillus subtilis and into stable protoplast-like L-forms of Proteus mirabilis. This mini-gene encoded the peptide MVLFV and modeled a fragment of Escherichia coli 23S rRNA responsible for E. coli erythromycin (Ery) resistance. Expression of the introduced mini-gene conferred permanent Ery resistance on B. subtilis. In L-forms of P. mirabilis, the Ery-protective effect was maintained in the course of several generations. Herewith, the mechanism of Ery resistance mediated by expression of specific short peptides was shown to exist in evolutionary distant bacteria. Three new plasmids were constructed containing the gene under study transcriptionally fused with the genes encoding glutamylendopeptidase of Bacillus licheniformis or delta-endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis. The Ery resistance pentapeptide (E-peptide) mini-gene served as an efficient direct transcriptional reporter and allowed to select bacillar glutamylendopeptidase with improved productivity. The mini-genes encoding E-peptides may be applied as selective markers to transform both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The small size of the E-peptide mini-genes makes them attractive selective markers for vector construction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Expression of bacillar glutamyl endopeptidase genes in Bacillus subtilis by a new mobilizable single-replicon vector pLF.

The pLF1311 natural plasmid from Lactobacillus fermentum 1311 was used to construct a single-replicon vector suitable for rapid cloning in a wide range of gram-positive hosts and Escherichia coli. The new vector is capable of conjugative mobilization from E. coli to various hosts by conjugal transfer. The final vector (3.4 kb) showed a high segregational and structural stability and a high copy number. Glutamyl endopeptidase genes from Bacillus licheniformis (gseBL) and B. intermedius (gseBI) were cloned in both pLF9 and pLF14 vectors and introduced to B. subtilis. The yield of enzymes in the pLF-derived producers was 6- to 30-fold more than in the natural producers and reached 100-150 mg/L of mature protease.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1999

Propeptide of the metalloprotease of Brevibacillus brevis 7882 is a strong inhibitor of the mature enzyme.

A metalloprotease gene of Brevibacillus brevis (npr) was expressed in Escherichia coli in a soluble form as native Npr precursor. A significant fraction of the precursor was spontaneously processed, producing the N-terminal propeptide and the mature enzyme. A strong inhibition of the mature Npr by its own propeptide in the crude lysate was observed even in the absence of the covalent linkage between them. Pure precursor, propeptide and the mature Npr were isolated and kinetic parameters of the mature enzyme inhibition by the propeptide were determined. The inhibition is of the tight-binding competitive type with Ki 0.17 nM. Inhibition of metalloproteases from Brevibacillus megaterium and thermolysine by the heterologous propeptide of the Npr from B. brevis was much weaker or none.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1999

Two novel delta-endotoxin gene families cry26 and cry28 from Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. finitimus.

Genes cry26Aal and cry28Aal were cloned from Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. finitimus strain B-1166 VKPM. This strain forms insecticidal crystal bodies either outside or inside the exosporium. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cry26Aal gene product included seven residues determined to be an N-terminal part of a chymotrypsin-treated delta-endotoxin isolated from the same strain. Earlier this protein was detected in both free and spore-associated types of crystals [Revina et al., Biokhimia (1999) in press]. Neither BtI nor BtII promoter sequences were found upstream of the open reading frames in both genes. Southern hybridization has shown that the surroundings of both genes at least 3 kb upstream and downstream of the open reading frames are unique. We suggest that the protein Cry26Aal in both types of crystal bodies is synthesized under the control of one and the same genomic locus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1999

Bacillus intermedius glutamyl endopeptidase. Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the structural gene.

The glutamyl endopeptidase gene of Bacillus intermedius was cloned from a genomic library expressed in Bacillus subtilis and sequenced (EMBL accession number Y15136). The encoded preproenzyme contains 303 amino acid residues; the mature 23-kDa enzyme consists of 215 residues. The mature enzyme reveals 38% of identical residues when aligned with the glutamyl endopeptidase from Bacillus licheniformis, whereas only five invariant residues were found among all known glutamyl endopeptidases. The amino acid residues that form the catalytic triad (H47, D98, and S171) as well as H186 participating in the binding of the substrate carboxyl group were identified. It seems that the structural elements responsible for the function of glutamyl endopeptidases from various sources are highly variable.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1999

Isolation and primary characterization of an amidase from Rhodococcus rhodochrous.

Amidase (EC 3.5.1.4) was purified to homogeneity from Rhodococcus rhodochrous M8 using isopropanol fractionation and exchange chromatography on Mono Q. The isolated amidase consists of four identical subunits with molecular weight 42+/-2 kD. The activity of the enzyme is maximal at 55-60 degrees C and within the pH range 5-8. The amidase from R. rhodochrous M8 is highly sensitive to such sulfhydryl reagents as Hg2+ and Cu2+. Chelators (EDTA and o-phenanthroline) and serine proteinase inhibitors (PMSF and DIFP) did not inhibit the activity of the enzyme. The enzyme exhibits hydrolytic and acyl transferase activity and does not possess urease activity. Aliphatic amides (acetamide and propionamide) were the best substrates for the amidase from R. rhodochrous M8, whereas bulky aromatic amides were poor substrates of this enzyme. The properties of the isolated enzyme are similar to those found in the corresponding amidase from Arthrobacter sp. J-1 and an amidase with wide substrate specificity from Brevibacterium sp. R312.

Amidohydrolases↗

PubMed1999

Two types of entomocidal crystals of Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. finitimus have the same set of unique delta-endotoxins.

The strain B-1166 differs from the other strains of Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. finitimus because it has two crystal types with different localization in the sporulating cell, i.e., inside and outside of exosporium membrane. Two dissociants of the strain were obtained containing only one of the crystal types. The initial strain produces at least three various delta-endotoxins (Fin2, Fin3, and Fin5) differing from all other known entomocidal proteins; Fin2 and Fin3 are similar to each other but differ from Fin5. Both crystal types contain the same endotoxins (Fin2, Fin3, and Fin5). In the B-1166 strain the site of crystal deposition is not determined by their protein composition.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1999

Membrane proteins of Aedes aegypti larvae bind toxins Cry4B and Cry11A of Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis.

Proteins of molecular weight 65 and 62 kD and having affinity for toxins Cry4B and Cry11A produced by Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis have been isolated from brush border membranes of Aedes aegypti larvae using affinity chromatography. Using a ligand blotting technique, we show that the binding of these proteins to the biotinylated toxins is reversible and that the two toxins compete for binding to the two proteins. These proteins are likely to be Cry4B and Cry11A toxin receptors in gut epithelial cells of Aedes aegypti larvae.

Aedes↗

PubMed1999

[Formation of dipeptides--a side reaction in racemization of phenylalanine].

It was shown that acetylated dipeptides, Ac-D-Phe-D-Phe-OH, Ac-L-Phe-L-Phe-OH, Ac-D-Phe-L-Phe-OH, and Ac-L-Phe-D-Phe-OH, are formed during D-phenylalanine racemization. The overall content of these dipeptides in the reaction mixture ranged from 40 to 60% depending on the reaction conditions. We concluded that, like alpha-aminoisobutyric acid, phenylalanine is prone to polymerization under racemization conditions.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

PubMed1998

Expression of the carboxypeptidase T gene from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris in stable protoplast type L-forms of Proteus mirabilis.

The structural gene of the carboxypeptidase T (cpt) was successfully expressed in cell wall-less L-form cells of Proteus mirabilis. The DNA sequence encoding the PhoA leader peptide was fused with a truncated cpt gene encoding the mature enzyme. The modified gene in a pUC-based kanamycin resistance vector under the control of the lac promoter was transformed into L-form cells of P. mirabilis. They were able to produce the recombinant CpT both as a secretory and as a cell-bound insoluble form. The co-secretory processing of the PhoA leader peptide was quite efficient. The yield of the secreted CpT was not less than 20 mg l-1 and should be improvable.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Limited proteolysis of Bacillus thuringiensis CryIG and CryIVB delta-endotoxins leads to formation of active fragments that do not coincide with the structural domains.

Bacillus thuringiensis "true" toxins consist of three domains: the N-terminal, alpha-helical domain followed by two beta-structural domains. Their limited proteolysis does not proceed at the domain boundaries, but is directed to the loops within the domains. There are at least two patterns of the limited proteolysis of "true" toxins. The first pattern, observed for CryIA and CryIVD delta-endotoxins, results in the proteolysis of the loops connecting beta-strands of the second domain. The second pattern, detected for CryIG and CryIVB proteins, consists in the cleavage of the loop connecting the fifth and the sixth alpha-helices of the first domain. The choice between the routes depends on the size, sequence, and dynamics of the loop that define its accessibility to a proteinase. Bioassay of CryIG and CryIVB delta-endotoxin fragments indicates that only two alpha-helices, the sixth and the seventh within the first domain, followed by the two beta-structural domains are sufficient for the insecticidal activity.

Aedes↗

PubMed1998

A new PCR-based approach to a fast search of a wide spectrum of cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis strains.

A pair of highly degenerated primers was adapted to carry out a single-step PCR-detection of any known and probably unknown cry genes of classes cry1, cry4 and cry9 encoding for 130 kDa protein delta-endotoxins in the natural Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) strains. The Southern hybridization of the product has demonstrated that essentially remote cry-genes like cry1Aa and cry9A (cryIG) could be represented in the single amplificate if they are simultaneously present in the genome of the analyzed strain. Four genes were detected by the proposed scheme in the BT ssp. galleriae 11-67. One of them, gene cry1Ga1 was originally found and cloned using the PCR-amplification product obtained from the genomic DNA of this strain as a probe. The new gene was completely identical to one cloned by B. Lambert (unpublished, EMBL accession number Z22510) and essentially related to cryIM (EMBL accession number Y09326), renamed according to the new nomenclature as cry1Ga2.

Bacillus thuringiensis↗

PubMed1997

A novel delta-endotoxin gene cryIM from Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. wuhanensis.

A new cryI-related sequence designated cryIM was cloned using an immunoscreening technique from ssp. wuhanensis of Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), previously reported to produce multiple Cry proteins [Chestukhina et al. (1994) Can. J. Microbiol. 240, 1026-1034]. Analysis of the cryIM nucleotide sequence revealed an ORF, BTII-type promoter-like sequence, peculiar for such genes, a translation initiation element and a putative transcription terminator. Nevertheless, its product was not previously found in the crystals of the host strain [Chestukhina et al. (1994) Can. J. Microbiol. 240, 1026-1034] which shows its weak or absent natural expression. The amino acid sequence of 1151 residues encoded by the continuous reading frame of cryIM is not identical but is essentially similar to the other delta-endotoxins of the CryI class. An IS231-like sequence was found 400 bp downstream of the cryIM stop codon and a fragment of the cryIAb gene was located 3 kb upstream of its initiator codon in the same orientation. Artificial expression of the cloned gene in E. coli under the control of the lacZ promoter allowed us to obtain its hypothetical protein product.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1996

[Proteolytic enzymes from Streptomyces fradiae: a metalloendopeptidase, subtilisin-like, and trypsin-like proteinases].

Three proteolytic enzymes-the metalloproteinase, SFMP, and two serine proteinases, SFSP and SFTP-have been isolated and purified from the culture fluid of Streptomyces fradiae using chromatography on bacitracin-silochrome, bacitracin-Sepharose, DEAE-cellulose and fractionation by ammonium sulfate. Study of physico-chemical and functional properties of the enzymes and structural analysis revealed that SFMP is a cysteine-containing metalloendopeptidase with M(r) of 36 kDa, has a peak activity for synthetic substrates at pH 7.0-7.5 and at 60-65 degrees C and is stable at pH 7.0-9.0. The serine proteinase SFSP is related to subtilisin-like enzymes, has a M(r) of 29 kDa and a pH optimum at 7.5-8.5 at temperature up to 50 degrees C. The proteinase is stable at pH 4.0-9.0 and retains 30% of its activity at 70 degrees C. The other serine proteinase, SFTP, has a M(r) of 26 kDa and is related to trypsin-like enzymes. Its activity for synthetic substrates of trypsin is maximal at pH 6.8-8.8 at 50 degrees C. The enzyme is stable at pH 4.5-8.5 and at temperature below 50 degrees C. It has been shown that Streptomyces fradiae, like Streptomyces griseus and other Streptomycetes, possesses an ability to secrete serine proteinases (SFSP and SFTP) related to two evolutionally distinct families of serine proteinases, i.e., subtilisin and chymotrypsin families. SFMP and SFSP have been isolated and characterized for the first time.

Amino Acid Sequence↗