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PubMedDate not supplied

Manipulation of activity and orientation of membrane-reconstituted di-tripeptide transport protein DtpT of Lactococcus lactis.

The di-tripeptide transport system (DtpT) of Lactococcus lactis was purified to apparent homogeneity by pre-extraction of crude membrane vesicles with octaethylene glycol monodecyl ether (C10E8), followed by solubilization with n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside (DDM) and chromatography on a Ni-NTA resin. The DtpT protein was reconstituted into detergent-destabilized preformed liposomes prepared from E. coli phospholipid/phosphatidylcholine. A variety of detergents were tested for their ability to mediate the membrane reconstitution of DtpT and their effectiveness to yield proteoliposomes with a high transport activity. The highest activities were obtained with TX100, C12E8 and DM, whereas DDM yielded relatively poor activities, in particular when this detergent was used at concentrations beyond the onset of solubilization of the preformed liposomes. Parallel with the low activity, significant losses of lipid were observed when the reconstitution was performed at high DDM concentrations. This explained at least part of the reduced transport activity as the DtpT protein was highly dependent on the final lipid-to-protein ratios in the proteoliposomes. Consistent with the difference in mechanism of DDM- and TX100-mediated membrane protein reconstitution, the orientation of the DtpT protein in the membrane was random with DDM and inside-in when TX100 was used. The methodology to determine the orientation of membrane-reconstituted proteins from the accessibility of cysteines for thiol-specific reagents is critically evaluated.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed2002

Characterisation and molecular cloning of an erythromycin resistance plasmid of Lactococcus lactis isolated from chicken cecum.

An erythromycin resistance plasmid, pAJ01 was isolated from Loctococcus lactis isolate C5 that was isolated from a healthy two-week-old chicken cecum. A 4 kb plasmid was transformed into plasmidless L. lactis MG1363 before a restriction endonuclease map was constructed. It was then fused with pUC19 to form pAJ02, which can replicate in Escherichia coli XLI-Blue as well as L. lactis MG1363. The plasmid was stably maintained in Lactococcus for more than 100 generations.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Cell-surface display of E7 antigen from human papillomavirus type-16 in Lactococcus lactis and in Lactobacillus plantarum using a new cell-wall anchor from lactobacilli.

The human papillomavirus type-16 (HPV-16) E7 protein is considered a major viral oncoprotein involved in cervical cancer (CxCa) and a potential candidate for the development of a vaccine against this neoplasia. Here, two lactic acid bacteria (the model one Lactococcus lactis and a probiotic one Lactobacillus plantarum) were engineered to deliver an E7 mutant protein (E7mm), which has a reduced transforming activity and consequently, could fit better to therapeutic use in humans than the native form of E7. An efficient cell-surface display of E7mm was obtained in L. lactis using an expression cassette encoding a precursor composed of (i) the signal peptide and the first 15 amino acids of the mature part of the lactococcal Usp45 protein; (ii) E7mm and (iii) the cell-wall anchor of the Streptococcus pyogenes M6 protein (CWA(M6)). This hybrid precursor was produced but not cell-wall anchored in Lb. plantarum. We thus replaced CWA(M6) by the cell-wall anchor of a Lb. plantarum protein which allows an efficient cell-wall anchoring of E7mm in this bacterium. The E7mm production and cell-surface display in both L. lactis and a probiotic bacterium, Lb. plantarum, represent one more step towards the development of a safe and effective treatment against CxCa.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed2003

Induction of partial protection in mice after oral administration of Lactococcus lactis producing Brucella abortus L7/L12 antigen.

The Brucella abortus ribosomal protein L7/L12 is an immunodominant antigen and an interesting candidate for the development of oral live vaccines against brucellosis. Here, a recombinant Lactococcus lactis strain producing L7/L12 under the control of nisin inducible promoter was orally administered to BALB/c mice. Significant levels of anti-L7/L12 specific IgA detected in feces revealed an induced local humoral immune response. However, serum analysis did not reveal any anti-L7/L12 antibodies suggesting the absence of a systemic response. Nevertheless, the vaccinated mice showed a partial protective immunity against B. abortus virulent strain (S2308) challenged by intraperitoneal inoculation.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2006

Mucosal delivery of a pneumococcal vaccine using Lactococcus lactis affords protection against respiratory infection.

BACKGROUND: Economical and effective vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) are needed for implementation in poorer countries where the disease burden is highest. Here, we evaluated Lactococcus lactis intracellularly producing the pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) as a mucosal vaccine in conferring protection against pneumococcal disease. METHODS: Mice were intranasally (inl) immunized with the lactococcal vaccine. Control groups were also immunized with similar amounts of recombinant PspA administered inl or subcutaneously with alum. PspA-specific antibodies in serum samples and lung lavage fluids were measured before challenge in intraperitoneal sepsis and inl respiratory-infection models of pneumococcal disease. RESULTS: The lactococcal vaccine afforded better protection against respiratory challenge with pneumococcus than did vaccination with purified antigen given inl or by injection with alum. This finding was associated with a shift toward a Th1-mediated immune response characterized by reduced antibody titers to the PspA antigen. In the sepsis model, the lactococcal vaccine afforded resistance to disease on a par with that obtained with the injected vaccine, demonstrating its efficacy against different forms of pneumococcal disease. CONCLUSION: Given the safety profile of L. lactis, there is considerable potential to develop a pneumococcal vaccine for use in humans and to broaden this approach to combat other major pathogens.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed2000

On the binding mechanism of the peptide receptor of the oligopeptide transport system of Lactococcus lactis.

Lactococcus lactis degrades exogenous proteins such as beta-casein to peptides of 4-30 amino acids, and uses these as nitrogen sources. The binding protein or receptor (OppA(Ll)) of the oligopeptide transport system (Opp) of L.LACTIS: has the unique capacity to bind peptides from five up to at least 20 residues. To study the binding mechanism of OppA(Ll), nonameric peptides were used in which the cysteine at position 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 9 was selectively labeled with either bulky and non-fluorescent or bulky and fluorescent groups. Also, nonameric peptides with a non-natural residue, azatryptophan, at positions 3 or 7 were used. The fluorescence of azatryptophan reports on the polarity of the environment. The studies indicate that the binding protein encloses the first six amino acids of the peptide, whereas the remaining residues stick out and interact with the surface of the binding protein. The peptide binding mechanism of OppA(Ll) is discussed in relation to known three-dimensional structures of members of this class of proteins, and an adaptation of the general binding mechanism is proposed.

4-Chloromercuribenzenesulfonate↗
PubMed1989

Response of Lactococcus (Streptococcus) lactis to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine: absence of adaptive response.

Pretreatment of cells of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis with low levels of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine does not reduce the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects caused by high concentration of this agent. This observation indicates that there is no efficient inducible error-free repair system for alkylation damage similar to the 'adaptive response' described in detail for Escherichia coli.

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMed2001

Analysis of six prophages in Lactococcus lactis IL1403: different genetic structure of temperate and virulent phage populations.

We report the genetic organisation of six prophages present in the genome of Lactococcus lactis IL1403. The three larger prophages (36-42 kb), belong to the already described P335 group of temperate phages, whereas the three smaller ones (13-15 kb) are most probably satellites relying on helper phage(s) for multiplication. These data give a new insight into the genetic structure of lactococcal phage populations. P335 temperate phages have variable genomes, sharing homology over only 10-33% of their length. In contrast, virulent phages have highly similar genomes sharing homology over >90% of their length. Further analysis of genetic structure in all known groups of phages active on other bacterial hosts such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, MYCOBACTERIUM: and Streptococcus thermophilus confirmed the existence of two types of genetic structure related to the phage way of life. This might reflect different intensities of horizontal DNA exchange: low among purely virulent phages and high among temperate phages and their lytic homologues. We suggest that the constraints on genetic exchange among purely virulent phages reflect their optimal genetic organisation, adapted to a more specialised and extreme form of parasitism than temperate/lytic phages.

Bacteriophages↗
PubMed2000

Engineering the active center of the 6-phospho-beta-galactosidase from Lactococcus lactis.

Several amino acids in the active center of the 6-phospho-beta-galactosidase from Lactococcus lactis were replaced by the corresponding residues in homologous enzymes of glycosidase family 1 with different specificities. Three mutants, W429A, K435V/Y437F and S428D/ K435V/Y437F, were constructed. W429A was found to have an improved specificity for glucosides compared with the wild-type, consistent with the theory that the amino acid at this position is relevant for the distinction between galactosides and glucosides. The k(cat)/K(m) for o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucose-6-phosphate is 8-fold higher than for o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactose-6-phosphate which is the preferred substrate of the wild-type enzyme. This suggests that new hydrogen bonds are formed in the mutant between the active site residues, presumably Gln19 or Trp421 and the C-4 hydroxyl group. The two other mutants with the exchanges in the phosphate-binding loop were tested for their ability to bind phosphorylated substrates. The triple mutant is inactive. The double mutant has a dramatically decreased ability to bind o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactose-6-phosphate whereas the interaction with o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactose is barely altered. This result shows that the 6-phospho-beta-galactosidase and the related cyanogenic beta-glucosidase from Trifolium repens have different recognition mechanisms for substrates although the structures of the active sites are highly conserved.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed1993

Lysines 72, 80 and 213 and aspartic acid 210 of the Lactococcus lactis LacR repressor are involved in the response to the inducer tagatose-6-phosphate leading to induction of lac operon expression.

Site-directed mutagenesis of the Lactococcus lactis lacR gene was performed to identify residues in the LacR repressor that are involved in the induction of lacABCDFEGX operon expression by tagatose-6-phosphate. A putative inducer binding domain located near the C-terminus was previously postulated based on homology studies with the Escherichia coli DeoR family of repressors, which all have a phosphorylated sugar as inducer. Residues within this domain and lysine residues that are charge conserved in the DeoR family were changed into alanine or arginine. The production of the LacR mutants K72A, K80A, K80R, D210A, K213A and K213R in the LacR-deficient L.lactis strain NZ3015 resulted in repressed phospho-beta-galactosidase (LacG) activities and decreased growth rates on lactose. Gel mobility shift assays showed that the complex between a DNA fragment carrying the lac operators and LacR mutants K72A, K80A, K213A and D210A did not dissociate in the presence of tagatose-6-phosphate, in contrast to wild type LacR. Other mutations (K62A/K63A, K72R, K73A, K73R, T212A, F214R, R216R and R216K) exhibited no gross effects on inducer response. The results strongly suggest that the lysines at positions 72, 80 and 213 and aspartic acid at position 210 are involved in the induction of lac operon expression by tagatose-6-phosphate.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Engineering of the substrate-binding region of the subtilisin-like, cell-envelope proteinase of Lactococcus lactis.

The substrate-binding region of the cell-envelope proteinase of Lactococcus lactis strain SK11 was modelled, based on sequence homology of the catalytic domain with the serine proteinases subtilisin and thermitase. Substitutions, deletions and insertions were introduced, by site-directed and cassette mutagenesis of the prtP gene encoding this enzyme, based on sequence comparison both with subtilisin and with the homologous L.lactis strain Wg2 proteinase, which has different proteolytic properties. The engineered enzymes were investigated for thermal stability, proteolytic activity and cleavage specificity towards small chromogenic peptide substrates and the peptide alpha s1-casein(1-23). Mutations in the subtilisin-like substrate-binding region showed that Ser433 is the active site residue, and that residues 138 and 166 at either side of the binding cleft play an important role in substrate specificity, particularly when these residues and the substrate are oppositely charged. The K748T mutation in a different domain also affected specificity and stability, suggesting that this residue is in close proximity to the subtilisin-like domain and may form part of the substrate-binding site. Several mutant SK11 proteinases have novel properties not previously encountered in natural variants. Replacements of residues 137-139AKT along one side of the binding cleft produced the 137-139GPP mutant proteinase with reduced activity and narrowed specificity, and the 137-139GLA mutant with increased activity and broader specificity. Furthermore, the 137-139GDT mutant had a specificity towards alpha s1-casein(1-23) closely resembling that of L.lactis Wg2 proteinase. Mutants with an additional negative charge in the binding region were more stable towards autoproteolysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Evidence for a large dispensable segment in the subtilisin-like catalytic domain of the Lactococcus lactis cell-envelope proteinase.

The Lactococcus lactis SK11 cell-envelope proteinase contains various inserts, located in external loops of the catalytic domain compared with related subtilisins. In this study, protein engineering was employed to determine the function of the largest loop insertion (residues 238-388) relative to the subtilisin structure. By site-directed mutagenesis we have deleted the fragment of the proteinase gene encoding these 151 residues and analyzed the mutant delta 238-388 proteinase for activity, (auto)processing and cleavage specificity. This extra segment is found to be inessential for activity, and its removal does not inhibit folding as the mutant proteinase is still active. In addition, the N- and C-terminal autoprocessing of the delta 238-388 proteinase appears to be unchanged. However, removal of residues 238-388 altered substantially the caseinolytic specificity of the enzyme, indicating that this extra segment influences substrate specificity. Residues 238-388 were shown to contain a specific epitope for a monoclonal antibody.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Homology modelling of the Lactococcus lactis leader peptidase NisP and its interaction with the precursor of the lantibiotic nisin.

A model is presented for the 3-D structure of the catalytic domain of the putative leader peptidase NisP of Lactococcus lactis, and the interaction with its specific substrate, the precursor of the lantibiotic nisin. This homology model is based on the crystal structures of subtilisin BPN' and thermitase in complex with the inhibitor eglin. Predictions are made of the general protein fold, inserted loops, Ca2+ binding sites, aromatic interactions and electrostatic interactions of NisP. Cleavage of the leader peptide from precursor nisin by NisP is the last step in maturation of nisin. A detailed prediction of the substrate binding site attempts to explain the basis of specificity of NisP for precursor nisin. Specific acidic residues in the S1 subsite of the substrate binding region of NisP appear to be of particular importance for electrostatic interaction with the P1 Arg residue of precursor nisin after which cleavage occurs. The hydrophobic S4 subsite of NisP may also contribute to substrate binding as it does in subtilisins. Predictions of enzyme-substrate interaction were tested by protein engineering of precursor nisin and determining susceptibility of mutant precursors to cleavage by NisP. An unusual property of NisP predicted from this catalytic domain model is a surface patch near the substrate binding region which is extremely rich in aromatic residues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Novel characteristic for distinguishing Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis from subsp. cremoris.

Lactococcus lactis strains were examined for their ability to produce gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Results showed that strains of L. lactis subsp. lactis were able to produce this acid, whereas L. lactis subsp. cremoris were not. GABA production thus represents another effective characteristic for distinguishing L. lactis subsp. lactis from L. lactis subsp. cremoris.

Glutamate Decarboxylase↗
PubMed1989

Structure and expression of the Lactococcus lactis gene for phospho-beta-galactosidase (lacG) in Escherichia coli and L. lactis.

The Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis 712 lacG gene encoding phospho-beta-galactosidase was isolated from the lactose mini-plasmid pMG820 and cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli and L. lactis. The low phospho-beta-galactosidase activity in L. lactis transformed with high-copy-number plasmids containing the lacG gene contrasted with the high activity found in L. lactis containing the original, low-copy-number lactose plasmid pMG820, and indicated that the original lactose promoter was absent from the cloned DNA. In E. coli the phospho-beta-galactosidase could be overproduced using the strong inducible lambda PL promoter, which allowed a rapid purification of the active enzyme. The complete nucleotide sequence of the L. lactis lacG gene and its surrounding regions was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence was confirmed by comparison with the amino acid composition of the purified phospho-beta-galactosidase and its amino-terminal sequence. This also allowed the exact positioning of the lacG gene and identification of its characteristic Gram-positive translation initiation signals. The homologous expression data and the sequence organization of the L. lactis lacG gene indicate that the gene is organized into a large lactose operon which contains an intergenic promoter located in an inverted repeat immediately preceding the lacG gene. The organization and sequence of the L. lactis lacG gene were compared with those of the highly homologous lacG gene from Staphylococcus aureus. A remarkable bias for leucine codons was observed in the lacG genes of these two species. Heterogramic homology was observed between the deduced amino acid sequence of the L. lactis phospho-beta-galactosidase, that of the functionally analogous E. coli phospho-beta-glucosidase, and that of an Agrobacterium beta-glucosidase (cellobiase).

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Plasmid-encoded determinants for bacteriocin production and immunity in a Lactococcus lactis strain and purification of the inhibitory peptide.

Lactococcin, a bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis ADRIA 85LO30, was purified as a 2.3-2.4 kDa peptide. Six non-bacteriocin-producing (Bac-) and non-immune (Imm-) strains were isolated after curing experiments. These strains had in common the loss or modification of two plasmids: pOS4 (32 kb) and pOS5 (70 kb). By comparing pOS5 and several modified plasmids, a DNA region from pOS5 of about 10 kb, which was necessary for wild-type bacteriocin production and immunity, was identified.

Bacteriocins↗
PubMed1991

Nucleotide sequence of a Lactococcus lactis gene cluster encoding adenylate kinase, initiation factor 1 and ribosomal proteins.

We have previously isolated a putative promoter from the Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis chromosome. We now report the sequence of the promoter fragment and its extension in the 5'-direction. The region contains several open-reading frames which correspond to ribosomal protein L15, SecY, adenylate kinase, initiation factor 1 and ribosomal proteins B and S13. The order of the genes, rplO (L15), secY, adk, infA, rpmJ (B) and rpsM (S13), is similar to that in the spc and alpha operon region of Bacillus subtilis, with the exception of the map gene, coding for methionine amino peptidase, which is located between adk and infA in B. subtilis. The putative promoter is located between adk and infA.

Adenylate Kinase↗
PubMed1992

Influence of the carbon source on nisin production in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis batch fermentations.

Nisin production by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NIZO 22186 was studied in batch fermentation using a complex medium. Nisin production showed primary metabolite kinetics: nisin biosynthesis took place during the active growth phase and completely stopped when cells entered the stationary phase. A stringent correlation could be observed between the expression of the prenisin gene (nisA) and the synthesis of the post-translationally enzymically modified and processed mature nisin peptide. Moreover, it seemed likely that nisin had a growth control function. A physiological link is proposed between sucrose fermentation capacity and nisin production ability. Carbon source regulation appears to be a major control mechanism for nisin production.

Cell Division↗