Transcript Folie 1
Heterologous expression, biosynthesis and mutagenesis of type II
lantibiotic from Bacillus licheniformis in Escherichia coli
Tânia Caetano1,2, Joanna Krawczyk3, Eva Mösker3, Roderich D. Süssmuth3, Sónia Mendo1
1 Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810 Aveiro, Portugal
2 Medinfar– Pharmaceutical Products SA, Amadora, 2700 Venda Nova, Portugal
3 Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Abstract
Lichenicidin is a class II two-component lantibiotic produced by B. licheniformis. It is composed of the two peptides Bli and Bli, which act synergistically against various Grampositive bacteria, including MRSA and Listeria monocytogenes. The lichenicidin gene cluster was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli, constituting the first report of a
complete lantibiotic gene cluster heterologous expression in a Gram-negative host. This system was further exploited to characterize and assign the function of proteins encoded
in the biosynthetic gene cluster in the maturation of lichenicidin peptides.
The lichenicidin gene cluster
Mutagenesis of the lichenicidin
biosynthetic cluster
A
B
E.coli BW25113
pLic5
A
pIJ778
pKD20
+
PCR
B
BmtI disruption cassettte BmtI
Fig. 1: (A) Representation of lichenicidin biosynthetic gene cluster organization [1], according to the
genome annotation for Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 14760. Black circles correspond to deduced
Rho-dependent terminators (B) Proposed structures of Bliα and Bliβ peptides [4, 5].
C
pLic5ΔX
Construction and screening of a fosmid
library of B. licheniformis
Purify genomic Randomly shear & Isolate DNA
DNA
end-repaid DNA of correct size
Perform in-gel
ligation
BmtI
Screen
D
E
pLic5ΔX
pLic5ΔX
E. coli EPI300
BmtI
Fig. 3: λ-RED recombinase system [2, 3] was used to carry out
the inactivation of all lic genes except those related with immunity.
A) Amplification of the disruption cassette B) PCR-targeting.
The fosmid pLic5 (containing the lichenicidin biosynthetic gene
cluster) was introduced into BW25113 cells containing the RED
recombinase expression plasmid pKD20 [2]. C) Isolation of pLicΔX D)
Restriction digestion of pLicΔX with BmtI and the plasmid religation
E) Transformation of E. coli EPI300 with pLicΔX.
Fig. 2: A fosmid library of B. licheniformis I89 was screened for the presence of the lichenicidin gene
cluster by colony blot hybridization with lanA1/A2 DIG labeled probe. Positive colonies were
submitted to PCR and the amplified fragment sequenced.
Analysis of mutants
Bioassay of lichenicidin gene
inactivation mutants
Fig. 4: Agar diffusion assay for the assessment of lichenicidin
production by knockout mutants of the lic gene cluster with
M. luteus as the indicator strain.
(A) Antibacterial activity exhibited by each of the mutants
constructed in this study.
(B) Synergetic activity of peptides Bliα and Bli, produced by
Lic5ΔA2 and Lic5ΔA1, respectively.
(C) Restored lichenicidin activity was observed when Bli and
Bliα peptides could interact. Mutants Lic5ΔA1 and Lic5ΔA2
are exclusive producers of Bli and Bliα, respectively.
References
1) Dischinger, J., Josten, M., Szekat, C., Sahl, HG., Bierbaum, G. PLoS One. 2009, 4, e6788.
2) Datsenko, K.A., and Wanner, B.L. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2000, 97, 6640-6645.
3) Gust, B., Challis, G.L., Fowler, K., Kieser, T., and Chater, K.F. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2003, 100,
1541-1546.
4) Begley, M., Cotter, PD., Hill, C., Ross, RP. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009, 75, 5451-5460.
5) Shenkarev, ZO., Finkina, EI., Nurmukhamedova, EK., Balandin, SV., Mineev. KS., Nadezhdin, KD.,
Yakimenko, ZA., Tagaev, AA., Temirov, YV., Arseniev, AS., Ovchinnikova, TV. Biochemistry. 2010, 49,
6462-6472.
Fig. 5: ESI-mass spectra of Bliα (3249.54 Da) and Bli (3019.38
Da) peptides detected in B. licheniformis I89 supernatant (A) and
cell (B) extracts. Genetic inactivation of the structural genes licA1
and LicA2 resulted in the production of only Bli (C) and Bliα (D),
respectively.
Funding