Differential azole antifungal efficacies contrasted using a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain humanized for sterol 14 alpha-demethylase at the homologous locus.

Inhibition of sterol-14 alpha-demethylase, a cytochrome P450 (CYP51, Erg11p), is the mode of action of azole antifungal drugs, and with high frequencies of fungal infections new agents are required. New drugs that target fungal CYP51 should not inhibit human CYP51, although selective inhibitors of the human target are also of interest as anticholesterol agents. A strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that was humanized with respect to the amino acids encoded at the CYP51 (ERG11) yeast locus (BY4741:huCYP51) was produced. The strain was validated with respect to gene expression, protein localization, growth characteristics, and sterol content. The MIC was determined and compared to that for the wild-type parental strain (BY4741), using clotrimazole, econazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, and voriconazole. The humanized strain showed up to >1,000-fold-reduced susceptibility to the orally active azole drugs, while the topical agents showed no difference. Data from growth kinetic measurements substantiated this finding but also revealed reduced effectiveness against the humanized strain for the topical drugs. Cellular sterol profiles reflected the decreased susceptibility of BY4741:huCYP51 and showed a smaller depletion of ergosterol and accumulation of 14 alpha-methyl-ergosta-8, 24(28)-dien-3beta-6 alpha-diol than the parental strain under the same treatment conditions. This strain provides a useful tool for initial specificity testing for new drugs targeting CYP51 and clearly differentiates azole antifungals in a side-by-side comparison.

Corynebacterium glutamicum superoxide dismutase is a manganese-strict non-cambialistic enzyme in vitro.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) of Corynebacterium glutamicum was purified and characterized. The enzyme had a native molecular weight of about 80kDa, whereas a monomer with molecular weight of 24kDa was found on SDS-PAGE suggesting it to be homotetramer. The native SOD activity stained gel revealed a unique cytosolic enzyme. Supplementing growth media with manganese increased the specific activity significantly, while adding iron did not result in significant difference. No growth perturbation was observed with the supplemented media. In vitro metal removal and replacement studies revealed conservation of about 85% of the specific activity by substitution with manganese, while substitution with copper, iron, nickel or zinc did not restore any significant specific activity. Manganese was identified by atomic absorption spectrometer, while no signals corresponding to fixing other metallic elements were detected. Thus, C. glutamicum SOD could be considered a strict (non-cambialistic) manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD).

Cloning of the sodA gene from Corynebacterium melassecola and role of superoxide dismutase in cellular viability.

The sodA gene encoding the Corynebacterium melassecola manganese-cofactored superoxide dismutase (SOD) has been cloned in Escherichia coli and sequenced. The gene is transcribed monocistronically; the predicted polypeptide is 200 amino acids long and associates in a homotetrameric, manganese-dependent form, able to complement an SOD-deficient E. coli mutant. A second open reading frame, coding for a putative 217-amino-acid protein with high homology to peptide methionine sulfoxide reductases from various origins, has been identified immediately upstream of sodA in the opposite transcription orientation. The sodA gene was inactivated by insertion of an integrative vector carrying a kanamycin resistance gene. The growth rate of the SOD-deficient integrant was only slightly affected in BHI rich medium as well as in BMCG chemically defined medium, but was strongly affected by the presence of the redox-cycling agent paraquat. The SOD deficiency had, on the other hand, a deleterious effect on viability as soon as the culture entered the stationary phase of growth in BHI medium. Surprisingly, SOD deficiency was able to rescue the dramatic loss of viability observed for the wild-type strain in BMCG synthetic medium when glucose was not the limiting growth factor.

Stabilization of methionine-rich protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: targeting of BZN protein into the peroxisome.

We have constructed a gene coding for the 12-kDa intermediate form of the 2s methionine-rich protein from Bertholletia excelsa seeds. This protein, expressed intracellularly in yeast, is characterised by a 20-min half-life. By adding 11 amino acids corresponding to the peroxisome-targeting sequence (PTSc) of luciferase, we have significantly increased its half-life. This stabilization allowed accumulation of the BZN protein into the peroxisome as judged by cell fractionation. Accumulation of the 12-kDa protein results in a significant increase of the total methionine content in yeast cells (30%) indicating that such a microorganism could represent a practicable protected shuttle for an animal-feed additive.

A new signal peptide useful for secretion of heterologous proteins from yeast and its application for synthesis of hirudin.

The BGL2 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a beta-glucanase which is localized to the yeast cell wall. The ability of a 23-amino acid (aa) signal peptide derived from the BGL2 gene to direct a heterologous protein to the secretory pathway of yeast has been compared to that of the MF alpha 1-encoded signal peptide in a series of gene fusions. As a model protein, the leech anticoagulant, recombinant hirudin variant 2-Lys47 (HIR) has been studied. From a multicopy plasmid chimaeric proteins were produced which carry the BGL2 signal peptide (or the artificial BGL2 pre-Val7 variant) (i) in front of the MF alpha 1 pro sequence (or modified versions of MF alpha 1 pro), i.e., a prepro signal, or (ii) joined directly to the heterologous protein. Accumulation of active HIR in yeast culture supernatants was observed when the BGL2 (or the BGL2 pre-Val7) signal peptide were used in combination with either of three versions of the MF alpha 1 pro peptide: the authentic MF alpha 1 pro, a partially deleted MF alpha 1 pro-delta 22-61, or a pro bearing an aa change (MF alpha 1 pro-Gly22). In each case the BGL2 signal peptide (or its variant) has proven equally productive to the corresponding MF alpha 1 peptide. Four times more active HIR was detected in the culture supernatant when either signal peptide was fused directly to the recombinant protein, as compared to a prepro protein version. Correct signal peptide cleavage was obtained when HIR was produced as a BGL2 pre-Val7::fusion protein.