U.S. patent application number 10/240280 was filed with the patent office on 2004-02-26 for mutants of lactobacillus casei defective in carbon catabolism regulation.
Invention is credited to Benbadis, Laurent, Deutscher, Josef, Faurie, Jean-Michel, Monedero, Vicente Garcia, Perez, Gaspar Martinez, Pierson, Anne, Viana, Rosa Ballester.
Application Number | 20040038340 10/240280 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8173623 |
Filed Date | 2004-02-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040038340 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Deutscher, Josef ; et
al. |
February 26, 2004 |
Mutants of lactobacillus casei defective in carbon catabolism
regulation
Abstract
The invention relates to the use of mutants of L. casei having
at least a mutation impairing the regulation of a carbon catabolite
repression (CCR) mechanism involving the PTS protein HPRr, for the
preparation of a food product. The use of said mutants allows for
instance to impart to said food products an improved texture and
flavor, and/or a higher content in aroma compounds.
Inventors: |
Deutscher, Josef; (Fontenay
Le Fleury, FR) ; Benbadis, Laurent; (Toulouse,
FR) ; Pierson, Anne; (Fontenay-Aux-Roses, FR)
; Faurie, Jean-Michel; (Jouy-En-Josas, FR) ;
Perez, Gaspar Martinez; (Valencia, ES) ; Monedero,
Vicente Garcia; (Valencia, ES) ; Viana, Rosa
Ballester; (Valencia, ES) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OBLON, SPIVAK, MCCLELLAND, MAIER & NEUSTADT, P.C.
1940 DUKE STREET
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
8173623 |
Appl. No.: |
10/240280 |
Filed: |
January 27, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
March 30, 2001 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP01/03951 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
435/69.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C12N 9/1205 20130101;
C12R 2001/245 20210501; C07K 14/335 20130101; C12N 1/205
20210501 |
Class at
Publication: |
435/69.1 |
International
Class: |
C12P 021/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 31, 2000 |
EP |
00400894.2 |
Claims
1) Use of a mutant of L. casei having at least a mutation impairing
the regulation of a carbon catabolite repression (CCR) mechanism
involving the PTS protein HPr, for the preparation of a food
product.
2) The use of claim 1, wherein said mutant is selected from the
group consisting of: a) mutants having at least a mutation
impairing the regulation of CCR through P-His-HPr; b) mutants
having at least a mutation impairing the regulation of CCR through
P-Ser-HPr.
3) The use of claim 2, wherein said mutant has at least a mutation
in a gene encoding a component of the PTS system.
4) The use of claim 3, wherein said mutant has at least a mutation
selected in the group consisting of: a mutation in the ptsH gene
impairing the ability of HPr to be phosphorylated at His-15, or to
phosphorylate EIIA; a mutation in the ptsI gene impairing the
ability of EI to phosphorylate HPr; a mutation in a gene encoding
an enzyme EIIA, EIIB, or EIIC impairing the transfer of a phosphory
group to a carbohydrate.
5) The use of claim 2, wherein said mutant has at least a mutation
in a gene encoding an antiterminator or a transcriptional activator
having the PTS regulation domain.
6) The use of claim 2, wherein said mutant has at least a mutation
selected in the group consisting of: a mutation in the ptsH gene,
impairing the ability of HprK to be phosphorylated at Ser-46; a
mutation in the hprK gene, impairing the ability of HprK to
phosphorylate HPr at Ser-46; a mutation in the ptsH gene, or in the
ccpA gene, impairing the formation of a complex between CcpA and
P-Ser-HPr or the binding of said complex to cre elements.
7) The use of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said mutant is elected
in the group consisting of: mutants having at least a mutation in
the ptsI gene resulting in the expression of an EI protein devoid
of at least aminoacids 110 to 574 of wild-type EI. mutants having
at least a mutation in the hprK gene resulting in the expression of
a HprK devoid of at least aminoacids 208 to 319 of wild-type HprK.
mutants having at least a mutation in the ccpA gene resulting in
the expression of a CcpA deleted of at least aminoacids 134 to 333
of wild-type CcpA. mutants in the ptsH gene having at least a
mutation resulting in the expression of a HPr having at least one
amino-acid substitution at position 15 and/or at position 46 and/or
at position 47 of wild-type HPr, and/or at least a mutation
resulting in the expression of a HPr deleted of at least one of
amino-acids 15, 46, and/or 47 of wild-type HPr.
8) A mutant of L. casei having at least one mutant in at least one
of ptsI, ptsH or hprK genes, wherein said mutation impairs at least
one of the functions of the product of said genes.
9) A food-grade mutant of L. casei, having at least one mutation in
any of ptsI, ptsH, hprK, or ccpA genes.
10) A method for obtaining a food-grade mutant of claim 9, wherein
said method comprises: transforming L. casei with an integrative
vector comprising a mutated gene selected among ptsI, ptsH, hprK,
or ccpA, and further comprising a selective marker gene; culturing
the bacteria under selective conditions for the marker gene in
order to obtain the bacteria having integrated the plasmid into
their chromosome by a single recombination event; culturing said
bacteria under non-selective conditions for the marker gene in
order to obtain bacteria having undergone a double recombination
event leading to the excision of the vector sequences.
11) A method for obtaining a food-grade mutant of L. casei wherein
the catalytic function of HPr is only slightly impaired wherein
said method comprises: providing a mutant strain of L. casei
wherein the ptsI gene is inactivated in such a way that the
function of EI is totally impaired; transforming said mutant strain
with an integrative vector comprising a ptsHI operon consisting of
a wild type ptsI gene and the mutant ptsH gene, and further
comprising a selective marker gene; culturing the bacteria on
lactose under selective conditions for the marker gene, and
recovering the bacteria having integrated the vector into their
chromosome by a single recombination event; culturing the selected
bacteria on lactose and under non-selective conditions for the
marker gene in order to obtain bacteria having undergone a double
recombination event leading to the excision of the vector
sequences.
12) A process for preparing a food product or food additive wherein
said process comprises fermenting a food substrate with a mutant of
L. casei, as defined in any of claims 1 to 9.
13) A process of claim 12 wherein said food product is a dairy
product.
14) A process of any of claims 12 or 13, for preparing a food
product enriched with aroma compounds, comprising by fermenting a
food substrate with a strain ofL. casei having a mutation impairing
the function of CcpA.
15) A process of any of claims 12 or 13, for preparing a food
product having an improved texture and flavor, comprising
fermenting a food substrate with a strain of L. casei having a
mutation impairing the function of EI.
16) A fermented food product obtainable by a process according to
any of claims 12 to 15.
17) A fermented food product comprising at least a mutant of L.
casei, as defined in any of claims 1 to 9.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to mutant strains of bacteria
of the group Lactobacillus casei defective in a carbon catabolism
regulation pathway, and to their use in the processing of fermented
foods.
[0002] As defined herein, the group Lactobacillus casei includes
the species L. casei, as well as the species L. paracasei (formerly
L. casei subsp. paracasei), L. rhamnosus (formerly L. casei subsp.
rhamnosus) and L. zeae. Those species are phylogenetically very
closely related to each other and their respective 16S and 23S rDNA
genes always show a similarity greater than 97.5% [MORI et al.,
Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 47, 54-57, (1997)].
[0003] L. casei is recognized as a probiotic, i.e. a live microbial
feed supplement having a positive effect on the health of the
consumer; and is widely used as a starter in dairy industry and in
the preparation of fermented food, more specifically food
containing living ferments.
[0004] Carbon catabolite repression (CCR) is a regulatory mechanism
allowing bacteria to choose between different carbon sources
according to their metabolic value and to switch from a carbon
source to another depending on their availability in the growth
medium. A well-known manifestation of catabolic repression is the
diauxic growth that occurs when bacteria are grown in presence of
both glucose and lactose. Diauxic growth curves show two distinct
phases of exponential growth, separated by a lag phase. During the
first phase of growth, glucose represses the synthesis of the
enzymes necessary for lactose utilisation, and is therefore the
only source of energy of the bacteria. When all the glucose is
exhausted occurs the lag phase, during which the enzymes for
lactose utilisation are synthesised, allowing lactose to be used as
a source of energy during the second phase of growth.
[0005] A main target of catabolite repression is the transport of
sugars into the bacterial cell. In L. casei, this transport is
predominantly performed by the phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate
phosphotransferase system (PTS).
[0006] The PTS of gram-positive bacteria has been studied mainly in
Bacillus subtilis; it has been shown that it effects the
phosphorylation of sugars and their transfer into the cell through
a cascade of phosphorylations involving the general
non-sugar-specific enzymes EI and HPr, and the sugar-specific
enzymes EIIA, EIIB, and EIIC. The first step is the phosphorylation
of EI from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP). The phosphorylated EI (EI-P)
catalyses the phosphorylation of HPr, at the catalytic His-15. HPr
phosphorylated at His-15 (designated as P-His-HPr) transfers its
phosphoryl group to EIIA, which in turn phosphorylates EIIB.
Phosphorylated EIIB (P-EIIB) associated with the membrane protein
EIIC, catalyses the simultaneous uptake and phosphorylation of a
specific carbohydrate.
[0007] It has been shown that components of the PTS, and more
specifically the enzyme HPr, are also involved in other regulatory
pathways.
[0008] For instance, P-His-HPr can transfer its phosphoryl group
also to non-PTS proteins, such as glycerol kinase [CHARRIER et al.,
J. Biol. Chem., 272, 14166-14174, (1997)] or antiterminators and
transcriptional activators possessing the PTS regulation domain
(PRD) which contains several phosphorylation sites recognised by
P-His-HPr [TORTOSA et al., J. Biol. Chem., 272, 17230-17237,
(1997); STLKE et al., Mol. Microbiol., 28, 865-874, (1998); LINDNER
et al., Mol. Microbiol., 31, 995-1006, (1999)]. In all cases,
P-His-HPr-dependent phosphorylation leads to the activation of the
function of the non-PTS proteins and this phosphorylation has been
shown to serve as a secondary carbon catabolite repression
mechanism in Gram-positive bacteria [DEUTSCHER et al., J.
Bacteriol., 175, 3730-3733, (1993); KRGER et al., J. Bacteriol.,
178, 2637-2644, (1996); MARTIN-VERSTRAETE et al., Mol. Microbiol.,
28, 293-303, (1998)]. In Lactobacillus casei, the antiterminator
LacT, which regulates the expression of the lac operon, contains
two PRD and seems to be controlled by this mechanism.
[0009] In Gram-positive bacteria, HPr may also be phosphorylated by
the bifunctional HPr kinase/phosphatase HprK [GALINIER et al.,
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 95, 1823-1828, (1998); REIZER et al.,
Mol. Microbiol., 27, 1157-1169, (1998); BROCHU and VADEBONCOEUR, J.
Bacteriol., 181, 709-717, (1999); KRAVANJA et al., Mol. Microbiol.,
31, 59-66, (1999)1. In Bacillus subtilis, this phosphorylation,
which occurs at the regulatory Ser-46 [DEUTSCHER et al.,
Biochemistry, 25, 6543-6551, (1986)], is stimulated by
fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and inhibited by inorganic phosphate
[GALINIER et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 95, 1823-1828,
(1998)]. HPr phosphorylated at Ser-46 (designated as P-Ser-HPr),
participates in the major mechanism of CCR/carbon catabolite
activation operative in bacilli and presumably other Gram-positive
bacteria [DEUTSCHER et al., Mol. Microbiol., 42, 171-178, (1997)].
It functions as corepressor for the catabolite control protein
CcpA, a member of the LacI/GalR family of transcriptional
repressors/activators [HENKIN et al., Mol. Microbiol., 5, 575-584,
(1991)]. The complex formed between CcpA and P-Ser-HPr has been
shown to bind to catabolite response elements (cre) [FUJITA and
MIWA, J. Bacteriol., 176, 511-513, (1994); GSSERINGER et al., J.
Mol. Biol., 266, 665-676, (1997); KIM et al., Proc. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA, 95, 9590-9595, (1998); GALINIER et al., J. Mol. Biol.,
286, 307-314, (1999); MARTIN-VERSTRAETE et al., Mol. Microbiol.,
28, 293-303, (1999)], operator sites preceding or overlapping the
promoters or being located within the 5' region of catabolite
repressed genes and operons [HUECK et al., Res. Microbiol., 145,
503-518, (1994)]. For instance, a functional cre element is found
in the promoter region of the lactose operon lacTEGF of L. casei,
which comprises the genes lacE and lacF encoding respectively the
lactose transport enzymes EIICB.sup.Lac and EIIA.sup.Lac together
with genes encoding an antiterminator protein (lacT), and a
phospho-beta-galactosidase (lacG) [GOSALBES et al., J. Bacteriol.,
181, 3928-3934, (1999)].
[0010] Genes encoding components of CCR system, and more
specifically genes related to the PTS, such as ptsI and ptsH
encoding respectively the enzymes EI and HPr of the PTS system,
hprK encoding the HPr kinase/phosphatase, and ccpA have been
characterised in some species of Gram-positive bacteria.
[0011] In L. casei, the gene ccpA [MONEDERO et al., J. Bacteriol.,
179, 6657-6664, (1997)], and the genes lacT, lacE, lacG and lacF
[GOSALBES et al., referred above; POTER and CHASSY, Gene, 62,
263-276, (1988); ALPERT and CHASSY, Gene, 62, 277-288, (1988);
ALPERT and CHASSY, J. Biol. Chem., 265, 22561-22568, (1990); ALPERT
and SIEBERS, J. Bacteriol., 179, 1555-1562, (1997)], have been
cloned and characterised until now.
[0012] The inventors have recently identified, cloned and sequenced
the ptsI, ptsH and hprK genes of L. casei.
[0013] The nucleotidic sequence of the ptsHI operon, and the
peptidic sequences of HPr and EI of L. casei are respectively
disclosed in the enclosed sequence listing under the identifiers
SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, and SEQ ID NO: b 3. The sequence of the
hprK gene is available in GENBANK under the access number
Y18948.
[0014] The inventors have now studied the effect of mutations in
ptsI, ptsH and hprK, as well as the effect of mutations in ccpA on
growth and metabolic properties of L. casei. They found that,
surprisingly, L. casei strains having mutations impairing the
regulation of carbon catabolite repression mechanisms involving the
PTS enzyme HPr, and more specifically mutations impairing the
regulation of the PTS, and/or mutations impairing the
transcriptional regulation of catabolite repressed genes through
the binding of the complex CcpA/P-Ser-HPr, possess an improved
capacity to produce compounds useful in the food industry, such as
aroma compounds and/or polysaccharides.
[0015] An object of the present invention is the use of a mutant of
L. casei having at least a mutation impairing the regulation of a
carbon catabolite repression mechanism involving the PTS enzyme
HPr, for the preparation of a food product.
[0016] Preferably, said mutant is selected from the group
consisting of:
[0017] a) mutants having at least a mutation impairing the
regulation of CCR through P-His-HPr;
[0018] b) mutants having at least a mutation impairing the
regulation of CCR through P-Ser-HPr.
[0019] Mutations of sub-group a) include in particular:
[0020] mutations in genes encoding the components of the PTS, for
instance: any mutation in the ptsH gene impairing the ability of
HPr to be phosphorylated at His-15, or to phosphorylate EIIA; any
mutation in the ptsI gene impairing the ability of EI to
phosphorylate HPr at His-15; any mutation in a gene encoding an
enzyme EIIA, EIIB, or EIIC impairing the transfer of a phosphoryl
group to a carbohydrate;
[0021] mutations in genes encoding antiterminators or
transcriptional activators having the PTS regulation domain, for
instance any mutation impairing the phosphorylation of any of these
antiterminators or transcriptional activators by P-His-HPr and/or
by P-EIIB or mimicking the phosphorylated form of the
antiterminator (for example phosphorylatable histidyl residues
mutated to Asp or Glu);
[0022] mutations destroying terminators located in front of genes
regulated by antiterminators which are phosphorylated and
controlled by P-His-HPr and/or by P-EIIB.
[0023] Mutations of sub-group b) include in particular: any
mutation in the ptsH gene impairing the ability of HPr to be
phosphorylated at Ser-46; any mutation in the hprK gene impairing
the ability of HprK to phosphorylate HPr at Ser-46; any mutation in
the ptsH gene or in the ccpA gene impairing the formation of a
complex between CcpA and P-Ser-HPr or the binding of said complex
to cre elements; any mutation in said cre elements impairing their
ability to bind said CcpA/P-Ser-HPr complex.
[0024] Non-limitative examples of mutants of L. casei which can be
used according to the invention are:
[0025] mutants having at least a mutation in the ptsI gene
resulting in the lack of expression of enzyme EI, or in the
expression of an enzyme EI devoid of at least an active domain of
wild-type EI. For instance, a mutant of the invention may be
obtained by introduction of a frameshift mutation at location 870
of the sequence SEQ ID NO:1. The insertion of four nucleotides
(sequence AATT) at this location results in a stop codon four
codons after the site of insertion. This results in the expression
of a truncated EI protein devoid of at least aminoacids 110 to 574
of wild-type EI, with the addition of four new codons before the
first translational stop codon.
[0026] mutants having at least a mutation in the hprK gene
resulting in the lack of expression of HprK or in the expression of
a HprK devoid of at least an active domain of wild-type HprK. For
instance, a mutant of the invention may be devoid of at least
aminoacids 208 to 319 of wild-type HprK.
[0027] mutants having at least a mutation in the ccpA gene
resulting in the lack of expression of CcpA or in the expression of
a CcpA devoid of at least an active domain of wild-type CcpA. For
instance, a mutant of the invention may be obtained by introduction
of a frameshift mutation at location 710 of the sequence U28137 of
GENBANK. The insertion of four nucleotides (sequence AATT) at this
location results in a stop codon five codons after the site of
insertion, and in the expression of a CcpA devoid of at least
aminoacids 134 to 333 of wild-type CcpA. - mutants in the ptsH gene
having at least a mutation resulting in the lack of expression of
HPr or in the expression of a HPr having at least one amino-acid
substitution at position 15 and/or at position 46 and/or at
position 47 of wild-type HPr, and/or at least a mutation resulting
in the expression of a HPr deleted of at least one of amino-acids
15, 46, and/or 47 of wild-type HPr.
[0028] The invention also provides:
[0029] mutants of L. casei having at least one mutation in at least
one of ptsI, or ptsH genes, wherein said mutation impairs at least
one of the functions of the product of said gene;
[0030] food-grade mutants of L. casei, having at least one mutation
impairing at least one of the functions of a gene involved in the
regulation of a carbon catabolite repression mechanism through the
PTS enzyme HPr. This includes more particularly food-grade mutants
having at least one mutation in any of ptsI, ptsH, hprK, or ccpA
genes.
[0031] "Food-grade mutants" are herein defined as mutant bacteria
acceptable for use in preparation of food. To be food-grade, the
mutants must not comprise sequences derived from microorganisms
other than the ones used in food industry. Preferably, they must
not comprise sequences derived from microorganisms other than those
belonging to the species from which the mutant derives. Also they
must not comprise potentially harmful DNA sequences such as
antibiotic resistance genes.
[0032] L. casei mutants of ccpA gene (MONEDERO et al., J.
Bacteriol., 179, 6657-6664, (1997) were already known in the art;
however they were not food-grade mutants.
[0033] Mutants of the invention may be obtained by the conventional
molecular biology methods. From the sequences of L. casei genes
such as ptsI, ptsH, hprK or other L. casei genes known in the art,
such as ccpA, the skilled artisan can easily design tools allowing
to perform the desired mutations through directed mutagenesis. Said
mutations may be obtained by the insertion, deletion, and/or
substitution of one nucleotide or of several nucleotides, adjacent
or not.
[0034] Said mutations may for instance be obtained by the deletion
of said regulatory DNA sequence or of the said insertion, deletion,
and/or substitution of one nucleotide or of several nucleotides,
adjacent or not.
[0035] Such mutations include in particular any mutation resulting
in the production of a protein having at least one deletion,
insertion, or non-conservative substitutions of one or several
amino acid residues in a domain essential for the biological
activity of said protein.
[0036] The mutant gene thus obtained is then cloned into a vector,
preferably an expression vector, and used to transform L. casei
host cells by any appropriate method, known in itself. Methods and
vectors suitable for the transformation of L. casei are for
instance disclosed by POSNO et al. [Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 57,
1822-1828, (1991)].
[0037] By way of example, one can use an extrachromosomal vector
able to replicate in L. casei. However, in order to obtain stable
mutants, a vector allowing the integration of the mutant gene into
the chromosome of L. casei will be preferred.
[0038] Integration of the mutant gene into the bacterial chromosome
occurs by recombination of the vector genetic material at a
homologous site (generally the wild-type allele of the mutant gene)
on the bacterial chromosome. Integration may result from a single
or double recombination event. Single recombination events result
in integration of the entire vector. Double recombination events
lead to the excision of the exogenous vector sequences.
[0039] By way of example, a method for integration of a mutant
lacT, lacE, or lacF gene in the chromosome of L. casei is disclosed
by GOSALBES et al. [J. Bacteriol. 181, 3928-3934, (1999)]. This
method includes cloning a wild-type gene in an integrative plasmid
(pRV300, having an Erm.sup.R marker), inducing a mutation in the
cloned gene (for example by cutting the gene with a restriction
enzyme and by introducing a mutation by making the restriction site
blunt-end), transforming L. casei with the plasmid comprising the
mutated gene, culturing the bacteria in selective medium containing
erythromycin in order to select the bacteria having integrated the
plasmid by a single recombination event (which are Erm.sup.R).
Further cultivation of these Erm.sup.R bacteria in non-selective
medium (i.e. without erythromycin) allows to obtain bacteria having
undergone a double recombination event leading to the excision of
the vector sequences.
[0040] Such a method can be used, for instance, for obtaining
food-grade mutants wherein the function of EI, HPr, HprK, or CcpA
is completely or partially impaired. This method comprises:
[0041] transforming L. casei with an integrative vector comprising
a mutated gene selected among ptsI, ptsH, hprK, or ccpA, and
further comprising a selective marker gene;
[0042] culturing the bacteria under selective conditions for the
marker gene (for instance, if the marker gene is an antibiotic
resistance gene, in presence of the corresponding antibiotic) and
recovering the bacteria able to grow in these conditions, i.e.
having integrated the vector into their chromosome by a single
recombination event;
[0043] culturing said bacteria under non-selective conditions for
the marker gene in order to obtain bacteria having undergone a
double recombination event leading to the excision of the vector
sequences.
[0044] This double recombination event produces bacteria having a
wild-type phenotype and bacteria having the desired mutation. The
latter can then be screened on the basis of their phenotypic
properties, and/or by PCR amplification of the chromosomic region
wherein the mutation was targeted and analysis of the amplification
products (for instance comparison of the restriction profiles). The
presence of the desired mutation can further be confirmed by DNA
sequencing.
[0045] A preferred method for obtaining food-grade mutants wherein
the catalytic function of HPr is only slightly impaired
comprises:
[0046] transforming a mutant strain of L. casei wherein the ptsI
gene is inactivated in such a way that function of EI is totally
impaired, with an integrative vector comprising a ptsHI operon
consisting of a wild type ptsI gene and the mutant ptsH gene, and
further comprising a selective marker gene;
[0047] culturing the transformed bacteria on lactose under
selective conditions for the marker gene, and recovering the
bacteria having integrated the vector into their chromosome by a
single recombination event;
[0048] culturing the selected bacteria on lactose and under
non-selective conditions for the marker gene in order to obtain
bacteria having undergone a double recombination event leading to
the excision of the vector sequences.
[0049] Clones containing an intact ptsI gene and a mutated ptsH
gene can be selected on the basis of their slightly reduced growth
on lactose. The presence of the mutation can be confirmed by DNA
sequencing.
[0050] Mutant strains of the invention can also be obtained from
wild-type strains of L. casei through classical mutation methods,
for instance chemical or UV induced mutagenesis. They can also be
naturally occurring mutants isolated from L. casei populations.
[0051] For instances, reporter gene fusions to catabolite repressed
or activated genes could be used to identify ccpA, ptsH or hprK
mutants defective in carbon catabolite repression or carbon
catabolite activation.
[0052] Mutant strains of the invention may also be selected on the
basis of their metabolic properties. For instance: mutants in the
ptsI or ptsH gene may be selected on the basis of their resistance
to 2-deoxy glucose. Mutants in the ptsI gene or mutants in the ptsH
gene having an inactive EI or HPr, respectively, may also be
selected on the basis of their ability to grow on non-PTS sugar but
not on PTS sugars.
[0053] The invention also provides a process for preparing a food
product or food additive wherein said process comprises fermenting
a food substrate with a mutant strain of L. casei, as defined
above.
[0054] Preferably said food product is a dairy product.
[0055] According to a preferred embodiment, the process of the
invention comprises preparing a food product enriched with aroma
compounds (such as acetate, acetoin, diacetyl, hydroxy-3-pentanone,
propionate) by fermenting a food substrate with a strain of L.
casei having a mutation impairing the function of CcpA.
[0056] According to another preferred embodiment, the process of
the invention comprises preparing a food product having an improved
texture and flavor by fermenting a food substrate with a strain of
L. casei having a mutation impairing the function of EI.
[0057] The invention also provides fermented food products
obtainable by the process of the invention, and, in particular
fermented food products comprising at least a mutant strain of L.
casei as defined above.
[0058] The present invention will be further illustrated by the
additional description which follows, which refers to examples of
construction and use of mutant strains of L. casei of the
invention. It should be understood however that these examples are
given only by way of illustration of the invention and do not
constitute in any way a limitation thereof.
EXAMPLE 1
Characterisation of L. Casei ptsH and ptsI Genes
[0059] Strains, Plasmids and Culture Conditions
[0060] The L. casei strains and plasmids used for the
characterisation of ptsH and ptsI genes and construction of mutants
thereof are listed in Table 1a and 1b below.
1TABLE 1a STRAIN (L. casei) GENOTYPE ORIGIN BL23 wild-type Bruce
Chassy BL30 man (VEYRAT et al,, 1994) BL71 ccpA (MONEDERO et al.,
1997) BL72 man ccpA (GOSALBES et al., 1997) BL121 ptsH1 (S46AHPr)
This work BL122 ptsH2 (S46THPr) This work BL123 ptsH3 (I47THPr)
This work BL124 ptsI: pVME800 This work BL126 ptsI1 (frameshift
introduced into This work the first EcoRI site of ptsI)
[0061]
2TABLE 1b ORIGIN PLASMID PHARMACIA- pUC18 PROPERTIES BIOTECH pRV300
pBluescript SK- with the pAM.beta.1 (LELOUP et EmR gene al., 1997)
pUCR-HI pUC18 with 1.6 kb PCR fragment This work with part of ptsH
and ptsI pVME800 pRV300 with a 865 bp EcoRI This work internal ptsI
fragment pVMS1 pRV300 with 9 kb fragment This work downstream from
ptsI pVMH1 pRV300 with part of ptsI, complete This work ptsH and
105 bp upstream from ptsH pVMH2 pVMH1 derivative This work (codon
46 of ptsH is GCT for Ala) pVMH3 pVMH1 derivative This work (codon
46 of ptsH is ACT for Thr) pVMH4 pVMH1 derivative This work (codon
46 of ptsH is GAT for Asp) pVMH5 pVMH1 derivative This work (codon
47 of ptsH is ACC for Thr) pVMR10 pVMH1 derivative with a
frameshift in This work the first EcoRI site of ptsI.
[0062] L. casei cells were grown at 37.degree. C. under static
condition in MRS medium (OXOID) or MRS fermentation medium
(ADSA-MICRO, Scharlau S. A., Barcelona, Spain) containing 0.5% of
the indicated carbohydrates.
[0063] For diauxic growth experiments, L. casei strains were grown
in MRS basal medium containing in 1 l: polypeptone (DIFCO), 10 g;
meat extract (DIFCO), 10 g; yeast extract (DIFCO), 5 g;
K.sub.2HPO.sub.4.3H.sub.2O, 2 g; sodium acetate, 5 g; di-ammonium
citrate, 2 9; MgSO.sub.4, 0.1 g; MnSO.sub.4, 0.05 g and TWEEN 80, 1
ml. The basal medium was supplemented with different sugars at a
final concentration of 0.5%, but for the diauxic growth experiments
the sugar concentrations were changed as indicated in the text. E.
coli DH5.alpha. was grown with shaking at 37.degree. C. in
Luria-Bertani (LB) medium.
[0064] Transformed bacteria were plated on the respective solid
media containing 1.5% agar. The concentrations of antibiotics used
for the selection of E. coli transformants were 100 g per ml
ampicillin, and 300 .mu.g per ml erythromycin and for the selection
of L. casei integrants 5 .mu.g per ml erythromycin.
[0065] The sugar utilization pattern of certain strains was
determined with the API50-CH galeries (BIOMERIEUX, Marcy l'Etoile,
France).
[0066] Purification of HPr
[0067] Cells from an over-night culture (1 l of MRS medium) were
centrifuged and washed twice with 20 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4. The cells
were resuspended in 20 mM ammonium bicarbonate buffer, pH 8 (2 ml
per gram of cell pellet), sonicated (BRANSON SONIFIER 250) and then
centrifuged to remove the cell debris. As HPr resists to heat
treatment, the supernatant was kept at 70.degree. C. for 5 min to
precipitate most of the other proteins. An additionnal
centrifugation step was performed to remove the heat-denatured
proteins. The supernatant was loaded on a Sephadex G-75 column (42
cm.times.1.6 cm) equilibrated with 20 mM ammonium bicarbonate, pH
8, which was eluted with the same buffer, and fractions of 1.5 ml
were collected. To test for the presence of HPr in these fractions,
a mutant complementation assay with the S. aureus ptsH mutant
strain S797A was carried out [HENGSTENBERG et al., J. Bacteriol.,
99, 383-388, (1969)]. HPr activity was detected in fractions 48 to
56. These fractions were pooled and concentrated to a final volume
of 500 .mu.l.
[0068] Half of the partially purified HPr was separated by reverse
phase chromatography on a VYDAC C-18 HPLC column (300 .ANG., 250
mm.times.4.6 mm; TOUZART ET MATIGNON, France). Solvent A was an
aqueous solution of 0.1% (v/v) of trifluoroacetic acid and solvent
B contained 80% acetonitrile and 0.04% trifluoroacetic acid.
Proteins were eluted with a linear gradient from 5 to 100% of
solvent B in 60 min at a flow rate of 500 .mu.l/min. Fractions with
a volume of about 500 .mu.l were collected manually. The presence
of HPr in the fractions was tested by a PEP-dependent
phosphorylation assay containing 10 mM MgCl.sub.2, 50 mM Tris-HCl,
pH 7.4, 10 .mu.l aliquots of the fractions, 10 .mu.M [.sup.32P]PEP
and 1.5 .mu.g of B. subtilis enzyme I(His)6. Enzyme I(His)6 and
HPr(His)6 of B. subtilis were purified by ion chelate
chromatography on a Ni-NTA SEPHAROSE column (QIAGEN) after
expression from plasmids pAG3 and pAG2, respectively [GALINIER et
al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94, 8439-8444, (1997)]. HPr(His).sub.6
from B. subtilis was used as a standard in the phosphorylation
reactions. (.sup.32p]PEP was prepared from .gamma.-[.sup.32P]ATP
via the pyruvate kinase exchange reaction [ROOSSIEN et al.,
Biochim. Biophys. Acta., 760, 185-187, (1983)]. The assay mixtures
were incubated 10 minutes at 37.degree. C. and separated on 15%
polyacrylamide gels containing 1% SDS [LAEMMLI, Nature, 227,
680-685, (1970)]. After drying the gels, radiolabelled proteins
were detected by autoradiography. HPr was found to elute at 60%
acetonitrile in fractions 44 to 46. These fractions were pooled,
lyophilised and aliquots corresponding to approximately 0.5 nmol of
HPr were used to determine the first 21 N-terminal amino-acids of
HPr by automated Edman degradation on a 473A APPLIED BIOSYSTEMS
microsequencer.
[0069] Cloning of PCR-amplified L. casei ptsHI Fragments.
[0070] To amplify L. casei DNA fragments containing ptsH and part
of ptsI, the following degenerate oligonucleotides were designed
based on the N-terminal sequence of HPr and on strongly conserved
regions in enzyme I which were detected by carrying out an
alignment of different enzyme I sequences: PTS-H2 (5'-ATG GAA AAR
CGN GAR TTY AAY-3') (MEKREFN); PTS-I3 (5'-GCC AIN GTR TAY TGR ATY
ARR TCR TT-3') (NDLIOYTMA); PTS-I4 (5'-CCR TCN SAN GCN GCR ATN
CC-3') (GIAASDG);
[0071] where R stands for A or G, Y for C or T, S for C or G and N
for any nucleotide. Shown underlined in parentheses are the
N-terminal amino acid sequence of HPr and the conserved enzyme I
sequences which served to design the primers.
[0072] PCR amplification of the two fragments comprising part of
the ptsHI operon, was performed with a PROGENE thermocycler (REAL,
S. L., Valencia, Spain) programmed for 30 cycles including the
following three steps: 30 sec at 95.degree. C., 30 sec at
50.degree. C. and 1 min at 72.degree. C., followed by a final
extension cycle at 72.degree. C. for 5 min.
[0073] Two combinations of primers (PTS-H2/PTS-I3 and
PTS-H2/PTS-I4) gave PCR-amplified fragments of 1.6 kb and 0.3 kb,
respectively. Sequencing of the PCR products revealed that the
deduced amino acid sequences exhibited strong similarity to the
sequences of known enzyme I and HPr. As expected, both DNA
fragments began with the 5' end of ptsH and extended to the region
in ptsI encoding the conserved sequence chosen as basis for the
second primer. The larger of the two fragments obtained with primer
PTS-I3 was cloned into pUC18, providing plasmid pUCR-H1. Cloning of
PCR fragments was achieved with the SURECLONE Ligation Kit
(PHARMACIA BIOTECH, Ltd., Uppsala, Sweden).
[0074] A 865 bp EcoRI fragment which contained an internal part of
the ptsI gene was obtained from plasmid pUCR-H1 and subcloned into
the suicide vector pRV300 [LELOUP et al., Appl. Environm.
Microbiol., 63, 2117-2123, (1997)], providing plasmid pVME800.
[0075] This plasmid was used to transform the L. casei wild-type
strain BL23 and integration of the plasmid at the correct location
(ptsI: :pVME800) was verified by PCR and southern blot.
[0076] Restriction analysis of the ptsHI region was carried out by
southern hybridisation using DNA isolated from one integrant
(BL124) with the aim to identify restriction enzymes allowing
cloning of the ptsH and ptsI genes together with their flanking
regions.
[0077] Cloning of the regions flanking the insertion site of
plasmid pRV300 was performed as follows: DNA (10 .mu.g) from L.
casei BL124 was digested with SacI or HindIII, diluted 500-fold,
religated with T4 DNA ligase and different aliquots were used to
transform E. coli DHS.alpha.. Plasmid DNA was isolated from several
transformants and subsequently sequenced.
[0078] Digestion of BL124 DNA with SacI and religation of the
obtained DNA fragments allowed to isolate plasmid pVMS1 carrying an
about 9 kb insert. Partial sequencing of this insert revealed that
it contained the 3' part of ptsI and its downstream region. The
same experiment carried out with HindIII allowed to isolate plasmid
pVMH1 carrying a 2.4 kb insert comprising the complete ptsH gene
together with part of its promoter region and the 5' part of
ptsI.
[0079] The sequence containing the complete ptsH promoter and 560
bp of the upstream region was subsequently obtained by reverse PCR.
For this purpose, DNA isolated from the L. casei wild-type strain
BL23 was cut with PstI and religated with T4 DNA ligase
(GIBCO-BRL). 20 ng of the ligated DNA and two primers derived from
the 5' part of ptsH and oriented in opposite directions were used
to specifically amplify by PCR a 2.3 kb fragment containing the
upstream region of ptsH. The sequence comprising 560 bp upstream
from the ptsHI promoter has been determined in this fragment.
[0080] In total, a continuous stretch of 4150 bp has been
sequenced. It contained the complete ptsH and ptsI genes and an
open reading frame (ORF) located downstream of ptsI. The stop codon
of ptsH was found to overlap with the initiation codon of ptsI by 1
bp, suggesting that these two genes are organised in an operon.
Whereas the encoded L. casei HPr and enzyme I exhibited sequence
similarities ranging from 65 to 85% when compared to their
homologues in B. subtilis, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus sakei,
Streptococcus salivarius or Enterococcus faecalis, the protein
encoded by the ORF located downstream of ptsI exhibited similarity
to the sugar permeases XylE [DAVIS and HENDERSON, J. Biol. Chem.,
262, 13928-13932, (1987)] and GalP [PAO et al., Microbiol. Mol.
Biol. Rev., 62, 1-34, (1998)] from Escherichia coli. No ORF could
be detected in the 560 bp region upstream from the ptsHI
promoter.
[0081] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the sequenced
chromosomal L. casei DNA fragment containing the ptsHI operon.
Indicated are the three ORF's detected in this fragment, the
promoter and terminator of the ptsHI operon and several important
restriction sites. The initially isolated PCR fragments H2/I4 and
H2/I3 (flanked by inverted arrows) and the 865 bp EcoRI fragment,
which was called E800 and subcloned into pRV300, are shown above
the schematic presentation of the total DNA fragment.
[0082] Transcriptional Analysis of the L. casei ptsHI Operon
[0083] To determine the size of the ptsHI transcripts and to test
the effect of a man (prevents the uptake of glucose via the PTS)
and a ccpA mutation on ptsHI expression, Northern blots were
performed with RNA isolated not only from the L. casei wild-type
BL23, but also from the mutant strains BL30 (man) [VEYRAT et al.,
Microbiology, 140, 1141-1149, (1994)], BL71 (ccpA) [MONEDERO et
al., J. Bacteriol., 179, 6657-6664, (1997)] and BL72 (man ccpA)
[GOSALBES et al., FEMS Microbiol. Lett., 148, 83-89, (1997)], which
were grown in medium containing either glucose, lactose or
ribose.
[0084] L. casei strains were grown in MRS fermentation medium
supplemented with 0.5% of the different sugars to an OD at 550 nm
between 0,8 and 1. Cells from a 10 ml culture were collected by
centrifugation, washed with 50 mM EDTA and resuspended in 1 ml of
TRIZOL (GIBCO BRL). 1 g of glass beads (diameter 0.1 mm) was added
and the cells were broken by shaking the cell suspension in a
FASTPREP apparatus (BIOSPEC, Bartlesville, OK, USA) two times for
45 s. RNA was isolated according to the procedure recommended by
the manufacturer of TRIZOL, separated by formaldehyde-agarose gel
electrophoresis and transferred to HYBOND-N membranes
(AMERSHAM).
[0085] Hybridisation experiments were carried out with either ptsH-
or ptsI-specific probes. With both probes, a mRNA band of about 2.1
kb could be detected, which is in good agreement with the size
expected for the combined ptsH and ptsI genes, confirming that
these two genes are organised in an operon and that transcription
stops at the stem loop structure located downstream of ptsI.
[0086] Densitometric measurement of the hybridising bands in the
RNA isolated from cells of the different mutants grown in glucose-,
lactose-, or ribose-containing medium showed that expression of the
ptsHI operon was moderately induced by glucose in the wild type and
ccpA mutant, while this effect was less pronounced in the strains
carrying the man mutation.
EXAMPLE 2
Construction and Characterisation of ptsH and ptsI Mutants
[0087] I--Construction and Characterisation of ptsI Mutants Mutant
BL124
[0088] This mutant results from transformation of L. casei
wild-type strain BL23 with plasmid pVME800, as described in Example
1 above.
[0089] In contrast to the wild-type strain, this mutant can no
longer produce acid from fructose, mannose, mannitol, sorbose,
sorbitol, amygdaline, arbutine, salicine, cellobiose, lactose,
tagatose, trehalose and turanose. However, it can still metabolise
ribose, galactose, glucose, N-acetylglucosamine, aesculine, maltose
and gluconate, suggesting that in L. casei PTS-independent
transport systems exist for this second class of sugars.
[0090] Mutant BL126
[0091] Plasmid pVMH1 was partially digested with EcoRI and made
blunt end (filled in with the Klenow fragment) before it was
religated and used to transform E. coli DH5.alpha.. From one of the
resulting transformants, a plasmid (pVMR10) could be isolated
bearing a frame-shift mutation at the EcoRI site located at
nucleotide 327 of the ptsI gene, as was confirmed by restriction
analysis and DNA sequencing (insertion of 4 additional base pairs).
Plasmid pVMR10 was subsequently used to transform L. casei BL23 and
an erythromycin-resistant ptsI.sup.+ integrant resulting from a
Campbell-like recombination was isolated.
[0092] From this strain, a ptsI mutant (ptsI1, BL126) could be
obtained by a second recombination. BL126 was
erythromycin-sensitive and exhibited a fermentation pattern
identical to that found for the ptsI: :pVME800 mutant BL124.
Interestingly, no ptsHI mRNA could be detected in BL126 by Northern
blot analysis.
[0093] II--Construction of ptsH Mutants Altered at Ser-46 or
Ile-47
[0094] PCR-based site directed mutagenesis was carried out with the
L. casei ptsH gene present in plasmid pVMH1 (Table 1) to replace
either Ser-46 with alanine, aspartic acid or threonine, or Ile-47
with threonine.
[0095] Site-directed mutagenesis was performed in order to replace
the codon for Ser-46 of L. casei ptsH with a codon for Ala, Asp or
Thr and the codon for Ile-47 with a codon for Thr.
[0096] For this purpose, PCR amplification was carried out using as
template the plasmid pVMH1 containing the L. casei wild-type pstH
gene as well as the 5' part of the ptsI gene and as primers the
reverse primer of pBLUESCRIPT (STRATAGENE) and one of the following
oligonucleotides:
[0097] 5'ptsHS46A (5'-AAG AGC GTT AAC TTG AAG GCT ATC ATG GGC
G-3');
[0098] 5'ptsHS46T (5'-AAG AGC GTT AAC TIG AAG ACT AIC ATG GGC
G-3');
[0099] 5'ptsHS46D (5'-AAG AGC GTT AAC TIG AAQ GAT ATC ATG GGC
G-3');
[0100] 5'ptsHI47T (5'-AAG AGC GTT AAC TIG AAG TCT ACC ATG GGC
G-3').
[0101] In these oligonucleotides, the codons for Ser-46 or Ile-47
were replaced by the indicated codon (underlined).
[0102] The resulting 1.4 kb PCR fragments containing the ptsH
alleles (from codon 40) and the 5' part of ptsI were digested with
HpaI (the HpaI site present in ptsH before codon 46 is indicated in
italics in the above primers) and SacI and used to replace the
wild-type 1.4 kb HpaI/SacI fragment in pVMH1.
[0103] In order to confirm the presence of the mutations, the
sequence of the ptsH alleles was determined in the four constructed
plasmids. To eliminate mutations possibly introduced in the ptsI
gene by the PCR amplification, the 1.35 kb BalI/SacI fragment from
pVMH1 was used to replace the corresponding fragment in each of the
four plasmids containing the various ptsH alleles. A unique BalI
site is present 2i bp behind codon 46 of L. casei ptsH in pVMH1 and
the pVMH1 derivatives carrying the different ptsH alleles.
[0104] The four resulting plasmids carrying the various ptsH
alleles were named pVMH2, pVMH3, pVMH4 and pVMH5, respectively
(Table 1), and were used to transform the L. casei ptsI mutant
BL126.
[0105] FIG. 2 is a schematic presentation of possible recombination
events during the construction of ptsH mutants with the ptsI1
strain BL126 and the pVMH plasmids containing the various ptsH
alleles. Integration of a pVMH plasmid carrying a mutation in ptsH
(indicated by the filled circle) into the chromosome of BL126
carrying a frame shift mutation in ptsI (indicated by the filled
triangle) by Campbell-like recombination could take place at three
different locations (before the ptsH mutation, between the ptsH and
ptsI mutations and after the ptsI mutation) resulting in the three
different DNA arrangements presented under: "1.sup.st
recombination".
[0106] Integrants obtained by the first (1) and second (2) type of
recombination exhibited a lac.sup.- phenotype, whereas integrants
obtained by the third type of recombination (3) could slowly
ferment lactose (probably due to a readthrough from a
plasmid-located promoter).
[0107] The three different DNA arrangements presented on FIG. 2
under: "2.sup.nd recombination" are obtained from type 3 integrants
after a second recombination event leading to the excision of the
pVMH plasmid. 3a provides a lac.sup.- strain having a frame shift
mutation in ptsI; 3b provides a wild-type strain (lac+); 3c
provides the desired ptsH mutant (lac+).
[0108] Transformation or the L. casei ptsI mutant BL126 with pVMH2,
pVMH3, pVMH4 or pVMH5 resulted in erythromycin-resistant
recombinants generated by the first recombination.
[0109] Type 3 integrants obtained with each of the three pVMH
plasmids were grown for 200 generations without selective pressure
to allow the second recombination leading to the excision of the
PVMH plasmids. Erythromycin-sensitive clones able to ferment
lactose were therefore isolated.
[0110] Two types of erythromycin-sensitive lactose-fermenting
recombinants were obtained which exhibited slightly different
growth characteristics. Using appropriate primers, the ptsH alleles
of two clones of the slower and faster growing recombinants were
amplified by PCR and sequenced. For each ptsH allele, the two
faster growing clones contained the wild-type ptsH, whereas the
slightly slower growing strains carried either the Ser-46-Ala
(ptsH1, BL121), the Ser-46-Thr (ptsH2, BL122) or the Ile-47-Thr
ptsH mutation (ptsH3, BL123).
[0111] No strain synthesising Ser-46-Asp mutant HPr could be
obtained with this method, although PCR amplification followed by
DNA sequencing was carried out with fifteen erythromycin-sensitive
clones constructed with plasmid pVMH4.
[0112] The ptsH Mutations Affect CCR and Diauxic Growth
[0113] In order to test the effect of the different amino acid
substitutions in HPr on diauxie, the growth behaviour of the
mutants on basal MRS broth supplemented with 0.1% glucose and 0.2%
lactose was compared to that of the wild-type and a ccpA
mutant.
[0114] FIG. 3 represents the growth behaviour of L. casei wild-type
and ccpA and ptsH mutant strains in MRS basal medium containing
0.1% glucose and 0.2% lactose. The symbols represent: filled
circles, wild-type BL23; filled squares, ccpA mutant BL71; open
circles, ptsH1 mutant BL121; filled triangles, ptsH2 mutant BL122;
open triangles, ptsH3 mutant BL123.
[0115] As previously demonstrated [VEYRAT et al., Microbiology,
140, 1141-1149, (1994); GOSALBES et al., FEMS Microbiol. Lett.,
148, 83-89, (1997); GOSALBES et al., J. Bacteriol., 181, 3928-3934,
(1999)], the L. casei wild-type strain exhibited strong diauxic
growth in the presence of these two sugars with a lag phase of
about 15 h separating the growth phases on glucose and lactose,
whereas in the ccpA mutant strain this lag phase was reduced to 5
h. The diauxic growth observed with the ptsHS46T mutant was very
similar to that of the wild-type strain. By contrast, the lag phase
was only about 6 h for the ptsHS46A mutant and in between wild-type
and ptsHS46A mutant for the ptsHI47T (10 h).
[0116] A similar gradation was found when the relief from
glucose-mediated repression of N-acetyglucosaminidase activity was
investigated.
[0117] For the N-acetylglucosaminidase assays, permeabilized L.
casei cells were prepared following a previously described method
[CHASSY and THOMPSON, J. Bacteriol., 154, 1195-1203, (1983)]. The
N-acetylglucosaminidase assays were carried out at 37.degree. C. in
a volume of 250 .mu.l containing 10 mM potassium phosphate, pH 6.8,
1 mM MgCl.sub.2, 5 mM p-nitrophenyl N-acetyl-.beta.-D-glucosaminide
(SIGMA) and 5 .mu.l of permeabilized cells. The reaction was
stopped with 250 .mu.l of 5% Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 and the OD.sub.420
was measured. Protein concentrations were determined with the
BIO-RAD dye-binding assay.
[0118] FIG. 4 shows the effect of the various ptsH mutations on CCR
of N-acetylglucosaminidase. The N-acetylglucosaminidase activities
expressed in nmoles of product formed per min and mg of protein and
determined in the L. casei wild-type (wt) and the ccpA, ptsH1
(S46A), ptsH2 (S46T) and ptsH3 (I47T) mutant strains grown in MRS
basal medium containing 0.5% glucose or ribose are presented.
[0119] Whereas high activity of this enzyme could be measured in
ribose-grown wild-type cells, glucose was found to inhibit its
activity about 10-fold. Similar as in the ccpA mutant, the
repressive effect of glucose on N-acetylglucosaminidase had
completely disappeared in the ptsHS46A mutant. Inhibition of
N-acetylglucosaminidase activity by the presence of glucose in the
growth medium was also clearly diminished in the two other ptsH
mutants (about 2-fold inhibition in the ptsHI47T mutant and
2.5-fold inhibition in the ptsHS46T mutant), confirming the
importance of Ser-46 phosphorylation of HPr and of the amino acids
in the vicinity of Ser-46 for CCR in L. casei.
[0120] Therefore, these two tests indicated that there was a
remarkable and progressive loss of catabolite repression in the
different mutants:wild-type<ptsH2<ptsH3<ptsH1<ccpA.
[0121] The ptsH Mutations Affect Inducer Exclusion in L. casei
[0122] When L. casei wild-type cells were grown in a medium
containing glucose and either ribose or maltose, a diauxic growth
behaviour similar to that obtained with cells growing in the
presence of glucose and lactose was observed. However, whereas the
lag time of the diauxic growth in the presence of glucose and
lactose was not or only partly reduced in the ptsH mutants, the
diauxic growth completely disappeared when the ptsH strains were
grown in a medium containing glucose and either maltose or ribose.
These results suggested that phosphorylation of HPr at Ser-46 plays
an important role in regulation of the utilization of these two
non-PTS sugars by L. casei.
[0123] In order to distinguish whether this effect was mediated via
interaction of the CcpA/P-Ser-HPr complex with cre sequences or via
interaction of P-Ser-HPr with a sugar permease according to the
proposed mechanism of inducer exclusion [YE et al., Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. USA, 91, 3102-3106, (1994); YE et al., J. Bacteriol.,
176, 3484-3492, (1994); YE and SAIER, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,
92, 417-421, (1995); YE and SAIER, J. Bacteriol., 177, 1900-1902,
(1995)], sugar transport experiments were performed.
[0124] Cells were grown to mid-exponential phase in MRS
fermentation broth containing 0.5% of the indicated sugars.
Subsequently, glucose was added to a final concentration of 0.5%
and cells were grown for a further 30 min to allow the synthesis of
the glucose-specific PTS transport proteins. Cells were washed
twice with 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7, containing 10 mM
MgCl2 and resuspended in 50 mM Tris-maleate buffer, pH 7.2,
containing 5 mM MgCl.sub.2. Transport assays were carried out in 1
ml of this latter buffer containing 1% peptone and 0.6 mg of cells
(dry weight) Samples were preincubated for 5 min at 37.degree. C.
prior to adding [.sup.14C]-labelled sugars (0.5 mCi/mmol,
ISOTOPCHIM, Ganagobie-Peyruis, France) to a final concentration of
1 mM. Samples of 100 .mu.l were withdrawn at different time
intervals, rapidly filtered through 0.45 .mu.m pore-size filters,
washed twice with 5 ml of cold Tris-maleate buffer and the
radioactivity retained was determined by liquid scintillation
counting.
[0125] FIG. 5 shows the effect of glucose and 2-deoxy-D-glucose on
maltose and ribose uptake by wild-type and ptsH mutant cells.
Ribose transport by the L. casei wild-type strain BL23 was measured
in the absence and presence of glucose and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (A).
Maltose transport in the absence and presence of glucose or
2-deoxy-D-glucose was determined in the L. casei wild-type strain
BL23 (B), the ptsH1 mutant BL121 (C), the ptsH2 mutant BL122 (D),
the ptsH3 mutant BL123 (E) and the ptsI mutant BL126 (F). The
symbols represent: squares, ribose or maltose uptake in the absence
of other sugars; diamonds, ribose or maltose uptake with glucose
(10 mM final concentration) added after 10 or 4 min, respectively;
circles, ribose or maltose uptake with 2-deoxy-D-glucose (10 mM
final concentration) added after 10 or 4 min, respectively;
triangles, the cells were incubated for 10 min in the presence of
20 mM glucose before the maltose uptake reaction was started.
[0126] The uptake of ribose by ribose-grown L. casei wild-type
cells is shown in FIG. 5A. The addition of glucose to
ribose-transporting wild-type cells caused no inhibition of ribose
uptake but instead increased the transport about four-fold. The
addition of the glucose analogue 2-deoxy-D-glucose completely
abolished ribose uptake. It is most likely that the depletion of
energy caused by the transport and accumulation of the
non-metabolizable glucose analogue is responsible for the
inhibitory effect of 2-deoxy-D-glucose on ribose transport.
[0127] In contrast to the stimulatory effect exerted by glucose on
ribose uptake, maltose transport was found to be instantaneously
arrested when glucose or 2-deoxyglucose was added to L. casei
wild-type cells transporting maltose. Maltose uptake was also
completely abolished when glucose or 2-deoxyglucose was added to
the cell suspension 10 minutes before the addition of maltose (FIG.
5B). The ptsH1 (S46AHPr) mutant showed a completely different
behaviour to the wild type strain (FIG. 5C). Maltose uptake in this
strain was slightly higher, and the addition of glucose caused a
further increase of the maltose transport rate. A similar, but less
pronounced stimulatory effect of glucose on maltose transport no
change of the maltose transport rate following glucose addition was
observed for the ptsH3 (I47THPr) mutant (FIG. 5E). In the ptsI
mutant BL126, which is unable to transport glucose and
2-deoxy-D-glucose via the PTS, the presence of glucose exerted no
inhibitory effect on maltose uptake (FIG. 5F).
[0128] The measure of glucose uptake in the ptsI mutant BL126 shows
that glucose is transported 10-times slower than the wild-type
strain (data not shown). A slower glucose uptake and metabolism is
most likely responsible for the failure of glucose to elicit
inducer exclusion in the ptsI mutant strain. By contrast, in a ccpA
mutant strain, glucose exerts an inhibitory effect on maltose
uptake identical to that observed with the wild-type strain. This
result clearly establishes that CcpA is not involved in
glucose-triggered maltose exclusion.
[0129] To make sure that growing the cells for 30 min in
glucose-containing medium had no drastic effect on expression of
the maltose genes, inducer exclusion experiments were carried out
with cells which had not been exposed to glucose. Under these
conditions, addition of glucose to maltose transporting cells
exerts a strong inhibitory effect on maltose uptake in the
wild-type and ccpA mutant strains, although maltose continues to be
slowly taken up by these cells after the addition of glucose. By
contrast, the presence of glucose completely arrests maltose uptake
by cells which have been grown on glucose for 30 min. However, with
the ptsH1, ptsH2 and ptsH3 mutants grown only on maltose, glucose
exerts no inhibitory effect at all on maltose uptake, clearly
establishing that the failure of glucose to inhibit maltose
transport in the ptsH mutant strains is not related to pregrowing
the cells in glucose-containing medium.
[0130] The observed inhibition of maltose transport could have been
due to elevated secretion of maltose fermentation products when
glucose was added to wild-type cells. In the ptsH mutants, this
glucose effect might have been less pronounced. To exclude this
possibility, we also measured sugar consumption by resting cells
which had been grown on maltose and for the last 30 min before
harvesting the cells on maltose and glucose. In order to follow the
sugar consumption by the L. casei wild-type and ptsH1 mutant
strains, cells were grown and harvested as described for the
transport studies and 18 mg of cells (dry weight) were resuspended
in 5 ml of 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7. After a 5 min
incubation at 37.degree. C., maltose and glucose were added to a
final concentration of 0.04 and 0.2%, respectively. Samples of 300
.mu.l were withdrawn at different time intervals, boiled for 10 min
and clarified by centrifugation. The sugar content in the
supernatant was determined with a coupled spectrophotometric test
using .alpha.-glucosidase and hexokinase/glucose-6-P dehydrogenase
as recommended by the supplier (BOEHRINGER-MANNHEIM, Germany).
[0131] FIG. 6 shows maltose consumption by resting cells of the L.
casei wild-type strain BL23 and the ptsH1 mutant BL121 in the
presence or absence of glucose. The symbols represent: squares,
maltose concentration in the medium in experiments without glucose;
diamonds, maltose concentration and circles, glucose concentration
in the medium when glucose was added three minutes after the
experiment had been started.
[0132] The results presented in FIG. 6A confirm that maltose is not
utilised in the presence of glucose by L. casei wild-type cells.
Maltose consumption stopped immediately when glucose was added and
the maltose concentration remained constant in the medium as long
as glucose was present. Maltose consumption re-started only when
glucose, had completely disappeared from the medium. By contrast,
the addition of glucose to ptsH1 mutant cells taking up maltose
caused only a short transient inhibition of maltose consumption,
which was followed by the simultaneous utilization of both sugars
(FIG. 6B). Reduced uptake of glucose by the ptsH1 mutant does not
seem to be responsible for the absence of the inhibitory effect of
glucose, as in this strain glucose was utilized sligthly faster
compared to the wild-type strain. These results suggest that
phosphorylation of Ser-46 in HPr is necessary for the exclusion of
maltose from L. casei cells by glucose and probably other rapidly
metabolisable carbon sources and that P-Ser-HPr plays an important
role in the regulatory phenomenon called inducer exclusion [YE et
al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 91, 3102-3106, (1994); YE et al.,
J. Bacteriol., 176, 3484-3492, (1994); YE and SAIER, Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. USA, 92, 417-421, (1995); YE and SAIER, J. Bacteriol.,
177, 1900-1902, 1995)].
EXAMPLE 3
Cloning and Characterisation of L. Casei hprK Gene
[0133] Strains, Plasmids and Culture Conditions
[0134] The L. casei strain ATCC 393, cured of plasmid pLZ15, and
the mutant strains ccpA::erm [MONEDERO et al., J. Bacteriol., 179,
6657-6664, (1997)], ptsH1 (Ser46Ala) and ptsH2 (Ser46Thr) were
used. Bacteria were grown under static conditions at 37.degree. C.
in MRS medium (DIFCO Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) or MRS
fermentation medium (SCHARLAU S. A., Barcelona, Spain). For diauxic
growth experiments, L. casei strains were pregrown in an overnight
culture of MRS basal medium containing in 1 l: polypeptone, 10 g;
meat extract, 10 g; yeast extract, 5 g (all from Difco
Laboratories); K.sub.2HPO.sub.4.3H.sub.2O, 2 g; sodium acetate, 5
g; dibasic ammonium citrate, 2 g; MgSO.sub.4, 0.1 g; MnSO.sub.4,
0.05 g, TWEEN 80, 1 ml and glucose, 5 g. The overnight culture was
used to inoculate 30 ml fresh basal medium containing 0.05% glucose
and either 0.05% lactose or 0.05% maltose at an OD.sub.550=0.05.
the inoculated medium was subsequently incubated at 37.degree. C.
Samples of 1 ml were withdrawn at the indicated time intervals to
follow growth by measuring the OD.sub.550.
[0135] Escherichia coli NM522 (APPLIGENE ONCOR LIFESCREEN, Watford,
UK) was grown with shaking at 37.degree. C. in Luria-Bertani (LB)
medium. Standard cloning procedures were carried out with E. coli
NM522 cells, and transformed bacteria were plated on solid media
containing 1.5% agar. The antibiotic concentrations for selecting
E. coli transformants were 100 .mu.g per ml ampicillin or 25 .mu.g
per ml kanamycin and 5 .mu.g per ml erythromycin for the selection
of L. casei integrants.
[0136] The plasmids used in this study were pBC KS.sup.+
(STRATAGENE, La Jolla, Calif.), pQE30 (QIAGEN, Chatsworth, Calif.)
and the integrative vector pRV300.
[0137] Cloning of hprK Gene
[0138] DNA Amplification by PCR
[0139] Polymerase chain reactions (PCR) aimed to obtain fragments
of the L. casei hprK gene were carried out with Taq DNA polymerase
(APPLIGENE) by using chromosomal L. casei DNA as a template and one
of the following pairs of oligonucleotides: i)
[0140] ohprKLc1 (5'-GGNRTNGGNAARAGYGARAC-3')
[0141] ohprKLc2 (5'-RAARTTNCCCCANCGNCC-3') ii)
[0142] ohprKLc3 (5'-ATAAAGCTTGARMTGACNGGNTAYTTYRAYTWYTA-3');
[0143] ohprKLc4 (5'-ATTGAAAAGAGCTCGGATTAAGTGCT-3').
[0144] ohprKLc3 and ohprXLc4 contain restriction sites for HindIII
and SacI, respectively, which are indicated in italics.
[0145] Oligonucleotide ohprKLc4 corresponds to the sequence located
9- 35 bp downstream of the hprK stop codon. The C at position 10 of
this sequence was replaced with an A and the A in position 12 with
a C to allow the creation of the SacI site. To exclude errors
introduced by PCR, each DNA fragment was amplified in at least two
independent experiments, cloned into pBC KS+(STRATAGENE) (cut with
EcoRV or HindIII and SacI) providing plasmids pHKLc1 and pHKLc2,
respectively, and sequenced on a PERKIN ELMER ABIPRISM 373
automated sequencer. The fragment of the hprK gene in pHKLc1 was
oriented in the same direction as the lacZ fragment.
[0146] By using these two primers and L. casei DNA as a template, a
879 bp fragment could be amplified by PCR. The PCR fragment was
cloned into pBC KS.sup.+ digested with EcoRV providing plasmid
pHKLc1 and the insert was sequenced. Analysis of the sequence data
suggested that the PCR fragment encodes the 162 C-terminal amino
acids of HprK and the 129 N-terminal amino acids of Lgt.
[0147] To obtain part of the missing sequence of the presumed L.
casei hprK, a PCR was carried out using L. casei DNA as a template
and the oligonucleotides ohprKLc3, and ohprKLc4. The obtained 875
bp PCR fragment was digested with HindIII and SacI and was cloned
into pBC KS.sup.+ cut with the same enzymes providing plasmid
pHKLc2. DNA sequencing and comparison with known HprK sequences
suggested that the amplified DNA fragment encodes amino acids 40 to
319 of L. casei HprK.
[0148] Construction of a L. casei hprK Mutant and Cloning of the
Entire hprK
[0149] A point mutation was introduced into the hprK gene of L.
casei by replacing the leucine-encoding codon 208 (with respect to
the complete hprK gene) with an amber codon.
[0150] A PCR was carried out using plasmid pHKLc2 as a template and
the two oligonucleotides:
[0151] ohprKLc5 (5'-CCCCTCGAGGTCGACGGTATGGATAAGCTTGA-3');
[0152] which contains part of the multiple cloning site of pHKLc2
including a SaIl restriction site (in italics) and a replacement of
the C in position 21 by a G (underlined) destroying the ClaI site
and :
[0153] ohprKLc6 (5'-CATGACATCGATAATGCCCTAGCCACGAATTTC-3').
[0154] Oligonucleotide ohprKLc6 is based on the DNA sequence from
position 610 to 643 of L. casei hprK containing a ClaI site (in
italics). In position 20 of ohprKLc6, a T is present instead of an
A, changing the leucine-encoding TTG triplet (in position 208 of
hprK) to an amber codon (underlined).
[0155] The resulting 522 bp PCR fragment was digested with SaIl and
ClaI and cloned into pHKLc1 cut with the same enzymes, thus
providing pHKLc3 containing the 3' part of hprK with the amber
mutation and the 5' part of lgt. Plasmid pHKLc3 was digested with
HindIII and SacI and the resulting 1312 bp fragment was cloned into
the integrative vector pRV300 cut with the same enzymes to give the
4.8 kb plasmid pHKLc2O8(Am).
[0156] Erythromycin-resistant L. casei clones were obtained. In
eight clones, the integration of pHKLc208(Am) was tested by
Southern blots using as a probe a 590 bp internal hprK fragment.
Only one HindIII fragment of 5.2 kb could be detected with DNA from
wild-type L. casei ATCC 393, whereas seven of the eight
erythromycin-resistant clones gave two bands with a size of 3.6 and
6.5 kb (data not shown), suggesting that plasmid pHKLc208(Am),
which contains a single HindIII site, had been integrated in the
chromosome of these transformants. In the remaining eighth
erythromycin-resistant clone, two copies of pHKLc208(Am) seemed to
be integrated in tandem, as three fragments of 3.6, 6.5 and 4.8 kb
could be detected on the Southern blot.
[0157] Campbell-like recombination of pHKLc208(Am) with the L.
casei chromosome can occur at two different sites with respect to
the position of the PCR-introduced amber codon, giving rise to two
types of integrants exhibiting either an HprK.sup.- or HprK.sup.+
phenotype.
[0158] One of the mutants in which the presence of the hprK208(Am)
mutation has been confirmed by DNA sequencing of appropriate PCR
products was named LcG102 and used for further studies. Chromosomal
DNA of LcG102 was isolated, digested with HindIII, religated,
transformed into E. coli NM522 and 3 ampicillin-resistant clones
were chosen for further experiments. The plasmids present in the 3
clones were purified and found to carry an about 3.2 kb insert. DNA
sequencing of the plasmid pHKLcUS from one of the transformants
revealed that the insert contained in addition to the insert of
pHKLc208(Am) the 5' part of the presumed hprK, its promoter region
and two complete and one incomplete ORF located upstream of hprK
(FIG. 1). The proteins encoded by these three ORF's exhibited 23,
22 and 36% sequence identity, respectively, when compared to the
proteins encoded by the B. subtilis yvIB, yvlC and yvID genes
[KUNST et al., Nature, 390, 249-256, (1997)].
[0159] The presumed L. casei hprK gene consists of 957 bp and
encodes a protein of 35349 Da composed of 319 amino acids, which
exhibits 50% sequence identity when compared to B. subtilis HprK.
As in all other known HprK, the A-motif of nucleotide binding
proteins (GX.sub.4GKS) is present around position 160. The presumed
hprK gene starts with an ATG, which is preceded by a putative
ribosome binding site (AAGAAAGG) located 8 bp upstream of the start
codon. Downstream of hprK and separated from hprK by only 1 bp
begins the lgt gene. The cloned lgt fragment encodes the first 129
amino acids of L. casei Lgt which exhibit 53% sequence identity
when compared to the corresponding N-terminal part of B. subtilis
Lgt.
EXAMPLE 4
Characterisation of Wild Type and Mutant HprK
[0160] L. casei HprK is a Bifunctional Enzyme Regulated by FBP and
P.sub.i
[0161] In order to confirm that the presumed hprK gene encodes
indeed L. casei HprK and to test whether it exhibits both HPr
kinase and P-Ser-HPr phosphatase activities similar to the B.
subtilis and Enterococcus faecalis enzymes, Histagged L. casei HprK
was purified.
[0162] To purify L. casei HprK carrying a His-tag, PCR
amplification was carried out using chromosomal L. casei DNA as a
template and the two oligonucleotides:
[0163] 5'-GTGGGATCCATGGCAGACAGCG-3' and
[0164] 5'-TACGGTACCAATGAACTTCCA-3'
[0165] containing a BamHI and a KpnI restriction site, respectively
(in italics). The resulting 1033 bp fragment containing the
complete hprK gene was cut with BamHI and KpnI and cloned into
plasmid pQE30 (QIAGEN) cut with the same restriction enzymes to
give pQEHKLc. The correct sequence of the amplified hprK was
confirmed by DNA sequencing.
[0166] In order to purify His-tagged L. casei HprK, E. coli strain
M15[pREP4] (QIAGEN) was transformed with plasmid pQEHKLc. A
resulting transformant was isolated and grown in 1 l of LB medium
(DIFCO) at 37.degree. C. until it reached an OD.sub.595 of about
0.7. Subsequently, expression was induced by addition of 1 mM IPTG.
Cells were grown for an additional 3 h before they were
centrifuged, washed twice with 100 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.4, and
broken by sonication (BRANSON SONIFIER 251). Cell debris was
removed by centrifugation and the resulting supernatant was loaded
onto a Ni-NTA-agarose column (QIAGEN) equilibrated with buffer A
(50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4, 15% glycerol and 50 mM Na.sub.2SO.sub.4).
After washing with 30 mM imidazole, HprK was eluted with the
equilibration buffer containing 300 mM imidazole. HprK-containing
fractions were pooled, dialyzed against 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH
7.4, containing 0.1 mM DTT and 0.1 mM PMSF and subsequently stored
at -80.degree. C.
[0167] His-tagged B. subtilis and its seryl-phosphorylated
derivative were prepared as described in [GALINIER et al., Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 95, 1823-1828, (1998)]. For the preparation
of P-Ser-HPr, HPr kinase present for 5 min at 65.degree. C. once
the phosphorylation reaction was terminated. To completely remove
ATP and FBP from the P-Ser-HPr preparation it was desalted on a 10
ml SEPHADEX G-10 column. His-tagged B. subtilis HprK was
overproduced and purified as described in [GALINIER et al., Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 95, 1823-1828, (1998)], and B. subtilis
Ser-46-Ala mutant HPr was obtained as described in [EISERMANN et
al., J. Biol. Chem., 263, 17050-17054, (1998)].
[0168] Using HPr(His).sub.6 ' or P-Ser-HPr(His).sub.6 from B.
subtilis as substrates, HprK of L. casei was indeed found to be
bifunctional.
[0169] The effects of FBP and inorganic phosphate (P.sub.i) on HPr
kinase and P-Ser-HPr phosphatase activities of purified L. casei
HprK(His)6 were measured. The assay mixtures contained in a total
volume of 20 .mu.l 0.005, 0.02 or 0.05 .mu.g HprK(His).sub.6, 5 MM
MgCl.sub.2, 50 mM Tris-Hcl, pH 7.4 and in addition for the kinase
assay 2.5 .mu.g B. subtilis P-Ser-Hpr(His).sub.6 and varying
concentrations of sodium phosphate and were incubated for 5 min at
37.degree. C. The reactions were stopped by heating the assay
mixtures for 5 min at 65.degree. C. Equal volumes of sample buffer
were added to the assay mixtures before separating HPr and
P-Ser-HPr on a 12.5% non-denaturating polyacrylamide gel.
[0170] ATP-dependent HPr phosphorylation was slightly stimulated by
FBP at concentrations higher than 1 mM, whereas the P-Ser-HPr
phosphatase activity was clearly stimulated by 0.2 mM and higher
concentrations of P.sub.i. Stimulation of ATPdependent HPr
phosphorylation by FBP was more evident when the HPr kinase assays
were carried out in the presence of P.sub.i. With 1 mM P.sub.i, no
HPr phosphorylation could be observed in the absence of FBP,
whereas in the presence of 20 mM FBP a strong HPr kinase activity
could be detected. When using 8 mM P.sub.i, FBP had almost
completely lost its stimulating effect on HPr phosphorylation.
HprK-catalyzed phosphorylation occurs at Ser-46 of HPr, as B.
subtilis Ser-46-Ala mutant HPr was not phosphorylated by the L.
casei HprK.
[0171] HPr kinase and P-Ser-HPr phosphatase activities were
determined in crude extracts of L. casei wild-type and pHKLc208(Am)
integrants.
[0172] Cells were grown in 10 ml MRS medium, harvested by
centrifugation and washed twice with 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.4.
The pellet was resuspended in 800 .mu.l of the same buffer, cells
were broken by sonication (BRANSON SONIFIER 250) and cell debris
was removed by centrifugation.
[0173] To demonstrate HPr kinase activity in L. casei crude
extracts, ATP-dependent phosphorylation assays were carried out in
the presence or absence of 1.5 .mu.g B. subtilis HPr(His).sub.6 in
a total volume of 20 .mu.l containing 5 .mu.l crude extract, 25
.mu.M [.gamma.-.sup.32P]ATP (0.5 .mu.Ci), 10 mM MgCl.sub.2, 50 mM
Tris-HCl, pH 7.4 and 20 mM FBP. The phosphorylation reaction was
stopped by adding an equal volume of sample buffer [LAEMMLI,
Nature, 227, 680-685, (1970)] to the assay mixtures before loading
them onto a 15% polyacrylamide gel containing 0.1% SDS. After
electrophoresis, gels were treated for 5 min with boiling 16%
trichloroacetic acid before they were dried and exposed to
autoradiography (BIOMAX MR, Kodak). Control experiments were
carried out with 0.5 .mu.g of purified B. subtilis HprK(His).sub.6
and 1.5 .mu.g HPr(His)6.
[0174] No HPr kinase activity was detected in crude extracts of
hprK208(Am) mutant strain.
[0175] To test whether this mutant was also devoid of P-Ser-HPr
phosphatase activity, crude extracts of L. casei wild-type and the
hprK208(Am) mutant strain were prepared and their capacity to
dephosphorylate P-Ser-HPr was assayed in the presence of 20 mM
P.sub.i.
[0176] P-Ser-HPr phosphatase assays were carried out by incubating
a 20 .mu.l assay mixture containing 10 .mu.l crude extract, 2.5
.mu.g B. subtilis P-Ser-HPr(His).sub.6, 20 mM sodium phosphate, pH
7.2, 10 MM MgCl.sub.2 and 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4, for 10 min at
37.degree. C. The dephosphorylation reaction was stopped by heat
inactivation at 65.degree. C. for 5 min. An equal volume of sample
buffer was added to the assay mixtures before separating HPr and
P-Ser-HPr on a 12.5% non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel.
[0177] Whereas P-Ser-HPr phosphates activity could be easily seen
with crude extracts of the wild type strain, no activity could be
detected with this test in crude extracts of the hprK208(Am) mutant
LcG102. Even increasing the incubation time from 10 to 30 min did
not allow to detect dephosphorylated HPr in the P-Ser-HPr
phosphatase assay with crude extracts of the hprK208(Am)
mutant.
[0178] The hprK208(Am) Mutation Affects CCR
[0179] To determine whether similar to B. subtilis HprK, L. casei
HprK is also involved in CCR, the repressive effect of glucose on
N-acetylglucosaminidase activity was measured in the hprK208(Am)
mutant and compared to the activity found in wild-type and ccpA and
ptsH1 mutant strains.
[0180] Wild-type and ccpA, ptsH1 and hprK208(Am) mutant cells were
grown in 10 ml MRS fermentation medium to an OD.sub.595 between 0.7
and 0.9, centrifuged and washed twice with 10 mM sodium phosphate
buffer, pH 7.2. Permeabilized L. casei cells were obtained as
described in [CHASSY et al., J. Bacteriol., 154, 1195-1203,
(1983)]. To measure N-acetylglucosaminidase activity, a 500 Al
assay mixture containing 10 .mu.l de permeabilized cells, 10 mM
sodium phosphate, pH 6.8, 1 mM MgCl.sub.2 and 5 mM
p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-.beta.-D-glucosaminide (SIGMA) was incubated
for 10 min at 37.degree. C. The reaction was stopped with 500 .mu.l
of 5% Na.sub.2CO.sub.3, and the OD.sub.420 was measured.
[0181] In the wild-type strain ATCC 393, N-acetylglucosaminidase
activity was repressed 18-fold by the presence of glucose, whereas
N-acetylglucoaminidase activity was derepressed in ribose-grown
cells (Table 2). Similar as in L. casei ccpA or ptsH1 mutants CCR
of N-acetylglucosaminidase activity was strongly diminished in the
hprK208(Am) mutant LcG102 (Table 2).
3 TABLE 2 N-acetylglucosaminidase activity.sup.a Strains Glucose
Ribose wild-type 2.0 .+-. 0.9 37.6 .+-. 6.7 hprk208 (Am) 26.3 .+-.
1.7 31.5 .+-. 4.5 ptsHI 26.7 .+-. 6.5 35.3 .+-. 7.2 ccpA 19.4 .+-.
0.7 30.6 .+-. 4.3 .sup.aN-acetylglucosaminidase activity was
determined using p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-.beta.-D-glucosaminide as
substrate. Activity is expressed in nmoles per min per mg of cells
(dry weight)
[0182] The hprK208(Am) Mutation Affects Diauxic Growth
[0183] Growth of the hprK208(Am) mutant LcG102 in MRS medium
containing 0.05% glucose and either 0.05% lactose or 0.05% maltose
was compared to the growth behaviour of the wild-type strain ATCC
393. Wild-type L. casei grown in media containing mixtures of
glucose and lactose or glucose and maltose exhibited a diauxic
growth curve characterized by two distinct growth phases separated
by a lag phase of about 8 h for cell-s growing on glucose/lactose
and 7 h for cells growing on glucose/maltose medium. In the
hprK208(Am) mutant LcG102, the lag phase was reduced to less than 3
h for cells grown in either glucose and lactose- or glucose and
maltose-containing medium.
[0184] The hprK208(Am) Mutation Prevents the Exclusion of Maltose
by Alucose
[0185] It is shown above that replacement of Ser-46 in L. casei HPr
with alanine or threonine or replacement of Ile-47 with threonine
prevents the exclusion of maltose by glucose. To ensure that the
observed effect of the ptsH mutations is indeed due to the absence
of ATP-dependent, HprK-catalyzed phosphorylation of HPr in the ptsH
mutants and not due to structural changes of HPr caused by the
mutations, we studied glucose-triggered maltose exclusion in the
hprK208(Am) mutant strain LcG102. Maltose uptake by wild-type cells
was instantaneously arrested when glucose was added to the
transport medium. By contrast, when an identical experiment was
carried out with the hprK208(Am) mutant LcG102, maltose uptake was
not inhibited but rather slightly stimulated by the presence of
glucose. The absence of glucose-triggered maltose exclusion in the
hprK208(Am) mutant was confirmed by measuring maltose consumption
in the presence and absence of 0.15% glucose with L. casei
wild-type and hprK208(Am) mutant strains. In the wild-type strain,
maltose was not utilized as long as glucose was present in the
growth medium, whereas maltose and glucose were simultaneously
consumed by the hprK208(Am) mutant LcG102 .
EXAMPLE 5
Construction and Characterisation of Food-Grade ptsI and ccpA
Mutants
[0186] Food grade mutants of ptsI or ccpA genes were constructed in
the industrial strain of L. paracasei subsp. paracasei CNCM I-1518;
this strain is disclosed in EP 0 794 707.
[0187] Construction of a ptsI Mutant
[0188] This mutant was constructed using the method of Example
2.
[0189] Plasmid pVMR10 was used to transform L. casei CNCM
I-1518.
[0190] The transformed strain was grown in MRS medium comprising 5
.mu.g/ml erythromycin. An erythromycin-resistant ptsI.sup.+
integrant was isolated. This integrant was grown for 200
generations in MRS medium without erythromycin to allow the second
recombination leading to the excision of the pVMR10 plasmid.
[0191] An erythromycin-sensitive Lac clone was isolated as
disclosed by Example 2 above, checked by PCR and its ptsI gene
sequenced. The fermentation pattern of this clone in API-CH50L
showed that, when compared to the wild type CNCM I-1518, this
mutant could no longer use adonitol, fructose, mannose, sorbose,
mannitol, sorbitol, amygdaline, arbutine, salicine, cellobiose,
sucrose and trehalose.
[0192] This mutant was grown at 37.degree. C. in low-fat milk (13 g
fat/kg) or skim milk. In skim milk, a pH of 4.45 was reached after
34 h (under the same conditions a pH of 4.45 was reached after 30 h
with the wild-type strain CNCM I-1518).
[0193] In another series of tests, standardized milk having 170 g
protein/kg, 13 g fat/kg, and supplemented with 50 g glucose/kg was
used.
[0194] The fermented products obtained from standardized milk
supplemented with glucose with the mutant strain ptsI have a
gel-strength lower of about 15-25% than the fermented products
obtained from the wild-type strain. This allows to obtain a more
elastic gel of about 15-25% and to reduce syneresis.
[0195] They also have a slightly lower viscosity than the fermented
products obtained with the wild-type strain. However, the loss of
viscosity under shearing is less important in the case of the
products obtained with the mutant strain. This property allows a
better conservation of the texture during industrial processes
wherein shearing may occur, such as the preparation of stirred
fermented milk.
[0196] The fermented products obtained with the mutant strain had a
more creamy flavour than the fermented products obtained with the
wild-type strain. This is related to a higher content in C4, C6,
C8, C12, C14, and C16 fatty acids.
[0197] Construction of a ccpA Mutant
[0198] Mutants in L. casei BL23 and CNCM I-1518 were constructed
with the following procedure:
[0199] Plasmid pJDC9 [CHEN and MORRISON, Gene, 64, 155-164, (1998)]
carrying a SalI restriction fragment of 2.6 kb that included ccpA
gene and flanking regions, was digested with EcoRI, made blunt end
(filled in with the Klenow enzyme), ligated and transformed in E.
coli DH5.alpha.. This plasmid (pJ-.delta.ccpA) was used to
transform both L. casei strains.
[0200] The transformed strains were grown in MRS medium comprising
5 .mu.g/ml erythromycin and erythromycin-resistant integrants were
isolated.
[0201] Then, one integrant of each transformation event was grown
for 200 generations in MRS medium without erythromycin leading to
the excision of the plasmid. Erythromycin-sensitive colonies
showing slower growth were screened by PCR amplification of ccpA,
followed by digestion with EcoRI. Strains where the amplified
fragment was not digested by EcoRI were further analysed by
sequencing the ccpA gene. Sequencing of the ccpA mutant gene showed
that an insertion of four nucleotides (AATT) had occurred at
position 710 of the sequence U28137 of GENBANK. This insertion
generated a stop codon 5 codons after the mutation site and
resulted in a truncated CcpA protein of 143 amino acids that is
inactive.
[0202] When this mutant was grown at 37.degree. C. in skim milk, a
pH of 4.45 was reached after 45 h.
[0203] The fermented products obtained with the mutant strain from
standardized milk supplemented with glucose had a content in acetic
acid, succinic acid, and formic acic twice higher than the
fermented products obtained from the wild-type strain. They also
contained the same quantity of lactate than the products obtained
from the wild-type strain. They contained less citrate, due to a
citrate consumption by the ccpA mutant 10 times higher than by the
wild-type strain.
[0204] They had also a higher content in acetoin (4 to 6 times
higher) than the fermented products obtained from the wild-type
strain.
[0205] The overproduction of acetoin by the ccpA mutant indicates
that it is potentially able to overproduce diacetyl under
appropriate conditions (i.e. oxidative conditions which promotes
the conversion of .alpha.-acetolactate into diacetyl rather than
into acetoin).
EXAMPLE 6
Post-Acidification Properties of Food Grade ptsI and ccpA
Mutants
[0206] The ptsI and ccpA mutants of Example 5 were grown as
described above on standardized milk supplemented with glucose
until a pH of about 4.55.
[0207] The fermented milks thus obtained are stored at 4.degree.
C., 8.degree. C., or 13.degree. C., and the pH is measured after 7,
14, 21, or 28 days of storage.
[0208] FIG. 7 represents the post-acidification during storage at
different temperatures for fermented milks obtained with the
wild-type strain or with the ccpA or ptsI mutant.
[0209] Legend of FIG. 7:
[0210] --.circle-solid.--: wild type strain 4.degree. C.
[0211] --.tangle-solidup.--: wild type strain 8.degree. C.
[0212] --.diamond-solid.--: wild type strain 13.degree. C.
[0213] --.smallcircle.--: ccpA mutant 4.degree. C.
[0214] --.DELTA.--: ccpA mutant 8.degree. C.
[0215] --.diamond.--: ccpA mutant 13.degree. C.
[0216] --.circle-solid.--: ptsI mutant 4.degree. C.
[0217] --.tangle-solidup.--: ptsI mutant 8.degree. C.
[0218] --.diamond-solid.--: ptsI mutant 13.degree. C.
[0219] These results show that in every case, the. ccpA and ptsI
mutants have a reduced post-acidification compared with the
wild-type strain.
[0220] This reduced post-acidification is not due to a lower
survival of the mutant strains. This was controlled by measuring
the survival rate at 28 days. It is higher than 60% for the ccpA
and ptsI mutants as well as for the wild-type strain.
Sequence CWU 1
1
3 1 4150 DNA Lactobacillus casei CDS (273)..(536) 1 gtgacgccag
aaacgttcat ggcgtttcgc gcggcatgga cgaattatcc tgatcgtgaa 60
gagatcgtgg gaatggctaa acgtgatggt gtcattgaat accattatcg atcagttgat
120 tctcgttaat ataggcgcca aatctgatgt ggcgcttgtg acaagcttca
aaaaatggta 180 aggtttacat gaattgtttt gggtacgaat gcgcacacaa
actattcgga aaaaaactag 240 aaatctagtt aatacgaagg agcagatcag tc atg
gaa aaa cgc gaa ttt aat 293 Met Glu Lys Arg Glu Phe Asn 1 5 att att
gca gaa acc ggg atc cac gca cgt ccg gca acc ttg ttg gta 341 Ile Ile
Ala Glu Thr Gly Ile His Ala Arg Pro Ala Thr Leu Leu Val 10 15 20
cag gca gca agc aag ttc aac tca gat atc aac ttg gaa tac aag ggt 389
Gln Ala Ala Ser Lys Phe Asn Ser Asp Ile Asn Leu Glu Tyr Lys Gly 25
30 35 aag agc gtt aac ttg aag tct atc atg ggc gtc atg agt ttg ggt
gtt 437 Lys Ser Val Asn Leu Lys Ser Ile Met Gly Val Met Ser Leu Gly
Val 40 45 50 55 ggc caa ggt gcc gat gtt acc att tct gct gaa ggt gca
gac gag gct 485 Gly Gln Gly Ala Asp Val Thr Ile Ser Ala Glu Gly Ala
Asp Glu Ala 60 65 70 gat gct atc gct gct att aca gac aca atg aaa
aag gaa ggc ttg gct 533 Asp Ala Ile Ala Ala Ile Thr Asp Thr Met Lys
Lys Glu Gly Leu Ala 75 80 85 gaa ta atg gct gaa cat ttg aag gga atc
gct gct agt gat ggg atc 580 Glu Met Ala Glu His Leu Lys Gly Ile Ala
Ala Ser Asp Gly Ile 90 95 100 gcc aca gcg aag gcc tat tta ctg gtt
caa cct gat ttg tca ttc caa 628 Ala Thr Ala Lys Ala Tyr Leu Leu Val
Gln Pro Asp Leu Ser Phe Gln 105 110 115 aaa aag acg gtt gat gat cct
tca aag gaa atc gat cgc ctg aag cag 676 Lys Lys Thr Val Asp Asp Pro
Ser Lys Glu Ile Asp Arg Leu Lys Gln 120 125 130 tca ctt gat caa agt
aat gat gag tta aag gtt att cga gca aag gcc 724 Ser Leu Asp Gln Ser
Asn Asp Glu Leu Lys Val Ile Arg Ala Lys Ala 135 140 145 150 gct gaa
tcg ctt ggc gaa gaa gag gct cag gtt ttt gat gcg cac atg 772 Ala Glu
Ser Leu Gly Glu Glu Glu Ala Gln Val Phe Asp Ala His Met 155 160 165
atg att ttg gct gat cct gac ttt act ggt cag gta gag act aag atc 820
Met Ile Leu Ala Asp Pro Asp Phe Thr Gly Gln Val Glu Thr Lys Ile 170
175 180 aag gat gaa aaa gtc aat gct gag cag gct ttg aaa gaa gtc tcc
gaa 868 Lys Asp Glu Lys Val Asn Ala Glu Gln Ala Leu Lys Glu Val Ser
Glu 185 190 195 ttc ttt att aag aca ttc gaa ggt atg acc gac aat cca
tat atg cag 916 Phe Phe Ile Lys Thr Phe Glu Gly Met Thr Asp Asn Pro
Tyr Met Gln 200 205 210 gaa cgt gcg gct gat gtc cgc gac gtg aca aag
cgg atc atg gca cac 964 Glu Arg Ala Ala Asp Val Arg Asp Val Thr Lys
Arg Ile Met Ala His 215 220 225 230 ttg ctc ggt cgc aat ttg cca aat
cca gca tta att gat gaa gaa gtc 1012 Leu Leu Gly Arg Asn Leu Pro
Asn Pro Ala Leu Ile Asp Glu Glu Val 235 240 245 gtt gtg gtt gcg cat
gac ctg acc cct tcg gat acc gca caa ttg aat 1060 Val Val Val Ala
His Asp Leu Thr Pro Ser Asp Thr Ala Gln Leu Asn 250 255 260 aag aag
tat gtc aaa gca ttt gtc acg gat att ggc ggt cgg act gcg 1108 Lys
Lys Tyr Val Lys Ala Phe Val Thr Asp Ile Gly Gly Arg Thr Ala 265 270
275 cac agt gcg att atg gca cgt tcg ttg gaa att ccg gct gtt gtt ggg
1156 His Ser Ala Ile Met Ala Arg Ser Leu Glu Ile Pro Ala Val Val
Gly 280 285 290 aca gat gac att acc aag aag gct aat aac ggt gat ctt
att tcc gtt 1204 Thr Asp Asp Ile Thr Lys Lys Ala Asn Asn Gly Asp
Leu Ile Ser Val 295 300 305 310 gat ggc tta act ggt gaa gtt gtt gtt
gat ccg acc gat gat gaa gta 1252 Asp Gly Leu Thr Gly Glu Val Val
Val Asp Pro Thr Asp Asp Glu Val 315 320 325 gct aag ttc aag cag gat
gct gaa gca ttt gct aag caa aaa gct gaa 1300 Ala Lys Phe Lys Gln
Asp Ala Glu Ala Phe Ala Lys Gln Lys Ala Glu 330 335 340 tgg gct ctt
ttg aag acg gcc aaa tca atc aca gct gat ggc aaa cac 1348 Trp Ala
Leu Leu Lys Thr Ala Lys Ser Ile Thr Ala Asp Gly Lys His 345 350 355
ttt gat gtt gct gcc aac atc ggc acg cca aag gat ctt gat ggt gtg
1396 Phe Asp Val Ala Ala Asn Ile Gly Thr Pro Lys Asp Leu Asp Gly
Val 360 365 370 ctg gca aac ggt gct gaa ggt atc ggt ttg tat cgg aca
gag ttc ttg 1444 Leu Ala Asn Gly Ala Glu Gly Ile Gly Leu Tyr Arg
Thr Glu Phe Leu 375 380 385 390 tac atg gat tct gct gaa tta ccg acc
gaa gac gat caa ttc gag gcc 1492 Tyr Met Asp Ser Ala Glu Leu Pro
Thr Glu Asp Asp Gln Phe Glu Ala 395 400 405 tac aag aag gtt gtc gaa
acg atg agt ccg aag cct gtt gtt gtt cgg 1540 Tyr Lys Lys Val Val
Glu Thr Met Ser Pro Lys Pro Val Val Val Arg 410 415 420 acg atg gat
att ggt ggg gat aaa cat ctg cca tat ttg cca ctt cct 1588 Thr Met
Asp Ile Gly Gly Asp Lys His Leu Pro Tyr Leu Pro Leu Pro 425 430 435
gaa gaa cag aac cca ttc ttg ggt tat cgt gcg att cgg atc agt ctt
1636 Glu Glu Gln Asn Pro Phe Leu Gly Tyr Arg Ala Ile Arg Ile Ser
Leu 440 445 450 gat cgc caa gat atc ttc cgg aca cag ttg cgc gcc ttg
ttg cgt gca 1684 Asp Arg Gln Asp Ile Phe Arg Thr Gln Leu Arg Ala
Leu Leu Arg Ala 455 460 465 470 tct gcc ttt ggc aat ctg cgg atc atg
ttc cct atg att gct acc att 1732 Ser Ala Phe Gly Asn Leu Arg Ile
Met Phe Pro Met Ile Ala Thr Ile 475 480 485 gct gaa ttc aag caa gca
agg cag att ttc act gaa gaa aaa gat aag 1780 Ala Glu Phe Lys Gln
Ala Arg Gln Ile Phe Thr Glu Glu Lys Asp Lys 490 495 500 tta gtc aag
gat ggc gtc aaa gta tct gat gat atc caa ctt ggc att 1828 Leu Val
Lys Asp Gly Val Lys Val Ser Asp Asp Ile Gln Leu Gly Ile 505 510 515
atg atc gaa att cct gca gct gca gtt ttg gct gat cag ttt gct aag
1876 Met Ile Glu Ile Pro Ala Ala Ala Val Leu Ala Asp Gln Phe Ala
Lys 520 525 530 tat gtt gac ttc ttc tcc att ggt aca aat gac ttg atc
cag tac tct 1924 Tyr Val Asp Phe Phe Ser Ile Gly Thr Asn Asp Leu
Ile Gln Tyr Ser 535 540 545 550 atg gcc gct gat cgt ggg aac gag cat
gtt tcc tac ctg tat cag cca 1972 Met Ala Ala Asp Arg Gly Asn Glu
His Val Ser Tyr Leu Tyr Gln Pro 555 560 565 tac aac cca tcc atc ctt
cgc cta atc aag cac gtg att gat tcg gca 2020 Tyr Asn Pro Ser Ile
Leu Arg Leu Ile Lys His Val Ile Asp Ser Ala 570 575 580 cat aag gaa
ggc aag tgg gcc ggt atg tgt ggc gaa gct gct ggt gat 2068 His Lys
Glu Gly Lys Trp Ala Gly Met Cys Gly Glu Ala Ala Gly Asp 585 590 595
cca atc atg gta cca ctg ttg ctt ggt atg ggt ctt gac gaa tac tca
2116 Pro Ile Met Val Pro Leu Leu Leu Gly Met Gly Leu Asp Glu Tyr
Ser 600 605 610 atg tcc gca act tct gtc ctt aaa gta cgc agc ttg atg
aag aag ctt 2164 Met Ser Ala Thr Ser Val Leu Lys Val Arg Ser Leu
Met Lys Lys Leu 615 620 625 630 tcg aca gct gat atg gct aag atg gac
gaa att gct ttg aac caa aat 2212 Ser Thr Ala Asp Met Ala Lys Met
Asp Glu Ile Ala Leu Asn Gln Asn 635 640 645 atc act aat gat gaa aac
gct gat ctg gtt aag aaa aca act ggt cag 2260 Ile Thr Asn Asp Glu
Asn Ala Asp Leu Val Lys Lys Thr Thr Gly Gln 650 655 660 aaa
taaactttca ttatcagaaa gagtctattg actgaataag ttgacggctt 2313 Lys
ctttttttga ccaaaatttg attttgatcg tgctcgctag cattgatttt tctgaaaccc
2373 gctcgaaaat gggactttat ctttgccatg caaaaaggtg attgcgcgac
tatttgtcgg 2433 catctgaaca gtgactgact gcagactttt cagaaaagtg
ttaaggttat tatgtaaact 2493 aaaaattgag ttactgattc atggtatggc
actgtgagcg gtggttcatt tggacttgta 2553 gggggaattg catgtatcaa
tcaaaaacac acaatcatcg atttaccggt caccttgcga 2613 gtgcgaagac
acggttgcgg ctagtagcat tgatttcaac gatgggtggc ctgctttttg 2673
gctatgacac tggggtgatc aatggcgcat tgccttttat ttcttcggaa ctgaaacttg
2733 cccctggatc acagggttgg gtcaccagta gcttgacgct gggtgctgct
tttggtgcta 2793 tcttagtcgg tcgtttaagt gatcgctatg ggcgcaggcg
gctcatcacc atgttagcgg 2853 gcttattttt tctggcaacg gtagcctcgt
cactttcccc gagtgctggc tggctgattg 2913 gcgcacggct gatccttgga
ttagccgttg gcggcgtctc tgtgctggtt ccaagctttt 2973 tagcagagat
tgccccaacg agtcatcgtg ggcggttagt cacacaaaat gagctgatgg 3033
tcgtgactgg ccagttactt gcttttgttc tcaatgcctt tttaggaacc acttttggta
3093 acgttcctgg tatctggcgc tggatgattg tattggcagt cattccggca
attatcttag 3153 gtatcgggac ttattttgtt ccggaatctc ctcgttggtt
aatgatgaaa ggacggccgg 3213 cagcagcacg ttcaagtttg gaagtgttgc
gatctgctgc tgaagtgcca gcagagattg 3273 accatttgaa acagaatctt
gccgaagatg ctaaacataa gcaggcgagt gttcgagcat 3333 tgaaaaccaa
atggattcgc cgactggttc tgattggcat cggcctaggc gtcattcagc 3393
aaattgctgg tatcaatgtc atgatgtatt atggcacctc aattttacaa atgacgggtt
3453 ttgggcgaga tagcgccttg atcgccaaca ttgccaatgg ggttactgcc
gttgctgcaa 3513 cgattgtgac gttgcaattg ttgaagcatg ttccgcggcg
gccaatgctg attgtgggat 3573 tgattggctc aaccgtggcg attactggtg
tcaccttcgc tagtcgacta ccagcgggtt 3633 cgccattccg ggcatttgcg
acaatcggga tgatgatgct gttcttggcg ttcttccaag 3693 gcgctatcag
tccaatgact tggctgctga tgtctgaaat cttccctgaa caggttcggg 3753
gcatagggat gggcgctgca accttctgct tgtggttagc taactttggt gttggcgttc
3813 tgttcccgat tggtctggcc caaataggca tgttctggac attcgtttgc
ttcatcggga 3873 caaatttgat ttcattgctt ttcgttctga tttttgtgcc
ggaaacggct ggacgctccc 3933 tcgaaacttt gcaccgagag gagaaagccc
gcttaaatca ttaatgacaa gcgatttgtt 3993 caagaccaaa aagttgcgct
ttacaaaaag tttgatacca taaaggtgta tcaacaattc 4053 gatgaacctt
cacaaagggg agccattggc tgagaacggg gaaacccgga cccttcgaac 4113
ctgttcgtta atgcgagcgt agggatttgt gaatggt 4150 2 88 PRT
Lactobacillus casei 2 Met Glu Lys Arg Glu Phe Asn Ile Ile Ala Glu
Thr Gly Ile His Ala 1 5 10 15 Arg Pro Ala Thr Leu Leu Val Gln Ala
Ala Ser Lys Phe Asn Ser Asp 20 25 30 Ile Asn Leu Glu Tyr Lys Gly
Lys Ser Val Asn Leu Lys Ser Ile Met 35 40 45 Gly Val Met Ser Leu
Gly Val Gly Gln Gly Ala Asp Val Thr Ile Ser 50 55 60 Ala Glu Gly
Ala Asp Glu Ala Asp Ala Ile Ala Ala Ile Thr Asp Thr 65 70 75 80 Met
Lys Lys Glu Gly Leu Ala Glu 85 3 575 PRT Lactobacillus casei 3 Met
Ala Glu His Leu Lys Gly Ile Ala Ala Ser Asp Gly Ile Ala Thr 1 5 10
15 Ala Lys Ala Tyr Leu Leu Val Gln Pro Asp Leu Ser Phe Gln Lys Lys
20 25 30 Thr Val Asp Asp Pro Ser Lys Glu Ile Asp Arg Leu Lys Gln
Ser Leu 35 40 45 Asp Gln Ser Asn Asp Glu Leu Lys Val Ile Arg Ala
Lys Ala Ala Glu 50 55 60 Ser Leu Gly Glu Glu Glu Ala Gln Val Phe
Asp Ala His Met Met Ile 65 70 75 80 Leu Ala Asp Pro Asp Phe Thr Gly
Gln Val Glu Thr Lys Ile Lys Asp 85 90 95 Glu Lys Val Asn Ala Glu
Gln Ala Leu Lys Glu Val Ser Glu Phe Phe 100 105 110 Ile Lys Thr Phe
Glu Gly Met Thr Asp Asn Pro Tyr Met Gln Glu Arg 115 120 125 Ala Ala
Asp Val Arg Asp Val Thr Lys Arg Ile Met Ala His Leu Leu 130 135 140
Gly Arg Asn Leu Pro Asn Pro Ala Leu Ile Asp Glu Glu Val Val Val 145
150 155 160 Val Ala His Asp Leu Thr Pro Ser Asp Thr Ala Gln Leu Asn
Lys Lys 165 170 175 Tyr Val Lys Ala Phe Val Thr Asp Ile Gly Gly Arg
Thr Ala His Ser 180 185 190 Ala Ile Met Ala Arg Ser Leu Glu Ile Pro
Ala Val Val Gly Thr Asp 195 200 205 Asp Ile Thr Lys Lys Ala Asn Asn
Gly Asp Leu Ile Ser Val Asp Gly 210 215 220 Leu Thr Gly Glu Val Val
Val Asp Pro Thr Asp Asp Glu Val Ala Lys 225 230 235 240 Phe Lys Gln
Asp Ala Glu Ala Phe Ala Lys Gln Lys Ala Glu Trp Ala 245 250 255 Leu
Leu Lys Thr Ala Lys Ser Ile Thr Ala Asp Gly Lys His Phe Asp 260 265
270 Val Ala Ala Asn Ile Gly Thr Pro Lys Asp Leu Asp Gly Val Leu Ala
275 280 285 Asn Gly Ala Glu Gly Ile Gly Leu Tyr Arg Thr Glu Phe Leu
Tyr Met 290 295 300 Asp Ser Ala Glu Leu Pro Thr Glu Asp Asp Gln Phe
Glu Ala Tyr Lys 305 310 315 320 Lys Val Val Glu Thr Met Ser Pro Lys
Pro Val Val Val Arg Thr Met 325 330 335 Asp Ile Gly Gly Asp Lys His
Leu Pro Tyr Leu Pro Leu Pro Glu Glu 340 345 350 Gln Asn Pro Phe Leu
Gly Tyr Arg Ala Ile Arg Ile Ser Leu Asp Arg 355 360 365 Gln Asp Ile
Phe Arg Thr Gln Leu Arg Ala Leu Leu Arg Ala Ser Ala 370 375 380 Phe
Gly Asn Leu Arg Ile Met Phe Pro Met Ile Ala Thr Ile Ala Glu 385 390
395 400 Phe Lys Gln Ala Arg Gln Ile Phe Thr Glu Glu Lys Asp Lys Leu
Val 405 410 415 Lys Asp Gly Val Lys Val Ser Asp Asp Ile Gln Leu Gly
Ile Met Ile 420 425 430 Glu Ile Pro Ala Ala Ala Val Leu Ala Asp Gln
Phe Ala Lys Tyr Val 435 440 445 Asp Phe Phe Ser Ile Gly Thr Asn Asp
Leu Ile Gln Tyr Ser Met Ala 450 455 460 Ala Asp Arg Gly Asn Glu His
Val Ser Tyr Leu Tyr Gln Pro Tyr Asn 465 470 475 480 Pro Ser Ile Leu
Arg Leu Ile Lys His Val Ile Asp Ser Ala His Lys 485 490 495 Glu Gly
Lys Trp Ala Gly Met Cys Gly Glu Ala Ala Gly Asp Pro Ile 500 505 510
Met Val Pro Leu Leu Leu Gly Met Gly Leu Asp Glu Tyr Ser Met Ser 515
520 525 Ala Thr Ser Val Leu Lys Val Arg Ser Leu Met Lys Lys Leu Ser
Thr 530 535 540 Ala Asp Met Ala Lys Met Asp Glu Ile Ala Leu Asn Gln
Asn Ile Thr 545 550 555 560 Asn Asp Glu Asn Ala Asp Leu Val Lys Lys
Thr Thr Gly Gln Lys 565 570 575
* * * * *