Cloning and expression of the structural gene for beta-glucosidase of Kluyveromyces fragilis in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Protoplast transformation of Kluyveromyces marxianus

The dairy yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus is a promising cell factory for producing bioethanol and heterologous proteins, as well as a robust synthetic biology platform host, due to its safe status and beneficial traits, including fast growth and thermotolerance. However, the lack of high-efficiency transformation methods hampers the fundamental research and industrial application of this yeast. Protoplast transformation is one of the most commonly used fungal transformation methods, but it yet remains unexplored in K. marxianus. Here, we established the protoplast transformation method of K. marxianus for the first time. A series of parameters on the transformation efficiency were optimized: cells were collected in the late-log phase and treated with zymolyase for protoplasting; the transformation was performed at 0 °C with carrier DNA, CaCl₂ , and PEG; after transformation, protoplasts were recovered in a solid regeneration medium containing 3-4% agar and 0.8 m sorbitol. By using the optimized method, plasmids of 10, 24, and 58 kb were successfully transformed into K. marxianus. The highest efficiency reached 1.8 × 10⁴ transformants per μg DNA, which is 18-fold higher than the lithium acetate method. This protoplast transformation method will promote the genetic engineering of K. marxianus that requires high-efficiency transformation or the introduction of large DNA fragments.

Co-fermentation of xylose and cellobiose by an engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have integrated and coordinately expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae a xylose isomerase and cellobiose phosphorylase from Ruminococcus flavefaciens that enables fermentation of glucose, xylose, and cellobiose under completely anaerobic conditions. The native xylose isomerase was active in cell-free extracts from yeast transformants containing a single integrated copy of the gene. We improved the activity of the enzyme and its affinity for xylose by modifications to the 5′-end of the gene, site-directed mutagenesis, and codon optimization. The improved enzyme, designated RfCO*, demonstrated a 4.8-fold increase in activity compared to the native xylose isomerase, with a Km for xylose of 66.7 mM and a specific activity of 1.41 μmol/min/mg. In comparison, the native xylose isomerase was found to have a Km for xylose of 117.1 mM and a specific activity of 0.29 μmol/min/mg. The coordinate over-expression of RfCO* along with cellobiose phosphorylase, cellobiose transporters, the endogenous genes GAL2 and XKS1, and disruption of the native PHO13 and GRE3 genes allowed the fermentation of glucose, xylose, and cellobiose under completely anaerobic conditions. Interestingly, this strain was unable to utilize xylose or cellobiose as a sole carbon source for growth under anaerobic conditions, thus minimizing yield loss to biomass formation and maximizing ethanol yield during their fermentation.

Role of a PA14 domain in determining substrate specificity of a glycoside hydrolase family 3 β-glucosidase from Kluyveromyces marxianus

β-Glucosidase from Kluyveromyces marxianus (KmBglI) belongs to the GH3 (glycoside hydrolase family 3). The enzyme is particularly unusual in that a PA14 domain (pf07691), for which a carbohydrate-binding role has been claimed, is inserted into the catalytic core sequence. In the present study, we determined the enzymatic properties and crystal structure of KmBglI in complex with glucose at a 2.55 Å (1 Å=0.1 nm) resolution. A striking characteristic of KmBglI was that the enzyme activity is essentially limited to disaccharides, and when trisaccharides were used as the substrates the activity was drastically decreased. This chain-length specificity is in sharp contrast with the preferred action on oligosaccharides of barley β-D-glucan glucohydrolase (ExoI), which does not have a PA14 domain insertion. The structure of subsite (−1) of KmBglI is almost identical with that of Thermotoga neapolitana β-glucosidase and is also similar to that of ExoI, however, the structures of subsite (+1) significantly differ among them. In KmBglI, the loops extending from the PA14 domain cover the catalytic pocket to form subsite (+1), and hence simultaneously become a steric hindrance that could limit the chain length of the substrates to be accommodated. Mutational studies demonstrated the critical role of the loop regions in determining the substrate specificity. The active-site formation mediated by the PA14 domain of KmBglI invokes α-complementation of β-galactosidase exerted by its N-terminal domain, to which the PA14 domain shows structural resemblance. The present study is the first which reveals the structural basis of the interaction between the PA14 domain and a carbohydrate.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of beta-glucosidase from Kluyveromyces marxianus NBRC1777

The intracellular beta-glucosidase from Kluyveromyces marxianus NBRC1777 (KmBglI) belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 3 and has a unique domain architecture. Selenomethionine-labelled KmBglI was purified and crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using the purified enzyme at 30 mg ml(-1), 0.04 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate pH 5.1, 16%(w/v) PEG 8000 and 20%(v/v) glycerol. The crystal belonged to space group C2, with unitcell parameters a = 245.8, b = 148.7, c = 119.9 angstrom, beta = 112.9 degrees. Multiple-wavelength anomalous dispersion data were collected at 2.4 and 2.5 angstrom resolution. A tetramer was assumed to be present in the asymmetric unit, which gave a Matthews coefficient of 2.6 angstrom(3) Da(-1).

The yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus and its biotechnological potential

Strains belonging to the yeast species Kluyveromyces marxianus have been isolated from a great variety of habitats, which results in a high metabolic diversity and a substantial degree of intraspecific polymorphism. As a consequence, several different biotechnological applications have been investigated with this yeast: production of enzymes (beta-galactosidase, beta-glucosidase, inulinase, and polygalacturonases, among others), of single-cell protein, of aroma compounds, and of ethanol (including high-temperature and simultaneous saccharification-fermentation processes); reduction of lactose content in food products; production of bioingredients from cheese-whey; bioremediation; as an anticholesterolemic agent; and as a host for heterologous protein production. Compared to its congener and model organism, Kluyveromyces lactis, the accumulated knowledge on K. marxianus is much smaller and spread over a number of different strains. Although there is no publicly available genome sequence for this species, 20% of the CBS 712 strain genome was randomly sequenced (Llorente et al. in FEBS Lett 487:71-75, 2000). In spite of these facts, K. marxianus can envisage a great biotechnological future because of some of its qualities, such as a broad substrate spectrum, thermotolerance, high growth rates, and less tendency to ferment when exposed to sugar excess, when compared to K. lactis. To increase our knowledge on the biology of this species and to enable the potential applications to be converted into industrial practice, a more systematic approach, including the careful choice of (a) reference strain(s) by the scientific community, would certainly be of great value.

Construction of thermotolerant yeast expressing thermostable cellulase genes

Kluyveromyces marxianus NBRC1777 was identified as a thermotolerant yeast and was developed as a host for the expression of thermostable cellulase genes. The previously isolated genes for thermostable endo-beta-1,4-glucanase, cellobiohydrolase, and beta-glucosidase were introduced into the chromosome of K. marxianus and successfully expressed under the control of high-expression promoters. The recombinant K. marxianus expressing cellulase genes became able to grow in synthetic medium containing cellobiose or carboxymethyl-cellulose as the single carbon source. Moreover, the recombinant strain produced 43.4 g/L ethanol from 10% cellobiose. These results suggest that K. marxianus may afford a useful host system, which may be applicable to the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation and the foundation of cellulose consolidated bioprocessing.

Consolidated bioprocessing for bioethanol production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of lignocellulose to bioethanol refers to the combining of the four biological events required for this conversion process (production of saccharolytic enzymes, hydrolysis of the polysaccharides present in pretreated biomass, fermentation of hexose sugars, and fermentation of pentose sugars) in one reactor. CBP is gaining increasing recognition as a potential breakthrough for low-cost biomass processing. Although no natural microorganism exhibits all the features desired for CBP, a number of microorganisms, both bacteria and fungi, possess some of the desirable properties. This review focuses on progress made toward the development of baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) for CBP. The current status of saccharolytic enzyme (cellulases and hemicellulases) expression in S. cerevisiae to complement its natural fermentative ability is highlighted. Attention is also devoted to the challenges ahead to integrate all required enzymatic activities in an industrial S. cerevisiae strain(s) and the need for molecular and selection strategies pursuant to developing a yeast capable of CBP.

Production and characterization of recombinant Phanerochaete chrysosporium beta-glucosidase in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

The extracellular beta-glucosidase from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was expressed heterologously in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. After 7 days' cultivation in an induction medium containing 1% (v/v) methanol, the expression level of the recombinant enzyme was 28,500 U/l, 38 times that of the wild-type enzyme. The specific activity of the crude recombinant enzyme for p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucoside was 52 U/mg, 37 times that of the wild-type enzyme; this difference made the purification of the enzyme simple. On a SDS-PAGE, the molecular mass of the recombinant enzyme was 133 kDa, and that of the wild-type enzyme was 116 kDa, but the difference had no effect on the hydrolysis of cellobiose or p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucoside. We concluded that the recombinant enzyme produced by Pichia pastoris retains the catalytic properties of the wild-type enzyme from Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

Microbial cellulose utilization: fundamentals and biotechnology

Fundamental features of microbial cellulose utilization are examined at successively higher levels of aggregation encompassing the structure and composition of cellulosic biomass, taxonomic diversity, cellulase enzyme systems, molecular biology of cellulase enzymes, physiology of cellulolytic microorganisms, ecological aspects of cellulase-degrading communities, and rate-limiting factors in nature. The methodological basis for studying microbial cellulose utilization is considered relative to quantification of cells and enzymes in the presence of solid substrates as well as apparatus and analysis for cellulose-grown continuous cultures. Quantitative description of cellulose hydrolysis is addressed with respect to adsorption of cellulase enzymes, rates of enzymatic hydrolysis, bioenergetics of microbial cellulose utilization, kinetics of microbial cellulose utilization, and contrasting features compared to soluble substrate kinetics. A biological perspective on processing cellulosic biomass is presented, including features of pretreated substrates and alternative process configurations. Organism development is considered for "consolidated bioprocessing" (CBP), in which the production of cellulolytic enzymes, hydrolysis of biomass, and fermentation of resulting sugars to desired products occur in one step. Two organism development strategies for CBP are examined: (i) improve product yield and tolerance in microorganisms able to utilize cellulose, or (ii) express a heterologous system for cellulose hydrolysis and utilization in microorganisms that exhibit high product yield and tolerance. A concluding discussion identifies unresolved issues pertaining to microbial cellulose utilization, suggests approaches by which such issues might be resolved, and contrasts a microbially oriented cellulose hydrolysis paradigm to the more conventional enzymatically oriented paradigm in both fundamental and applied contexts.

Genomic exploration of the hemiascomycetous yeasts: 12. Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus

As part of the comparative genomics project 'GENOLEVURES', we studied the Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus strain CBS712 using a partial random sequencing strategy. With a 0.2 x genome equivalent coverage, we identified ca. 1300 novel genes encoding proteins, some containing spliceosomal introns with consensus splice sites identical to those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 28 tRNA genes, the whole rDNA repeat, and retrotransposons of the Ty1/2 family of S. cerevisiae with diverged Long Terminal Repeats. Functional classification of the K. marxianus genes, as well as the analysis of the paralogous gene families revealed few differences with respect to S. cerevisiae. Only 42 K. marxianus identified genes are without detectable homolog in the baker's yeast. However, we identified several genetic rearrangements between these two yeast species.

Assimilation of cellooligosaccharides by a cell surface-engineered yeast expressing beta-glucosidase and carboxymethylcellulase from aspergillus aculeatus

Since Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacks the cellulase complexes that hydrolyze cellulosic materials, which are abundant in the world, two types of hydrolytic enzymes involved in the degradation of cellulosic materials to glucose were genetically co-immobilized on its cell surface for direct utilization of cellulosic materials, one of the final goals of our studies. The genes encoding FI-carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) and beta-glucosidase from the fungus Aspergillus aculeatus were individually fused with the gene encoding the C-terminal half (320 amino acid residues from the C terminus) of yeast alpha-agglutinin and introduced into S. cerevisiae. The delivery of CMCase and beta-glucosidase to the cell surface was carried out by the secretion signal sequence of the native signal sequence of CMCase and by the secretion signal sequence of glucoamylase from Rhizopus oryzae for beta-glucosidase, respectively. The genes were expressed by the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter from S. cerevisiae. The CMCase and beta-glucosidase activities were detected in the cell pellet fraction, not in the culture supernatant. The display of CMCase and beta-glucosidase proteins on the cell surface was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy. The cells displaying these cellulases could grow on cellobiose or water-soluble cellooligosaccharides as the sole carbon source. The degradation and assimilation of cellooligosaccharides were confirmed by thin-layer chromatography. This result showed that the cell surface-engineered yeast with these enzymes can be endowed with the ability to assimilate cellooligosaccharides. This is the first step in the assimilation of cellulosic materials by S. cerevisiae expressing heterologous cellulase genes.

Engineering yeast for efficient cellulose degradation

Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces several beta-1,3-glucanases, but lacks the multicomponent cellulase complexes that hydrolyse the beta-1,4-linked glucose polymers present in cellulose-rich biomass as well as in haze-forming glucans in certain wines and beers. We have introduced into S. cerevisiae a functional cellulase complex for efficient cellulose degradation by cloning the Endomyces fibuliger cellobiase (BGL1) gene and co-expressing it with the Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens endo-beta-1,4-glucanase (END1), the Phanerochaete chrysosporium cellobiohydrolase (CBH1) and the Ruminococcus flavefacies cellodextrinase (CEL1) gene constructs in this yeast. The END1, CBH1 and CEL1 genes were inserted into yeast expression/secretion cassettes. Expression of END1, CBH1 and CEL1 was directed by the promoter sequences derived from the alcohol dehydrogenase II (ADH2), the phosphoglycerate kinase I (PKG1) and the alcohol dehydrogenase I (ADH1) genes, respectively. In contrast, BGL1 was expressed under the control of its native promoter. Secretion of End1p and Cel1p was directed by the signal sequence of the yeast mating pheromone alpha-factor (MF alpha 1), whereas Cbh1p and Bgl1p were secreted using their authentic leader peptides. The construction of a fur1 ura3 S. cerevisiae strain allowed for the autoselection of this multicopy URA3-based plasmid in rich medium. S. cerevisiae transformants secreting biologically active endo-beta-1,4-glucanase, cellobiohydrolase, cellodextrinase and cellobiase were able to degrade various substrates including carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, laminarin, barley glucan, cellobiose, polypectate, birchwood xylan and methyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside. This study could lead to the development of industrial strains of S. cerevisiae capable of converting cellulose in a one-step process into commercially important commodities.

Kluyveromyces marxianus small DNA fragments contain both autonomous replicative and centromeric elements that also function in Kluyveromyces lactis

Two fragments containing both an autonomous replicating sequence (ARS) and a centromere have been isolated and sequenced from the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus. The ARS and centromeric core sequences are only 500 bp apart, but ARS activity could be separated from the centromeric sequences. Centromeric sequences are organized in a similar way to those of budding yeasts: two well-conserved elements: CDEI (5' TCACGTG 3') and CDEIII (5' TNTTCCGAAAGTWAAA 3'), are separated by a 165 bp AT-rich (+/- 90%) CDEII element whose length is twice that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CDEII but almost identical to that of K. lactis. The ARS-core consensus sequence (5' TTTATTGTT 3') is also similar to that of K. lactis. Both ARS and centromeric elements function in this strain, albeit inefficiently, but not in S. cerevisiae. A third ARS-containing fragment with a different organization has been isolated and sequenced.

High efficiency transformation of Kluyveromyces marxianus by a replicative plasmid

Kluyveromyces marxianus can be transformed with an efficiency of 10(5) transformants/microgram of DNA by a replicative plasmid using electroporation. In order to obtain this efficiency, we isolated ura- mutants cells which can be complemented by the URA3 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The URA3 gene and KARS2, a replicative origin from Kluyveromyces lactis which functions in K. marxianus, were ligated together in a plasmid which can be used as a vector to transform this strain.

Cloning and sequencing of an Agrobacterium tumefaciens beta-glucosidase gene involved in modifying a vir-inducing plant signal molecule

Induction of Agrobacterium tumefaciens virulence genes by plant phenolic compounds is essential for successful T-DNA transfer to a host plant. In Douglas fir needles, the major virulence region inducer is the glycoside coniferin (J. W. Morris and R. O. Morris, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:3612-3618, 1990). Agrobacterium strains with high beta-glucosidase activity respond to coniferin and infect Douglas fir seedlings, whereas most strains with low beta-glucosidase activity fail to respond to coniferin and are avirulent on this host. We have cloned two beta-glucosidase genes from A. tumefaciens B3/73 and sequenced one of them, cbg1. It appears to be part of a polycistronic unit and shows a high bias for GC-rich codons. When expressed in Escherichia coli, Cbg1 beta-glucosidase hydrolyzes coniferin but not cellobiose. The 88-kDa predicted product of cbg1 is highly similar to one other bacterial beta-glucosidase and several fungal beta-glucosidases. There is little homology between Cbg1 and other bacterial beta-glucosidases, including an Agrobacterium cellobiase.

Construction of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain able to ferment cellobiose

The bglA gene, encoding a beta-glucosidase from Bacillus polymyxa, has been expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under control of the CYC-GAL promoter inducible by galactose. The expression of bglA-encoded activity in the strain used as a host was not sufficient to allow its growth with cellobiose as a carbon source. However, a recessive mutation in a gene designated cem1 has been obtained which, combined with the expression of beta-glucosidase activity, allows the growth of S. cerevisiae on cellobiose. The expression of the blgA gene in a cem1 strain confers on S. cerevisiae the capability for an efficient fermentation of cellobiose, as detected by the formation of CO2.

cDNA cloning and expression of a Talaromyces emersonii beta-glucosidase determinant in Escherichia coli

Intact mRNA has been isolated from the thermophilic fungus Talaromyces emersonii following growth on lactose-containing media and this has been used as template to produce cDNA. This cDNA has been cloned into the Escherichia coli expression system, pUC18 and this DNA was used to transform E. coli. A 2.1 kb fragment was isolated and shown to encode functional beta-glucosidase activity in E. coli. When the fragment was sub-cloned into a leaky strain of E. coli K-12, beta-glucosidase activity was detected in culture supernatants. The fragment was characterised further using restriction enzyme analysis and was also used as a probe in Northern and Southern blotting analyses of T. emersonii mRNA and genomic DNA, respectively. Results obtained from these analyses verified that the cloned insert DNA was of T. emersonii origin.

Cloning and characterization of two genes from Bacillus polymyxa expressing beta-glucosidase activity in Escherichia coli

DNA fragments from Bacillus polymyxa which encode beta-glucosidase activity were cloned in Escherichia coli by selection of yellow transformants able to hydrolyze the artificial chromogenic substrate p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside. Restriction endonuclease maps and Southern analysis of the cloned fragments showed the existence of two different genes. Expression of either one of these genes allowed growth of E. coli in minimal medium with cellobiose as the only carbon source. One of the two enzymes was found in the periplasm of E. coli, hydrolyzed arylglucosides more actively than cellobiose, and rendered glucose as the only product upon cellobiose hydrolysis. The other enzyme was located in the cytoplasm, was more active toward cellobiose, and hydrolyzed this disaccharide, yielding glucose and another, unidentified compound, probably a phosphorylated sugar.

Regulatory aspects of cellulase biosynthesis and secretion

The cellulase enzyme system consists of cellobiohydrolase, endoglucanase, and beta-glucosidase and has been extensively studied with respect to its biosynthesis, properties, mode of action, application, and, most recently, secretion mechanisms. A knowledge of the factors governing the biosynthesis and secretion of these enzymes at the molecular level will be useful in maximizing enzyme productivity in extracellular fluid. Among other topics, the regulatory effects of sorbose (a noninducing sugar which is not a product of cellulose hydrolysis) on cellulase synthesis and release are described. Cellulase genes have recently been cloned into a number of microorganisms with a view to understanding the gene structure and expression and to obtaining the enzyme components in pure form. The factors governing biosynthesis and secretion of cellulases in recombinant cells are also discussed. Cellulases are known to be glycoproteins, therefore, the role of O- and N-linked glycosylation on enzyme stability and secretion is also detailed.

Nucleotide sequences of Saccharomycopsis fibuligera genes for extracellular beta-glucosidases as expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We isolated two genes for extracellular beta-glucosidase, BGL1 and BGL2, from the genomic library of the yeast Saccharomycopsis fibuligera. Gene products (BGLI and BGLII) were purified from the culture fluids of Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformed with BGL1 and BGL2, respectively. Molecular weights of BGLI and BGLII were estimated to be 220,000 and 200,000 by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The two beta-glucosidases showed the same enzymatic characteristics, such as thermo-denaturation kinetics and dependencies on pH and temperature, but quite different substrate specificities: BGLI hydrolyzed cellobiose efficiently, but BGLII did not. This result is consistent with the observation that the S. cerevisiae transformant carrying BGL1 fermented cellobiose to ethanol but the transformant carrying BGL2 did not. Southern blot analysis revealed that the two beta-glucosidase genes were derived from Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and that the nucleotide sequences of the two genes are closely related. The complete nucleotide sequences of the two genes were determined. BGL1 and BGL2 encode 876- and 880-amino-acid proteins which were shown to be highly similar to each other. The putative precursors begin with hydrophobic segments that presumably act as signal sequences for secretion. Amino acid analysis of the purified proteins confirmed that BGL1 and BGL2 encode BGLI and BGLII, respectively.

The promoter of the beta-glucosidase gene from Kluyveromyces fragilis contains sequences that act as upstream repressing sequences in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The relationship between the promoter length of the Kluyveromyces fragilis beta-glucosidase gene and the level of its expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied by gene fusion between deleted promoter fragments of various lengths and the promoterless beta-galactosidase gene of Escherichia coli. The removal of a region from position -425 to -232 led to a tenfold increase in the expression of the gene. The same results were obtained for the reconstructed beta-glucosidase gene with the same promoter length. It is likely that the deletion of this part of the promoter removes negative regulatory elements which are functional in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This increase in activity is the main event which may explain the high increase in gene expression (60-fold) previously observed for an upstream deletion obtained during subcloning experiments of the beta-glucosidase gene. It is also shown that the expression of the gene greatly depends upon the nature of the recipient strain, the growth phase of the cell and that of the vector carrying it.

Nonconventional yeasts: their genetics and biotechnological applications

To date, more than 500 species of yeasts have been described. Most of the genetic and biochemical studies have, however, been carried out with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although a considerable amount of knowledge has been accumulated on fundamental processes and biotechnological applications of this industrially important yeast, the large variety of other yeast genera and species may offer various advantages for experimental study as well as for product formation in biotechnology. The genetic investigation of these so-called unconventional yeasts is poorly developed and information about corresponding data is dispersed. It is the aim of this review to summarize and discuss the main results of genetic studies and biotechnological applications of unconventional yeasts and to serve as a guide for scientists who wish to enter this field or are interested in only some aspects of these yeasts.

Sequence and transcription of the beta-glucosidase gene of Kluyveromyces fragilis cloned in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The complete nucleotide sequence of the beta-glucosidase gene of Kluyveromyces fragilis has been determined. This sequence contains an open reading frame of 2535 base pairs encoding a protein of 845 amino acids. Analysis of the transcription products revealed only one transcript of about 3 kb identical in both Kluyveromyces fragilis and in the expression host Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The protein molecular weight of 93,811 Kd deduced from the sequence is consistent with the 90,000 Kd determined by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with the purified protein. Mapping of the starts of transcription shows that two starting points are used in the natural host Kluyveromyces fragilis. A comparison of the amino acid sequence with that of other beta-glucosidases revealed three regions of homology. One of these regions contains an amino acid sequence very similar to a peptide isolated from the active site of beta-glucosidase A3 from Aspergillus wentii and could be implicated in the catalytic mechanism of these glucolytic enzymes.

Biosynthesis regulation of the beta-glucosidase produced by a yeast strain transformed by genetic engineering

The biosynthesis of the beta-glucosidase enzyme was studied in a transformed yeast obtained by cloning in Saccharomyces cerevisiae the structural gene coding for beta-glucosidase in Kluyveromyces fragilis. The enzyme biosynthesis was found to be non-adaptative, and repressed by glucose. These features are similar to those observed in K. fragilis. beta-Glucosidase activity in the transformed yeast was much higher than in K. fragilis. We attempted to ferment cellobiose with the transformed yeast: practically no cellobiose was consumed, growth and ethanol production were negligible. Warburg experiments showed that cellobiose fermentation did not occur when the respiratory chain was not functioning.

Cloning of genes related to exo-beta-glucanase production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: characterization of an exo-beta-glucanase structural gene

The EXG1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned and identified by complementation of a mutant strain (exg1-2) with highly reduced extracellular exo-beta-1,3-glucanase (EXG) activity. Two recombinant plasmids containing an overlapping region of 5.2 kb were isolated from a genomic DNA library and characterized by restriction mapping. The coding region was located by subcloning the original DNA inserts in a 2.7-kb HindIII-XhoI fragment. Exg+ strains and Exg- mutants transformed with yeast multicopy plasmids containing this DNA fragment showed an EXG activity 5- to 20-fold higher than for the untransformed Exg+ wild-type (wt) strains. The overproduced EXG had the same enzymic activity on different substrates, and showed the same electrophoretic behaviour on polyacrylamide gels and identical properties upon filtration through Sephacryl S-200 as those of the main EXG from Exg+ wt strains. The EXG1 gene transformed Schizosaccharomyces pombe, yielding extracellular EXG activity which showed cross-reactivity with anti-S. cervisiae EXG antibodies. A fragment including only a part of the EXG1 region was subcloned into the integrating vector YIp5, and the resulting plasmid was used to transform an Exg+ strain. Genetic and Southern analysis of several stable Exg- transformants showed that the fragment integrated by homology with the EXG1 locus. The chromosomal DNA fragment into which the plasmid integrated has a restriction pattern identical to that of the fragment on which we had previously identified the putative EXG1 gene. Only one copy of the EXG1 gene per genome was found in several strains tested by Southern analysis. Furthermore, two additional recombinant plasmids sharing a yeast DNA fragment of about 4.1 kb, which partially complements the exg1-2 mutation but which shows no homology with the 2.7-kb fragment containing the EXG1 gene, were also identified in this study. This 4.1-kb DNA fragment does not appear to contain an extragenic suppressor and could be related in some way to EXG production in S. cerevisiae.