Response of recombinant calcineurin to metal ions, reduction-oxidation agents, and enzymatic modification

Expression of chitinase A (chiA) gene from a local isolate of Serratia marcescens in Coleoptera-specific Bacillus thuringiensis

AIMS

The present study focused on cloning and expression of chiA gene from a highly chitinolytic local isolate of Serratia marcescens in an anti-Coleopteran Bacillus thuringiensis and comparison of the characteristics of the native and recombinant ChiAs.

METHODS AND RESULTS

chiA gene from Ser. marcescens was cloned, sequenced and compared with the previously cloned chiA genes. chiA gene was PCR cloned and expressed in anti-Coleopteran B. thuringiensis strain 3023 as verified by Western blot analysis. Specific ChiA activity of the recombinant B. thuringiensis (strain 3023-SCHI) reached its highest level at 21st hour of growth (16.93 U mg(-1)), which was 5.2- and 1.3-fold higher than that of its parental strain and Ser. marcescens, respectively. Temperature and pH effects on native and recombinant ChiAs were next determined. The recombinant plasmid was quite stable over 240 generations.

CONCLUSIONS

Serratia marcescens ChiA was heterologously expressed in an anti-Coleopteran B. thuringiensis at levels even higher than that produced by the source organism.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Bacillus thuringiensis 3023-SCHI co-expressing anti-Coleopteran Cry3Aa protein and Ser. marcescens chitinase offers a viable alternative to the use of chitinolytic microbes/enzymes in combination with entamopathogenic bacteria for an increased potency because of synergistic interaction between them.

La3+ stimulate the activity of calcineurin in two different ways

It is well known that the activity of calcineurin (CaN) could be modulated by several transitional metal ions. In the present work, the effects of a calcium analog, lanthanum ion (La(3+)), on the activity of CaN were studied. It was found that La(3+) exerted multiple effects on CaN activity. La(3+) could stimulate CaN in the absence of calmodulin (CaM); whereas at low concentrations of La(3+), there was a slight inhibition of activation of CaN in the presence of CaM. Competitive experiments and limited trypsin proteolysis confirmed that La(3+) did not act on the catalytic core of CaN, but exerted its effect through direct action on the CaN regulatory domain similar to Mg(2+). In activity titration and spot blotting studies, La(3+)-containing CaM complexes were less effective in stimulating CaN than Ca(2+) or Mn(2+)-containing CaM; however, the binding affinity of these metal-CaM complexes to CaN was similar. These effects of La(3+) on CaN activity are unique among metal ions and may provide clues to understand the biological effects of La(3+).