Controlled overproduction of proteins by lactic acid bacteria

Protein secretion in Lactococcus lactis : an efficient way to increase the overall heterologous protein production

Lactococcus lactis, the model lactic acid bacterium (LAB), is a food grade and well-characterized Gram positive bacterium. It is a good candidate for heterologous protein delivery in foodstuff or in the digestive tract. L. lactis can also be used as a protein producer in fermentor. Many heterologous proteins have already been produced in L. lactis but only few reports allow comparing production yields for a given protein either produced intracellularly or secreted in the medium. Here, we review several works evaluating the influence of the localization on the production yields of several heterologous proteins produced in L. lactis. The questions of size limits, conformation, and proteolysis are addressed and discussed with regard to protein yields. These data show that i) secretion is preferable to cytoplasmic production; ii) secretion enhancement (by signal peptide and propeptide optimization) results in increased production yield; iii) protein conformation rather than protein size can impair secretion and thus alter production yields; and iv) fusion of a stable protein can stabilize labile proteins. The role of intracellular proteolysis on heterologous cytoplasmic proteins and precursors is discussed. The new challenges now are the development of food grade systems and the identification and optimization of host factors affecting heterologous protein production not only in L. lactis, but also in other LAB species.

The relevance of genetic analysis to dairy bacteria: building upon our heritage

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are essential for the manufacture of fermented dairy products. Studies on the physiology, biochemistry and genetics of these microorganisms over the last century have contributed considerably to the improvement of fermentation processes and have resulted in better and safer products. Nevertheless, the potential of LAB is far from being maximized. The sophistication of biotechnologies and the availability of complete genome sequences have opened the door to the metabolic engineering of LAB. In this regard, the recent publication of the complete genome sequences of two Streptococcus thermophilus strains will provide a key tool to facilitate the genetic manipulation of this important dairy species.

New expression system tightly controlled by zinc availability in Lactococcus lactis

Here we developed the new expression system P(Zn) zitR, based on the regulatory signals (P(Zn) promoter and zitR repressor) of the Lactococcus lactis zit operon, involved in Zn(2+) high-affinity uptake and regulation. A P(Zn) zitR-controlled expression vector was constructed, and expression regulation was studied with two reporter genes, uspnuc and lacLM; these genes encode, respectively, a protein derived from Staphylococcus aureus secreted nuclease and Leuconostoc mesenteroides cytoplasmic beta-galactosidase. Nuclease and beta-galactosidase activities of L. lactis MG1363 cells expressing either uspnuc or lacLM under the control of P(Zn) zitR were evaluated on plates and quantified from liquid cultures as a function of divalent metal ion, particularly Zn(2+), availability in the environment. Our results demonstrate that P(Zn) zitR is highly inducible upon divalent cation starvation, obtained either through EDTA addition or during growth in chemically defined medium, and is strongly repressed in the presence of excess Zn(2+). The efficiency of the P(Zn) zitR expression system was compared to that of the well-known nisin-controlled expression (NICE) system with the same reporter genes cloned under either P(Zn) zitR or P(nisA) nisRK control. lacLM induction levels reached with both systems were on the same order of magnitude, even though the NICE system is fivefold more efficient than the P(Zn) zitR system. An even smaller difference or no difference was observed after 3 h of induction when nuclease was used as a reporter for Western blotting detection. P(Zn) zitR proved to be a powerful expression system for L. lactis, as it is tightly controlled by the zinc concentration in the medium.

A xylose-inducible expression system forLactococcus lactis

A new controlled production system to target heterologous proteins to cytoplasm or extracellular medium is described for Lactococcus lactis NCDO2118. It is based on the use of a xylose-inducible lactococcal promoter, P(xylT). The capacities of this system to produce cytoplasmic and secreted proteins were tested using the Staphylococcus aureus nuclease gene (nuc) fused or not to the lactococcal Usp45 signal peptide. Xylose-inducible nuc expression is tightly controlled and resulted in high-level and long-term protein production, and correct targeting either to the cytoplasm or to the extracellular medium. Furthermore, this expression system is versatile and can be switched on or off easily by adding either xylose or glucose, respectively. These results confirm the potential of this expression system as an alternative and useful tool for the production of proteins of interest in L. lactis.

Random transposon mutagenesis of Lactobacillus plantarum by using the pGh9:IS S1 vector to clone genes involved in the regulation of phenolic acid metabolism

The lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum possesses a promising inducible padA promoter that controls the expression of the padA gene encoding a phenolic acid decarboxylase, and which is transcriptionally regulated by phenolic acids. A strategy was followed in order to clone genes involved in the transcriptional regulation of the padA gene. The pGh9:IS S1 plasmid was used to perfect the mutagenesis of L. plantarum by transposition. This plasmid transposed randomly in the L. plantarum NC8 chromosome, with a frequency of 0.03% at a non-permissive replicating temperature of 42 degrees C. A L. plantarum mutant strain harbouring the transcriptional fusion padA:cat that displayed a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) activity induced by p-coumaric acid was constructed. This strain was mutated by transposition with pGh9:IS S1 in order to select mutants with a constitutive CAT activity therefore able to grow on medium containing chloramphenicol without the phenolic acid inducer. Four mutants were identified and three of them harboured an inserted single copy of the pGh9:IS S1 vector. Analysis of IS S1 target sites allowed the identification of two genes: one encoding a putative protein that displays similarity with histidine-binding protein, the other belongs to the ATP-dependent RNA helicase family, protein which are usually involved in gene expression.

Quorum sensing control of lantibiotic production; nisin and subtilin autoregulate their own biosynthesis

Lantibiotics are produced by a variety of Gram-positive bacteria. The production of these peptides appears to be regulated at the transcriptional level in a cell-density-dependent manner in various bacteria. This phenomenon has been studied in detail for the production of nisin by Lactococcus lactis, and the production of the structurally similar subtilin by Bacillus subtilis. In this paper, the molecular mechanism underlying regulation of nisin and subtilin production is reviewed. This quorum sensing, autoregulatory module includes the lantibiotics themselves as peptide pheromones, the signal transduction by the corresponding two-component regulatory systems, and the lantibiotic-responsive promoter elements in the biosynthesis gene clusters. Finally, the exploitation of these regulatory characteristics for the development of highly effective controlled gene expression systems in Gram-positive bacteria is discussed.

Nisin-controlled production of pediocin PA-1 and colicin V in nisin- and non-nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis strains

The introduction of chimeric genes encoding the fusion leader of lactococcin A-propediocin PA-1 or procolicin V under the control of the inducible nisA promoter and the lactococcin A-dedicated secretion genes (lcnCD) into Lactococcus lactis strains, including a nisin producer, expressing the two component regulator NisRK led to the production or pediocin PA-1 or colicin V, respectively.

General and specialized vectors derived from pBM02, a new rolling circle replicating plasmid of Lactococcus lactis

This paper reports the construction of several general cloning vectors and a specialized depurative vector based on a new lactococcal plasmid that replicates by the rolling circle mechanism [pBM02; Plasmid 49 (2003) 118]. Most vectors are shuttle vectors for Escherichia coli-Lactococcus lactis and carry replicons of both ColE1 and pBM02 plasmids (ColE1 is used even though the pBM02 replicon is fully active in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms). Segregational and structural studies indicated that the new vectors were stable enough for the majority of applications. Further, since the basic replicon is compatible with plasmid derivatives of pWV01 and pSH71, they can be maintained in the same cell with members of the two largest vector series for L. lactis and other lactic acid bacteria, the pGK, and the pNZ series.

Engineering metabolic highways in Lactococci and other lactic acid bacteria

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely used in industrial food fermentations and are receiving increased attention for use as cell factories for the production of food and pharmaceutical products. Glycolytic conversion of sugars into lactic acid is the main metabolic highway in these Gram-positive bacteria and Lactococcus lactis has become the model organism because of its small genome, genetic accessibility and simple metabolism. Here we discuss the metabolic engineering of L. lactis and the value of metabolic models compared with other LAB, with a particular focus on the food-grade production of metabolites involved in flavour, texture and health.

NisT, the transporter of the lantibiotic nisin, can transport fully modified, dehydrated, and unmodified prenisin and fusions of the leader peptide with non-lantibiotic peptides

Lantibiotics are lanthionine-containing peptide antibiotics. Nisin, encoded by nisA, is a pentacyclic lantibiotic produced by some Lactococcus lactis strains. Its thioether rings are posttranslationally introduced by a membrane-bound enzyme complex. This complex is composed of three enzymes: NisB, which dehydrates serines and threonines; NisC, which couples these dehydrated residues to cysteines, thus forming thioether rings; and the transporter NisT. We followed the activity of various combinations of the nisin enzymes by measuring export of secreted peptides using antibodies against the leader peptide and mass spectroscopy for detection. L. lactis expressing the nisABTC genes efficiently produced fully posttranslationally modified prenisin. Strikingly, L. lactis expressing the nisBT genes could produce dehydrated prenisin without thioether rings and a dehydrated form of a non-lantibiotic peptide. In the absence of the biosynthetic NisBC enzymes, the NisT transporter was capable of excreting unmodified prenisin and fusions of the leader peptide with non-lantibiotic peptides. Our data show that NisT specifies a broad spectrum (poly)peptide transporter that can function either in conjunction with or independently from the biosynthetic genes. NisT secretes both unmodified and partially or fully posttranslationally modified forms of prenisin and non-lantibiotic peptides. These results open the way for efficient production of a wide range of peptides with increased stability or novel bioactivities.

Construction of vectors for inducible gene expression in Lactobacillus sakei and L plantarum

We have constructed vectors for inducible expression of genes in Lactobacillus sakei and Lactobacillus plantarum. The key elements of these vectors are a regulatable promoter involved in the production of the bacteriocins sakacin A and sakacin P and the genes encoding the cognate histidine protein kinase and response regulator that are necessary to activate this promoter upon induction by a peptide pheromone. The vectors are built up of cassettes that permit easy exchange of all parts through restriction enzyme digestion and ligation. Using beta-glucuronidase as a reporter enzyme, variants of these vectors were compared with each other, and with a corresponding system based on genes involved in the production of nisin. Several of the new vectors permitted tightly controlled and efficient expression of beta-glucuronidase in both L. sakei and L. plantarum.

Potential of the enterocin regulatory system to control expression of heterologous genes in Enterococcus

AIMS

To exploit the enterocin regulatory system for regulated expression of genes in Enterococcus.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Production of some pediocin-like bacteriocins such as enterocin A in Enterococcus is regulated by a three-component system comprising a histidine kinase (entK ), a response regulator (entR) and an induction factor (entF ). Exposure to the induction factor results in the transcription of gene(s) under the control of the enterocin A promoter, including entA which encodes the bacteriocin. In an effort to exploit this system for expression of genes in Enterococcus, a number of vectors were constructed which contain the entA promoter followed by convenient cloning sites to introduce gene(s) of interest. These vectors were used in an enterococcal background which does not produce induction factor but does produce both the kinase and regulator proteins. The system was tested using the reporter genes ltnI (lacticin 3147 immunity) and gusA (beta-glucuronidase) under the control of the entA promoter.

CONCLUSIONS

Upon addition of the induction factor, the beta-glucuronidase activity increased 20-fold when compared with uninduced cells. In addition, concentrations of as little as 0.2 nm synthetic EntF were sufficient to give maximal expression.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The potential benefit of having an expression system based on EntF is that gene expression can be finely controlled upon addition of low concentrations of a peptide that can easily be artificially synthesized.

Heterologous gene expression inLactococcus lactis; expression of theAzotobacter vinelandii algE6gene product displaying mannuronan C-5 epimerase activity

The Azotobacter vinelandii mannuronan C-5 epimerases AlgE1-7 can be used to improve the properties of the commercially important polysaccharide alginate that is widely used in a variety of products, such as food and pharmaceuticals. Since lactic acid bacteria are generally regarded as safe, they are attractive candidates for production of the epimerases. A. vinelandii genes are GC-rich, in contrast to those of lactic acid bacteria, but we show here that significant expression levels of the epimerase AlgE6 can be obtained in Lactococcus lactis using the nisin-controlled expression system. A 1200-fold induction ratio was obtained resulting in an epimerase activity of 23900 dpm mg(-1) h(-1), using a tritiated alginate substrate. The epimerase was detected by Western blotting and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis of its reaction product showed that the enzyme displayed catalytic properties similar to those produced in Escherichia coli.

IS981-mediated adaptive evolution recovers lactate production by ldhB transcription activation in a lactate dehydrogenase-deficient strain of Lactococcus lactis

Lactococcus lactis NZ9010 in which the las operon-encoded ldh gene was replaced with an erythromycin resistance gene cassette displayed a stable phenotype when grown under aerobic conditions, and its main end products of fermentation under these conditions were acetate and acetoin. However, under anaerobic conditions, the growth of these cells was strongly retarded while the main end products of fermentation were acetate and ethanol. Upon prolonged subculturing of this strain under anaerobic conditions, both the growth rate and the ability to produce lactate were recovered after a variable number of generations. This recovery was shown to be due to the transcriptional activation of a silent ldhB gene coding for an Ldh protein (LdhB) with kinetic parameters different from those of the native las operon-encoded Ldh protein. Nevertheless, cells producing LdhB produced mainly lactate as the end product of fermentation. The mechanism underlying the ldhB gene activation was primarily studied in a single-colony isolate of the recovered culture, designated L. lactis NZ9015. Integration of IS981 in the upstream region of ldhB was responsible for transcription activation of the ldhB gene by generating an IS981-derived -35 promoter region at the correct spacing with a natively present -10 region. Subsequently, analysis of 10 independently isolated lactate-producing derivatives of L. lactis NZ9010 confirmed that the ldhB gene is transcribed in all of them. Moreover, characterization of the upstream region of the ldhB gene in these derivatives indicated that site-specific and directional IS981 insertion represents the predominant mechanism of the observed recovery of the ability to produce lactate.

Increased production of folate by metabolic engineering of Lactococcus lactis

The dairy starter bacterium Lactococcus lactis is able to synthesize folate and accumulates large amounts of folate, predominantly in the polyglutamyl form. Only small amounts of the produced folate are released in the extracellular medium. Five genes involved in folate biosynthesis were identified in a folate gene cluster in L. lactis MG1363: folA, folB, folKE, folP, and folC. The gene folKE encodes the biprotein 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-hydroxymethyldihydropteridine pyrophosphokinase and GTP cyclohydrolase I. The overexpression of folKE in L. lactis was found to increase the extracellular folate production almost 10-fold, while the total folate production increased almost 3-fold. The controlled combined overexpression of folKE and folC, encoding polyglutamyl folate synthetase, increased the retention of folate in the cell. The cloning and overexpression of folA, encoding dihydrofolate reductase, decreased the folate production twofold, suggesting a feedback inhibition of reduced folates on folate biosynthesis.

A plasmid selection system in Lactococcus lactis and its use for gene expression in L. lactis and human kidney fibroblasts

We report the development of a nonantibiotic and nonpathogenic host-plasmid selection system based on lactococcal genes and threonine complementation. We constructed an auxotrophic Lactococcus lactis MG1363Deltathr strain which carries deletions in two genes encoding threonine biosynthetic enzymes. To achieve plasmid-borne complementation, we then constructed the minimal cloning vector, pJAG5, based on the genes encoding homoserine dehydrogenase-homoserine kinase (the hom-thrB operon) as a selective marker. Using strain MG1363Deltathr, selection and maintenance of cells carrying pJAG5 were obtained in threonine-free defined media. Compared to the commonly used selection system based on erythromycin resistance, the designed complementation system offers a competitive and stable plasmid selection system for the production of heterologous proteins in L. lactis. The potential of pJAG5 to deliver genes for expression in eukaryotes was evaluated by insertion of a mammalian expression unit encoding a modified green fluorescent protein. The successful delivery and expression of genes in human kidney fibroblasts indicated the potential of the designed nonantibiotic host-plasmid system for use in genetic immunization.

General expression vectors for Staphylococcus carnosus enabled efficient production of the outer membrane protein A of Klebsiella pneumoniae

General expression vectors, designed for intracellular expression or secretion of recombinant proteins in the non-pathogenic Staphylococcus carnosus, were constructed. Both vector systems encode two different affinity tags, an upstream albumin binding protein and a downstream hexahistidyl peptide, and are furnished with cleavage sites for two site-specific proteases for optional affinity tag removal. To evaluate the novel vectors, the gene encoding the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of Klebsiella pneumoniae was introduced into the vectors. Efficient production was demonstrated in both systems, although, as expected for OmpA fusions, somewhat better intracellularly, and the fusion proteins could be recovered as full-length products by affinity chromatography.

Metabolic engineering of lactic acid bacteria, the combined approach: kinetic modelling, metabolic control and experimental analysis

Everyone who has ever tried to radically change metabolic fluxes knows that it is often harder to determine which enzymes have to be modified than it is to actually implement these changes. In the more traditional genetic engineering approaches 'bottle-necks' are pinpointed using qualitative, intuitive approaches, but the alleviation of suspected 'rate-limiting' steps has not often been successful. Here the authors demonstrate that a model of pyruvate distribution in Lactococcus lactis based on enzyme kinetics in combination with metabolic control analysis clearly indicates the key control points in the flux to acetoin and diacetyl, important flavour compounds. The model presented here (available at http://jjj.biochem.sun.ac.za/wcfs.html) showed that the enzymes with the greatest effect on this flux resided outside the acetolactate synthase branch itself. Experiments confirmed the predictions of the model, i.e. knocking out lactate dehydrogenase and overexpressing NADH oxidase increased the flux through the acetolactate synthase branch from 0 to 75% of measured product formation rates.

The 'biodrug' concept: an innovative approach to therapy

Cell engineering technology using recombinant microorganisms has created new opportunities in the development of innovative drugs. This article presents the use of living genetically engineered microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeasts, as a new delivery vehicle to the gastrointestinal tract. This 'biodrug' concept was demonstrated using recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing the plant cytochrome P450 73A1. This enzyme provides a relevant model for potential therapeutic applications, such as 'biodetoxication' in the digestive environment. An artificial gastrointestinal tract simulating human digestion was chosen as a powerful tool to validate the biodrug concept. This approach offers a novel strategy for drug discovery and testing.

Peptide pheromone-dependent regulation of antimicrobial peptide production in Gram-positive bacteria: a case of multicellular behavior

Quorum sensing enables unicellular organisms to behave in a multicellular way by allowing population-wide synchronized adaptive responses that involve modulation of a wide range of physiological responses in a cell density-, cell proximity- or growth phase-dependent manner. Examples of processes modulated by quorum sensing are the development of genetic competence, conjugative plasmid transfer, sporulation and cell differentiation, biofilm formation, virulence response, production of antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides and toxins, and bioluminescence (for reviews see [38]). The cell-to-cell communication strategies involved in these processes are based on the utilization of small signal molecules produced and released into the environment by the microorganisms. These communication molecules are referred to as pheromones and act as chemical messengers that transmit information across space. The extracellular pheromones accumulate in the environment and trigger a response in the target cells when its concentration reaches a certain threshold value. Elucidation of the chemical nature of the pheromones modulating the processes mentioned above reveals that most of them are unmodified peptides, post-translationally modified peptides, N-acyl homoserine lactones, or butyrolactones. Lactone-based pheromones are the preferred communication signals in Gram-negative bacteria (for review see [47,48]), whereas peptide-based pheromones are the predominant extracellular signals among Gram-positive bacteria (for review see [37,61]). However, lactone-based pheromones are utilized as signals that modulate differentiation and secondary metabolism production in Streptomyces (for review see [20]). This review focuses on the major advances and current views of the peptide-pheromone dependent regulatory circuits involved in production of antimicrobial peptides in Gram-positive bacteria.

Adaptation of the nisin-controlled expression system in Lactobacillus plantarum: a tool to study in vivo biological effects

The potential of lactic acid bacteria as live vehicles for the production and delivery of therapeutic molecules is being actively investigated today. For future applications it is essential to be able to establish dose-response curves for the targeted biological effect and thus to control the production of a heterologous biopeptide by a live lactobacillus. We therefore implemented in Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB8826 the powerful nisin-controlled expression (NICE) system based on the autoregulatory properties of the bacteriocin nisin, which is produced by Lactococcus lactis. The original two-plasmid NICE system turned out to be poorly suited to L. plantarum. In order to obtain a stable and reproducible nisin dose-dependent synthesis of a reporter protein (beta-glucuronidase) or a model antigen (the C subunit of the tetanus toxin, TTFC), the lactococcal nisRK regulatory genes were integrated into the chromosome of L. plantarum NCIMB8826. Moreover, recombinant L. plantarum producing increasing amounts of TTFC was used to establish a dose-response curve after subcutaneous administration to mice. The induced serum immunoglobulin G response was correlated with the dose of antigen delivered by the live lactobacilli.

Lactic acid bacteria as a cell factory: rerouting of carbon metabolism in Lactococcus lactis by metabolic engineering

Lactic acid bacteria display a relatively simple metabolism wherein the sugar is converted mainly to lactic acid. The extensive knowledge of metabolic pathways and the increasing information of the genes involved allows for the rerouting of natural metabolic pathways by genetic and physiological engineering. We discuss several examples of metabolic engineering of Lactococcus lactis for the production of important compounds, including diacetyl, alanine and exopolysaccharides.

Cloning, characterization, controlled overexpression, and inactivation of the major tributyrin esterase gene of Lactococcus lactis

The gene encoding the major intracellular tributyrin esterase of Lactococcus lactis was cloned using degenerate DNA probes based on 19 known N-terminal amino acid residues of the purified enzyme. The gene, named estA, was sequenced and found to encode a protein of 258 amino acid residues. The transcription start site was mapped 233 nucleotides upstream of the start codon, and a canonical promoter sequence was identified. The deduced amino acid sequence of the estA product contained the typical GXSXG motif found in most lipases and esterases. The protein was overproduced up to 170-fold in L. lactis by use of the nisin-controlled expression system recently developed for lactic acid bacteria. The estA gene was inactivated by chromosomal integration of a temperature-sensitive integration vector. This resulted in the complete loss of esterase activity, which could then be recovered after complementation of the constructed esterase-deficient strain with the wild-type estA gene. This confirms that EstA is the main enzyme responsible for esterase activity in L. lactis. Purified recombinant enzyme showed a preference for short-chain acyl esters, surprisingly also including phospholipids. Medium- and long-acyl-chain lipids were also hydrolyzed, albeit less efficiently. Intermediate characteristics between esterases and lipases make intracellular lactococcal EstA difficult to classify in either of these two groups of esterolytic enzymes. We suggest that, in vivo, EstA could be involved in (phospho)lipid metabolism or cellular detoxification or both, as its sequence showed significant similarity to S-formylglutathione hydrolase (FGH) of Paracoccus denitrificans and human EstD (or FGH), which are part of a universal formaldehyde detoxification pathway.

Use of green fluorescent protein to tag lactic acid bacterium strains under development as live vaccine vectors

The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are safe microorganisms which are mainly used for the preparation of fermented foods and for probiotic applications. The potential of LAB as live vehicles for the production and delivery of therapeutic molecules such as antigens is also being actively investigated today. However, very little is known about the fate of live LAB when administered in vivo and about the interaction of these microorganisms with the nasal or gastrointestinal ecosystem. For future applications, it is essential to be able to discriminate the biotherapeutic strain from the endogenous microflora and to unravel the mechanisms underlying the postulated health-beneficial effect. We therefore started to investigate both aspects in a mouse model with two LAB species presently under development as live vaccine vectors, i.e., Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus plantarum. We have constructed different expression vectors carrying the gfp (green fluorescent protein [GFP]) gene from the jellyfish Aequoria victoria, and we found that this visible marker was best expressed when placed under the control of the inducible strong nisA promoter from L. lactis. Notably, a threshold amount of GFP was necessary to obtain a bright fluorescent phenotype. We further demonstrated that fluorescent L. plantarum NCIMB8826 can be enumerated and sorted by flow cytometry. Moreover, tagging of this strain with GFP allowed us to visualize its phagocytosis by macrophages in vitro and ex vivo and to trace it in the gastrointestinal tract of mice upon oral administration.

Gene expression systems for lactic acid bacteria

Considerable advances have been made in the genetics and molecular biology of lactic acid bacteria, including Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus and Streptococcus spp. These have resulted in the construction of constitutive gene expression cassettes, inducible gene expression systems, and specific protein targeting systems for these bacteria. These developments are important in the food industry where lactic acid bacteria can be exploited as food-grade cell factories.

Conversion of Lactococcus lactis from homolactic to homoalanine fermentation through metabolic engineering

We report the engineering of Lactococcus lactis to produce the amino acid L-alanine. The primary end product of sugar metabolism in wild-type L. lactis is lactate (homolactic fermentation). The terminal enzymatic reaction (pyruvate + NADH-->L-lactate + NAD+) is performed by L-lactate dehydrogenase (L-LDH). We rerouted the carbon flux toward alanine by expressing the Bacillus sphaericus alanine dehydrogenase (L-AlaDH; pyruvate + NADH + NH4+ -->L-alanine + NAD+ + H2O). Expression of L-AlaDH in an L-LDH-deficient strain permitted production of alanine as the sole end product (homoalanine fermentation). Finally, stereospecific production (>99%) of L-alanine was achieved by disrupting the gene encoding alanine racemase, opening the door to the industrial production of this stereoisomer in food products or bioreactors.

Use of a genetically enhanced, pediocin-producing starter culture, lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis MM217, To control listeria monocytogenes in cheddar cheese

Cheddar cheese was prepared with Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis MM217, a starter culture which contains pMC117 coding for pediocin PA-1. About 75 liters of pasteurized milk (containing ca. 3.6% fat) was inoculated with strain MM217 (ca. 10(6) CFU per ml) and a mixture of three Listeria monocytogenes strains (ca. 10(3) CFU per ml). The viability of the pathogen and the activity of pediocin in the cheese were monitored at appropriate intervals throughout the manufacturing process and during ripening at 8 degreesC for 6 months. In control cheese made with the isogenic, non-pediocin-producing starter culture L. lactis subsp. lactis MM210, the counts of the pathogen increased to about 10(7) CFU per g after 2 weeks of ripening and then gradually decreased to about 10(3) CFU per g after 6 months. In the experimental cheese made with strain MM217, the counts of L. monocytogenes decreased to 10(2) CFU per g within 1 week of ripening and then decreased to about 10 CFU per g within 3 months. The average titer of pediocin in the experimental cheese decreased from approximately 64,000 arbitrary units (AU) per g after 1 day to 2,000 AU per g after 6 months. No pediocin activity (<200 AU per g) was detected in the control cheese. Also, the presence of pMC117 in strain MM217 did not alter the cheese-making quality of the starter culture, as the rates of acid production, the pH values, and the levels of moisture, NaCl, and fat of the control cheese and the experimental cheese were similar. Our data revealed that pediocin-producing starter cultures have significant potential for protecting natural cheese against L. monocytogenes.

Use of the lactococcal nisA promoter to regulate gene expression in gram-positive bacteria: comparison of induction level and promoter strength

We characterized the regulated activity of the lactococcal nisA promoter in strains of the gram-positive species Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, and Bacillus subtilis. nisA promoter activity was dependent on the proteins NisR and NisK, which constitute a two-component signal transduction system that responds to the extracellular inducer nisin. The nisin sensitivity and inducer concentration required for maximal induction varied among the strains. Significant induction of the nisA promoter (10- to 60-fold induction) was obtained in all of the species studied at a nisin concentration just below the concentration at which growth is inhibited. The efficiency of the nisA promoter was compared to the efficiencies of the Spac, xylA, and lacA promoters in B. subtilis and in S. pyogenes. Because nisA promoter-driven expression is regulated in many gram-positive bacteria, we expect it to be useful for genetic studies, especially studies with pathogenic streptococci in which no other regulated promoters have been described.

Controlled gene expression systems for lactic acid bacteria: transferable nisin-inducible expression cassettes for Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, and Lactobacillus spp

A transferable dual-plasmid inducible gene expression system for use in lactic acid bacteria that is based on the autoregulatory properties of the antimicrobial peptide nisin produced by Lactococcus lactis was developed. Introduction of the two plasmids allowed nisin-inducible gene expression in Lactococcus lactis MG1363, Leuconostoc lactis NZ6091, and Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ32. Typically, the beta-glucuronidase activity (used as a reporter in this study) remained below the detection limits under noninducing conditions and could be raised to high levels, by addition of subinhibitory amounts of nisin to the growth medium, while exhibiting a linear dose-response relationship. These results demonstrate that the nisin-inducible system can be functionally implemented in lactic acid bacteria other than Lactococcus lactis.

Expression systems for industrial Gram-positive bacteria with low guanine and cytosine content

Recent years have seen an increase in the development of gene expression systems for industrial Gram-positive bacteria with low guanine and cytosine content that belong to the genera Bacillus, Clostridium, Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. In particular, considerable advances have been made in the construction of inducible gene expression systems based on the capacity of these bacteria to utilize specific sugars or to secrete autoinducing peptides that are involved in quorum sensing. These controlled expression systems allow for present and future exploitation of these bacteria as cell factories in medical, agricultural, and food biotechnology.