Cloning of a phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase gene from Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494 and its expression in Streptomyces lividans and Escherichia coli

Sulfadiazine and phosphinothricin selection systems optimised for the transformation of tobacco BY-2 cells

We extended the applicability of the BY-2 cell line as a model by introducing two new selection systems. Our protocol provides guidelines for optimising Basta selection in other recalcitrant models. Tobacco BY-2 cell line is the most commonly used cytological model in plant research. It is uniform, can be simply treated by chemicals, synchronised and easily transformed. However, only a few selection systems are available that complicate advanced studies using multiple stacked transgenes and extensive gene editing. In our work, we adopted for BY-2 cell line two other selection systems: sulfadiazine and phosphinothricin (PPT, an active ingredient of Basta herbicide). We show that sulfadiazine can be used in a wide range of concentrations. It is suitable for co-transformation and subsequent double selection with kanamycin or hygromycin, which are standardly used for BY-2 transformation. We also have domesticated the sulfadiazine resistance for the user-friendly GoldenBraid cloning system. Compared to sulfadiazine, establishing selection on phosphinothricin was considerably more challenging. It did not work in any concentration of PPT with standardly cultured cells. Since the selection is based on blocking glutamine synthetase and consequent ammonium toxicity and deficiency of assimilated nitrogen, we tried to manipulate nitrogen availability. We found that the PPT selection reliably works only with nitrogen-starved cells with reduced nitrate reserves that are selected on a medium without ammonium nitrate. Both these adjustments prevent the release of large amounts of ammonium, which can toxify the entire culture in the case of standardly cultured cells. Since high nitrogen reserves can be a common feature of in vitro cultures grown on MS media, nitrogen starvation could be a key step in establishing phosphinothricin resistance in other plant models.

A Phosphonate Natural Product Made by Pantoea ananatis is Necessary and Sufficient for the Hallmark Lesions of Onion Center Rot

Pantoea ananatis is the primary cause of onion center rot. Genetic data suggest that a phosphonic acid natural product is required for pathogenesis; however, the nature of the molecule is unknown. Here, we show that P. ananatis produces at least three phosphonates, two of which were purified and structurally characterized. The first, designated pantaphos, was shown to be 2-(hydroxy[phosphono]methyl)maleate; the second, a probable biosynthetic precursor, was shown to be 2-(phosphonomethyl)maleate. Purified pantaphos is both necessary and sufficient for the hallmark lesions of onion center rot. Moreover, when tested against mustard seedlings, the phytotoxic activity of pantaphos was comparable to the widely used herbicides glyphosate and phosphinothricin. Pantaphos was also active against a variety of human cell lines but was significantly more toxic to glioblastoma cells. Pantaphos showed little activity when tested against a variety of bacteria and fungi.IMPORTANCE Pantoea ananatis is a significant plant pathogen that targets a number of important crops, a problem that is compounded by the absence of effective treatments to prevent its spread. Our identification of pantaphos as the key virulence factor in onion center rot suggests a variety of approaches that could be employed to address this significant plant disease. Moreover, the general phytotoxicity of the molecule suggests that it could be developed into an effective herbicide to counter the alarming rise in herbicide-resistant weeds.

A novel insight into the mode of action of glufosinate: how reactive oxygen species are formed

Glufosinate targets glutamine synthetase (GS), but its fast herbicidal action is triggered by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The relationship between GS inhibition and ROS accumulation was investigated in Amaranthus palmeri. Glufosinate's fast action is light-dependent with no visual symptoms or ROS formation in the dark. Inhibition of GS leads to accumulation of ammonia and metabolites of the photorespiration pathway, such as glycolate and glyoxylate, as well as depletion of other intermediates such as glycine, serine, hydroxypyruvate, and glycerate. Exogenous supply of glycolate to glufosinate-treated plants enhanced herbicidal activity and dramatically increased hydrogen peroxide accumulation (possibly from peroxisomal glycolate oxidase activity). Glufosinate affected the balance between ROS generation and scavenging. The activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase increased after glufosinate treatment in an attempt to quench the nascent ROS burst. Low doses of atrazine and dinoseb were used to investigate the sources of ROS by manipulating photosynthetic electron transport and oxygen (O₂) evolution. ROS formation depended on electron flow and O₂ evolution in photosystem II (PSII). Inhibition of GS disrupted photorespiration, carbon assimilation, and linear electron flow in the light reactions. Consequently, the antioxidant machinery and the water-water cycle are overwhelmed in the presence of light and glufosinate. The O₂ generated by the splitting of water in PSII becomes the acceptor of electrons, generating ROS. The cascade of events leads to lipid peroxidation and forms the basis for the fast action of glufosinate.

Small-Molecule Acetylation by GCN5-Related N-Acetyltransferases in Bacteria

Acetylation is a conserved modification used to regulate a variety of cellular pathways, such as gene expression, protein synthesis, detoxification, and virulence. Acetyltransferase enzymes transfer an acetyl moiety, usually from acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA), onto a target substrate, thereby modulating activity or stability. Members of the GCN5- N -acetyltransferase (GNAT) protein superfamily are found in all domains of life and are characterized by a core structural domain architecture. These enzymes can modify primary amines of small molecules or of lysyl residues of proteins. From the initial discovery of antibiotic acetylation, GNATs have been shown to modify a myriad of small-molecule substrates, including tRNAs, polyamines, cell wall components, and other toxins. This review focuses on the literature on small-molecule substrates of GNATs in bacteria, including structural examples, to understand ligand binding and catalysis. Understanding the plethora and versatility of substrates helps frame the role of acetylation within the larger context of bacterial cellular physiology.

C-P Natural Products as Next-Generation Herbicides: Chemistry and Biology of Glufosinate

In modern agriculture and weed management practices, herbicides have been widely used to control weeds effectively and represent more than 50% of commercial pesticides applied in the world. Herbicides with unique mechanisms of actions (MOA) have historically been discovered and commercialized every two or three years from the 1950s to the 1980s. However, this trend lowered dramatically as no herbicide with a novel MOA has been marketed for more than 30 years. The fast-growing resistance to commercial herbicides has reignited the agricultural chemical industry interest in new structural scaffolds targeting novel sites in plants. Carbon-phosphorus bonds (C-P) containing natural products (NPs) have played an essential role in herbicide discovery as the chemical diversity, and the promising bioactivity of natural C-P phytotoxins can provide exciting opportunities for the discovery of both natural and semisynthetic herbicides with novel targets. Among commercial herbicides, glyphosate (Roundup), a famous C-P containing herbicide, is by far the most universally used herbicide worldwide. Furthermore, glufosinate is one of the most widely used natural herbicides in the world. Therefore, C-P NPs are a treasure for discovering new herbicides with novel mechanisms of actions (MOAs). Here, we present an overview of the chemistry and biology of glufosinate including isolation and characterization, mode of action, herbicidal use, biosynthesis, and chemical synthesis since its discovery in order to not only help scientists reassess the role of this famous herbicide in the field of agrichemical chemistry but also build a new stage for discovering novel C-P herbicides with new MOAs.

A study on optimization of pat gene expression cassette for maize transformation

Phosphinothricin acetyltransferase gene (pat) is an important selectable marker and also a key herbicide trait gene in several commercial products. In maize, the transformation frequency (TF) using pat as a selectable marker is the lowest among the commonly used marker options including epsps, pmi or ppo. Low pat transformation efficiency can become a major bottleneck in our ability to efficiently produce large numbers of events, especially for large molecular stack vectors with multiple trait gene cassettes. The root cause of the lower efficiency of pat in maize is not well understood and it is possible that the causes are multifaceted, including maize genotype, pat marker cassette, trait gene combinations and selection system. In this work we have identified a new variant of pat gene through codon optimization that consistently produced a higher transformation frequency (> 2x) than an old version of the pat gene that has codons optimized for expression in dicot plants. The level of PAT protein in all 16 constructs was also found multifold higher (up to 40 fold) over that of the controls. All of the T0 low copy transgenic plants generated from the 16 different constructs showed excellent tolerance to ammonium glufosinate herbicide spray tests at 4x and 8x recommended field application rates (1x = 595 g active ingredient (ai)/hectare of ammonium glufosinate) in the greenhouse.

Phosphonate Biochemistry

Organophosphonic acids are unique as natural products in terms of stability and mimicry. The C-P bond that defines these compounds resists hydrolytic cleavage, while the phosphonyl group is a versatile mimic of transition-states, intermediates, and primary metabolites. This versatility may explain why a variety of organisms have extensively explored the use organophosphonic acids as bioactive secondary metabolites. Several of these compounds, such as fosfomycin and bialaphos, figure prominently in human health and agriculture. The enzyme reactions that create these molecules are an interesting mix of chemistry that has been adopted from primary metabolism as well as those with no chemical precedent. Additionally, the phosphonate moiety represents a source of inorganic phosphate to microorganisms that live in environments that lack this nutrient; thus, unusual enzyme reactions have also evolved to cleave the C-P bond. This review is a comprehensive summary of the occurrence and function of organophosphonic acids natural products along with the mechanisms of the enzymes that synthesize and catabolize these molecules.

The two paralogue phoN (phosphinothricin acetyl transferase) genes of Pseudomonas putida encode functionally different proteins

Phosphinothricin (PPT) is a non-specific inhibitor of glutamine synthetase that has been employed as herbicide for selection of transgenic plants expressing cognate resistance genes. While the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 has been generally considered PPT-sensitive, inspection of its genome sequence reveals the presence of two highly similar open reading frames (PP_1924 and PP_4846) encoding acetylases with a potential to cause tolerance to the herbicide. To explore this possibility, each of these genes (named phoN1 and phoN2) was separately cloned and their activities examined in vivo and in vitro. Genetic and biochemical evidence indicated that phoN1 encodes a bona fide PPT-acetyl transferase, the expression of which suffices to make P. putida tolerant to high concentrations of the herbicide. In contrast, PhoN2 does not act on PPT but displays instead activity against methionine sulfoximine (MetSox), another glutamine synthetase inhibitor. When the geometry of the substrate-binding site of PhoN1 was grafted with the equivalent residues of the predicted PhoN2 structure, the resulting protein increased significantly MetSox resistance of the expression host concomitantly with the loss of activity on PPT. These observations uncover intricate biochemical and genetic interactions among soil microorganisms and how they can be perturbed by exposure to generic herbicides in soil.

Genomics-enabled discovery of phosphonate natural products and their biosynthetic pathways

Phosphonate natural products have proven to be a rich source of useful pharmaceutical, agricultural, and biotechnology products, whereas study of their biosynthetic pathways has revealed numerous intriguing enzymes that catalyze unprecedented biochemistry. Here we review the history of phosphonate natural product discovery, highlighting technological advances that have played a key role in the recent advances in their discovery. Central to these developments has been the application of genomics, which allowed discovery and development of a global phosphonate metabolic framework to guide research efforts. This framework suggests that the future of phosphonate natural products remains bright, with many new compounds and pathways yet to be discovered.

The bifunctional role of aconitase in Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494

In many organisms, aconitases have dual functions; they serve as enzymes in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and as regulators of iron metabolism. In this study we defined the role of the aconitase AcnA in Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494, the producer of the herbicide phosphinothricyl-alanyl-alanine, also known as phosphinothricin tripeptide or bialaphos. A mutant in which the aconitase gene acnA was disrupted showed severe defects in morphology and physiology, as it was unable to form any aerial mycelium, spores nor phosphinothricin tripeptide. AcnA belongs to the iron regulatory proteins (IRPs). In addition to its catalytic function, AcnA plays a regulatory role by binding to iron responsive elements (IREs) located on the untranslated region of certain mRNAs. A mutation preventing the formation of the [4Fe-4S] cluster of AcnA eliminated its catalytic activity, but did not inhibit RNA-binding ability. In silico analysis of the S. viridochromogenes genome revealed several IRE-like structures. One structure is located upstream of recA, which is involved in the bacterial SOS response, and another one was identified upstream of ftsZ, which is required for the onset of sporulation in streptomycetes. The functionality of different IRE structures was proven with gel shift assays and specific IRE consensus sequences were defined. Furthermore, RecA was shown to be upregulated on post-transcriptional level under oxidative stress conditions in the wild-type strain but not in the acnA mutant, suggesting a regulatory role of AcnA in oxidative stress response.

The effect of high concentrations of glufosinate ammonium on the yield components of transgenic spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) constitutively expressing the bar gene

We present an experiment done on a bar(+) wheat line treated with 14 different concentrations of glufosinate ammonium-an effective component of nonselective herbicides-during seed germination in a closed experimental system. Yield components as number of spikes per plant, number of grains per spike, thousand kernel weight, and yield per plant were thoroughly analysed and statistically evaluated after harvesting. We found that a concentration of glufosinate ammonium 5000 times the lethal dose was not enough to inhibit the germination of transgenic plants expressing the bar gene. Extremely high concentrations of glufosinate ammonium caused a bushy phenotype, significantly lower numbers of grains per spike, and thousand kernel weights. Concerning the productivity, we observed that concentrations of glufosinate ammonium 64 times the lethal dose did not lead to yield depression. Our results draw attention to the possibilities implied in the transgenic approaches.

New and Redesigned pRS Plasmid Shuttle Vectors for Genetic Manipulation of Saccharomycescerevisiae

We have constructed a set of 42 plasmid shuttle vectors based on the widely used pRS series for use in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the bacterium Escherichia coli. This set of pRSII plasmids includes new shuttle vectors that can be used with histidine and adenine auxotrophic laboratory yeast strains carrying mutations in the genes HIS2 and ADE1, respectively. Our pRSII plasmids also include updated versions of commonly used pRS plasmids from which common restriction sites that occur within their yeast-selectable biosynthetic marker genes have been removed to increase the availability of unique restriction sites within their polylinker regions. Hence, our pRSII plasmids are a complete set of integrating, centromere and 2μ episomal plasmids with the biosynthetic marker genes ADE2, HIS3, TRP1, LEU2, URA3, HIS2, and ADE1 and a standardized selection of at least 16 unique restriction sites in their polylinkers. Additionally, we have expanded the range of drug selection options that can be used for PCR-mediated homologous replacement using pRS plasmid templates by replacing the G418-resistance kanMX4 cassette of pRS400 with MX4 cassettes encoding resistance to phleomycin, hygromycin B, nourseothricin, and bialaphos. Finally, in the process of generating the new plasmids, we have determined several errors in existing publicly available sequences for several commonly used yeast plasmids. Using our updated sequences, we constructed pRS plasmid backbones with a unique restriction site for inserting new markers to facilitate future expansion of the pRS series.

Field testing and exploitation of genetically modified cassava with low-amylose or amylose-free starch in Indonesia

The development and testing in the field of genetically modified -so called- orphan crops like cassava in tropical countries is still in its infancy, despite the fact that cassava is not only used for food and feed but is also an important industrial crop. As traditional breeding of cassava is difficult (allodiploid, vegetatively propagated, outbreeding species) it is an ideal crop for improvement through genetic modification. We here report on the results of production and field testing of genetically modified low-amylose transformants of commercial cassava variety Adira4 in Indonesia. Twenty four transformants were produced and selected in the Netherlands based on phenotypic and molecular analyses. Nodal cuttings of these plants were sent to Indonesia where they were grown under biosafety conditions. After two screenhouse tests 15 transformants remained for a field trial. The tuberous root yield of 10 transformants was not significantly different from the control. Starch from transformants in which amylose was very low or absent showed all physical and rheological properties as expected from amylose-free cassava starch. The improved functionality of the starch was shown for an adipate acetate starch which was made into a tomato sauce. This is the first account of a field trial with transgenic cassava which shows that by using genetic modification it is possible to obtain low-amylose cassava plants with commercial potential with good root yield and starch quality.

Expression of PAT and NPT II proteins during the developmental stages of a genetically modified pepper developed in Korea

Estimation of the protein levels introduced in a biotechnology-derived product is conducted as part of an overall safety assessment. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to analyze phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) and neomycin phosphotransferase II (NPT II) protein expression in a genetically modified (GM) pepper plant developed in Korea. PAT and NPT II expression levels, based on both dry weight and fresh weight, were variable among different plant generations and plant sections from isolated genetically modified organism (GMO) fields at four developmental stages. PAT expression was highest in leaves at anthesis (11.44 μg/gdw and 2.17 μg/gfw) and lowest in roots (0.12 μg/gdw and 0.01 μg/gfw). NPT II expression was also highest in leaves at anthesis (17.31 μg/gdw and 3.41 μg/gfw) and lowest in red pepper (0.65 μg/gdw and 0.12 μg/gfw). In pollen, PAT expression was 0.59-0.62 μg/gdw, while NPT II was not detected. Both PAT and NPT II showed a general pattern of decreased expression with progression of the growing season. As expected, PAT and NPT II protein expression was not detectable in control pepper plants.

Resistance to Phosphinothricin (Glufosinate) and Its Utilization as a Nitrogen Source by Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Wild-type strain 21gr of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was resistant to the ammonium salt of l-phosphinothricin (PPT, also called glufosinate), an irreversible inhibitor of glutamine synthetase activity and the main active component of the herbicide BASTA (AgrEvo, Frankfurt am Main, Germany). Under the same conditions, however, this strain was highly sensitive to l-methionine-S-sulfoximine, a structural analog of PPT which has been reported to be 5 to 10 times less effective than PPT as an inhibitor in plants. Moreover, this alga was able to grow with PPT as the sole nitrogen source when this compound was provided at low concentrations. This utilization of PPT was dependent upon the addition of acetate and light and did not take place in the presence of ammonium. Resistance was due neither to the presence of N-acetyltransferase or transaminase activity nor to the presence of glutamine synthetase isoforms resistant to PPT. By using l-[methyl-(sup14)C]PPT, we demonstrated that resistance is due to lack of PPT transport into the cells. This strongly suggests that PPT and l-methionine-S-sulfoximine enter the cells through different systems. Growth with PPT is supported by its deamination by an l-amino acid oxidase activity which has been previously described to be located at the periplasm.

Health considerations regarding horizontal transfer of microbial transgenes present in genetically modified crops

The potential effects of horizontal gene transfer on human health are an important item in the safety assessment of genetically modified organisms. Horizontal gene transfer from genetically modified crops to gut microflora most likely occurs with transgenes of microbial origin. The characteristics of microbial transgenes other than antibiotic-resistance genes in market-approved genetically modified crops are reviewed. These characteristics include the microbial source, natural function, function in genetically modified crops, natural prevalence, geographical distribution, similarity to other microbial genes, known horizontal transfer activity, selective conditions and environments for horizontally transferred genes, and potential contribution to pathogenicity and virulence in humans and animals. The assessment of this set of data for each of the microbial genes reviewed does not give rise to health concerns. We recommend including the above-mentioned items into the premarket safety assessment of genetically modified crops carrying transgenes other than those reviewed in the present study.

Avoidance of suicide in antibiotic-producing microbes

Many microbes synthesize potentially autotoxic antibiotics, mainly as secondary metabolites, against which they need to protect themselves. This is done in various ways, ranging from target-based strategies (i.e. modification of normal drug receptors or de novo synthesis of the latter in drug-resistant form) to the adoption of metabolic shielding and/or efflux strategies that prevent drug-target interactions. These self-defence mechanisms have been studied most intensively in antibiotic-producing prokaryotes, of which the most prolific are the actinomycetes. Only a few documented examples pertain to lower eukaryotes while higher organisms have hardly been addressed in this context. Thus, many plant alkaloids, variously described as herbivore repellents or nitrogen excretion devices, are truly antibiotics-even if toxic to humans. As just one example, bulbs of Narcissus spp. (including the King Alfred daffodil) accumulate narciclasine that binds to the larger subunit of the eukaryotic ribosome and inhibits peptide bond formation. However, ribosomes in the Amaryllidaceae have not been tested for possible resistance to narciclasine and other alkaloids. Clearly, the prevalence of suicide avoidance is likely to extend well beyond the remit of the present article.

Phosphinothricin-tripeptide biosynthesis: an original version of bacterial secondary metabolism?

Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494 produces the herbicide phosphinothricyl-alanyl-alanine (phosphinothricin-tripeptide=PTT; bialaphos). Its bioactive moiety phosphinothricin competitively inhibits bacterial and plant glutamine synthetases. The biosynthesis of PTT includes the synthesis of the unusual amino acid N-acetyl-demethyl-phosphinothricin and a three step condensation via non-ribosomal peptide synthetases. Two characteristics within the PTT biosynthesis make it suitable to study the evolution of secondary metabolism biosynthesis. First, PTT biosynthesis represents the only known system where all peptide synthetase modules are located on separate proteins. This 'single enzyme system' might be an archetype of the multimodular and multienzymatic non-ribosomal peptide synthetases in evolutionary terms. The second interesting feature of PTT biosynthesis is the pathway-specific aconitase Pmi that is involved in the supply of N-acetyl-demethyl-phosphinothricin. Pmi is highly similar to the tricarboxylic acid aconitase AcnA. They share 64% identity at the DNA level and both belong to the Iron-Regulatory-Protein/AcnA family. Despite their high sequence similarity, AcnA and Pmi catalyze different reactions and are not able to substitute for each other. Thus, the enzyme pair AcnA/Pmi presents an example of the evolution of a secondary metabolite-specific enzyme from a primary metabolism enzyme.

In vitro characterization of a heterologously expressed nonribosomal Peptide synthetase involved in phosphinothricin tripeptide biosynthesis

The late stages of biosynthesis of phosphinothricin tripeptide (PTT) involve peptide formation and methylation on phosphorus. The exact timing of these transformations is not known. To provide insight into this question, we developed a heterologous expression system for PhsA, one of three NRPS proteins in PTT biosynthesis. The apparent k(cat)/K(m) value for ATP-pyrophosphate exchange activity for d,l-N-acetylphosphinothricin was 3.5 muM(-1) min(-1), whereas the k(cat)/K(m,app) for l-N-acetyldemethylphosphinothricin was 0.5 microM(-1) min(-1), suggesting the former might be the physiological substrate. Each substrate could be loaded onto the phosphopantetheine arm of the thiolation domain as observed by Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS).

Herbicide resistance screening assay

Herbicide resistance screening is a method that can be used not only to determine presence of the enzyme, phosphinothricin acetyltransferase, encoded by either the Bar or the Pat gene in transgenic maize, but also to assess the inheritance ratio of those genes in a segregating population. Herbicide screening can also be used to study linkage of a transgene of interest that was cotransformed with the herbicide resistance marker gene. By combining the herbicide screen assay with a PCR-based screen of leaf tissue DNA for the presence of both the Bar or the Pat gene marker and a cotransformed transgene of interest from the same seedling tissue and maintaining that seedling identity, the researcher can identify linkage or the possible breakdown in linkage of the marker gene and the transgene of interest. Further, the occurrence of "DNA silencing" can be evaluated if an individual seedling that was susceptible to the applied herbicide nonetheless gave PCR data that indicated presence of the gene responsible for herbicide resistance. Similarly, "DNA silencing" of the gene of interest may be investigated if the seeds can be screened and scored for that phenotypic trait in a nondestructive manner prior to planting.

Modification of gibberellin signalling (metabolism & signal transduction) in sugar beet: analysis of potential targets for crop improvement

Sugar beet, Beta vulgaris spp. vulgaris is a biennial long day plant with an obligate requirement for vernalization (prolonged exposure to low temperature). As a spring crop in temperate European climates, it is vulnerable to vernalization-induced premature bolting and flowering, resulting in reduced crop yield and quality. Gibberellins (GAs) play important roles in key physiological processes including stem elongation (bolting) and flowering and are, therefore, potential targets for controlling reproductive growth in sugar beet. We show that the BvGA20ox gene, which encodes an enzyme necessary for GA biosynthesis, was transcriptionally activated in apices of sugar beet plants after vernalization and that GA metabolism can be manipulated to delay bolting in vernalized plants. We demonstrate that down-regulation of GA responses by transformation with the Arabidopsis thaliana gai gene (which represses GA signalling), under its own promoter (pgai::gai) or deactivation of GA by over-expression of the Phaseolus coccineus (bean) GA2ox1 gene, which inactivates GA, increased the required post vernalization thermal time (an accurate and stable measure of physiological time), to bolt by approximately 300 degrees Cd. This resulted in agronomically significant bolting time delays of approximately 2 weeks and 3 weeks in the pgai::gai and 35S::PcGA2ox1 plants, respectively. Our data represent the first transgenic sugar beet model to (1) show that GA signalling can be used to improve crops by manipulation of the transition to reproductive growth; and (2) provide evidence that GA is required for seed set in sugar beet.

Expression of phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas fluorescens: influence of mRNA secondary structure, host, and other physiological conditions

Expression of a plant codon optimized pat gene encoding phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) in bacterial expression systems required modification of the 5' end of the pat ORF. Modifications necessary for improving the expression were identified by a coupled in vitro transcription and translation process. The dramatic improvement in the expression of PAT was due to the removal of a potential secondary structure that could have resulted in the inhibition of translational initiation. Therefore, in vitro transcription and translation is a versatile tool to optimize gene sequence for protein overexpression. Additionally, this method was shown to be successful in both Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas fluorescens. Gene sequence optimization and choice of host along with cultivation conditions also had major impact on PAT expression. P. fluorescens was a better host than E. coli resulting in 30-fold more expression of PAT. We were able to recover approximately 95mg of purified PAT from P. fluorescens using a three step chromatographic process.

Field study results on the probability and risk of a horizontal gene transfer from transgenic herbicide-resistant oilseed rape pollen to gut bacteria of bees

Bees are specifically subjected to intimate contacts with transgenic plants due to their feeding activities on pollen. In this study, the probability and ecological risk of a gene transfer from pollen to gut bacteria of bees was investigated with larvae of Apis mellifera (honeybee), Bombus terrestris (bumblebee), and Osmia bicornis (red mason bee), all collected at a flowering transgenic oilseed rape field. The plants were genetically engineered with the pat-gene, conferring resistance against glufosinate (syn. phosphinothricin), a glutamine-synthetase inhibitor in plants and microorganisms. Ninety-six bacterial strains were isolated and characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, revealing that Firmicutes represented 58% of the isolates, Actinobacteria 31%, and Proteobacteria 11%, respectively. Of all isolates, 40% were resistant to 1 mM glufosinate, and 11% even to 10 mM. Resistant phenotypes were found in all phylogenetic groups. None of the resistant phenotypes carried the recombinant pat-gene in its genome. The threshold of detecting gene transfer in this field study was relatively insensitive due to the high background of natural glufosinate resistance. However, the broad occurrence of glufosinate-resistant bacteria from different phylogenetic groups suggests that rare events of horizontal gene transfer will not add significantly to natural bacterial glufosinate resistance.

Picloram resistance in transgenic tobacco expressing an anti-picloram scFv antibody is due to reduced translocation

Picloram resistance exhibited by transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants expressing an anti-picloram single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody was investigated through the study of homozygous lines expressing the antibody. Dose-response bioassays, using foliar application of picloram, showed that these homozygous transgenic plants were resistant to at least 5 g of ai ha-1 picloram and grew normally to produce seed, whereas wild-type plants did not survive. Although these lines had improved resistance compared with those previously reported, significant improvements are still required to achieve field-level resistance. Uptake and translocation studies demonstrated that [14C]picloram translocation from treated leaves to the apical meristem was reduced in transgenic versus wild-type plants. The presence of [14C]picloram visualized by autoradiography and quantified by liquid scintillation spectrometry, demonstrated the distribution of more picloram in the treated leaf and less in the apical meristem of transgenic plants when compared to wild-type plants. No differences between transgenic and wild-type plants were found in the distribution of [14C]clopyralid, a herbicide with structural similarity to picloram as well as the same mechanism of action. No differences were found in the metabolism of [14C]picloram. Taken together, these results suggest that reduced translocation to the site of action is a major mechanism responsible for picloram resistance in tobacco plants expressing this anti-picloram antibody.

Modular architecture of the conjugative plasmid pSVH1 from Streptomyces venezuelae

The conjugative rolling circle replication (RCR) type plasmid pSVH1 from the chloramphenicol producer Streptomyces venezuelae was characterized by DNA sequence analysis and insertion/deletion analysis. Nucleotide sequence of the 12,652 bp pSVH1 revealed 11 open reading frames with high coding probability for which putative functions could be assigned. Beside the replication initiator gene rep for RCR, pSVH1 contained only genes involved in conjugative transfer. The transfer gene traB encoding the septal DNA translocator TraB is regulated by the GntR-type transcriptional regulator TraR. Six spd genes involved in intra-mycelial plasmid spreading are organized in two operons, consisting of two and three translationally coupled genes. Subcloning experiments demonstrated that the transfer gene traB represents a kill function and localized the pSVH1 minimal replicon consisting of rep and the dso origin to a 2072-bp fragment. Plasmid pSVH1 showed a modular architecture. Its replication region resembled that of the Streptomyces natalensis plasmid pSNA1, while the transfer and spread regions involved in conjugative plasmid transfer were highly similar to the corresponding regions of the Streptomyces ghanaensis plasmid pSG5.

Molecular cloning, sequence analysis, and heterologous expression of the phosphinothricin tripeptide biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces viridochromogenes DSM 40736

A fosmid library from genomic DNA of Streptomyces viridochromogenes DSM 40736 was constructed and screened for the presence of genes known to be involved in the biosynthesis of phosphinothricin tripeptide (PTT). Eight positives were identified, one of which was able to confer PTT biosynthetic capability upon Streptomyces lividans after integration of the fosmid into the chromosome of this heterologous host. Sequence analysis of the 40,241-bp fosmid insert revealed 29 complete open reading frames (ORFs). Deletion analysis demonstrated that a minimum set of 24 ORFs were required for PTT production in the heterologous host. Sequence analysis revealed that most of these PTT genes have been previously identified in either S. viridochromogenes or S. hygroscopicus (or both), although only 11 out of 24 of these ORFs have experimentally defined functions. Three previously unknown genes within the cluster were identified and are likely to have roles in the stepwise production of phosphonoformate from phosphonoacetaldehyde. This is the first report detailing the entire PTT gene cluster from any producing streptomycete.

Biosynthetic gene cluster of the herbicide phosphinothricin tripeptide from Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494

The antibiotic phosphinothricin tripeptide (PTT) consists of two molecules of L-alanine and one molecule of the unusual amino acid phosphinothricin (PT) which are nonribosomally combined. The bioactive compound PT has bactericidal, fungicidal, and herbicidal properties and possesses a C-P-C bond, which is very rare in natural compounds. Previously uncharacterized flanking and middle regions of the PTT biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494 were isolated and sequenced. The boundaries of the gene cluster were identified by gene inactivation studies. Sequence analysis and homology searches led to the completion of the gene cluster, which consists of 24 genes. Four of these were identified as undescribed genes coding for proteins that are probably involved in uncharacterized early steps of antibiotic biosynthesis or in providing precursors of PTT biosynthesis (phosphoenolpyruvate, acetyl-coenzyme A, or L-alanine). The involvement of the genes orfM and trs and of the regulatory gene prpA in PTT biosynthesis was analyzed by gene inactivation and overexpression, respectively. Insight into the regulation of PTT was gained by determining the transcriptional start sites of the pmi and prpA genes. A previously undescribed regulatory gene involved in morphological differentiation in streptomycetes was identified outside of the left boundary of the PTT biosynthetic gene cluster.

Development of recombinant Streptomyces for biotechnological and environmental uses

Recombinant DNA techniques for manipulation of genes in Streptomyces are well developed, and currently there is a high level of activity among researchers interested in applying molecular cloning and protoplast fusion techniques to strain development within this commercially important group of bacteria. A number of efficient plasmid and phage vector systems are being used for the molecular cloning of genes, primarily those encoding antibiotic biosynthesis enzymes, but also for a variety of other bioactive proteins and enzymes of known or potential commercial value. In addition, cloning aimed at constructing specialized bioconversion strains for use in the production of chemicals from organic carbon substrates is underway in numerous laboratories. This review discusses the current status of research involving recombinant DNA technologies applied to biotechnological applications using Streptomyces. The topic of potential environmental uses of recombinant Streptomyces is also reviewed, as is the status of current research aimed at assessing the fate and effects of recombinant Streptomyces in the environment. Also summarized is recent research that has confirmed that genetic exchange occurs readily among Streptomyces in the soil environment and which has shown the potential for exchange between recombinant Streptomyces and native soil bacteria.

Two transcriptional regulators GlnR and GlnRII are involved in regulation of nitrogen metabolism in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

Streptomyces coelicolor has an unusually large arsenal of glutamine synthetase (GS) enzymes: a prokaryotic GSI-beta-subtype enzyme (encoded by glnA), three annotated glnA-like genes of the GSI-alpha-subtype and a eukaryote-like glutamine synthetase II (encoded by glnII). Under all tested conditions, GSI was found to represent the dominant glutamine synthetase activity. A significant heat-labile GSII activity, which is very low to undetectable in liquid-grown cultures, was only detected in morphologically differentiating S. coelicolor cultures. Analysis of glnA and glnII transcription by S1 nuclease mapping and egfp fusions revealed that, on nitrogen-limiting solid medium, glnII but not glnA expression is upregulated. An OmpR-like regulator protein, GlnR, has previously been implicated in transcriptional control of glnA expression. Gel retardation analysis revealed that GlnR is a DNA-binding protein, which interacts with the glnA promoter. It is not autoregulatory and does not bind to the upstream regions of the glnA-like genes of the alpha-subfamily, nor to the glnII promoter in vitro. A second GlnR target was identified upstream of the amtB gene, encoding a putative ammonium transporter. amtB forms an operon with glnK (encoding a PII protein) and glnD (encoding a putative PII nucleotidylyltransferase) shown by S1 nuclease protection analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). An amtB and glnA promoter alignment revealed a putative GlnR operator structure. Downstream of glnII, a gene encoding for another OmpR-like regulator, GlnRII, was identified, with strong similarity to GlnR. Gel shifts with GlnRII showed that the promoters recognized by GlnR are also targets of GlnRII. However, GlnRII also interacted with the glnII upstream region. Only inactivation of glnR resulted in a glutamine auxotrophic phenotype, whereas the glnRII mutant can grow on minimal medium without glutamine.

Increasing maize seed methionine by mRNA stability

The amino acid methionine is a common protein building block that is also important in other cellular processes. Plants, unlike animals, synthesize methionine de novo and are thus a dietary source of this nutrient. A new approach for using maize as a source of nutrient methionine is described. Maize seeds, a major component of animal feeds, have variable levels of protein-bound methionine. This variability is a result of post-transcriptional regulation of the Dzs10 gene, which encodes a seed-specific high-methionine storage protein. Here we eliminate methionine variability by identifying and replacing the cis-acting site for Dzs10 regulation using transgenic seeds. Interestingly, two different mechanisms affect mRNA accumulation, one dependent on and the other independent of the untranslated regions (UTRs) of Dzs10 RNA. Accumulation of chimeric Dzs10 mRNA was not reduced in hybrid crosses and was uncoupled from genomic imprinting by Dzr1, a regulator of Dzs10. Uniform high levels of Dzs10 protein were maintained over five backcross generations of the transgene. The increased level of methionine in these transgenic seeds allowed the formulation of a useful animal feed ration without the addition of synthetic methionine.

The phosphinomethylmalate isomerase gene pmi, encoding an aconitase-like enzyme, is involved in the synthesis of phosphinothricin tripeptide in Streptomyces viridochromogenes

Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494 produces the antibiotic phosphinothricin tripeptide (PTT). In the postulated biosynthetic pathway, one reaction, the isomerization of phosphinomethylmalate, resembles the aconitase reaction of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. It was speculated that this reaction is carried out by the corresponding enzyme of the primary metabolism (C. J. Thompson and H. Seto, p. 197-222, in L. C. Vining and C. Stuttard, ed., Genetics and Biochemistry of Antibiotic Production, 1995). However, in addition to the TCA cycle aconitase gene, a gene encoding an aconitase-like protein (the phosphinomethylmalate isomerase gene, pmi) was identified in the PTT biosynthetic gene cluster by Southern hybridization experiments, using oligonucleotides which were derived from conserved amino acid sequences of aconitases. The deduced protein revealed high similarity to aconitases from plants, bacteria, and fungi and to iron regulatory proteins from eucaryotes. Pmi and the S. viridochromogenes TCA cycle aconitase, AcnA, have 52% identity. By gene insertion mutagenesis, a pmi mutant (Mapra1) was generated. The mutant failed to produce PTT, indicating the inability of AcnA to carry out the secondary-metabolism reaction. A His-tagged protein (Hispmi*) was heterologously produced in Streptomyces lividans. The purified protein showed no standard aconitase activity with citrate as a substrate, and the corresponding gene was not able to complement an acnA mutant. This indicates that Pmi and AcnA are highly specific for their respective enzymatic reactions.

Expression of bar in the plastid genome confers herbicide resistance

Phosphinothricin (PPT) is the active component of a family of environmentally safe, nonselective herbicides. Resistance to PPT in transgenic crops has been reported by nuclear expression of a bar transgene encoding phosphinothricin acetyltransferase, a detoxifying enzyme. We report here expression of a bacterial bar gene (b-bar1) in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv Petit Havana) plastids that confers field-level tolerance to Liberty, an herbicide containing PPT. We also describe a second bacterial bar gene (b-bar2) and a codon-optimized synthetic bar (s-bar) gene with significantly elevated levels of expression in plastids (>7% of total soluble cellular protein). Although these genes are expressed at a high level, direct selection thus far did not yield transplastomic clones, indicating that subcellular localization rather than the absolute amount of the enzyme is critical for direct selection of transgenic clones. The codon-modified s-bar gene is poorly expressed in Escherichia coli, a common enteric bacterium, due to differences in codon use. We propose to use codon usage differences as a precautionary measure to prevent expression of marker genes in the unlikely event of horizontal gene transfer from plastids to bacteria. Localization of the bar gene in the plastid genome is an attractive alternative to incorporation in the nuclear genome since there is no transmission of plastid-encoded genes via pollen.

Three new dominant drug resistance cassettes for gene disruption in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Disruption-deletion cassettes are powerful tools used to study gene function in many organisms, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Perhaps the most widely useful of these are the heterologous dominant drug resistance cassettes, which use antibiotic resistance genes from bacteria and fungi as selectable markers. We have created three new dominant drug resistance cassettes by replacing the kanamycin resistance (kan(r)) open reading frame from the kanMX3 and kanMX4 disruption-deletion cassettes (Wach et al., 1994) with open reading frames conferring resistance to the antibiotics hygromycin B (hph), nourseothricin (nat) and bialaphos (pat). The new cassettes, pAG25 (natMX4), pAG29 (patMX4), pAG31 (patMX3), pAG32 (hphMX4), pAG34 (hphMX3) and pAG35 (natMX3), are cloned into pFA6, and so are in all other respects identical to pFA6-kanMX3 and pFA6-kanMX4. Most tools and techniques used with the kanMX plasmids can also be used with the hph, nat and patMX containing plasmids. These new heterologous dominant drug resistance cassettes have unique antibiotic resistance phenotypes and do not affect growth when inserted into the ho locus. These attributes make the cassettes ideally suited for creating S. cerevisiae strains with multiple mutations within a single strain.

Isolation and characterization of the PEP-phosphomutase and the phosphonopyruvate decarboxylase genes from the phosphinothricin tripeptide producer Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494

The previously isolated non-phosphinothricin tripeptide producing Streptomyces viridochromogenes gene disruption mutant SP62/2 was used to identify and analyze genes encoding early steps of the phosphinothricin tripeptide biosynthesis. Cross-feeding and bioconversion experiments between SP62/2 and known non-phosphinothricin tripeptide producing mutants or presumptive phosphinothricin tripeptide precursors revealed that SP62/2 was blocked in step one or two of the phosphinothricin tripeptide biosynthesis. It was shown that the block in the biosynthesis is due to the integration of a temperature-sensitive plasmid by illegitimate recombination into the phosphinothricin tripeptide biosynthetic gene cluster. The corresponding region was isolated from the wild-type. A 2.7-kb DNA fragment was analyzed comprising three ORFs (ppm, ppd, orfX) which are probably translationally coupled. The ppm gene encodes a protein which is similar to PEP-phosphomutases and the deduced Ppd product shows similarity to the phosphonopyruvate decarboxylase from Streptomyces wedmorensis.

Phosphinothricin-tripeptide synthetases from Streptomyces viridochromogenes

Phosphinothricyl-alanyl-alanine (Pt tripeptide (Ptt), bialaphos) is a metabolite produced by Streptomyces viridochromogenes and Streptomyces hygroscopicus. It contains the unique phosphinoamino acid phosphinothricin (Pt), which after cleavage from Ptt is active as an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase. We have isolated three enzymes that assemble the building block of the Ptt peptide backbone in a nonribosomal mechanism. The first enzyme, named Ptt-synthetase I (PTTS I), activates N-acetyldemethylphosphinothricin (AcDMPt) as adenylate and thioester. Pt is not activated. PTTS I can also activate N-acetylphosphinothricin (AcPt) or N-acetylglutamate as structural analogues of AcDMPT. Native PTTS I has an estimated size of 62 kDa whereas the denatured form displays a size of 76 kDa. Immunoblot analysis and determination of its N-terminal protein sequence revealed that PTTS I is identical with the gene product of phsA. The phsA gene was previously identified near the Pt-resistance gene pat in the Ptt biosynthesis gene cluster in S. viridochromogenes. Besides PTTS I, two alanine-activating enzymes (PTTS II/III) were partially purified from S. viridochromogenes with estimated native sizes of ca. 120 kDa (enzyme 1) and ca. 140 kDa (enzyme 2). Both enzymes bind alanine as a thioester via the corresponding adenylate. Level of PTTS II/III and product formation were correlated with each other in several different strains of S. viridochromogenes. These results indicate that Ptt is synthesized by three peptide synthetases, each activating one single amino acid. The data also confirm previous genetic data, which suggest that AcDMPt-Ala-Ala is the precursor of Ptt.

The similarities of bar and pat gene products make them equally applicable for plant engineers

The bar and pat genes, isolated from different Streptomyces species, both encode a phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) and are widely applied in plant genetic engineering. The genes were expressed in Escherichia coli and the corresponding proteins were purified and used for functional and structural comparison. Both proteins are homodimers regardless of whether they are expressed in microorganisms or in plants. They have comparable molecular weights and show immuno-cross-reactivity to their respective polyclonal antisera. The enzymes have a similar substrate affinity towards L-phosphinothricin and do not acetylate any of the other L-amino acids tested. In model digestion experiments using simulated human gastric fluids, their enzymatic activity is decreased within seconds, accompanied by a rapid and complete breakdown of both proteins. These data demonstrate the structural and functional equivalence of the PAT proteins, which is also reflected in the comparable performance of transgenic plants carrying the bar or pat gene.

The peptide synthetase gene phsA from Streptomyces viridochromogenes is not juxtaposed with other genes involved in nonribosomal biosynthesis of peptides

By complementation of a previously described non-phosphinothricin tripeptide (PTT)-producing mutant, NTG1, which is blocked in nonribosomal synthesis of the peptide, a DNA fragment including the putative peptide synthetase gene phsA was isolated (W. Wohlleben, R. Alijah, J. Dorendorf, D. Hillemann, B. Nussbaumer, and S. Pelzer, Gene 115:127-132, 1992). Sequence analysis of phsA revealed that it encodes a protein of 622 amino acids with regions which are highly similar to core motifs characteristic for peptide synthetases. PhsA represents one functional domain of a peptide synthetase which is necessary for activation and condensation of one amino acid, probably N-acetyl-demethyl-phosphinothricin. With regard to the arrangement of the flanking genes, phsA is the first peptide synthetase gene which is not in the direct neighborhood of additional peptide synthetase genes involved in the formation of peptide antibiotics. Gene disruption mutants with internal fragments of phsA subcloned in temperature-sensitive pGM vectors were generated. Integration occurred either into the chromosomal copy of phsA or into a gene outside the known phsA locus, resulting in two classes of non-PTT-producing mutants. In cofeeding experiments the former phsA mutants showed the same phenotype as did NTG1, which confirmed participation of phsA in nonribosomal synthesis of PTT. A truncated phsA gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the resulting protein of 593 amino acids was purified for raising antibodies. By performing immunoblotting experiments, the expression of phsA could be detected in Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494 in the stationary-growth phase after 4 days of incubation.

High frequency, heat treatment-induced inactivation of the phosphinothricin resistance gene in transgenic single cell suspension cultures of Medicago sativa

One descendant of the Medicago sativa Ra-3 transformant T304 was analysed with respect to the somatic stability of the synthetic phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase (pat) gene which was used as a selective marker and was under the control of the 5'/3' expression signals of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) gene VI. In order to quantify gene instability, we developed a system for culturing and regenerating individual cells. Single cell suspension cultures derived from T304 and the ancestral non-transgenic M. sativa cultivar Ra-3, were established. The cells were regenerated into monoclonal calli. In transgenic calli, the phosphinothricin (Pt)-resistance phenotype was retained after more than 2 months of non-selective growth. In contrast, up to 12% of the suspension culture cells grown under nonselective conditions and at constant temperature (25 degrees C) lost the herbicide-resistance phenotype within 150 days. Surprisingly, a heat treatment (37 degrees C), lasting for 10 days, during the culture period resulted in an almost complete (95%) loss of the Pt resistance of the suspension culture cells. However, the frequency of cell division was identical in cultures grown under normal and heat treatment conditions. A biochemical test revealed that no phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase activity was present in heat treated, Pt-sensitive cells. The resistance level of the Pt-sensitive transgenic cells was equivalent to that of the wild-type cells. A PCR analysis confirmed the presence of the pat gene in heat treated, Pt-sensitive cells. From these results it is concluded that the Pt resistance gene was heat-inactivated at a high frequency in the M. sativa suspension cultures.

Identification and characterization of phosphinothricin-tripeptide biosynthetic genes in Streptomyces viridochromogenes

A 4-kb BamHI fragment of Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494 carrying phosphinothricin-tripeptide (PTT) biosynthetic genes has been identified by complementation of a nonproducing mutant which is defective in the tripeptide formation step. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed one incomplete and three complete genes on the cloned fragment. The incomplete gene ('pms) codes for the C terminus of the phosphinomethylmalic acid synthase as determined by comparison with a region from the bialaphos biosynthetic cluster [Shimotohno et al., Agric. Biol. Chem. 54 (1990) 463-470] and with databases. Subcloning experiments showed that the juxtaposing phsA gene is sufficient to restore productivity of the blocked mutant. Analysis of gene disruption and gene replacement mutants confirmed that phsA specifies an enzyme involved in tripeptide formation. Similarities to peptide synthetases indicate that the condensation step follows a thio-template mechanism. A conserved region located in the C terminus of the PhsA protein showed identity to 4'-phosphopantetheine-binding sites of fatty acid and polyketide synthases. In the N terminus, a typical acyl transfer motif has been identified and this may be involved in transthiolation. A similar motif also appears in the deduced product of the third gene (dea), which probably catalyses the deacetylation of N-acetyl-PTT to PTT. The previously described PTT resistance-encoding gene (pat) was located between the phsA and the dea genes.

Sequence and transcriptional analysis of the Streptomyces glaucescens tcmAR tetracenomycin C resistance and repressor gene loci

Sequence analysis of the tcmA tetracenomycin C resistance gene from Streptomyces glaucescens GLA.O (ETH 22794) identifies one large open reading frame whose deduced product has sequence similarity to the mmr methylenomycin resistance gene from Streptomyces coelicolor, the Streptomyces rimosus tet347 (otrB) tetracycline resistance gene, and the atr1 aminotriazole resistance gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These genes are thought to encode proteins that act as metabolite export pumps powered by transmembrane electrochemical gradients. A divergently transcribed gene, tcmR, is located in the region upstream of tcmA. The deduced product of tcmR resembles the repressor proteins encoded by tetR regulatory genes from Escherichia coli and the actII-orf1 gene from S. coelicolor. Transcriptional analysis of tcmA and tcmR indicates that these genes have back-to-back and overlapping promoter regions.

Gene disruption and gene replacement in Streptomyces via single stranded DNA transformation of integration vectors

For the isolation of single stranded plasmid DNA, various E. coli and E. coli-Streptomyces shuttle plasmids were equipped with the phage f1 replication origin. The transformation of some representative Streptomyces species with plasmid vectors occurred irrespective of whether single or double stranded DNA was used. In contrast, the transformation of Streptomyces was 10 to 100 times more efficient when an integration vector was in the single stranded form as opposed to the double stranded form. Streptomyces viridochromogenes was transformed by single stranded DNA integration vectors in order to replace the pat by the tsr gene and generate mutants unable to synthesize phosphinothricin-tripeptide (PTT).