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Biochemistry (Moscow), Vol. 65, No. 3, 2000, pp. 315-323. Translated from Biokhimiya, Vol. 65, No. 3, 2000, pp. 375-384. Original Russian Text Copyright © 2000 by Shiba, Tsutsumi, Ishige, Noguchi. REVIEW Inorganic Polyphosphate and Polyphosphate Kinase: Their Novel Biological Functions and Applications T. Shiba1*, K. Tsutsumi1, K. Ishige2, and T. Noguchi2 1Division of Molecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan; fax: +81-11-706-7816; E-mail: [email protected] 2Biochemical Divisions, YAMASA Corporation, Choshi, Chiba 288-0056, Japan Received October 4, 1999 AbstractIn this review, we discuss the following two subjects: 1) the physiological function of polyphosphate (poly(P)) as a regulatory factor for gene expression in Escherichia coli, and 2) novel functions of E. coli polyphosphate kinase (PPK) and their applications. With regard to the first subject, it has been shown that E. coli cells in which yeast exopolyphos- phatase (poly(P)ase), PPX1, was overproduced reduced resistance to H2O2 and heat shock as did a mutant whose polyphosphate kinase gene is disrupted. Sensitivity to H2O2 and heat shock evinced by cells that overproduce PPX1 is attributed to depressed levels of rpoS expression. Since rpoS is a central element in a regulatory network that governs the expression of stationary-phase-induced genes, poly(P) affects the expression of many genes through controlling rpoS expression. Furthermore, poly(P) is also involved in expression of other stress-inducible genes that are not directly regu- lated by rpoS. The second subject includes the application of novel functions of PPK for nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) regeneration. Recently E. coli PPK has been found to catalyze the kination of not only ADP but also other nucleoside diphosphates using poly(P) as a phospho-donor, yielding NTPs. This nucleoside diphosphate kinase-like activity of PPK was confirmed to be available for NTP regeneration essential for enzymatic oligosaccharide synthesis using the sugar nucleotide cycling method. PPK has also been found to express a poly(P):AMP phosphotransferase activity by coupling with adenylate kinase (ADK) in E. coli. The ATP-regeneration system consisting of ADK, PPK, and poly(P) was shown to be promising for practical utilization of poly(P) as ATP substitute. Key words: polyphosphate, polyphosphate kinase, exopolyphosphatase, rpoS, stress-inducible genes, NTP regeneration, nucleoside diphosphate kinase, adenylate kinase, glycosyltransferase, oligosaccharides, N-acetyllactosamine, poly(P):AMP phosphotransferase Inorganic polyphosphate (poly(P)) has been found ATP to a poly(P) in a freely reversible reaction [1-5] has to be widely distributed in every living thing so far exam- been most intensively studied. ined, from bacteria to mammals. Several biological Here, we describe novel biological functions of functions have been suggested for cellular poly(P), poly(P) and PPK in Escherichia coli and their applica- including a reservoir for phosphate and energy, a chela- tions. tor of metal ions, a buffer against alkali, and a channel for DNA entry [1]. However, the details of these poly(P) functions are still uncertain. 1. Poly(P)-DEPENDENT GENE EXPRESSION Several enzymes that contribute to the metabolism IN E. coli of poly(P) including polyphosphate kinase (PPK), exopoly(P)ase, poly(P):AMP phosphotransferase (PAP), 1.1. PPX1-overproducing cells show no cellular polyphosphate glucokinase, and endopolyphosphatase poly(P) accumulation and the same characteristics as have been identified [1]. PPK that is responsible for the those of a ppk mutant. An E. coli ppk mutant is deficient synthesis of poly(P) polymerizing terminal phosphate of in functions expressed in the stationary phase and fails to survive [6]. The mutant also showed a lack of resist- ance to an oxidant (H O ), to a redox-cycling agent Abbreviations: ADK) adenylate kinase; NDP) nucleoside 2 2 diphosphates; NTP) nucleoside triphosphates; PAP) polyphos- (menadione), to heat, and to an osmotic challenge [6, 7]. phate:AMP phosphotransferase; PPK) polyphosphate kinase; In stationary culture of the ppk mutant, small colony PPX1) yeast exopolyphosphatase. variants with improved viability and resistance to H2O2 * To whom correspondence should be addressed. frequently appeared [7]. Although survivors of the ppk 0006-2979/00/6503-0315$25.00 ©2000 MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica 316 SHIBA et al. mutant in the stationary phase are far fewer in number Second, it may be possible to remove short-chain after a week or so, the mutants are replaced by an out- poly(P), which suppresses the poly(P)-minus effect, growth of a small-colony-size variant with a stable geno- because the ppk mutant still makes short poly(P) chains type and with improved viability and resistance to H2O2 of about 60 residues in size by an alternative synthetic and heat [7]. Since neither PPK activity nor long-chain pathway [9]. Based on these advantages, we examined poly(P) was restored in the small-colony variant [7], the mechanism underlying the involvement of poly(P) in unknown mutations that suppress the poly(P)-minus H2O2 sensitivity. phenotype might occur during cultivation of the ppk To confirm that PPX1 overproduction can effi- mutant. ciently remove cellular poly(P), KT1008 cells (F, ∆(arg- To overcome these unstable features of the ppk lac)U169, araD139, rpsL150, ptsF25, flbB5301, rbsR, mutant, we employed the plasmid system that overpro- deoC1) were transformed by either a plasmid that car- duces recombinant yeast exopolyphosphatase (PPX1) [8] ries the PPX1 gene under the trc promoter (pTrcPPX1) to remove as much of the cellular poly(P) as possible. In or an original vector of pTrcPPX1 (pTrcHisB) [10]. this system, there are the following two advantages for Cells were cultured to the mid-logarithmic growth examining the poly(P)-minus phenotype. First, it is pos- phase (OD = 0.4) in LB and starved of nitrogen for 4 h sible to avoid the appearance of the small-colony-size in Mops minimal medium. Cellular poly(P) rapidly variant by using a fresh transformant carrying the PPX1 accumulated within 30 min after starvation and gradu- gene on plasmids, and it is also possible to observe the ally decreased thereafter in pTrcHisB transformants, poly(P)-minus features with good reproducibility. whereas no poly(P) accumulation was observed in a b 100 1300 4 1100 900 3 2 140 10 2 100 Viability, % 1 1 -Galactosidase activity β 50 1 0.1 0 0123456 0 100 200300 400 Incubation time, min Starvation time, min Fig. 1. a) Effect of PPX1 overproduction on heat sensitivity. The wild-type strain KT1008 harbored either the plasmid with the PPX1 gene (pTrcPPX1) (1) or the control vector (pTrcHisB) (2). After cells were incubated at 55°C, the viable cell number was determined by plating onto LB agar. b) Expression of the katE-lacZ operon fusion monitored by β-galactosidase activity [32]. KT1008EL cells (as KT1008 but λRS45 : katE-lacZ) [33] harbored a plasmid or pairs of plasmids as follows: PPX1 gene (pTrcPPX1) (1), control vector for PPX1 (pTrcHisB) (2), a pair of pTrcPPX1 and pBS-rpoS (carrying the rpoS gene) (3) [10] or a pair of pTrcHisB and pBS-rpoS (4). KatE expression was induced by nitrogen starvation with Mops minimal medium [10]. BIOCHEMISTRY (Moscow) Vol. 65 No. 3 2000 NOVEL FUNCTIONS AND APPLICATIONS OF Poly(P) AND PPK 317 pTrcPPX1 transformants [10]. This result clearly ally. First, the effect of poly(P) on rpoS transcription showed that PPX1 overproduction efficiently removes was examined using a lysogen carrying the rpoS-lacZ cellular poly(P). transcriptional fusion gene. KT1008SL (as KT1008 but It was also confirmed that pTrcPPX1 transfor- λRS45 : rpoS-lacZ), which was lysogenyzed by λ carry- mants have the same features as those of the ppk ing the rpoS-lacZ transcriptional fusion gene, harbor- mutant. H2O2 sensitivity of pTrcPPX1 transformants ing either pTrcPPX1 or pTrcHisB (vector) was grown in was almost 10-fold greater than that of control vector LB medium and rpoS transcription was monitored (pTrcHisB) transformants in the wild type. Also, the along the growth curve (Fig. 2) [10]. Vector transfor- heat shock sensitivity of pTrcPPX1 transformants was mants exhibited induction during entry into the station- much higher than that of the control vector transfor- ary phase, and the transcription increased by about 5- mants (Fig. 1a). These characteristics were the same as fold after 12 h of cultivation. In the pTrcPPX1 trans- those of the phenotype of the ppk mutant [7]. Moreover, formants, the transcription increased by only 3-fold in introduction of extra copies of the ppk gene by multiple- stationary phase (12 h of cultivation). These results sug- copy plasmid into PPX1-overproducing cells can over- gest that the induction of rpoS transcription is depend- come this high sensitivity to H2O2, almost restoring ent on cellular poly(P). them to the levels of vector transformants [10]. These The overproduction of certain proteins may have results suggested that the high sensitivity to these stress- unknown effects on such physiological activities of cells es caused by PPX1 overproduction is dependent on the as growth, transcription, and translation. To rule out poly(P) level in cells. the possibility that PPX1 overproduction itself inhibits Intriguingly, the H2O2 sensitivity of pTrcPPX1 gene expression nonspecifically, an inactive PPX1 gene transformants was approximately 1,000-fold greater was overproduced and the effect of the overproduction than that of vector transformants in the katG mutant, on rpoS transcription was examined. pTrc∆PPX1, which whereas, in the katE mutant, the sensitivity of carries a truncated PPX1 gene encoding a PPX1 deletion pTrcPPX1 transformants were only 10-fold greater (DPPX1) protein, was introduced into KT1008SL. than that of vector transformants like wild type cells Poly(P)ase activity of DPPX1 was not detected (data not [10]. This means that the high sensitivity of pTrcPPX1 shown) and both DPPX1 and PPX1 were shown by transformants is caused mainly by the deficiency of the Western blotting to be overproduced at the same levels katE gene products, HPII, since there are only two cata- (Fig.