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The ambition of systems biology to understand complex biological systems at the molecular level implies that we need to have a concrete and correct understanding of each molecular entity and its function. However, even for the best-studied organism, Escherichia coli, a large number of proteins have never been identified and characterised from wild-type cells, and/or await unravelling of their biological role. Instead, the ORF models for these proteins have been predicted by suitable algorithms and/or through comparison with known, homologous proteins from other organisms, approaches which may be prone to error. In the present study, we used a combination of 2-DE, MALDI-TOF-MS and PMF to identify 1151 different proteins in E. coli K12 JM109. Comparison of the experimental with the theoretical Mr and pI values (4000 experimental values each) allowed the identification of numerous proteins with incorrect or incomplete ORF annotations in the current E. coli genome databases. Several inconsistencies in genome annotation were verified experimentally, and up to 55 candidates await further investigation. Our findings demonstrate how an up-to-date 2-D gel-based proteomics approach can be used for improving the annotation of prokaryotic genomes. They also highlight the need for harmonization among the different E. coli genome databases.

A high-level production system using the universal stress promoters uspA and uspB in a fed-batch cultivation based on minimal medium was designed. In development it was shown that a standard industrial fed-batch protocol could not be used for this purpose since it failed to induce the levels of product as compared to the basal level. Instead, a batch protocol followed by a low constant feed of glucose was shown to give full induction. The levels of the product protein, beta-galactosidase, corresponded to approximately 25% of the total protein. Higher levels were found using the uspA than uspB vectors where uspA showed considerably higher basal level. The data indicate that the sigma(70) regulated promoter, uspA, although affected by the alarmone guanosine tetraphosphate, ppGpp, worked partly in a similar manner to constitutive promoters. An industrial high cell density fed-batch cultivation on the basis of the suggested fed-batch protocol and the uspA promoter gave a final beta-galatosidase concentration of 7 g/L and a final cell concentration of 65 g/L. The heterogeneity in production of the individual cell was measured by fluorescence microscopy. The data show that there is a process time independent heterogeneity in production, which is suggested to be caused by heterogeneity in the substrate uptake rate of the individual cell., (Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 83: 595-603, 2003.)

Fed-batch production of recombinant beta-galactosidase in E. coli was studied with respect to the specific growth rate at induction. The cultivations were designed to induce protein production by IPTG at a glucose feed rate corresponding to high mu = 0.5 h(-1)) or low (mu = 0.1 h(-1)) specific growth rate. Protein production rate was approximately 100% higher at the higher specific growth rate, resulting in the accumulation of beta-galactosidase up to 30% of the total cell protein. Transcription analysis showed that beta-galactosidase-specific messenger RNA was immediately formed after induction (<5 min), but the amount was the same in both cases and was thus not the initial limiting factor. The content of ribosomes, as represented by rRNA, rapidly decreased with specific growth rate from a relative level of 100%, at the high specific growth rate, to 20% at the low specific growth rate. At high specific growth rate, ribosomes were additionally degraded upon induction due to the high production level. Translation therefore seemed to be the initial limiting factor of the protein synthesis capacity. The alarmone guanosine tetraphosphate increased at both high and low feed level inductions, indicating an induction-forced starvation of charged tRNA and/or glucose. The altered physiological status was also detected by the formation of acetic acid. However, the higher production rate resulted in high-level accumulation of acetic acid, which was absent at low feed rate production. Acetic acid production is thus coupled to the high product formation rate and is proposed to be due either to a precursor drain of Krebs cycle intermediates and a time lag before induction of the glyoxalate shunt, or to single amino acid overflow, since the model product is relatively poor in glycin and alanin. In conclusion, it is proposed that production at high specific growth rate becomes precursor-limited, while production at low specific growth rate is carbon- and/or energy-limited., (Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 81: 158-166, 2003.)

The ykzB and ykoL genes encode two peptides, of 51 and 60 amino acids, the functions of which are unknown. The ykzB and tnrA genes are contiguous and transcribed divergently. Expression of ykzB and ykoL is induced by glutamate and is under the control of the TnrA global regulator of nitrogen utilization. TnrA regulated its own synthesis in glutamate minimal medium. Two DNA sequences (TnrAB1 and TnrAB2) homologous to the TnrA binding site are present in the region between tnrA and ykzB. Deletion mapping indicated that the TnrAB2 binding site was involved in activation of the ykzB promoter. In addition, transcription of tnrA depends on the presence of the TnrAB1 binding site. The ykzB and ykoL genes are probably in the same transcriptional unit. A single promoter involved in transcription in the presence of glutamate was mapped by primer extension. ykoL expression was induced by phosphate limitation and depended on the PhoP-PhoR two-component regulatory system. Its promoter was mapped to the region between ykoL and ykzB. Four boxes similar to the PhoP binding site are present upstream from the ykoL promoter. These boxes are probably recognized by PhoP approximately P during the activation of transcription in phosphate limitation conditions.

Chromosomal or plasmid-encoded beta-lactamases are the most frequent causes of resistance to broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotics in clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria. Different screening methods can be used for their detection during routine laboratory work, while molecular biological methods may help in the detection of the genetic background of the phenotypic resistance. Clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae (170) and Enterobacter cloaceae (82) were obtained from different parts of Hungary, whereas those of Serratia marcescens (15) were isolated in our Department from a nosocomial outbreak. Disk diffusion and the Etest were used to screen inducible Class C beta-lactamase and plasmid-mediated extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) among clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae. Single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the PCR products obtained after using SHV-specific primers revealed the presence of SHV-2 and SHV-5 ESBL among 170 K. pneumoniae strains in 12 and 3 cases, respectively. The results of the screening methods and the PCR-SSCP analysis suggested that 14 of the 15 S. marcescens strains not only produced the Class C, inducible chromosomal beta-lactamase, but also acquired a plasmid-mediated SHV-2-type ESBL. One strain isolated from the environment during the outbreak was genetically related to the other isolates, as demonstrated by the different typing methods, but it did not produce ESBL. The in vivo transfer of SHV-2 gene was assumed from an SHV-2 positive K. pneumoniae strain present in the same ward, in the same patient and at the same time. A very high prevalence of the stable derepressed mutants of E. cloaceae was confirmed among the Hungarian isolates. Seventy seven per cent of the strains produced high amounts of beta-lactamase without induction being responsible for their resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. Nineteen per cent of the strains were inducible when cefoxitin or imipenem was used, as confirmed by direct measurement of the MICs with the Etest.