Catalytic properties of a transglucosidase from Aspergillus niger CCRC 31494

Summary A transglucosidase of Aspergillus niger had hydrolysis and transglucosylation activities toward several types of malto- and isomalto-oligosaccharides. The activity was competitively inhibited by glucose and mannose but was not inhibited by galactose and fructose. The K_is of glucose and mannose were 12.9 mM and 75.9 mM, respectively. The enzyme was stable in storage at -20 °C with 60% (v/v) glycerol and 4 °C for at least 40 days.     

Production of extracellular alkaline proteases by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus clavatus</Emphasis>

Summary The production of extracellular alkaline proteases from Aspergillus clavatus was evaluated in a culture filtrate medium, with different carbon and nitrogen sources. The fungus was cultivated at three different temperatures during 10 days. The proteolytic activity was determined on casein pH 9.5 at 37 °C. The highest alkaline proteolytic activity (38 U/ml) was verified for culture medium containing glucose and casein at 1% (w/v) as substrates, obtained from cultures developed at 25 °C for 6 days. Cultures developed in Vogel medium with glucose at 2% (w/v) and 0.2% (w/v) NH₄NO₃ showed higher proteolytic activity (27 U/ml) when compared to the cultures with 1% of the same sugar. Optimum temperature was 40 °C and the half-lives at 40, 45 and 50 °C were 90, 25 and 18 min, respectively. Optimum pH of enzymatic activity was 9.5 and the enzyme was stable from pH 6.0 to 12.0.     

Enzymatic properties of lipase and characteristics production byLactobacillus delbrueckii subsp.bulgaricus

Some properties of an extracellular lipase produced byLactobacillus delbrueckii subsp.bulgaricus were studied. Maximum enzyme activity was found against olive and butter oil as enzyme substrates. Addition of 9% acacia gum, 0.1% Na-deoxycholate and 0.01 M CaCl₂ to the enzyme reaction mixture increased-lipase activity from 5.3 to 14.5 (FFA/mg protein/minute) at pH 6.0 and at 40° C. Maximum lipase production was reached in the presence of glucose as a sole source of carbon, wheat bran as nitrogen source, olive oil as a sole lipid source and butyric acid as fatty acid supporting the growth medium. An initial pH value of the culture medium of 6.0 and a temperature of 35° C gave the highest lipolytic activity.     

Production, purification and characterization of glucose oxidase from a newly isolated strain of Penicillium pinophilum

A number of nutritional factors influencing growth and glucose oxidase (EC 1.1.3.4) production by a newly isolated strain of Penicillium pinophilum were investigated. The most important factors for glucose oxidase production were the use of sucrose as the carbon source, and growth of the fungus at non-optimal pH 6.5. The enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity with a yield of 74%, including an efficient extraction step of the mycelium mass at pH 3.0, cation-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The relative molecular mass (M _r) of native glucose oxidase was determined to be 154 700 ± 4970, and 77 700 for the denatured subunit. Electron-microscopic examinations revealed a sandwich-shaped dimeric molecule with subunit dimensions of 5.0 × 8.0 nm. Glucose oxidase is a glycoprotein that contains tightly bound FAD with an estimated stoichiometry of 1.76 mol/mol enzyme. The enzyme is specific for d-glucose, for which a K _m value of 6.2 mM was determined. The pH optimum was determined in the range pH 4.0–6.0. Glucose oxidase showed high stability on storage in sodium citrate (pH 5.0) and in potassium phosphate (pH 6.0), each 100 mM. The half-life of the activity was considerably more than 305 days at 4 °C and 30 °C, and 213 days at 40 °C. The enzyme was unstable at temperatures above 40 °C in the range pH 2.0–4.0 and at a pH above 7.0. Received: 18 November 1996 / Received revision: 3 March 1997 / Accepted: 7 March 1997     

Improvement of culture conditions to overproduce β-galactosidase from Escherichia coli in Bacillus subtilis

The effect of some culture variables in the production of β-galactosidase from Escherichia coli in Bacillus subtilis was evaluated. The lacZ gene was expressed in B. subtilis using the regulatory region of the subtilisin gene aprE. The host contained also the hpr2 and degU32 mutations, which are known to overexpress the aprE gene. We found that, when this overproducing B. subtilis strain was grown in mineral medium supplemented with glucose (MMG), β-galactosidase production was partially growth-associated, as 40%–60% of the maximum enzyme activity was produced before the onset of the stationary phase. In contrast, when a complex medium was used, β-galactosidase was produced only at low levels during vegetative growth, whereas it accumulated to high levels during early stationary phase. Compared with the results obtained in complex media, a 20% increase in specific β-galactosidase activity in MMG supplemented with 11.6 g/l glucose was obtained. On the 1-l fermenter scale, a threefold increase in volumetric β-galactosidase activity was obtained when the glucose concentration was varied from 11 g/l to 26 g/l. In addition, glucose feeding during the stationary phase resulted in a twofold increase in volumetric enzyme activity as cellular lysis was prevented. Finally, we showed that oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide evolution rates can be used for on-line determination of the onset of stationary phase, glucose depletion and biomass concentration. Received: 18 April 1996 / Received revision: 27 August 1996 / Accepted: 6 September 1996     

Properties of a purified thermostable glucoamylase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus niveus</Emphasis>

A glucoamylase from Aspergillus niveus was produced by submerged fermentation in Khanna medium, initial pH 6.5 for 72 h, at 40°C. The enzyme was purified by DEAE-Fractogel and Concanavalin A-Sepharose chromatography. The enzyme showed 11% carbohydrate content, an isoelectric point of 3.8 and a molecular mass of 77 and 76 kDa estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or Bio-Sil-Sec-400 gel filtration, respectively. The pH optimum was 5.0–5.5, and the enzyme remained stable for at least 2 h in the pH range of 4.0–9.5. The temperature optimum was 65°C and retained 100% activity after 240 min at 60°C. The glucoamylase remained completely active in the presence of 10% methanol and acetone. After 120 min hydrolysis of starch, glucose was the unique product formed, confirming that the enzyme was a glucoamylase (1,4-alpha-d-glucan glucohydrolase). The K _m was calculated as 0.32 mg ml⁻¹. Circular dichroism spectroscopy estimated a secondary structure content of 33% α-helix, 17% β-sheet and 50% random structure, which is similar to that observed in the crystal structures of glucoamylases from other Aspergillus species. The tryptic peptide sequence analysis showed similarity with glucoamylases from A. niger, A. kawachi, A. ficcum, A. terreus, A. awamori and A. shirousami. We conclude that the reported properties, such as solvent, pH and temperature stabilities, make A. niveus glucoamylase a potentially attractive enzyme for biotechnological applications.     

Optimization of nitrilase production from Alcaligenes faecalis MTCC 10757 (IICT-A3): effect of inducers on substrate specificity

Microbial nitrilases are biocatalysts of interest and the enzyme produced using various inducers exhibits altered substrate specificity, which is of great interest in bioprocess development. The aim of the present study is to investigate the nitrilase-producing Alcaligenes faecalis MTCC 10757 (IICT-A3) for its ability to transform various nitriles in the presence of different inducers after optimization of various parameters for maximum enzyme production and activity. The production of A. faecalis MTCC 10757 (IICT-A3) nitrilase was optimum with glucose (1.0%), acrylonitrile (0.1%) at pH 7.0. The nitrilase activity of A. faecalis MTCC 10757 (IICT-A3) was optimum at 35 °C, pH 8.0 and the enzyme was stable up to 6 h at 50 °C. The nitrilase enzyme produced using different inducers was investigated for substrate specificity. The enzyme hydrolyzed aliphatic, heterocyclic and aromatic nitriles with different substitutions. Acrylonitrile was the most preferred substrate (~40 U) as well as inducer. Benzonitrile was hydrolyzed with almost twofold higher relative activity than acrylonitrile when it was used as an inducer. The versatile nitrilase-producing A. faecalis MTCC 10757 (IICT-A3) exhibits efficient conversion of both aliphatic and aromatic nitriles. The aromatic nitriles, which show not much or no affinity towards nitrilase from A. faecalis, are hydrolyzed effectively with this nitrilase-producing organism. Studies are in progress to exploit this organism for synthesis of industrially important compounds.     

Optimization of an extracellular protease of Chrysosporium keratinophilum and its potential in bioremediation of keratinic wastes

Chrysosporium keratinophilum IMI 338142 isolated from a waste site containing organopollutants was studied for its ability to produce extracellular proteases on glucose-gelatin medium. Fungus was observed to be a potent producer of such enzymes. Enzyme secretion was best at 15 days of incubation period at pH 8 and temperature 40 °C. Asparagine was repressive to protease expression. No relationship existed between the enzyme yield and increase in biomass. Exogenous sugars suppressed enzyme production in the descending order as follows: glucose > arabinose > maltose > mannose > fructose. The enzyme released showed the ability to decompose two keratin substrates tested. Buffalo skin was the most actively degraded substrate when exogenous glucose was absent. Presence of glucose suppressed both enzyme production and degradation of keratin. However, the rate of keratin degradation was independent of enzyme production.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characterization and Engineering of a Novel Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Dependent Glucose Dehydrogenase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorangium cellulosum</Emphasis> So ce56

A novel pyrroloquinoline quinone dependent glucose dehydrogenase like enzyme (PQQ GDH) was isolated from Sorangium cellulosum So ce56. The putative coding region was cloned, over expressed in E. coli and the resulting enzyme was characterized. The recombinant protein has a relative molecular mass of 63 kDa and shows 43% homology to PQQ GDH-B from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. In the presence of PQQ and CaCl₂ the enzyme has dehydrogenase activity with the substrate glucose as well as with other mono- and disaccharides. The thermal stability and its pH activity profile mark the enzyme as a potential glucose biosensor enzyme. In order to decrease the activity on maltose, which is unwanted for a potential application in biosensors, the protein was rationally modified at three specified positions. The best variant showed a 59% reduction in activity on maltose compared to the wild type enzyme. The catalytic efficiency (k _cat/K _M) was reduced fivefold but the specific activity still amounted to 63% of the wild type activity.     

Methanogens in the human intestinal tract and oral cavity

Curvularia lunata var.aeria was grown in YPD (yeast extract, peptone, and dextrose) medium (pH 6.5) at 28°C with varying concentrations (10–40 g/L) of glucose for the production of rifamycin oxidase. Enzyme activity and glucose concentration were found to be indirectly related to the production of black intracellular pigment by the organism. Depletion of glucose level and rise of culture pH initiate the synthesis of pigment. Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was used as a carbon source to improve the enzyme yield, but utilization of the substrate in the reactor was much less. Compared with 10 g/L of CMC in the medium, low or high concentrations of CMC did not yield any better result. Addition of glucose in YPC (yeast extract, peptone, and CMC) medium did not increase the enzyme activity, and glucose was rapidly utilized byC. lunata, forming pellets rather than mycelia.     

Starch conversion by amylases fromAureobasidium pullulans

Summary A color variant strain (NRRL Y-12974) ofAureobasidium pullulans produced a saccharifying -amylase and two forms of glucoamylase extracellularly when grown on starch at 28°C for 4 days. A sugar syrup containing DP1 (degree of polymerization) and DP2 (31) was made from maltodextrin DE (dextrose equivalent) 10 (35%, w/w) at 55°C and pH 4.5 using the amylase preparation (40 U g^–1 DS (dry substance). The syrup composition was highly dependent upon substrate concentration but nearly independent of enzyme dose. Glucose syrup containing 93% glucose was made from maltodextrin DE 10 (35%, w/w) at 65°C and pH 4.5 using the same enzyme preparation at 100 U g^–1 DS. The enzyme preparation (100 U g^–1 DS) produced 98–100% glucose from raw corn starch at pH 4.5 and 50°C.The mention of firm names or trade products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the US Department of Agriculture over other firms or similar products not mentioned. Abbreviations: DE, dextrose equivalent (an indication of polymerization; reducing sugars as percentage glucose); DP, degree of polymerization; DP1, glucose; DP2, disaccharide; DP3, trisaccharide; DP4, tetrasaccharide; DS, dry substance.     

Enzymatic hydrolysis and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of steam-pretreated spruce using crude Trichoderma reesei and Trichoderma atroviride enzymes

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of the enzymes produced by Trichoderma reesei Rut C30 and the good extracellular β-glucosidase-producing mutant Trichoderma atroviride TUB F-1663 to that of commercial preparations in the enzymatic hydrolysis and the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of steam-pretreated spruce (SPS).The concentrated TUB F-1663 enzyme was found to be the most efficient in the hydrolysis of washed SPS at 50 g/L water-insoluble solids (WIS) in terms of the glucose produced (18.5 g/L), even in comparison with commercial cellulases (14.1–16.7 g/L). The enzyme preparations were studied at low enzyme loadings (5 FPU/g WIS) in SSF to produce ethanol from SPS. The enzyme supernatant and whole fermentation broth of T. atroviride as well as the whole broth of T. reesei proved to be as efficient in SSF as the commercial cellulase mixtures (ethanol yields of 61–76% of the theoretical were achieved), while low ethanol yields (<40%) were obtained with the β-glucosidase-deficient T. reesei supernatant.Therefore, it seems, that instead of using commercial cellulases, the TUB F-1663 enzymes and the whole broth of Rut C30 may be produced on-site, using a process stream as carbon source, and employed directly in the biomass-to-bioethanol process.     

Phytase production by the yeast, Pichia anomala

Pichia anomala, isolated from dried flower buds of Woodfordia fruticosa, produced a high activity of an intracellular phytase, at 68 U per g dry biomass, when grown at 20 °C for 24 h in a medium containing glucose (40 g l^–1) and beef extract (10 g l^–1) supplemented with Fe²⁺ (0.15 mM). Partially purified phytase was optimally active at 60 °C and pH 4 with a half life of 7 days at 60 °C. It retained 85% of its activity at 80 °C for 15 min. The enzyme is suitable for supplementing animal feeds to improve the availability of phosphate from phytate.     

Purification and characterization of naringinase from a newly isolated strain of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus niger</Emphasis> 1344 for the transformation of flavonoids

Summary An extracellular naringinase (an enzyme complex consisting of α-L-rhamnosidase and β-D-glucosidase activity, EC 3.2.1.40) that hydrolyses naringin (a trihydroxy flavonoid) for the production of rhamnose and glucose was purified from the culture filtrate of Aspergillus niger 1344. The enzyme was purified 38-fold by ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange and gel filtration chromatography with an overall recovery of 19% with a specific activity of 867 units per mg of protein. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be about 168 kDa by gel filtration chromatography on a Sephadex G-200 column and the molecular mass of the subunits was estimated to be 85 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulphate-Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The enzyme had an optimum pH of 4.0 and temperature of 50 °C, respectively. The naringinase was stable at 37 °C for 72 h, whereas at 40 °C the enzyme showed 50% inactivation after 96 h of incubation. Hg²⁺, SDS, p-chloromercuribenzoate, Cu²⁺ and Mn²⁺ completely inhibited the enzyme activity at a concentration of 2.5–10 mM, whereas, Ca²⁺, Co²⁺ and Mg²⁺ showed very little inactivation even at high concentrations (10–100 mM). The enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by rhamnose, the end product of naringin hydrolysis. The enzyme activity was accelerated by Mg²⁺ and remained stable for one year after storage at −20 °C. The purified enzyme preparation successfully hydrolysed naringin and rutin, but not hesperidin.     

Overexpression and characterization of a thermostable trehalose synthase from Meiothermus ruber

A thermostable trehalose synthase (TreS) gene from Meiothermus ruber CBS-01 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant TreS could utilize maltose to produce trehalose, and showed an optimum pH and temperature of 6.5 and 50°C, respectively. Kinetic analysis showed that the enzyme had a twofold higher catalytic efficiency (k _cat/K _m) for maltose than for trehalose, indicating maltose as the preferred substrate. The TreS also had a weak hydrolytic property with glucose as the byproduct, and glucose was a strong competitive inhibitor of the enzyme. The maximum production of trehalose by the enzyme reached 65% at 20°C. The most importantly the enzyme could maintain very high activity (above 90%) at pH 4.0–8.0 and 60°C 5 h. These results provided that the stable TreS was suitable for the industrial production of trehalose from maltose in a one-step reaction.     

Characteristics of trehalase inCandida tropicalis

Summary The trehalase content of different yeasts varies widely. A strain ofCandida tropicalis was found to be the best source of this enzyme among the yeasts tested. The trehalase activity in this yeast could be increased 8.5 times by growing it on trehalose rather than glucose. Thus trehalase is an adaptive enzyme inC. tropicalis. It was found that the amount of trehalase which could be solubilized increased with increasing pH during autolysis of the cells, none being released from the cell debris at pH 4.5 and most at pH 6.3. Some evidence was obtained to show that the solubilization was caused by an enzyme. The stability of trehalase under various conditions was studied. A partial purification was achieved by precipitation with 40% ethanol at a temperature of −18°C. The maximum temperature of the enzyme was 48°C., and the optimum pH ranged from 4.1 to 5.3     

Purification and biochemical characterization of a transglucosilating β-glucosidase of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stachybotrys</Emphasis> strain

The filamentous fungus Stachybotrys sp has been shown to possess a rich β-glucosidase system composed of five β-glucosidases. One of them was already purified to homogeneity and characterized. In this work, a second β-glucosidase was purified and characterized. The filamentous fungal A19 strain was fed-batch cultivated on cellulose, and its extracellular cellulases (mainly β-glucosidases) were analyzed. The purified enzyme is a monomeric protein of 78 kDa molecular weight and exhibits optimal activity at pH 6.0 and at 50°C. The kinetic parameters, K _m and V _max, on para-nitro-phenyl-β-d-glucopyranosid (p-NPG) as a substrate were, respectively, 1.846 ± 0.11 mM and 211 ± 0.08 μmol min⁻¹ ml⁻¹. One interesting feature of this enzyme is its high stability in a wide range of pH from 4 to 10. Besides its aryl β-glucosidase activity towards salicin, methylumbellypheryl-β-d-glucoside (MU-Glc), and p-NPG, it showed a true β-glucosidase activity because it splits cellobiose into two glucose monomers. This enzyme has the capacity to synthesize short oligosaccharides from cellobiose as the substrate concentration reaches 30% with a recovery of 40%. We give evidences for the involvement of a transglucosylation to synthesize cellotetraose by a sequential addition of glucose to cellotriose.     

Galacto-oligosaccharide production using microbial β-galactosidase: current state and perspectives

A recombinant β-galactosidase from Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus was purified with a specific activity of 211 U mg⁻¹ by using heat treatment and His-trap affinity chromatography. The native enzyme was an 80-kDa trimer with a molecular mass of 240 kDa. Maximum activity was observed at pH 6.0 and 80oC, and the half-life at 70oC was 48 h. The enzyme exhibited hydrolytic activity for p-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactopyranoside (pNPGal), oNPGal, or lactose, whereas no activity for p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (pNPGlu), oNPGlu, or cellobiose. The catalytic residues E150 and E311 of β-galactosidase from C. saccharolyticus were completely conserved in all aligned glycoside hydrolase family 42 β-galactosidases. The results indicated that the enzyme was a β-galactosidase. Galactose uncompetitively inhibited the enzyme. Glucose inhibition of the enzyme was the lowest among β-galactosidases. When 50 g l⁻¹ galactose was added, the enzyme activity for pNPGal was reduced to 26%. When 400 g l⁻¹ glucose instead of galactose was added, the activity was reduced to 82%. When adding galactose (200 g l⁻¹), only 14% of the lactose was hydrolyzed after 180 min. In contrast, the addition of glucose (400 g l⁻¹) did not affect lactose hydrolysis, and more than 99% of the lactose was hydrolyzed after 120 min.     

Structural and biochemical properties of glycosylated and deglycosylated glucose oxidase from Penicillium amagasakiense

Glucose oxidase from Penicillium amagasakiense was purified to homogeneity by ion-exchange chromatography and deglycosylated with endoglycosidase H. On the basis of gas chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic (SDS-PAGE) analyses, the protein-bound high-mannose-type carbohydrate moiety corresponded to 13% of the molecular mass of glycosylated glucose oxidase. A total of six N-glycosylation sites per dimer were determined from the N-acetylglucosamine content. The enzymatically deglycosylated enzyme contained less than 5% of the original carbohydrate moiety. A molecular mass of 130 kDa (gel filtration) and 133 kDa (native PAGE) was determined for the dimer and 67 kDa (SDS-PAGE) for the monomer of the deglycosylated enzyme. The N-terminal sequence, which has not been published for glucose oxidase from P. amagasakiense to date and which showed less than 50% homology to the N terminus of glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger, and the amino acid composition were not altered by the deglycosylation. Deglycosylation also did not affect the kinetics of glucose oxidation or the pH and temperature optima. It also did not increase the susceptibility of the enzyme to proteolytic degradation. However, deglycosylated glucose oxidase exhibited decreased pH and thermal stability. The thermal stability of both enzymes was shown to be dependent on the buffer concentration and was enhanced by certain additives, particularly 1 M (NH₄)₂SO₄, which stabilised glucose oxidase 100- to 300-fold at 50 °C and pH 7–8, and 2 M KF, which stabilised the enzyme up to 36-fold at 60 °C and pH 6. In sodium acetate buffer, changes in pH (4–6) affected the affinity for glucose but had no effect on the V _max of the reaction. In contrast, in TRIS buffer, pH 8, a 10-fold decrease in V _max and a 2-fold decrease in K _m were observed. Received: 8 October 1996 / Received revision: 14 January 1997 / Accepted: 17 January 1997     

Use of Chitosan Membrane from the Carapace of the Soldier Crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mictyris brevidactylus</Emphasis> for Biosensor Construction

Glucose oxidase (EC 1.3.4.3) was immobilized on chitosan membrane (<0.1 mm in thickness) prepared from the carapace of the soldier crab Mictyris brevidactylus. A glucose electrode was constructed by covering a platinum electrode (2.0 mm in diameter) with the enzyme membrane. The enzyme electrode sensed glucose amperometrically (1.0 µA/mM, with linear range up to 0.5 mM, r = 0.999) when positively imposed with 0.6 V against an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The glucose biosensor was sensitive (<0.1 µM, S/N > 3), reproducible (CV for 55 µM glucose <3%, n = 5), reagentless, and durable for months.