Strain improvement of Aspergillus niger for the enhanced production of asperenone

The enhancement of production of asperenone (Fig. 1), an inhibitor of lipoxygenase and human platelet aggregation from Aspergillus niger CFTRI 1105, was achieved by UV and nitrous acid mutagenesis. Nitrous acid mutants exhibited increased inhibitor production when compared with UV irradiated mutants. I N 41 a first-generation nitrous acid mutant produced 5.1 fold increased asperenone over parent strain. Mutant II N 31 obtained by second-generation nitrous acid treatment produced 60.3 mg asperenone/g biomass, which was 131 fold increase when compared to first generated mutant I N 41 and 670 fold increase over the parent strain. This mutant was stable for several generations on production medium.     

Screening and mutagenesis of Aspergillus niger for the improvement of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase production

The strain of Aspergillus niger ZBY-7 was selected as the original strain of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase production. After mutagenesis of the strain using UV irradiation and nitrosoguanidine, mutants of Aspergillus niger resistant to certain metabolic inhibitor were obtained. Five of the mutants showed increased glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase production. The mutant resistant to antimycin A (Aspergillus niger AM-23) produced the highest level of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (695.9% of that from the original strain).     

Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants with enhanced induced mutation and altered mitotic gene conversion

We have developed a method to isolate yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) mutants with enhanced induced mutagenesis based on nitrous acid-induced reversion of the ade2-42 allele. Six mutants have been isolated and designated him (high induced mutagenesis), and 4 of them were studied in more detail. The him mutants displayed enhanced reversion of the ade2-42 allele, either spontaneous or induced by nitrous acid, UV light, and the base analog 6-N-hydroxylaminopurine, but not by gamma-irradiation. It is worth noting that the him mutants turned out not to be sensitive to the lethal effects of the mutagens used. The enhancement in mutation induced by nitrous acid, UV light, and 6-N-hydroxylaminopurine has been confirmed in a forward-mutation assay (induction of mutations in the ADE1, ADE2 genes). The latter agent revealed the most apparent differences between the him mutants and the wild-type strain and was, therefore, chosen for the genetic analysis of mutants, him mutations analyzed behaved as a single Mendelian trait; complementation tests indicated 3 complementation groups (HIM1, HIM2, and HIM3), each containing 1 mutant allele. Uracil-DNA glycosylase activity was determined in crude cell extracts, and no significant differences between the wild-type and him strains were detected. Spontaneous mitotic gene conversion at the ADE2 locus is altered in him1 strains, either increased or decreased, depending on the particular heteroallelic combination. Genetic evidence strongly suggests him mutations to be involved in a process of mismatch correction of molecular heteroduplexes.     

Upstream and Downstream Processing of Lovastatin by Aspergillus terreus

The present study describes the enhanced production and purification of lovastatin by Aspergillus terreus in submerged batch fermentation. The enhancement of lovastatin production from A. terreus was attempted by random mutagenesis using ultraviolet radiations and nitrous acid. UV mutants exhibited increased efficiency for lovastatin production as compared with nitrous acid mutants. Among all the mutants developed, A. terreus UV-4 was found to be the hyper producer of lovastatin. This mutant gave 3.5-fold higher lovastatin production than the wild culture of A. terreus NRRL 265. Various cultural conditions were also optimized for hyper-producing mutant strain. 5 % glucose as carbon source, 1.5 % corn steep liquor as nitrogen source, initial pH value of 6, 120 h of incubation period, and 28 °C of incubation temperature were found as best parameters for higher lovastatin production in shake flasks. Production of lovastatin by wild and mutant strains of A. terreus was also scaled up to laboratory scale fermentor. The fermentation process was conducted at 28 °C, 200 rpm agitation, and 1vvm air flow rate without pH control. After the optimization of cultural conditions in 250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks and scaling up to laboratory scale fermentor, the mutant A. terreus UV-4 gave eightfold higher lovastatin production (3249.95 μg/ml) than its production by wild strain in shake flasks. Purification of lovastatin was carried out by solvent extraction method which yielded 977.1 mg/l of lovastatin with 98.99 % chromatographic purity and 26.76 % recovery. The crystal structure of lovastatin was determined using X-ray diffraction analysis which is first ever reported.     

Overproduction of lipase by<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Yarrowia lipolytica</Emphasis> mutants

Non-genetically modified mutants with increased capacities of extracellular lipase production were obtained from Yarrowia lipolytica strain CBS6303 by chemical mutagenesis. Of the 400 mutants isolated, LgX64.81 had the highest potential for the development of an industrial lipase production process. This mutant exhibits lipase production uncoupled from catabolite repression by glucose, and a 10-fold increased productivity upon addition of oleic acid. Using a LIP2- LacZ reporter gene, we demonstrate that the mutant phenotype originates from a trans-acting mutation. The glucose uptake capacity of LgX64.81 is reduced 2.5-fold compared to the wild-type-strain, and it exhibits high lipase production on glucose medium. A trans-acting mutation in a gene involved in glucose transport could thus explain this mutant phenotype.     

Gluconic acid production by Aspergillus niger mutant ORS-4.410 in submerged and solid state surface fermentation

Aspergillus niger ORS-4.410, a mutant of Aspergillus niger ORS-4 was produced by repeated irradiation with UV rays. Treatments with chemical mutagnes also resulted into mutant strains. The mutants differed from the parent strain morphologically and in gluconic acid production. The relationship between UV treatment dosage, conidial survival and frequency of mutation showed the maximum frequency of positive mutants (25%) was obtained along with a conidial survival of 59% after second stage of UV irradiation. Comparison of gluconic acid production of the parent and mutant ORS-4.410 strain showed a significant increase in gluconic acid production that was 87% higher than the wild type strain. ORS-4.410 strain when transferred every 15 days and monitored for gluconic acid levels for a total period of ten months appeared stable. Mutant ORS-4.410 at 12% substrate concentration resulted into significantly higher i.e. 85-87 and 94-97% yields of gluconic acid under submerged and solid state surface conditions respectively. Further increase in substrate concentration appeared inhibitory. Maximum yield of gluconic acid was obtained after 6 days under submerged condition and decreased on further cultivation. Solid state surface culture condition on the other hand resulted into higher yield after 12 days of cultivation and similar levels of yields continued thereafter.     

High-level production of extracellular lipase by Yarrowia lipolytica mutants from methyl oleate

The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica degrades efficiently low-cost hydrophobic substrates for the production of various added-value products such as lipases. To obtain yeast strains producing high levels of extracellular lipase, Y. lipolytica DSM3286 was subjected to mutation using ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) and ultraviolet (UV) light. Twenty mutants were selected out of 1600 mutants of Y. lipolytica treated with EMS and UV based on lipase production ability on selective medium. A new industrial medium containing methyl oleate was optimized for lipase production. In the 20 L bioreactor containing new industrial medium, one UV mutant (U6) produced 356 U/mL of lipase after 24h, which is about 10.5-fold higher than that produced by the wild type strain. The properties of the mutant lipase were the same as those of the wild type: molecular weight 38 kDa, optimum temperature 37°C and optimum pH 7. Furthermore, the nucleotide sequences of extracellular lipase gene (LIP2) in wild type and mutant strains were determined. Only two silent substitutions at 362 and 385 positions were observed in the ORF region of LIP2. Two single substitutions and two duplications of the T nucleotide were also detected in the promoter region. LIP2 sequence comparison of the Y. lipolytica DSM3286 and U6 strains shows good targets to effective DNA recombinant for extracellular lipase of Y. lipolytica.     

Investigations on ultraviolet light and nitrous acid induced mutations of halotolerant bacterial strains for the treatment of tannery soak liquor

The objective of this research work is to study the effect of physical and chemical mutagenesis on biological treatment of tannery saline wastewater (soak liquor) employing halotolerant bacterial strains. Four halotolerant bacterial strains isolated from saline sources were used. The strains were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus flexus, Exiguobacterium homiense and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The isolates were found to grow well in medium containing 0–10% NaCl. At high saline concentration (>5%), the identified strains and their mixed consortia showed a low degrading efficiency of soak liquor (35–45%). UV light and nitrous acid mutagenesis were performed over the strains and the mutated strains were employed for degradation of soak liquor at high salinity level (6% by wt). Comparison of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal rates for both pure mutant isolates and mixed mutated consortia showed that nitrous acid mutagenesis resulted in degradation of 71% COD removal. Ultraviolet (UV) mutagenesis has no effect on degradation effectiveness. Biomass sludge (Mixed Liquor Volatile Suspended Solids) growth was also found to be high in nitrous acid treated strains.     

应用基因组改组技术选育竹红菌甲素高产菌株

以紫外(UV)与亚硝基胍诱变的竹黄菌(Shiraia bambusicola)菌株NU12和UV4为出发菌株,60℃处理5 min、紫外(距离30 cm,30 W)照射90s进行双亲原生质体灭活,通过30％聚乙二醇PEG6000介导原生质体融合20 min.结合平板初筛和高效液相色谱( HPLC)分析进行复筛,通过3轮重组融合操作,筛选出6株高产竹红菌甲素的融合株.其中融合菌株FIII - 21的竹红菌甲素产量达到80.4 mg/L,比原始出发菌株提高了58.9％～167.1％,且遗传稳定,具有较高的医药及工业应用价值.     

Strain improvement inStreptomyces galilaeus,a producer of anthracycline antibiotics galirubins

The production of ε-pyrromycinone glycosides inStreptomyces galilaeus increased 12-fold, with respect to the wild strain, as a result of a sequential procedure including both natural selection and treatment with mutagens (nitrous acid, UV light and γ-irradiation). Nitrous acid exhibited the highest mutagenic effect, both in increasing the productivity and in inducing blocked mutants. A mutant strain blocked in the biosynthesis of glycosides and accumulating free ε-pyrromycinone as the principal metabolite was obtained.     

Mutants of Yeast Sensitive to Ultraviolet Light

Six uvr mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with hypersensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) light were isolated after mutagen treatment with ethylmethanesulfonate. UV sensitivity ranges from moderate to extreme, and four of the mutants are also sensitive to nitrous acid. Ranking in terms of UV sensitivity does not parallel ranking in terms of nitrous acid sensitivity. Homozygous diploid mutant strains are somewhat less sensitive than the corresponding haploids. All mutations are recessive. None of the mutants is sensitive to gamma rays, and each shows photoreactivation after UV radiation. Complementation tests and tetrad analysis indicate that each strain represents mutation in a different gene. Two of the uvr genes are linked, and two others are centromere-linked.     

UV mutagenesis of Cupriavidus necator for extracellular production of (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid

Aim:  Ultraviolet (UV) mutagenesis was carried out to obtain mutant strains of Cupriavidus necator that could produce ( R )-3-hydroxybutyric acid [( R )-3-HB] in the culture supernatant.
Methods and Results:  C. necator (formerly known as Ralstonia eutropha ) was subjected to UV radiation to generate mutants that are capable of producing ( R )-3-HB in the culture supernatant. Results indicated that UV mutagen disrupted the phbB ( phbB knock-out) and thus, promoted production of ( R )-3-HB in mutant strains. Inclusion of acetoacetate esters (carbonyl compounds) in the culture broth led to increased production of ( R )-3-HB. Thus, acetoacetyl-CoA (an intermediate of the PHB synthetic pathway) might have been converted to acetoacetate, which in the presence of ( R )-3-HB dehydrogenase and NADPH/NADP⁺, resulted in extracellular production of ( R )-3-HB.
Conclusions:  UV mutagenesis proved to be a satisfactory method in generating interesting mutants for extracellular production of ( R )-3-HB. Extracellular production of ( R )-3-HB upon addition of acetoacetate esters would suggest a likely ( R )-3-HB biosynthetic pathway in C. necator .
Significance and Impact of the Study:  Mutants obtained in this study are very useful for production of ( R )-3-HB. For the first time, the production of ( R )-3-HB by C. necator via acetoacetate is reported.     

Citric acid production by selected mutants of Aspergillus niger from cane molasses

The present investigation deals with citric acid production by some selected mutant strains of Aspergillus niger from cane molasses in 250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks. For this purpose, a conidial suspension of A. niger GCB-75, which produced 31.1 g/l citric acid from 15% (w/v) molasses sugar, was subjected to UV-induced mutagenesis. Among the 3 variants, GCM-45 was found to be a better producer of citric acid (50.0 +/- 2a) and it was further improved by chemical mutagenesis using N-methyl, N-nitro-N-nitroso-guanidine (MNNG). Out of 3,2-deoxy-D-glucose resistant variants, GCMC-7 was selected as the best mutant, which produced 96.1 +/- 1.5 g/l citric acid 168 h after fermentation of potassium ferrocyanide and H2SO4 pre-treated blackstrap molasses in Vogel's medium. On the basis of kinetic parameters such as volumetric substrate uptake rate (Qs), and specific substrate uptake rate (qs), the volumetric productivity, theoretical yield and specific product formation rate, it was observed that the mutants were faster growing organisms and produced more citric acid. The mutant GCMC-7 has greater commercial potential than the parental strain with regard to citrate synthase activity. The addition of 2.0 x 10(-5) M MgSO4 x 5H2O into the fermentation medium reduced the Fe2+ ion concentration by counter-acting its deleterious effect on mycelial growth. The magnesium ions also induced a loose-pelleted form of growth (0.6 mm, diameter), reduced the biomass concentration (12.5 g/l) and increased the volumetric productivity of citric acid monohydrate (113.6 +/- 5 g/l).     

黑曲霉原生质体诱变选育果胶酶高产菌株

通过UV和NTG诱变筛选获得了2株高产果胶酶突变株。以果胶酶产生菌黑曲霉EIM6为诱变材料,采用1．5％的溶壁酶和1．5％的纤维素酶处理其对教生长期菌丝体2h获得高质量的原生质体。采用UV25S或50μg／mL NTG诱变30min,构建原生质体突变库,经刚果红果胶平板筛选获得果胶酶突变株,通过液体深层培养复筛获得高产突变株EIM6-U11、EIM6-N5,酶活力分别从46598．08、46598．08U／mL提高至68596．57、68879．56U／mL,分别提高了47．21％、47．82％。连续8次传代经发酵测酶活力表明高产突变株EIM6-U11、EIM6-N5具有较高的遗传稳定性。     

Isolation and characterization of pigment mutants from a filamentous cyanobacterium

Five strains of a pigment mutant were isolated following UV irradiation and N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) mutagenesis from a non-nitrogen fixing mutant of the cyanobacteriumGloeotrichia ghosei. Two of them (B-1 and V-1) were isolated by UV mutagenesis and other three (B-3, B-7 and Br-6) by MNNG mutagenesis. Among the five strains cultures of three strains (B-1, B-3 and B-7) were typically blue-green in colour. Culture of strain V-1 was found to be violet-pink and of Br-6 was brownish in colour. The parent strain of these mutants was dark-blue in colour. Blue-green mutants showed the predominance of phycocyanin (610 nm) whereas violet-pink and brown strains showed the predominance of phycoerythrin (550 nm) in the absorption spectra of water-soluble pigments. In contrast to these strains their parent strain showed both the absorption peaks (at 550 and 610 nm). Occurrence of stable pigment mutants of a filamentous cyanobacterium indicates that the synthesis of water-soluble pigments is genetically controlled in these mutant strains.     

Hypoxanthine incorporation is nonmutagenic in Escherichia coli

Endonuclease V, encoded by the nfi gene, initiates removal of the base analogs hypoxanthine and xanthine from DNA, acting to prevent mutagenesis from purine base deamination within the DNA. On the other hand, the RdgB nucleotide hydrolase in Escherichia coli is proposed to prevent hypoxanthine and xanthine incorporation into DNA by intercepting the noncanonical DNA precursors dITP and dXTP. Because many base analogs are mutagenic when incorporated into DNA, it is intuitive to think of RdgB as acting to prevent similar mutagenesis from deaminated purines in the DNA precursor pools. To test this idea, we used a set of Claire Cupples' strains to detect changes in spontaneous mutagenesis spectra, as well as in nitrous acid-induced mutagenesis spectra, in wild-type cells and in rdgB single, nfi single, and rdgB nfi double mutants. We found neither a significant increase in spontaneous mutagenesis in rdgB and nfi single mutants or the double mutant nor any changes in nitrous acid-induced mutagenesis for rdgB mutant strains. We conclude that incorporation of deaminated purines into DNA is nonmutagenic.     

Beta-fructofuranosidase production by 2-deoxyglucose resistant mutants of aspergillus niger in submerged and solid-state fermentation

Aspergillus niger produces extracellular beta-fructofuranosidase under submerged (SmF) and solid state fermentation (SSF) conditions. After UV mutagenesis of conidiospores of A. niger, 2-deoxyglucose (10 g/l) resistant mutants were isolated on Czapek's minimal medium containing glycerol as a carbon source and the mutants were examined for improved production of beta-fructofuranosidase in SmF and SSF conditions. One of such mutant DGRA-1 overproduced beta-fructofuranosidase in both SmF and SSF conditions. In SmF, the mutant DGRA-1 showed higher beta-fructofuranosidase productivity (110.8 U/l/hr) than the wild type (48.3 U/l/hr). While in SSF the same strain produced 322 U/l/hr of beta-fructofuranosidase, 2 times higher than that of wild type (154.2 U/l/hr). In SmF, both wild type and mutants produced relatively low level of beta-fructofuranosidase in medium containing sucrose with glucose than from the sucrose medium. However in SSF, the DGRA-1 mutant grown in sucrose and sucrose+ glucose did not show any difference with respect to beta-fructofuranosidase production. These results indicate that the catabolite repression of beta-fructofuranosidase synthesis is observed in SmF whereas in SSF such regulation was not prominent.     

Effect of degradative plasmid CAM-OCT on responses of Pseudomonas bacteria to UV light.

The effect of plasmid CAM-OCT on responses to UV irradiation was compared in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in Pseudomonas putida, and in Pseudomonas putida mutants carrying mutations in UV response genes. CAM-OCT substantially increased both survival and mutagenesis in the two species. P. aeruginosa strains without CAM-OCT exhibited much higher UV sensitivity than did P. putida strains. UV-induced mutagenesis of plasmid-free P. putida was easily detected in three different assays (two reversion assays and one forward mutation assay), whereas UV mutagenesis of P. aeruginosa without CAM-OCT was seen only in the forward mutation assay. These results suggest major differences in DNA repair between the two species and highlight the presence of error-prone repair functions on CAM-OCT. A number of P. putida mutants carrying chromosomal mutations affecting either survival or mutagenesis after UV irradiation were isolated, and the effect of CAM-OCT on these mutants was determined. All mutations producing a UV-sensitive phenotype in P. putida were fully suppressed by the plasmid, whereas the plasmid had a more variable effect on mutagenesis mutations, suppressing some and producing no suppression of others. On the basis of the results reported here and results obtained by others with plasmids carrying UV response genes, it appears that CAM-OCT may differ either in regulation or in the number and functions of UV response genes encoded.     

HNO_2诱变选育链霉菌702菌株

以链霉菌702-20为出发菌株,经HNO2诱变处理,获得高产突变株。实验结果表明:HNO2处理20 m in对菌株的致死率可达83.10%,突变率高达14.13%,经过摇瓶筛选获得高产突变株20-29-148,产链霉素能力达到1.404 mg/mL,比出发菌株提高了37.65%。经传代培养考察,该突变菌株具有良好的遗传稳定性。     

利用原生质体紫外诱变技术选育耐高温香菇菌株

【目的】运用原生质体紫外诱变技术选育香菇耐高温新菌株。【方法】以香菇菌株18为出发菌株,紫外诱变处理其原生质体,通过47°C热激3 h后菌丝恢复生长的情况来筛选获得耐高温诱变株,测定18及其所有诱变株在木屑培养基中的恒温长速、高温长速以及恢复长速,并进行高温出菇试验。【结果】筛选得到57株耐高温诱变株,其中诱变株N6、N44和N24的综合性状较好。恒温长速、高温长速以及恢复长速与出菇性状具有相关性,恢复长速与出菇产量、单菇性状、耐高温能力呈正相关,可初步作为预测耐高温菌株综合性状的指标。【结论】利用原生质体紫外诱变技术,可初步选育出耐高温香菇新菌株。