Comparison between immobilized Kluyveromyces fragilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae coimmobilized with beta-galactosidase, with respect to continuous ethanol production from concentrated whey permeate

Kluyveromyces fragilis immobilized in calcium alginate gel was compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae coimmobilized with beta-galactosidase, for continuous ethanol production from whey permeate in packed-bed-type columns. Four different whey concentrations were studied, equivalent to 4.5, 10, 15, and 20% lactose, respectively. In all cases the coimmobilized preparation produced more ethanol than K. fragilis. The study went on for more than 5 weeks. K. fragilis showed a decline in activity after 20 days, while the coimmobilized preparation was stableduring the entrire investigation. Under experimental conditions theoretical yields of ethanol were obtained from 4.5 and 10% lactose substrates with the coimmobilized system. Using 15% lactose substrate, theoretical yields were only obtained when a galactose-adapted immobilized S. cerevisiae column was run in series with the coimmobilized column. Then a maximum of 71 g/L ethanol was produced with a productivity of 2.5 g/L h. The coimmobilized column alone gave a maximum ethanol concentration of 52 g/L with a productivity of 4.5 g/L h, whereas immobolized K. fragilis only produced 13 g/L ethanol with a productivity of 1.1 g/L h. It was not possible to obtain theoretical yields of ethanol from the highest substrate concentration.     

Properties and application of immobilized beta-D-glucosidase coentrapped with Zymomonas mobilis in calcium alginate

The enzyme beta-D-glucosidase has been immobilized on concanavalin A-Sepharose to give a maximum loading of 2050 units/g dry weight of support material. The immobilized beta-D-glucosidase was also entrapped within calcium alginate gel spheres with apparently only 35% retention of activity when assayed with 10mM cellobiose. However, it was discovered that, unlike the immobilized enzyme, the entrapped immobilized enzyme was not subject to substrate inhibition up to 100mM cellobiose, suggesting that a concentration gradient of cellobiose existed between the bulk solution and the interior of the gel sphere. Thus, the activity of the entrapped immobilized enzyme was almost twice as high as that of the immobilized enzyme when assayed with 100mM cellobiose. Concanavalin A-Sepharose-immobilized beta-D-glucosidase and the bacterium Zymomonas mobilis coimmobilized in calcium alginate gel spheres converted cellobiose to ethanol in both batch and continuous-flow fermentation systems.     

Oxygen supply to immobilized cells: 2. Studies on a coimmobilized algae—bacteria preparation with in situ oxygen generation

A coimmobilized mixed culture of algae, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, and bacteria, Gluconobacter oxydans, has been studied. The conversion of glycerol to dihydroxyacetone(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propanone), catalysed by the bacteria, was used to indicate the oxygen supply in the immobilized preparation. The oxygen produced by the algae in the coimmobilized preparation was used by the bacteria more effectively than when the cells were immobilized separately and mixed within the reactor. A preparation consisting of only bacteria and no algae was much less effective. The coimmobilized preparation was used in the continuous production of dihydroxyacetone for six days without any significant loss of activity.     

α淀粉酶与糖化酶的共固定化研究

以纤维素为载体用重氮化法同时固定了糖化酶和α淀粉酶,确定了共固定化的最适条件,研究了共固定化酶的性质,发现共固定化酶较固定化单酶能更好地发挥协同效应,能在较低温度下将淀粉一步水解为葡萄糖。共固定化酶在３０℃下的操作半寿期可达９２０小时。     

Cellobiose hydrolysis using Pichia etchellsii cells immobilized in calcium alginate

The rate of celluose degradation, limited due to the inhibition by cellobiose, can be increased by the hydrolysis of cellobiose to glucose using immobilized beta-glucosidase. Production of beta-glucosidase in four yeasts was studied and a maximum activity of 1.22 IU/mg cells was obtained in cells of Pichia etchellsii when grown on 3% cellobiose as the sole carbon source. A study of the immobilization of beta-glucosidase containing cells of Pichia etchellsii on various solid supports was conducted and immobilization by entrapment in calcium alginate gel beads was found to be the most simple and efficient method. A retention of 96.5% of initial activity after ten sequential batch uses of the immobilized preparation was observed. The pH and temperature optima for free and immobilized cells were the same, i.e., 6.5 (0.05M Maleate buffer) and 50 degrees C, respectively. Even though the temperature optimum was found to be 50 degrees C, the enzyme exhibits a better thermal stability at 45 degrees C. Beads stored at 4 degrees C for six months retain 80% of their activity. Kinetic studies performed on free and immobilized cells shown that glucose is a noncompetitive product inhibitor.The immobilized preparation was found to be limited by pore diffusion but exhibited no film-diffusion resistance during packed bed column indicated by a low dispersion number of 0.1348. A model for reaction with pore diffusion for a noncompetitive type of inhibited system was developed and applied to the cellobiose hydrolysis system. The rate of reaction with diffusional limitations was determined by using the model and effectiveness factors were calculated for different particle sizes. An effectiveness factor of 0.49 was obtained for a particle diameter of 2.5 mm. The modified rate expression using the effectiveness factor represented batch and packed bed reactor operation satisfactorily. The productivity in the packed bed column was found to fall rapidly with increase in conversion rate indicating that the operating conditions of the column would have to be a compromise between high conversion rates and reasonable productivity. A half-life of over seven days was obtained at the operating temperature of 45 degrees C in continuous operation of the packed bed reactor. However, the half-life in the column was found to be greatly affected by temperature, increasing to over seventeen days at a temperature of 40 degrees C and decreasing to less than two days at 50 degrees C.     

Immobilized algae and their potential for use as biocatalysts

Algae are a largely untapped source of potentially useful biotransformations. Where algal immobilization is appropriate in exploiting this potential, methods fall into two categories: active entrapment and invasive adsorption, the choice of technique partly dependent on algal morphology. Current research on the use of immobilized algae is following a number of lines: as biocatalysts performing biotransformations and de novo biosyntheses, in energy production, for providing oxygen or NADPH₂ for coimmobilized biocatalysts, for the bioaccumulation of wastes, and for inclusion into biosensors.     

Enzymatic transformation of cephalosporin C to 7-amino-cephalosporanic acid. Part II: Single-step procedure using a coimmobilized enzyme system

The enzymatic transformation of cephalosporin C to 7-amino-cephalosporanic acid (7-ACA) using coimmobilized -aminoacid oxidase (DAAO) and 7-β-(4-carboxybutanamido)cephalosporanic acid acylase (Gl-7-ACA acylase) is reported. The results from the coimmobilization of the two enzymes on different carriers and at different ratios of enzyme activities are described. When an inhibitor of catalase activity, such as NaN₃ or H₂O₂, is present, the conversion rate to 7-ACA is higher, but more by-products are obtained. An optimum ratio of 60:1 between the enzymatic activities of DAAO and Gl-7-ACA acylase in the coimmobilized sample at 0.21 Ug⁻¹ Gl-7-ACA acylase activity was determined. The results of using coimmobilized enzymes and of using a mixture of separately immobilized enzymes in the same process are compared.     

Characterization of cellobiose fermentations to ethanol by yeasts

Twenty-two different yeasts were screened for their ability to ferment both glucose and cellobiose. The fermentation characteristics of Candida lusitaniae (NRRL Y-5394) and C. wickerhamii (NRRL Y-2563) were selected for further study because their initial rate of ethanol production from cellobiose was faster than the other test cultures. C. lusitaniae produced 44 g/L ethanol from 90 g/L cellobiose after 5-7 days. When higher carbohydrate concentrations were employed, fermentation ceased when the ethanol concentration reached 45-60 g/L. C. lusitaniae exhibited barely detectable levels of beta-glucosidase, even though the culture actively fermented cellobiose. C. wickerhamii produced ethanol from cellobiose at a rate equivalent to C. lusitaniae; however, once the ethanol concentration reached 20 g/L, fermentation ceased. Using p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG) as substrate, beta-glucosidase (3-5 U/mL) was detected when C. wickerhamii was grown anaerobically on glucose or cellobiose. About 35% of the beta-glucosidase activity was excreted into the medium. The cell-associated activity was highest against pNPG and salicin. Approximately 100-fold less activity was detected with cellobiose as substrate. When empolying these organisms in a simultaneous saccharification-fermentation of avicel, using Trichoderma reesei cellulase as the saccharifying agent, 10-30% more ethanol was produced by the two yeasts capable of fermenting cellobiose than by the control, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.     

Influence of immobilization on the stability of pTG201 recombinant plasmid in some strains of Escherichia coli

The stability of pTG201 plasmid was examined by continuous culture in three genetically different Escherichia coli hosts. Two types of experiment were carried out, one with free cells and one with immobilized cells. When cells were cultivated in free continuous culture in the absence of antibiotic selection, the plasmid was maintained with various degrees of stability in the three host organisms. By contrast, in continuous culture with immobilized cells, plasmid pTG201 was stably maintained in the three strains. We showed that the increase in pTG201 stability in immobilized cells is due neither to plasmid transfer between immobilized cells nor to an increase of the plasmid copy number of immobilized cells. We also showed that plasmid-free cells, when coimmobilized and grown in competition with plasmid-containing cells, cannot overrun the culture.     

Influence of immobilization on the stability of pTG201 recombinant plasmid in some strains of Escherichia coli.

The stability of pTG201 plasmid was examined by continuous culture in three genetically different Escherichia coli hosts. Two types of experiment were carried out, one with free cells and one with immobilized cells. When cells were cultivated in free continuous culture in the absence of antibiotic selection, the plasmid was maintained with various degrees of stability in the three host organisms. By contrast, in continuous culture with immobilized cells, plasmid pTG201 was stably maintained in the three strains. We showed that the increase in pTG201 stability in immobilized cells is due neither to plasmid transfer between immobilized cells nor to an increase of the plasmid copy number of immobilized cells. We also showed that plasmid-free cells, when coimmobilized and grown in competition with plasmid-containing cells, cannot overrun the culture.     

Immobilization of a soluble chemically thermostabilized enzyme

Cellobiase was coupled to a dialdehyde dextran by reductive alkylation in the presence of sodium cyanoborohydride. The resulting conjugate, obtained without loss of enzymic activity, presents properties of thermoresistance largely superior to those of native enzyme: the rate of inactivation is reduced compared to that of native enzyme and its optimal temperature of activity is 70-75 degrees C instead of 65 degrees C. Finally the conjugate presents increased longevity when subjected to experiments of operational stability; its hydrolytic activity is maintained at 60 degrees C in a 10% (w/v) cellobiose solution for more than 100 h whereas the native enzyme is inactivated after 45 h. The cellobiase-dextran conjugate was immobilized by covalent coupling on aminated silica by reductive alkylation in the presence of NaBH(3)CN. The characteristics of thermoresistance of this stabilized and immobilized conjugate were studied and compared to those of a preparation of native cellobiase immobilized on a silica support activated with glutaraldehyde. Analysis of the thermoresistance of these two cellobiase preparations clearly shows that immobilization has maintained and even enhanced their properties. In particular, the operational stability, measured at 68 degrees C on 10% (w/v) cellobiose shows an increased longevity of the stabilized and immobilized enzyme for 120 h compared to 60 h for the native immobilized enzyme. Two successive incubations of these cellobiase derivatives show that it is possible to obtain 2.5 times more glucose with the stabilized-immobilized enzyme than with the immobilized preparation. The procedure described above enables us to prepare a thermostabilized immobilized cellobiase.     

Simultaneous saccharification and alcohol fermentation of unheated starch by free,immobilized and coimmobilized systems of glucoamylase and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

For the simultaneous saccharification and alcohol fermentation (SSF) of corn, cassava and naked barley requiring no heat treatment, the use of freely syuspended glucoamylase-cell, cell immobilized and glucoamylase-cell coimmobilized systems in Ca-alginate was investigated.In these systems, 0.2% glucoamylase was used for both the free glucoamylase-cell and cell immobilized systems, whereas 1.0% of the enzyme was used for the glucoamylase cell coimmobilized system.The SSF of corn, cassava and naked barley was successfully carried out as follows; group A with heat treatment and group B without heat treatment using the glucoamylase-cell suspende system. The conversion yield (Y_p/s0) in the cell immobilized system was increased by the heat treatment of corn and cassava but not of naked barley. The conversion yield was remarkably increased using the coimmobilized system corn and cassava, whereas naked barley gave the same yield as in the free glucoamylase-cell suspended system.     

Immobilization and stabilization of a cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase by covalent attachment on highly activated glyoxyl-agarose supports

Covalent immobilization of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase on glyoxyl-agarose beads promotes a very high stabilization of the enzyme against any distorting agent (temperature, pH, organic solvents). For example, the optimized immobilized preparation preserves 90% of initial activity when incubated for 22 h in 30% ethanol at pH 7 and 40 degrees C. Other immobilized preparations (obtained via other immobilization protocols) exhibit less than 10% of activity after incubation under similar conditions. Optimized glyoxyl-agarose immobilized preparation expressed a high percentage of catalytic activity (70%). Immobilization using any technique prevents enzyme inactivation by air bubbles during strong stirring of the enzyme. Stabilization of the enzyme immobilized on glyoxyl-agarose is higher when using the highest activation degree (75 micromol of glyoxyl per milliliter of support) as well as when performing long enzyme-support incubation times (4 h) at room temperature. Multipoint covalent immobilization seems to be responsible for this very high stabilization associated to the immobilization process on highly activated glyoxyl-agarose. The stabilization of the enzyme against the inactivation by ethanol seems to be interesting to improve cyclodextrin production: ethanol strongly inhibits the enzymatic degradation of cyclodextrin while hardly affecting the cyclodextrin production rate of the immobilized-stabilized preparation.     

Detoxification of organophosphate nerve agents by immobilized dual functional biocatalysts in a cellulose hollow fiber bioreactor

A whole-cell technology for detoxification of organophosphates based on genetically engineered Escherichia coli cell expressing both cellulose-binding domain (CBD) and organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) onto cell surface was reported recently (Wang et al., 2002). This study reports the application of these biocatalysts when immobilized in a cellulose hollow fiber bioreactor (HFB) for the biodetoxification of a model organophosphate, paraoxon, in a continuous flow mode. In 24 h, 0.79 mg wet cell/cm2 fiber surface were immobilized onto cellulose fibers specifically and strongly through the cellulose binding domain, forming a monolayer demonstrated by Scanning Electronic Micrograph, and essentially no cell was washed away by washing buffer. The immobilized biocatalyst had a high performance of detoxifying paraoxon solution of 5,220 mumol/h x L reactor or 990 mumol/h x m2 reactor. The immobilized biocatalysts maintained a stable degradation capacity for 15 uses over a period of 48 days with only 10% decline in degradation efficiency under operating and storage conditions. In addition, the bioreactor was easily regenerated by washing with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), with 86.7% immobilization capacity and 93.9% degradation efficiency recovery. This is the first report using the HFB in a non-traditional way, immobilizing whole-cell biocatalysts by specific adhesion thus rendering the catalysis operation the advantages of low pressure drop, low shear force, and low energy requirement. The successful application of this genetically engineered dual functional E. coli strain in a model bioreactor shows its promise in large-scale detoxification of organophosphate nerve agents in bulk liquid phase.     

Ethanol production from starch by a coimmobilized mixed culture system of Aspergillus awamori and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The development of a coimmobilized mixed culture sys tem of aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms in Ca-alginate gel beads and the production of useful metabolites by the system were investigated. A coimmobilized mixed culture system of Aspergillus awamori (obligate aerobe) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (facultative anaerobe) in Ca-alginate gel beads was used as a model system, and ethanol production from starch by the system was used as a model production. Mold Asp. awamori is an amylolytic microorganism while yeast S. cerevisiae is an ethanol producer. The two microorganisms grew competitively in the oxygen-rich surface area of the gel beads because they had similar oxygen demands in aerobic culture conditions. Neither microorganism exhibited "habitat segregation" in the gel beads and leaked yeast cells grew aerobically without ethanol production in the broth. Ethanol productivity was low under these conditions.A more desirable coimmobilized mixed culture system of Asp. awamori and S. cerevisiae was established by adding Vantocil IB (a biocidal compound) to the production medium. The antimicrobial activity of Vantocil IB was more effective with S. cerevisiae than with Asp. awamori, so that a dense mycelial layer of Asp. awamori formed in the surface of the gel beads While S. cerevisiae grew densely in the more inner areas of the gel beads. Also, yeast cell leakace was repressed and ethanol productivity was improved. The system with Vantocil IB produced ethanol of 4.5 and 12.3 g/L from 16 and 40 g/L starch, respectively. A continuous culture using this system with Vantocil IB was also carried out, and a stable steady state could be maintained for six days without leakage of yeast cells and contamination. The selection of a factor suitable for producing "habitat segregation" enabled the development of a coimmobilized mixed culture system of an aerobe and a facultative anaerobe. In this study, total habitat segregation was used to denote a tendency to exhibit denser growth in different parts of one gel bead.     

Preparation of immobilized/stabilized biocatalysts of β-glucosidases from different sources: Importance of the support active groups and the immobilization protocol

β-Glucosidases from two different commercial preparations, Pectinex Ultra SP-L and Celluclast® 1.5L, were immobilized on divinylsulfone (DVS) supports at pH 5.0, 7.0, 9.0, and 10. In addition, the biocatalysts were also immobilized in agarose beads activated by glyoxyl, and epoxide as reagent groups. The best immobilization results were observed using higher pH values on DVS-agarose, and for Celluclast® 1.5L, good results were also obtained using the glyoxil-agarose immobilization. The biocatalyst obtained using Pectinex Ultra SP-L showed the highest thermal stability, at 65°C, and an operational stability of 67% of activity after 10 reuses cycles when immobilized on DVS-agarose immobilized at pH 10 and blocked with ethylenediamine. The β-glucosidase from Celluclast® 1.5L produced best results when immobilized on DVS-agarose immobilized at pH 9 and blocked with glycine, reaching 7.76-fold higher thermal stability compared to its free form and maintaining 76% of its activity after 10 successive cycles. The new biocatalysts obtained by these protocols showed reduction of glucose inhibition of enzymes, demonstrating the influence of immobilization protocols, pH, and blocking agent.     

Cellotriose Synthesis Using d-Glucose as a Starting Material by Two Step Reactions of Immobilized β-Glucosidases

We tried to polymerize d-glucose to cellotriose, the smallest substrate for β-1,4-glucan synthesis by the β-transglycosylase of Trichoderma longibrachiatum, without participation of high energy compounds such as nucleotide sugars. A commercial β-glucosidase (sweet almond) showed a typical condensation reaction of d-glucose, producing cellobiose when it was entrapped in a visking tube and incubated in 30% d-glucose solution. The reaction was done with immobilized enzyme covalently bound to Polyacrylamide beads, and entrapped enzyme. Cellobiose (21.0 mg) was obtained from 30 g of d-glucose in a 3-day reaction, where 0.29 unit of the entrapped enzyme preparation was incubated with 100 ml of 30% d-glucose at pH 6.0 and 41°C. Gentiobiose was also produced in the mixture as a minor product. The immobilized β-glucosidase (Sumizyme C) preparation covalently bound to Polyacrylamide beads could catalyze a transglucosylation reaction to produce cellotriose from cellobiose in a good yield without production of gentiobiose. The transfer reaction was optimal at pH 4.8 and 30°C. Cellotriose (11.2 mg) was produced from the reaction mixture containing 68 mg of cellobiose and the enzyme preparation (0.1 unit) after 24-hr of incubation at the optimal conditions. Both immobilized β-glucosidases, sweet almond and Sumizyme C, may be used repeatedly without any loss of the initial activity.     

Relationship Between Substrate Concentration and Fermentation Product Ratios in Clostridium thermocellum Cultures

Growth of Clostridium thermocellum in batch cultures was studied over a broad range of cellobiose concentrations. Cultures displayed important differences in their substrate metabolism as determined by the end product yields. Bacterial growth was severely limited when the initial cellobiose concentration was 0.2 (wt/vol), was maximal at substrate concentrations between 0.5 and 2.0%, and did not occur at 5.0% cellobiose. Ethanol accumulated maximally (38.3 μmol/10⁹ cells) in cultures with an initial cellobiose concentration of 0.8%, whereas cultures in 2.0% cellobiose accumulated only 17.3 μmol, and substrate-limited cultures (0.2% cellobiose) accumulated little, if any, ethanol beyond that initially detected (8.3 μmol/10⁹ cells). In a medium with 0.8% cellobiose, ethanol was produced at a constant rate of approximately 1.1 μmol/10⁹ cells per h from late-logarithmic phase (16 h) of growth well into stationary phase (44 h). When ethanol was added exogenously at levels more than twice the maximum produced by the cultures themselves (0.5% [vol/vol]), neither the extent of growth (maximum Klett units, 150) nor the amounts of ethanol produced (~0.17%) by the culture was affected. The ratio of ethanol to acetate was highest (2.8) when cells were grown in 0.8% cellobiose and lowest (1.2) when cells were grown in 0.2% cellobiose.     

Coimmobilization of D-amino acid oxidase and catalase by entrapment ofTrigonopsis variabilis in radiation polymerised Polyacrylamide beads

Trigonopsis variabilis induced for D-amino acid oxidase and catalase was immobilized by entrapment in Polyacrylamide beads obtained by radiation polymerisation. Permeabilization of the cells was found to be essential for optimal activity of the enzymes in free cells. However, the process of entrapment itself was found to eliminate the permeability barrier of cells immobilized in Polyacrylamide. The two enzymes exhibited a differential response on Polyacrylamide entrapment. Thus, D-amino acid oxidase activity was stabilized to heat inactivation whereas catalase in the same cells showed a destabilization on entrapment in Polyacrylamide. The coimmobilized enzyme preparation showed an operational half life of 7–9 days after which the D-amino acid oxidase activity remained stable at a value 35–40% of that of the initial activity for a study period of 3 weeks. Coimmobilization of MnO₂ was not effective in enhancing the operational life of the enzyme preparation.     

Comparative study of spent grains and delignified spent grains as yeast supports for alcohol production from molasses

Fresh, defrosted and delignified brewer's spent grains (BSG) were used as yeast supports for alcoholic fermentation of molasses. Glucose solution (12%) with and without nutrients was used for cell immobilization on fresh BSG, without nutrients for cell immobilization on defrosted and with nutrients for cell immobilization on delignified BSG. Repeated fermentation batches were performed by the immobilized biocatalysts in molasses of 7, 10 and 12 initial Baume density without additional nutrients at 30 and 20 degrees C. Defrosted BSG immobilized biocatalyst was used only for repeated fermentation batches of 7 initial Baume density of molasses without nutrients at 30 and 20 degrees C. After immobilization, the immobilized microorganism population was at 10(9) cells/g support for all immobilized biocatalysts. Fresh BSG immobilized biocatalyst without additional nutrients for yeast immobilization resulted in higher fermentation rates, lower final Baume densities and higher ethanol productivities in molasses fermentation at 7, 10 and 12 initial degrees Be densities than the other above biocatalysts. Adaptation of defrosted BSG immobilized biocatalyst in the molasses fermentation system was observed from batch to batch approaching kinetic parameters reported in fresh BSG immobilized biocatalyst. The results of this study concerning the use of fresh or defrosted BSG as yeast supports could be promising for scale-up operation.