Association among growth, food consumption-related traits and amylase gene polymorphism in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

To examine further a previously reported association between amylase gene polymorphism and growth in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, ecophysiological parameters and biochemical and molecular expression levels of alpha-amylase were studied in Pacific oysters of different amylase genotypes. Genotypes that previously displayed significantly different growth were found to be significantly different for ingestion and absorption efficiency. These estimated parameters, used in a dynamic energy budget model, showed that observed ingestion rates (unlike absorption efficiencies) allowed an accurate prediction of growth potential in these genotypes. The observed association between growth and amylase gene polymorphism is therefore more likely to be related to ingestion than to absorption efficiency. Additionally, relative mRNA levels of the two amylase cDNAs were also strongly associated with amylase gene polymorphism, possibly reflecting variation in an undefined regulatory region, although no corresponding variation was observed in specific amylase activity. Amylase gene sequences were determined for each genotype, showing the existence of only synonymous or functionally equivalent non-synonymous polymorphisms. The observed associations among growth, food consumption-related traits and amylase gene polymorphism are therefore more likely to be related to variation in the level of amylase gene expression than to functional enzymatic variants.     

额尔齐斯河野生丁(鐬)蛋白酶、淀粉酶活性的研究

目的:研究温度、pH、金属离子对新疆额尔齐斯河野生丁(鐬)消化道蛋白酶、淀粉酶活性的影响.方法:酶学和生化法.结果:丁(鐬)蛋白酶活性,后肠＞前肠＞中肠＞肝胰脏;淀粉酶活性,后肠＞中肠＞前肠＞肝胰脏.肠道、肝胰脏蛋白酶的最适温度分别为35℃、40℃,淀粉酶的最适温度均为40℃.消化道各部位蛋白酶、淀粉酶的体外最适pH为7.5.在试验的离子浓度范围,高浓度Ag 、Cu2 抑制酶活力;高浓度Fe3 、Mg2 、Ca2 促进酶活力;Pb 、Ba2 对消化道酶活力影响依浓度和部位而变.结论:消化酶最适温度均高于所处环境温度,最适pH值变化范围偏碱性;不同浓度金属离子对丁(鐬)消化道各部位蛋白酶、淀粉酶活力高低表现出不同的变化趋势.     

Light-induced degradation of storage starch in turions of Spirodela polyrhiza depends on nitrate

Light induces both the germination of turions of the duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza and the degradation of the reserve starch stored in the turions. The germination photoresponse requires nitrate, and we show here that nitrate is also needed for the light-induced degradation of the turion starch. Ammonium cannot substitute for nitrate in this regard, and nitrate thus acts specifically as signal to promote starch degradation in the turions. Irradiation with continuous red light leads to starch degradation via auto-phosphorylation of starch-associated glucan, water dikinase (GWD), phosphorylation of the turion starch and enhanced binding of alpha-amylase to starch granules. The present study shows that all of these processes require the presence of nitrate, and that nitrate exerts its effect on starch degradation at a point between the absorption of light by phytochrome and the auto-phosphorylation of the GWD. Nitrate acts to coordinate carbon and nitrogen metabolism in germinating turions: starch will only be broken down when sufficient nitrogen is present to ensure appropriate utilization of the released carbohydrate. These data constitute the first report of control over the initiation of reserve starch degradation by nitrate.     

无机离子和有机溶质对α-淀粉酶热稳定性的影响

长期以来,如何提高酶蛋白的热稳定性是分子生物学、生物工程学、化学工业等所关注的重要研究课题之一。分析了多种无机离子、糖和氨基酸对枯草杆菌液化型α-淀粉酶热稳定性的影响以及它们的共存效应,获取了一些对相关研究领域具有理论参考和实际应用价值的实验结果。在无机盐中,1mmol/L的钙离子或50mmol/L的钠离子能显著地提高该酶的热稳定性;酸性氨基酸和碱性氨基酸表现出相反的结果：酸性氨基酸具有明显的增强作用,碱性氨基酸却使之降低;随着糖浓度的增加（0～1000mmol/L）,该淀粉酶的热稳定性呈线性增高;当钠离子或钾离子与某些氨基酸或糖类共同存在时,对该淀粉酶的热稳定性表现出了明显的协同作用。试图通过检测酶蛋白分子荧光强度改变来反映该酶的热稳定性变化,其结果是：随着温度的改变,酶蛋白的荧光强度的衰减与残余酶活性之间显示了良好的相关性。从而说明热环境使酶蛋白分子的螺旋结构发生变化而失活,某些溶质的存在可能是通过作用于蛋白质分子的立体结构而影响该酶的热稳定性。     

一株碱性淀粉酶产生菌Bacillus flexus XJU-3的分离鉴定及酶学特性分析

[目的]从新疆石河子市一处碱性工业污水(pH11.0)分离﹑鉴定高产碱性淀粉酶菌株,并对其所产酶酶学特性进行研究.[方法]在碱性淀粉酶分离培养基上对所分离菌株进行筛选,分离到一株高产碱性淀粉酶菌株,并将其编号XJU-3.应用生理生化试验,脂肪酸含量,16S rDNA序列以及(G C) mol%含量等方法对菌株进行鉴定,同时对XJU-3所产碱性淀粉酶的生物学特性进行研究.[结果] XJU-3可在pH4.0～12.5的LB培养基上生长,最适生长温度37℃.16S rDNA序列构建的系统进化树表明XJU-3与Bacillus flexus类聚在一起,且序列同源性为99%.该菌产生的淀粉酶最适pH10.0,最适温度40℃,且在pH9.0～13.0内有较高活性和稳定性.Co2 和Mg2 能明显提高酶的活性.[结论] XJU-3被鉴定为Bacillus flexus,由于XJU-3与B. flexus DSM 1320T在尿素水解和优势脂肪酸含量上有差异,且具有宽范围pH耐受性,因此XJU-3被认为是B.flexus的一个新菌株.XJU-3所产的碱性淀粉酶酶学特性良好,具有极大的工业应用潜力.     

甘薯愈伤组织中的淀粉酶

从甘薯愈伤组织和块根可溶性提取物中淀粉酶的非变性凝胶电泳和活性染色发现 ,愈伤组织和块根的淀粉酶完全不同。前者有 4种不同大小的淀粉酶 (2种α 淀粉酶和 2种 β 淀粉酶 ) ,而后者只有一种 (β 淀粉酶 ) ;其次 ,块根 β 淀粉酶对EDTA和 β 巯基乙醇都不敏感 ,而愈伤组织的淀粉酶对EDTA和 β 巯基乙醇都敏感。这些结果表明甘薯愈伤组织中不仅淀粉酶同工酶的数量多 ,而且包括α和 β两种类型。     

Activity of salivary glands in secreting honey‐elaborating enzymes in two subspecies of honeybee (Apis mellifera L)

The activity of invertase, glucose oxidase and amylase in the cephalic (post‐cerebral) and thoracic salivary glands is determined in Egyptian and Carniolan honeybees (Apis mellifera L). For this purpose, three ages of worker bees are selected for enzyme assays. The results show that the three target enzymes are detected in the two glands during the three worker ages, except invertase, which cannot be detected in the cephalic gland of newly emerged bees of both subspecies. In both glands, the secretion of invertase is highest, followed by amylase and then glucose oxidase. In Carniolan bees, invertase secretion of the cephalic and thoracic glands increases gradually with age. In Egyptian bees, invertase increases with age only in the cephalic gland, whereas, in the thoracic gland, the highest secretion activity is detected in 10–15‐day‐old bees. The highest amounts of glucose oxidase and amylase in the cephalic gland are detected in newly emerged individuals of both Egyptian and Carniolan bees. In the thoracic gland, however, the highest activity of both enzymes is recorded only in newly emerged Egyptian bees. The results are discussed in the light of bee management and biological aspects of the two subspecies.     

Immobilization of enzymes on Spheron: 2. β-Amylase — The development of a column reactor—separator

The titanium-chelation method has been used to immobilize β-amylase (1,4-α-d-glucan maltohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.2) on to Spheron. On various grades of Spheron, protein coupling yields of 56–76% were obtained with barley and sweet-potato β-amylases. The specific enzymic activities of the immobilized enzymes fell in the range 3.7–7.6% of those of the soluble enzymes. The immobilized enzymes were more stable than the soluble, especially in the presence of l-cysteine and serum albumin. The presence of cysteine and serum albumin brought about increases in activity in the preparations, presumably by regenerating essential thiol groups in the enzyme which had been oxidized during the operations. Maltose could be separated from amylopectin and other large polysaccharides by chromatography on Spheron P100, and a system was developed in which maltose, produced by hydrolysis of amylopectin applied in pulses to a column of immobilized β-amylase, was separated from starting material and by-products on a second column of Spheron P100.     

Structural properties of the truncated and wild types of Taka-amylase: A molecular dynamics simulation and docking study

In this work, structures of the native (Amyl-C) and truncated Taka amylase were compared by molecular modeling methods. Using in silico enzyme engineering approach, 50 (Amyl-S1) and 100 (Amyl-S2) amino acids were eliminated from Amyl-C to produce the truncated forms. Analysis of the tertiary structures showed that three essential domains of the enzyme including super secondary structure (αβ)₈, the barrel region, and the large cleft remained native in Amyl-S1 and Amyl-S2. Secondary structures of Met112-Val118, Gly202-His211, Gln230-Asp233, Phe292-Asp297 residues in Amyl-C, Amyl-S1, and Amyl-S2 remained unchanged. These domains are necessary for catalytic function of alpha-amylase superfamily. Flexibility analysis of the three forms was examined and it is obtained that by truncation, the flexibility of the C-terminal domain was increased. This shows that C-terminal domain is essential for the stability of the structure which is in agreement with experimental observations. However, Glu156, Gln 162, Gly234, Val 245, Asn260, Ser264, Asp 297 of Amyl-C had higher flexibility than those in truncated enzymes. Maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, maltohexaose and maltoheptaose as five substrates were docked to the three enzyme forms. Binding affinity of maltoheptaose was higher in Amyl-C and Amyl-S1and lower in Amyl-S2 than that of maltotriose. In all forms the substrates were associated with three residues of the catalytic triad.     

The elm leaf beetle α-amylase and its activity relationship with insect feeding

The elm leaf beetle, Xanthogalerucella luteola (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is the most serious pest of elm trees. This pest causes severe damage to elm trees during its growth stages and as a result, in the middle of summer, leaves become skeletised and start to fall down. In this work, biochemical characterisation of digestive α-amylase of this insect and its relationship with insect feeding was investigated. The insect gut was isolated and its α-amylase was extracted and starch (1%) was used as a substrate for the enzyme. Results showed that the enzyme’s optimum temperature and pH was 35?°C and 5.5, respectively. Some ions such as NaCl decreased the enzyme activity whilst MgCl₂ and CaCl₂ increased the enzyme activity. Gut content electrophoresis showed that only one α-amylase is active in this insect species. There was a correlation between the amount of leaf eaten by the insect and the amount of the enzyme activity.