Development of enzyme technology for Aspergillus oryzae,A. sojae,and A. luchuensis,the national microorganisms of Japan

This paper describes the modern enzymology in Japanese bioindustries. The invention of Takadiastase by Jokiti Takamine in 1894 has revolutionized the world of industrial enzyme production by fermentation. In 1949, a new γ-amylase (glucan 1,4-α-glucosidase, EC 3.2.1.3) from A. luchuensis (formerly designated as A. awamori), was found by Kitahara. RNase T₁ (guanyloribonuclease, EC 3.1.27.3) was discovered by Sato and Egami. Ando discovered Aspergillus nuclease S₁ (single-stranded nucleate endonuclease, EC 3.1.30.1). Aspergillopepsin I (EC 3.4.23.18) from A. tubingensis (formerly designated as A. saitoi) activates trypsinogen to trypsin. Shintani et al. demonstrated Asp76 of aspergillopepsin I as the binding site for the basic substrate, trypsinogen. The new oligosaccharide moieties Man₁₀GlcNAc₂ and Man₁₁GlcNAc₂ were identified with α-1,2-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.113) from A. tubingensis. A yeast mutant compatible of producing Man₅GlcNAc₂ human compatible sugar chains on glycoproteins was constructed. The acid activation of protyrosinase from A. oryzae at pH 3.0 was resolved. The hyper-protein production system of glucoamylase was established in a submerged culture.     

Ochratoxin A-producing Aspergilli in Vietnamese green coffee beans

AIMS: To determine the incidence and severity of infection by ochratoxin A (OA)-producing fungi in Vietnamese green coffee beans. METHODS AND RESULTS: Aspergillus carbonarius, A. niger and yellow Aspergilli (A. ochraceus and related species in section Circumdati) were isolated by direct plating of surface-disinfected Robusta (65 samples) and Arabica (11 samples) coffee beans from southern and central Vietnam. Significantly, more Robusta than Arabica beans were infected by fungi. Aspergillus niger infected 89% of Robusta beans, whereas A. carbonarius and yellow Aspergilli each infected 12-14% of beans. OA was not produced by A. niger (98 isolates) or A. ochraceus (77 isolates), but was detected in 110 of 113 isolates of A. carbonarius, 10 isolates of A. westerdijkiae and one isolate of A. steynii. The maximum OA observed in samples severely infected with toxigenic species was 1.8 microg kg(-1); however, no relationship between extent of infection and OA contamination was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Aspergillus niger is the dominant species infecting Vietnamese coffee beans, yet A. carbonarius is the likely source of OA contamination. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: Vietnamese green coffee beans were more severely infected with fungi than the levels reported for beans from other parts of the world, yet OA contamination appears to be infrequent.     

The Pathogenesis of Aspergillus fumigatus,Host Defense Mechanisms,and the Development of AFMP4 Antigen as a Vaccine

Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the ubiquitous fungi with airborne conidia, which accounts for most aspergillosis cases. In immunocompetent hosts, the inhaled conidia are rapidly eliminated. However, immunocompromised or immunodeficient hosts are particularly vulnerable to most Aspergillus infections and invasive aspergillosis (IA), with mortality from 50% to 95%. Despite the improvement of antifungal drugs over the last few decades, the therapeutic effect for IA patients is still limited and does not provide significant survival benefits. The drawbacks of antifungal drugs such as side effects, antifungal drug resistance, and the high cost of antifungal drugs highlight the importance of finding novel therapeutic and preventive approaches to fight against IA. In this article, we systemically addressed the pathogenic mechanisms, defense mechanisms against A. fumigatus, the immune response, molecular aspects of host evasion, and vaccines’ current development against aspergillosis, particularly those based on AFMP4 protein, which might be a promising antigen for the development of anti-A. fumigatus vaccines.     

黄曲霉和米曲霉的多相鉴定方法

【背景】黄曲霉(Aspergillus flavus)和米曲霉(Aspergillus oryzae)形态特征相近,基因组高度相似,较难区分。【目的】旨在总结一套准确鉴别二者的分类方法。【方法】利用22株标准菌株对传统形态学、产毒培养基、酶联免疫毒素检测、系统发育分析、产毒基因检测等5种鉴别方法分别进行验证。【结果】各鉴定方法的结果存在异同,单一的鉴定方法容易出现假阴性或假阳性结果。【结论】利用单一方法区分黄曲霉和米曲霉具有潜在风险,多相鉴定方法可以准确鉴别二者。     

曲霉属黄绿组的一个产毒新种

本文报道曲霉属黄绿组(通常称黄曲霉群)的一个产毒新种肇庆曲霉(Aspergillus zhaoqingensis sp.nov.)。该菌分离广东肇庆土壤,在形态上近于米曲霉(A.oryzae),但作为该组的关键分类特征分生孢子纹饰很不相同:本种的分生孢子明显的粗疏粗糙至具不规则的脊状突起而米曲霉则为光滑或稍粗糙。本种能产生黄曲霉毒素B_1而米曲霉则不产生。本菌亦不同于组内其它菌种。文中对与黄曲霉密切相关诸种也作了简短的讨论。     

Development of VNTR markers for three Aspergillus species used in brewing

Using a bioinformatics approach, we developed 18 variable number of tandem repeat markers for Aspergillus oryzae for use in population genetic studies. Repeat sequences in the genome sequences of A. oryzae were identified by a tandem repeat finding program. Length polymorphisms at 18 loci were examined in 41 strains of A. oryzae. The total number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 20. Investigation of cross-species amplifications with A. sojae and A. tamarii showed success. The variable number of tandem repeat markers will be used to determine the population structure of these three Aspergillus species used in brewing.     

The type III secretion system is involved in the invasion and intracellular survival of Escherichia coli K1 in human brain microvascular endothelial cells

Two thermostable phytases were identified from Thai isolates of Aspergillus japonicus BCC18313 (TR86) and Aspergillus niger BCC18081 (TR170). Both genes of 1404 bp length, coding for putative phytases of 468 amino acid residues, were cloned and transferred into Pichia pastoris . The recombinant phytases, r-PhyA86 and r-PhyA170, were expressed as active extracellular, glycosylated proteins with activities of 140 and 100 U mL⁻¹, respectively. Both recombinant phytases exhibited high affinity for phytate but not for p -nitrophenyl phosphate. Optimal phytase activity was observed at 50 °C and pH 5.5. High thermostability, which is partly dependent on glycosylation, was demonstrated for both enzymes, as >50% activity was retained after heating at 100 °C for 10 min. The recombinant phytases also exhibited broad pH stability from 2.0 to 8.0 and are resistant to pepsin. In vitro digestibility tests suggested that r-PhyA86 and r-PhyA170 are at least as efficient as commercial phytase for hydrolyzing phytate in corn-based animal feed and are therefore suitable sources of phytase supplement.     

Structural features of the glycogen branching enzyme encoding genes from aspergilli

A maltose binding protein, p78, was purified to homogeneity from Aspergillus nidulans by a single column chromatography step on cross-linked amylose. The partial amino acid sequence was highly homologous to the glycogen branching enzymes (GBEs) of human and yeast, and p78 did show branching enzyme activity. The genomic gene and its cDNA encoding GBE (p78) were isolated from the A. nidulans genomic and cDNA libraries. Furthermore, a cDNA encoding A. oryzae GBE was entirely sequenced. A. nidulans GBE shared overall and significant amino acid sequence identity with GBEs from A. oryzae (83.9%), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (61.1%) and human (63.0%), and with starch branching enzymes from green plants (55–56%).     

米曲霉和黑曲霉营养缺陷型的分离及原生质体的制备

米曲霉(Aspergillus oryzae)3042是目前国内酱油生产中广泛使用的菌种,而黑曲霉(Aspergillus niger)3350则是制醋业中广泛使用的菌种。前者具有较高的蛋白酶活性而后者具有较高的淀粉酶活性。在酱油生产中,为了提高原料利用率,改善酱油风味,希望获得一株既有较高的蛋白酶活性同时又具有较高淀粉酶活性的杂交菌株作为     

Transformation of Aspergillus alliaceus using the Aspergillus niger niaD gene encoding nitrate reductase

Abstract A heterologous transformation system for Aspergillus alliaceus based on the Aspergillus niger nitrate reductase structural gene ( niaD ) has been developed. Two mutants of A. alliaceus (M3 and M17), each carrying an niaD mutation were isolated by screening UV-irradiated cells for the inability to grow on nitrate as sole nitrogen source. Using plasmid pSTA 10, transformation frequencies of 4 and 200 per μg DNA respectively were obtained for these two strains. All the niaD ⁺ transformants tested were mitotically stable. Southern hybridisation analyses showed that the vector DNA sequences were present.     

黑曲霉糖化酶高产菌株的糖化酶结构基因的分离及其序列分析

从糖化酶高产菌株(Aspergills niger)T21中分离出染色体DNA.Southern印跡分析表明糖化酶结构基因位于约2.5kb的EcoRⅠ-EcoRV片段中.该染色体DNA经EcorⅠ、EcoRⅤ完全酶切后,用琼脂糖凝胶电泳分离,回收2.0—3.0kb的片段,与载体pBR322连接后转化宿主菌大肠杆菌DH5,获得转化子.通过原位杂交,从转化子中筛选出4个阳性克隆.阳性克隆的进一步酶切鉴定及序列分析表明,黑曲霉T21糖化酶结构基因大小为2.3kb,含有4个内含子.     

烟曲霉菌热稳定性植酸酶在黑曲霉菌中的分泌性表达

在先前克隆获得烟曲霉菌植酸酶phyA基因并构建了重组质粒的基础上,将该质粒转化黑曲霉菌pyrG基因缺陷株M54;同时制备植酸酶多克隆抗体用于植酸酶的免疫学检测。SDS-PAGE和western-blot结果表明,phyA在黑曲霉菌中获得分泌性表达。表达产物活性测定结果显示,重组植酸酶的表达量为597.6 IU/mL。在90℃加热10 min和100℃加热20 min后,重组植酸酶残余酶活分别为74%和70%,具有较好的热稳定性。实现了烟曲霉菌植酸酶在黑曲霉菌中的分泌性表达,表达产物具较高的生物活性和耐热性。     

Aspergillus species producing ochratoxin A: isolation from vineyard soils and infection of Semillon bunches in Australia

AIMS: The incidence of toxigenicity among Australian isolates of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarius was assessed. Aspergillus rot and concomitant production of ochratoxin A (OA) in bunches inoculated with A. carbonarius were also investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Aspergillus niger and A. carbonarius were isolated from vineyard soils. Aspergillus niger was more widespread than A. carbonarius, and two restriction fragment length polymorphism types of A. niger, N and T, were present. Three of 113 A. niger isolates and all 33 A. carbonarius isolates produced OA. Aspergillus carbonarius was inoculated onto Semillon bunches with and without damage in the month before harvest. Damaged berries at greater than 12.3 (o) Bx were particularly susceptible to Aspergillus rot and production of OA, which was concentrated in severely mouldy berries. CONCLUSIONS: OA in Australian grapes results mainly from infection of berries by A. carbonarius. It is concentrated in discoloured, shrivelled berries. The potential for Aspergillus rot and OA production appears to commence after veraison and increase with berry damage and ripeness. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Minimizing damage to grapes between veraison and harvest significantly reduces Aspergillus rot and OA formation. Monitoring the extent of Aspergillus rot in bunches infected with toxigenic Aspergillus spp. may give some indication of OA contamination.     

纤维素高效降解菌的筛选

我国农作物秸秆资源丰富,常不能有效利用,甚至被集中焚烧,造成环境污染,因此研究农田秸秆的人工快速促腐技术对此类资源的再生利用以及减少环境污染具有重要的意义。已有研究表明,利用投加纤维素高效降解菌的方法可有效促进农作物秸秆与稻壳的快速腐解,且经济、有效。纤维素是地球上数量最大的一种可再生资源,研究者们多年来在利用纤维素资源方面一直做着不懈的努力。其中,好氧丝状真菌对纤维素的降解能力受到人们的关注并得到深入的研究。好氧丝状真     

高絮凝活性霉菌的筛选及其在制革废水中的应用

采用常规分离方法,以高岭土悬液絮凝能力为指标,从活性污泥中筛选霉菌,并对其基本特性和处理制革废水的可行性进行研究。结果获得2株絮凝活性高的霉菌,经初步鉴定为米曲霉(Aspergillus oryzae)和黑曲霉(Aspergillus niger)。对处理制革废水,色度、氨氮、化学需氧量(COD)和铬的去除都有明显效果,宜作为制革废水生物处理的絮凝剂。     

Value of antigen and antibody detection,and blood evaluation parameters in diagnosis of avian invasive aspergillosis

The applicability of ELISA detection of circulating Aspergillus spp. antigen (Ag) and systemic antibody (Ab) of IgG class, and the blood parameter values were evaluated for diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in Aspergillus spp.-challenged Peking ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). The protective role of Aspergillus spp. IgG was evaluated in Cape shelducks (Tadorna cana) immunized with Aspergillus spp. Ag. Challenged but non-immunized A. platyrhynchos developed invasive aspergillosis on day 21 as demonstrated histopathologically by the presence of fungal microgranuloma in air sacs and lung tissue, with serum antigenemia fluctuating from 65 to 270 ng of 55-kD basic protein Ag per ml. Immunized A. platyrhynchos did not demonstrate Aspergillus spp. serum antigenemia but did show rare histopathological changes in some air sacs associated with fungal inflammation. Although the differences between immunized and non-immunized T. cana in blood evaluation parameters did not differ significantly, immunized birds mounted high Aspergillus spp.-specific IgG titer. There was no correlation between the blood parameter values and post-immunization timepoints in T. cana and in A. platyrhynchos. Intramuscular immunization with Aspergillus spp. mycelial phase cultures Ag provided protection against the pathogens. The lack of relations between blood parameter values and increasing Aspergillus spp. IgG titers (in T. cana and A. platyrhynchos) indicate low applicability of these parameters in evaluation of a bird Aspergillus spp. status. Detection of circulating 55-kDa Aspergillus spp. Ag has high early predictive values for invasive aspergillosis in birds. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Analysis of phenanthrene degradation by Ascomycota fungi isolated from contaminated soil from Reynosa,Mexico

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds generated mainly by anthropogenic sources. They are considered toxic to mammals, since they have carcinogenic, mutagenic and genotoxic properties, among others. Although mycoremediation is an efficient, economical and eco-friendly technique for degrading PAHs, the fungal degradation potential of the phylum Ascomycota has not been widely studied. In this work, we evaluated different fungal strains from the polluted soil of ‘La Escondida’ lagoon in Reynosa, Mexico to know their potential to degrade phenanthrene (PHE). Forty-three soil isolates with the capacity to grow in the presence of PHE (0·1% w/v) were obtained. The fungi Aspergillus oryzae MF13 and Aspergillus flavipes QCS12 had the best potential to degrade PHE. Both fungi germinated and grew at PHE concentrations of up to 5000 mg l⁻¹ and degraded 235 mg l⁻¹ of PHE in 28 days, with and without an additional carbon source. These characteristics indicate that A. oryzae MF13 and A. flavipes QCS12 could be promising organisms for the remediation of sites contaminated with PAHs and detoxification of recalcitrant xenobiotics.