Purification and characterization of a novel cholesterol esterase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa,with its application to cleaning lipid-stained contact lenses

With the aim of developing a new cholesterol esterase for eliminating lipids on used contact lenses, microorganisms were screened for the enzyme activity. A Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from soil was found to produce a desirable enzyme. The enzyme had an isoelectric point of 3.2, and molecular mass of 58 kDa. The optimal temperature was around 53 degrees C at pH 7.0, and the optimal pH was from 5.5 to 9.5. The enzyme was stable between pH 5 and 10 for 19 h at 25 degrees C, and retained its activity up to 53 degrees C on 30 min of incubation at pH 7.0. The rates of hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters of different fatty acids were in the following order: linoleate > oleate > stearate > palmitate > caprylate > myristate > laurate, caprate > caproate > butyrate, acetate. Addition of (tauro)cholate to a final concentration of 100 mM markedly promoted the hydrolysis of triglycerides of short-, medium-, and long-chain fatty acids. When used with taurocholate, the enzyme acted as an effective cleaner for contact lenses stained with lipids consisting of cholesteryl oleate, tripalmitin, and stearyl stearate.     

Production of lysophospholipids and free fatty acids by a sarcolemmal fraction from canine myocardium.

The potential for injury of myocardial sarcolemma by endogenous lipases was studied. The sarcolemmal fraction was incubated for 30 min under conditions found optimal for hydrolysis of exogenous phosphatidylethanolamine (5 mM calcium, pH 7.0, 37°C). Incubation of the sarcolemmal fraction increased significantly the level of total free fatty acids (14.1 to 31.1 nmoles/mg protein, P < 0.001); in addition, production of arachidonic acid was increased significantly (P < 0.01). Lysophosphatidylcholine was increased significantly (P < 0.01) but the content of lysophosphatidylethanolamine was unchanged. A large proportion of the above free fatty acids (10.2 nmoles/mg protein) was derived from the hydrolysis of triacylglycerols. These data demonstrate that the sarcolemmal fraction preferentially hydrolyses endogenous membrane phosphatidylcholine at neutral pH in the presence of calcium with the formation of lysophosphatidylcholine and free fatty acids including arachidonic acid.     

Purification, characterization, and molecular cloning of organic-solvent-tolerant cholesterol esterase from cyclohexane-tolerant Burkholderia cepacia strain ST-200

Extracellular cholesterol esterase of Burkholderia cepacia strain ST-200 was purified from the culture supernatant. Its molecular mass was 37 kDa. The enzyme was stable at pH 5.5–12 and active at pH 5.5–6, showing optimal activity at pH 7.0 at 45°C. Relative to the commercially available cholesterol esterases, the purified enzyme was highly stable in the presence of various water-miscible organic solvents. The enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed long-chain fatty acid esters of cholesterol, except for that of cholesteryl palmitate. The enzyme exhibited lipolytic activity toward various p-nitrophenyl esters. The hydrolysis rate of p-nitrophenyl caprylate was enhanced 3.5- to 7.2-fold in the presence of 5–20% (vol/vol) water-miscible organic solvents relative to that in the absence of organic solvents. The structural gene encoding the cholesterol esterase was cloned and sequenced. The primary translation product was predicted to be 365 amino acid residues. The mature product is composed of 325 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of the product showed the highest similarity to the lipase LipA (87%) from B. cepacia DSM3959.     

Characterization of a novel lipolytic enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae

In this study, we report the characterization of a protein from Aspergillus oryzae, exhibiting sequence identity with paraben esterase from the genus Aspergillus. The coding region of 1,586 bp, including a 77-bp intron, encoded a protein of 502 amino acids. The gene without the signal peptide of 19 amino acids was cloned into a vector, pPICZαC, and expressed successfully in Pichia pastoris as an active extracellular protein. The purified recombinant protein had pH and temperature optima of 7.0–8.0 and 30 °C, respectively, and was stable at the pH range of 7.0–10.0 and up to 40 °C. The optimal substrate for hydrolysis by the purified recombinant protein, among a panel of α-naphthyl esters (C2–C16), was α-naphthyl butyrate (C4), with activity of 0.16 units/mg protein. The considerable hydrolytic activity of the purified recombinant enzyme toward tributyrin was determined. However, no paraben esterase activity was detected toward the ethyl, propyl, and butyl esters of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. In addition, no activity was detected toward the methyl esters of ferulic, p-coumaric, caffeic, and sinapic acids that would indicate feruloyl esterase activity.     

Characterization of Betaine Aldehyde Dehydrogenase from Cylindrocarpon didymum M-1

To obtain a lipase which effectively hydrolyzes castor oil, bacteria were isolated from 500 soil samples. The best strain was examined; its microbiological characteristics suggested that it belongs to the genus Pseudomonas. A lipase from this strain was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatographies on DEAE-cellulose and DEAE-Toyopearl 650 M. The enzyme was purified about 400-fold with a yield of 13%. The purified enzyme was electrophoretically homogeneous and its molecular weight was 30,000. The optimum pH and temperature for the hydrolysis of olive oil emulsion were 7.0 and 60°C. The enzyme was stable up to 35°C at pH 7.0 for 30min and also stable from pH 9.0 to 10.0 at 4°C for 22 hr. The activity was inhibited by Fe³⁺ , Hg²⁺ , pCMB, and anionic surfactants, and enhanced by nonionic surfactants and bile salts. The enzyme efficiently hydrolyzed castor oil.     

Studies on Acholeplasma laidlawii grown on branched-chain fatty acids

Acholeplasma laidlawii B was grown on the branched-chain fatty acids, 14-methylpentadecanoic acid and 14-methylhexadecanoic acid, and the straight-chain palmitic acid. The incorporation of the branched-chain fatty acids was very effective; more than 90% of the fatty acids of the lipids of this organism consisted of the branched-chain constituents. A somewhat smaller amount (81%) was found in the cells grown with palmitic acid. Differential scanning calorimetry of the isolated membranes showed that distinct lipid phase transitions occurred in between 15 and 31 °C for the 14-methylpentadecanoic acid, 11 and 29 °C for the 14-methylhexadecanoic acid, and 14 and 36 °C for the palmitic acid-enriched membranes. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy showed that the lipid phase transitions were accompanied by particle aggregation only in the case of palmitic acid-enriched membranes. When the branched-chain acid-enriched membranes were quenched from temperatures below the onset of the lipid phase transition, a random distribution of particles on both fracture faces of the membrane was observed. The membranes were incubated with pig pancreatic phospholipase A₂ at various temperatures. Below the onset of the lipid phase transition phosphatidylglycerol was not accessible for this enzyme in palmitate-enriched membranes. However, a fast hydrolysis of 60–75% of the phosphatidylglycerol could be measured in the branched-chain acid-enriched membranes at temperatures below the onset of the lipid phase transition. The residual phosphatidylglycerol could be hydrolyzed at a slower, temperature-dependent rate. The observations show that lipids containing branched-chain acids undergo a cooperative lipid phase transition which does not result in a tight packing of the lipids of the bilayer below the phase transition.     

A novel thermostable nitrilase superfamily amidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Geobacillus pallidus</Emphasis> showing acyl transfer activity

An amidase (EC 3.5.1.4) in branch 2 of the nitrilase superfamily, from the thermophilic strain Geobacillus pallidus RAPc8, was produced at high expression levels (20 U/mg) in small-scale fermentations of Escherichia coli. The enzyme was purified to 90% homogeneity with specific activity of 1,800 U/mg in just two steps, namely, heat-treatment and gel permeation chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and electron microscopic (EM) analysis of the homogenous enzyme showed the native enzyme to be a homohexamer of 38 kDa subunits. Analysis of the biochemical properties of the amidase showed that the optimal temperature and pH for activity were 50 and 7.0°C, respectively. The amidase exhibited high thermal stability at 50 and 60°C, with half-lives greater than 5 h at both temperatures. At 70 and 80°C, the half-life values were 43 and 10 min, respectively. The amidase catalyzed the hydrolysis of low molecular weight aliphatic amides, with d-selectivity towards lactamide. Inhibition studies showed activation/inhibition data consistent with the presence of a catalytically active thiol group. Acyl transfer reactions were demonstrated with acetamide, propionamide, isobutyramide, and acrylamide as substrates and hydroxylamine as the acyl acceptor; the highest reaction rate being with isobutyramide. Immobilization by entrapment in polyacrylamide gels, covalent binding on Eupergit C beads at 4°C and on Amberlite-XAD57 resulted in low protein binding and low activity, but immobilization on Eupergit C beads at 25°C with cross-linking resulted in high protein binding yield and high immobilized specific activity (80% of non-immobilized activity). Characterization of Eupergit C-immobilized preparations showed that the optimum reaction temperature was unchanged, the pH range was somewhat broadened, and stability was enhanced giving half-lives of 52 min at 70°C and 30 min at 80°C. The amidase has potential for application under high temperature conditions as a biocatalyst for d-selective amide hydrolysis producing enantiomerically pure carboxylic acids and for production of novel amides by acyl transfer.     

Heat shock response in the thermophilic fungus Rhizomucor miehei

Changes in the composition of the membrane lipids and cytosol carbohydrates of the thermophilic fungus Rhizomucor miehei in response to heat shock were studied. Under optimal conditions (41–43°C), high trehalose content (8–11%) was found at all stages of growth of submerged culture. Heat shock (51–53°C) for 1 h did not result in enhanced trehalose synthesis, while increase in shock duration to 3 h resulted in a significant increase in trehalose content. The share of sterols and phosphatidic acids in the membrane lipids increased, while the share of phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines decreased. These processes resulted in increased content of non-bilayer lipids, while the unsaturation degree of the fatty acids of the major phospholipids did not decrease. Comparison of resistance to lethal heat shock in the control and experimental variants of R. miehei revealed that this thermophilic fungus exhibited no acquired heat resistance.     

Volatile Gas Components Contribute to Cigarette Smoke-induced DNA Single Strand Breaks in Cultured Human Cells

Thermostable purine nucleoside phosphorylases, PUN PI and PUNPII, have been purified from Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859. The characterization of PUNPI was reported previously. [Hori et al.₉ Agric. Biol. Chem. 53, 2205 (1989)] PUNPII had a molecular weight of 113,000, consisting of 4 identical subunits (M_w 28,000). The isoelectric point was 5.3. The Michaelis constants for inosine, guanosine, and adenosine were 0.22, 0.34, and 0.075 mm, respectively. The optimal temperature of the reaction was 70°C. The enzyme was stable at 70°C. Although other reported purine nucleoside phosphorylases were SH-enzymes, PUNPII was not a SH-enzyme because the enzyme reaction was not inhibited by PCMB and iodoacetic acid, the optimal pH of the enzyme reaction was from 7.0 to 11.0, and the enzyme did not contain cysteine.

PUNPII and PUNPI were different in several points. Not PUNPI but PUNPII could catalyze the phosphorolysis of adenosine. Specific activity of PUNPI and II for inosine were 405 and 50.6 μmol/min/mg protein at 60°C, respectively. PUNPI was stable at 80°C. PUNPII was stable at 70°C, but was denatured at 80°C.     

Biosynthesis of terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid and their derivatives from the corresponding dinitriles by tetrachloroterephthalonitrile-induced Rhodococcus sp.

The nitrilase from Rhodococcus sp. CCZU10-1 catalyses the hydrolysis of dinitriles to acids without the formation of amides and cyanocarboxylic acids. It was induced by benzonitrile and its analogues (tetrachloroterephthalonitrile > ε-caprolactam > benzonitrile > phenylacetonitrile), and had activity towards aromatic nitriles (terephthalonitrile > tetrachloroterephthalonitrile > isophthalonitrile > tetrachloroisophthalonitrile > tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile > benzonitrile). After the optimization, the highest nitrilase induction [311 U/(g DCW)] was achieved with tetrachloroterephthalonitrile (1 mM) in the medium after 24 h at 30 °C after optimum enzyme activity was at pH 6.8 and at 30 °C. Efficient biocatalyst recycling was achieved by cell immobilization in calcium alginate, with a product-to-biocatalyst ratios of 776 g terephthalic acid/g DCW and 630 g isophthalic acid/g DCW.     

Production and Properties of Alkaline Dextranase from a Newly Isolated Brevibacterium

About 500 strains of dextranase producing microorganisms were examined in detail for pH- activity and enzyme stability. A gram positive bacterium identified as belonging to the genus Brevibacterium was found to produce alkaline dextranase. Maximal dextranase synthesis was obtained when grown aerobically at 26°C for 3 days in a medium containing 1 % dextran, 2% ethanol, 1 % polypeptone and 0.05 % yeast extract together with trace amounts of inorganic salts.

Brevibacterium dextranase had an optimum pH of 8.0 for activity at 37°C and an optimal temperature at 53°C at pH 7.5. The enzyme was quite stable over the range of pH 5.0 to 10.5 on 24 hr incubation at 37°C, especially on alkaline pH. The enzyme was also heat stable at 60°C for 10 min.     

Production of xylo-oligosaccharides by immobilized-stabilized derivatives of endo-xylanase from Streptomyces halstedii

An endoxylanase from Streptomyces halstedii was stabilized by multipoint covalent immobilization on glyoxyl-agarose supports. The immobilized enzyme derivatives preserved 65% of the catalytic activity corresponding to the one of soluble enzyme that had been immobilized. These immobilized derivatives were 200 times more stable 200 times more stable than the one-point covalently immobilized derivative in experiments involving thermal inactivation at 60 °C. The activity and stability of the immobilized enzyme was higher at pH 5.0 than at pH 7.0. The optimal temperature for xylan hydrolysis was 10 °C higher for the stabilized derivative than for the non-stabilized derivative. On the other hand, the highest loading capacity of activated 10% agarose gels was 75 mg of enzyme per mL of support. To prevent diffusional limitations, low loaded derivatives (containing 0.2 mg of enzyme per mL of support) were used to study the hydrolysis of xylan at high concentration (close to 1% (w/v)). 80% of the reducing sugars were released after 3 h at 55 °C. After 80% of enzymatic hydrolysis, a mixture of small xylo-oligosaccharides was obtained (from xylobiose to xylohexose) with a high percentage of xylobiose and minimal amounts of xylose. The immobilized-stabilized derivatives were used for 10 reaction cycles with no loss of catalytic activity.     

Enzymatic Properties of Rice Bran Lipase

The enzyme showed the optimum pH between 7.5 and 8.0, and the optimum temperature at about 37°C. It was stable over the pH range from 4 to 9 and below 40°C, but completely lost the activity by heating 60°C for 15 min. The enzyme was activated by low concentration of calcium ion but inhibited partially by high concentration of calcium ion and by EDTA. With respect to substrate specificity, the enzyme exhibited a high specificity toward triglycerides and hydrolyzed ester bonds of short-carbon chain triglycerides faster than long-carbon chain triglycerides, whereas it catalyzed the hydrolysis of the oils from rice bran, olive and coconut. When 2-oleo-1,3-distearin was used as substrate, the enzyme was capable of preferentially hydrolyzing fatty acid ester bonds at the 1,3-position.     

一株低温玉米秸秆降解真菌的筛选、鉴定及降解特性

【背景】在我国北方地区玉米秸秆还田时期地温低、秸秆降解慢,如何加速玉米秸秆低温腐解成为研究热点。【目的】从冷凉地区土壤中筛选具有高效降解纤维素能力的低温菌株,为秸秆的有效利用奠定基础。【方法】在低温培养条件下,采用稀释涂布平板法、羧甲基纤维素钠(sodium carboxymethyl cellulose,CMC-Na)水解圈测定法、胞外酶活测定法、秸秆失重法进行低温秸秆降解菌株的初筛、复筛和秸秆降解性能的测定;根据菌株形态学特征及ITSrDNA序列分析对筛选菌株进行鉴定;利用3,5-二硝基水杨酸(3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid,DNS)法和秸秆失重法对菌株在不同接种量、培养基初始pH、温度情况下的纤维素酶活力和玉米秸秆降解能力进行研究。【结果】以16°C为筛选温度,获得一株在刚果红-羧甲基纤维素钠平板上D/d值为2.17、CMC酶活力为703 U/mL的高产纤维素酶低温真菌SDF-25;该菌株在4°C可以生长,10-16°C为最适生长温度,37°C条件下仍能生长;综合菌株的形态学和分子生物学测定结果,菌株SDF-25为草酸青霉菌(Penicillium oxalicum);该菌株最佳产纤维素酶的培养条件为接种量2%、初始pH为7.0、培养温度为10°C,在该培养条件下菌株SDF-25的CMC酶活为993.3 U/mL。失重法测定接种SDF-25于10°C培养15 d时秸秆降解率为39.5%,16°C时为44.9%。【结论】草酸青霉菌SDF-25可在低温条件下生长并具有较强的纤维素酶生产能力,在秸秆还田方面具有良好的应用前景。     

复合酶法水解香菇工艺的研究

【目的】高效提取香菇中的功能性成分,进一步开发利用香菇的食用价值。【方法】以香菇为原料,在单因素试验和正交试验的基础上,研究了复合酶法(纤维素酶、木瓜蛋白酶和5-磷酸二酯酶)水解香菇的工艺条件。【结果】第一步为纤维素酶和木瓜蛋白酶共同水解,加酶量分别为0.2%和0.4%,水解温度55°C,水解时间3 h,初始pH 5.5;第二步为5-磷酸二酯酶水解,加酶量为0.2%,水解温度70°C,水解时间2 h,初始pH 7.0。用此法得到的香菇水解液水解度为39.48%,游离氨基酸得率10.25%,5-核苷酸得率0.768%,多糖得率8.67%。【结论】此香菇水解液富含呈鲜味物质和其它营养物质,可进一步深加工为香菇调味品。     

Immobilization of catalase on cotton fabric oxidized by sodium periodate

Cotton fabric was first oxidized with sodium periodate, and then employed to immobilize catalase. Optimization studies for oxidation of the fabric and immobilization of the enzyme were performed. The properties of the immobilized catalase were examined and compared with those of the free enzyme. A high activity of the immobilized enzyme was obtained when the fabric was oxidized at 40°C and pH 6.0 for 8h in a bath containing 0.20 mol L^?1 sodium periodate and the enzyme was immobilized at 4°C for 24h with a catalase dosage of 120.0 U mL^?1. The immobilized enzyme exhibited optimum activity at 40°C, while the free enzyme had optimal temperature of 30°C, suggesting that the immobilized catalase could be used in a broader temperature range. Both the immobilized and free enzyme had pH optima of 7.0. The staining test and reusability showed that the catalase was fixed covalently on the oxidized cotton fabric.     

Lipolysis by Intracellular Lipase of Streptococcus lactis against Its Neutral Lipids Obtained by Growth at Low Temperature

Lipolytic activities of intracellular lipase obtained from Streptococcus lactis 527 cells grown at 30°C were determined using bacterial neutral lipids extracted from cells grown at 10 and 30°C. The amounts of free fatty acids liberated from lipids by lipase were in the order: 30°C neutral lipid > 10°C neutral lipid > triolein > intracellular membrane fraction. Glycerides hydrolyzed partially by lipase were detected on thin-layer plates and were composed of 1,3- and 1,2-diglycerides, fatty acids and unhydrolyzed triglycerides. Fatty acids liberated from neutral lipids by lipase were determined by gas chromatography. It was found that the major acid was cy-C₁₀ and the minor among the acids liberated from 10°C neutral lipid, whereas the major acid was and the minors and cy-C₁₀ from 30°C lipid.     

Lipids in plant tissue cultures. VI. Effect of temperature on the lipids of Brassica napus and Tropaeolum majus cultures

The lipid contents of callus cultures of rape (Brassica napus) and nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) increase in response to decreasing the temperature, though to different degree. Irrespective of the incubation temperature the lipids in cultures of both plants contain as predominant classes steryl glycosides, esterified steryl glycosides, sterols, steryl esters and fatty acids and, as minor constituents, various proportions of triacylglycerols, phospholipids and several unidentified fractions.The ratio of phospholipids to triacylglycerols as well as the ratio of diacylglycerophosphorylethanolamines to dicylglycerophosphorylcholines increase with time both in rape cultures incubated at 30°C and in those kept at 5°C.The lipids in rape and nasturtium cultures grown at 30°C contain smaller proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids than the lipids in cultures incubated at 5°C. Erucic acid, the major constituent fatty acid of the seed lipids, in both plants, occurs only in trace amounts in the lipids of callus cultures. In contrast, linoleic and linolenic acids, which occur only in traces in the seed lipids of nasturtium, are major constituent fatty acids in the lipids of callus cultures derived from seedlings of this plant.The levels of constituent polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diacylglycerophosphorylethanolamines and the diacylglycerophosphorylcholines increase with time whereas in the triacylglycerols only linolenic acid is slightly increased.     

Purification and Characterization of Thermostable Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase of Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859

A thermostable purine nucleoside phosphorylase has been purified more than 800-fold from Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859. The enzyme had a molecular weight of 68,000 consisting of 2 identical subunits (A/_w, 34,000). The isoelectric point of the enzyme was 4.7. The enzyme did not contain cysteine. The optimal pH of the enzyme reaction was from 7.5 to 11.0. The Michaelis constants for inosine, guanosine, 2′-deoxyinosine, and 2′-deoxyguanosine were 0.22, 0.14, 0.20, and 0.10mM, respectively. The optimal temperature of the reaction was 80 C. The half-life of the enzyme was 16 hr in 20mM potassium phosphate and ImM inosine (pH 7.0) at 80°C, and no decrease of the enzyme activity was observed at least for the first 30 hr at 70°C.     

Alkaline inulinase production by a newly isolated bacterium Marinimicrobium sp. LS–A18 and inulin hydrolysis by the enzyme

To date, all of microbial inulinases reported showed optimal activity at pH values ranging from 3.5 to 7.0. A bacterial strain, Marinimicrobium sp. LS-A18, showing high extracellular inulinolytic activity was isolated from a marine solar saltern of the Yellow Sea in China. Maximum enzyme activity was obtained at 55°C and pH 9.0, respectively. The inulinase activity was induced by inulin, but not by the other carbon sources employed. Under the optimal medium and culture condition, the highest inulinase activity, 14.6 U/ml, was obtained after 96 h of incubation at shake flask level. The optimal medium for inulinase production was MHI medium containing 4% inulin, 1% peptone and 5% NaCl, while the optimal culture condition for inulinase production were pH 7.5, temperature 37°C, agitation speed 210 rpm, medium volume 40 ml in 250 ml shake flask, and incubation time 96 h. A large amount of monosaccharides was released after inulin hydrolysis by the inulinase from strain LS-A18. This is the first report on alkaline inulinase production from microorganism.