Purification and Some Properties of an Endo-β,1,6-glucanase from Neurospora crassa

An endo-β-1,6-glucanase (E.C. 3.2.1.75) was purified from the culture filtrate of Neurospora crassa IFO-6O68 by chromatographies on CM-cellulofine, Con-A Sepharose 4B, and Sepharose Cl-6B followed by preparative affinity gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme had an apparent molecular weight of 47,000. The pH and temperature optima for the activity were 5.0 and 50°C. The enzyme acted on β-1,6-glucan (Pustulan) and yielded a series of gentio-oligosaccharides with endo- type action, and finally, glucose and gentiobiose were produced. The enzyme was also able to act on N. crassa cell wall β-glucan, and a small amount of hydrolysis fragments were liberated without apparent change of the cell wall glucan molecules.     

Interaction of Galactosaminoglycan with Neurospora Conidia

The inactivation of Neurospora crassa conidia by galactosaminoglycan isolated from cultures of this organism was followed by measuring colony-forming ability and ability to take up radiolabeled metabolites. When kinetic data on the loss of transport function and on killing were analyzed by use of target theory, it appeared that few "hits" are required for inactivation. However, studies with radio-labeled galactosaminoglycan mucopolysaccharides showed that cells receiving a single lethal hit have approximately 10(5) galactosaminoglycan molecules bound to them.     

Regulation of Exocellular Proteases in Neurospora crassa: Induction and Repression of Enzyme Synthesis

Neurospora crassa strain 74A grown on Vogel's medium containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) as principal carbon source secretes proteolytic enzymes which appear in the culture filtrate. Low concentrations of sucrose (0.1%) are necessary for growth from conidia, as conidia will not germinate on BSA alone. Once growth is initiated, however, protease production begins and at 5 to 6 hr growth and enzyme production are parallel. Higher concentrations of sucrose (0.5-2%) repress protease synthesis. Other metabolizable materials (sugars, amino acids, peptide mixtures) also repress protease synthesis. Some sugars will not sustain growth but allow germination and full induction of protease in the presence of protein. A material found in culture fluids of cells during induction of protease synthesis when added to repressed cultures causes a five-fold increase in the amount of protease production, although this is still approximately half that of normally induced cells. This material appears to be produced by induced cells in as little as 2 hr of culture, which is before detectable levels of protease can be found. It is heat-stable, of low molecular weight, and is not a simple product of protein digestion by the N. crassa proteases.     

Preliminary characterisation of an Escherichia coli K5 lyase-deficient strain producing the K5 polysaccharide

Escherichia coli K5 polysaccharide has structural analogies with N-acetylheparosan, a non-sulphated precursor of heparin and, for this reason, can be considered an attractive precursor for the production of semi-synthesis heparin analogues. This polysaccharide has two components: a high molecular weight (HMW) one and a low molecular weight (LMW) one, whose ratio varies depending on the action of a lyase enzyme synthesized by the same K5 producer strain. The present paper reports the production of the K5 polysaccharide by a spontaneous E. coli mutant strain lacking the lyase activity. Similar K5 polysaccharide yields, 180 mg l(-1) after 16 h fermentation, were obtained by both the wild and mutant strains, though K5 lyase activity was only observed in the culture filtrates from the wild strain. The time course of the specific filtrate volume (1 m(-2)) and of the specific filtrate flux rate (1 m(-2) h(-1)) during ultrafiltration (UF) of culture filtrates where the lyase enzyme acted on the K5 chain, showed a decrease of UF performance, probably because of membrane fouling by the LMW K5 fraction. In particular, the specific filtrate volume and specific filtrate flux rate of wild strain samples reached respectively 13 l m(-2) and 4 l m(-2) h(-1), compared to 25 l m(-2) and 15 l m(-2) h(-1) obtained from the mutant strain samples. PCR molecular analysis of the DNA region encoding for the lyase enzyme showed that, in the mutant strain, molecular rearrangements occurred in both regulatory and structural regions.     

Isolation and Characterization of Glutamyl Endopeptidase 2 from Bacillus intermedius 3-19

The culture filtrate of Bacillus intermedius 3-19 was used for isolation by chromatography on CM-cellulose and Mono S columns of a proteinase that is secreted during the late stages of growth. The enzyme is irreversibly inhibited by the inhibitor of serine proteinases diisopropyl fluorophosphate, has two pH optima (7.2 and 9.5) for casein hydrolysis and one at pH 8.5 for Z-Glu-pNA hydrolysis. The molecular weight of the enzyme is 26.5 kD. The K(m) for Z-Glu-pNA hydrolysis is 0.5 mM. The temperature and pH dependences of the stability of the proteinase were studied. The enzyme was identified as glutamyl endopeptidase 2. The N-terminal sequence (10 residues) and amino acid composition of the enzyme were determined. The enzyme hydrolyzes Glu4-Gln5, Glu17-Asp18, and Cys11-Ser12 bonds in the oxidized A-chain of insulin and Glu13-Ala14, Glu21-Arg22, Cys7-Gly8, and Cys19-Gly20 bonds in the oxidized B-chain of insulin.     

Monilidiols,Characteristic and Bioactive Metabolites of Benomyl-resistant Strains of Monilinia fructicola

A new polygalacturonase was found in a culture filtrate of Aureobasidium pullulans. The enzyme was purified and obtained in crystalline form with 10% recovery. The crystalline enzyme was a homogeneous protein by analyses by sedimentation and electrophoresis. The enzyme was most active around pH 4.5, and stable in the pH range of 4 to 6. Its molecular weight was 42,000 and its isoelectric point was pH 6.0. The enzyme was an endo-polygalacturonase, catalyzing the cleavage of glycosidic bonds of polygalacturonic acid at random.

The enzyme had less protopectinase activity than those of the endo-polygalacturonases that were isolated as protopectin-solubilizing enzymes from Trichosporon penicillatum, Kluyveromyces fragilis, and Galactomyces reessii. Some characteristics were compared with the endo-polygalacturonases, which have potent protopectinase activity.     

Purification and characterization of an acidic amino acid specific endopeptidase of Streptomyces griseus obtained from a commercial preparation (Pronase)

A protease was purified 163-fold from Pronase, a commercial product from culture filtrate of Streptomyces griseus, by a series of column chromatographies on CM-Toyopearl (Fractogel), Sephadex G-50, hydroxyapatite, and Z-Gly-D-Phe-AH-Sepharose 4B using Boc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Glu-pNA as a substrate. The final preparation was homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and gel isoelectric focusing. Studies on the substrate specificity with peptide p-nitroanilides revealed that this protease preferentially hydrolyzed peptide bonds on the carbonyl-terminal side of either glutamic acid or aspartic acid. It was most active at pH 8.8 for the hydrolysis of Boc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Glu-pNA. The molecular weight of the protease was estimated to be 20,000 by gel filtration on Sepharose 6B using 6 M guanidine hydrochloride as an eluent, and 22,000 by SDS-PAGE in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was 8.4. The enzyme was inactivated by diisopropyl phosphofluoridate (DFP) but not by p-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB) or EDTA.     

A novel aminopeptidase from Clostridium histolyticum

An aminopeptidase was found in the culture filtrate of Cl. histolyticum and purified to homogeneity (130 times) in a two-step procedure. All types of N-terminal amino acids, including proline and hydroxyproline are cleaved by the enzyme from small peptides and from polypeptides. A low rate of hydrolysis was observed for β-naphthylamides and for alanine amide; p-nitroanilides were not hydrolyzed. Kinetic parameters (K_m and V_max) for several tripeptides and the tetrapeptide Pro-Gly-Pro-Pro were determined. The enzyme has a pH optimum at 8.6. The presence of either Mn⁺⁺ or Co⁺⁺ is essential for its activity. Only slight activation was observed with Ni⁺⁺ and Cd⁺⁺, while Zn⁺⁺ and Cu⁺⁺ were inhibitory. The molecular weight of the native enzyme is about 340,000, and a molecular weight of about 60,000 was determined for the reduced and denatured enzyme by gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS).The culture filtrate of Cl. histolyticum has been shown to contain various proteolytic enzymes, in addition to collagenase^1–5. In a search for enzymes acting on proline-rich peptides, we tested the crude filtrate with (Pro-Gly-Pro)_n, (Pro-Gly-Pro)_n-OMe, α,DNP-(Pro-Gly-Pro)_n and poly-L-proline as substrates. Proline was formed only from (Pro-Gly-Pro)_n and its methyl ester. This showed the presence in Cl. histolyticum filtrate of an aminopeptidase which cleaves N-terminal proline from polypeptides but not from polyproline. The purification and some of the properties of this clostridial aminopeptidase (CAP) are described in this communication.     

Structure of a galactosaminoglycan from Cordyceps ophioglossoides

A water- and alkali-insoluble galactosaminoglycan (CON), precipitated with ammonium hydroxide from the culture filtrate of Cordyceps ophioglossoides, is composed mainly of 2-amino-2-deoxy-d-galactose (80.5%) together with small proportions of glucose, galactose, and mannose, protein (3.6%), and acetyl groups (1%). CON was eluted as a single peak in gel filtration, and the average molecular weight was estimated to be ～50,000. Partial, acid hydrolysis of CON gave small CON and homologous 2-amino-2-deoxy-d-galacto-oligosaccharides. Small CON (mol. wt. ～10,000) was soluble in water and composed only of 2-amino-2-deoxy-d-galactose. The results of methylation analysis, ¹³C-n.m.r. studies, and enzymic hydrolysis indicated small CON to be a (1→4)-linked 2-amino-2-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranan, and the ¹³C-n.m.r. data indicated the glycosidic linkage in the polygalactosamine moiety of CON to be the same as that of small CON.     

Purification,N-Terminal Amino Acid Sequence and Partial Characterization of A Cu,Zn Superoxide Dismutase From the Pathogenic Fungus Aspergillusfumiga Tus

A superoxide dismutase (SOD) has been purified to homogeneity from the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus using a combination of cell homogenization, isoelectric focusing and gel filtration FPLC. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme demonstrated substantial homology to known Cu, Zn superoxide dismutases for a range of organisms, including Neurospora crassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The enzyme subunit has a pl of 5.9, a relative molecular mass of 19 kDa and a spectral absorbance maximum of 550nm. The non reduced enzyme has a relative molecular mass of 95 kDa. The enzyme remained active after prolonged incubation at 70°C and was pH insensitive in the range 7-11. Potassium cyanide and diethyldithiocarbamate, known Cu, Zn SOD inhibitors, caused inhibition of the purified enzyme at working concentrations of 0.25 mM, whilst sodium azide and o-phenanthroline demonstrated inhibition at higher concentrations (10-30 mM). SOD activity was also detectable in culture filtrate of A. fumigatus. This enzyme may have a potential role as a virulence factor in the avoidance of neutrophil and phagocyte oxidative burst killing mechanisms.     

Glycoprotein enzymes secreted by Aspergillus niger: purification and properties of alpha-glaactosidase.

An alpha-galactosidase (alpha-D-galactoside galactohydrolase [EC 3.2.1.22]) was purified to homogeneity from the culture filtrate of Aspergillus niger. The enzyme had an apparent molecular weight of 45,000 and was a glycoprotein. Radioactive enzyme was prepared by growing cells in [14C]fructose and this enzyme was used to prepare 14C-labeled glycopeptides. The glycopeptides emerged from Sephadex G-50 between stachyose and the glycopeptide from ovalbumin. Based on calibration of the column with various-sized dextran oligosaccharides, the glycopeptides appeared to have a molecular weight of 1,200 to 1,400. Analysis of the glycopeptide(s) indicated that it contained mannose and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) in an approximate ratio of 3 or 4 to 1. Assuming that there are two GlcNAc residues in the oligosaccharide and based on the molecular weight of the glycopeptide, the oligosaccharide probably contains eight to nine sugar residues. Alks probably attached to the protein by a GlcNAc leads to asparagine linkage. The purified alpha-galactosidase was most active on raffinose (Km = 5 x 10--4 M, Vmax = 3 mumol/min per mg of protein), but also showed good activity on p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-galactoside ans somewhat less activity on stachyose and melibitol. The enzyme also hydrolyzed guar flour and locust bean gum, but did not attack the p-nitrophenyl glycosides of beta-galactose, alpha- or beta-glucose, or alpha- or beta-mannose.     

Regulation of Exocellular Proteases in Neurospora crassa: Role of Neurospora Proteases in Induction

Cells of Neurospora crassa strain 74A, grown on sucrose for 12 h and transferred to a medium containing protein as sole carbon source, would not produce exocellular protease in significant amounts. When a filtrate from a culture induced to make protease by normal growth on a medium containing protein as principal carbon source was added to an exponential-phase culture in protein medium, exocellular protease was made in amounts similar to those made during normal induction. The material in the culture filtrate that participated in the induction process was identified as protease by its heat lability, molecular weight, and the dependence of induction rate on units of proteolytic activity added to the exponential-phase culture. Induction of the formation of exocellular protease by exponential-phase cells appears to require a protein substrate, added proteolytic activity, and protein synthesis. The protease produced by induced exponential-phase cells was as efficient in promoting induction as normally induced enzyme, whereas constitutive intracellular enzyme was only 50% as efficient. The bacterial protease thermolysin was able to induce exocellular protease at 90.7% of the rate observed with added N. crassa exocellular protease.     

Purification and properties of endo-1,4-β-xylanase from Trichosporon cutaneum

Summary The endoxylanase (1,4-D-xylan xylanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.8) was purified 3,7 fold from the culture filtrate of the yeast Trichosporon cutaneum grown on oathusk xylan. The final enzyme preparation gave a single protein band on disc gel electrophoresis and has a molecular weight of approx. 45000. The enzyme has a pH optimum of 5.0 and a temperatur optimum of 50°C. Patterns of hydrolysis demonstrate that this xylanase is an endo-splitting enzyme able to break down xylans at random giving xylobiose, xylotriose and xylose as the main end-products. Since the enzyme seems not to be capable of liberating L-arabinose from arabino-xylan branched arabinose-containing xylooligosaccharides are formed, too. This enzyme contains carbohydrates in a noncovalent manner, indicating that this extracellular xylanase, is not a glycoprotein.     

Endo-beta-galactosidase of Escherichia freundii. Purification and endoglycosidic action on keratan sulfates, oligosaccharides, and blood group active glycoprotein.

Endo-beta-galactosidase was purified 4400-fold from a culture filtrate of Escherichia freundii with 45% recovery. The enzyme preparation was practically free of exoglycosidases, sulfatase, and proteases. This enzyme hydrolyzed several keratan sulfates, endoglycosidically releasing oligosaccharides of various molecular sizes. Among the digestion products of the corneal keratan sulfate, the structure of a disaccharride and a tetrasaccharride were shown to be 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-6-O-sulfo-beta-D-glucosyl-(1 leads to 3)-D-galactose and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-6-O-sulfo-beta-D-glucosyl-(1 leads to 3)-6-O-sulfo-beta-D-galactosyl-(1 leads to 4)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-6-O-sulfo-beta-D-glucosyl-(1 leads to 3)-D-galactose, respectively. These oligosaccharide structures indicate that this enzyme specifically hydrolyzes the galactosidic bonds in which nonsulfated galactose residues participate. The enzyme could also hydrolyze a small oligosaccharide such as lacto-N-neotetraitol as follows: Gal(beta 1 leads to 4)GlcNAc(beta 1 leads to 3)Gal(beta 1 leads to 4) sorbitol leads to Gal(beta 1 leads to 4)GlcNAc(beta 1 leads to 3)Gal + sorbitol AB active blood group substance could be hydrolyzed by this enzyme only after Smith degradation. After enzymatic digestion small oligosaccharides and resistant macromolecules were produced. These findings indicate that the enzyme should be useful in studying the precise structures of keratan sulfates, related glycoproteins, and oligosaccharides.     

How important is secretion of exoenzymes through apical cell walls of fungi?

A hypothesis is proposed that the passage of exoenzymes through cell walls occurs more easily through the more plastic and porous nascent cell wall, e. g., the apical region of fungal hyphae. It also accounts for the occurrence of some exoenzymes in cell walls. As the porous and nascent apical wall of fungi is transformed to the less porous lateral wall during growth, some exoenzymes are trapped in transit, thus becoming bound into the wall. Enzymes with binding sites in the wall are not considered in the hypothesis. Several experimental tests performed on Neurospora crassa yield results consistent with its predictions: 1. under selected growth conditions, a group of three exoenzymes of high molecular weight has a significantly higher percent of the total cellular enzyme activity in the wall fraction than another group of three exoenzymes of low molecular weight; this complies with the prediction that larger molecules are more easily trapped in transit, 2. during germ tube outgrowth and early log phase, when the relative amount of surface area occupied by hyphal tips is larger than in older cultures, there is decreased molecular sieving of secreted exoenzymes as judged by a) a smaller proportion of the secreted invertase, comprising light invertase (mol wt=51,500) and heavy invertase (mol wt=210,000), being in the light form, and b) a larger amount of proteins with molecular weights over 40,000 than those of 20,000–40,000 in the culture filtrate. Some of the possible applications of the hypothesis to other microorganisms are discussed.     

A rapid and simplified procedure for purification of a cellulase from Fusarium lini

An endo-beta-1,4-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.4) was obtained in high yields in purified form a culture filtrate of Fusarium lini by an extremely simple method. The method consists of precipitation of the culture filtrate with ammonium sulphate (290 g/L), followed by chromatography of the precipitated fraction on Biogel P-150. The purification is based on the unusual property of the enzyme being eluted after cytochrome C, even though it molecular weight is 2.8 x 10(4) (by SDS PAGE). The yield of pure enzyme was 6.8 mg/L culture broth. The homogeneity of the enzyme was established by ultracentrifugation, isoelectric focusing, and electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels containing SDS. The enzyme was isoelectric at pH 8.3 and contained 2.9% carbohydrate. The K(m) value for carboxymethyl (CM) cellulose was 11.6 mg/mL. The enzyme showed high viscosity reducing activity towards CM cellulose but very low activity with Walseth cellulose and crystalline celluloses such as Avicel and cotton. The purified enzyme has activity towards xylan. The amino acid analysis showed a predominance of acidic and neutral amino acids and low contents of histidine, arginine, and methionine. One-half of the cysteine content was 11 residues/mol enzyme, and no free-SH group was detectable.     

Maintenance of motility of bull spermatozoa by a low molecular weight factor(s) released from cultured embryonic cells

This study was undertaken to investigate the factor(s) released from cultured embryonic cells that is responsible for the prolonged mortility of bull spermatozoa and to determine some of the properties of the factor(s). Spermatozoa were incubated at 37°C in a supernatant removed from a 4-day culture medium of embryonic chick skeletal muscle cells. Their motility was maintained for 25.2 h. In contrast, spermatozoa incubated in the fresh medium rapidly lost their motility. A filtrate of the 4-day culture medium, obtained by passing the fluid through an Amicon YC-05 ultrafiltration membrane, retained a favorable effect on prolonging motility of spermatozoa. Heating or freezethawing of the filtrate did not interfere with the ability of the spermatozoa to maintain their motility. Oxygen consumption of spermatozoa in the filtrate of the 4-day culture medium was similar to that of spermatozoa in the fresh medium. These results suggest that a low molecular weight factor(s) (Mol. Wt. < 500) supplied by the cultured cells effectively prolonged the survival of the spermatozoa.     

Purification and properties of a glucoamylase fraction from the culture filtrate of Rhizopus nodosus

A glucoamylase was isolated from the culture filtrate of Rhizopus nodosus and was separated from the acid lipase by DEAE-cellulose chromatography at pH 8.0 It was purified by Concanavalin A Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography followed by CM-Sephadex chromatography 387 fold with 30.7% yield. The homogeneity of the enzyme were confirmed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunological studies. The different physico-chemical properties of the enzyme were studied. The molecular weight of the enzyme was found to be 71,000. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid had no effect on the enzyme whereas Hg2+ partially inhibited the enzyme activity. Tryptophan residues were found to be essential for the enzyme activity.     

Purification and characterization of an endo-polygalacturonase from Verticillium albo-atrum

A polygalacturonase was isolated from the culture filtrate of the fungal plant pathogen Verticillium albo-atrum and purified 22-fold to homogeneity as judged by SDS-electrophoresis. The enzyme was a basic protein with a molecular weight of 37 kDa, an isoelectric point ≥8·6 and containing 1·7% carbohydrate. The enzyme was an endo-polygalacturonase and hydrolysed a wide range of pectic substrates including polygalacturonic acid, 93% methylated pectin and pectins in tomato cell walls. The best substrate was 31% methylated pectin. Relative reaction rates on pectins with different degrees of methylation could be explained by considering both the number of susceptible bonds and non-specific enzyme-substrate interactions. The principal products of long-term hydrolysis were di- and mono-galacturonate. Maximum activity was observed at pH 4·6–5·0 and 46 °C. However, the enzyme lost activity above 30 °C in the absence of substrate. Enzyme activity was very sensitive to changes in ionic strength at low salt levels. It was stable in the pH range 3–11 at 30 °C.     

Soluble adenylate cyclase activity in Neurospora crassa.

A soluble form of adenylate cyclase was extracted from mycelia of Neurospora crassa wild-type strains. This enzyme activity was purified by chromatography on hexyl-amino-Sepharose, agarose and Blue Sepharose and preparative polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. On sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, peak fractions from the later purification steps showed a main polypeptide band with an apparent molecular weight of about 66 000. The following hydrodynamic and molecular parameters were established for the Neurospora soluble adenylate cyclase activity: sedimentation coefficient, 6.25 S; Stokes radius, 7.3 nm; partial specific volume, 0.74 ml/g; molecular weight, 202 000; frictional ratio, 1.65. The isoelectric point of this enzyme activity was 4.65. The enzyme was not activated by GTP, [beta gamma-imido]GTP, fluoride or cholera toxin.