Development of new α-amylases for raw starch hydrolysis

This paper describes the discovery of a new 4 domain α-amylase from Anoxybacillus contaminans which very efficiently hydrolyses raw starch granules. Compared to traditional starch liquefying α-amylases, this new 4 domain α-amylase contains a starch binding domain. The presence of this starch-binding domain enables the enzyme to efficiently hydrolyse starch at a temperature below the gelatinisation temperature. At a reaction temperature of 60°C and in combination with a glucoamylase from Aspergillusniger it was possible to liquefy 99% of the starch obtaining a DX value of 95%.

Furthermore, we describe how the current HFCS process can be turned into a low temperature simultaneous liquefaction and saccharification process by using this new 4 domain α-amylase in combination with a glucoamylase.     

Structure‐based replacement of methionine residues at the catalytic domains with serine significantly improves the oxidative stability of alkaline amylase from alkaliphilic Alkalimonas amylolytica

The alkaline amylase requires high resistance towards chemical oxidation for use in the detergent and textile industries. This work aims to improve the oxidative stability of alkaline amylase from alkaliphilic Alkalimonas amylolytica by site‐directed mutagenesis based on the enzyme structure model. Five mutants were created by individually replacing methionine at positions 145, 214, 229, 247, and 317 in the amino acid sequence of alkaline amylase with oxidative‐resistant serine. The pH stability of the mutant enzymes was almost the same as that of the wild‐type (WT) enzyme (pH 7.0–11.0). The stable temperature range of the mutant enzymes M145S and M247S decreased from <50°C of the WT to <40°C, while the thermal stability of the other three mutant enzymes (M214S, M229S, and M317S) was almost the same as that of the WT enzyme. The catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m) of all the mutant enzymes decreased when compared to WT enzyme. The mutant enzymes showed increased activity in the presence of surfactants Tween‐60 and sodium dodecyl sulfate. When incubated with 500 mM H₂O₂ at 35°C for 5 h, the WT enzyme retained only 13.3% of its original activity, while the mutant enzymes M145S, M214S, M229S, M247S, and M317S retained 55.6, 70.2, 54.2, 62.5, and 46.4% of the original activities, respectively. The results indicated that the substitution of methionine residues at the catalytic domains with oxidative‐resistant serine can significantly improve the oxidative stability of alkaline amylase. This work provides an effective strategy to improve the oxidative stability of amylase, and the high oxidation resistance of the mutant enzymes shows their potential applications in the detergent and textile industries. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012     

Simple Affinity Purification Method for Raw Starch-adsorbable and -digesting Amylases with a Raw Starch Column

A simple purification procedure for raw starch-adsorbable and -digesting amylases (RSAs) was devised. The method depended on an affinity column, which was prepared by mixing raw corn starch and Hyflo Super-Cel. RSAs were specifically adsorbed on the matrix, and eluted with a buffer containing 1% β-cyclodextrin. This column could be used to purify RSAs from Streptomyces thermo-cyaneoviolaceus and a recombinant strain of E. coli.     

Reactions of alpha amylases with starch granules in aqueous suspension giving products in solution and in a minimum amount of water giving products inside the granule

Porcine pancreatic alpha amylase (PPA) and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha amylase (BAA) were allowed to react with starch granules from maize, waxy maize, amylomaize-7, and potato in an aqueous suspension with a starch to water ratio of 1:10 and in a minimum of water with a starch to water ratio of 1:1. Quantitative amounts of the maltodextrin products were determined by TLC and scanning densitometry. The two alpha amylases gave different products that were characteristic of their unique action patterns. The percent conversion differed for the different kinds of starches and for the two kinds of reaction conditions. Maize and waxy maize starches were converted into about twice as much maltodextrins than were amylomaize-7 and potato starches by both enzymes and under both reaction conditions. The aqueous suspension gave much greater conversion into maltodextrins than did the minimum water condition. BAA gave 3-14% greater conversion of the granules into maltodextrins than did PPA, with the exception of potato starch.     

淀粉酶高产菌株的筛选、紫外诱变及产酶条件优化

【背景】提高淀粉酶的稳定性进而适应多变的工业生产条件,是淀粉酶开发的重要方向。【目的】淀粉酶在食品加工、布料退浆、酿酒制造、养殖等领域都有广泛的应用,但目前生产用的淀粉酶来源单一,在溶液中的稳定性较差,需要扩大淀粉酶来源,增强酶的稳定性,使其进一步适应复杂多变的工业生产环境。【方法】利用选择培养基在三门峡黄河湿地表层土样中筛选得到20株具有淀粉酶活性的菌株,采用杯碟法检测粗酶液的活性并对其中活性最高的3株菌进行鉴定,对其中酶活性最高的菌株运用紫外照射的方式进行诱变并测定致死率,选择突变后酶活最高的菌株,优化培养条件,并测定突变后淀粉酶的活性和作用条件范围。利用3,5-二硝基水杨酸（3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid,DNS）法测定诱变前后酶活并进行活性对比。【结果】在三门峡黄河湿地表层土壤中筛选得到3株淀粉酶活性较高的菌株并编号S03、S08和S17。根据16S rRNA基因序列比对、革兰氏染色形态观察结合生理生化分析显示,菌株S03、S08和S17分别为Aeromonas、Exiguobacterium和Bacillus,其淀粉酶最适NaCl浓度是10%-12%,最适...     

Probing the role of a mobile loop in substrate binding and enzyme activity of human salivary amylase

Mammalian amylases harbor a flexible, glycine-rich loop 304GHGAGGA(310), which becomes ordered upon oligosaccharide binding and moves in toward the substrate. In order to probe the role of this loop in catalysis, a deletion mutant lacking residues 306-310 (Delta306) was generated. Kinetic studies showed that Delta306 exhibited: (1) a reduction (>200-fold) in the specific activity using starch as a substrate; (2) a reduction in k(cat) for maltopentaose and maltoheptaose as substrates; and (3) a twofold increase in K(m) (maltopentaose as substrate) compared to the wild-type (rHSAmy). More cleavage sites were observed for the mutant than for rHSAmy, suggesting that the mutant exhibits additional productive binding modes. Further insight into its role is obtained from the crystal structures of the two enzymes soaked with acarbose, a transition-state analog. Both enzymes modify acarbose upon binding through hydrolysis, condensation or transglycosylation reactions. Electron density corresponding to six and seven fully occupied subsites in the active site of rHSAmy and Delta306, respectively, were observed. Comparison of the crystal structures showed that: (1) the hydrophobic cover provided by the mobile loop for the subsites at the reducing end of the rHSAmy complex is notably absent in the mutant; (2) minimal changes in the protein-ligand interactions around subsites S1 and S1', where the cleavage would occur; (3) a well-positioned water molecule in the mutant provides a hydrogen bond interaction similar to that provided by the His305 in rHSAmy complex; (4) the active site-bound oligosaccharides exhibit minimal conformational differences between the two enzymes. Collectively, while the kinetic data suggest that the mobile loop may be involved in assisting the catalysis during the transition state, crystallographic data suggest that the loop may play a role in the release of the product(s) from the active site.     

Further studies on bovine serum amylase - the effect of gel buffer pH

This paper describes the effect of gel buffer pH on the resolution of bovine serum amylase (Amylase I) isozymes in starch gel and the consequences for the understanding of the genetics of this locus. The two main findings are: (1) the existence of a satellite isozyme E to isozyme C which at pH 7.3 has the same mobility as the B isozyme but which at pH 8.0 migrates slower than B, and (2) the finding of three alleles AmI A, AmI B and AmI C in British cattle populations previously reported as having only AmI B and AmI C .     

Alginate beads as an affinity material for alpha amylases

Calcium-alginate beads were found to bind a variety of enzymes in a nonspecific fashion. However, alpha amylases from porcine pancreas, Bacillus subtilis (BAN 240L) and wheat germ bound at a significant level and B. subtilis and wheat germ amylases could be eluted with 1M maltose. The wheat germ alpha amylase could be purified 45 fold with 70% recovery. The SDS - PAGE pattern showed significant purification by this single step strategy.     

Detection of Xanthomonas campestris mutants with increased xanthan production

Several mutants of Xanthomonas campestris showing increased viscosity and/or gum production were detected after UV treatment. Xanthan solutions of the different mutants showed different intrinsic viscosity values, and no relationship was found between pyruvate or acetate contents and viscosifying ability of the xanthan. The best performance mutant (M-11) was obtained using halo size around colonies in starch-agar plates as the detection criterion, and proved the usefulness of this indirect screen for improved xanthan producers. A pleiotropic effect of this mutation on growth rate and total cell growth was observed. Received 07 December 1995/ Accepted in revised form 14 November 1996     

Kinetics of the amylase system of Saccharomycopsis fibuliger

The extracellular amylases produced by Saccharomycopsis fibuliger have been studied with the intent of identifying the kinetic mechanism and product distribution, and modelling the production of d-glucose during starch hydrolysis. High performance liquid chromatography was effectively used to separate and quantify the product oligomers released. α-Amylase rapidly hydrolysed the long substrate chains into smaller oligomers which became the substrate for glucoamylase in the production of d-glucose. The formation of a rate limiting substrate occurred late in the reaction. Glucoamylase and α-amylase rates were fitted to Michaelis-Menten models with d-glucose inhibition included.