Isolation of Asticcacaulis sp. SA7, a Novel Agar-Degrading Alphaproteobacterium

An agar-degrading bacterium, strain SA7, was isolated from plant roots cultivated in soil. Analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence showed that strain SA7 is affiliated with the genus Asticcacaulis. Strain SA7 produced extracellular agarase, and grew utilizing agar in the culture medium as sole carbon source. Zymogram analysis showed that strain SA7 extracellularly secreted single agarase protein (about 70 kDa).     

罗尼氏弧菌Vibrio shilonii BY新琼胶酶基因的克隆、序列分析及表达

【目的】从海洋来源的罗尼氏弧菌菌株BY中克隆得到一个具有琼胶酶活性的新基因,并对其进行重组表达。【方法】对实验室保藏的产琼胶酶菌株BY进行16S rRNA基因序列分析,并构建系统发育树。根据已报道的琼胶酶基因序列的同源性,设计简并引物,利用降落PCR (Touch-down PCR)及染色体步移技术扩增琼胶酶基因序列全长,对基因序列进行生物信息学分析。将目的基因插入pET22a(+)载体,转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),对重组酶进行表达,利用DNS法测定了重组酶的酶活,对该重组琼胶酶酶学性质进行研究。【结果】克隆得到一条新的琼胶酶基因,命名为Vibrio sp. BY (GenBank登录号：AIW39921.1),Vibrio sp. BY基因序列全长2 232 bp,编码744个氨基酸,理论分子量为85 kD,Vibrio sp. BY的氨基酸序列基因库中与已知的琼胶酶氨基酸序列Vibrio sp. EJY3的相似度为86%。发酵液琼胶酶酶活力为71.73 U/mL,证明表达的蛋白为琼胶酶。酶学性质研究表明重组琼胶酶的最适温度及pH分别为50 °C和7.0,并且具有较好的稳定性。【结论】利用染色体步移技术克隆得到一条新的琼胶酶基因,并在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中实现了重组表达,为琼胶酶的应用奠定了基础。     

Purification and characterization of β-agarase from seaweed decomposing bacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">Microbulbifer</Emphasis> sp. Strain CMC-5

Microbulbifer strain CMC-5 was isolated from decomposing seaweeds, and was found to degrade agar, alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose, carrageenan, xylan, and chitin. The extracellular agarase enzyme from strain CMC-5 was purified 103-fold by ultrafiltration, ion-exchange chromatography, using diethylaminoethyl sepharose FF, and gel filtration, using sephacryl S-300HR, with a yield of 6.7%. Zymogram and protein staining of the purified agarase on a SDS-polyacrylamide gel revealed a single band, with an apparent molecular weight of 59 kDa. The purified enzyme was endo-type β-agarase, as it was able to hydrolyze the β-1, 4 glycosidic linkages of agarose, releasing neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose as the end products. The optimum pH and temperature of agarase were 7 and 50°C, respectively. Thermal stability studies indicated that the agarase retained 62% of its activity after incubating at 50°C for 30 min. Treatment with EDTA reduced the agarase activity by 54%. The agarase activity was stimulated by the presence of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions; whereas, Zn²⁺, Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Co²⁺ abolished the activity. Further, the presence of NaCl at concentrations lower than 100 mM caused a decrease in the agarase activity; whereas, the activity was enhanced up to a concentration of 500 mM.     

Optimization of Pseudoalteromonas sp. JYBCL 1 culture conditions, medium composition and extracellular β-agarase activity

Extracellular agarase produced by the Pseudoalteromonas strain JYBCL 1 is used in a variety of applications in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. The optimization of culture conditions for agarase-producing microbes and agarase activity is thus an important consideration in many industrial applications. In this study, the optimum medium composition and culture conditions for the JYBCL 1 strain were determined using the ??one factor at a time?? (OFAT) method and a Plackett-Burman design. Optimal cell growth was obtained at a temperature of 25°C and when 10 g/L tryptone was present in the culture medium. Optimal agarase activity occurred at a temperature of 40°C and at pH 6. The presence of carbonyl groups in the extracellular agarase hydrolysis products was verified using FT-IR. LC-MS identified the hydrolyzates as neoagarohexaose, neoagarotetraose, and neoagarobiose. The extracellular agarase produced by the JYBCL 1 strain used in this study was identified as ??-agarase by ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy.     

乙型脑炎病毒减毒中间株SA14—12—1—7基因组全序列的测定

本研究通过对乙型脑炎活疫苗减毒过程中间株SA14 12 1 7株进行全序列测定和分析 ,进一步了解乙脑活疫苗减毒及其稳定性的分子机制。根据已发表的SA14 14 2株及SA14 株的序列 ,设计 6对重叠引物 ,涵括整个乙脑病毒的基因组 ,通过RT PCR扩增出SA14 12 1 7株的各cDNA片段 ,分别克隆到pGEM T载体 ,转化至TG1受体菌中 ,挑取阳性克隆进行鉴定后测序。结果表明SA14 12 1 7株基因组全序列长 10 976个核苷酸 ,从 96到 10 394为一个长开放读码框 ,编码 3432个氨基酸。与野毒株SA14 和疫苗株SA14 14 2的核苷酸序列和氨基酸序列相比 ,同源性均在 99%以上 ,突变位点分散于各个区域 ,E区有 5个位点与疫苗株一致而与野毒株不同 ,3个位点与野毒株一致而与疫苗株不同 ,推测与其容易产生回复突变、恢复毒力有关。此外 ,NS3、NS5和 3′NTR的几个位点可能与病毒毒力稳定性相关。综上所述 ,乙脑病毒减毒中间株的基因组全序列基本类似于已发表的序列 ,若干突变位点影响病毒的弱毒性及毒力的稳定性。全序列的测定对于研究疫苗株的减毒机理具有重要意义     

Isolation and characterization of MMS-sensitive mutants of Neurospora crassa

Seven different mutants that show high sensitivity to MMS killing were isolated and mapped at different loci. One group, mms-(SA1), mms-(SA2) and mms-(SA6), showed high sensitivity to MMS but not to UV or gamma-rays. Another group, mms-(SA4) and mms-(SA5), showed extremely high sensitivity to UV and MMS. And mms-(SA3) and mms-(SA7) were moderately sensitive to both UV and MMS. Mms-(SA4) and mms-(SA1) were identified as alleles of uvs-2 and mus-7, respectively, which had been previously isolated. The mms-(SA1), mms-(SA6) and mms-(SA7) strains were barren in homozygous crosses, and the mms-(SA5) strain was barren in heterozygous crosses. The mms-(SA1), mms-(SA3) and mms-(SA5) strains showed high sensitivity to histidine. In summary, at least two new loci involved in the repair of MMS damage have been identified. The possibility that some of these new mutants are in new repair pathways is suggested.     

Identification of a Marine Agarolytic Pseudoalteromonas Isolate and Characterization of Its Extracellular Agarase

The phenotypic and agarolytic features of an unidentified marine bacteria that was isolated from the southern Pacific coast was investigated. The strain was gram negative, obligately aerobic, and polarly flagellated. On the basis of several phenotypic characters and a phylogenetic analysis of the genes coding for the 16S rRNA, this strain was identified as Pseudoalteromonas antarctica strain N-1. In solid agar, this isolate produced a diffusible agarase that caused agar softening around the colonies. An extracellular agarase was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration, and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The purified protein was determined to be homogeneous on the basis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and it had a molecular mass of 33 kDa. The enzyme hydrolyzed the β-1,4-glycosydic linkages of agar, yielding neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose as the main products, and exhibited maximal activity at pH 7. The enzyme was stable at temperatures up to 30°C, and its activity was not affected by salt concentrations up to 0.5 M NaCl.     

流行性乙型脑炎病毒减毒株SA14-14-2E基因稳定性研究

为研究乙脑病毒减毒株SA14-14-2 E蛋白基因稳定性,将乙脑病毒减毒株SA14-14-2在原代地鼠肾细胞(PHK)上传至18代,应用RT-PCR分别扩增PHK6代、PHK7代、PHK8代、PHK13代、PHK18代E蛋白基因并测序后,与Genebank中乙脑病毒减毒株SA14-14-2(D90195)进行比较分析。PHK6、PHK7、PHK8代病毒与D90195 E蛋白核苷酸和氨基酸序列完全相同。PHK13、PHK18代病毒与D90195E蛋白核苷酸序列同源性分别为99.8%、99.7%,与D90195E蛋白氨基酸序列同源性分别为99.6%、99.4%。各代次病毒E蛋白与减毒相关氨基酸未发生改变,同时所有突变的氨基酸均非SA14原有的,故不是恢复性突变。结果表明乙脑病毒减毒株SA14-14-2的遗传学特性稳定,从分子水平证明乙脑病毒减毒株SA14-14-2及其生产的疫苗具有安全性。     

Characterization of a novel β-agarase from marine Alteromonas sp. SY37–12 and its degrading products

The phenotypic and agarolytic features of an unidentified marine bacteria isolated from the southern ocean of China was studied. The strain was gram-negative, aerobic, and polarly flagellated. It was identified as the genus Alteromonas according to its morphological and physiological characterization. In solid agar, the isolate produced a diffusible agarase that caused agar softening around the colonies. An extracellular agarase was purified by the procedure of ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration on Sephacryl S-100HR, and ion-exchange chromatography on diethylaminoethyl-Sepharose. The purified protein exhibited a single band on SDS-PAGE with a molecular mass of 39.5 kDa. The enzyme hydrolyzed the β-1,4-glycosidic linkages of agar, yielding neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose as the main products. The optimum reaction temperature of the agarase was 35°C, with a narrow range from 30 to 45 °C. The enzyme activity reached the maximum at pH 7.0 and in the presence of 2% NaCl. Molecular mass and degrading products showed that the agarase from Alteromonas sp. SY 37-12 was much different from those previously reported.     

Purification and Properties of an Extracellular Agarase from Alteromonas sp. Strain C-1

A marine bacterial strain isolated from the Bay of San Vicente, Chile, was identified as Alteromonas sp. strain C-1. In the presence of agar, this strain produced high levels of an extracellular agarase. The production of agarase was repressed by glucose, with a parallel decrease in bacterial growth. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration, with an overall yield of 45%. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 52,000, is salt sensitive, and hydrolyzes agar, yielding neoagarotetraose as the main product, with an optimum pH of about 6.5.     

Characterization of the agarase system of a multiple carbohydrate degrading marine bacterium

A marine bacterium strain 2-40 (2-40) degraded numerous complex carbohydrates, such as agar, chitin and alginate. It may play an important role in altering carbon fluxes in marine environments. End-product analyses revealed that 2-40 synthesized an agarase system that consisted of at least three enzymes, beta-agarase I, beta-agarase II and alpha-agarase, which acted in concert to degrade polymeric agar to D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose. The agarase system was shown to be both cell envelope-associated and extracellular, with the relative concentrations depending on the growth phase. The principal depolymerase, a beta-agarase I, hydrolysed agar to both neoagarotetrose and neoagarobiose, as identified by thin layer chromatography. This agarase had a mass of 98 kD and a Pi of 4.3. The agarase system was repressed by D-glucose and D-galactose and induced by agar, agarose, neoagarobiose, neoagarotetrose and neoagarohexose.     

Cloning and expression of an extracellular-agarase gene from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) in Streptomyces lividans 66

An extracellular agarase gene was cloned from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) strain M130 into S. lividans 66 using the multicopy plasmid vector pIJ702. Various deletion derivatives of the initial clone (pMT605) were obtained by in vitro and in vivo methods. This allowed the gene to be localised to a 1.9-kb segment of DNA. The agarase enzyme was overproduced (up to 500 times) and exported efficiently into the medium. The agarase protein was identified as a 28-kDal band after sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE); in the case of one derivative, pMT608, this band accounted for nearly 50% of the total extracellular protein. Differences in agarase production between the deletion derivatives correlated well with plasmid stability.     

Extracellular β-agarase LSL-1 producing neoagarobiose from a newly isolated agar-liquefying soil bacterium, Acinetobacter sp., AG LSL-1

Summary An agar-liquefying Acinetobacter species capable of utilizing agar as sole source of carbon and energy was isolated from soil samples and the culture conditions were standardized for the maximal production of extracellular agarase. The bacterium was capable of liquefying an agar-plate within 3 days of incubation and produced extracellular agarase within a short period of time (16–18 h) when grown in defined mineral salts medium. Bacterium grew in the pH range 4.0–9.0, optimal at pH 7.0; temperature 25–40 °C and optimal at 37 °C. The agarase secreted by the Acinetobacter strain was inducible by agar and not repressed by other simple sugars when supplemented along with agar in the medium. The bacterium did not require NaCl for growth or production of agarase. The bacterium did not utilize other polysaccharides like κ-carrageenan, alginate, cellulose, and CMC. The activity staining of partially purified agarase preparations after native-PAGE and SDS PAGE revealed the presence of a single zone of clearance corresponding to the molecular weight 100 kDa, suggesting that it is a monomer. Neoagarobiose was the end product of agarose hydrolysis by this enzyme. The agarase was an endo-type glycosidase and belongs to Group-III β-agarase family.     

Production of agarase from a novel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Micrococcus</Emphasis> sp. GNUM-08124 strain isolated from the East Sea of Korea

The agar degrading bacterial strain GNUM-08124 was isolated from Enteromorpha compressa collected in the East Sea of Korea by using a selective artificial sea water (ASW) agar plate containing agar as the sole carbon source. GNUM-08124 grows to produce a circular, smooth, yellow-colored, and raised colony. Its ability to hydrolyze agar was confirmed by staining the ASW agar plate with Lugol’s solution. In liquid culture, the cell density (A₆₀₀) increased exponentially and reached a maximum level on the third day of cultivation. The specific agarase activity also increased in proportion to the cell density and reached maximum agarolytic activity on the third day. The 16S rRNA sequence of GNUM-08124 showed a close relationship to Micrococcus luteus (99.65%) and Micrococcus endophyticus (99.15%), which led us to assign it to the genus Micrococcus. Physiological studies indicated that optimal growth conditions were between 30 and 40°C, pH 4 and 7, using media containing between 5 and 10% NaCl (w/v), respectively. The GNUM-08124 strain was a grampositive, urease-positive, and catalase-positive bacterium. It could not hydrolyze gelatin, cellulose, xylan, or starch, but fermented a broader range of substrates, including Dglucose, D-galactose, D-fructose, D-lactose, D-trehalose, D-mannitol, D-melibiose, D-raffinose, D-xylose, methyl-α-D-glucopyranoside, N-acetyl-glucosamine, and xylitol, than those fermented by M. luteus or M. endophyticus, suggesting GNUM-08124 is a novel agar hydrolyzing microorganism belonging to Genus Micrococcus. Micrococcus sp. GNUM-08124 showed the highest agarase activity when it was cultured in ASW-YP medium supplemented with 0.4% glucose, but demonstrated lower activity in rich media (LB or TSB), in spite of superior cell growth, implying that agarase production is tightly regulated in an agar-dependent manner and repressed in rich conditions.     

Production and purification of agarase from a marine agarolytic bacterium Agarivorans sp. HZ105

Aims:  Isolation and characterization of an agarase-producing bacterium Agarivorans sp. HZ105.
Methods and Results:  An agarase-producing bacterium strain HZ105 had been isolated from marine sediment sample. Based on phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence and phenotypic analysis, as well as biochemical analyses, this strain was named Agarivorans sp. HZ105. Effect of pH, NaCl on the growth and agarase production of strain HZ105 was studied. Strain HZ105 produced three extracellular agarases which were purified to homogeneity from bands in the PAGE gel. Two agarases of these three had a molecular mass of 54, 58 kDa, respectively. And the MS and MS/MS spectra were used to identify the agarases.
Conclusions:  The MS spectra result showed that the agarases of strain HZ105 should be beta-agarase and belong to the family 50 of glycosyl hydrolases. The agarases could keep stable activity at room temperature.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  The strain HZ105 was useful to produce stable agarases. The solution produced by agar's degradation in the agar plates was first reported to be used for purification of agarase. Agarases were purified to homogeneity directly from the PAGE gel without stained by Coomassie brilliant blue.     

Cloning and sequencing of agaA, a unique agarase 0107 gene from a marine bacterium, Vibrio sp. strain JT0107.

An agarase gene (agaA) was cloned from genomic DNA of Vibrio sp. strain JT0107. An open reading frame of 2,985 nucleotides gave a primary translation product composed of the mature protein, agarase 0107 (975 amino acid residues, with a molecular weight of 105,271) and a signal peptide of 20 amino acid residues at the N terminus. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of agarase 0107 with those of Streptomyces coelicolor and Pseudomonas atlantica suggests that these enzymes share two regions in common. The AgaA protein which was expressed in Escherichia coli had the agarase activity. Agarase 0107 hydrolyzes not only agarose but also neoagarotetraose [O-3,6-anhydro-alpha-L-galactopyranosyl (1-->3)-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl(1-->4)-O-3,6-anhydro-alpha-L-galact opy ranosyl (1-->3)-D-galactose] to yield neoagarobiose [O-3,6-anhydro-alpha-L-galactopyranosyl(1-->3)-D-galactose]. This is a quite unique characteristic for a beta-agarase.     

产琼胶酶菌株的筛选及其胞内外酶活的测定

本研究从江蓠、九孔成鲍和硅藻中分离筛选到8株产琼胶酶细菌,测定了它们胞内外琼胶酶的活性。结果表明,不论是胞内酶还是胞外酶,菌株JK333均具有最大的酶活。为对该菌株有更好的了解,我们运用API条带法对它进行了鉴定,结果证明它为Aeromonas trota（温和气单胞菌）。本工作的开展为构建琼胶酶高产工程菌,进而用于海藻资源的深加工及高值化生产提供了基础。     

Repeated batch production of agar-oligosaccharides from agarose by an amberlite IRA-900 immobilized agarase system

The production of agar-oligosaccharides from agarose by free and immobilized agarase, obtained from a Pseudomonas aeruginosa AG LSL-11 was investigated and the activity, longevity and the operational stability of immobilized enzyme was compared with that of the free enzyme. The agar hydrolyzed products of free enzyme and immobilized enzyme were neoagarobiose, neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose as evidenced by LC-MS analysis. The immobilization of agarase was confirmed by SEM and also by the enzymatic transformation of agarose into agaroligosaccharides. The free agarase showed maximum activity at 40°C, whereas it’s immobilized counterpart showed maximum activity at 45oC, however, the optimum pH for both systems remained unchanged (pH 8.0). The relative activities of free agarase at pH 9.0 and 10.0 were 90 and 74%, respectively, whereas, the corresponding activities of the immobilized system were determined to be 97 and 90%. The stabilities of free agarase at pH 9.0 and 10.0 were 80 and 60% respectively, but for the immobilized system the respective residual activities were estimated to be 97 and 85%. Immobilized agarase appears to be more tolerant to high temperatures in terms of its activity and stability as it is compared to that of the free enzyme which retained 74 and 50.84% of relative activity at 55 and 60°C while, free agarase retained only 40 and 16.79% of its original activity. Furthermore, the immobilized agarase could be reused in batches efficiently for eight cycles, and could be stored for 3 months at 4°C as wet beads and for more than 6 months as dry beads.     

Cloning and expression of an agarase gene from a marine bacterium Pseudomonas sp. w7

Two different agarase genes (pSW1, pSW3) were cloned from a marine bacterium Pseudomonas sp. W7 into E. coli JM83 using the multicopy plasmid vector pUC19. Two cloned strains of recombinant E. coli which showed the agarase activity were obtained and were named E. coli JM83/pSW1 and E. coli JM83/pSW3. These strains had the insert fragment of 3.7kb and 3.0kb, respectively. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the agarase containing the recombinant plasmid pSW3 was determined and the sequence did not show homology to any other known agarases. The optimum pH and temperature of the agarases from the cloned strains, E. coli JM83/pSW1 and pSW3, were 6.0, 7.0 and 30°C, 40°C, respectively.     

1株产琼脂酶细菌的分离鉴定及其胞外酶活性测定

从四川省成都市青城山采集土壤,以琼脂作为唯一碳源,筛选到产琼脂酶细菌CMCK136;通过形态观察、生化鉴定、16S r DNA测序及序列分析鉴定其种属;随后测定了菌株CMCK136的胞外酶活性。菌株CMCK136被鉴定为芽胞杆菌属细菌,命名为Bacillus sp.CMCK136。菌株CMCK136的胞外琼脂酶的最适酸碱度为p H 7.0,最适温度为35℃。菌株CMCK136是产琼脂酶细菌家族的新成员,该菌株的发现进一步提示芽胞杆菌属很可能蕴含有尚待开发的琼脂酶资源。