Isolation of a Bacillus subtilis transformant producing thermostable alpha-amylase by DNA from a thermophilic bacterium

A Bacillus subtilis transformant producing thermostable α-amylase was isolated using DNA from a thermophilic bacterium, Thermophile V2. The extracellular α-amylase did not crossreact with a rabbit antiserum against B. subtilis α-amylase. The structural gene for the thermostable α-amylase was integrated at a different locus from B. subtilis α-amylase. It was linked to pyrA. The transformant was not thermophilic, and its upper temperature for growth was similar to that of the host bacterium.     

Numerical taxonomy of alpha-amylase producing Bacillus species

A total of 134 alpha-amylase producing Bacillus isolates and 21 reference strains were divided into 12 groups according to their similarities (% SSM). Phenotypic characteristics determined by the API 20E and API 50CHB galleries, other biochemical tests and morphological characteristics were used for the numerical analysis. The API Computer Service identified 45% of the isolates. The amylase yields of 16 alpha-amylase hyperproducing (AHP) isolates were compared with those of seven amylolytic reference and type strains. The AHP isolates were related to Bacillus subtilis, B. licheniformis and 'B. amyloliquefaciens'.     

Directed evolution of a maltogenic alpha-amylase from Bacillus sp. TS-25

Directed evolution coupled with a high-throughput robotic screen was employed to broaden the industrial use of the maltogenic alpha-amylase Novamyl from Bacillus sp. TS-25. Wild-type Novamyl is currently used in the baking industry as an anti-staling agent in breads baked at neutral or near neutral pH. However, the enzyme is rapidly inactivated during the baking process of bread made with low pH recipes and Novamyl thus has very limited beneficial effect for this particular application. In an effort to improve the performance of Novamyl for low pH bread applications such as sourdough and rye, two error-prone PCR libraries were generated, expressed in Bacillus subtilis and screened for variants with improved thermal stability and activity under low pH conditions. Variants exhibiting improved performance were iteratively recombined using DNA shuffling to create two generations of libraries. Relative to wild-type Novamyl, a number of the resulting variants exhibited more than 10 degrees C increase in thermal stability at pH 4.5, one of which demonstrated substantial anti-staling properties in low pH breads.     

Isolation and study of physico-chemical properties of alpha-amylase from Bacillus subtilis

By chromatography on ultragel ACA-54 alpha-amylase was isolated from the enzymic preparation amylosubtilin G10x. As compared to the initial preparation, the specific activity of the purified enzyme per mg increased 25-fold. The major physico-chemical characteristics of alpha-amylase were determined. The molecular weight of the enzyme measured by gel-chromatography and electrophoresis was estimated to be 49,000. The isoelectric point determined by electrofocusing was found to be 5,2. Irreversible acid inactivation of the enzyme in the range of pH 2-5 was investigated. The reaction was found to develop in at least two stages.     

Isolation and characterization of Bacillus sp. producing broad-spectrum antibiotics against human and plant pathogenic fungi

A strain of bacterium producing antifungal antibiotic was isolated and identification of the strain was attempted. We could identify the bacterium as being a Bacillus sp., based on morphological observation, physiological characteristics, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, thus leading us to designate the strain as Bacillus sp. AH-E-1. The strain showed potent antibiotic activity against phytopathogenic and human pathogenic fungi by inducing mycelial distortion and swelling and inhibiting spore germination. The antibiotic metabolite produced by the strain demonstrated excellent thermal and pH (2-11) stability, but was labile to autoclaving. From these results, we could find a broader antifungal activity of Bacillus genus. Isolation and characterization of the active agent produced by the strain are under progress.     

Isolation and characterisation of chitosanase from Bacillus sp. 739 strain

The specific nature of the chitosanase activity of the strain Bacillus sp. 739 has been determined. Maximum enzyme activity was observed in a medium containing the biomass of the fruiting bodies of the fungus Macrolepiota procera. The chitosanase was purified to homogeneity using chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and Toyopearl HW-50. The molecular weight of the enzyme, assessed by electrophoresis (the Laemmli procedure) approximated 46 kDa. Temperature and pH optima of the purified chitosanase were in the ranges 45-55 degrees C and 6.0-6.5, respectively. Time to half-maximum inactivation of the enzyme at 50 degrees C was equal to 1 h. With colloidal chitosan as the substrate, the value of K(M) of the purified chitosanase was equal to 25 mg/ml. The enzyme also exhibited a weak ability to hydrolyze colloidal chitin.     

Purification and some properties of a Haim-sensitive alpha-amylase from newly isolated Bacillus sp. No. 195.

Newly isolated Bacillus sp. No. 195 produced an extracellular alpha-amylase sensitive to Haim which was found to inhibit specifically animal alpha-amylases. The enzyme was purified easily by two steps of starch adsorption and gel filtration using Sephacryl S-200. The purified enzyme, which showed a single band on native-PAGE or SDS-PAGE, had a molecular weight of 60,000 as judged on SDS-PAGE. The optimum pH value for activity and the isoelectric point were around 7.0 and 4.5, respectively. The sensitivity of the amylase to Haim was similar to that of animal amylase rather than bacterial amylase. It was suggested that a Haim-amylase complex might be formed at the molar ratio of 1:1. The amino acid sequence F-S-W similar to the triplet F-E-W highly conserved among alpha-amylases sensitive to proteinaceous inhibitors, such as Hoe 467-A or Haim, was found in the amino-terminal part of the No. 195 amylase.     

抑藻菌株Bacillus sp. hsn03分离鉴定及其对铜绿微囊藻的抑制效果与特征

【背景】蓝藻常形成水华,严重破坏水生环境及威胁水生生物。微生物能够专一性地抑制蓝藻的生长,从而可以被用于蓝藻水华的控制。【目的】分离筛选一株对有害水华藻——铜绿微囊藻(Microcystisaeruginosa)7806有高效抑藻能力的菌株,对其进行生理生化和分子鉴定,并研究其抑藻效果与特征。【方法】通过API试剂条确定其生理生化特征,对细菌的16SrRNA基因进行测序并构建系统进化树,通过探究细菌菌体、上清、发酵液的抑藻效果确定该菌的抑藻方式,通过测定不同温度、pH、蛋白酶K、有机溶剂萃取和透析条件下的抑藻效果及傅里叶红外光谱来确定胞外抑藻物质的性质。【结果】菌株hsn03与芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus sp.)的Bacillus sonorensis NBRC101234有最高相似性,达99.59%;通过分泌胞外抑藻物质对铜绿微囊藻生长表现出抑制效果,且最佳抑藻添加量为7.0%(体积比);胞外抑藻物质为一类分子量大于500 Da且小于1 kD,耐高温,耐酸碱,含有叁键和累积双键,非蛋白、多糖类的小分子物质。【结论】抑藻菌株的挖掘与鉴定对于丰富有害藻华藻的抑藻菌质资源有非常大的促进作用,通过对抑藻方式、效果和特征的研究为进一步将抑藻菌应用于铜绿微囊藻的治理奠定基础。     

Isolation and characterization of hydrogen peroxide producing Aerococcus sp. from soil samples

Genes involved in 4-methyl-o-phthalate and 4-hydroxy-iso-phthalate catabolism reside on a 226-232 kbp catabolic plasmid termed MOP. This was confirmed by transformation and conjugation into an isogenic heat-cured (MOP-) derivative of the wild-type isolate, identified and termed Pseudomonas cepacia Pc701. Transformation confirmed the presence of Tn1 in MOP derived from Pc704, a mutant deficient in 4-methyl-o-phthalate catabolism. pCS1, a recombinant plasmid bearing MOP DNA, complemented MOP::Tn1 restoring the ability of Pc704 to grow on 4-methyl-o-phthalate. DNA-DNA hybridization using pCS1 as probe confirmed that loss of 4-methyl-o-phthalate catabolism by Pc704 was the result of Tn1 insertion into a 2.1 kbp HindIII fragment of MOP.     

Isolation and Characterization of Chitosanase from the Strain Bacillus sp. 739

The specific nature of the chitosanase activity of the strain Bacillus sp. 739 was determined. Maximum enzyme activity was observed in a medium containing biomass of the fruiting bodies of the fungus Macrolepiota procera. The chitosanase was purified to homogeneity by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and Toyopearl HW-50. The molecular weight of the enzyme assessed by electrophoresis (the Laemmli procedure) approximated 46 kDa. The temperature and pH optima of the purified chitosanase were in the ranges 45–55°C and 6.0–6.5, respectively. Time to half-maximum inactivation of the enzyme at 50°C was equal to 1 h. With colloidal chitosan as the substrate, the value of K of the purified chitosanase was equal to 25 mg/ml. The enzyme also exhibited a weak ability to hydrolyze colloidal chitin.     

Isolation of highly purified cyclodextrin glucanotransferase from Bacillus sp. 1070

Two chromatographic processes for purification of cyclodextringlucanotransferase (CGTase) from Bacillus sp. 1070 was carried out. The enzyme has been purified into 9.5 times on Butyl-Toyopearl and followed immobilized metal ion chromatography on Cu(II)-Iminodiacetic (IDA)-agarose. By the application of second purification scheme (chromatography on Butyl-Toyopearl and DEAE-Sephacel) the specific activity of CGTase has folded into 13.5 times. The purity of enzyme was shown to be approximately 90% by SDS-electrophoreses data. It was shown that isolated enzyme has two isoelectric points estimated as 5.1 and 5.3.     

Isolation and characterization of isocitrate lyase from a thermophilic Bacillus sp.

Isocitrate lyase was isolated in homogeneous state from a thermophilic Bacillus. The enzyme has a mol.wt. of 180000 and a pI of 4.5 and contains threonine as the N-terminal residue. It resembles in size the cognate enzyme from the mesophilic bacterium Pseudomonas indigofera, but is smaller than the enzyme from the eukaryotic fungus Neurospora crassa. All three lyases are tetramers and similar in amino acid composition, but the thermophile enzyme is distinctive from its mesophilic coutnerparts in possessing a lower catalytic-centre activity, greater resistance to chemical and thermal denaturation and fewer thiol groups and in being strongly activated by salts. Salt activation, by 0.4M-KCl, is about 3-fold at 30 degrees C and pH 6.8 and weakens progressively as the temperature or pH is raised. The activation is probably due to a change in the enzyme conformation caused by the electrolyte modifying the interaction between charged groups or between hydrophobic groups in protein. The possible significance of the salt activation, of the relative paucity of thiol groups and of the greater resistance to chemical denaturants is discussed. Besides its effect on the Vmax., KCl produces large increases in the magnitude of several kinetic parameters. A rise in reaction temperature from 30 to 55 degrees C produces a somewhat similar result. In view of these peculiar features, the patterns of inhibition of enzyme activity by compounds such as succinate and phosphoenolpyruvate were examined at 30 and 55 degrees C in the presence and absence of KCl.     

Isolation, characterization, and identification of Geobacillus thermodenitrificans HRO10, an alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase producing thermophile

Thermophilic and amylolytic aerobic bacteria were isolated from soil through a selective enrichment procedure at 60 degrees C with starch as the carbon source. One of the isolates designated as HRO10 produced glucose aside from limit dextrin as the only hydrolysis product from starch and was characterized in detail. The starch-degrading enzymes produced by strain HRO10 were determined to be alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase. Whereas the alpha-amylase activity was detected exclusively in the culture supernatant, alpha-glucosidase occurred intracellular, extracellular, or on the surface of the bacteria depending on the growth phase. The optimum temperature and pH required for the growth of strain HRO10 were about 50 degrees C and pH 6.5 to 7.5. The strain used different carbohydrates as the carbon source, but the maximum production of alpha-amylase occurred when 1.0% (w/v) starch or dextrin was used. The use of organic vs. inorganic nitrogen favored the production of alpha-amylase in strain HRO10. The metal ions Li+, Mg2+, and Mn2+ stimulated the production of both enzymes. Identification of strain HRO10 by physiological and molecular methods including sequencing of the 16S rDNA showed that this strain belongs to the species Geobacillus thermodenitrificans. Biochemically, strain HRO10 differs from the type strain DSM 465 only in its ability to hydrolyze starch.     

一株芽孢杆菌的分离和鉴定

从中国农业科学院北京畜牧兽医研究所鸡舍附近土壤中分离到一株芽孢杆菌P-25,并进行了分子鉴定。通过形态鉴定、革兰氏染色、生理生化测定、16SrRNA序列分析和系统发育树构建,确定该菌株为蜡状芽孢杆菌(Bacillus cereus),其16SrRNAGenBank登录号为GU271135。     

Isolation and identification of newly isolated antagonistic Streptomyces sp. strain AP19-2 producing chromomycins

A new antagonistic strain of actinomycete, designated AP19-2, was isolated from the feces of giant pandas inhabiting the Foping National Nature Reserve in China. Cultural characteristic studies strongly suggested that this strain is a member of the genus Streptomyces. The nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene of strain AP19-2 evidenced profound similarity (97-99%) with other Streptomyces strains. Two pure active molecules were isolated from a fermentation broth of Streptomyces sp. strain AP19-2 via extraction, concentration, silica gel G column chromatography, and HPLC. The chemical structures of the two related compounds (referred to as chromomycin A2 and chromomycin A3) were established on the basis of their Infrared spectra (IR), High Resolution Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) data, and by comparison with published data.     

Isolation, identification and characterization of a novel triazophos-degrading Bacillus sp. (TAP-1)

A novel triazophos-degrading Bacillus sp., TAP-1, was isolated from sewage sludge in a wastewater treating system of organophosphorus pesticide produced by Funong Group Co. in Jianou, Fujian, southeastern China. The isolate is a gram-positive and rod-shaped bacterium capable of hydrolyzing insecticide triazophos and was identified as a strain of Bacillus using polyphasic taxonomy combined with analysis of the morphological and physio-biochemical properties. TAP-1 could degrade triazophos through co-metabolism. When fed with nutrients such as yeast extract, peptone and glucose, TAP-1 could degrade 98.5% of TAP in the medium (100 mg/l) within 5 days. The optimal pH and temperature for the degradation were 6.5-8 and 32°C, respectively. An enzyme distribution experiment showed that the enzyme responsible for TAP degradation appeared to be intracellular.     

Membrane-bound and soluble extracellular alpha-amylase from Bacillus subtilis.

Extracellular alpha-amylase was purified to homogeneity from a Marburg strain of Bacillus subtilis. The enzyme is a single polypeptide chain of molecular weight approximately 67,000. Its NH2-terminal amino acid sequence is Leu-Thr-Ala-Pro-Ser-Ile-Lys. A membrane-derived alpha-amylase was solubilizing from membrane vesicles by treatment with Triton X-100 and was highly purified by chromatography on an anti-alpha-amylase-protein A-Sepharose column. Membrane-derived alpha-amylase was indistinguishable from the soluble extracellular enzyme by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis and radioimmunoassay. The membrane-derived enzyme contains phospholipid. Approximately 30 to 80% of the phospholipid was extracted from the purified enzyme by chloroform:methanol. The extracted phospholipid was predominately phosphatidylethanolamine. Treatment with phospholipase D released phosphatidic acid. Membrane-bound alpha-amylase was latent in membrane vesicles. Release of membrane-bound alpha-amylase from vesicles by an endogenous enzyme was maximal at pH 8.5, was inhibited by metal chelators and diisopropyl fluorophosphate and was stimulated by Ca2+ and Mg2+. The amount of membrane-bound alpha-amylase was related to the level of secretion.     

Isolation and identification of anticandidal compound from Streptomyces sp. VITPK9

Candida infections are frequently reported in both HIV and cancer patients. Recent reports have shown that Candida participates in malignant transformation of oral fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to isolate and to identify anticandidal compound from soil Streptomyces sp. VITPK9. It was isolated from a brine spring of Manipur located in Thoubal district, Manipur, India. The ethyl acetate extract from culture supernatant of Streptomyces sp. VITPK9 was prepared and purified by silica gel column chromatography and HPLC. The purified compound was identified by using ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectral data and based on the similarity index with reference compounds available in the mass spectra library of National Institute for Standards and Technology as pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione,hexahydro-3-(phenylmethyl)-. The antifungal activity of the purified compound was tested against the Candida strains according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards guidelines and it was revealed that its MIC50 value ranged from 0.78 to 2.00 μg/mL. The results of the study suggest that Streptomyces sp. VITPK9 is the potential source for diketopiperazine type of anticandidal compounds.     

产D-阿拉伯醇菌株的筛选、鉴定及其产D-阿拉伯醇条件的优化

摘要：【目的】产D-阿拉伯醇的耐高渗酵母的筛选、鉴定和产D-阿拉伯醇条件的优化。【方法】通过电镜、Biolog GN、(G+C)含量和26S rDNA D1/D2区序列分析法对所获得的菌株进行了描述。通过红外光谱、核磁共振氢谱和碳谱、质谱以及旋光度实验鉴定纯化产物的结构。通过单因素实验优化产D-阿拉伯醇的发酵条件。【结果】本文筛选得到一株产D-阿拉伯醇的新型菌株,经鉴定属于假丝酵母属并命名为Candida sp. H2。200 mL摇瓶发酵生产D-阿拉伯醇的单因素优化实验表明,最适发酵条件为：葡萄糖250     

海洋细菌Bacillus sp．HN07的分离鉴定及所产碱性纤维素酶性质研究

从渤海海域（121°30′00″E,40°25′00″N）海泥中筛选到一株产碱性纤维素酶的海洋细菌。通过形态观察、生理生化特性及16SrDNA序列分析,鉴定该菌株属于芽孢杆菌属（Bacillus）,命名为Bacillussp．HN07。研究表明：HN07最适生长温度30℃,适宜在pH7．0～8．0、含2．0％～3．0％NaCl的培养条件下生长和产酶,并且具有较好的遗传稳定性。酶学性质初步研究显示,HN07所产碱性纤维素酶最适反应温度为45℃,最适pH为8．0,在碱性条件下具有较好的稳定性,具有潜在的工业应用价值。