Polysaccharide production by immobilized Aureobasidium pullulans cells in batch bioreactors.

Cells of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 201253 were entrapped within 4% agar cubes or 5% calcium alginate beads and were examined for their production of the polysaccharide pullulan in batch bioreactors. The batch bioreactors were utilized twice for 168 hours of polysaccharide production in medium containing corn syrup as a carbon source. The agar-entrapped cells produced nearly equivalent pullulan concentrations during both production cycles. The alginate-entrapped cells produced higher polysaccharide levels during the second cycle compared to the levels observed during the initial cycle. The agar-entrapped cells elaborated a polysaccharide with a higher pullulan content than did the alginate-entrapped cells during both production cycles.     

Polysaccharide production by a reduced pigmentation mutant of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans

Abstract A reduced pigmentation mutant was isolated from Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 42023 by chemical mutagenesis and was subsequently characterized. The pigment melanin was present not only in A. pullulans cells but also contaminated the elaborated polysaccharide and thus, was measured in both fractions. Cellular and polysaccharide melanin levels of the mutant strain were at least 11-fold and 18-fold reduced, respectivelu, compared toits parent strain after 7 days of growth at 30°C whether sucrose or glucose served as the carbon source in the culture medium. Polysaccharide and cell dry weight levels of the mutant were very similar to those observed for the parent after growth on sucrose or glucose as the source of carbon over a period of 7 days at 30°C. The pullulan content of the polysaccharide produced by the parent or mutant strain was lower for sucrose-grown cells than for glucose-grown cells. It was also noted that the pullulan content of the polysaccharide elaborated by the mutant strain was slightly higher than that of the polysaccharide produced by the parent strain after growth on either sucrose or glucose.     

Production of acid proteinases by Humicola lutea mycelium immobilized in polyurethane sponge.

Humicola lutea 120-5 spores were entrapped in polyurethane sponge cubes and were cultivated inside the carrier to form an immobilized mycelium further used for production of acid proteinases in batch mode. A carrier—spore suspension ratio of 10:0.5 (wt) should be used to obtain optimal results. The polyurethane sponge-immobilized mycelium could be applied repeatedly, the enzyme activity secreted during the first 10 cycles being about the same as that produced by free cells. The advantages of immobilizing fungal cells by germinating conidia entrapped inside the supporting material are discussed.     

Pullulan production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aureobasidium pullulans</Emphasis> cells immobilized in chitosan beads

Fungal cells of Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 201253 were immobilized by entrapment in chitosan beads, and the immobilized cells were investigated for their ability to produce the polysaccharide pullulan using batch fermentation. The 1% chitosan-entrapped fungal cells were capable of producing pullulan for two cycles of 168 h using corn syrup as a carbon source. Pullulan production by the immobilized cells increased by 1.6-fold during the second production cycle (5.0 g/l) relative to the first production cycle (3.1 g/l) with the difference in production being statistically significant after 168 h. The productivity of the immobilized cells increased during the second production cycle while its pullulan content decreased. The level of cell leakage from the support remained unchanged for both production cycles.     

Potential use of nylon scouring pad cubes attachment method for pectinase production by Aspergillus niger HFD5A-1

This study investigated the novel use of scouring pad cubes as a support matrix for immobilization of fungal cell to enhance the pectinase production. Nylon scouring pad cubes were used for immobilized Aspergillus niger HFD5A-1 cells for pectinase production in flask submerge fermentation system. The enzyme activity of immobilized cell in scouring pad cubes gave higher activity compared to free cells. Various physical parameters for culture condition were studied to evaluate its effects on pectinase production. The maximum enzyme activity obtained was 11.05 U/mL on the 6th day of cultivation after using the optimized parameters of 6 scouring pad cubes, 1 × 10⁷ spores/mL of inoculum size, agitation speed of 150 rpm and incubated at 30 °C. The use of nylon scouring pad cubes gave an increment of about 335.0% of pectinase production (11.05 U/mL) compared to free cells (2.54 U/mL). The results therefore show scouring pad cubes could be a favorable carrier to immobilize the fungal cells for higher enzyme production in submerged fermentation.     

Effect of support materials on antibiotic MSW2000 production by immobilized Streptomyces violatus

The production of an antibiotic by free and immobilized cells of Streptomyces violatus through entrapment or adsorption on different materials was investigated. S. violatus entrapped in Ca-alginate beads gave low antibiotic activity compared to the free cell or adsorbed cell, while the adsorption of S. violatus on sponge cubes yielded the highest antibiotic concentration after 4 days of incubation in static cultures. A starch concentration of 10 g/L was optimum for the production of the antibiotic by adsorbed cells. The weight and size of the sponge cubes used for immobilization influenced production of the antibiotic and the optimum weight and size of the sponge were 0.8 g and 1.0 cm(3), respectively, yielding a maximum antibiotic production of 280 mg/ml. Maximum antibiotic production was obtained at an initial pH value of 7.5 and in an inoculum size of 3 ml (spore suspension) per 50 ml. The production of the antibiotic in a fixed-bed bioreactor reached a maximum value after 2 days of incubation at a circulation rate of 30 ml/h. The immobilized cells in the bioreactor were reused seven successive times over a period of 14 days.     

Elevated polysaccharide production by mutants of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans

Abstract Two mutants of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 42023 were isolated that exhibited elevated polysaccharide production. Both mutants were isolated using a combination of chemical mutagenesis and resistance to growth inhibitors. It was found that both mutants elaborated higher polysaccharide levels after 7 days of growth on corn syrup or sucrose, respectively, compared to ATCC 42023. The dry weights of the mutant cells were found not to differ greatly from those of the parent cells whether corn syrup or sucrose served as the carbon source. The pullulan content of the polysaccharide synthesized by the mutants or parent cells on sucrose was consistently lower than polysaccharide synthesized on corn syrup. Using corn syrup as a carbon source, the pullulan content of the polysaccharide elaborated by the parent was higher than either mutant. The inverse was found to occur with respect to pullulan content when the strains were grown on sucrose as a carbon source.     

Characteristics of immobilized Rhizopus oryzae in polyurethane foam cubes

Summary Rhizopus oryzae was immobilized in polyurethane foam cubes. The effects of the cube size on cell immobilization, cell growth and L(+)-lactic acid production were studied. By the natural attachment method, R. oryzae could be easily immobilized in the polyurethane foam cubes larger than 2.5 × 5 × 5 mm³. The use of small cubes for R. oryzae immobilization was very effective to increase the productivity of L(+)-lactic acid by the immobilized cells. Although it was difficult for smaller cubes to be completely full of the mycelia, increasing the inoculum size in immobilizations was effective to increase the immobilization ratio (a ratio of the number of the cubes containing cells to the total number of cubes).     

Loofa sponge as a scaffold for the culture of human hepatocyte cell line

Loofa sponge was investigated as a three-dimensional scaffold for stationary and perfusion culture of human hepatoblastoma cell line C3A/HepG2. In stationary culture, C3A/HepG2 cells in loofa cubes showed higher alpha-fetoprotein and albumin secretion rates than those in polyurethane foam (PU). To use loofa cylinders in a packed-bed reactor, immobilization of C3A/HepG2 cells by recirculating medium at 26 mL/min (superficial velocity = 51.7 cm/min) resulted in a cell loading density of 5.15 x 10(7) cells/cm(3)-loofa. This cell loading density is higher than values reported in the literature for packed-bed reactor intended for bioartificial liver. During 9 days of perfusion culture in the reactor, immobilized C3A/HepG2 showed steady synthesis of albumin with an average synthesis rate at 42.2 microg/10(6) cells/day. These experimental results and observations by SEM suggested that loofa sponge is a suitable scaffold for high-density culture of human hepatocyte cell line and the immobilized cells could express high levels of liver-specific functions.     

表面活性剂对出芽短梗霉多糖生产影响的研究

研究了表面活性剂对出芽短梗霉细胞培养过程中多糖释放的影响。在摇瓶中,比较添加0.05%(w/v)的Tween 80、Tween 60、Tween 40,结果显示几种表面活性剂均能促进细胞释放多糖,其中以Tween 80的效果最佳。在5L发酵罐中,以100g/L玉米粉水解液做碳源的出芽短梗霉细胞培养液中分别添加了表面活性剂Tween 80 0.01%、0.05%、0.1%,其中以添加Tween 800.05%时的效果最好,与不添加表面活性剂相比多糖产量提高25%左右,发酵周期缩短了将近2d。     

Polysaccharide production by a reduced pigmentation mutant of Aureobasidium pullulans NYS-1

AIMS: To isolate a reduced pigmentation mutant of Aureobasidium pullulans NYS-1 and characterize its cellular pigmentation plus its polysaccharide and biomass production relative to carbon source. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cellular pigmentation, polysaccharide levels and biomass production by the isolated mutant NYSRP-1 were analysed relative to carbon source. Cellular pigmentation of the mutant was lower than its parent strain using either carbon source. The mutant elaborated higher polysaccharide levels on sucrose than on corn syrup. The pullulan content of the polysaccharide synthesized and biomass production by the mutant rose as the carbon source concentration was increased. CONCLUSION: It is feasible to isolate a reduced pigmentation mutant from strain NYS-1 that exhibits elevated polysaccharide production using corn syrup as a carbon source. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The mutant provides an advantage for commercial pullulan production because of its reduced pigmentation and enhanced polysaccharide synthesis.     

Polysaccharide production by immobilized Aureobasidium pullulans cells in batch bioreactors

Cells of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 201253 were entrapped within 4% agar cubes or 5% calcium alginate beads and were examined for their production of the polysaccharide pullulan in batch bioreactors. The batch bioreactors were utilized twice for 168 hours of polysaccharide production in medium containing corn syrup as a carbon source. The agar-entrapped cells produced nearly equivalent pullulan concentrations during both production cycles. The alginate-entrapped cells produced higher polysaccharide levels during the second cycle compared to the levels observed during the initial cycle. The agar-entrapped cells elaborated a polysaccharide with a higher pullulan content than did the alginate-entrapped cells during both production cycles.     

Short Communication: Effect of manganese on polysaccharide production and cellular pigmentation in the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans

Manganese supplementation resulted in higher polysaccharide levels and reduced cellular pigmentation by more than 8- or 17-fold after growth for 7d of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 42023 on sucrose or corn syrup, respectively, as a carbon source. The melanin content of the polysaccharide elaborated by ATCC 42023 cells also decreased if MnCl2 was added to the medium. The pullulan content of the polysaccharide synthesized by ATCC 42023 on sucrose was found to increase with increasing levels of manganese, whereas it was lower during growth on corn syrup if manganese was present.     

Polysaccharide reserve material in the acetotrophic methanogen,Methanosarcina thermophila strain TM-1: accumulation and mobilization

The ability of Methanosarcina thermophila strain TM-1 to store a reserve polysaccharide was studied using both biochemical methods and thin-section electron microscopy. When grown under conditions of excess carbon and energy (either methanol or acetate) and limiting nitrogen, M. thermophila accumulated a polysaccharide which could be hydrolyzed to glucose by the enzyme amyloglucosidase. This polysaccharide reached levels of 20 mg polysaccharide per g protein in nitrogen-limited cells, while cells limited for carbon, as well as cells in the exponential phase of growth, did not accumulate significant amounts of this polysaccharide. Thin-section electron micrographs of M. thermophila showed glycogen-like inclusion granules in nitrogen-limited cells but not in carbon-limited or exponential-phase cells. These granules were stained by a polysaccharide-specific staining procedure, the PATO stain. The polysaccharide was purified from cell extracts, the iodine-polysaccharide complex gave a maximum absorption at between 500 and 510 nm. The polysaccharide was mobilized within 21 h by cells starved for a carbon/energy source. N-Limited (polysaccharide-containing) acetategrown cells could shift to methanogenesis from methanol more quickly than did C-limited acetate-grown cells lacking polysaccharide, and ATP levels remained higher in N-limited cells. The results are consistant with the hypothesis that this polysaccharide can provide carbon and energy for metabolic shifts but other storage compounds, such as polyphosphate, may also play a similar role.     

Effect of nitrogen source on pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans grown in a batch bioreactor

Pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 201253 using selected nitrogen sources was studied in a medium using corn syrup as a carbon source. Independent of the corn syrup concentration present, the use of corn steep liquor or hydrolysed soy protein as a nitrogen source instead of ammonium sulphate did not elevate polysaccharide production by ATCC 201253 cells grown in an aerated, batch bioreactor containing 4 litres of medium. Pullulan production on corn steep liquor or hydrolysed soy protein as a nitrogen source became more comparable as the concentration of corn syrup was increased. Cell weights after 7 days of growth on any of the nitrogen sources were similar. The viscosity of the polysaccharide on day 7 was highest for cells grown on ammonium sulphate and 12.5% corn syrup. The pullulan content of the polysaccharide elaborated by ammonium sulphate-grown cells on day 7 decreased as the corn syrup level rose in the medium while the pullulan content of polysaccharide produced by cells grown on corn steep liquor or soytone generally increased.     

Production of L(+)-lactic acid with Rhizopus oryzae immobilized in polyurethane foam cubes

Summary Polyurethane foam cubes were employed as carriers to immobilize Rhizopus oryzae for L(+)-lactic acid production. The immobilizing capacity reached 450 g-fresh cell/l-cube. The production rate of L(+)-lactic acid could be threefold increased by using the immobilized R. oryzae. The immobilized cells could be steadily used in repetitive fermentations for more than 10 batches.     

Simultaneous production of hydrogen and bioflocculant by Enterobacter sp. BY-29

Hydrogen and a bioflocculant could be produced simultaneously by anaerobic culture of Enterobacter sp. BY-29. For production of hydrogen and the bioflocculant by cell culture of the bacterium in batch cultures, cultivation at 37 °C in a medium containing glucose as a carbon source and Polypepton as a nitrogen source was found to be suitable. In continuous production of hydrogen and the bioflocculant by cell culture or immobilized cells of the bacterium, the hydrogen production rate and hydrogen yield by the immobilized cells on porous glass beads in stirred and column reactors were higher than those by the cell culture in a stirred reactor. However, production of the bioflocculant by the cell culture was superior to that by the immobilized cells in continuous production.     

Population biology of Aureobasidium pullulans on apple leaf surfaces

Colonization of apple leaves by the yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans was studied in the field on eight dates over 2 years. Population densities from adaxial leaf surfaces were approximately log10 0.5-2.6 U higher when enumerated directly along line transects as microscopic counts of A. pullulans cells specifically identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) than indirectly as CFU obtained by plating leaf washings from comparable surfaces onto nutrient media. Site-specific mapping of the leaf landscape colonized by A. pullulans was facilitated by use of geographic information system (GIS) software. Colonization was plotted and analyzed both qualitatively (as occupancy) and quantitatively (as density). Overall, when expressed as mean occupancy per date, 22-42% of the microscope fields (each 0.196 mm2) contained > or = 1 A. pullulans cell. Occupancy on a microscope field basis was greater over the midvein (47-89%) or smaller veins (49-65%) than over interveinal regions (11-21%). Intensity of colonization, whether expressed as percentage of total A. pullulans cells associated with a particular leaf feature or as cell density per unit area, was also significantly greater (P < 0.05) over the veinal areas compared with the interveinal areas. The primary fungal morphotypes involved in colonization were blastospores, swollen cells, and chlamydospores; only infrequently were hyphae or pseudohyphae seen. Numbers of microcolonies (> or = 10 clustered cells) and percentage of total A. pullulans cells that occurred as microcolonies increased over the growing season and were significantly greater (P < 0.05) over veinal regions compared with interveinal regions. Locally high concentrations of A. pullulans were associated with naturally occurring micro-wounds in interveinal areas. We conclude that A. pullulans colonizes the phylloplane predominantly as single cells and groups thereof in a highly heterogeneous fashion and that sites exist that are relatively conducive (veins; wounds) or nonconducive (unwounded interveinal areas) for epiphytic fungal growth.     

Role of pH and Nitrogen Limitation in the Elaboration of the Extracellular Polysaccharide Pullulan by Pullularia pullulans

During the growth of the yeastlike fungus Pullularia pullulans on glucose as sole carbon source, the cell-mass does not increase concomitantly with the elaboration of the extracellular polysaccharide pullulan, but precedes it. The conditions generated in the culture medium which activate the secretion of polysaccharide have been sought for, and, in particular, the roles of extracellular pH and nitrogen limitatation are examined.     

Improvement of acid phosphatase production by immobilization of Humicola lutea mycelium in polyurethane sponge

Acid phosphatase production by the fungus Humicola lutea 120-5, immobilized in polyurethane sponge, was studied under semicontinuous shake flask fermentation and compared to the enzyme secretion by free cells. The effect of parameters such as the carrier content and the duration of the batch in repeated batch experiments on the phosphatase production half-life was investigated. The best results were obtained with 1.0 g of sponge cubes (about 1.0 cm per side) per culture flask using 72 h runs. In these conditions the half-life of enzyme production by immobilized biocatalyst was 15 sequential cycles (45 days) compared to three cycles (9 days) for the free mycelium. The maximal phosphatase titre registered in free cell fermentation was 2500 U/l (i.e. 100%), while the relative enzyme activity of the optimal immobilized system was over 100% during the whole half-life time of 45 days. Significant improvement (200–215%) in the yield was observed in one-third of this period or 15 days. The supernatant medium obtained at any stage of the repeated batch cultures did not contain free cells and, due to the low pH (3.0–3.5), the whole process was carried out without any bacterial contamination. In comparison with free cell fermentation, the significant improvement of the acid phosphatase production by polyurethane sponge-immobilized H. lutea mycelium as well as its operation stability was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy.