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.     

Characterization of a keratinolytic protease produced by the feather-degrading Amazonian bacterium Bacillus sp. P45

Abstract

An extracellular keratinolytic protease produced by Bacillus sp. P45 was purified and characterized. The keratinase had a molecular weight of approximately 26 kDa and was active over wide pH and temperature ranges, with optimal activity at 55°C and pH 8.0. However, this enzyme displayed low thermostability, being completely inactivated after 10 min at 50°C. Keratinase activity increased with Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Triton X-100, ethanol and DMSO, was stable in the presence of the reducing agent 2-mercaptoethanol, and was inactivated by SDS. PMSF (phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride) completely inactivated and EDTA strongly inhibited the enzyme, indicating that the keratinase is a serine protease depending on metal ions for optimal activity and/or stability. Accordingly, analysis of tryptic peptides revealed sequence homologies which characterize the keratinase as a subtilisin-like serine protease. The purified enzyme was able to hydrolyze azokeratin and keratin azure. Casein was hydrolyzed at higher rates than keratinous substrates, and 2-mercaptoethanol tended to enhance keratin hydrolysis. With synthetic substrates, the keratinase showed a preference for aromatic and hydrophobic residues at the P1 position of tetrapeptides; the enzyme was not active, or the activity was drastically diminished, towards shorter peptides. Keratinase from Bacillus sp. P45 might potentially be employed in the production of protein hydrolysates at moderate temperatures, being suitable for the bioconversion of protein-rich wastes through an environmentally friendly process requiring low energy inputs.     

Cloning, purification, and characterization of chitosanase from Bacillus sp. DAU101

A chitosanase-producing Bacillus sp. DAU101 was isolated from Korean traditional food. This strain was identified on the basis of phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence, gyrA gene, and phenotypic analysis. The gene encoding chitosanase (csn) was cloned and sequenced. The csn gene consisted of an open reading frame of 837 nucleotides and encodes 279 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight of 31,420 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence of the chitosanase from Bacillus sp. DAU101 exhibits 88 and 30 % similarity to those from Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas sp., respectively. The chitosanase was purified by glutathione S-transferase fusion purification system. The molecular weight of purified enzyme was about 27 kDa, which suggests the deletion of a signal peptide by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme were 7.5 and 50 °C, respectively. The enzyme activity was increased by about 1.6-fold by the addition of 5 or 10 mM Ca²⁺. However, Hg²⁺ and Ni⁺ ions strongly inhibited the enzyme. The enzyme produced, GlcN_2–4, were the major products from a soluble chitosan.     

Characterization of a novel fungal chitosanase Csn2 from Gongronella sp. JG

A 28kDa chitosanase designated as Csn2 was purified from the culture broth of the fungus Gongronella sp. JG through three chromatography steps: CM-Sepharose FF, Superdex 200 and SP-Sepharose FF. Its optimal reaction pH and temperature were pH 5.6 and between 55 degrees C and 60 degrees C. The half-lives of Csn2 at 50 degrees C and 55 degrees C were estimated to be 30min and 11min, respectively. The K(m) value of Csn2 in sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.6) at 55 degrees C was 8.86mg/mL. Mn(2+), Ca(2+) and Sr(2+) were activators of Csn2; ETDA was an inhibitor. Cu(2+) stimulated Csn2 at 1mM, but inhibited Csn2 activity at 10mM. Csn2 displayed strong activity on colloidal chitosan, but did not hydrolyze colloidal chitin and carboxylmethyl cellulose. Thin layer chromatography analysis showed the end products of colloidal chitosan hydrolyzed by Csn2 were chitobiose, chitotriose and chitotetraose with chitotriose as the major product. The N terminus of Csn2 was determined to be YQLPANLKKIYDSHKSGTC. Part of the genomic DNA sequence corresponding to Csn2 was cloned. Sequence alignment showed DNA sequence of Csn2 was partly identical to chitosanase genes from Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum, Hypocrea lixii and Aspergillus fumigatus. Based on sequence similarity, Csn2 was classified as a GH-75 chitosanase.     

Protein‐engineering of chitosanase from Bacillus sp. MN to alter its substrate specificity

Partially acetylated chitosan oligosaccharides (paCOS) have various potential applications in agriculture, biomedicine, and pharmaceutics due to their suitable bioactivities. One method to produce paCOS is partial chemical hydrolysis of chitosan polymers, but that leads to poorly defined mixtures of oligosaccharides. However, the effective production of defined paCOS is crucial for fundamental research and for developing applications. A more promising approach is enzymatic depolymerization of chitosan using chitinases or chitosanases, as the substrate specificity of the enzyme determines the composition of the oligomeric products. Protein‐engineering of these enzymes to alter their substrate specificity can overcome the limitations associated with naturally occurring enzymes and expand the spectrum of specific paCOS that can be produced. Here, engineering the substrate specificity of Bacillus sp. MN chitosanase is described for the first time. Two muteins with active site substitutions can accept N‐acetyl‐D‐glucosamine units at their subsite (?2), which is impossible for the wildtype enzyme.     

Characterization of chitosanase of a deep biosphere Bacillus strain

A chitosanase of deep-biosphere Bacillus thuringiensis strain JAM-GG01 was purified. The optimal pH and temperature for the purified enzyme (Cho-GG) were about pH 6 and 60 °C, but Cho-GG was unexpectedly unstable under incubation at over 40 °C. This discrepancy between higher activity and lower stability in the same range of temperature was abolished by the addition of reaction products, chitotriose and chitotetraose. The Cho-GG gene was amplified by PCR and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of Cho-GG showed more than 98% identity to those of other Bacillus enzymes belonging to GH family 8. Although Cho-GG did not show the definite characteristics of a sub-seafloor ectoenzyme, the thermal stability of many chitosanases of B. turingienesis and other related strains can be improved by adding chitotriose or chitotetraose.     

Keratinolytic potential of a novel Bacillus sp. P45 isolated from the Amazon basin fish Piaractus mesopotamicus

Bacillus sp. P45, isolated from the intestine of the Amazon basin fish Piaractus mesopotamicus, showed proteolytic activity when grown on skimmed milk and feather meal agar plates. The keratinolytic potential of this strain was evaluated on whole feather broth and human hair broth. Bacillus sp. P45 degraded almost 90% of chicken feathers after 72 h of submerged cultivation on whole feather broth, and the production of extracellular proteases was observed. The formation of thiol groups was also detected during growth, indicating the contribution of sulphitolysis to the efficient hydrolysis of feather keratin. Nevertheless, Bacillus sp. P45 was unable to degrade hair keratin, possibly due to the conformational diversity of this substrate in comparison to feather keratin. Additionally, preliminary results demonstrated that this strain might be utilized in the degradation of recalcitrant collagen-containing wastes. The keratinolytic character of Bacillus sp. P45 might be utilized in environmental-friendly processes such as bioconversion of waste feathers, representing an alternative way of waste management that could lead to the production of value-added products such as microbial biomass, protein hydrolysates and proteolytic enzymes.     

嗜碱芽孢杆菌N16-5木寡糖结合蛋白XynE的功能表征

嗜碱芽孢杆菌(Bacillus sp.)N16-5是本实验室从内蒙古乌都淖湖沉积物中分离的嗜碱菌,含有丰富的多糖水解酶,能够利用广泛的单糖和多糖。实验室前期转录组研究发现其基因组上存在一个21 kb大小的木聚糖利用相关基因簇,其中包括xyn EFG基因簇编码的ABC转运蛋白。【目的】生物信息学分析预测xyn E编码转运蛋白的底物结合蛋白,通过敲除xyn E基因研究它对菌株N16-5利用木聚糖的影响。【方法】利用温敏型载体p NNB194介导的同源交换重组的方法构建了xyn E基因敲除菌株N16-5(Δxyn E),并通过基因回补对敲除菌株表型进行验证。通过检测菌株在木聚糖培养基中的生长情况及培养基中还原糖含量的变化来分析xyn E基因对菌株利用木聚糖的影响;通过HPLC检测分析不同培养时间点木聚糖培养基的组分,结合缺失菌株和野生型菌株在以木糖为唯一碳源的培养基中的生长情况来分析Xyn E所属ABC转运蛋白的底物特异性。【结果】相比野生型菌株,缺失型菌株N16-5(Δxyn E)在木聚糖培养基的生长曲线对数期明显延迟,最大生物量略低,且培养过程中出现了明显的还原糖的累积与消耗过程;回补菌株恢复了野生型表型,且最大生物量比野生型略高。HPLC检测分析显示,相比野生型菌株,缺失菌株培养过程底物消耗速度较慢,且16 h后出现明显的木四糖、木三糖和木二糖的累积,直至60 h后仍有较大量木二糖的存在;在木糖培养基中培养时,缺失型菌株和野生型菌株的生长趋势较一致。【结论】Xyn E蛋白特异性结合木寡糖,其所属ABC转运蛋白在嗜碱芽孢杆菌N16-5降解利用木聚糖过程中发挥着重要作用。     

Crystal structure of family GH-8 chitosanase with subclass II specificity from Bacillus sp. K17

Crystal structures of chitosanase from Bacillus sp. K17 (ChoK) have been determined at 1.5 A resolution in the active form and at 2.0 A resolution in the inactive form. This enzyme belongs to the family GH-8, out of 93 glycoside hydrolase families, and exhibits the substrate specificity of subclass II chitosanase. The catalytic site is constructed on the scaffold of a double-alpha(6)/alpha(6)-barrel, which is formed by six repeating helix-loop-helix motifs. This structure is quite different from those of the GH-46 chitosanases and of GH-5. Structural comparison with CelA (a cellulase belonging to the same family GH-8) suggests that the proton donor Glu122 is conserved, but the proton acceptor is the inserted Glu309 residue, and that the corresponding Asp278 residue in CelA is inactivated in ChoK. The four acidic residues, Asp179, Glu309, Asp183 and Glu107, can be involved in substrate recognition through interactions with the amino groups of the glucosamine residues bound in the -3, -2, -1 and +1 sites, respectively. The hydrophobic Trp235, Trp166, Phe413 and Tyr318 residues are highly conserved for binding of the hexose rings at the -3, -2, +1 and +2 sites, respectively. These structural features indicate that enzymes in GH-8 can be further divided into three subfamilies. Different types of chitosanases are discussed in terms of convergent evolution from different structural ancestors.     

Thermostable chitosanase from Bacillus sp. strain CK4: its purification, characterization, and reaction patterns

A thermostable chitosanase, purified 156-fold to homogeneity in an overall yield of 12.4%, has a molecular weight of about 29,000 +/- 2,000, and is composed of monomer. The enzyme degraded soluble chitosan, colloidal chitosan, and glycol chitosan, but did not degrade chitin or other beta-linked polymers. The enzyme activity was increased about 2.5-fold by the addition of 10 mM Co2+ and 1.4-fold by Mn2+. However, Cu2+ ion strongly inhibited the enzyme. Optimum temperature and pH were 60 degrees C and 6.5, respectively. The enzyme was stable after heat treatment at 80 degrees C for 30 min or 70 degrees C for 60 min and fairly stable in protein denaturants as well. Chitosan was hydrolyzed to (GlcN)4 as a major product, by incubation with the purified enzyme. The effects of ammonium sulfate and organic solvents on the action pattern of the thermostable chitosanase were investigated. The amounts of (GlcN)3-(GlcN)6 were increased about 30% (w/w) in DAC 99 soluble chitosan containing 10% ammonium sulfate, and (GlcN)1 was not produced. The monophasic reaction system consisted of DAC 72 soluble chitosan in 10% EtOH also showed no formation of (GlcN)1, however, the yield of (GlcN)3 approximately (GlcN)6 was lower than DAC 99 soluble chitosan-10% ammonium sulfate. The optimal concentration of ammonium sulfate to be added was 20%. At this concentration, the amount of hexamer was increased by over 12% compared to the water-salt free system.     

Action pattern of Bacillus sp. no. 7-M chitosanase on partially N-acetylated chitosan.

The hydrolyzate of partially N-acetylated chitosan by Bacillus sp. No. 7-M chitosanase was separated by gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-2. Sugar compositions and sequences of the oligosaccharides were identified by exo-splitting with beta-GlcNase, fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy, and proton NMR spectroscopy. In addition to chitooligosaccharides, (GlcN)2, (GlcN)3, and (GlcN)4, hetero-chitooligosaccharides such as (GlcN)2.GlcNAc.(GlcN)2, GlcN.GlcNAc.(GlcN)3, (GlcN)2.GlcNAc.(GlcN)3, and GlcN.GlcNAc.(GlcN)4 were detected. These results indicate that Bacillus sp. No. 7-M chitosanase is absolutely specific toward the GlcN.GlcN bonds in partially N-acetylated chitosan and at least three GlcN residues were necessary to the hydrolysis of chitosan by chitosanase.     

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.     

Characterization of an antifungal chitinase from Bacillus sp.SL-13

Bacillus sp.SL-13 produced antifungal proteins.The growth of the plant-pathogenic fungi Rhizoctonia solani was considerably inhibited by the presence of the SL-13 culture supernatant.It is very suitable for the use in a relatively unstable environment,exhibiting effective biological control.     

Thermostable chitosanase from Bacillus sp. Strain CK4: cloning and expression of the gene and characterization of the enzyme

A thermostable chitosanase gene from the environmental isolate Bacillus sp. strain CK4, which was identified on the basis of phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence and phenotypic analysis, was cloned, and its complete DNA sequence was determined. The thermostable chitosanase gene was composed of an 822-bp open reading frame which encodes a protein of 242 amino acids and a signal peptide corresponding to a 30-kDa enzyme. The deduced amino acid sequence of the chitosanase from Bacillus sp. strain CK4 exhibits 76.6, 15.3, and 14.2% similarities to those from Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus ehemensis, and Bacillus circulans, respectively. C-terminal homology analysis shows that Bacillus sp. strain CK4 belongs to cluster III with B. subtilis. The gene was similar in size to that of the mesophile B. subtilis but showed a higher preference for codons ending in G or C. The enzyme contains 2 additional cysteine residues at positions 49 and 211. The recombinant chitosanase has been purified to homogeneity by using only two steps with column chromatography. The half-life of the enzyme was 90 min at 80 degrees C, which indicates its usefulness for industrial applications. The enzyme had a useful reactivity and a high specific activity for producing functional oligosaccharides as well, with trimers through hexamers as the major products.     

嗜碱性芽孢杆菌碱性α淀粉酶的纯化和性质

淀粉是高等植物体内碳水化合物的主要储藏形式,广泛存在于谷物、豆类的种子和果实中.α1,4葡聚糖4葡聚糖水解酶(α1,4glucan4glucanohydrolase,EC3.2.1.1),又简称为α淀粉酶(αamylase),能水解淀粉分子内部α1,4葡萄糖苷键,水解产物有糊精、麦芽寡糖、麦芽糖和葡萄糖.它和β淀粉酶、α葡萄糖苷酶、去分枝酶(普鲁兰酶)和异淀粉酶等都属于糖苷水解酶13家族,即α淀粉酶家族[1].α淀粉酶是目前世界上最早生产、产量最大的工业酶制剂品种之一,在食品、纺织、医药和饲料等工业中都有非常重要的应用;其中碱性α淀粉酶常用于洗涤剂和纺织品工业中,…     

Characterization of an alkaline protease from Bacillus sp. no. AH-101

Summary The Bacillus sp. no. AH-101 alkaline protease showed higher hydrolysing activity against insoluble fibrous natural proteins such as elastin and keratin in comparison with subtilisins and Proteinase K. The optimum pH of the enzyme toward elastin and keratin was pH 10.5 and pH 11.0–12.0 respectively. The specific activity toward elastin and keratin was 10 600 units/mg protein and 3970 units/mg protein, respectively. The enzymatic activity was not inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoic acid and iodoacetic acid. Carbobenzoxy-glycyl-glycyl-L-phenylalanyl chloromethyl ketone completely inhibited the caseinolytic activity, but 36% elastolytic activity remained. No inhibitory effect on caseinolytic and elastolytic activity was shown by tosyl-L-phenylalanyl-chloromethyl ketone, tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone, carbobenzoxy-L-phenylalanyl chloromethyl ketone, and elastatinal. The amino acid composition and amino terminal sequence of the enzyme were determined. The no. AH-101 alkaline protease was compared with subtilisin BPN', subtilisin Carlsberg, no. 221, and Ya-B alkaline proteases. Extensive sequence homology existed among these enzymes. Offprint requests to: H. Takami     

Molecular cloning, expression and characterization of a chitosanase from Microbacterium sp.

A gene encoding a chitosanase (mschito) was cloned from Microbacterium sp. OU01. The ORF consists of 801 bp which encoded a polypeptide of 266 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence shows 98% identity to that of the chitosanase reported in Pseudomonas sp. A-01. In addition, the fusion protein containing MSCHITO was expressed in E. coli and purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The purified rMSCHITO protein degraded the chitosan (the degree of deacetylation of 99%) and produced a mixture of chitooligosaccharides. The MSCHITO is thus an endo-chitosanase.     

Characterization of L-asparaginase from Bacillus sp. isolated from an intertidal marine alga (Sargassum sp.)

B.R. MOHAPATRA, R.K. SANI AND U.C. BANERJEE. 1995. The bacterial flora associated with an intertidal marine alga ( Sargassum sp.) were screened for the presence of extracellular L-asparaginase; one out of five Bacillus strains was found positive. The maximum L-asparaginase activity was found at 37°C and pH 8.0. The optimum NaCl concentration for enzyme activity was found to be 2% (w/v). The enzyme activity was not affected by the addition of different metal ions (Ca²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe²⁺, Mg²⁺and Ni²⁺) at 10 mmol 1^-1, but was strongly inhibited by EDTA.     

Purification and properties of an alkaline protease from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. KSM-K16

Alkaline protease (EC 3.4.21.14) activity, suitable for use in detergents, was detected in the alkaline culture medium of Bacillus sp. KSM-K16, which was originally isolated from soil. The enzyme, designated M protease, was purified to homogeneity from the culture broth by column chromatographies. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was Ala-Gln-Ser-Val-Pro-Trp-Gly-Ile-Ser-Arg-Val-Gln-Ala-Pro-Ala-Ala-His-Asn-Arg-Gly-Leu-Thr-Gly. The molecular mass of the protease was 28 kDa, and its isoelectric point was close to pH 10.6. Maximum activity toward casein was observed at 55°C and at pH 12.3 in 50 mM phosphate/NaOH buffer. The activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl flouride and chymostatin. The enzyme was very stable in long-term incubation with liquid detergents at 40°C. The enzyme cleaved the oxidized insulin B chain initially at Leu¹⁵-Tyr¹⁶ and efficiently at ten more sites. Among various oligopeptidyl p-nitro-anilides (pNA) tested, N-succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-pNA was efficiently hydrolyzed by M protease. M protease was precipitated in (NH₄)₂SO₄-saturated acetate buffer (pH 5.0) as plank-like cyrstals.