Isolation and characterization of disc-shaped phycobilisomes from the red alga rhodella violacea

Disc-shaped phycobilisomes were purified from Triton X100 treated cell homogenates of the unicellular marine red alga, Rhodella violacea. Their absorption spectrum had principal maxima at 544 and 568 nm (B-phycoerythrin), 624 nm (C-phycocyanin) and a distinct shoulder at 652 nm (allophycocyanin). Intermolecular energy transfer within the phycobilisomes was clearly demonstrated by fluorescence data. Excited at 546 nm intact phycobilisomes showed a main fluorescence emission maximum at 665 nm, a minor one at 577 nm and a shoulder at 730 nm.Dissociated phycobilisomes revealed a composition of 58% B-phycoerythrin, 25% C-phycocyanin and 17% allophycocyanin under the cultural conditions used. Analytical methods resolved no other components than phycobiliproteins. In addition to the defined C-phycocyanin and two isoproteins of B-phycoerythrin a stable heterogeneous aggregate of B-phycoerythrin/C-phycocyanin was separated in considerable amounts.In the electron microscope negatively stained phycobilisomes appeared as elliptical aggregates having dimensions slightly above the values found in ultrathin sections and a detailed subunit structure. All observations and data suggest a new rhodophytan phycobilisome type in Rhodella violacea.Abbreviations PBS phycobilisome(s) - PE B-phycoerythrin - PC C-phycocyanin - APC allophycocyanin - C concentration (mg/ml) - E extinction     

C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin in two species of blue-green algae

1. The biliproteins C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin were purified from the blue-green alga Anabaena variabilis by ammonium sulphate fractionation and gel filtration. 2. An assay procedure that enabled the proportion of the two pigments, present as a mixture, to be determined was devised by using the data provided by spectrophotometric analysis of the purified biliproteins. 3. The degree of association and relative proportions of the two pigments were analysed by the application of this procedure to the components separated by thin-layer gel filtration. 4. The C-phycocyanin/allophycocyanin ratio remained essentially constant in algal extracts prepared at various stages throughout the growth cycle or after growth under conditions of reduced illumination. 5. The behaviour of the C-phycocyanin aggregate species from Anacystis nidulans suggested that they were of appreciably lower molecular weight than those observed in extracts of Anabaena variabilis.     

Biliprotein assembly in the disc-shaped phycobilisomes of Rhodella violacea electron microscopical and biochemical analyses of C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin aggregates

C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin from the red alga Rhodella violacea were investigated by electron microscopy and biochemical methods using samples taken from the same fractions.The molecular weights of the native biliprotein aggregates C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin are about 139,000 (140,000) and 130,000 (145,000) as revealed by calibrated gel chromatography, gradient gel electrophoresis and morphological measurements on the basis of an average protein packing density. These molecular weights are direct evidence for a trimeric aggregation form ()₃ of these biliproteins. Independently, their monomers were determined to be about 34,400 (C-phycocyanin) and 33,900 (allophycocyanin).C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin are ringshaped, six-membered, biliprotein aggregates with dimensions of about 10.2×3.0 nm and 10.0×3.0 nm, respectively. The aggregates are made up of six subunits, 3 and 3, which are assumed to be associated in alternating positions. They are arranged in regular hexagons in C₆ symmetry. Hexameric aggregates ()₆, so far only isolated for C-phycocyanin, originate by face to face association of two trimeric aggregates.     

发菜藻蓝蛋白分离纯化的研究

以发菜为材料,比较了提取液类型和饱和硫酸铵浓度对藻蓝蛋白提取的影响,并对藻蓝蛋白的提取程序和部分特性进行了研究。结果表明:50 mmol/L KP缓冲液(pH值7.2)是合适的提取液,体积分数为40%~50%饱和硫酸铵盐析效果优于其它浓度。经过DEAE-Toyopeal 650 S离子交换层析和SuperdexTM200凝胶过滤层析后,藻蓝蛋白纯度达6.2,最大吸收峰位于615 nm,荧光发射峰位于649 nm,由α和β2个亚基组成,其分子质量分别为18 051.17和19 142.27 Da。因此,发菜藻蓝蛋白分离纯化较为理想的程序为:藻粉→50 mmol/L KP缓冲液(pH值7.2)浸泡→French pressure(1 500 kg/cm2)破碎细胞→40%~50%饱和硫酸铵盐析→DEAE-Toyopeal 650 S离子交换层析→SuperdexTM200凝胶过滤层析→较纯的藻蓝蛋白。     

Molecular architecture of a light-harvesting antenna. Comparison of wild type and mutant Synechococcus 6301 phycobilisomes

Phycobilisomes of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus 6301 contain C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin in a molar ratio of approximately 3.8:1, a minor biliprotein, allophycocyanin B, and nonpigmented polypeptides of 75, 33, 30, and 27 kilodaltons. A nitrosoguanidine-induced mutant AN112 produces altered phycobilisomes with the molar ratio of C-phycocyanin to allophycocyanin reduced to approximately 1.4:1 and without any of the 33- and 30-kilodalton polypeptides. The mutant and wild type phycobilisomes contain the same molar amount of the 75- and 27-kilodalton polypeptides relative to allophycocyanin. As seen by electron microscopy, the allophycocyanin-containing core of the mutant and of the wild type phycobilisomes appears the same. In some views of the core, each of the two core units in the mutant particles can be seen to consist of four discs approximately 3 nm thick. In wild type phycobilisomes five or six rods, made up of two to six stacked discs (11.5 X 6 nm) are attached to the core. In the mutant, no such rods are seen; rather, single disc-shaped elements, ranging from two to six in number, are found attached. Spectroscopic measurements show that the assembly form of phycocyanin in the mutant phycobilisomes differs from that in the wild type particles but reveal no difference in the organization of the core elements. These results indicate that the portions of the rod substructures of wild type phycobilisomes, beyond the disc proximal to the core, are made up of phycocyanin and the 33- and 30-kilodalton polypeptides. Emission from phycocyanin is a significant component in the fluorescence from isolated Synechococcus 6301 phycobilisomes and indicates an upper limit of 94% for the efficiency of energy transfer from phycocyanin to allophycocyanin and allophycocyanin B in these particles.     

Strategy for a protein purification design using C-phycocyanin extract

A variety of techniques have been developed for the separation and recovery of proteins. The cost of purifying the product is frequently determined by the desired quality of the final product, which is evaluated by measuring the purity. In this work the design of a protein purification process for C-phycocyanin, a phycobiliprotein that can be used in the food and medical industries, was established. The study evaluated the use of ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration to purify C-phycocyanin in a variety of sequences. The final design included the C-phycocyanin extraction step, precipitation with ammonium sulfate and ion exchange chromatography. When the elution step was studied, the kind of elution and pH were considered in order to obtain a product with a final purity of 4.0 with a purification factor of 6.35, so that, at the end of the strategy, C-phycocyanin of analytical grade would be obtained.     

Picosecond study of energy-transfer kinetics in phycobilisomes of Synechococcus 6301 and the mutant AN 112

Excitation-energy-transfer kinetics in isolated phycobilisomes from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus 6301 (Anacystis nidulans) and the mutant AN 112 (rods containing one hexameric C-phycocyanin unit only) was investigated by picosecond absorption and fluorescence techniques. The different chromophores in the phycobilisomes were selectively excited. A lifetime component of about 10 ps was found for both C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin in both types of phycobilisomes. We assign these signals to a transfer of excitation energy from sensitizing (‘s’) to fluorescing (‘f’) chromophores within C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin units. A 10 ps component was also observed in the anisotropy relaxation measurements. The anisotropy decay is attributed mainly to differently oriented transition dipole moments of ‘s’- and ‘f’-chromophores and partially to ‘f’ → ‘f’ transfer. An absorption recovery signal of τ ≈ 90 ps at λ ≤ 630 nm in phycobilisomes of Synechococcus 6301 is reduced to 40–50 ps in AN 112 phycobilisomes. This is rationalized in terms of a decreased rod → core transfer time in the shorter rods of AN 112. The 40–50 ps lifetime of fluorescence and absorption recovery in AN 112 phycobilisomes is assigned mainly to a rate-limiting transfer step between C-phycocyanin and the allophycocyanin core. A decay component of allophycocyanin τ ≈ 50 ps was observed both in absorption recovery measurements and in fluorescence decay. It is assigned to energy transfer to the terminal chromophores. The final emitter(s) of the phycobilisomes from AN 112 have fluorescence lifetimes of 1.9 and 1.3 ns. We find a good correlation in the fluorescence kinetics between the decay times of phycocyanin and allophycocyanin and the fluorescence risetimes of the terminal emitters.     

Aqueous two phase extraction of invertase from baker's yeast: Effect of process parameters on partitioning

Invertase (β-d-fructofuronoside fructohydrolase) is an industrially important enzyme useful for the hydrolysis of sucrose. The potential of aqueous two phase extraction for the isolation and purification of invertase from crude baker's yeast is explored. Influence of the process parameters such as type of phase forming salts, PEG molecular weight, concentration of salt and polymer, tie line length and volume ratio on partitioning of invertase was studied. PEG 3350/magnesium sulphate system was found most suitable for the extraction which has resulted in favorable pH (5 ± 0.2) for the enzyme extraction. Polymer and salt concentration were found to significantly affect the degree of purification and enzyme recovery of invertase. The purity of ∼8.81 fold was obtained compared to crude extract with recovery of 77% at the standardized process conditions. Overall results demonstrated the feasibility of aqueous two phase extraction for the isolation and purification of invertase without the need of multiple steps.     

Effect of Cu2+ on PSⅡ Activity and Energy Transfer of Phycobillisome in Intact Cells of Spirulina platensis

Addition of Cu2+ at low concentrations, to intact cells of the cyanobacterium, Spirulina platensis, at room temperature, caused an enhancement in intensity of fluorescence emitted by phycocyanin and induced a blue shift at the emission peak, both of which indicated changes in energy transfer within the phycobillisomes. Cu2+ also suppressed the whole-chain electron transport activity (H2O→MV) and water-splitting activity of the photosystem Ⅰ. When isolated phycocyanin and allophycocyanin were exposed to very low concentrations of Cu2+ ions, C-phycocyanin but not allophycocyanin, exhibited decrease not only in the absorbance in the longer wavelength (616--620 nm) region, but also in the fluorescence emission intensity at 647 nm accompanied by a blue shift to 643 nm. These results suggested that Cu2+ selectively bleach C-phycocyanin.     

钝顶螺旋藻藻胆蛋白的分离,纯化及其理化特性

钝顶螺旋藻(Spirulina Platensis var.nanjingensis)一变异株的水溶性色素精提物,经固体硫酸铵沉淀,羟基磷灰石(HA)和Sephadex G-100柱层析后可分离、纯化出藻蓝蛋白(C-PC)和别藻蛋白(APC)。它们的纯度可分别达到AS 620/A_(277)=4.71;A_(650)/A_(270)=5.62。纯化后的C—PC和APC在聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(PAGE)中仅见一条色带,其最大吸收峰分别在620nm和050nm。经12％的十二烷基硫酸钠—聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(SDS—PAGE),以及高效液相色谱(HPLC)分离,C—PC和APC均可分为α和β两个亚单位。两者的亚单位分子量分别为:C—PC—α,15000;C—PC—β,14500;APC—α,15000;APC—β,13500。依此推算,该藻的C—PC和APC的最小分子量应为29.5kD和28.5kD。经等电电泳法测定,其C—PC和APC的等电点分别在4.8和4.9。氨基酸组成和含量分析结果表明,除色氨酸(Try)未测外,c—PC含有14种氨基酸,APC含有15种氨基酸,两者都缺乏组氨酸(His)和脯氨酸(Pro),C—PC还缺少蛋氨酸(Met)。     

Improved procedure for separation and purification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arthronema africanum</Emphasis> phycobiliproteins

A rapid, inexpensive and reliable procedure for separation and purification of C-phycocyanin (C-PC) and allophycocyanin (APC) from Arthronema africanum based on a previously described rivanol-sulfate method for C-PC purification was developed. Exclusion of NaCl from the extraction buffer resulted in complete separation of APC and C-PC, two-fold reduction of rivanol treatments, and a higher yield and purity of C-PC. Pure C-PC (A₆₂₀/A₂₈₀ of 4.52) and APC (A₆₅₂/A₂₈₀ of 2.41) were obtained. The estimated molecular masses of the α and β subunits were 17 and 19 kDа for С-phycocyanin and 16 and 18 kDа for APC, respectively. The overall C-PC recovery of 55% (w/w) from its content (100 mg) in the crude extract was 10–20% higher than so far reported. The procedure appears promising for scaling up and broader applications.     

Some properties of allophycocyanin from a thermophilic blue-green alga

Allophycocyanin was purified from the extremely thermophilic blue-green alga Synechococcus lividus. It was shown to be more stable to thermal or urea denaturation than allophycocyanin from a mesophilic organisms. Its amino acid composition and spectroscopic response to pH were investigated. An analysis was made of the relatively low fluorescence polarization of allophycocyanin compared to that of a comparable sized aggregate of the biliprotein, C-phycocyanin. A rather speculative conclusion was reached that suggests that the lower polarization of allophycocyanin may be caused by orientations or positioning of the chromophores that are more favorable for intra-protein energy transfer.     

Multistage aqueous two‐phase extraction of a monoclonal antibody from cell supernatant

This article presents results of continuous multistage aqueous two‐phase extraction of an immunoglobulin G1 from cell supernatant in a mixer‐settler unit. An aqueous two‐phase system consisting of polyethylene glycol 2000, phosphate salt, and water was applied without and with sodium chloride (NaCl). Influences of different parameters such as throughput, phase ratio, and stage number on the extraction performance were analyzed. For systems without NaCl, the extraction was carried out as a washing step. An increase of stage number from one to five stages enabled to increase the immunoglobulin G1 purity from 11.8 to 32.6% at a yield of nearly 90%. Furthermore, a reduction of product phase volume due to a higher phase ratio led to an increase of purity from 20.8 to 29.6% in a three‐stage countercurrent extraction. For experiments with NaCl moderate partitioning conditions were adjusted by adding 8 wt% NaCl. In that case, the extraction was carried out as a stripping step. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:925–936, 2015     

The chromophore of phytochrome

The chromophore of phytochrome, the plant photomorphogenic pigment, was cleaved from the associated protein. Chromatographic and spectral properties indicated that it was a bilitriene closely similar to but distinct from the chromophore of C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin.     

Reverse micellar extraction for downstream processing of lipase: Effect of various parameters on extraction

Reverse micellar extraction of lipase using cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was investigated. The effect of various process parameters on both forward and backward extraction of lipase from crude extract was studied to optimize its yield and purity. Forward extraction of lipase was found to be maximum using Tris buffer at pH 9.0 containing 0.10 M NaCl in aqueous phase and 0.20 M CTAB in organic phase consisting of isooctane, butanol and hexanol. In case of backward extraction, lipase was extracted from the organic phase to a fresh aqueous phase in 0.05 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing 1.0 M KCl. The activity recovery, extraction efficiency and purification factor of lipase were found to be 82.72%, 40.27% and 4.09-fold, respectively. The studies also indicated that the organic phase recovered after back extraction could be reused for the extraction of lipase from crude extract.     

Large-scale recovery of C-phycocyanin from Spirulina platensis using expanded bed adsorption chromatography

C-phycocyanin was purified on a large scale by a combination of expanded bed adsorption, anion-exchange chromatography and hydroxyapatite chromatography from inferior Spirulina platensis that cannot be used for human consumption. First, phycobiliproteins were extracted by a simple, scaleable method and then were recovered by Phenyl-Sepharose chromatography in an expanded bed column. The purity (the A(620)/A(280) ratio) of C-phycocyanin isolated with STREAMLINE column was up to 2.87, and the yield was as high as 31 mg/g of dried S. platensis. After the first step, we used conventional anion-exchange chromatography for the purification steps, with a yield of 7.7 mg/g of dried S. platensis at a purity greater than 3.2 and with an A(620)/A(650) index higher than 5.0. The fractions from anion-exchange chromatography with a level of purity that did not conform to the above standard were subjected to hydroxyapatite chromatography, with a C-PC yield of 4.45 mg/g of dried S. platensis with a purity greater than 3.2. The protein from both purification methods showed one absolute absorption peak at 620 nm and a fluorescence maximum at 650 nm, which is consistent with the typical spectrum of C-phycocyanin. SDS-PAGE gave two bands corresponding to 21 and 18 kDa. In-gel digestion and LC-ESI-MS showed that the protein is C-phycocyanin.     

Isolation and biliprotein characterization of phycobilisomes from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Mastigocladus laminosus Cohn

A method for the effective isolation of functionally intact phycobilisomes from the thermophilic cyanobacterium M. laminosus is presented, using an unconventional high buffer molarity for stabilizing the aggregates and introducing a DNAse treatment of the disrupted cells to obtain sharp banding of the phycobilisomes in the linear sucrose density gradients.The structural integrity of the isolated phycobilisomes is demonstrated by a fluorescence emission maximum at 673 nm of aggregated allophycocyanin and by electron microscopy.Besides C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin, phycoerythrocyanin is a constituent pigment of the phycobilisomes. These pigments indicated in the absorption spectrum of phycobilisomes with a maximum at 610 nm and two shoulders at 650 and 580 nm, respectively, were characterized by spectral data and isoelectric points.     

Resonance Raman spectra of phycocyanin, allophycocyanin and phycobilisomes from blue-green alga Anacystis nidulans

Resonance Raman spectra of native C-phycocyanin, allophycocyanin and whole, intact phycobilisomes from the blue-green alga Anacystis nidulans (Synechococcus 6301) are reported. A tentative assignment for the more prominent resonance Raman bands is suggested. The possibly sensitive regions for inter-chromophore interactions in the case of phycobilisomes are also discussed.     

Integrated separation process for isolation and purification of biosuccinic acid

Biotechnologically produced succinic acid has the potential to displace maleic acid and its uses. Therefore, it is of high interest for the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industry.In addition to optimized production strains and fermentation processes, an efficient separation of succinic acid from the aqueous fermentation broth is indispensable to compete with the current petrochemical production of succinic acid. Isolation and purification of succinic acid from an Escherichia coli fermentation broth were studied with two amine-based reactive extraction systems: (i) trihexylamine in 1-octanol and (ii) diisooctylamine and dihexylamine in a mixture of 1-octanol and 1-hexanol. Back extraction of succinic acid from the organic phase was carried out using an aqueous trimethylamine solution. The trimethylammonium succinate generated after back extraction was split with an evaporation-based crystallization.The focus was on process integration, for example, reuse of the applied amines for extraction and back extraction. It was shown that the maximum trimethylamine concentration for back extraction should not exceed the stoichiometric amount (2 mol trimethylamine/mol the succinic acid in the organic phase) to ensure maximal extraction yields with the reused organic phase in subsequent extractions. Moreover, mixer-settler extraction and back extraction of succinic acid were scaled up from the milliliter- to the liter-scale making use of liquid–liquid centrifuges. The overall yield was 83.5% of the succinic acid from thefermentation supernatant. The final purity of the succinic acid crystals was 99.5%. Organic phase and amines can easily be recycled and reused.     

Enhancement of phycobiliprotein production in nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria

The influence of several environmental factors on the phycobiliprotein content of two phycoerythrin-rich nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria has been studied in order to maximize pigment production. Total phycobiliprotein content was enhanced when either temperature within the optimum range for growth or cell density of the culture was increased. The phycobiliprotein level increased also in response to a decrease in irradiance. In all cases the effect was more marked for C-phycoerythrin than for C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin. The cellular content in C-phycoerythrin was also preferentially enhanced when cultures were irradiated with green light. On the other hand, red light induced an increase in the C-phycocyanin content, but the C-phycoerythrin level decreased considerably.