Relationship between morological variability of Bacillus subtilis R-623 and biosynthesis of hydrolytic enzymes

By synthetic sorbent chromatography the influence of Bacillus subtilis R-623 morphology on the qualitative and quantitative composition of alpha-amylase and proteases was studied. It was found that morphological variants of natural variability of Bac. subtilis R-623, alpha-amylase producer, differed in their cultural, morphological and physiological properties as well as in the amount of hydrolytic enzymes synthesized per unit of the cultural medium. Cells of P variant produced the highest quantity of alpha-amylase (314 U/lm) and cells of P and M variants synthesized the greatest amount of proteases (4.3 and 4.0 U/ml, respectively). Quantitative variations of alpha-amylase and proteases were measured in the cultural medium of morphological variants of Bac. subtilis R-623 during cultivation. Qualitative composition of those enzymes was determined when their content in the cultural medium was at the highest level. R variant synthesized alpha-amylase and protease, P and S variants alpha-amylase and two proteases, and P and S variants alpha-amylase and two proteases, and M variant one protease.     

Role of gramicidin S in the sporulation of the R+ and R- variants of Bacillus brevis var. G.-B.]

The effect of gramicidin S added to the cultivation medium on sporulation of the gramicidin S-producing P+ variant and gramicidin S-nonproducing P- variant of Bacillus brevis var. G.-B. was studied. Gramicidin S added to the synthetic medium with glucose in an amount of 30 and 100 microgram/ml 4 and 7 hours after inoculation with the vegetative cells of R- variant had no effect on the growth of the culture but retarded its sporulation. When gramicidin S was added in an amount of 100 microgram/ml 4 hours after inoculation, the sporulation rate of R- variant strongly decreased, rohile sporulation was not suppressed as it was noted before with respect to R+ variant. Active stimulation of Bacillus brevis var. G.-B. sporulation was observed after addition of gramicidin S 13 hours after development of R+ and R- variants without the antibiotic biosynthesis. Synthesis of gramicidin S by R+ strain was suppressed by the specific inhibitor beta-phenyl-beta-alanine. The amount of gramicidin S added to the medium during the sporulation process of R+ and R- variants decreased. On addition of 30 microgram/ml of the antibiotic it was practically not detectable when the culture showed the greatest number of the spores. Therefore, gramicidin S added to the medium is probably adsorbed by the cells of Bac. brevis var. G.-B. and affects sporulation of R- and R+ variants thus accelerating or retarding this process depending on the cultivation conditions.     

Isolation, purification, and enzymatic characterization of extracellular chitosanase from marine bacterium Bacillus subtilis CH2

A Bacillus subtilis strain was isolated from the intestine of Sebastiscus marmoratus (scorpion fish) that was identified as Bacillus subtilis CH2 by morphological, biochemical, and genetic analyses. The chitosanase of Bacillus subtilis CH2 was best induced by fructose and not induced with chitosan, unlike other chitosanases. The strain was incubated in LB broth, and the chitosanase secreted into the medium was concentrated with ammonium sulfate precipitation and purified by gel permeation chromatography. The molecular mass of the purified chitosanase was detected as 29 kDa. The optimum pH and temperature of the purified chitosanase were 5.5 and 60°C, respectively. The purified chitosanase was continuously thermostable at 40°C. The specific acitivity of the purified chitosanase was 161 units/mg. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was analyzed for future study.     

Purification and characterization of an extracellular alpha-amylase from Bacillus subtilis AX20

A Bacillus subtilis AX20 from soil with ability to produce extracellular alpha-amylases was isolated. The characterization of microorganism was performed by biochemical tests as well as 16S rDNA sequencing. Maximum amylase activity (38 U/ml) was obtained at stationery phase when the culture was grown at 37 degrees C. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity with an overall recovery of 24.2% and specific activity of 4133 U/mg. The native protein showed a molecular mass of 149 kDa composed of a homodimer of 78 kDa polypeptide by SDS-PAGE. The optimum pH and temperature of the amylase were 6 and 55 degrees C, respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by Hg(2+), Ag(2+), and Cu(2+) and it did not show an obligate requirement of metal ions. The enzyme was not inhibited by EDTA or EGTA, suggesting that this enzyme is not a metalloenzyme. The end products of corn starch and soluble starch were glucose (70-75%) and maltose (20-25%). Rapid reduction of blue value and the end products suggest an endo mode of action for the amylase. The purified amylase shows interesting properties useful for industrial applications.     

Cloning and Expression of Thermostable alpha-Amylase Gene from Bacillus stearothermophilus in Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis

The structural gene for a thermostable alpha-amylase from Bacillus stearothermophilus was cloned in plasmids pTB90 and pTB53. It was expressed in both B. stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis. B. stearothermophilus carrying the recombinant plasmid produced about fivefold more alpha-amylase (20.9 U/mg of dry cells) than did the wild-type strain of B. stearothermophilus. Some properties of the alpha-amylases that were purified from the transformants of B. stearothermophilus and B. subtilis were examined. No significant differences were observed among the enzyme properties despite the difference in host cells. It was found that the alpha-amylase, with a molecular weight of 53,000, retained about 60% of its activity even after treatment at 80 degrees C for 60 min.     

Directed evolution of a bacterial alpha-amylase: toward enhanced pH-performance and higher specific activity

alpha-Amylases, in particular, microbial alpha-amylases, are widely used in industrial processes such as starch liquefaction and pulp processes, and more recently in detergency. Due to the need for alpha-amylases with high specific activity and activity at alkaline pH, which are critical parameters, for example, for the use in detergents, we have enhanced the alpha-amylase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BAA). The genes coding for the wild-type BAA and the mutants BAA S201N and BAA N297D were subjected to error-prone PCR and gene shuffling. For the screening of mutants we developed a novel, reliable assay suitable for high throughput screening based on the Phadebas assay. One mutant (BAA 42) has an optimal activity at pH 7, corresponding to a shift of one pH unit compared to the wild type. BAA 42 is active over a broader pH range than the wild type, resulting in a 5-fold higher activity at pH 10. In addition, the activity in periplasmic extracts and the specific activity increased 4- and 1.5-fold, respectively. Another mutant (BAA 29) possesses a wild-type-like pH profile but possesses a 40-fold higher activity in periplasmic extracts and a 9-fold higher specific activity. The comparison of the amino acid sequences of these two mutants with other homologous microbial alpha-amylases revealed the mutation of the highly conserved residues W194R, S197P, and A230V. In addition, three further mutations were found K406R, N414S, and E356D, the latter being present in other bacterial alpha-amylases.     

Isolation of DNA encoding sucrase genes from Streptococcus salivarius and partial characterization of the enzymes expressed in Escherichia coli.

Restriction enzyme fragments containing two sucrase genes have been isolated from a cosmid library of Streptococcus salivarius DNA. The genes were expressed in Escherichia coli cells, and the properties of both enzymes were studied in partially purified protein extracts from E. coli. One gene encoding an invertase-type sucrase was subcloned on a 2.4-kilobase-pair fragment. The sucrase enzyme had a Km for sucrose of 48 mM and a pH optimum of 6.5. The S. salivarius sucrase clone showed no detectable hybridization to a yeast invertase clone. Two overlapping subclones which had 1 kilobase pair of DNA in common were used to localize a fructosyltransferase gene. The fructosyltransferase had a Km of 93 mM and a pH optimum of 7.0. The product of the fructosyltransferase was a levan. A fructosyltransferase clone from Bacillus subtilis did not hybridize to S. salivarius DNA. The properties of the enzymes were compared with those of previously characterized sucrases.     

Mutations in the alpha-amylase gene of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, leading to a decrease in the temperature of protein inactivation

Alpha-amylase genes of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, coding proteins with reduced thermostability, had been obtained as a result of hydroxylamine mutagenesis. Temperature, pH and starch concentration dependences of two mutant alpha-amylases were investigated. The synthesis of the alpha-amylases by several B. subtilis strains with different levels of extracellular proteases was also studied. The mutation containing fragments were localized and the structures of the mutations were determined. It was found that the decrease of thermostability of mutant No 141 was due to Asp to Asn change at the position No 194 of the mature protein, and for mutant No 191--due to Glu to Lys change at the position No 185.     

Some properties of DNA-Dependent RNA polymerase fromStreptomyces granaticolor

RNA nucleotidyltransferase from Streptomyces granaticolor was purified and some of its properties were investigated. The temperature optimum of the enzyme is 35 degrees C, pH optimum 7.8-8.4. Antibodies against the beta subunit of the enzyme from Bacillus subtilis immunologically cross-react with the beta subunit of the enzyme from S. granaticolor. Antibodies against the beta' subunit of the enzyme from B. subtilis immunologically cross-react with both beta and beta' subunits of the enzyme from S. granaticolor.     

Properties of Thermosensitive Extracellular α-Amylases of Bacillus subtilis

Enzymological properties of four thermosensitive alpha-amylases (M3, M9, M18, and M20) brought by different mutation sites in alpha-amylase structural gene of Bacillus subtilis were compared with those of the parental alpha-amylase NA64. Two thermosensitive alpha-amylases (M9 and M20) were altered not only in their thermosensitivity but also in their immunological properties, catalytic properties, molecular weights determined by the gel filtration on a Bio-Gel P-100 column, and others. The other two thermosensitive alpha-amylases (M3 and M18) were altered only in their thermosensitivity.     

High pressure, thermal, and combined pressure-temperature stabilities of alpha-amylases from Bacillus species

Three different alpha-amylases from Bacillus subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens, and B. licheniformis, were mutually compared with respect to thermal stability, pressure stability, and combined pressure-temperature stability. Measurements of residual enzyme activity and residual denaturation enthalpy showed that the alpha-amylase from B. licheniformis has by far the highest thermostability and that the two other alpha-amylases have thermostabilities of the same order of magnitude. FTIR spectroscopy showed that changes in the conformation of the alpha-amylases from B. amyloliquefaciens, B. subtilis, and B. licheniformis due to pressure occurred at about 6.5, 7.5, and 11 kbar, respectively. It seemed that, for the enzymes studied, thermal stability was correlated with pressure stability. As to the resistance under combined heat and high pressure, the alpha-amylase from B. licheniformis was much more stable than the alpha-amylases from B. amyloliquefaciens and B. subtilis, the latter two being about equally stable. It appears that under high pressure and/or temperature, B. licheniformis alpha-amylase is the most resistant among the three enzymes studied. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Interaction of the Bacillus subtilis spore protoplast, cortex, ion-exchange and coatless forms with glutaraldehyde

G orman , S.P. S cott , E.M. H utchinson , E.P. 1984. Interaction of the Bacillus subtilis spore protoplast, cortex, ion-exchange and coatless forms with glutaraldehyde. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 56 , 95–102.
Bacillus subtilis spores with altered ionic content were tested for their susceptibility to lysis with lysozyme or sodium nitrite following treatment with glutaraldehyde. The Ca-form was more sensitive to glutaraldehyde (pH 4.0.and pH 7.9) than the untreated or H-form. Removal of spore coat dramatically increased sensitivity of the spore to glutaraldehyde. Pretreatment of spores, the coats of which had been extensively removed, with glutaraldehyde (pH 7.9) reduced the rate of lysis by lysozyme and by sodium nitrite, whereas glutaraldehyde at pH 4.0.had little effect. Glutaraldehyde pretreatment (pH 4.0 and pH 7.9) reduced the amount of hexosamine released by lysozyme but not by nitrite from isolated cortical fragments. Spore protoplasts were more susceptible to 0.01% (w/v) glutaraldehyde at pH 4.0 and isolated spore coats adsorbed alkaline glutaraldehyde more rapidly. These results are discussed in terms of a possible mode of action of glutaraldehyde on the bacterial spore.     

片烟产果胶酶细菌的鉴定及酶活测定

以果胶为碳源, 对津巴布韦片烟烟叶表面产果胶酶细菌进行分离, 采用16S rDNA限制性酶切片段长度多态性分析(ARDRA)和测序方法, 结合形态学、生理生化实验, 对所分离产果胶酶菌株进行鉴定, 同时研究培养时间、温度、起始pH、接种量对菌株产酶的影响。结果表明, 从津巴布韦片烟烟叶表面分离得到的产果胶酶菌株主要为芽孢杆菌属的枯草芽孢杆菌Bacillus subtilis和产碱菌属的粪产碱菌Alcaligenes faecalis。在所分离的菌株中, 枯草芽孢杆菌T10酶活力最高, 以6%的接种量, 在温度为35 °C、起始pH为7.5条件下培养48?56 h, 其果胶酶酶活为571 U/mg, 聚半乳糖醛酸裂解酶酶活为297 U/mg。     

Processing of an NH2-terminally extended thermostable alpha-amylase by Bacillus subtilis alkaline protease

To analyze the processing of extracellular enzymes of Bacillus subtilis, an NH2-terminally extended hybrid alpha-amylase [pTUBE638-alpha-amylase (E24)] was purified from the periplasm of E. coli(pTUBE638) as the substrate for the in vitro processing reaction, in which a 21-amino-acid extra-peptide was added at the NH2-terminus of the mature thermostable alpha-amylase. The extended peptide in pTUBE638-alpha-amylase (E24) was completely processed by the extracellular alkaline protease of B. subtilis alone at pH 7.5 to 10.0. The processing was inhibited by 2 mM PMSF. In contrast, the neutral protease did not process the extended peptide. The processing activity of the purified alkaline protease was fully active in 100 mM phosphate and glycine-NaCl-NaOH buffer while it was partially active in 100 mM Tris-HCl or MOPS buffer. The optimum pH of the activity ranged from 8.0 to 9.0, although the optimum pH of the alkaline protease activity toward casein and Azocoll was 10.5. The NH2-terminal amino acid sequences of the enzymes processed in vitro coincided with those of the mature extracellular thermostable alpha-amylases in the culture medium of B. subtilis (pTUBE638). The appearance of the processing activity of alkaline protease was correlated with the changes of the pH in the culture medium.     

一株产碱性蛋白酶芽孢杆菌的筛选、鉴定及应用初探

为了筛选碱性蛋白酶产生菌并探讨其对蛋白质饲料的发酵效果,以肉粉厂表层土壤为菌株分离源,利用脱脂牛奶培养基分离和纯化蛋白酶产生菌,通过形态特征、生理生化和16S rRNA基因序列分析确定菌株的分类地位,并采用L9(33)正交设计研究筛选出的优势菌种的接种量(3％、6％和12％)、种子液培养时间(12 h、24h和48 h...     

Cloning of a gene encoding raw-starch-digesting amylase from a Cytophaga sp. and its expression in Escherichia coli

A raw-starch-digesting amylase (RSDA) gene from a Cytophaga sp. was cloned and sequenced. The predicted protein product contained 519 amino acids and had high amino acid identity to alpha-amylases from three Bacillus species. Only one of the Bacillus alpha-amylases has raw-starch-digesting capability, however. The RSDA, expressed in Escherichia coli, had properties similar to those of the enzyme purified from the Cytophaga sp.     

The gene amyE(TV1) codes for a nonglucogenic alpha-amylase from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris 94-2A in Bacillus subtilis.

We isolated the gene amyE(TV1) from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris 94-2A encoding a nonglucogenic alpha-amylase (AmyTV1). A chromosomal DNA fragment of 2,247 bp contained an open reading frame of 483 codons, which was expressed in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The deduced amino acid sequence of the AmyTV1 protein was confirmed by sequencing of several peptides derived from the enzyme isolated from a T. vulgaris 94-2A culture. The amino acid sequence was aligned with several known alpha-amylase sequences. We found 83% homology with the 48-kDa alpha-amylase part of the Bacillus polymyxa beta-alpha-amylase polyprotein and 50% homology with Taka amylase A of Aspergillus oryzae but only 45% homology with another T. vulgaris amylase (neopullulanase, TVA II) recently cloned from strain R-47. The putative promoter region was characterized with primer extension and deletion experiments and by expression studies with B. subtilis. Multiple promoter sites (P3, P2, and P1) were found; P1 alone drives about 1/10 of the AmyTV1 expression directed by the native tandem configuration P3P2P1. The expression levels in B. subtilis could be enhanced by fusion of the amyE(TV1) coding region to the promoter of the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase gene.     

黔西南薏苡内生真菌多样性及其抗菌活性研究

为进一步了解贵州黔西南薏苡(Coix lacryma-Jobi)可培养内生真菌的多样性组成及其抗菌活性。通过组织块分离法,选取薏苡根、叶和种仁为分离对象,进行内生真菌分离,并通过形态学观察,分子生物学特征对所分离内生真菌进行鉴定。采用平板菌块对峙法对薏苡内生真菌进行抗菌活性筛选。从薏苡根、叶和种仁中共分离纯化获得76株薏苡内生真菌,根据形态和分子生物学特征,它们属于10个目、14个科、26个属和1个不明属以及未知菌;以大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)、金黄色葡萄球菌(Staphyloccocus aureus)、枯草芽胞杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)、酿酒酵母(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)为指示菌株,对薏苡内生真菌进行抗菌活性筛选。其中有25株对大肠杆菌具有抗菌活性,占分离菌株的比例为32. 9%;有34株对金黄色葡萄球菌具有抗菌活性,其比例为44. 7%;有24株对枯草芽胞杆菌具有抗菌活性,比例是31. 6%;有23株对酿酒酵母具有抗菌活性,占比例为30. 3%;对4种标准菌株都有抗菌活性的有13株,占总株数的17. 1%。薏苡的不同组织结构中存在丰富的内生真菌资源,部分内生真菌具有抑制其他微生物生长的活性,具有产生天然活性产物成分的潜力,为工业应用奠定了资源基础,具有进一步发掘和研究的价值。     

土壤放线菌P3-2的分类鉴定及抗菌活性研究

对从贵州土壤微生物中筛选到的放线菌菌株P3-2进行了分类学和抗菌活性的研究。采用多相分类法,对该菌株的形态特征、培养特征、生理生化特性以及16S rDNA基因序列进行了研究。结果表明,放线菌P3-2菌株属于链霉菌属;16SrDNA序列长度为1 456 bp,序列分析和系统进化树分析表明其序列与Streptomyces recifenis ST100的同源性最高,为99.4%。但与S.recifenis ST100相比较,P3-2菌株的培养特征和生理生化特性中多项指标都存在着不同,初步确定菌株P3-2为链霉菌属中S.recifenis ST100的一个亚种,暂定名为Streptomyces sp.P3-2。P3-2菌株的10倍稀释发酵液对油菜菌核病菌、黄瓜灰霉病菌、小麦赤霉病菌、水稻纹枯病菌及半夏立枯病菌的抑制率高达99%,对烟灰霉病菌、玉米小斑病菌等9种病原真菌均有不同程度的抑制作用,对金黄色葡萄球菌、蜡状芽孢杆菌和枯草芽孢杆菌有一定的抑制作用。     

The chemotactic characteristics of the S and R dissociants of Bacillus thuringiensis

The chemotactic responses of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. dendrolimus (strain 49) and thuringiensis (strain 2002) and their morphological dissociants were studied by using some natural and artificial substances as effectors. The 12-h-old wild-type cells (S variants) of both strains were found to be motile and similar in their chemotactic responses, whereas the chemotactic responses of R variants were different.