Growth and production of anthracyclines in wild-type and mutant strains ofStreptomyces galilaeus

The course of growth curves with respect to the biosynthesis of anthracyclines was followed in the wild low-producing strain Streptomyces galilaeus JA 3043 and in its mutants G-167 (producing increased quantities of glycosides of epsilon-pyrromycinone) and J-14 (accumulating free epsilon-pyrromycinone). A two-phase type of fermentation (growth phase, production phase) was observed in strains JA 3043 and J-14. The maximum production of anthracyclines occurred only after the end of intense growth of the culture. Two phases of rapid growth separated by a phase of stagnation were observed in strain G-167. The second growth phase proceeded only during late hours of cultivation and was (as compared with the first phase) associated with an intensive biosynthesis of anthracyclines.     

Strain improvement inStreptomyces galilaeus,a producer of anthracycline antibiotics galirubins

The production of ε-pyrromycinone glycosides inStreptomyces galilaeus increased 12-fold, with respect to the wild strain, as a result of a sequential procedure including both natural selection and treatment with mutagens (nitrous acid, UV light and γ-irradiation). Nitrous acid exhibited the highest mutagenic effect, both in increasing the productivity and in inducing blocked mutants. A mutant strain blocked in the biosynthesis of glycosides and accumulating free ε-pyrromycinone as the principal metabolite was obtained.     

Improvement of l-lactic acid production by osmotic-tolerant mutant of Lactobacillus casei at high temperature

l-Lactic acid production by Lactobacillus casei was used as a model to study the mechanism of substrate inhibition and the strategy for enhancing l-lactic acid production. It was found that the concentration of cell growth and l-lactate decreased with the increase of glucose concentration and fermentation temperature. To enhance the osmotic stress resistance of the strain at high temperature, a mutant G-03 was screened and selected with 360?g/L glucose at 45°C as the selective criterion. To further increase the cell growth for lactic acid production, 3?g/L of biotin was supplemented to the medium. As a result, l-lactate concentration by the mutant G-03 reached 198.2?g/L (productivity of 5.5?g?L^?1?h^?1) at 41°C in a 7-L fermentor with 210?g/L glucose as carbon source. l-Lactate concentration and productivity of mutant G-03 were 115.2% and 97.8% higher than those of the parent strain, respectively. The strategy for enhancing l-lactic acid production by increasing osmotic stress resistance at high temperature may provide an alternative approach to enhance organic acid production with other strains.     

Hydrogen sulphide production by Zymomonas and its elimination in a mutant strain

Strains of Zymomonas mobilis grown in media containing either glucose or sucrose were assessed for the production of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S). In a liquid medium with low glucose concentration (20 g l^?1) only a proportion of the strains tested formed H₂S, but in medium containing a higher glucose concentration (100 g l^?1) all the strains tested produced H₂S. Four Z. mobilis strains were assayed quantitatively for H₂S production and strain ZM4 was found to produce the most H₂S in glucose medium. The amount of yeast extract and glucose, and the type of sugar used in the medium affected the amount of H₂S formed by strain ZM4. A mutant, designated ZM4701, of strain ZM4 was isolated which did not produce any detectable H₂S in liquid medium containing yeast extract plus either glucose or sucrose. The nutritional requirements of ZM4701 were investigated.     

Production of raw cassava starch-digestive glucoamylase by a 2-deoxyglucose-resistant mutant of Rhizopus sp.

In order to improve the productivity of raw cassava starch-digestive glucoamylase of Rhizopus sp. MB46 in a liquid culture, a mutant strain, AF-1, which is resistant to 2-deoxyglucose, was derived. The mutant strain produced glucoamylase in the presence of 0.5% glucose though the parent strain did not. With a rice bran liquid medium the productivity was over 2-times that of the wild type strain. A rice bran liquid medium supplemented with β-cyclodextrin was also effective for glucoamylase production. Other maceration enzymes were also produced at a higher level with mutant strain AF-1 than with the wild type strain in a liquid culture as well as in a solid culture. The elution patterns of these enzymes on CM-cellulose column chromatography were principally the same with both strains except for glucoamylase. When 10% of raw cassava starch and cassava waste were digested with the culture filtrate of mutant strain AF-1, glucose was produced in 7% after 60-h incubation and 3.2% after 48-h incubation, respectively.     

Biotransformations of anthracyclinones inStreptomyces coeruleorubidus andStreptomyces galilaeus

The ability to transorm biologically exogenous daunomycinone, 13-dihydrodaunomycinone, aklavinone, 7-deoxyaklavinone, epsilon-rhodomycinone, epsilon-isorhodomycinone and epsilon-pyrromycinone was studied in submerged cultures of the following strains: wild Streptomyces coeruleorubidus JA 10092 (W1) and its improved variants 39-146 and 84-17 (type P1) producing glycosides of daunomycinone and of 13-dihydrodaunomycinone, together with epsilon-rhodomycinone, 13-dihydrodaunomycinone and 7-deoxy-13-dihydrodaunomycinone; in five mutant types of S. coeruleorubidus (A, B, C, D, E) blocked in the biosynthesis of glycosides and differing in the production of free anthracyclinones; in the wild Streptomyces galilaeus JA 3043 (W2) and its improved variant G-167 (P2) producing glycosides of epsilon-pyrromycinone and of aklavinone together with 7-deoxy and bisanhydro derivatives of both aglycones; in two mutant types S. galilaeus (F and G) blocked in biosynthesis of glycosides and differing in the occurrence of anthracyclinones. The following bioconversions were observed: daunomycinone leads to 13-dihydrodaunomycinone and 7-deoxy-13-dihydrodaunomycinone (all strains); 13-dihydrodaunomycinone leads to 7-deoxy-13-dihydrodaunomycinone (all strains); daunomycinone or 13-dihydrodaunomycinone leads to glycosides of daunomycinone and of 13-dihydrodaunomycinone, identical with metabolites W1 and P1 (type A), or only a single glycoside of daunomycinone (type E); aklavinone leads to epsilon-rhodomycinone (types A and B); aklaviinone leads to 7-deoxyaklavinone and bisanhydroaklavinone (type C); epsilon-rhodomycinone leads to zeta-rhodomycinone (types C, E); epsilon-rhodomycinone leads to glycosides of epsilon-rhodomycinone (types W2, P2); epsilon-isorhodomycinone leads to glycosides of epsilon-isorhodomycinone (types W2, P2); epsilon-pyrromycinone leads to a glycoside of epsilon-pyrromycinone (types W1, P1). 7-Deoxyaklavinone remained intact in all tests. Exogenous daunomycinone suppressed the biosynthesis of its own glycosides in W1 and P1; it simultaneously increased the production of epsilon-rhodomycinone in P1.     

Methylglyoxal-mediated growth inhibition in an Escherichia coli cAMP receptor protein mutant

Under certain growth conditions, some strains of Escherichia coli accumulate toxic levels of methylglyoxal. This report characterizes a strain which synthesizes a mutant cAMP receptor protein in an adenylate cyclase deletion background. When cultured in glucose 6-phosphate minimal medium, this strain (222) was prematurely growth arrested due to methylglyoxal production; growth inhibition did not occur when the strain was grown in glucose minimal medium. A comparison of a variety of enzyme and cofactor levels in the related strains 222 (mutant) and 225 (wild-type) grown on either glucose or glucose 6-phosphate medium was carried out. The only difference found that might explain an increase in methylglyoxal accumulation was an elevated level of phosphofructokinase in strain 222 grown on glucose 6-phosphate. Since this enzyme activity probably limits hexose phosphate metabolism, it is suggested that growth inhibition in strain 222 may be due to increased production of triose phosphate, some of which is converted to methylglyoxal.     

Citric acid production by 2-deoxyglucose-resistant mutant strains of Aspergillus niger

Summary Many mutant strains showing resistance to 2-deoxy-d-glucose (DG) on minimal medium containing glycerol as a carbon source were induced from Aspergillus niger WU-2223L, a citric acid-producing strain. The mutant strains were classifiable into two types according to their growth characteristics. On the agar plates containing glucose as a sole carbon source, mutant strains of the first type showed good growth irrespective of the presence or absence of DG. When cultivated in shake cultures, some strains of the first type, such as DGR1–2, showed faster glucose consumption and growth than strain WU-2223L. The period for citric acid production shortened from 9 days for strain WU-2223L to 6–7 days for these mutant strains. The levels and yields of citric acid production of the mutant strains were almost the same as those of strain WU-2223L. The mutant strains of the second type, however, showed very slow or no growth on both the agar plates containing glucose and fructose as sole carbon sources. In shake cultures, mutant strains such as DGR2-8 showed decreased glucose consumption rates, resulting in very low production of citric acid.     

A <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida guilliermondii</Emphasis> lysine hyperproducer capable of elevated citric acid production

A mutant of the yeast Candida guilliermondii ATCC 9058 exhibiting elevated citric acid production was isolated based upon its ability to overproduce lysine. This method involved the use of a solid medium containing a combination of lysine analogues to identify a mutant that produced a several-fold higher lysine level compared to its parent strain using glucose or glycerol as a carbon source. The mutant strain was also capable of producing more than a fivefold higher citric acid level on glycerol as a carbon source compared to its parent strain. It was concluded that the screening of yeast lysine hyperproducer strains could provide a rapid approach to isolate yeast citric acid hyperproducer strains.     

An engineering Escherichia coli mutant with high succinic acid production in the defined medium obtained by the atmospheric and room temperature plasma

Escherichia coli BA002, the ldhA and pflB deletion strain, cannot utilize glucose in nutrient-rich or minimal media anaerobically. Co-expression of heterologous pyruvate carboxylase and nicotinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase in BA002 resulted in a significant increase in cell mass and succinic acid production. Nevertheless, the resultant strain, BA016, still could not grow in a defined medium without tryptone and yeast extract. To solve the problem, a novel atmospheric and room temperature plasma mutation method was employed to generate mutants which can grow in the defined medium. A mutant designated as LL016 was observed to be the best strain that regained the capacity of cell growth and glucose utilization in a defined medium anaerobically. After 120 h of fermentation in the defined medium, 35.0 g/L of glucose was consumed to generate 25.2 g/L of succinic acid. Furthermore, with the highest glucose consumption rate in the dual-phase fermentation, the yield of succinic acid in LL016 reached 0.87 g/g, which was higher than that observed in other strains. From an industrial standpoint, the defined medium is much cheaper than LB medium, which shows a great potential usage for the economical production of succinic acid by LL016.     

Improved Yield of High Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid Production in a Stable Strain of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptococcus zooepidemicus</Emphasis> via the Elimination of the Hyaluronidase-Encoding Gene

Despite the significant potential of Streptococcus zooepidemicus for hyaluronic acid (HA) production with high molecular weight (MW), the HA degrading properties of hyaluronidase prevents the bacteria to achieve enhanced HA yield with high MW. In the present study, we aim to knockout the hyaluronidase enzyme and assess its effects on the yield and MW of the produced HA. The kanamycin resistance gene between the left and right arms of hyaluronidase gene was inserted into pUC18 plasmid to construct pUC18-L-kana^r-R as a recombinant suicide plasmid. The construct was then transferred into S. zooepidemicus to induce the homologous recombination between the hyaluronidase gene and the kanamycin resistance gene. Gene deletion was confirmed by PCR and enzyme assay. The product was cultured on selectable medium in which the MW of HA was increased from 1.5 to 3.8 MDa. The yield of HA production using the mutant strain was higher in all different concentrations of glucose from 40 to 120 g/l. Moreover, glucose increase results in higher HA production within both wild-type and recombinant strains. However, the growth rate of HA concentration (the slope of the plot), as a consequence of increased glucose concentration, is always higher for the recombinant strain. Unlike the wild-type strain, there was no sharp HA production drop approaching the 6 g/l HA concentration. In conclusion, hyaluronidase activity and HA concentration and MW exhibited a mutual control on each other. Based on our results, deletion of the hyaluronidase gene positively affects the yield and MW of HA.     

Influence of cultivation conditions on citrate production by Aspergillus niger in a semi-pilot-scale plant

The influence of some fermentation parameters on the semi-pilot scale (alteration of growth conditions,e.g., sugar concentration, incubation temperature and initial pH) on citrate production was demonstrated in parent and mutant strains ofAspergillus niger. Raw material from sugar industry (cane molasses) was examined as basal fermentation medium in a stirred stainless-steel 15-L fermentor. After growth on medium with 150 g/L sugar, the parent strain produced 51.2 g/L citric acid; the mutant strain achieved production maximum of 96.2 g/L. Comparing the growth, kinetic (volumetric substrate uptake rate, rate of substrate consumption and volumetric productivity rate) and production parameters it was found that the mutant strain grows more rapidly, with slightly changed morphology (intermediate, shiny round pellets with diameter 0.6–0.7 mm), and exhibits a higher citrate production and higher efficiency of sugar utilization.     

Production of catalytic cells for formaldehyde production and alcohol oxidase by a catabolite repression-insensitive mutant of a methanol yeast Candida boidinii A5

A catabolite repression-insensitive mutant of Candida boidinii A5, strain ADU-15, was investigated as to alcohol oxidase production and the production of cells exhibiting the maximum catalytic activity for formaldehyde production. The mutant strain ADU-15 showed higher cell productivity and higher alcohol oxidase activity when grown on mixed substrates (glucose-methanol), especially with a high concentration of glucose in the medium. Thus, even under substrate (glucose-methanol)-limited chemostat conditions, where the glucose concentration was low, partial derepression of alcohol oxidase by glucose in mutant strain ADU-15 was detected. The chemostat culture conditions with the glucose-methanol medium were optimized for alcohol oxidase production and the production of cells exhibiting the maximum catalytic activity for formaldehyde production, respectively. By means of chemostat culturing on mixed substrates, we improved the alcohol oxidase productivity 5.0-fold and the productivity of cells exhibiting the maximum catalytic activity for formaldehyde production 3.8-fold, in comparison with the parent strain chemostat cultured with methanol as the single substrate.     

Enhancement of pyruvate production by osmotic-tolerant mutant of Torulopsis glabrata

Pyruvate production by Torulopsis glabrata was used as a model to study the mechanism of product inhibition and the strategy for enhancing pyruvate production. It was found that the concentration of cell growth and pyruvate deceased with the increase of NaCl and sorbitol concentrations. To enhance the osmotic stress resistance of the strain, an NaCl-tolerant mutant RS23 was screened and selected through a pH-controlled continuous culture with 70 g/L NaCl as the selective criterion. Compared with the parent strain, mutant RS23 could grow well on the medium containing 70 g/L NaCl or 0.6 mol/L sorbitol. Pyruvate concentration by the mutant strain RS23 reached 94.3 g/L at 82 h (yield on glucose 0.635 g/g) in a 7-l fermentor with 150 g/L glucose as carbon source. Pyruvate concentration and yield of mutant RS23 were 41.1% and 11.1% higher than those of the parent strain, respectively. The strategy for enhancing pyruvate production by increasing osmotic stress resistance may provide an alternative approach to enhance organic acids production with yeast.     

A constitutive catabolite repression mutant of a recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae strain improves xylose consumption during fermentation

Efficient xylose utilisation by microorganisms is of importance to the lignocellulose fermentation industry. The aim of this work was to develop constitutive catabolite repression mutants in a xylose-utilising recombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiae strain and evaluate the differences in xylose consumption under fermentation conditions.S. cerevisiae YUSM was constitutively catabolite repressed through specific disruptions within theMIG1 gene. The strains were grown aerobically in synthetic complete medium with xylose as the sole carbon source. Constitutive catabolite repressed strain YCR17 grew four-fold better on xylose in aerobic conditions than the control strain YUSM. Anaerobic batch fermentation in minimal medium with glucose-xylose mixtures and N-limited chemostats with varying sugar concentrations were performed. Sugar utilisation and metabolite production during fermentation were monitored. YCR17 exhibited a faster xylose consumption rate than YUSM under high glucose conditions in nitrogen-limited chemostat cultivations. This study shows that a constitutive catabolite repressed mutant could be used to enhance the xylose consumption rate even in the presence of high glucose in the fermentation medium. This could help in reducing fermentation time and cost in mixed sugar fermentation.     

Competitiveness of Rhizobium trifolii Strains Associated with Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L.) in Mississippi Soils

Five strains of Rhizobium trifolii were evaluated in competition with indigenous populations in nodulating red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) cv. Kenland in two different soils in Mississippi. Double antibiotic resistance acquisition was used to measure the proportion of nodules occupied by the introduced mutant strains. In vertisol soil, strains RP113-7, 162BB1, LM1, and 162P17 were recovered in at least 94% of the assayed nodules, whereas TA1 was found in 83.8% of the nodules. At an ultisol location, significant differences were detected within the introduced rhizobia. Strain RP113-7 was recovered at very high rates (99.2% of the assayed nodules), whereas strains 162BB1, LM1, 162P17, and TA1 were all found in 84.9 to 96.0% of the nodules sampled. Forage yield and percent crude protein levels were lower with the less effective but competitive strain (TA1) at both locations. Results indicated that more effective strains of R. trifolii can increase red clover production and symbiotic nitrogen fixation under different environmental conditions in Mississippi.     

Penicillin production by glucose-derepressed mutants ofPenicillium chrysogenum

Summary Wild-type strains ofPenicillium chrysogenum produce lower penicillin V titers in media containing excess glucose. Two mutant strains were isolated and shown to produce normal penicillin V titers in the presence of excess glucose. These strains, designated as glucose-repression insensitive (GRI) mutants, produced higher penicillin V titers than the wild-type strain in media containing lactose as the main carbohydrate source. In lactose-based media, the production of penicillin V was depressed to a much lesser extent by in-cycle additions of glucose with the GRI mutants when compared to the wild-type strain. In short-term biosynthesis experiments using washed cells in a medium containing glucose as the sole carbon source, the GRI mutants produced penicillin V at a faster rate than the wild-type strain. In fed-batch fermentations in 14-liter fermentors, where glucose was fed continuously and pH controlled, both GRI mutants produced more than 10% higher penicillin V titers than the wild-type strain. These results suggest that isolation of GRI mutants is an effective way to select for higher producing strains and that the synthesis of penicillin synthesizing enzymes in GRI mutants may be less repressed by glucose than in wild-type strains.     

Physiological characterisation of recombinant Aspergillus nidulans strains with different creA genotypes expressing A. oryzae alpha-amylase.

The physiology of three strains of Aspergillus nidulans was examined--a creA deletion strain, a wild type creA genotype and a strain containing extra copies of the creA gene, all producing Aspergillus oryzae alpha-amylase. The strains were cultured in batch and continuous cultivations and the biomass formation and alpha-amylase production was characterised. Overexpression of the creA gene resulted in a lower maximum specific growth rate and a slightly higher repression of the alpha-amylase production during conditions with high glucose concentration. No expression of creA also resulted in a decreased maximum specific growth rate, but also in drastic changes in morphology. Furthermore, the expression of alpha-amylase was completely derepressed and creA thus seems to be the only regulatory protein responsible for glucose repression of alpha-amylase expression. The effect of different carbon sources on the alpha-amylase production in the creA deletion strain was investigated and it was found that starch was the best inducer. The degree of induction by starch increased almost linearly with the concentration of starch in starch/glucose mixtures. High-density batch cultivation was performed with the creA deletion strain and a final titre of 6.0 g l(-1) of alpha-amylase was reached after 162 h of cultivation.     

Isolation of a mutant strain of Pseudomonas sp ATCC 31461 exhibiting elevated polysaccharide production

A mutant strain of the bacterium Pseudomonas sp. ATCC 31461 that exhibited elevated production of the polysaccharide gellan on glucose or corn syrup as a carbon source was isolated. Gellan production by the mutant strain was about twofold higher than its parent strain on glucose or corn syrup after 48 h of growth, and about 1.4-fold higher after 72 h. An increase in biomass production was not correlated with enhanced gellan synthesis by the mutant strain. The increased gellan production by the mutant strain on either carbon source resulted in an increase in its culture medium viscosity and the viscosity of the isolated polysaccharide produced by glucose-grown cells. No differences in the glucuronic acid content of the polysaccharides produced by the mutant and parent strains were observed. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2002) 29, 185–188 doi:10.1038/sj.jim.7000278 Received 13 February 2002/ Accepted in revised form 20 May 2002     

Aspartase-hyperproducing mutants of Escherichia coli B

When a wild-type strain of Escherichia coli B was cultured on a medium containing L-aspartic acid as the sole carbon source (Asp-C medium), aspartase formation was higher than that observed in minimal medium. Addition of glucose to Asp-C medium decreased aspartase formation. When also cultured in a medium containing L-aspartic acid as the sole nitrogen source (Asp-N medium), E. coli B showed a low level of aspartase formation and an elongated doubling time. To obtain aspartase-hyperproducing strains, we enriched cells growing faster than cells of the wild-type strain in Asp-N medium by continuous cultivation of mutagenized cells. After plate selection, the doubling times of these mutants were measured. Thereafter, fast-growing mutants were tested for aspartase formation. One of these mutants, strain EAPc7, had a higher level of aspartase formation than did the wild-type strain in medium containing L-aspartic acid as the carbon source, however; addition of glucose to this medium decreased aspartase formation. The other mutant, strain EAPc244, had a higher level of aspartase activity than did the wild-type strain in both media. Therefore, aspartase formation in mutant EAPc244 was released from catabolite repression. In strain EAPc244 the other catabolite-repressible enzymes, beta-galactosidase, tryptophanase, and the three tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes, were also released from catabolite repression. Both mutants had sevenfold the aspartase formation of the wild-type strain in a medium which contained fumaric acid as the main carbon source and which has been used for industrial production of E. coli B aspartase. However, strain EAPc244 had 2.5-fold the fumarase activity of strain EAPc7.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)