Hydrolysis of xylans by a thermostable hybrid xylanase expressed in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

Escherichia coli-expressed a hybrid xylanase, Btx, encoded by a designed hybrid xylanase gene btx was purified. The molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 22 kDa. The K _m and k _cat values for Btx were 1.9 mg/ml and 140 s⁻¹, respectively. It hydrolyzed xylan principally to xylobiose and xylotriose, and was functionally similar to family 11 xylanases. As some differences were found in the hydrolytic products between birchwood xylan and wheat bran insoluble xylan, the xylan binding domains in xylanase Btx must have different effects on soluble and insoluble xylan.     

Construction, Expression, and Characterization of a Thermostable Xylanase

A hybrid gene, btx, encoding a thermostable xylanase, Btx, was constructed by substituting the 31 N-terminal amino acid residues of the Thermomonospora fusca xylanase A (TfxA) for the corresponding region of 22 amino acid residues of the Bacillus subtilis xylanase A (BsxA). The btx gene was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. The halo size produced by xylanase Btx on a Remanzol brilliant blue R (RBB) xylan plate at 60°C and pH 6.0 was larger than those of BsxA and TfxA. The molecular weight of Btx was 22 kDa. Temperature and pH optima for Btx were at 50–60°C and 6.0, respectively. Btx showed activity over 80% over a pH range of 5.0–9.0, which was wider than that of BsxA, and was also more acid-resistant than TfxA. Btx exhibited significant thermostability compared with BsxA. The results show the importance of the N-terminal sequence of TfxA in thermostability.     

Modification of a gene encoding hybrid xylanase and its expression in Pichia pastoris

To obtain the protein expression of a hybrid xylanase in yeast, the gene encoding it was modified according to the codon bias of Pichia pastoris and expressed extracellularly in this yeast as an active xylanase, MBtx, exhibited a molecular mass of approximately 35 kDa on SDS–PAGE. The pH behavior of MBtx in terms of both activity and stability was similar to that of Btx, original gene product in Escherichia coli, while a certain difference was observed in optimal temperature for activity and in thermal stability. HPLC analysis revealed the xylan in wheat could be hydrolyzed by MBtx and the major hydrolysis product was xylotriose. These results showed codon usage played a key role in regulating the expression of the hybrid xylanase in P. pastoris and the recombinant hybrid xylanase, MBtx, produced by P. pastoris could be potentially useful in feed industry.     

13C-n.m.r. study of C hordein.

Insoluble xylan was prepared from ground birch (Betula pubescens) pulp by alkali extraction and precipitation with ethanol. The only sugar detected after acid hydrolysis of the preparation was xylose. The insoluble xylan was used as substrate in a nephelometric assay to determine the xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8, 1,4-beta-D-xylan xylanohydrolase and EC 3.2.1.37, 1,4-beta-D-xylan xylohydrolase) activities of Aspergillus and Trichoderma enzymes. The nephelometric method is reliable in evaluating xylanase hydrolysis of insoluble xylan.     

Fusion of family 2b carbohydrate-binding module increases the catalytic activity of a xylanase from Thermotoga maritima to soluble xylan

A family 2b carbohydrate-binding module from Streptomyces thermoviolaceus STX-II was fused at the carboxyl-terminus of XynB, a thermostable and single domain family 10 xylanase from Thermotoga maritima, to create a chimeric xylanase. The chimeric enzyme (XynB-CBM2b) was purified and characterized. It displayed a pH-activity profile similar to that of XynB and was stable up to 90 degrees C. XynB-CBM2b bound to insoluble birchwood and oatspelt xylan. Whereas its hydrolytic activities toward insoluble xylan and p-nitrophenyl-beta-xylopyranoside were similar to those of XynB, its activity toward soluble xylan was moderately higher than that of XynB.     

一株产木聚糖酶链霉菌的鉴定及发酵产酶*

以木聚糖为唯一碳源,筛选出一株高产木聚糖酶生产菌株。该菌株经形态特征、 培养特征、生理生化和细胞壁组分分析等实验,鉴定为卷须链霉菌（Streptomyces cirratus).摇瓶发酵产酶实验表明：培养基最佳初始pH值为6．0;玉米芯水不溶木聚糖和蛋白胨分别是最佳的碳源和氮源;添加0．5％吐温80使得木聚糖酶活力提高到原来的2．5倍,发酵液最高酶活达到623u／mL。     

Fusion of carbohydrate binding modules from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thermotoga neapolitana</Emphasis> with a family 10 xylanase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus halodurans</Emphasis> S7

Xylanase A of Thermotoga neapolitana contains binding domains both at the N- and C-terminal ends of the catalytic domain. In the N-terminal position it contains two carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM) which belong to family 22. These CBMs bind xylan but not to cellulose. The gene encoding the mature peptide of these CBMs was fused with an alkaline active GH10 xylanase from Bacillus halodurans S7 and expressed in Escherichia coli. The (His)₆ tagged hybrid protein was purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography and characterized. Xylan binding by the chimeric protein was influenced by NaCl concentration and pH of the binding medium. Binding increased with increasing salt concentration up to 200 mM. Higher extent of binding was observed under acidic conditions. The fusion of the CBM structures enhanced the hydrolytic efficiency of the xylanase against insoluble xylan, but decreased the stability of the enzyme. The optimum temperature and pH for the activity of the xylanase did not change.     

Saccharification of xylan by an amyloglucosidase of Termitomyces clypeatus and synergism in the presence of xylanase

Summary An amyloglucosidase from a mycelial culture of the mushroom Termitomyces clypeatus hydrolysed larch wood xylan independently and synergistically with an endo-(14) xylanase of the same fungus. The glucoamylase saccharified xylan predigested with xylanase at a faster rate compared to that of xylanase acting on amylase-digested xylan. However, overall saccharification of xylan in both cases was the same. Only glucose was liberated from xylan by amylase digestion whereas xylose, xylobiose and other oligosaccharides were liberated during xylanase digestion. The synergistic response of enzyme combinations was reflected in the liberation of glucose from xylan, rather than xylose. Glucoamylase and xylanase activities on soluble and insoluble fractions of larch wood xylan with different xylose and glucose contents suggested that synergism in xylanolysis by the presence of glucoamylase was dependent on the activity of the participating xylanase on the xylan preparation. It is suggested that possibly -glucosidic linkages are present in xylan and that amyloglucosidase might be involved in xylanolysis. Correspondence to: S. Sengupta     

Cloning of a Thermomonospora fusca xylanase gene and its expression in Escherichia coli and Streptomyces lividans.

Thermomonospora fusca chromosomal DNA was partially digested with EcoRI to obtain 4- to 14-kilobase fragments, which were used to construct a library of recombinant phage by ligation with EcoRI arms of lambda gtWES. lambda B. A recombinant phage coding for xylanase activity which contained a 14-kilobase insert was identified. The xylanase gene was localized to a 2.1-kilobase SalI fragment of the EcoRI insert by subcloning onto pBR322 and derivatives of pBR322 that can also replicate in Streptomyces lividans. The xylanase activity produced by S. lividans transformants was 10- to 20-fold higher than that produced by Escherichia coli transformants but only one-fourth the level produced by induced T. fusca. A 30-kilodalton peptide with activity against both Remazol brilliant blue xylan and xylan was produced in S. lividans transformants that carried the 2.1-kilobase SalI fragment of T. fusca DNA and was not produced by control transformants. T. fusca cultures were found to contain a xylanase of a similar size that was induced by growth on xylan or Solka Floc. Antiserum directed against supernatant proteins isolated from a Solka Floc-grown T. fusca culture inhibited the xylanase activity of S. lividans transformants. The cloned T. fusca xylanase gene was expressed at about the same level in S. lividans grown in minimal medium containing either glucose, cellobiose, or xylan. The xylanase bound to and hydrolyzed insoluble xylan. The cloned xylanase appeared to be the same as the major protein in xylan-induced T. fusca culture supernatants, which also contained at least three additional minor proteins with xylanase activity and having apparent molecular masses of 43, 23, and 20 kilodaltons.     

Salinity and temperature effects on accessibility of soluble and cross-linked insoluble xylans to endo-xylanases

Different responses to salinity were observed for an extremely halotolerant endo-xylanase when assayed with soluble birchwood glucoronoxylan and cross-linked dyed insoluble birchwood glucoronoxylan. Shrinking of insoluble xylan particles due to increased ionic strength is proposed as the explanation. Temperature affected the xylanase activity measurement on the insoluble xylan greatly, likely due to increased enzyme accessible surface of the substrate at high temperatures.     

Effect of pH on production of xylanase by Trichoderma reesei on xylan- and cellulose-based media

Trichoderma reesei VTT-D-86271 (Rut C-30) was cultivatedon media based on cellulose and xylan as the main carbon source in fermentors with different pH minimum controls. Production of xylanase was favoured by a rather high pH minimum control between 6.0 and 7.0 on both cellulose- and xylan-based media. Although xylanase was produced efficiently on cellulose as well as on xylan as the carbon source, significant production of cellulose was observed only on the cellulose-based medium and best production was at lower pH (4.0 minimum). Production of xylanase at pH 7.0 was shown to be dependent on the nature of the xylan in the cultivation medium but was independent of other organic components. Best production of xylanase was observed on insoluble, unsubstituted beech xylan at pH 7.0. Similar results were obtained in laboratory and pilot (200-l) fermentors. Downstream processing of the xylanase-rich, low-cellulose culture filtrate presented no technical problems despite apparent autolysis of the fungus at the high pH. Enzyme produced in the 200-l pilot fermentor was shown to be suitable for use in enzyme-aided bleaching of kraft pulp. Due to the high xylanase/cellulase ratio of enzyme activities in the culture filtrate, pretreatment for removal of cellulase activity prior to pulp bleaching was unnecessary. Correspondence to: M. J. Bailey     

Fusion of family VI cellulose binding domains to Bacillus halodurans xylanase increases its catalytic activity and substrate-binding capacity to insoluble xylan

A tandem repeat of the family VI cellulose binding domain (CBD) from Clostridium stercorarium xylanase (XylA) was fused at the carboxyl-terminus of Bacillus halodurans xylanase (XylA). B. halodurans XylA is an enzyme which is active in the alkaline region of pH and lacks a CBD. The constructed chimera was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and then subjected to detailed characterization. The chimeric enzyme displayed pH activity and stability profiles similar to those of the parental enzyme. The optimal temperature of the chimera was observed at 60 °C and the enzyme was stable up to 50 °C. Binding studies with insoluble polysaccharides indicated that the chimera had acquired an increased affinity for oat spelt xylan and acid-swollen cellulose. The bound chimeric enzyme was desorbed from insoluble substrates with sugars and soluble polysaccharides, indicating that the CBDs also possess an affinity for soluble sugars. Overall, the chimera displayed a higher level of hydrolytic activity toward insoluble oat spelt xylan than its parental enzyme and a similar level of activity toward soluble xylan.     

Characterization of a xylanase inhibitor TAXI-I from wheat

Xylanase inhibitor TAXI-I gene was cloned from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and then TAXI-I encoding sequence was expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant TAXI-I protein inhibited glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 11 xylanases in Aspergillus niger (Anx; a fungal xylanase), and Thermomonospora fusca (Tfx; a bacterial xylanase), and also inhibited hybrid xylanases Atx (a hybrid xylanase whose parents are T. fusca and A. niger) and Btx (a hybrid xylanase whose parents are T. fusca and Bacillus subtilis). Among the tested xylanases, A. niger xylanase was the most inhibited one by wheat xylanase inhibitor TAXI-I, while T. fusca xylanase was the least inhibited one. The profile of TAXI-I gene expression in wheat in response to phytohormones was also investigated. TAXI-I gene expression was drastically induced by methyl jasmonate (MeJa), and hardly detected in gibberellic acid (GA) treatment. Therefore, TAXI-I might be involved in plant defense against fungal and bacteria xylanases.     

The cellulolytic and hemi-cellulolytic system of Bacillus licheniformis SVD1 and the evidence for production of a large multi-enzyme complex

The cellulolytic and hemi-cellulolytic system of Bacillus licheniformis SVD1 was isolated and characterised in birchwood xylan cultures. The predominant activity in the crude culture was xylanase activity, but the crude culture also displayed Avicelase, carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase), mannanase, and pectinase activity. Most of the xylanase activity was found in the culture supernatant, but some activity was cell-associated. Using Sepharose 4B size exclusion chromatography, a 2000 kDa multi-enzyme complex (MEC) was purified. The MEC contained predominantly xylanase activity, as well as significant levels of mannanase and CMCase activity, but no Avicelase activity. SDS-PAGE revealed up to eight visible bands in the MEC while zymograms of the MEC displayed two xylanase active bands at 21 kDa and 45 kDa, and two CMCase active bands at 25 kDa and 30 kDa. More active bands were visible in the crude supernatant with an additional xylanase active band at 40 kDa and an additional CMCase active band at 55 kDa. Using thin layer chromatography (TLC), it was established that the crude fraction could release xylose from insoluble birchwood xylan, while the MEC was only able to produce xylobiose from this substrate. The MEC was further able to bind to insoluble xylan, but was unable to bind to crystalline cellulose. This MEC lacks many of the characteristic features of a cellulosome and is most likely a different type of complex. The presence of both high xylanase and mannanase activity makes this MEC unusual.     

Optimization of extracellular xylanase production by Dictyoglomus sp. B1 in continuous culture

The thermophilic, xylanolytic, anaerobic organism, Dictyoglomus sp. B1, was cultivated in batch and continuous cultures in media containing insoluble beech-wood xylan. The extracellular xylanase activity levels obtained for the two cultivation methods were compared. Experiments were performed separately to determine the optimum substrate concentration, dilution rate, pH and temperature for xylanase production. Maximum xylanase activity was found at a substrate concentration of 1.5 g xylan/l, a dilution rate of 0.112 h^–1, pH 8.0 and at 7°C. Different combinations of these optimum values were used in a 2³ factorial experiment to investigate whether an increase in the xylanase production/activity could be achieved. A maximum xylanase activity of 2312 U/l was found when fermentors were operated at 73°C with a substrate concentration of 1.5 g xylan/l, pH 8.0, and a dilution rate of 0.112 h^–1. Thus, the optimum xylanase activity in the factorial experiment was obtained when the conditions that gave the maximum xylanase activities in the individual experiments were combined. Optimum xylanase activity obtained in the 2³ factorial experiment was 6.2 times higher than the activity found in the initial batch culture (373 U/l) and 3.0 times higher than the activity of a batch culture (783 U/l) grown at the same optimum conditions as the factorial experiment. The higher specific xylanase activity (217 U/mg protein) found in the 2³ factorial experiment was 4.1 times higher than the specific activity in the initial batch culture (53 U/mg protein).     

Isolation and characterization of endocellulase-free multienzyme complex from newly isolated Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum strain NOI-1

An endocellulase-free multienzyme complex was produced by a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium, Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum strain NOI-1, when grown on xylan. The temperature and pH optima for growth were 60 degrees C and 6.0, respectively. The bacterial cells were found to adhere to insoluble xylan and Avicel. A scanning electron microscopy analysis showed the adhesion of xylan to the cells. An endocellulase-free multienzyme complex was isolated from the crude enzyme of strain NOI-1 by affinity purification on cellulose and Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration. The molecular mass of the multienzyme complex was estimated to be about 1,200 kDa. The multienzyme complex showed one protein on native PAGE, one xylanase on a native zymogram, 21 proteins on SDS-PAGE, and 5 xylanases on a SDS zymogram. The multienzyme complex consisted of xylanase, beta-xylosidase, alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase, beta-glucosidase, and cellobiohydrolase. The multienzyme complex was effective in hydrolyzing xylan and corn hulls. This is the first report of an endocellulase-free multienzyme complex produced by a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium, T. thermosaccharolyticum strain NOI-1.     

Purification and Properties of a Xylan-Binding Endoxylanase from Alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. Strain K-1

An alkaliphilic bacterium, Bacillus sp. strain K-1, produces extracellular xylanolytic enzymes such as xylanases, β-xylosidase, arabinofuranosidase, and acetyl esterase when grown in xylan medium. One of the extracellular xylanases that is stable in an alkaline state was purified to homogeneity by affinity adsorption-desorption on insoluble xylan. The enzyme bound to insoluble xylan but not to crystalline cellulose. The molecular mass of the purified xylan-binding xylanase was estimated to be approximately 23 kDa. The enzyme was stable at alkaline pHs up to 12. The optimum temperature and optimum pH of the enzyme activity were 60°C and 5.5, respectively. Metal ions such as Fe²⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺ greatly increased the xylanase activity, whereas Mn²⁺ strongly inhibited it. We also demonstrated that the enzyme could hydrolyze the raw lignocellulosic substances effectively. The enzymatic products of xylan hydrolysis were a series of short-chain xylooligosaccharides, indicating that the enzyme was an endoxylanase.     

Importance of the carbohydrate-binding module of Clostridium stercorarium Xyn10B to xylan hydrolysis

The Clostridium stercorarium xylanase Xyn10B is a modular enzyme comprising two thermostabilizing domains, a family 10 catalytic domain of glycosyl hydrolases, a family 9 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM), and two S-layer homologous (SLH) domains [Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem., 63, 1596-1604 (1999)]. To investigate the role of this CBM, we constructed two derivatives of Xyn10B and compared their hydrolytic activity toward xylan and some preparations of plant cell walls; Xyn10BdeltaCBM consists of a catalytic domain only, and Xyn10B-CBM comprises a catalytic domain and a CBM. Xyn10B-CBM bound to various insoluble polysaccharides including Avicel, acid-swollen cellulose, ball-milled chitin, Sephadex G-25, and amylose-resin. A cellulose binding assay in the presence of soluble saccharides suggested that the CBM of Xyn10B had an affinity for even monosaccharides such as glucose, galactose, xylose, mannose and ribose. Removal of the CBM from the enzyme negated its cellulose- and xylan-binding abilities and severely reduced its enzyme activity toward insoluble xylan and plant cell walls but not soluble xylan. These findings clearly indicated that the CBM of Xyn10B is important in the hydrolysis of insoluble xylan. This is the first report of a family 9 CBM with an affinity for insoluble xylan in addition to crystalline cellulose and the ability to increase hydrolytic activity toward insoluble xylan.     

Production of xylanases byAspergillus fumigatus andAspergillus oryzae on xylan-based media

Aspergillus fumigatus andA. oryzae were cultivated in laboratory fermenters on media containing xylan as the main carbon source.A. fumigatus produced xylanase on unsubstituted, insoluble beech xylan but growth and enzyme production on soluble xylo-oligosaccharides from the steaming of hardwood were poor due to the presence of inhibitors. An essential prerequisite for good xylanase production byA. fumigatus was decrease in the pH of the cultivation below 3.0 At higher pH values, the production of proteolytic enzymes caused degradation of the xylanase activity already produced.A. oryzae produced rather less xylanase activity thanA. fumigatus on the beech xylan medium but, after adaptation, was capable of efficient enzyme production on the steamed substrate.M.J. Bailey and L. Viikari are with the VTT, Biotechnical Laboratory, PO Box 202, SF-02151 Espoo, Finland     

Purification and characterization of a new xylanase from Acrophialophora nainiana

A new xylanase activity (XynII) was isolated from liquid state cultures of Acrophialophora nainiana containing birchwood xylan as carbon source. XynII was purified to apparent homogeneity by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatographies. The enzyme was optimally active at 55 degrees C and pH 7.0. XynII had molecular mass of 22630+/-3.0 and 22165 Da, as determined by mass spectrometry and SDS-PAGE, respectively. The purified enzyme was able to act only on xylan as substrate. The apparent K(m) values on soluble and insoluble birchwood xylans were 40.9 and 16.1 mg ml(-1), respectively. The enzyme showed good thermal stability with half lives of 44 h at 55 degrees C and ca. 1 h at 60 degrees C The N-terminal sequence of XynII showed homology with a xylanase grouped in family G/11. The enzyme did not show amino acid composition similarity with xylanases from some fungi and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.