Cloning, expression, and characterization of a xylanase 10 from Aspergillus terreus (BCC129) in Pichia pastoris

A full-length xylanase gene, encoding 326 amino acids belonging to the fungal glycosyl hydrolase family 10, from Aspergillus terreus BCC129 was cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis suggested that the first 25 amino acids of this enzyme is the signal peptide. Therefore, only the mature xylanase gene of 906 bp was cloned into a yeast expression vector, pPICZalphaA, for heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris. A band of approximately, 33 kDa was observed on the SDS-PAGE gel after one day of methanol induction. The expressed enzyme was purified by gel filtration chromatography. The purified recombinant xylanase demonstrated optimal activity at 60 degrees C, pH 5.0 and a Km of 4.8 +/- 0.07 mg/ml and a Vmax of 757 +/- 14.54 micromol/min mg, using birchwood xylan as a substrate. Additionally, the purified enzyme demonstrated broad pH stability from 4 to 10 when incubated at 40 degrees C for 4 h. It also showed a moderate thermal stability since it retained 90% of its activity when incubated at 50 degrees C, 30 min, making this enzyme a potential use in the animal feed and paper and pulp industries.     

Cloning, expression and characterization of recombinant elastase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Picha pastoris

The gene lasB from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which encoded elastase, was cloned and firstly successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris stain KM71 under the control of AOX promoter. The effects on the recombinant elastase activities of different pH, different temperatures and different metal ions were assayed. The full-length gene (1497 bp) encodes a preproenzyme including an N-terminal signal peptide (23 aa), a propeptide (197 aa) and mature elastase (301 aa). The recombinant elastase was secreted into culture supernatants using signal sequence from lasB and showed a single band at about 34 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The recombinant elastase expression hit the highest level of approximately 450 mg/L and the specific elastolytic activity of the recombinant elastase was 130 U/ml, which was approximately 26-fold higher than that of elastase obtained from P. aeruginosa. The optimal temperature and pH of the recombinant elastase was 28 degrees C and 7.4, respectively. The enzyme possessed high resistance to heat, and can be activated by Ca(2+). These enzyme properties suggested that it could be produced in an industrial scale and has the potential to be a commercial enzyme.     

A thermostable alpha-arabinofuranosidase from xylanolytic Bacillus pumilus: purification and characterisation

Bacillus pumilus PS213 secretes an alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase (AF) when grown in the presence of arabinogalactan or oat meal. The enzyme has been purified to homogeneity and characterised. Its molecular mass, as determined by gel filtration, is 220 kDa, while sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed a single band of approximately 60 kDa. According to the result of the mass spectrometry analysis showing a molecular mass of 56 kDa, the enzyme should be a homotetramer. The isoelectric point was found to be 5.2, the enzyme activity was optimal at 55 degrees C and pH 7.0. The enzyme retained 80% of its activity after 2 h at 65 degrees C and lost 50% of activity at 75 degrees C after 135 min. The Michaelis constant K(m) and V(max) for p-nitrophenylarabinofuranoside at 37 degrees C were 1.7 mM and 52.9 U mg(-1), respectively. N-terminal sequence analysis and internal peptide fragments showed homology with glycosyl hydrolases of family 51.     

Characteristics of bifunctional acidic endoglucanase (Cel5B) from Gloeophyllum trabeum

The endoglucanase (Cel5B) from the filamentous fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum was cloned and expressed without a signal peptide, and alanine residue 22 converted to glutamine in Pichia pastoris GS115. The DNA sequence of Cel5B had an open reading frame of 1,077 bp, encoding a protein of 359 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 47 kDa. On the basis of sequence similarity, Cel5B displayed active site residues at Glu-175 and Glu-287. Both residues lost full hydrolytic activity when replaced with alanine through point mutation. The purified recombinant Cel5B showed very high specific activity, about 80- to 1,000-fold and 13- to 70-fold in comparison with other endoglucanases and cellobiohydrolase, on carboxymethylcellulose and filter paper, respectively, at pH 3.5 and 55°C. Cel5B displayed bifunctional characteristics under acidic conditions. The kinetic properties of the enzyme determined using a Lineweaver-Burk plot indicated that Cel5B is a catalytically efficient cellulolytic enzyme. These results suggest that Cel5B has high bifunctional endo- and exoglucanase activity under acidic conditions and is a good candidate for bioconversion of lignocellulose.     

Identification and expression of cellobiohydrolase (CBHI) gene from an endophytic fungus, Fusicoccum sp. (BCC4124) in Pichia pastoris

A gene encoding a cellobiohydrolase (CBHI) was isolated from Fusicoccum sp. (BCC4124), an endophytic fungus belongs in phylum Ascomycota, using 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) technique. This CBHI gene contains 1395 nucleotides and encodes a 465-amino acid protein with a molecular weight of approximately 50 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence showed significant similarity to those of other fungal CBHI belonging to family 7 of glycosyl hydrolase. Interestingly, the result from the amino acid alignment revealed that this CBHI does not contain the cellulose binding domain nor the linker region. The CBHI gene was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris KM71. The purified recombinant CBHI has ability to hydrolyze Avicel, filter paper and 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-d-cellobioside (MUC) but not carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). It showed an optimal working condition at 40 degrees C, pH 5 with K(m) and V(max) toward MUC of 0.57 mM and 3.086 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. The purified enzyme was stable at pH range of 3-11. The enzyme retained approximately 50% of its maximal activity after incubating at 70-90 degrees C for 30 min. Due to its stability through wide range of pH, and moderately stable at high temperature, this enzyme has potential in various biotechnology applications.     

High-level production of recombinant fungal endo-beta-1,4-xylanase in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

Efficient production of recombinant Aspergillus niger family 11 1, 4-beta-xylanase was achieved in Pichia pastoris. The cDNA-encoding XylA fused to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae invertase signal peptide was placed under the control of the P. pastoris AOX1 promoter. Secretion yields up to 60 mg/liter were obtained in synthetic medium. The recombinant XylA was purified to homogeneity using a one-step purification protocol and found to be identical to the enzyme overexpressed in A. niger with respect to size, pI, and immunoreactivity. N-terminal sequence analysis of the recombinant protein indicated that the S. cerevisiae signal peptide was correctly processed in P. pastoris. The purified protein has a molecular weight of 19,893 Da, in excellent agreement with the calculated mass, and appears as one single band on isoelectric focusing with pI value around 3.5. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of one major isoform produced by P. pastoris and the absence of glycosylation. The recombinant enzyme was further characterized in terms of specific activity, pH profile, kinetic parameters, and thermostability toward birchwood xylan as substrate and compared with the xylanase purified from A. niger. Both enzymes exhibit a pH optimum at 3.5 and maximal activity at 50 degrees C. The enzyme activity follows normal Michaelis-Menten kinetics with K(m) and V(max) values similar for both enzymes. P. pastoris produced recombinant xylanase in high yields that can be obtained readily as a single form. A. niger xylanase is the first microbial xylanase efficiently secreted and correctly processed by P. pastoris.     

Cloning of a gene encoding thermostable glucoamylase from Chaetomium thermophilum and its expression in Pichia pastoris

AIMS: Chaetomium thermophilum is a soil-borne thermophilic fungus whose molecular biology is poorly understood. Only a few genes have been cloned from the Chaetomium genus. This study attempted to clone, to sequence and to express a thermostable glucoamylase gene of C. thermophilum. METHODS AND RESULTS: First strand cDNA was prepared from total RNA isolated from C. thermophilum and the glucoamylase gene amplified by using PCR. Degenerate primers based on the N-terminal sequences of the purified glucoamylase according to our previous works and a cDNA fragment encoding the glucoamylase gene was obtained through RT-PCR. Using RACE-PCR, full-length cDNA of glucoamylase gene was cloned from C. thermophilum. The full-length cDNA of the glucoamylase was 2016 bp and contained a 1797-bp open reading frame encoding a protein glucoamylase precursor of 599 amino acid residues. The amino-acid sequence from 31 to 45 corresponded to the N-terminal sequence of the purified protein. The first 30 amino acids were presumed to be a signal peptide. The alignment results of the putative amino acid sequence showed the catalytic domain of the glucoamylase was high homology with the catalytic domains of the other glucoamylases. The C. thermophilum glucoamylase gene was expressed in Pichia pastoris, and the glucoamylase was secreted into the culture medium by the yeast in a functionally active form. The recombinant glucoamylase purified was a glycoprotein with a size of about 66 kDa, and exhibited optimum catalytic activity at pH 4.5-5.0 and 65 degrees C. The enzyme was stable at 60 degrees C, the enzyme activity kept 80% after 60 min incubation at 70 degrees C. The half-life was 40 and 10 min under incubation at 80 and 90 degrees C respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A new thermostable glucoamylase gene of C. thermophilum was cloned, sequenced, overexpressed successfully in P. pastoris. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Because of its thermostability and overexpression, this glucoamylase enzyme offers an interesting potential in saccharification steps in both starch enzymatic conversion and in alcohol production.     

Endo-1,4-beta-xylanase B from Aspergillus cf. niger BCC14405 isolated in Thailand: purification, characterization and gene isolation

During the screening of xylanolytic enzymes from locally isolated fungi, one strain BCC14405, exhibited high enzyme activity with thermostability. This fugal strain was identified as Aspergillus cf. niger based on its morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. An enzyme with xylanolytic activity from BCC14405 was later purified and characterized. It was found to have a molecular mass of ca. 21 kDa, an optimal pH of 5.0, and an optimal temperature of 55 degrees C. When tested using xylan from birchwood, it showed K(m) and V(max) values of 8.9 mg/ml and 11,100 U/mg, respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by CuSO(4) EDTA, and by FeSO(4) The homology of the 20-residue N-terminal protein sequence showed that the enzyme was an endo-1,4-beta-xylanase. The full-length gene encoding endo-1,4-beta-xylanase from BCC14405 was obtained by PCR amplification of its cDNA. The gene contained an open reading frame of 678 bp, encoding a 225 amino acid protein, which was identical to the endo-1,4-a-xylanase B previously identified in A. niger.     

桔青霉木聚糖酶基因克隆及其在毕赤酵母中的表达及活性分析

通过同源序列PCR克隆的方法,获得桔青霉(Penicillium citrinum)CR-2菌株的木聚糖酶编码基因xyl,该基因全长984 bp,编码327个氨基酸,无内含子序列,具有完整开放阅读框。其编码的氨基酸序列N端具有一段包含19个氨基酸的信号肽序列,并具有糖基水解酶第10家族(GH10)的保守催化域特征,推测该酶属于第10家族成员。将该基因与毕赤酵母表达载体pPIC9相连接构建重组载体pPIC9-XYL,电击转化至毕赤酵母GS115菌株中。挑选阳性重组子经测序、酶活性以及SDS电泳分析表明,xyl基因成功在毕赤酵母中分泌表达,重组酶活性可达214.15 IU/mL。该重组酶最适温度与最适pH分别为50℃和4.5,且具有良好的pH和热稳定性。     

Purification and characterization of a thermostable MnSOD from the thermophilic fungus Chaetomium thermophilum

A thermostable superoxide dismutase (SOD) from the culture supernatant of a thermophilic fungus Chaetomium thermophilum strain CT2 was purified to homogeneity by fractional ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-sepharose, phenyl-sepharose hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The pure SOD had a specific activity of 115.77 U/mg of protein and was purified 7.49-fold, with a yield of 14.4%. The molecular mass of a single band of the enzyme was estimated to be 23.5 kDa, using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Using gel filtration on Sephacryl S-100, the molecular mass was estimated to be 94.4 kDa, indicating that this enzyme was composed of four identical subunits of 23.5 kDa each. The SOD was found to be inhibited by NaN3, but not by KCN and H2O2. Atomic absorption spectrophotometric analysis showed that the content of Mn was 2.05 microg/mg of protein and Fe was not detected in the purified enzyme. These results suggested that the SOD in C. thermophilum was the manganese superoxide dismutase type. N-terminal amino acid sequencing (10 residues) was KX (X is uncertain) TLPDLKYD. The N-terminal amino acid sequencing homologies to other MnSod also indicated that it was a manganese-containing superoxide dismutase. The SOD exhibited maximal activity at pH 7.5 and optimum temperature at 60 C. It was thermostable at 50 and 60 C and retained 60% activity after 60 min at 70 C. The half-life of the SOD at 80 C was approximately 25 min and even retained 20% activity after 30 min at 90 C.     

Characterization of Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase ii expressed heterologously in Pichia pastoris for better biofinishing and biostoning

The endoglucanase II of Trichoderma reesei is considered the most effective enzyme for biofinishing cotton fabrics and biostoning denim garments. However, the commercially available preparation of endoglucanase II is usually mixed with other cellulase components, especially endoglucanase I, resulting in hydrolysis and weight loss of garments during biofinishing and biostoning. We thus isolated the endoglucanase II gene from T. reesei to express this in Pichia pastoris, under the control of a methanol-inducible AOX1 promoter, to avoid the presence of other cellulase components. A highly expressible Mut(+) transformant was selected and its expression in BMMH medium was found most suitable for the production of large amounts of the recombinant protein. Recombinant endoglucanase II was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity, and functionally characterized by activity staining. The specific activity of recombinant endoglucanase II was found to be 220.57 EU/mg of protein. Purified recombinant endoglucanase II was estimated to have a molecular mass of 52.8 kDa. The increase in molecular mass was likely due to hyperglycosylation. Hyperglycosylation of recombinant endoglucanase II secreted by P. pastoris did not change the temperature or pH optima as compared to the native protein, but did result in increased thermostability. Kinetic analysis showed that recombinant endoglucanase was most active against amorphous cellulose, such as carboxymethyl cellulose, for which it also had a high affinity.     

Purification and characterization of a thermostable glucoamylase from Chaetomium thermophilum

Thermostable amylolytic enzymes are currently being investigated to improve industrial processes of starch degradation. A thermostable extracellular glucoamylase (exo-1, 4-alpha-D-glucanohydrolase, E.C.3.2.1.3) from the culture supernatant of a thermophilic fungus Chaetomium thermophilum was purified to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) homogeneity by using ammonium sulfate fraction, DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow chromatography, and Phenyl-Sepharose Fast Flow chromatography. SDS-PAGE of the purified enzyme showed a single protein band of molecular weight 64 kDa. The glucoamylase exhibited optimum catalytic activity at pH 4.0 and 65 degrees C. It was thermostable at 50 degrees C and 60 degrees C, and retained 50% activity after 60 min at 65 degrees C. The half-life of the enzyme at 70 degrees C was 20 min. N-terminal amino acid sequencing (15 residues) was AVDSYIERETPIAWN. Different metal ions showed different effects on the glucoamylase activity. Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+ enhanced the enzyme activity, whereas Fe2+, Ag+, and Hg2+ cause obvious inhibition. These properties make it applicable to other biotechnological purposes.     

Molecular cloning and expression of a novel family A endoglucanase gene from Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 in Escherichia coli

A Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 gene that encodes endoglucanase hydrolysing CMC and xylan was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli DH5 by using pUC19 vector. Recombinant plasmid DNA from a positive clone hydrolysing CMC and xylan was designated as pCMX1, harboring 2,043 bp insert. The entire nucleotide sequence was determined, and an open-reading frame (ORF) was deduced. The nucleotide sequence accession number of the cloned gene sequence in Genbank is U94826. The endoglucanase gene cloned in this study does not have amino sequence homology to the other endoglucanase genes from F. succinogenes S85, but does show sequence homology to family 5 (family A) of glycosyl hydrolases from several species. The ORF encodes a polypeptide of 654 amino acids with a measured molecular weight of 81.3 kDa on SDS-PAGE. Putative signal sequences, Shine-Dalgarno-type ribosomal binding site and promoter sequences (-10) related to the consensus promoter sequences were deduced. The recombinant endoglucanase by E. coli harboring pCMX1 was partially purified and characterized. N-terminal sequences of endoglucanase were Ala-Gln-Pro-Ala-Ala, matched with deduced amino sequences. The temperature range and pH for optimal activity of the purified enzyme were 55 approximately 65 degrees C and 5.5, respectively. The enzyme was most stable at pH 6 but unstable under pH 4 with a K(m) value of 0.49% CMC and a V(max) value of 152 U/mg.     

极端耐热木聚糖酶基因在大肠杆菌和毕赤酵母中的高效表达

以海栖热袍菌 (Thermotoga maritima) MSB8菌株基因组DNA为模板,通过PCR扩增出木聚糖酶（XylanaseB）基因, 将此基因克隆至大肠杆菌表达载体pET_28a（+）和毕赤酵母表达载体pPIC9K,并分别转化大肠杆菌 BL21和毕赤酵母GS115。该木聚糖酶在大肠杆菌细胞中表达量高, 但不能分泌; 而在毕赤酵母细胞的表达产物可分泌至胞外。酶学性质分析表明,此酶分子量约为40kD,其最适反应温度为90℃, 最适反应pH值为6.65,且在碱性条件下稳定,具有重要的工业应用前景。     

High-level expression of recombinant phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus in Pichia pastoris and its characterization

The phospholipase c (plc) gene from Bacillus cereus was cloned into the pPICZC vector and integrated into the genome of Pichia pastoris. The phospholipase C (PLC) when expressed in P. pastoris was fused to the alpha-factor secretion signal peptide of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and secreted into a culture medium. Recombinant P. pastoris X-33 had a clear PLC band at 28.5 kDa and produced an extracellular PLC with an activity of 678 U mg(-1) protein which was more than a recombinant P. pastoris GS115 (552 U mg(-1) protein) or KM71H (539 U mg(-1) protein). The PLCs were purified using a HiTrap affinity column with a specific activity of 1335 U mg(-1) protein by P. pastoris GS115, 1176 U mg(-1) protein by P. pastoris KM71H and 1522 U mg(-1) protein by P. pastoris X-33. The three recombinant PLCs had high PLC activity in the low pH range of 4-5 and higher thermal stability (e.g. stable at 75 degrees C) than the wild-type PLC from B. cereus . Some organic solvents, surfactants and metal ions, e.g. methanol, acetone, Co(2+) and Mn(2+) etc., also influenced the activity of the recombinant PLCs.     

A thermotolerant beta-glucosidase isolated from an endophytic fungi, Periconia sp., with a possible use for biomass conversion to sugars

A fungal strain, BCC2871 (Periconia sp.), was found to produce a thermotolerant beta-glucosidase, BGL I, with high potential for application in biomass conversion. The full-length gene encoding the target enzyme was identified and cloned into Pichia pastoris KM71. Similar to the native enzyme produced by BCC2871, the recombinant beta-glucosidase showed optimal temperature at 70 degrees C and optimal pH of 5 and 6. The enzyme continued to exhibit high activity even after long incubation at high temperature, retaining almost 60% of maximal activity after 1.5h at 70 degrees C. It was also stable under basic conditions, retaining almost 100% of maximal activity after incubation for 2h at pH8. The enzyme has high activity towards cellobiose and other synthetic substrates containing glycosyl groups as well as cellulosic activity toward carboxymethylcellulose. Thermostability of the enzyme was improved remarkably in the presence of cellobiose, glucose, or sucrose. This beta-glucosidase was able to hydrolyze rice straw into simple sugars. The addition of this beta-glucosidase to the rice straw hydrolysis reaction containing a commercial cellulase, Celluclast 1.5L (Novozyme, Denmark) resulted in increase of reducing sugars being released compared to the hydrolysis without the beta-glucosidase. This enzyme is a candidate for applications that convert lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and chemicals.     

里氏木霉内切-β-甘露聚糖酶基因在毕赤酵母中的表达

采用PCR方法从里氏木霉(Trichoderma reesei)基因组中获得含有两个内含子的内切-β-甘露聚糖酶全长基因,末端重叠延伸PCR去除内含子后,将其插入到巴斯德毕赤酵母(Picher pastoris)表达载体pPIC9K中,位于α-因子信号肽序列的下游,并与之同框,获得重组质粒pM242。重组质粒线性化后用电击法转化毕赤酵母菌株GS115。经大量筛选,获得高效分泌表达内切甘露聚糖酶的毕赤酵母工程菌株Gpmf25。摇瓶发酵结果表明,培养基中甘露聚糖酶的活力可达12.5IU/mL。重组酶最适pH和最适反应温度分别为5.0和80℃,在pH5.0～6.0时酶活稳定,在pH5.4时70℃保温30min酶活维持50％以上。     

Extracellular secretion of a maltogenic amylase from Lactobacillus gasseri ATCC33323 in Lactococcus lactis MG1363 and its application on the production of branched maltooligosaccharides

A maltogenic amylase gene from Lactobacillus gasseri ATCC33323 (LGMA) was expressed in Lactococcus lactis MG1363 using the P170 expression system. The successful production of recombinant LGMA (rLGMA) was confirmed by the catalytic activity of the enzyme in liquid and solid media. The N-terminal amino acid sequencing analysis of the rLGMA showed that it was Met-Gln-Leu-Ala-Ala-Leu-, which was the same as that of genuine protein, meaning the signal peptide was efficiently cleaved during secretion to the extracellular milieu. The optimal reaction temperature and pH of rLGMA (55 degrees C and pH 5, respectively) and enzymatic hydrolysis patterns on various substrates (beta-cyclodextrin, starch, and pullulan) supported that rLGMA was not only efficiently secreted from the Lactococcus lactis MG1363 but was also functionally active. Finally, the branched maltooligosaccharides were effectively produced from liquefied corn starch, by using rLGMA secreted from Lactococcus lactis, with a yield of 53.1%.     

Expression of a heat stable phytase from Aspergillus fumigatus in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. NC89)

Aspergillus fumigatus contains a heat-stable phytase of great potential. To determine whether this phytase could be expressed in plants as a functional enzyme, we introduced the phytase gene from A. fumigatus (fphyA) in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. NC89) by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Phytase expression was controlled by the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. Secretion of recombinant phytase (tfphyA) to the extracellular fluid was established by use of the signal sequence from tobacco calreticulin. Forty-one independent transgenic plants were generated. Single-copy line A was selected based on segregation of T1 seeds for kanamycin resistance, phytase expression and Southern blotting analysis for use in further study. After 4-weeks of plant growth, the phytase was accumulated in leaves up to 2.3% of total soluble protein. tfphyA was functional and shared similar profiles of pH, temperature and thermal stability to the same enzyme expressed in Pichia pastoris (pfphyA). The expressed enzyme had an apparent molecular mass of 63 kDa and showed maximum activity at pH 5.5, and temperature, 55 degrees C. It had a high thermostability and retained 28.7% of the initial activity even after incubation at 90 degrees C for 15 min. The above results showed that the thermostable A. fumigatus phytase could be expressed in tobacco as a functional enzyme and thus has the potential of overexpressing it in other crop plants also.