A novel raw starch digesting thermostable α-amylase from Bacillus sp. I-3 and its use in the direct hydrolysis of raw potato starch

A new strain of Bacillus sp. I-3, isolated from natural soil samples, showed a high raw starch digesting activity towards potato starch. Upon optimization of various environmental and cultural conditions, the yield of α-amylase reached 642 U/mL. The kinetic characterization of partially purified enzyme exhibited the maximum activity at 70 °C, pH 7.0 and revealed a high thermostability in the presence of 10 mM CaCl₂·2H₂O where it could retain more than 90% residual activity at 70 °C after 3.5 h. At 80, 90 and 100 °C, the enzyme retained 80, 59 and 26% of its maximum activity after 2.5, 0.5 and 0.5 h, respectively. The enzyme preparation had a strong affinity towards raw potato starch granules and was almost completely adsorbed onto it. It also hydrolyzed raw potato starch at a concentration of 12.5% significantly in a short period of time of 12 h.     

Partial purification and characterization of exoinulinase from Kluyveromyces marxianus YS-1 for preparation of high-fructose syrup

An extracellular exoinulinase (2,1-beta-D fructan fructanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.7), which catalyzes the hydrolysis of inulin into fructose and glucose, was purified 23.5-fold by ethanol precipitation, followed by Sephadex G-100 gel permeation from a cell-free extract of Kluyveromyces marxianus YS-1. The partially purified enzyme exhibited considerable activity between pH 5 to 6, with an optimum pH of 5.5, while it remained stable (100%) for 3 h at the optimum temperature of 50 degrees C. Mn2+ and Ca2+ produced a 2.4-fold and 1.2-fold enhancement in enzyme activity, whereas Hg2+ and Ag2+ completely inhibited the inulinase. A preparation of the partially purified enzyme effectively hydrolyzed inulin, sucrose, and raffinose, yet no activity was found with starch, lactose, and maltose. The enzyme preparation was then successfully used to hydrolyze pure inulin and raw inulin from Asparagus racemosus for the preparation of a high-fructose syrup. In a batch system, the exoinulinase hydrolyzed 84.8% of the pure inulin and 86.7% of the raw Asparagus racemosus inulin, where fructose represented 43.6 mg/ml and 41.3 mg/ml, respectively.     

Production of pullulanase by free and immobilized cells of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus licheniformis</Emphasis> NRC22 in batch and continuous cultures

The production of extracellular pullulanase by Bacillus licheniformis NRC22 was investigated using different fermentation modes. In batch culture maximal enzyme activity of 18 U/ml was obtained after 24 h of growth. In continuous fermentation by the free cells, maximal reactor productivity (4.15 KU/l/h) with enzyme concentration of 14.8 U/ml and specific productivity of 334.9 U/g wet cells/h was attained at a dilution rate of 0.28/h, over a period of 25 days. B. licheniformis NRC22 cells were immobilized on Ca-alginate. The immobilization conditions with respect to matrix concentration and cell load was optimized for maximal enzyme production. In repeated batch operation, the activity of the immobilized cells was stable during the 10 cycles and the activity remained between 9.8 and 7.7 U/ml. Continuous production of pullulanase by the immobilized cells was investigated in a packed–bed reactor. Maximal reactor productivity (7.0 KU/h) with enzyme concentration of 16.8 U/ml and specific productivity of 131.64 U/g wet cells/h was attained at dilution rate of 0.42/h. The enzyme activity in the effluent started to decline gradually to the level of 8.7 U/ml after 25 days of the operation.     

Preparation of Triglyceride Hydroperoxides

Corticium rolfsii AHU 9627, which we isolated from a tomato stem, is one of the most promising producers of a raw starch saccharifying enzyme. The effects of the cultural conditions and medium components on the enzyme production were investigated. The enzyme production was improved by increasing both the concentrations of carbon sources and organic nutrients in the medium. Under the optimum cultural conditions, the enzyme activity of the culture supernatant against raw starch reached a maximum after 8-days incubation at 27°C and the activity reached 80 units per ml (when determined at 40°C and pH 4.0). The optimal pH and temperature for the enzyme reaction were 4.0 and 65°C, respectively. The saccharifying reaction was scarcely inhibited even with a high substrate concentration, and raw starch was rapidly hydrolyzed into glucose.     

Repeated batch fermentation from raw starch using a maltose transporter and amylase expressing diploid yeast strain

We successfully demonstrated batch ethanol fermentation repeated ten times from raw starch with high ethanol productivity. We constructed a yeast diploid strain coexpressing the maltose transporter AGT1, α-amylase, and glucoamylase. The introduction of AGT1 allows maltose and maltotriose fermentation as well as the improvement of amylase activities. We also found that α-amylase activity during fermentation was retained by the addition of 10 mM calcium ion and that the highest α-amylase activity was 9.26 U/ml during repeated fermentation. The highest ethanol productivity was 2.22 g/l/h at the fourth batch, and after ten cycles, ethanol productivity of more than 1.43 g/l/h was retained, as was α-amylase activity at 6.43 U/ml.     

Purification and some properties of a starch debranching enzyme ofHendersonula toruloidea

An extracellular, debranching isoamylase fromHendersonula toruloidea ATCC 64930, grown on starch, was purified 12-fold to an electrophoretically homogeneous state. The purified enzyme (estimated mol wt 83000) was optimally active at pH 6.0 and 50°C and remained active when held at 70°C (30 min) and at pH 6 to 8 for 24 h. Na⁺, Fe²⁺ and Ba²⁺ (at 5mm) enhanced enzyme activity while Hg²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺ (at 5mm) were inhibitory. The enzyme hydrolysed amylopectin (Km, 0.25 mg/ml), forming maltose, maltotriose and maltotetraose and hydrolyzed glycogen (Km, 0.29 mg/ml) and soluble starch (Km, 0.42 mg/ml) forming maltotriose and maltotetraose. Pullulan was not hydrolyzed.     

Preparation and Application of Carboxymethyl Yam (Dioscorea esculenta) Starch

Yam (Dioscorea esculenta) starch was modified by carboxymethylation. The effect of reaction parameters, amount of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), amount of sodium monochloroacetate (SMCA), and reaction time on the degree of substitution (DS) of carboxymethyl yam starch (CMS), was studied using the Box–Behnken experimental design. Physicochemical and potency to be a tablet disintegrant of CMS were evaluated. CMS with DS in the range of 0.08–0.19 were obtained. The results from regression analysis indicated that the most important factor in controlling DS was the amount of NaOH followed by SMCA content and reaction time. However, high concentration of NaOH and SMCA lowered the DS. The optimal conditions to achieve the highest DS (0.19) were found to be at molar ratios of NaOH and SMCA to anhydroglucose unit of 1.80 and 2.35, respectively, and with the reaction time of 4.8 h. The swelling power and viscosity of CMS increased with an increase in the degree of modification. CMS showed satisfying tablet disintegrant properties. The tablets containing 1.0–4.0 % CMS disintegrated faster than 5 min. Hence carboxymethyl yam starch can be used as an excellent tablet disintegrant in low concentration.     

山药异淀粉酶基因克隆及其在淀粉代谢中的作用北大核心CSCD

为了明确异淀粉酶基因(ISA 3)在山药淀粉代谢中的作用,该研究以‘毕克齐’和‘大和长芋’山药为试验材料,测定了块茎中淀粉及组分含量和异淀粉酶活性等;采用RT-PCR技术克隆了ISA 3,并进行生物学分析及山药块茎不同膨大期和不同组织间ISA 3基因的表达等。结果表明:(1)山药‘大和长芋’的直链淀粉、支链淀粉和总淀粉含量均显著高于‘毕克齐’,且两品种的淀粉含量随生长发育的变化均呈先升高后降低的趋势,并均于种植后120 d时达到最高,但‘毕克齐’的异淀粉酶(ISA)活性在整个膨大期均高于‘大和长芋’。(2)成功克隆获得山药ISA 3开放阅读框长1584 bp,编码527个氨基酸;ISA3为亲水性蛋白。(3)不同品种块茎在膨大时期的ISA 3基因表达趋势不同,‘毕克齐’中呈先显著上调随后下调,而在‘大和长芋’中表达总体下调,且在山药的叶、茎和块茎中均有表达,存在明显的组织特异性。(4)ISA活性与山药淀粉及支链淀粉含量呈显著和极显著正相关关系,但ISA活性与ISA 3的表达量呈负相关关系。研究表明,异淀粉酶参与了山药块茎中淀粉的合成,且主要对支链淀粉的合成起关键作用,ISA 3基因的表达可能对异淀粉酶活性和淀粉的合成起负调控作用。     

A specific short dextrin-hydrolyzing extracellular glucosidase from the thermophilic fungus Thermoascus aurantiacus 179-5

The thermophilic fungus Thermoascus aurantiacus 179-5 produced large quantities of a glucosidase which preferentially hydrolyzed maltose over starch. Enzyme production was high in submerged fermentation, with a maximal activity of 30 U/ml after 336 h of fermentation. In solid-state fermentation, the activity of the enzyme was 22 U/ml at 144 h in medium containing wheat bran and 5.8 U/ml at 48 h when cassava pulp was used as the culture medium. The enzyme was specific for maltose, very slowly hydrolyzed starch, dextrins (2-7G) and the synthetic substrate (alpha-PNPG), and did not hydrolyze sucrose. These properties suggest that the enzyme is a type II alpha-glucosidase. The optimum temperature of the enzyme was 70 degrees . In addition, the enzyme was highly thermostable (100% stability for 10 h at 60 degrees and a half-life of 15 min at 80 degrees), and stable within a wide pH range.     

海洋环境来源的淀粉酶AmyP对生玉米 淀粉的降解特性

来自海洋宏基因组文库的 α-淀粉酶（AmyP）属于最新建立的糖苷水解酶亚家族GH13₃7。AmyP 是一个生淀粉降解酶,能有效降解玉米生淀粉。在最适反应条件 pH 7.5和 40 °C 下,生玉米淀粉的比活达到 39.6 ± 1.4 U/mg。酶解反应动力学显示 AmyP 可以非常快速的降解生玉米淀粉。对 1%的生玉米淀粉仅需要 30 min;4%和 8%的生玉米淀粉只需 3 h。DTT 可以显著提高 AmyP 对生玉米淀粉的降解活性,1% DTT 促使活性增加 1倍。根据电镜观察和产物分析,认为 AmyP 是以内腐蚀的模式降解生玉米淀粉颗粒,释放出葡萄糖、麦芽糖和麦芽三糖作为终产物。     

Isoglucose production from raw starchy materials based on a two-stage enzymatic system

A new low-cost glucoamylase preparation for liquefaction and saccharification of starchy raw materials in a one-stage system was developed and characterized. A non-purified biocatalyst with a glucoamylase activity of 3.11 U/mg, an alpha-amylase activity of 0.12 WU/mg and a protein content of 0.04 mg protein/mg was obtained from a shaken-flask culture of the strain Aspergillus niger C-IV-4. Factors influencing the enzymatic hydrolysis of starchy materials such as reaction time, temperature and enzyme and substrate concentration were standardized to maximize the yield of glucose syrup. Thus, a 90% conversion of 5% starch, a 67.5% conversion of 5% potato flour and a 55% conversion of 5% wheat flour to sweet syrups containing up to 87% glucose was reached in 3 h using 1.24 glucoamylase U/mg hydrolyzed substrate. The application of such glucoamylase preparation and a commercially immobilized glucose isomerase for the production of glucose-fructose syrup in a two-stage system resulted in high production of stable glucose/fructose blends with a fructose content of 50%. A high concentration of fructose in obtained sweet syrups was achieved when isomerization was performed both in a batch and repeated batch process.     

Production of a novel raw-starch-digesting glucoamylase by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium</Emphasis> sp. X-1 under solid state fermentation and its use in direct hydrolysis of raw starch

Penicillium sp. X−1, isolated from decayed raw corn, produced high level of raw-starch-digesting glucoamylase (RSDG) under solid state fermentation (SSF). Maximum enzyme yield of 306.2 U g⁻¹ dry mouldy bran (DMB) was obtained after 36 h of culture upon optimized production. The enzyme could hydrolyse both small and large granule starches but did not adsorb on raw starch. The enzyme exhibited maximum activity at 65°C and pH 6.5, which provided an opportunity of synergism with α-amylase. It significantly hydrolysed 15% (w/v) raw corn starch slurry in synergism with the commercial α-amylase and a degree of hydrolysis of 92.4% was obtained after 2 h of incubation.     

Fed-batch fermentation for production of nitrile hydratase byRhodococcus rhodochrous M33

To enhance the productivity and activity of nitrile hydratase inRhodococcus rhodochrous M33, a glucose-limited fed-batch culture was performed. In a fed-batch culture where the glucose was controlled at a limited level and cobalt was supplemented during the fermentation period, the cell mass and total activity of nitrile hydratase both increased 3.3-fold compared to that in the batch fermentation. The productivity of nitrile hydratase also increased 1.9-fold compared to that in the batch fermentation. The specific activity of nitrile hydratase in the whole cell preparation when using a fed-batch culture was 120 units/mg-DCW, which was similar to that in the batch culture.     

α-Amylase production in batch and continuous cultures by Bacillus caldolyticus

Summary The concentration and productivity of -amylase increased remarkably, 15- and 11-fold respectively, in a continuous culture of Bacillus caldolyticus DSM 405 compared with batch culture, provided starch was used as the sugar source in a casitone medium. In the casitone medium with or without glucose hardly any improvement of enzyme production was observed in continuous culture. The addition of a small amount of starch to the glucose-casitone medium had a marked effect in stimulating amylase formation in continuous culture but no effect in batch culture.It was suggested that the higher production of -amylase in the continuous culture using starch as the inducer was partly related to the predominance of some conditional non-sporulating variants with a higher amylase forming activity and to derepression of the enzyme at a low glucose concentration.     

Effect of carbon source and dissolved oxygen level on cell growth and pullulanase production byBacillus stearothermophilus G-82

Cell growth and extracellular pullulanase production ofBacillus stearothermophilus G-82 were investigated in batch culture using a defined medium with glucose, maltose, pullulan or amylopectin as carbon source. Maximum enzyme activity was with pullulan or amylopectin. Cell growth in batch culture was better under oxygen unlimited conditions, while higher total and specific enzyme activities, using pullulan or amylopectin, were obtained in oxygen-limited conditions. Enzyme accumulation took place in the late growth phase. The highest enzyme production of 300 U/I was reached when pullulan was used as carbon source in conditions of oxygen limitation.     

Purification, characterisation and mutagenic enhancement of a thermoactive α-amylase from Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis was isolated from flour mill wastes. It produced a thermostable α-amylase in complex media containing starch. Amylase activity was optimal at the exponential phase and was more strongly expressed with sorghum, yam peel and corn starch than soluble potato starch. The enzyme was purified 24-fold to a specific activity of 2200 U mg⁻¹, with a yield of 10%. It yielded a single band when subjected to SDS-PAGE and an apparent molecular mass of 54780 was determined by mass spectrometry. The enzyme, which was optimally active at 80°C and pH 5.6, released saccharides with a polymerisation degree of 1–6 following hydrolysis of yam peel, sorghum and corn starch. Cells of B. subtilis were exposed to ultraviolet irradiation and N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Hyperproductive mutants were obtained by these treatments. Received 14 February 1997/ Accepted in revised form 13 August 1997     

Identification of three proteins up-regulated by raw starch in Cytophaga sp.

Raw starch-digesting amylases (RSDAs) in many microorganisms convert starch granules into maltodextrins and simple sugars. We cloned and sequenced from Cytophaga sp. an RSDA with an excellent raw starch digestion activity. This RSDA was highly inducible by raw starch, but not by other sugars, suggesting that an unknown signal transduction mechanism is involved in the degradation of raw starch. We used a proteomic approach to investigate the effect of raw starch on protein expression in Cytophaga sp. Using MALDI–TOF MS protein analysis, we have identified three proteins up-regulated by raw starch, i.e., a 60-kDa chaperonin (cpn60), glutaminase, and pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK). Subsequent time-course studies detected an increased expression of RSDA as well as the highest expression of PPDK occurring 6 h post-incubation with raw corn starch, implying that the latter enzyme may work along with RSDA on the digestion of raw starch. Finding these proteins up-regulated by raw starch may provide an insight into how Cytophaga sp. cells respond to raw starch stimulation.     

Feather degradation by Kocuria rosea in submerged culture

A strain of Kocuria rosea with keratinolytic activity was studied. In batch culture, the optimum temperature for feather degradation, bacterial growth and protease secretion was at 40 °C. A specific growth rate of 0.17 h⁻¹ was attained in basal medium with feathers as fermentation substrate. Under these conditions, after 36 h of incubation, biomass and caseinolytic activity reached 3.2 g/l and 0.15 U/ml, respectively. Extracellular protease secretion was associated with the exponential growth phase. In batch fermentation, feather degradation up to 51% in 72 h was obtained with a conversion yield in biomass of 0.32 g/g. No organic acids were detected in the fermentation broth in significant amount. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of Rapeseed Oil on Activity of Methylmalonyl-CoA Carboxyltransferase in Culture of Streptomyces fradiae

To investigate why more tylosin was produced when Streptomyces fradiae T1558 was cultured in a rapeseed oil medium than in a glucose or starch medium, we measured the activity of methylmalonyl-CoA carboxyltransferase (EC 2.1.3.1) and intracellular propionic acid. The activity of the enzyme, which catalyzes the formation of the precursor of tylosin, protylonolide, was 0.19 U/mg protein in 5 days of culture in rapeseed oil medium, which was 2.5- and 1.3-fold that with the glucose or starch medium, respectively. The intracellular propionic acid concentration was 1.2 g/g of dry weight, which was 4.3- and 2.1-fold that with the glucose or starch medium, respectively. The addition of propionic acid increased tylosin production in batch culture: when 0.2 g/l (final concentration) propionic acid was added to the glucose medium, 3.8 g/l tylosin was produced in 10 days of culture, 4.7-fold the amount without propionic acid. These findings suggest that in glucose medium, intracellular propionic acid is a limiting factor because of the low activity of methylmalonyl-CoA carboxyltransferase of the tylosin biosynthesis pathway.