Effect of silicone oil on the gibberellic acid production by Gibberella fujikuroi and Aspergillus niger

The effect of silicone oil on gibberellic acid production was investigated using Gibberella fujikuroi and Aspergillus niger fungi. Silicone oil was used as an oxygen vector in the gibberellic acid production process. When silicone oil was used, gibberellic acid concentration increased with respect to the control run having A. niger and G. fujikuroi microorganisms 4.6 and 6.7 times, respectively.     

Enhanced production of gibberellin A4 (GA4) by a mutant of Gibberella fujikuroi in wheat gluten medium

Mutants of Gibberella fujikuroi with different colony characteristics, morphology and pigmentation were generated by exposure to UV radiation. A mutant, Mor-189, was selected based on its short filament length, relatively high gibberellin A₄ (GA₄) and gibberellin A₃ (GA₃) production, as well as its lack of pigmentation. Production of GA₄ by Mor-189 was studied using different inorganic and organic nitrogen sources, carbon sources and by maintaining the pH of the fermentation medium using calcium carbonate. Analysis of GA₄ and GA₃ was done by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and LC-MS. The mutants of G. fujikuroi produced more GA₄ when the pH of the medium was maintained above 5. During shake flask studies, the mutant Mor-189 produced 210 mg l^?1 GA₄ in media containing wheat gluten as the nitrogen source and glucose as the carbon source. Fed-batch fermentation in a 14 l agitated fermenter was performed to evaluate the applicability of the mutant Mor-189 for the production of GA₄. In 7-day fed-batch fermentation, 600 mg l^?1 GA₄ were obtained in the culture filtrate. The concentration of GA₄ and GA₃ combined was 713 mg l^?1, of which GA₄ accounted for 84% of the total gibberellin. These values are substantially higher than those published previously. The present study indicated that, along with maintenance of pH and controlled glucose feeding, the use of wheat gluten as the sole nitrogen source considerably enhances GA₄ production by the mutant Mor-189.     

高产Y-氨基丁酸酵母菌株的亚硝基胍诱变选育

目的：探讨亚硝基胍诱变选育高产Y-氨基丁酸酵母菌株的方法。方法：使用亚硝基胍对酵母菌株进行诱变;采用含溴甲酚绿的YEPD培养基筛选突变菌,采用薄层层析法和比色法鉴定变异菌株发酵液中的Y-氨基丁酸及其含量;对突变菌株连续继代培养4代,测定各代发酵液中Y-氨基丁酸的含量,鉴定诱变菌株的遗传稳定性：结果：亚硝基胍诱变酵母的最佳浓度为1．0g．L^-1,最佳诱变时间为15min;获得了5株突变菌株,菌落呈绿色;薄层层析法鉴定突变菌株都能产Y-氨基丁酸;诱变菌发酵液中的Y-氨基丁酸含量各异,但高于对照,且增长幅度很大;对突变菌株后代遗传稳定性进行了鉴定,结果表明突变菌株4遗传性较稳定。结论：采用1．0g．L^-1的亚硝基胍溶液处理酵母菌15min,经筛选鉴定,获得了一株遗传稳定的高产Y-氨基丁酸的酵母菌株。     

Production of acidic lipase by a mutant of Aspergillus niger NCIM 1207 in submerged fermentation

Mutants of Aspergillus niger NCIM 1207, isolated by subjecting conidia to UV-irradiation, were tested for the production of lipase (glycerol ester hydrolase EC 3.1.1.3). Mutants UV-10 and ANCR-1 showed seven fold and five fold enhanced productivity of enzyme, respectively, over the wild strain in shake flask culture when grown in SOB medium containing 1% olive oil. Maximum lipase activity (41 IU/ml) was obtained in the culture broth when UV-10 was grown in medium supplemented with 0.5% Triton X-100. A higher concentration of oil in the medium did not help lipase production in the case of mutant UV-10. Similarly no increase in enzyme levels was observed when mutant UV-10 was grown in medium supplemented with glucose. However, the addition of glucose in the medium resulted in increased levels of lipase production by wild strain, Aspergillus niger NCIM 1207.     

Production of lactic acid and fructose from media with cane sugar using mutant of Lactobacillus delbrueckii NCIM 2365

AIMS: To examine the potential of Lactobacillus delbrueckii mutant, Uc-3 to produce lactic acid and fructose from sucrose-based media. METHODS AND RESULTS: The mutant of L. delbrueckii NCIM 2365 was cultivated in shake flask containing hydrolysed cane sugar (sucrose)-based medium. The lactic acid yield and volumetric productivity with hydrolysed cane concentration up to 200 g l(-1) were in the range of 92-97% of the theoretical value and between 2.7 and 3.8 g l(-1) h(-1), respectively. The fructose fraction of the syrup produced was more than 95% when the total initial sugar concentration in the medium was higher (150-200 g l(-1)). There are no unwanted byproducts detected in the fermentation broth. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that L. delbrueckii mutant Uc-3 was able to utilize glucose preferentially to produce lactic acid and fructose from hydrolysed cane sugar in batch fermentation process. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These findings will be useful in the production of lactic acid and high fructose syrups using media with high concentrations of sucrose-based raw materials. This approach can lead to modification of the traditional fermentation processes to obtain value-added byproducts, attaining better process economics.     

Gibberellic acid by solid state fermentation: Consistent and improved yields

Five strains each of Gibberella fujikuroi and Fusarium monoliforme were screened to select G. fujikuroi P-3, a strain capable of giving consistent production of gibberellic acid (GA(3)) by solid state fermentation (SSF). The comparative production of GA(3) by SSF and submerged fermentation (SmF) indicated better productivity with the former technique. The accumulation of GA(3) was 1.626 times higher in the case of SSF. On the basis of available carbohydrates in the media, the percent conversions were 0.096 and 0.156 in SmF and SSF, respectively. The use of coarse wheat bran of the particle size of 0.3-0.4 cm resulted in an increase of 2.5 times in the yield of GA(3). The enrichment of commercial wheat bran with soluble starch gave enhanced accumulation to an extent of 3.5 times. The relation between GA(3) production and cell growth in SSF was similar to that encountered in SmF. The consistent and improved yields to a tune of 1.22 g GA(3) per kilogram dry moldy bran (DMB) establish the potential and feasibility of SSF for the production of GA(3) by G. fujikuroi P-3. On preliminary cost analysis, a net savings of about 60% and 50% on fermentation medium cost and the expenditure on down-stream processing, respectively, as compared to the presently employed SmF technique was evident.     

Induction of Mutants from the Tartrate Producing Bacterium,Gluconobacter suboxydans and their Properties

The purpose of the present investigation is to obtain the superior mutants from the tartrate producing strain, Gluconobacter suboxydans 2026Y2 previously isolated from nature. Some mutant strains obtained by treatment with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine were found to accumulate L(+) tartaric acid in culture broth with much higher yield than in the case of the wild strain.

The high tartrate productivity of the mutants was followed by the low accumulation of 2-ketogluconic acid. The mutants having high assimilability of 5-ketogluconate showed high tartrate productivity.

The culture conditions for tartaric acid production by a mutant, Gl. suboxydans N-3874, were investigated. As a result, the amount of tartaric acid accumulated in culture broth reached to a level of 14.6g/liter in the medium containing 5% glucose and 0.3% corn steep liquor.     

Osmotic Reversal of Temperature Sensitivity in Escherichia coli

Forty temperature-sensitive mutants, unable to grow on tryptone or nutrient agar at 42 C, were isolated from Escherichia coli K-12. When 0.5% NaCl was added to the medium, 32 grew at the nonpermissive temperature. Several were tested with different amounts of NaCl added to tryptone broth; all grew best when the osmolality of the medium was between 400 and 1,000 milliosmolal. One of the mutants was studied in more detail. Sucrose, inositol, KCl, and MgCl(2), as well as NaCl, permitted growth at 42 C. Glycerol, however, had no effect. When shifted from 30 to 42 C without osmotic protection, the mutant stopped growing but did not lyse, die, or leak significant amounts of intracellular material. In a similar shift experiment, a second mutant leaked all of its trichloroacetic acid-soluble pools into the medium. The majority of the mutants were hypersensitive to certain antibiotics, indicating possible cell envelope defects.     

Fusarium species from nepalese rice and production of mycotoxins and gibberellic acid by selected species

Infection of cereal grains with Fusarium species can cause contamination with mycotoxins that affect human and animal health. To determine the potential for mycotoxin contamination, we isolated Fusarium species from samples of rice seeds that were collected in 1997 on farms in the foothills of the Nepal Himalaya. The predominant Fusarium species in surface-disinfested seeds with husks were species of the Gibberella fujikuroi complex, including G. fujikuroi mating population A (anamorph, Fusarium verticillioides), G. fujikuroi mating population C (anamorph, Fusarium fujikuroi), and G. fujikuroi mating population D (anamorph, Fusarium proliferatum). The widespread occurrence of mating population D suggests that its role in the complex symptoms of bakanae disease of rice may be significant. Other common species were Gibberella zeae (anamorph, Fusarium graminearum) and Fusarium semitectum, with Fusarium acuminatum, Fusarium anguioides, Fusarium avenaceum, Fusarium chlamydosporum, Fusarium equiseti, and Fusarium oxysporum occasionally present. Strains of mating population C produced beauvericin, moniliformin, and gibberellic acid, but little or no fumonisin, whereas strains of mating population D produced beauvericin, fumonisin, and, usually, moniliformin, but no gibberellic acid. Some strains of G. zeae produced the 8-ketotrichothecene nivalenol, whereas others produced deoxynivalenol. Despite the occurrence of fumonisin-producing strains of mating population D, and of 8-ketotrichothecene-producing strains of G. zeae, Nepalese rice showed no detectable contamination with these mycotoxins. Effective traditional practices for grain drying and storage may prevent contamination of Nepalese rice with Fusarium mycotoxins.     

粗糙脉孢菌纤维素酶液体发酵优良形态突变体筛选

丝状真菌被广泛地用于包括纤维素酶在内的工业酶生产过程。在液体深层发酵中,丝状真菌菌丝形态直接影响发酵液的流变特性,进而与目标酶蛋白产量存在着重要的关联。目前,针对丝状真菌工业酶液体发酵菌丝形态的研究依然是从传统的发酵工程学角度出发,对与发酵水平紧密相关的形态、粘度等性状相关基因的认识远远不够。为了挖掘深层发酵中对丝状真菌发酵产酶性能具有重要影响的形态发育相关基因,以粗糙脉孢菌Neurospora crassa单基因突变体库中的95株形态突变株为研究对象,在结晶纤维素为碳源的条件下进行筛选,探寻与野生型菌株蛋白产量有显著差异的突变株。同时,对这些突变株的内切-β-1,4-葡聚糖酶酶活、β-葡萄糖苷酶酶活、发酵液粘度和菌丝干重进行了测定,并观察了发酵液中突变株的菌丝形态。实验结果表明,与野生型菌株相比,突变株SZY32、SZY35、SZY39和SZY43发酵液中蛋白浓度显著降低,突变株SZY11、SZY63、SZY69和SZY87发酵液中蛋白浓度显著性提高。值得注意的是,突变株SZY11和SZY43发酵液菌丝体主要形态为菌球状,其发酵液粘度分别降低75%和50%,突变株SZY87在发酵液中呈长丝状,发酵液粘度显著升高至少2倍。这些与产酶水平相关的形态、粘度基因的获得将有助于丝状真菌纤维素酶等工业酶高产工程菌株的理性构建。     

Biosynthetic and genetic relationships of B-series fumonisins produced by Gibberella fujikuroi mating population A

Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by the maize pathogen Gibberella fujikuroi mating population A and frequently contaminate maize. Wild-type G. fujikuroi produces four B-series fumonisins, FB1, FB2, FR3 and FB4. These toxins are identical in structure except for the number and positions of hydroxyls along their linear carbon backbone. To elucidate the genetic and biosynthetic relationships among these fumonisins, we conducted meiotic and biochemical analyses of G. fujikuroi mutants with altered fumonisin production that resulted from defective alleles at three loci, Fum1, Fum2 and Fum3. These mutants produced either no fumonisins, only FR2 and FB4, or only FR3 and FR4. Genetic analyses revealed the orientation of the Fum loci along linkage group 1 of the fungus. The mutants were grown together in pair-wise combinations to determine if their fumonisin production phenotypes could be complemented. When FR3- and FB2-producing mutants were grown together, complementation occurred. However, when a nonproducing mutant was grown with a FR2- or FB3-producing mutant, complementation did not occur or was incomplete. When purified FR2, FR3, or FB4 was fed to mutant cultures, FR4 was converted primarily to FR2, FR3 was converted to FB1 and FB2 was not converted. The results from these assays suggest a previously unrecognized branch in the fumonisin biosynthetic pathway.     

A polyketide synthase gene required for biosynthesis of fumonisin mycotoxins in Gibberella fujikuroi mating population A.

Fumonisins are toxins associated with several mycotoxicoses and are produced by the maize pathogen Gibberella fujikuroi mating population A (MP-A). Biochemical analyses indicate that fumonisins are a product of either polyketide or fatty acid biosynthesis. To isolate a putative polyketide synthase (PKS) gene involved in fumonisin biosynthesis, we employed PCR with degenerate PKS primers and a cDNA template prepared from a fumonisin-producing culture of G. fujikuroi. Sequence analysis of the single PCR product and its flanking DNA revealed a gene (FUM5) with a 7.8-kb coding region. The predicted FUM5 translation product was highly similar to bacterial and fungal Type I PKSs. Transformation of a cosmid clone carrying FUM5 into G. fujikuroi enhanced production in three strains and restored wild-type production in a fumonisin nonproducing mutant. Disruption of FUM5 reduced fumonisin production by over 99% in G. fujikuroi MP-A. Together, these results indicate that FUM5 is a PKS gene required for fumonisin biosynthesis.     

Optimization of gibberellic acid production by immobilized Gibberella fujikuroi mycelium in fluidized bioreactors

An orthogonal experimental design L9 (3(4)) was used to investigate effects of temperature, pH, C:N ratio (glucose-C, NH4Cl-N) and concentrations of rice flour on production of gibberellic acid by Gibberella fujikuroi in 3.5 l fluidized bioreactors. The gibberellic acid production in a fluidized bioreactor could reach 3.90 g l(-1), more than 3-times greater than previously reported for submerged and solid fermentations. pH, rice flour concentration and C:N ratio were the factors that most influenced the production of gibberellic acid; pH being the most important. The response surface of gibberellic acid production to changes in pH and C:N ratio or rice flour concentration indicated that greatest production was found with a C:N ratio of 36.8 and pH 5 while the optimum concentration for rice flour was 2 g l(-1) and production increased with increased pH. The effect of temperature on the production of gibberellic acid was also significant and greatest production was at 30 degrees C.     

Pseudomonas corrugata (NRRL B-30409) Mutants Increased Phosphate Solubilization, Organic Acid Production, and Plant Growth at Lower Temperatures

A study for screening and selection of mutants of Pseudomonas corrugata (NRRL B-30409) based on their phosphate solubilization ability, production of organic acids, and subsequent effect on plant growth at lower temperatures under in vitro and in situ conditions was conducted. Of a total 115 mutants tested, two (PCM-56 and PCM-82) were selected based on their greater phosphate solubilization ability at 21°C in Pikovskaya’s broth. The two mutants were found more efficient than wild-type strain for phosphate solubilization activity across a range of temperature from psychotropic (4°C) to mesophilic (28°C) in aerated GPS medium containing insoluble rock phosphate. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that phosphate solubilization potential of wild-type and mutant strains were mediated by production of organic acids in the culture medium. The two efficient mutants and the wild strain oxidized glucose to gluconic acid and sequentially to 2-ketogluconic acid. Under in vitro conditions at 10°C, the mutants exhibited increased plant growth as compared to wild type, indicating their functionality at lower temperatures. In greenhouse trials using sterilized soil amended with either soluble or rock phosphate, inoculation with mutants showed greater positive effect on all of the growth parameters and soil enzymatic activities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the development of phosphate solubilizing mutants of psychotropic wild strain of P. corrugata, native to the Indian Himalayan region.     

The NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase gene from Gibberella fujikuroi is essential for gibberellin biosynthesis

The fungus Gibberella fujikuroi is used for the commercial production of gibberellins (GAs), which it produces in very large quantities. Four of the seven GA biosynthetic genes in this species encode cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, which function in association with NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductases (CPRs) that mediate the transfer of electrons from NADPH to the P450 monooxygenases. Only one cpr gene (cpr-Gf) was found in G. fujikuroi and cloned by a PCR approach. The encoded protein contains the conserved CPR functional domains, including the FAD, FMN, and NADPH binding motifs. cpr-Gf disruption mutants were viable but showed a reduced growth rate. Furthermore, disruption resulted in total loss of GA(3), GA(4), and GA(7) production, but low levels of non-hydroxylated C(20)-GAs (GA(15) and GA(24)) were still detected. In addition, the knock-out mutants were much more sensitive to benzoate than the wild type due to loss of activity of another P450 monooxygenase, the detoxifying enzyme, benzoate p-hydroxylase. The UV-induced mutant of G. fujikuroi, SG138, which was shown to be blocked at most of the GA biosynthetic steps catalyzed by P450 monooxygenases, displayed the same phenotype. Sequence analysis of the mutant cpr allele in SG138 revealed a nonsense mutation at amino acid position 627. The mutant was complemented with the cpr-Gf and the Aspergillus niger cprA genes, both genes fully restoring the ability to produce GAs. Northern blot analysis revealed co-regulated expression of the cpr-Gf gene and the GA biosynthetic genes P450-1, P450-2, P450-4 under GA production conditions (nitrogen starvation). In addition, expression of cpr-Gf is induced by benzoate. These results indicate that CPR-Gf is the main but not the only electron donor for several P450 monooxygenases from primary and secondary metabolism.     

放线菌Streptomyces sp．FJ3的核糖体工程改良与活性产物的分离

[目的]利用核糖体工程抗性筛选技术,获得有抗菌活性突变株,并对突变株新产生活性物质进行研究.[方法]以三峡库区筛选出的无抗菌活性放线菌野生株为出发菌,通过单菌落挑选与平板划线培养,分离筛选具有链霉素和利福平抗性突变株;通过摇瓶发酵和对发酵液进行纸片法活性测定,获得抗金葡菌活性突变株;采用高效液相色谱法(HPLC)分析其发酵液组分,通过LC-MS对变化峰进行分析;进行16S rDNA及形态学鉴定.[结果]链霉素和利福平对放线菌菌株FJ3的MIC分别为0.5μg/mL和110μg/mL;在FJ3突变菌株中,共获得24株链霉素突变菌株和20株利福平突变菌株,抗菌活性筛选显示6株具有抗菌活性,其中2株链霉素突变菌株对金葡菌有强抑菌活性,采用Doskochilova溶剂系统纸层析结果表明,该活性物质为一种核酸类抗生素,HPLC和LC-MS显示该活性物质可能为硫藤黄菌素.[结论]利用核糖体工程技术可以改变放线菌的次级代谢,获得具有生物活性的突变株,拓展药源放线菌活性菌株新资源.     

A new approach for improving cordycepin productivity in surface liquid culture of Cordyceps militaris using high‐energy ion beam irradiation

Aims: To obtain a higher cordycepin production using Cordyceps militaris mutant obtained by a new mutagenesis technique called ‘ion beam’. Methods and Results: Successful irradiation of C. militaris NBRC 9787 by a proton beam with high energy was performed, and 30 classes of 8‐azaadenine‐ and 28 classes of 8‐azaaguanine‐resistant mutants were obtained on mutant screening, of which seven classes were selected as promising preliminary mutants having an antibacterial ability as an index of cordycepin production. In a surface liquid culture technique, some of the 8‐azaadenine‐resistant mutants gave a better performance for the cordycepin productivity; in contrast, among the 8‐azaaguanine‐resistant mutants, it was shown that mutant no. G81‐3 was much better than the control in the metabolic rate of glucose and the cordycepin productivity. In primary optimization using the enriched medium, the cordycepin production was 3·1 and 1·8 g l^?1 on 21‐day culture for mutant no. G81‐3 and the control, respectively. The cordycepin production obtained by the mutant was 72% more than the control. Conclusions: The mutant obtained by proton beam irradiation had higher productivity of cordycepin than that of the control. Significance and Impact of the Study: The mutant obtained by irradiation had a superior production performance of cordycepin, and therefore, it could be used in the realm of applied industrial biotechnology for the large‐scale production of cordycepin.     

Threonine production by dihydrodipicolinate synthase-defective mutants of Brevibacterium flavum

A novel type of threonine-producing strains, dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DPS)-defective mutants of Brevibacterium flavum, was isolated as alpha-amino-beta-hydroxyvaleric acid (AHV)-resistant producers. The third selection markers used were a strong lysine inhibition of threonine production and a lower production of lysine than that of threonine in those derived from strains with feedback-sensitive and-resistant aspartokinase (AK), respectively. The maximum threonine production by these DPS-defective mutants was 13.7 g/l at the optimum concentration of DL-diaminopimelic acid (DAP) in a medium containing 100 g/l of glucose, comparable to that by the previously reported conventional producers with feedback-resistant homoserine dehydrogenase (HD(R)). The DPS-defective mutants with feedback-sensitive AK showed a slow but substantial growth in the absence of DAP and their growth was markedly stimulated by DAP, while those with feedback-resistant AK grew well in the absence of DAP and their growth was not promoted by DAP more than that of the parent strain. DPS-defective mutants with HD(R) were derived from an HD(R) mutant producing 10 g/l of L-threonine and selected as AHV-resistant mutants with a higher productivity. The maximum production was 16 g/l.     

Mutations in NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase of Escherichia coli affect growth on mixed amino acids.

We isolated and characterized mutants defective in nuo, encoding NADH dehydrogenase I, the multisubunit complex homologous to eucaryotic mitochondrial complex I. By Southern hybridization and/or sequence analysis, we characterized three distinct mutations: a polar insertion designated nuoG::Tn10-1, a nonpolar insertion designated nuoF::Km-1, and a large deletion designated delta(nuoFGHIJKL)-1. Cells carrying any of these three mutations exhibited identical phenotypes. Each mutant exhibited reduced NADH oxidase activity, grew poorly on minimal salts medium containing acetate as the sole carbon source, and failed to produce the inner, L-aspartate chemotactic band on tryptone swarm plates. During exponential growth in tryptone broth, nuo mutants grew as rapidly as wild-type cells and excreted similar amounts of acetate into the medium. As they began the transition to stationary phase, in contrast to wild-type cells, the mutant cells abruptly slowed their growth and continued to excrete acetate. The growth defect was entirely suppressed by L-serine or D-pyruvate, partially suppressed by alpha-ketoglutarate or acetate, and not suppressed by L-aspartate or L-glutamate. We extended these studies, analyzing the sequential consumption of amino acids by both wild-type and nuo mutant cells growing in tryptone broth. During the lag and exponential phases, both wild-type and mutant cells consumed, in order, L-serine and L-aspartate. As they began the transition to stationary phase, both cell types consumed L-tryptophan. Whereas wild-type cells then consumed L-glutamate, glycine, L-threonine, and L-alanine, mutant cells utilized these amino acids poorly. We propose that cells defective for NADH dehydrogenase I exhibit all these phenotypes, because large NADH/NAD+ ratios inhibit certain tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes, e.g., citrate synthase and malate dehydrogenase.