Laccase- and peroxidase-free tyrosinase production by isolated microbial strain

Laccase- and peroxidase-free tyrosinase has commercial importance in the production of L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), which is mainly used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. In the present study, isolation of an actinomycetes microbial strain capable of producing only tyrosinase is reported. Among all soil isolates, three individual colonies revealed black color around the colony in the presence of tyrosine. Further screening for laccase and peroxidase activities using syringaldazine denoted that one of the isolates, designated as RSP-T1, is laccase and peroxidase negative and produces only tyrosinase. The microbe was authenticated as Streptomyces antibioticus based on 16S ribotyping. Effective growth of this isolate was noticed with the use of medium (pH 5.5) containing casein acid hydrolysate (10.0 g/l), K(2)HPO(4) (5.0 g/l), MgSO(4) (0.25 g/l), L-tyrosine (1.0 g/l), and agar (15 g/l). The scanning electron micrograph depicted that the microbe is highly branched and filamentous in nature. The enzyme production was positively regulated in the presence of copper sulfate. The impact of different fermentation parameters on tyrosinase production depicted that the maximized enzyme titer values were observed when this isolate was grown at 6.5 pH and at 30 degrees C temperature under agitated conditions (220 rpm). Among all the studied physiological parameters, agitation played a significant role on tyrosinase production. Upon optimization of the parameters, the yield of tyrosinase was improved more than 100% compared with the initial yield.     

海洋放线菌Streptomyces variabilis strain 6-1次级代谢产物的研究

目的:对来自海洋软珊瑚的链霉菌6-1(Streptomyces variabilis strain 6-1)进行次级代谢产物的分离和鉴定,寻找具有生物活性的化合物,为人类健康服务。方法:采用液体培养基对分自海洋软珊瑚Scleronephthya sp中的链霉菌6-1(Streptomyces variabi-lis strain 6-1)进行发酵培养,用乙酸乙酯对发酵液进行萃取;采用半制备高效液相色谱(semi-preparative HPLC)分离方法对乙酸乙酯萃取物进行分离纯化,得到单体化合物;运用电喷雾质谱(ESI-MS)、核磁共氢振(1H NMR)、核磁共振碳谱(13C NMR)和物理性质对所得单体化合物进行结构鉴定。结果:从海洋链霉菌6-1(strain 6-1)发酵液的乙酸乙酯萃取物中分离得到3个单体化合物,分别鉴定为:7,4'-二羟基异黄酮(1)、5,7,4'-三羟基异黄酮(2)和丁烯酸内酯-Ⅰ(3)。结论:丁烯酸内酯-Ⅰ是从链霉菌属首次分离得到,化合物1和2均是从Streptomyces variabilis中首次分离得到;变异链霉菌6-1(Streptomyces variabilis strain 6-1)可以作为活性化合物3(丁烯酸内酯-Ⅰ)的重要来源。     

Screening of fungal isolates and properties of Ganoderma applanatum intended for olive mill wastewater decolourization and dephenolization

AIMS: To investigate different autochthonous isolates of wood-rotting fungi for the removal of both colour and phenolic compounds from olive mill wastewaters (OMW). METHODS AND RESULTS: The isolates Bjerkandera adusta Ba-100, Fomes fomentarius Ff-106, Ganoderma applanatum Ga-20, Irpex lacteus Il-3, Trametes versicolor Tv-101 and Tv-103 were preliminarily screened for their OMW-decolourizing potential on potato dextrose agar supplemented with different OMW concentrations. A further screening of batch cultures under different agitation speeds, to test the effect of shear stress, resulted in the selection of isolate G. applanatum Ga-20. Batch cultures grown in OMW-based medium exhibited strong laccase induction and significant decrease in the values of phenols, colour and chemical oxygen demand. Concomitant onset of laccase activity and colour removal was observed, and apart from laccase, neither lignin peroxidase nor manganese-dependent peroxidase activities were detected. Moreover, the depletion of aromatic compounds with high and low apparent molecular mass was observed by chromatographic analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Isolate G. applanatum Ga-20 exhibited interesting properties for its use in bioremediation of OMW, namely high removal of recalcitrant phenolic compounds and strong colour abatement. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: For the first time, the white-rot fungus G. applanatum proves to be effective for the decolourization and dephenolization of OMW.     

大连海域沉积物中可培养海洋链霉菌活性及其多样性

以大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和尖孢镰刀枯萎病菌作为测试靶目标,采用9种分离培养基从大连海域13个不同采样点的海洋沉积物样品中分离到165株海洋链霉菌。从165株海洋放线菌中筛选到对金黄色葡萄球菌具有抑制活性的菌株85株,占总菌株数的51.5%;对大肠杆菌具有抑制活性的菌株27株,占总菌株数的16.4%;对尖孢镰刀枯萎病菌具有抑制活性的菌株仅有6株,占总菌株数的3.6%。因此,海洋链霉菌的活性更多地表现为对细菌的抗性,尤其对革兰氏阳性细菌具有更高的抑制活性。对其中具有抑制活性或形态独特的菌株进行了16S r DNA序列分析,并构建系统发育树,显示活性海洋链霉菌具有丰富的种类多样性和广谱抗菌活性。同种海洋链霉菌与土壤链霉菌活性比较结果也表明,海洋链霉菌多表现抗革兰氏阳性细菌活性。     

Diversity of cold-active protease-producing bacteria from arctic terrestrial and marine environments revealed by enrichment culture

A new approach for enrichment culture was applied to obtain cold-active protease-producing bacteria for marine and terrestrial samples from Svalbard, Norway. The method was developed for the enrichment of bacteria by long-term incubation at low temperatures in semi-solid agar medium containing meat pieces as the main source of carbon and energy. ZoBell and 0.1× nutrient broth were added for marine and terrestrial microorganisms, respectively, to supply basal elements for growth. One to three types of colonies were observed from each enrichment culture, indicating that specific bacterial species were enriched during the experimental conditions. Among 89 bacterial isolates, protease activity was observed from 48 isolates in the screening media containing skim milk. Good growth was observed at 4°C and 10°C while none of the isolates could grow at 37°C. At low temperatures, enzyme activity was equal to or higher than activity at higher temperatures. Bacterial isolates were included in the genera Pseudoalteromonas (33 isolates), Arthrobacter (24 isolates), Pseudomonas (16 isolates), Psychrobacter (6 isolates), Sphingobacterium (6 isolates), Flavobacterium (2 isolates), Sporosarcina (1 isolate), and Stenotrophomonas (1 isolate). Protease activity was observed from Pseudoalteromonas (33 isolates), Pseudomonas (10 isolates), Arthrobacter (4 isolates), and Flavobacterium (1 isolate).     

Characterization of lignosulfonate-induced phenol oxidase activity in the atypical white-rot fungus Polyporus dichrous

Polyporus dichrous, a white-rot fungus previously shown to lack phenol oxidase activity when grown on agar media in the presence of a variety of phenolic compounds, was found to exhibit phenol oxidase activity upon aging when grown on a lignosulfonate-containing agar medium. The phenol oxidase activity was compared with that of Trametes versicolor grown under the same conditions, in terms of substrate specificity, pH optimum, and temperature sensitivity. The phenol oxidase activity of P. dichrous was intracellular of tyrosinase type, with a pH optimum around 5.5, and was heat-sensitive, having a half-life of 10 min at 60°C.     

Antimicrobial and antifungal activity of soil actinomycetes isolated from coal mine sites

In the current study, twenty-eight soil samples were collected from coalmine sites of Telangana, India. The isolates were purified and identified based on their culture characterization on oatmeal agar, glycerol asparagine agar, yeast extract-malt extract agar, inorganic salt starch agar, and starch casein agar medium. Further, the supernatant of all the isolates were tested for antimicrobial and antifungal activities. The biochemical and microscopic studies of isolated strains results indicates the potential isolate strains belongs to Streptomyces genus. Among all the strains the biological activity of BHPL-KSKU5 showed higher anti-bacterial and anti-funagal activity. The molecular characterization of BHPL-KSKU5 16s rDNA gene sequence and phylogenetic tree showed that is mostly related to the Streptomysis felleus (S. felleus) strain. This isolate was submitted to gene bank NCBI with accession number MH553077. In addition, physiological studies such as utilization of carbon, nitrogen, amino acid sources of potential isolated were studied. Further, optimization, purification and characterization of the novel compound producing strain may be helpful for discovering the new therapeutic microbial agent.     

Purification and Properties of an Extracellular Agarase from Alteromonas sp. Strain C-1

A marine bacterial strain isolated from the Bay of San Vicente, Chile, was identified as Alteromonas sp. strain C-1. In the presence of agar, this strain produced high levels of an extracellular agarase. The production of agarase was repressed by glucose, with a parallel decrease in bacterial growth. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration, with an overall yield of 45%. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 52,000, is salt sensitive, and hydrolyzes agar, yielding neoagarotetraose as the main product, with an optimum pH of about 6.5.     

Screening of Actinomycetes from mangrove ecosystem for L-asparaginase activity and optimization by response surface methodology

Marine actinomycetes were isolated from sediment samples collected from Pitchavaram mangrove ecosystem situated along the southeast coast of India. Maximum actinomycete population was noted in rhizosphere region. About 38% of the isolates produced L-asparaginase. One potential strain KUA106 produced higher level of enzyme using tryptone glucose yeast extract medium. Based on the studied phenotypic characteristics, strain KUA106 was identified as Streptomyces parvulus KUA106. The optimization method that combines the Plackett-Burman design, a factorial design and the response surface method, which were used to optimize the medium for the production of L-asparaginase by Streptomycetes parvulus. Four medium factors were screened from eleven medium factors by Plackett-Burman design experiments and subsequent optimization process to find out the optimum values of the selected parameters using central composite design was performed. Asparagine, tryptone, d) extrose and NaCl components were found to be the best medium for the L-asparaginase production. The combined optimization method described here is the effective method for screening medium factors as well as determining their optimum level for the production of L-asparaginase by Streptomycetes parvulus KUAP106.     

Hydrolysis of pectin: an enzymatic approach and its application in banana fiber processing

Sediment samples were collected from different estuarine and marine areas along the West coast of India. Eighteen actinomycete cultures were isolated using starch casein agar and were screened for polygalacturonase activity by growing them on pectin-agar plates. Clear zones were visualized using 1% cetrimide. Out of the 18 strains screened ten cultures could effect hydrolysis of pectin. The above cultures were subjected to secondary screening under submerged fermentation. The actinomycete strain of Streptomyces lydicus was found to be a potent producer of polygalacturonase. Different growth media were screened for enzyme production and the best medium was selected for further studies. The crude enzyme was used for the treatment of raw banana fibers.     

百部内生放线菌的分离、分类及次级代谢潜力

【目的】以对叶百部块根为材料分离内生放线菌,并对分离菌株进行分类、抗菌活性和次级代谢产物合成基因研究。【方法】样品经过严格的表面消毒,选用4种培养基分离百部内生放线菌;分离菌株通过形态观察和16S rRNA序列分析进行分类鉴定;采用琼脂移块法测试分离菌株的抗菌活性;通过PCR检测分离菌株的PKS/NPRS和卤化酶基因;使用HPLC-UV/VIS-ESI-MS/MS分析发酵产物。【结果】从6个样品中获得18株内生放线菌,分属链霉菌属(Streptomyces)、小单孢菌属(Micromonospora)、假诺卡氏菌属(Pseudonocardia)和甲基杆菌属(Methylobacterium)。分离菌株绝大部分具有抗菌活性和次级代谢产物合成基因,其中13株对耐药金黄色葡萄球菌和/或绿脓杆菌有拮抗活性,17株具有PKS/NRPS基因,8株菌具有卤化酶基因,且卤化酶阳性代表菌株的发酵产物具有抗细菌活性和卤代化合物特征。【结论】百部作为一种传统中药,其内生放线菌以链霉菌和小单孢菌为主,在次级代谢产物合成方面具有很好的潜力,可作为一类重要微生物资源进行活性产物开发。     

Extracellular production of phospholipase A2 from Streptomyces violaceoruber by recombinant Escherichia coli

Phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) from Streptomyces violaceoruber was successfully produced extracellularly in an active form by using a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli. The PLA(2) gene, which was artificially synthesized with optimized codons for E. coli and fused with pelB signal sequence, was expressed in E. coli using pET system. Most of the enzyme activity was detected in the culture supernatant with negligible activity in the cells. The recombinant enzyme was purified to homogeneity from the culture supernatant simply by ammonium sulfate precipitation and an anion exchange chromatography. The purified enzyme showed a specific activity comparable to that of the authentic enzyme. The recombinant enzyme had the same N-terminal amino acid sequence to that of the mature protein, indicating the correct removal of the signal peptide. An inactive PLA(2) with a mutation at the catalytic center was also secreted to the culture medium, suggesting that the observed secretion was not dependent on enzymatic activity. A simple screening method for the PLA(2)-producing colonies was established by detecting clear zone formation around the colonies on agar media containing lecithin. This is the first example of direct extracellular production of active PLA(2) by recombinant E. coli.     

海洋放线菌Streptomyces variabilisstrain 6-1次级代谢产物的研究

目的：对来自海洋软珊瑚的链霉菌6-1（Streptomyces variabilisstrain6-1）进行次级代谢产物的分离和鉴定,寻找具有生物活性的化合物,为人类健康服务。方法：采用液体培养基对分自海洋软珊瑚Scleronephthya sp中的链霉菌6．1（Streptomyces vafiabilisstrain6-1）进行发酵培养,用乙酸乙酯对发酵液进行萃取;采用半制备高效液相色谱（semi-preparative HPLC）分离方法对乙酸乙酯萃取物进行分离纯化,得到单体化合物;运用电喷雾质谱（ESI—MS）、核磁共氢振（1HNMR）、核磁共振碳谱（13C NMR）和物理性质对所得单体化合物进行结构鉴定。结果：从海洋链霉菌6-1（strain6-1）发酵液的乙酸乙酯萃取物中分离得到3个单体化合物,分别鉴定为：7,4’-二羟基异黄酮（1）、5,7,4’-三羟基异黄酮（2）和丁烯酸内酯-I（3）。结论：丁烯酸内酯．I是从链霉菌属首次分离得到,化合物1和2均是从Streptomyces variabilis中首次分离得到;变异链霉菌6-1（Stmptomyces variabilis strain6-1）可以作为活性化合物3（丁烯酸内酯-I）的重要来源。     

4-S-cysteaminylphenol and its analogues as substrates for tyrosinase and monoamine oxidase

A phenolic amine compound, 4-S-cysteaminylphenol (4-S-CAP), was found to cause a selective destruction of follicular melanocytes. It was also recently found that 4-S-CAP can be a substrate for both tyrosinase and plasma monoamine oxidase (MAO). Both of these enzymes are capable of producing cytotoxic intermediates through their interaction with 4-S-CAP. To study the mechanism of selective melanocytotoxicity of phenolic amine compounds, we compared the in vivo depigmenting potency of 4-S-CAP and its three analogues; i.e., 4-S-HomoCAP, alpha-methyl(Me)-4-S-CAP and N,N-dimethyl(DiMe)-4-S-CAP, using black hair follicles. All four of these phenolic amine compounds possessed depigmenting potency. In this study we examined the kinetics of tyrosinase and MAO by these four compounds. 4-S-CAP and 4-S-HomoCAP were the substrates of both tyrosinase and MAO, whereas alpha-Me-4-S-CAP and N,N-DiMe-4-S-CAP were the substrates of tyrosinase alone. The rate of o-quinone formation by tyrosinase was not in parallel to the in vivo depigmenting potency of the tested compounds. It is therefore indicated that plasma MAO is not the enzyme directly responsible for the production of the melanocytotoxic intermediates from the phenolic amine compounds. We also found that the observed in vivo depigmentation results from complex processes involving the amount of o-quinone formed and the intracellular interaction of o-quinone with protein species.     

Characterization of the microbial communities in jet-loop (JACTO) reactors during aerobic olive oil wastewater treatment

The olive oil industry is one of the most typical and economically important Portuguese agro-industries, 29,900 tons of olive oil having been produced in 2002/2003. This industry generates large amounts of olive oil wastewaters (OOWW), which are difficult to degrade and thus cause a negative environmental impact. Jet-loop reactors (JACTO) developed and scaled-up by our group have been successfully used for biological treatment of winery and OOWW. This study aimed to determine the interactions of reactor hydrodynamics with microflora profiles during bio-treatment of OOWW. Bio-treatment was performed using a 20-dm³ JACTO bioreactor achieving a chemical oxygen demand (COD) and phenolic compounds removal rate of 70% at a hydraulic retention time of 12 days. Bio-treatment was scaled-up to 200-dm³ JACTO bioreactor, reaching 87% COD removal and 80% phenolic compounds removal. Microflora present on OOWW were identified on samples taken before, during, and at the end of bio-treatment. Identification of isolates was carried out at genus and/or species level. Samples from the bio-treatments did not show any fungi; most of the isolates belonged to the Bacillus genus (with predominance of Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus sphaericus, and Brevibacillus brevis). The good COD and phenolic compounds removal rate indicates that the microbial community selected during the treatment is well adapted to the stress conditions imposed by this special type of bioreactor.     

Screening of Marine Bacteria for the Production of Microbial Repellents Using a Spectrophotometric Chemotaxis Assay

A method for screening marine bacteria for the production of microbial repellents has been developed. The spectrophotometer provided quantitative information on bacterial chemotaxis in response to extracts from other strains of marine bacteria. Aqueous extracts were incorporated into an agar plug at the base of a cuvette, which was overlaid with a suspension of a motile strain. Negative chemotaxis of the motile strain in response to diffusion of repellent compounds from the agar could be measured by a fall in the optical density, allowing the direct screening of supernatants for repellent activity. Three strains producing metabolites with a repellent effect on a motile marine bacterium were identified. Antibiotic activity and the repellent effect of the supernatants were compared, with no significant correlation being found. The screening method will therefore allow the identification of bioactive metabolites that would be overlooked using traditional antibiotic screening strategies. Received March 4, 1998; accepted November 11, 1998.     

Biosynthesis of bile acids in a variety of marine bacterial taxa

Several marine bacterial strains, which were isolated from seawater off the island Dokdo, Korea, were screened to find new bioactive compounds such as antibiotics. Among them, Donghaeana dokdonensis strain DSW-6 was found to produce antibacterial agents, and the agents were then purified and analyzed by LC-MS/MS and 1D- and 2D-NMR spectrometries. The bioactive compounds were successfully identified as cholic acid and glycine-conjugated glycocholic acid, the 7alpha-dehydroxylated derivatives (deoxycholic acid and glycodeoxycholic acid) of which were also detected in relatively small amounts. Other masine isolates, taxonomically different from DSW-6, were also able to produce the compounds in a quite different production ratio from DSW-6. As far as we are aware of, these bile acids are produced by specific members of the genus Streptomyces and Myroides, and thought to be general secondary metabolites produced by a variety of bacterial taxa that are widely distributed in the sea.     

Seawater requirement for the production of lipoxazolidinones by marine actinomycete strain NPS8920

A novel marine actinomycete strain NPS8920 produces a new class of 4-oxazolidinone antibiotics lipoxazolidinone A, B and C. Lipoxazolidinone A possesses good potency (1-2 microg/mL) against drug-resistant pathogens methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE). Strain NPS8920 exhibits different morphologies in both agar and submerged cultures. The ability of strain NPS8920 to sporulate on saline-based agar media but not on deionized water-based agar medium supported that strain NPS8920 is a marine actinomycete. While strain NPS8920 does not require seawater for growth, the production of lipoxazolidinones by strain NPS8920 can only be detected in the seawater-based media. The optimal production of lipoxazolidinones was observed in the natural seawater-based medium. Strain NPS8920 produced 10-20% of lipoxazolidinones in the synthetic sea salt Instant Ocean-based medium and no production in the sodium chloride-based and deionized water-based media.     

A comparative study of siderophore production by fungi from marine and terrestrial habitats

Siderophore producing potential of 20 fungal isolates (same 10 species from each marine and terrestrial habitat) were examined and compared. Except marine Aspergillus flavus, all isolates produced siderophores as evidenced by positive reaction in FeCl₃ test, CAS assay and CAS agar plate test. The results indicated widespread occurrence of siderophores in both the habitats. Examination of the chemical nature of siderophores revealed that mucoraceous fungi produced carboxylate, while others produced hydroxamate siderophores. Thus, the nature of siderophore was found to be independent of habitat. Among all the isolates, Cunninghamella elegans (marine form) was maximum siderophore producer (1987.5 μg/ml) followed by terrestrial form of C. elegans (1248.75 μg/ml). There was no marked variation in siderophore concentration of Penicillium funiculosum strains. Comparison of quantification of siderophore production between marine and terrestrial revealed that four terrestrial isolates (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceous, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium citrinum) were ahead in siderophore production, while, the other four marine isolates (Aspergillus versicolor, C. elegans, Rhizopus sp., Syncephalastrum racemosum) were found to be more potent siderophore producers, indicating that they were equally competent.