Production and characterization of the agarase ofCytophaga flevensis

Cytophaga flevensis produced an inducible agarase which was extracellular under most conditions tested. The effect of cultural conditions on the production of enzyme was studied in batch and continuous culture. In batch culture, production was optimal whenCytophaga flevensis was incubated at 20C in a mineral medium with agar as the sole carbon source and ammonium nitrate as the nitrogen source at an initial pH of 6.6–7.0. The enzyme appeared to be subject to catabolite repression, since its synthesis was repressed when glucose was added to the medium in batch culture. Furthermore, in continuous culture, enzyme production decreased with increasing growth rate. Extracellular agarase was partially purified and the enzyme preparation obtained was very stable. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 26000 daltons. It is a β-agarase which is highly specific for polysaccharides containing neoagarobiose units. The final products of hydrolysis of agarose by the endo-acting enzyme were neoagarotetraose and neoagarobiose. Optimal conditions for its activity were pH 6.3 and 30C. When agarose was used as a substrate, an apparent temperature optimum of 35C was found, due to gelling of the substrate during the assay procedure.     

Integration of Bacterial Expansin on Agarolytic Complexes to Enhance the Degrading Activity of Red Algae by Control of Gelling Properties

Expansin act by loosening hydrogen bonds in densely packed polysaccharides. This work characterizes the biological functions of expansin in the gelling and degradation of algal polysaccharides. In this study, the bacterial expansin BpEX from Bacillus pumilus was fused with the dockerin module of a cellulosome system for assembly with agarolytic complexes. The assembly of chimeric expansin caused an indicative enhancement in agarase activity. The enzymatic activities on agar substrate and natural biomass were 3.7-fold and 3.3-fold higher respectively than that of agarase as a single enzyme. To validate the effect on the agar degradation, the regulation potential of parameters related to gel rheology by bacterial expansin was experimentally investigated to indicate that the bacterial expansin lowered the gelling temperature and viscosity of agar. Thus, these results demonstrated the possibility of advancing more efficient strategies for utilizing agar as oligo sugar source in the biorefinery field that uses marine biomass as feedstocks.     

Influence of physiological factors on the lysis effect of Cytophaga on the red microalga Rhodella reticulata

The influence of different factors on the lysis of the red microalga, Rhodella reticulata, by Cytophaga sp. LR2 was studied. The pathogenic bacterial strain was more resistant than the alga to the physiological parameters studied, which assured long-term survival of bacteria in algal cultures. Cytophaga sp. LR2 infected R. reticulata at temperatures between 15 and 30 degrees C, in the illuminated as well as the non-illuminated cultures, at pH values between 5.0 and 9.0, and in the presence of NaCl and CaCl2 in the culture medium. SEM showed a different morphology of the bacteria in algal cultures from those of axenic cultures of Cytophaga. Observations of specific associations between algal and bacterial cells revealed that the role of the slime extrusions on the bacterial surface was attachment of Cytophaga to algal cells, and that their clumping leads to rapid lysis.     

Extra- and intra-cellular lytic effects of Cytophaga sp. LR2 on the red microalgae Rhodella reticulata

AIMS: To evaluate the lytic activities of crude enzymes from Cytophaga sp. LR2 on Rhodella reticulata cells and isolated algal polysaccharide. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Cytophaga compartment was separated after centrifugation in a cell suspension for 30 min at 18,000 g. The extracellular enzyme was obtained from the supernatant and the intracellular from the pelleted cells after sonication and removal of debris. Algal cells were incubated with extra- or intracellular preparations and sowed onto agar medium. The suppressive effect of the extracellular enzyme on colony-forming units was found to be almost twice as high. The result was still more pronounced when treated cells had been shocked osmotically before seeding. Saccharolytic activity was evaluated by changes in the reducing sugars in the media. Concerning isolated algal polysaccharide, the reducing power of the two bacterial preparates was relatively low. A combined fraction showed the highest lytic activity. Using native and SDS electrophoresis some relation between the prevalence of the extra and intracellular protein patterns was registered. Two of the common components' molecular weight masses of 50 and 21 kDa were found to be reproducible in native- and SDS-containing gel. CONCLUSIONS: Cytophaga sp. LR2 produce extra- and intracellular enzymes active in destroying Rhodella cultures. The agents excreted in the medium are more effective.We suppose that two or three different classes of enzymes are involved in the lysis process. The comparative electrophoresis in this case shows the protein components with predictable functions. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Combining different simple and reproducible approaches to identify the lytic capability of Cytophaga sp. LR2 on R. reticulata.     

Extracellular β-agarase LSL-1 producing neoagarobiose from a newly isolated agar-liquefying soil bacterium, Acinetobacter sp., AG LSL-1

Summary An agar-liquefying Acinetobacter species capable of utilizing agar as sole source of carbon and energy was isolated from soil samples and the culture conditions were standardized for the maximal production of extracellular agarase. The bacterium was capable of liquefying an agar-plate within 3 days of incubation and produced extracellular agarase within a short period of time (16–18 h) when grown in defined mineral salts medium. Bacterium grew in the pH range 4.0–9.0, optimal at pH 7.0; temperature 25–40 °C and optimal at 37 °C. The agarase secreted by the Acinetobacter strain was inducible by agar and not repressed by other simple sugars when supplemented along with agar in the medium. The bacterium did not require NaCl for growth or production of agarase. The bacterium did not utilize other polysaccharides like κ-carrageenan, alginate, cellulose, and CMC. The activity staining of partially purified agarase preparations after native-PAGE and SDS PAGE revealed the presence of a single zone of clearance corresponding to the molecular weight 100 kDa, suggesting that it is a monomer. Neoagarobiose was the end product of agarose hydrolysis by this enzyme. The agarase was an endo-type glycosidase and belongs to Group-III β-agarase family.     

A bacterial pathogen of Rhodella reticulata

A bacterium was isolated which caused disease in a laboratory culture of the red alga, Rhodella reticulata. The organism was an aerobic Gram-negative rod, aflagellate andpigmented. The absorption maximum of the pigments in methanol was 460 nm. The bacteriumshowed hydrolytic activity towards agar and produced extracellular agarase. The organismutilized monosaccharide constituents of the polysaccharide of R. reticulata , as well asthe whole polysaccharide of alga, as a sole carbon source. The bacterium was identified as Cytophaga sp. LR₂.     

Mollusc-algal chloroplast endosymbiosis. Photosynthesis, thylakoid protein maintenance, and chloroplast gene expression continue for many months in the absence of the algal nucleus

Early in its life cycle, the marine mollusc Elysia chlorotica Gould forms an intracellular endosymbiotic association with chloroplasts of the chromophytic alga Vaucheria litorea C. Agardh. As a result, the dark green sea slug can be sustained in culture solely by photoautotrophic CO(2) fixation for at least 9 months if provided with only light and a source of CO(2). Here we demonstrate that the sea slug symbiont chloroplasts maintain photosynthetic oxygen evolution and electron transport activity through photosystems I and II for several months in the absence of any external algal food supply. This activity is correlated to the maintenance of functional levels of chloroplast-encoded photosystem proteins, due in part at least to de novo protein synthesis of chloroplast proteins in the sea slug. Levels of at least one putative algal nuclear encoded protein, a light-harvesting complex protein homolog, were also maintained throughout the 9-month culture period. The chloroplast genome of V. litorea was found to be 119.1 kb, similar to that of other chromophytic algae. Southern analysis and polymerase chain reaction did not detect an algal nuclear genome in the slug, in agreement with earlier microscopic observations. Therefore, the maintenance of photosynthetic activity in the captured chloroplasts is regulated solely by the algal chloroplast and animal nuclear genomes.     

Statistical Optimization of Culture Variables for Enhancing Agarase Production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dendryphiella arenaria</Emphasis> Utilizing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Palisada perforata</Emphasis> (Rhodophyta) and Enzymatic Saccharification of the Macroalgal Biomass

Agarase is a promising biocatalyst for several industrial applications. Agarase production was evaluated by the marine fungus Dendryphiella arenaria utilizing Palisada perforata as a basal substrate in semi-solid state fermentation. Seaweed biomass, glucose, and sucrose were the most significant parameters affecting agarase production, and their levels were further optimized using Box-Behnken design. The maximum agarase activity was 7.69 U/mL. Agarase showed a degree of thermostability with half-life of 99 min at 40 °C, and declining to 44.72 min at 80 °C. Thermodynamics suggested an important process of protein aggregation during thermal inactivation. Additionally, the enzymatic saccharification of the seaweed biomass using crude agarase was optimized with respect to biomass particle size, solid/liquid ratio, and enzyme loadings. The amount of biosugars obtained after optimization was 26.15 ± 1.43 mg/g. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on optimization of agarase in D. arenaria.     

一种海洋琼胶酶的分离纯化、酶学性质研究及降解产物分析

摘要：【目的】对海洋Agarivorans albus QM38菌株所产琼胶酶的纯化工艺和酶学性质进行了研究。【方法】发酵液通过离心、(NH4 ) 2SO4盐析、DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow 阴离子交换层析、Sephacry S-100 凝胶过滤等纯化步骤得到SDS-PAGE电泳级纯酶,并用质谱对酶的降解产物进行分析。【结果】得到琼胶酶A,纯化倍数为17.6倍,收率为15.21 %,SDS-PAGE测定其分子量为127.8 kDa。对琼胶酶A进行了进一步的性质分析,其最适反应温度为35 ℃,最适反应pH为7.6,最适底物浓度为0.9 %,多数金属离子为其活性抑制剂。琼胶酶A的降解产物经质谱分析主要为四糖和六糖。【结论】从菌株QM38的发酵液中纯化得到的琼胶酶A具有降解凝胶态琼胶的能力,其分子量与以往报道过的琼胶酶不同。     

Optimization of medium composition and culture conditions for agarase production by Agarivorans albus YKW-34

Effect of medium composition and culture conditions on agarase production by Agarivorans albus YKW-34 was investigated in shake flasks. The most suitable carbon source, nitrogen source, and culture temperature were agar, yeast extract, and 25 °C, respectively, for agarase production by one-factor-at-a-time design. The nutritional components of the medium and culture conditions were analyzed by Plackett–Burman design. Among the nine factors studied, agar, yeast extract, and initial pH had significant effects on agarase production (p < 0.05). The optimum levels of these key variables were further determined using a central composite design. The highest agarase production was obtained in the medium consisting of 0.23% agar and 0.27% yeast extract at initial pH 7.81. The whole optimization strategy enhanced the agarase production from 0.23 U/ml to 0.87 U/ml. The economic medium composition and culture condition as well as the dominant occupation of agarase with high activity in culture fluid enlighten the potential application of A. albus YKW-34 for the production of agarase.     

罗尼氏弧菌Vibrio shilonii BY新琼胶酶基因的克隆、序列分析及表达

【目的】从海洋来源的罗尼氏弧菌菌株BY中克隆得到一个具有琼胶酶活性的新基因,并对其进行重组表达。【方法】对实验室保藏的产琼胶酶菌株BY进行16S rRNA基因序列分析,并构建系统发育树。根据已报道的琼胶酶基因序列的同源性,设计简并引物,利用降落PCR (Touch-down PCR)及染色体步移技术扩增琼胶酶基因序列全长,对基因序列进行生物信息学分析。将目的基因插入pET22a(+)载体,转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),对重组酶进行表达,利用DNS法测定了重组酶的酶活,对该重组琼胶酶酶学性质进行研究。【结果】克隆得到一条新的琼胶酶基因,命名为Vibrio sp. BY (GenBank登录号：AIW39921.1),Vibrio sp. BY基因序列全长2 232 bp,编码744个氨基酸,理论分子量为85 kD,Vibrio sp. BY的氨基酸序列基因库中与已知的琼胶酶氨基酸序列Vibrio sp. EJY3的相似度为86%。发酵液琼胶酶酶活力为71.73 U/mL,证明表达的蛋白为琼胶酶。酶学性质研究表明重组琼胶酶的最适温度及pH分别为50 °C和7.0,并且具有较好的稳定性。【结论】利用染色体步移技术克隆得到一条新的琼胶酶基因,并在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中实现了重组表达,为琼胶酶的应用奠定了基础。     

Optimization of Pseudoalteromonas sp. JYBCL 1 culture conditions, medium composition and extracellular β-agarase activity

Extracellular agarase produced by the Pseudoalteromonas strain JYBCL 1 is used in a variety of applications in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. The optimization of culture conditions for agarase-producing microbes and agarase activity is thus an important consideration in many industrial applications. In this study, the optimum medium composition and culture conditions for the JYBCL 1 strain were determined using the ??one factor at a time?? (OFAT) method and a Plackett-Burman design. Optimal cell growth was obtained at a temperature of 25°C and when 10 g/L tryptone was present in the culture medium. Optimal agarase activity occurred at a temperature of 40°C and at pH 6. The presence of carbonyl groups in the extracellular agarase hydrolysis products was verified using FT-IR. LC-MS identified the hydrolyzates as neoagarohexaose, neoagarotetraose, and neoagarobiose. The extracellular agarase produced by the JYBCL 1 strain used in this study was identified as ??-agarase by ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy.     

Repeated batch production of agar-oligosaccharides from agarose by an amberlite IRA-900 immobilized agarase system

The production of agar-oligosaccharides from agarose by free and immobilized agarase, obtained from a Pseudomonas aeruginosa AG LSL-11 was investigated and the activity, longevity and the operational stability of immobilized enzyme was compared with that of the free enzyme. The agar hydrolyzed products of free enzyme and immobilized enzyme were neoagarobiose, neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose as evidenced by LC-MS analysis. The immobilization of agarase was confirmed by SEM and also by the enzymatic transformation of agarose into agaroligosaccharides. The free agarase showed maximum activity at 40°C, whereas it’s immobilized counterpart showed maximum activity at 45oC, however, the optimum pH for both systems remained unchanged (pH 8.0). The relative activities of free agarase at pH 9.0 and 10.0 were 90 and 74%, respectively, whereas, the corresponding activities of the immobilized system were determined to be 97 and 90%. The stabilities of free agarase at pH 9.0 and 10.0 were 80 and 60% respectively, but for the immobilized system the respective residual activities were estimated to be 97 and 85%. Immobilized agarase appears to be more tolerant to high temperatures in terms of its activity and stability as it is compared to that of the free enzyme which retained 74 and 50.84% of relative activity at 55 and 60°C while, free agarase retained only 40 and 16.79% of its original activity. Furthermore, the immobilized agarase could be reused in batches efficiently for eight cycles, and could be stored for 3 months at 4°C as wet beads and for more than 6 months as dry beads.     

海洋细菌Agarivorans albus NBRC102603琼胶酶的分离纯化

利用盐析、分子筛和离子交换等方法对海洋细菌Agarivorans albus NBRC102603分泌的琼胶酶粗酶液进行分离纯化,得到琼胶酶A和琼胶酶B.琼胶酶A纯化倍数为17.51倍,酶比活力为881.82 U/mg;琼胶酶B纯化倍数为16.64倍,酶比活力为838.32 U/mg.纯化的琼胶酶经SDS-PAGE检测,显示为单一条带,其相对分子质量分别为酶A 8.36×104和酶B 3.68×104.     

Lignin peroxidase production by strains of Phanerochaete chrysosporium grown on glycerol

Summary Lignin peroxidase production by several strains of Phanerochaete chrysosporium was determined during growth on glycerol under conditions of nitrogen sufficiency. Fungal strains which grew poorest on glycerol produced the highest titres of lignin peroxidase whereas enzyme levels were much lower when marginally greater biomass values were recorded. In the case of P. chrysosporium strain INA-12, the nature of the nitrogen source had a pronounced effect on both growth and enzyme production. Highest biomass values were obtained when l-glutamate or l-glutamine served as the major nitrogen source but enzyme synthesis was normally repressed completely. Lignin peroxidase activity in this strain was maximal when the initial pH of the culture medium was adjusted to pH 5.0.     

Growth of bacteria on chitin, fungal cell walls and fungal biomass, and the effect of extracellular enzymes produced by these cultures on the antifungal activity of amphotericin B

Vibrio alginolyticus, Streptomyces griseus, Arthrobacter G12, Bacillus sp. and Cytophaga sp. were grown on solid and liquid media containing soluble and insoluble carbon sources. Arthrobacter G12, Bacillus sp. and Cytophaga sp. grew well on media which contained fungal cell walls or fungal biomass as the main carbon source. All bacteria produced extracellular proteases and all bacteria except Arthrobacter G12 produced extracellular chitinases. Growth of Cytophaga sp. on colloidal chitin was paralleled by the accumulated chitinase activity in the culture filtrate, and growth of Cytophaga sp. and Arthrobacter G12 on cell walls of Geotrichum candidum and cell walls of Candida pseudotropicalis was paralleled by the accumulation of laminarinase activity in the culture filtrate, but little or no extracellular chitinase activity was observed in these cultures. Mycolases purified from the culture filtrates of Cytophaga sp. grown on colloidal chitin on cell walls of C. pseudotropicalis potentiated the antifungal activity of amphotericin B.     

Isolation and characterization of Cytophaga flevensis sp. nov., a new agarolytic flexibacterium

The occurrence of agarolytic microorganisms in a variety of natural environments was investigated using enrichment culture techniques. From samples taken from the IJsselmeer, and adjacent areas in the central part of The Netherlands a new agarolytic flexibacterium was isolated. Enrichments inoculated with samples from other sources were unsuccessful. The yellow-pigmented organism exhibits gliding motility, but spreading was only occasionally detected. Since neither fruiting bodies nor microcysts were observed, the organism was placed into the genus Cytophaga and designated as Cytophaga flevensis sp. nov. The occurrence of this species is probably restricted to the IJsselmeer, a fresh-water lake that was in open contact with the North Sea until 1932, and some other lakes which are in direct contact with the IJsselmeer. The organism utilizes only carbohydrates as a carbon and energy source for growth and is strictly aerobic. When the organism is grown on agar, on its components or on melibiose, an extracellular agarase is produced. This enzyme is highly specific for polysaccharides containing neoagarobiose units and hydrolyzes neoagaro-oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization of more than four.     

Identification and characterization of potentially algal-lytic marine bacteria strongly associated with the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella

The toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella isolated from fjords in Southern Chile produces several analogues of saxitoxin and has been associated with outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning. Three bacterial strains, which remained in close association with this dinoflagellate in culture, were isolated by inoculating the dinoflagellate onto marine agar. The phenotypically different cultivable bacterial colonies were purified. Their genetic identification was done by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the 16S rRNA genes. Partial sequence analysis suggested that the most probable affiliations were to two bacterial phyla: Proteobacteria and the Cytophaga group. The molecular identification was complemented by morphological data and biochemical profiling. The three bacterial species, when grown separately from phytoplankton cells in high-nutrient media, released algal-lytic compounds together with aminopeptidase, lipase, glucosaminidase, and alkaline phosphatase. When the same bacteria, free of organic nutrients, were added back to the algal culture they displayed no detrimental effects on the dinoflagellate cells and recovered their symbiotic characteristics. This observation is consistent with phylogenetic analysis that reveals that these bacteria correspond to species distinct from other bacterial strains previously classified as algicidal bacteria. Thus, bacterial-derived lytic activities are expressed only in the presence of high-nutrient culture media and it is likely that in situ environmental conditions may modulate their expression.     

Polysaccharide-Degrading Activity in Marine and Terrestrial Strains of Mycelial Fungi

The activity of extracellular polysaccharide-degrading enzymes and glycosidases from mycelial fungi towards various carbohydrates and carbohydrate derivatives from plant and algal cell walls has been screened. Twenty-three strains of mycelial fungi isolated from the marine sediment and dung were grown by submerged cultivation on a plant-based substrate (a by-product of the grain processing industry) for previous screening for their biomass and protein productivity. Molecular identification allowed for the assignment of marine fungal strains to the following species: Sirastachys phyllophila, Ochroconis mirabilis, Pseudallescheria boydii, Pseudallescheria ellipsoidea, Beauveria felina, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Cladosporium sp., and Trichoderma sp. The terrestrial strains belonged to the species Thermomyces thermophilus, Thermomyces dupontii, Thermomyces lanuginosus, Fusarium avenaceum, Mycothermus thermophilum, and Thermothelomyces thermophila. Seven strains of thermophilic terrestrial fungal species T. thermophila, T. thermophilus, T. dupontii and M. thermophilus and two marine fungal strains of S. brevicaulis and Beauveria felina exhibited the highest protein yields and a wide range of polysaccharide-degrading activity when the cultures were cultivated at 22–25°C. The cellulolytic thermophilic strain M. thermophilus 55 isolated from dung demonstrated unusual specificity, most intensive increase of mycelial biomass, and high activity towards algal polysaccharides after seven days of cultivation. The specific activity of laminarinase was one order of magnitude higher than in the marine strains and amounted to 1180 U/mg, and the alginate lyase, carrageenase, polymannuronate lyase, agarase, and fucoidanase activity levels (from 208 to 500 U/mg) were also higher than in all marine strains. All active polysaccharide-degrading strains of thermophilic terrestrial and marine fungi identified in the present study are of considerable interest, as the potential of these fungi for polysaccharide degradation can be applied in the transformation of various agricultural and maricultural waste of plant origin and in the modification of carbohydrate-containing substances in structural research and biotechnology.     

Characterization of a novel β-agarase from marine Alteromonas sp. SY37–12 and its degrading products

The phenotypic and agarolytic features of an unidentified marine bacteria isolated from the southern ocean of China was studied. The strain was gram-negative, aerobic, and polarly flagellated. It was identified as the genus Alteromonas according to its morphological and physiological characterization. In solid agar, the isolate produced a diffusible agarase that caused agar softening around the colonies. An extracellular agarase was purified by the procedure of ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration on Sephacryl S-100HR, and ion-exchange chromatography on diethylaminoethyl-Sepharose. The purified protein exhibited a single band on SDS-PAGE with a molecular mass of 39.5 kDa. The enzyme hydrolyzed the β-1,4-glycosidic linkages of agar, yielding neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose as the main products. The optimum reaction temperature of the agarase was 35°C, with a narrow range from 30 to 45 °C. The enzyme activity reached the maximum at pH 7.0 and in the presence of 2% NaCl. Molecular mass and degrading products showed that the agarase from Alteromonas sp. SY 37-12 was much different from those previously reported.