Production of feruloyl/ρ-coumaroyl esterase activity by Penicillium expansum, Penicillium brevicompactum and Aspergillus niger

Extracellular esterase production by Penicillium expansum, Penicillium brevicompactum and Aspergillus niger was determined in both liquid and solid-state culture. Methyl ferulate was used as the main carbon source in liquid culture whereas wheat bran and sugar beet pulp were used in solid-state culture. Extracted enzyme for each fungus showed activity in the presence of ONP butyrate, methyl ferulate, methyl coumarate and two 'natural'feruloylated carbohydrate esters. Higher enzyme recoveries were obtained using wheat bran in solid-state culture. Higher levels of feruloyl esterase activity were recovered from P. expansum on all feruloylated substrates than from P. brevicompactum or A. niger. Using ONP butyrate as substrate the pH and temperature optima for the esterases of both Penicillium spp. were 6.0 and 25–30°C. Aspergillus niger esterase activity showed a broader temperature range with an optimum at 40°C.     

真菌诱导子与吸附树脂对新疆紫草毛状根中萘醌积累的影响

通过考察真菌诱导子与吸附树脂对新疆紫草毛状根中萘醌积累的影响,获得真菌诱导子与吸附树脂对萘醌类物质积累的最佳处理,为规模化生产提供依据.以新疆紫草毛状根为试验材料,将黑曲霉、米曲霉诱导子及其混合诱导子、大孔吸附树脂添加到M-9培养基中,采用分光光度法测定毛状根总萘醌含量.试验结果表明:在毛状根培养10d时以2.5∶50的比例添加混合诱导子,总萘醌含量是对照的2.28倍;在此结果基础上,在培养第0天添加大孔吸附树脂NKA-9,总萘醌含量最高是对照的3.71倍;黑曲霉诱导子与米曲霉诱导子有协同效应;在生物反应器中添加混合诱导子及大孔吸附树脂NKA-9,其总萘醌含量是对照的4.17倍.米曲霉诱导子、混合诱导子对毛状根增殖有促进作用;同时添加大孔吸附树脂NKA-9及混合诱导子能提高毛状根总萘醌含量.生物反应器培养毛状根为今后利用新疆紫草毛状根规模化生产总萘醌提供了理论参考.     

Production of Oxalic Acid by a Wood-Rotting Fungus

The wood-rotting fungus Pleurotus ostreatus NRRL 2366 was grown successfully in submerged shaker cultures in which it produced oxalic acid from simple carbohydrates as efficiently as did Aspergillus niger. P. ostreatus also produced oxalic acid from mixtures of sawdust and CaCO(3), and from the solid residue from the acid hydrolysis of wood when the culture was supplemented with inorganic nutrients. A. niger produced oxalic acid from the liquid hydrolysate.     

黑曲霉产菊粉酶菌株的选育及培养基优化

为获得高产菊粉酶的黑曲霉菌株,以Aspergillus niger YH-1为出发菌株,经过亚硝基胍(NTG)诱变,以高温高菊芋粉相结合的方式进行梯度驯化,选育出一株产菊粉酶菌株YH-3,并运用响应面实验方法对该菌株的培养基进行优化。确定了最佳培养基组成:菊芋粉25.2 g/L、豆饼粉40 g/L、蔗糖酯4.9 g/L、NaCl 5.5 g/L。发现内切菊粉酶活力(I)由60.9 U/mL提高到165.0 U/mL,比出发菌株提高了1.7倍。研究证明蔗糖酯对于黑曲霉YH-3发酵产菊粉酶是一种有效的促进剂。     

Kinetic modeling for the biosorption of copper by pretreated Aspergillus niger biomass

In this present work, a kinetic model for biosorption of copper was developed considering the possibility of different forms of functional groups being present on the surface of the biomass prepared from Aspergillus niger. Results showed that metal uptake by A. niger was a mass transfer driven process, requiring only 30min to achieve 70% adsorption efficiency. Copper sorption by A. niger was influenced by the biomass dose, initial metal ion concentration, and pH of the solution. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were used to describe the behavior of the system at different pH. The retention capacity of the biomass was determined at pH 6.0 to be equal to 23.62mg/g of biomass. The pretreatment with formalin improved the uptake of metal ion.     

黑曲霉AF-98固体发酵产纤维素酶的产酶条件研究

通过单因子及正交试验,对黑曲霉AF-98固体发酵产纤维素酶的产酶条件进行了探讨。其优化的产酶条件为:甘蔗渣3g,麸皮2g,加含尿素为0.15%的Mandels营养液25mL(加水比1:5),调初始pH5.0,28℃发酵72h。在此优化条件下,纤维素酶活力可达7.56u/g干曲。     

Aspergillus niger absorbs copper and zinc from swine wastewater

Wastewater from swine confined-housing operations contains elevated levels of copper and zinc due to their abundance in feed. These metals may accumulate to phytotoxic levels in some agricultural soils of North Carolina due to land application of treated swine effluent. We evaluated fungi for their ability to remove these metals from wastewater and found Aspergillus niger best suited for this purpose. A. niger was able to grow on plates amended with copper at a level five times that inhibitory to the growth of Saccharomyes cerevisiae. We also found evidence for internal absorption as the mechanism used by A. niger to detoxify its environment of copper, a property of the fungus that has not been previously exploited for metal bioremediation. In this report, we show that A. niger is capable of removing 91% of the copper and 70% of the zinc from treated swine effluent.     

A transcriptional activator, AoXlnR, controls the expression of genes encoding xylanolytic enzymes in Aspergillus oryzae

By deletion across the promoter region of the xynF1 gene encoding the major Aspergillus oryzae xylanase, a 53-bp DNA fragment containing the XlnR binding sequence GGCTAAA as well as two similar sequences was shown to confer xylan inducibility on the gene. Complementary and genomic DNAs encoding the Aspergillus niger xlnR homologous gene, abbreviated AoxlnR, were cloned from A. oryzae and sequenced. AoXlnR comprised 971 amino acids with a zinc binuclear cluster domain at the N-terminal region and revealed 77.5% identity to the A. niger XlnR. Recombinant AoXlnR protein encompassing the zinc cluster region of the N-terminal part bound to both the consensus binding sequence and its cognate sequence, GGCTGA, with an approximately 10 times lower affinity. GGCTA/GA is more appropriate as the XlnR consensus binding sequence. Both sequences functioned independently in vivo in XlnR-mediating induction of the xynF1 gene. This was further confirmed by using an AoxlnR disruptant. Neither the xynF1 nor the xylA gene was expressed in the disruptant, suggesting that the xylan-inducible genes in A. oryzae may also be controlled in the same manner as described for A. niger.     

Heterogeneity of Aspergillus niger microcolonies in liquid shaken cultures

The fungus Aspergillus niger forms (sub)millimeter microcolonies within a liquid shaken culture. Here, we show that such microcolonies are heterogeneous with respect to size and gene expression. Microcolonies of strains expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the promoter of the glucoamlyase gene glaA or the ferulic acid esterase gene faeA were sorted on the basis of diameter and fluorescence using the Complex Object Parametric Analyzer and Sorter (COPAS) technology. Statistical analysis revealed that the liquid shaken culture consisted of two populations of microcolonies that differ by 90 μm in diameter. The population of small microcolonies of strains expressing GFP from the glaA or faeA promoter comprised 39% and 25% of the culture, respectively. Two populations of microcolonies could also be distinguished when the expression of GFP in these strains was analyzed. The population expressing a low level of GFP consisted of 68% and 44% of the culture, respectively. We also show that mRNA accumulation is heterogeneous within microcolonies of A. niger. Central and peripheral parts of the mycelium were isolated with laser microdissection and pressure catapulting (LMPC), and RNA from these samples was used for quantitative PCR analysis. This analysis showed that the RNA content per hypha was about 45 times higher at the periphery than in the center of the microcolony. Our data imply that the protein production of A. niger can be improved in industrial fermentations by reducing the heterogeneity within the culture.     

Effect of inorganic phosphate on the secretion of pectinolytic enzymes by Aspergillus niger

Inorganic phosphates, taken as NaH₂PO₄ or KH₂PO₄, stimulated the production of pectinolytic enzymes and enhanced by up to two-fold the growth of Aspergillus niger in submerged liquid culture of apple pomace. Production of extracellular enzymes of endo- and exo- types, showed a different response to concentrations of phosphate in the medium.     

Xylanase production in solid-state fermentation: a study of its properties

Summary Xylanase production by Aspergillus niger van Tieghem was studied in solid-state cultivation. The screening of substrates was carried out in column incubators aerated with humidified air at 30°C. Results of physiological studies showed that the best yield of xylanase was 2500 U/g dry matter on a mixture of straw+bran 1:1 at 70% of moisture content.In order to compare some properties of the xylanase produced in both liquid and solid cultures, A. niger was also grown on xylan in submerged cultures. The enzymes produced in solid and liquid cultures have an optimum pH of about 3.8 and 4.5, respectively. Xylanase synthetized in solid fermentation is a little more thermostable than that from liquid culture and is maximally active at 50° C, compared to 45° C for enzyme from liquid culture.     

Removal of heavy metals from contaminated sewage sludge using Aspergillus niger fermented raw liquid from pineapple wastes

The environmental benefits derived from using citric acid in the removal of heavy metals from contaminated sewage sludge have made it promising as an extracting agent in the chemical extraction process. At present, citric acid is produced commercially by fermentation of sucrose using mutant strains of Aspergillus niger (A. niger), and chemical synthesis. In recent years, various carbohydrates and wastes (such as pineapple wastes) have been considered experimentally, to produce citric acid by A. niger. This study investigated the potential of using A. niger fermented raw liquid from pineapple wastes as a source of citric acid, in extracting chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) from anaerobically digested sewage sludge. Results of the study revealed that metal removal efficiencies varied with pH, forms of metals in sludge and contact time. At pH approaching 4, and contact time of 11 days, A. niger fermented liquid seemed to remove all Cr and Zn while removing 94% of Ni. Moreover, chemical speciation studies revealed that metals which are predominantly in the exchangeable and oxidizable phases seemed to exhibit ease of leachability (e.g., Zn). The by-products of the process such as pineapple pulp and mycelium which are rich in protein, can still be used as animal feed. It can be said therefore that this novel process provides a sustainable way of managing contaminated sewage sludge.     

Culture supernatants of patient-derived Aspergillus isolates have toxic and lytic activity towards neurons and glial cells

Infection of the central nervous system by the ubiquitous fungi Aspergillus spp. is a life-threatening disease. Therefore we investigated the mechanism of brain damage by fungal infection. To examine whether secretory factors of Aspergillus isolates derived from patients can induce death of different brain cells, culture supernatants of Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus and Aspergillus niger were added to different astrocytes as well as to the neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-SH, and to the microglial cell line CHME. All four fungal species were shown to secrete toxic factors with neurons being most sensitive against these factors. Very low amounts and short incubation times are sufficient to induce irreversible cell damage, indicating that secreted factors might also affect distant brain regions. Further characterization of the toxic factors revealed that A. fumigatus and A. terreus produced small, heat-stable components whereas the toxic activity of A. niger filtrates was triggered by a high molecular mass factor which could be inactivated by heat. The active component of A. flavus had a molecular mass similar to that of A. niger but was heat-stable and had a significantly lower activity. Taken together these results indicate that secretion of different necrotizing factors might contribute to brain lesions in patients with cerebral aspergillosis.     

利用黑曲霉单宁酶酶法制取没食子酸的研究

利用已有的 10株高单宁酶活性的菌株为起始菌 ,经活化分离选择 ,借助Ⅱ级发酵培养程序、生物转化、结合TLC分析进行筛选实验。最后选出具有高单宁酶活性的 1号和 5 0号菌株 ,开展了没食子酸 (GA)克量级生物转化法制备实验 ,结果表明 ,本酶法工艺是可行的 ,在发酵液中GA的浓度分别达到2 0 .6mg/ml和 2 1 3mg/ml,产品产率 (以从五倍子提取的单宁酸计 )达到 41 2 %和 42 6 % ,具有潜在的工业开发价值     

Mineralization of benzo[a]pyrene by Marasmiellus troyanus, a mushroom isolated from a toxic waste site.

Mycelia from the mushroom Marasmiellus troyanus were grown in the presence of radiolabeled benzo[a]pyrene in liquid culture. After 15 days, 8.1% of the label from M. troyanus cultures was recovered in CO2 as compared to 1.1% for Phanerochaete chrysosporium and 0.2% for Aspergillus niger. M. troyanus efficiently transformed B[a]P into water soluble metabolites with 64% of the label recovered in the water soluble fraction as compared to 11.7% for P. chrysosporium and 4.1% for A. niger. Glucuronic acid and sulfate conjugates of B[a]P were identified from the aqueous fraction of cultures of M. troyanus, after 17 days.     

Production of phosphatates by fungi isolated from desert soils

Twelve fungal cultures isolated from Indian desert soils belonging toAspergillus, Penicillium, Acrophialophora andAlternaria were found to produce both acid and alkaline phosphatases in liquid medium, their amounts varying from culture to culture. Maximum production of these enzymes was observed withA. niger. In general, acid phosphatase activity was much higher as compared to alkaline phosphatase. The optimum incubation period for the production of these enzymes was found to be 14 d and thereafter it started declining. There was a significant and positive correlation between biomass production and acid phosphatase activity but not with alkaline phosphatase.     

The action of different biocides on the phosphatase activity of Aspergillus niger

Metalorganic and quarternary ammonium compounds when added to culture medium inhibited growth of Aspergillus niger mycelium and activity of neutral and alkaline phosphatase. A quarternary ammonium compound, ethonium, and a tin-organic compound, tributyl oxide, exerted an inhibiting effect on activity of acid phosphatase which amounted to 54% of the total phosphatase activity in mycelium and 94% in the culture liquid. The rest of biocides induced lysis of intracellular membranes, phosphatase release from lysosomas, which made acid phosphatase activity higher. Being introduced into the mycelium homogenate the above compounds inhibited activity of the acid phosphatase. The same biocides inhibited extracellular acid phosphatase in the culture liquid. Recommendations are given on the use of a number of substances as means for protection of industrial materials from biolesions.     

Use of CAS-agar plate modified to study the effect of different variables on the siderophore production by Aspergillus

AIMS: To evaluate the suitability of chrome azurol S (CAS) agar plate assay as a quantitative methodology for siderophore production. METHODS AND RESULTS: Aspergillus species (A. flavus, A. niger, A. tamarii) were inoculated in the CAS-agar plates and the siderophores production was determined and expressed as CAS-reaction rate (mm per day). All the species showed positive CAS reaction with different rates depending on culture conditions and A. flavus showed the highest CAS-reaction rate. The siderophore production in solid medium expressed as CAS-reaction rate was correlated with siderophore production in liquid medium. CONCLUSIONS: The use of CAS-agar plate assay was modified and the evaluation of CAS reaction in mm per day made it possible to study and quantify the effect of several variables on the siderophore production by Aspergillus fungi. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: We describe the CAS-agar plate assay as a quantitative methodology, which make it possible to select and evaluate the siderophore production by several microorganisms (fungi and bacteria) according to different culture conditions.     

Isolation and evaluation of tannin-degrading fungal strains from the Mexican desert

Eleven fungal strains (4 Penicillium commune, 2 Aspergillus niger, 2 Aspergillus rugulosa, Aspergillus terricola, Aspergillus ornatus and Aspergillus fumigatus) were isolated, characterized morphologically and by their capacity to degrade tannins. Aspergillus niger Aa-20 was used as control strain. Several concentrations of hydrolysable tannin (tannic acid) were used as sole carbon source. All strains were able to degrade hydrolysable tannins. Aspergillus niger GH1 and PSH showed the highest tannin-degrading capacity (67 and 70%, respectively). Also, the fungal capacity to degrade condensed tannin (catechin) was tested. Aspergillus niger PSH and Penicillium commune EH2 degraded 79.33% and 76.35% of catechin. The results demonstrated the capacity of fungi to use hydrolysable and condensed tannins as carbon source.