Effect of nitrogen source on pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans grown in a batch bioreactor

Pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 201253 using selected nitrogen sources was studied in a medium using corn syrup as a carbon source. Independent of the corn syrup concentration present, the use of corn steep liquor or hydrolysed soy protein as a nitrogen source instead of ammonium sulphate did not elevate polysaccharide production by ATCC 201253 cells grown in an aerated, batch bioreactor containing 4 litres of medium. Pullulan production on corn steep liquor or hydrolysed soy protein as a nitrogen source became more comparable as the concentration of corn syrup was increased. Cell weights after 7 days of growth on any of the nitrogen sources were similar. The viscosity of the polysaccharide on day 7 was highest for cells grown on ammonium sulphate and 12.5% corn syrup. The pullulan content of the polysaccharide elaborated by ammonium sulphate-grown cells on day 7 decreased as the corn syrup level rose in the medium while the pullulan content of polysaccharide produced by cells grown on corn steep liquor or soytone generally increased.     

Sodium chloride improves pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans but reduces the molecular weight of pullulan

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - The effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) on pullulan production by batch culture of Aureobasidium pullulans CCTCC M 2012259 was investigated. NaCl at...     

Optimization of conditions for the production of pullulan and high molecular weight pullulan by Aureobasidium pullulans

Aureobasidium pullulans had a maximum yield coefficient of pullulan (Y _p/s=0.24) with an initial pH of the culture broth of 6.5 in a shake-flask culture. In a batch culture, the maximum pullulan yield coefficient of 0.30 was obtained at the aeration rate of 0.5 vvm. A yeast-like form and mycelial form of cells were found at the culture broth with pH controlled at 4.5 with a maximum yield coefficient of pullulan of 0.27. However, a high portion (35%) of high molecular weight pullulan (M _w>2 000 000) was produced at pH 6.5 with a yeast-like morphology of the cells.     

Optimization of high molecular weight pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans in batch fermentations

Of five strains of Aureobasidium pullulans studied, NRRL Y-2311-1 yielded the highest titer (26.2 g/L) of pullulan and formed the lowest amount of melanin-like pigment. Sucrose was superior to glucose as the carbon and energy source on the basis of yield and titer of pullulan produced. Pullulan titer was higher (26.2 vs 5.1 g/L), biomass concentration was lower (6.9 vs 12.7 g/L), and DO was lower (0 vs 60% of saturation) when the fermenter was agitated by a marine propeller compared to Rushton impellers. Pullulan produced by strain NRRL Y-2311-1 ranged in weight-average molar mass (M(w)) from 486 KDa and number-average molar mass (M(n)) from 220 Da on day 1 of growth to 390 KDa and 690 Da on day 6; M(w) declined by about 35% from day 1 to day 3, the day of maximum pullulan titer. For the other strains, the ranges of molar mass on the day of maximum pullulan titer were 338-614 KDa (M(w)) and 100-6820 Da (M(n)).     

Biosynthesis of pullulan using immobilized Aureobasidium pullulans cells

Immobilization of Aureobasidium pullulans by adsorption on solid supports and entrapment in open pore polyurethane foam were attempted. By adsorption, the highest cell loading of 0.012-0.018 g dry wt/cm(2) support was obtained in pH 2.0 medium. Under this acidic condition, the net surface charges (zeta potentials) of both the cells and supports were close to zero and no pullulan was synthesized. Cationic coatings of Cytodex and polyethylenimine were not efficient in enhancing the binding strength between the cells and the supports. Surface immobilized cells and polyurethane foam entrapped cells exhibited a similar fermentation characteristics resulting in ca. 18 g/L pullulan and ca. 5 g/L leaked cells. However, cells entrapped in the polyurethane foam were more shear resistant. The immobilized cells thus could be repeatedly used for pullulan biosynthesis.     

Production of high molecular weight pullulan by Aureobasidium pullulans using glucosamine

Pullulan productivity was optimized in Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 42023 with 54 g glucose l^–1. Pullulan with its higher molecular weight (>1000000) was produced using 2% (w/v) glucose and 3% (w/v) glucosamine together. The maximum concentration of pullulan was 8 g l^–1 at 140 h with shake-flask culture.     

Simultaneous production of pullulan and biosorption of metals by Aureobasidium pullulans strain CH-1 on peat hydrolysate

It was demonstrated that during the growth of Aureobasidium pullulans strain CH-1 on the acid hydrolysate of peat from the Vlasina Lake, the content of metals (Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, Ni and Cr) decreased due to biosorption. The reduction in the metal content was found to be in the range (%): 38.2-62.2, 67.7-97.3, 0.02-62.05, 0.05-23.97, 0.16-4.24, 3.45-51.72, 1.18-35.82, 0.86-44.44, for Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, Ni and Cr, respectively. During this process, the metals were accumulated in the biomass, while pullulan, an extracellular polysaccharide produced by Aureobasidium pullulans strain CH-1, was found not to bind the above-mentioned metals.     

Isolation of Aureobasidium pullulans and the effect of different conditions for pullulanase and pullulan production

Isolation and production of pullulahase by a new Aureobasidium pullulans isolate from the Fayoum Governorate (AUMC 2997) which was identified by the Assiut University Mycological Center was investigated. Another isolate from the Aswan Governorate (AUMC 1695) was kindly provided by the Assiut University Mycological Center. Acetone 2× gave better results for the precipitation of protein than 80% ammonium sulfate in the case of the media containing yeast extract. Very low protein production occurred in media without yeast extract. No enzyme production occurred in the first two days and the production of the enzyme started on the third day. Statistical analysis determined that the optimum conditions for the production of pullulanase were: incubation at 25°C for 5 days, pH 5.5, with sucrose as carbon source at 100 g/L and sodium nitrate as nitrogen source at 2 g/L. Addition of manganese chloride to the medium (1, 2 and 3 g/L) caused inhibition of pullulanase. Also, while the lowest pullulan + pigment concentrations were attained at the fifth day, pH 5.5, at 15°C, 100 g/L sucrose, 2 g/L nitrogen sources, the pullulan + pigment production increased with increasing the concentrations of manganese chloride.     

Adhesion of Aureobasidium pullulans is controlled by uronic acid based polymers and pullulan

Aureobasidium pullulans is a potentially pathogenic microfungus that produces and secretes the polysaccharide pullulan and other biomacromolecules, depending on the microbe's physiological state. The role of these macromolecules in mediating adhesion and attachment were examined. Interfacial forces and adhesion affinities of A. pullulans were probed for early-exponential phase (EEP) and late-exponential phase (LEP) cells, using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Biochemical assays showed that A. pullulans produces both pullulan and a uronic acid based polymer. The pullulan is not produced until the LEP, and it can be removed by treatment with pullulanase. Both adhesion forces between the microbe and the AFM tip (silicon nitride) and attachment of the cells to quartz sand grains were controlled by the density of the uronic acid polymer. Uronic acid polymers doubled in density between the EEP and the LEP and were unaffected by the enzyme pullulanase. Retention to quartz in a packed column was quantified using the collision efficiency (alpha), the fraction of collisions between the microbes, and the sand grains, that result in attachment. Adhesion forces and retention on glass were well correlated, with these values being higher for EEP cells (F(adh) = 7.65 +/-4.67 nN; alpha = 1.15) than LEP (F(adh) = 2.94 +/- 0.75; alpha = 0.49) and LEP + pullulanase cells (F(adh) = 2.33 +/-2.01 nN; alpha = 0.43). Steric interactions alone do not describe the adhesion behavior of this fungus, but they do provide information regarding the length and density of the macromolecules studied.     

Pullulan production from deproteinized whey by Aureobasidium pullulans

Aureobasidium pullulans P56 was investigated using an adaptation technique and a mixed culture system. The adaptation of A. pullulans and the mixed cultures of A. pullulans and/or Lactobacillus brevisX20, Debaryomyces hansenii 194 and Aspergillus niger did not increase the production of polysaccharide. Enzymic hydrolysis of lactose in deproteinized whey gave a higher polysaccharide concentration and polysaccharide yield than acidic hydrolysed lactose. Maximum polysaccharide concentration (11.0 ± 0.5 g L⁻¹), biomass dry weight (10.5 ± 0.4 g L⁻¹), polysaccharide yield (47.2 ± 1.8%) and sugar utilization (93.2 ± 2.8%) were achieved using enzyme-hydrolysed whey (pH 6.5) containing 25 g L⁻¹ lactose and supplemented with K₂HPO₄ 0.5%, L-glutamic acid 1%, olive oil 2.5%, and Tween 80 0.5%. In this case the pullulan content of the crude polysaccharide was 40%. Received 16 December 1997/ Accepted in revised form 12 March 1999     

A self-tuning vision system for monitoring biotechnological processes: I. Application to production of pullulan by Aureobasidium pullulans

A prototype of a self-tuning vision system (STVS) has been developed to monitor cell population in fermentations. The STVS combines classical image processing techniques, neural networks and fuzzy logic technologies. By combining these technologies the STVS is able to analyze sampled images of the culture. The proposed system can be "tailored" with minimum effort by an expert who can "teach" the system to recognize cells by showing examples of different morphologies. After adaptation, the STVS is able to capture images, isolate the different cells, classify them according to the expert's criteria, and provide the profile of the cell's population. The system was applied to the classification and analysis of Aureobasidium pullulans. The importance of understanding the changes of population distribution during the fermentation and its effect in the production of pullulan are emphasized. The STVS can be used for monitoring and control of the cell population in small research fermentors or in large-scale production.     

Pullulan production from brewery wastes by Aureobasidium pullulans

The production of pullulan from brewery wastes by Aureobasidium pullulans in shake flask culture was investigated. The maximum pullulan concentration (6.0g/l) was obtained after 72h of fermentation. The external addition of nutrients into the spent grain liquor improved significantly the production of pullulan. In this case, the highest values of pullulan concentration (11.0±0.5g/l), pullulan yield (48.2±1.5%), and sugar utilization (99.0±0.5%) were obtained in the medium (pH 6.5–7.5) supplemented with K₂HPO₄ 0.5%, l-glutamic acid 1%, olive oil 2.5%, and Tween 800.5%.     

Enhanced production of pigment-free pullulan by a morphogenetically arrested Aureobasidium pullulans (ATCC 42023) in a two-stage fermentation with shift from soy bean oil to sucrose

A two-stage fermentation process was established for the production of pigment-free pullulan by the yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans (ATCC 42023). In the first stage, starting at pH 4.5 with soy bean oil as the carbon source and glutamate as the nitrogen source, a cell mass of about 15 g l^–1 dry cell weight was obtained, the population being restricted mainly to the yeast form of the microorganism (yeast form more than 90% of total cells) and the formation of pigment in the culture being prevented. Small amounts of pullulan (less than 2 g l^–1) are produced at this phase, and the viscosity remained low throughout the entire growth stage. When the oil and glutamate source were nearly exhausted (below 5% of initial amounts), the cells were shifted to a production stage with sucrose as the carbon source with continued nitrogen depletion. Production of pullulan started immediately with no lag period. During 50 h of the production phase more than 35 g l^–1 of pullulan was produced (productivity approx. 0.7 g l^–1), resulting in a large increase in the viscosity of the broth. The production yield of pollulan on the sugar was about 0.6 g g^–1. Morphogenesis from the yeast form of the microorganism to chlamydospores was still restrained and no pigment was formed in the culture during the production stage. A pigment-free polysaccharide, with a molecular mass in the range of 600–750 kDa, was recovered from the supernatant of the broth after solvent precipitation.     

Extracellular cellulase production by tropical isolates of Aureobasidium pullulans

Cellulase production by Aureobasidium pullulans from the temperate regions has remained speculative, with most studies reporting no activity at all. In the current study, tropical isolates from diverse sources were screened for cellulase production. Isolates were grown on a synthetic medium containing cell walls of Msasa tree (Brachystegia sp.) as the sole carbon source, and their cellulolytic activities were measured using carboxymethyl cellulose and alpha-cellulose as substrates. All isolates studied produced carboxymethyl cellulase (endoglucanase) and alpha-cellulase (exoglucanase) activity. Endoglucanase-specific activities of ten selected isolates ranged from 2.375 to 12.884 micromol glucose.(mg protein)-1.h-1, while activities on alpha-cellulose (exoglucanase activity) ranged from 0.293 to 22.442 micromol glucose.(mg protein)-1.day-1. Carboxymethyl cellulose induced the highest cellulase activity in the selected isolates, while the isolates showed variable responses to nitrogen sources. The current study indicates that some isolates of A. pullulans of tropical origin produce significant extracellular cellulolytic activity and that crude cell walls may be good inducers of cellulolytic activity in A. pullulans.     

Optimization of tannase production by Aureobasidium pullulans DBS66

Tannase production by Aureobasidium pullulans DBS66 was optimized. The organism produced maximum tannase in the presence of 1% tannic acid after 36 h. Maximum gallic acid accumulation was observed within 36 h and tannic acid in the fermented broth was completely degraded after 42 h of growth. Glucose had a stimulatory effect on tannase synthesis at 0.1% (w/v) concentration. The organism showed maximum tannase production with (NH4)2HPO4 as nitrogen source. Shaking speed of 120 rpm and 50-ml broth volume have been found to be suitable for maximum tannase production.     

Lipase production by diverse phylogenetic clades of Aureobasidium pullulans

Thirty-nine strains representing 12 diverse phylogenetic clades of Aureobasidium pullulans were surveyed for lipase production using a quantitative assay. Strains in clades 4 and 10 produced 0.2–0.3 U lipase/ml, while color variant strain NRRL Y-2311-1 in clade 8 produced 0.54 U lipase/ml. Strains in clade 9, which exhibit a dark olivaceous pigment, produced the highest levels of lipase, with strain NRRL 62034 yielding 0.57 U lipase/ml. By comparison, Candida cylindracea strain NRRL Y-17506 produced 0.05 U lipase/ml under identical conditions. A. pullulans strain NRRL 62034 reached maximal lipase levels in 5 days on lipase induction medium, while A. pullulans strain NRRL Y-2311-1 and strains in clades 4 and 10 were highest after 6 days. A. pullulans strain NRRL Y-2311-1 and strains in clade 9 produced two extracellular proteins in common, at >50 and <37 kDa.     

Polysaccharide production by sponge-immobilized cells of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans

T.P. WEST AND B.R.-H. STROHFUS. 1996. Cells of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 42023 were immobilized in sponge cubes and examined for their ability to elaborate the polysaccharide pullulan in relation to carbon source. It was found that fungal cells grown on corn syrup, sucrose or glucose as a carbon source could be immobilized in sponge cubes and that comparable cell weights and viable cell concentrations were immobilized. Independent of the carbon source tested, the immobilized fungal cells could be used at least three times for the production of polysaccharide. The immobilized A. pullulans cells elaborated the highest polysaccharide levels in the culture medium after 5–7 d of growth at 30°C.