Bioconversion of β-myrcene to perillene by Pleurotus ostreatus

Submerged cultures of Pleurotus ostreatus, when supplemented with β-myrcene, produced perillene, a rare furanoid monoterpene with a unique flowery citrus-like flavour. The major volatile products of the conversion were identified from which a substantiated conversion pathway has been derived. The isomeric epoxides 1,2- and 3,10-epoxymyrcene were found among the first enzymatic oxidation products. An unusual opening of both oxirane rings to the E/Z isomers of α-acaridiol was thought to be key to the fungal formation of perillene. Further oxidation of α-(Z)-acaridiol via the corresponding hydroxyaldehydes and lactols resulted in perillene formation. A new natural compound, 3-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl)-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-ol (α,α-acarilactol), was among the transformation products.     

Physiology of α-amylase production by immobilized Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

Summary Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 321S cells were immobilized with 3.4% -carrageenan gel in bead form, and -amylase production by the immobilized cells was studied. Cells in the gel, after the population reached maximum were restricted to a layer of 50 m thickness, from the surface of the gel, suggesting that oxygen diffusion is the growth limiting factor. The specific respiratory activity and the growth rate of the entrapped cells under such conditions were 1/2 and 1/5 1/10, respectively, that of free cells. In spite of the repressed respiration and growth, the specific rate of -amylase production of the entrapped cells reached the maximum value of free cells or higher.In continuous culture, in an aerated vessel with a volume ratio of gel beads to medium of 1:2, the maximum production rate of -amylase was obtained at a dilution rate of 1.0 h^–1, which was double the maximum specific growth rate of the strain.These results showed that bacterial -amylase production, which is a nongrowth-associated type of synthesis was achieved with the use of immobilized cells.     

Amino acid ester synthesis by immobilized α-chymotrypsin

Summary A screening of immobilized -chymotrypsin preparations suitable for the synthesis of N-acetyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester from N-acetyl-L-tyrosine and up to 99% ethanol was carried out. -Chymotrypsin adsorbed to Sepharose LH-20 or covalently bound to Sepharose 4B (tresyl chloride activation) was found to be an efficient catalyst. A column packed with immobilized enzyme retained 60% of its initial activity after 6 days of operation in a cyclohexane-ethanol medium.     

Thermal stability of immobilized α-chymotrypsin is additionally increased by chaotropic compounds

Summary Temperature dependence of the rate constant of irreversible thermal inactivation, k_in, of immobilized -chymotrypsin depends markedly on the number of covalent bonds between the enzyme and support. When the number of bonds is big enough (thirteen), the dependence is linear as presented in Arrhenius plot (log k_in versus reciprocal temperature). However, if the number of such bonds is moderate or small (six or two), the temperature dependence of k_in, has a pronounced zig-zag character. This difference in the inactivation behaviour is attributed to an ability of moderately or mildly attached -chymotrypsins to accomplish a transition into a less ordered, catalytically inactive conformation and to inability of rigidly bound enzyme to pass such a transition. Chaotropic salts additionally stabilize this loose conformation of mildly or moderately bound -chymotrypsins against irreversible thermal inactivation but are without effect on the stability of rigidly bound enzyme.     

Production of thermophilic α-amylase using immobilized transformed Escherichia coli by addition of glycine

Efficient production of thermophilic α-amylase from Bacillus stearothermophilus was investigated using recombinant Escherichia coli HB101/pH1301 immobilized with κ-carrageenan by the addition of glycine. The effects of glycine, the concentrations of κ-carrageenan and KCI on the production of the enzyme as well as the stability of plasmid pHI301 were studied. In the absence of glycine, the enzyme was localized in the periplasmic space of the recombinant E. coli cells and a small amount of the enzyme was liberated in the culture broth. Although the addition of glycine was very effective for release of α-amylase from the periplasm of E. coli entrapped in gel beads, a majority of the enzyme accumulated in the gel matrix. (In this paper, production of the enzyme from recombinant cells to an ambient is expressed by the term “release”, while diffusion-out from gel beads is referred to by the term “liberate”.) Concentrations of KCI and immobilizing support significantly affected on the liberation of α-amylase to the culture broth. Mutants which produced smaller amounts of the enzyme emerged during a successive culture of recombinant E. coli, even under selective pressure, and they predominated in the later period of the passages. The population of plasmid-lost segregants increased with cultivation time. The stability of pHI301 for the free cells was increased by the addition of 2% KCI, which is a hardening agent for carrageenan. Although the viability of cells and α-amylase activity in the beads decreased with cultivation time during the successive culture of the immobilized recombinant E. coli, the plasmid stability was increased successfully by immobilization. Efficient long-term production of α-amylase was attained by an iterative re-activation-liberation procedure using the immobilized recombinant cells. Although the viable cell number, plasmid stability and enzyme activity liberated in the glycine solution decreased at an early period in the cultivation cycles, the process attained steady state regardless of the addition of an antibiotic.     

Bioconversion of elaidic acid to Δ9-trans-1,18-octadecenedioic acid by Candida tropicalis

Summary The bioconversion of elaidic acid to ⁹ acid by the mutant S₇₆ of Candida tropicalis was studied. It was found that the mutant could convert elaidic acid to ⁹ acid through the -oxidation of the terminal methyl group. The molecular formula and geometric configuration of the product were determined by different analytical methods in the absence of an authentic standard. The results demonstrated that no change in the geometric configuration occured during the conversion of the unsaturated monoic acid to ,-dioic acid. The production of this dioic acid reached 10 mg/ml in medium for 36 h with a conversion rate of 40%. Degradation pathways of this dioic acid are basically similar to the dioic acid derived from oleic acid by the same strain except for a small amount of heptanedioic acid which was observed in the medium. The IR spectrum, mass-spectrum, ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-satellite spectra of this compound are presented.     

Glucoamylase and α-amylase production by immobilized Aspergillus niger

Summary Aspergillus niger mycelia or spores were immobilized in calcium alginate gel beads and employed for production of glucoamylase and -amylase by repeated batch process. The immobilized mycelium produced lower enzyme activities than immobilized spores germinated in a growth medium and subsequently cultured in an enzyme production medium. In repeated batch experiments, free cells could be used for only 4 4-day batches, whereas with immobilized spores at least 11 4-day batches with a gradual increase in enzyme activities in each successive batch were possible. The activity ratio of glucoamylase and -amylase produced was altered by immobilization.     

Effect of water-miscible aprotic solvents on kyotorphin synthesis catalyzed by immobilized α-chymotrypsin

Summary Immobilized -chymotrypsin was used as catalyst to synthesize a kyotorphin derivative (Bz-Tyr-Arg-OEt) in the presence of five water-miscible aprotic solvents (dimethylsulphoxide, dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, acetone and tetrahydrofurane) at 30 °C. By using a kinetically-controlled approach, the maximum synthetic activity was obtained when Arg-OEt was used as nucleophile donor at a concentration 1.5-times higher than the acyl-acceptor substrate (Bz-Tyr-OEt). The water-miscible aprotic solvents enhanced greatly the synthetic activity proportionally to their hidrophilicity properties adequately measured by the log P parameter. At the optimum solvent concentration for the enzymatic peptide synthesis, both the water activity (Aw) of the media and the water content of the immobilized derivative showed a saturation profile against the log P parameter. As a function of the solvent hydrophilicity, these water parameters were shown as key parameters for the increase in the synthetic activity of the enzyme by the presence of these solvents.     

Enhancement of α-amylase production by immobilized Bacillus subtilis in an airlift fermenter

Bacillus subtillis ATCC 21770 was entrapped in a carrageenan gel, especially formulated for immobilization. Bacterial growth and α-amylase (1,4-α-d-glucan glucanohydrolase EC 3.2.1.1) production were tested. The bead suspensions were submitted to two aeration modes, one consisting of bubbling air into a round flask, the other involving sparging of air into an airlift fermenter. The latter system, which produces microbubbles, gave 40–70% increase in enzyme production over the former and a doubling of bacterial density within the beads was measured. The use of CaCl₂instead of KCl as polymerization agent led to a better yield of α-amylase.     

The high maltose-producing α-amylase of Penicillium expansum

Summary An -amylase capable of producing exceptionally high levels of maltose (74%) from starch has been identified from a strain of Penicillium expansum. The enzyme is produced extracellularly and was purified to homogeneity by starch adsorption and Sephadex gel filtration chromatography. P. expansum -amylase has a pH optimum of 4.5 and is stable in the pH range of 3.6–6.0. Other properties include a temperature optimum of 60° C, a molecular weight of 69 000 and an isoelectric point of 3.9. The most outstanding feature of the P. expansum enzyme is its ability to yield 14% more maltose and 17.1% less maltotriose than a currently used commercial enzyme. This may be partly explained by the greater affinity of this new enzyme for maltotriose (K _m=0.76 mM) relative to the commerical enzyme, Fungamyl (K _m=2.9 mM). The enzyme reported here is unique among fungal -amylases in being able to produce such high levels of maltose and its physicochemical properties suggest that it has potential for commercial development.     

Uptake and metabolism of α-aminoadipic acid by Penicillium chrysogenum wis 54-1255

The uptake of 1-¹⁴C-dl--aminoadipate in resting mycelium of Penicillium chrysogenum Wis 54-1255 and its metabolism during benzylpenicillin formation were studied. The pH optimum for uptake at 25°C was 6.4. Over a range of concentrations from 0.01–1.0 mM, approximately 45% of 1-¹⁴C-dl--aminoadipate was taken up by carbon-starved mycelium. ¹⁴CO₂ was formed at a low rate, and the total formed amounted to only 1–3% of the 1-¹⁴C-dl--aminoadipate supplied. The intracellular pool of -aminoadipate appears to be expandable, depending on the concentration of -aminoadipate in the medium. The rate of penicillin synthesis depended on the intracellular concentration of -aminoadipate. Penicillin biosynthesis achieved half of the maximum rate at an intracellular concentration of 0.06 nmol -aminoadipate/mg dry cell weight. This low concentration, the result of adding 0.01 mM dl--aminoadipate to the medium, was sufficient to reverse the inhibition of penicillin biosynthesis caused by 10 mM extracellular l-lysine. Aminoadipate appears to be recycled during penicillin formation. Labeled -ketoadipate was formed from -aminoadipate to the extent of about 25%.Abbreviation DCW dry cell weight     

Stability of immobilized α-chymotrypsin in supercritical carbon dioxide

Summary Inactivation of immobilized -chymotrypsin in supercritical carbon dioxide was with a first-order kinetic behaviour. The increase in either the pressure or the temperature of the fluid enhanced the inactivation process of the enzyme. The fluid density was shown as a key parameter on the enzyme stability, enhancing the half-life time proportionally to the physical phase of CO₂, as follows: liquid > supercritical > gas. However, the number of pressurization/depressurization cycles, and the water content of the derivative increased greatly the loss of activity.     

Hydrolysis of starch particles using immobilized barley α-amylase

Barley α-amylase has been immobilized on silica particles with diameters between 0.5 and 10 μm using a covalent binding method. Immobilization procedures were adjusted to optimize enzyme activity. The effects of product inhibition, thermal stability and operational stability have been determined. The feasibility of using the immobilized enzyme to hydrolyze wheat starch particles at temperatures below the gelatinization temperature (<55 °C) was proven. The optimal conditions for the hydrolysis were found to be: pH 4.5, 40 °C, calcium ion concentration 0.002 M and immobilized enzyme loading of 30 mg/ml. At these conditions, the immobilized enzyme was able to hydrolyze wheat starch particles at concentrations as high as 100 mg/ml with a final conversion of 90% after 24 h of operation. Maltose and glucose were found to inhibit the immobilized enzyme in a similar manner as reported previously using soluble enzyme. Although the thermostability of the immobilized enzyme was superior to the soluble enzyme, the immobilized enzyme degraded at the same rate as the soluble enzyme during cold wheat starch hydrolysis (operational stability unchanged). Model equations are presented for product inhibition, hydrolysis kinetics and enzyme degradation. Using best-fit parameters, the equations are shown to fit the experimental data well.     

Photodynamic inactivation of bacteria on immobilized α-terthienyl film

Summary The photodynamic inactivation by near UV and -terthienyl (T) of bacteria immobilized in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was observed. Killing curves for Escherichia coli strains exhibited multi-hit kinetics, whereas curves for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus exhibited single-hit kinetics. Cell inactivation by irradiated T film at an immobilized concentration of 20 g/cm² was substantially caused by generated singlet oxygen (¹O₂), but not by that from free T molecules released from the film after irradiation with near UV. The inactivation rate was found to depend on the surface density of T in the film. A linear relationship between the concentration of ¹O₂ generated on the film surface and the apparent rate of cell death was obtained. Offprint requests to: M. Takano     

Efficient production of α-arbutin by whole-cell biocatalysis using immobilized hydroquinone as a glucosyl acceptor

The aim of the present study is to develop an efficient and cost-effective method for α-arbutin production by using whole-cell of Xanthomonas maltophilia BT-112 as a biocatalyst. Hydroquinone (HQ), substrate for the bioconversion as glucosyl acceptor, was immobilized on H107 macroporous resin to reduce its toxic effect on the cells, and the optimal reaction conditions for α-arbutin synthesis were investigated. When 350 g/L H107 resin (254.5 mM HQ) and 20 g/L (4.2 U/g) of cells were shaken in 10 mL Na₂HPO₄–KH₂PO₄ buffer (50 mM, pH 6.5) containing 509 mM sucrose at 35 °C with 150 rpm for 48 h, the final yield of α-arbutin reached 65.9 g/L with a conversion yield of 95.2% based on the amount of HQ supplied. The α-arbutin production was 202% higher than that of the control (free HQ) and the cells maintained its full activity for almost six consecutive batch reactions, indicating a potential for reducing production costs. Additionally, the product was one-step isolated and identified as α-arbutin by ¹³C NMR and ¹H NMR analysis. In conclusion, the combination of whole cells and immobilized hydroquinone (IMHQ) is a promising approach for economical and industrial-scale production of α-arbutin.     

Antimicrobial effect of linalool and α-terpineol against periodontopathic and cariogenic bacteria

Linalool and α-terpineol exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against periodontopathic and cariogenic bacteria. However, their concentration should be kept below 0.4 mg/ml if they are to be used as components of toothpaste or gargling solution. Moreover, other compounds with antimicrobial activity against periodontopathic and cariogenic bacteria should be used in combination.     

Activity of α-galactosidase in immobilized cells of Amsonia tabernaemontana Walt

Cell suspension culture Amsonia tabernaemontana Walt. were permeabilized by Tween 80 and immobilized by glutaraldehyde. The highest α-galactosidase activity was at pH 5.3 and temperature 70 °C. The hydrolysis of substrate was linear for 3 h reaching 70 - 75 % conversion. The cells characterized by high enzyme activity and stability in long-term storage showed convenient physico-mechanical properties (physical protection from shear forces and easy separation of product from biocatalysts). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of peptides of porcine pepsin prepared by the use of various forms of immobilized α-chymotrypsin

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) separation was used for the comparison of peptide maps of pepsin after its digestions by different forms of immobilized α-chymotrypsin. Porcine pepsin was hydrolysed with soluble α-chymotrypsin, with α-chymotrypsins glycosylated with lactose or galactose coupled to hydrazide derivative of cellulose, with α-chymotrypsin attached to poly(acrylamide-allyl glycoside) copolymer or to glycosylated hydroxyalkyl methacrylate copolymer Separon or to agarose gel Sepharose 4B. Efficiency of enzymatic protein cleavage with regard to peptide mapping of porcine pepsin has been examined by the use of α-chymotrypsins immobilized by different methods. Best results were achieved after hydrolysis with α-chymotrypsin immobilized on poly(acrylamide-allyl glycoside) copolymers. α-Chymotrypsin immobilized by this way has further three times higher relative specific activity in comparison with the soluble one. Modified α-chymotrypsin was not suitable for efficient pepsin cleavage.     

Modification of Hormonal Responses to Arginine by α-Adrenergic Blockade

α-Adrenergic blockade with phentolamine significantly enhances the insulin response to arginine. In women phentolamine may inhibit the growth hormone response to arginine. It is suggested that adrenergic mechanisms may act as modulators in hormonal responses to infused amino-acid.