Paenibacillus sp. Strain JDR-2 and XynA1: a Novel System for Methylglucuronoxylan Utilization

Environmental and economic factors predicate the need for efficient processing of renewable sources of fuels and chemicals. To fulfill this need, microbial biocatalysts must be developed to efficiently process the hemicellulose fraction of lignocellulosic biomass for fermentation of pentoses. The predominance of methylglucuronoxylan (MeGAX_n), a β-1,4 xylan in which 10% to 20% of the xylose residues are substituted with α-1,2-4-O-methylglucuronate residues, in hemicellulose fractions of hardwood and crop residues has made this a target for processing and fermentation. A Paenibacillus sp. (strain JDR-2) has been isolated and characterized for its ability to efficiently utilize MeGAX_n. A modular xylanase (XynA₁) of glycosyl hydrolase family 10 (GH 10) was identified through DNA sequence analysis that consists of a triplicate family 22 carbohydrate binding module followed by a GH 10 catalytic domain followed by a single family 9 carbohydrate binding module and concluding with C-terminal triplicate surface layer homology (SLH) domains. Immunodetection of the catalytic domain of XynA₁ (XynA₁ CD) indicates that the enzyme is associated with the cell wall fraction, supporting an anchoring role for the SLH modules. With MeGAX_n as substrate, XynA₁ CD generated xylobiose and aldotetrauronate (MeGAX₃) as predominant products. The inability to detect depolymerization products in medium during exponential growth of Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2 on MeGAX_n, as well as decreased growth rate and yield with XynA₁ CD-generated xylooligosaccharides and aldouronates as substrates, indicates that XynA₁ catalyzes a depolymerization process coupled to product assimilation. This depolymerization/assimilation system may be utilized for development of biocatalysts to efficiently convert MeGAX_n to alternative fuels and biobased products.     

Complete genome sequence of Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2

Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2, an aggressively xylanolytic bacterium isolated from sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) wood, is able to efficiently depolymerize, assimilate and metabolize 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan, the predominant structural component of hardwood hemicelluloses. A basis for this capability was first supported by the identification of genes and characterization of encoded enzymes and has been further defined by the sequencing and annotation of the complete genome, which we describe. In addition to genes implicated in the utilization of β-1,4-xylan, genes have also been identified for the utilization of other hemicellulosic polysaccharides. The genome of Paenibacillus sp. JDR-2 contains 7,184,930 bp in a single replicon with 6,288 protein-coding and 122 RNA genes. Uniquely prominent are 874 genes encoding proteins involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism. The prevalence and organization of these genes support a metabolic potential for bioprocessing of hemicellulose fractions derived from lignocellulosic resources.     

Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2 and XynA1: a novel system for methylglucuronoxylan utilization

Environmental and economic factors predicate the need for efficient processing of renewable sources of fuels and chemicals. To fulfill this need, microbial biocatalysts must be developed to efficiently process the hemicellulose fraction of lignocellulosic biomass for fermentation of pentoses. The predominance of methylglucuronoxylan (MeGAXn), a beta-1,4 xylan in which 10% to 20% of the xylose residues are substituted with alpha-1,2-4-O-methylglucuronate residues, in hemicellulose fractions of hardwood and crop residues has made this a target for processing and fermentation. A Paenibacillus sp. (strain JDR-2) has been isolated and characterized for its ability to efficiently utilize MeGAXn. A modular xylanase (XynA1) of glycosyl hydrolase family 10 (GH 10) was identified through DNA sequence analysis that consists of a triplicate family 22 carbohydrate binding module followed by a GH 10 catalytic domain followed by a single family 9 carbohydrate binding module and concluding with C-terminal triplicate surface layer homology (SLH) domains. Immunodetection of the catalytic domain of XynA1 (XynA1 CD) indicates that the enzyme is associated with the cell wall fraction, supporting an anchoring role for the SLH modules. With MeGAXn as substrate, XynA1 CD generated xylobiose and aldotetrauronate (MeGAX3) as predominant products. The inability to detect depolymerization products in medium during exponential growth of Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2 on MeGAXn, as well as decreased growth rate and yield with XynA1 CD-generated xylooligosaccharides and aldouronates as substrates, indicates that XynA1 catalyzes a depolymerization process coupled to product assimilation. This depolymerization/assimilation system may be utilized for development of biocatalysts to efficiently convert MeGAXn to alternative fuels and biobased products.     

Utilization of Ganglioside-Degrading Paenibacillus sp. Strain TS12 for Production of Glucosylceramide

Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids, are membrane constituents of vertebrates and are known to have important roles in cellular differentiation, adhesion, and recognition. We report here the isolation of a bacterium capable of degrading gangliotetraose-series gangliosides and a new method for the production of glucosylceramide with this bacterium. GM1a ganglioside was found to be sequentially degraded by Paenibacillus sp. strain TS12, which was isolated from soil, as follows: GM1a → asialo GM1 → asialo GM2 → lactosylceramide → glucosylceramide. TS12 was found to produce a series of ganglioside-degrading enzymes, such as sialidases, β-galactosidases, and β-hexosaminidases. TS12 also produced β-glucosidases, but glucosylceramide was somewhat resistant to the bacterial enzyme under the conditions used. Taking advantage of the specificity, we developed a new method for the production of glucosylceramide using TS12 as a biocatalyst. The method involves the conversion of crude bovine brain gangliosides to glucosylceramide by coculture with TS12 and purification of the product by chromatography with Wakogel C-300 HG.     

Production and Characterization of a Recombinant Cold-Active Acetyl Xylan Esterase from Psychrophilic Paenibacillus sp. R4 Strain

Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology - Acetyl xylan esterases (AXEs) hydrolyze the specific ester linkages between acetic acid and xylose units, leading to the deacetylation and depolymerization...     

Structure, function, and regulation of the aldouronate utilization gene cluster from Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2

Direct bacterial conversion of the hemicellulose fraction of hardwoods and crop residues to biobased products depends upon extracellular depolymerization of methylglucuronoxylan (MeGAX_n), followed by assimilation and intracellular conversion of aldouronates and xylooligosaccharides to fermentable xylose. Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2, an aggressively xylanolytic bacterium, secretes a multimodular cell-associated GH10 endoxylanase (XynA1) that catalyzes depolymerization of MeGAX_n and rapidly assimilates the principal products, β-1,4-xylobiose, β-1,4-xylotriose, and MeGAX₃, the aldotetrauronate 4-O-methylglucuronosyl-α-1,2-xylotriose. Genomic libraries derived from this bacterium have now allowed cloning and sequencing of a unique aldouronate utilization gene cluster comprised of genes encoding signal transduction regulatory proteins, ABC transporter proteins, and the enzymes AguA (GH67 α-glucuronidase), XynA2 (GH10 endoxylanase), and XynB (GH43 β-xylosidase/α-arabinofuranosidase). Expression of these genes, as well as xynA1 encoding the secreted GH10 endoxylanase, is induced by growth on MeGAX_n and repressed by glucose. Sequences in the yesN, lplA, and xynA2 genes within the cluster and in the distal xynA1 gene show significant similarity to catabolite responsive element (cre) defined in Bacillus subtilis for recognition of the catabolite control protein (CcpA) and consequential repression of catabolic regulons. The aldouronate utilization gene cluster in Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2 operates as a regulon, coregulated with the expression of xynA1, conferring the ability for efficient assimilation and catabolism of the aldouronate product generated by a multimodular cell surface-anchored GH10 endoxylanase. This cluster offers a desirable metabolic potential for bacterial conversion of hemicellulose fractions of hardwood and crop residues to biobased products.     

Characterization of an Acetyl Xylan Esterase from the Anaerobic Fungus Orpinomyces sp. Strain PC-2

A 1,067-bp cDNA, designated axeA, coding for an acetyl xylan esterase (AxeA) was cloned from the anaerobic rumen fungus Orpinomyces sp. strain PC-2. The gene had an open reading frame of 939 bp encoding a polypeptide of 313 amino acid residues with a calculated mass of 34,845 Da. An active esterase using the original start codon of the cDNA was synthesized in Escherichia coli. Two active forms of the esterase were purified from recombinant E. coli cultures. The size difference of 8 amino acids was a result of cleavages at two different sites within the signal peptide. The enzyme released acetate from several acetylated substrates, including acetylated xylan. The activity toward acetylated xylan was tripled in the presence of recombinant xylanase A from the same fungus. Using p-nitrophenyl acetate as a substrate, the enzyme had a K_m of 0.9 mM and a V_max of 785 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹. It had temperature and pH optima of 30°C and 9.0, respectively. AxeA had 56% amino acid identity with BnaA, an acetyl xylan esterase of Neocallimastix patriciarum, but the Orpinomyces AxeA was devoid of a noncatalytic repeated peptide domain (NCRPD) found at the carboxy terminus of the Neocallimastix BnaA. The NCRPD found in many glycosyl hydrolases and esterases of anaerobic fungi has been postulated to function as a docking domain for cellulase-hemicellulase complexes, similar to the dockerin of the cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum. The difference in domain structures indicated that the two highly similar esterases of Orpinomyces and Neocallimastix may be differently located, the former being a free enzyme and the latter being a component of a cellulase-hemicellulase complex. Sequence data indicate that AxeA and BnaA might represent a new family of hydrolases.     

Xylan Utilization Regulon in Xanthomonas citri pv. citri Strain 306: Gene Expression and Utilization of Oligoxylosides

Xanthomonas citri pv. citri strain 306 (Xcc306), a causative agent of citrus canker, produces endoxylanases that catalyze the depolymerization of cell wall-associated xylans. In the sequenced genomes of all plant-pathogenic xanthomonads, genes encoding xylanolytic enzymes are clustered in three adjacent operons. In Xcc306, these consecutive operons contain genes encoding the glycoside hydrolase family 10 (GH10) endoxylanases Xyn10A and Xyn10C, the agu67 gene, encoding a GH67 α-glucuronidase (Agu67), the xyn43E gene, encoding a putative GH43 α-l-arabinofuranosidase, and the xyn43F gene, encoding a putative β-xylosidase. Recombinant Xyn10A and Xyn10C convert polymeric 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan (MeGX_n) to oligoxylosides methylglucuronoxylotriose (MeGX₃), xylotriose (X₃), and xylobiose (X₂). Xcc306 completely utilizes MeGX_n predigested with Xyn10A or Xyn10C but shows little utilization of MeGX_n. Xcc306 with a deletion in the gene encoding α-glucuronidase (Xcc306 Δagu67) will not utilize MeGX₃ for growth, demonstrating the role of Agu67 in the complete utilization of GH10-digested MeGX_n. Preferential growth on oligoxylosides compared to growth on polymeric MeGX_n indicates that GH10 xylanases, either secreted by Xcc306 in planta or produced by the plant host, generate oligoxylosides that are processed by Xyn10 xylanases and Agu67 residing in the periplasm. Coordinate induction by oligoxylosides of xyn10, agu67, cirA, the tonB receptor, and other genes within these three operons indicates that they constitute a regulon that is responsive to the oligoxylosides generated by the action of Xcc306 GH10 xylanases on MeGX_n. The combined expression of genes in this regulon may allow scavenging of oligoxylosides derived from cell wall deconstruction, thereby contributing to the tissue colonization and/or survival of Xcc306 and, ultimately, to plant disease.     

Utilization of ganglioside-degrading Paenibacillus sp. strain TS12 for production of glucosylceramide

Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids, are membrane constituents of vertebrates and are known to have important roles in cellular differentiation, adhesion, and recognition. We report here the isolation of a bacterium capable of degrading gangliotetraose-series gangliosides and a new method for the production of glucosylceramide with this bacterium. GM1a ganglioside was found to be sequentially degraded by Paenibacillus sp. strain TS12, which was isolated from soil, as follows: GM1a --> asialo GM1 --> asialo GM2 --> lactosylceramide --> glucosylceramide. TS12 was found to produce a series of ganglioside-degrading enzymes, such as sialidases, beta-galactosidases, and beta-hexosaminidases. TS12 also produced beta-glucosidases, but glucosylceramide was somewhat resistant to the bacterial enzyme under the conditions used. Taking advantage of the specificity, we developed a new method for the production of glucosylceramide using TS12 as a biocatalyst. The method involves the conversion of crude bovine brain gangliosides to glucosylceramide by coculture with TS12 and purification of the product by chromatography with Wakogel C-300 HG.     

Paenibacillus sp. Strain E18 Bifunctional Xylanase-Glucanase with a Single Catalytic Domain

Xylanases are utilized in a variety of industries for the breakdown of plant materials. Most native and engineered bifunctional/multifunctional xylanases have separate catalytic domains within the same polypeptide chain. Here we report a new bifunctional xylanase (XynBE18) produced by Paenibacillus sp. E18 with xylanase and β-1,3-1,4-glucanase activities derived from the same active center by substrate competition assays and site-directed mutagenesis of xylanase catalytic Glu residues (E129A and E236A). The gene consists of 981 bp, encodes 327 amino acids, and comprises only one catalytic domain that is highly homologous to the glycoside hydrolase family 10 xylanase catalytic domain. Recombinant XynBE18 purified from Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) showed specificity toward oat spelt xylan and birchwood xylan and β-1,3-1,4-glucan (barley β-glucan and lichenin). Homology modeling and molecular dynamic simulation were used to explore structure differences between XynBE18 and the monofunctional xylanase XynE2, which has enzymatic properties similar to those of XynBE18 but does not hydrolyze β-1,3-1,4-glucan. The cleft containing the active site of XynBE18 is larger than that of XynE2, suggesting that XynBE18 is able to bind larger substrates such as barley β-glucan and lichenin. Further molecular docking studies revealed that XynBE18 can accommodate xylan and β-1,3-1,4-glucan, but XynE2 is only accessible to xylan. These results indicate a previously unidentified structure-function relationship for substrate specificities among family 10 xylanases.Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are the major components of plant cell walls. Hemicellulose and lignin provide a protective barrier against enzymatic attack of cellulose (15). Xylan is the major component of hemicellulose, the complete degradation of which requires a multistep process involving xylanases and various xylan debranching enzymes, such as β-xylosidase, acetylxylan-esterase, α-glucuronidase, and α-arabinofuranosidase (5, 28).Xylanases, in conjunction with other enzymes (14), such as cellulases, glucanases, and proteases, are widely used in animal feed, brewing, food processing, and waste treatment, as well as in the pulp and paper industries (25, 32). For example, combined application of xylanase and β-1,3-1,4-glucanase can reduce the intestinal viscosity of feed for higher nutrition availability and improve the filtration rate and extraction yield in the brewing industry (16, 21). The natural diversity of enzymes provides these industries with candidates having bifunctional activity, such as the xylanases from Aspergillus niger (12) and Marasmius sp. (26) that have xylanase and cellulase activities and the bifunctional xylanase-lichenase from Ruminococcus flavefaciens 17 (7). On the other hand, many artificial bifunctional xylanases have been synthesized for more efficient biodegradation of plant fiber (19). Except for the bifunctional xylanase-glucanase from A. niger A-25, which has not been subjected to sequence and structural analysis but is conjectured to have one catalytic domain only based on molecular weight and kinetic analysis (4), all other bi- or multifunctional enzymes have separate catalytic domains with distinct substrate specificities.Corn straw consists mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, and thus, the microorganisms present in corn straw often produce various enzymes such as endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, β-glucosidase, xylanase, and so on (33). In the present study, we selected corn ensilage as the microbial source for the isolation of multifunctional xylanases. A Paenibacillus sp. strain with high xylanolytic activity was isolated, and the xylanase gene was cloned. Analysis of the sequence and enzyme properties and kinetics revealed that the xylanase gene encodes a bifunctional xylanase-glucanase with a single catalytic domain. Further homology modeling and molecular dynamic (MD) studies confirmed that the bifunctional protein has a substrate binding cleft large enough to accommodate xylan or β-1,3-1,4-glucan. These results suggest that this enzyme is a new glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 (http://www.cazy.org/) bifunctional xylanase-glucanase with a single catalytic domain (3).     

Nitrogen Control of Atrazine Utilization in Pseudomonas sp. Strain ADP

Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP uses the herbicide atrazine as the sole nitrogen source. We have devised a simple atrazine degradation assay to determine the effect of other nitrogen sources on the atrazine degradation pathway. The atrazine degradation rate was greatly decreased in cells grown on nitrogen sources that support rapid growth of Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP compared to cells cultivated on growth-limiting nitrogen sources. The presence of atrazine in addition to the nitrogen sources did not stimulate degradation. High degradation rates obtained in the presence of ammonium plus the glutamine synthetase inhibitor MSX and also with an Nas⁻ mutant derivative grown on nitrate suggest that nitrogen regulation operates by sensing intracellular levels of some key nitrogen-containing metabolite. Nitrate amendment in soil microcosms resulted in decreased atrazine mineralization by the wild-type strain but not by the Nas⁻ mutant. This suggests that, although nitrogen repression of the atrazine catabolic pathway may have a strong impact on atrazine biodegradation in nitrogen-fertilized soils, the use of selected mutant variants may contribute to overcoming this limitation.     

Isolation and Partial Characterization of Antagonistic Peptides Produced by Paenibacillus sp. Strain B2 Isolated from the Sorghum Mycorrhizosphere

Paenibacillus sp. strain B2, isolated from the mycorrhizosphere of sorghum colonized by Glomus mosseae, produces an antagonistic factor. This factor has a broad spectrum of activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and also against fungi. The antagonistic factor was isolated from the bacterial culture medium and purified by cation-exchange, reverse-phase, and size exclusion chromatography. The purified factor could be separated into three active compounds following characterization by amino acid analysis and by combined reverse-phase chromatography and mass spectrometry (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry). The first compound had the same retention time as polymyxin B₁, whereas the two other compounds were more hydrophobic. The molecular masses of the latter compounds are 1,184.7 and 1,202.7 Da, respectively, and their structure is similar to that of polymyxin B₁, with a cyclic heptapeptide moiety attached to a tripeptide side chain and a fatty acyl residue. They both contain threonine, phenylalanine, leucine, and 2,4-diaminobutyric acid residues. The peptide with a molecular mass of 1,184.7 contains a 2,3-didehydrobutyrine residue with a molecular mass of 101 Da replacing a threonine at the A2 position of the polymyxin side chain. This modification could explain the broader range of antagonistic activity of this peptide compared to that of polymyxin B.     

Paenibacillus sp. Strain SB-6 Induces Weathering of Ca-montmorillonite: Illitization and Formation of Calcite

Investigation of the weathering of silicate minerals is helpful to understand the process of soil development, cycling of nutrient elements, and potential applications in fixation of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through carbonate precipitation. In this study, weathering experiments of calcium-montmorillonite were conducted using Paenibacillus sp. strain SB-6 for 70 days. The results indicated that the Si⁴⁺, Al³⁺, Ca²⁺ and Na⁺ concentrations in the medium of the biotic experiments were evidently higher than those of the abiotic experiments, and that Paenibacillus sp. could help the transformation of partial montmorillonite into an illite–montmorillonite mixed-layer. In the process of illitization, K⁺ went into the interlayer of montmorillonite and hydrated Ca²⁺ and Na⁺ released from it. In the late stage of the experiments, the Ca²⁺ released from montmorillonite combined with carbonate ions generated by the bacterial metabolism, forming calcite.