Glucose-controlled -isoleucine fed-batch production with recombinant strains of Corynebacterium glutamicum

-Isoleucine was produced in a fed-batch bioprocess with -leucine auxotrophic Corynebacterium glutamicum strains developed by genetic engineering. An efficient supply with nutrients was achieved by applying closed-loop control of glucose as the main carbon source, with a model-based, parameter-adaptive control strategy. This control strategy is based on an extended, semi-continuous Kalman filter for process identification and a minimum variance controller. The lab scale fed-batch process with C. glutamicum SM1 and C. glutamicum DR17 pECM3::ilvA38 was characterized with respect to biomass, product and by-product accumulation. A differential analysis of growth, specific productivities, and selectivities was performed to characterize the carbon flow over process time. Characterization of -isoleucine transport steps across the cell membrane resulted in a balance of -isoleucine transport over process time. Up to an extracellular -isoleucine concentration of 140 mM the cytosolic -isoleucine, provided by the biosynthesis, was quantitatively excreted into the medium via the export carrier system. Optimized feeding profiles for -leucine and phosphate in correlation with the on-line estimated glucose consumption were achieved up to the pilot scale (300-1 stirred tank reactor). The maximum -isoleucine concentration was 150 mM (21 g l⁻¹) with a space-time yield of 4.3 mmol l⁻¹ h⁻¹. With a 98% closed carbon balance the selectivity for isoleucine was 14%, for biomass 13%, and for CO₂ 68%.     

Cloning and co-expression of D-amino acid oxidase and glutaryl-7-aminocephalosporanic acid acylase genes in Escherichia coli

To convert cephalosporin C to 7-aminocephalosporin (7-ACA), a D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) gene from Trigonopsis variabilis and a glutaryl-7-aminocephalosporanic acid acylase (GL-7-ACA acylase) gene from Pseudomonas were cloned and expressed in recombinant Escherichia coli. For DAAO recombinant strain BL21(DE3)/pET-DAAO, a high DAAO activity of 250 U ml⁻¹ was obtained by a fed-batch culture. A GL-7-ACA acylase gene, in which the signal peptide sequence was deleted, was also successfully expressed in a recombinant E. coli BL21(DE3)/pET-ACY with a high expression level of 3000 U l⁻¹. A novel recombinant strain, BL21(DE3)/pET-DA, harboring both genes of DAAO and GL-7-ACA acylase, was further constructed, and a rather high DAAO activity of 140 U ml⁻¹ and GL-7-ACA acylase activity of 950 U l⁻¹ were simultaneously obtained. This recombinant strain, in which two genes are co-expressed, made it possible to catalyze cephalosporin C into 7-ACA directly.     

Production of Alkaline Protease with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Teredinobacter turnirae</Emphasis> in Controlled Fed-batch Fermentation

By using our previously optimized media and a fed-batch operation controlled by LabVIEW Software, the key parameter for a high production of alkaline protease using the marine bacterium, Teredinobacter turnirae, was to maintain a low concentration of C and N-sources ( < 2 g sucrose l⁻¹ and < 0.2 g NH₄C l l⁻¹) using an appropriate fed-batch culture system. A maximum protease activity of 8250 U ml⁻¹ was thus achieved.     

Enzymatic resolution of racemic phenyloxirane by a novel epoxide hydrolase from Aspergillus niger SQ-6 and its fed-batch fermentation

A microorganism with the ability to catalyze the resolution of racemic phenyloxirane was isolated and identified as Aspergillus niger SQ-6. Chiral capillary electrophoresis was successfully applied to separate both phenyloxirane and phenylethanediol. The epoxide hydrolase (EH) involved in this resolution process was (R)-stereospecific and constitutively expressed. When whole cells were used during the biotransformation process, the optimum temperature and pH for stereospecific vicinal diol production were 35°C and 7.0, respectively. After a 24-h conversion, the enantiomer excess of (R)-phenylethanediol produced was found to be >99%, with a conversion rate of 56%. In fed-batch fermentations at 30°C for 44 h, glycerol (20 g L⁻¹) and corn steep liquor (CSL) (30 g L⁻¹) were chosen as the best initial carbon and nitrogen sources, and EH production was markedly improved by pulsed feeding of sucrose (2 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹) and continuous feeding of CSL (1 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹) at a fermentation time of 28 h. After optimization, the maximum dry cell weight achieved was 24.5±0.8 g L⁻¹; maximum EH production was 351.2±13.1 U L⁻¹ with a specific activity of 14.3±0.5 U g⁻¹. Partially purified EH exhibited a temperature optimum at 37°C and pH optimum at 7.5 in 0.1 M phosphate buffer. This study presents the first evidence for the existence of a predicted epoxide racemase, which might be important in the synthesis of epoxide intermediates.     

Butyric acid production from brown algae using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clostridium tyrobutyricum</Emphasis> ATCC 25755

Butyric acid fermentation by Clostridium tyrobutyricum ATCC 25755 using glucose or brown algae as a carbon source was carried out. Initially, different fermentation modes (batch, fed-batch, and semi-continuous) at pH 6 and 37°C were compared using a model medium containing glucose as a carbon source. By feeding the whole medium containing 40 ∼ 50 and 30 g/L of glucose into the fed-batch and semi-continuous fermentations, very similar butyrate yields (0.274 and 0.252 g butyrate/g glucose, respectively) and productivities (0.362 and 0.355 g/L/h, respectively) were achieved. The highest butyrate concentration was about 50 g/L, which was observed in the fed-batch fermentation with whole medium feeding. However, semi-continuous fermentation sustained a longer fermentation cycle than the fed-batch fermentation due to end-product and metabolic waste inhibition. The established conditions were then applied to the fermentation using brown algae, Laminaria japonica and Undaria pinnatifida, as substrates for butyric acid fermentation. To hydrolyze brown algae, 7.5 ∼ 10% (w/v) dried brown algae powder was suspended in 1% (w/v) NaOH or 0.5 ∼ 2.5% (w/v) H₂SO₄ and then autoclaved at 121°C for 30 ∼ 90 min. The resulting butyrate concentration was about 11 g/L, which was produced from 100 g/L of L. japonica autoclaved for 60 min in 1.5% H₂SO₄ acid solution.     

Immobilization of anaerobic thermophilic bacteria for the production of cell-free thermostable α-amylases and pullulanases

Summary For the production of cell-free thermostable -amylases and pullulanases various anaerobic thermophilic bacteria that belong to the genera Clostridium and Thermoanaerobacter were immobilized in calcium alginate gel beads. The entrapment of bacteria was performed in full as well as in hollow spheres. An optimal limited medium, which avoided bacterial outgrowth, was developed for the cultivation of immobilized organisms at 60° C using 0.4% starch as substrate. Compared to non-immobilized cells these techniques allowed a significant increase (up to 5.6-fold) in the specific activities of the extracellular enzymes formed. An increase in the productivity of extracellular enzymes was observed after immobilization of bacteria in full spheres. In the case of C. thermosaccharolyticum, for instance, the productivity was raised from 90 units (U)/ 10¹² cells up to 700 U/10¹² cells. Electrophoretic analysis of the secreted proteins showed that in all cases most of the amylolytic enzymes formed were released into the culture medium. Proteins that had a molecular mass of less than 450 000 daltons could easily diffuse through the gel matrix. Cultivation of immobilized bacteria in semi-continuous and fed-batch cultures was also accompanied by an elevation in the concentration of cell-free enzymes. Offprint requests to: G. Antranikian     

Production of β-galactosidase by Streptococcus salivarius subsp thermophilus 11F

The production of β-galactosidase by an autolytic strain of Streptococcus salivarius subsp thermophilus 11F was investigated in batch and fed-batch 2-L working volume stirred tank bioreactors. β-Galactosidase was released into the medium upon cell lysis within 1–2 h after the maximum biomass quantity was reached. In batch fermentations the highest β-galactosidase activity of 69 U ml⁻¹ was obtained when the temperature was increased to 42°C after a 4-h growth period at 30°C. In fed-batch experiments the highest β-galactosidase activity of 74 U ml⁻¹ was obtained at a constant 37°C. Received 18 December 1997/ Accepted in revised form 03 February 1998     

Decolorization of dye and molasses by continuous and semi-continuous jar-fermentor cultures ofGeotrichum candidum Dec 1

Two culture modes, continuous and semi-continuous, of the decolorization fungus,Geotrichum candidum Dec 1, were compared to obtain a high treatment efficiency of molasses decolorization and a large productivity of peroxidase (DyP) to simultaneously decolorize dyes and molasses. The continuous culture ofG. candidum Dec 1 using a 5-l jar-fermentor showed high DyP activity at a low dilution ratio of 0.005h⁻¹, and decolorization ratio of molasses of 80% was obtained concomitantly. Therefore, a semi-continuous culture was performed by repeated refill and draw. In this mode, approximately 1.5 liters of the culture broth was replaced per cycle when the decolorization ratio of molasses was near 80%. The molasses medium (1.0 liter per day) was treated and the peroxidase productivity in the drawn culture broth was 26.6 U/day, whereas the peroxidase productivity was 17.9 U/day in the continuous culture with a dilution rate of 0.005 h⁻¹. The semi-continuous treatment system was an efficient decolorization method for the strain,G. candidum Dec 1.     

钙霉素聚酮链释放亚基蛋白性质优化及底物选择性

【目的】钙霉素合成酶亚基CalA3释放钙霉素合成过程中的聚酮链。获得生物化学性质稳定、蛋白结构性质均一的CalA3蛋白,可用于冷冻电镜(cryo-electron microscopy)结构解析,以帮助理解装配线型聚酮合酶亚基释放聚酮链的生物化学机理。探究CalA3对不同关键结构特征的聚酮链底物的选择性,可为制备CalA3与小分子化合物的复合物提供生化材料,同时也为进一步挖掘CalA3的成酰胺键的应用潜能提供借鉴。【方法】优化CalA3蛋白异源表达菌株的培养条件、CalA3蛋白纯化的生化条件,利用负染电镜观察蛋白形态,计算并分析蛋白质结构的性质;测定CalA3对不同结构的直链聚酮类似物的体外催化活性,利用色谱和质谱分析鉴定CalA3催化N-乙酰半胱氨酸-吡咯-2-丙酸(SNAC-C3)、N-乙酰半胱氨酸-戊酸(SNAC-C5)和月桂酰辅酶A等多种不同结构的直链聚酮底物类似物与3-羟基邻氨基苯甲酸(3-hydroxy anthranilic acid, 3HA)反应的产物。【结果】利用优化后的培养基PGTY,不仅实现了高纯度巨型聚酮合酶CalA3超量异源表达,同时,负染电镜观察、计算分析...     

Extraction,purification, and biochemical characterization of serine protease from leaves of Abrus precatorius

A protease from fresh leaves of Abrus precatorius was purified using two classical chromatography techniques: ion-exchange (DEAE-Sepharose) and Gel filtration (Sephadex G-75). The purified protease showed a molecular weight of ～?28?kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The optimum pH and temperature for the purified protease was 8 and 40°C, respectively. The purified protease was stable throughout a wide temperature range from 10 to 80°C and pH from 2 to 12. Protease activity was inhibited in the presence of Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Hg²⁺, and Zn²⁺ while its activity has increased in the presence of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. The protease was highly specific to casein when compared to its specificity for gelatin, bovine serum albumin, hemoglobin, and defatted flour of Ricinodendron heudelotii. Its V_max and K_m determined using casein as a substrate were 94.34?U/mL and 349.07?µg/mL respectively. Inhibition studies showed that this purified protease was inhibited by both phenylmethane sulfonyl fluoride and aprotinin which are recognized as competitive inhibitors of serine proteases.     

CMP-N-acetyl neuraminic-acid synthetase from Escherichia coli: fermentative production and application for the preparative synthesis of CMP-neuraminic acid

In an optimized sorbitol/yeast extract/mineral salt medium up to 12 U/l CMP-N-acetyl-neuraminic-acid (Neu5Ac) synthetase was produced by Escherichia coli K-235 in shake-flask culture. A colony mutant of this strain, E. coli K-235/CS1, was isolated with improved enzyme formation: in shake flasks with a yield of up to 20.8 U/l and 54 mU/mg protein in the cell extract. With this strain 26500 U CMP-Neu5Ac synthetase was produced with a high specific activity (0.128 U/mg) by fed-batch fermentation on 230-1 scale. On a 10-l scale the enzyme yield was 191 U/l culture medium. The enzyme was partially purified by precipitation with polyethyleneglycol resulting in a three- to fourfold enrichment and a recovery rate of more than 80%; most of the CTP hydrolysing enzymes were removed. The native synthetase was deactivated completely by incubation at 45°C for 10 min, but could be stabilized remarkably by glycerol and different salts. The enzyme was used for the preparative synthesis of CMP-Neu5Ac with a conversion yield of 87% based on CTP.     

Production and biochemical characterization of xylanase from an alkalitolerant novel species Aspergillus niveus RS2

The novel fungus Aspergillus niveus RS2 isolated from rice straw showed relatively high xylanase production after 5 days of fermentation. Of the different xylan-containing agricultural by-products tested, rice husk was the best substrate; however, maximum xylanase production occurred when the organism was cultured on purified xylan. Yeast extract was found to be the best nitrogen source for xylanase production, followed by ammonium sulfate and peptone. The optimum pH for maximum enzyme production was 8 (18.2 U/ml); however, an appreciable level of activity was obtained at pH 7 (10.9 U/ml). Temperature and pH optima for xylanase were 50°C and 7.0, respectively; however the enzyme retained considerably high activity under high temperature (12.1 U/ml at 60°C) and high alkaline conditions (17.2 U/ml at pH 8 and 13.9 U/ml at pH 9). The enzyme was strongly inhibited by Hg²⁺, while Mn²⁺ was slight activator. The half-life of the enzyme was 48 min at 50°C. The enzyme was purified by 5.08-fold using carboxymethyl-sephadex chromatography. Zymogram analysis suggested the presence of a single candidate xylanase in the purified preparation. SDS-PAGE revealed a molecular weight of approximately 22.5 kDa. The enzyme had K _m and V _max values of 2.5 and 26 μmol/mg per minute, respectively.     

Kinetic characterization and fed-batch fermentation for maximal simultaneous production of esterase and protease from Lysinibacillus fusiformis AU01

The simultaneous production of intracellular esterase and extracellular protease from the strain Lysinibacillus fusiformis AU01 was studied in detail. The production was performed both under batch and fed-batch modes. The maximum yield of intracellular esterase and protease was obtained under full oxygen saturation at the beginning of the fermentation. The data were fitted to the Luedeking–Piret model and it was shown that the enzyme (both esterase and protease) production was growth associated. A decrease in intracellular esterase and increase in the extracellular esterase were observed during late stationary phase. The appearance of intracellular proteins in extracellular media and decrease in viable cell count and biomass during late stationary phase confirmed that the presence of extracellular esterase is due to cell lysis. Even though the fed-batch fermentation with different feeding strategies showed improved productivity, feeding yeast extract under DO-stat fermentation conditions showed highest intracellular esterase and protease production. Under DO-stat fed-batch cultivation, maximum intracellular esterase activity of 820?×?10³ U/L and extracellular protease activity of 172?×?10³ U/L were obtained at the 16th?hr. Intracellular esterase and extracellular protease production were increased fivefold and fourfold, respectively, when compared to batch fermentation performed under shake flask conditions.     

Intra- and extra-cellular organophosphorus hydrolase production with recombinant <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis> using fed-batch fermentation

A fed-batch fermentation process for the production of organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) (EC 3.1.8.1) by E. coli pET812 was developed in this research. With batch fermentation, the maximum OPH concentrations attained by batch fermentation were as low as 4 × 10⁵ U/l because cell growth and OPH production were inhibited by a high initial concentration of glucose. To develop a fed-batch fermentation process for obtaining higher concentrations of OPH, highly concentrated glucose solution (500 g/l) was added intermittently or continuously to increase the carbon source concentration. Eventually, 3.2 × 10⁶ U/l of OPH was produced with fed-batch fermentation in 24 h. This was eight times higher than the yield with conventional batch fermentation. A total concentration of 399–441 mg of OPH was produced/l, which was four times higher than that reported when using E. coli. Nearly half (44%) of the produced OPH was secreted into the culture solution.     

Purification, enzymatic properties of a recombinant d-hydantoinase and its dissociation by zinc ion

Summary A d-hydantoinase was expressed in the soluble form by a recombinant E. coli strain, pE-HDT/E. coli BL21 in LB medium. The enzymatic activity of cultured cells reached 5.2–6.5 IU/ml culture at a cell turbidity of 10 at 600 nm. The expressed enzyme was efficiently purified by three steps, ammonium sulfate fractionation, Phenyl-Sepharose hydrophobic interaction chromatography and Sephacryl S-200 size-exclusion chromatography. With the above purification process, the enzyme was purified to more than 95% purity as estimated by SDS-PAGE. The overall recovery of enzymatic activity was 54.4% and the specific activity for substrate dl-hydantoin achieved 48 U/mg. The purified enzyme appeared as a dimer with a molecular mass of 103 kDa, as measured by size-exclusion chromatography. The enzyme was stable from pH 6 to 12 with an optimum pH at 9.5 The optimum temperature of the enzyme was 45 °C and it activity was rapidly lost over 55 °C. Divalent metal ions, including Co²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Ni ²⁺ ions obviously enhanced the enzymatic activity, while Zn²⁺ ion had a slight inhibitory effect. In addition, the dissociation of purified enzyme into its subunits occurred in the presence of 1 mM Zn²⁺ ion. The effect of different metal ions on the d-hydantoinase activation/attenuation was discussed.     

Enhanced degradation of caffeine and caffeine demethylase production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas</Emphasis> sp. in bioreactors under fed-batch mode

The growth of Pseudomonas sp. was studied in fed-batch process with an aim to improve the caffeine degradation rate and caffeine demethylase activity. The effects of varying initial caffeine concentrations in the batch mode, increase in the number of feeds, varying feed flow rates, and added nutrients to the feed on the fed-batch process were investigated. A maximum caffeine degradation rate of 0.82 g/L h and maximum caffeine demethylase activity of 2.6 U/mg were achieved using manual intermittent pulse feeds of caffeine with substrate concentration as feedback parameter for the fed batch started with an initial caffeine concentration of 3 g/L. A slight increase in the caffeine degradation rate (0.85 g/L h) and caffeine demethylase activity (3.4 U/mg) was observed when the additional nutrients were added along with caffeine in the feed. This is the first report showing complete degradation of large magnitudes of caffeine amounting to 237 g in 75 h. These results show that the fed-batch conditions achieved in this study using Pseudomonas sp. facilitate the development of a sustainable bioprocess to degrade the high concentrations of caffeine in industrial effluents.     

Bimutation breeding of Aspergillus niger strain for enhancing β-mannanase production by solid-state fermentation

A parent strain Aspergillus niger LW-1 was mutated by the compound mutagenesis of vacuum microwave (VMW) and ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). A mutant strain, designated as A. niger E-30, with high- and stable-yield β-mannanase was obtained through a series of screening. The β-mannanase activity of the mutant strain E-30, cultivated on the basic fermentation medium at 32 °C for 96 h, reached 36,675 U/g dried koji, being 1.98-fold higher than that (18,501 U/g dried koji) of the parent strain LW-1. The purified E-30 β-mannanase, a glycoprotein with a carbohydrate content of 19.6%, had an apparent molecular weight of about 42.0 kDa by SDS–PAGE. Its optimal pH and temperature were 3.5 and 65 °C, respectively. It was highly stable at a pH range of 3.5–7.0 and at a temperature of 60 °C and below. The kinetic parameters K_m and V_max, toward locust bean gum and at pH 4.8 and 50 °C, were 3.68 mg/mL and 1067.5 U/mg, respectively. The β-mannanase activity was not significantly affected by an array of metal ions and EDTA, but strongly inhibited by Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺. In addition, the hydrolytic conditions of konjak glucomannan using the purified E-30 β-mannanase were optimized as follows: konjak gum solution 240 g/L (dissolved in deionized water), hydrolytic temperature 50 °C, β-mannanase dosage 120 U/g konjak gum, and hydrolytic time 8 h.     

A Thermostable phytase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neosartorya spinosa</Emphasis> BCC 41923 and its expression in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pichia pastoris</Emphasis>

A phytase gene was cloned from Neosartorya spinosa BCC 41923. The gene was 1,455 bp in size, and the mature protein contained a polypeptide of 439 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains the consensus motif (RHGXRXP) which is conserved among phytases and acid phosphatases. Five possible disulfide bonds and seven potential N-glycosylation sites have been predicted. The gene was expressed in Pichia pastoris KM71 as an extracellular enzyme. The purified enzyme had specific activity of 30.95 U/mg at 37°C and 38.62 U/mg at 42°C. Molecular weight of the deglycosylated recombinant phytase, determined by SDS-PAGE, was approximately 52 kDa. The optimum pH and temperature for activity were pH 5.5 and 50°C. The residual phytase activity remained over 80% of initial activity after the enzyme was stored in pH 3.0 to 7.0 for 1 h, and at 60% of initial activity after heating at 90°C for 20 min. The enzyme exhibited broad substrate specificity, with phytic acid as the most preferred substrate. Its K _m and V _max for sodium phytate were 1.39 mM and 434.78 U/mg, respectively. The enzyme was highly resistant to most metal ions tested, including Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺, and Al³⁺. When incubated with pepsin at a pepsin/phytase ratio of 0.02 (U/U) at 37°C for 2 h, 92% of its initial activity was retained. However, the enzyme was very sensitive to trypsin, as 5% of its initial activity was recovered after treating with trypsin at a trypsin/phytase ratio of 0.01 (U/U).     

A thermostable phytase from Bacillus sp. MD2: cloning, expression and high-level production in Escherichia coli

Phytase is used as a feed additive for degradation of antinutritional phytate, and the enzyme is desired to be highly thermostable for it to withstand feed formulation conditions. A Bacillus sp. MD2 showing phytase activity was isolated, and the phytase encoding gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant phytase exhibited high stability at temperatures up to 100°C. A higher enzyme activity was obtained when the gene expression was done in the presence of calcium chloride. Production of the enzyme by batch- and fed-batch cultivation in a bioreactor was studied. In batch cultivation, maintaining dissolved oxygen at 20–30% saturation and depleting inorganic phosphate below 1 mM prior to induction by IPTG resulted in over 10 U/ml phytase activity. For fed–batch cultivation, glucose concentration was maintained at 2–3 g/l, and the phytase expression was increased to 327 U/ml. Induction using lactose during fed-batch cultivation showed a lag phase of 4 h prior to an increase in the phytase activity to 71 U/ml during the same period as IPTG-induced production. Up to 90% of the total amount of expressed phytase leaked out from the E. coli cells in both IPTG- and lactose-induced fed-batch cultivations.