Studies on Transglycosidation to Vitamin B6 by Microorganisms

The enzyme activity to synthesize pyridoxine glucoside was demonstrated in intact cells and cell extracts of genera, Sarcina and Micrococcus. The isolated and identified strain, Micrococcus sp. No. 431 was found to have high activity of this enzyme in its cell extract.

The enzyme activity reached to a maximum after 20 hr of cultivation.

The enzyme which synthesized pyridoxine glucoside via transglucosidation from sucrose to pyridoxine was purified from Micrococcus sp. No. 431 by means of ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex, hydroxylapatite and Sephadex G–100 column chromatographies. The enzyme was purified about 354–fold and confirmed to be homogenous in polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation.     

Synthesis of L-Tyrosine or 3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl-L-alanine from DL-Serine and Phenol or Pyrocathechol

Reaction conditions for the synthesis of L-tyrosine or L-dopa from DL-serine and phenol or pyrocatechol were studied with intact cells of Erwinia herbicola (ATCC 21434) containing high tyrosine phenol lyase activity. The optimum pH for this reaction was around 8.0, and the optimum temperature range was between 37~40°C for the synthesis of L-tyrosine and between 15~25°C for that of L-dopa. Sodium sulfite and EDTA were added to protect the synthesized L-dopa from decomposition. As high concentrations of phenol or pyrocatechol denatured the enzyme, each substrate was fed to maintain the optimum concentration during incubation.

The reaction mixture (100 ml) containing 4.0 g of DL-serine, 1.0 g of phenol or 0.7 g of pyrocatechol, 0.5 g of ammonium acetate and the cells, was incubated. During incubation, phenol or pyrocatechol was fed at intervals to maintain the substrate at the initial concentration. 5.35 g of L-tyrosine or 5.10 g of L-dopa was synthesized in 100 ml of the reaction mixture.     

Purification and Properties of Sarcosine Oxidase from Cylindrocarpon didymum M–1

Sarcosine oxidase was purified to homogeneity from the cell extract of Cylindrocarpon didymum M–1, aerobically grown in medium containing choline as the carbon source. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 45,000 by gel filtration method and 48,000 by the sodium dodecylsulfate disc gel electrophoresis method. The enzyme exhibited an absorption spectrum with maxima at 277 and 450 run and shoulders at 370 and 470 nm. The anaerobic addition of sarcosine to the enzyme resulted in the disappearance of the peak at 450 nm. The enzyme contained one mol of covalently bound FAD per mol of enzyme. Enzyme activity was inhibited by Ag⁺, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺, p-chloromercuribenzoate and iodoacetate. The enzyme oxidized sarcosine but was inert toward choline, betaine, dimethylglycine and N-methyl amino acids. Km and V_max values for sarcosine were 1.8 ihm and 26.2 μmol/min/mg, respectively. The enzyme catalyzed the following reaction: Sarcosine+O₂+H₂O→glycine +formaldehyde+H₂O₂.     

Stabilization by the Mini-F Fragment of a pBR322 Derivative Bearing the Tryptophan Operon in Escherichia coli

In an Escherichia coli K-12 strain (trpA trpE tnd) cultured in LB broth without selective pressure, a pBR322 derivative bearing the E. coli tryptophan Operon (pBR322-trp) was rapidly lost: after 27 cell-number doublings, only 7% cells retained both tryptophan prototrophy (Trp⁺) and ampicillin resistance (Ap^r), and 17% were Ap^r but Trp^?. Insertion of the mini-F DNA from F factor into this plasmid effectively suppressed both the plasmid loss and the discoordinate loss of Trp⁺: the percentage of Trp^? cells per cell-number doubling was decreased more than 100-fold. Partial derepression of the trp operon due to 3-indole acrylic acid further decreased the stability of the pBR322-trp but not that of the mini-F-inserted pBR322-trp.     

The Formation and Hydrolysis of Pyridoxine Glucoside by Various α-Glucosidases

(—)-Epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG) and (— )-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), major tea catechins, formed precipitates with soybean lipoxygenase (LOX) in the pH range of 4~7, although with accompanying 10 ~30% loss of the LOX activity. Yeast alcohol dehydrogenase also was precipitated by EGCG. Polyvinylpyrrolidone, Tween 20 and Triton X-100 dissociated the LOX activity from the EGCG-precipitated LOX. However, the MW of the dissociated LOX (114,000) differed from that of the native LOX (100,000). Enzyme activities of the EGCG-precipitated LOX and the dissociated LOX from the precipitate were less stable than the activity of the native LOX. These findings suggest the altered natures of proteins in the presence of tea catechins, ECG and EGCG.     

Enzymatic Determination of l-Phenylalanine and l-Tyrosine

An enzymatic method for the determination of phenylalanine and tyrosine has been described. This method is based on the formation of cinnamic acid from phenylalanine or the formation of p-coumaric acid from tyrosine by phenylalanine ammonia-lyase of Rhodotorula. Cinnamic acid and p-coumaric acid, which are formed in stoichiometric amounts, are determined spectrophotometrically. Other amino acids and d-isomers of phenylalanine and tyrosine have no effect on this determination.     

Reduction of Ketopantoyl Lactone to D-(—)-Pantoyl Lactone by Microorganisms

The ability to reduce ketopantoyl lactone added to the culture medium to pantoyl lactone was surveyed in a variety of microorganisms. Many of the microorganisms including molds, yeasts, bacteria, actinomycetes and basidiomycetes exhibited this ability. The ratios of D-(—)- and L-(+)-isomers of the yielded pantoyl lactone, however, showed no relation to the genera or sources of strains. Among them, Rhodotorula minuta IFO 0920, Candida parapsilosis IFO 0708 and Aspergillus niger IFO 4415 were found to convert ketopantoyl lactone (45mg/ml) completely and almost specifically to D-(—)-pantoyl lactone. The main enzyme catalyzing this asymmetric reduction was suggested to be ketopantoyl lactone reductase (EC 1.1.1.168).     

Elimination,Replacement and Isomerization Reactions by Intact Cells Containing Tyrosine Phenol Lyase

Tyrosine phenol lyase catalyzes a series of α,β-elimination, β-replacement and racemization reactions. These reactions were studied with intact cells of Erwinia herbicola ATCC 21434 containing tyrosine phenol lyase.

Various aromatic amino acids were synthesized from l-serine and phenol, pyrocatechol, resorcinol or pyrogallol by the replacement reaction using the intact cells. l(d)-Tyrosine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-l(d)-alanine (l(d)-dopa), l(d)-serine, l-cysteine, l-cystine and S-methyl-l-cysteine were degraded to pyruvate and ammonia by the elimination reaction. These amino acids could be used as substrate, together with phenol or pyrocatechol, to synthesize l-tyrosine or l-dopa via the replacement reaction by intact cells. l-Serine and d-serine were the best amino acid substrates for the synthesis of l-tyrosine or l-dopa. l-Tyrosine and l-dopa synthesized from d-serine and phenol or pyrocatechol were confirmed to be entirely l-form after isolation and identification of these products. The isomerization of d-tyrosine to l-tyrosine was also catalyzed by intact cells.

Thus, l-tyrosine or l-dopa could be synthesized from dl-serine and phenol or pyrocatechol by intact cells of Erwinia herbicola containing tyrosine phenol lyase.     

Distribution of Tyrosine Phenol Lyase in Microorganisms

The distribution of tyrosine phenol lyase activity in microorganisms was studied with intact cells in a synthetic reaction mixture containing l-serine and phenol or pyrocatechol. This activity was found in various bacteria, most of which belonged to the Enterobacteriaceae; especially to the genera Escherichia, Proteus and Erwinia. Cells of Erwinia herbicola ATCC 21434 were selected as a promising source of enzyme.

Intact cells of Erwinia herbicola ATCC 21434 prepared from a broth cultured for 24 hr contained markedly high enzymic activity and catalyzed the synthetic reaction of l-tyrosine or 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-l-alanine (l-dopa) from l-serine and phenol or pyrocatechol in significantly high yields.

Results of the isolation and identification of the products showed that the amino acid synthesized by this enzymatic method was identical with l-tyrosine or l-dopa.     

Properties of Choline Oxidase of Cylindrocarpon didymum M-1

Choline oxidase from the cell-free extract of Cylindrocarpon didymum M-1 showed a molecular weight of 120,000 by the gel filtration method and 145,000 by the sedimentation velocity method. The enzyme exhibited an absorption spectrum characteristic of a flavoprotein with absorption maxima at 276, 370 and 454 nm and a shoulder at 470 nm. Anaerobic addition of choline as well as sodium dithionite to the enzyme produced a disappearance of the peak at 454 nm.

Choline oxidase consists of two identical subunits, which have a molecular weight of 64,000, and contains two mol of FAD per mol of enzyme. The flavin was shown to be covalently bound to the protein.

The enzyme was inactivated by Ag⁺, Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺. The enzyme oxidized choline, betaine aldehyde and N, N-dimethylaminoethanol and apparent Km values were 1.3 mm, 5.8 mm and 14 mm, respectively.