Molecular cloning and functional expression of a novel extracellular lipase from the thermotolerant yeast Candida thermophila

The thermotolerant yeast Candida thermophila SRY-09 isolated from Thailand produces an extracellular lipase that hydrolyses various triglycerides. To clone the gene encoding the lipase, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was transformed with a C. thermophila genomic library and screened for lipase activity on medium containing olive oil emulsion and rhodamine B. One C. thermophila lipase gene (CtLIP) was found that contained an ORF of 1317 bp encoding a deduced polypeptide of 438 amino acids. Candida thermophila lipase contained a Gly-Asp-Ser-Gln-Gly motif which matched the consensus Gly-X-Ser-X-Gly conserved among lipolytic enzymes. Heterologous expression of the cloned CtLIP under the control of the alcohol oxidase gene (AOX1) promoter in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris, and enzymatic measurements confirmed the function of the respective protein as a lipase. The recombinant CtLIP could hydrolyse various substrates at high temperature (55 degrees C) with higher efficiency than at 37 or 45 degrees C and preferentially hydrolysed two-positional ester bonds. As with C. thermophila, the heterologously expressed lipase was secreted into the medium by Pichia pastoris.     

FLUCTUATING TEMPERATURE LEADS TO EVOLUTION OF THERMAL GENERALISM AND PREADAPTATION TO NOVEL ENVIRONMENTS

Environmental fluctuations can select for generalism, which is also hypothesized to increase organisms’ ability to invade novel environments. Here, we show that across a range of temperatures, opportunistic bacterial pathogen Serratia marcescens that evolved in fluctuating temperature (daily variation between 24°C and 38°C, mean 31°C) outperforms the strains that evolved in constant temperature (31°C). The growth advantage was also evident in novel environments in the presence of parasitic viruses and predatory protozoans, but less clear in the presence of stressful chemicals. Adaptation to fluctuating temperature also led to reduced virulence in Drosophila melanogaster host, which suggests that generalism can still be costly in terms of reduced fitness in other ecological contexts. While supporting the hypothesis that evolution of generalism is coupled with tolerance to several novel environments, our results also suggest that thermal fluctuations driven by the climate change could affect both species’ invasiveness and virulence.     

Impact of carbon and nitrogen nutrition on the quality, yield and composition of blastospores of the bioinsecticidal fungus Paecilomyces fumosoroseus

The impact of growing cultures of Paecilomyces fumosoroseus in liquid media containing four combinations of glucose and casamino acids (8 g l^–1 or 80 g l^–1 glucose, 1.32 g l^–1 or 13.2 g l^–1 casamino acids) was evaluated, based on blastospore production, germination rate, viability after freeze-drying and short-term storage stability. When blastospores were produced using a high casamino acid concentration, blastospore yields and germination rates were significantly higher (13.2–18.5×10⁷ blastospores ml^–1, 50–60% germination after 4 h), compared to cultures grown in media containing lower casamino acid concentrations (0.4–2.3×10⁷ blastospores ml^–1, 10–20% germination after 4 h). Chemical analyses of blastospore composition showed that accelerated blastospore germination may be related to increased proteinaceous reserves rather than to glycogen or lipid accumulation. Tolerance to freeze-drying by blastospores suspended in spent medium was enhanced by a high initial casamino acid concentration in the culture medium (75% survival) and by the residual glucose concentrations in the spent medium. Under the conditions of this study, the storage stability of blastospores of P. fumosoroseus was unaffected by the nutritional condition in which they were produced.     

Production, Purification of Exo-Polygalacturonase from Soil Isolate Paecilomyces variotii NFCCI 1769 and Its Application

The aim of the present study was to produce exo-polygalacturonase from potent soil isolate by submerged fermentation and its application for fruit juice treatment. Pectinase producing strains were selectively isolated from pectin industry waste. A selected isolate C2 was found to produce significant amount of exo-polygalacturonase. The isolate was identified as Paecilomyces variotii on the basis of morphological characteristics and 18S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The exo-polygalacturonase produced by the isolate was purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation, size exclusion chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. The purified enzyme had MW of 39.4 kD based on SDS PAGE. Under partially optimized conditions, purified exo-polygalacturonase showed specific activity of 98.49 U/mg protein at pH 6.0 and 30°C. The enzyme was comparatively stable from 10 to 30°C and the activity decreased with increasing temperature. Purified enzyme brought about considerable reduction in viscosity of fruit juice samples.     

古尼拟青霉麦角甾醇高产液体培养条件及提取工艺的优化

以古尼拟青霉生物量和麦角甾醇含量为指标,对古尼拟青霉的高产麦角甾醇培养条件及麦角甾醇提取工艺进行了优化。正交试验结果表明,高产麦角甾醇的最适液体培养基为蔗糖4%,麸皮2%,KH2PO4 0.025%和NaCl 0.05%;响应面实验结果表明,麦角甾醇最佳提取工艺为：提取溶剂浓度为80%乙醇,液料比为200:1,提取时间为65min。     

过表达周期蛋白Cyc28影响四膜虫的有性生殖进程

真核生物的细胞周期通过连续的激活和失活特定的周期蛋白/周期蛋白依赖性激酶复合物活性进行调控。嗜热四膜虫含有34种周期蛋白,有性生殖期特异表达的周期蛋白Cyc2和Cyc17在四膜虫小核减数分裂中发挥重要功能。本研究从嗜热四膜虫中鉴定出一种新的周期蛋白CYC28 (TTHERM_00082190)基因,预测编码266个氨基酸。实时荧光定量PCR表明,CYC28在有性生殖时期特异表达,且在4 h表达水平最高。通过同源重组构建获得MTT1启动子调控下的HA-CYC28突变体细胞。免疫荧光定位表明,HA-Cyc28定位在细胞质和凋亡的亲本大核中。分别构建CYC28敲除突变株和RNA干扰细胞株,对CYC28敲减突变体细胞的分析发现,营养生长和有性生殖期突变细胞发育正常。然而,过表达株Cyc28突变体引起原核染色体排列异常,原核不能完成有丝分裂形成配子核,有性生殖进程终止。结果表明,Cyc28参与细胞的有性生殖进程,它的正常表达和降解对原核有丝分裂的完成是必需的。     

Viability of Heterodera glycines Exposed to Fungal Filtrates

Filtrates from nematode-parasitic fungi have been reported to be toxic to plant-parasitic nematodes. Our objective was to determine the effects of fungal filtrates on second-stage juveniles and eggs of Heterodera glycines. Eleven fungal species that were isolated from cysts extracted from a soybean field in Florida were tested on J2, and five species were tested on eggs in vitro. Each fungal species was grown in Czapek-Dox broth and malt extract broth. No toxic activity was observed for fungi grown in Czapek-Dox broth. Filtrates from Paecilomyces lilacinus, Stagonospora heteroderae, Neocosmospora vasinfecta, and Fusarium solani grown in malt extract broth were toxic to J2, whereas filtrates from Exophiala pisciphila, Fusarium oxysporum, Gliocladium catenulatum, Pyrenochaeta terrestris, Verticillium chlamydosporium, and sterile fungi 1 and 2 were not toxic to J2. Filtrates of P. lilacinus, S. heteroderae, and N. vasinfecta grown in malt extract broth reduced egg viability, whereas F. oxysporum and P. terrestris filtrates had no effect on egg viability.     

等离子体法诱变淡紫拟青霉产几丁质酶菌种的筛选

采用菌株诱变技术,提高生防用淡紫拟青霉菌株产几丁质酶的能力。通过常温常压等离子体诱变技术(MPMS)对淡紫拟青霉进行诱变育种处理,对处理的菌种先采用透明圈法进行初筛,然后采用发酵方法进行复筛。采用MPMS法诱变淡紫拟青霉产几丁质酶菌种时,温度25℃,处理时间30 s,样品处理量60μL,诱变菌的致死率为30.33%时,正突变率为14%。采用摇瓶分批发酵培养,诱变菌种的几丁质酶活为0.17 U/mL。结果表明,经过对淡紫拟青霉的诱变处理,获得高活性几丁质酶产生菌株,几丁质酶酶活提高180%。     

两株真菌降解菜籽饼中植酸的研究

利用选择性培养基从土壤中分离到两株能降解植酸的丝状真菌。这些菌株能利用肌醇作为唯一的碳源和能源而生长。在液态发酵中植酸的降解率分别为74．4％和95．0％;在固态发酵中植酸的降解率为40％左右。某些金属离子对菌株的降解率的提高具有一定的促进作用。对温度、pH和水分等影响因子也进行了初步的探讨。经初步鉴定,这两株菌株中有一株为拟青霉（Paecilomycessp）,另一株为青霉（Penicilliumsp．）,它们均不产黄曲霉素素。