Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology

Yang, Liming; Yang, Qian; Sun, Kening; Tian, Ye; Li, Hulun

doi: 10.1007/s12010-010-9097-7pmid: 20936373

As a soil-borne filamentous fungus, Trichoderma harzianum exhibits biological control properties because it parasitizes a large variety of phytopathogenic fungi. In this study, the vectors pBI121 and pCAMBIA1301 and cloning vector pUC18 were used to successfully construct expression vector pCA-GChiV for filamentous fungi transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.The ChiV gene was successfully transferred into the biocontrol fungus T. harzianum with an efficiency of 90–110 transformants per 107 spores using A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Putative transformants were analyzed to test the transformation by the southern blot, and the expression of ChiV was detected by reverse transcription PCR. The transformants were co-cultured to assay antifungal activities with Rhizoctonia solani. The inhibition rates of the transformants and no ChiV gene transferred T. harzianum were 98.56% and 82.42%, respectively, on the fourth day.The results showed that the ChiV transformants had significantly higher inhibition activity.

Nie, Zhi-Kui; Ji, Xiao-Jun; Huang, He; Du, Jun; Li, Zhi-Yong; Qu, Liang; Zhang, Qi; Ouyang, Ping-Kai

doi: 10.1007/s12010-010-9098-6pmid: 20938754

Substrate concentration in 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD) fermentation could not be controlled well in traditional feeding strategies, such as constant, impulse, and exponential feeding strategies. In the present study, fermentative 2,3-BD production by Klebsiella oxytoca was investigated under different batch and fed-batch strategies. The glucose-feedback fed-batch strategy was proved to be not effective for economical 2,3-BD production for the inability of timely feeding, leading that the bacteria reused 2,3-BD as carbon source for cell growth. Based on the phenomena that the byproducing acids caused the pH declining and the requirement of maintaining the pH at a proper level for both cell growth and 2,3-BD accumulation, an improved strategy of pH-stat fed-batch culture with glucose and sodium hydrate fed at the same time was established. Thus, the residual glucose concentration could be controlled through the adjustment of pH automatically. At last, efficient 2,3-BD production was fulfilled under this fed-batch strategy, and the highest 2,3-BD concentration, productivity, and yield were 127.9 g/l, 1.78 g/(l•h), and 0.48 g/g (2,3-BD/glucose), respectively, compared to 98.5 g/l, 1.37 g/(l•h), and 0.43 g/g obtained in glucose-feedback fed-batch strategy. This feeding strategy was simple and easy to operate and could be feasible for industrial 2,3-BD production in the future.

Thierfelder, Simone; Ostermann, Kai; Göbel, Andy; Rödel, Gerhard

doi: 10.1007/s12010-010-9099-5pmid: 20949330

Based on the p426 series of expression vectors developed by Mumberg et al. (Gene 156, 119–122, 1995), we have generated a set of plasmids that allow the glucose-dependent expression of target genes in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ADH1 promoter in plasmid p426-ADH1 was replaced by the 1-kb 5′-region from either of the following genes: HXK1, YGR243, HXT4 and HXT7. Expression mediated by the respective 5′-regions was monitored with EGFP, yEGFP3-CLN2pest and TurboGFP as marker genes. Fluorescence is induced 2.7-fold using the HXK1, 2.3-fold using the YGR243-, 5-fold using the HXT7- and 12.6-fold using the HXT4 5′-regions upon depletion of glucose to a concentration of <0.5 g/l.

Drăgan, Călin-Aurel; Peters, Frank; Bour, Pierre; Schwaninger, Andrea; Schaan, Stefanie; Neunzig, Ina; Widjaja, Maria; Zapp, Josef; Kraemer, Thomas; Maurer, Hans; Bureik, Matthias

doi: 10.1007/s12010-010-9100-3

Zhou, Xuezhang; Song, Zhenwei; Liu, Xiaoming; Jia, Fang; Wang, Yujiong

doi: 10.1007/s12010-010-9101-2pmid: 20957450

Interferons (IFNs) are involved in the pathogenesis and recovery of viral and other infectious diseases. Recombinant IFNs have been used as anti-infectious agents exhibiting a broad range of antiviral and immunomodulatory properties in both human and domestic animals. In this report, we describe a highly efficient and economical approach to purify porcine IFN alpha (PoIFNα) using polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) as the affinity carrier and intein for self-cleaving removal of the affinity tag. Additionally, the conditions of protein expression and purification have been optimized. Our results suggested that culture medium containing 1.62% (w/v) of sodium lactate dramatically increases the accumulation of PHB binding protein in Escherichia coli cells. High yields of recombinant PoIFNα (30–35 mg/L, 97% purity by high-performance liquid chromatography) were obtained using intein-mediated self-cleaving conditions using a cleavage-inducing buffer with a pH of 6.5 at 20 °C for 24–36 h. The antiviral activity of the recovered recombinant PoIFNα was up to 1.4 × 106 IU/mg of protein ascertained using recombinant human IFNα1 as a standard. This report also demonstrates that large-scale production of intein-mediated purification of highly pure and active recombinant PoIFNα is feasible for the purposes of experimental studies, veterinary clinic therapeutics, and swine infectious disease control.

Nandan, Arya; Pandey, Ashok; Nampoothiri, Kesavan

doi: 10.1007/s12010-010-9103-0pmid: 20938753

Aminopeptidases catalyze the cleavage of specific amino acids from the amino terminus of protein or peptide substrates. A proline-specific aminopeptidase was purified to homogeneity from the culture-free extract of Streptomyces lavendulae ATCC 14162 in sequential steps comprising ammonium sulfate precipitation, ultra-filtration, and column chromatography on Q-sepharose and Sephadex G-100. The purified protein showed approximately 60 kDa in SDS-PAGE and was optimally active at pH 6.5 and 40 °C. Kinetic studies showed a K m and V max of 0.23 mM and 0.087 μmol/min, respectively, using Pro-p-NA, the substrate with maximum specificity. Enzyme activity was inhibited by PMSF and ions like Zn2+, Co2+, and Ni2+. However, unlike other aminopeptidases, the activity was enhanced in the presence of DTT, 1,10-phenanthroline, EDTA, amastatin, and bestatin. Ions like Ca2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+ also enhanced the activity.

Yoon, Jihee; Bang, Seung; Park, Jin-Soo; Chang, Suk-Tai; Kim, Yang-Hoon; Min, Jiho

doi: 10.1007/s12010-010-9104-zpmid: 20953732

Exposure of mammalian cells to oxidative stress alters lysosomal enzymes. Through cytochemical analysis of lysosomes with LysoTracker, we demonstrated that the number and fluorescent intensity of lysosome-like organelles in HeLa cells increased with exposure to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), and UVB irradiation. The lysosomes isolated from HeLa cells exposed to three oxidative stressors showed the enhanced antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli. Further, when lysosomes that were isolated from HeLa cells exposed by oxidative stress were treated to normal HeLa cells, the viability of the HeLa cells was drastically reduced, suggesting increased in vitro lysosomal function (i.e., antimicrobial activity, apoptotic cell death). In addition, we also found that cathepsin B and D were implicated in increased in vitro lysosomal function when isolated from HeLa cells exposed by oxidative stress. Decrease in cathepsin B activity and increase in cathepsin D activity were observed in lysosomes isolated from HeLa cells after treatment with H2O2, 6-ODHA, or UVB, but cathepsin B and D were not the sole factors to induce cell death by in vitro lysosomal function. Therefore, these studies suggest a new approach to use lysosomes as antimicrobial agents and as new materials for treating cancer cell lines.

Qin, Yongling; Zhang, Yunkai; He, Haiyan; Zhu, Jing; Chen, Guiguang; Li, Wei; Liang, Zhiqun

doi: 10.1007/s12010-010-9105-ypmid: 20963514

After screening with 0.1% esculoside and 0.03% FeCl3, we identified from rotten wood a fungal isolate HML0366 that produces high amount of β-glucosidase. Phenotypic and rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequence analyses indicated that the isolate belongs to Aspergillus oryzae. The β-glucosidase produced by HML0366 had an activity of 128 U/g. high performance liquid chromatography analysis also demonstrated a high transglycosylation activity of the crude enzyme. The β-glucosidase was stable between pH 4–10 at 60 °C. A gentiobiose yield of 30.86 g/L was achieved within 72 h of the enzymatic reaction at pH 5 and 55 °C using 50% glucose as the substrate. For the first time, we report here the isolation of an A. oryzae strain producing β-glucosidase with high hydrolytic activities. The crude enzyme has a high transglycosylation activity, which enables the enzymatic synthesis of gentiooligosaccharides.

Sari, Müfrettin

doi: 10.1007/s12010-010-9106-xpmid: 20972892

Cupric ion-chelated poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-n-vinyl imidazole) (poly(HEMA-VIM)) microspheres prepared by suspension polymerization were investigated as a specific adsorbent for immobilization of yeast invertase in a batch system. They were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, surface area, and pore size measurements. They have spherical shape and porous structure. The specific surface area of the p(HEMA-VIM) spheres was found to be 81.2 m2/g with a size range of 70–120 μm in diameter, and the swelling ratio was 86.9%. Then, Cu(II) ion chelated on the microspheres (546 μmol Cu(II)/g), and they were used in the invertase adsorption. Maximum invertase adsorption was 51.2 mg/g at pH 4.5. Cu(II) chelation increases the tendency from Freundlich-type to Langmuir-type adsorption model. The optimum activity for both free and adsorbed invertase was observed at pH 4.5. The optimum temperature for the poly(HEMA-VIM)/Cu(II)-invertase system was found to be at 55 °C, 10 °C higher than that of the free enzyme at 45 °C. V max values were determined as 342 and 304 U/mg enzyme, for free and adsorbed invertase, respectively. K m values were found to be same for free and adsorbed invertase (20 mM). Thermal and pH stability and reusability of invertase increased with immobilization.

Pavlova, Kostantsa; Rusinova-Videva, Snezhana; Kuncheva, Margarita; Kratchanova, Maria; Gocheva, Mariana; Dimitrova, Stela

doi: 10.1007/s12010-010-9107-9pmid: 20972644

An exopolysaccharide-producing Antarctic yeast strain was selected and identified as Cryptococcus laurentii AL100. The physiological properties of the strain and its ability to utilize and biotransform different carbon sources (pentoses, hexoses, and oligosaccharides) into exopolysaccharide and biomass were investigated. Sucrose was chosen as a suitable and accessible carbon source. The biosynthetic capacity of the strain was studied in its dynamics at different sucrose concentrations (20, 30, 40, and 50 g/L) and temperatures (22 and 24 °C). The maximum biopolymer quantity of 6.4 g/L was obtained at 40 g/L of sucrose, 22 °C temperature and 96-h fermentation duration. The newly synthesized microbial carbohydrate was a heteropolysaccharide having the following monosaccharide composition: arabinose, 61.1%; mannose, 15.0%; glucose, 12.0%; galactose, 5.9%; and rhamnose, 2.8%. It was characterized by polydispersity of the polymer molecule, 60% of it having molecular mass of 4200 Da. The exopolysaccharide demonstrated good emulsifying and stabilizing properties with regard to oil/water emulsions and a pronounced synergistic effect with other hydrocolloids such as xanthan gum, guar gum, and alginate.