• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.23 no.7
• /
• pp.913-922
• /
• 2013

An agar-degrading bacterium was isolated from red seaweed (Gelidium amansii) on a natural seawater agar plate, and identified as Saccharophagus sp. AG21. The ${\beta}$-agarase gene from Saccharophagus sp. AG21 (agy1) was screened by long and accurate (LA)-PCR. The predicted sequence has a 1,908 bp open reading frame encoding 636 amino acids (aa), and includes a glycosyl hydrolase family 16 (GH16) ${\beta}$-agarase module and two carbohydrate binding modules of family 6 (CBM6). The deduced aa sequence showed 93.7% and 84.9% similarity to ${\beta}$-agarase of Saccharophagus degradans and Microbulbifer agarilyticus, respectively. The mature agy1 was cloned and overexpressed as a His-tagged recombinant ${\beta}$-agarase (rAgy1) in Escherichia coli, and had a predicted molecular mass of 69 kDa and an isoelectric point of 4.5. rAgy1 showed optimum activity at $55^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.6, and had a specific activity of 85 U/mg. The rAgy1 activity was enhanced by $FeSO_4$ (40%), KCl (34%), and NaCl (34%), compared with the control. The newly identified rAgy1 is a ${\beta}$-agarase, which acts to degrade agarose to neoagarotetraose (NA4) and neoagarohexaose (NA6) and may be useful for applications in the cosmetics, food, bioethanol, and reagent industries.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.25 no.11
• /
• pp.1273-1279
• /
• 2015

Agarase from a novel agar-degrading bacterium isolated from seawater in Namhae at Gyeongsangnamdo province of Korea was characterized. The SH-1 strain was selected from thousands of colonies on Marine agar 2216 media. Almost full 16S rRNA gene sequence of the agarolytic SH-1 strain showed 99% similarity with that of bacteria of Simiduia genus and named as Simiduia sp. SH-1. Agarase production was growth related, and activity was declined from stationary phase. Secreted agarase was prepared from culture media and characterized. It showed maximum activity of 698.6 units/L at pH 7.0 and 30℃ in 20 mM Tris-HCl buffer. Agarase activity decreased as the temperature increased from an optimum of 30℃, with 90% and 75% activity at 40℃ and 50℃, respectively. Agarase was not heat resistant. Slightly lower agarase activity was observed at pH 6.0 than at pH 7.0, without statistical difference, and 80% and 75% activity were observed at pH 5.0 and 8.0, respectively. Neoagarotetraose and neoagarobiose were the main final products of agarose, indicating that it is β-agarase. Simiduia sp. SH-1 and its β-agarase would be useful for the industrial production of neoagarotetraose and neoagarobiose, which have a whitening effect on skin, delaying starch degradation, and inhibiting bacterial growth.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.54 no.3
• /
• pp.299-301
• /
• 2018

Microbulbifer agarilyticus GP101 was isolated from the gut of a marine invertebrate Turbo cornutus and capable of degrading polysaccharide such as agar, alginate, and ${\kappa}$-carrageenan constituting algal cell wall. To obtain genomic basis of polysaccharide-degrading activity, we sequenced genome of strain GP101. The genome consists of 4,255,625 bp, 3,458 coding sequences with 55.4% G + C contents. BLASTP search revealed the presence of seven agarases, five alginate lyases, ten glucanases, four chitinases, two xylanases, one ${\kappa}$-carrageenase, and one laminarinase. The genomic data of strain GP101 will provide potential uses in the bioconversion process of diverse polysaccharide into bioenergy and biochemicals.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.50 no.2
• /
• pp.245-254
• /
• 2022

Cellulases are a group of biocatalyst enzymes that are capable of degrading cellulosic biomass present in the natural environment and produced by a large number of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, etc. In the current study, we isolated, screened and characterized cellulase-producing bacteria from soil. Three cellulose-degrading species were isolated based on clear zone using Congo red stain on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) agar plates. These bacterial isolates, named as HB2, HS5 and HS9, were subsequently characterized by morphological and biochemical tests as well as 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Based on 16S rRNA analysis, the bacterial isolates were identified as Bacillus cerus, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus stratosphericus. Moreover, for maximum cellulase production, different growth parameters were optimized. Maximum optical density for growth was also noted at pH 7.0 for 48 h for all three isolates. Optical density was high for all three isolates using meat extract as a nitrogen source for 48 h. The pH profile of all three strains was quite similar but the maximum enzyme activity was observed at pH 7.0. Maximum cellulase production by all three bacterial isolates was noted when using lactose as a carbon rather than nitrogen and peptone. Further studies are needed for identification of new isolates in this region having maximum cellulolytic activity. Our findings indicate that this enzyme has various potential industrial applications.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.284-290
• /
• 2000

A marine bacterium Bacillus cereus ASK202 showing a high agar degrading activity, was incubated in the culture medium containing agar. After incubation for 30 hr, the productivity of agarase in the culture broth reached to maximum value (160.8 units/L). As the results of TLC and HPLC analysis, agarooligosaccharides (degrees of polymerization 2, 4 and 6) were produced from the hydrolysis of agar by using the crude agarase. Physical and chemical properties of agarooligosaccharides were compared with the manufactured products of other oligosaccharides (fructooligosaccharide; isomaltooligosaccharide; maltotetraoligosaccharide) and agarooligosaccharides showed higher viscosity, higher contents of oligosaccharides, higher stability at low pH's and higher temperatures, and lower sweetness than other oligosaccharides.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.7-14
• /
• 2006

Feather, generated in large quantities as a byproduct of commercial poultry processing, is almost pure keratin, which is not easily degradable by common professes. Four strains, SMMJ-2, FL-3, NO-4 and RM-12 were isolated from soil for production of extracellular keratinolytic protease. They were identified as Bacillus sp. based on their morphological and physiological characteristics. They shown high protease activity on 5.0% skim milk agar medium and produced a substrate like mucoid on keratin agar medium. Bacillus sp. SMMJ-2 had a faster production time for producing keratinolytic protease than other strains. This strain did not completely degrade whole chicken feather for five days in basal medium but completely degraded whole chicken feather when supplied with nitrogen source for 40hours in keratinolytic producing medium ($0.7%\;K_{2}HPO_{4},\;0.2%\;KH_{2}PO_{4},\;0.1%$ fructose, 1.2% whole chicken feather, $0.01%\;Na_{2}CO_3$, pH 7.0). When supplied with chicken feather as nitrogen source, keratinolytic protease activity was 89 units/ml/min. When soybean meal was used as nitrogen source, the keratinolytic protease production reached a maximum of 106 units/ml/min after 48 hours under $30^{\circ}C$, 180 agitation. To isolate the keratinolytic protease, the culture filtrate was precipitated with $(NH_4)_{2}SO_4$ and acetone. The recovery rate of keratinolytic protease was about 96% after treatment with 50% acetone. The enzyme was stable in the range of $30{\sim}50^{\circ}C$ and pH $6.0{\sim}12.0$.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.37-45
• /
• 1996

Marine bacterial strain, highly effective agar degrading, was isolated from south sea of Korea and was identified as Pseudomonas sp. This strain was named Halophilic Pseudomonas sp. W7 and accumulated an extracellular agarase which showed a high level of enzyme activity in the presence of agar and agarose. This extracellular agarase was purified by anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Purified agarase showed a single protein band upon sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and its molecular weight was estimated to be about 89KDa. The agarase gene was cloned into Escherichia coli JM83 using the plasmid vector pUC19. DNA fragments(3.7, 3.0Kb) of Hind III-digested chromosomal DNA of Pseudomonas sp. W7 was inserted into the Hind III site of pUC19. Selected transformants, E. coli JM83/pSWl 000000and E. coli JM83/pSW3, produced agarase and this agarase was accumulated In the cytoplasmic space.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.453-459
• /
• 2016

Agarases are classified into α-agarase and β-agarase that produce agarooligosaccharides and neoagarooligosaccharides, respectively. Neoagarooligosaccharides have whitening effect of skin, delay of starch degradation, and inhibition of bacterial growth etc. Hence, the object of this study was to isolate a novel agarase producing marine bacterium and characterization of its β-agarase. A novel agar-degrading bacterium was isolated from seashore of Namhae at Gyeongnamprovine, Korea and purely cultured with Marine agar 2216 media. The isolated bacterium was identified as Simiduia sp. SH-4 after 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The enzymatic sample was obtained from culture media of Simiduia sp. SH-4. Enzymatic activity was highly increased from 20(30% relative activity) to 30℃ (100%) and decreased from 30 to 40℃(75%) and so more. Relative activity was 100% at pH 6 while those were about 91% and 59% at pH 5.0 and 7.0, respectively, meaning the enzyme possesses narrow optimal pH range. Hence, the enzyme exhibited the maximal activity with 120.4 units/l at pH 6.0 and 30℃ in 20 mM Tris-HCl buffer. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis showed that Simiduia sp. SH-4 produces β-agarase, which hydrolyze agarose to produce biofunctional neoagarooligosaccharides such as neoagarotetraose and neoagarobiose. Hence, broad applications would be possible using Simiduia sp. SH-4 and its enzyme in the food industry, cosmetics and medical fields.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.11
• /
• pp.1173-1178
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study was to isolate an agar-degrading marine bacterium and characterize its agarase. Bacterium BK-1, from Gwanganri Beach at Busan, Korea, was isolated on Marine 2216 agar medium and identified as Agarivorans sp. BK-1 by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The extracellular agarase, characterized after dialysis of culture broth, showed maximum activity at pH 6.0 and $50^{\circ}C$ in 20 mM Tris-HCl buffer. Relative activities at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and $70^{\circ}C$ were 67, 93, 97, 100, 58, and 52%, respectively. Relative activities at pH 5, 6, 7, and 8 were 59, 100, 95, and 91%, respectively. More than 90% of the activity remained after a 2 hr exposure to 20, 30, or $40^{\circ}C$; about 60% of the activity remained after a 2 hr exposure to $50^{\circ}C$. Almost all activity was lost after exposure to 60 or $70^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. Zymography revealed three agarases with molecular weights of 110, 90, and 55 kDa. Agarose was degraded to neoagarobiose (46.8%), neoagarotetraose (39.7%), and neoagarohexaose (13.5%), confirming the agarase of Agarivorans sp. BK-1 as a ${\beta}$-agarase. The neoagarooligosaccharides generated by this agarase could be used for moisturizing, bacterial growth inhibition, skin whitening, food treatments, cosmetics, and delaying starch degradation.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.552-556
• /
• 2011

A novel agar-degrading bacterium mbrc-1 was isolated from seashore of Kyungpo at Gangwon province and cultured in marine broth 2216 medium. Isolated bacterium mbrc-1 was named as Flammeovirga sp. mbrc-1 based on the 16S rDNA sequence. Its agarase showed maximum activity of 923 units/L at pH 7.0 and $45^{\circ}C$ and sustained 90% remaining activity after exposed to $45^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours. The enzyme hydrolyzed agarose to yield neoagarohexaose (18.5%), neoagarotetraose (38%) and neoagarobiose (43.5%), indicating that the enzyme is ${\beta}$-agarase. Thus, isolated bacterium and its ${\beta}$-agarase would be useful for the industrial production of neoagarotetraose and neoagarobiose.