• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.351-357
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• 1997

The cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase(EC 3.2.1.19) from Bacillus firmus was purified by precipitating with ammonium sulfate followed by, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. In this way, we were able to obtain the single band protein on SDS-PAGE with a yield of 12%, whose purity was 49 fold. The purified CGTase was identified as a protein having molecular weight of approximately 80,000 dalton and isoelectric point of 9.6. The optimum pH and temperature for the enzyme activity were 8.0 and $65^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme was stable at between pH 5.5 and 9.0 and up to $50^{\circ}C$. After 24hr of enzyme reaction using soluble starch as substrate, the ratio of ${\alpha}-$, ${\beta}-$ and ${\gamma}-cyclodextrin$ production was 0.01 : 2.90 : 1.00, respectively. And this CGTase pro-duced mainly ${\beta}-$ and ${\gamma}-cyclodextrin$.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.67-76
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• 1974

This experiment was carried out to identify and to compare the radiosensitivities of bacteriz isolated from the sources of different radiation exposure histories. Among 10 strains isolated in this investigation, 4 strains of bacteria, Bacillus firmus, Bacillus brevis, Baciilus subtilis and Bacillus sphaericus were isolated from high and low radioactive sites simulaneously. Bacterial strains isolated from radioactive sources such as reactor and isotope production rooms were more resistant to irradiation than the microganisms from medical products and laboratories, however, there was no significance in radiosensitivity in the same species of bacteriz, even if they were isolated from different radiation exposure histories.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.78-85
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• 1993

In order to elucidate the mechanism which regulates the production of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) and to achieve overproduction of CGTase by releasing catabolite (glucose) repression, several catabolite repression resistant mutants were selected from newly screened Bacillus firmus var. alkalophilus H609, after NTG (N-methyl-N -nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine) treatment, using 2-deoxyglucose as a nonmetabolizable analog of catabolite glucose and as a selection marker. Five catabolite repression resistant mutants were selected from about 30, 000 2-deoxyglucose resistant colonies. Relative catabolite repression indices of the selected mutants were in the range of 8~80% assuming 100% for parent strain. The amount of CGTase produced by the mutant strain CR41, which was 250 units/ml, was three times larger than that produced by its parent strain. The mutation seems to have occurred in the regulatory region of CGTase gene and not in the structural region or the glucose transporting system in cell membrane. The enzymatic properties of CGTase excreted from parent and mutant strains were also compared.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.811-819
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• 1999

The ${\beta}-CGTase$ gene of alkalophilic Bacillus firmus var. alkalophilus was cloned into E. coli using $pZErO^{TM}-2$ as a vector. The cloned gene encoded a total of 710 amino acid residues consisting of 674 amino acids of the matured protein and 36 amino acids of the signal peptide, including 20 amino acids from the lacZ gene in the vector. Although the cloned ${\beta}-CGTase$ gene did not contain the promoter and start codons, it was expressed by the lac promoter and lacZ start codon in the $pZErO^{TM}$ vector. A comparison was made with the amino acid sequence and ten other CGTases from Bacillus sp. Also, ten highly conserved regions, which are important amino acid residues in catalysis of CGTase, were identified. The lac promoter used for expression of the ${\beta}-CGTase$ gene was induced constitutively in recombinant E. coli even without IPTG possibly because of a lack of the lacI gene in both host and vector, repressing the lacZ gene in the lac operon. Its expression was catabolically repressed by glucose, however, its repression was reduced by soluble starch, mainly because of the extremely high increase of the cAMP level. ${\beta}-CGTase$ can be overproduced in the recombinant E. coli by maintaining intracellular cAMP levels mostly through the intermittent feeding of glucose during cultivation.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.138-143
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• 2004

Soybean curd residues (SCR) obtained from hot and cold manufacturing processes were fermented by indigenous microorganisms, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LS and Bacillus firmus NA-l for 15 h at 37$^{\circ}C$. The pH, acidity, viable cell counts, and tyrosine content were evaluated in samples with variations in sugar, starter and type of SCR. The raw Doowon SCR (D-SCR, cold-processed) fermented by indigenous microorganism had a 0.9% acidity and 6.7 ${\times}$ 10$^{7}$ CFU/g viable cell counts, compared with the 0.11 % acidity and 6.7 ${\times}$ 10$^{6}$ CFU/g viable cell counts of raw fermented Pulmuwon SCR (P-SCR, hot-processed). After fermentation of raw P-SCR with 1 % glucose and 1 % L. rhamnosus LS starter, the viable cell counts, tyrosine content and acidity were 4.7 ${\times}$ 10$^{8}$ CFU/g, 16.3 mg% and 0.9%, respectively. In addition, the raw P-SCR fermented with Bacillus firmus NA-l as co-starter had a 0.45% acidity, 2.4 ${\times}$ 10$^{8}$ CFU/g lactic acid bacteria, and 3.3 ${\times}$ 10$^{6}$ CFU/g Bacillus sp. In particular, the tyrosine content was increased 5 fold. The drying of fermented SCR was completed by hot-air drying (5$0^{\circ}C$) within 12 h; the dried P-SCR and D-SCR had 1.8 ${\times}$ 10$^{7}$ CFU/g and 5.3 ${\times}$ 10$^{6}$ CFU/g viable cell counts, respectively. The concentrate of methanol extract from fermented D-SCR inhibited the initial cell growth of E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in liquid culture.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.166-178
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• 1976

Taxonomic study of 11 strains of Bacillus coagulans and 14 strains of 13 spccies of Bacillus by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-DNA hybridization were conducted. Among the 11 strains of B. coagulans, 6 were isolated from soil and the rest were the authentic strains obtained from American Type culture collection (ATCC) or the Institute for Fermentation, Osaka (IFO). All strains were examined to confirm as they are expected species of B. coagulans by the methods of Cordon et al. according to Bergey's Manual (8th ed.). The intraspecific DNA homology indexes among the 11 strains of B. coagulans using strain ATCC 7050 as the standard ($^3$H labeled input DNA) showed 76％ or, more, respectively. These findings accorded well with the results of the conventional taxonomic study according to the Bergey's Manual. The interspecific DNA homology indexes between B. coagulant strain ATCC 7050 and the type cultures of B. subtilis (168), B. licheniformis (IFO 12107), B. pumilus (IFO 12110), B. firmus (ATCC 14575), B. lentus (ATCC 10840), B. circulans (ATCC 4513), B. macelans (ATCC 8244), B. polymyxa (ATCC 842), B. sphaericus (ATCC 14577), B. brevis (ATCC 8246, IFO 12334), B. laterosporus (ATCC 64), and B. pantothenticus (ATCC 14576) respectively, showed 2 to 4％, while that of between B. coagulans ATCC 7050 and Escherichia coli K-12 was less than 1 ％.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 1993

An alkalophilic microorganism for overproduction of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) was newly isolated from hot-water spring soil, and identified as Bacillus firmus var. alkalophilus H609. The strain maintained stability during preservation and cultivation for the enzyme production, and produced significant amount of CGTase corresponding to the volumetric activity of 75 units/mL at 37C, initial pH of 11.2, and after 40 hours. The strain excreted several different proteins showing CGTase activity that catalyzed the formation of mainly beta-and Gamma-type cyclodextrin (ratio of 7:1) from soluble starch without accumulation of alpha-type. Other enzymatic properties were also investigated.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.69-69
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• 1974

This experiment was carried out to identify and to compare the radiosensitivities of bacteriz isolated from the sources of different radiation exposure histories. Among 10 strains isolated in this investigation, 4 strains of bacteria, Bacillus firmus, Bacillus brevis, Baciilus subtilis and Bacillus sphaericus were isolated from high and low radioactive sites simulaneously. Bacterial strains isolated from radioactive sources such as reactor and isotope production rooms were more resistant to irradiation than the microganisms from medical products and laboratories, however, there was no significance in radiosensitivity in the same species of bacteriz, even if they were isolated from different radiation exposure histories.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.323-330
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• 1998

Cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) was purified from the culture broth of the Bacillus firmus var. alkalophilus, using ultrafiltration, starch adsorption/desorption, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration on Sephacryl HR-100. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was determined as 77,000 by SDS-PAGE. The optimum pH and temperature for the CD synthesis were 6.0 and 5$0^{\circ}C$, respectively. The activity of this enzyme was stably kept at the range of pH 6.0～9.5 and up to 5$0^{\circ}C$. However, in the presence of $Ca^{2+}$, the optimum temperature for CD synthesis was shifted 55~6$0^{\circ}C$ and this enzyme was stable up to 6$0^{\circ}C$ because of the stabilizing effect of $Ca^{2+}$. The purified CGTase produced CDs with high conversion yields of 45~51% from sweet potato starch, com starch and amylopectin as substrate, especially, and the product ratio of $\beta$-CD to ${\gamma}$-CD was obtained at range of from 5.8:1 to 8.4:1 according to the kind of substrate. The purified enzyme produced mainly $\beta$-CD without accumulation of $\alpha$-CD during enzyme reaction using various starches as the substrate, indicating that the purified enzyme is the typical $\beta$-CGTase. The purified CGTase produced 25 g/l of CDs from 5.0% (w/v) liquefied com starch and the conversion yield of CDs was 50%, and the content of $\beta$-CD was 84% of total CDs after 8 hours under the optimum reaction condition.ion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.753-759
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• 2002

$\beta$-Cyclodextrin glucanotransferase ($\beta$-CGTase) was overproduced extracellularly using recombinant E. coli by transforming the plasmid pECGT harboring a secretive signal peptide. The $\beta$-CGTase gene of alkalophilic Bacillus firmus var alkalophilus was inserted into the high expression vector pET20b(+) containing a secretive pelB signal peptide, and then transformed into E. coli BL2l(DE3)pLysS. The optimum culture conditions fer the overproduction of $\beta$-CGTase were determined to be TB medium containing 0.5% (w/v) soluble starch at post-induction temperature of $25^{\circ}C$. A significant amount of $\beta$-CGTase, up to 5.83 U/ml, which was nine times higher than that in the parent strain B. firmus var. alkalophilus, was overproduced in the extracellular compartment. A pH-stat fed-batch cultivation of the recombinant E. coli was also performed to achieve the secretive overproduction of $\beta$-CGTase at a high cell density, resulting in production of up to 21.6 U/ml of $\beta$-CGTase.