• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.271-279
• /
• 1994

To develop a yeast strain which stably secretes both $\alpha$-amylase and glucoamylase and therefore is able to convert starch directly to ethanol, a mouse salivary $\alpha$-amylase cDNA gene with a yeast alcohol dehydrogenase I promoter has been introduced into the cell of a Saccharomyces diactaticus hybrid strain secreting only glucoamylase. To secrete both enzymes more stably without loss of the $\alpha$-amylase gene during a cell-multiplication, an integrating plasmid vector containing $\alpha$-amylase gene was constructed and introduced into the yeast cell. The results showed that the linearized form of the integrating vector was superior in the transformation efficiency and the rate of the expression of the $\alpha$-amylase gene than the circular type of the vector. The yeast transformant having a linearized plasmid vector exhibited higher mitotic stability than the yeast transformant habouring episomat plasmid vector. The transformant containing the linearized vector producing both $\alpha$-amylase and glucoamylase exhibited 2-3 times more amylolytic activity than the original untransformed strain secreting only glucoamylase.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.27 no.6 s.93
• /
• pp.386-393
• /
• 1999

Ethanol is considered as one of the most suitable substitutes for the petroleum, since it offers attractive functional features at an economical cost. Glucoamylase producing yeasts were isolated and characterized. Based on the morphological character, carbon fermentations, assimilation of carbon and nitrate, growth on vitamine-free medicine, and urease activity, five isolates of Saccharomyces diastaticus, two isolates of Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, and two of Schwanniomyces occidentalis, and each isolate of Ambrosiozyma monospora and Lipomyces kononenkoae were identified. Among 12 isolates, one of the S. diastaticus, E3 showed the highest activity of glucoamylase and identified as Saccharomyces diastaticus. The hydrolysis of starch by the E3 strain showed the release of considerable amount of reducing sugar, along with the reduction in iodine staining capacity. The product of action of glucoamylase, glucose was determined by thin-layer chromatography. The enzyme activity was found to be stable in broad pH range of $5.0{\sim}7.0$ with optimal activity at pH $5.0{\sim}6.0$. The enzyme showed optimal antivity at $50^{\circ}C{\sim}60^{\circ}C$. Soluble starch and glucose were better carbon sources for the enzyme production than xylose and glycerol. $Na^+\;and\;Mg^{2+}$ increased the glucoamylase activity, however $Hg^{2+}\;and\;Ag^{2+}$ inhibited the activity. Soluble starch was the best substrate for the enzyme activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.340-344
• /
• 2002

A gene, npl, encoding neopullulanase from Paenibacillus sp. KCTC 8848P was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. It consisted of an open reading frame of 1,530 bp for a protein that consisted of 510 amino acids with a molecular weight of 58,075 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence of the neopullulanase gene had $92\%$ identity with the neopullulanase of Bacillus polymyxa. The npl gene was also expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae secreting Schwanniomyces occidentalis glucoamylase (GAM1) under the control of the yeast actin gene (ACT1) promoter. Secretion of the neopullulanase was directed by the yeast mating pheromone ${\alpha}$ -factor ($MF{\alpha}1$) prepro region. Enzyme assays confirmed that co-expression of npl and GAM1 enhanced starch and pullulan degradation by S. cerevisiae.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.35-40
• /
• 1999

Sporulation-specific glucoamylase (SGA) gene was isolated from genomic library of Saccharomyces diastaticus 5114-9A by using glucoamylase non-producing mutant of S. diastaticus as a recipient. When the glucoamylase activities of culture supernatant, periplasmic, and intracellular fraction of cells transformed with hybrid plasmid containing SGA gene were measured, the highest activity was detected in culture supernatant. SGA produced by transformant and extracellular glucoamylase produced by S. diastaticus 5114-9A differed in enzyme characteristics such as optimum temperature, thermostability, and resistance to SDS and urea. But the characteristics of SGA produced by sporulating yeast cells and vegetatively growing transformants were identical.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.223-232
• /
• 1985

To find microorganisms of producing $\alpha$-amylase inhibitors, actinomycetes were isolated from soil samples that were collected at different locations in Korea and screened for enzyme inhibitory activity. A strain of these microbes had a high inhibitory activity and was identified as one of the genus Streptomyces by morphological, biochemical and physiological studies according to the methods of the International Streptomyces Project (ISP). The medium used consisted of 3 ％ corn starch, 0.2％ yeast extract and 0.8％ peptone (pH 7.0). When this strain was aerobically cultured in the medium on a rotary shaker, the highest inhibitory activity was obtained after four days. This inhibitor had inhibitory activities on various $\alpha$-amylases and glucoamylase, but not on $\beta$-amylase.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.546-552
• /
• 1992

Ethanol-tolerant strain, S. eerevisiae BUI a26 ($alc^r thr^-$) and gJucoamylase-producing strain, S diastatieus AI5a6 (STA+ hom-) were prepared by means of genetic manipulation, Protoplast fusion was carried out to introduce STA gene from AI5a6 strain to BUla26 strain, Protoplast formation was shown at 0,8 M sorbitol and 200 Jig/ml to 400 Jig/ml zymolyase treatment for 2 hours incubation, Fusion frequency was $ 3.25 {\times} 10^{-3}$ to the regenerated protoplast number using PEG 6000 for 90 min incubation. The excellent fusants with genotype of STA- $alc^r thr^-$ hom+/STA+ ($alc^s thr^+$ hom- (2n), F7 and FIO, were selected by ethanol-tolerant, ethanol fermentation, and glucoamylase production tests, Glucoamylase production of AI5a6 showed 2,7 units, but 4.2 or 8.4 units for F7 or FIO fusant at $30^{\circ}C$, Ethanol fermentation from 32% glucose by BUla26 was 14,0%(v/v) in fermentaion medium for 5 days incubation, but 14.5% or 15,0% for F7 or FIO strain, respectively. Ethanol fermentation from 5% starch was 2,0% by F7, or 1.8% by FIO strain in fermentation medium for 5 days fermentation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.166-172
• /
• 1997

Aspergillus niger was selected as a strain producing the potent raw starch hydorlyzing enzyme. These experiments were conducted to investigate the conditions of the glucoa- mylase production, the purification of the enzyme, some characteristics of the purified enzyme and hydrolysis rate on various raw starches such as com, rice, potato, glutinous rice, sweet potato, wheat and barley. The optimum cultural temperature and time for the enzyme production on wheat bran medium were $30^{\circ}C$ and 96hrs, respectively. The respective addition of yeast extract and nutrient broth on wheat bran medium increased slightly the enzyme production. The enzyme was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 30.7u/mg-protein and the yield of enzyme activity was 25.8%. The purified enzyme showed a single band on polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis and its molecular weight was estimated to be 56,000 by SDS-polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric point for the purified enzyme was pH3.7. The optimum temperature and pH were $65^{\circ}C$ and pH 4.0, respectively. The purified enzyme was stable in the pH range of pH 3.0-9.5 and below $45^{\circ}C$, and its thermal stability was slightly increased by the addition of $Ca^{2+}$. The purified enzyme was activated by $Co^{2+},\;Sr^{2+},\;Mn^{2+},\;Fe^{2+},\;Cu^{2+}$. Raw rice starch, raw corn starch, raw glutinous rice starch, raw sweet potato starch, raw wheat starch and raw barley starch showed more than 90% hydrolysis rate in 48hrs incubation. Even raw potato starch, most difficult to be hydrolyzed, showed 80% hydrolysis rate. The purified enzyme was identified as glucoamylase.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.316-321
• /
• 1994

We investigated the possibility of industrial application and economit process of high temperature fermentation by thermotolerant alcohol producing yeasts as previously reported. From the 20% glucose media, the RA-74-2 produced 11.8% (v/v) ethanol at $32^{\circ}C$ (0.5% inoculum) and 10.6% (v/v) ethanol at $40^{\circ}C$ (3% inoculum), respectively. Also, 11.3% (v/v) ethanol was produced for 96 hours in the temperature-gradient fermentation. These results suggest that the RA-74-2 could isuccessfully be applied to save the cooling water and energy in industrial scale without re-investment or modification of established fermentation systems. When potato starch was used as the substrate for the RA-74-2, high temperature fermentation above $40^{\circ}C$ was more appropriate for industrial utilization because organic nitrogen was not necessary to economical fermentation. As the naked barley media just prior to industrial inoculation, taken from the Poongkuk alcohol industry Co., were used, 9.6% (v/v) ethanol was produced at $40^{\circ}C$ for 48 hours in jar-fermentor scale (actually, 9.5-9.8% (v/v) ethanol was produced at 30~$32^{\circ}C$ for 100 hours in industrial scale). The ethanol productivity was increased by the high glucoamylase activity as well as the high metabolic ratio at $40^{\circ}C$ Therefore, if the thermotolerant yeast RA-74-2 would be used in industrial scale, we could obtain a high productivity and saving of the cooling water and energy. Meanwhile, the RA-912 produced 6%(v/v) ethanol in 10% glucose media at $45^{\circ}C$ and showed the less ethanol-tolerance compared with industrial strains. As the produced alcohol was recovered by the vacuum evaporator at $45^{\circ}C$ in 15% glucose media, the final fermentation ratio was enhanced (76% of theoretical yields). This suggest that a hyperproductive process could be achieved by a continuous input of the substrate and continuous recovery of the product under vacuum in high cell-density culture.