• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.32-39
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• 2018

Samples of Laru (a fermentation starter) obtained from the upper part of Borneo Island were analyzed for their lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and fungal diversity using both a culture-independent method (PCR-DGGE) and culture-dependent methods (SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF MS). Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus brevis, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, Hyphopichia burtonii, and Kodamaea ohmeri were detected by all three methods. In addition, Weissella cibaria, Weissella paramesenteroides, Leuconostoc citreum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactococcus lactis, Rhizopus oryzae/Amylomyces rouxii, Mucor indicus, and Candida intermedia were detected by PCR-DGGE. In contrast, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantarum, Pichia anomala, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida orthopsilosis were detected only by the culture-dependent methods. Our results indicate that the culture-independent method can be used to determine whether multiple laru samples originated from the same manufacturing region; however, using the culture-independent and the two culture-dependent approaches in combination provides a more comprehensive overview of the laru microbiota.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.346-352
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• 2005

The chemical characteristics, enzymatic saccharification, and ethanol fermentation of autohydrolyzed lignocellulosic material that was exposed to steam explosion were investigated using bagasse as the sample. The effects of the steam explosion on the change in pH, organic acids production, degrees of polymerization and crystallinity of the cellulose component, and the amount of extractive components in the autohydrolyzated bagasse were examined. The steam explosion decreased the degree of polymerzation up to about 700 but increased the degree of crystallinity and the micelle width of the cellulose component in the bagasse. The steam explosion, at a pressure of 2.55 MPa for 3 mins, was the most effective for the delignification of bagasse. 40 g/L of glucose and 20 g/L of xylose were produced from 100 g/L of the autohydrolyzed bagasse by the enzymatic saccharification using mixed cellulases, acucelase and meicelase. The maximum ethanol concentration, 20 g/L, was obtained from the enzymatic hydrolyzate of 100 g/L of the autohydrolyzed bagasse by the ethanol fermentation using Pichia stipitis CBS 5773; the ethanol yield from sugars was 0.33 g/g sugars.

• Mycobiology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2011

Wild yeasts on the surface of various fruits including grapes were surveyed to obtain yeast strains suitable for fermenting a novel wine with higher alcohol content and supplemented with rice starch. We considered selected characteristics, such as tolerance to alcohol and osmotic pressure, capability of utilizing maltose, and starch hydrolysis. Among 637 putative yeast isolates, 115 strains exhibiting better growth in yeast-peptone-dextrose broth containing 30% dextrose, 7% alcohol, or 2% maltose were selected, as well as five ${\alpha}$-amylase producers. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the 26S rDNA gene classified the strains into 13 species belonging to five genera; Pichia anomala was the most prevalent (41.7%), followed by Wickerhamomyces anomalus (19.2%), P. guilliermondii (15%), Candida spp. (5.8%), Kodamaea ohmeri (2.5%), and Metschnikowia spp. (2.5%). All of the ${\alpha}$-amylase producers were Aureobasidium pullulans. Only one isolate (NK28) was identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. NK28 had all of the desired properties for the purpose of this study, except ${\alpha}$-amylase production, and fermented alcohol better than commercial wine yeasts.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2018

The chitosanase gene (btbchito) of Bacillus thuringiensis BMB171 was cloned and heterologously expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris. After purification, about 300 mg of recombinant chitosanase was obtained from the 1-1 culture medium with a specific activity of 240 units/mg. Results determined by the combined use of thin layer chromatography (TLC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) showed that the chitooligosaccharides (COSs) obtained by chitosan (N-deacetylated by 70%, 80%, and 90%) hydrolysis by rBTBCHITO were comprised of oligomers, with degrees of polymerization (DP) mainly ranging from trimers to heptamers; high molecular weight chitopentaose, chitohexaose, and chitoheptaose were also produced. Hydrolysis products was also deduced using MS since the COSs (n) are complex oligosaccharides with various acetyl groups from one to two, so the non-acetyl COSs (GlcN)n and COSs with more acetyls (> 2) were not detected. The employment of this method in the production of high molecular weight COSs may be useful for various industrial and biological applications, and the activity of chitosanase has great significance in research and other applications.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.171-177
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• 2013

Efficient extraction of total proteins from soil microorganisms is tedious because of small quantity. In this regard, an improved method for extraction of whole cell proteins is developed from soil microorganisms, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris. of which the cell wall are very strong. Pretreatment with NH4OH prior to the final extraction using NaOH/SDS was tried under the basis that ammonium ion was possible to enhance the permeability and/or to weaken the yeast cell walls. The pre-treatment of yeast cells with NH4OH drastically enhanced the protein extraction when it was compared with control (without NH4OH pre-treatment). At the pre-treatment of 0.04 N NH4OH at pH 9.0, about 3 fold of proteins was obtained from p. pastoris. Ammonium hydroxide appears to penetrate into the yeast cell walls more readily at basic pH. The effect of NH4OH pretreatment was pH dependent. The methods developed in this experiment might be applicable for an effective extraction of yeast proteins for the purpose of biochemical studies, especially proteomic analysis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.1320-1324
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• 2006

The pancreatic and neutrophil elastases are associated with several illnesses including lung and vascular diseases, various cancers, and pancreatitis. The development of a potent and specific inhibitor to the elastases could lead to new therapies. In this study, an agar diffusion method was modified to include a substrate-dye conjugate (Elastin-Congo red) as a substrate of elastase and an indicator of elastase inhibitory activity. The Elastin-Congo red agar plates consisted of 0.1 % Elastin-Congo red and 2.5% agar. The elastase and elastase inhibitors were simultaneously loaded into wells, ultimately resulting in halo formations in which the halo diameter decreased as the concentration of elastase inhibitor increased. The concentration of elastase inhibitor in the samples, therefore, was inversely proportional to the halo diameters. This simplified method provided an excellent correlation with the standard microplate technique, which uses a chromogenic substrate. The concentration of elastase inhibitor obtained from the culture supernatant of a recombinant elastase inhibitor produced by the yeast Pichia pastoris was easily determined. This study has established a simple modified and inexpensive agar diffusion method that is potentially useful for the identification, quantification, and screening of new elastase inhibitors.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.725-730
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• 2003

Three recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains showing different levels of xylose reductase activity were constructed to investigate the effects of xylose reductase activity and glucose feed rate on xylitol production. Conversion of xylose to xylitol is catalyzed by xylose reductase of Pichia stipitis with cofactor NAD(P)H. A two-substrate fermentation strategy has been employed where glucose is used as an energy source for NADPH regeneration and xylose as substrate for xylitol production. All recombinant S. cerevisiae strains Yielded similar specific xylitol productivity, indicating that xylitol production in the recombinant S. cerevisiae was more profoundly affected by the glucose supply and concomitant It generation of cofactor than the xylose reductase activity itself. It was confirmed in a continuous culture that the elevation of the glucose feeding level in the xylose-conversion period enhanced the xylitol productivity in the recombinant S. cerevisiae.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1413-1421
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• 2013

The marine microalga Isochrysis sphaerica is rich in the very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, $C20:5{\omega}-3$) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, $C22:6{\omega}-3$) that are important to human health. Here, we report a functional characterization of a ${\Delta}4$-fatty acid desaturase gene (FAD4) from I. sphaerica. IsFAD4 contains a 1,284 bp open reading frame encoding a 427 amino acid polypeptide. The deduced amino sequence comprises three conserved histidine motifs and a cytochrome b5 domain at its N-terminus. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that IsFad4 formed a unique Isochrysis clade distinct from the counterparts of other eukaryotes. Heterologous expression of IsFAD4 in Pichia pastoris showed that IsFad4 was able to desaturate docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) to form DHA, and the rate of converting DPA to DHA was 79.8%. These results throw light on the potential industrial production of specific polyunsaturated fatty acids through IsFAD4 transgenic yeast or oil crops.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.21 no.6 s.101
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• pp.456-460
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• 2006

We investigated the activity and stability of alcohol oxidase from Hansenula sp., Pichia pastoris, and Candida boidinii under the electric stimulation. The activity and stability of alcohol oxidase depended on electric output voltage, electric stimulation time. This inactivation of the enzyme under electric stimulation could be recovered by stabilizing additives such as sugars, surfactants and hydrogels. These alcohol oxidase was more stable in trehalose, Triton X-100, Brji solution and alcohol oxidase from Hansenula is more stable than that from P. pastoris, and C. boidinii. The stabilizing of enzymes against electric stimulation showed a great potential use of enzymes in biotechnology and medical engineering fields.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.315-318
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• 2013

Ethanol fermentations were performed using separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) processes with monosaccharides from pretreated seaweed, Eucheuma spinosum as the biomass. The pretreatment was carried out with 11% (w/v) seaweed slurry and 150 mM $H_2SO_4$ at $121^{\circ}C$ for 40 min. Enzyme hydrolysis after $H_2SO_4$ pretreatment was performed with Celluclast 1.5 L at $45^{\circ}C$ for 24 h. Five % active charcoal were added to hydrolysate to removed 5-hydroxy methylfurfural. Ethanol fermentation with 11% (w/v) seaweed hydrolysate was performed for 72~96 h using Kluyvermyces marxianus, Pichia stipits, Saccharomyces cervisiae and Candida tropicalis. Ethanol concentration was reached to 18 g/L by K. marxianus, 16 g/L by P. stipitis, 15 g/L by S. cerevisiae and 10 g/L by C. tropicalis, respectively. The ethanol yield from total monosugar was obtained 0.50 and ethanol productivity was obtained 0.38 g/L/h by K. marxianus.