• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.235-239
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• 2022

Psychrophiles have evolved to produce cold-adapted enzymes to enable survival in low-temperature environments. In this study, the cold adaptation of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (CpsEPSPS) from Colwellia psychrerythraea, a model psychrophile, was analyzed. The optimum temperature for the activity of CpsEPSPS was found to be 25℃, with 35% activity remaining at 5℃. However, the unfolding temperature of CpsEPSPS was 54℃. This phenomenon is frequently observed in cold-active enzymes. As is the cases for most cold-active enzymes, the K_m values of CpsEPSPS for its substrates were higher than those of Escherichia coli EPSPS. These results indicate that CpsEPSPS is cold-adapted, but not perfectly.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.2087-2097
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• 2016

Most cold-adapted enzymes possess higher $K_m$ and $k_{cat}$ values than those of their mesophilic counterparts to maximize the reaction rate. This characteristic is often ascribed to a high structural flexibility and improved dynamics in the active site. However, this may be less convincing to cold-adapted metabolic enzymes, which work at substrate concentrations near $K_m$. In this respect, cold adaptation of a shikimate kinase (SK) in the shikimate pathway from psychrophilic Colwellia psychrerythraea (CpSK) was characterized by comparing it with a mesophilic Escherichia coli homolog (EcSK). The optimum temperatures for CpSK and EcSK activity were approximately $30^{\circ}C$ and $40^{\circ}C$, respectively. The melting points were $33^{\circ}C$ and $45^{\circ}C$ for CpSK and EcSK, respectively. The ${\Delta}G_{H_2O}$ (denaturation in the absence of denaturing agent) values were 3.94 and 5.74 kcal/mol for CpSK and EcSK, respectively. These results indicated that CpSK was a cold-adapted enzyme. However, contrary to typical kinetic data, CpSK had a lower $K_m$ for its substrate shikimate than most mesophilic SKs, and the $k_{cat}$ was not increased. This observation suggested that CpSK may have evolved to exhibit increased substrate affinity at low intracellular concentrations of shikimate in the cold environment. Sequence analysis and homology modeling also showed that some important salt bridges were lost in CpSK, and higher Arg residues around critical Arg 140 seemed to increase flexibility for catalysis. Taken together, these data demonstrate that CpSK exhibits characteristics of cold adaptation with unusual kinetic parameters, which may provide important insights into the cold adaptation of metabolic enzymes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2022

Lipases (triacylglycerol acylhydrolases [EC 3.1.1.3]) are water-soluble enzymes. They catalyze the hydrolysis of fats and oils. A cold-active lipase from marine Bacillus cereus HSS, isolated from the Mediterranean Sea, Alexandria, Egypt, was purified and characterized. The total purification depending on lipase activity was 438.9 fold purification recording 632 U/mg protein. The molecular weight of the purified lipase was estimated to be 65 kDa using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The optimum substrate concentration, enzyme concentration, pH, and temperature were 1.5 mM, 100 µl, pH 6 and 10℃, respectively. The lipase was tolerant to NaCl concentrations ranging from 1.5 to 4.5%. The lipase was affected by the tested metal ions, and its activity was inhibited by 16% in the presence of 0.05 M SDS. The application of the cold-active lipase for the removal of an oil stain from a white cotton cloth showed that it is a promising biological agent for the treatment of oily wastes and other related applications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the purification and characterization of a lipase from marine B. cereus HSS isolated from the Mediterranean Sea.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.162-167
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• 1991

In an attempt to explore the mechanistic aspects of chilling injury in plants and their defensive measures against the low temperature stress, the time sequential measurements of pyruvate, superoxide radicals$(O_{\overline{2}})$ and antioxygenic enzymes during whole period of injury-inducing treatment were performed using mostly rice seedlings. Pyruvate was substantialy accumulated in leaf tissues during the exposure period to $5^{\circ}C$ of the seedlings ; the relative extent of the accumulation was increased with increasing time of the cold treatment. When the cold-treated plants were translocated to ambient temperature$({\sim}25^{\circ}C)$, the accumulation started to dissipate, concomitantly accompaning a remarkable increase in the $O_{\overline{2}}$ level of tissues. Superoxide dismutase(SOD) and catalase were also activated during post-chilling period, although they showed a considerable lag time for activation. In contrast, glutathione peroxidase, another antioxygenic enzyme in cells, was not activated at all by preceding cold treatment of plants. The uptake of exogenous $O_{\overline{2}}$ by the roots of rice seedlings resulted in increase in the activities of SOD and catalase in root tissues. The supply of $H_2O_2$ to plan st brought about the activation of catalase in situ, while failing to exert any effect on the activation state of glutathione peroxidase. The results obtained in this work suggest that pyruvate accumulation in cells is the direct cause of the overproduction of $O_{\overline{2}}$ and thereby other toxic activated oxygen species, and that SOD and catalase may play a crucial role in the protection of plant cells against active oxygen-mediated chilling injury.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.87-104
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• 1983

It has been well documented that animals exposed to cold show increased activity of thyroid gland. The calorigenic action of thyroid hormone has been demonstrated by a variety of in vivo and in vitro studies. According to Edelman et al., the thyroid thermogenesis is due to activation of energy consuming processes, especially the active sodium transport by the hormone in target tissues. If so, the increase in thyroid activity during cold exposure should induce increased capacity of sodium transport in target tissue and the change in tissue metabolism should be precisely correlated with the change in Na+_K+_ATPase activity of the tissue. This possibility was tested in the present study: in one series, changes in oxygen consumption and Na+_K+_-ATPase activity of liver preparations were measured in rats as a function of thyroid status, in order to establish the effect of thyroid hormone on the tissue respiration and enzyme system in another series, the effect of cold stimulus on the serum thyroid hormone level, hepatic tissue oxygen consumption and Na+_K+_ATPase activity in rats. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The Na+_dependent oxygen consumption of liver slices, the oxygen consumption of liver mitochondria and the Na+_K+_ATPase activity of liver preparations were significantly inhibited in hypothyroidism and activated in hyperthyroidism. Kinetic analysis indicated that the Vmax. of Na+_K+_ATPase was decreased in hypothyroidism and increased in hyperth)'roidism. 2. In cold exposed rats, the serum triiodothyronine (T₃) level increased rapidly during the initial one day of cold exposure, then declined slowly to the control level after two weeks. The serum thyroxine (T₄) level decreased gradually throughout the cold exposure. Accordingly the T₃/T₄ratio increased. The mitochondrial oxygen consumption and the Na+_dependent oxygen consumption of liver slices increased during the first two days and then remained unchanged thereafter The activity of the Na+_K+_ATPase in liver preparations increased during cold exposure with a time course similar to that of oxygen consumption. Kinetic analysis indicated that the Vmax. of Na+_K+_ATPase increased. 3. Once the animal was adapted to cold, induction of hypothyroidism did not significantly alter the hepatic oxygen consumption and Na+_K+_ATPase activity. These results indicate that: 1) thyroid hormone increases capacities of mitochondrial respiration and active sodium transport in target tissues such as liver; 2) the increased T₃level during the initial period of cold exposure facilitates biosynthesis of Na+_K+_ATPase and mitochondrial enzymes for oxidative phosphorylation, leading to enhanced production and utilization of ATP, hence heat production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.244-255
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• 2019

Xylose isomerase (XI; E.C. 5.3.1.5) catalyzes the isomerization of xylose to xylulose, which can be used to produce bioethanol through fermentation. Therefore, XI has recently gained attention as a key catalyst in the bioenergy industry. Here, we identified, purified, and characterized a XI (PbXI) from the psychrophilic soil microorganism, Paenibacillus sp. R4. Surprisingly, activity assay results showed that PbXI is not a cold-active enzyme, but displays optimal activity at $60^{\circ}C$. We solved the crystal structure of PbXI at $1.94-{\AA}$ resolution to investigate the origin of its thermostability. The PbXI structure shows a $({\beta}/{\alpha})_8$-barrel fold with tight tetrameric interactions and it has three divalent metal ions (CaI, CaII, and CaIII). Two metal ions (CaI and CaII) located in the active site are known to be involved in the enzymatic reaction. The third metal ion (CaIII), located near the ${\beta}4-{\alpha}6$ loop region, was newly identified and is thought to be important for the stability of PbXI. Compared with previously determined thermostable and mesophilic XI structures, the ${\beta}1-{\alpha}2$ loop structures near the substrate binding pocket of PbXI were remarkably different. Site-directed mutagenesis studies suggested that the flexible ${\beta}1-{\alpha}2$ loop region is essential for PbXI activity. Our findings provide valuable insights that can be applied in protein engineering to generate low-temperature purpose-specific XI enzymes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.604-610
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• 2007

A psychrotrophic strain 7195 showing extracellular lipolytic activity towards tributyrin was isolated from deep-sea sediment of Prydz Bay and identified as a Psychrobacter species. By screening a genomic DNA library of Psychrobacter sp. 7195, an open reading frame of 954 bp coding for a lipase gene, lipA1, was identified, cloned, and sequenced. The deduced LipA1 consisted of 317 amino acids with a molecular mass of 35,210 kDa. It had one consensus motif, G-N-S-M-G (GXSXG), containing the putative active-site serine, which was conserved in other cold-adapted lipolytic enzymes. The recombinant LipA1 was purified by column chromatography with DEAE Sepharose CL-4B, and Sephadex G-75, and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, in sequence. The purified enzyme showed highest activity at $30^{\circ}C$, and was unstable at temperatures higher than $30^{\circ}C$, indicating that it was a typical cold-adapted enzyme. The optimal pH for activity was 9.0, and the enzyme was stable between pH 7.0-10.0 after 24h incubation at $4^{\circ}C$. The addition of $Ca^{2+}\;and\;Mg^{2+}$ enhanced the enzyme activity of LipA1, whereas the $Cd^{2+},\;Zn^{2+},\;CO^{2+},\;Fe^{3+},\;Hg^{2+},\;Fe^{2+},\;Rb^{2+}$, and EDTA strongly inhibited the activity. The LipA1 was activated by various detergents, such as Triton X-100, Tween 80, Tween 40, Span 60, Span 40, CHAPS, and SDS, and showed better resistance towards them. Substrate specificity analysis showed that there was a preference for trimyristin and p-nitrophenyl myristate $(C_{14}\;acyl\; groups)$.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.168-173
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• 1991

The uptake of $Mn^{+2}$, a metal cofactor Mn-SOD, by rice seedings resulted in not only a substantial increase in SOD activity in leaf tissues of the plants, but also a significant enhancement of their cold tolerance : the relative extent of the cold tolerance appeared to accord with relative level of the SOD activity. In contrast, $Fe^{+3},\;Cu^{+2}$ and $Zn^{+2}$, which are the cofactors of Fe-SOD and Cu/Zn-SOD, were found to be ineffective for increasing the SOD activity as well as for improving the chilling-resistant capacity of the plants. The results suggest that Mn-SOD, which is most likely induced by its substrate(superoxide) and activated by the presence of $Mn^{+2}$a at high level, is the enzyme acting as an active component of the defense system against low temperature stress in rice plants. In addition, the application of abscisic acid which has been know to protect to some extent certain plants from chilling injury brought about an increase in SOD activity in rice tissues, providing another affirmative information for the crucial role of SOD under the circumstance of cold stress in plants.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1085-1091
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• 2009

A phytase with high activity at low temperatures has great potential for feed applications, especially in aquaculture. Therefore, this study used a degenerate PCR and TAIL PCR to clone a phytase gene from Erwinia carotovora var. carotovota, the cause of soft rot of vegetables in the ground or during cold storage. The full-length 2.5-kb fragment included an open reading frame of 1,302 bp and encoded a putative phytase of 45.3 kDa with a 50% amino acid identity to the Klebsiella pneumoniae phytase. The phytase contained the active site RHGXRXP and HD sequence motifs that are typical of histidine acid phosphatases. The enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and displayed the following characteristics: a high catalytic activity at low temperatures (retaining over 24% activity at $5^{\circ}C$) and remarkably thermal lability (losing >96% activity after incubation at $60^{\circ}C$ for 2 min). The optimal phytase activity occurred at pH 5.5 and ${\sim}49^{\circ}C$, and the enzyme activity rapidly decreased above $40^{\circ}C$. When compared with mesophilic counterparts, the phytase not only exhibited a high activity at a low temperature, but also had a low $K_m$ and high $k_{cat}$. These temperature characteristics and kinetic parameters are consistent with low-temperature-active enzymes. To our knowledge, this would appear to be the first report of a low-temperature-active phytase and its heterogeneous expression.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.429-436
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• 2008

A bacterium producing cold-active cellulase and xylanase was isolated from pig feces. The isolate, DK42 strain, was found to be the Gram-positive, non-motile, catalase-positive, and spore-forming stain. Under an electron microscope, the cells were observed to be rod-shaped. The isolate was identified as Bacillus licheniformis DK42 on the basis of morphological and biochemical properties as well as 16S rRNA gene sequences. The characterization of crude cellulase and xylanase from B. licheniformis DK42 was investigated. Cellulase exhibited an optimum temperature and pH at 45℃ and 6.0, whereas xylanase exhibited an optimum temperature and pH at 55℃ and 6.0. Especially cellulase maintained approx. 50% of its maximum activity even at 10℃, indicating that it is cold-active. Both cellulase and xylanase were stable after 2hr at 35℃, whereas they lost their activities after 30min at 65℃.