• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.749-760
• /
• 2022

α-Galactosidase is a debranching enzyme widely used in the food, feed, paper, and pharmaceuticals industries and plays an important role in hemicellulose degradation. Here, T26, an aerobic bacterial strain with thermostable α-galactosidase activity, was isolated from laboratory-preserved lignocellulolytic microbial consortium TMC7, and identified as Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius. The α-galactosidase, called T26GAL and derived from the T26 culture supernatant, exhibited a maximum enzyme activity of 0.4976 IU/ml when cultured at 60℃ and 180 rpm for 2 days. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the α-galactosidase T26GAL belongs to the GH36 family. Subsequently, the pET-26 vector was used for the heterologous expression of the T26 α-galactosidase gene in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The optimum pH for α-galactosidase T26GAL was determined to be 8.0, while the optimum temperature was 60℃. In addition, T26GAL demonstrated a remarkable thermostability with more than 93% enzyme activity, even at a high temperature of 90℃. Furthermore, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ promoted the activity of T26GAL while Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺ inhibited it. The substrate specificity studies revealed that T26GAL efficiently degraded raffinose, stachyose, and guar gum, but not locust bean gum. This study thus facilitated the discovery of an effective heat-resistant α-galactosidase with potent industrial application. Meanwhile, as part of our research on lignocellulose degradation by a microbial consortium, the present work provides an important basis for encouraging further investigation into this enzyme complex.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.19 no.9
• /
• pp.966-971
• /
• 2009

Peroxidase from Coprinus cinereus (CiP) has attracted attention for its high specific activity and broad substrate spectrum compared with other peroxidases. In this study, the functional expression of this peroxidase was successfully achieved in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. The expression level of CiP was increased by varying the microbial hosts and the expression promoters. Since a signal sequence, such as the alpha mating factor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was placed preceding the cDNA of the CiP coding gene, expressed recombinant CiP (rCiP) was secreted into the culture broth. The Mut Pichia pastoris host showed a 3-fold higher peroxidase activity, as well as 2-fold higher growth rate, compared with the $Mut^s $ Pichia pastoris host. Furthermore, the AOX1 promoter facilitated a 5-fold higher expression of rCiP than did the GAP promoter.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
• /
• 2000.10a
• /
• pp.31-50
• /
• 2000

Almost all currently available retroviral vectors based on murine leukemia virus (MLV) contain one or more viral coding sequences Because these sequences are also present in the packaging genome, it has been suggested that homologous recombination may occur between the same nucleotide sequence in the packaging genome and the vector, resulting in the production of replication competent retrovirus (RCR). Up until now, it has been difficult to completely remove viral coding sequences since some were thought to be involved in the optimum function of the retroviral vector. For example, the gag coding sequence present in almost all available retroviral vectors has been believed to be necessary for efficient viral packaging, while the pol coding sequence present in the highly efficient vector MFG has been thought to be involved in achieving the high levels of gene e(pression. However, we have now developed a series of reroviral vectors that are absent of any retroviral coding sequences but produce even higher levels of gene expression without compromising viral titer. In these vectors the intron and exon sequences from heterologous cellular or viral genes are present, When compared to the well blown MLV-based vectors, some of these newly developed vectors have been shown to produce significantly higher levels of gene expression for a longer period. In an experimental system that can maximize the production of RCR, our newly constructed vectors produced an absence of RCR. These vectors should prove to be safer than other currently available retroviral vectors containing one or more viral coding sequences

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.12
• /
• pp.2057-2063
• /
• 2018

Laccases can oxidize a variety of phenolic and non-phenolic substrates including synthetic dyes. In this research, a laccase gene Lcc9 from Laccaria bicolor was chemically synthesized and optimized to heterogeneous expression in Pichia pastoris and Arabidopsis thaliana. The properties of recombinant laccase expressed by P. pastoris were investigated. The laccase activity was optimal at 3.6 pH and $40^{\circ}C$. It exhibited $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values of $0.565mmol\;l^{-1}$ and $1.51{\mu}mol\;l^{-1}\;min^{-1}$ for ABTS respectively. As compared with untransformed control plants, the laccase activity in crude extracts of transgenic lines exhibited a 5.4 to 12.4-fold increase. Both laccases expressed in transgenic P. pastoris or A. thaliana could decolorize crystal violet. These results indicated that L. bicolor laccase gene may be transgenically exploited in fungi or plants for dye decolorization.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.489-493
• /
• 1988

To obtain a new yeast strain that is able to efficiently produce ethanol from starch, the glucoamylase gene of Saccharomyces diastaticus was transformed into S. cerevisiae without a cloning vector. The competent cells of S. cerevisiae, induced by the treatment of Li$_2$SO$_4$, were transformed with the partial BamHI-digests of chromosomal DNA of S. diastaticus, and the transformants were selected by their abilities to utilize and ferment starch. The transformants, which appeared at a frequency of 8.5$\times$10$^{-7}$, were able to withstand up to 800 ppm of copper sulfate like the recipient and retained the phenotypic expression of the recipient with the exception of the acquisition of STA gene and MAL gene, as regards fermentation of carbohydrates. The enzymatic properties of glucoamylases produced by transformants were very similar to those produced by S. diastaticus as based on optimium pH and temperature.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.5 no.5
• /
• pp.257-263
• /
• 1995

As a first step for developing Lactobacillus strains capable of fermenting starch directly, the $\alpha$-amylase gene (amyL) from Bacillus licheniformis (Kim et al., 1988. Kor. J. Appl. Microbiol. Bioeng. 16: 369-373) was introduced into Lactobacillus casei strains and the level of $\alpha$-amylase expression in transformants was examined. 3 kb EcoRI fragments encompassing amyL were subcloned into the suitable lactococcal cloning vectors (pSA3, pMG36e, and p1L2530) and then recombinant plasmids were introduced into E. coli and L. casei strains by electroporation. Only one recombinant plasmid, $pIL2530\alpha$ was able to transform few L. casei strains tested at low efficiencies. The transformation efficiencies with the plasmid into L. casei YIT 9018 and L. casei A Tee 4646 were less than $10^2/\mu$ g pIL2530\alpha$. The level of amylase activities in L. casei was five to ten-fold lower than that in E. coli cells. $p1L2530\alpha$ was stably maintained in Lactobacillus strains in the presence of Em (5 $\mu $g/ml) but without antibiotic selection, it was unstable so more than 95$%$ of cells lost plasmids after a week of daily subculturing.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.98-104
• /
• 1998

As an efffort ot construct LAB (latice acid bacteria), capable of utilizing starch as fermentation substrate without the aid of externally supplied enzymes, plasmid vectors containing the amyL($\alpha$-amylase/pullulansase gene) from Clostridium thermophydrosulfuricum, and glucoamylase cDNA from Asperigillus shirousamii were constructed and introduced itno E. coli and L. lactis. For expression in procaryotes , 1.9kb glucoamylase cDNA encoding the mature form of enzyme was PCR amplified and translationaly fused to a PCR amplified 260 bp fragment containing the promotor and secretion signals of amyl in the same reading frame. The production of $\alpha$-amylase, Apu, and glucoamlase in E. coli and L. lactis was confirmed by enzyme assay and zymography . Enzymeswere detected in both cellpellets and supernatants, indicating theworking of scretion signals in heterologous hosts. The efficiencies of secretion were varibale depending on the gene and host. The highest $\alpha$- amylase acitivity observed was 1.1 units and most activiity was detected from thecell pellets. The degree of gene expression in both hosts and the effect on the growth of hosts were examined.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.133-142
• /
• 1993

The effects of genetic and environmental factors on productivity of a cloned protein were studied in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Plasmid stability and copy level were very high for a $REP^+$ system(at ca. 10 generations, stability: 65-90%, plasmid copy number per cell: 40-200), whereas these were very low for a yep- system(at ca. 10 generations, stability: 30%, plasmid copy number per cell 20). In plasmids containing the $2{\mu}m$ circle genome, a $[cir^o]$ strain was a preferred host cell since the plasmid stability and the copy number in a $[cir^o]$ strain were higher than in a $[cir^+]$strain. Cloned gene expression was dependent on plasmid copy number and stability. The inducer (galactose) level played a very important role in cloned lacZ gene expression, showing that a galactose concentration of 0.8% was sufficient for induction of gene expression. Induction rate was very fast in the case of plasmids exhibiting high stability and copy number by a factor of 4 to 25. The time to reach the peak value of gene expression was longer when galactose was added at the start of fermentation (ca. 26 hours) than at the mid-exponential phase (ca. 6 hours). Glucose repression was reduced by a factor of 2 to 5 as the relative inducer level increased.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.29 no.9
• /
• pp.1363-1370
• /
• 2016

Rennet, a complex of enzymes found in the stomachs of ruminants, is an important component for cheese production. In our study, we described that yak chymosin gene recombinant Pichia pastoris strain could serve as a novel source for rennet production. Yaks total RNA was extracted from the abomasum of an unweaned yak. The yak preprochymosin, prochymosin, and chymosin genes from total RNA were isolated using gene specific primers based on cattle chymosin gene sequence respectively and analyzed their expression pattern byreal time-polymerase chain reaction. The result showed that the chymosin gene expression level of the sucking yaks was 11.45 times higher than one of adult yaks and yak chymosin belongs to Bovidae family in phylogenetic analysis. To express each, the preprochymosin, prochymosin, and chymosin genes were ligated into the expression vector $pPICZ{\alpha}A$, respectively, and were expressed in Pichia pastoris X33. The results showed that all the recombinant clones of P. pastoris containing the preprochymosin, prochymosin or chymosin genes could produce the active form of recombinant chymosin into the culture supernatant. Heterologous expressed prochymosin (14.55 Soxhlet unit/mL) had the highest enzyme activity of the three expressed chymosin enzymes. Therefore, we suggest that the yak chymosin gene recombinant Pichia pastoris strain could provide an alternative source of rennet production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.30 no.7
• /
• pp.1082-1091
• /
• 2020

Microbial transglutaminases (MTGs) are widely used in the food industry. In this study, the MTG gene of Streptomyces sp. TYQ1024 was cloned and expressed in a food-grade bacterial strain, Bacillus subtilis SCK6. Extracellular activity of the MTG after codon and signal peptide (SP Ync M) optimization was 20 times that of the pre-optimized enzyme. After purification, the molecular weight of the MTG was 38 kDa and the specific activity was 63.75 U/mg. The optimal temperature and pH for the recombinant MTG activity were 50℃ and 8.0, respectively. MTG activity increased 1.42-fold in the presence of β-ME and 1.6-fold in the presence of DTT. Moreover, 18% sodium chloride still resulted in 83% enzyme activity, which showed good salt tolerance. Cross-linking gelatin with the MTG increased the strength of gelatin 1.67 times and increased the thermal denaturation temperature from 61.8 to 75.8℃. The MTG also significantly increased the strength and thermal stability of gelatin. These characteristics demonstrated the huge commercial potential of MTG, such as for applications in salted protein foods.