• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1450-1457
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• 2015

To overcome the depletion of fossil fuels and environmental problems in future, the research and production of biofuels have attracted attention largely. Thermophilic microorganisms produce effective and robust enzymes which can hydrolyze plant biomass and survive under harsh bioprocessing conditions. Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, which can degrade unpretreated plants and grow on them, is the one of the best candidates for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). C. bescii can hydrolyze pectin efficiently as well as the major plant cell wall components, cellulose and hemicelluloses. Many glycosyl hydrolases and carbohydrate lyases with multidomain structure play an important role in plant biomass decomposition. Recently genetic tools for metabolic engineering of C. bescii have developed and bioethanol production from unpretreated biomass is achieved in C. bescii. Here, we review the recent studies for biomass degradation by C. bescii and bioethanol production in C. bescii in order to provide information about metabolic engineering of themophilic bacteria and biofuel development.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1631-1635
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• 2011

The capability of synthesizing polyphenol glycosides was examined using recombinant amylosucrase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Deinococcus geothermalis. Based on the action mode of amylosucrase, sucrose and twenty-one polyphenols were used as a donor and acceptors respectively. The transglycosylation reaction by amylosucrase produced one or two major polyphenol glycosides depending on the type of polyphenols used. The synthesized polyphenol glycosides were detected by thin-layer chromatography. The structures of the newly synthesized polyphenol glycosides were predicted based on the transglycosylation mechanism of the enzyme. According to the acceptability of the polyphenols, the structural characteristics of polyphenol as an efficient acceptor were evaluated. The results indicate that amylosucrase is an efficient catalyst for the enzymatic synthesis of polyphenol glycosides, which have high potentials in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.493-498
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• 2000

Aquifex pyrophilus, a hyperthermophilic bacterium, has a serine-type protease that is located at the cell wall fraction with a mature size of 43 kDa. Molecular cloning of the protease gene revealed that it has an ORF of 619 amino acids with homologous catalytic site of serine-type proteases [Choi, I.-G., Bang, W.-K., Kim, S.-H., Yu, G. Y., J. Biol. Chem. (1999), Vol. 274, pp. 881-888]. Constructs containing different regions of the protease gene, including a alanine-substituted mutant at the active site serine, were constructed, and the factors affecting the expression level of the cloned protease gene in E. coli were examined. The presence of the C-terminus hydrophobic region of the protease hindered over-expression in E. coli. Also, the proteolytic activity of the expressed protein appeared to toxic to E. coli. An inactive form that deleted both of the N-terminal signal sequence and the C-terminal polar residues was over-expressed in a soluble form, purified to homogeneity, and its thermostability examined. The purified protein showed three disulfide bonds and three free sulfhydryl group. The thermal denaturation temperature of the protein was measured around $90^{\circ}C$ using a differential scanning calorimeter and circular dichroism spectrometry. The disulfide bonds were hardly reduced in the presence of reducing agents, suggesting that these disulfide bonds were located inside of the protein surface.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.7 s.80
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• pp.1148-1157
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• 2006

A hyperthermophilic bacterium Thernotoga maritima produced thermostable ${\beta}-glucosidase$. The gene encoding ${\beta}-glucosidase$ from T. maritima MSB8 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The en-zyme (BgIB) hydrolyzed ${\beta}-glucosidase$ linkages between glucose and alkyl, aryl of saccharide groups such as salicin, arbutin, and $_pNPG$. The insert DNA contained ORF with 2,166 bp encodes a 721 amino acids (calculated molecular mass of 80,964 and pl of 4.93). The amino a.id sequence of BglB showed the similarity to family 3 glycosyl hydrolases. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be approximately 81kDa by MUG-nondenaturing PAGE (4-methylumbelliferyl 13-D-glucoside-nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electophoresis) and SDS-PACE. The ${\beta}-glucosidase$ exhibited maximal activity at pH 7.0 and $80^{\circ}C$. By exchanging two possible residues (Glu-232 and Asp-242) to Ala by site-directed mutagenesis method, it was found that these were essential for enzymatic activity.