Purification and characterization of chitosanase from Bacillus sp. strain KCTC 0377BP and its application for the production of chitosan oligosaccharides

pH Dependence of Chitosan Enzymolysis

As a means of making chitosan more useful in biotechnological applications, it was hydrolyzed using pepsin, chitosanase and α-amylase. The enzymolysis behavior of these enzymes was further systematically studied for its effectiveness in the production of low-molecular-weight chitosans (LMWCs) and other derivatives. The study showed that these enzymes depend on ion hydronium (H3O+), thus on pH with a pH dependence fitting R2 value of 0.99. In y = 1.484[H^+] + 0.114, the equation of pH dependence, when [H^+] increases by one, y (k_0/k_m) increases by 1.484. From the temperature dependence study, the activation energy (Ea) and pre-exponential factor (A) were almost identical for two of the enzymes, but a considerable difference was observed in comparison with the third enzyme. Chitosanase and pepsin had nearly identical Ea, but α-amylase was significantly lower. This serves as evidence that the hydrolysis reaction of α-amylase relies on low-barrier hydrogen bonds (LBHBs), which explains its low Ea in actual conditions. The confirmation of this phenomenon was further derived from a similarly considerable difference in the order magnitudes of A between α-amylase and the other two enzymes, which was more than five. Variation of the rate constants of the enzymatic hydrolysis of chitosan with temperature follows the Arrhenius equation.

Improvement of chitinase Pachi with nematicidal activities by random mutagenesis

Chitinase, an enzyme that can degrade the main compositions of insect intestine and cuticle, has been used in the bio-control field. Our previous work has reported the chitinase Pachi with nematicidal activity (Caenorhabditis elegans). In the present study, to improve the chitinolytic and nematicidal activities of Pachi, a random mutant library was constructed by error-prone PCR and screened by bacteriophage T7-based high-throughput screening system. One mutant, Pachi_N35D was obtained from about 10, 000 clones. The kinetics analysis revealed that Pachi_N35D exhibited a 63% decrease in K_m value against chitosan, a 2.1-fold enhancement in k_cat/K_m value and a 1.2-fold increase in specific activity over the wild-type Pachi. Moreover, the mortality analysis against Caenorhabditis elegans showed that the 50% lethal concentration (LC₅₀) of Pachi_N35D is 309.6±1.1μg/ml and a 20% increase in nematicidal activity over the wild-type Pachi (with a LC₅₀ value of 387.3±31.7μg/ml). The structure modeling and superimposition indicated that the substitution N35D reduced the distance between substrate and substrate-binding site Asp141, finally resulting in an increase in substrate affinity, catalytic efficiency and specific activity. These results provide useful information for the study of structure-function relationship of Pachi and lay a foundation for its potential applications in agro-biotechnology.

Chitosanase purified from bacterial isolate Bacillus licheniformis of ruined vegetables displays broad spectrum biofilm inhibition

A number of bacterial species produces chitosanases which has variety of applications because of its high biodegradability, non-toxicity and antimicrobial assets. In the present study chitosanase is purified from new bacterial species Bacillus licheniformis from spoiled vegetable. This novel strain of Bacillus licheniformis isolated from spoilt cucumber and pepper samples has the ability to produce the chitosanase enzyme when grown on chitosan substrate. Study also examined its antibiofilm properties against diverse bacterial species with biofilm forming ability. The purified chitosanase inhibited the biofilm formation ability for all Gram-negative and Gram-positive biofilm-forming bacteria [biofilm producers] tested in this study in congo red agar and microtiter plate's methods. Highly antibiofilm activity of chitosanase was recorded against Pseudomonas aeruginosa followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae with reduction of biofilm formation upto 22 and 29%, respectively compared with [100] % of control. Biofilm formation has multiple role including ability to enhance resistance and self-protection from external stress. This chitosanase has promising benefit as antibiofilm agent against biofilm forming pathogenic bacteria and has promising application as alternative antibiofilm agents to combat the growing number of multidrug resistant pathogen-associated infections, especially in situation where biofilms are involved.

An Amphiprotic Novel Chitosanase from Bacillus mycoides and Its Application in the Production of Chitooligomers with Their Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Evaluation

The objectives of this investigation were to produce a novel chitosanase for application in industries and waste treatment. The transformation of chitinous biowaste into valuable bioactive chitooligomers (COS) is one of the most exciting applications of chitosanase. An amphiprotic novel chitosanase from Bacillus mycoides TKU038 using squid pen powder (SPP)-containing medium was retrieved from a Taiwan soil sample, which was purified by column chromatography, and characterized by biochemical protocol. Extracellular chitosanase (CS038) was purified to 130-fold with a 35% yield, and its molecular mass was roughly 48 kDa. CS038 was stable over a wide range of pH values (4-10) at 50 °C and exhibited an optimal temperature of 50 °C. Interestingly, the optimum pH values were estimated as 6 and 10, whereas CS038 exhibited chitosan-degrading activity (100% and 94%, respectively). CS038 had Km and Vmax values of 0.098 mg/mL and 1.336 U/min, separately, using different concentrations of water-soluble chitosan. A combination of the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer data revealed that the chitosan oligosaccharides obtained from the hydrolysis of chitosan by CS038 comprise oligomers with multiple degrees of polymerization (DP), varying from 3-9, as well as CS038 in an endolytic fashion. The TKU038 culture supernatant and COS mixture exhibited 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activities. The COS activities were dose dependent and correlated to their DP. The COS with high DP exhibited enhanced DPPH radical scavenging capability compared with COS with low DP. Furthermore, the COS exhibited inhibitory behavior on nitric oxide (NO) production in murine RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, which was induced by Escherichia coli O111 lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The COS with low DP possesses a more potent anti-inflammatory capability to decrease NO production (IC50, 76.27 ± 1.49 µg/mL) than that of COS with high DP (IC50, 82.65 ± 1.18 µg/mL). Given its effectiveness in production and purification, acidophilic and alkalophilic properties, stability over ranges of pH values, ability to generate COS, antioxidant activity, and anti-inflammatory, CS038 has potential applications in SPP waste treatment and industries for COS production as a medical prebiotic.

Enzymatic production of glucosamine and chitooligosaccharides using newly isolated exo-β-D-glucosaminidase having transglycosylation activity

Exochitosanase secreting fungus (A. fumigatus IIT-004) was isolated from fish waste using 1 % (w/v) chitosan as sole carbon source after multistage screening. Chitosan-dependent exochitosanase enzyme production (6 IU ml⁻¹) in log phase of growth (chitosan utilization rate 0.11 g g⁻¹ cell h⁻¹) was observed for Aspergillus fumigatus in chitosan minimal salt medium and there was no enzyme production in glucose medium. Enzyme production was found to be extracellular and subjected to purification by a number of steps like acetone fractionation as well as column chromatography. 40 % yield and 26-fold of enzyme purification was achieved after all the steps. Purified enzyme was characterized for optimum temperature, pH, ionic strength and substrate specificity. The K_m and V_max for purified exochitosanase enzyme was calculated to be 8 mg ml⁻¹ and 5.2 × 10⁻⁶ mol mg⁻¹ min⁻¹. Enzyme was immobilized on polyacrylonitrile nanofibres membrane matrix by adsorption as well as amidination. Enzymatic production of glucosamine was achieved using various chitosan substrates by free/immobilized exochitosanase and compared. Isolated and purified exochitosanase also showed transglycosylation activity.

Recent Progress in Chitosanase Production of Monomer-Free Chitooligosaccharides: Bioprocess Strategies and Future Applications

Biological activities of chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) are well documented, and numerous reports of COS production using specific and non-specific enzymes are available. However, strategies for improving the overall yield by making it monomer free need to be developed. Continuous enzymatic production from chitosan derived from marine wastes is desirable and is cost-effective. Isolation of potential microbes showing chitosanase activity from various ecological niches, gene cloning, enzyme immobilization, and fractionation/purification of COS are some areas, where lot of work is in progress. This review covers recent measures to improve monomer-free COS production using chitosanase/non-specific enzymes and purification/fractionation of these molecules using ultrafiltration and column chromatographic techniques. Various bioprocess strategies, gene cloning for enhanced chitosanase enzyme production, and other measures for COS yield improvements have also been covered in this review. COS derivative preparation as well as COS-coated nanoparticles for efficient drug delivery are being focused in recent studies.

Transcriptomic analysis of a classical model of carbon catabolite regulation in Streptomyces coelicolor

BACKGROUND

In the genus Streptomyces, one of the most remarkable control mechanisms of physiological processes is carbon catabolite repression (CCR). This mechanism regulates the expression of genes involved in the uptake and utilization of alternative carbon sources. CCR also affects the synthesis of secondary metabolites and morphological differentiation. Even when the outcome effect of CCR in different bacteria is the same, their essential mechanisms can be quite different. In several streptomycetes glucose kinase (Glk) represents the main glucose phosphorylating enzyme and has been regarded as a regulatory protein in CCR. To evaluate the paradigmatic model proposed for CCR in Streptomyces, a high-density microarray approach was applied to Streptomyces coelicolor M145, under repressed and non-repressed conditions. The transcriptomic study was extended to assess the ScGlk role in this model by comparing the transcriptomic profile of S. coelicolor M145 with that of a ∆glk mutant derived from the wild-type strain, complemented with a heterologous glk gene from Zymomonas mobilis (Zmglk), insensitive to CCR but able to grow in glucose (ScoZm strain).

RESULTS

Microarray experiments revealed that glucose influenced the expression of 651 genes. Interestingly, even when the ScGlk protein does not have DNA binding domains and the glycolytic flux was restored by a heterologous glucokinase, the ScGlk replacement modified the expression of 134 genes. From these, 91 were also affected by glucose while 43 appeared to be under the control of ScGlk. This work identified the expression of S. coelicolor genes involved in primary metabolism that were influenced by glucose and/or ScGlk. Aside from describing the metabolic pathways influenced by glucose and/or ScGlk, several unexplored transcriptional regulators involved in the CCR mechanism were disclosed.

CONCLUSIONS

The transcriptome of a classical model of CCR was studied in S. coelicolor to differentiate between the effects due to glucose or ScGlk in this regulatory mechanism. Glucose elicited important metabolic and transcriptional changes in this microorganism. While its entry and flow through glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway were stimulated, the gluconeogenesis was inhibited. Glucose also triggered the CCR by repressing transporter systems and the transcription of enzymes required for secondary carbon sources utilization. Our results confirm and update the agar model of the CCR in Streptomyces and its dependence on the ScGlk per se. Surprisingly, the expected regulatory function of ScGlk was not found to be as global as thought before (only 43 out of 779 genes were affected), although may be accompanied or coordinated by other transcriptional regulators. Aside from describing the metabolic pathways influenced by glucose and/or ScGlk, several unexplored transcriptional regulators involved in the CCR mechanism were disclosed. These findings offer new opportunities to study and understand the CCR in S. coelicolor by increasing the number of known glucose and ScGlk -regulated pathways and a new set of putative regulatory proteins possibly involved or controlling the CCR.

A High Diversity in Chitinolytic and Chitosanolytic Species and Enzymes and Their Oligomeric Products Exist in Soil with a History of Chitin and Chitosan Exposure

Chitin is one of the most abundant biomolecules on earth, and its partially de-N-acetylated counterpart, chitosan, is one of the most promising biotechnological resources due to its diversity in structure and function. Recently, chitin and chitosan modifying enzymes (CCMEs) have gained increasing interest as tools to engineer chitosans with specific functions and reliable performance in biotechnological and biomedical applications. In a search for novel CCME, we isolated chitinolytic and chitosanolytic microorganisms from soils with more than ten-years history of chitin and chitosan exposure and screened them for chitinase and chitosanase isoenzymes as well as for their patterns of oligomeric products by incubating their secretomes with chitosan polymers. Of the 60 bacterial strains isolated, only eight were chitinolytic and/or chitosanolytic, while 20 out of 25 fungal isolates were chitinolytic and/or chitosanolytic. The bacterial isolates produced rather similar patterns of chitinolytic and chitosanolytic enzymes, while the fungal isolates produced a much broader range of different isoenzymes. Furthermore, diverse mixtures of oligosaccharides were formed when chitosan polymers were incubated with the secretomes of select fungal species. Our study indicates that soils with a history of chitin and chitosan exposure are a good source of novel CCME for chitosan bioengineering.

Chitinolytic Bacteria-Assisted Conversion of Squid Pen and Its Effect on Dyes and Pigments Adsorption

The aim of this work was to produce chitosanase by fermenting from squid pen, and recover the fermented squid pen for dye removal by adsorption. One chitosanase induced from squid pen powder (SPP)-containing medium by Bacillus cereus TKU034 was purified in high purification fold (441) and high yield of activity recovery (51%) by ammonium sulfate precipitation and combined column chromatography. The SDS-PAGE results showed its molecular mass to be around 43 kDa. The TKU034 chitosanase used for the chitooligomers preparation was studied. The enzyme products revealed that the chitosanase could degrade chitosan with various degrees of polymerization, ranging from 3 to 9, as well as the chitosanase in an endolytic manner. Besides, the fermented SPP was recovered and displayed a better adsorption rate (up to 99.5%) for the disperse dyes (red, yellow, blue, and black) than the water-soluble food colorants, Allura Red AC (R40) and Tartrazine (Y4). The adsorbed R40 on the unfermented SPP and the fermented SPP was eluted by distilled water and 1 M NaOH to confirm the dye adsorption mechanism. The fermented SPP had a slightly higher adsorption capacity than the unfermented, and elution of the dye from the fermented SPP was easier than from the unfermented. The main dye adsorption mechanism of fermented SPP was physical adsorption, while the adsorption mechanism of unfermented SPP was chemical adsorption.

Extracellular overexpression of chitosanase from Bacillus sp. TS in Escherichia coli

The chitosanase gene from a Bacillus sp. strain isolated from soil in East China was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene had 1224 nucleotides and encoded a mature protein of 407 amino acid residues. The optimum pH and temperature of the purified recombinant chitosanase were 5.0 and 60 °C, respectively, and the enzyme was stable below 40 °C. The K m, V max, and specific activity of the enzyme were 1.19 mg mL(-1), 674.71 μmol min(-1) at 50 °C, and 555.3 U mg(-1), respectively. Mn(2+) was an activator of the recombinant chitosanase, while Co(2+) was an inhibitor. Hg(2+) and Cu(2+) inhibited the enzyme at 1 mM. The highest level of enzyme activity (186 U mL(-1)) was achieved in culture medium using high cell-density cultivation in a 7-L fermenter. The main products of chitosan hydrolyzed by recombinant chitosanase were (GlcN)3-6. The chitosanases was successfully secreted to the culture media through the widely used SecB-dependent type II pathway in E. coli. The high yield of the extracellular overexpression, relevant thermostability, and effective hydrolysis of commercial grade chitosan showed that this recombinant enzyme had a great potential for industrial applications.

Bacillus subtilis chitinase identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of flight/time of flight mass spectrometry has insecticidal activity against Spodoptera litura Fab

An extracellular chitinase was identified and purified (CS1 and CS2) from Bacillus subtilis. The 16S rRNA sequencing was submitted in GenBank (accession numbers KC336487 and KC412256). The purified crude enzymes were identified through matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. The peptide sequences were matched with chitinase sequences. The peak m/z with 1297. 592 and 3094.570 mascot search resulted sequence was blasted with NCBI protein sequences and confirmed that it is a chitinase enzyme. The effects of chitinase on gut enzymes lactate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase of the tobacco cutworm Spodoptera litura larvae were investigated. At all concentrations tested, chitinase decreased the activities of these gut enzymes relative to the control. When chitinase treated leaves were fed to larvae in bioassays, gut tissue and gut enzymes were affected. The histological study clearly shows the chitinase treated larval gut, peritrophic membrane and epithelial cells were affected significantly. Chitinase isolated from B. subtilis has effectively reduced the gut enzyme activity and growth of S. litura. The chitin based bioformulation may serve as an effective biocide against the polyphagous pest like S. litura.

Heterologous Expression and Efficient Secretion of Chitosanase from Microbacterium sp. in Escherichia coli

A recombinant expression vector, pCT7-CHISP6H, was constructed for the secretory expression of mature peptide of chitosanase (mMschito) from Microbacterium sp. OU01. The vector contains several elements, including T7 promoter, signal peptide sequence of mschito, 6 × His-tag sequence and PmaCI restriction enzyme cloning site. In pCT7-CHISP6H, mMschito was fused into signal peptide sequence of mschito gene to construct recombinant plasmid pCT7-CHISP6H-mMschito. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and then expressed. The recombinant protein was secreted into the Luria-Bertani broth and the chitosanase activity in supernatant of the culture could reach up to 67.56 U/mL. The rmMschito in the broth supernatant was purified using HisTrap™ FF Crude column and the purified rmMschito was shown to be apparent homogeneity by 12 % SDS-PAGE analysis. Detected by 4700 MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS, the molecular weight of the purified rmMschito was 26,758.1875 and it was consistent with the predicted molecular weight. Chitosan (degree of deacetylation of 99 %) was mostly hydrolyzed into chitopentaose, chitotriose, and chitobiose by the purified rmMschito.

Bioproduction of chitooligosaccharides: present and perspectives

Chitin and chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) have been traditionally obtained by chemical digestion with strong acids. In light of the difficulties associated with these traditional production processes, environmentally compatible and reproducible production alternatives are desirable. Unlike chemical digestion, biodegradation of chitin and chitosan by enzymes or microorganisms does not require the use of toxic chemicals or excessive amounts of wastewater. Enzyme preparations with chitinase, chitosanase, and lysozymeare primarily used to hydrolyze chitin and chitosan. Commercial preparations of cellulase, protease, lipase, and pepsin provide another opportunity for oligosaccharide production. In addition to their hydrolytic activities, the transglycosylation activity of chitinolytic enzymes might be exploited for the synthesis of desired chitin oligomers and their derivatives. Chitin deacetylase is also potentially useful for the preparation of oligosaccharides. Recently, direct production of oligosaccharides from chitin and crab shells by a combination of mechanochemical grinding and enzymatic hydrolysis has been reported. Together with these, other emerging technologies such as direct degradation of chitin from crustacean shells and microbial cell walls, enzymatic synthesis of COS from small building blocks, and protein engineering technology for chitin-related enzymes have been discussed as the most significant challenge for industrial application.

Bioproduction of chitooligosaccharides: present and perspectives

Chitin and chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) have been traditionally obtained by chemical digestion with strong acids. In light of the difficulties associated with these traditional production processes, environmentally compatible and reproducible production alternatives are desirable. Unlike chemical digestion, biodegradation of chitin and chitosan by enzymes or microorganisms does not require the use of toxic chemicals or excessive amounts of wastewater. Enzyme preparations with chitinase, chitosanase, and lysozymeare primarily used to hydrolyze chitin and chitosan. Commercial preparations of cellulase, protease, lipase, and pepsin provide another opportunity for oligosaccharide production. In addition to their hydrolytic activities, the transglycosylation activity of chitinolytic enzymes might be exploited for the synthesis of desired chitin oligomers and their derivatives. Chitin deacetylase is also potentially useful for the preparation of oligosaccharides. Recently, direct production of oligosaccharides from chitin and crab shells by a combination of mechanochemical grinding and enzymatic hydrolysis has been reported. Together with these, other emerging technologies such as direct degradation of chitin from crustacean shells and microbial cell walls, enzymatic synthesis of COS from small building blocks, and protein engineering technology for chitin-related enzymes have been discussed as the most significant challenge for industrial application.

Enhancement of chitosanase production by cell immobilization of Gongronella sp. JG

Chitosanase production of Gongronella sp. JG cells immobilized in calcium alginate gel and polyurethane foam was compared with that of the free cells, there was a 60% increase in the enzyme yield (2429 U/L) compared to the highest yield obtained from free cells (1513 U/L). The optimal immobilization parameters (concentrations of sodium alginate, calcium chloride, bead inoculums, bead diameter, etc) for the enhanced production of chitosanase were determined as: sodium alginate 2% (w/v), 0.1 M calcium chloride, inoculum 10 mL beads to 100 mL production media and 2.7 mm bead diameter. Maximum chitosanase production was achieved with initial pH of 5.5 and temperature of 30 °C. The alginate beads had well stability, retained 85% ability of enzyme production even after 7 cycles of repeated batch fermentation. These results showed the immobilization technique was a feasible and economical method for chitosansase production by Gongronella sp. JG.

Heterologous expression and secretion of an antifungal Bacillus subtilis chitosanase (CSNV26) in Escherichia coli

The aims of the study were the production improvement, the purification, the characterization and the activity investigation of chitosanase CSNV26 of Bacillus subtilis (V26). The gene csnV26 encoding for this protein was amplified and cloned in the pBAD vector then expressed in Escherichia coli (Top10). The SDS-PAGE and zymogram analysis of the recombinant protein showed that it has two active forms sized 27 and 31 kDa, corresponding to the protein with and without signal peptide. This protein has the particularity of being secreted by Top10-pBAD-csnV26 with a high yield of 6.2 g/l. The HPLC purification of CSNV26 from supernatant confirmed the presence of the two sizes. The investigation of the CSNV26 thermostability showed that the pure protein is highly stable keeping 68 % of its activity after 30-min treatment at 100 °C, contrarily to the protein present within the supernatant of E. coli and B. subtilis (V26). The molecular dynamics study of the predicted structure of protein in both forms showed that the presence of the peptide signal in the form of 31 kDa gave it a remarkable thermal stability. The antifungal activity of CSNV26 was evidenced on Rhizopus nigricans and Rhizopus oryzae. Indeed, it has provoked an alteration and embrittlement of their hyphae with onset of protoplast.

Production and purification of a protease, a chitosanase, and chitin oligosaccharides by Bacillus cereus TKU022 fermentation

A protease- and chitosanase-producing strain was isolated and identified as Bacillus cereus TKU022. The protease and chitosanase were both produced using 1.5% (w/v) shrimp head powder (SHP) as the sole carbon/nitrogen source, and these enzymes were purified from the culture supernatant. The molecular masses of the TKU022 protease and chitosanase determined using SDS-PAGE were approximately 45 and 44kDa, respectively. The high stability of the TKU022 protease toward surfactants, an optimal pH of 10 and an optimal temperature of 50-60°C suggest that this high-alkaline protease has potential applications for various industrial processes. Concomitant with the production of the TKU022 chitosanase, N-acetyl chitooligosaccharides were also observed in the culture supernatant, including (GlcNAc)(2), (GlcNAc)(4), (GlcNAc)(5), and (GlcNAc)(6) at concentrations of 201.5, 12.4, 0.5, and 0.3μg/mL, respectively, as determined using an HPLC analysis. The chitin oligosaccharides products were also characterized using a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer. A combination of the HPLC and MALDI-TOF MS results showed that the chitin oligosaccharides of the TKU022 culture supernatant comprise oligomers with degree of polymerization (DP) from 2 to 6. Using this method, the production of a protease, a chitosanase, and chitin oligosaccharides may be useful for various industrial and biological applications.

Activity of a Brazilian strain of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis against the cotton Boll Weevil Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

A Brazilian Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis, toxic to Diptera, including mosquitoes, was found also to show toxicity to the coleopteran boll weevil Anthonomus grandis Boheman at an equivalent level to that of the standard coleopteran-active B. thuringiensis subspecies tenebrionis T08017. Recombinant B. thuringiensis strains expressing the individual Cyt1Aa, Cry4Aa, Cry4Ba and Cry11Aa toxins from this strain were assessed to evaluate their potential contribution to the activity against A. grandis, either alone or in combination. Whilst individual toxins produced mortality, none was sufficiently potent to allow calculation of LC50 values. Combinations of toxins were unable to attain the same potency as the parental B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis, suggesting a major role for other factors produced by this strain.

Chitosan oligosaccharide decreases very-low-density lipoprotein triglyceride and increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in high-fat-diet-fed rats

It is well known that chitosan has beneficial lipid-regulating effects, but it remains unknown whether chitosan oligosaccharide (COS), the chitosan degradation product, has the same lipid benefits. High-fat-diet-fed Wistar rats were administrated with COS by gastric gavage for three weeks. The effects of COS on lipids, lipoprotein components and lipid metabolism related protein activities were investigated. Plasma lipids level assays by an enzyme method showed that COS decreased triglyceride (TG) by 29–31%, and increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by 8–11%, but did not affect low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Lipid distribution analysis through fast protein liquid chromatography indicated that COS significantly decreased TG content distributed in very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)/LDL fractions but increased cholesterol content in HDL fractions. Apolipoprotein analysis through plasma ultracentrifugation and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis displayed that COS decreased apolipoprotein B-100 of LDL and increased apolipoprotein E of LDL and apolipoprotein B-100 of VLDL, but did not change apoA-I content of HDL particles. Lipoprotein formation associated protein determination showed that COS also increased plasma activity of lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase but not phospholipid transfer protein. The present study suggests that COS may play a beneficial role in plasma lipid regulation of rats with dyslipidemia induced by high-fat diet. The COS-decreased VLDL/LDL TG and -enhanced HDL cholesterol may be related to the upregulated activity of lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase.

Overexpression and characterization of thermostable chitinase from Bacillus atrophaeus SC081 in Escherichia coli

The chitinase-producing strain SC081 was isolated from Korean traditional soy sauce and identified as Bacillus atrophaeus based on a phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence and a phenotypic analysis. A gene encoding chitinase from B. atrophaeus SC081 was cloned in Escherichia coli and was named SCChi-1 (GQ360078). The SCChi-1 nucleotide sequences were composed of 1788 base pairs and 596 amino acids, which were 92.6, 89.6, 89.3, and 78.9% identical to those of Bacillus subtilis (ABG57262), Bacillus pumilus (ABI15082), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (ABO15008), and Bacillus licheniformis (ACF40833), respectively. A recombinant SCChi-1 containing a hexahistidine tag at the amino- terminus was constructed, overexpressed, and purified in E. coli to characterize SCChi-1. H(6)SCChi-1 revealed a hydrolytic band on zymograms containing 0.1% glycol chitin and showed the highest lytic activity on colloidal chitin and acidic chitosan. The optimal temperature and pH for chitinolytic activity were 50°C and pH 8.0, respectively.

Conjugates of bovine serum albumin with chitin oligosaccharides prepared through the Maillard reaction

Chitin neoglycoconjugates (BSA-CO) were obtained by the conjugation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with chitin oligosaccharides (CO) through the Maillard reaction (nonenzymatic glycation). CO produced by acid hydrolysis of chitin were fractionated using an ultrafiltration membrane system (1-3 kDa cutoff). The Maillard reaction was carried out by heating a freeze-dried mixture containing BSA and CO at 60 °C (under 43% relative humidity for 6 and 12 h). BSA-CO were characterized by available amino groups content, intrinsic tryptophan emission spectra, gel electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry. Biological assays included interaction with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and with bacterial adhesins of Escherichia coli K88+ and Salmonella choleraesuis. Glycation of BSA was revealed by reduction of available amino groups and fluorescence intensity and also retarded migration through SDS-PAGE. Conjugation of BSA with chitin oligomers appeared to be time dependent and was confirmed by mass spectrometry, by which molecular mass increase for monomers and dimers was observed. Monomers were estimated to contain either one or two glycation sites (at 6 and 12 h of treatment, respectively), with one or two tetrasaccharide units attached. Consequently, dimers showed two or four glycation sites. BSA-CO presented biological recognition by WGA and E. coli K88+ and S. cholerasuis adhesins. The strategy used in this work represents a simple method to obtain glycoconjugates to study applications involving protein-carbohydrate recognition.

New approach for petroleum hydrocarbon degradation using bacterial spores entrapped in chitosan beads

Spores of Bacillus subtilis LAMI008 were entrapped in 3-mm chitosan beads and cross-linked with 0.3% glutaraldehyde for n-hexadecane biodegradation and biosurfactant recovery. When exposed to nutrients, the spores generated vegetative cells without morphological alterations as revealed by atomic force microscopy. The entrapped cells degraded almost 100% of 1% of n-hexadecane in medium supplemented with 1% glucose and produce biosurfactant within 48 h, as well as free cells. The number of viable cells inside the beads was maintained throughout the n-hexadecane degradation process and the released biosurfactant was not used as a carbon source. Entrapment of bacterial spores in chitosan beads overcomes problems with stability, storage, and long term cell viability encountered with vegetative cells. This approach can potentially be utilized for biodegradation of complex compounds by entrapping spores of different species of bacteria.

Advance in chitosan hydrolysis by non-specific cellulases

Besides the specific chitinase, chitosanase and lysozyme, chitosan also could be hydrolyzed by some non-specific enzymes such as cellulase, protease, lipase and pepsin, especially cellulase, which show high activity on chitosan. Almost all the cellulases produced by different kinds of microorganisms could degrade chitosan to chitooligomers. The existence of bifunctional enzymes with cellulase and chitosanase activity is one of the reasons for cellulase on chitosan hydrolysis. The bifunctional cellulase-chitosanases mainly belong to glycoside hydrolase family 8 (GH-8), few belong to GH-5 and GH-7, according to the homogeneity analysis of amino acids sequences. Their three dimensional structures however have not been clearly determined. This paper may serve as a guide for a further study on the relationship between structure and function of chitosanolytic cellulases.