Phytase

Effect of dietary calcium, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, or bird strain on small intestinal phytase activity in broiler chickens

Broilers chickens have limited ability to utilize phytate phosphorus (PP), and the influence of nutrients on the activity and efficacy of intestinal phytase is unclear. Therefore in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experiment, male chicks were fed 0 or 0.21 mg/kg 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH D3), 4 or 9 g/kg Ca supplied from CaCO3 or Ca malate from 14 to 24 d of age (six pens/treatment, eight birds/pen). Source of Ca had no effect on tibia ash, intestinal phytase activity, or apparent ileal PP hydrolysis. Phytase activity (Vmax) within brush border vesicles prepared from small intestinal mucosa was greater in chicks fed 4 vs. 9 g/kg Ca (P < or = 0.05). Similarly, birds fed 4 vs. 9 g/kg Ca were able to hydrolyze an additional 24.36% PP (P < 0.01). Intestinal phytase activity and apparent ileal PP hydrolysis were not affected by 25-OH D3 supplementation, but tibia ash was improved by 2.7% (P < 0.01). A subsequent experiment validated the effect of dietary Ca (4 and 9 g/kg) and elucidated differences between strains (Ross 308 and Hubbard x Peterson) from 8 to 22 d of age (six pens/treatment, eight birds/pen). The strains responded similarly to dietary Ca in terms of intestinal phytase and apparent ileal PP hydrolysis. Intestinal phytase activity was 9% greater in birds fed 4 vs. 9 g/kg Ca (P < 0.05) and apparent ileal PP hydrolysis was 11.9% greater (P < 0.02). In conclusion, a typical dietary Ca concentration (9 g/kg) reduced intestinal phytase activity and apparent ileal PP hydrolysis.

Fungal phyA gene expressed in potato leaves produces active and stable phytase

Fungal phyA gene from Aspergillus ficuum (niger) was cloned and expressed in potato leaves. The recombinant enzyme was stable and catalytically active. The expressed protein in the leaves of the dicotyledonous plant retained most physical and catalytic properties of the benchmark A. ficuum phytase. The expressed enzyme was, however, 15% less glycosylated than the native phytase. The usual bi-hump pH optima profile, which is characteristic of the fungal phytase, was altered; however, the pH optimum at 5.0 was unchanged for phytate and at 4.0 for synthetic substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate. The temperature was, however, unchanged. The expressed phytase was found to be as sensitive as the native enzyme to the inhibitory action of pseudo substrate, myo-inositol hexasulfate, while losing about 90% of the activity at 20 microM inhibitor concentration. Similar to the benchmark phytase, the expressed phytase in leaves was completely inactivated by Arg modifier phenylglyoxal at 60 nM. In addition, the expressed phytase in the leaves was inhibited by antibody raised against a 20-mer internal peptide, which is present on the surface of the molecule as shown by the X-ray deduced 3D structure of fungal phytase. Taken together, the biochemical evidences indicate that fungal phytase when cloned and expressed in potato leaves produces a stable and active biocatalyst. 'Biofarming,' therefore, is an alternative way to produce functional hydrolytic enzymes as exemplified by the expression of A. ficuum (niger) phyA gene in potato leaf.

PhyA gene product of Aspergillus ficuum and Peniophora lycii produces dissimilar phytases

PhyA gene products of Aspergillus ficuum (AF) and Peniophora lycii (PL) as expressed in industrial strains of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae, respectively, were purified to homogeneity and then characterized for both physical and biochemical properties. The PL phytase is 26 amino acid residues shorter than the AF phytase. Dynamic light scattering studies indicate that the active AF phytase is a monomer while the PL phytase is a dimer. While both of the phytases retained four identical glycosylatable Asn residues, unique glycosylation sites, six for PL and seven for AF phytase, were observed. Global alignment of both the phytases has shown 38% sequence homology between the two proteins. At 58 degrees C and pH 5.0, the PL phytase gave a specific activity of 22,000 nKat/mg as opposed to about 3000 nKat/mg for AF phytase. However, the AF phytase is more thermostable than its counterpart PL phytase at 65 degrees C. Also, AF phytase is more stable at pH 7.5 than the PL phytase. The two phytases differed in K(m) for phytate, K(i) for myo-inositol hexasulfate (MIHS), and pH optima profile. Despite similarities in the active site sequences, the two phytases show remarkable differences in turnover number, pH optima profile, stability at higher temperature, and alkaline pH. These biochemical differences indicate that phytases from ascomycete and basidiomycete fungi may have evolved to degrade phytate in different environments.

Purification and characterization of extracellular phytase from Aspergillus niger ATCC 9142

Extracellular phytase produced by Aspergillus niger ATCC 9142 was purified to homogeneity by employing an initial ultrafiltration step, followed by chromatography using ion exchange, gel filtration and chromatofocusing steps. The purified enzyme was an 84 kDa, monomeric protein. It possessed a temperature optimum of 65 degrees C, and a pH optimum of 5.0. Km and Vmax values of 100 microM and 7 nmol/s, respectively, were recorded and these values fall well within the range of those previously reported for microbial phytases. Substrate specificity studies indicated that, while the enzyme could hydrolyse a range of non-phytate-based phosphorylated substrates, its preferred substrate was phytate. Phytase activity was moderately stimulated in the presence of Mg2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, Hg2+, Zn2+ and F- ions. Activity was not significantly affected by Fe2- or Fe3- and was moderately inhibited by Ca2+. The enzyme displayed higher thermostability at 80 degrees C than did two commercial phytase products. Initial characterisation of the purified enzyme suggested that it could be a potential candidate for use as an animal feed supplement.

Site-directed mutagenesis of Aspergillus niger NRRL 3135 phytase at residue 300 to enhance catalysis at pH 4.0

Increased phytase activity for Aspergillus niger NRRL 3135 phytaseA (phyA) at intermediate pH levels (3.0-5.0) was achieved by site-directed mutagenesis of its gene at amino acid residue 300. A single mutation, K300E, resulted in an increase of the hydrolysis of phytic acid of 56% and 19% at pH 4.0 and 5.0, respectively, at 37 degrees C. This amino acid residue has previously been identified as part of the substrate specificity site for phyA and a comparison of the amino acid sequences of other cloned fungal phytases indicated a correlation between a charged residue at this position and high specific activity for phytic acid hydrolysis. The substitution at this residue by either another basic (R), uncharged (T), or acidic amino acid (D) did not yield a recombinant enzyme with the same favorable properties. Therefore, we conclude that this residue is not only important for the catalytic function of phyA, but also essential for imparting a favorable pH environment for catalysis.

Extracellular phytase activity of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB45 contributes to its plant-growth-promoting effect

Several Bacillus strains belonging to the B. subtilis/amyloliquefaciens group isolated from plant-pathogen-infested soil possess plant-growth-promoting activity [Krebs, B. et al. (1998) J Plant Dis Prot 105, 181-197]. Three out of the four strains investigated were identified as B. amyloliquefaciens and were able to degrade extracellular phytate (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate). The highest extracellular phytase activity was detected in strain FZB45, and diluted culture filtrates of this strain stimulated growth of maize seedlings under phosphate limitation in the presence of phytate. The amino acid sequence deduced from the phytase phyA gene cloned from FZB45 displayed a high degree of similarity to known Bacillus phytases. Weak similarity between FZB45 phytase and B. subtilis alkaline phosphatase IV pointed to a possible common origin of these two enzymes. The recombinant protein expressed by B. subtilis MU331 displayed 3(1)-phytase activity yielding D/L-Ins(1,2,4,5,6)P5 as the first product of phytate hydrolysis. A phytase-negative mutant strain, FZB45/M2, whose phyA gene is disrupted, was generated by replacing the entire wild-type gene on the chromosome of FZB45 with a km::phyA fragment, and culture filtrates obtained from FZB45/M2 did not stimulate plant growth. In addition, the growth of maize seedlings was promoted in the presence of purified phytase and the absence of culture filtrate. These genetic and biochemical experiments provide strong evidence that phytase activity of B. amyloliquefaciens FZB45 is important for plant growth stimulation under phosphate limitation.

Deoxygenation of polyhydroxybenzenes: an alternative strategy for the benzene-free synthesis of aromatic chemicals

New synthetic connections have been established between glucose and aromatic chemicals such as pyrogallol, hydroquinone, and resorcinol. The centerpiece of this approach is the removal of one oxygen atom from 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybenzene, hydroxyhydroquinone, and phloroglucinol methyl ether to form pyrogallol, hydroquinone, and resorcinol, respectively. Deoxygenations are accomplished by Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of the starting polyhydroxybenzenes followed by acid-catalyzed dehydration of putative dihydro intermediates. Pyrogallol synthesis consists of converting glucose into myo-inositol, oxidation to myo-2-inosose, dehydration to 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybenzene, and deoxygenation to form pyrogallol. Synthesis of pyrogallol via myo-2-inosose requires 4 enzyme-catalyzed and 2 chemical steps. For comparison, synthesis of pyrogallol from glucose via gallic acid intermediacy and the shikimate pathway requires at least 20 enzyme-catalyzed steps. A new benzene-free synthesis of hydroquinone employs conversion of glucose into 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosose, dehydration of this inosose to hydroxyhydroquinone, and subsequent deoxygenation to form hydroquinone. Synthesis of hydroquinone via 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosose requires 2 enzyme-catalyzed and 2 chemical steps. By contrast, synthesis of hydroquinone using the shikimate pathway and intermediacy of quinic acid requires 18 enzyme-catalyzed steps and 1 chemical step. Methylation of triacetic acid lactone, cyclization, and regioselective deoxygenation of phloroglucinol methyl ether affords resorcinol. Given the ability to synthesize triacetic acid lactone from glucose, this constitutes the first benzene-free route for the synthesis of resorcinol.

The effectiveness of an Escherichia coli phytase in improving phosphorus and calcium bioavailabilities in poultry and young pigs

The effectiveness of an Escherichia coli phytase in comparison with a commercially available Aspergillus phytase in improving the bioavailability of phosphorus in broilers, layers and young pigs was studied in three separate experiments. Three basal diets, marginally deficient in dietary P mainly provided as phytate, were formulated. Both phytases were added to the diets at the rate of 500 U/kg diet. The phytases significantly (P < or = 0.05) improved the availability of phytate P to broilers, layers and young pigs. Aspergillus and E. coli phytases enhanced the pre-caecal digestibility of P by 11 and 29% for broilers and 18 and 25% for layers, respectively. Total tract digestibility of P (P balance) was also enhanced but with smaller magnitude. In pigs, total tract digestibility of P was improved by 33 and 34% by Aspergillus and E. coli phytases, respectively. Under the conditions of this study, it was observed that E. coli consistently, though with small magnitude in layers and pigs, enhanced the availability of phytate P at the same range or slightly better than Aspergillus phytase. It was only in pigs that the availability of Ca was significantly (P < or = 0.05) improved by addition of both phytases. It can be concluded that E. coli phytase is highly effective in improving the bioavailability of phytate P to broilers, layers and young pigs. This seems to be based on the high proteolytic stability of the enzyme in the digestive tract, as shown recently.

Cloned and expressed fungal phyA gene in alfalfa produces a stable phytase

The phyA gene from Aspergillus ficuum that codes for a 441-amino-acid full-length phosphomonoesterase (phytase) was cloned and expressed in Medicago sativa (alfalfa) leaves. The expressed enzyme from alfalfa leaves was purified to homogeneity and biochemically characterized, and its catalytic properties were elucidated. The expressed phytase in alfalfa leaves retained all the biochemical properties of the benchmark A. ficuum phytase. Although the characteristic bi-hump pH optima were retained in the cloned phytase, the optimal pH shifted downward from 5.5 to 5.0. Also, the recombinant phytase was inhibited by the pseudo-substrate myo-inositol hexasulfate and also by antibody raised against a 20-mer peptide belonging to fungal phytase. The expressed phytase in alfalfa could also be modified by phenylglyoxal. Taken together, the results indicate that fungal phytase when cloned and expressed in alfalfa leaves produces stable and catalytically active phytase while retaining all the properties of the benchmark phytase. This affirms our view that "molecular biofarming" could be an alternative means of producing stable hydrolytic enzymes such as phytase.

Enzymatic characterization of organic phosphorus in animal manure

Information on the forms of P present in animal manure may improve our ability to manage manure P. In most investigations of manure P composition, only inorganic and total P are determined, and the difference between them is assigned as organic P. In this study, we explored the possibility of identifying and quantifying more specific organic P forms in animal manure with orthophosphate-releasing enzymes. Pig (Sus scrofa) manure and cattle (Bos taurus) manure were first sequentially fractionated into water-soluble P, NaHCO3-soluble P, NaOH-soluble P, HCl-soluble P, and residual P. The fractions were separately incubated with wheat phytase, alkaline phosphatase, nuclease P1, nucleotide pyrophosphatase, or their combinations. The released orthophosphate was determined by a molybdate blue method. Part of the organic P in those fractions could be identified by the enzymatic treatments as phytate (i.e., 39% for pig manure and 17% for cattle manure in water-soluble organic P), simple phosphomonoesters (i.e., 43% for pig manure and 15% for cattle manure in NaOH-soluble organic P), nucleotide-like phosphodiesters (2-12%), and nucleotide pyrophosphate (0-4%). Our data indicate that the enzymatic treatment is an effective approach to identify and quantify the organic P forms present in animal manures.

Pigs expressing salivary phytase produce low-phosphorus manure

To address the problem of manure-based environmental pollution in the pork industry, we have developed the phytase transgenic pig. The saliva of these pigs contains the enzyme phytase, which allows the pigs to digest the phosphorus in phytate, the most abundant source of phosphorus in the pig diet. Without this enzyme, phytate phosphorus passes undigested into manure to become the single most important manure pollutant of pork production. We show here that salivary phytase provides essentially complete digestion of dietary phytate phosphorus, relieves the requirement for inorganic phosphate supplements, and reduces fecal phosphorus output by up to 75%. These pigs offer a unique biological approach to the management of phosphorus nutrition and environmental pollution in the pork industry.

A novel phytase with sequence similarity to purple acid phosphatases is expressed in cotyledons of germinating soybean seedlings

Phytic acid (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate) is the major storage form of phosphorus in plant seeds. During germination, stored reserves are used as a source of nutrients by the plant seedling. Phytic acid is degraded by the activity of phytases to yield inositol and free phosphate. Due to the lack of phytases in the non-ruminant digestive tract, monogastric animals cannot utilize dietary phytic acid and it is excreted into manure. High phytic acid content in manure results in elevated phosphorus levels in soil and water and accompanying environmental concerns. The use of phytases to degrade seed phytic acid has potential for reducing the negative environmental impact of livestock production. A phytase was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from cotyledons of germinated soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr.). Peptide sequence data generated from the purified enzyme facilitated the cloning of the phytase sequence (GmPhy) employing a polymerase chain reaction strategy. The introduction of GmPhy into soybean tissue culture resulted in increased phytase activity in transformed cells, which confirmed the identity of the phytase gene. It is surprising that the soybean phytase was unrelated to previously characterized microbial or maize (Zea mays) phytases, which were classified as histidine acid phosphatases. The soybean phytase sequence exhibited a high degree of similarity to purple acid phosphatases, a class of metallophosphoesterases.

Arsenate toxicity to Pisum sativum: mineral nutrients, chlorophyll content, and phytase activity

A significant mechanism of arsenate toxicity to Pisum sativum is interference with its mineral nutrient balance. This conclusion is supported by assessments made after exposing P. sativum L. cv. "Phenomen" for 12 days to 12.5, 20.8, and 33.3 mg, and for 32 days to 7.5, 22.1, 36.7, and 73.3 mg of sodium arsenate/kg dry wt soil in the greenhouse. At 20.8 mg of arsenate, mobilization of manganese from the cotyledons was significantly increased and that of zinc decreased. Nitrogen accumulated in the roots. On Day 32, at 22.1 mg of arsenate, magnesium, zinc, and manganese contents of the roots increased, but that of phosphorus of the shoot decreased. The distribution pattern and the ratios between individual elements were severely altered. Relatively more arsenic accumulated from the low than the high soil concentrations. Growth of the shoot was more affected than that of the roots. After a 32-day exposure, chlorophyll content of the leaves increased, but the chlorophyll a/b ratio decreased. On Day 12, at 12.5 mg and 20.8 mg of arsenate, in vivo phytase activity was 64 and 66% that of the controls, respectively.

Lactobacillus plantarum phytase activity is due to non-specific acid phosphatase

Microbial phytases suitable for food fermentations could be obtained from lactic acid bacteria isolated from natural vegetable fermentations. Phytase activity was evaluated for six lactic acid bacteria cultures. Although the highest activity was found for Lactobacillus plantarum, the phytase activity was very low. Further characterization of the enzyme with phytate-degrading activity showed a molecular weight of 52 kDa and an optimum activity at pH 5.5 and 65 degrees C. Enzyme activity was due to a non-specific acid phosphatase which had a higher hydrolysis rate with monophosphorylated compounds such as acetyl phosphate that could explain the low phytase activity.

Extracellular secretion of Aspergillus phytase from Arabidopsis roots enables plants to obtain phosphorus from phytate

Phosphorus (P) deficiency in soil is a major constraint for agricultural production worldwide. Despite this, most soils contain significant amounts of total soil P that occurs in inorganic and organic fractions and accumulates with phosphorus fertilization. A major component of soil organic phosphorus occurs as phytate. We show that when grown in agar under sterile conditions, Arabidopsis thaliana plants are able to obtain phosphorus from a range of organic phosphorus substrates that would be expected to occur in soil, but have only limited ability to obtain phosphorus directly from phytate. In wild-type plants, phytase constituted less than 0.8% of the total acid phosphomonoesterase activity of root extracts and was not detectable as an extracellular enzyme. By comparison, the growth and phosphorus nutrition of Arabidopsis plants supplied with phytate was improved significantly when the phytase gene (phyA) from Aspergillus niger was introduced. The Aspergillus phytase was only effective when secreted as an extracellular enzyme by inclusion of the signal peptide sequence from the carrot extensin (ex) gene. A 20-fold increase in total root phytase activity in transgenic lines expressing ex::phyA resulted in improved phosphorus nutrition, such that the growth and phosphorus content of the plants was equivalent to control plants supplied with inorganic phosphate. These results show that extracellular phytase activity of plant roots is a significant factor in the utilization of phosphorus from phytate and indicate that opportunity exists for using gene technology to improve the ability of plants to utilize accumulated forms of soil organic phosphorus.

Structure-based chimeric enzymes as an alternative to directed enzyme evolution: phytase as a test case

Thermostability is a key feature for commercially attractive variants of the fungal enzyme phytase. In an initial set of experiments, we restored ionic interactions and hydrogen bonds on the surface of Aspergillus terreus phytase, which are present in the homologous but more thermostable enzyme from A. niger. Since these mutations turned out to be neutral, we replaced-in the same region and based on the crystal structure of A. niger phytase-entire secondary structure elements. The replacement of one alpha-helix on the surface of A. terreus phytase by the corresponding stretch of A. niger phytase resulted in an enzyme with improved thermostability and unaltered enzymatic activity. Surprisingly, the thermostability of this hybrid protein was very similar to that of A. niger phytase, although the fusion protein contained only a 31 amino acid stretch of the more stable parent enzyme. This report provides evidence that structure-based chimeric enzymes can be used to exploit the evolutionary information within a sequence alignment. We propose this method as an alternative to directed enzyme evolution if due to expression constraints the screening of large mutant populations is not feasible.

Exchanging the active site between phytases for altering the functional properties of the enzyme

By using a novel consensus approach, we have previously managed to generate a fully synthetic phytase, consensus phytase-1, that was 15-26 degrees C more thermostable than the parent fungal phytases used in its design (Lehmann et al., 2000). We now sought to use the backbone of consensus phytase-1 and to modify its catalytic properties. This was done by replacing a considerable part of the active site (i.e., all the divergent residues) with the corresponding residues of Aspergillus niger NRRL 3135 phytase, which displays pronounced differences in specific activity, substrate specificity, and pH-activity profile. For the new protein termed consensus phytase-7, a major - although not complete - shift in catalytic properties was observed, demonstrating that rational transfer of favorable catalytic properties from one phytase to another is possible by using this approach. Although the exchange of the active site was associated with a 7.6 degrees C decrease in unfolding temperature (Tm) as measured by differential scanning calorimetry, consensus phytase-7 still was >7 degrees C more thermostable than all wild-type ascomycete phytases known to date. Thus, combination of the consensus approach with the selection of a "preferred" active site allows the design of a thermostabilized variant of an enzyme family of interest that (most closely) matches the most favorable catalytic properties found among its family members.

Phytase activity in Aspergillus fumigatus isolates

Extracellular phytase from Aspergillus fumigatus isolates was characterized and their genes were cloned and sequenced. Based on their banding pattern in SDS-PAGE all phytases were found to be glycosylated and have similar molecular mass. A correlation between lower optimum pH (4.0) and a higher optimum temperature (70 degrees C) was found in these enzymes. All enzymes characterized displayed a lower specific activity for phytic acid and were more susceptible to proteolytic degradation than the Aspergillus niger phytase that is now commercially available. DNA sequencing established almost no sequence variation in any of the genes and no correlation is evident between a specific amino acid sequence and any physicochemical and catalytic properties of the enzymes. Despite two of the isolates having identical deduced amino acid sequence, characterization of the enzymes encoded by these two identical genes revealed differences in both pH and temperature optimum. This suggests that differences in pH and temperature optimum in these four isolates of A. fumigatus may be due in part to subtle differences in posttranslational modification.

Biochemical characterization of cloned Aspergillus fumigatus phytase (phyA)

The gene for Aspergillus fumigatus phytase (phyA) was cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The enzyme expressed was purified to near homogeneity using sequential ion-exchange chromatography and was characterized biochemically. Although A. fumigatus phytase shows 66.2% sequence homology with A. ficuum phytase, the most widely studied enzyme, the cloned phytase showed identical molecular weight and temperature optima profile to the benchmark phytase. The pH profile of activity and kinetic parameters, however, differed from A. ficuum phytase. The cloned enzyme contains the septapeptide RHGARYP motif, which is also identical to the active site motif of A. ficuum phytase. Chemical probing of the active site Arg residues using both cyclohexanedione and phenylglyoxal resulted in the inactivation of phytase. The cloned A. fumigatus phytase, however, was more resistant to phenylglyoxal-induced inactivation. Both cloned A. fumigatus and A. ficuum phytases were identically affected by cyclohexanedione. Both the thermal characterization data and kinetic parameters of cloned and expressed A. fumigatus phytase indicate that this biocatalyst is not superior to the benchmark enzyme. The sequence difference between A. fumigatus and A. ficuum phytase may explain why the former enzyme catalyzes poorly compared to the benchmark enzyme. In addition, differential sensitivity toward the Arg modifier, phenylglyoxal, indicates a different chemical environment at the active site for each of the phytases.

Optimization of the catalytic properties of Aspergillus fumigatus phytase based on the three-dimensional structure

Previously, we determined the DNA and amino acid sequences as well as biochemical and biophysical properties of a series of fungal phytases. The amino acid sequences displayed 49-68% identity between species, and the catalytic properties differed widely in terms of specific activity, substrate specificity, and pH optima. With the ultimate goal to combine the most favorable properties of all phytases in a single protein, we attempted, in the present investigation, to increase the specific activity of Aspergillus fumigatus phytase. The crystal structure of Aspergillus niger NRRL 3135 phytase known at 2.5 A resolution served to specify all active site residues. A multiple amino acid sequence alignment was then used to identify nonconserved active site residues that might correlate with a given favorable property of interest. Using this approach, Gln27 of A. fumigatus phytase (amino acid numbering according to A. niger phytase) was identified as likely to be involved in substrate binding and/or release and, possibly, to be responsible for the considerably lower specific activity (26.5 vs. 196 U x [mg protein](-1) at pH 5.0) of A. fumigatus phytase when compared to Aspergillus terreus phytase, which has a Leu at the equivalent position. Site-directed mutagenesis of Gln27 of A. fumigatus phytase to Leu in fact increased the specific activity to 92.1 U x (mg protein)(-1), and this and other mutations at position 27 yielded an interesting array of pH activity profiles and substrate specificities. Analysis of computer models of enzyme-substrate complexes suggested that Gln27 of wild-type A. fumigatus phytase forms a hydrogen bond with the 6-phosphate group of myo-inositol hexakisphosphate, which is weakened or lost with the amino acid substitutions tested. If this hydrogen bond were indeed responsible for the differences in specific activity, this would suggest product release as the rate-limiting step of the A. fumigatus wild-type phytase reaction.

Active site residue 297 of Aspergillus niger phytase critically affects the catalytic properties

The wild-type phytases from the Aspergillus niger strains NRRL 3135 and T213 display a three-fold difference in specific activity (103 versus 32 U/mg protein), despite only 12 amino acid differences that are distributed all over the sequence of the protein. Of the 12 divergent positions, three are located in or close to the substrate binding site. Site-directed mutagenesis of these residues in A. niger T213 phytase showed that the R297Q mutation (R in T213, Q in NRRL 3135) fully accounts for the differences in catalytic properties observed. Molecular modelling revealed that R297 may directly interact with a phosphate group of phytic acid. The fact that this presumed ionic interaction - causing stronger binding of substrates and products - correlates with a lower specific activity indicates that product (myo-inositol pentakisphosphate) release is the rate-limiting step of the reaction.

Expression of the Aspergillus fumigatus phytase gene in Pichia pastoris and characterization of the recombinant enzyme

Aspergillus fumigatus phytase is a heat-stable enzyme of great potential. Our objective was to determine if a high level of functional expression of the A. fumigatus phytase gene could be produced in Pichia pastoris and how the recombinant phytase reacted to different substrates, heating conditions, and proteases. A 1.4-kb DNA fragment containing the coding region of the gene was inserted into the expression vector pPICZalphaA and expressed in P. pastoris as an active, extracellular phytase (r-Afp). The yield was 729 mg of purified protein per liter of culture, with a specific activity of 43 units/mg of protein. The enzyme r-Afp shared similar pH and temperature optima, molecular size, glycosylation extent, and specificity for p-nitrophenyl phosphate and sodium phytate to those of the same enzyme expressed in A. niger. Given 20 min of exposure to 65 to 90 degrees C, the enzyme retained 20 to 39% higher residual activity in 10 and 200 mM sodium acetate than that in sodium citrate. The enzyme seemed to be resistant to pepsin digestion, but was degraded by high levels of trypsin. In conclusion, P. pastoris is a potential host to express high levels of A. fumigatus phytase and the thermostability of the recombinant enzyme is modulated by the specificity of buffer used in the heat treatment.

The metal dependence of Bacillus subtilis phytase

The metal ion requirement of a Bacillus subtilis phytase has been studied. Removal of metal ions from the enzyme by EDTA resulted in complete inactivation. Circular dichroism spectroscopy was used to study the effect of metal ion removal on the protein conformation. The loss of enzymatic activity is most likely due to a conformational change, as the circular dichroism spectra of holoenzyme and metal-depleted enzyme were different. Metal-depleted enzyme was partially able to restore the active conformation when incubated in the presence of calcium. Only minor reactivation was detected with other divalent metal ions and their combinations. Based on the data we conclude that B. subtilis phytase requires calcium for active conformation. Calcium has also a strong stabilizing effect on the enzyme against thermal denaturation. However, the conformational change resulted by calcium depletion does not affect the protease susceptibility.

Characterization and overproduction of theEscherichia coliappAencoded bifunctional enzyme that exhibits both phytase and acid phosphatase activities

The appA gene that was previously shown to code for an acid phosphatase instead codes for a bifunctional enzyme exhibiting both acid phosphatase and phytase activities. The purified enzyme with a molecular mass of 44 708 Da was further separated by chromatofocusing into two isoforms of identical size with isoelectric points of 6.5 and 6.3. The isoforms had identical pH optima of 4.5 and were stable at pH values from 2 to 10. The temperature optimum for both phytase isoforms was 60°C. When heated at different pH values the enzyme showed the greatest thermal resistance at pH 3. The pH 6.5 isoform exhibited Kmand Vmaxvalues of 0.79 mM and 3165 U·mg-1of protein for phytase activity and 5.5 mM and 712 U·mg-1of protein for acid phosphatase, respectively. The pH 6.3 isoform exhibited slightly lower Kmand Vmaxvalues. The enzyme exhibited similar properties to the phytase purified by Greiner et al. (1993), except the specific activity of the enzyme was at least 3.5-fold less than that previously reported, and the N-terminal amino acid sequence was different. The Bradford assay, which was used by Greiner et al. (1993) for determination of enzyme concentration was, in our hands, underestimating protein concentration by a factor of 14. Phytase production using the T7 polymerase expression system was enhanced by selection of a mutant able to grow in a chemically defined medium with lactose as the carbon source and inducer. Using this strain in fed-batch fermentation, phytase production was increased to over 600 U·mL-1. The properties of the phytase including the low pH optimum, protease resistance, and high activity, demonstrates that the enzyme is a good candidate for industrial production as a feed enzyme.

A novel staining method for detecting phytase activity

Differential agar media for the detection of microbial phytase activity use the disappearance of precipitated calcium or sodium phytate as an indication of enzyme activity. When this technique was applied to the study of ruminal bacteria, it became apparent that the method was unable to differentiate between phytase activity and acid production. Strong positive reactions (zones of clearing around microbial colonies) observed for acid producing, anaerobic bacteria, such as Streptococcus bovis, were not corroborated by subsequent quantitative assays. Experimentation revealed that acidic solutions generated false positive results on the selected differential medium. Empirical studies undertaken to find a solution to this limitation determined the false positive results could be eliminated through a two step counterstaining treatment (cobalt chloride and ammonium molybdate/ammonium vanadate) which reprecipitates acid solubilized phytate. This report discusses the application of the developed two step counterstaining treatment for the screening of phytase producing ruminal bacteria as well as its use in phytase zymogram assays.

Supplemental sodium phytate and microbial phytase influence iron availability in growing rats

Five groups of individually housed albino rats (n = 7 each, initial average weight = 42 g) were fed diets based on corn starch and casein over a 4-week period. All diets were supplemented with 35 mg/kg of iron from FeSO4 x 7 H2O. Group I (control) was fed the basal diet free of phytic acid (PA) and phytase. By replacing corn starch by 7.5 g (groups II and IV) and 15 g phytic acid (groups III and V) from sodium phytate per kg diet, molar PA/iron ratios of 18 and 36 were obtained. In groups IV and V, 1000 U phytase from Aspergillus niger per kg diet were added. Food conversion efficiency ratio and growth rate as well as iron in plasma and spleen, hemoglobin, red blood cell count and erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin were not influenced by the different dietary treatments. Dietary phytate reduced apparent iron absorption in groups II and III. Furthermore hematocrit, transferrin saturation and iron concentration in liver and femur were lowered in rats fed diets with PA, while total and latent iron-binding capacity of plasma increased. Microbial phytase supplementation (groups IV and V) partly counteracted the antinutritive effects of phytic acid on iron availability.

Different sensitivity of recombinant Aspergillus niger phytase (r-PhyA) and Escherichia coli pH 2.5 acid phosphatase (r-AppA) to trypsin and pepsin in vitro

Proteolysis of two purified recombinant enzymes, namely, the Aspergillus niger phytase (r-PhyA) and the Escherichia coli pH 2.5 acid phosphatase (r-AppA), by pepsin and trypsin was investigated in this study. After r-PhyA and r-AppA were incubated with different concentrations of pepsin or trypsin, their residual phytase activities and amounts of inorganic phosphorus released from soybean meal were determined. Both enzymes retained more than 85% of their original activities at the trypsin/phytase ratios (w/w) 0.001 and 0. 005, while r-AppA and r-PhyA lost 60 and 20% of the original activity at the ratio of 0.01 or 0.025, respectively. In contrast, there was a 30% increase in phytase activity after r-AppA was incubated with pepsin at the ratios of 0.005 or 0.01. Meanwhile, r-PhyA lost 58 to 77% of its original activity under the same conditions. Trypsin and pepsin affected the hydrolysis of phytate phosphorus from soybean meal by r-AppA and r-PhyA in a similar way to their residual phytase activities. All of these in vitro proteolyses were confirmed by SDS-PAGE analysis. Our results demonstrate different sensitivities of r-AppA and r-PhyA to trypsin and pepsin, suggesting active trypsin resistant r-PhyA and pepsin resistant r-AppA polypeptides.

An expression system matures: a highly efficient and cost-effective process for phytase production by recombinant strains of Hansenula polymorpha

An efficient process was developed for the low-cost production of phytases using Hansenula polymorpha. Glucose or glucose syrups, previously reported as repressive substrates, were used as main carbon sources during fermentation. Glucose was even the most productive substrate for high-level production of phytases. Compared with the process using glycerol, the standard carbon source used for this process until now, the use of glucose led to a reduction of more than 80% in the raw materials costs. In addition, exceptionally high concentrations of active enzyme (up to 13.5 g/L) were obtained in the medium, with phytase representing over 97% of the total accumulated protein. These levels greatly exceed those reported so far for any yeast-based expression system. Very efficient downstream processing procedures were developed with product recovery yields over 90%. Both the fermentation and downstream processing were successfully tested in pilot scale up to 2000 L. As a result, H. polymorpha can be used as a highly competitive system for low-cost phytase production.

Cloning, sequencing, and expression of an Escherichia coli acid phosphatase/phytase gene (appA2) isolated from pig colon

Bacterial strains were isolated from the pig colon to screen for phytase and acid phosphatase activities. Among 93 colonies, Colony 88 had the highest activities for both enzymes and was identified as an Escherichia coli strain. Using primers derived from the E. coli pH 2.5 acid phosphatase appA sequence (Dassa et al. (1990), J. Bacteriol. 172, 5497-5500), we cloned a 1482 bp DNA fragment from the isolate. In spite of 95% homology between the sequenced gene and the appA, 7 amino acids were different in their deduced polypeptides. To characterize the properties and functions of the encoded protein, we expressed the coding region of the isolated DNA fragment and appA in Pichia pastoris, respectively, as r-appA2 and r-appA. The recombinant protein r-appA2, like r-appA and the r-phyA phytase expressed in Aspergillus niger, was able to hydrolyze phosphorus from sodium phytate and p-nitrophenyl phosphate. However, there were distinct differences in their pH profiles, Km and Vmax for the substrates, specific activities of the purified enzymes, and abilities to release phytate phosphorus in soybean meal. In conclusion, the DNA fragment isolated from E. coli in pig colon seems to encode for a new acid phosphatase/phytase and is designated as E. coli appA2.

Biophysical characterization of fungal phytases (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate phosphohydrolases): molecular size, glycosylation pattern, and engineering of proteolytic resistance

Phytases (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate phosphohydrolases) are found naturally in plants and microorganisms, particularly fungi. Interest in these enzymes has been stimulated by the fact that phytase supplements increase the availability of phosphorus in pig and poultry feed and thereby reduce environmental pollution due to excess phosphate excretion in areas where there is intensive livestock production. The wild-type phytases from six different fungi, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Emericella nidulans, Myceliophthora thermophila, and Talaromyces thermophilus, were overexpressed in either filamentous fungi or yeasts and purified, and their biophysical properties were compared with those of a phytase from Escherichia coli. All of the phytases examined are monomeric proteins. While E. coli phytase is a nonglycosylated enzyme, the glycosylation patterns of the fungal phytases proved to be highly variable, differing for individual phytases, for a given phytase produced in different expression systems, and for individual batches of a given phytase produced in a particular expression system. Whereas the extents of glycosylation were moderate when the fungal phytases were expressed in filamentous fungi, they were excessive when the phytases were expressed in yeasts. However, the different extents of glycosylation had no effect on the specific activity, the thermostability, or the refolding properties of individual phytases. When expressed in A. niger, several fungal phytases were susceptible to limited proteolysis by proteases present in the culture supernatant. N-terminal sequencing of the fragments revealed that cleavage invariably occurred at exposed loops on the surface of the molecule. Site-directed mutagenesis of A. fumigatus and E. nidulans phytases at the cleavage sites yielded mutants that were considerably more resistant to proteolytic attack. Therefore, engineering of exposed surface loops may be a strategy for improving phytase stability during feed processing and in the digestive tract.

Biochemical characterization of fungal phytases (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate phosphohydrolases): catalytic properties

Supplementation with phytase is an effective way to increase the availability of phosphorus in seed-based animal feed. The biochemical characteristics of an ideal phytase for this application are still largely unknown. To extend the biochemical characterization of wild-type phytases, the catalytic properties of a series of fungal phytases, as well as Escherichia coli phytase, were determined. The specific activities of the fungal phytases at 37 degreesC ranged from 23 to 196 U. (mg of protein)-1, and the pH optima ranged from 2.5 to 7.0. When excess phytase was used, all of the phytases were able to release five phosphate groups of phytic acid (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate), which left myo-inositol 2-monophosphate as the end product. A combination consisting of a phytase and Aspergillus niger pH 2.5 acid phosphatase was able to liberate all six phosphate groups. When substrate specificity was examined, the A. niger, Aspergillus terreus, and E. coli phytases were rather specific for phytic acid. On the other hand, the Aspergillus fumigatus, Emericella nidulans, and Myceliophthora thermophila phytases exhibited considerable activity with a broad range of phosphate compounds, including phenyl phosphate, p-nitrophenyl phosphate, sugar phosphates, alpha- and beta-glycerophosphates, phosphoenolpyruvate, 3-phosphoglycerate, ADP, and ATP. Both phosphate liberation kinetics and a time course experiment in which high-performance liquid chromatography separation of the degradation intermediates was used showed that all of the myo-inositol phosphates from the hexakisphosphate to the bisphosphate were efficiently cleaved by A. fumigatus phytase. In contrast, phosphate liberation by A. niger or A. terreus phytase decreased with incubation time, and the myo-inositol tris- and bisphosphates accumulated, suggesting that these compounds are worse substrates than phytic acid is. To test whether broad substrate specificity may be advantageous for feed application, phosphate liberation kinetics were studied in vitro by using feed suspensions supplemented with 250 or 500 U of either A. fumigatus phytase or A. niger phytase (Natuphos) per kg of feed. Initially, phosphate liberation was linear and identical for the two phytases, but considerably more phosphate was liberated by the A. fumigatus phytase than by the A. niger phytase at later stages of incubation.

Effect of dietary phytase and high available phosphorus corn on broiler chicken performance

Two trials were conducted to determine the effects on broiler chicken performance and health of reducing dietary phosphorus levels by treating feed with the enzyme phytase, formulating diets using high available phosphorus (HAP) corn, or when diets were formulated with HAP corn and treated with phytase. Cobb x Cobb male broiler chickens were placed in an experimental design consisting of four dietary treatments with six replicate pens of 50 broilers per pen. The dietary treatments consisted of untreated control feed, phytase-supplemented feed (500 U/kg), diets prepared with HAP corn, and diets prepared with HAP corn and supplemented with phytase. The chickens were maintained on these dietary treatments from 1 to 49 d of age with feed and water made available for ad libitum consumption. When the two trials were combined, there was a significant (P < or = 0.05) increase in body weight in the broilers fed the phytase treated diets at 49 d of age. The serum activity of alkaline phosphatase was significantly decreased in the diets supplemented with phytase, and serum cholesterol was significantly decreased in the diets prepared with HAP corn. These data indicate that total phosphorus can be reduced by at least 11% in diets prepared with HAP corn, or in diets supplemented with phytase, without affecting the performance or health of broiler chickens. When diets are prepared with HAP corn and supplemented with phytase, the dietary addition of total phosphorus can be reduced by at least 25% without affecting broiler chicken performance or health.

Molecular characterization and expression of a phytase gene from the thermophilic fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus

The phyA gene encoding an extracellular phytase from the thermophilic fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus was cloned and heterologously expressed, and the recombinant gene product was biochemically characterized. The phyA gene encodes a primary translation product (PhyA) of 475 amino acids (aa) which includes a putative signal peptide (23 aa) and propeptide (10 aa). The deduced amino acid sequence of PhyA has limited sequence identity (ca. 47%) with Aspergillus niger phytase. The phyA gene was inserted into an expression vector under transcriptional control of the Fusarium oxysporum trypsin gene promoter and used to transform a Fusarium venenatum recipient strain. The secreted recombinant phytase protein was enzymatically active between pHs 3 and 7.5, with a specific activity of 110 micromol of inorganic phosphate released per min per mg of protein at pH 6 and 37 degrees C. The Thermomyces phytase retained activity at assay temperatures up to 75 degrees C and demonstrated superior catalytic efficiency to any known fungal phytase at 65 degrees C (the temperature optimum). Comparison of this new Thermomyces catalyst with the well-known Aspergillus niger phytase reveals other favorable properties for the enzyme derived from the thermophilic gene donor, including catalytic activity over an expanded pH range.

Identification of a histidine acid phosphatase (phyA)-like gene in Arabidopsis thaliana

A close examination of the protein sequence encoded by the Arabidopsis thaliana gene F21M12.26 reveals the gene product to be a phosphomonoesterase, acid optimum (EC 3.1.3.2). A subclass of this broad acid phosphatase is also known as 'histidine acid phosphatase. ' This is the first sequence-based evidence for a 'histidine acid phosphatase' in a dicotyledon. One important member of this class of enzymes is Aspergillus niger (ficuum) phytase, which came into prominence for its commercial application as a feed additive. The putative protein from A. thaliana gene F21M12.26 shares many important features of Aspergillus phytase, namely, size, active-site sequence, catalytic dipeptide and ten cysteine residues located in the key areas of the molecule, but lacks all nine N-glycosylation sites.

Myo-inositol hexasulfate is a potent inhibitor of Aspergillus ficuum phytase

Myo-inositol hexasulfate (MIHS), a structural analog of the substrate myo-inositol hexaphosphate, is a potent competitive inhibitor of both phyA and phyB enzymes. The Ki of inhibition for the phyA and phyB proteins were estimated to be 4.6 and 0.2 microM, respectively. Thus, the phyB protein is 23-fold more sensitive to MIHS inhibition than the phyA protein. The active-site geometry of phyB protein is presumed to be very different from the phyA protein as deduced by chemical probing of the enzymes by Arg-specific modifiers, i.e., 1,2-cyclohexanedione and phenylglyoxal. Probing the catalytic site of the same proteins by this newly developed specific inhibitor also gives a similar conclusion.

Isolation, characterization, molecular gene cloning, and sequencing of a novel phytase from Bacillus subtilis

The Bacillus subtilis strain VTT E-68013 was chosen for purification and characterization of its excreted phytase. Purified enzyme had maximal phytase activity at pH 7 and 55 degrees C. Isolated enzyme required calcium for its activity and/or stability and was readily inhibited by EDTA. The enzyme proved to be highly specific since, of the substrates tested, only phytate, ADP, and ATP were hydrolyzed (100, 75, and 50% of the relative activity, respectively). The phytase gene (phyC) was cloned from the B. subtilis VTT E-68013 genomic library. The deduced amino acid sequence (383 residues) showed no homology to the sequences of other phytases nor to those of any known phosphatases. PhyC did not have the conserved RHGXRXP sequence found in the active site of known phytases, and therefore PhyC appears not to be a member of the phytase subfamily of histidine acid phosphatases but a novel enzyme having phytase activity. Due to its pH profile and optimum, it could be an interesting candidate for feed applications.

Conservation of the active site motif in Aspergillus niger (ficuum) pH 6.0 optimum acid phosphatase and kidney bean purple acid phosphatase

Aspergillus niger (ficuum) and the kidney bean purple acid phosphatases retained all the essential amino acids in the active site despite a low degree of total sequence homology. This high degree of homology in the sequence motif of A. niger fungal acid phosphatase (Apase6) active site with Kidney bean metallo phosphoesterase (KBPAP) and the absence of the RHG-XRXP sequence motif indicates Apase6 to be a metallophosphoesterase rather than a histidine acid phosphatase.

Differences in the active site environment of Aspergillus ficuum phytases

While Aspergillus ficuum phytaseA (phyA) was rapidly inactivated by 1,2-cyclohexanedione and phenylglyoxal, both specific modifiers of arginine, phytaseB (phyB) showed a markedly different behavior. First, phyB was totally insensitive to 1,2-cyclohexanedione even in the presence of 0.2 M guanidinium hydrochloride; second, the enzyme showed a great deal of resistance to inactivation by phenylglyoxal. Taken together, these results indicate that the chemical environment of the active site of phyB is very different from that of the active site of phyA. Despite sequence similarities of the active site region in these two proteins, their differential behavior to arginine modifiers indicates that other parts of the protein play a role in the active site formation. We expected some differences in the structure since the proteins have dissimilar kinetic parameters and pH optima.