Hemicellulases: their occurrence, purification, properties, and mode of action

Molecular cloning of a Bacillus subtilis xylanase gene in Escherichia coli

A gene coding for xylanase synthesis in Bacillus subtilis was isolated by direct shotgun cloning using Escherichia coli as a host. Following partial digestion of B. subtilis chromosomal DNA with PstI or EcoRI restriction enzymes, fragments ranging from 3 to 7 kb were introduced into the PstI or EcoRI sites of pBR325. Transformed colonies having lost either the ampicillin or chloramphenicol resistance markers were screened directly on 1% xylan plates. Out of 8000 transformants, ten xylanase-positive clones were identified by the clearing zone around lysozyme-treated colonies. Further characterization of one of the clones showed that the xylanase gene was present in a 3.9-kb insert within the PstI site of the plasmid pBR325. Retransformation of E. coli strain with the xylanase-positive hybrid plasmid pRH271 showed 100% transformation to xylanase production. The intracellular xylanase produced by the transformed E. coli was purified by ion exchange and gel permeation chromatography. The electrophoretic mobility of the purified xylanase indicated an Mr of 22 000.

beta-D-Mannosidase from Helix pomatia

beta-D-Mannosidase (beta-D-mannoside mannohydrolase EC 3.2.1.25) was purified 160-fold from crude gut-solution of Helix pomatia by three chromatographic steps and then gave a single protein band (mol. wt. 94,000) on SDS-gel electrophoresis, and three protein bands (of almost identical isoelectric points) on thin-layer isoelectric focusing. Each of these protein bands had enzyme activity. The specific activity of the purified enzyme on p-nitrophenyl beta-D-mannopyranoside was 1694 nkat/mg at 40 degrees and it was devoid of alpha-D-mannosidase, beta-D-galactosidase, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucosidase, (1 leads to 4)-beta-D-mannanase, and (1 leads to 4)-beta-D-glucanase activities, almost devoid of alpha-D-galactosidase activity, and contaminated with less than 0.02% of beta-D-glucosidase activity. The purified enzyme had the same Km for borohydride-reduced beta-D-manno-oligosaccharides of d.p. 3-5 (12.5mM). The initial rate of hydrolysis of (1 leads to 4)-linked beta-D-manno-oligosaccharides of d.p. 2-5 and of reduced beta-D-manno-oligosaccharides of d.p. 3-5 was the same, and o-nitrophenyl, methylumbelliferyl, and naphthyl beta-D-mannopyranosides were readily hydrolysed. beta-D-Mannobiose was hydrolysed at a rate approximately 25 times that of 6(1)-alpha-D-galactosyl-beta-D-mannobiose and 6(3)-alpha-D-galactosyl-beta-D-mannotetraose, and at approximately 90 times the rate for beta-D-mannobi-itol.

Induction and inducers of endo-1,4-beta-xylanase in the yeast Cryptococcus albidus

Extracellular endo-1,4-beta-xylanase synthesis in the yeast Cryptococcus albidus is largely inducible. During growth on wood xylans the yeast produces the enzyme in amounts two orders of magnitude greater than on other carbon sources, including xylose. The enzyme can be induced in washed glucose-grown cells by xylan and beta-1,4-xylooligosaccharides. Among the oligosaccharides only xylobiose was not degraded extracellularly, therefore it appears to be the natural inducer of the enzyme. Xylobiose as a metabolisable inducer is effective at low concentrations and constant availability to cells. At high concentration of xylobiose the inductive effect is less pronounced because of catabolic repression by degradation products. Methyl beta-D-xylopyranoside was found to serve as a non-utilizable inducer of beta-xylanase. The enzyme induced by the glycoside appears to be identical with that produced by the cells during growth on xylan.

Xylan-degrading enzymes of the yeast Cryptococcus albidus. Identification and cellular localization

During growth on wood beta-1,4-xylans the yeast Cryptococcus albidus produced at least two enzymes which convert the polysaccharide to xylose catabolized by the cells. The enzyme almost completely secreted into culture fluid was identified as an endo-1,4-beta-xylanase. The function of the extracellular beta-xylanase is to hydrolyze xylan to oligosaccharides, mainly to xylobiose and xylotriose, which enter the cell where they are split by the second identified enzyme, a cell-bound beta-xylosidae (xylobiase). Aryl beta-xylosidase activity detected in the culture fluid was snown to be due to low affinity of beta-xylanase for p-nitrophenyl beta-D-xylopyranoside. This property of beta-xylanase was preserved after purification of the enzyme by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, CM-Sephadex and Biogel A 1.5 m or Biogel P 100. Purified beta-xylanase exhibited certain microheterogeneity after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Both extracellular beta-xylanase and intracellular beta-xylosidase were produced in much lower amounts by the cells grown on glucose than by the cells grown on xylan. This suggested that they are not produced constitutively. The investigated strain was not able to grow on cellulose and the crude and purified beta-xylanase were unable to hydrolyze cellulose or its soluble derivatives.

A simple assay procedure for beta-D-mannanase

A simple assay procedure for beta-D-mannanase enzyme has been developed which employs carob D-galacto-D-mannan dyed with Remazolbrilliant Blue. Additionally, the procedure is quantitative, relatively sensitive, and highly specific for beta-D-mannanase enzyme. It can be readily used for the determination of beta-D-mannanase activity in crude enzyme preparations and column-chromatography eluates.

Fermentation of mucins and plant polysaccharides by anaerobic bacteria from the human colon

A total of 154 strains from 22 species of Bifidobacterium, Peptostreptococcus, Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus, Coprococcus, Eubacterium, and Fusobacterium, which are present in high concentrations in the human colon, were surveyed for their ability to ferment 21 different complex carbohydrates. Plant polysaccharides, including amylose, amylopectin, pectin, polygalacturonate, xylan, laminarin, guar gum, locust bean gum, gum ghatti, gum arabic, and gum tragacanth, were fermented by some strains from Bifidobacterium, Peptostreptococcus, Ruminococcus, and Eubacterium species. Porcine gastric mucin, which was fermented by some strains of Ruminococcus torques and Bifidobacterium bifidum, was the only mucin utilized by any of the strains tested.

Production and purification of two hemicellulases from Cephalosporium sacchari

The production of extracellular hemicellulases by the fungus Cephalosporium sacchari was studied in the presence of various sources of carbon and at various initial pH values and temperatures. Hemicellulose B and holocellulose from spear grass (Heteropogon contortus) were the best sources of carbon, and the optimum temperature was 27 degrees. The initial pH value had little influence on the final yield of hemicellulases. Two hemicellulases (HC-III and HC-IV) were purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and isoelectric focusing. Their molecular weights were 10,700 and 9,550, and their pI values 9.40 and 6.0, respectively. HC-III hydrolysed hemicellulose B to oligosaccharides without production of monosaccharides.