Detection of beta-glucanase activity on various beta-1,3 and beta-1,4-glucans after native and denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Beta-1,3-glucanase from Delftia tsuruhatensis strain MV01 and its potential application in vinification

During vinification microbial activities can spoil wine quality. As the wine-related lactic acid bacterium Pediococcus parvulus is able to produce slimes consisting of a β-1,3-glucan, must and wine filtration can be difficult or impossible. In addition, the metabolic activities of several wild-type yeasts can also negatively affect wine quality. Therefore, there is a need for measures to degrade the exopolysaccharide from Pediococcus parvulus and to inhibit the growth of certain yeasts. We examined an extracellular β-1,3-glucanase from Delftia tsuruhatensis strain MV01 with regard to its ability to hydrolyze both polymers, the β-1,3-glucan from Pediococcus and that from yeast cell walls. The 29-kDa glycolytic enzyme was purified to homogeneity. It exhibited an optimal activity at 50°C and pH 4.0. The sequencing of the N terminus revealed significant similarities to β-1,3-glucanases from different bacteria. In addition, the investigations indicated that this hydrolytic enzyme is still active under wine-relevant parameters such as elevated ethanol, sulfite, and phenol concentrations as well as at low pH values. Therefore, the characterized enzyme seems to be a useful tool to prevent slime production and undesirable yeast growth during vinification.

A clp gene homologue belonging to the Crp gene family globally regulates lytic enzyme production, antimicrobial activity, and biological control activity expressed by Lysobacter enzymogenes strain C3

Lysobacter enzymogenes strain C3, a biological control agent for plant diseases, produces multiple extracellular hydrolytic enzymes and displays antimicrobial activity against various fungal and oomycetous species. However, little is known about the regulation of these enzymes or their roles in antimicrobial activity and biocontrol. A study was undertaken to identify mutants of strain C3 affected in extracellular enzyme production and to evaluate their biocontrol efficacy. A single mini-Tn5-lacZ(1)-cat transposon mutant of L. enzymogenes strain C3 that was globally affected in a variety of phenotypes was isolated. In this mutant, 5E4, the activities of several extracellular lytic enzymes, gliding motility, and in vitro antimicrobial activity were reduced. Characterization of 5E4 indicated that the transposon inserted in a clp gene homologue belonging to the Crp gene family of regulators. Immediately downstream was a second open reading frame similar to that encoding acetyltransferases belonging to the Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase superfamily, which reverse transcription-PCR confirmed was cotranscribed with clp. Chromosomal deletion mutants with mutations in clp and between clp and the acetyltransferase gene verified the 5E4 mutant phenotype. The clp gene was chromosomally inserted in mutant 5E4, resulting in complemented strain P1. All mutant phenotypes were restored in P1, although the gliding motility was observed to be excessive compared with that of the wild-type strain. clp mutant strains were significantly affected in biological control of pythium damping-off of sugar beet and bipolaris leaf spot of tall fescue, which was partially or fully restored in the complemented strain P1. These results indicate that clp is a global regulatory gene that controls biocontrol traits expressed by L. enzymogenes C3.

Taxonomic positioning of two biological control agents for plant diseases as Lysobacter enzymogenes based on phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA, fatty acid composition and phenotypic characteristics

AIMS

To taxonomically position two bacterial strains conferring biological control activity towards plant diseases.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Key phenotypic characteristics, including gliding motility and a high percentage of G + C content, indicated biocontrol strains N4-7 and C3 were essentially identical to those described for Lysobacter enzymogenes. Cellular fatty acid analysis confirmed a close relatedness of strains N4-7 and C3 to L. enzymogenes and a more distant relatedness to L. antibioticus. The 16S rDNA phylogenetic analysis revealed a distinct Lysobacter clade that included both strains within the gamma-proteobacteria.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined taxonomic methods provide clear evidence that N4-7 and C3 should be grouped as strains of L. enzymogenes and not Stenotrophomonas maltophilia or a novel taxon. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA formed a Lysobacter clade that included several other environmentally diverse bacterial strains obtained from databases and confirmed relatedness of strains N4-7 and C3 to L. enzymogenes.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Inclusion of N4-7 and C3 as strains of L. enzymogenes is among the first description of members of this genus as biocontrol agents of plant diseases. These results suggest that members of the Lysobacter group might provide a new source as plant-associated microbes that display biocontrol activity.

Cloning and characterization of a chitosanase gene from the koji mold Aspergillus oryzae strain IAM 2660

A genomic copy of the gene coding for chitosanase (csnA) was isolated from Aspergillus oryzae IAM 2660. A. oryzae csnA contains an open reading frame that encodes a polypeptide of 245 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 26,500 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence of A. oryzae csnA indicates extensive similarities to those of other fungal chitosanases.

Detection of enzymes active on various beta-1,3-glucans after denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Enzymes were assayed for glucanase activity after denaturing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in gels containing beta-1,3-glucans embedded as substrate. Lentinan, curdlan, paramylon, baker's yeast alkali-insoluble glucan, baker's yeast alkali-soluble glucan and carboxymethyl (CM)-pachyman were compared to oligomeric laminarin, which is the usual substrate for assaying beta-1,3-glucanase activities. Detecting enzyme activities by aniline blue fluorescent staining was also compared with the staining of released reducing sugars by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC). For the nonreduced proteins, the Driselase extract exhibited one major band at 32.5 kDa and one less intense band at 23 kDa for most substrates with the two detection procedures. No Lyticase enzyme was detected in either detection procedures for all tested substrates. For barley enzymes, no activity was revealed after aniline blue staining while one undescribed 19 kDa glucanase activity was best shown after TTC staining with curdlan, paramylon and CM-pachyman as substrates. In the case of reduced proteins, the Lyticase extract yielded three bands (33, 36 and 46 kDa) on several substrates with both detection procedures. This was the same for the barley leaf extract (32, 36 and 39 kDa). The Driselase extract showed one 42 kDa band. Many enzymes active on beta-1,3-glucans are thus best revealed when proteins are denatured and reduced and when protein renaturation after SDS-PAGE involves a pH 8.0 treatment and the inclusion of 1 mM cysteine in buffers. However, some enzymes are only detected when proteins are denatured without reduction. Finally, the use of various polymeric beta-1,3-glucan substrates different from oligomeric laminarin is necessary to detect new types of enzymes such as the 19 kDa barley glucanase.

Noncellulolytic fungal beta-glucanases: their physiology and regulation

The occurrence, regulation, and action of fungal enzymes capable of degrading noncellulosic beta-glucans, especially 1,3-beta- and 1,6-beta-glucans, are reviewed. Special consideration is given to their roles in both metabolic and morphogenetic events in the fungal cell, including cell wall extension, hyphal branching, sporulation, budding, and autolysis. Also examined are the protocols currently available for their purification, with some of the properties of purified beta-glucanases discussed in terms of their potential applications in industrial, agricultural, and medical fields.