High-level production of recombinant fungal endo-beta-1,4-xylanase in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

Cloning, Expression, and Characterization of Xylanase G2 from Aspergillus oryzae VTCC-F187 in Aspergillus niger VTCC-F017

The study focuses on engineering of recombinant Aspergillus niger to produce highly active xylanase. The xylanase G2 encoding gene originating from Aspergillus oryzae VTCC-F187 was cloned, amplified, and inserted into the pAN7.1GluA vector with specific primers possessing BamHI. The recombinant plasmid was introduced into Aspergillus niger VTCC-F017 by chemical methods. The recombinant strain was checked by polymerase chain reaction method and Southern blot. Next, the recombinant protein was expressed and purified by His-tag column. The molecular mass of the purified xylanase G2, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), was 21 kDa with a specific activity of 1025 IU/mg towards 0.5% (w/v) of birchwood xylan. The optimal temperature and pH were 55°C and pH 6.5, respectively. The enzyme was stable in a temperature ranges 25–40°C and a pH ranges 5–7. The presence of Tween 80 enhanced xylanase activity. Triton X-100, however, had no impact on the function of the enzyme. The xylanase activity was reduced by Tween 20, SDS, and organic solvents. The enzyme was completely inhibited by Hg2+ and partially by Zn2+, Fe2+, and Ag+, while it was slightly stimulated by K+ and EDTA.

Improving the thermostability and acid resistance of Rhizopus oryzae α-amylase by using multiple sequence alignment based site-directed mutagenesis

Higher thermostability or acid resistance for fungal α-amylase will help to improve the sugar-making process and cut down the production costs. Here, the thermostability or acid resistance of Rhizopus oryzae α-amylase (ROAmy) was significantly enhanced by site-directed evolution based on multiple sequence alignment (MSA) method. For instance, compared with the wild-type ROAmy, the optimum temperature of mutants G136D and A144Y was increased from 50 to 55 °C, whereas for mutants V174R and I276P, the optimum temperature was increased from 50 to 60 °C. The optimum pH of mutants G136D and A144Y shifted from 5.5 to 5.0, whereas for mutants V174R and T253E, the optimum pH changed from 5.5 to 4.5. The results showed that mutant V174R had a 2.52-fold increase in half-life at 55 °C, a 2.55-fold increase in half-life at pH 4.5, and a 1.61-fold increase in catalytic efficiency (k_cat /K_m ) on soluble starch. The three-dimensional model simulation revealed that changes of hydrophilicity, hydrogen bond, salt bridge, or rigidity observed in mutants might mainly account for the improvement of thermostability and acid resistance. The mutants with improved catalytic properties attained in this work may render an accessible and operable approach for directed evolution of fungal α-amylase aimed at interesting functions.

High-Level Heterologous Expression of Endo-1,4-β-Xylanase from Penicillium citrinum in Pichia pastoris X-33 Directed through Codon Optimization and Optimized Expression

Most common industrial xylanases are produced from filamentous fungi. In this study, the codon-optimized xynA gene encoding xylanase A from the fungus Penicilium citrinum was successfully synthesized and expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris. The levels of secreted enzyme activity under the control of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (P_GAP) and alcohol oxidase 1 (P_AOX1) promoters were compared. The Pc Xyn11A was produced as a soluble protein and the total xylanase activity under the control of P_GAP and P_AOX1 was 34- and 193-fold, respectively, higher than that produced by the native strain of P. citrinum. The Pc Xyn11A produced under the control of the P_AOX1 reached a maximum activity of 676 U/mL when induced with 1% (v/v) methanol every 24 h for 5 days. The xylanase was purified by ion exchange chromatography and then characterized. The enzyme was optimally active at 55 °C and pH 5.0 but stable over a broad pH range (3.0–9.0), retaining more than 80% of the original activity after 24 h or after pre-incubation at 40 °C for 1 h. With birchwood xylan as a substrate, Pc Xyn11A showed a K_m(app) of 2.8 mg/mL, and a k_cat of 243 s⁻¹. The high level of secretion of Pc Xyn11A and its stability over a wide range of pH and moderate temperatures could make it useful for a variety of biotechnological applications.

Efficient expression and secretion of endo-1,4-β-xylanase from Penicillium citrinum in non-conventional yeast Yarrowia lipolytica directed by the native and the preproLIP2 signal peptides

Filamentous fungi are the most common industrial xylanase producers. In this study, the xynA gene encoding xylanase A of Penicilium citrinum was successfully synthesized and expressed in Yarrowia lipolytica under the control of the strong constitutive TEF promoter. Native and preproLIP2 secretion signals were used for comparison of the expression and secretion level. The recombinant xylanase was produced as a soluble protein, and the total activity production reached 11 and 52 times higher than the level of activity produced by the fungus P. citrinum native strain, respectively. Maximum activity was observed with the preproLIP2 secretion signal at 180 U/mL. Post translational glycosylation affected the molecular mass of the recombinant xylanase, resulting in an apparent molecular weight larger than 60 kDa, whereas after deglycosylation, the recombinant XynA displayed a molecular mass of 20 kDa. The deglycosylated xylanase was purified by ion exchange chromatography and reached 185-fold of purification. The enzyme was optimally active at 55 °C and pH 5 and stable over a broad pH range (3-9). It retained more than 80% of the original activity after 24 h. It conserved around 80% of the original activity after pre-incubation at 40 °C for 6 h. With birchwood xylan as substrate, the enzyme showed a K_m of 5.2 mg/mL, and k_cat of 245 per s. The high level of secretion and the stability over a wide range of pH and at moderate temperatures of the re-XynA could be useful for variety of biotechnological applications.

Molecular structure and catalytic mechanism of fungal family G acidophilic xylanases

Industrial applications of xylanases have made this enzyme an important subject of applied research work. Function of this particular enzyme is to degrade or hydrolyze the plentiful polysaccharide xylan, an important component of hemicellulose. It mainly cleaves the backbone of xylan that is made up of a number of xylose residues connected with β-1,4-glycosidic linkages. Fungi with mycelia are regarded as the best producer of xylanases. These varied xylanases not only differ in their sizes and shapes but also differ in their physicochemical properties. Depending on the optimum pH in which they work best, they have been classified into (1) acidophilic xylanases active at low pH or acidic pH range, (2) alkaliphilic xylanases that are active at high or alkaline pH range and (3) neutral xylanases having pH optima in the neutral range between pH 5 and 7. Other researchers have classified the xylanases also on the basis of their structural properties, kinetic parameters, etc. This review discusses the molecular structures of some acidophilic xylanases and the molecular basis of low pH optima observed for their activities. It also discusses their unique catalytic mechanism and actual role of the catalytic residues found in them. Apart from these, the review also discusses different applications of these acidophilic xylanases in different industries. The article concludes with brief suggestions about how these acidophilic xylanases can be created employing the techniques of genetic engineering and concepts of synthetic evolution, using the traits of the known acidophilic xylanases discussed in the review.

Lignocellulose degrading extremozymes produced by Pichia pastoris: current status and future prospects

In this review article, extremophilic lignocellulosic enzymes with special interest on xylanases, β-mannanases, laccases and finally cellulases, namely, endoglucanases, exoglucanases and β-glucosidases produced by Pichia pastoris are reviewed for the first time. Recombinant lignocellulosic extremozymes are discussed from the perspectives of their potential application areas; characteristics of recombinant and native enzymes; the effects of P. pastoris expression system on recombinant extremozymes; and their expression levels and applied strategies to increase the enzyme expression yield. Further, effects of enzyme domains on activity and stability, protein engineering via molecular dynamics simulation and computational prediction, and site-directed mutagenesis and amino acid modifications done are also focused. Superior enzyme characteristics and improved stability due to the proper post-translational modifications and better protein folding performed by P. pastoris make this host favourable for extremozyme production. Especially, glycosylation contributes to the structure, function and stability of enzymes, as generally glycosylated enzymes produced by P. pastoris exhibit better thermostability than non-glycosylated enzymes. However, there has been limited study on enzyme engineering to improve catalytic efficiency and stability of lignocellulosic enzymes. Thus, in the future, studies should focus on protein engineering to improve stability and catalytic efficiency via computational modelling, mutations, domain replacements and fusion enzyme technology. Also metagenomic data need to be used more extensively to produce novel enzymes with extreme characteristics and stability.

Expression and Characterization of Geobacillus stearothermophilus SR74 Recombinant α-Amylase in Pichia pastoris

Geobacillus stearothermophilus SR74 is a locally isolated thermophilic bacteria producing thermostable and thermoactive α-amylase. Increased production and commercialization of thermostable α-amylase strongly warrant the need of a suitable expression system. In this study, the gene encoding the thermostable α-amylase in G. stearothermophilus SR74 was amplified, sequenced, and subcloned into P. pastoris GS115 strain under the control of a methanol inducible promoter, alcohol oxidase (AOX). Methanol induced recombinant expression and secretion of the protein resulted in high levels of extracellular amylase production. YPTM medium supplemented with methanol (1% v/v) was the best medium and once optimized, the maximum recombinant α-amylase SR74 achieved in shake flask was 28.6 U mL(-1) at 120 h after induction. The recombinant 59 kDa α-amylase SR74 was purified 1.9-fold using affinity chromatography with a product yield of 52.6% and a specific activity of 151.8 U mg(-1). The optimum pH of α-amylase SR74 was 7.0 and the enzyme was stable between pH 6.0-8.0. The purified enzyme was thermostable and thermoactive, exhibiting maximum activity at 65°C with a half-life (t₁/₂) of 88 min at 60°C. In conclusion, thermostable α-amylase SR74 from G. stearothermophilus SR74 would be beneficial for industrial applications, especially in liquefying saccrification.

High-level expression and characterization of a thermostable xylanase mutant from Trichoderma reesei in Pichia pastoris

A gene encoding xylanase 2 mutant from Trichoderma reesei (T2C/T28C, named mxyn2) was cloned into the Pichia pastoris X33 strain using the vector pPICZαA. Recombinant Mxyn2p was functionally expressed in P. pastoris X33 and secreted into the supernatant. Real time qPCR demonstrated that an increase in gene copy number correlated with higher levels of expression. Supernatant from methanol induced cells was concentrated by ultrafiltration with a 10kDa cut off membrane, and purified with ion exchange chromatography using SP Sepharose Fast Flow chromatography. Recombinant Mxyn2p protein had the highest activity at 75°C, while recombinant protein encoded by the "wild type" xylanase gene xyn2, also expressed in Pichia, was 20°C lower. The Mxyn2p enzyme retained more than 70% of its activity after incubation at 80°C for 10min. The effects of the optimal pH and temperature for higher expression levels in P. pastoris were also determined, 6.0 and 22°C, respectively. The maximum xylanase activity of Mxyn2p was 13,000nkat/mg (9.88g/l) in fed-batch cultivation after 168h induction with methanol in a 50l bioreactor.

An alkali-thermostable xylanase from Bacillus pumilus functionally expressed in Kluyveromyces lactis and evaluation of its deinking efficiency

This work aimed at studying the recombinant expression of an alkali- and thermo-stable xylanase from Bacillus pumilus in Kluyveromyces lactis and its use in deinking of civic paper waste. Efficient expression with a 3-fold increase in the activity than the native organism was achieved. An inducer concentration of 2.5% and medium pH of 9.0 was the best for enzyme expression. Purified enzyme showed an optimum activity at temperatures 50 and 60°C and pH 9.0 and 10.0, respectively. At pH 12.0, enzyme retained 74% and 26% activity after 2 and 3h of incubation, respectively. After incubation at 50 and 60°C for 1h, the enzyme showed 100% retention of activity, and remained active for 4h at 60°C retaining 23% residual activity. Partially purified recombinant enzyme showed higher deinking efficiency (273%) of laser print waste paper than crude xylanase from Bacillus and commercial acidic enzyme. This xylanase with superior stability characteristics could be a suitable candidate in paper and pulp industries.

Recombinants proteins for industrial uses: utilization of Pichia pastoris expression system

The innovation in industrial process with impact in the efficient production is the major challenge for actual industry. A high numerous of enzymes are utilized in at different level of process; the search for new alternatives with better characteristic has become a field of study of great interest, the recombinant protein achievement in a different host system is an alternative widely assessed for production of this. The microorganism Pichia pastoris has been used like a successful expression system in diverse areas, improved the yield and extraction-recovery of the product expressed. The reported of diverse authors in the production of enzymes with different application in industry is varied, in this review the different industry areas and the characteristic of the enzymes produced are detailed.

Characterization of a broad-specificity β-glucanase acting on β-(1,3)-, β-(1,4)-, and β-(1,6)-glucans that defines a new glycoside hydrolase family

Here we report the cloning of the Pa_3_10940 gene from the coprophilic fungus Podospora anserina, which encodes a C-terminal family 1 carbohydrate binding module (CBM1) linked to a domain of unknown function. The function of the gene was investigated by expression of the full-length protein and a truncated derivative without the CBM1 domain in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Using a library of polysaccharides of different origins, we demonstrated that the full-length enzyme displays activity toward a broad range of β-glucan polysaccharides, including laminarin, curdlan, pachyman, lichenan, pustulan, and cellulosic derivatives. Analysis of the products released from polysaccharides revealed that this β-glucanase is an exo-acting enzyme on β-(1,3)- and β-(1,6)-linked glucan substrates and an endo-acting enzyme on β-(1,4)-linked glucan substrates. Hydrolysis of short β-(1,3), β-(1,4), and β-(1,3)/β-(1,4) gluco-oligosaccharides confirmed this striking feature and revealed that the enzyme performs in an exo-type mode on the nonreducing end of gluco-oligosaccharides. Excision of the CBM1 domain resulted in an inactive enzyme on all substrates tested. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an enzyme that displays bifunctional exo-β-(1,3)/(1,6) and endo-β-(1,4) activities toward beta-glucans and therefore cannot readily be assigned to existing Enzyme Commission groups. The amino acid sequence has high sequence identity to hypothetical proteins within the fungal taxa and thus defines a new family of glycoside hydrolases, the GH131 family.

GH11 xylanases: Structure/function/properties relationships and applications

For technical, environmental and economical reasons, industrial demands for process-fitted enzymes have evolved drastically in the last decade. Therefore, continuous efforts are made in order to get insights into enzyme structure/function relationships to create improved biocatalysts. Xylanases are hemicellulolytic enzymes, which are responsible for the degradation of the heteroxylans constituting the lignocellulosic plant cell wall. Due to their variety, xylanases have been classified in glycoside hydrolase families GH5, GH8, GH10, GH11, GH30 and GH43 in the CAZy database. In this review, we focus on GH11 family, which is one of the best characterized GH families with bacterial and fungal members considered as true xylanases compared to the other families because of their high substrate specificity. Based on an exhaustive analysis of the sequences and 3D structures available so far, in relation with biochemical properties, we assess biochemical aspects of GH11 xylanases: structure, catalytic machinery, focus on their "thumb" loop of major importance in catalytic efficiency and substrate selectivity, inhibition, stability to pH and temperature. GH11 xylanases have for a long time been used as biotechnological tools in various industrial applications and represent in addition promising candidates for future other uses.

High expression of recombinant Streptomyces sp. S38 xylanase in Pichia pastoris by codon optimization and analysis of its biochemical properties

In recent years, the biotechnological use of xylanases has grown remarkably. To efficiently produce xylanase for food processing and other industry, a codon-optimized recombinant xylanase gene from Streptomyces sp. S38 was synthesized and extracellularly expressed in Pichia pastoris under the control of AOX1 promoter. SDS-PAGE and activity assay demonstrated that the molecular mass of the recombinant xylanase was estimated to be 25 kDa, the optimum pH and optimum temperature were 5.5 and 50°C, respectively. In shake flask culture, the specific activity of the xylanase activity was 5098.28 U/mg. The K ( m ) and V ( max ) values of recombinant xylanase were 11.0 mg/ml and 10000 μmol min(-1) mg(-1), respectively. In the presence of metal ions such as Ca(2+), Cu(2+), Cr(3+) and K(+), the activity of the enzyme increased. However, strong inhibition of the enzyme activity was observed in the presence of Hg(2+). This is the first report on the expression properties of a recombinant xylanase gene from the Streptomyces sp. S38 using Pichia pastoris. The attractive biochemical properties of the recombinant xylanase suggest that it may be a useful candidate for variety of commercial applications.

Hyperexpression of two Aspergillus Niger Xylanase Genes in Escherichia Coli and Characterization of the Gene Products

The analysis of individual gene product should enable to clarify the role of a particular enzyme in a complex xylanase system of A. niger. The two genes encoding precursors of co-produced endo-1,4-β-D-xylanases, xynA1 and xynB, were isolated from Aspergillus niger SCTCC 400264 (SCTCC, China) by using RT-PCR technique and then successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. The nucleotide sequences of the xynA1 and xynB genes revealed that they were only 52.5% homology to each other. Characterization of the recombinant enzymes revealed the different properties: the specific activity of recombinant XYNA1 was 16.58 U/mg compared to 1201.7 U/mg for recombinant XYNB; The optimum temperature and pH of the recombinant XYNA1 were 35 °C and 3.0, respectively, whereas the corresponding values for the recombinant XYNB were 55 °C and 5.0, respectively; The recombinant XYNB showed much more thermostability than recombinant XYNA1; The recombinant XYNB showed 94% of maximal activity after incubating in water for 60 min at 60 °C compared to no activity for recombinant XYNA1. Various metal ions had different effects on activity between the two recombinant xylanases.

Molecular cloning of fungal xylanases: an overview

Xylanases have received great attention in the development of environment-friendly technologies in the paper and pulp industry. Their use could greatly improve the overall lignocellulosic materials for the generation of liquid fuels and chemicals. Fungi are widely used as xylanase producers and are generally considered as more potent producers of xylanases than bacteria and yeasts. Large-scale production of xylanases is facilitated with the advent of genetic engineering. Recent breakthroughs in genomics have helped to overcome the problems such as limited enzyme availability, substrate scope, and operational stability. Genes encoding xylanases have been cloned in homologous and heterologous hosts with the objectives of overproducing the enzyme and altering its properties to suit commercial applications. Owing to the industrial importance of xylanases, a significant number of studies are reported on cloning and expression of the enzymes during the last few years. We, therefore, have reviewed recent knowledge regarding cloning of fungal xylanase genes into various hosts for heterologous production. This will bring an insight into the current status of cloning and expression of the fungal xylanases for industrial applications.

De novo synthesis, constitutive expression of Aspergillus sulphureus beta-xylanase gene in Pichia pastoris and partial enzymic characterization

The endo-beta-1, 4-xylanase gene xynA from Aspergillus sulphureus, encoded a lack-of-signal peptide protein of 184 amino acids, was de novo synthesized by splicing overlap extension polymerase chain reaction according to Pichia pastoris protein's codon bias. The synthetic DNA, composed of 572 nucleotides, was ligated into the downstream sequence of an alpha-mating factor in a constitutive expression vector pGAPzalphaA and electrotransformed into the P. pastoris X-33 strain. The transformed yeast screened by Zeocin was able to constitutively secrete the xylanase in yeast-peptone-dextrose liquid medium. The heterogenous DNA was stabilized in the strain by 20-times passage culture. The recombinant enzyme was expressed with a yield of 120 units/mL under the flask culture at 28 degrees C for 3 days. The enzyme showed optimal activity at 50 degrees C and pH 2.4-3.4. Residual activity of the raw recombinant xylanase was not less than 70% when fermentation broth was directly heated at 80 degrees C for 30 min. However, the dialyzed xylanase supernatant completely lost the catalytic activity after being heated at 60 degrees C for 30 min. The recombinant xylanase showed no obvious activity alteration by being pretreated with Na(2)HPO(4)-citric acid buffer of pH 2.4 for 2 h. The xylanase also showed resistance to certain metal ions (Na(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+), K(+), Ba(2+), Zn(2+), Fe(2+), and Mn(2+)) and EDTA. These biochemical characteristics suggest that the recombinant xylanase has a prospective application in feed industry as an additive.

Substrate and product hydrolysis specificity in family 11 glycoside hydrolases: an analysis of Penicillium funiculosum and Penicillium griseofulvum xylanases

Two genes encoding family 11 endo-(1,4)-beta-xylanases from Penicillium griseofulvum (PgXynA) and Penicillium funiculosum (PfXynC) were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli as glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins, and the recombinant enzymes were purified after affinity chromatography and proteolysis. PgXynA and PfXynC were identical to their native counterparts in terms of molecular mass, pI, N-terminal sequence, optimum pH, and enzymatic activity towards arabinoxylan. Further investigation of the rate and pattern of hydrolysis of PgXynA and PfXynC on wheat soluble arabinoxylan showed the predominant production of xylotriose and xylobiose as end products. The initial rate data from the hydrolysis of short xylo-oligosaccharides indicated that the catalytic efficiency increased with increasing chain length (n) of oligomer up to n = 6, suggesting that the specificity region of both Penicillium xylanases spans about six xylose units. In contrast to PfXynC, PgXynA was found insensitive to the wheat xylanase inhibitor protein XIP-I.

Directed evolution of the thermostable xylanase from Thermomyces lanuginosus

The thermostability of the endo-beta-1,4-xylanase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (xynA) was improved by directed evolution using error-prone PCR. Transformants expressing the variant xylanases were first selected on 0.4% Remazol Brilliant Blue-xylan and then exposed to 80 degrees C. Whereas the wild type XynA lost 90% activity after 10 min at 80 degrees C, five mutants displayed both higher stabilities and activities than XynA. Four mutants were subjected to further mutagenesis to improve the stability and activity of the xylanase. Subsequent screening revealed three mutants with enhanced thermostability. Mutant 2B7-10 retained 71% of its activity after treatment at 80 degrees C for 60 min and had a half-life of 215 min at 70 degrees C, which is higher than that attained by XynA. Sequence analysis of second generation mutants revealed that mutations were not concentrated in any particular region of the protein and exhibited much variation. The best mutant obtained from this study was variant 2B7-10, which had a single substitution (Y58F) in beta-sheet A of the protein, which is the hydrophilic, solvent-accessible outer surface of the enzyme. Most of the mutants obtained in this study displayed a compromise between stability and activity, the only exception being mutant 2B7-10. This variant showed increased activity and thermostability.

Expression of recombinant Aspergillus niger xylanase A in Pichia pastoris and its action on xylan

The mature peptide of Aspergillus niger xylanase A (AnxA) was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris at high levels under the control of AOX1 promoter. The recombinant AnxA (reAnxA) was secreted into culture medium. After 96-h 0.25% methanol induction, the activity of reAnxA in the culture supernatant reached the peak, 175 U/mg, which was 1.9 times as high as that of the native AnxA (92 U/mg). Studies on enzymatic properties showed that the optimum temperature and optimum pH of reAnxA were 50 degrees C and 5.0, respectively. The reAnxA was very stable in a wide pH range of 3.0-8.0. After incubation at the pH 3.0-8.0, 25 degrees C for 1h, all the residual activities of reAnxA were over 80%. The K(m) and k(cat) values for reAnxA were 4.8 mg/ml and 123.2s(-1), respectively. HPLC analysis showed that xylotriose was the main hydrolysis product of birchwood xylan and bran insoluble xylan by reAnxA.

Identification of an endo-beta-1,4-D-xylanase from Magnaporthe grisea by gene knockout analysis, purification, and heterologous expression

Magnaporthe grisea, a destructive ascomycetous pathogen of rice, secretes cell wall-degrading enzymes into a culture medium containing purified rice cell walls as the sole carbon source. From M. grisea grown under the culture conditions described here, we have identified an expressed sequenced tag, XYL-6, a gene that is also expressed in M. grisea-infected rice leaves 24 h postinoculation with conidia. This gene encodes a protein about 65% similar to endo-beta-1,4-D-glycanases within glycoside hydrolase family GH10. A M. grisea knockout mutant for XYL-6 was created, and it was shown to be as virulent as the parent strain in infecting the rice host. The proteins secreted by the parent strain and by the xyl-6Delta mutant were each fractionated by liquid chromatography, and the collected fractions were assayed for endo-beta-1,4-D-glucanase or endo-beta-1,4-D-xylanase activities. Two protein-containing peaks with endo-beta-1,4-D-xylanase activity secreted by the parent strain are not detectable in the column eluant of the proteins secreted by the mutant. The two endoxylanases (XYL-6alpha and XYL-6beta) from the parent were each purified to homogeneity. N-terminal amino acid sequencing indicated that XYL-6alpha is a fragment of XYL-6beta and that XYL-6beta is identical to the deduced protein sequence encoded by the XYL-6 gene. Finally, XYL-6 was introduced into Pichia pastoris for heterologous expression, which resulted in the purification of a fusion protein, XYL-6H, from the Pichia pastoris culture filtrate. XYL-6H is active in cleaving arabinoxylan. These experiments unequivocally established that the XYL-6 gene encodes a secreted endo-beta-1,4-D-xylanase.

Production of a lipolytic enzyme originating from Bacillus halodurans LBB2 in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

A gene encoding a lipolytic enzyme amplified from the alkaliphilic bacterium Bacillus halodurans LBB2 was cloned into the pPICZalphaB vector and integrated into the genome of the protease deficient yeast strain Pichia pastoris SMD1168H. This previously undescribed enzyme was produced in active form, and cloning in frame with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae secretion signal (alpha-factor) enabled extracellular accumulation of correctly processed enzyme, with an apparent molecular mass of 30 kDa. In shake-flask cultivations, very low production levels were obtained, but these were significantly improved by use of a "batch-induced" cultivation technique which allowed a maximum enzyme activity of 14,000 U/l using p-nitrophenyl butyrate (C-4) as a substrate and a final extracellular lipolytic enzyme concentration of approximately 0.2 g/l. Partial characterization of the produced enzyme (at pH 9) revealed a preference for the short-chain ester (C-4) and significant but lower activity towards medium (C5-C6) and long (C16 and C18) fatty acid chain-length esters. In addition, the enzyme exhibited true lipase activity (7,300 U/l) using olive oil as substrate and significant levels of phospholipase activity (6,400 U/l) by use of a phosphatidylcholine substrate, but no lysophospholipase activity was detected using a lysophosphatidylcholine substrate.

Cloning, expression, and characterization of a xylanase 10 from Aspergillus terreus (BCC129) in Pichia pastoris

A full-length xylanase gene, encoding 326 amino acids belonging to the fungal glycosyl hydrolase family 10, from Aspergillus terreus BCC129 was cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis suggested that the first 25 amino acids of this enzyme is the signal peptide. Therefore, only the mature xylanase gene of 906 bp was cloned into a yeast expression vector, pPICZalphaA, for heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris. A band of approximately, 33 kDa was observed on the SDS-PAGE gel after one day of methanol induction. The expressed enzyme was purified by gel filtration chromatography. The purified recombinant xylanase demonstrated optimal activity at 60 degrees C, pH 5.0 and a Km of 4.8 +/- 0.07 mg/ml and a Vmax of 757 +/- 14.54 micromol/min mg, using birchwood xylan as a substrate. Additionally, the purified enzyme demonstrated broad pH stability from 4 to 10 when incubated at 40 degrees C for 4 h. It also showed a moderate thermal stability since it retained 90% of its activity when incubated at 50 degrees C, 30 min, making this enzyme a potential use in the animal feed and paper and pulp industries.

Endo-1,4-beta-xylanase B from Aspergillus cf. niger BCC14405 isolated in Thailand: purification, characterization and gene isolation

During the screening of xylanolytic enzymes from locally isolated fungi, one strain BCC14405, exhibited high enzyme activity with thermostability. This fugal strain was identified as Aspergillus cf. niger based on its morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. An enzyme with xylanolytic activity from BCC14405 was later purified and characterized. It was found to have a molecular mass of ca. 21 kDa, an optimal pH of 5.0, and an optimal temperature of 55 degrees C. When tested using xylan from birchwood, it showed K(m) and V(max) values of 8.9 mg/ml and 11,100 U/mg, respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by CuSO(4) EDTA, and by FeSO(4) The homology of the 20-residue N-terminal protein sequence showed that the enzyme was an endo-1,4-beta-xylanase. The full-length gene encoding endo-1,4-beta-xylanase from BCC14405 was obtained by PCR amplification of its cDNA. The gene contained an open reading frame of 678 bp, encoding a 225 amino acid protein, which was identical to the endo-1,4-a-xylanase B previously identified in A. niger.

Transforming growth factor-beta : biology and clinical relevance

Transforming growth factor-beta is a pleiotropic growth factor that has enthralled many investigators for approximately two decades. In addition to many reports that have clarified the basic mechanism of transforming growth factor-beta signal transduction, numerous laboratories have published on the clinical implication/application of transforming growth factor-beta . To name a few, dysregulation of transforming growth factor-beta signaling plays a role in carcinogenesis, autoimmunity, angiogenesis, and wound healing. In this report, we will review these clinical implications of transforming growth factor-beta .

The methylotrophic yeast as a host for the expression and production of thermostable xylanase from the bacterium

A thermostable glycoside hydrolase family-10 xylanase originating from Rhodothermus marinus was cloned and expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris (SMD1168H). The DNA sequence from Rmxyn10A encoding the xylanase catalytic module was PCR-amplified and cloned in frame with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-factor secretion signal under the control of the alcohol oxidase (AOX1) promotor. Optimisation of enzyme production in batch fermentors, with methanol as a sole carbon source, enabled secretion yields up to 3gl(-1) xylanase with a maximum activity of 3130Ul(-1) to be achieved. N-terminal sequence analysis of the heterologous xylanase indicated that the secretion signal was correctly processed in P. pastoris and the molecular weight of 37kDa was in agreement with the theoretically calculated molecular mass. Introduction of a heat-pretreatment step was however necessary in order to fold the heterologous xylanase to an active state, and at the conditions used this step yielded a 200-fold increase in xylanase activity. Thermostability of the produced xylanase was monitored by differential-scanning calorimetry, and the transition temperature (T(m)) was 78 degrees C. R. marinus xylanase is the first reported thermostable gram-negative bacterial xylanase efficiently secreted by P. pastoris.

Emergence of a subfamily of xylanase inhibitors within glycoside hydrolase family 18

The xylanase inhibitor protein I (XIP-I), recently identified in wheat, inhibits xylanases belonging to glycoside hydrolase families 10 (GH10) and 11 (GH11). Sequence and structural similarities indicate that XIP-I is related to chitinases of family GH18, despite its lack of enzymatic activity. Here we report the identification and biochemical characterization of a XIP-type inhibitor from rice. Despite its initial classification as a chitinase, the rice inhibitor does not exhibit chitinolytic activity but shows specificities towards fungal GH11 xylanases similar to that of its wheat counterpart. This, together, with an analysis of approximately 150 plant members of glycosidase family GH18 provides compelling evidence that xylanase inhibitors are largely represented in this family, and that this novel function has recently emerged based on a common scaffold. The plurifunctionality of GH18 members has major implications for genomic annotations and predicted gene function. This study provides new information which will lead to a better understanding of the biological significance of a number of GH18 'inactivated' chitinases.

Improvement of the thermostability and catalytic activity of a mesophilic family 11 xylanase by N-terminus replacement

To improve the thermostability and catalytic activity of Aspergillus niger xylanase A (AnxA), its N-terminus was substituted with the corresponding region of Thermomonospora fusca xylanase A (TfxA). The constructed hybrid xylanase, named ATx, was overexpressed in Pichia pastoris and secreted into the medium. After 96-h 0.25% methanol induction, the activity of the ATx in the culture supernatant reached its peak, 633 U/mg, which was 3.6 and 5.4 times as high as those of recombinant AnxA (reAnxA) and recombinant TfxA (reTfxA), respectively. Studies on enzymatic properties showed that the temperature and pH optimum of the ATx were 60 degrees C and 5.0, respectively. The ATx was more thermostable, when it was treated at 70 degrees C, pH 5.0, for 2 min, the residual activity was 72% which was higher than that of reAnxA and similar to that of reTfxA. The ATx was very stable over a broader pH range (3.0-10.0) and much less affected by acid/base conditions. After incubation at pH 3.0-10.0, 25 degrees C for 1 h, all the residual activities of the ATx were over 80%. These results revealed that the thermostability and catalytic activity of the AnxA were enhanced. The N-terminus of TfxA contributed to the observed thermostability of itself and the ATx, and to the high activity of the ATx. Replacement of N-terminus between mesophilic eukaryotic and thermostable prokaryotic enzymes may be a useful method for constructing the new and improved versions of biologically active enzymes.

Overproduction and characterization of xylanase B fromAspergillus niger

The xynB gene, which encodes endo-β-1,4-xylanase XynB, in Aspergillus niger BRFM281 was amplified by RT-PCR using mRNA isolated from a culture containing sugar beet pulp as an inducer. The cDNA was cloned into an expression cassette under the control of the strong and constitutive glyceraldhehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene promoter. The expression system was designed to produce the recombinant enzyme XynB with a six-histidine peptide fused to the carboxy end of the protein. Homologous overproduction of XynB was successfully achieved in shake flask cultures, and the secretion yield was estimated to be 900 mg·L–1. The recombinant XynB was purified 1.5-fold by immobilized metal affinity chromatography to homogeneity using a one-step purification protocol with 71% recovery. The purified recombinant enzyme was fully characterized and has a molecular mass of 23 kDa and an optimal activity at pH 5.5 and 50 °C with stability in the pH range 4.0-7.0 and temperature up to 50 °C. Using soluble oat spelts xylan, the determined Kmand Vmaxvalues were 7.1 mg·mL–1and 3881 U·mg–1, respectively.Key words: homologous expression, glycoside hydrolase family 11, cell-wall degradation.

Functional display of family 11 endoxylanases on the surface of phage M13

Two family 11 endoxylanases (EC 3.2.1.8) were functionally displayed on the surface of bacteriophage M13. The genes encoding endo-1,4-xylanase I from Aspergillus niger (ExlA) and endo-1,4-xylanase A from Bacillus subtilis (XynA) were fused to the gene encoding the minor coat protein g3p in phagemid vector pHOS31. Phage rescue resulted in functional monovalent display of the enzymes as was demonstrated by three independent tests. Firstly, purified recombinant phage particles showed a clear hydrolytic activity in an activity assay based on insoluble, chromagenic arabinoxylan substrate. Secondly, specific binding of endoxylanase displaying phages to immobilized endoxylanase inhibitors was demonstrated by interaction ELISA. Finally, two rounds of selection and amplification in a biopanning procedure against immobilized endoxylanase inhibitor were performed. Phages displaying endoxylanases were strongly enriched from background phages displaying unrelated proteins. These results open perspectives to use phage display for analysing protein-protein interactions at the interface between endoxylanases and their inhibitors. In addition, this technology should enable engineering of endoxylanases into novel variants with altered binding properties towards endoxylanase inhibitors.