Studies of two strains of Actinopolyspora halophila, an extremely halophilic actinomycete

Thermal Inactivation Kinetics and Secondary Structure Change of a Low Molecular Weight Halostable Exoglucanase from a Marine Aspergillus niger at High Salinities

Two kinds of exoglucanase were purified from a marine Aspergillus niger. Catalytic ability of halophilic exoglucanase with a lower molecular weight and secondary structure change was analyzed at different salinities. Activity of the low molecular weight exoglucanase in 10% NaCl solution (w/v) was 1.69-fold higher of that in NaCl-free solution. Half-life time in 10% NaCl solution (w/v) was over 1.27-fold longer of that in NaCl-free solution. Free energy change of the low molecular weight exoglucanase denaturation, △G, in 10% NaCl solution (w/v) was 0.54 kJ/mol more than that in NaCl-free solution. Melt point in 10% NaCl solution (w/v), 52.01 °C, was 4.21 °C higher than that in NaCl-free solution, 47.80 °C. K _m value, 0.179 mg/ml in 10% NaCl solution (w/v) was less 0.044 mg/ml than that, 0.224 mg/ml, in NaCl-free solution. High salinity made content of α-helix increased. Secondary structure change caused by high salinities improved exoglucanase thermostability and catalysis activity. The halophilic exoglucanase from a marine A. niger was valuable for hydrolyzing cellulose at high salinities.

Actinomycetes: A Source of Lignocellulolytic Enzymes

Lignocellulose is the most abundant biomass on earth. Agricultural, forest, and agroindustrial activities generate tons of lignocellulosic wastes annually, which present readily procurable, economically affordable, and renewable feedstock for various lignocelluloses based applications. Lignocelluloses are the focus of present decade researchers globally, in an attempt to develop technologies based on natural biomass for reducing dependence on expensive and exhaustible substrates. Lignocellulolytic enzymes, that is, cellulases, hemicellulases, and lignolytic enzymes, play very important role in the processing of lignocelluloses which is prerequisite for their utilization in various processes. These enzymes are obtained from microorganisms distributed in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic domains including bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes. Actinomycetes are an attractive microbial group for production of lignocellulose degrading enzymes. Various studies have evaluated the lignocellulose degrading ability of actinomycetes, which can be potentially implemented in the production of different value added products. This paper is an overview of the diversity of cellulolytic, hemicellulolytic, and lignolytic actinomycetes along with brief discussion of their hydrolytic enzyme systems involved in biomass modification.

Investigations on ideal mode of cell disruption in extremely halophilic Actinopolyspora halophila (MTCC 263) for efficient release of glycine betaine and trehalose

Actinopolyspora halophila produces glycine betaine and trehalose intracellularly in considerable quantities. These biomolecules are commercially important as they have applications in food, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural sector. Development of an efficient cell disruption technique is an important step for the release of these biomolecules. In this study, various cell disruption methods such as chemical, enzymatic, physico-mechanical and physical methods were evaluated. Cell disruption by osmotic shock was found to be the best suited method for A. halophila which also has a potential to be industrially scaled up. Cell bursting pressure that is generated during osmotic shock in A. halophila was computed using Morse equation and was found to be π = 238.37 ± 29.54 atm or 2.35 ± 0.29 kPa. In addition, it was found that osmotic shock followed a first order release rate kinetics in A. halophila. The findings can be used for commercially important biomolecules from other halophilic and/or halotolerant microbes.

Exocellular β-mannanases from hemicellulolytic fungi

Production of exocellular β-mannan- and xylan-degrading enzymes by eight wood rotting fungi was studied. Although all organisms excreted β-mannanase, endoxyfanase and acetylxylan esterase, production ofL-α-arabinosidase and 4-O-methylglucuronidase was variable. β-Mannanosidase was not detected in any culture filltrate. Righest β-mannanase and endoxylanase activities were observed in cultures ofPolyporus versicolor andSchizophyllum commune grown in Avicel-supplemented media. While crude β-mannanases fromLinzites saepiria andS. commune exhibited equivalent affinities for gluco- and galactomannan substrates,P. versicolor β-mannanase preferred a glucomannan substrate and did not use galactomannan from guar sum as a substrate.

Systematic and biotechnological aspects of halophilic and halotolerant actinomycetes

More than 70 species of halotolerant and halophilic actinomycetes belonging to at least 24 genera have been validly described. Halophilic actinomycetes are a less explored source of actinomycetes for discovery of novel bioactive secondary metabolites. Degradation of aliphatic and aromatic organic compounds, detoxification of pollutants, production of new enzymes and other metabolites such as antibiotics, compatible solutes and polymers are other potential industrial applications of halophilic and halotolerant actinomycetes. Especially new bioactive secondary metabolites that are derived from only a small fraction of the investigated halophilic actinomycetes, mainly from marine habitats, have revealed the huge capacity of this physiological group in production of new bioactive chemical entities. Combined high metabolic capacities of actinomycetes and unique features related to extremophilic nature of the halophilic actinomycetes have conferred on them an influential role for future biotechnological applications.

A novel salt-tolerant endo-beta-1,4-glucanase Cel5A in Vibrio sp. G21 isolated from mangrove soil

Although cellulases have been isolated from various microorganisms, no functional cellulase gene has been reported in the Vibrio genus until now. In this report, a novel endo-beta-1,4-glucanase gene, cel5A, 1,362 bp in length, was cloned from a newly isolated bacterium, Vibrio sp. G21. The deduced protein of cel5A contains a catalytic domain of glycosyl hydrolase family 5 (GH5), followed by a cellulose binding domain (CBM2). The GH5 domain shows the highest sequence similarity (69%) to the bifunctional beta 1,4-endoglucanase/cellobiohydrolase from Teredinibacter turnerae T7902. The mature Cel5A enzyme was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The optimal pH and temperature of the recombinant enzyme were determined to be 6.5-7.5 and 50 degrees C, respectively. Cel5A was stable over a wide range of pH and retained more than 90% of total activity even after treatment in pH5.5-10.5 for 1 h, indicating high alkali resistance. Moreover, the enzyme was activated after pretreatment with mild alkali, a novel characteristic that has not been previously reported in other cellulases. Cel5A also showed a high level of salt tolerance. Its activity rose to 1.6-fold in 0.5 M NaCl and remained elevated even in 4 M NaCl. Further experimentation demonstrated that the thermostability of Cel5A was improved in 0.4 M NaCl. In addition, Cel5A showed specific activity towards beta-1,4-linkage of amorphous region of lignocellulose, and the main final hydrolysis product of carboxymethylcellulose sodium and cellooligosaccharides was cellobiose. As an alkali-activated and salt-tolerant enzyme, Cel5A is an ideal candidate for further research and industrial applications.

Marinimicrobium haloxylanilyticum sp. nov., a new moderately halophilic, polysaccharide-degrading bacterium isolated from Great Salt Lake, Utah

A new moderately halophilic, strictly aerobic, Gram-negative bacterium, strain SX15(T), was isolated from hypersaline surface sediment of the southern arm of Great Salt Lake (Utah, USA). The strain grew on a number of carbohydrates and carbohydrate polymers such as xylan, starch, carboxymethyl cellulose and galactomannan. The strain grew at salinities ranging from 2 to 22% NaCl (w/v). Optimal growth occurred in the presence of 7-11% NaCl (w/v) at a temperature of 35°C and a pH of 6.7-8.2. Major whole-cell fatty acids were C16:0 (30.5%), C18:0 (14.8%), C18:1ω7c (13.1%) and C12:0 (7.8%). The G+C content of the DNA was 60 ± 0.5 mol%. By 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain SX15(T) was shown to be affiliated to members of the gammaproteobacterial genus Marinimicrobium with pair wise identity values of 92.9-94.6%. The pheno- and genotypic properties suggest that strain SX15(T) represents a novel species of the genus Marinimicrobium for which the name Marinimicrobium haloxylanilyticum is proposed. The type strain is SX15(T) (= DSM 23100(T) = CCUG 59572(T)).

Salt-activated endoglucanase of a strain of alkaliphilic Bacillus agaradhaerens

An endoglucanase was purified to homogeneity from an alkaline culture broth of a strain isolated from seawater and identified here as Bacillus agaradhaerens JAM-KU023. The molecular mass was around 38-kDa and the N-terminal 19 amino acids of the purified enzyme exhibited 100% sequence identity to Cel5A of B. agaradhaerens DSM8721(T). The enzyme activity increased around 4-fold by the addition of 0.2-2.0 M NaCl in 0.1 M glycine-NaOH buffer (pH 9.0). KCl, Na2SO4, NaBr, NaNO3, CH3COONa, LiCl, NH4NO3, and NH4Cl also activated the enzyme up to 2- to 4-fold. The optimal pH and temperature values were pH 7-9.4 and 60 degrees C with 0.2 M NaCl, but pH 6.5-7 and 50 degrees C without NaCl; enzyme activity increased approximately 6-fold at 60 degrees C with 0.2 M NaCl compared to that at 50 degrees C without NaCl in 0.1 M glycine-NaOH buffer (pH 9.0). The thermostability and pH stability of the enzyme were not affected by NaCl. The enzyme was very stable to several chemical compounds, surfactants and metal ions (except for Fe2+ and Hg2+ ions), regardless whether NaCl was present or not.

Extremely halophilic bacteria in crystallizer ponds from solar salterns

It is generally assumed that hypersaline environments with sodium chloride concentrations close to saturation are dominated by halophilic members of the domain Archaea, while Bacteria are not considered to be relevant in this kind of environment. Here, we report the high abundance and growth of a new group of hitherto-uncultured Bacteria in crystallizer ponds (salinity, from 30 to 37%) from multipond solar salterns. In the present study, these Bacteria constituted from 5 to 25% of the total prokaryotic community and were affiliated with the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides phylum. Growth was demonstrated in saturated NaCl. A provisional classification of this new bacterial group as "Candidatus Salinibacter gen. nov." is proposed. The perception that Archaea are the only ecologically relevant prokaryotes in hypersaline aquatic environments should be revised.

Biology of moderately halophilic aerobic bacteria

The moderately halophilic heterotrophic aerobic bacteria form a diverse group of microorganisms. The property of halophilism is widespread within the bacterial domain. Bacterial halophiles are abundant in environments such as salt lakes, saline soils, and salted food products. Most species keep their intracellular ionic concentrations at low levels while synthesizing or accumulating organic solutes to provide osmotic equilibrium of the cytoplasm with the surrounding medium. Complex mechanisms of adjustment of the intracellular environments and the properties of the cytoplasmic membrane enable rapid adaptation to changes in the salt concentration of the environment. Approaches to the study of genetic processes have recently been developed for several moderate halophiles, opening the way toward an understanding of haloadaptation at the molecular level. The new information obtained is also expected to contribute to the development of novel biotechnological uses for these organisms.