Characterization of rhamnolipids by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction

Antibiofilm and wound healing efficacy of rhamnolipid biosurfactant against pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus

The present study evaluates the in-vitro antibiofilm activity against the biofilm formed by Staphylococcus aureus, and the wound-healing efficacy of two different types of rhamnolipids produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain JS29 in S.aureus infected wounds. The biosurfactant production was carried out in a mineral salt medium supplemented with 2 % Glucose and 2 % Glycerol individually and thus were designated as RL-Glu and RL-Gly respectively. 0.5 mg/ml of RL-Glu and RL-Gly demonstrated 90 % growth inhibition of S. aureus while exhibiting bactericidal activity at 4 mg/ml of RL-Glu and 1 mg/ml of RL-Gly. Both types of rhamnolipid cause changes in membrane permeability leading to pathogens' non-viability. 90 % inhibition of biofilm formation by S. aureus was observed at 2 mg/ml of RL-Glu and 0.5 mg/ml of RL-Gly, while 0.5 mg/ml of both rhamnolipid disrupted 90 % of the preformed biofilm. 0.5 mg/ml of RL-Glu and RL-Gly decreases the production of exopolysaccharides and also causes structural alteration. 0.5 mg/ml of RL-Glu and RL-Gly were found to exhibit effective wound healing efficacy in S. aureus infected wounds within 7 days of treatment. Histopathological studies of wound sites revealed efficient wound management by both the rhamnolipid. LCMS and GCMS characterization of the biosurfactant revealed that JS29 produces different rhamnolipid congeners when grown on different carbon sources, thereby influencing the antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and wound healing efficacy of rhamnolipid.

An antibiotic-free platform for eliminating persistent Helicobacter pylori infection without disrupting gut microbiota

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection remains the leading cause of gastric adenocarcinoma, and its eradication primarily relies on the prolonged and intensive use of two antibiotics. However, antibiotic resistance has become a compelling health issue, leading to H. pylori eradication treatment failure worldwide. Additionally, the powerlessness of antibiotics against biofilms, as well as intracellular H. pylori and the long-term damage of antibiotics to the intestinal microbiota, have also created an urgent demand for antibiotic-free approaches. Herein, we describe an antibiotic-free, multifunctional copper-organic framework (HKUST-1) platform encased in a lipid layer comprising phosphatidic acid (PA), rhamnolipid (RHL), and cholesterol (CHOL), enveloped in chitosan (CS), and loaded in an ascorbyl palmitate (AP) hydrogel: AP@CS@Lip@HKUST-1. This platform targets inflammatory sites where H. pylori aggregates through electrostatic attraction. Then, hydrolysis by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) releases CS-encased nanoparticles, disrupting bacterial urease activity and membrane integrity. Additionally, RHL disperses biofilms, while PA promotes lysosomal acidification and activates host autophagy, enabling clearance of intracellular H. pylori. Furthermore, AP@CS@Lip@HKUST-1 alleviates inflammation and enhances mucosal repair through delayed Cu2+ release while preserving the intestinal microbiota. Collectively, this platform presents an advanced therapeutic strategy for eradicating persistent H. pylori infection without inducing drug resistance.

Microbe cultivation guidelines to optimize rhamnolipid applications

In the growing landscape of interest in natural surfactants, selecting the appropriate one for specific applications remains challenging. The extensive, yet often unsystematized, knowledge of microbial surfactants, predominantly represented by rhamnolipids (RLs), typically does not translate beyond the conditions presented in scientific publications. This limitation stems from the numerous variables and their interdependencies that characterize microbial surfactant production. We hypothesized that a computational recipe for biosynthesizing RLs with targeted applicational properties could be developed from existing literature and experimental data. We amassed literature data on RL biosynthesis and micellar solubilization and augmented it with our experimental results on the solubilization of triglycerides (TGs), a topic underrepresented in current literature. Utilizing this data, we constructed mathematical models that can predict RL characteristics and solubilization efficiency, represented as logPRL = f(carbon and nitrogen source, parameters of biosynthesis) and logMSR = f(solubilizate, rhamnolipid (e.g. logPRL), parameters of solubilization), respectively. The models, characterized by robust R2 values of respectively 0.581-0.997 and 0.804, enabled the ranking of descriptors based on their significance and impact-positive or negative-on the predicted values. These models have been translated into ready-to-use calculators, tools designed to streamline the selection process for identifying a biosurfactant optimally suited for intended applications.

Identification and quantification of biosurfactants produced by the marine bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis by hyphenated techniques

A novel biosurfactant was discovered to be synthesized by the marine bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis in 1992. This bacterium is abundant in marine environments affected by oil spills, where it helps to degrade alkanes and, under such conditions, produces a glycine-glucolipid biosurfactant. The biosurfactant enhances the bacterium's attachment to oil droplets and facilitates the uptake of hydrocarbons. Due to its useful properties expected, there is interest in the biotechnological production of this biosurfactant. To support this effort analytically, a method combining reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was developed, allowing the separation and identification of glycine-glucolipid congeners. Accurate mass, retention time, and characteristic fragmentation pattern were utilized for species assignment. In addition, charged-aerosol detection (CAD) was employed to enable absolute quantification without authentic standards. The methodology was used to investigate the glycine-glucolipid production by A. borkumensis SK2 using different carbon sources. Mass spectrometry allowed us to identify congeners with varying chain lengths (C6-C12) and degrees of unsaturation (0-1 double bonds) in the incorporated 3-hydroxy-alkanoic acids, some previously unknown. Quantification using CAD revealed that the titer was approximately twice as high when grown with hexadecane as with pyruvate (49 mg/L versus 22 mg/L). The main congener for both carbon sources was glc-40:0-gly, accounting for 64% with pyruvate and 85% with hexadecane as sole carbon source. With the here presented analytical suit, complex and varying glycolipids can be identified, characterized, and quantified, as here exemplarily shown for the interesting glycine-glucolipid of A. borkumensis.

Study of peripheral domains in structure-function of isocitrate lyase (ICL) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The capacity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to assimilate nutrients is essential for niche colonization and contributes to its pathogenicity. Isocitrate lyase (ICL), the first enzyme of the glyoxylate cycle, redirects isocitrate from the tricarboxylic acid cycle to render glyoxylate and succinate. P. aeruginosa ICL (PaICL) is regarded as a virulence factor due to its role in carbon assimilation during infection. The AceA/ICL protein family shares the catalytic domain I, triosephosphate isomerase barrel (TIM-barrel). The carboxyl terminus of domain I is essential for Escherichia coli ICL (EcICL) of subfamily 1. PaICL, which belongs to subfamily 3, has domain II inserted at the periphery of domain I, which is believed to participate in enzyme oligomerization. In addition, PaICL has the α13-loop-α14 (extended motif), which protrudes from the enzyme core, being of unknown function. This study investigates the role of domain II, the extended motif, and the carboxyl-terminus (C-ICL) and amino-terminus (N-ICL) regions in the function of the PaICL enzyme, also as their involvement in the virulence of P. aeruginosa PAO1. Deletion of domain II and the extended motif results in enzyme inactivation and structural instability of the enzyme. The His6-tag fusion at the C-ICL protein produced a less efficient enzyme than fusion at the N-ICL, but without affecting the acetate assimilation or virulence. The PaICL homotetrameric structure of the enzyme was more stable in the N-His6-ICL than in the C-His6-ICL, suggesting that the C-terminus is critical for the ICL quaternary conformation. The ICL-mutant A39 complemented with the recombinant proteins N-His6-ICL or C-His6-ICL were more virulent than the WT PAO1 strain. The findings indicate that the domain II and the extended motif are essential for the ICL structure/function, and the C-terminus is involved in its quaternary structure conformation, confirming that in P. aeruginosa, the ICL is essential for acetate assimilation and virulence.

Construction of a Bacterial Lipidomics Analytical Platform: Pilot Validation with Bovine Paratuberculosis Serum

Lipidomics analyses of bacteria offer the potential to detect and monitor infections in a host since many bacterial lipids are not present in mammals. To evaluate this omics approach, we first built a database of bacterial lipids for representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Our lipidomics analysis of the reference bacteria involved high-resolution mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization with less than a 1.0 ppm mass error. The lipidomics profiles of bacterial cultures clearly distinguished between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In the case of bovine paratuberculosis (PTB) serum, we monitored two unique bacterial lipids that we also monitored in Mycobacterium avian subspecies PTB. These were PDIM-B C82, a phthiodiolone dimycocerosate, and the trehalose monomycolate hTMM 28:1, constituents of the bacterial cell envelope in mycolic-containing bacteria. The next step will be to determine if lipidomics can detect subclinical PTB infections which can last 2-to-4 years in bovine PTB. Our data further suggest that it will be worthwhile to continue building our bacterial lipidomics database and investigate the further utility of this approach in other infections of veterinary and human clinical interest.

Metabolic engineering of Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 for rhamnolipid biosynthesis from biomass-derived aromatics

Lignin is a ubiquitously available and sustainable feedstock that is underused as its depolymerization yields a range of aromatic monomers that are challenging substrates for microbes. In this study, we investigated the growth of Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 on biomass-derived aromatics, namely, 4-coumarate, ferulate, 4-hydroxybenzoate, and vanillate. The wild type strain was not able to grow on 4-coumarate and ferulate. After integration of catabolic genes for breakdown of 4-coumarate and ferulate, the metabolically engineered strain was able to grow on these aromatics. Further, the specific growth rate of the strain was enhanced up to 3-fold using adaptive laboratory evolution, resulting in increased tolerance towards 4-coumarate and ferulate. Whole-genome sequencing highlighted several different mutations mainly in two genes. The first gene was actP, coding for a cation/acetate symporter, and the other gene was paaA coding for a phenyl acetyl-CoA oxygenase. The evolved strain was further engineered for rhamnolipid production. Among the biomass-derived aromatics investigated, 4-coumarate and ferulate were promising substrates for product synthesis. With 4-coumarate as the sole carbon source, a yield of 0.27 (Cmolrhl/Cmol4-coumarate) was achieved, corresponding to 28% of the theoretical yield. Ferulate enabled a yield of about 0.22 (Cmolrhl/Cmolferulate), representing 42% of the theoretical yield. Overall, this study demonstrates the use of biomass-derived aromatics as novel carbon sources for rhamnolipid biosynthesis.

The Glycine-Glucolipid of Alcanivorax borkumensis Is Resident to the Bacterial Cell Wall

The marine bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis produces a surface-active glycine-glucolipid during growth with long-chain alkanes. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for absolute quantification. This method is based on the conversion of the glycine-glucolipid to phenacyl esters with subsequent measurement by HPLC with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Different molecular species were separated by HPLC and identified as glucosyl-tetra(3-hydroxy-acyl)-glycine with varying numbers of 3-hydroxy-decanoic acid or 3-hydroxy-octanoic acid groups via mass spectrometry. The growth rate of A. borkumensis cells with pyruvate as the sole carbon source was elevated compared to hexadecane as recorded by the increase in cell density as well as oxygen/carbon dioxide transfer rates. The amount of the glycine-glucolipid produced per cell during growth on hexadecane was higher compared with growth on pyruvate. The glycine-glucolipid from pyruvate-grown cells contained considerable amounts of 3-hydroxy-octanoic acid, in contrast to hexadecane-grown cells, which almost exclusively incorporated 3-hydroxy-decanoic acid into the glycine-glucolipid. The predominant proportion of the glycine-glucolipid was found in the cell pellet, while only minute amounts were present in the cell-free supernatant. The glycine-glucolipid isolated from the bacterial cell broth, cell pellet, or cell-free supernatant showed the same structure containing a glycine residue, in contrast to previous reports, which suggested that a glycine-free form of the glucolipid exists which is secreted into the supernatant. In conclusion, the glycine-glucolipid of A. borkumensis is resident to the cell wall and enables the bacterium to bind and solubilize alkanes at the lipid-water interface. IMPORTANCE Alcanivorax borkumensis is one of the most abundant marine bacteria found in areas of oil spills, where it degrades alkanes. The production of a glycine-glucolipid is considered an essential element for alkane degradation. We developed a quantitative method and determined the structure of the A. borkumensis glycine-glucolipid in different fractions of the cultures after growth in various media. Our results show that the amount of the glycine-glucolipid in the cells by far exceeds the amount measured in the supernatant, confirming the proposed cell wall localization. These results support the scenario that the surface hydrophobicity of A. borkumensis cells increases by producing the glycine-glucolipid, allowing the cells to attach to the alkane-water interface and form a biofilm. We found no evidence for a glycine-free form of the glucolipid.

Bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soil through biosurfactant and Pseudomonas sp. SA3 amended design treatments

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Potent PGP strain Pseudomonas sp SA3 was isolated from oil contaminated zone.

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PGPR strain SA3 produce biosurfactant under petroleum stress.

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Biosurfactant and strain SA3 amended treatments were developed.

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Amended treatments effects the plant growth and pigments.

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Treatment are efficient in reclamation of petroleum contaminated soil.

Toxicity of agricultural soil due to petroleum contamination has become a serious issue in recent times. Petrol oil exhibits toxic effects in agricultural crops due to the presence of various hazardous hydrocarbons. The degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon has been widely studied by the researchers that signify the requirement of effective treatments for the detoxification of petroleum contaminated soil and their reuse for growing crops. Hence, with this intention in the present study secondary metabolites “biosurfactant” (natural surfactant) along with the potent plant growth promoting (PGP) bacterial strain Pseudomonas sp. SA3 was used in the designed treatments for growing agricultural crop. The biosurfactant produced by the strain has the emulsification capacity of 43% and surface tension reduction ability to 34.5 mN/m whereas the plant growth promoting traits demonstrates 93.46 µg/mL phosphate solubilisation ability, siderophores (iron chelating compound) production upto 69.41% units and 81.41 µg/mL indole acetic acid  (IAA) production ability. Further, the results of the design treatments signifies that treatments amended with the strain SA3 and biosurfactant is effective in the management of petroleum contaminated soil indicating treatment EX 5 (1 kg soil + 1 L water + Pseudomonas sp. SA3 + 300 mL crude biosurfactant), as an efficient treatment in increment of phytochemical constituents and 10–15% enhancement in growth parameters as compared to negative control. Hence, the developed treatments can be efficaciously used for the management of petroleum contaminated soil for agronomy.

Production of rhamnolipids by the Thermoanaerobacter sp. CM-CNRG TB177 strain isolated from an oil well in Mexico

This study aimed to produce and characterize biosurfactants using the Thermoanaerobacter sp. CM-CNRG TB177 strain isolated from an oil field in Mexico, as well as assessing the influence of different carbon and nitrogen sources on the capacity of the produced surfactant to reduce the surface tension of water. The thin-layer chromatography (TLC) revealed that the obtained extract corresponds to a mono-rhamnolipid; the results of the ultra-performance-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS) analysis revealed that the Thermoanaerobacter sp. CM-CNRG TB177 strain produces a mixture of three rhamnolipids, whose masses correspond to mono-rhamnolipid. The rhamnolipids mixture obtained using 2.5% molasses as carbon source diminished the surface tension of water to 29.67 mNm^-1, indicating that the concentration of molasses influenced the capacity of the produced surfactant to reduce the surface tension of water. Also, the microorganism was not capable of growing in the absence of yeast extract as nitrogen source. To the best of our knowledge, the presented results describe for the first time the nature of the biosurfactant produced by a bacterium of the Thermoanaerobacter genus.Key points• Thermoanaerobacter sp. CM-CNRG TB177 produces biosurfactants, and its glycolipid nature is described for the first time.• The HPLC analysis revealed a mixture of three rhamnolipid congeners, and UPLC/MS analysis determined that two of the congeners are the rhamnolipids Rha-C8-C10 and Rha-C12-C10.• The lowest surface tension of 29.67 mNm^-1 was obtained with molasses as source of carbon at a 2.5% concentration.

Diverse Effects of Natural and Synthetic Surfactants on the Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm

A major challenge in the biomedical field is the creation of materials and coating strategies that effectively limit the onset of biofilm-associated infections on medical devices. Biosurfactants are well known and appreciated for their antimicrobial/anti-adhesive/anti-biofilm properties, low toxicity, and biocompatibility. In this study, the rhamnolipid produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa 89 (R89BS) was characterized by HPLC-MS/MS and its ability to modify cell surface hydrophobicity and membrane permeability as well as its antimicrobial, anti-adhesive, and anti-biofilm activity against Staphylococcus aureus were compared to two commonly used surfactants of synthetic origin: Tween® 80 and TritonTM X-100. The R89BS crude extract showed a grade of purity of 91.4% and was composed by 70.6% of mono-rhamnolipids and 20.8% of di-rhamnolipids. The biological activities of R89BS towards S. aureus were higher than those of the two synthetic surfactants. In particular, the anti-adhesive and anti-biofilm properties of R89BS and of its purified mono- and di-congeners were similar. R89BS inhibition of S. aureus adhesion and biofilm formation was ~97% and 85%, respectively, and resulted in an increased inhibition of about 33% after 6 h and of about 39% after 72 h when compared to their chemical counterparts. These results suggest a possible applicability of R89BS as a protective coating agent to limit implant colonization.

Seeking faster, alternative methods for glycolipid biosurfactant characterization and purification

Biosurfactants have been investigated as potential alternatives for synthetic surfactants in several areas, for example, in environmental and pharmaceutical fields. In that regard, extensive research has been carried out with sophorolipids and rhamnolipids that also present various biological properties with therapeutic significance. These biosurfactants are obtained as complex mixtures of slightly different molecules, and thus when studying these microbial glycolipids, the ability to identify and purify the produced compounds is of extreme importance. This study aimed to develop improved methodologies for the identification, separation, and purification of sophorolipids and rhamnolipids. Therefore, an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was modified to ensure faster characterization of both sophorolipids and rhamnolipids, enabling the identification and fragmentation pattern description of 10 and 13 congeners, respectively. The separation and purification of these biosurfactants was achieved with novel reversed-phase solid-phase extraction methods guaranteeing the isolation of different glycolipids, including those considered for their significant biological activity (e.g. antimicrobial, anticancer). It was possible to isolate sophorolipids and rhamnolipids with purity of 94% and 99%, respectively. The methods presented herein can be easily implemented and are expected to make purification of these biosurfactants easier, facilitating the study of their individual properties in further works.

Direct enantioselective gradient reversed-phase ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for 3-hydroxy alkanoic acids in lipopeptides on an immobilized 1.6 μm amylose-based chiral stationary phase

3-Hydroxy fatty acids are important chiral building blocks of lipopeptides and metabolic intermediates of fatty acid oxidation, respectively. The analysis of the stereochemistry of such biomolecules has significant practical impact to elucidate and assign the enzymatic specificity of the biosynthesis machinery. In this work, a new mass spectrometry compatible direct chiral ultra high performance liquid chromatography separation method for 3-hydroxy fatty acids without derivatization is presented. The application of amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenyl carbamate) based polysaccharide chiral stationary phase immobilized on 1.6 μm silica particles (CHIRALPAK IA-U) allows the enantioseparation of 3-hydroxy fatty acids under generic electrospray ionization mass spectrometry friendly reversed phase gradient elution conditions. Adequate separation factors were achieved with both acetonitrile and methanol as organic modifiers, covering hydrocarbon chain lengths between C₆ and C₁₄ . Elution orders were derived from rhamnolipid (R-95) of which enantiomerically pure or enriched (R)-3-hydroxy fatty acids were recovered after ester hydrolysis. The S-configured acids consistently eluted before the respective R-enantiomers. The method was successfully applied for the elucidation of the absolute configuration of 3-hydroxy fatty acids originating from a novel lipopeptide with unknown structure. The work furthermore demonstrates that gradient elution is a viable option also in enantioselective (ultra)high performance liquid chromatography, even for analytes with modest separation factors, although less commonly exploited.

Coupling an Electroactive Pseudomonas putida KT2440 with Bioelectrochemical Rhamnolipid Production

Sufficient supply of oxygen is a major bottleneck in industrial biotechnological synthesis. One example is the heterologous production of rhamnolipids using Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Typically, the synthesis is accompanied by strong foam formation in the reactor vessel hampering the process. It is caused by the extensive bubbling needed to sustain the high respirative oxygen demand in the presence of the produced surfactants. One way to reduce the oxygen requirement is to enable the cells to use the anode of a bioelectrochemical system (BES) as an alternative sink for their metabolically derived electrons. We here used a P. putida KT2440 strain that interacts with the anode using mediated extracellular electron transfer via intrinsically produced phenazines, to perform heterologous rhamnolipid production under oxygen limitation. The strain P. putida RL-PCA successfully produced 30.4 ± 4.7 mg/L mono-rhamnolipids together with 11.2 ± 0.8 mg/L of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) in 500-mL benchtop BES reactors and 30.5 ± 0.5 mg/L rhamnolipids accompanied by 25.7 ± 8.0 mg/L PCA in electrode containing standard 1-L bioreactors. Hence, this study marks a first proof of concept to produce glycolipid surfactants in oxygen-limited BES with an industrially relevant strain.

Structural and Physicochemical Characterization of Rhamnolipids produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa P6

Rhamnolipids are important biosurfactants for application in bioremediation, enhanced oil recovery, pharmaceutical, and detergent industry. In this study, rhamnolipids extracted from P. aeruginosa P6 were characterized to determine their potential fields of application. Thin-layer chromatographic analysis of the produced rhamnolipids indicated the production of two homologues: mono- and di-rhamnolipids, whose structures were verified by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Additionally, high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry identified seven different rhamnolipid congeners, of which a significantly high proportion was di-rhamnolipids reaching 80.16%. Rha-Rha-C10-C10 was confirmed as the principal compound of the rhamnolipid mixture (24.30%). The rhamnolipids were capable of lowering surface tension of water to 36 mN/m at a critical micelle concentration of 0.2 g/L, and exhibited a great emulsifying activity (E24 = 63%). In addition, they showed excellent stability at pH ranges 4-8, NaCl concentrations up to 9% (w/v) and temperatures ranging from 20 to 100 °C and even after autoclaving. These results suggest that rhamnolipids, produced by P. aeruginosa P6 using the cheap substrate glycerol, are propitious for biotechnology use in extreme and complex environments, like oil reservoirs and hydrocarbon contaminated soil. Moreover, P. aeruginosa P6 may be considered, in its wild type form, as a promising industrial producer of di-RLs, which have superior characteristics for potential applications and offer outstanding commercial benefits.

Heterologous Rhamnolipid Biosynthesis: Advantages, Challenges, and the Opportunity to Produce Tailor-Made Rhamnolipids

The first heterologous expression of genes responsible for the production of rhamnolipids was already implemented in the mid-1990s during the functional identification of the rhlAB operon. This was the starting shot for multiple approaches to establish the rhamnolipid biosynthesis in different host organisms. Since most of the native rhamnolipid producing organisms are human or plant pathogens, the intention for these ventures was the establishment of non-pathogenic organisms as heterologous host for the production of rhamnolipids. The pathogenicity of producing organisms is one of the bottlenecks for applications of rhamnolipids in many industrial products especially foods and cosmetics. The further advantage of heterologous rhamnolipid production is the circumvention of the complex regulatory network, which regulates the rhamnolipid biosynthesis in wild type production strains. Furthermore, a suitable host with an optimal genetic background to provide sufficient amounts of educts allows the production of tailor-made rhamnolipids each with its specific physico-chemical properties depending on the contained numbers of rhamnose sugar residues and the numbers, chain length and saturation degree of 3-hydroxyfatty acids. The heterologous expression of rhl genes can also enable the utilization of unusual carbon sources for the production of rhamnolipids depending on the host organism.

Double bond localization in unsaturated rhamnolipid precursors 3-(3-hydroxyalkanoyloxy)alkanoic acids by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry applying online Paternò-Büchi reaction

Lipids are biomolecules with a broad variety of chemical structures, which renders them essential not only for various biological functions but also interestingly for biotechnological applications. Rhamnolipids are microbial glycolipids with surface-active properties and are widely used biosurfactants. They are composed of one or two L-rhamnoses and up to three hydroxy fatty acids. Their biosynthetic precursors are 3-hydroxy(alkanoyloxy)alkanoic acids (HAAs). The latter are also present in cell supernatants as complex mixtures and are extensively studied for their potential to replace synthetically derived surfactants. The carbon chain lengths of HAAs determine their physical properties, such as their abilities to foam and emulsify, and their critical micelle concentration. Despite growing biotechnological interest, methods for structural elucidation are limited and often rely on hydrolysis and analysis of free hydroxy fatty acids losing the connectivity information. Therefore, a high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method was developed for comprehensive structural characterization of intact HAAs. Information is provided on chain length and number of double bonds in each hydroxy fatty acid and their linkage by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Post-column photochemical derivatization by online Paternὸ-Büchi reaction and MS/MS fragmentation experiments generated diagnostic fragments allowing structural characterization down to the double bond position level. Furthermore, the presented experiments demonstrate a powerful approach for structure elucidation of complex lipids by tailored fragmentation.

A Combined Bio-Chemical Synthesis Route for 1-Octene Sheds Light on Rhamnolipid Structure

Here we report a chemoenzymatic approach to synthesize 1-octene from carbohydrates via ethenolysis of rhamnolipids. Rhamnolipids synthesized by P. putida contain a double bond between carbon five and six, which is experimentally confirmed via olefin cross metathesis. Utilizing these lipids in the ethenolysis catalyzed by a Grubbs−Hoveyda-type catalyst selectively generates 1-octene and with good conversions. This study shows the potential of chemoenzymatic approaches to produce compounds for the chemical industry from renewable resources.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa RTE4: A Tea Rhizobacterium With Potential for Plant Growth Promotion and Biosurfactant Production

Tea is an ancient non-alcoholic beverage plantation crop cultivated in the most part of Assam, India. Being a long-term monoculture, tea plants are prone to both biotic and abiotic stresses, and requires massive amounts of chemicals as fertilizers and pesticides to achieve worthy crop productivity. The rhizosphere bacteria with the abilities to produce phytohormone, secreting hydrolytic enzyme, biofilm formation, bio-control activity provides induced systemic resistance to plants against pathogens. Thus, plant growth promoting (PGP) rhizobacteria represents as an alternative candidate to chemical inputs for agriculture sector. Further, deciphering the secondary metabolites, including biosurfactant (BS) allow developing a better understanding of rhizobacterial strains. The acidic nature of tea rhizosphere is predominated by Bacillus followed by Pseudomonas that enhances crop biomass and yield through accelerating uptake of nutrients. In the present study, a strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa RTE4 isolated from tea rhizosphere soil collected from Rosekandy Tea Garden, Cachar, Assam was evaluated for various plant-growth promoting attributes. The strain RTE4 produces indole acetic acid (74.54 μg/ml), hydrolytic enzymes, and solubilize tri-calcium phosphate (46 μg/ml). Bio-control activity of RTE4 was recorded against two foliar fungal pathogens of tea (Corticium invisium and Fusarium solani) and a bacterial plant pathogen (Xanthomonas campestris). The strain RTE4 was positive for BS production in the preliminary screening. Detailed analytical characterization through TLC, FTIR, NMR, and LCMS techniques revealed that the strain RTE4 grown in M9 medium with glucose (2% w/v) produce di-rhamnolipid BS. This BS reduced surface tension of phosphate buffer saline from 71 to 31 mN/m with a critical micelle concentration of 80 mg/L. Purified BS of RTE4 showed minimum inhibitory concentration of 5, 10, and 20 mg/ml against X. campestris, F. solani and C. invisium, respectively. Capability of RTE4 BS to be employed as a biofungicide as compared to Carbendazim - commercially available fungicide is also tested. The strain RTE4 exhibits multiple PGP attributes along with production of di-rhamnolipid BS. This gives a possibility to produce di-rhamnolipid BS from RTE4 in large scale and explore its applications in fields as a biological alternative to chemical fertilizer.

Characterization of a New Mixture of Mono-Rhamnolipids Produced by Pseudomonas gessardii Isolated from Edmonson Point (Antarctica)

Rhamnolipids (RLs) are surface-active molecules mainly produced by Pseudomonas spp. Antarctica is one of the less explored places on Earth and bioprospecting for novel RL producer strains represents a promising strategy for the discovery of novel structures. In the present study, 34 cultivable bacteria isolated from Edmonson Point Lake, Ross Sea, Antarctica were subjected to preliminary screening for the biosurfactant activity. The positive strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the produced RLs were characterized by liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRESIMS) and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), resulting in a new mixture of 17 different RL congeners, with six previously undescribed RLs. We explored the influence of the carbon source on the RL composition using 12 different raw materials, such as monosaccharides, polysaccharides and petroleum industry derivatives, reporting for the first time the production of RLs using, as sole carbon source, anthracene and benzene. Moreover, we investigated the antimicrobial potential of the RL mixture, towards a panel of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, reporting very interesting results towards Listeria monocytogenes with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 3.13 µg/mL. Finally, we report for the first time the antimicrobial activity of RLs towards three strains of the emerging multidrug resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia with MIC values of 12.5 µg/mL.

Exploiting the Natural Diversity of RhlA Acyltransferases for the Synthesis of the Rhamnolipid Precursor 3-(3-Hydroxyalkanoyloxy)Alkanoic Acid

While rhamnolipids of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type are commercially available, the natural diversity of rhamnolipids and their origin have barely been investigated. Here, we collected known and identified new rhlA genes encoding the acyltransferase responsible for the synthesis of the lipophilic rhamnolipid precursor 3-(3-hydroxyalkanoyloxy)alkanoic acid (HAA). Generally, all homologs were found in Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria A likely horizontal gene transfer event into Actinobacteria is the only identified exception. The phylogeny of the RhlA homologs from Pseudomonas and Burkholderia species is consistent with the organism phylogeny, and genes involved in rhamnolipid synthesis are located in operons. In contrast, RhlA homologs from the Enterobacterales do not follow the organisms' phylogeny but form their own branch. Furthermore, in many Enterobacterales and Halomonas from the Oceanospirillales, an isolated rhlA homolog can be found in the genome. The RhlAs from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01, Pseudomonas fluorescens LMG 05825, Pantoea ananatis LMG 20103, Burkholderia plantarii PG1, Burkholderia ambifaria LMG 19182, Halomonas sp. strain R57-5, Dickeya dadantii Ech586, and Serratia plymuthica PRI-2C were expressed in Escherichia coli and tested for HAA production. Indeed, except for the Serratia RhlA, HAAs were produced with the engineered strains. A detailed analysis of the produced HAA congeners by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) highlights the congener specificity of the RhlA proteins. The congener length varies from 4 to 18 carbon atoms, with the main congeners consisting of different combinations of saturated or monounsaturated C₁₀, C₁₂, and C₁₄ fatty acids. The results are discussed in the context of the phylogeny of this unusual enzymatic activity.IMPORTANCE The RhlA specificity explains the observed differences in 3-(3-hydroxyalkanoyloxy)alkanoic acid (HAA) congeners. Whole-cell catalysts can now be designed for the synthesis of different congener mixtures of HAAs and rhamnolipids, thereby contributing to the envisaged synthesis of designer HAAs.

Pantoea sp. P37 as a novel nonpathogenic host for the heterologous production of rhamnolipids

Microbially derived surfactants, so‐called biosurfactants, have attracted significant attention as an environmentally friendly alternative to their chemically synthesized counterparts. Particularly, rhamnolipids offer a large potential with their outstanding surfactant properties such as complete biodegradability, low toxicity, and stability. Rhamnolipids are naturally synthesized by the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa under the tight regulation of a highly complex quorum‐sensing system. The heterologous production of mono‐rhamnolipids by a newly isolated nonpathogenic strain of the genus Pantoea was investigated. Analysis of the genome obtained by a chimeric assembly of Nanopore long reads and high‐quality Illumina reads suggested that the strain has evolved to an epiphytic rather than a pathogenic lifestyle. Functional heterologous expression of the mono‐rhamnolipid operon rhlAB derived from a P. aeruginosa strain was established and confirmed by HPLC analysis. Transcriptome analysis indicated destabilizing effects of the produced rhamnolipids on the cell envelope of the host resulting in the induction of molecular stress responses. After integration of the rmlBCDA operon, extracellular rhamnolipids in amounts up to 0.4 g/L could be detected and were identified as a mono‐rhamnolipid Rha‐C₁₀‐C₁₀ by MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry.

Desorption and solubilization of anthracene by a rhamnolipid biosurfactant from Rhodococcus fascians

The rhamnolipid biosurfactant-producing bacterium, strain SDRB-G7, was isolated from the sediment of Sindu-ri beach and identified as Rhodococcus fascians based on a phylogenetic analysis. Optimal activity, with the highest yield (2.441 g/L) and surface tension-reducing activity (24.38 mN/m), was observed when the cells were grown on olive oil as their sole source of carbon at pH 8.0. The rhamnolipid biosurfactant showed environmental stability at a variety of NaCl concentrations (2-20%) and pH values (2-12) even under acidic conditions. Of the initial anthracene, 66% was solubilized by 100% crude biosurfactant. Furthermore, 100% crude biosurfactant desorbed 81% of the anthracene in sediment into the aqueous phase. These results suggest that the rhamnolipid biosurfactant produced from R. fascians SDRB-G7 is a promising candidate for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) removal from the sediment and can be an effective agent for processes that bioremediate PAHs such as surfactant-enhanced remediation. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Biosurfactants can accelerate desorption of PAHs and improve their solubility. BS-producing R. fascians SDRB-G7 was selected by screening of biochemical tests. Solubility of anthracene was enhanced by rhamnolipid produced by strain SDRB-G7. Microbial surfactant is a promising alternative for bioremediation of PAH-polluted sites.

Overproduction of rhamnolipid by fed-batch cultivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a lab-scale fermenter under tight DO control

Rhamnolipids are one of the most well-known classes of biosurfactants having wide applications in various industries due to low toxicity, high biodegradability, and environmentally friendly. Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration has the crucial effect on rhamnolipids production, particularly through fed-batch cultivation. In this study, the effect of different levels of DO concentrations on rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in both batch and fed-batch fermentation was investigated in a lab-scale fermenter under precise DO control. A maximal rhamnolipid production of 22.5 g/l was obtained at a DO concentration of 40% in batch fermentation. In order to achieve the high rhamnolipid production, a fed-batch operation under tight DO control of 40% was conducted. As a result, the overall rhamnolipid production and productivity reached to 240 g/l and 0.9 (g/l h), corresponding to a 10.7 and 4.8-fold improvement compared to the batch experiments. The high level of rhamnolipid production via the fed-batch cultivation can be attributed to both DO concentration and the feeding strategy. This achievement is promising for the production of rhamnolipid in industrial scale.

Utilization of agro-industrial waste for biosurfactant production under submerged fermentation and its application in oil recovery from sand matrix

This study reports biosurfactant production by Pseudomonas azotoformans AJ15 under submerged fermentation via utilizing the agro-industrial wastes (bagasse and potato peels). The extracted biosurfactant was characterized for its classification (nature, group, and class) and stability against environmental stresses. Further, the biosurfactant was employed to explore its oil recovery efficiency from the sand matrix with 2000 ppm salt concentration. Results revealed that substrates developed by mixing both the agro-industrial wastes account for high yield of biosurfactant. The subsequent experimental studies demonstrated that the biosurfactant might belong to glycolipid group and rhamnolipid class. Moreover, the biosurfactant was stable at a high temperature of 90 °C and enable to persist its activity in the high salt concentration of 6% and varying pH. The biosurfactant was found to be effective in recovering up to 36.56% of trapped oil under saline condition.

Characterization of Rhamnolipids Produced by an Arctic Marine Bacterium from the Pseudomonas fluorescence Group

The marine environment is a rich source of biodiversity, including microorganisms that have proven to be prolific producers of bioactive secondary metabolites. Arctic seas are less explored than warmer, more accessible areas, providing a promising starting point to search for novel bioactive compounds. In the present work, an Arctic marine Pseudomonas sp. belonging to the Pseudomonas (P.) fluorescence group was cultivated in four different media in an attempt to activate biosynthetic pathways leading to the production of antibacterial and anticancer compounds. Culture extracts were pre-fractionated and screened for antibacterial and anticancer activities. One fraction from three of the four growth conditions showed inhibitory activity towards bacteria and cancer cells. The active fractions were dereplicated using molecular networking based on MS/MS fragmentation data, indicating the presence of a cluster of related rhamnolipids. Six compounds were isolated using HPLC and mass-guided fractionation, and by interpreting data from NMR and high-resolution MS/MS analysis; the structures of the compounds were determined to be five mono-rhamnolipids and the lipid moiety of one of the rhamnolipids. Molecular networking proved to be a valuable tool for dereplication of these related compounds, and for the first time, five mono-rhamnolipids from a bacterium within the P. fluorescence group were characterized, including one new mono-rhamnolipid.

Designer rhamnolipids by reduction of congener diversity: production and characterization

Background

Rhamnolipids are biosurfactants featuring surface-active properties that render them suitable for a broad range of industrial applications. These properties include their emulsification and foaming capacity, critical micelle concentration, and ability to lower surface tension. Further, aspects like biocompatibility and environmental friendliness are becoming increasingly important. Rhamnolipids are mainly produced by pathogenic bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We previously designed and constructed a recombinant Pseudomonas putida KT2440, which synthesizes rhamnolipids by decoupling production from host-intrinsic regulations and cell growth.

Results

Here, the molecular structure of the rhamnolipids, i.e., different congeners produced by engineered P. putida are reported. Natural rhamnolipid producers can synthesize mono- and di-rhamnolipids, containing one or two rhamnose molecules, respectively. Of each type of rhamnolipid four main congeners are produced, deviating in the chain lengths of the β-hydroxy-fatty acids. The resulting eight main rhamnolipid congeners with variable numbers of hydrophobic/hydrophilic residues and their mixtures feature different physico-chemical properties that might lead to diverse applications. We engineered a microbial cell factory to specifically produce three different biosurfactant mixtures: a mixture of di- and mono-rhamnolipids, mono-rhamnolipids only, and hydroxyalkanoyloxy alkanoates, the precursors of rhamnolipid synthesis, consisting only of β-hydroxy-fatty acids. To support the possibility of second generation biosurfactant production with our engineered microbial cell factory, we demonstrate rhamnolipid production from sustainable carbon sources, including glycerol and xylose. A simple purification procedure resulted in biosurfactants with purities of up to 90%. Finally, through determination of properties specific for surface active compounds, we were able to show that the different mixtures indeed feature different physico-chemical characteristics.

Conclusions

The approach demonstrated here is a first step towards the production of designer biosurfactants, tailor-made for specific applications by purposely adjusting the congener composition of the mixtures. Not only were we able to genetically engineer our cell factory to produce specific biosurfactant mixtures, but we also showed that the products are suited for different applications. These designer biosurfactants can be produced as part of a biorefinery from second generation carbon sources such as xylose.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12934-017-0838-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Potential applications of biosurfactant rhamnolipids in agriculture and biomedicine

Rhamnolipids have recently emerged as promising bioactive molecules due to their novel structures, diverse and versatile biological functions, lower toxicity, higher biodegradability, as well as production from renewable resources. The advantages of rhamnolipids make them attractive targets for research in a wide variety of applications. Especially rhamnolipids are likely to possess potential applications of the future in areas such as biomedicine, therapeutics, and agriculture. The purpose of this mini review is to provide a comprehensive prospective of biosurfactant rhamnolipids as potential antimicrobials, immune modulators, and virulence factors, and anticancer agents in the field of biomedicine and agriculture that may meet the ever-increasing future pharmacological treatment and food safety needs in human health.

Novel insights into biosynthesis and uptake of rhamnolipids and their precursors

The human pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces rhamnolipids, glycolipids with functions for bacterial motility, biofilm formation, and uptake of hydrophobic substrates. Rhamnolipids represent a chemically heterogeneous group of secondary metabolites composed of one or two rhamnose molecules linked to one or mostly two 3-hydroxyfatty acids of various chain lengths. The biosynthetic pathway involves rhamnosyltransferase I encoded by the rhlAB operon, which synthesizes 3-(3-hydroxyalkanoyloxy)alkanoic acids (HAAs) followed by their coupling to one rhamnose moiety. The resulting mono-rhamnolipids are converted to di-rhamnolipids in a third reaction catalyzed by the rhamnosyltransferase II RhlC. However, the mechanism behind the biosynthesis of rhamnolipids containing only a single fatty acid is still unknown. To understand the role of proteins involved in rhamnolipid biosynthesis the heterologous expression of rhl-genes in non-pathogenic Pseudomonas putida KT2440 strains was used in this study to circumvent the complex quorum sensing regulation in P. aeruginosa. Our results reveal that RhlA and RhlB are independently involved in rhamnolipid biosynthesis and not in the form of a RhlAB heterodimer complex as it has been previously postulated. Furthermore, we demonstrate that mono-rhamnolipids provided extracellularly as well as HAAs as their precursors are generally taken up into the cell and are subsequently converted to di-rhamnolipids by P. putida and the native host P. aeruginosa. Finally, our results throw light on the biosynthesis of rhamnolipids containing one fatty acid, which occurs by hydrolyzation of typical rhamnolipids containing two fatty acids, valuable for the production of designer rhamnolipids with desired physicochemical properties.

Utilization of mango kernel oil for the rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa DR1 towards its application as biocontrol agent

Mango kernel oil (MKO), derived from mango kernels, considered to be one of the highly generated agro-industrial waste, is assessed for its use as substrate for sustainable production of rhamnolipids. In the present study, MKO in combination with glucose gave maximum rhamnolipid yield of 2.8g/l which reduced the surface tension of water from 72 to 30mN/m, holding a CMC of 80mg/l and also showed high emulsification activity (73%) with diesel. Cell free broth was found to be stable even at high temperature (autoclaved at 121°C for 30min), pH value (up to pH 12) and salinity (up to 20% NaCl). The LC-MS data showed mono-rhamnolipid to be predominant congener followed by di-rhamnolipid in presence of MKO. Whereas, di-rhamnolipid was abundant when a combination of MKO with glucose was used. The produced rhamnolipid mixture showed good antifungal activity against various phytopathogens.

Creating metabolic demand as an engineering strategy in Pseudomonas putida - Rhamnolipid synthesis as an example

Metabolic engineering of microbial cell factories for the production of heterologous secondary metabolites implicitly relies on the intensification of intracellular flux directed toward the product of choice. Apart from reactions following peripheral pathways, enzymes of the central carbon metabolism are usually targeted for the enhancement of precursor supply. In Pseudomonas putida, a Gram-negative soil bacterium, central carbon metabolism, i.e., the reactions required for the synthesis of all 12 biomass precursors, was shown to be regulated at the metabolic level and not at the transcriptional level. The bacterium's central carbon metabolism appears to be driven by demand to react rapidly to ever-changing environmental conditions. In contrast, peripheral pathways that are only required for growth under certain conditions are regulated transcriptionally. In this work, we show that this regulation regime can be exploited for metabolic engineering.

We tested this driven-by-demand metabolic engineering strategy using rhamnolipid production as an example. Rhamnolipid synthesis relies on two pathways, i.e., fatty acid de novo synthesis and the rhamnose pathway, providing the required precursors hydroxyalkanoyloxy-alkanoic acid (HAA) and activated (dTDP-)rhamnose, respectively. In contrast to single-pathway molecules, rhamnolipid synthesis causes demand for two central carbon metabolism intermediates, i.e., acetyl-CoA for HAA and glucose-6-phosphate for rhamnose synthesis.

Following the above-outlined strategy of driven by demand, a synthetic promoter library was developed to identify the optimal expression of the two essential genes (rhlAB) for rhamnolipid synthesis. The best rhamnolipid-synthesizing strain had a yield of 40% rhamnolipids on sugar [Cmol_RL/Cmol_Glc], which is approximately 55% of the theoretical yield. The rate of rhamnolipid synthesis of this strain was also high. Compared to an exponentially growing wild type, the rhamnose pathway increased its flux by 300%, whereas the flux through de novo fatty acid synthesis increased by 50%.

We show that the central carbon metabolism of P. putida is capable of meeting the metabolic demand generated by engineering transcription in peripheral pathways, thereby enabling a significant rerouting of carbon flux toward the product of interest, in this case, rhamnolipids of industrial interest.

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Synthetic demand was created by the introduction of the rhamnolipid synthesis genes.

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A high demand was achieved using a strong synthetic promoter.

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Pseudomonas putida responded to demand by increasing flux towards required central carbon metabolites.

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High rhamnolipid carbon yield of 40% was achieved.