Characterization of a chromosomal segment showing xylanolytic activity from the symbiotic Sphingobacterium sp. TN19

Multilevel social structure and diet shape the gut microbiota of the gelada monkey, the only grazing primate

BACKGROUND

The gelada monkey (Theropithecus gelada), endemic to the Ethiopian highlands, is the only graminivorous primate, i.e., it feeds mainly on grasses and sedges. In spite of known dental, manual, and locomotor adaptations, the intestinal anatomy of geladas is similar to that of other primates. We currently lack a clear understanding of the adaptations in digestive physiology necessary for this species to subsist on a graminoid-based diet, but digestion in other graminivores, such as ruminants, relies heavily on the microbial community residing in the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Furthermore, geladas form complex, multilevel societies, making them a suitable system for investigating links between sociality and the GI microbiota.

RESULTS

Here, we explore the gastrointestinal microbiota of gelada monkeys inhabiting an intact ecosystem and document how factors like multilevel social structure and seasonal changes in diet shape the GI microbiota. We compare the gelada GI microbiota to those of other primate species, reporting a gradient from geladas to herbivorous specialist monkeys to dietary generalist monkeys and lastly humans, the ultimate ecological generalists. We also compare the microbiotas of the gelada GI tract and the sheep rumen, finding that geladas are highly enriched for cellulolytic bacteria associated with ruminant digestion, relative to other primates.

CONCLUSIONS

This study represents the first analysis of the gelada GI microbiota, providing insights into the adaptations underlying graminivory in a primate. Our results also highlight the role of social organization in structuring the GI microbiota within a society of wild animals.

Characterization of a furan aldehyde-tolerant β-xylosidase/α-arabinosidase obtained through a synthetic metagenomics approach

AIMS

The aim of the study was to characterize 10 hemicellulolytic enzymes obtained from a wheat straw-degrading microbial consortium.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Based on previous metagenomics analyses, 10 glycosyl hydrolases were selected, codon-optimized, synthetized, cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Nine of the overexpressed recombinant proteins accumulated in cellular inclusion bodies, whereas one, a 37·5-kDa protein encoded by gene xylM1989, was found in the soluble fractions. The resulting protein, denoted XylM1989, showed β-xylosidase and α-arabinosidase activities. It fell in the GH43 family and resembled a Sphingobacterium sp. protein. The XylM1989 showed optimum activity at 20°C and pH 8·0. Interestingly, it kept approximately 80% of its β-xylosidase activity in the presence of 0·5% (w/v) furfural and 0·1% (w/v) 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. Additionally, the presence of Ca²⁺ , Mg²⁺ and Mn²⁺ ions increased the enzymatic activity and conferred complete tolerance to 500 mmol l^-1 of xylose. Protein XylM1989 is also able to release sugars from complex polysaccharides.

CONCLUSION

We report the characterization of a novel bifunctional hemicellulolytic enzyme obtained through a targeted synthetic metagenomics approach.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The properties of XylM1989 turn this protein into a promising enzyme that could be useful for the efficient saccharification of plant biomass.

A novel low-temperature-active β-glucosidase from symbiotic Serratia sp. TN49 reveals four essential positions for substrate accommodation

A 2,373-bp full-length gene (bglA49) encoding a 790-residue polypeptide (BglA49) with a calculated mass of 87.8 kDa was cloned from Serratia sp. TN49, a symbiotic bacterium isolated from the gut of longhorned beetle (Batocera horsfieldi) larvae. The deduced amino acid sequence of BglA49 showed the highest identities of 80.1% with a conceptually translated protein from Pantoea sp. At-9b (EEW02556), 38.3% with the identified glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 3 β-glucosidase from Clostridium stercorarium NCBI 11754 (CAB08072), and <15.0% with the low-temperature-active GH 3 β-glucosidases from Shewanella sp. G5 (ABL09836) and Paenibacillus sp. C7 (AAX35883). The recombinant enzyme (r-BglA49) was expressed in Escherichia coli and displayed the typical characteristics of low-temperature-active enzymes, such as low temperature optimum (showing apparent optimal activity at 35°C), activity at low temperatures (retaining approximately 60% of its maximum activity at 20°C and approximately 25% at 10°C). Compared with the thermophilic GH 3 β-glucosidase, r-BglA49 had fewer hydrogen bonds and salt bridges and less proline residues. These features might relate to the increased structure flexibility and higher catalytic activity at low temperatures of r-BglA49. The molecular docking study of four GH 3 β-glucosidases revealed five conserved positions contributing to substrate accommodation, among which four positions of r-BglA49 (R192, Y228, D260, and E449) were identified to be essential based on site-directed mutagenesis analysis.