Evaluation of a fluorimetric assay on the lipases from strains of milk psychrotrophic bacteria

A fluorimetric method for determination ofPseudomonas fluorescensAR11 lipase in skim milk powder, whey powder and whey protein concentrate

A method which was developed for assaying the extracellular lipases of psychrotrophic bacteria in milk (Stead, 1983, 1984) and which uses the fluorogenic substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl oleate has been adapted for use with skim milk powder (SMP), whey powder (WP) and whey protein concentrate (WPC). A five-fold increase in the concentration of sodium taurocholate (NaTC), in the mixture of NaTC and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide needed to dissociate lipase from milk proteins, removed the excessive sensitivity of the assay to variations in the concentrations of SMP, WP or WPC incorporated. Commercially available pancreatic lipase provided a suitable standard of lipolytic activity and as little as 1–2 μ could be detected in each assay system.

Regulation of theaprX–lipAoperon ofPseudomonas fluorescensB52: differential regulation of the proximal and distal genes, encoding protease and lipase, byompR–envZ

The production of lipase and protease from psychrotrophic strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens may result in spoilage of dairy products. The lipase (lipA) and alkaline metalloprotease (aprX) genes of P. fluorescens B52 are regulated by temperature and are located at opposite ends of an operon which contains eight genes and spans 14 kb. In this report, we show that lipase activity in the supernatant of cultures of P. fluorescens strain B52 is also regulated by the homologue of the Escherichia coli EnvZ-OmpR two-component regulatory system. Differences in the regulation of lipase and protease may be related to the proximal and distal locations of aprX and lipA within the operon.

A strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens with two lipase-encoding genes, one of which possibly encodes cytoplasmic lipolytic activity

AIMS

A lipase-encoding gene (lipA) from a psychrotrophic strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens C9 has previously been characterized. It was also shown that when this gene was insertionally-inactivated, lipase activity was retained, suggesting that a second lipase may be present in this strain. The aim of this study was to determine whether this was the case.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Using molecular cloning, chromosomal mutagenesis and enzymatic analysis, the presence of a second lipase-encoding gene (lipB) has been confirmed. The molecular weights of the putative products of lipA and lipB are 33 and 64.5 kDa, respectively, and their sequences are quite dissimilar (< 10% sequence identity). The lipB gene encodes a secreted lipase and is solely responsible for the 'lipolytic phenotype' of Ps. fluorescens C9. Expression of the lipA gene can be detected when expressed using an expression vector, but activity was only detected intracellularly in Ps. fluorescens C9, and not in the culture medium.

CONCLUSION

Pseudomonas fluorescens C9 contains two dissimilar lipases. One (LipB) is secreted and responsible for the lipolytic phenotype; the evidence suggests that the other (LipA) could be intracellular, but it could be secreted and not detectable.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Bacteria may contain more than one lipase activity. Ascribing phenotypes to particular enzymes therefore requires mutational analysis. The notion of an intracellular lipase activity is novel, and, if further substantiated, begs the question as to its normal substrate and physiological role.

The aprX-lipA operon of Pseudomonas fluorescens B52: a molecular analysis of metalloprotease and lipase production

Extracellular protease and lipase production by psychrotrophic strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens is repressed by iron and regulated by temperature. The regulation of protease and lipase has been investigated in P. fluorescens B52. Whereas lipase production is increased below the optimum growth temperature ('low-temperature regulation'), protease production was relatively constant and only decreased above the optimum growth temperature. The genes encoding protease (aprX) and lipase (lipA) are encoded at opposite ends of a contiguous set of genes which also includes protease inhibitor, Type I secretion functions and two autotransporter proteins. Evidence is presented indicating that these genes constitute an operon, with a promoter adjacent to aprX which has been identified by S1 nuclease analysis. The regulation of aprX and lipA has been investigated at the RNA level and using lacZ fusion strains. Whereas the data are consistent with iron regulation at the transcriptional level, a lipA'-'lacZ fusion is not regulated by temperature, suggesting that temperature regulation is post-transcriptional or post-translational. The possibility of regulation at the level of mRNA decay is discussed.

Assay of proteinases of psychrotrophic bacteria in milk using hide powder azure and a simple procedure for clarification of milk

The clarification of milk by addition of solutions of Triton X-100 and EDTA after digestion of added Hide Powder Azure (HPA) was found to provide a simple method of determining the extracellular proteinase activity of Gram-negative psychrotrophic bacteria in pasteurized whole milk. The light absorbance of the clarified HPA digestion product was measured directly, after a brief incubation period, and was stable to storage of samples in diffuse daylight for at least 2 d. Proteinase produced by growth in refrigerated whole milk of as few as 2.5 X 10(6) cfu ml-1 of Pseudomonas fluorescens AR11 was detected.

Determination of the extracellular lipases of Pseudomonas fluorescens spp. in skim milk with the beta-naphthyl caprylate assay

A method based on the hydrolysis of beta-naphthyl caprylate (beta-NC) has been developed for quantitating extracellular lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens. The assay was extremely sensitive to skim milk (SM); as little as 0.02 ml raw SM in a 2.0 ml reaction mixture resulted in an apparent loss of 50% of the lipase activity. Activity improved 3-fold when trypsin (50 micrograms/ml) was included in the reaction mixture. When super-simplex optimization was used to determine the optimum levels of beta-NC, Na taurocholate (NaTC), SM/lipase mixture and trypsin for maximum activity, NaTC was found to be unnecessary for activity. Subsequent addition of 15 mM-NaTC resulted in 80% loss of activity. On the other hand, NaTC was required for native lipase activity in the presence of SM. Native lipase was completely inhibited by heating at 70 degrees C for 2 min, while B52 lipase retained 75% of its activity under the same conditions. The assay was able to detect lipase produced by Ps. fluorescens B52 in SM at 5 degrees C when the cell density exceeded 10(8) colony forming units/ml. The presence of butterfat (3.5%) in the SM assay inhibited B52 lipase by 97%. The beta-NC assay gave results comparable to the tributyrin agar diffusion assay using cell-free extracts of ten strains of common dairy psychrotrophs. The results suggest that the beta-NC assay may be useful for determining lipase activity in raw SM.

A rapid colorimetric assay for the extracellular lipase of Pseudomonas fluorescens B52 using beta-naphthyl caprylate

Conditions necessary for the determination of crude extracellular lipase activity from Pseudomonas fluorescens B52 using beta-naphthyl caprylate (beta-NC), an 8-carbon ester, as the substrate were examined. Maximum enzyme synthesis occurred at 20 degrees C in pyruvate mineral salts medium containing 1 mM-CaCl2. Bile salts were necessary for enzyme activity; 6 mM-Na taurocholate or Na deoxycholate gave maximum activity but the latter compound was inhibitory at higher concentrations. Activity was optimal in N-Tris[hydroxymethyl]methyl-2-aminoethane sulphonic acid buffer pH 8.0 at 40 degrees C. A comparison of beta-NC with beta-naphthyl butyrate (a 4-carbon ester) and beta-naphthyl myristate (a 14-carbon ester) showed that beta-NC was the best substrate; Km values of 0.0415, 0.141 and 0.200 mM and Vmax values of 67.2, 20.1 and 5.28 mumol ml-1 h-1 were obtained for those substrates respectively. The enzyme was inhibited 50% in its activity against beta-NC by 0.009 mM-EDTA, 0.0007% (w/v) mixed alkyltrimethylammonium bromide and 0.00275% (w/v) Triton X-100. The biochemical properties determined using beta-NC as substrate are consistent with those reported for the lipases of other strains of Ps. fluorescens using natural substrates.