Production and catabolite repression of the constitutive polygalacturonic acid trans-eliminase of Aeromonas liquefaciens

Improvement of polygalacturonase production at high temperature by mixed culture of Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Catabolic repression in the synthesis of inducible enzymes by glucose, fructose, and intermediates of the glycolytic cycle has been observed in many microorganisms. In order to enhance the polygalacturonase (PG) production of Aspergillus niger GJ-2, Saccharomyces cerevisiae J-1 was inoculated to the medium at 12h of culture, which resulted in a significant improvement of PG production. It was also found that maximum PG activity of 512.7 U/ml was obtained at 37°C in the mixed culture, which was nearly twofold higher than that of the culture without the inoculation of S. cerevisiae J-1.

Involvement of an Intracellular Oligogalacturonate Hydrolase in Metabolism of Pectin by Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum

The enzymes pectin methylesterase and polygalacturonate hydrolase, which are responsible for the initial steps of pectin degradation by Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum, were shown to be induced on the polymeric substrates pectin and pectate, as well as on oligogalacturonates, and to be repressed in the presence of glucose. The digalacturonate and trigalacturonate produced by the extracellular pectin methylesterase-polygalacturonate hydrolase complex were transported across the cytoplasmic membrane and hydrolyzed by an inducible oligogalacturonate hydrolase to galacturonate. The oligogalacturonate hydrolase was separated from the polygalacturonate hydrolase and characterized. Its temperature optimum was 65 degrees C, and its pH optimum was 6. The native molecular size was 90 kDa, and the enzyme was stable for more than 1 h at 65 degrees C. The maximum reaction rate on oligomers decreased with the increasing degree of polymerization. Galacturonate was released by hydrolysis from the nonreducing end of the oligomer. The amounts of pectinolytic enzymes produced were all strictly correlated to the amount of biomass formed. Galacturonate was metabolized via a modified Entner-Doudoroff route.

Some pink yeasts associated with softening of olives

Pink yeasts identified as Rhodotorula glutinis var. glutinis, R. minuta var. minuta, and R. rubra produce polygalacturonases which cause a slow softening of olive tissue. Both pectin methyl esterase and polygalacturonase are produced when cultures are grown in appropriate media. Crude, cell-free dialyzed enzyme preparations measured viscosimetrically exhibited optimal activity on sodium polygalacturonate at pH 6.0 and 40 C, and were active in the range of pH 4.0 to 9.0 and 10 to 50 C. Cultures grown in sterilized olives and brine at pH 4.0 with sterile glucose added aseptically caused a slow softening of tissue as measured with a Christel texturometer. Similar results were obtained when crude, cell-free enzyme preparations were added to olives in buffer solution at pH 6.0 with Merthiolate. Commercial control of these yeasts is easy if anaerobic conditions can be provided. Otherwise, the industry has to resort to manual removal of the film from the brine surface, either by skimming or by flagellation.

High-Producers of Polygalacturonase Selected From Mutants Resistant to Rifampin in Alkalophilic Bacillus sp. NTT33

Synthesis of polygalacturonases in alkalophilic Bacillus sp. which is sensitive to rifampin, was clearly repressed by glucose. Mutants resistant to glucose catabolic repression were selected. From spontaneous mutants, NTT33-cs52 and NTT33-cs301 produced polygalacturonase activities 57.2 to 82.4% higher than the wild type.

Multiple forms of pectic lyases and polygalacturonase fromFusarium oxysporumf,.sp.radicis lycopersici: regulation of their synthesis by galacturonic acid

The r2 isolate of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicis-lycopersici produced several pectic enzymes that differ in substrate preference, reaction mechanism, and action pattern. We detected three forms that have lyase activity, four forms with polygalacturonase activity and one form with pectinesterase activity. Lyases had an absolute requirement for calcium and pIs of 9.20, 9.00, and 8.65. The two more alkaline forms had a weak preference for pectin, whereas the other was more active on polygalacturonate. Polygalacturonases had pIs of 9.30, 7.35, 6.85, and 6.55 and were inhibited by calcium ions. Lyases and polygalacturonases were induced by galacturonic acid and were subject to catabolite repression. Induced synthesis occurred at pHs 5.5 and 8.0 and no increase in lyase activities were promoted by alkalinization of cultures. Pectin lyase had an endo mode of action, whereas pectate lyase and polygalacturonase behaved more as exoenzymes. These results are discussed in relation to the appearance of the different pectic enzymes when the fungus is confronted with a pectic polymer.Key words: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicis-lycopersici, Lycopersicon esculentum, pectate lyase, pectin lyase, polygalacturonase.

Pectin transeliminase complex from Aspergillus flavus

Aspergillus flavus grown in a liquid medium containing pectin as the sole carbon source produced extracellular enzymes which degraded the 1,4-alpha-D-glycosidic bonds of pectin. The products of degradation were characteristic of substances produced by transeliminase. Synthesis of this enzyme was repressed by the addition of sucrose, glucose, fructose and maltose. The crude enzyme was partially purified by a combination of ultrafiltration and ammonium sulfate precipitation. The partially purified enzyme was separated by molecular exclusion chromatography into three components A, B and C, with molar masses ranging from 13.2 to 64 kDa. Only fraction B exhibited enzymic activity and further fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography into four components I-IV. Among these components, only fractions I and II possessed transeliminase activity. Both fractions had an optimum activity at pH 8.5 and 35 degrees C, and were stimulated by Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+ but inhibited by EDTA and DNP. The apparent Km for the degradation of pectin by fractions I and II were 6.2 and 8.0 g/L, respectively.

Protection of Aspergillus niger cellulases by urea during growth on glucose or glycerol supplemented media

The cellulase enzymes of Aspergillus niger were found to undergo catabolite repression in the presence of glucose and glycerol accompanied by sudden drop in pH of the fermentation medium below 2.0. This sudden drop in pH caused inactivation of cellulolytic enzymes produced by Aspergillus niger. The supplementation of nitrogen sources, especially urea, protects A. niger cellulases from inactivation caused by a sudden drop in pH, since urea helped to maintain the pH of the fermentation medium between 3.5 and 4.5. The role of urea in the protection of cellulase was more prominent when it was used in combination with glycerol (5%).

Inducible thermoalkalophilic polygalacturonate lyase from Thermomonospora fusca

A thermostable polygalacturonate lyase (PL; EC 4.2.2.2) was secreted by Thermomonospora fusca during stationary phase in pectin-mineral salts medium at 52 degrees C. Biosynthesis was induced by addition of pectic substances to cultures growing on glucose or cellulose but not cellobiose; the disaccharide repressed enzyme synthesis and triggered inactivation of enzyme previously secreted. The PL, purified to electrophoretic and serologic homogeneity, had a molecular size of 56 kilodaltons and an isoelectric point at pH 4.16. The amino acid composition closely resembled that of the major extracellular endoglucanases of the actinomycete. The enzyme had six cystine residues but no detectable sulfhydryl groups. It was inactivated by mild reducing agents and activated by oxygenation, indicating the necessity for disulfide bond maintenance. Temperature and pH optima for the PL reaction were 60 degrees C and 10.45, respectively. Calcium was essential for activity but not stability; calcium dependence curves were altered by low concentrations of toxic metals. The Km for pectin increased 30,000-fold as the percent esterification (methoxylation) of that substrate was increased from 0 to 60%. The size of the minimal susceptible site for PL attack on the pectin molecule was calculated as being equivalent to 10 unesterified residues, based on the correlation of Km values at various degrees of esterification with the percentage of cleavable bonds predicted by a random-number-generating computer program.

Polysaccharide lyases

Polysaccharide lyases (or eliminases) are a class of enzymes (EC 4.2.2.-) that act to cleave certain activated glycosidic linkages present in acidic polysaccharides. These enzymes act through an eliminase mechanism, rather than through hydrolysis, resulting in unsaturated oligosaccharide products. Acidic polysaccharides are ubiquitous and so are the lyases that degrade them. This review article examines lyases that act on acidic polysaccharides of plant, animal, and microbial origin. These lyases are predominantly of microbial origin and come from a wide variety of both pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria and fungi. The lyases discussed include alginate lyase (EC 4.2.2.3), pectin lyase (EC 4.2.2.10), pectate lyase (EC 4.2.2.2), oligogalacturonide lyase (EC 4.2.2.6), exopolygalacturonate lyase (EC 4.2.2.9), chondroitin lyases (EC 4.2.2.4 and EC 4.2.2.5), hyaluronate lyase (EC 4.2.2.1), heparin lyase (EC 4.2.2.7), heparan lyase (EC 4.2.2.8), and other unclassified lyases. This review examines the sources, regulation, purification, and properties of these polysaccharide lyases.

Studies on the Pectic Substances of Plant Cell Walls: III. DEGRADATION OF CARROT ROOT CELL WALLS BY ENDOPECTATE LYASE PURIFIED FROM ERWINIA AROIDEAE

Pectate lyase was isolated from the cell extract of Erwinia aroideae. The enzyme was further purified to a high degree by a procedure involving ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatography on CM-Sephadex C-50 and on Sephadex G-200. The enzyme attacked its substrate in an endo fashion and was more active on the sodium salt of acid-insoluble polygalacturonate or pectic acid than it was on the methoxylated pectin. The enzyme had an optimum pH at 9.3, was stimulated by calcium ions, and was completely inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. In addition, the reaction products showed an absorption maximum between 230 and 235 nm and reacted with thiobarbituric acid. These results indicate that the purified enzyme is an endopectate lyase. The endopectate lyase also had the ability to solubilize effectively the pectic fraction from the cell walls of carrot (Daucus carota) root tissue. The enzyme released 30.5% of the wall as soluble products and also liberated all of the galacturonic acid present in the walls. The total neutral sugars released by the enzyme were 10.6% of the walls, which corresponded to 71.5% of noncellulosic neutral sugars. The soluble products were separated into five fractions by DEAE-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography. Based on the analysis of sugar composition of each fraction, the pectic fraction of carrot cell wall is presented.

Characterization of the neoagarotetra-ase and neoagarobiase of Cytophaga flevensis

The degradation of neoagarotetraose and neoagarobiose by Cytophaga flevensis was investigated. The organism possesses an enzyme that hydrolyzes the tetramer by cleavage of its central beta-galactosidic linkage. The product of this reaction, neoagarobiose, is further hydrolyzed enzymatically to D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose. Both enzyme activities were localized in the cytoplasm. Attempts were made to partially purify the respective enzymes and although a 30-40 fold-purification was achieved, the final preparation contained both neoagarotetra-ase and neoagarobiase activities. Evidence was obtained that these activities were due to different enzymes. Neoagarotetra-ase is highly specific for oligosaccharides containing neoagarobiose units; the rate of hydrolysis is greatest with neoagarotetraose. It cannot hydrolyze pyruvated neoagarotetraose. Optimal conditions for its activity were pH 7.0 and 25 C. Neoagarobiase hydrolyzes only neoagarobiose and neoagarobiitol and optimal conditions for activity were pH 6.75 and 25 C. Both enzymes were inhibited by Ag+, Hg2+ and Zn2+ ions and by p-CMB, which indicates that thiol groups are present in their active centres. Both enzymes were induced by neoagaro-oligosaccharides and melibiose and were repressed when glucose was added to the medium. Neoagarobiase was also induced by D-galacturonic acid. In continuous culture, the rate of enzyme production was maximal at a dilution rate of 0.1 h-1.

Preparation, separation and degradation of oligouronides produced by the polygalacturonic acid transeliminase of Bacillus pumilus

Production of the end products of polygalacturonic acid degradation on a large scale was done by reacting free galacturonic acid with Bacillus pumilus polygalacturonic acid transeliminase (PATE, EC 4.2.2.2) to obtain a mixture of the barium salts of several oligouronides. Small amounts of the unsaturated oligouronides were separated by paper chromatography. Large quantities of unsaturated oligouronides were separated on a AG-1-X8 (formate) column by applying a sample of mixed oligouronides and stepwise elution was carried out with sodium formate buffer (pH 4.7). The unsaturated oligouronides were identified on the basis of chromatographic mobilities, Sephadex gel filtration data, COOH/CHO ratio, thiobarbituric acid-reacting material, bromine uptake, and chemical and enzymatic degradation data as unsaturated tri-, tetra-, and hexagalacturonic acids. The chemical degradation of these unsaturated oligouronides, done with 6 N HCl by heating at 100 degrees for 30 min, gave qualitatively identical products of hydrolysis. These products compared with authentic standards, were identified as galacturonic acid, formic acid, 5-formyl-2-furancarboxylic acid, and 2-furancarboxylic acid. Analysis of the enzymatic breakdown products of the higher unsaturated uronides showed that a minimum of four galacturonic acid units was required for the action of purified endo-PATE from B. pumilus. The unsaturated trimer was not attacked, thus accounting for its accumulation as the major end product of polygalacturonate degradation by this enzyme.

Polygalacturonate lyase production by Bacillus subtilis and Flavobacterium pectinovorum

Nutritional factors relating to the production of polygalacturonate lyases by strains of Bacillus subtilis and Flavobacterium pectinovorum were examined. Studies were carried out in shake flask cultures. In the case of B. subtilis the enzyme was produced constitutively, whereas in the case of F. pectinovorum it was only produced in quantity in the presence of pectic substances. Glucose was the most suitable carbon source for production of the polygalacturonate lyase of B. subtilis; of the nitrogen sources examined, the highest activities per milliliter of supernatant and per milligram of cells were obtained with glutamine and ammonium sulfate, respectively. The pattern of enzyme production and growth was similar although enzyme production ceased at pH 5.3. Sodium polypectate was the best inducer of polygalacturonate lyase with F. pectinovorum. Highest activity per milliliter of cell-free supernatant was obtained with skin milk powder as nitrogen source, although ammonium sulfate gave highest enzyme production per unit of biomass. Growth of F. pectinovorum occurred between pH 5.7 and 7.2. Enzyme production occurred during active growth and was independent of the pH of the medium.

Improved solid medium for the detection and enumeration of pectolytic bacteria

An improved solid agar medium (MP medium) has been developed which allows detection of pectolytic activity in bacteria. Organisms tested exhibited a variety of regulatory controls governing pectate lyase synthesis. The medium contains mineral salts, pectin, and yeast extract. After growth of the organisms, the agar plate is flooded with a polysaccharide precipitant, and pectolytic activity is shown by clear zones around active colonies. High concentrations of phosphate are shown to be necessary for pectic enzyme formation on solid media. The medium has successfully been used to detect pectolytic organisms in soil, forest litter, and rotting vegetable samples.

Regulation of pectate lyase synthesis in Pseudomonas fluorescens and Erwinia carotovora

Inducible synthesis of extracellular pectate lyase occurs in Erwinia carotovora, a bacterial soft-rot pathogen of plants, and, to a lesser extent, in a nonpathogenic isolate of Pseudomonas fluorescens. A combination of pectin and a heat-labile factor in fresh potato tissue or acetone powders of the tissue provided the best carbon source for induction. Yields of inducible pectate lyase were much greater than those usually reported. The pathogen, but not the saprophyte, produced a small amount of constitutive enzyme when grown on glucose. The relatively low level or absence of constitutive synthesis in these bacteria did not result from catabolite repression. Attempts were made to relieve any existing catabolite repression by restricting growth through slow feeding of glucose or by growing the organisms on glycerol. These conditions did not significantly alter the differential rate of lyase synthesis compared with changes observed in the presence of inducers. Previous growth history did not affect induction in the pathogen. However, P. fluorescens previously cultured on glucose required 10 to 20 generations of growth on inducing medium before appreciable lyase synthesis occurred. Differences between the pathogen and nonpathogen suggest that regulation of pectate lyase synthesis is related to pathogenicity of soft-rot bacteria.