De novo transcriptome assembly of Curvularia sp. VKM F-3040, a promising steroid-modifying ascomycete

This research presents de novo transcriptome shotgun assembly for Curvularia sp. VKM F-3040, which is a putative fungal strain able to modify androstane steroids with production of 7-hydroxy and 17-hydroxylated derivatives-key intermediates in the synthesis of pharmaceutical ingredients. The data are of importance for creating novel microbial biocatalysts.

Selective Microbial Conversion of DHEA into 7α-OH-DHEA

7α-Hydroxy dehydroepiandrosterone (7α-OH-prasterone, 7α-OH-DHEA) is a key steroid intermediate in the synthesis of valuable pharmaceuticals widely used in the treatment of autoimmune illness, rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, and other severe diseases. The steroid can be produced using a filamentous fungus, which is capable of regio- and stereospecific hydroxylation of the steroid 3β-alcohol (DHEA) in the allylic position C7. Here, we describe a method for highly selective microbial production of 7α-OH-DHEA from DHEA using the zygomycete Backusella lamprospora VKM F-944. The method ensures high yield of 7α-OH-DHEA (up to 89%, mol/mol) even at high concentration of the substrate DHEA (15 g/L).

Recombinant Extracellular Cholesterol Oxidase from Nocardioides simplex

Cholesterol oxidase is a highly demanded enzyme used in medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, chemistry, and biotechnology. It catalyzes oxidation of 3β-hydroxy-5-ene- to 3-keto-4-ene- steroids with the formation of hydrogen peroxide. Here, we expressed 6xHis-tagged mature form of the extracellular cholesterol oxidase (ChO) from the actinobacterium Nocardioides simplex VKM Ac-2033D (55.6 kDa) in Escherichia coli cells. The recombinant enzyme (ChO_Ns) was purified using affinity chromatography. ChO_Ns proved to be functional towards cholesterol, cholestanol, phytosterol, pregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone. Its activity depended on the structure and length of the aliphatic side chain at C17 atom of the steroid nucleus and was lower with pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone. The enzyme was active in a pH range of 5.25÷6.5 with the pH optimum at 6.0. Kinetic assays and storage stability tests demonstrated that the characteristics of ChO_Ns were generally comparable with or superior to those of commercial ChO from Streptomyces hygroscopicus (ChO_Sh). The results contribute to the knowledge on microbial ChOs and evidence that ChO from N. simplex VKM Ac-2033D is a promising agent for further applications.

Deoxycholic acid transformations catalyzed by selected filamentous fungi

More than 100 filamentous fungi strains, mostly ascomycetes and zygomycetes from different phyla, were screened for the ability to convert deoxycholic acid (DCA) to valuable bile acid derivatives. Along with 11 molds which fully degraded DCA, several strains were revealed capable of producing cholic acid, ursocholic acid, 12-keto-lithocholic acid (12-keto-LCA), 3-keto-DCA, 15β-hydroxy-DCA and 15β-hydroxy-12-oxo-LCA as major products from DCA. The last metabolite was found to be a new compound. The ability to catalyze the introduction of a hydroxyl group at the 7(α/β)-positions of the DCA molecule was shown for 32 strains with the highest 7β-hydroxylase activity level for Fusarium merismoides VKM F-2310. Curvularia lunata VKM F-644 exhibited 12α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity and formed 12-keto-LCA from DCA. Acremonium rutilum VKM F-2853 and Neurospora crassa VKM F-875 produced 15β-hydroxy-DCA and 15β-hydroxy-12-oxo-LCA, respectively, as major products from DCA, as confirmed by MS and NMR analyses. For most of the positive strains, the described DCA-transforming activity was unreported to date. The presented results expand the knowledge on bile acid metabolism by filamentous fungi, and might be suitable for preparative-scale exploitation aimed at the production of marketed bile acids.

[11beta-Hydroxylation of 6alpha-Fluoro-16alpha-Methyl-Deoxycorticosterone 21-Acetate by filamentous fungi]

Selected filamentous fungi--98 strains of 31 genera--were screened for the ability to catalyze 11beta-hydroxylation of 6alpha-fluoro-16alpha-methyl-deoxycorticosterone 21-acetate (FM-DCA). It was established that representatives of the genera Gongronella, Scopulariopsis, Epicoccum, and Curvularia have the ability to activate 11beta-hydroxylase steroids. The strains of Curvularia lunata VKM F-644 and Gongronella butleri VKM F-1033 expressed maximal activity and formed 6lpha-fluoro-16alpha-methyl-corticosterone as a major bioconversion product from FM-DCA. The structures of the major products and intermediates of the bioconversion were confirmed by TLC, H PLC, MS and 1H NMR analyses. Different pathways of 6alpha-fluoro-16alpha-methyl-corticosterone formation by C. lunata and G. butleri strains were proposed based on intermediate identification. The constitutive character and membrane-binding localization were evidence of a 11beta-hydroxylating system in G. butleri, while an inducible character and microsomal localization was confirmed for 11beta-hydroxylase of C. lunata. Under optimized conditions, the molar yield of 6alpha-fluoro-16alpha-methyl-corticosterone reached 65% at a FM-DCA substrate loading of 6 g/L.

Hydroxylation of lithocholic acid by selected actinobacteria and filamentous fungi

Selected actinobacteria and filamentous fungi of different taxonomy were screened for the ability to carry out regio- and stereospecific hydroxylation of lithocholic acid (LCA) at position 7β. The production of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) was for the first time shown for the fungal strains of Bipolaris, Gibberella, Cunninghamella and Curvularia, as well as for isolated actinobacterial strains of Pseudonocardia, Saccharothrix, Amycolatopsis, Lentzea, Saccharopolyspora and Nocardia genera. Along with UDCA, chenodeoxycholic (CDCA), deoxycholic (DCA), cholic (CA), 7-ketodeoxycholic and 3-ketodeoxycholic acids were detected amongst the metabolites by some strains. A strain of Gibberella zeae VKM F-2600 expressed high level of 7β-hydroxylating activity towards LCA. Under optimized conditions, the yield of UDCA reached 90% at 1g/L of LCA and up to 60% at a 8-fold increased substrate loading. The accumulation of the major by-product, 3-keto UDCA, was limited by using selected biotransformation media.

[Bioconversion of C19- and C21-steroids with parent and mutant strains of Curvularia lunata]

Regio- and stereospecificity of microbial hydroxylation was studied at the transformation of 3-keto-4-ene steroids of androstane and pregnane series by the filamentous fungus of Curvularia lunata VKMF-644. The products of the transformations were isolated by column chromatography and identified using HPLC, mass-spectrometry (MS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) analyses. Androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD) and its 1(2)-dehydro- and 9alpha-hydroxylated (9-OH-AD) derivatives were hydroxylated by the fungus mainly in position 14alpha, while 6alpha-, 6beta- and 7alpha-hydroxylated products were revealed in minor amounts. At the transformation of C21-steroids (cortexolone and its acetylated derivatives) the presence of 17-acetyl group was shown to facilitate further selectivity of 11beta-hydroxylation. Original procedures for protoplasts obtaining, mutagenesis and mutant strain selection have been developed. A stable mutant (M4) of C. lunata with high 11beta-hydroxylase activity towards 21-acetate and 17alpha,21-diacetate of cortexolone was obtained. Yield of 11beta-hydroxylated products reached about 90% at the transformation of 17alpha, 21-diacetate of cortexolone using mutant strain M4.