Poly(ß-L-malic acid) (PMLA) from Aureobasidium spp. and its current proceedings.

Poly(ß-L-malic acid) is one natural biopolymer that has the outstanding features of biocompatibility, biodegradability, water solubility, and non-immunogenicity, and it is easily chemically modified. So poly(ß-L-malic acid) (PMLA) and its derivatives may have a great potential application as a novel drug delivery system and in the production of advanced biomaterials which have attracted so much research attention. The fungi of Aureobasidium spp. have been discovered to be the most suitable candidates for PMLA production in large quantities which satisfy the demand of either research or industry. In this review, we will give an overall summary about the PMLA produced by Aureobasidium spp. based on related research in the last decades and the elaboration of this PMLA producer will also be accomplished. More importantly, the latest proceedings will be specified and some suggestions to the elucidation of a PMLA biosynthesis pathway which remains undefined up to date will be proposed. Finally, through this review, the further exploitation for the application of PMLA from Aureobasidium spp. can be emphasized and promoted.

Taxonomy of Aureobasidium spp. and biosynthesis and regulation of their extracellular polymers.

The genus Aureobasidium spp. have been divided into three species, A. pullulans. A. leucospermi and A. proteae, and A. pullulans has been known to have five varieties. However, after analysis of many strains of this yeast isolated from different environments, they do not belong to any of the three species or the five varieties. Although pullulan produced by A. pullulans has been widely used in different fields in industry and different strains of this yeast has been known to produce poly(ß-L-malic acid) (PMA), heavy oils and ß-1,3-glucan, it is still unknown how the black yeast synthesizes and secretes the extracellular polymers at molecular level. In this review article, new biosynthetic pathways of pullulan, PMA and heavy oils, the enzymes and their genes related to their biosynthesis and regulation are proposed. Furthermore, some enzymes and their genes related to pullulan biosynthesis in A. pullulans have been characterized. But it is completely unknown how pullulan is secreted and how PMA, heavy oils and ß-1,3-glucan are synthesized and secreted. Therefore, there is much work to be done about taxonomy and biosynthesis, secretion and regulation of pullulan, PMA, heavy oils and ß-1,3-glucan at molecular levels in Aureobasidium spp.

Enhanced production of Ca²âº-polymalate (PMA) with high molecular mass by Aureobasidium pullulans var. pullulans MCW.

BACKGROUND: Polymalic acid (PMA) has many applications in food and medical industries. However, so far it has not been commercially produced by fermentation. Therefore, it is very important how to develop an economical process for a large scale production of PMA by one step fermentation. RESULTS: After over 200 strains of Aureobasidium spp. isolated from the mangrove systems in the South of China were screened for their ability to produce Ca(2+)-polymalate (PMA), it was found that Aureobasidium pullulans var. pullulans MCW strain among them could produce high level of Ca(2+)-PMA. The medium containing only 140.0 g/L glucose, 65.0 g/L CaCO3 and 7.5 g/L corn steep liquor was found to be the most suitable for Ca(2+)-PMA production. Then, 121.3 g/L of Ca(2+)-PMA was produced by A. pullulans var. pullulans MCW strain within 120 h at flask level. During 10-L batch fermentation, 152.52 g/L of Ca(2+)-PMA in the culture and 8.6 g/L of cell dry weight were obtained within 96 h, leaving 4.5 g/L of reducing sugar in the fermented medium. After purification of the Ca(2+)-PMA from the culture and acid hydrolysis of the purified Ca(2+)-PMA, HPLC analysis showed that A. pullulans var. pullulans MCW strain produced only one main component of Ca(2+)-PMA and the hydrolysate of the purified Ca(2+)-PMA was mainly composed of L-malic acid. Mw (the apparent molecular weight) of the purified PMA was 2.054 × 10(5) (g/moL) and the purified PMA was estimated to be composed of 1784 L-malic acids. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that A. pullulans var. pullulans MCW strain obtained in this study could yield 152.52 g/L of Ca(2+)-PMA within the short time, the produced PMA had the highest molecular weight and the medium for production of Ca(2+)- PMA by this yeast was very simple.

Overproduction of poly(ß-malic acid) (PMA) from glucose by a novel Aureobasidium sp. P6 strain isolated from mangrove system.

After over 100 strains of Aureobasidium spp isolated from mangrove system were screened for their ability to produce poly(ß-malic acid) (PMA), it was found that Aureobasidium sp. P6 strain among them could produce high level of Ca(2+)-PMA. Fourteen percent glucose and 6.5 % CaCO3 in the medium were the most suitable for Ca(2+)-PMA production. Then, 100.7 g/l of Ca(2+)-PMA was produced using Aureobasidium sp. P6 strain within 168 h at flask level. During 10-l batch fermentation, when the medium contained 12.0 % glucose, 98.7 g/l of Ca(2+)-PMA in the culture and 14.7 g/l of cell dry weight were obtained within 156 h, leaving 0.34 % reducing sugar in the fermented medium. When glucose concentration in the fermentation medium was 14.0 %, 118.3 g/l of Ca(2+)-PMA in the culture and 16.4 g/l of cell dry weight were obtained within 168 h, leaving 0.4 % reducing sugar in the fermented medium. After purification of Ca(2+)-PMA from the culture and acid hydrolysis of the pure Ca(2+)-PMA, analysis of HPLC showed that Aureobasidium sp. P6 strain only produced two main components of Ca(2+)-PMA and minor amount of calcium malate and that the hydrolysate of PMA was mainly composed of calcium malate. This is the first time to report that the novel yeast strain Aureobasidium sp. P6 strain isolated from the mangrove systems can produce such high amount of Ca(2+)-PMA.

Polymalate (PMA) biosynthesis and its molecular regulation in Aureobasidium spp.

It has been well documented that different strains of Aureobasidium spp. can synthesize and secrete over 30.0 g/L of polymalate (PMA) and the produced PMA has many potential applications in biomaterial, medical and food industries. The substrates for PMA biosynthesis include glucose, xylose, fructose, sucrose and glucose or fructose or xylose or sucrose-containing natural materials from industrial and agricultural wastes. Malate, the only monomer for PMA biosynthesis mainly comes from TCA cycle, cytosolic reduction TCA pathway and the glyoxylate cycle. The PMA synthetase (a NRPS) containing A like domain, T domain and C like domain is responsible for polymerization of malate into PMA molecules by formation of ester bonds between malates. PMA biosynthesis is regulated by the transcriptional activator Crz1 from Ca2+ signaling pathway, the GATA-type transcription factor Gat1 from nitrogen catabolite repression and the GATA-type transcription factor NsdD.

A novel PMA synthetase is the key enzyme for polymalate biosynthesis and its gene is regulated by a calcium signaling pathway in Aureobasidium melanogenum ATCC62921.

It has been well known that poly(ß-l-malic acid)(PMA) has many potential applications. However, it is still completely unknown how PMA is biosynthesized in Aureobasidium spp. In this study, it was found that malic acid from TCA cycle was the main source for PMA biosynthesis. Especially, the novel PMA synthetase encoded by the PMAs gene, a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) containing A like domain, T domain and C like domain was the key enzyme for polymerization of malate into PMA. Therefore, abolishment of the PMAs gene encoding the novel PMA synthetase rendered the mutant ΔPMAs-3 totally to lose the ability to synthesize any PMA and complementation of the PMAs gene partially restored PMA biosynthesis, but the mutant could grow normally on the YPD plate and in the PMA medium with CaCO3. The transcriptional activator Crz1 in the Ca2+-signal pathway controlled expression of the PMAs gene and PMA biosynthesis. The complete elucidation of the PMA biosynthesis pathway and its regulation was of significant for a deeper understanding of detailed yeast-like fungal PMA synthesis, metabolic engineering and molecular editing for modifying PMA biosynthesis and its physicochemical properties.