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.

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.