Purification and Characterization of Xylanases from the Fungus Chrysoporthe cubensis for Production of Xylooligosaccharides and Fermentable Sugars.

Xylanases from the pathogen fungus Chrysoporthe cubensis were produced under solid state fermentation (SSF) using wheat bran as carbon source. The enzymatic extracts were submitted to ion exchange (Q Sepharose) and gel filtration chromatography methods (Sephadex S-200) for purification. The xylanases were divided into three groups: P1 showed better performance at 60 °C and pH 4.0, P2 at 55 °C and pH 3.0, and P3 at 80 °C and pH 3.0. Oat spelt xylan was the best substrate hydrolyzed by P1 and P3, while beechwood xylan was better degraded by P2. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and p-nitrophenyl-ß-D-xylopyranoside (p-NPßXyl) were not hydrolyzed by any of the xylanases. The K M' or K M values, using oat spelt xylan as substrate, were 2.65 mg/mL for P1, 1.81 mg/mL for P2, and 1.18 mg/mL for P3. Xylobiose and xylotriose were the main xylooligosaccharides of oat spelt xylan degradation, indicating that the xylanases act as endo-ß-1,4-xylanases. Xylanases also proved to be efficient for hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse when used as supplement of a commercial cocktail due to the increase of the reducing sugar release.

Characterization and biotechnological application of recombinant xylanases from Aspergillus nidulans.

Two xylanases from Aspergillus nidulans, XlnB and XlnC, were expressed in Pichia pastoris, purified and characterized. XlnB and XlnC achieved maximal activities at 60°C and pH 7.5 and at 50°C and pH 6.0, respectively. XlnB showed to be very thermostable by maintaining 50% of its original activity after 49h incubated at 50°C. XlnB had its highest activity against wheat arabinoxylan while XlnC had the best activity against beechwood xylan. Both enzymes were completely inhibited by SDS and HgCl2. Xylotriose at 1mg/ml also totally inibited XlnB activity. TLC analysis showed that the main product of beechwood xylan hydrolysis by XlnB and XlnC was xylotetraose. An additive effect was shown between XlnB and XlnC and the xylanases of two tested commercial cocktails. Sugarcane bagasse saccharification results showed that these two commercial enzymatic cocktails were able to release more glucose and xylose after supplementation with XlnB and XlnC.

Hydrolysis of soybean isoflavones by Debaryomyces hansenii UFV-1 immobilised cells and free ß-glucosidase.

An intracellular ß-glucosidase from Debaryomyceshansenii UFV-1 was produced in an YP medium with cellobiose as the carbon source. This enzyme was purified, characterised and presented a Mr of 65.15kDa. Yeast cells containing the intracellular ß-glucosidase were immobilised in calcium alginate. The free ß-glucosidase and immobilised cells containing the enzyme presented optima values of pH and temperature of 6.0 and 45°C and 5.5 and 50°C, respectively. The free enzyme maintained 62% and 47% of its original activity after 90days at 4°C and after 15days at room temperature, respectively. The immobilisation process resulted in higher enzyme thermostability at 45 and 50°C. Soy molasses treatment with the free enzyme and the immobilised cells containing ß-glucosidase, for 2h at 40°C, promoted efficient hydrolysis of isoflavone glicosides to their aglycon forms. The results suggest that this enzyme could be used in the food industry, in the free or immobilised forms, for a safe and efficient process to hydrolyse isoflavone glycosides in soy molasses.

Characteristics of free endoglucanase and glycosidases multienzyme complex from Fusarium verticillioides.

A novel multienzyme complex, E1C, and a free endoglucanase, E2 (GH5), from Fusarium verticillioides were purified. The E1C contained two endoglucanases (GH6 and GH10), one cellobiohydrolase (GH7) and one xylanase (GH10). Maximum activity was observed at 80 °C for both enzymes and they were thermostable at 50 and 60 °C. The activation energies for E1C and E2 were 21.3 and 27.5 kJ/mol, respectively. The KM for E1C was 10.25 g/L while for E2 was 6.58 g/L. Both E1C and E2 were activated by Mn(2+) and CoCl2 while they were inhibited by SDS, CuSO4, FeCl3, AgNO4, ZnSO4 and HgCl2. E1C and E2 presented endo-ß-1,3-1,4-glucanase activity. E1C presented crescent activity towards cellopentaose, cellotetraose and cellotriose. E2 hydrolyzed the substrates cellopentaose, cellotetraose and cellotriose with the same efficiency. E1C showed a higher stability and a better hydrolysis performance than E2, suggesting advantages resulting from the physical interaction between proteins.