Effect of sodium and calcium on polysaccharide production and the activities of enzymes involved in the polysaccharide synthesis of Lentinus edodes.

Lentinan is a Lentinus edodes secondary metabolite that can regulate human immune function, but yields are low. Here, the effects of Ca2+ and Na+ on L. edodes lentinan content were investigated. Metal ion concentrations and induction times were optimized according to mycelial biomass, and intracellular polysaccharide (IPS), extracellular polysaccharide (EPS), and total polysaccharide (TPS) content. The activities and gene expression of phospho-glucose isomerase (PGI), phosphoglucomutase (PGM), and UDP-glcpyrophosphorylase (UGP) were also measured. Ca2+ and Na+ concentration and induction time affected biomass, IPS, and EPS concentrations. Na+ increased EPS, IPS and TPS, while Ca2+ increased biomass, IPS, and TPS. During fermentation, mycelial biomass varied greatly under Ca2+ induction, while IPS, EPS and TPS varied greatly under Na+ induction. PGM and UGP activities increased in the presence of Na+, while PGI increased with Ca2+. Compared to control samples, pgi and pgm expression under Na+ was greater at days 45 and 60, respectively, while under Ca2+, ugp expression was greater at day 45. IPS content correlated significantly with enzyme activity, while EPS correlated with PGM activity. Our data contributes to better understanding how Na+ and Ca2+ affect mycelial growth and secondary metabolite production, and of polysaccharide biosynthesis mechanisms of L. edodes.

Effect of common bean seed exudates on growth, lipopolysaccharide production, and lipopolysaccharide transport gene expression of Rhizobium anhuiense.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is essential for successful nodulation during the symbiosis of rhizobia and legumes. However, the detailed mechanism of the LPS in this process has not yet been clearly elucidated. In this study, the effects of common bean seed exudates on the growth, lipopolysaccharide production, and lipopolysaccharide transport genes expression (lpt) of Rhizobium anhuiense were investigated. Rhizobium anhuiense exposed to exudates showed changes in LPS electrophoretic profiles and content, whereby the LPS band was wider and the LPS content was higher in R. anhuiense treated with seed exudates. Exudates enhanced cell growth of R. anhuiense in a concentration-dependent manner; R. anhuiense exposed to higher doses of the exudate showed faster growth. Seven lpt genes of R. anhuiense were amplified and sequenced. Sequences of six lpt genes, except for lptE, were the same as those found in previously analyzed R. anhuiense strains, while lptE shared low sequence similarity with other strains. Exposure to the exudates strongly stimulated the expression of all lpt genes. Approximately 6.7- (lptG) to 301-fold (lptE) increases in the transcriptional levels were observed after only 15 min of exposure to exudates. These results indicate that seed exudates affect the LPS by making the cell wall structure more conducive to symbiotic nodulation.

Optimization of Laccase from Ganoderma lucidum Decolorizing Remazol Brilliant Blue R and Glac1 as Main Laccase-Contributing Gene.

Many dyes and pigments are used in textile and printing industries, and their wastewater has been classed as a top source of pollution. Biodegradation of dyes by fungal laccase has great potential. In this work, the influence of reaction time, pH, temperature, dye concentration, metal ions, and mediators on laccase-catalyzed Remazol Brilliant Blue R dye (RBBR) decolorization were investigated in vitro using crude laccase from the white-rot fungus Ganoderma lucidum. The optimal decolorization percentage (50.3%) was achieved at 35 °C, pH 4.0, and 200 ppm RBBR in 30 min. The mediator effects from syringaldehyde, 1-hydroxybenzotriazole, and vanillin were compared, and 0.1 mM vanillin was found to obviously increase the decolorization percentage of RBBR to 98.7%. Laccase-mediated decolorization percentages significantly increased in the presence of 5 mM Na+ and Cu2+, and decolorization percentages reached 62.4% and 62.2%, respectively. Real-time fluorescence-quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and protein mass spectrometry results showed that among the 15 laccase isoenzyme genes, Glac1 was the main laccase-contributing gene, contributing the most to the laccase enzyme activity and decolorization process. These results also indicate that under optimal conditions, G. lucidum laccases, especially Glac1, have a strong potential to remove RBBR from reactive dye effluent.