Expression of novel ß-glucanase Cel12A from Stachybotrys atra in bacterial and fungal hosts.

ß-glucanase Cel12A from Stachybotrys atra has been cloned and expressed in Aspergillus niger. The purified enzyme showed high activity of ß-1,3-1,4-mixed glucans, was also active on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), while it did not hydrolyze crystalline cellulose or ß-1,3 glucans as laminarin. Cel12A showed a marked substrate preference for ß-1,3-1,4 glucans, showing maximum activity on barley ß-glucans (27.69 U mg(-1)) while the activity on CMC was much lower (0.51 U mg(-1)). Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), isoelectric focussing (IEF), and zymography showed the recombinant enzyme has apparent molecular weight of 24 kDa and a pI of 8.2. Optimal temperature and pH for enzyme activity were 50°C and pH 6.5. Thin layer chromatography analysis showed that major hydrolysis products from barley ß-glucan and lichean were 3-O-ß-cellotriosyl-D-glucose and 3-O-ß-cellobiosyl-D-glucose, while glucose and cellobiose were released in smaller amounts. The amino acid sequence deduced from cel12A revealed that it is a single domain enzyme belonging to the GH12 family, a family that contains several endoglucanases with substrate preference for ß-1,3-1,4 glucans. We believe that S. atra Cel12A should be considered as a lichenase-like or nontypical endoglucanase.

Recombinant expression of an alkali stable GH10 xylanase from Paenibacillus barcinonensis.

Xylanase A from Paenibacillus barcinonensis, a new species isolated from a rice field, has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Purified recombinant xylanase showed high activity on xylans from hardwoods and cereals, and exhibited K(m) and V(max) of 2.93 mg/mL and 50.67 U/mg on birchwood xylan. Xylanase A was highly active at 60 degrees C in alkaline pH values up to 9.5 and remained stable for at least 3 h in alkaline conditions. The amino acid sequence deduced from xynA revealed that it is a single domain xylanase belonging to the GH10 family. Thin layer chromatography analysis showed that the enzyme released a mixture of hydrolysis products including substituted xylooligomers from cereal arabinoxylans, while xylose, xylobiose, and aldotetraouronic acid were the main products released from glucuronoxylan from birchwood. The enzyme released a complex mixture of xylooligomers for acetylated xylan from eucalyptus, revealing its potential to depolymerize this widely used resource in the pulp and paper industry.

Use of the cell wall protein Pir4 as a fusion partner for the expression of Bacillus sp. BP-7 xylanase A in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Xylanase A from Bacillus sp. BP7, an enzyme with potential applications in biotechnology, was used to test Pir4, a disulfide bound cell wall protein, as a fusion partner for the expression of recombinant proteins in standard or glycosylation-deficient mnn9 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Five different constructions were carried out, inserting in-frame the coding sequence of xynA gene in that of PIR4, with or without the loss of specific regions of PIR4. Targeting of the xylanase fusion protein to the cell wall was achieved in two of the five constructions, while secretion to the growth medium was the fate of the gene product of one of the constructions. In all three cases localization of the xylanase fusion proteins was confirmed both by Western blot and detection with Pir-specific antibodies and by xylanase activity determination. The cell wall-targeted fusion proteins could be extracted by reducing agents, showing that the inclusion of a recombinant protein of moderate size does not affect the way Pir4 is attached to the cell wall. Also, the construction that leads to the secretion of the fusion protein permitted us to identify a region of Pir4 responsible for cell wall retention. In summary, we have developed a Pir4-based system that allows selective targeting of an active recombinant enzyme to the cell wall or the growth medium. This system may be of general application for the expression of heterologous proteins in S. cerevisiae for surface display and secretion.

Isolation and characterization of Bacillus sp. BP-6 LipA, a ubiquitous lipase among mesophilic Bacillus species.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to perform the isolation, cloning and characterization of a lipase from Bacillus sp. BP-6 bearing the features of a biotechnologically important group of enzymes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Strain Bacillus sp. BP-6, showing activity on tributyrin plates, was used for isolation of lipase-coding gene lipA by means of inverse and direct PCR. The complete 633 nucleotide ORF isolated was cloned in Escherichia coli for further characterization. The amino acid sequence of the cloned protein was 98% identical to B. subtilis and B. megaterium lipases, the enzyme also showing similar molecular and biochemical features. CONCLUSIONS: The gene coding for Bacillus sp. BP-6 LipA was found in all mesophilic Bacillus species assayed, indicating its ubiquity in the genus. The cloned enzyme displayed the same properties as those of homologous lipases. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The overall profile of Bacillus sp. BP-6 LipA was found to be that of a ubiquitous and highly conserved subfamily I.4 bacterial lipase. Previously described lipases within this family have shown to be well suited for biotechnological applications, suggesting that the cloned enzyme could be used accordingly.