Biosorption of metal ions with Penicillium chrysogenum

Biosorption of metal ions with Penicillium chrysogenum mycelium is described in this article. Alkaline pretreatment was used to remove proteins and nucleic acids from cells, and this treatment increased the adsorption capacities, for Cr³⁺ from 18.6 mg g⁻¹ to 27.2 mg g⁻¹, for Ni²⁺ from 13.2 mg g⁻¹ to 19.2 mg g⁻¹, for Zn²⁺ from 6.8 mg g⁻¹ to 24.5 mg g⁻¹. The adsorption of metal ions was strongly pH dependent. The mycelium could beused for large-scale removal of Cr³⁺ from tannery wastewater. The results show that this inexpensive mycelium adsorbent has potential in industry because of its high adsorption capacity. The main chelating sites are amino groups (−NH₂) of chitosan in the mycelium. A new model is established, which describes the relation of adsorption of metal ions on pH according to amino group chelating with metal ions and H⁺. The relative errors of simulation for Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Cr³⁺ are 4.66%, 5.45%, 11.55%, and 1.69%, respectively.     

Modern Industrial Microbiological Fermentations and Their Effects on Technical Developments

Owing to the development of many new processes and techniques, the production of primary and secondary metabolites with the aid of microorganisms has not only expanded greatly, but has also been simplified in many details, and has therefore become more widely feasible on the industrial scale. The present article surveys the principal fermentation processes and the main types of equipment, which shows a trend toward continuous processes and increasing automation. Some recent developments observed e.g. in the cultivation of animal cells or the production of electrical energy, and particularly in the production of proteins by microorganisms, are also described.     

Routine Hptlc in Industrial Analysis: Process Control of Fermentations

Abstract

Quantitative HPTLC is a cost saving and reliable chromatographic routine method for the control of many fermentation processes, as for example the fermentation of penicillin V. The following substances are analyzed: lactose or sucrose, soya oil (against foaming), phenoxyacetic acid (precursor), penicillin V and p-hydroxypenicillin V, as final products. The derivatization after chromatography is performed with an automated spraying device, the measurement—perpendicularly to the direction of chromatography—and evaluation are computerized. The time requirements per sample range from 6 to 15 minutes, the pure analysis time per sample from 5 to 12 minutes. The break-down time of the complete HPTLC apparatus system is about 0,6% of the working time, all substances to be determined can be measured with one scanner, in every interval and sequence desired. The accuracy, expressed by the coefficients of variation (N = 8 – 9, on one plate), ranges from 1,6 to 3,0 %, for very low concentrations up to 6, 6%.     

Metabolomic Characterization of Cerebrospinal Fluid from Intracranial Bacterial Infection Pediatric Patients: A Pilot Study

Intracranial bacterial infection remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neurosurgical cases. Metabolomic profiling of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) holds great promise to gain insights into the pathogenesis of central neural system (CNS) bacterial infections. In this pilot study, we analyzed the metabolites in CSF of CNS infection patients and controls in a pseudo-targeted manner, aiming at elucidating the metabolic dysregulation in response to postoperative intracranial bacterial infection of pediatric cases. Untargeted analysis uncovered 597 metabolites, and screened out 206 differential metabolites in case of infection. Targeted verification and pathway analysis filtered out the glycolysis, amino acids metabolism and purine metabolism pathways as potential pathological pathways. These perturbed pathways are involved in the infection-induced oxidative stress and immune response. Characterization of the infection-induced metabolic changes can provide robust biomarkers of CNS bacterial infection for clinical diagnosis, novel pathways for pathological investigation, and new targets for treatment.     

Antimicrobial Activity of Dihydroisocoumarin Isolated from Wadi Lajab Sediment-Derived Fungus Penicillium chrysogenum: In Vitro and In Silico Study

Antibiotic resistance is considered a major health concern globally. It is a fact that the clinical need for new antibiotics was not achieved until now. One of the most commonly prescribed classes of antibiotics is β-Lactam antibiotics. However, most bacteria have developed resistance against β-Lactams by producing enzymes β-Lactamase or penicillinase. The discovery of new β-Lactamase inhibitors as new antibiotics or antibiotic adjuvants is essential to avoid future catastrophic pandemics. In this study, five dihydroisocoumarin: 6-methoxy mellein (1); 5,6-dihydroxymellein (2); 6-hydroxymellein (3); 4-chloro-6-hydroxymellein (4) and 4-chloro-5,6-di-hydroxymellein (5) were isolated from Wadi Lajab sediment-derived fungus Penicillium chrysogenum, located 15 km northwest of Jazan, KSA. The elucidation of the chemical structures of the isolated compounds was performed by analysis of their NMR, MS. Compounds 1–5 were tested for antibacterial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. All of the compounds exhibited selective antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus licheniformis except compound 3. The chloro-dihydroisocoumarin derivative, compound 4, showed potential antimicrobial activities against all of the tested strains with the MIC value between 0.8–5.3 μg/mL followed by compound 5, which exhibited a moderate inhibitory effect. Molecular docking data showed good affinity with the isolated compounds to β-Lactamase enzymes of bacteria; NDM-1, CTX-M, OXA-48. This work provides an effective strategy for compounds to inhibit bacterial growth or overcome bacterial resistance.     

A Pilot Metabolomic Study on Myocardial Injury Caused by Chronic Alcohol Consumption—Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy

Chronic alcohol consumption leads to myocardial injury, ventricle dilation, and cardiac dysfunction, which is defined as alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM). To explore the induced myocardial injury and underlying mechanism of ACM, the Liber-DeCarli liquid diet was used to establish an animal model of ACM and histopathology, echocardiography, molecular biology, and metabolomics were employed. Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining revealed disordered myocardial structure and local fibrosis in the ACM group. Echocardiography revealed thinning wall and dilation of the left ventricle and decreased cardiac function in the ACM group, with increased serum levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and expression of myocardial BNP mRNA measured through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively. Through metabolomic analysis of myocardium specimens, 297 differentially expressed metabolites were identified which were involved in KEGG pathways related to the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin digestion and absorption, oxidative phosphorylation, pentose phosphate, and purine and pyrimidine metabolism. The present study demonstrated chronic alcohol consumption caused disordered cardiomyocyte structure, thinning and dilation of the left ventricle, and decreased cardiac function. Metabolomic analysis of myocardium specimens and KEGG enrichment analysis further demonstrated that several differentially expressed metabolites and pathways were involved in the ACM group, which suggests potential causes of myocardial injury due to chronic alcohol exposure and provides insight for further research elucidating the underlying mechanisms of ACM.     

Comparative Study of Substrate- and Stereospecificity of Penicillin G Amidases from Different Sources and Hybrid Isoenzymes

Summary.  Four natural pencillin G amidase variants from different sources and two genetically constructed hybrid enzymes were produced and purified to homogeneity. The specificity constants of one enzyme (E. coli) were found to differ six orders of magnitude for hydrolytic transformations within a wide range of substrates. The substrate specificity of the homologous penicillin amidases was found to differ less than one order of magnitude for hydrolysis of the most specific and up to two orders of magnitude for the less specific substrates. The -substrate specificity in hydrolytic and transfer reactions (studied mainly with the E. coli enzyme) varied more than three orders of magnitude for the different substrates. The penicillin amidases were found to be R-specific in the S ₁-binding site and S-specific in the -binding site. The S ₁-stereoselectivity differs less than one order of magnitude for the different variants. The -stereoselectivity is more pronounced, increases with nucleophile specificity, and was found to differ up to three orders of magnitude in transfer reactions for the enzyme from E. coli. The observed variation of enatioselectivity for different penicillin amidases and one substrate can also be achieved by changes in temperature. Comparison of substrate- and stereospecificity of penicillin amidases from different sources and hybrid isoenzymes suggests that similar changes can be expected for enzyme variants derived by rational protein design or directed evolution. Received December 20, 1999. Accepted (revised) February 4, 2000     

Comparative Study of Substrate- and Stereospecificity of Penicillin G Amidases from Different Sources and Hybrid Isoenzymes

 Four natural pencillin G amidase variants from different sources and two genetically constructed hybrid enzymes were produced and purified to homogeneity. The specificity constants of one enzyme (E. coli) were found to differ six orders of magnitude for hydrolytic transformations within a wide range of substrates. The substrate specificity of the homologous penicillin amidases was found to differ less than one order of magnitude for hydrolysis of the most specific and up to two orders of magnitude for the less specific substrates. The -substrate specificity in hydrolytic and transfer reactions (studied mainly with the E. coli enzyme) varied more than three orders of magnitude for the different substrates. The penicillin amidases were found to be R-specific in the S ₁-binding site and S-specific in the -binding site. The S ₁-stereoselectivity differs less than one order of magnitude for the different variants. The -stereoselectivity is more pronounced, increases with nucleophile specificity, and was found to differ up to three orders of magnitude in transfer reactions for the enzyme from E. coli. The observed variation of enatioselectivity for different penicillin amidases and one substrate can also be achieved by changes in temperature. Comparison of substrate- and stereospecificity of penicillin amidases from different sources and hybrid isoenzymes suggests that similar changes can be expected for enzyme variants derived by rational protein design or directed evolution.     

Comparative Metabolomic Analysis of Moromi Fermented Using Different Aspergillus oryzae Strains

Aspergillus oryzae (A. oryzae) is an important starter in the fermentation of koji and moromi. However, the effect of different A. oryzae strains on the quality of moromi has rarely been studied. For this reason, this study analyzed the physicochemical properties, enzyme activity, sensory quality, and metabolite profiles of moromi samples fermented using two strains (A. oryzae KCCM12012P (moromi-1) and KCCM12804P (moromi-2)), which were newly isolated from fermented soy foods, and compared them to those of a commercialized A. oryzae strain (control). Amino-type nitrogen contents of moromi-1 and moromi-2 samples were higher than that of control moromi, and their amylase and protease activities were also higher. Moreover, metabolite profiles of moromi were significantly altered according to strains. In particular, the levels of many amino acids, peptides, nucleotides, and acidic compounds were altered, which resulted in changes in the sensory quality of moromi. Although volatile compounds were not investigated, the results suggested that the quality of moromi was significantly different for newly isolated strains, especially A. oryzae KCCM12804P, and they were superior to the commercial strain in terms of taste-related substances. Therefore, these strains could be used as good starters to produce moromi and soy sauce with good sensory quality.     

Tests of Pilot and Industrial Pilot Installations for Catching of Nitrogen Oxides with Water Condensation Aerosols

A pilot installation for catching of nitrogen oxides with water-condensation aerosols, with a throughput of 10 m³ h^?1, was tested. A shell-and-tube industrial pilot installation for catching of nitrogen oxides with water-condensation aerosols, with a throughput of 1800 m³ h^?1, was fabricated and tested.     

Rare C25 Steroids Produced by Penicillium chrysogenum P1X,a Fungal Endophyte of Huperzia serrata

Three new metabolites, norcyclocitrinol A ( 1 ), erythro‐11α‐hydroxyneocyclocitrinol ( 2 ), and pesudocyclocitrinol A ( 3 ), along with six known analogs, i.e., neocyclocitrinols A–D ( 4 – 7 , resp.), cyclocitrinol ( 8 ), and 24‐epicyclocitrinol ( 9 ), were isolated and identified from the culture broth of Penicillium chrysogenum P1X, a fungal endophyte of Huperzia serrata. Compounds 1 – 9 were identified by spectroscopic methods to share the same C₂₅‐steroid skeleton featuring an unusual bicyclo[4.4.1] A/B ring system. In particular, 1 represents the first example of a C₂₅ steroid with a bisnor C‐atom side chain. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against HeLa and HepG2 cell lines. However, none of them exhibited a significant cytotoxicity at a concentration of 20 μM .     

Deacetylcephalosporin C production in Penicillium chrysogenum by expression of the isopenicillin N epimerization, ring expansion, and acetylation genes

Penicillium chrysogenum npe6 lacking isopenicillin N acyltransferase activity is an excellent host for production of different beta-lactam antibiotics. We have constructed P. chrysogenum strains expressing cefD1, cefD2, cefEF, and cefG genes cloned from Acremonium chrysogenum. Northern analysis revealed that the four genes were expressed in P. chrysogenum. The recombinant strains TA64, TA71, and TA98 secreted significant amounts of deacetylcephalosporin C, but cephalosporin C was not detected in the culture broths. DAC-acetyltransferase activity was found in all transformants containing the cefG gene. HPLC analysis of cell extracts showed that transformant TA64, TA71, and TA98 accumulate intracellularly deacetylcephalosporin C and, in the last strain (TA98), also cephalosporin C. Mass spectra analysis confirmed that transformant TA98 synthesize true deacetylcephalosporin C and cephalosporin C. Even when accumulated intracellularly, cephalosporin C was not found in the culture broth.     

Synthesis of L-α-aminoadipyl-L-serinyl-D-valine,a naturally occuring tripeptide from the fermentation of Penicillium chrysogenum

A new tripeptide, L -α-aminoadipyl-L -seryl-D-valine has been synthesized by coupling the protected L-seryl-D -valine dipeptide with an appropriately protected L -α-aminoadipic acid ester. The free tripeptide was obtained after treatment with liquid HF and purification by HPLC.