Xylanase Production by Bacillus circulans D1 Using Maltose as Carbon Source

Bacillus circulans D1 is a good producer of extracellular thermostable xylanase. Xylanase production in different carbon sources was evaluated and the enzyme synthesis was induced by various carbon sources. It was found that d-maltose is the best inducer of the enzyme synthesis (7.05 U/mg dry biomass at 48 h), while d-glucose and d-arabinose lead to the production of basal levels of xylanase. The crude enzyme solution is free of cellulases, even when the microorganism was cultivated in a medium with d-cellobiose. When oat spelt xylan was supplemented with d-glucose, the repressive effect of this sugar on xylanase production was observed at 24 h, only when used at 5.0 g/L, leading to a reduction of 60% on the enzyme production. On the other hand, when the xylan medium was supplemented with d-xylose (3.0 or 5.0 g/L), this effect was more evident (80 and 90% of reduction on the enzyme production, respectively). Unlike that observed in the xylan medium, glucose repressed xylanase production in the maltose medium, leading to a reduction of 55% on the enzyme production at 24 h of cultivation. Xylose, at 1.0 g/L, induced xylanase production on the maltose medium. On this medium, the repressive effect of xylose, at 3.0 or 5.0 g/L, was less expressive when compared to its effect on the xylan medium.     

Tissue-Specific Regulation of HNK-1 Biosynthesis by Bisecting GlcNAc

Human natural killer—1 (HNK-1) is a sulfated glyco-epitope regulating cell adhesion and synaptic functions. HNK-1 and its non-sulfated forms, which are specifically expressed in the brain and the kidney, respectively, are distinctly biosynthesized by two homologous glycosyltransferases: GlcAT-P in the brain and GlcAT-S in the kidney. However, it is largely unclear how the activity of these isozymes is regulated in vivo. We recently found that bisecting GlcNAc, a branching sugar in N-glycan, suppresses both GlcAT-P activity and HNK-1 expression in the brain. Here, we observed that the expression of non-sulfated HNK-1 in the kidney is unexpectedly unaltered in mutant mice lacking bisecting GlcNAc. This suggests that the biosynthesis of HNK-1 in the brain and the kidney are differentially regulated by bisecting GlcNAc. Mechanistically, in vitro activity assays demonstrated that bisecting GlcNAc inhibits the activity of GlcAT-P but not that of GlcAT-S. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation showed that GlcAT-P binds poorly to bisected N-glycan substrates, whereas GlcAT-S binds similarly to bisected and non-bisected N-glycans. These findings revealed the difference of the highly homologous isozymes for HNK-1 synthesis, highlighting the novel mechanism of the tissue-specific regulation of HNK-1 synthesis by bisecting GlcNAc.     

Efficient isolation and identification of Bacillus cereus group

Bacillus cereus is a group of ubiquitous facultative anaerobic sporeforming Gram-positive rods commonly found in soil. The spores frequently contaminate a variety of foods, including produce, meat, eggs, and dairy products. Foodborne illnesses associated with toxins produced by B. cereus can result in self-limiting diarrhea or vomiting. Plate enumeration methods recommended by recognized food authorities to detect the presence of B. cereus in potentially contaminated food products do not inhibit other Gram-positive competitive bacteria. This study evaluated the use of Bacara, a new chromogenic agar, as an efficient method to identify and enumerate B. cereus group from food matrixes, even in the presence of background flora. Inclusivity and exclusivity testing was performed using four different selective and differential media for B. cereus, including Mannitol Egg Yolk Polymyxin (MYP), Polymyxin Pyruvate Egg-Yolk Mannitol Bromothymol Blue Agar, Bacillus Chromogenic Media, Brilliance, and Bacara. MYP and Bacara were also used in plate enumeration studies to isolate B. cereus from artificially contaminated foods.     

Architecture and high-resolution structure of Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus spore coat surfaces

We have utilized atomic force microscopy (AFM) to visualize the native surface topography and ultrastructure of Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus spores in water and in air. AFM was able to resolve the nanostructure of the exosporium and three distinctive classes of appendages. Removal of the exosporium exposed either a hexagonal honeycomb layer (B. thuringiensis) or a rodlet outer spore coat layer (B. cereus). Removal of the rodlet structure from B. cereus spores revealed an underlying honeycomb layer similar to that observed with B. thuringiensis spores. The periodicity of the rodlet structure on the outer spore coat of B. cereus was approximately 8 nm, and the length of the rodlets was limited to the cross-patched domain structure of this layer to approximately 200 nm. The lattice constant of the honeycomb structures was approximately 9 nm for both B. cereus and B. thuringiensis spores. Both honeycomb structures were composed of multiple, disoriented domains with distinct boundaries. Our results demonstrate that variations in storage and preparation procedures result in architectural changes in individual spore surfaces, which establish AFM as a useful tool for evaluation of preparation and processing "fingerprints" of bacterial spores. These results establish that high-resolution AFM has the capacity to reveal species-specific assembly and nanometer scale structure of spore surfaces. These species-specific spore surface structural variations are correlated with sequence divergences in a spore core structural protein SspE.     

Partial purification and characterization of protease enzyme from Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus

The aim of this experimental study was to isolate and partially purify protease enzyme from Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis. Protease enzyme is obtained by inducing spore genesis of bacteria from Bacillus species in suitable nutrient plates. The partial purification was realized by applying, respectively, ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, and DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography to the supernatant that was produced later. Optimum pH, optimum temperature, pH stability, and temperature stability were determined, as well as the effects of pH, temperature, substrate concentration, reaction time, and inhibitors and activators on enzyme activity. In addition, the molecular mass of the obtained enzyme was investigated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The specific activity of partially purified enzyme from B. subtilis was determined to be 84 U/mg. The final enzyme preparation was eight-fold more pure than the crude homogenate. The molecular mass of the partially purified enzyme was found to be 45 kDa by using SDS-PAGE. The protease enzyme that was partially purified from B. cereus was purified 1.2-fold after ammonium sulfate precipitation. The molecular mass of the partially purified enzyme was determined to be 37 kDa by using SDS-PAGE.     

Biosynthesis of silver nanocrystals by Bacillus licheniformis

The use of microorganisms for the synthesis of nanoparticles is in the limelight of modern nanotechnology. Using the bacterium Bacillus licheniformis, the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles was investigated. These silver nanoparticles were characterized by means of UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron diffraction spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The nanoparticles exhibited maximum absorbance at 440 nm in UV-vis spectroscopy. The XRD spectrum of silver nanoparticles exhibited 2theta values corresponding to the silver nanocrystal. SEM micrographs revealed the formation of well-dispersed silver nanoparticles of 50 nm, and the presence of silver was confirmed by EDX analysis.     

微藻脂肪合成与代谢调控

随着能源与环境问题的日益严峻,利用微藻生产生物柴油已经成为研究者们关注的焦点。与传统油料作物相比,微藻具有生长速度快、含油量高、不占用耕地等优势,是极具潜力的生物燃料生产原料。虽然许多微藻在压力条件下会在细胞内积累脂肪,特别是中性脂肪三酰甘油(TAG),它是生产生物柴油的主要原料,但目前对于微藻脂肪的合成和代谢调控还了解的很少。为了更好地理解和操纵微藻脂肪代谢以增强脂肪积累,本文综述了微藻脂肪合成与代谢调控的研究进展,包括TAG生物合成途径,提高脂肪积累的生化调控和基因工程策略,阐述了营养控制对脂肪积累的影响,总结了增强脂肪酸合成途径、增强Kennedy途径、调控TAG旁路途经、抑制脂肪合成的竞争途径、抑制脂肪的分解代谢等5种基因工程策略,同时也对微藻脂肪代谢研究的发展进行了展望。     

Radiosensitization of Bacillus cereus spores in minced meat treated with cinnamaldehyde

Minced meat beef inoculated with Bacillus cereus spores was treated with four essential oil constituents. The active compounds were sprayed separately onto the meat in order to determine the concentration needed to reduce by 1 log the population of B. cereus spores. Cinnamaldehyde was the best antimicrobial compound selected. It was mixed with ascorbic acid and/or sodium pyrophosphate decahydrate and tested for its efficiency to increase the relative radiation sensitivity (RRS) of B. cereus spores in minced meat packed under air. Results demonstrated that the radiation treatment in presence of the cinnamaldehyde and sodium phosphate decahydrate increased the RRS of B. cereus spores by two fold. The study revealed also that the irradiation of raw beef meat pre-treated with cinnamaldehyde produced an inhibition of the growth of B. cereus count during refrigerated storage. This technology seems to be compatible with industrial meat processing.     

Structure and Function of a Multidomain Alkaline Xylanase from Alkaliphilic Bacillus Sp. Strain 41M-1

Xylanase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of xylan, a -1,4-linked xylose polymer. Alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. strain 41M-1 secretes a xylanase (xylanase J) that has an alkaline pH optimum. Xylanase J is a multidomain enzyme and consists of two functional domains: a family 11/G catalytic domain and a non-catalytic xylan-binding domain. The xylan-binding domain bound to xylan and enhanced catalytic activity of the adjacent catalytic domain. Mutational analyses revealed some amino acid residues that contribute to catalytic activity, alkaliphily and xylan-binding activity of xylanase J.     

Characterization of a Thermotolerant and Alkalotolerant Xylanase from a Bacillus sp.

In a recent screening for thermophilic bacteria from Azores hot springs, a Bacillus sp strain 3M, exhibiting cellulase-free extracellular xylanolitic activity, was isolated. Further enzyme characterization from liquid cultures grown on birchwood xylan revealed that the endo-l,4-βxylanase retains 100% of activity for at least 3 d at 55°C. At 80°C, it retains 47% of its maximal activity, and the enzyme is still active at 90°C. The optimum pH of the enzyme has a broad pH range, between 6.0 and 7.5, and it is remarkably active for the alkaline region, exhibiting 89% of relative activity at pH 9.O. The enzyme was partially inactivated by different divalent metal ions. Because of its tolerance for high temperature and pH conditions, and the absence of contaminating cellulase activity, the xylanase produced byBacillus sp 3M appears to be attractive for use in the pulp and paper industry. Indeed, the efficiency of the enzyme application to the kraftEucalyptus pulp was studied for bleaching pretreatment, resulting in a moderate increase of pulp bleachability.     

Xylanase Isozymes from the Newly Isolated Bacillus sp. CKBx1D and Optimization of Its Deinking Potentiality

Recycling of civic paper waste by enzyme-based technology is nowadays a point of much concern for pollution-less green environment. In this study, the deinking effectiveness of purified xylanase from a newly isolated bacterium was evaluated for recycling of laser jet paper waste. A potent xylanases-producing bacterium from the microbial consortia of termite gut was isolated, which was further identified on the basis of 16S rRNA sequence as Bacillus sp. CKBx1D. In submerged fermentation condition, the isolate produced the highest level of xylanase (480?U/ml) at 36?h of growth. The extracellular xylanase system comprises of three distinct isozymes (est. Mw 35.28, 28.63, 18.94?kDa). The deinking of laser printed paper waste was performed using the purified enzyme mixture. Whole operational parameters were optimized using the Response Surface Methodology; it was found that at pH 6.8 with 47.2?h of continuous shaking at constant temperature of 35?°C, enzymes showed best deinking activity. After enzyme treatment, the physical properties of the pulp like brightness and ERIC (effective residual ink content) values were enhanced, whereas the pulp opacity was more reduced than the control treatment. Hence, the bacterial isolate and its xylanolytic enzyme system could efficiently be used in recycling paper waste as deinking agent.     

Specific electrochemical phage sensing for Bacillus cereus and Mycobacterium smegmatis

The rapid and reliable detection of pathogenic microorganisms is an important issue for the safety and security of our society. Here we describe the use of a sensitive, inexpensive, amperometric, phage-based biosensor for the detection of extremely low concentrations of Bacillus cereus and Mycobacterium smegmatis as models for Bacillus anthracis (the causative agent of anthrax) and for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (the causative agent of tuberculosis), respectively. The detection procedure developed here enabled the determination of bacteria at a low concentration of 10 viable cells/mL within 8 h. This experimental setup allows the simultaneous analysis of up to eight independent samples, using disposable screen-printed electrodes.     

Purification and characterization of Bacillus cereus protease suitable for detergent industry

An extracellular alkaline protease from an alkalophilic bacterium, Bacillus cereus, was produced in a large amount by the method of extractive fermentation. The protease is thermostable, pH tolerant, and compatible with commercial laundry detergerts. The protease purified and characterized in this study was found to be saperior to endogenous protease already present in commercial laundry detergents. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, concentration by ultrafiltration, anionexchange chromatography, and gel filtration. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of 3256.05 U/mg and was found to be amonomeric protein with a molecular mass of 28 and 31 kDa, as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and nondenaturing PAGE, respectively. Its maximum protease activity against casein was found to be at pH 10.5 and 50°C. Proteolytic activity of the enzyme was detected by casein and gelatin zymography, which gave a very clear protease activity zone on gel that corresponded to the band obtained on SDS-PAGE and nondenaturing PAGE with a molecular mass of nearly 31 kDa. The purified enzyme was analyzed through matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and identified as a subtilisin class of protease. Specific serine protease inhibitors, suggesting the presence of serine residues at the active site, inhibited the enzme significantly.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of the mononuclear zinc-beta-lactamase from Bacillus cereus.

Herein, we report molecular dynamics simulations of the mononuclear form of the Bacillus cereuszinc-beta-lactamase. We studied two different configurations which differ in the presence of a zinc-bound hydroxide or a zinc-bound water and in the protonation state of the essential His210 residue. Contacts of the catalytically important residues (Asp90, His210, Cys168, etc.) with the zinc center are characterized by the MD analyses. The nature of the Zn-OH(2) --> His210 proton transfer pathway connecting the two configurations was studied by means of QM calculations on cluster models while the relative stability of the two configurations was estimated from QM/MM calculations in the enzyme. From these results, a theoretical model for the kinetically active form of the B. cereus metalloenzyme is proposed. Some mechanistic implications and the influence of mutating the Cys168 residue are also discussed.     

Production,purification and characterisation of a chitosanase from Bacillus cereus

In the present work, a chitosanase was induced from a squid pen powder-containing Bacillus cereus TKU031 medium, and the addition of 0.05 % (w/v) boric acid or sodium tetraborate resulted in 195 and 177 % enhancement, respectively, in TKU031 chitosanase production. The purified TKU031 chitosanase exhibited optimum activity at pH 5 and 50 °C and was stable at pH 5–9 and <50 °C. The TKU031 chitosanase that was used for chitooligomers preparation was studied. The enzyme products revealed various chitooligomers with different degrees of polymerisation from 3 to 8, as determined by a MALDI-TOF–mass spectrometer, confirming the endo-type nature of the TKU031 chitosanase.     

Engineering a Metabolic Pathway for Isobutanol Biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis

Isobutanol can be biosynthesized via ??-ketoisovalerate catalyzed by heterologous keto acid decarboxylase (KDC) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). In this work, isobutanol biosynthesis pathway was designed in Bacillus subtilis, a notable solvent-tolerant host. In order to do that, a plasmid pPKA expressing KDC and ADH under the control of a B. subtilis strong promoter P₄₃ was constructed. Isobutanol was detected in the products of the recombinant B. subtilis harboring pPKA plasmid, whereas none was detected by the wild-type strain. Effects of the medium ingredients such as glucose concentration and valine addition, and operating parameters such as initial pH, inoculation volume, and medium work volume on isobutanol production were also investigated. Isobutanol production reached to the maximum of 0.607?g/L after 35-h cultivation under the conditions: glucose concentration of 3%, valine addition of 2%, initial pH of 7.0, inoculum of 1%, and work volume of 50?mL/250?mL. Though the isobutanol production by the recombinant was low, it was the first successful attempt to produce isobutanol in engineered B. subtilis, and the results showed its great potential as an isobutanol-producing cell factory.     

Surface properties and adhesion of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis to polyurethane - Influence of growth temperature

We sought to determine the influence of the growth temperature on the surface physicochemical properties and adhesion of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis. Growth temperature did not affect the surface characteristics of Bacillus cereus. With respect to the surface characteristics of the bacteria, water contact angle values indicated a hydrophilic nature for the vegetative forms of Bacillus subtilis with the exception of vegetative form cultured at 44^°C which, like the sporulated forms of the two species, was more hydrophobia When Bacillus subtilis was cultured at a temperature other than the optimum growth temperature, its global charge was increased; the more distant the culture temperature from the optimum temperature (30^°C), the higher the negative charge. Furthermore, using a tensiometric method, we demonstrated a production of surfactant by Bacillus subtilis. The rate of production rose the closer the growth temperature was to the optimum temperature. In line with the forecasts made on the basis of bacterial energy characteristics and those of a polyurethane surface, the growth and adhesion temperature only had a slight influence on the number of adherent cells.     

Biofilm inhibition and antimicrobial action of lipopeptide biosurfactant produced by heavy metal tolerant strain Bacillus cereus NK1

Biosurfactants are worthful microbial amphiphilic molecules with efficient surface-active and biological properties applicable to several industries and processes. Among them lipopeptides represent a class of microbial surfactants with increasing scientific, therapeutic and biotechnological interests. A heavy metal tolerant Bacillus strain has been isolated and the biofilm inhibition and antimicrobial activity of biosurfactant produced by the strain have been studied. Biosurfactant production was confirmed by the conventional screening methods including hemolytic activity, drop collapsing test, oil displacement test, emulsification and lipase production assays. The biosurfactant produced by this strain was a lipopeptide and exhibited strong surface activity. The biosurfactant has been characterized using FTIR, TLC and HPLC. The minimum active dose of this biosurfactant when compared with the other chemical surfactants was found as 0.150±0.06 μg. The critical micelle concentration was found to be 45 mg/l. The biosurfactant was found to be stable and active over a wide range of pH, temperature and NaCl concentration. It was also able to emulsify a wide range of hydrocarbons and oils thereby extending its application for the bioremediation of oil contaminated sites. The biosurfactant exhibited significant reduction in biofilm formation by pathogens and showed potent antimicrobial activity against various gram positive, gram negative bacteria and fungi. Agar diffusion assay for heavy metal resistance showed that the isolate was resistant to ferrous, lead and zinc. Considering the biofilm inhibition and antimicrobial property of biosurfactant, it can be utilized as a potential therapeutic molecule for numerous microbial infections. The heavy metal resistance of the strain can also be harnessed as an invaluable biological tool for in situ bioremediation.