Amylase Production by the Marine Yeast Aureobasidium pullulans N13d

The marine yeast strain N13d, producing an extracellular amylase, was isolated from the deep sea sediments of the Pa-cific Ocean. This strain was identified to be Aureobasidium pullulans by 18S rRNA gene sequence analysis and routine yeast identi-fication methods. The optimal sea water medium for amylase production by this yeast strain was 1.0% peptone and 1.0% soluble starch with pH 4.0. The optimal conditions for amylase production by this yeast strain were with temperature 28 ℃, aeration rate 6 Lmin-1 and agitation speed 250 rmin-1. Under these conditions, 58.5 units of amylase activity per mg protein were produced within 56 h of fermentation.

A Carboxymethyl Cellulase from a Marine Yeast(Aureobasidium pullulans 98): Its Purification, Characterization, Gene Cloning and Carboxymethyl Cellulose Digestion

We have reported that A. pullulans 98 produces a high yield of cellulase. In this study, a carboxymethyl cellulase （CMCase） in the supematant of the culture ofA. pullulans 98 was purified to homogeneity, and the maximum production of CMCase was 4.51 U （mg protein）-1. The SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the molecular mass of the purified CMCase was 67.0kDa. The optimal temperature of the purified enzyme with considerable thermosensitivity was 40℃, much lower than that of the CMCases from other ftmgi. The optimal pH of the enzyme was 5.6, and the activity profile was stable in a range of acidity （pH 5,0-6.0）. The enzyme was activated by Na＋, Mg2＋, Ca2＋, K＋, Fe2＋ and Cu2＋, however, it was inhibited by Fe3＋, Ba2＋, Zn2＋, Mn2＋ and Ag＋. Km and Vmax values of the purified enzyme were 4.7mgmL-1 and 0.57 pmol L-1 min-1 （mg protein）-1, respectively. Only oligosaccharides with different sizes were released from carboxymethylcellulose （CMC） after hydrolysis with the purified CMCase. The putative gene encoding CMCase was cloned from A. pullulans 98, which contained an open reading flame of 954bp （EU978473）. The protein deduced contained the conserved domain of cellulase superfamily （glucosyl hydrolase family 5）. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified CMCase was M-A-P-H-A-E-P-Q-S-Q-T-T-E-Q-T-S-S-G-Q-F, which was consistent with that deduced from the cloned gene. This suggested that the purified CMCase was indeed encoded by the cloned CMCase gene in this yeast.

The Synergism of Chemical Herbicides and Aureobasidium pullulans for Control Cleavers(Galium aparine L.) in Wheat

Aureobasidium pullulans, a biocontrol agent for the annual weed Galium aparine L. was evaluated in vitro for its compatibility with commercial formulation of five herbicides at 1X （recommended field rate）, 0.5X, 0.2X, 0.1X 0.067X, and 0.05X concentrations. Germination of A. pullulans with paraquat, 2, 4-D, quizalofop-p, and ctethodim treatment appeared reduced compared with germination of A. pullulans with fluroxypyr treatment at all concentrations. Stunted and shorter germ tubes in comparison with the control were observed with 2, 4-D, quizalofop-p, and clethodim at 0.2X. All concentration of paraquat, 2, 4-D, quizalofop-p, and clethodim except 0.05X, significantly decreased radial growth of A. pullulans compared with its growth on the untreated PDA medium. Field trials to further develop A. pullulans as bio- control agent for control G. aparine L. was conducted to test the effectiveness of this fungus in wheat plots for 2 years at the same location in Xining. Treatments included spore suspensions of A. pullulans alone, a mixture of both fungus and fluroxypyr in wheat. Biocontrol agent effectiveness was estimated at approximately 7 and 14 days after treatment, as disease incidence, percent weed control, and weed biomass reduction. Significant reduction in weed biomass occurred in combination treatments, and potential exists to tank mix A. pullulans with fluroxypyr. Leaf surface moisture and air temperatures following application may account for inconsistencies in field results between years. This fungal organisms show potential as bioherbicides for weeds in G. aparine L.

Screening, purification, and characterization of an extracellular lipase from Aureobasidium pullulans isolated from stuffed buns steamers

An extracellular lipase from Aureobasidium pullulans was obtained and purified with a specific activity of 17.7 U/mg of protein using ultrafiltration and a DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow column. Characterization of the lipase indicated that it is a novel finding from the species A. pullulans. The molecular weight of the lipase was 39.5 kDa, determined by sodium dodecyl sulfonate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE). The enzyme exhibited its optimum activity at 40 °C and pH of 7. It also showed a remarkable stability in some organic solutions(30%, v/v) including n-propanol, isopropanol, dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO), and hexane. The catalytic activity of the lipase was enhanced by Ca2+ and was slightly inhibited by Mn2+ and Zn2+ at a concentration of 10 mmol/L. The lipase was activated by the anionic surfactant SDS and the non-ionic surfactants Tween 20, Tween 80, and Triton X-100, but it was drastically inhibited by the cationic surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide(CTAB). Furthermore, the lipase was able to hydrolyze a wide variety of edible oils, such as peanut oil, corn oil, sunflower seed oil, sesame oil, and olive oil. Our study indicated that the lipase we obtained is a potential biocatalyst for industrial use.