Production of Ammonium Lactate by Fed-batch Fermentation of Rhizopus oryzaefrom Corncob Hydrolysate

L-(+)-Lactic acid production from corncob hydrolysate as a cheap carbohydrate source by fed-batch fermentation of Rhizopus oryzaeHZS6 was studied. After 96 h of fermentation in a 5 L fermentor, the final concentration of ammonium L-(+)-lactate, average productivity(based on initial xylose concentration) and maximum dry cell weight were 132.4 g/L, 1.38 g/(L·h), and 8.9 g/L respectively. The optical purity of L-(+)-lactate was 98.8%.

Optimization of L-lactic Acid Production of Rhizopus Oryzae Mutant RLC41-6 by Ion Beam Implantation at Low-Energy

In order to obtain an industrial strain with a higher L（＋）-lactic acid yield, the strain Rhizopus oryzae RF3608 was mutated by means of nitrogen ion beam implantation and the mutant strain RLC41-6 was isolated. Under optimal conditions the yield of L（＋）-lactic acid produced in a shake-flask reached 133 g/L - 137 g/L after 36 h cultivation, indicating that the conversion rate based on glucose was as high as 88% - 91% and the productivity was 3.75 g/L.h. It was almost a 115% increase in lactic acid production compared with the original strain RF3608.

Optimization of L(+)-Lactic Acid Production from Xylose with Rhizopus Oryzae Mutant RLC41-6 Breeding by Low-Energy Ion Implantation

In order to obtain an industrial strain with a higher L（＋）-lactic acid yield, the strain Rhizopus oryzae PW352 was mutated by means of nitrogen ion beam implantation and the mutant strain Rhizopus oryzae RLC41-6 was obtained. An experimental finding was made in surprise that Rhizopus oryzae mutant RLC41-6 is not only an L（＋）-lactic acid producer from corn starch but also an efficient producer of L（＋）-lactic acid from xylose. Under optimal conditions, the production of L（＋）-lactic acid from 100 g/L xylose reached 77.39 g/L after 144 h fed-batch fermentation, A high mutation rate and a wide mutation spectrum of low-energy ion implantation were observed in the experiment.

Improvement of L(+)-Lactic Acid Production of Rhizopus Oryzae by Low-Energy Ions and Analysis of Its Mechanism

The wild type strain Rhizopus oryzae PW352 was mutated by means of nitrogen ion implantation （15 keV, 7.8×10^14 ～ 2.08 ×10^15 ions/cm^2） to find an industrial strain with a higher L（＋）-lactic acid yield, and two mutants RE3303 and RF9052 were isolated. In order to discuss the mechanism primarily, Lactate Dehydrogenase of Rhizopus oryzae was studied. While the two mutants produced L（＋）-lactic acid by 75% more than the wild strain did, their specific activity of Lactate Dehydrogenase was found to be higher than that in the wild strain. The optimum temperature of Lactate Dehydrogenase in Rhizopus oryzae RF9052 was higher. Compared to the wild strain, the Michaelis constant （Km） value of Lactate Dehydrogenase in the mutants was Changed. All these changes show that L（＋）-lactic acid production has a correlation with the specific activity of Lactate Dehydrogenase. The low-energy ions, implanted into the strain, may improve the specific activity of Lactate Dehydrogenase by influencing its gene structure and protein structure.

Optimization of L(+)-Lactic Acid Fermentation Without Neutralisation of Rhizopus Oryzae Mutant RK02 by Low-Energy Ion Implantation

In order to get an industrial strain which can yield a high concentration of lactic acid for ISPR （in situ product removal）, the original strain Rhizopus oryzae RE3303 was mutated by low-energy ion beam implantation. A mutant RK02 was screened, and the factors such as the substrate concentration, nitrogen source concentration, inoculum size, seed age, aeration and temperature that affect the production of lactic acid were studied in detail. Under optimal con- ditions, the maximum concentration of L（＋）-lactic acid reached 34.85 g/L after 30 h shake-flask cultivation without adding any neutralisation （5% Glucose added）, which was a 146% increase in lactic acid production after ion implantation compared with the original strain. It was also shown that RK02 can be used in ISPR to reduce the number of times of separation.

Rhinocerebral mucormycosis caused by Rhizopus oryzae in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia: A case report

BACKGROUND Rhinocerebral mucormycosis(RCM)is a rare fatal fungal infection which is on the increase among immunocompromised hosts such as patients who have had hematological cancers,or have received immunosuppressive drugs,corticosteroids,or other T cell suppressing agents.CASE SUMMARY We report a case of RCM caused by Rhizopus oryzae,one of the most common opportunistic pathogens,in a patient suffering from a fourth relapse of acute myeloid leukemia.The patient developed RCM after he had received long-term antibiotic agents and corticosteroids.The pathogen was isolated three times from nasal secretions collected from the deep parts of the nasal cavity and was identified by morphology and internal transcribed spacer sequencing.Blood infection was excluded by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction and blood culture.The patient was empirically treated with caspofungin and voriconazole for several days while the lesions continued to progress.The patient was given amphotericin B in combination with caspofungin after RCM was suspected,and the lesions improved over the course of treatment,which lasted several days.However,the patient eventually died of the primary disease.CONCLUSION This case indicates that immunosuppressive drugs,including corticosteroids and antimetabolites in hematological tumor,do increase the risk of infections of this type.Early diagnosis,prompt and frequent surgical debridement,and treatment with amphotericin B without delay are all essential in combatting RCM.

Construction of the yeast whole-cell Rhizopus oryzae lipase biocatalyst with high activity

Surface display is effectively utilized to construct a whole-cell biocatalyst.Codon optimization has been proven to be effective in maximizing production of heterologous proteins in yeast.Here,the cDNA sequence of Rhizopus oryzae lipase (ROL) was optimized and synthesized according to the codon bias of Saccharomyces cerevisiae,and based on the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell surface display system with α-agglutinin as an anchor,recombinant yeast displaying fully codon-optimized ROL with high activity was successfully constructed.Compared with the wild-type ROL-displaying yeast,the activity of the codon-optimized ROL yeast whole-cell biocatalyst (25 U/g dried cells) was 12.8-fold higher in a hydrolysis reaction using p-nitrophenyl palmitate (pNPP) as the substrate.To our knowledge,this was the first attempt to combine the techniques of yeast surface display and codon optimization for whole-cell biocatalyst construction.Consequently,the yeast whole-cell ROL biocatalyst was constructed with high activity.The optimum pH and temperature for the yeast whole-cell ROL biocatalyst were pH 7.0 and 40 °C.Furthermore,this whole-cell biocatalyst was applied to the hydrolysis of tributyrin and the resulted conversion of butyric acid reached 96.91% after 144 h.

Enzymatic Degradation of Poly(butylenesuccinate)/Thermoplastic Starch Blend

The degradation of thermoplastic starch blend in the presence of commerciala-amylase and unpurified amylase of microbial origin was investigated.The blends consisting of thermoplastic starch and poly(butylene succinate)have potential use in packaging applications thus,it is essential to establish susceptibility to degradation.Molar mass loss,gravimetric weight loss,and molecular structure were evaluated.The changes in the surface were observed with scanning electron microscopy.It was confirmed that there was a significant difference in gravimetric weight loss between the blends degraded in two different solutions.Unpurified enzymes of microbial origin,produced by Rhizopus oryzae cultures decomposed analyzed materials more efficiently than purified commercial ones.Moreover,it was proved that in applied conditions,the molar mass of PBS fraction did not change significantly.

Enhancement of L(+)-Lactic Acid Production of Immobilized Rhizoous Orvzae Imolanted by Ion Beams

Immobilized Rhizopus oryzae culturing may be a solution to the inhibited production of L（＋）-lactic acid in submerged fermentation, which is caused by aggregated mycelia floc. In the present study, a R. oryzae mutant （RL6041） with a 90% conversion rate of glucose into L-lactic acid was obtained by N＋ implantation under the optimized conditions of a beam energy of 15 keV and a dose of 2.6 ×10^15 ions/cm^2. Using polyurethane foam as the immobilization matrix, the optimal L-lactic acid production conditions were determined as 4 mm polyurethane foam, 150 r/min, 50 g/L ～ 80 g/L of initial glucose, 38℃ and pH 6.0. 15-cycle repeated productions of L-lactic acid by immobilized RL6041 were performed under the optimized culturing conditions and over 80% of the glucose was converted into L-lactic acid in 30 hours on average. The results show that immobilized RL6041 is a promising candidate for continuous L-lactic acid production.

COVID-19-associated disseminated mucormycosis:An autopsy case report

BACKGROUND Reports of mucormycosis,an infectious disease that commonly affects immunocompromised individuals,have increased during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic.Disseminated mucormycosis associated with COVID-19 is rare but fatal and is characterized by an aggressive clinical course and delayed diagnosis.Our report documents a case of disseminated mucormycosis after COVID-19 infection.This is a rare pathological autopsy report on COVID-19-associated mucormycosis.CASE SUMMARY A 58-year-old man was transferred to our hospital with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.During treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome,he developed intra-abdominal bleeding that required a right hemicolectomy and ileostomy for hemostasis.The ileostoma and surgical wound developed necrosis followed by sepsis and multi-organ failure,which led to death.An autopsy revealed multiple thrombi associated with Rhizopus oryzae infection,which led to the necrosis of multiple infected organs.CONCLUSION Early suspicion and diagnosis followed by treatment are keys to better outcomes of mucormycosis in patients with severe COVID-19.