Enhancement of gamma-aminobutyric acid production in Chungkukjang by applying a Bacillus subtilis strain expressing glutamate decarboxylase from Lactobacillus brevis

Expression and Transformation Characteristics of a Novel Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase LcGAD10s and Its Application on Sufu Processing

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an important non-proteinogenic amino acid and a potent bioactive compound with many anti-hypertensive and anti-depressant activities. The bioconversion of GABA by glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) has been eagerly studied. Herein, novel pyridoxal-5-phosphate monohydrates (PLP)-dependent GAD, which is not quite similar to reporting, was cloned from Latilactobacillus curvatus and efficiently expressed in E. coli. The conveniently purified GAD (designated LcGAD10s) appeared as a single protein on SDS-PAGE with a molecular mass of 52.0 kDa. LcGAD10s exhibited a specific activity of 303.7 U/mg after purification by Ni-IDA affinity chromatography, with optimal activity at 55 °C and pH 5. LcGAD10s displayed excellent temperature (50 °C) and pH (4-8) stability which relative activity above 80% and 70%, respectively. The enzymatic activity was, respectively, increased and depressed by 130%, and 24% in the presence of Mn+ and Cu2+. Enzyme activity over 90% can be achieved by adding at least 25 mM of PLP. LcGAD10s was able to efficiently transform 15 g/L GABA with a single-factor optimized reaction of pH (5), temperature (50 °C), time (2 h), LcGAD10s dosage (0.4 U) and monosodium glutamate level (5 g/L). Additionally, LcGAD10s can be applied to a tofu fermentation system to achieve GABA conversion and achieved 14.9 mg/g of GABA conversion when added at 2 U/mL, which is higher than most of the commercial sufu and previous application reports, increasing its functional substances.

Sporulation, Structure Assembly, and Germination in the Soil Bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis: Survival and Success in the Environment and the Insect Host

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a rod-shaped, Gram-positive soil bacterium that belongs to the phylum Firmicutes and the genus Bacillus. It is a spore-forming bacterium. During sporulation, it produces a wide range of crystalline proteins that are toxic to different orders of insects. Sporulation, structure assembly, and germination are essential stages in the cell cycle of B. thuringiensis. The majority of studies on these issues have focused on the model organism Bacillus subtilis, followed by Bacillus cereus and Bacillus anthracis. The machinery for sporulation and germination extrapolated to B. thuringiensis. However, in the light of recent findings concerning the role of the sporulation proteins (SPoVS), the germination receptors (Gr), and the cortical enzymes in Bt, the theory strengthened that conservation in sporulation, structure assembly, and germination programs drive the survival and success of B. thuringiensis in the environment and the insect host. In the present minireview, the latter pinpointed and reviewed.

Fermented Milk Product Enriched with γ-PGA, Peptides and GABA by Novel Co-Fermentation with Bacillus subtilis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum

Milk was co-fermented with Bacillus subtilis HA and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum EJ2014 to produce a dairy ingredient enriched with poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The first fermentation of milk with B. subtilis HA resulted in a viscous broth with pH 6.56, 0.26% acidity, 1.40 mg/g tyrosine equivalent, and 17.21 U/g protease activity. The viable cell counts of B. subtilis indicated 8.74 log CFU/mL, and the consistency index of the alkaline fermented milk was 1.82 Pa·sn. In addition, 4.65% mucilage was produced with 35.93% γ-PGA content. The milk co-fermented by L. plantarum indicated 1.34% acidity and pH 4.91. The viable bacterial counts of B. subtilis decreased to 4.44 log CFU/mL, whereas those of L. plantarum increased to 9.42 log CFU/mL. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) as a precursor was effectively converted into γ-PGA by B. subtilis, and then residual MSG was completely converted into GABA by L. plantarum with a yield of 26.15 mg/g. Furthermore, the co-fermented milk produced volatiles, including hexanoic acid, 2,3-butanediol, and acetoin, which may be responsible for its aged cheese-like aroma.

Effect of Lactic Acid Fermentation on Legume Protein Properties, a Review

Legume proteins have a promising future in the food industry due to their nutritional, environmental, and economic benefits. However, their application is still limited due to the presence of antinutritional and allergenic compounds, their poor technological properties, and their unpleasant sensory characteristics. Fermentation has been traditionally applied to counteract these inconveniences. At present, lactic acid fermentation of legumes is attracting the attention of researchers and industry in relation to the development of healthier, tasty, and technologically adapted products. Hence, we aimed to review the literature to shed light on the effect of lactic acid fermentation on legume protein composition and on their nutritional, functional, technological, and sensorial properties. The antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria during legume fermentation was also considered. The heterogenicity of raw material composition (flour, concentrate, and isolate), the diversity of lactic acid bacteria (nutriment requirements, metabolic pathways, and enzyme production), and the numerous possible fermenting conditions (temperature, time, oxygen, and additional nutrients) offer an impressive range of possibilities with regard to fermented legume products. Systematic studies are required in order to determine the specific roles of the different factors. The optimal selection of these criteria will allow one to obtain high-quality fermented legume products. Fermentation is an attractive technology for the development of legume-based products that are able to satisfy consumers’ expectations from a nutritional, functional, technological, and sensory point of view.

Lactic Acid Fermented Green Tea with Levilactobacillus brevis Capable of Producing γ-Aminobutyric Acid

The antioxidative activity and bioactive compounds content of lactic acid fermented green tea (LFG) fermented with an outstanding GABA-producing strain under optimised fermentation conditions were evaluated. Levilactobacillus strain GTL 79 was isolated from green tea leaves and selected based on acid production, growth potential, catechin resistance, and GABA production to be applied to LFG. Through 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strain was identified as Levilactobacillus brevis. The optimised conditions were defined as fermentation at 37 °C with supplementation of 1% fermentation alcohol, 6% glucose, and 1% MSG and was determined to be most effective in increasing the lactic acid, acetic acid, and GABA content in LFG by 522.20%, 238.72% and 232.52% (or 247.58%), respectively. Initial DPPH scavenging activity of LFG fermented under the optimised conditions was 88.96% and rose to 94.38% by day 5. Polyphenols may contribute to the initial DPPH scavenging activity, while GABA and other bioactive compounds may contribute to the activity thereafter. Consequently, as GABA and other bioactive compounds found in green tea have been reported to have health benefits, future studies may prove that optimally fermented LFG by L. brevis GTL 79 could be useful in the food and health industries.

Enhancing the production of γ-aminobutyric acid in Escherichia coli BL21 by engineering the enzymes of the regeneration pathway of the coenzyme factor pyridoxal 5'-phosphate

The compound γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was widely used in various fields. To enhance the production of GABA in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), the enzymes of the regeneration pathway of the coenzyme factor pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) were engineered. The recombinant E. coli strain was screened and identified. The initial concentrations of L-monosodium glutamate (L-MSG) had an obvious influence on the production of GABA. The highest concentration of GABA in recombinant E. coli BL21/pET28a-gadA was 5.54 g/L when the initial L-MSG concentration was 10 g/L, whereas it was 8.45 g/L in recombinant E. coli BL21/pET28a-gadA-SNO1-SNZ1 at an initial L-MSG concentration of 15 g/L. The corresponding conversion yields of GABA in these two strains were 91.0% and 92.7%, respectively. When the initial concentrations of L-MSG were more than 15 g/L, the concentrations of GABA in E. coli BL21/pET28a-gadA-SNO1-SNZ1 were significantly higher as compared to those in recombinant E. coli BL21/pET28a-gadA, and it reached a maximum of 13.20 g/L at an initial L-MSG concentration of 25 g/L, demonstrating that the introduction of the enzymes of the regeneration pathway of PLP favored to enhance the production of GABA. This study provides new insight into producing GABA effectively in E. coli BL21(DE3).

Genetic Background Behind the Amino Acid Profiles of Fermented Soybeans Produced by Four Bacillus spp

Strains of four Bacillus spp. were respectively inoculated into sterilized soybeans and the free amino acid profiles of the resulting cultures were analyzed to discern their metabolic traits. After 30 days of culture, B. licheniformis showed the highest production of serine, threonine, and glutamic acid; B. subtilis exhibited the highest production of alanine, asparagine, glycine, leucine, proline, tryptophan, and lysine. B. velezensis increased the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration to >200% of that in the control samples. B. sonorensis produced a somewhat similar amino acid profile with B. licheniformis. Comparative genomic analysis of the four Bacillus strains and the genetic profiles of the produced free amino acids revealed that genes involved in glutamate and arginine metabolism were not common to the four strains. The genes gadA/B (encoding a glutamate decarboxylase), rocE (amino acid permease), and puuD (γ-glutamyl-γ-aminobutyrate hydrolase) determined GABA production, and their presence was species-specific. Taken together, B. licheniformis and B. velezensis were respectively shown to have high potential to increase concentrations of glutamic acid and GABA, while B. subtilis has the ability to increase essential amino acid concentrations in fermented soybean foods.

Reprogramming natural proteins using unnatural amino acids

Unnatural amino acids have gained significant attention in protein engineering and drug discovery as they allow the evolution of proteins with enhanced stability and activity. The incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins offers a rational approach to engineer enzymes for designing efficient biocatalysts that exhibit versatile physicochemical properties and biological functions. This review highlights the biological and synthetic routes of unnatural amino acids to yield a modified protein with altered functionality and their incorporation methods. Unnatural amino acids offer a wide array of applications such as antibody-drug conjugates, probes for change in protein conformation and structure–activity relationships, peptide-based imaging, antimicrobial activities, etc. Besides their emerging applications in fundamental and applied science, systemic research is necessary to explore unnatural amino acids with novel side chains that can address the limitations of natural amino acids.

Incorporation of unnatural amino acids into protein offers wide array of applications in fundamental and applied science.

An efficient process for co-production of γ-aminobutyric acid and probiotic Bacillus subtilis cells

This study was to establish an integrated process for the co-production of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and live probiotics. Six probiotic bacteria were screened and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051 showed the highest GABA-producing capacity. The optimal temperature and initial pH value for GABA production in B. subtilis were found to be 30 °C and 8.0, respectively. A variety of carbon and nitrogen sources were tested, and potato starch and peptone were the preferred carbon and nitrogen sources for GABA production, respectively. The concentrations of carbon source, nitrogen source and substrate (sodium l-glutamate) were then optimized using the response surface methodology. The GABA titer and concentration of viable cells of B. subtilis reached 19.74 g/L and 6.0 × 108 cfu/mL at 120 h. The GABA titer represents the highest production of GABA in B. subtilis. This work thus demonstrates a highly efficient co-production process for GABA and probiotic B. subtilis cells.

Production of γ-aminobutyric acid in Escherichia coli by engineering MSG pathway

The compound γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has many important physiological functions. The effect of glutamate decarboxylases and the glutamate/GABA antiporter on GABA production was investigated in Escherichia coli. Three genes, gadA, gadB, and gadC were cloned and ligated alone or in combination into the plasmid pET32a. The constructed plasmids were transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). Three strains, E. coli BL21(DE3)/pET32a-gadA, E. coli BL21(DE3)/pET32a-gadAB and E. coli BL21(DE3)/pET32a-gadABC were selected and identified. The respective titers of GABA from the three strains grown in shake flasks were 1.25, 2.31, and 3.98 g/L. The optimal titer of the substrate and the optimal pH for GABA production were 40 g/L and 4.2, respectively. The highest titer of GABA was 23.6 g/L at 36 h in batch fermentation and was 31.3 g/L at 57 h in fed-batch fermentation. This study lays a foundation for the development and use of GABA.

Biosynthesis and biotechnological application of non-canonical amino acids: Complex and unclear

Compared with the better-studied canonical amino acids, the distribution, metabolism and functions of natural non-canonical amino acids remain relatively obscure. Natural non-canonical amino acids have been mainly discovered in plants as secondary metabolites that perform diversified physiological functions. Due to their specific characteristics, a broader range of natural and artificial non-canonical amino acids have recently been applied in the development of functional materials and pharmaceutical products. With the rapid development of advanced methods in biotechnology, non-canonical amino acids can be incorporated into peptides, proteins and enzymes to improve the function and performance relative to their natural counterparts. Therefore, biotechnological application of non-canonical amino acids in artificial bio-macromolecules follows the central goal of synthetic biology to: create novel life forms and functions. However, many of the non-canonical amino acids are synthesized via chemo- or semi-synthetic methods, and few non-canonical amino acids can be synthesized using natural in vivo pathways. Therefore, further research is needed to clarify the metabolic pathways and key enzymes of the non-canonical amino acids. This will lead to the discovery of more candidate non-canonical amino acids, especially for those that are derived from microorganisms and are naturally bio-compatible with chassis strains for in vivo biosynthesis. In this review, we summarize representative natural and artificial non-canonical amino acids, their known information regarding associated metabolic pathways, their characteristics and their practical applications. Moreover, this review summarizes current barriers in developing in vivo pathways for the synthesis of non-canonical amino acids, as well as other considerations, future trends and potential applications of non-canonical amino acids in advanced biotechnology.

Recent advances in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) properties in pulses: an overview

Beans, peas, and lentils are all types of pulses that are extensively used as foods around the world due to their beneficial effects on human health including their low glycaemic index, cholesterol lowering effects, ability to decrease the risk of heart diseases and their protective effects against some cancers. These health benefits are a result of their components such as bioactive proteins, dietary fibre, slowly digested starches, minerals and vitamins, and bioactive compounds. Among these bioactive compounds, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a non-proteinogenic amino acid with numerous reported health benefits (e.g. anti-diabetic and hypotensive effects, depression and anxiety reduction) is of particular interest. GABA is primarily synthesised in plant tissues by the decarboxylation of l-glutamic acid in the presence of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD). It is widely reported that during various processes including enzymatic treatment, gaseous treatment (e.g. with carbon dioxide), and fermentation (with lactic acid bacteria), GABA content increases in the plant matrix. The objective of this review paper is to highlight the current state of knowledge on the occurrence of GABA in pulses with special focus on mechanisms by which GABA levels are increased and the analytical extraction and estimation methods for this bioactive phytochemical. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Metabolomic Profiles of Aspergillus oryzae and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens During Rice Koji Fermentation

Rice koji, used early in the manufacturing process for many fermented foods, produces diverse metabolites and enzymes during fermentation. Using gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS), ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography linear trap quadrupole ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-IT-MS/MS), and multivariate analysis we generated the metabolite profiles of rice koji produced by fermentation with Aspergillus oryzae (RK_AO) or Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (RK_BA) for different durations. Two principal components of the metabolomic data distinguished the rice koji samples according to their fermenter species and fermentation time. Several enzymes secreted by the fermenter species, including α-amylase, protease, and β-glucosidase, were assayed to identify differences in expression levels. This approach revealed that carbohydrate metabolism, serine-derived amino acids, and fatty acids were associated with rice koji fermentation by A. oryzae, whereas aromatic and branched chain amino acids, flavonoids, and lysophospholipids were more typical in rice koji fermentation by B. amyloliquefaciens. Antioxidant activity was significantly higher for RK_BA than for RK_AO, as were the abundances of flavonoids, including tricin, tricin glycosides, apigenin glycosides, and chrysoeriol glycosides. In summary, we have used MS-based metabolomics and enzyme activity assays to evaluate the effects of using different microbial species and fermentation times on the nutritional profile of rice koji.

Efficient production of gamma-aminobutyric acid using Escherichia coli by co-localization of glutamate synthase, glutamate decarboxylase, and GABA transporter

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an important bio-product, which is used in pharmaceutical formulations, nutritional supplements, and biopolymer monomer. The traditional GABA process involves the decarboxylation of glutamate. However, the direct production of GABA from glucose is a more efficient process. To construct the recombinant strains of Escherichia coli, a novel synthetic scaffold was introduced. By carrying out the co-localization of glutamate synthase, glutamate decarboxylase, and GABA transporter, we redirected the TCA cycle flux to GABA pathway. The genetically engineered E. coli strain produced 1.08 g/L of GABA from 10 g/L of initial glucose. Thus, with the introduction of a synthetic scaffold, we increased GABA production by 2.2-fold. The final GABA concentration was increased by 21.8% by inactivating competing pathways.

Production of gamma-aminobutyric acid from glucose by introduction of synthetic scaffolds between isocitrate dehydrogenase, glutamate synthase and glutamate decarboxylase in recombinant Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli were engineered for the direct production of gamma-aminobutyric acid from glucose by introduction of synthetic protein scaffold. In this study, three enzymes consisting GABA pathway (isocitrate dehydrogenase, glutamate synthase and glutamate decarboxylase) were connected via synthetic protein scaffold. By introduction of scaffold, 0.92g/L of GABA was produced from 10g/L of glucose while no GABA was produced in wild type E. coli. The optimum pH and temperature for GABA production were 4.5 and 30°C, respectively. When competing metabolic network was inactivated by knockout mutation, maximum GABA concentration of 1.3g/L was obtained from 10g/L glucose. The recombinant E. coli strain which produces GABA directly from glucose was successfully constructed by introduction of protein scaffold.

Overexpression and optimization of glutamate decarboxylase in Lactobacillus plantarum Taj-Apis362 for high gamma-aminobutyric acid production

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an important bioactive compound biosynthesized by microorganisms through decarboxylation of glutamate by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD). In this study, a full-length GAD gene was obtained by cloning the template deoxyribonucleic acid to pTZ57R/T vector. The open reading frame of the GAD gene showed the cloned gene was composed of 1410 nucleotides and encoded a 469 amino acids protein. To improve the GABA-production, the GAD gene was cloned into pMG36e-LbGAD, and then expressed in Lactobacillus plantarum Taj-Apis362 cells. The overexpression was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and GAD activity, showing a 53 KDa protein with the enzyme activity increased by sevenfold compared with the original GAD activity. The optimal fermentation conditions for GABA production established using response surface methodology were at glutamic acid concentration of 497.973 mM, temperature 36°C, pH 5.31 and time 60 h. Under the conditions, maximum GABA concentration obtained (11.09 mM) was comparable with the predicted value by the model at 11.23 mM. To our knowledge, this is the first report of successful cloning (clone-back) and overexpression of the LbGAD gene from L. plantarum to L. plantarum cells. The recombinant Lactobacillus could be used as a starter culture for direct incorporation into a food system during fermentation for production of GABA-rich products.

Fermentation enhances the content of bioactive compounds in kidney bean extracts

The influence of solid (SSF) or liquid state fermentation (LSF) for 48 and 96 h on the production of water soluble extracts from kidney beans was investigated. SSF was carried out by Bacillus subtilis, whilst LSF was performed either by natural fermentation (NF) or by Lactobacillus plantarum strain (LPF). SSF extracts showed high soluble phenolic compound content (31-36 mg/g) and antioxidant activity (508-541 μg trolox equivalents/g), whilst LSF extracts exhibited potential antihypertensive activity due to their large γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content (6.8-10.6 mg/g) and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory (ACEI) activity (>90%). Therefore, fermentation can be considered as a valuable process to obtain bioactive ingredients from kidney beans, which could encourage their utilisation in the formulation of added-value functional foods.

Efficient gamma-aminobutyric acid bioconversion by employing synthetic complex between glutamate decarboxylase and glutamate/GABA antiporter in engineered Escherichia coli

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a precursor of one of the most promising heat-resistant biopolymers, Nylon-4, and can be produced by the decarboxylation of monosodium glutamate (MSG). In this study, a synthetic protein complex was applied to improve the GABA conversion in engineered Escherichia coli. Complexes were constructed by assembling a single protein–protein interaction domain SH3 to the glutamate decarboxylase (GadA and GadB) and attaching a cognate peptide ligand to the glutamate/GABA antiporter (GadC) at the N-terminus, C-terminus, and the 233rd amino acid residue. When GadA and GadC were co-overexpressed via the C-terminus complex, a GABA concentration of 5.65 g/l was obtained from 10 g/l MSG, which corresponds to a GABA yield of 93 %. A significant increase of the GABA productivity was also observed where the GABA productivity increased 2.5-fold in the early culture period due to the introduction of the synthetic protein complex. The GABA pathway efficiency and GABA productivity were enhanced by the introduction of the complex between Gad and glutamate/GABA antiporter.

The metabolic regulation of sporulation and parasporal crystal formation in Bacillus thuringiensis revealed by transcriptomics and proteomics

Bacillus thuringiensis is a well-known entomopathogenic bacterium used worldwide as an environmentally compatible biopesticide. During sporulation, B. thuringiensis accumulates a large number of parasporal crystals consisting of insecticidal crystal proteins (ICPs) that can account for nearly 20-30% of the cell's dry weight. However, the metabolic regulation mechanisms of ICP synthesis remain to be elucidated. In this study, the combined efforts in transcriptomics and proteomics mainly uncovered the following 6 metabolic regulation mechanisms: (1) proteases and the amino acid metabolism (particularly, the branched-chain amino acids) became more active during sporulation; (2) stored poly-β-hydroxybutyrate and acetoin, together with some low-quality substances provided considerable carbon and energy sources for sporulation and parasporal crystal formation; (3) the pentose phosphate shunt demonstrated an interesting regulation mechanism involving gluconate when CT-43 cells were grown in GYS medium; (4) the tricarboxylic acid cycle was significantly modified during sporulation; (5) an obvious increase in the quantitative levels of enzymes and cytochromes involved in energy production via the electron transport system was observed; (6) most F0F1-ATPase subunits were remarkably up-regulated during sporulation. This study, for the first time, systematically reveals the metabolic regulation mechanisms involved in the supply of amino acids, carbon substances, and energy for B. thuringiensis spore and parasporal crystal formation at both the transcriptional and translational levels.

Robust production of gamma-amino butyric acid using recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum expressing glutamate decarboxylase from Escherichia coli

Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) is a component of pharmaceuticals, functional foods, and the biodegradable plastic polyamide 4. Here, we report a simple and robust system to produce GABA from glucose using the recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum strain GAD, which expresses GadB, a glutamate decarboxylase encoded by the gadB gene of Escherichia coli W3110. As confirmed by HPLC analysis, GABA fermentation by C. glutamicum GAD cultured at 30°C in GABA Production 1 (GP1) medium containing 50 g/L glucose without the addition of glutamate yielded 8.07 ± 1.53 g/L extracellular GABA after 96 h. Addition of 0.1mM pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) was found to enhance the production of GABA, whereas Tween 40 was unnecessary for GABA fermentation. Using the optimized GABA Production 2 (GP2) medium, which contained 50 g/L glucose and 0.1mM PLP, fermentation was performed in a flask at 30°C with 10% (v/v) seed culture of C. glutamicum GAD. GABA was produced in the culture supernatant with a yield of 12.37 ± 0.88 g/L after 72 h with a space-time yield of 0.172 g/L/h, which is the highest yield obtained to date for GABA from fermentation with glucose as a main carbon source.

Synthesis of γ-aminobutyric acid by expressing Lactobacillus brevis-derived glutamate decarboxylase in the Corynebacterium glutamicum strain ATCC 13032

PURPOSE OF WORK

Purpose of this work is to synthesize γ-aminobutyric acid by glutamate-producing species expressing Lactobacillus brevis-derived glutamate decarboxylase genes, i.e. recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum strains, which directly convert endogenous L-glutamate precursor into γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) through single-step fermentation. To express exogenous glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) in an L-glutamate-producing strain, Lactobacillus brevis Lb85, which can produce GABA, was used. Two Lb85 GAD genes, gadB1 and gadB2, and the ancillary genes, gadC-gadB2 and gadR-gadC-gadB2, were cloned separately into pDXW-8 and transformed into C. glutamicum. All four recombinant strains produced GABA whereas the wild-type strain did not. GABA produced by the recombinant strains continually increased after 36 h of fermentation. Although the mRNA levels of LbgadB2 and LbgadC were similar among the corresponding recombinants, GABA production of pDXW-8/gadRCB2 at 72 h (2.15 g/l) was higher than that of pDXW-8/gadCB2 (1.25 g/l) and pDXW-8/gadB2 (0.88 g/l). Thus, by introducing Lbgad genes, C. glutamicum was genetically engineered to synthesize GABA using endogenous L-glutamate.

Lactic acid bacterial cell factories for gamma-aminobutyric acid

Gamma-aminobutyric acid is a non-protein amino acid that is widely present in organisms. Several important physiological functions of gamma-aminobutyric acid have been characterized, such as neurotransmission, induction of hypotension, diuretic effects, and tranquilizer effects. Many microorganisms can produce gamma-aminobutyric acid including bacteria, fungi and yeasts. Among them, gamma-aminobutyric acid-producing lactic acid bacteria have been a focus of research in recent years, because lactic acid bacteria possess special physiological activities and are generally regarded as safe. They have been extensively used in food industry. The production of lactic acid bacterial gamma-aminobutyric acid is safe and eco-friendly, and this provides the possibility of production of new naturally fermented health-oriented products enriched in gamma-aminobutyric acid. The gamma-aminobutyric acid-producing species of lactic acid bacteria and their isolation sources, the methods for screening of the strains and increasing their production, the enzymatic properties of glutamate decarboxylases and the relative fundamental research are reviewed in this article. And the potential applications of gamma-aminobutyric acid-producing lactic acid bacteria were also referred to.