Preparation of detergent permeabilized Bakers’ yeast whole cell catalase

Highly Efficient Synthesis of Glutathione via a Genetic Engineering Enzymatic Method Coupled with Yeast ATP Generation

Glutathione is a tripeptide compound with many important physiological functions. A new, two-step reaction system has been developed to efficiently synthesize glutathione. In the first step, glutamate and cysteine are condensed to glutamyl-cysteine by endogenous yeast enzymes inside the yeast cell, while consuming ATP. In the second step, the yeast cell membrane is lysed by the permeabilizing agent CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) to release the glutamyl-cysteine, upon which added glutathione synthetase converts the glutamyl-cysteine and added glycine into glutathione. The ATP needed for this conversion is supplied by the permeabilized yeast cells of glycolytic pathway. This method provided sufficient ATP, and reduced the feedback inhibition of glutathione for the first-step enzymatic reaction, thereby improving the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme reaction. In addition, the formation of suitable oxidative stress environment in the reaction system can further promote glutathione synthesis. By HPLC analysis of the glutathione, it was found that 2.1 g/L reduced glutathione is produced and 17.5 g/L oxidized glutathione. Therefore, the new reaction system not only increases the total glutathione, but also facilitates the subsequent separation and purification due to the larger proportion of oxidized glutathione in the reaction system.

Immobilization of permeabilized cells of baker’s yeast for decomposition of H2O2 by catalase

Permeabilization is one of the effective tools, used to increase the accessibility of intracellular enzymes. Immobilization is one of the best approaches to reuse the enzyme. Present investigation use both techniques to obtain a biocatalyst with high catalase activity. At the beginning the isopropyl alcohol was used to permeabilize cells of baker’s yeast in order to maximize the catalase activity within the treated cells. Afterwards the permeabilized cells were immobilized in calcium alginate beads and this biocatalyst was used for the degradation of hydrogen peroxide to oxygen and water. The optimal sodium alginate concentration and cell mass concentration for immobilization process were determined. The temperature and pH for maximum decomposition of hydrogen peroxide were assigned and are 20°C and 7 respectively. Prepared biocatalyst allowed 3.35-times faster decomposition as compared to alginate beads with non permeabilized cells. The immobilized biocatalyst lost ca. 30% activity after ten cycles of repeated use in batch operations. Each cycles duration was 10 minutes. Permeabilization and subsequent immobilization of the yeast cells allowed them to be transformed into biocatalysts with an enhanced catalase activity, which can be successfully used to decompose hydrogen peroxide.

Transgalactosylating β-galactosidase from probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum MCC2156: production and permeabilization for use as whole cell biocatalyst

Key nutritional factors were optimized for the maximum production of transgalactosylating β-galactosidase from Lactobacillus plantarum MCC2156. Galactose, yeast extract, sodium acetate and manganese sulphate were the most important nutrients affecting β-galactosidase production. Maximum β-galactosidase production (3015 miller units) was obtained by culturing L. plantarum in the optimized fermentation medium containing (w/v) galactose (4 %), yeast extract (2 %), sodium acetate (3 %) and manganese sulphate (0.075 %) with an optimum medium pH of 7.0, after 14 h of incubation at 35 °C. Further, permeabilization of L. plantarum cells using various chemical/ solvents for maximum β-galactosidase activity was performed for use as whole cell biocatalyst. Mixture of ethanol: n-butanol was found to effectively permeabilize the cells with maximum β-galactosidase activity under the following optimum conditions; 1: 1 mixture of ethanol (10 %, v/v): n-butanol (30 %, v/v) with a contact time of 10 min at 28 ± 2 °C.

Optimization of permeabilization process of yeast cells for catalase activity using response surface methodology

Biotransformation processes accompanied by whole yeast cells as biocatalyst are a promising area of food industry. Among the chemical sanitizers currently used in food technology, hydrogen peroxide is a very effective microbicidal and bleaching agent. In this paper, permeabilization has been applied to Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells aiming at increased intracellular catalase activity for decomposed H₂O₂. Ethanol, which is non-toxic, biodegradable and easily available, has been used as permeabilization factor. Response surface methodology (RSM) has been applied in determining the influence of different parameters on permeabilization process. The aim of the study was to find such values of the process parameters that would yield maximum activity of catalase during decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The optimum operating conditions for permeabilization process obtained by RSM were as follows: 53% (v/v) of ethanol concentration, temperature of 14.8 °C and treatment time of 40 min. After permeabilization, the activity of catalase increased ca. 40 times and its maximum value equalled to 4711 U/g.

CTAB, Triton X-100 and freezing-thawing treatments of Candida guilliermondii: effects on permeability and accessibility of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase enzymes

Cells of Candida guilliermondii (ATCC 201935) were permeabilised with surfactant treatment (CTAB or Triton X-100) or a freezing-thawing procedure. Treatments were monitored by in situ activities of the key enzymes involved in xylose metabolism, that is, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), xylose reductase (XR) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XD). The permeabilising ability of the surfactants was dependent on its concentration and incubation time. The optimum operation conditions for the permeabilisation of C. guilliermondii with surfactants were 0.41 mM (CTAB) or 2.78 mM (Triton X-100), 30°C, and pH 7 at 200 rpm for 50 min. The maximum permeabilisation measured in terms of the in situ G6PD activity observed was, in order, as follows: CTAB (122.4±15.7U/g(cells)) > freezing-thawing (54.3 ± 1.9U/g(cells))>Triton X-100 (23.5 ± 0.0U/g(cells)). These results suggest that CTAB surfactant is more effective in the permeabilisation of C. guilliermondii cells in comparison to the freezing-thawing and Triton X-100 treatments. Nevertheless, freezing-thawing was the only treatment that allowed measurable in situ XR activity. Therefore, freezing-thawing permeabilised yeast cells could be used as a source of xylose reductase for analytical purposes or for use in biotransformation process such as xylitol preparation from xylose. The level of in situ xylose reductase was found to be 13.2 ± 0.1 U/g(cells).

Improvement in cell-bound phytase activity of Pichia anomala by permeabilization and applicability of permeabilized cells in soymilk dephytinization

AIMS

Whole cell permeabilization of Pichia anomala to ameliorate the cell-bound phytase activity and usability of permeabilized cells in dephytinization of soymilk.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The cells of P. anomala were subjected to permeabilization using the surfactant Triton X-100 to overcome the permeability barrier and prepare whole cell biocatalysts with high phytase activity. The statistical approach, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the operating conditions for permeabilization. The treatment of cells with 5% Triton X-100 for 30 min resulted in c. 15% enhancement in cell-bound phytase activity. The shrinkage of protoplast was observed, although cell viability and phytase stability were not significantly altered. The free as well as immobilized permeabilized cells hydrolysed soymilk phytate, and the latter could be reused over four consecutive cycles.

CONCLUSIONS

Whole cell permeabilization of P. anomala using Triton X-100 led to enhancement in cell-bound phytase activity. The viability and integrity of yeast cells were not significantly affected because of permeabilization. The permeabilized P. anomala cells effectively dephytinized soymilk, and the permeabilized cells immobilized in alginate could be reused because of sustained phytase activity.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This is the first report on the use of permeabilized yeast cells for mitigating phytate content of soymilk. Alginate entrapment of permeabilized P. anomala allows reuse of cells for soymilk dephytinization, thus suggesting a potential application in food industry.

Hydrogen peroxide removal with magnetically responsive Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells

Hydrogen peroxide (HP) is a promising chemical sanitizer for use in the food industry. Its residues have to be decomposed, usually using an enzyme process employing catalase. In order to offer an inexpensive biocatalyst and to simplify subsequent manipulation, we have prepared magnetically responsive alginate beads containing entrapped Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells and magnetite microparticles. Larger beads (2-3 mm in diameter) were prepared by dropping the mixture into calcium chloride solution, while microbeads (the diameter of majority of particles ranged between 50 and 100 microm) were prepared using the water in oil emulsification process. In general, microbeads enabled more efficient HP decomposition. The prepared microparticulate biocatalyst caused efficient decomposition of HP in water solutions (up to 2% concentration), leaving very low residual HP concentration after treatment (below 0.001% under appropriate conditions). The biocatalyst was stable; the same catalytic activity was observed after one month storage at 4 degrees C, and the microbeads could be used at least five times.

Permeabilization of baker's yeast with N-lauroyl sarcosine

N-Lauroyl sarcosine (LS), a cationic, non-toxic and biodegradable detergent readily permeabilized whole cells of baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Permeabilization was carried out to increase assayable cellular catalase activity, an enzyme of great physiological and industrial importance, and to release 5'-nucleotides which find food/nutritional applications. The event of permeabilization was concentration, time and temperature dependent. Maximum permeabilization of yeast cells were observed when 1 g wet weight (0.2 g dry wt) of cells were permeabilized with 1.0 ml of 2% LS at 45 degrees C for 15 min. LS-permeabilized cells showed 350-fold increase in catalase activity and the supernatant obtained after permeabilization was rich in 5'-nucleotides. LS-permeabilized baker's yeast cells can be used as a source of biocatalyst and to isolate valuable by-products.

Production of L-malic acid by permeabilized cells of commercial Saccharomyces sp. strains

Of various yeasts tested in the conversion of fumaric to L-malic acid, Saccharomyces bayanus had the highest activity of fumarase. Cells permeabilized with 0.2% (w/v) CTAB for 5 min gave maximum enzyme activity. Under non-growth conditions, fumarase activity in the permeabilized cells was four times higher (271 U/g) than that of the intact cells (67 U/g). The proposed mathematical model for the batch production of L-malic acid was validated at different initial fumaric acid concentrations. The average conversion of fumaric acid was up to 82% and gave 21, 40, 83 and 175 mM L-malic acid from respectively, 25, 50, 100 and 210 mM: fumaric acid.

Interaction of non-ionic surfactants with hepatic CYP in Prochilodus scrofa

Cytochromes P450 (CYP) constitute a superfamily of hemeproteins that play a vital role in the metabolism of a wide variety of endogenous and xenobiotic compounds. Xenobiotic metabolism and the role of CYP are of particular interest in studies regarding the prevention of the damage caused by chemical pollutants. We investigated, in this study, the interaction of Triton X-100 and Tween 80 with CYP and antioxidant defenses in Curimbata, a Brazilian fish. Aiming to clarify the effects of non-ionic surfactants in the monooxigenase system of fish through in vitro study, the effects of Triton X-100 and Tween 80 were analyzed using monooxygenases and antioxidant system as experimental model. Total CYP and EROD were strongly inhibited by Triton X-100 and Tween 80 in a concentration-dependent way; the content of CYP was reduced until zero while EROD activity was completely inhibited in the presence of Triton X-100 and more than 40% inhibited in the presence of Tween 80. Each surfactant causes a different effect on each antioxidant enzyme. No effect was detected in SOD activity in the presence of even Triton X-100 or Tween 80. Triton X-100 increase catalase activity, while Tween 80 decreases this enzyme activity. The molecular structure of the surfactants causes the alteration of this system, since they are able to interact with the microsomal protein, especially with monooxigenase's components, altering their conformation and, consequently destroying their function. Our results suggest that surfactants can interact with components of the microsomal system leading to inhibition of CYP. Therefore, CYP activity, which has been used as a biomarker of xenobiotic exposure, should be used as a marker in association with other enzymes.