Characterization of a bifunctional alginate lyase as a new member of the polysaccharide lyase family 17 from a marine strain BP-2

OBJECTIVES

Bifunctional alginate lyase can efficiently saccharify alginate biomass and prepare functional oligosaccharides of alginate.

RESULTS

A new BP-2 strain that produces alginate lyase was screened and identified from rotted Sargassum. A new alginate lyase, Alg17B, belonging to the polysaccharide lyase family 17, was isolated and purified from BP-2 fermentation broth by freeze-drying, dialysis, and ion exchange chromatography. The enzymatic properties of the purified lyase were investigated. The molecular weight of Alg17B was approximately 77 kDa, its optimum reaction temperature was 40-45 °C, and its optimum reaction pH was 7.5-8.0. The enzyme was relatively stable at pH 7.0-8.0, with a temperature range of 25-35 °C, and the specific activity of the purified enzyme reached 4036 U/mg. A low Na+ concentration stimulated Alg17B enzyme activity, but Ca2+, Zn2+, and other metal ions inhibited it. Substrate specificity analysis, thin-layer chromatography, and mass spectrometry showed that Alg17B is an alginate lyase that catalyses the hydrolysis of sodium alginate, polymannuronic acid (polyM) and polyguluronic acid to produce monosaccharides and low molecular weight oligosaccharides. Alg17B is also bifunctional, exhibiting both endolytic and exolytic activities toward alginate, and has a wide substrate utilization range with a preference for polyM.

CONCLUSIONS

Alg17B can be used to saccharify the main carbohydrate, alginate, in the ethanolic production of brown algae fuel as well as in preparing and researching oligosaccharides.

The effect of cold stress on the proteome of the marine bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens BA3SM1 and its ability to cope with metal excess

This study examined the effect of cold stress on the proteome and metal tolerance of Pseudomonas fluorescens BA3SM1, a marine strain isolated from tidal flat sediments. When cold stress (+10 °C for 36 h) was applied before moderate metal stress (0.4 mM Cd, 0.6 mM Cd, 1.5 mM Zn, and 1.5 mM Cu), growth disturbances induced by metal, in comparison with respective controls, were reduced for Cd and Zn while they were pronounced for Cu. This marine strain was able to respond to cold stress through a number of changes in protein regulation. Analysis of the predicted differentially expressed protein functions demonstrated that some mechanisms developed under cold stress were similar to those developed in response to Cd, Zn, and Cu. Therefore, pre-cold stress could help this strain to better counteract toxicity of moderate concentrations of some metals. P. fluorescens BA3SM1 was able to remove up to 404.3 mg Cd/g dry weight, 172.5 mg Zn/g dry weight, and 11.3 mg Cu/g dry weight and its metal biosorption ability seemed to be related to the bacterial growth phase. Thus, P. fluorescens BA3SM1 appears as a promising agent for bioremediation processes, even at low temperatures.