Construction and characterization of a novel fusion alginate lyase with endolytic and exolytic cleavage activity for industrial preparation of alginate oligosaccharides

Alginate lyases with high activity and good thermostability are lacking for the preparation of alginate oligosaccharides (AOS) with various biological activities. We constructed a fusion alginate lyase with both endo-and exo-activities. AlyRm6A-Zu7 was successfully constructed by connecting the highly thermostable AlyRm6A to a new exotype lyase, AlyZu7. The fusion enzyme exhibited high catalytic activity and thermostability. It transformed sodium alginate into oligosaccharides with degrees of polymerization (DP) of 2-4 while producing 4-deoxy-L-erythro-5-hexoseulose uronic acid (DEH). The maximum reducing sugar, AOS, and DP1 + DEH yields were 75 %, 45 %, and 40 %, respectively. Molecular docking confirmed the formation of a stable complex between the substrate and AlyRm6A-Zu7. Protein interactions increased the thermostability of AlyZu7. This work provides new insights into the industrial formation of AOS and monosaccharide DEH using thermally stable fusion enzymes, which has a positive effect in the fields of functional oligosaccharide production and biofuel formation.

Acidovorax PSJ13, a novel, efficient polyacrylamide-degrading bacterium by cleaving the main carbon chain skeleton without the production of acrylamide

Given the environmental challenge caused by the wide use of polyacrylamide (PAM), an environmental-friendly treatment method is required. This study demonstrates the role of Acidovorax sp. strain PSJ13 isolated from dewatered sludge in efficiently degrading PAM. To be specific, the strain PSJ13 can degrade 51.67% of PAM in 96 h (2.39 mg/(L h)) at 35 °C, pH 7.5 and 5% inoculation amount. Besides, scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography were employed to analyze samples, and the nitrogen present in the degradation products was investigated. The results showed that the degradation of PAM by PSJ13 started from the side chain and then mainly the -C-C- main chain, which produced no acrylamide monomers. As the first study to report the role of Acidovorax in efficiently degrading PAM, this work may provide a solution for industries that require PAM management.

Deciphering the degradation characteristics of the fungicides imazalil and penflufen and their effects on soil bacterial community composition, assembly, and functional profiles

The adsorption-desorption and degradation characteristics of two widely applied fungicides, imazalil and penflufen, and the responses of soil bacterial diversity, structure, function, and interaction after long-term exposure were systemically studied in eight different soils. The adsorption ability of imazalil in soil was significantly higher than that of penflufen. Both imazalil and penflufen degraded slowly in most soils following the order: imazalil > penflufen, with soil pH, silt, and clay content being the potential major influencing factors. Both imazalil and penflufen obviously inhibited the soil microbial functional diversity, altered the soil bacterial community and decreased its diversity. Although exposure to low and high concentrations of imazalil and penflufen strengthened the interactions among the soil bacterial communities, the functional diversity of the co-occurrence network tended to be simple at high concentrations, especially in penflufen treatment. Both imazalil and penflufen markedly disturbed soil nitrogen cycling, especially penflufen seriously inhibited most nitrogen cycling processes, such as nitrogen fixation and nitrification. Meanwhile, sixteen and ten potential degradative bacteria of imazalil and penflufen, respectively, were found in soils, including Kaistobacter and Lysobacter. Collectively, the long-term application of imazalil and penflufen could cause residual accumulation in soils and subsequently result in serious negative effects on soil ecology.

Deciphering the diversity, composition, function, and network complexity of the soil microbial community after repeated exposure to a fungicide boscalid

Boscalid is a novel, highly effective carboximide fungicide that has been substantially and irrationally applied in greenhouses. However, little is known about the residual characteristics of boscalid and its ecological effects in long-term polluted greenhouse soils. Therefore, actual boscalid pollution status in greenhouse soils was simulated by repeatedly introducing boscalid into the soil under laboratory conditions. The degradation characteristics of boscalid, and its effects on the diversity, composition, function, and co-occurrence patterns of the soil microbial community were systematically investigated. Boscalid degraded slowly, with its degradation half-lives ranging from 31.5 days to 180.1 days in the soil. Boscalid degradation was further delayed by repeated treatment and increasing its initial concentration. Boscalid significantly decreased soil microbial diversity, particularly at the recommended dosage. Amplicon sequencing analysis showed that boscalid altered the soil microbial community and further stimulated the phylum Proteobacteria and four potential boscalid-degrading bacterial genera, Sphingomonas, Starkeya, Citrobacter, and Castellaniella. Although the network analysis revealed that boscalid significantly reduced the microbial network complexity, it enhanced the vital roles of Proteobacteria by increasing its proportion and strengthening the relationships among the internal bacteria in the network. The soil microbial function in the boscalid treatment were simulated at the recommended dosage and two-fold recommended dosage but showed an inhibition-recovery-stimulation trend at the five-fold recommended dosage with an increase in treatment frequency. Moreover, the expression of nitrogen cycling functional genes, nifH, AOA amoA, AOB amoA, nirK, and nirS in all boscalid treatments displayed an inhibition-recovery-stimulation trend during the entire experimental period, and the effects were more pronounced at the five-fold recommended dosage. In conclusion, repeated boscalid treatments delayed degradation, reduced soil microbial diversity and network complexity, disturbed soil microbial community, and interfered with soil microbial function.

Toxicity of avermectin to Eriocheir sinensis and the isolation of a avermectin-degrading bacterium, Ochrobactrum sp. AVM-2

Avermectin is widely used in the prevention and treatment of parasites diseases in aquaculture. However, the residual avermectin has a serious impact on the growth and quality of aquatic animals including Eriocheir sinensis. This study shows that the LC50 of avermectin to E. sinensis for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h was 21.88, 13.40, 9.11 and 7.10 mg/L, respectively. After avermectin stress, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and phenol oxidase (PO) in the hepatopancreas of E. sinensis increased and reached the peak on the 6th day. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulated with the increase of exposure time and concentration of avermectin. After 15 days of avermectin exposure, hepatopancreas was damaged seriously. These results indicated that avermectin had toxicity to E. sinensis. In order to solve the pollution problem caused by residual avermectin, a degrading bacterium AVM-2 was separated from the sediment of E. sinensis breeding pond. The strain was confirmed to be Ochrobactrum sp by morphology observation, physiological and biochemical identification and 16 S rDNA sequences analysis. When the pH value was 7, the temperature was 30 ℃, the concentration of substrate was low, the quantity of inoculation was high, Ochrobactrum sp. AVM-2 had better degradation effect on avermectin. When the addition of Ochrobactrum sp. AVM-2 was 2.34 × 108 CFU/L, the residual avermectin in muscle and hepatopancreatine significantly decreased, and the degradation rate was about 66%. In summary, Ochrobactrum sp. AVM-2 could be used to solve the residual problem of avermectin and ensure the food safety of E. sinensis.

Mechanical properties and biomedical application characteristics of degradable polylactic acid-Mg-Ca3(PO4)2 three-phase composite

Polylactic acid (PLA), pure magnesium powder, and calcium phosphate powder were used to form a three-phase degradable biomedical composite. The effects of various powder proportions in polylactic acid-Mg-Ca₃(PO₄)₂ composites were analyzed through mechanical and biological tests, which revealed that both the tensile and impact strength of the composite increased. Additionally, ductility presented only after a small proportion of powder was added. Hardness slightly increased because of dispersion strengthening. Furthermore, the addition of pure magnesium and calcium phosphate accelerated the degradation rate, and biocompatible salts were generated after degradation, which can improve healing and renewal in bone tissue. None of the composites exhibited cytotoxicity, meeting biological safety requirements. Overall, PLA10M10C (10 wt.% Mg, 10 wt.% Ca₃(PO₄)₂) exhibited superior performance. Accordingly, PLA10M10C can serve as a reference for degradable biomedical material applications in orthopedic implants.

Repeated exposure to fungicide tebuconazole alters the degradation characteristics, soil microbial community and functional profiles

Tebuconazole is a broad-spectrum triazole fungicide that has been extensively applied in agriculture, but its toxicity on soil ecology remains unknown after repeated introduction to soil. This study investigated the degradation of tebuconazole and the changes in soil microbial community composition and functional diversity as well as network complexity in soil repeatedly treated with tebuconazole. Tebuconazole degraded slowly as the degradation half-life initially increased and then decreased during the four repeated treatments. High concentration of tebuconazole treatment significantly delayed the degradation of tebuconazole. The soil microbial functional diversity in tebuconazole-treated soils showed an inhibition-recovery-stimulation trend with increasing treatment frequency, which was related to the increased degradation rates of tebuconazole. Tebuconazole significantly decreased soil microbial biomass and bacterial community diversity, and this decreasing trend became more pronounced with increasing treatment frequency and concentration. Moreover, tebuconazole significantly decreased soil bacterial community network complexity, particularly at high concentration of tebuconazole treatment. Notably, four bacterial genera, Methylobacterium, Burkholderia, Hyphomicrobium, and Dermacoccus, were identified as the potential tebuconazole-degrading bacteria, with the relative abundances in the tebuconazole treatment significantly increasing by 42.1-34687.1% compared to the control. High concentration of tebuconazole treatment delayed increases in the relative abundances of Methylobacterium but promoted those of Burkholderia, Hyphomicrobium and Dermacoccus. Additionally, repeated tebuconazole treatments improved only four metabolic pathways, cell motility, membrane transport, environmental information processing, and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism, which were associated with the degradation of tebuconazole. The above results indicated that repeated tebuconazole treatments resulted in the significant accumulation of residues and long-term negative effects on soil ecology, and also emphasized the potential roles of dominant indigenous microbial bacteria in the degradation of tebuconazole.

Toxicity of deltamethrin to Eriocheir sinensis and the isolation of a deltamethrin-degrading bacterium, Paracoccus sp. P-2

Deltamethrin is used widely in Eriocheir sinensis aquaculture to remove wild fish and parasites. The residual deltamethrin greatly affects the growth and quality of E. sinensis. In this study, the LC₅₀ of deltamethrin against E. sinensis at 24, 48 and 96 h was determined to be 6.5, 5.0 and 2.8 μg/L, respectively. The enzyme activity and gene transcription of SOD, CAT, and PO in the hepatopancreas of E. sinensis after deltamethrin stimulation showed an increasing tendency, and these enzymes reached their maximum activities at 6-10 d. The MDA content accumulated with increased time of deltamethrin stress. After 15 d of deltamethrin stress, the hepatopancreas of E. sinensis was found to be damaged based on HE staining. These results showed that deltamethrin is highly toxic to E. sinensis. But the half-life of deltamethrin is long and mainly relies on biodegradation. To resolve the pollution of residual deltamethrin, a strain of deltamethrin-degrading bacteria, P-2, was isolated from the sediment of an E. sinensis culture pond. Through morphological observation, physiological and biochemical identification and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, we found that this strain belonged to Paracoccus sp. When the pH was 7, the substrate concentration was low, the inoculation amount was high, and the deltamethrin degradation effect of Paracoccus sp. P-2 was good. The deltamethrin residue in the hepatopancreas and muscle of E. sinensis decreased significantly when Paracoccus sp. P-2 was added at 6.0 × 10⁸ CFU/L. The degradation efficiency of Paracoccus sp. P-2 in the hepatopancreas and muscle was more than 70%. These results showed that Paracoccus sp. P-2, the first deltamethrin-degrading bacterium in aquaculture, could be used to remove residual deltamethrin and improve the food safety of E. sinensis.

Characterization of carbaryl-degrading strain Bacillus licheniformis B-1 and its hydrolase identification

Pesticides introduced inadvertently or deliberately into environment by anthropogenic activity have caused growing global public concern, therefore the search of approaches for elimination of such xenobiotics should be encouraged. A cypermethrin-degrading bacterial strain Bacillus licheniformis B-1 was found to efficiently degrade carbaryl in LB medium at concentrations of 50-300 mg L^-1 within 48 h, during which temperature and pH played important roles as reflected by increase in pollutant depletion. A stimulatory effect of Fe³⁺ and Mn²⁺ on microbial growth was observed, whereas Cu²⁺ caused inhibition of degradation. Results showed that 1-naphthol was a major transformation product of carbaryl which was further metabolised. An approximately 29 kDa carbaryl-degrading enzyme was purified from B-1 with 15.93-fold purification and an overall yield of 6.02% was achieved using ammonium sulphate precipitation, DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B anion-exchange chromatography and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. The enzyme was identified through nano reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry as a phosphodiesterase (PDE). This is the first report on the characterization of carbaryl-degrading by Bacillus spp. and the role of a PDE in carbaryl-detoxifying. Also, strain B-1 showed versatile in carbosulfan, isoprocarb and chlorpyrifos degradation, demonstrating as ideal candidate for environment bioremediation.

Characterization of lignocellulosic compositions' degradation during chicken manure composting with added biochar by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and correlation analysis

Biorefractory high polymer lignocellulosic compositions may limit rapid composting and stable decomposition. Because their degradation during composting is not well understood, the correlation with microbial community profiles was assessed to reveal degradation mechanism of lignocellulosic compositions. Testing of chicken manure aerobic composting with added biochar was performed using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and correlation analysis. Results demonstrated a good composting effect with good dynamic correlation between microbial characteristic (PLFA) and lignocellulosic compositions' degradation ratio. The prediction model for hemicellulose degradation ratio (R²=0.97, SEP=3.24) and the prediction model for cellulose degradation ratio (R³=0.94, SEP=3.09), built using PLFA 16:0-18:2ω6c and PLFA 18:2ω6c-18:3ω3 as the arguments had good predictive ability. Based on microbial analysis and quantitative characterization of the degradation ratio, the prediction models provided methodological support for delineating the mechanism of lignocellulosic compositions' degradation during chicken manure aerobic composting with added biochar.