Gamma Radiation Induced Mutagenesis of Lysobacter enzymogenes for Enhanced Chitinolytic Activity

Two chitinase producing strains CHI2 and CHI4 were isolated from soybean rhizosphere soil. Both the strains belonged to Lysobacter enzymogenes as indicated by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Though strain CHI2 and CHI4 produced extracellular chitinase, they differ in their chitinolytic activity. CHI4 produced approximately three times the higher amounts of enzyme than that of CHI2 under specified conditions. CHI2 produced $535.67U\;l^{-1}$ of chitinase after 48 h incubation with a specific activity of $3.91U\;mg^{-1}$ of protein while strain CHI4 produced $1584.13U\;l^{-1}$ of chitinase with a specific activity of $10.88U\;mg^{-1}$ protein. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the molecular weight of chitinase enzyme was approximately 45 kDa. A faint band with a molecular weight of 55 kDa reveals the possibility for the presence of another kind of chitin binding protein. Mutant library was developed by exposing the isolates to gamma rays at their $LD_{99}$ value (0.23 kGy). Totally, 11 mutants of CHI2 and CHI4 are reported to have enhanced chitinase activity. Several leaky mutant clones with decreased enzyme activity and a defective mutant (CHI2-M16) with complete loss of chitinase activity were also identified. CHI4-M18, CHI4-M8 and CHI4-M29 showed 78.8, 41.5, and 31.9% increased chitinase activity over wild type CHI4.