• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.756-763
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• 2021

Agarose is a linear polysaccharide composed of ᴅ-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-ʟ-galactose (AHG). It is a major component of the red algal cell wall and is gaining attention as an abundant marine biomass. However, the inability to ferment AHG is considered an obstacle in the large-scale use of agarose and could be addressed by understanding AHG catabolism in agarolytic microorganisms. Since AHG catabolism was uniquely confirmed in Vibrio sp. EJY3, a gram-negative marine bacterial species, we investigated AHG metabolism in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), an agarolytic gram-positive soil bacterium. Based on genomic data, the SCO3486 protein (492 amino acids) and the SCO3480 protein (361 amino acids) of S. coelicolor A3(2) showed identity with H2IFE7.1 (40% identity) encoding AHG dehydrogenase and H2IFX0.1 (42% identity) encoding 3,6-anhydro-ʟ-galactonate cycloisomerase, respectively, which are involved in the initial catabolism of AHG in Vibrio sp. EJY3. Thin layer chromatography and mass spectrometry of the bioconversion products catalyzed by recombinant SCO3486 and SCO3480 proteins, revealed that SCO3486 is an AHG dehydrogenase that oxidizes AHG to 3,6-anhydro-ʟ-galactonate, and SCO3480 is a 3,6-anhydro-ʟ-galactonate cycloisomerase that converts 3,6-anhydro-ʟ-galactonate to 2-keto-3-deoxygalactonate. SCO3486 showed maximum activity at pH 6.0 at 50℃, increased activity in the presence of iron ions, and activity against various aldehyde substrates, which is quite distinct from AHG-specific H2IFE7.1 in Vibrio sp. EJY3. Therefore, the catabolic pathway of AHG seems to be similar in most agar-degrading microorganisms, but the enzymes involved appear to be very diverse.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1659-1669
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• 2020

1,3-α-3,6-anhydro-L-galactosidase (α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolase) catalyzes the last step of agar degradation by hydrolyzing neoagarobiose into monomers, D-galactose, and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose, which is important for the bioindustrial application of algal biomass. Ahg943, from the agarolytic marine bacterium Gayadomonas joobiniege G7, is composed of 423 amino acids (47.96 kDa), including a 22-amino acid signal peptide. It was found to have 67% identity with the α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolase ZgAhgA, from Zobellia galactanivorans, but low identity (< 40%) with the other α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolases reported. The recombinant Ahg943 (rAhg943, 47.89 kDa), purified from Escherichia coli, was estimated to be a monomer upon gel filtration chromatography, making it quite distinct from other α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolases. The rAhg943 hydrolyzed neoagarobiose, neoagarotetraose, and neoagarohexaose into D-galactose, neoagarotriose, and neoagaropentaose, respectively, with a common product, 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose, indicating that it is an exo-acting α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolase that releases 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose by hydrolyzing α-1,3 glycosidic bonds from the nonreducing ends of neoagarooligosaccharides. The optimum pH and temperature of Ahg943 activity were 6.0 and 20℃, respectively. In particular, rAhg943 could maintain enzyme activity at 10℃ (71% of the maximum). Complete inhibition of rAhg943 activity by 0.5 mM EDTA was restored and even, remarkably, enhanced by Ca²⁺ ions. rAhg943 activity was at maximum at 0.5 M NaCl and maintained above 73% of the maximum at 3M NaCl. K_m and V_max of rAhg943 toward neoagarobiose were 9.7 mg/ml and 250 μM/min (3 U/mg), respectively. Therefore, Ahg943 is a unique α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolase that has cold- and high-salt-adapted features, and possibly exists as a monomer.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.290-295
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• 2009

Red-algae agar, consisting of D-galactose and 3, 6-anhydro-L-galactose, is usable for bio-ethanol production if hydrolyzed to monomer unit. The objective of this study is to produce bio-ethanol from agar using the heat and acid-treatment. Bio-ethanol was produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae KCCM1129 strains using agar-pretreatment. The optimal condition for reducing sugar conversion by agar was found to be 15 min reaction at a HCl concentration of 0.1 N and $120^{\circ}C$. The optimum concentration for maximum cell growth was 0.1 N NaCl (17.88 g/L). Over 0.1 N NaCl, the cell growth decreased to 6.78~10.76 g/L. At 16% agar concentration, the ethanol production obtained by optimum pretreatment was found to be 10.16 g/L.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.630-634
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• 2011

Enzymatic hydrolysate of porphyran from Porphyra yezoensis was prepared by treatment with ${\beta}$-agarase. The hydrolysate was fractioned into molecular sizes of <3, 3-30, and 30-300 kDa using an ultrafiltration membrane. The membrane fractions were further separated into neutral and anionic fractions using Dowex $1{\times}8$ ion exchange chromatography. After hydrolysis of porphyran with ${\beta}$-agarase, 23.2% of the starting porphyran was recovered as a neutral fraction of low-molecular weight (<3 kDa), and 28.9% remained as an enzyme-resistant anionic fraction of high molecular weight (>300 kDa). Desulfation of porphyran and $^{13}C$-NMR analysis of the anionic fraction of low molecular weight (<3 kDa) showed that the anionic fraction has a backbone consisting of 3-linked ${\beta}$-D-galactose units alternating with either 4-linked a-L-galactose 6-sulfate or 3, 6-anhydro-a-L-galactose units. These results indicate that porphryan is a copolymer of two moieties, about 25% of which are composed of neoagarose moieties and 75% as anionic moieties.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2020

We improved on a unified saccharification and fermentation (USF) system for the direct production of ethanol from agarose by increasing total agarase activity. The pGMFα-NGH plasmid harboring the NABH558 gene encoding neoagarobiose hydrolase and the AGAG1 and AGAH71 genes encoding β-agarase was constructed and used to transform Saccharomyces cerevisiae 2805. NABH558 gene transcription level was increased and total agarase activity was increased by 25 to 40% by placing the NABH558 gene expression cassette upstream of the other gene expression cassettes. In the 2805/pGMFα-NGH transformant, three secretory agarases were produced that efficiently degraded agarose to galactose, 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose (AHG), neoagarobiose, and neoagarohexaose. During the united cultivation process, a maximum of 2.36 g/l ethanol from 10 g/l agarose was produced over 120 h.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.409-413
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• 2008

A simple method for the purification of porphyran from laver Porphyra yezoensis was developed to obtain information for the development of food materials with biological functionality. Crude porphyran (CP) was extracted from dried laver in boiling water for 3 h, and then fractionated using cetylpyridinium chloride into an acidic fraction (CP-F1) and a neutral fraction (CP-F2). CP-F1 was fractionated further by fractional ethanol precipitation. Fraction CP-F1-70, precipitated at an ethanol concentration of 61-70% was the major fraction containing 68.1% of the yield from the initial fraction CP-F1. The CP-F1-70 fraction displayed a single band on Sepharose CL-4B with a molecular mass of 550 kDa, indicating a homogeneous polysaccharide. The molar ratio of galactose, 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose, 6-0-methyl-D-galactose and ester sulfate of CP-F1-70 was 1:0.32:0.07:0.53. This method is very useful for rapid and large-scale preparation of purified porphyran because it is compatible with mass production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.48-51
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• 2014

${\alpha}$-Neoagarooligosaccharide (${\alpha}$-NAOS) hydrolase was purified from Cellvibrio sp. OA-2007 by using chromatographic techniques after hydroxyapatite adsorption. The molecular masses of ${\alpha}$-NAOS hydrolase estimated using SDS-PAGE and gel filtration chromatography were 40 and 93 kDa, respectively, and the optimal temperature and pH for the enzyme activity were $32^{\circ}C$ and 7.0-7.2. ${\alpha}$-NAOS hydrolase lost 43% of its original activity when incubated at $35^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. The enzyme hydrolyzed neoagarobiose, neoagarotetraose, and neoagarohexaose to galactose, agarotriose, and agaropentaose, respectively, and produced 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose concomitantly; however, it did not degrade agarose.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2007

The chemical and rheological properties of deproteinated porphyrans from laver Porphyra yezoensis were investigated to obtain basic data for the production of food materials with biological functionality. Deproteinated porphyran was prepared by acid extraction (pH 4.0, $80^{\circ}C$, 4 hr) and successive hydrolysis with 0.5% Alcalase and 0.5% Flavourzyme. The porphyran constituted 10.7% of the dry laver and consisted of 0.6% protein, 14.8% ester sulfate, 3.2% 6-O-methyl galactose, 16.0% 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose, and 67.3% galactose. The effects of concentration and temperature on the apparent viscosity were examined by applying the power law and Arrhenius equations. The porphyran solution showed the typical behavior of a pseudoplastic liquid and the flow behavior index decreased with increasing concentration. The activation energy of the deproteinated porphyran solution at a 1,000 L/s shear rate also increased from $1.4954{\times}10^{4}\;to\;1.9544{\times}10^{4}\;J/kg$ mol with the concentration.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.307-315
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• 2014

Recently seaweed polysaccharides have been extensively studied for alternative energy application. Because their producing cost is high and efficiency low, their industrial applications have been limited. The main component of cell wall of red algae represented by Gelidiales and Gracilariales is agar. Red-algae agar or galactan, consisting of D-galactose and 3, 6-anhydro-L-galactose, is suitable for bio-product application if hydrolyzed to monomer unit. For the hydrolysis of algae, chemical or enzymatic treatment can be used. A chemical process using a strong acid is simple and efficient, but it generates together with target sugar and toxic compounds. In an enzymatic hydrolysis process, target sugar without toxic compounds generation. The objective of this review is to summary the recent data of saccharification by chemical and enzymatic means from red seaweed for especially focused on automobile industry.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.356-365
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• 2021

Recently, we sequenced the entire genome of a freshwater agar-degrading bacterium Cellvibrio sp. KY-GH-1 (KCTC13629BP) to explore genetic information encoding agarases that hydrolyze agarose into monomers 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose (L-AHG) and D-galactose. The KY-GH-1 strain appeared to possess nine β-agarase genes and two α-neoagarobiose hydrolase (α-NABH) genes in a 77-kb agarase gene cluster. Based on these genetic information, the KY-GH-1 strain-caused agarose degradation into L-AHG and D-galactose was predicted to be initiated by both endolytic GH16 and GH86 β-agarases to generate NAOS (NA4/NA6/NA8), and further processed by exolytic GH50 β-agarases to generate NA2, and then terminated by GH117 α-NABHs which degrade NA2 into L-AHG and D-galactose. More recently, by employing E. coli expression system with pET-30a vector we obtained three recombinant His-tagged GH50 family β-agarases (GH50A, GH50B, and GH50C) derived from Cellvibrio sp. KY-GH-1 to compare their enzymatic properties. GH50A β-agarase turned out to have the highest exolytic β-agarase activity among the three GH50 isozymes, catalyzing efficient NA2 production from the substrate (agarose, NAOS or AOS). Additionally, we determined that GH117A α-NABH, but not GH117B α-NABH, could potently degrade NA2 into L-AHG and D-galactose. Sequentially, we examined the enzymatic characteristics of GH50A β-agarase and GH117A α-NABH, and assessed their efficiency for NA2 production from agarose and for production of L-AHG and D-galactose from NA2, respectively. In this review, we describe the benefits of recombinant GH50A β-agarase and GH117A α-NABH originated from Cellvibrio sp. KY-GH-1, which may be useful for the enzymatic hydrolysis of agarose for mass production of L-AHG and D-galactose.