• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.304-310
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• 1990

The conditions for protoplasts formation and regeneration of thermophilic anaerobic C. thermocellum and C. thermohydrosulfuricum were determined under the anaerobic growth conditions. The cells of C. thermocellum in initial exponential growth phase were identified to be the most suited for protoplast formation. The optimal conditions for protoplast formation were found to be at $37^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours with 0.5 mg/ml of lysozyme in TMG buffer (pH7.5). On the other hand, C. thermohydro-sulfuricum grown in the same medium but excluding glycine was optimally protoplasted at the same conditions but with 0.2 mg/ml of lysozyme. The protoplasts of both strains only subjected to lysozyme treatment of the short time were satisfactorily regenerated after 7-10 days incubation at $60^{\circ}C$ in regeneration medium containing 0.3-0.4 M sorbitol, 0.5% casamino acid, and high concentration of $CaCl_{2}$ and $MgCl_{2}$. The regeneration frequencies of the protoplasts of C. thermocellum and C. thermohydrosulfuricum were found to be very low level of $4.85{\times}10^{-3}$ and $4.23{\times}10^{-2}$, respectively. The nonregenerated L-form cells were also observed inregeneration medium together with regenerated cells.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.311-317
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• 1990

Intraspecific and interspecific protoplast fusions in/between C. thermocellum and C. thermohydrosulfuricum were studied. Protoplast fusions were well induced in 30-40% PEG solution, however, their fusion frequencies were low level of 1.2*10$^{-7}$ for intraspecific fusion of C. thermocellum, $6.7*10^{-7}$ for C. thermohydrosulfuricum, and 4.2*10$^{-7}$ for interspecific fusion between above two Clostridia, respectively. Most fusants were unstable and segregated after 3 subcultures. Relatively stable intraspecific C. thermocellum fusant FTT17, intraspecific C. thermohydrosulfurecum fusant FSS22 and interspecific fusant FTS3, which were stable after several subcultures, were selected and properties of fusants were further investigated, Phenotypes of the fusants were similar with wild types mostly in cellular morphology, carbon source assimilation and enzyme activities. However they were differed in assimilation of pyruvic acid and sorbitol as carbon source. The DNA contents of fusants were slightly increased compared with wild types. Ethanol production by intraspecific and/or interspecific fusants was not increased, however, acetic acid production as byproduct was decreased or not detected, which indicates that industrial thermophilic anaerobes can be improved by means of protoplast fusion of two strains.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.505-510
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• 1992

An endo-$\beta$-1,4-glucanase gene of Clostridium thermocellum was cloned in Escherichia coli and was considered as a novel gene by comparison with the restriction patterns of the C. thermocellum cellulase genes so far reported. The endoglucanase from recombinant E. coli was purified by column chromatography after heat treatment. The purified enzyme was a monomer having molecular weight of 40,000. The enzyme hydrolyzed CMC to glucose and cello-oligosaccharides at :naximum activities at pH 5.0 and $65^{\circ}C$. One of the endproducts, glucose, showed no inhibitory effect on the enzyme activity, while the other endproduct, cellobiose, inhibited slightly. The values of $K_{m}$ and $V_{max}$ of the enzyme for CMC were 0.39% (w/v) and 268 Ulmg protein, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.184-188
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• 1991

Three strains of Clostridium thermocellum, JH01, JH20 and JH30 which are capable of producing ethanol directly from cellulose were isolated from composts. The morphological, cultural and physiological properties of the strains were similar to the ATCC type strain, except for carbon source utilization and degree of ethanol tolerance. All of the three isolates could use glucose and maltose as a sole carbon source and two of them, strains of JH01 and JH20 were three times more tolerant to ethanol than the ATCC type strain. Cellulases secreted by the isolated strains had higher activities than those of the ATCC type strain.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.189-194
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• 1991

The degree of the genetic variations among Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 and the wild type strains was investigated by the mehtod of GC ratio, DNA-DNA hybridization and RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) patterns by ribosomal RNA and M13 probe. GC ratio and KNA homology values of th three isolates were approximately equal to those of ATCC type strain. The RFLP patterns by the rRNA and M13 probe showed some differences among C. thermocellum ATCC 27405, wild type strains and Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum ATCC 33223, indicating that the two probes can be useful in subspecies- and apecies-identification.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.346-351
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• 1987

A cellulase gene of Clostridium themocellum was transferred to Escherichia coli by molecular cloning with pBR322. The gene was carried in a Hind III digested DNA sequence of about 1.8 kb. This Rind III fragment expressed activities on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and on filter gaper in E. coli. The expression of clostridial cellulase gene in E. coli was studied and compared with the pro-ducts of cellulase genes in C. themocellum.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.297-297
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• 1987

A $C_{1}$ enriched cellulase fraction was separated from culture filtrate of anaerobic Clostridium thermocellum by hydroxyapatite column chromatography. The separated fraction showed strong synergistic action with $C_{x}$ component (endo-$\beta$-1, 4-glucanase) in digestion of crystalline cellulose, similar to the other aerobic cellulolytic microorganisms. Unlike the $C_{x}$ component the $C_{1}$ enriched fraction was rapidly inactivated by oxidation at the atmospheric condition. The enzyme activity was significantly enhanced by the addition of reducing agents, especially $\beta$-mercaptoethanol, which indicates that a $C_{1}$ component has a lot of sulfhydryl groups essential for the enzyme activity. The effect of metal ions on $C_{1}$ activity was also investigated. The $C_{1}$ fraction was found to be thermally stable compare to endo-$\beta$-1,4-glucanase. Optimal temperature and pH were found to be 60.deg.C and 6.0, respectively.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.352-355
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• 1987

The isolation and characterization of type II restriction endonuclease from Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 were described. This enzyme (Cth I endonuclease) is an isoschizomer of Bcl I endonuclease recognizing 5'-TGATCA-3'. Cth I endonuclease requires MG$^{2+}$ ion for its activity and is maximally active at PH 1.5 to 10.5 in the Presence of 0 to 10mM NaCl. Cth I endonuclease is heat stable and has an optimum temperature of 6$0^{\circ}C$. The activity of Cth I enzyme is sensitive to dam methylation.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 1987

A new endo-$\beta$-1, 4-glucanase was purified from the culture filtrate of thermophilic anaerobic Clostridium thermocellum. The purification procedure included two steps of ion exchange chromatography with DEAD-Sephadex A-50 and gel filtration chromatography with Sephadex G-75. Even though the 56 fold increase in CMCase specific activity was obtained, the actually recovered enzyme activity was relatively lower level of 0.7%. Judging from the two bands in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the endo-$\beta$-1, 4-glucanase consists of two subunits whose M.W. are 38,000 and 58,000, respectively. The optimum pH and temperature were determined to be 5.0 and $65^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme was stable up to $70^{\circ}C$, but inactivated at $80^{\circ}C$. The kinetic parameters of the separated fraction were also determined. The purified enzyme did not show any significant hydrolytic activity against the highly ordered crystalline cellulose as well as filter paper.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.369-373
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• 2009

Heterologous secretory expression of endoglucanase E (Clostridium thermocellum) and ${\beta}$-glucosidase 1 (Saccharomycopsis fibuligera) was achieved in Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation cultures as an ${\alpha}$-mating factor signal peptide fusion, based on the native enzyme coding sequence. Ethanol production depends on simultaneous saccharification of cellulose to glucose and fermentation of glucose to ethanol by a recombinant yeast strain as a microbial biocatalyst. Recombinant yeast strain expressing endoglucanase and ${\beta}$-glucosidase was able to produce ethanol from ${\beta}$-glucan, CMC and acid swollen cellulose. This indicates that the resultant yeast strain of this study acts efficiently as a whole cell biocatalyst.