Purification and characterization of polyphenol oxidase from corn tassel.

In this study, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) from corn tassel  was extracted and partially purified through  (NH4)2SO4 precipitation and gel filtration chromatography. Optimal temperatures for subsrates catechol and 4-methyl catechol were 40 °C and 30 °C, respectively. The optimal pH values were 8.0 for catechol and 6.0 for 4-methyl catechol. Catechol was the most suitible substrate (Km: 3.48 mM, Vmax: 1.0 Abs./ min.). The moleculer mass of PPO was determined as 158 kDa. In this work, sodium azide, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were found to inhibit the enzyme activity as 26.6 %,  22.2 % and 12.2 % ratio, respectively. Besides, the effects of carbohydrates such as sucrose, fructose, ribose and glucose on PPO activity were investigated. The enzyme was found to be activated 17 % by fructose and ribose, 16 % by glucose and 4 % by sucrose.

Production and purification of novel thermostable alkaline protease from Anoxybacillus sp. KP1.

In this study, an extracellular novel alkaline protease (EC 3.4.21-24, 99) from a thermophilic and aerobic strain of Anoxybacillus sp. KP1 has been studied. Maximum protease activity was obtained at 50 degC at pH 9.0 after 24 hours of incubation. Among the carbon and nitrogen sources used; the optimum protease production was with soluble starch, maltose, urea and casamino acid. The enzyme was purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and Sephadex G-75 gel chromatography. Molecular weight of purified enzyme was determined as 106 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Purified protease was stable at 50-60 °C and at pH 9.0 for 1 h. The enzyme activity was increased in the presence of Ca2+, Cu2+, Tween 80 and Triton X-100, however the enzyme activity was inhibited in the presence of Hg2+, ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) and H2O2. Proteolytic activity was completely inhibited by phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride (PMSF). The enzyme seems to be a serine alkaline protease. In the presence of detergents, the protease was clearly stable and residual activity was between 73-82%.

Cloning, purification and characterization of a thermostable ß-galactosidase from Bacillus licheniformis strain KG9.

A thermo— and alkalitolerant Bacillus licheniformis KG9 isolated from Taşlıdere hot water spring in Batman/Turkey was found to produce a thermostable β—galactosidase. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 16S rRNA gene from B. licheniformis strain KG9 was 99.9% identical to that of the genome sequenced B. licheniformis strain DSM 13. Analysis of the B. licheniformis DSM 13 genomic sequence revealed four putative β—galactosidase genes. PCR primers based on the genome sequence of strain DSM 13 were used to isolate the corresponding β—galactosidase genes from B. licheniformis strain KG9. The calculated molecular weights of the β—galactosidases I, II, III, and IV using sequencing data were 30, 79, 74, and 79 kDa, respectively. The genes were inserted into an expression vector and recombinant β—galactosidase was produced in Escherichia coli. Of the four β—galactosidase genes identified in strain KG9, three of them were expressed as active, intracellular enzymes in E. coli. One of the recombinant enzymes, β—galactosidase III, was purified and characterized. Optimal temperature and pH was determined to be at 60 ºC and pH 6.0, respectively. Km was determined to be 1.3 mM and 13.3 mM with oNPG (ortho—nitrophenyl—β—D—galactopyranoside) and lactose as substrates, respectively, and Vmax was measured to 1.96 μmol/min and 1.55 μmol/min with oNPG and lactose, respectively.