Fast in situ generated ɛ-polylysine-poly (ethylene glycol) hydrogels as tissue adhesives and hemostatic materials using an enzyme-catalyzed method.

In this study, novel bio-inspired in situ hydrogels as tissue adhesives and hemostatic materials were designed and prepared based on ɛ-polylysine-grafted poly(ethylene glycol) and tyramine via enzymatic cross-linking. The enzymatic cross-linked method enabled fast gelation within seconds, which facilitated its therapeutic applications. By changing the cross-linking conditions, the storage modulus of the hydrogels could be tunable and the mechanical strength influenced the tissue adhesiveness of the hydrogels. Besides, the hydrogels showed fine network structures with appropriate pore sizes, which were thought to be a contributing factor to the strong adhesiveness. Benefiting from the strong mechanical properties and fine network structures, the ɛ-polylysine-grafted poly(ethylene glycol) and tyramine hydrogels exhibited superior wound-healing and hemostatic ability compared to conventional and commercially available medical materials. Moreover, indirect cytotoxicity assessment indicated that the ɛ-polylysine-grafted poly(ethylene glycol) and tyramine hydrogels were nontoxic to the L929 cell. These results demonstrated that the enzymatic cross-linked in situ ɛ-polylysine hydrogels hold high potential for tissue sealants and hemostatic materials.

Gene cloning, expression, and characterization of an exo-inulinase from Paenibacillus polymyxa ZJ-9.

An inulinase-producing strain, Paenibacillus polymyxa ZJ-9, was isolated from natural sources to produce R,R-2,3-butanediol via one-step fermentation of raw inulin extracted from Jerusalem artichoke tubers. The inulinase gene from P. polymyxa ZJ-9 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), and the purified recombinant inulinase was estimated to be approximately 56 kDa by both sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and gel filtration chromatography. This result suggests that the active form of the inulinase is probably a monomer. Terminal hydrolysis fructose units from the inulin indicate that enzymes are exo-inulinase. The purified recombinant enzyme showed maximum activity at 25 °C and pH 6.0, which indicate its extreme suitability for industrial applications. Zn(2+), Fe(2+), and Mg(2+) stimulated the activity of the purified enzyme, whereas Co(2+), Cu(2+), and Ni(2+) inhibited enzyme activity. The K m and V max values for inulin hydrolysis were 1.72 mM and 21.69 µmol min(-1) mg(-1) protein, respectively. The same parameters toward sucrose were 41.09 mM and 78.7 µmol min(-1) mg(-1) protein, respectively. Considering its substrate specificity and other enzymatic characteristics, we believe that this inulinase gene from P. polymyxa ZJ-9 could be transformed into other special bacterial strains to allow inulin conversion to other biochemicals and bioenergy through one-step fermentation.

A 2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase from Paenibacillus polymyxa ZJ-9 for mainly producing R,R-2,3-butanediol: purification, characterization and cloning.

A 2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (BDH) from Paenibacillus polymyxa ZJ-9 was purified to homogeneity via fractional ammonium sulfate precipitation, followed by two steps of anion-exchange chromatography using DEAE-Sepharose and Source 15Q, obtaining a 35-fold increase in specific activity and 34.9% yield. The molecular weights of the purified BDH subunit and holoenzyme were 44.5 and 90.0 kDa, respectively, as detected via SDS-PAGE and gel filtration chromatography. These results were significantly different from those of other reported BDHs. Substrate specificity experiments showed that the enzyme could function preferentially as a reductase rather than as a dehydrogenase, and was mainly responsible for the reduction of R-acetoin to R,R-2,3-butanediol. Gene cloning, sequencing, and expression experiments further demonstrate that this enzyme was a new type of BDH.

An oxidoreduction potential shift control strategy for high purity propionic acid production by Propionibacterium freudenreichii CCTCC M207015 with glycerol as sole carbon source.

The effects of oxidoreduction potential (ORP) regulation on the process of propionic acid production by Propionibacterium freudenreichii CCTCC M207015 have been investigated. Potassium ferricyanide and sodium borohydride were determined as ORP control agents through serum bottle experiment. In batch fermentation, cell growth, propionic acid and by-products distribution were changed with ORP levels in the range of 0-160 mV. Based on these analysis results, an ORP-shift control strategy was proposed: at first 156 h, ORP was controlled at 120 mV to obtain higher cell growth rate and propionic acid formation rate, and then it was shifted to 80 mV after 156 h to maintain the higher propionic acid formation rate. By applying this strategy, the optimal parameters were obtained as follows: the propionic acid concentration 45.99 g L(-1), productivity 0.192 g L(-1) h(-1), the proportion of propionic acid to total organic acids 92.26 % (w/w) and glycerol conversion efficiency 76.65 %. The mechanism of ORP regulation was discussed by the ratio of NADH/NAD(+), ATP levels, and metabolic flux analysis. The results suggest that it is possible to redistribute energy and metabolic fluxes by the ORP-shift control strategy, and the strategy could provide a simple and efficient tool to realize high purity propionic acid production with glycerol as carbon source.

[Biosorption of chromium (VI) by waste biomass of epsilon-poly-L-lysine fermentation].

The sorption of hexavalent chromium by waste biomass of epsilon-Poly-L-lysine fermentation strains (Streptomyces albulus) PD-1 was studied. Effects of pretreatment ways, pH, initial concentration of Cr(VI), contact time and temperature on biosorption were determined. It was found that homogenization in HCl was the best way to pretreat mycelia, having an increased rate of Cr(VI) biosorption at 22.7%, the optimum pH was about 2.0, while no significant impact of temperature on the biosorption was observed. The fitness of the experimental data for the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models was further examined and good correlations with R2 of 0.979 4 and 0.979 8 were observed, indicating the presence of both monolayer biosorption and heterogeneous surface condition. The maximum adsorption capacity of the Streptomyces albulus PD-1 for Cr(VI) was 23.92 mg x g(-1). FT-IR analysis demonstrates that the major functional groups (amide and hydroxyl) may contribute to the absorption of Cr(VI).

Purification and characterization of a highly selective sucrose isomerase from Erwinia rhapontici NX-5.

A highly selective sucrose isomerase (SIase) was purified to homogeneity from the cell-free extract of Erwinia rhapontici NX-5 with a recovery of 27.7% and a fold purification of 213.6. The purified SIase showed a high specific activity of 427.1 U mg(-1) with molecular weight of 65.6 kDa. The K (m) for sucrose was 222 mM while V (max) was 546 U mg(-1). The optimum pH and temperature for SIase activity were 6.0 and 30 °C, respectively. The purified SIase was stable in the temperature range of 10-40 °C and retained 65% of the enzyme activity after 2 weeks' storage at 30 °C. The SIase activity was enhanced by Mg(2+) and Mn(2+), inhibited by Ca(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), and Co(2+), completely inhibited by Hg(2+) and Ag(2+). The purified SIase was strongly inhibited by SDS, while partially inhibited by dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran, and PMSF. Additionally, glucose and fructose acted as competitive inhibitors for purified SIase.

Propionic acid fermentation by Propionibacterium freudenreichii CCTCC M207015 in a multi-point fibrous-bed bioreactor.

Propionic acid was produced in a multi-point fibrous-bed (MFB) bioreactor by Propionibacterium freudenreichii CCTCC M207015. The MFB bioreactor, comprising spiral cotton fiber packed in a modified 7.5-l bioreactor, was effective for cell-immobilized propionic acid production compared with conventional free cell fermentation. Batch fermentations at various glucose concentrations were investigated in the MFB bioreactor. Based on analysis of the time course of production, a fed-batch strategy was applied for propionic acid production. The maximum propionic acid concentration was 67.05 g l(-1) after 496 h of fermentation, and the proportion of propionic acid to total organic acids was approximately 78.28% (w/w). The MFB bioreactor exhibited excellent production stability during batch fermentation and the propionic acid productivity remained high after 78 days of fermentation.

Optimization of medium for one-step fermentation of inulin extract from Jerusalem artichoke tubers using Paenibacillus polymyxa ZJ-9 to produce R,R-2,3-butanediol.

The medium for one-step fermentation of raw inulin extract from Jerusalem artichoke tubers by Paenibacillus polymyxa ZJ-9 to produce R,R-2,3-butanediol (R,R-2,3-BD) was developed. Inulin, K(2)HPO(4) and NH(4)Cl were found to be the key factors in the fermentation according to the results obtained from the Plackett-Burman experimental design. The optimal concentration range of the three factors was examined by the steepest ascent path, and their optimal concentration was further investigated according to the Box-Behnken design and determined to be 77.14 g/L, 3.09 g/L and 0.93 g/L, respectively. Under the optimal conditions, the concentration of the obtained R,R-2,3-BD was 36.92 g/L, at more than 98% optical purity. Compared with other investigated carbon resources, fermentation of the raw inulin extract afforded the highest yield of R,R-2,3-BD. This process featured one-step fermentation of inulin without further hydrolyzing, which greatly decreased the raw material cost and thus facilitated its practical application.