The soluble and membrane proteome of a tyramine producing Enterococcus faecalis, isolated from an Italian goat cheese, was investigated. A detailed analysis revealed that this strain also produces small amounts of beta-phenylethylamine. Kinetics of tyramine and beta-phenylethylamine accumulation, evaluated in tyrosine plus phenylalanine-enriched cultures (stimulated condition), suggest that the same enzyme, the tyrosine decarboxylase (TDC), catalyzes both tyrosine and phenylalanine decarboxylation: tyrosine was recognized as the first substrate and completely converted into tyramine (100% yield) while phenylalanine was decarboxylated to beta-phenylethylamine (10% yield) only when tyrosine was completely depleted. The presence of an aspecific aromatic amino acid decarboxylase is a common feature in eukaryotes, but in bacteria only indirect evidences of a phenylalanine decarboxylating TDC have been presented so far. Comparative proteomic investigations, performed by 2-DE and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, on bacteria grown in conditions stimulating tyramine and beta-phenylethylamine biosynthesis and in control conditions revealed 49 differentially expressed proteins. Except for aromatic amino acid biosynthetic enzymes, no significant down-regulation of the central metabolic pathways was observed in stimulated conditions, suggesting that tyrosine decarboxylation does not compete with the other energy-supplying routes. The most interesting finding is a membrane-bound TDC highly over-expressed during amine production. This is the first evidence of a true membrane-bound TDC, longly suspected in bacteria on the basis of the gene sequence.

Microbes are major players in leaf litter decomposition and therefore advances in the understanding of their control on element cycling are of paramount importance. Our aim was to investigate the influence of leaf litter stoichiometry in terms of carbon (C) : nitrogen (N) : phosphorus (P) ratios on the decomposition processes and to track changes in microbial community structures and functions in response to temperature stress treatments. To elucidate how the stoichiometry of beech leaf litter (<i>Fagus sylvatica</i> L.) and stress treatments interactively affect the microbial decomposition processes, a terrestrial microcosm experiment was conducted. Beech litter from different Austrian sites covering C:N ratios from 39 to 61 and C:P ratios from 666 to 1729 were incubated at 15 °C and 60% moisture for six months. Part of the microcosms were then subjected to severe changes in temperature (+30 °C and &minus;15 °C) to monitor the influence of temperature stress. Extracellular enzyme activities were assayed and respiratory activities measured. A semi-quantitative metaproteomics approach (1D-SDS PAGE combined with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry; unique spectral counting) was employed to investigate the impact of the applied stress treatments in dependency of litter stoichiometry on structure and function of the decomposing community. In litter with narrow C:nutrient (C:N, C:P) ratios, microbial decomposers were most abundant. Cellulase, chitinase, phosphatase and protease activity decreased after heat and freezing treatments. Decomposer communities and specific functions varied with site, i.e. stoichiometry. The applied stress combined with the respective time of sampling evoked changes of enzyme activities and litter pH. Freezing treatments resulted in a decline in residual plant litter material and increased fungal abundance, indicating slightly accelerated decomposition. Overall, a strong effect of litter stoichiometry on microbial community structures and functions was detected, but decomposition was mainly driven by a combination of the investigated factors. Temperature perturbations resulted in short- to medium-term alterations of microbial functions; especially high temperature treatments blocked decomposing enzymes

Avicelase I and Avicelase II purified from the cellulolytic thermophile Clostridium stercorarium acted in synergism to hydrolyze microcrystalline cellulose. The degree of synergism proved to be dependent on the ratio of the two enzymes and on the type of the cellulosic substrate. The activity of the combined enzymes towards Avicel was about double the sum of the individual activities. No synergism was found with amorphous cellulose preparations. It is shown that the simultaneous concerted action of both Avicelases is required to observe synergism. We suggest that synergism results from an exo‐exo type cooperativity and present a mechanistic model explaining the synergistic interaction between Avicelase I and Avicelase II.

No abstract