An efficient beta-1,4-glucosidase (BGL) producing strain, Fomitopsis pinicola KMJ812, was isolated and identified based on morphological features and sequence analysis of internal transcribed spacer rDNA. An extracellular BGL was purified to homogeneity by sequential chromatography of F. pinicola culture supernatants on a DEAE-sepharose column, a gel filtration column, and then on a Mono Q column with fast protein liquid chromatography. The relative molecular weight of F. pinicola BGL was determined to be 105 kDa by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, or 110 kDa by size exclusion chromatography, indicating that the enzyme is a monomer. The hydrolytic activity of the BGL had a pH optimum of 4.5 and a temperature optimum of 50 degrees C. The enzyme showed high substrate specificity and high catalytic efficiency (kcat=2,990 s-1, Km=1.76mM, kcat/Km=1,700 mM-1 s-1) for p-nitrophenyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside. Its internal amino acid sequences showed a significant homology with hydrolases from glycoside hydrolase family 3, indicating that the F. pinicola BGL is a member of glycoside hydrolase family 3. Although BGLs have been purified and characterized from several other sources, F. pinicola BGL is distinguished from other BGLs by its high catalytic efficiency and strict substrate specificity.

A novel endo-beta-1,4-glucanase (EG)-producing strain was isolated and identified as Penicillium pinophilum KMJ601 based on its morphology and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA gene sequence. When rice straw and corn steep powder were used as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, the maximal EG activity of 5.0 U mg protein(-1), one of the highest levels among EG-producing microorganisms, was observed. The optimum temperature and pH for EG production were 28 degrees C and 5.0, respectively. The increased production of EG by P. pinophilum in culture at 28 degrees C was confirmed by two-dimensional electrophoresis followed by MS/MS sequencing of the partial peptide. A partial EG gene (eng5) was amplified by degenerate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on the peptide sequence. A full-length eng5 was cloned by genome-walking PCR, and P. pinophilum EG was identified as a member of glycoside hydrolase family 5. The present results should contribute to improved industrial production of EG by P. pinophilum KMJ601.

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Aims: To isolate a high b-glucosidase (BGL)-producing strain and to optimize BGL production in the isolated strain. Methods and Results: A high BGL-producing strain was isolated and identified as Fomitopsis pinicola KMJ812 based on its morphology and a comparison of sequence of its internal transcribed spacer rDNA gene. To increase BGL production, F. pinicola was supplemented with various vitamins. Supplementation with thiamine (20 mg l )1 ) improved BGL production in F. pinicola cultures by 3AE7-fold to give a specific activity of 114AE4 lmol min )1 mg )1 protein, one of the highest among BGL-producing micro-organisms. The increased production of BGL in the thiamine-supplemented culture was confirmed by 2D electrophoresis followed by MS ⁄ MS sequencing. The BGL purified from F. pinicola culture showed the highest catalytic efficiency ever reported. Conclusion: Supplemental thiamine remarkably increased BGL production by a novel BGL-producing strain, F. pinicola KMJ812.Significance and Impact of the Study: Our results provide a high BGL-producing strain and the production media for BGL production, and should contribute to better industrial production of glucose via biological processes.