Development of enzyme technology for Aspergillus oryzae, A. sojae, and A. luchuensis,the national microorganisms of Japan

Abstract

This paper describes the modern enzymology in Japanese bioindustries. The invention of Takadiastase by Jokiti Takamine in 1894 has revolutionized the world of industrial enzyme production by fermentation. In 1949, a new γ-amylase (glucan 1,4-α-glucosidase, EC 3.2.1.3) from A. luchuensis (formerly designated as A. awamori), was found by Kitahara. RNase T1 (guanyloribonuclease, EC 3.1.27.3) was discovered by Sato and Egami. Ando discovered Aspergillus nuclease S1 (single-stranded nucleate endonuclease, EC 3.1.30.1). Aspergillopepsin I (EC 3.4.23.18) from A. tubingensis (formerly designated as A. saitoi) activates trypsinogen to trypsin. Shintani et al. demonstrated Asp76 of aspergillopepsin I as the binding site for the basic substrate, trypsinogen. The new oligosaccharide moieties Man10GlcNAc2 and Man11GlcNAc2 were identified with α-1,2-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.113) from A. tubingensis. A yeast mutant compatible of producing Man5GlcNAc2 human compatible sugar chains on glycoproteins was constructed. The acid activation of protyrosinase from A. oryzae at pH 3.0 was resolved. The hyper-protein production system of glucoamylase was established in a submerged culture.

A comparative genomics study of 23 Aspergillus species from section Flavi

“…Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZymes) are essential for what carbon sources a species can degrade and utilize. Within section Flavi the CAZymes/carbon utilization is mainly described for A. oryzae 1,2,40 and to a lesser extent for A. flavus [41][42][43][44][45] and A. sojae 46,47 , while only incidental studies have been performed with other species of this group [48][49][50][51][52][53][54] , often describing production or characterization of a certain CAZyme activity or protein, respectively.…”

Adjunctive application of solid‐state culture products and its freeze‐dried powder from Aspergillus sojae for semi‐hard cheese

“…Serine protease, which is sensitive toward PMSF, 9 is likely to be involved, as confirmed in A. oryzae , 10 A. sojae 11 and many kinds of Aspergillus strains 12 . In particular, the acidic serine protease produced from Aspergillus sp., A. oryzae and A. sojae , aorsin is well known 13 . Although pepstatin A inhibited protease activity 14 in fraction IIb in every pH condition, the inhibition in fraction I exclusively showed under the acidic condition.…”

Five New Records of the Family Aspergillaceae in Korea, Aspergillus europaeus, A. pragensis, A. tennesseensis, Penicillium fluviserpens, and P. scabrosum

“…Several species are considered beneficial for their commercial, economic, or medical uses; they are used in enzyme production, and in the fermentation of foods such as soy sauce (e.g., Aspergillus oryzae and A. sojae), cheese (e.g., Penicillium roqueforti), and sausages (e.g., P. nalgiovense). These species also produce a wide range of secondary metabolites that can be used as drugs and antibiotics [5][6][7], while others can cause diseases in both humans and animals and can also act as plant pathogens [8][9][10].…”