BACKGROUND Biochemical conversion of lignocellulose hydrolysates remains challenging, largely because most microbial processes have markedly reduced efficiency in the presence of both hexoses and pentoses. Thus, identification of microorganisms capable of efficient and simultaneous utilization of both glucose and xylose is pivotal to improving this process. RESULTS In this study, we found tha...

The production of thiaminase by a bacterium of the intestinal tract as an etiologic factor of beriberi has received considerable study by Japanese work ers. Chang (1) observed that when a thiamine solution was placed in the sigmoidal colon of a patient having habitual constipation combined with beri beri, the vitamin soon disappeared. The first discovery of a thiaminase producing micro-organism...

Yonezawa and Aoki (1) examined the thiamine-decomposing activity of cell suspensions of 96 strains of yeast-like fungi isolated from the oral cavity and found that, while Candida albicans, of which there were 62 strains, failed to show any thiaminase activity, the C4 strain forming abnormal colonies had a strong thiaminase activity. Another strain, A9, was also found to have thia minase activit...

The possibility of utilizing volatile fatty acids (VFA)-containing waste substrates from biotechnological and industrial processes was investigated by cultivating both oleaginous (Candida sp., Rhodotorula glutinis, Trichosporon cutaneum, Yarrowia lipolytica) and non-oleaginous (Kluyveromyces polysporus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Torulaspora delbrueckii) yeast species on acetic acid, propionic a...

This study focuses on the genetic and biochemical characterization of phenol hydroxylase (Phe, NCgl2588) from Corynebacterium glutamicum that shares 31% identity in amino acids with phenol hydroxylase from yeast Trichosporon cutaneum but less similarity with that from bacteria. The phe deletion mutant significantly reduced its ability to grow with phenol as the sole carbon and energy source. Ex...

An oligonucleotide microarray based on the arrayed-primer extension (APEX) technique has been developed to simultaneously identify pathogenic fungi frequently isolated from invasive and superficial infections. Species-specific oligonucleotide probes complementary to the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 (ITS1 and ITS2) region were designed for 24 species belonging to 10 genera, including Cand...

The substrate reactivity of the flavoenzyme 2-hydroxybiphenyl 3-monooxygenase (EC, HbpA) was changed by directed evolution using error-prone PCR. In situ screening of mutant libraries resulted in the identification of proteins with increased activity towards 2-tert-butylphenol and guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol). One enzyme variant contained amino acid substitutions V368A/L417F, which were inserted ...

In vitro antifungal activities of naphtoquinone-derivatives, which are constituents of Shikon, roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, were investigated against several fungal pathogens. When the biological activity of these compounds was tested against fungi, a wide range of sensitivity was recorded. Shikonin was found to have a stronger than fluconazole against yeast-like fungi: four-fold agains...

27 28 An oligonucleotide microarray, based on the arrayed primer extension (APEX) technique, has been 29 developed to simultaneously identify pathogenic fungi frequently isolated from invasive and 30 superficial infections. Species-specific oligonuceotide probes complementary to the internal 31 transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS2) region were designed for 24 species belonging to 10 genera, 32 inc...