Role of neutral metabolites in microbial conversion of 3beta-acetoxy-19-hydroxycholest-5-ene into estrone

Biotransformation of 3 beta-acetoxy-19-hydroxycholest-5-ene (19-HCA, 6 g) by Moraxella sp. was studied. Estrone (712 mg) was the major metabolite formed. Minor metabolites identified were 5 alpha-androst-1-en-19-ol-3,17-dione (33 mg), androst-4-en-19-ol-3,17-dione (58 mg), androst-4-en-9 alpha,19-diol-3,17-dione (12 mg), and androstan-19-ol-3,17-dione (1 mg). Acidic metabolites were not formed. Time course experiments on the fermentation of 19-HCA indicated that androst-4-en-19-ol-3,17-dione was the major metabolite formed during the early stages of incubation. However with continuing fermentation its level dropped, with a concomitant increase in estrone. Fermentation of 19-HCA in the presence of specific inhibitors or performing the fermentation for a shorter period (48 h) did not result in the formation of acidic metabolites. Resting-cell experiments carried out with 19-HCA (200 mg) in the presence of alpha,alpha'-bipyridyl led to the isolation of three additional metabolites, viz., cholestan-19-ol-3-one (2 mg), cholest-4-en-19-ol-3-one (10 mg), and cholest-5-en-3 beta,19-diol (12 mg). Similar results were also obtained when n-propanol was used instead of alpha,alpha'-bipyridyl. Resting cells grown on 19-HCA readily converted both 5 alpha-androst-1-en-19-ol-3,17-dione and androst-4-en-19-ol-3,17-dione into estrone. Partially purified 1,2-dehydrogenase from steroid-induced Moraxella cells transformed androst-4-en-19-ol-3,17-dione into estrone and formaldehyde in the presence of phenazine methosulfate, an artificial electron acceptor. These results suggest that the degradation of the hydrocarbon side chain of 19-HCA does not proceed via C-22 phenolic acid intermediates and complete removal of the C-17 side chain takes place prior to the aromatization of the A ring in estrone. The mode of degradation of the sterol side chain appears to be through the fission of the C-17-C-20 bond. On the basis of these observations, a new pathway for the formation of estrone from 19-HCA in Moraxella sp. has been proposed.

四种药用植物的化学成分及芍药苷的微生物转化研究

本学位论文共有5章。第一章报道白芍的化学成分及芍药苷的微生物转化研究成果；第二章报道天山雪莲的化学成分研究；第三章报道两面针的化学成分研究；第四章报道通关藤的化学成分研究成果；第五章概述了花椒属植物中最近十年报道的新化合物及药理研究情况。 在第1章的第一部分报道了白芍（Paeonia lactiflora Pall.）的化学成分。我们采用正、反相硅胶柱层析等各种分离方法，从白芍的干燥根中共分离出14个化合物，其中1个为新化合物，其结构通过波谱分析证实为没食子酰白芍苷，另外还有2个为首次从该植物中分离得到。第二部分报道了芍药苷的微生物转化生产芍药苷代谢素-I的研究，从15株厌氧菌中筛选出10株有转化活性的菌株，其中短乳杆菌Lactobacillus brevis AS1.12的转化活性最好，对其转化条件进行了初步的筛选，确定了相对合理的转化工艺。 在第2章报道了天山雪莲（Saussurea involucrate Kar.et Kir.）全草乙醇提取物化学成分的分离纯化和结构鉴定。通过正、反相硅胶柱层析等分离纯化和MS、NMR等波谱解析，共分离鉴定了28个化合物，结构类型分属于黄酮、倍半萜和木脂素等，其中2个新倍半萜化合物的结构分别表征为6α-羟基云木香酸6-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷和11βH-11,13-二氢去氢云木香内酯8α-O-(6′-乙酰)-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷。 第3章报道了两面针（Zanthoxylum nitidum （Roxb.）DC.）干燥根的乙醇提取物化学成分的分离纯化和结构鉴定。通过正、反相硅胶柱层析等分离纯化和MS、NMR等波谱解析以及X-射线单晶衍射，共分离鉴定了16个生物碱，结构类型分属于苯并啡啶类、喹啉类和阿朴啡类等，其中2个新苯并啡啶类生物碱的结构分别表征为二聚双氢两面针碱和丙酮基双氢崖定椒碱。 第4章报道了通关藤（Marsdenia tenacissima (Roxb.) Wight et Arn.）水提取物化学成分的分离纯化和结构鉴定。通过正、反相硅胶柱层析等分离纯化和MS、NMR等波谱解析以及X-射线单晶衍射，共分离鉴定了14个化合物，结构类型均属于C21多羟基甾醇，其中4个新化合物tenacigenoside A, tenacigenoside B, tenacigenoside C和tenacigenoside D的结构分别表征为3-O-6-deoxy-3-O-methyl-β-D-allopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-oleandropyranosyl-17β-tenacigenin B (62), 3-O-2,6- dideoxy-4-O-methyl-D-lyxo-hexopyranosly-11α-O- methylbutyryl-12β-O-acetyl-tenacigenin B (63), 3-O-6-deoxy-3-O-methyl-β-D- allopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-oleandropyranosyl-11α-O-tigloyl-tenacigenin C (64)和3-O-6-deoxy-3-O-methyl-β-D-allopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-oleandropyranosyl-11α-O-2- methylbutyryl-tenacigenin C (65)。 第5章概述了花椒属植物的化学成分及药理活性研究进展。 This dissertation consists of 5 chapters. The first chapter elaborate the phytochemical investigation of Paeonia lactiflora Pall., and microbial transformation of paeoniforin. The second, third and four chapters elaborate the phytochemical investigation of Saussurea involucrate Kar.et Kir., Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. and Marsdenia tenacissima (Roxb.) Wight et Arn., respectively. Chapter 5 is a review on chemical constituents and bioactivities of Zanthoxylum species. The part one of chapter 1 focus on the isolation and identification of chemical constituents from P. lactiflora. Fourteen compounds were isolated from the roots of P. lactiflora by repeat column chromatography over normal and reversed phase silica gel. Among them, one is a new compound and the structure was suggested as galloyl-albiflorin by spectral evidence. In addition, two compounds were firstly reported in this plant. The part 2 is about microbial transformation of paeoniforin. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 were isolations and identifications of chemical constituents from S. involucrate, Z. nitidum and M. tenacissima, respectively. From the aerial parts of S. involucrate, 28 compounds including 7 flavonoids and 13 sesquiterpenoids were isolated and identified. Among them, 2 new compounds were characterized as 6α-hydroxycostic acid 6-β-D-glucoside and 11βH-11,13-dihydrodehydro- costuslactone 8α-O-(6'-acetyl)-β-D-glucoside, respectively, by means of spectroscopic analysis. Otherwise, 11 ones were firstly reported from this plant. The third chapter is about the phytochemical investigation of Z. nitidum. Sixteen compounds were isolated and identified. Among them, 2 new benzophenanthridine alkaloids were characterized as 8-acetonyldihydrofagaridine and 1,3-bis(8-dihydronitidinyl)-acetone by spectroscopic analysis. The fourth chapter is about the phytochemical investigation of M. tenacissima. Fourteen compounds were isolated and identified. Among them, 4 new compounds, tenacigenosides A~D, were characterized as 3-O-6-deoxy-3-O-methyl-β-D-allopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-oleandropyranosyl-17β- tenacigenin B, 3-O-2,6-dideoxy-4-O-methyl-D-lyxo-hexopyranosly-11α-O-methyl butyryl-12β-O-acetyl-tenacigenin B, 3-O-6-deoxy-3-O-methyl-β-D-allopyranosyl- (1→4)-β-D-oleandropyranosyl-11α-O-tigloyl-tenacigenin C, and 3-O-6-deoxy-3-O- methyl-β-D-allopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-oleandropyranosyl-11α-O-2-methylbutyryl- tenacigenin C. Chapter 5 is a review on recent progress in bioactive constituents from plants of Zanthoxylum species.

Carbon/Nitrogen Ratio Optimization and Periphyton Development on the Production and Sustainability of Penaeus Monodon(Fabricius)in Extensive Culture System

Controlling the inorganic nitrogen by manipulating carbon / nitrogen ratio is a method gaining importance in aquaculture systems. Nitrogen control is induced by feeding bacteria with carbohydrates and through the subsequent uptake of nitrogen from the water for the synthesis of microbial proteins. The relationship between addition of carbohydrates, reduction of ammonium and the production of microbial protein depends on the microbial conversion coefficient. The carbon / nitrogen ratio in the microbial biomass is related to the carbon contents of the added material. The addition of carbonaceous substrate was found to reduce inorganic nitrogen in shrimp culture ponds and the resultant microbial proteins are taken up by shrimps. Thus, part of the feed protein is replaced and feeding costs are reduced in culture systems.The use of various locally available substrates for periphyton based aquaculture practices increases production and profitability .However, these techniques for extensive shrimp farming have not so far been evaluated. Moreover, an evaluation of artificial substrates together with carbohydrate source based farming system in reducing inorganic nitrogen production in culture systems has not yet been carried-out. Furthermore, variations in water and soil quality, periphyton production and shrimp production of the whole system have also not been determined so-far.This thesis starts with a general introduction , a brief review of the most relevant literature, results of various experiments and concludes with a summary (Chapter — 9). The chapters are organised conforming to the objectives of the present study. The major objectives of this thesis are, to improve the sustainability of shrimp farming by carbohydrate addition and periphyton substrate based shrimp production and to improve the nutrient utilisation in aquaculture systems.

1,3-propanodiol: produção, aplicações e potencial biotecnológico

1,3-propanediol is a high-value specialty chemical which has many industrial applications. Its main use is the production of the polymer polypropylene terephthalate, a thermoplastic used in the textile and automobile industries. The interest in 1,3-propanediol production from glycerol bio-conversion has increased after the employment of biodiesel by various countries, being produced by chemical synthesis from petroleum intermediates or biotechnologically by microbial fermentation. Glycerol is an abundant low-cost byproduct from biodiesel refineries, and it is the only substrate that can be naturally or enzymatically converted to 1,3-propanediol by microbial fermentation. In this review, information on 1,3-propanediol's importance, production and purification are presented, along with results from recent research on glycerol microbial conversion to 1,3-propanediol. The bio-production of this intermediate compound from glycerol is very attractive both economically and environmentally, since it allows the replacement of fossil fuels by renewable resources.

Fermentative processes for environmental remediation

The growing interest in environmental protection has led to the development of emerging biotechnologies for environmental remediation also introducing the biorefinery concept. This work mainly aimed to evaluate the applicability of innovative biotechnologies for environmental remediation and bioenergy production, throught fermentative processes. The investigated biotechnologies for waste and wastewater treatment and for the valorisation of specific feedstocks and energy recovery, were mainly focused on four research lines. 1. Biotechnology for textile wastewater treatment and water reuse that involving anaerobic and aerobic processes in combination with membrane technologies. Combinations of different treatments were also implemented for water reuse in a textile company. 2. Biotechnology for the treatment of solid waste and leachate in landfill and for biogas production. Landfill operated as Bioreactor with recirculation of the generated leachate was proposed for organic matter biostabilisation and for ammonia removal from leachate by favouring the Anammox process. 3. An innovative two-stage anaerobic process for effective codigestion of waste from the dairy industry, as cheese whey and dairy manure, was studied by combining conventional fermentative processes with a simplified system design for enhancing biomethanisation. 4) The valorisation of the glycerol waste as surplus by-product of the biodiesel industry was investigated via microbial conversion to value-added chemicals, as 1,3-propanediol. The investigated fermentative processes have been successfully implemented and reached high yields of the produced bio-chemical. The studied biotechnological systems proved to be feasible for environmental remediation and bioenergy and chemicals production.

Ethanol Production from Hardboard Manufacturing Process Wastewater: Methods for Improving Product Yields from Hemicellulose Hydrolysates

Waste effluents from the forest products industry are sources of lignocellulosic biomass that can be converted to ethanol by yeast after pretreatment. However, the challenge of improving ethanol yields from a mixed pentose and hexose fermentation of a potentially inhibitory hydrolysate still remains. Hardboard manufacturing process wastewater (HPW) was evaluated at a potential feedstream for lignocellulosic ethanol production by native xylose-fermenting yeast. After screening of xylose-fermenting yeasts, Scheffersomyces stipitis CBS 6054 was selected as the ideal organism for conversion of the HPW hydrolysate material. The individual and synergistic effects of inhibitory compounds present in the hydrolysate were evaluated using response surface methodology. It was concluded that organic acids have an additive negative effect on fermentations. Fermentation conditions were also optimized in terms of aeration and pH. Methods for improving productivity and achieving higher ethanol yields were investigated. Adaptation to the conditions present in the hydrolysate through repeated cell sub-culturing was used. The objectives of this present study were to adapt S. stipitis CBS6054 to a dilute-acid pretreated lignocellulosic containing waste stream; compare the physiological, metabolic, and proteomic profiles of the adapted strain to its parent; quantify changes in protein expression/regulation, metabolite abundance, and enzyme activity; and determine the biochemical and molecular mechanism of adaptation. The adapted culture showed improvement in both substrate utilization and ethanol yields compared to the unadapted parent strain. The adapted strain also represented a growth phenotype compared to its unadapted parent based on its physiological and proteomic profiles. Several potential targets that could be responsible for strain improvement were identified. These targets could have implications for metabolic engineering of strains for improved ethanol production from lignocellulosic feedstocks. Although this work focuses specifically on the conversion of HPW to ethanol, the methods developed can be used for any feedstock/product systems that employ a microbial conversion step. The benefit of this research is that the organisms will the optimized for a company's specific system.

Concentration profiles in batch fermentation of hydrolyzed lignocellulose

Experimental data was obtained for profiling changes in concentrations of two inhibiting compounds in batch fermentation of a synthesized liquor resembling hydrolyzed lignocellulose, a furan (furfural) and a phenolic compound (vanillin), along with standard fermentation data, i.e. substrate, biomass and ethanol concentrations. The initial inhibitor concentrations and fermentation temperatures in the 18 experiments were varied according to a two-level complete center composite experimental design. Based upon these observed variations in the fermentative behavior, the fermentation kinetics were modeled, as published in the corresponding article, including microbial conversion rates of the inhibitive compounds into their less toxic derivatives.

Biogeochemical processes in anoxic sediment from Lake Plußsee, Germany

In anoxic environments, volatile methylated sulfides like methanethiol (MT) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) link the pools of inorganic and organic carbon with the sulfur cycle. However, direct formation of methylated sulfides from reduction of dissolved inorganic carbon has previously not been demonstrated. When studying the effect of temperature on hydrogenotrophic microbial activity, we observed formation of DMS in anoxic sediment of Lake Plußsee at 55 °C. Subsequent experiments strongly suggested that the formation of DMS involves fixation of bicarbonate via a reductive pathway in analogy to methanogenesis and engages methylation of MT. DMS formation was enhanced by addition of bicarbonate and further increased when both bicarbonate and H2 were supplemented. Inhibition of DMS formation by 2-bromoethanesulfonate points to the involvement of methanogens. Compared to the accumulation of DMS, MT showed the opposite trend but there was no apparent 1:1 stoichiometric ratio between both compounds. Both DMS and MT had negative d13C values of -62 per mil and -55 per mil, respectively. Labeling with NaH**13CO3 showed more rapid incorporation of bicarbonate into DMS than into MT. The stable carbon isotopic evidence implies that bicarbonate was fixed via a reductive pathway of methanogenesis, and the generated methyl coenzyme M became the methyl donor for MT methylation. Neither DMS nor MT accumulation were stimulated by addition of the methyl-group donors methanol and syringic acid or by the methyl-group acceptor hydrogen sulphide. The source of MT was further investigated in a H2**35S labeling experiment, which demonstrated a microbially-mediated process of hydrogen sulfide methylation to MT that accounted for only <10% of the accumulation rates of DMS. Therefore, the major source of the 13C-depleted MT was neither bicarbonate nor methoxylated aromatic compounds. Other possibilities for isotopically depleted MT, such as other organic precursors like methionine, are discussed. This DMS-forming pathway may be relevant for anoxic environments such as hydrothermally influenced sediments and fluids and sulfate-methane transition zones in marine sediments.

Blanchaquinone: A new anthraquinone from an Australian Streptomyces sp.

Chemical analysis of an Australian Streptomyces species yielded a range of known anthracyclines and biosynthetically related metabolites, including daunomycin (1), E-rhodomycinone (2), 11-hydroxyauramycinone (3), 11-hydroxysulfurmycinone (4), aklavinone (5), bisanhydro-gamma-rhodomycinone (6), and the anthraquinone 7, as well as the hitherto unreported blanchaquinone (8). The structure assigned to 8 was secured by detailed spectroscopic analysis and correlation to known analogues, such as the anthraquinone 7. This account also represents the first natural occurrence of 3, 4, and 7 and the first spectroscopic characterization of 11-hydroxysulfurmycinone (4).

Effects of grassland conversion and tillage intensities on soil microbial biomass, residues and community structure

Agricultural intensification has a strong impact on level of soil organic matter (SOM), microbial biomass stocks and microbial community structure in agro-ecosystems. The size of the microbial necromass C pool could be about 40 times that of the living microbial biomass C pool in soils. Due to the specificity, amino sugar analysis gives more important information on the relative contribution of fungal and bacterial residues to C sequestration potential of soils. Meanwhile, the relationship between microbial biomass and microbial necromass in soil and its ecological significance on SOM are not fully understood and likely to be very complex in grassland soils. This thesis focuses on the effects of tillage, grassland conversion intensities and fertilisation on microbial biomass, residues and community structure. The combined analyses of microbial biomass and residue formation of both fungi and bacteria provided a unique opportunity to study the effect of tillage, grassland conversion and fertilisation on soil microbial dynamics. In top soil at 0-30 cm layer, a reduction in tillage intensity by the GRT and NT treatments increased the accumulation of saprotrophic fungi in comparison with the MBT treatment. In contrast, the GRT and NT treatments promoted AMF at the expense of saprotrophic fungi in the bottom soil layer at 30-40 cm depth. The negative relationship between the ergosterol to microbial biomass C ratio and the fungal C to bacterial C ratio points to the importance of the relationship between saprotrophic fungi and biotrophic AMF for tillage-induced changes in microbial turnover of SOC. One-season cultivation of winter wheat with two tillage events led to a significant loss in SOC and microbial biomass C stocks at 0-40 cm depth in comparison with the permanent grassland, even 5 years after the tillage event. However, the tillage induced loss in microbial biomass C was roughly 40% less in the long-term than in the short-term of the current experiment, indicating a recovery process during grassland restoration. In general, mould board tillage and grassland conversion to maize monoculture promoted saprotrophic fungi at the expense of biotrophic AMF and bacteria compared to undisturbed grassland soils. Slurry application promoted bacterial residues as indicated by the decreases in both, the ergosterol to microbial biomass C ratio and the fungal C to bacterial C ratio. In addition, the lost microbial functional diversity due to tillage and maize monoculture was restored by slurry application both in arable and grassland soils. I conclude that the microbial biomass C/S ratio can be used as an additional indicator for a shift in microbial community. The strong relationships between microbial biomass and necromass indices points to the importance of saprotrophic fungi and biotrophic AMF for agricultural management induced effects on microbial turnover and ecosystem C storage. Quantitative information on exact biomass estimates of these two important fungal groups in soil is inevitably necessary to understand their different roles in SOM dynamics.

Genomic organisation, activity and distribution analysis of the microbial putrescine oxidase degradation pathway

The catalytic action of putrescine specific amine oxidases acting in tandem with 4-aminobutyraldehyde dehydrogenase is explored as a degradative pathway in Rhodococcus opacus. By limiting the nitrogen source, increased catalytic activity was induced leading to a coordinated response in the oxidative deamination of putrescine to 4-aminobutyraldehyde and subsequent dehydrogenation to 4-aminobutyrate. Isolating the dehydrogenase by ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration revealed that the enzyme acts principally on linear aliphatic aldehydes possessing an amino moiety. Michaelis-Menten kinetic analysis delivered a Michaelis constant (KM=0.014mM) and maximum rate (Vmax=11.2μmol/min/mg) for the conversion of 4-aminobutyraldehyde to 4-aminobutyrate. The dehydrogenase identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis (E value=0.031, 23% coverage) belongs to a functionally related genomic cluster that includes the amine oxidase, suggesting their association in a directed cell response. Key regulatory, stress and transport encoding genes have been identified, along with candidate dehydrogenases and transaminases for the further conversion of 4-aminobutyrate to succinate. Genomic analysis has revealed highly similar metabolic gene clustering among members of Actinobacteria, providing insight into putrescine degradation notably among Micrococcaceae, Rhodococci and Corynebacterium by a pathway that was previously uncharacterised in bacteria.