Fusant F001 able to digest polysaccharides

Abstract

A fusant F001 able to digest polysaccharides is formed by protoplast fusion between Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus coagulans. The fusant F001 is deposited at NITE Patent Microorganisms Depositary (NPMD) in Japan with a deposit number NITE BP-02873.

Claims

1. A fusant F001 able to digest polysaccharides, formed by protoplast fusion between Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus coagulans, wherein the fusant F001 is deposited at NITE Patent Microorganisms Depositary (NPMD) in Japan with a deposit number NITE BP-02873.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinafter and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1a depicts a photograph of a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain before lysozyme treatment.

(3) FIG. 1b depicts a photograph of a protoplast of B. amyloliquefaciens formed by lysozyme treatment.

(4) FIG. 1c depicts a photograph of a Bacillus coagulans strain before lysozyme treatment.

(5) FIG. 1d depicts a photograph of a protoplast of B. coagulans formed by the lysozyme treatment.

(6) FIG. 2 depicts a sequence alignment of 16S rDNA sequences of fusant F001 (upper), the B. amyloliquefaciens strain (middle) and the B. coagulans strain (lower).

(7) FIG. 3a depicts the growth of the B. amyloliquefaciens strain (group D1, left), the fusant F001 (group D2, middle) and the B. coagulans strain (group D3, right) on a starch-containing nutrient agar (LB agar).

(8) FIG. 3b depicts the growth of the B. amyloliquefaciens strain (group D1, left), the fusant F001 B. coagulans (group D2, middle) and the B. coagulans strain (group D3, right) on a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-containing nutrient agar (LB agar).

(9) FIG. 3c depicts the growth of the B. amyloliquefaciens strain (group D1, left), the fusant F001 B. coagulans (group D2, middle) and the B. coagulans strain (group D3, right) on a xylan-containing nutrient agar (LB agar).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) A fusant F001 able to digest polysaccharides according to the present invention is formed by protoplast fusion between Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus coagulans.

(11) Specifically, cell wall of a B. amyloliquefaciens strain, as well as cell wall of a B. coagulans strain are degraded by the action of lysozyme to form protoplast of B. amyloliquefaciens and a protoplast of B. coagulans. In this embodiment, the B. amyloliquefaciens strain and the B. coagulans strain are respectively added into a protoplast buffer shown in TABLE 1. The degradation of cell wall is carried out at 37 C. for 90 minutes, and the protoplast of B. amyloliquefaciens and the protoplast of B. coagulans can be obtained.

(12) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Sucrose 0.5 M Tris-HCl 10 mM MgCl.sub.2 20 mM Lysozyme (23,500 U/mg) 0.4 mL Till 1 L

(13) The protoplast of B. amyloliquefaciens and the protoplast of B. coagulans are mixed to form a mixture. The mixture is then added into a fusion buffer. The fusion buffer is an aqueous polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution with a concentration of 40 wt %. The molecular weight of PEG is 6,000. The fusion process is carried out at 37 C. for 10 minutes to obtain plurality of fusants.

(14) The fusant F001 according to the present invention is selected from the plurality of fusants and is the one which grows most rapidly on a nutrient agar (LB agar).

(15) The fusant F001 is deposited at NITE Patent Microorganisms Depositary (NPMD) in Japan with a deposit number NITE BP-02873 (date of original deposit: Feb. 1, 2009). The fusant F001 has a 16S rDNA set forth as SEQ ID NO: 1. The fusant F001 can secrete enzymes such as amylase, cellulase and xylanase, and can digest the polysaccharides such as starch, cellulose and xylan.

(16) To evaluate the fusant F001 according to the present invention can secrete enzymes including amylase, cellulase and xylanase, and can digest the polysaccharides such as starch, cellulose and xylan, the following trials are carried out.

(17) Trial (A).

(18) In trial (A), the B. amyloliquefaciens strain and the B. coagulans strain are respectively added in to the protoplast buffer including lysozyme. Lysozyme treatment is carried out at 37 C. for 90 minutes. As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1c, before the lysozyme treatment, the B. amyloliquefaciens strain and the B. coagulans strain appear as rods. After the lysozyme treatment, the B. amyloliquefaciens strain and the B. coagulans strain converse from rods to round shapes, suggesting that the protoplast of B. amyloliquefaciens, as well as the protoplast of B. coagulans, is successfully obtained.

(19) After the fusion process, the fusant F001 is selected as the one which grows most rapidly on the nutrient agar (LB agar).

(20) Trial (B).

(21) In trial (B), sequence alignment of 16S rDNA sequences of the fusant F001 and parent strains (that is, the B. amyloliquefaciens strain and the B. coagulans strain) is carried out. As shown in FIG. 2, the 16S rDNA sequence of the fusant F001 differs from either the 16S rDNA sequence of the B. amyloliquefaciens strain or the 16S rDNA sequence of the B. coagulans strain.

(22) Trial (C).

(23) In trial (C). doubling time (Dt) of the fusant F001 and doubling time of the parent strains (the B. amyloliquefaciens strain and the B. coagulans strain) are recorded. The result shows that the doubling time (Dt) of the fusant F001 is about 65 minutes, the doubling time (Dt) of the B. amyloliquefaciens strain is about 73 minutes, and the doubling time (Dt) of the B. coagulans strain is about 214 minutes, suggesting that the fusant F001 has a rapidly growth rate compared to the parent strains (the B. amyloliquefaciens strain and the B. coagulans strain).

(24) Trial (D).

(25) In trial (D), the B. amyloliquefaciens strain (group D1), the fusant F001 (group D2) and the B. coagulans strain (group D3) are cultured on a nutrient agar (LB agar) containing 0.5% of starch at 37 C. for 24 hours. The starch-containing nutrient agar (LB agar) is then stained by an iodine solution. As shown in FIG. 3a, a diameter of clear zone of the fusant F001 (group D2) is larger than diameters of clear zones of the parent strains (the B. amyloliquefaciens strain, group D1, and the B. coagulans strain, group D3), suggesting that the fusant F001 has an improved activity for digesting starch.

(26) Moreover, the B. amyloliquefaciens strain (group D1), the fusant F001 (group D2) and the B. coagulans strain (group D3) are cultured on a nutrient agar (LB agar) containing 0.5% of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or 0.5% of xylan at 37 C. for 24 hours. The CMC-containing nutrient agar (LB agar) or the xylan-containing nutrient agar (LB agar) is stained by congo red. As shown in FIGS. 3b & 3c, a diameter of clear zone of the fusant F001 (group D2) is larger than diameters of clear zones of the parent strains (the B. amyloliquefaciens strain, group D1, and the B. coagulans strain, group D3), suggesting that the fusant F001 has an improved activity for digesting either carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or xylan.

(27) In addition, the B. amyloliquefaciens strain (group D1), the fusant F001 (group D2) and the B. coagulans strain (group D3) are cultured in a nutrient broth (LB broth) at 37 C. for 24 hours, respectively. A supernatant is obtained by centrifugation, and enzyme activities of amylase, cellulase and xylanase in the supernatants of groups D1-D3 are detected.

(28) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Amylase Cellulase Xylanase (U/mL) (U/mL) (U/mL) D1 1.3 0.3 2.0 D2 2.3 0.6 4.2 D3 0 0 0

(29) Referring to TABLE 2, regardless of amylase, cellulase and xylanase, the fusant F001 (group D2) has an improved enzyme activity compared to the parent strains (the B. amyloliquefaciens strain, group D1, and the B. coagulans strain, group D3).

(30) Accordingly, the fusant F001 according to the present invention can effectively digest the anti-nutritional factors (ANF) such as starch, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and xylan. Therefore, the fusant F001 according to the present invention can be used as a feed additive, which is incorporated into the feed for the terrestrial economic animals. With such performance, the terrestrial economic animals can effectively convert the nutrients into primary livestock products and therefore have an improved economic value.

(31) Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to its presently preferable embodiment, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.