Dimorphic Mechanism on cAMP Mediated Signal Pathway in Mucor circinelloides.

Mucor circinelloides is a dimorphic fungus that is a non-pathogen strain belonging to zygomycetes. In this research, a part of hypothetical mechanism on yeast-like cell induction of M. circinelloides in CO atmosphere was reported from the viewpoint of gene expression.

Characterization and gene cloning of l-xylulose reductase involved in l-arabinose catabolism from the pentose-fermenting fungus Rhizomucor pusillus.

l-Xylulose reductase (LXR) catalyzes the reduction of l-xylulose to xylitol in the fungal l-arabinose catabolic pathway. LXR (RpLXR) was purified from the pentose-fermenting zygomycetous fungus Rhizomucor pusillus NBRC 4578. The native RpLXR is a homotetramer composed of 29 kDa subunits and preferred NADPH as a coenzyme.

Identification and characterization of D-xylulokinase from the D-xylose-fermenting fungus, Mucor circinelloides.

D-Xylulokinase catalyzes the phosphorylation of D-xylulose in the final step of the pentose catabolic pathway to form d-xylulose-5-phosphate. The D-xylulokinase activity was found to be induced by both D-xylose and L-arabinose, as well as some of the other enzymes involved in the pentose catabolism, in the D-xylose-fermenting zygomycetous fungus, Mucor circinelloides NBRC 4572. The putative gene, xyl3, which may encode D-xylulokinase, was detected in the genome sequence of this strain.

Molecular analysis of NAD⁺-dependent xylitol dehydrogenase from the zygomycetous fungus Rhizomucor pusillus and reversal of the coenzyme preference.

The zygomycetous fungus Rhizomucor pusillus NBRC 4578 is able to ferment not only d-glucose but also d-xylose into ethanol. Xylitol dehydrogenase from R. pusillus NBRC 4578 (RpXDH), which catalyzes the second step of d-xylose metabolism, was purified, and its enzymatic properties were characterized.

Identification and characterization of D-xylose reductase involved in pentose catabolism of the zygomycetous fungus Rhizomucor pusillus.

Rhizomucor pusillus NBRC 4578 efficiently produces ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass because of its ability to ferment not only d-glucose, but also d-xylose. When the strain was cultivated on d-xylose, ethanol was gradually formed in the culture medium with a decrease in d-xylose and the simultaneous accumulation of xylitol, which suggested that the strain catabolized d-xylose with d-xylose reductase (XR) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH). XR (RpXR) was purified to homogeneity from the crude extract prepared from the mycelia of the strain grown on d-xylose.

Two new β-glucosidases from ethanol-fermenting fungus Mucor circinelloides NBRC 4572: enzyme purification, functional characterization, and molecular cloning of the gene.

Two β-glucosidases (BGLs 1 and 2) were purified to homogeneity from the extracellular enzyme preparations of the ethanol-fermenting Mucor circinelloides NBRC 4572 statically grown on rice straw. BGLs 1 and 2 are monomeric glycoproteins whose apparent molecular masses (Ms) are around 78 kDa, which decreased by approximately 10 kDa upon enzymatic deglycosylation. Both BGLs showed similar enzyme characteristics in optimal temperature and pH, stability, and inhibitors.

Effect of steam explosion pretreatment on treatment with Pleurotus ostreatus for the enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw.

The effects of steam explosion (1.5 MPa, 1 min) on the treatment of rice straw with Pleurotus ostreatus were evaluated in terms of the change in composition of the components and the susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis. When rice straw was pretreated with a steam explosion prior to biological treatment, the treatment time required for obtaining a 33% net glucose yield was reduced to 36 days from 60 days.

Evaluation of pretreatment with Pleurotus ostreatus for enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw.

The effects of biological pretreatment of rice straw using four white-rot fungi (Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Trametes versicolor, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, and Pleurotus ostreatus) were evaluated on the basis of quantitative and structural changes in the components of the pretreated rice straw as well as susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis. Of these white-rot fungi, P. ostreatus selectively degraded the lignin fraction of rice straw rather than the holocellulose component.