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Enhanced levan production using chitin-binding domain fused levansucrase immobilized on chitin beads

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology volume 82, pages 445–451 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Levan is a homopolymer of fructose which can be produced by the transfructosylation reaction of levansucrase (EC 2.4.1.10) from sucrose. In particular, levan synthesized by Zymomonas mobilis has found a wide and potential application in the food and pharmaceutical industry. In this study, the immobilization of Z. mobilis levansucrae (encoded by levU) was attempted for repeated production of levan. By fusion levU with the chitin-binding domain (ChBD), the hybrid protein was overproduced in a soluble form in Escherichia coli. After direct absorption of the protein mixture from E. coli onto chitin beads, levansucrase tagged with ChBD was found to specifically attach to the affinity matrix. Subsequent analysis indicated that the linkage between the enzyme and chitin beads was substantially stable. Furthermore, with 20% sucrose, the production of levan was enhanced by 60% to reach 83 g/l using the immobilized levansucrase as compared to that by the free counterpart. This production yield accounts for 41.5% conversion yield (g/g) on the basis of sucrose. After all, a total production of levan with 480 g/l was obtained by recycling of the immobilized enzyme for seven times. It is apparent that this approach offers a promising way for levan production by Z. mobilis levansucrase immobilized on chitin beads.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the grant from the Taichung Veterans General Hospital and Feng Chia University (TCVGH-FCU94GB05). We also like to thank Lai Hsing-Lon for his technical assistance.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, No. 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan

    Chung-Jen Chiang

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Feng Chia University, 100 Wenhwa Road, Taichung, 40724, Taiwan

    Jen-You Wang & Yun-Peng Chao

  3. Academia Sinica Biotechnology Experimental Center in Southern Taiwan, Tainan, Taiwan

    Po-Ting Chen

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  1. Chung-Jen Chiang
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  2. Jen-You Wang
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  3. Po-Ting Chen
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  4. Yun-Peng Chao
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Correspondence to Yun-Peng Chao.

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Chiang, CJ., Wang, JY., Chen, PT. et al. Enhanced levan production using chitin-binding domain fused levansucrase immobilized on chitin beads. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 82, 445–451 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-008-1772-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-008-1772-z

Keywords

  • Levan
  • Bioconversion
  • Enzyme immobilization
  • Z. mobilis levansucrase