Beta-amylase enzyme product, preparation and use thereof

Abstract: A novel β-amylase enzyme product with improved thermostability and acid-stability is provided. The novel enzyme can be produced by cultivating a newly discovered microorganism Bacillus sp. (2l - 5l) belonging to the Bacillus acidopullulyticus complex, or by cultivating a host microorganism transformed with the gene coding for the novel enzyme, and may be used alone or in combination with a variety of conventional debranching enzymes in the produc­ tion of high maltose syrups.

Description: This invention relates to a novel β-amylase enzyme product, a process for its preparation, compositions containing said β-amylase in combination with other enzymes, and the use of the β-amylase or such compositions in the production of high maltose syrups. Background of the Invention β-amylase is the name traditionally given to exoacting maltogenic amylases which catalyze the hydrolysis of 1,4-α-glucosidic linkages in amylose, amylopectin and related glucose polymers. Maltose units are successively removed from the non-reducing chain ends in a stepwise manner until the molecule is degraded or, in the case of amylopectin, until a branch point is approached. The maltose released has the β anomeric configuration hence the name β-amylase. The β-form of maltose will in aqueous solutions, isomerize spontaneously to a mixture of the α- and β-forms. Prolonged reaction of β-amylase on amylopectin or partially degraded amylopectin, results in the formation of β-limit dextrin i.e. material which is not susceptible to further hydrolysis by β-amylase. β-amylases may be used to produce maltose containing syrups of use in the confectionary, baking, and brewing industries. In the production of high maltose syrups β-amylases are conventionally used in combination with debranching enzymes in order to increase the maltose content in the product by hydrolyzing the 1,6-α-glucosidic bonds in the β-limit dextrins. β-amylases have been isolated from various plants and microorganisms (W.M. Fogarty and C.T. Kelly, Progress in Industrial Microbiology, vol. 15, p. 112-115, 1979). These β-amylases are characterized by having optimum temperatures in the range from 40°C to 65°C and optimum pH in the range from 4.5 to 7. Debranching enzymes exhibit for the most a pH optimum in the range from 3.5 to 6 and are thus more active in an acid solution. In the use of β-amylases and debranching enzymes in combination the pH chosen is usually a compromise between the pH optimum of each of the chosen enzymes or the enzymes are used in succession. In a process for the production of maltose wherein starch in an aqueous solution is hydrolyzed by a β-amylase it is also an advantage to use temperatures at or above 60°C in order to inhibit retrogradation and to avoid microbial infections. The vegetal β-amylases further have the disadvantage that their production require large amounts of raw material and a large energy consumption for the extraction and processing, whereas microbial β-amylases can be produced on a large scale at relatively low costs. One maltogenic amylase has been disclosed in European Patent Application EP-A-0 120 693, which amylase is sufficiently thermostable to be used at temperatures in the range from 60 to 65°C. However, this enzyme has its pH optimum at pH 4.5 to 5.5. Also, the enzyme according to said European Patent Application hydrolyzes maltotriose, which results in the production of glucose. In high maltose syrups the presence of glucose should be avoided, and the use of said maltogenic amylase consequently requires subsequent removal of the glucose produced to a satisfactory level. Therefore, there still exists a need for an effective microbial β-amylase preparation which is sufficiently thermostable to be employed at 60 - 70°C for extended periods of time to allow hydrolysis of the starch in an economical way, is sufficiently stable at pH values below 5 to allow for simultaneous hydrolysis of starch by the β-amylase and a debranching enzyme under optimal conditions, and which in the production of high maltose syrups does not produce excessive amounts of glucose, which in some cases subsequently must be separated from the syrup. It is an object of the present invention to furnish a novel microbial β-amylase which has a high temperature stability, a pH optimum at pH values below 5 and which produce minimal amounts of glucose. The present invention is based upon the discovery that a novel microbial extracellular β-amylase (21 - 51 β-amylase) having such properties is produced from a newly isolated Bacillus strain NCIB 11608. For better understanding of the invention herein and the description which follows, attention is directed to the attached drawing wherein: Figure 1 is a plot of relative activity of the maltogenic enzyme against temperature; and Figure 2 is a plot of relative activity against pH. Summary of the Invention According to its first aspect, the present invention provides a β-amylase enzyme product which comprises a novel thermostable β-amylase having the following characteristics: a) it is obtainable by cultivation in a suitable nutrient medium of a Bacillus strain with the deposit number NCIB 11608. b) it exhibits the enzyme chemical properties of the β-amylase derived from the Bacillus strain NCIB 11608, desirably its activity optimum measured at 30 min reaction time in acetate buffer (0.1 M) at pH 4.5 is about 70°C, and desirably its pH optimum is at 30 min reaction time in the range of 4 - 5 as determined in a McIlvaine buffer at about 60°C. According to its second aspect, the present invention provides a process for the preparation of the above thermostable β-amylase enzyme product which process comprises the cultivation of the above mentioned Bacillus strain NCIB 11608 or variants or mutants thereof productive of this enzyme in a suitable nutrient medium containing carbon and nitrogen sources and inorganic salts, optionally followed by recovery of the β-amylase enzyme product. According to a further aspect the present invention provides a process for the production of high purity maltose syrups wherein starch is treated with the novel β-amylase enzyme product in an aqueous medium. Tests have shown that the novel β-amylase enzyme product is suitable for the production of maltose and high maltose syrups. Such products are of considerable interest for the production of certain confectioneries because of the low hygroscoposity, low viscosity, good heat stability and mild, not too sweet taste of maltose. The industrial process of producing maltose syrups comprises liquefying starch, then saccharification with a maltose producing enzyme, and optionally with an enzyme cleaving the 1,6- branching points in amylopectin, for instance pullulanase or isoamylase. In a still further aspect the present invention provides an active enzymatic composition comprising the novel β-amylase product in combination with at least one debranching enzyme. According to another aspect the present invention provides a process for the production of high purity maltose syrups, wherein starch is treated with the novel active enzymatic composition of the invention. By using the novel enzymatic composition it is possible to conduct the above mentioned saccharification of the starch under optimal pH conditions, whereby the yield of maltose is increased and the amount of added enzyme may be reduced. 21 - 51 β-amylase hydrolyzes amylopectin, glycogen, and amylose, releasing only β-maltose. From branched polysaccharides, such as amylopectin and partially hydrolyzed amylopectin 21 - 51 β-amylase forms β-limit dextrins, which can be hydrolyzed by glucoamylase, isoamylase, pullulanase, or the like. 21 - 51 maltogenic amylase differs from other Bacillus β-amylases in the following respects: 1. It is stable in buffer at 70°C, 2. It is stable in a pH range from 4.0 to 5.0, which means that it can be used in combination with debranching enzymes such as isoamylase and pullulanase. 3. glucose is only produced in minimal amounts. Detailed Description of the Invention The microorganism capable of producing the β-amylase according to the present invention was selected by means of its ability to grow on an agar substrate prepared as follows: Tryptone (10 g), amylopectin (CPC snowflake 10 g), Bacto agar (40 g), and deionized water (1000 ml) are mixed aseptically at 55°C with an equivalent amount of a salt solution of the following composition: the pH of the salt solution being adjusted to 3.0 with 10 N sulphuric acid. The isolated microorganism was deposited with the National Collection of Industrial Bacteria (NCIB), Torry Research Station, Aberdeen, Scotland, on 15th March 1983 and accorded the reference number NCIB 11608. NCIB, being an international depository authorized under the Budapest Treaty of 1977, affords permanence of the deposit and accessability thereto to the public in accordance with rules 9 and 11, respectively, of said treaty. Taxonomy Morphology Rod-shaped bacteria having a diameter of 0.6 to 0.8 µm. The spores are oval to cylindrical in form, placed centrally to subterminally and do not cause swelling of the sporangia. Biochemical Reactions The Bacillus NCIB 11608 does not grow on conventionally used media with a pH above 6. The optimal conditions of growth for this bacterium are pH 4.8 to 5.8 and a temperature of 30 to 37°C. The maximal temperature for growth of the bacterium is 45°C. In the above tests a standard medium containing equal amounts of 1% tryptone and BA-1 salts was used. BA-1 salts comprise: pH is adjusted to 3.0 with 10N H₂SO₄ prior to autoclaving. pH in the ready-mixed tryptone basis medium is 4.8 to 5.2. All the above biochemical reactions and growth tests were performed on this substrate with or without addition of 1% yeast extract. The standard growth medium for the proliferation of NCIB 11608 contains 0.5% amylopectin and no yeast extract. Vegetative cells of NCIB 11608 do often contain bubbles which in a phase contrast microscope appear as refractive spheres, and which are not coloured when the cells are lightly stained by safranin or methylene blue. The morphological and biochemical properties are very much like those that characterize Bacillus megaterium , but the properties of the β-amylase are very far from those that till now have been described for B. megaterium β-amylase. Determination of Enzyme Activity One β-amylase unit (βU) is defined as the amount of enzyme which under standard conditions (temperature 60°C, pH 4.5, and reaction time 30 minutes) produces reducing sugar corresponding to 1 µmol maltose per minute. 0.5 ml 2% starch in 0.1 M acetate buffer is incubated with 100 µl of the enzyme dissolved in deionized water containing 0.5 - 2 βU per ml. The reaction is stopped after 30 minutes by addition of 0.3 ml 0.5 N NaOH, and the mixture diluted in a ratio of 1:10 with deionized water. The content of reducing sugar is then determined by means of the Somogyi method (Somogyi: J.Biol.Chem., 153, p. 375-80 (1944)). Enzyme preparation A Bacillus strain capable of producing the β-amylase of the present invention is usually propagated on a solid substrate prior to its cultivation under aerobic conditions in a suitable fermentation medium. Both media contain assimilable sources of carbon and nitrogen besides inorganic salts optionally together with growth promoting nutrients, such as yeast extract. The fermentation is typically conducted at 30°C - 37°C and at a pH of 5 - 6 and preferably kept approximately constant by automatic means. The enzyme is excreted into the medium. The ensuing fermentation broth may be freed of bacterial cells and debris therefrom together with other solids, for example by filtration. The supernatant containing the enzyme may be further clarified, for example by filtration or centrifugation, and then concentrated as required, for example by ultrafiltration or in an evaporator under reduced pressure to give a concentrate which, if desired, may be taken to dryness, for example by lyophilization or spray-drying. Purification of Enzyme The β-amylase of the present invention can be purified from a continuous fermentation culture broth as follows: 250 litres of culture broth is filtered and the filtrate is ultrafiltered, germ filtered, and freeze-dried. The powder is dissolved in 15 mM acetate buffer, pH 5.0 and dialysed against 15 mM,acetate buffer pH 5.0 until the conductivity is about 1 mS. The dialyzate is then applied to a cation exchanger CM-sepharose C1-6B which has been equilibrated with the same buffer. The amylase passes through the column whereas 60% of the remaining proteins is withheld by the ion-exchanger. The pH of the effluent from this column is adjusted to 4.0 with acetic acid and the eluate is subsequently applied to a CM-sepharose C1-6B column equilibrated with 15 mM acetate buffer pH 4.0. Under these circumstances the amylase is adsorbed by the ion-exchanger. The enzyme is then eluated with acetate buffer of pH 4.0 with increasing ionic strength. The enzyme activity in the eluate follows the protein content in a symmetrical peak. Enzyme Chemical Properties The dependence of the activity of the β-amylase of this invention on pH and temperature was determined by the method described above using a reaction mixture in which pH and temperature were adjusted to predetermined values. Reference is again made to the attached drawings in which Fig. 1 graphically illustrates the relative activity plotted against temperature (substrate 2% soluble starch, pH 4.5 (0.1 M acetate), 30 minutes reaction time), and Fig. 2 graphically illustrates the relative activity plotted against pH (temp. 60°C, substrate 2% soluble starch, 30 minutes reaction time, McIlvaine buffer). It appears from the drawings that 21 - 51 β-amylase has an activity optimum at pH 4.5 of about 70°C and that its pH optimum is in the range of 4.0 - 5.0. More than 60% of the maximum activity is still found at 80°C. Example 1 Preparation of β-amylase from Bacillus sp. 21 - 51, deposit number NCIB 11608 Inoculum The 21 - 51 culture was grown at 37°C for 2 days on the following agar: mixed with an equivalent amount of a salt solution of the following composition: the pH of the salt solution being adjusted to 3.0 with 10 N H₂SO₄. Continuous Fermentation Continuous fermentation was carried out with a substrate having the following composition: The fermentation was carried out in a BIOFLO® (New Brunswick, Canada) fermentor with 1 liter working volume. The fermentation was started up with 100 ml of the above inoculum and the substrate dosage was started after 24 hours at 30° C. The pH was adjusted to 5.5 ± 0.2 with 3% sulphuric acid and the temperature was kept at 30°C ± 0.2. Aerating: 0.5 liter/liter substrate/minute Dilution rate: D = 0.090 ± 0.005 hr Example 2 Substrates for saccharificaton were prepared by redissolving a 7DE spray-dried maltodextrin in deionized water and making up to approximately 30% DS. The saccharification experiments were carried out in standard 500 ml laboratory batch reactors. Aliquots of the substrates were heated to 55°C or 60°C, the pH adjusted to an initial value of 5.5, and 5 βU or 20 βU/g DS were then added. Samples were withdrawn after 4, 24, 48, 96, and 168 hours and heated in boiling water for 10 minutes to inactivate the enzyme. After cooling the samples were filtered and treated with a mixed-bed ion exchange resin (Bio-Rad® AG 501x8(D)) to remove ash and soluble N before being analyzed by HPLC and gel chromatography. The same procedure was repeated with mixtures of 5 or 20 βU/g DS of the β-amylase according to the invention and 1 pullulanase unit (PNU)/g DS pullulanase and 100 isoamylase units (IU)/g DS, respectively. The results are shown in Table I below From the table it is seen that only minimal amounts of glucose (DP₁) are produced by the β-amylase of the invention, and that the use of said β-amylase in combination with debranching enzymes such as pullulanase and isoamylase leads to syrups of high maltose content (DP₂). The microbial extracellular β-amylase (21-51 β-amylase producing strain was deposited under the terms of the Budapest treaty on 15 March 1983 with The National Collection of Industrial Bacteria (NCIB) and was accorded the number NCIB 11608. The features disclosed in the foregoing description, in the following claims and/or in the accompanying drawings may, both separately and in any combination thereof, be material for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims: Claims for the following Contracting States : BE, CH, DE, FR, GB, IT, LU, NL, SE, LI The β-amylase enzyme having an optimal activity at pH 4.5 and a temperature of about 70°C and obtainable by cultivation in a suitable nutrient medium of Bacillus strain NCIB 11608. The maltogenic amylase enzyme product according to Claim 1 in solid form. A process for the preparation of the β-amylase enzyme according to Claim 1, wherein Bacillus strain NCIB 11608 or a variant or mutant thereof productive of this enzyme is cultivated in a suitable nutrient medium containing carbon and nitrogen sources and inorganic salts followed by recovery of the β-amylase enzyme from the culture broth. An enzyme composition comprising the β-amylase according to Claim 1 in combination with one or more debranching enzyme(s). An enzyme composition according to Claim 4 wherein the debranching enzyme is isoamylase or pullulanase. Use of a composition according to Claim 4 or 5 for the production of high maltose syrups. A process for the production of high purity maltose syrups wherein starch is treated with the β-amylase enzyme product in accordance with Claim 1 or 2 or an enzyme composition in accordance with Claim 4 or 5 in an aqueous medium. Bacillus strain NCIB 11608 or a mutant or variant thereof productive of the β-amylase enzyme having an optimal activity at pH 4.5 and a temperature of about 70°C and obtainable by cultivation in a nutrient medium of Bacillus strain NCIB 11608. Claims for the following Contracting States : AT, ES, GR A process for the preparation of the β-amylase enzyme having an optimal activity at pH 4.5 and a temperature of about 70°C and obtainable by cultivation in a suitable nutrient medium of Bacillus strain NCIB 11608, wherein Bacillus strain NCIB 11608 or a variant or mutant thereof productive of this enzyme is cultivated in a suitable nutrient medium containing carbon and nitrogen sources and inorganic salts followed by recovery of the β-amylase enzyme from the culture broth. A process according to Claim 1, wherein the β-amylase obtained is combined with one or more debranching enzyme(s). A process according to Claim 2, wherein the debranching enzyme is isoamylase or pullulanase. Use of a composition obtained by the process of Claim 2 or 3 for the production of high maltose syrups. A process for the production of high purity maltose syrups wherein starch is treated with the β-amylase enzyme product obtained by the process of Claim 1, 2 or 3 in an aqueous medium. Bacillus strain NCIB 11608 or a mutant or variant thereof productive of the β-amylase enzyme having an optimal activity at pH 4.5 and a temperature of about 70°C and obtainable by cultivation in a nutrient medium of Bacillus strain NCIB 11608.

Inventors: NORMAN BARRIE EDMUND, OUTTRUP HELLE, NORMAN, BARRIE EDMUND, OUTTRUP, HELLE
Applicants: NOVONORDISK AS, NOVO NORDISK A/S
Application year: 1987
Main classification: C12N9
IPC codes: C12P19, C12R1, C12N9