Skip to main content
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1992 Jul;58(7):2123–2130. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.7.2123-2130.1992

Screening of Nonfilamentous Bacteria for Production of Cutin-Degrading Enzymes

W F Fett 1,*, H C Gerard 1, R A Moreau 1, S F Osman 1, L E Jones 1
PMCID: PMC195744  PMID: 16348729

Abstract

Two hundred thirty-two nonfilamentous bacterial strains, including saprophytes, plant pathogens, and opportunistic plant and human pathogens, were screened for the ability to produce cutinases (cutin-degrading esterases). Initially, esterase activity of culture filtrates of strains grown in nutrient broth-yeast extract medium supplemented with 0.4% apple or tomato cutin was determined by a spectrophotometric assay utilizing the model substrate p-nitrophenyl butyrate. The culture filtrates of the 10 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains tested exhibited the highest esterase activity, with values of >500 nmol/min/ml. Of these 10 strains, 3 (K799, 1499A, and DAR41352) demonstrated significant induction (10-fold or above) of esterase activity by addition of cutin to nutrient broth-yeast extract medium. The ability of culture filtrates of the three strains to cause release of apple cutin monomers was confirmed by a novel high-performance liquid chromatography technique. Monomer identification was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analyses. Addition of the nonionic detergent n-octylglucoside stimulated cutinase activity of culture filtrates from strains K799 and DAR41352, but not that of filtrates from strain 1499A. Time course studies in nutrient broth-yeast extract medium supplemented with apple cutin indicated maximal levels of cutinase in the culture fluids after cultures entered stationary phase. Incubation temperatures below the optimal temperature for growth (37°C) led to maximal production of cutinase.

Full text

PDF
2126

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Hull H. M. Leaf structure as related to absorption of pesticides and other compounds. Residue Rev. 1970;31:1–150. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Purdy R. E., Kolattukudy P. E. Depolymerization of a hydroxy fatty acid biopolymer, cutin, by an extracellular enzyme from Fusarium solani f. pisi: isolation and some properties of the enzyme. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1973 Nov;159(1):61–69. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(73)90429-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. SIERRA G. A simple method for the detection of lipolytic activity of micro-organisms and some observations on the influence of the contact between cells and fatty substrates. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1957;23(1):15–22. doi: 10.1007/BF02545855. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Sebastian J., Chandra A. K., Kolattukudy P. E. Discovery of a cutinase-producing Pseudomonas sp. cohabiting with an apparently nitrogen-fixing Corynebacterium sp. in the phyllosphere. J Bacteriol. 1987 Jan;169(1):131–136. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.1.131-136.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Sebastian J., Kolattukudy P. E. Purification and characterization of cutinase from a fluorescent Pseudomonas putida bacterial strain isolated from phyllosphere. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1988 May 15;263(1):77–85. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(88)90615-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Walton T. J., Kolattukudy P. E. Determination of the structures of cutin monomers by a novel depolymerization procedure and combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Biochemistry. 1972 May 9;11(10):1885–1896. doi: 10.1021/bi00760a025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES