Abstract
Lecanicillium muscarium CCFEE 5003, isolated in Continental Antarctica, is a powerful producer of extracellular cold-tolerant enzymes. Chitin-hydrolyzing enzymes seems to be the principal extracellular catalytic activities of this psychrotolerant fungus. The production of chitinolytic activities is induced by chitin and other polysaccharides and is submitted to catabolite repression. The chitinolytic system of L. muscarium consists of a number of different proteins having various molecular weights and diverse biochemical characteristics, but their most significant trait is the marked cold-tolerance. L. muscarium and selected strains of the biocontrol agent of pathogenic fungi Trichoderma harzianum, have been compared for their ability to produce chitinolytic enzymes at different temperatures. At low temperatures the Antarctic strain was definitely much more efficient. Moreover, the fungus was able to exert a strong mycoparasitic action against various other fungi and oomycetes at low temperatures. The parasitic role of this organism appeared related to the production of cell wall degrading enzymes being the release of extracellular chitinolytic enzymes a key event in the mycoparasitic process. Due to the mentioned characteristics, L. muscarium could have an important role for potential applications such as the degradation of chitin-rich materials at low temperature and the biocontrol of pathogenic organisms in cold environments. For these reasons and in view of future industrial application, the production of chitinolytic enzymes by the Antarctic fungus has been up-scaled and optimised in bench-top bioreactor.
Highlights
Antarctica is generally considered the most extreme continent concerning temperature, winds, altitude, isolation, UV-irradiation and dryness [1]
Adaptation is the fundamental topic in Antarctic biology and the study of the biodiversity of Antarctic organisms is of paramount scientific importance: Antarctica is a unique and precious source of genes that are only partially investigated [2]
We will review the fascinating features of an emerging strain (CCFEE 5003) of Lecanicillium muscarium isolated in Continental Antarctica and showing very high production of a wide array of extracellular cold-active chitinolytic enzymes
Summary
Antarctica is generally considered the most extreme continent concerning temperature, winds, altitude, isolation, UV-irradiation and dryness [1]. Other adaptation strategies include pigmentation to face high levels of radiation and peculiar fatty acid compositions to increase membrane fluidity [7,8]. Include pigmentation to face high levels of radiation and peculiar fatty acid compositions to increase membrane fluidity [7,8]. Microorganisms must grow whenever water better adaptation to the unstable environment. Chitinolytic enzymes enzymes have have been been widely widely studied studied and and some some of of them, them, produced produced by by fungi, fungi, appear appear of great interest for industrial or environmental applications. The hydrolysis byby a series of chitinolytic enzymes that are called called chitinases using a misleading term. Their current classification, supplied by the Enzyme chitinases using a misleading term.
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