Ice nucleation active microorganism

Details Ice nucleation active microorganism Ice nucleation active microorganism

1998-05-19

1999-10-26

Lilling, Herbert J.

Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology

Micro-organism, per se ; compositions thereof; proces of...

Bacteria or actinomycetales; media therefor

424 934, 426 61, 435168, 435262, 435910, C12N 120

Patent

active

059726865

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel ice nucleation active microorganism, more specifically, to a novel ice nucleation active Xanthomonas strain and a bacterial ice nucleator comprising the ice nucleation active microorganism which can be applied for food processing and artificial snow making.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Microbial ice nucleation(the initiation of the crystallization of liquid water into solid ice) has been studied since the early 1970's, and it has been discovered that frost and cold-weather injuries in plants are caused by microorganism, not by climate effect(see: Schnell and Vali, Nature, 246(23):21-33(1973)). Also, studies on ice nucleation protein("INP") have followed, since the discovery that the damage is originated from the INP of ice nucleation active microorganism. Thus, it has been found that the INP has an ice-nucleation activity, and microorganisms producing the protein are ephiphytic microorganisms living on the surface of plant leaves.
Bacterial ice-nucleation activity have been researched, chiefly concentrated on the prevention of frost injury to the agricultural crops and its potential application in various technical areas. As a result, microbial strains competing with the ice nucleation active microorganisms or mutants losing the ice-nucleation activity have been developed to prevent frost injury caused by the ice nucleation active microorganisms(see: Lindemann and Suslow, Phytopathol., 77:882-886(1987)). In the application of the ice nucleation active microorganism, it has been widely used as an inducer for artificial snow making.
Though it has been known that water freezes at 0.degree. C., the probability that pure water will nucleate homogenously at 0.degree. C. is, in fact, zero. As tiny droplets of pure water(less than 1 .mu.m in diameter) are decreased in temperature, the probability approaches 1 at -41.degree. C. A temperature of -41.degree. C. is usually accented as the limit to which water can be super-cooled. However, the freezing of water is catalyzed at -2.degree. C. to -4.degree. C. in the presence of INP, since the INP elevates the freezing point of water. In general, several ice nucleation active bacteria are able to catalyze ice formation at temperature as warm as -2.degree. C. That is, though the freezing of water requires super-cooling condition at -41.degree. C., in the presence of INP, super-cooling condition at -2.degree. C. to -4.degree. C. is required, which results in the saving of energy.
The effect of energy saving enables the ice nucleation active microorganism to be industrially applied as a freeze-inducer for preserving food products. Accordingly, the ice nucleation active microorganism can contribute to the preservation of frozen foods, the production of ices, the prevention of loss, the improvement of quality and the saving of energy. Also, the ice nucleation active microorganism can be applied to the freeze-concentration of liquid food and the production of frozen food. In addition, the ice nucleation active microorganism can induce artificial rain during a drought as a stimulant of the artificial rain, and is presently tested for field. In conclusion, it is expected that the ice nucleation active microorganism can be applied to all industrial areas associated with ice nucleation active process.
Particularly, the application of bacterial ice nucleator reduces freezing times and improves the quality of frozen foods, which suggests that there may be profound potential for quality improvement in food industry. Application of ice nucleation active microorganism in food industry has following advantages: First, energy required for freezing of food products is remarkably saved, since freezing occurs at -5.degree. C. or more employing ice nucleation active microorganism while the conventional freeze-concentration or freeze-drying processes require a cooling temperature of -20 to -30.degree. C. Since the freeze-concentration requires much energy for cooling, it has not practically been

REFERENCES:
patent: 4464473 (1984-08-01), Orser et al.
patent: 5194269 (1993-03-01), Lee
patent: 5489521 (1996-02-01), So et al.
Li. J. et al., Bacterial Ice Nucleation and Its Potential Application in the Food Industry, Trends in Food Science & Technology, 6:259-265(1995).
Watanabe M. et al., Screening, Isolation, and Identification of Food-originated Compounds Enhancing the Ice-nucleation Activity of Xanthomonas Campestris, Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., 58(1):64-66(1994).
Kawahara H. et al., Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Ice-nucleation Bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. KUIN-4 Which Has Stable Activity in Acidic Solution, Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., 59(8):1528-1532(1995).
Watanabe M. et al., Enhancing Effect of 4-Hydroxy-3-nitrophenylacetic Acid on Transcription of the Ice Nucleation-active Gene of Xanthomonas campestris, Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., 58(12):2269-2270(1994).

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Ice nucleation active microorganism does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Ice nucleation active microorganism, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ice nucleation active microorganism will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-762786