嗜热菌的耐热分子机制

对嗜热菌耐热机制在其细胞表层结构、ＤＮＡ螺旋的热稳定性和嗜热菌酶耐热性等方面的研究作一综述。     

极端嗜热菌的酶应用进展

极端嗜热菌一般在６０℃以上的环境中生长,其研究历史已持续一百多年。极端嗜热菌所产生的酶,因其耐高温（５０℃─９４℃）,酶活力性能稳定,已被广泛应用在聚合酶链反应,糖发酵,以及蛋白质、淀粉、纤维素和脂肪的分解等工艺技术方面,显示出了可喜的苗头。有关极端嗜热菌的基因结构及其嗜热机理正在探索之中,可以预见人们将采用酶工程技术,开发出更多的嗜热菌酶制剂市场。     

嗜热菌耐热机理的研究进展

只在55℃以上的环境中生长的微生物叫嗜热菌。从嗜热菌细胞膜的组成、酶的热稳定性,以及DNA、RNA的耐热机理等方面予以综述,介绍国内外近年来的研究进展。     

嗜热菌对有机污染物的降解及其应用研究进展

有机污染物造成的环境问题日趋严重,嗜热菌具有高效降解环境有机污染物的潜力.嗜热菌在高温条件下降解有机污染物,代谢速度快,嗜温杂菌的竞争减少,同时高温环境下一些难降解有机物的溶解度和生物可利用性大大提高,有机污染物可得到快速、彻底降解.因此,嗜热菌对有机废水生物处理及有机物污染场地生物修复等意义重大.本文从嗜热菌降解有机污染物的特点、温度的影响、降解途径、降解酶及其编码基因及工程应用等角度,介绍了嗜热菌降解有机污染物的研究进展,并对嗜热菌降解有机污染物的机理、菌种资源储备、技术策略及应用研发等研究方向进行了展望.     

小分子封闭提高固定化嗜热菌蛋白酶的热稳定性

为了提高固定化嗜热菌蛋白酶的热稳定性,在制备共价固定化嗜热菌蛋白酶的基础上,通过选择氨基酸和醇类小分子来封闭载体表面未反应的活化基团,并考察了固定化酶的催化活性及热稳定性。结果发现：L-Trp和L-Val封闭修饰固定化酶时,在80℃的水浴中加热150 min后其剩余活力仍为93.4%和98.6%,其效果约为未经小分子封闭的固定化嗜热菌蛋白酶的2倍。所筛选的几种小分子物质中,叔戊醇、L-Trp、L-Val及L-Ala不仅能提高固定化嗜热菌蛋白酶的热稳定性,而且也可以提高固定化酶的相对活力,从而更有利于其在工业生产中的应用。     

嗜热菌在纤维素乙醇中的研究进展及应用前景

利用纤维素生产乙醇的研究中,传统的中温微生物在基质范围、酶活性及热稳定性等方面存在不足,难以满足工业需求.嗜热菌具有独特的降解纤维素、半纤维素和生产乙醇的耐高温酶系和代谢途径,不但热稳定性高、而且底物范围广泛,在生物质能学领域有重要的研究价值和应用潜力.综述了在纤维素乙醇研究中具有潜力的嗜热菌的种类、特性、代谢机理和研究进展,并对嗜热菌的应用前景进行了分析与展望.     

一种有效的嗜热真菌杜邦嗜热菌靶向基因替代系统

以嗜热真菌杜邦嗜热菌Thermomyces dupontii NRRL 2155为研究材料,利用同源重组原理和真菌原生质体转化方法,以潮霉素抗性基因替换嗜热真菌目标基因,获得抗潮霉素的靶向基因敲除突变菌株。优化的遗传转化体系为：用15mg/mL裂解酶,在28℃下酶解2g杜邦嗜热菌菌丝5.5h以获得原生质体,经STC缓冲液洗涤重悬后,利用PEG（polyethylene glycol）介导的遗传转化方式,将10μg线性敲除全长片段转化至杜邦嗜热菌原生质体中,通过潮霉素筛选及PCR验证得到基因替换突变菌株,同源重组率达到20%。本研究首次将原生质体转化方法应用在杜邦嗜热菌,并成功建立稳定高效的基因替换体系,为快速构建杜邦嗜热菌的遗传转化体系和研究该嗜热真菌的基因功能提供有效方法。     

Ⅱ型葡萄糖异构酶N端随机卷曲序列的嫁接效应

木糖/葡萄糖异构酶（xylose/glucose isomerase, XIase/GIase）是果葡糖浆生产的关键用酶,也是重要的模式酶,其组成域的结构和功能一直是研究的热点。本研究采用重叠PCR技术将源自超嗜热菌Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus的Ⅱ型葡萄糖异构酶（TTGIase）N端31个氨基酸序列融合到嗜热菌Thermobifida fusca的I型葡萄糖异构酶（TFGIase）的N端,构建了融合蛋白N-TFGIase。发酵实验结果显示,在相同培养和诱导条件下,N-TFGIase菌体单位浓度产酶量比TFGIase高出约40%;酶学检测结果显示,N-TFGIase比酶活较TFGIase高出26%,最适温度较TFGIase高出5℃,75℃下的半衰期较TFGIase延长30%,最适pH较TFGIase降低1.0。序列分析表明,TTGIase N端序列的mRNA二级结构不形成有阻碍的颈环结构,提高了融合蛋白的表达效率;其含有的31个氨基酸残基的疏水性指数均小于0,利于融合蛋白的初始折叠和包装;其含有的酸性氨基酸残基比例约为碱性氨基酸残基比例的两倍,减小了酸性介质环境对融合蛋白分子表面的影响。实验结果提示,将来自超嗜热菌的Ⅱ型XIase/GIase的N端随机卷曲序列融合到I型XIase/GIase N端,能够提高后者的热稳定性、酸稳定性和表达效率等酶学性质,与我们的预测结果相一致,这为酶的分子改造和生产应用提供了参考。     

常温环境中产嗜热蛋白酶菌资源

通过计数、分离与筛选,对常温环境嗜热菌和产嗜热蛋白酶菌的分布及资源状况进行了研究。结果表明,常温环境中存在着一定数量的嗜热菌和产嗜热蛋白酶菌。土壤与水体相比,其嗜热菌资源相对丰富,且耕作肥沃的土壤中产嗜热蛋白酶菌多于贫瘠土壤;在水环境中,无论湖水、江水还是处理中的废水,在常温条件下均有一定比例的嗜热菌和产嗜热蛋白酶菌。在啤酒废水曝气阶段,产嗜热蛋白酶菌占嗜热菌的比例较大,达45％。本研究筛选的1株嗜热菌其产嗜热蛋白酶活性较高,该菌株在pH7．6、温度68℃条件下其蛋白酶活力达到642U·ml^-1。该项研究为开发产嗜热蛋白酶菌资源,在工业和环境治理等方面的应用提供重要科学依据。     

嗜热酶的特性及其应用

海洋微生物作为一类生长在特殊极端环境下的生物正日益引起人们的重视。其中嗜热微生物由于能在高温温泉及火山口附近的高热环境下生长而引起人们的极大关注[1] 。同时 ,人们也从许多人工高热环境 (如堆肥 )中分离得到这种嗜热菌。近年来 ,人们从这些嗜热菌中已分离得到多种嗜热酶 (5 5℃～80℃ )及超级嗜热酶 (80℃～ 1 1 3℃ ) [2 ] 。嗜热酶不仅具有化学催化剂无法比拟的优点 ,如催化效率高和底物专一性强 ,而且酶在高温条件下的稳定性极好[3 ] 。因而它可以克服中温酶 (2 0℃～ 5 5℃ )及低温酶 (-2℃～ 2 0℃ )在应用过程中常常出现的…     

Comparing Residue Clusters from Thermophilic and Mesophilic Enzymes Reveals Adaptive Mechanisms

Understanding how proteins adapt to function at high temperatures is important for deciphering the energetics that dictate protein stability and folding. While multiple principles important for thermostability have been identified, we lack a unified understanding of how internal protein structural and chemical environment determine qualitative or quantitative impact of evolutionary mutations. In this work we compare equivalent clusters of spatially neighboring residues between paired thermophilic and mesophilic homologues to evaluate adaptations under the selective pressure of high temperature. We find the residue clusters in thermophilic enzymes generally display improved atomic packing compared to mesophilic enzymes, in agreement with previous research. Unlike residue clusters from mesophilic enzymes, however, thermophilic residue clusters do not have significant cavities. In addition, anchor residues found in many clusters are highly conserved with respect to atomic packing between both thermophilic and mesophilic enzymes. Thus the improvements in atomic packing observed in thermophilic homologues are not derived from these anchor residues but from neighboring positions, which may serve to expand optimized protein core regions.     

嗜热酶的耐热机理

酶蛋白在高温下的不稳定性是影响其广泛应用的主要瓶颈,嗜热酶因为独特的性质而被作为热稳定研究的极好材料。了解嗜热酶的热稳定性机制,对于采用酶工程定向设计、改造酶具有重要的意义。嗜热酶的热稳定性并不是由单一因素决定的,氨基酸组成、氢键、离子对、二硫键等都是影响嗜热酶热稳定性的重要因素。相对于嗜温酶,嗜热酶更多地采用寡聚体的形式。     

Thermophilic fungi: their physiology and enzymes.

Thermophilic fungi are a small assemblage in mycota that have a minimum temperature of growth at or above 20 degrees C and a maximum temperature of growth extending up to 60 to 62 degrees C. As the only representatives of eukaryotic organisms that can grow at temperatures above 45 degrees C, the thermophilic fungi are valuable experimental systems for investigations of mechanisms that allow growth at moderately high temperature yet limit their growth beyond 60 to 62 degrees C. Although widespread in terrestrial habitats, they have remained underexplored compared to thermophilic species of eubacteria and archaea. However, thermophilic fungi are potential sources of enzymes with scientific and commercial interests. This review, for the first time, compiles information on the physiology and enzymes of thermophilic fungi. Thermophilic fungi can be grown in minimal media with metabolic rates and growth yields comparable to those of mesophilic fungi. Studies of their growth kinetics, respiration, mixed-substrate utilization, nutrient uptake, and protein breakdown rate have provided some basic information not only on thermophilic fungi but also on filamentous fungi in general. Some species have the ability to grow at ambient temperatures if cultures are initiated with germinated spores or mycelial inoculum or if a nutritionally rich medium is used. Thermophilic fungi have a powerful ability to degrade polysaccharide constituents of biomass. The properties of their enzymes show differences not only among species but also among strains of the same species. Their extracellular enzymes display temperature optima for activity that are close to or above the optimum temperature for the growth of organism and, in general, are more heat stable than those of the mesophilic fungi. Some extracellular enzymes from thermophilic fungi are being produced commercially, and a few others have commercial prospects. Genes of thermophilic fungi encoding lipase, protease, xylanase, and cellulase have been cloned and overexpressed in heterologous fungi, and pure crystalline proteins have been obtained for elucidation of the mechanisms of their intrinsic thermostability and catalysis. By contrast, the thermal stability of the few intracellular enzymes that have been purified is comparable to or, in some cases, lower than that of enzymes from the mesophilic fungi. Although rigorous data are lacking, it appears that eukaryotic thermophily involves several mechanisms of stabilization of enzymes or optimization of their activity, with different mechanisms operating for different enzymes.     

Thermophilic Fungi: Their Physiology and Enzymes

Thermophilic fungi are a small assemblage in mycota that have a minimum temperature of growth at or above 20°C and a maximum temperature of growth extending up to 60 to 62°C. As the only representatives of eukaryotic organisms that can grow at temperatures above 45°C, the thermophilic fungi are valuable experimental systems for investigations of mechanisms that allow growth at moderately high temperature yet limit their growth beyond 60 to 62°C. Although widespread in terrestrial habitats, they have remained underexplored compared to thermophilic species of eubacteria and archaea. However, thermophilic fungi are potential sources of enzymes with scientific and commercial interests. This review, for the first time, compiles information on the physiology and enzymes of thermophilic fungi. Thermophilic fungi can be grown in minimal media with metabolic rates and growth yields comparable to those of mesophilic fungi. Studies of their growth kinetics, respiration, mixed-substrate utilization, nutrient uptake, and protein breakdown rate have provided some basic information not only on thermophilic fungi but also on filamentous fungi in general. Some species have the ability to grow at ambient temperatures if cultures are initiated with germinated spores or mycelial inoculum or if a nutritionally rich medium is used. Thermophilic fungi have a powerful ability to degrade polysaccharide constituents of biomass. The properties of their enzymes show differences not only among species but also among strains of the same species. Their extracellular enzymes display temperature optima for activity that are close to or above the optimum temperature for the growth of organism and, in general, are more heat stable than those of the mesophilic fungi. Some extracellular enzymes from thermophilic fungi are being produced commercially, and a few others have commercial prospects. Genes of thermophilic fungi encoding lipase, protease, xylanase, and cellulase have been cloned and overexpressed in heterologous fungi, and pure crystalline proteins have been obtained for elucidation of the mechanisms of their intrinsic thermostability and catalysis. By contrast, the thermal stability of the few intracellular enzymes that have been purified is comparable to or, in some cases, lower than that of enzymes from the mesophilic fungi. Although rigorous data are lacking, it appears that eukaryotic thermophily involves several mechanisms of stabilization of enzymes or optimization of their activity, with different mechanisms operating for different enzymes.     

In vitro metabolic engineering for the salvage synthesis of NAD+

Excellent thermal and operational stabilities of thermophilic enzymes can greatly increase the applicability of biocatalysis in various industrial fields. However, thermophilic enzymes are generally incompatible with thermo-labile substrates, products, and cofactors, since they show the maximal activities at high temperatures. Despite their pivotal roles in a wide range of enzymatic redox reactions, NAD(P)⁺ and NAD(P)H exhibit relatively low stabilities at high temperatures, tending to be a major obstacle in the long-term operation of biocatalytic chemical manufacturing with thermophilic enzymes. In this study, we constructed an in vitro artificial metabolic pathway for the salvage synthesis of NAD⁺ from its degradation products by the combination of eight thermophilic enzymes. The enzymes were heterologously produced in recombinant Escherichia coli and the heat-treated crude extracts of the recombinant cells were directly used as enzyme solutions. When incubated with experimentally optimized concentrations of the enzymes at 60 °C, the NAD⁺ concentration could be kept almost constant for 15 h.     

Differences in the catalytic mechanisms of mesophilic and thermophilic indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase enzymes at their adaptive temperatures

Thermophilic enzymes tend to be less catalytically-active at lower temperatures relative to their mesophilic counterparts, despite having very similar crystal structures. An often cited hypothesis for this general observation is that thermostable enzymes have evolved a more rigid tertiary structure in order to cope with their more extreme, natural environment, but they are also less flexible at lower temperatures, leading to their lower catalytic activity under mesophilic conditions. An alternative hypothesis, however, is that complementary thermophilic-mesophilic enzyme pairs simply operate through different evolutionary-optimized catalytic mechanisms. In this communication, we present evidence that while the steps of the catalytic mechanisms for mesophilic and thermophilic indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase (IGPS) enzymes are fundamentally similar, the identity of the rate-determining step changes as a function of temperature. Our findings indicate that while product release is rate-determining at 25°C for thermophilic IGPS, near its adaptive temperature (75°C), a proton transfer event, involving a general acid, becomes rate-determining. The rate-determining steps for thermophilic and mesophilic IGPS enzymes are also different at their respective, adaptive temperatures with the mesophilic IGPS-catalyzed reaction being rate-limited before irreversible CO2 release, and the thermophilic IGPS-catalyzed reaction being rate limited afterwards.     

Structure and stability of thermophilic enzymes. Studies on thermolysin

The molecular mechanisms responsible for the unusual stability of enzymes isolated from thermophilic microorganisms are much more complex and subtle than was originally thought. In particular, a general mechanism cannot be proposed, since individual enzymes can be stabilized by specific molecular interactions and forces. The results of studies on thermophilic enzymes obtained in recent years in our laboratory will be summarized, with particular emphasis being placed on those obtained with thermolysin, a stable metalloendopeptidase isolated from Bacillus thermoproteolyticus. Fragmentation of thermolysin by limited proteolysis by added protease (subtilisin) or autolysis mediated by heat or the ion-chelating agent EDTA leads to quite selective peptide bond fissions, allowing isolation of 'nicked' thermolysin species. Correlation of the sites of proteolytic cleavage with the known three-dimensional structure of thermolysin allowed us to infer some of the key characteristics of the structure, folding, dynamics and stability of the thermolysin molecule. The potential utility of these and other studies on thermophilic enzymes in devising strategies for enhancing the stability of mesophilic enzymes using genetic engineering techniques is discussed.     

Pressure stabilization is not a general property of thermophilic enzymes: the adenylate kinases of Methanococcus voltae, Methanococcus maripaludis, Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus, and Methanococcus jannaschii.

The application of 50-MPa pressure did not increase the thermostabilities of adenylate kinases purified from four related mesophilic and thermophilic marine methanogens. Thus, while it has been reported that some thermophilic enzymes are stabilized by pressure (D. J. Hei and D. S. Clark, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60:932-939, 1994), hyperbaric stabilization is not an intrinsic property of all enzymes from deep-sea thermophiles.     

Physiology and enzymology of thermophilic anaerobic bacteria degrading starch

Abstract The capability of secreting thermoactive enzymes exhibiting α-amylase and pullulanase with debraching activity, seems to be widely distributed amongst anaerobic thermophilic bacteria. Interestingly, pullulanase formed by these bacteria displays dual specificity by attacking α-1,6- as well as α-1,4-glycosidic linkages in branched glucose polymers. Unlike the enzyme system of aerobic microorganisms the majority of starch hydrolysing enzymes of anaerobic bacteria is metal indepedent and is extremely thermostable. This enzyme system is controlled by substrate induction and catabolite repression; enzyme expression is accomplished when maltose or maltose-containing carbohydrates are used as substrates. By developing a process in continuous culture we were able to greatly enhance enzyme synthesis and release by anaerobic thermophilic bacteria. An elevation in the specific activities of cell-free amylases and pullulanases could also be achieved by entrapping of bacteria in calcium alginate beads. The unique properties of extracellular enzymes of thermophilic anaerobic bacteria makes this group of organisms suitable candidates for inductrial application.