A steady-state fluorescence study of cutinase microencapsulated in AOT reversed micelles at optimal stability conditions

A steady-state fluorescence study of cutinase was performed to evaluate the structure of cutinase in reversed micelles of AOT with the optimised conditions assigned by factorial design. The results obtained by two independent methods are compared. At a W₀ (water to surfactant ratio) value of 2.7, and in the presence of 500 mM hexanol, the fluorescence intensity maximum (_max) remained almost constant for a period of time longer than 30.5 h and a slight red-shift from 305 to 310 nm was verified changing the W₀ value to 6. Decreasing the amount of hexanol to 100 mM, the changes in _max were more significant, especially for W₀=6 indicating a noticeable unfolding process. Structural evidence is given reinforcing the role of hexanol as a stabiliser of microencapsulated cutinase and the effect of a drastic reduction in water content.     

Synthesis of fatty acid esters by a recombinant cutinase in reversed micelles

Fusarium solani pisi recombinant cutinase, solubilized in AOT/isooctane-reversed micelles, was used to catalyze the esterification of fatty acids with aliphatic alcohols. Some relevant parameters for the enzyme activity such as pH, W(o) (water/surfactant molar ratio), temperature, and substrate concentration were optimized. Maximal specific activity was obtained for hexanol. The cutinase showed selectivity for short-chain fatty acids. The stability of the microencapsulated cutinase was investigated at various concentrations of water and different values of pH. Oleic acid had a negative effect on the cutinase stability, while hexanol proved to be a strong stabilizer increasing the half-life of the enzyme about 45 times. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Kinetics of cutinase catalyzed transesterification in AOT reversed micelles: modeling of a batch stirred tank reactor

A transesterification process is analyzed in its multiple kinetic components that include the determination of the kinetic constants for both substrates, butyl acetate (BAc) and hexanol (H), involved in the alcoholysis reaction and for the products formed (hexyl acetate (HAc) and butanol (B)), participating into the reverse reaction. The order of magnitude of these constants is discussed in relation with the AOT/isooctane reverse micellar system under study. The values of the equilibrium conversion (X(e)) and constant (K(eq)) were also determined. Diffusional limitations were detected for H concentrations lower than 450 mM and the correspondent effectiveness factors were calculated. Above 450 mM H the reaction is kinetically controlled. The operation of a batch stirred tank reactor (BSTR) was modeled considering the integrated rate equation for reversible kinetics.     

Transesterification of soybean oil catalyzed by sulfated zirconia

Two sulfated zirconias were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. They were used as catalysts in the alcoholysis of soybean oil and in the esterification of oleic acid. Using sulfated zirconia prepared by the solvent-free method (S-ZrO(2)) as catalyst, the alcoholysis conversions of soybean oil under optimized conditions (120 degrees C, 1h and 5wt% of catalyst) were 98.6% (methanolysis) and 92% (ethanolysis), respectively. The esterification of oleic acid with methanol was complete after 2h. Zirconia sulfated by standard methods (SZ) had low activity in the methanolysis of soybean oil (conversion of 8.5%) and conventional zirconia (NS) was inactive for methanolysis under the conditions optimized for S-ZrO(2).     

Stability of a Fusarium solani pisi recombinant cutinase in phosphatidylcholine reversed micelles

Summary A Fusarium solani pisi recombinant cutinase solubilized in phosphatidylcholine/isooctane reversed micelles was used to catalyse the esterification reaction of butyric acid with 2-butanol at pH 10.7. The influence of temperature, Wo and substrates on lipase stability was evaluated. The enzyme displays a better stability, with a half-life over 125 days, at a temperature of 22°C and for a low water content (W_O= 6.5). Butyric acid increased the cutinase deactivation (t_1/2=0.56h), while 2-butanol led to a similar half-life (t_1/2=14h) as without substrate.     

Effects of ionic surfactants used in reversed micelles on cutinase activity and stability

The effects of aqueous surfactant solutions on the kinetics and stability of cutinase from Fusarium solani pisi were studied. The surfactant sodium bis[2-ethylhexyl]ester sulfosuccinic acid (AOT) acts as a pseudo-competitive inhibitor within a limited concentration range relative to the hydrolysis of short-chain p-nitrophenyl esters. For higher concentrations a hyperbolic mixed inhibition takes place. A pseudo-activation of hydrolysis in presence of AOT and hexadecyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB) was observed. CTAB has similar effects on kinetics of cutinase. Cutinase revealed to be stable in CTAB solutions, with activity retention as high as 80%. AOT has a deleterious effect on the enzyme in the time course, resulting in acute loss of activity possibly related with unfolding of the protein structure. A relation between deactivation rate constants and AOT/cutinase concentration ratios is suggested. The presence of the linear alcohol, 1-hexanol, was included in these solutions, in the attempt to interpret the deactivation of cutinase when encapsulated in reversed micelle systems in the absence of this co-surfactant.     

Liquid-liquid extraction of a recombinant cutinase from fermentation media with AOT reversed micelles

This work reports the extraction and back-extraction of an intracellular recombinant cutinase from complex biological media using AOT reversed micelles in isooctane. Cutinase was recovered from different complex media namely, fermentation broths and supernatants after cell disruption by osmotic shock and sonication. The application of the AOT reversed micellar system to the extraction of cutinase allowed activity yields and purification factors ranging from about 5% to 50% and 1.2 to 10.2, respectively, depending on the biological medium.Maria das Graças Carneiro da Cunha, from ITEP-Instituto Tecnológico do Estado de Pernambuco, acknowledges a Ph.D fellowship from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Centro de Pesquisa Aggeu Magalhães, Recife — PE — Brasil. E. P. Melo thanks Junta Nacional de Investigação Científica, Lisboa, Portugal, for providing a Ph.D. fellowship. The scientific support given by Prof. Sílvia M. B. Costa for the spectroscopic data and further discussions are particularly acknowledged.This work was partly financed by the BRIDGE and BIOTECHNOLOGY Programmes (Contracts BIOT-CT91-0274(DTEE) and BIOT 2 CT-943016).     

Lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of Crambe oil in AOT-isooctane reversed micelles

Summary The hydrolysis by 1,3-specific lipases (Humicola lanuginosa, Mucor miehei, Rhizopus delemar andRhizopus javanicus) of the highly symmetric, high molecular weight triglycerides fromCrambe abyssinica (Crambe) seed oil is studied in an AOT-stabilized microemulsion system. Enzyme kinetic data shows that, of the lipases studied,Rhizopus javanicus lipases exerts the highest hydrolytic activity towards this new seed oil.     

Recovery of a recombinant cutinase with reversed micelles in a continuous perforated rotating disc contactor

Summary A continuous perforated rotating disc contactor was used for the extraction of a recombinant cutinase from an aqueous solution to a reversed micellar phase of AOT in isooctane. Cutinase was extracted to the organic phase with protein yield of 78% after 70 minutes of operation.     

Thermobarostability of alpha-chymotrypsin in reversed micelles of aerosol OT in octane solvated by water-glycerol mixtures

Thermostability of alpha-chymotrypsin at normal pressure in reversed micelles depends on both an effective surfactant solvation degree and glycerol content in the system. The difference in alpha-chymotrypsin stability in reversed micelles at various glycerol concentrations [up to 60% (v/v)] was more pronounced at high surfactant degrees of solvation, R >/= 16. After a 1-h incubation at 40 degrees C in "aqueous" reversed micelles (in the absence of glycerol), alpha-chymotrypsin retained only 1% of initial catalytic activity and 10, 22, 59, and 48% residual activity in glycerol-solvated micelles with 20, 30, 50, and 60% (v/v) glycerol, respectively. The explanation of the observed effects is given in the frames of micellar matrix structural order increasing in the presence of glycerol as a water-miscible cosolvent that leads to the decreasing mobility of the alpha-chymotrypsin molecule and, thus the increase of its stability. It was found that glycerol or hydrostatic pressure could be used to stabilize alpha-chymotrypsin in reversed micelles; a lower pressure is necessary to reach a given level of enzyme stability in the presence of glycerol.     

胰凝乳蛋白酶在反胶束体系中热稳定性的研究

研究了AOT／正辛烷反胶束体系中,表面活性剂AOT,助溶剂甘油和体 压力对胰凝乳蛋白酶热稳定性的影响,结果表明;常压下,40度时,体系中的甘油浓度分别为20％,30％,50％,60％（V／V）时,酶的活力分别为原来的10％,22％,59％,48％,说明在体系中加入甘油作为助溶剂可减少胰凝乳蛋白酶的运动,增强其稳定性,同时,发现体系压力的增加也能增强酶的稳定性,实验测出,AOT正辛烷反胶束体系萃取胰凝乳蛋白酶的最佳条件：R＝10,甘油浓度为50％,体系压力为50MPa,酶的萃取率为97％。     

Characteristics of lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of olive oil in AOT-isooctane reversed micelles

Candida rugosa lipase solubilized in organic solvents in the presence of both surfactant and water could catalyze the hydrolysis of triglycerides, and kinetic analysis of the lipase-catalyzed reaction was found to be possible in this system. Among eight organic solvents tested, isooctane was most effective for the hydrolysis of olive oil in reversed micelles. Temperature effect, pH profile, K(m,app) and V(max,app) were determined. Among various chemical compounds, Cu(2+), Hg(2+), and Fe(3+) inhibited lipase severely. But the enzyme activity was restorable partially by adding histidine or glycine to the system containing these metal ions. The enzyme activity was dependent on R (molar ratio of water to surfactant) and maximum activity was obtained at R = 10.5. Upon addition of glycerol to the reversed micelles, lipase activity was affected in a different fashion depending on the R values. Stability of the lipase in reversed micelles was also dependent on R, and it was most stable at R = 5.5.     

NMR on-line monitoring of esterification catalyzed by cutinase

A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method has been developed to monitor on-line lipase-catalyzed esterification reactions without the need to sample the reaction medium. The technique, through (1)H NMR, measures the concentrations of alcohol, ester, hydroxylic hydrogens in the organic phase, and hydroxylic hydrogens in the aqueous phase, if any. Also, the chemical shift evolution of the two types of hydroxylic hydrogens has been followed, providing information on water content of the organic phase and on the appearance of a distinct aqueous phase. As far as (13)C NMR is concerned, it has been possible to measure, first the acid and the ester concentrations in the carbonyl region, and second, the alcohol and the ester concentrations in the methylene region. All (1)H and (13)C results are in agreement with one another. Furthermore, NMR allows for the choice of detection zone. Preliminary studies on the solid phase proved the presence of much more water in the solid phase than in the organic phase, and also gave evidence of the existence of two types of esters, one in the organic phase, mainly associated with the acid, and the other one not associated with the acid, most probably entrapped within the solid enzyme.     

Continuous glycerolysis of olive oil by Chromobacterium viscosum lipase immobilized in liposome in reversed micelles

Chromobacterium viscosum lipase which has adsorbed on liposome and solubilized in microemulsion droplets of glycerol containing a little amount of water could catalyze the glycerolysis of olive oil. Studies on the continuous glycerolysis of olive oil by the immobilized enzyme was done at 37 degrees C in continuous stirred vessel bioreactor with polysulfone membrane. The effect of the flow rate of substrate (olive oil) in isooctane on the conversion and composition of the outlet was investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The conversion increased with decrease in the flow rate. And we studied the effect of water content in the glycerol-water-lipase solution on the glycerolysis reaction. The conversion to desirable products, mono- and di-olein, was improved without a substantial production of oleic acid at lower water concentrations, i.e., below 8.0% (w/v) which corresponds to a w(o) value of 0.97. At water concentration higher than 8.0% (w/v), the amount of free fatty acid was dramatically increased. Higher operational stability of the enzyme reactor, and the half-line of the enzyme continuous reaction was about 7 weeks.