Immobilisation of Candida rugosa lipase on polyhydroxybutyrate via a combination of adsorption and cross-linking agents to enhance acylglycerol production

In the present study, a combination of immobilisation processes was utilised to prepare robust biocatalysts. First, lipase from Candida rugosa was adsorbed on polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) particles, followed by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. Conditions for creating immobilised lipase involved the addition of 0.6 M glutaraldehyde and 45 U mL⁻¹ lipase while mixing at 150 rpm (4 °C) for 30 min. These conditions produced the highest yield of immobilised lipase (92 %) and the highest levels of activity (1.94 mg g⁻¹ support). At 40 °C and pH 9 the immobilised enzyme was optimally active with a K_m and V_maxat 1.2 mM and 2.5 × 10^-3 mmol min⁻¹, respectively. The use of immobilised lipase improved thermal stability, storage stability, and reusability.The immobilised lipase retained 80 % of its activity after incubation at 30–60 °C for 2 h and 4 °C for 30 d in 0.2 M sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). Moreover, the immobilised enzyme retained 50 % of its activity after more than 14 cycles under optimal conditions. The immobilised lipase was used to produce monoacylglycerol MAG. The existence of a carbonyl group at 1,743 and 1,744 cm⁻¹ was identified using attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that 48 % MAG was produced.     

A thermostable variant of P. aeruginosa cold-adapted LipC obtained by rational design and saturation mutagenesis

Cold-adapted Pseudomonas aeruginosa LipC is a secreted lipase showing differential properties compared to its well-known counterpart LipA. LipC is fundamentally a cold-acting lipase, capable of tolerating high concentrations of ions and heavy metals, and showing a shift in substrate specificity when incubated at higher temperatures. These properties make LipC an interesting enzyme, well suited for biotechnological or environmental applications, where activity at low temperatures would be required. However, a relatively low thermal resistance constitutes the main drawback for using this enzyme in long-term operational processes. To overcome the lability of LipC, we developed a rational design system to modify specific sites on the enzyme structure to obtain an improved variant of the lipase bearing higher thermal stability, but without loss of its cold-adapted properties. Eight mutant libraries plus two point mutations were constructed affecting those amino acids showing the highest flexibility on the 3D model structure. After screening more than 3000 mutant clones, a LipC variant bearing two amino acid changes and the required thermostability and cold-adapted properties was obtained. The new variant D2_H8, with a 7-fold increased thermal stability in comparison to wild type LipC, will guarantee the use and maintenance of such a lipase in a number of processes being performed at low (4–20 °C) temperatures.     

Aggregation properties of cold-active lipase produced by a psychrotolerant strain of Pseudomonas palleroniana (GBPI_508)

Abstract

The present study aims to exploit microbial potential from colder region to produce lipase enzyme stable at low temperatures. A newly isolated bacterium GBPI_508 from Himalayan environment, was investigated for the production of cold-active lipase emphasizing on its aggregation properties. Plate based assays followed by quantitative production of enzyme was estimated under different culture conditions. Further characterization of partially purified enzyme was done for molecular weight determination and activity and stability under varying conditions of pH, temperature, and in presence of organic solvents, inhibitors, and metal ions. The psychrotolerant bacterium was identified as Pseudomonas palleroniana following 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Maximum lipase production by GBPI_508 was recorded in 7?days at 25?°C utilizing yeast extract as nitrogen source and olive oil as substrate in the lipase production medium. Triton X-100 (1%) in the medium as emulsifier significantly enhanced the lipase production. Lipase produced by bacterium showed aggregation which was confirmed by dynamic light scattering and native PAGE. SDS-PAGE followed by zymogram analysis of partially purified enzyme showed two active bands of ～50?kDa and ～54?kDa. Optimum activity of partially purified enzymatic preparation was recorded at 40?°C while the activity remained nearly consistent from pH 7.0 to 12.0, whereas, maximum stability was recorded at pH values 7.0 and 11.0 at 25?°C. Interestingly, lipase in the partially purified fraction retained 60% enzyme activity at 10?°C. Medium chain pNP ester (C10) was the most preferred substrate for the lipase of GBPI_508. The lipase possessed >50% residual activity when incubated with different organic solvents (25% v/v) except toluene and dichloromethane which inhibited the activity below 50%. Partially purified enzyme was also stable in the presence of metal ions and inhibitors. The study suggests applicability of GBPI_508 lipase in low temperature conditions such as cold-active detergent formulations and cold bioremediation.     

Increasing activity and thermal resistance of Bacillus gibsonii alkaline protease (BgAP) by directed evolution

Bacillus gibsonii Alkaline Protease (BgAP) is a recently reported subtilisin protease exhibiting activity and stability properties suitable for applications in laundry and dish washing detergents. However, BgAP suffers from a significant decrease of activity at low temperatures. In order to increase BgAP activity at 15°C, a directed evolution campaign based on the SeSaM random mutagenesis method was performed. An optimized microtiter plate expression system in B. subtilis was established and classical proteolytic detection methods were adapted for high throughput screening. In parallel, the libraries were screened for increased residual proteolytic activity after incubation at 58°C. Three iterative rounds of directed BgAP evolution yielded a set of BgAP variants with increased specific activity (K_cat) at 15°C and increased thermal resistance. Recombination of both sets of amino acid substitutions resulted finally in variant MF1 with a 1.5‐fold increased specific activity (15°C) and over 100 times prolonged half‐life at 60°C (224 min compared to 2 min of the WT BgAP). None of the introduced amino acid substitutions were close to the active site of BgAP. Activity‐altering amino acid substitutions were from non‐charged to non‐charged or from sterically demanding to less demanding. Thermal stability improvements were achieved by substitutions to negatively charged amino acids in loop areas of the BgAP surface which probably fostered ionic and hydrogen bonds interactions. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 711–720. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Structure‐based replacement of methionine residues at the catalytic domains with serine significantly improves the oxidative stability of alkaline amylase from alkaliphilic Alkalimonas amylolytica

The alkaline amylase requires high resistance towards chemical oxidation for use in the detergent and textile industries. This work aims to improve the oxidative stability of alkaline amylase from alkaliphilic Alkalimonas amylolytica by site‐directed mutagenesis based on the enzyme structure model. Five mutants were created by individually replacing methionine at positions 145, 214, 229, 247, and 317 in the amino acid sequence of alkaline amylase with oxidative‐resistant serine. The pH stability of the mutant enzymes was almost the same as that of the wild‐type (WT) enzyme (pH 7.0–11.0). The stable temperature range of the mutant enzymes M145S and M247S decreased from <50°C of the WT to <40°C, while the thermal stability of the other three mutant enzymes (M214S, M229S, and M317S) was almost the same as that of the WT enzyme. The catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m) of all the mutant enzymes decreased when compared to WT enzyme. The mutant enzymes showed increased activity in the presence of surfactants Tween‐60 and sodium dodecyl sulfate. When incubated with 500 mM H₂O₂ at 35°C for 5 h, the WT enzyme retained only 13.3% of its original activity, while the mutant enzymes M145S, M214S, M229S, M247S, and M317S retained 55.6, 70.2, 54.2, 62.5, and 46.4% of the original activities, respectively. The results indicated that the substitution of methionine residues at the catalytic domains with oxidative‐resistant serine can significantly improve the oxidative stability of alkaline amylase. This work provides an effective strategy to improve the oxidative stability of amylase, and the high oxidation resistance of the mutant enzymes shows their potential applications in the detergent and textile industries. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012     

Novel Use for the Osmolyte Trimethylamine N-oxide: Retaining the Psychrophilic Characters of Cold-Adapted Protease Deseasin MCP-01 and Simultaneously Improving its Thermostability

The low thermostability of cold-adapted enzymes is a main barrier for their application. A simple and reliable method to improve both the stability and the activity of cold-adapted enzymes is still rare. As a protein stabilizer, the effect of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) on a cold-adapted enzyme or protein has not been reported. In this study, effects of TMAO on the structure, activity, and stability of a cold-adapted protease, deseasin MCP-01, were studied. Deseasin MCP-01 is a new type of subtilase from deep-sea psychrotolerant bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. SM9913. Fluorescence and CD spectra showed that TMAO did not perturb the structure of MCP-01 and therefore kept the conformational flexibility of MCP-01. One molar TMAO improved the activity of MCP-01 by 174% and its catalytic efficiency (k _cat /K _m) by 290% at 0°C. In the presence of 1 M TMAO, the thermostability (t _1/2) of MCP-01 increased by two- to fivefold at 60∼40°C. Structural analysis with CD showed that 1 M TMAO could keep the structural thermostability of MCP-01 close to that of its mesophilic counterpart subtilisin Carlsberg when incubated at 40°C for 1 h. Moreover, 1 M TMAO increased the melting temperature (T _m) of MCP-01 by 10.5°C. These results suggest that TMAO can be used as a perfect stabilizing agent to retain the psychrophilic characters of a cold-adapted enzyme and simultaneously improve its thermostability.     

A method to rationally increase protein stability based on the charge–charge interaction,with application to lipase LipK107

We report a suite of enzyme redesign protocol based on the surface charge–charge interaction calculation, which is potentially applied to improve the stability of an enzyme without compromising its catalytic activity. Together with the experimental validation, we have released a suite of enzyme redesign algorithm Enzyme Thermal Stability System, written based on our model, for open access to meet the needs in wet labs. Lipk107, a lipase of a versatile industrial use, was chosen to test our software. Our calculation determined that four residues, D113, D149, D213, and D253, located on the surface of LipK107 were critical to the stability of the enzyme. The model was validated with mutagenesis at these four residues followed by stability and activity tests. LipK107 mutants D113A and D149K were more resistant to thermal inactivation with ～10°C higher half‐inactivation temperature than wild‐type LipK107. Moreover, mutant D149K exhibited significant retention in residual activity under constant heat, showing a 14‐fold increase in the half‐inactivation time at 50°C. Activity tests showed that these mutants retained the equal or higher specific activity, among which noteworthy was the mutant D253A with as much as 20% higher activity. We suggest that our protocol could be used as a general guideline to redesign protein enzymes with increased stabilities and enhanced activities.     

Influence of cultivation conditions on the production of a thermostable extracellular lipase from Amycolatopsis mediterranei DSM 43304

Among several lipase-producing actinomycete strains screened, Amycolatopsis mediterranei DSM 43304 was found to produce a thermostable, extracellular lipase. Culture conditions and nutrient source modification studies involving carbon sources, nitrogen sources, incubation temperature and medium pH were carried out. Lipase activity of 1.37 ± 0.103 IU/ml of culture medium was obtained in 96 h at 28°C and pH 7.5 using linseed oil and fructose as carbon sources and a combination of phytone peptone and yeast extract (5:1) as nitrogen sources. Under optimal culture conditions, the lipase activity was enhanced 12-fold with a twofold increase in lipase specific activity. The lipase showed maximum activity at 60°C and pH 8.0. The enzyme was stable between pH 5.0 and 9.0 and temperatures up to 60°C. Lipase activity was significantly enhanced by Fe³⁺ and strongly inhibited by Hg²⁺. Li⁺, Mg²⁺ and PMSF significantly reduced lipase activity, whereas other metal ions and effectors had no significant effect at 0.01 M concentration. A. mediterranei DSM 43304 lipase exhibited remarkable stability in the presence of a wide range of organic solvents at 25% (v/v) concentration for 24 h. These features render this novel lipase attractive for potential biotechnological applications in organic synthesis reactions.     

Immobilization and characterization of lipase from an indigenous Bacillus aryabhattai SE3-PB isolated from lipid-rich wastewater

Abstract

Extracellular lipase from an indigenous Bacillus aryabhattai SE3-PB was immobilized in alginate beads by entrapment method. After optimization of immobilization conditions, maximum immobilization efficiencies of 77%?±?1.53% and 75.99%?±?3.49% were recorded at optimum concentrations of 2% (w/v) sodium alginate and 0.2?M calcium chloride, respectively, for the entrapped enzyme. Biochemical properties of both free and immobilized lipase revealed no change in the optimum temperature and pH of both enzyme preparations, with maximum activity attained at 60?°C and 9.5, respectively. In comparison to free lipase, the immobilized enzyme exhibited improved stability over the studied pH range (8.5–9.5) and temperature (55–65?°C) when incubated for 3?h. Furthermore, the immobilized lipase showed enhanced enzyme-substrate affinity and higher catalytic efficiency when compared to soluble enzyme. The entrapped enzyme was also found to be more stable, retaining 61.51% and 49.44% of its original activity after being stored for 30 days at 4?°C and 25?°C, respectively. In addition, the insolubilized enzyme exhibited good reusability with 18.46% relative activity after being repeatedly used for six times. These findings suggest the efficient and sustainable use of the developed immobilized lipase for various biotechnological applications.     

Partial characterization of a crude cold-active lipase from Rhodococcus cercidiphylli BZ22

Cold-active lipase production by the psychrophilic strain Rhodococcus cercidiphylli BZ22 isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated alpine soil was investigated. Depending on the medium composition, high cell densities were observed at a temperature range of 1–10 °C in Luria–Bertani (LB) broth or 1–30 °C in Reasoner’s 2A (R2A). Maximum enzyme production was achieved at a cultivation temperature of 1–10 °C in LB medium. About 70–80 % of the secreted enzyme was bound to the cell and was highly active as a cell-immobilized lipase which exhibited good reusability; more than 60 % of the initial lipase activity was retained after five-fold reuse. The properties of the lipase produced by the investigated strain were compared with those of a mesophilic porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL). The thermal stability of the cell-immobilized bacterial lipase was higher than that of the extracellular enzyme. Highest activity was detected at 30 °C for the cell-immobilized enzyme and for PPL, while the extracellular enzyme displayed highest activity at 10–20 °C. The bacterial lipase hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl (p-NP) esters with different acyl chain lengths (C₂–C₁₈). The highest hydrolytic activity was obtained with p-NP-butyrate (C₄) as substrate, while the highest substrate affinity was obtained with p-NP-dodecanoate (C₁₂) as substrate, indicating a clear preference of the enzyme for medium acyl chain lengths.     

Encapsulation in a sol–gel matrix of lipase from Aspergillus niger obtained by bioconversion of a novel agricultural residue

Lipase from Aspergillus niger was obtained from the solid-state fermentation of a novel agroindustrial residue, pumpkin seed flour. The partially purified enzyme was encapsulated in a sol–gel matrix, resulting in an immobilization yield of 71.4 %. The optimum pH levels of the free and encapsulated enzymes were 4.0 and 3.0, respectively. The encapsulated enzyme showed greater thermal stability at temperatures of 45 and 60 °C than the free enzyme. The positive influence of the encapsulation process was observed on the thermal stability of the enzyme, since a longer half-life t _1/2 and lower deactivation constant were obtained with the encapsulated lipase when compared with the free lipase. Kinetic parameters were found to follow the Michaelis–Menten equation. The K _m values indicated that the encapsulation process reduced enzyme–substrate affinity and the V _max was about 31.3 % lower than that obtained with the free lipase. The operational stability was investigated, showing 50 % relative activity up to six cycles of reuse at pH 3.0 at 37 °C. Nevertheless, the production of lipase from agroindustrial residue associated with an efficient immobilization method, which promotes good catalytic properties of the enzyme, makes the process economically viable for future industrial applications.     

Influence of pH and sodium chloride on kinetics of thermal inactivation of the bacteriocin-like substance P34

Aims: To investigate the kinetics of thermal inactivation of the bacteriocin‐like substance P34 at different pH and sodium chloride concentration. Methods and Results: Samples of bacteriocin were treated at different time–temperature combinations in the range of 0–300 min and 90–120°C and the kinetic parameters for bacteriocin inactivation were calculated. For all treatments, the thermal inactivation reaction fitted adequately to first‐order model. D‐ and k‐values were smaller and higher, respectively, for pH 4·5 than for 6·0 or 7·0, indicating that bacteriocin P34 was less thermostable at lower pH. At 120, 115 and 100°C, the addition of sodium chloride decreased thermal stability. For other temperatures, addition of NaCl increased stability of the peptide. The presence of greater amount of the salt (50 g l^?1) resulted in a higher thermal stability of bacteriocin P34, suggesting that the reduction in water activity of the solution interfered on the stability of the peptide. Conclusions: Based on an isothermal experiment in the temperature range of 90–120°C, and by thermal death time models, bacteriocin P34 is less heat stable at low pH and has increased thermal stability in the presence of NaCl. Addition of NaCl improved the stability of the peptide P34 at high temperatures. Significance and Impact of the Study: Studies on kinetics of thermal inactivation of bacteriocins are essential to allow their proper utilization in the food industry.     

A Novel Olive Oil Degrading Thermoactinomyces Species with a High Extremely Thermostable Lipase Activity

A filamentous, Gram‐positive, spore forming aerobic bacterium was isolated from olive oil contaminated soil (Al Koura, Lebanon) on rhodamine agar plates at 60 °C. The isolate, HRK‐1 produced large quantities of an extracellular thermostable lipase which degrades olive oil. It was primarily classified as a Thermoactinomyces sp. due to the filamentous structure of its cells that bear one spore each on an un‐branched sporophore, the resistance of its spores to boiling, utilisation of sucrose as a carbon source and production of dark pigments. The isolate grew optimally at a temperature of 60 °C, a pH of 7.3 and an orbital shaking of 250 rpm. It showed an efficient olive oil degrading ability. No traces of triolein were detected after a 36‐h cultivation. A concentration of 10 % [v/v] olive oil did not inhibit its growth. Lipase production was constitutive, and did not depend on the presence of olive oil. The optimum concentration of olive oil for lipase activity was 1 % [v/v], and the activity was not enhanced at higher concentrations, but on the contrary, a decrease in enzyme activity was recorded. The lipase of HRK‐1 was preliminarily characterised in the crude cell‐free supernatant with a specific activity of 0.14 U/mg. It has an optimum activity at 60 °C and a pH of 8.0. This lipolytic enzyme showed resistance to boiling and to a wide range of metallic ions and inhibitors. The formation of this heat‐stable lipase started in the early exponential growth phase, while a maximum extracellular enzyme activity was detected at the end of the decline phase, when most of the cells appeared as spherical spores. The exceptionally high activity of lipase (2.37 U/ml) produced by HRK‐1 measured in the cell free supernatant clearly indicated the commercial importance of this isolate, especially after it showed great stability at elevated temperatures.     

Impact of cofactor-binding loop mutations on thermotolerance and activity of E. coli transketolase

Improvement of thermostability in engineered enzymes can allow biocatalysis on substrates with poor aqueous solubility. Denaturation of the cofactor-binding loops of Escherichia coli transketolase (TK) was previously linked to the loss of enzyme activity under conditions of high pH or urea. Incubation at temperatures just below the thermal melting transition, above which the protein aggregates, was also found to anneal the enzyme to give an increased specific activity. The potential role of cofactor-binding loop instability in this process remained unclear. In this work, the two cofactor-binding loops (residues 185–192 and 382–392) were progressively mutated towards the equivalent sequence from the thermostable Thermus thermophilus TK and variants assessed for their impact on both thermostability and activity. Cofactor-binding loop 2 variants had detrimental effects on specific activity at elevated temperatures, whereas the H192P mutation in cofactor-binding loop 1 resulted in a two-fold improved stability to inactivation at elevated temperatures, and increased the critical onset temperature for aggregation. The specific activity of H192P was 3-fold and 19-fold higher than that for wild-type at 60 °C and 65 °C respectively, and also remained 2.7-4 fold higher after re-cooling from pre-incubations at either 55 °C or 60 °C for 1 h. Interestingly, H192P was also 2-times more active than wild-type TK at 25 °C. Optimal activity was achieved at 60 °C for H192P compared to 55 °C for wild type. These results show that cofactor-binding loop 1, plays a pivotal role in partial denaturation and aggregation at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, a single rigidifying mutation within this loop can significantly improve the enzyme specific activity, as well as the stability to thermal denaturation and aggregation, to give an increased temperature optimum for activity.     

Synthesis of monoacylglycerol containing pinolenic acid via stepwise esterification using a cold active lipase

High purity monoacylglycerol (MAG) containing pinolenic acid was synthesized via stepwise esterification of glycerol and fatty acids from pine nut oil using a cold active lipase from Penicillium camembertii as a biocatalyst. Effects of temperature, molar ratio, water content, enzyme loading, and vacuum on the synthesis of MAG by lipase‐catalyzed esterification of glycerol and fatty acid from pine nut oil were investigated. Diacylglycerol (DAG) as well as MAG increased significantly when temperature was increased from 20 to 40°C. At a molar ratio of 1:1, MAG content decreased because of the significant increase in DAG content. Water has a profound influence on both MAG and DAG content through the entire course of reaction. The reaction rate increased significantly as enzyme loading increased up to 600 units. Vacuum was an effective method to reduce DAG content. The optimum temperature, molar ratio, water content, enzyme loading, vacuum, and reaction time were 20°C, 1:5 (fatty acid to glycerol), 2%, 600 units, 5 torr, and 24 h, respectively. MAG content further increased via lipase‐catalyzed second step esterification at subzero temperature. P. camembertii lipase exhibited esterification activity up to ?30°C. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012     

Extracellular solvent stable cold-active lipase from psychrotrophic Bacillus sphaericus MTCC 7526: partial purification and characterization

Psychrotropic Bacillus sphaericus producing solvent stable cold-active lipase upon growth at low temperature was isolated from Gangotri glacier. Optimal parameters for lipase production were investigated and the strain was able to produce lipase even at 15 °C. An incubation period of 48 h and pH 8 was found to be conducive for cold-active lipase production. The addition of trybutyrin as substrate and lactose as additional carbon source increased lipase production. The enzyme was purified up to 17.74-fold by ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by DEAE cellulose column chromatography. The optimum temperature and pH for lipase activity were found to be 15 °C and 8.0, respectively. The lipase was found to be stable in the temperature range 20–30 °C and the pH range 6.0–9.0. The protein retained more than 83 % of its initial activity after exposure to organic solvents. The lipase exhibited significant stability in presence of acetone and DMSO retaining >90 % activity. The enzyme activity was inhibited by 10 mM CuSO₄ and EDTA but showed no loss in activity after incubation with other metals or inhibitors examined in this study.     

Purification and stability characteristics of an alkaline serine protease from a newly isolated Haloalkaliphilic bacterium sp. AH-6

An alkaline protease secreting Haloalkaliphilic bacterium (Gene bank accession number EU118361) was isolated from the Saurashtra Coast in Western India. The alkaline protease was purified by a single step chromatography on phenyl sepharose 6 FF with 28% yield. The molecular mass was 40 kDa as judged by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme displayed catalysis and stability over pH 8–13, optimally at 9–11. It was stable with 0–4 M NaCl and required 150 mM NaCl for optimum catalysis at 37 °C; however, the salt requirement for optimal catalysis increased with temperature. While crude enzyme was active at 25–80 °C (optimum at 50 °C), the purified enzyme had temperature optimum at 37 °C, which shifted to 80 °C in the presence of 2 M NaCl. The NaCl not only shifted the temperature profile but also enhanced the substrate affinity of the enzyme as reflected by the increase in the catalytic constant (K _cat). The enzyme was also calcium dependent and with 2 mM Ca⁺², the activity reached to maximum at 50 °C. The crude enzyme was highly thermostable (37–90 °C); however, the purified enzyme lost its stability above 50 °C and its half life was enhanced by 30 and sevenfold at 60 °C with 1 M NaCl and 50 mM Ca⁺², respectively. The activity of the enzyme was inhibited by PMSF, indicating its serine type. While the activity was slightly enhanced by Tween-80 (0.2%) and Triton X-100 (0.05%), it marginally decreased with SDS. In addition, the enzyme was highly stable with oxidizing-reducing agents and commercial detergents and was affected by metal ions to varying extent. The study assumes significance due to the enzyme stability under the dual extremities of pH and salt coupled with moderate thermal tolerance. Besides, the facts emerged on the enzyme stability would add to the limited information on this enzyme from Haloalkaliphilic bacteria.     

Enzyme stabilization using synthetic compensatory solutes

The protective effect of the synthetic compensatory solutes, dimethylthetin (CAS 4727-41-7) and homodeanol betaine (N,?N-dimethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-(2 carboxyethyl) ammonium inner salt, CAS 6249-53-2), on two enzymes: lactate dehydrogenase (LDH from rabbit muscle) and a microbial lipase, was compared with that of glycine betaine, trehalose and sorbitol. When the enzyme plus 1?M solute were heated for 10?min at temperatures between 35–75°C, the temperature at which 50% of enzyme activity was lost increased most in the presence of trehalose (7.9° for LDH, 11.6° for lipase) and homodeanol betaine (10.7° for LDH, 11.0° for lipase). With both enzymes, more activity was retained at extreme temperatures in the presence of homodeanol betaine than with trehalose. Glycine betaine, dimethylthetin and sorbitol were less effective. Enzyme plus 1?M stabilizer solutions were frozen at ?30°C and freeze-dried for 24?h. Trehalose was the most effective stabilizer of lactate dehydrogenase, and homodeanol betaine of lipase, during freeze-drying.     

Pressure assisted stabilization of biocatalysts at elevated temperatures: Characterization by dynamic light scattering

The effect of pressure, at elevated temperatures, is reported on the activity and stability of a thermophilic endo‐β‐glucanase from the filamentous fungus Talaromyces emersonii. The production of reduced sugars after treatment at different temperatures and pressures is used as a measure of the activity and stability of the enzyme. The activity of the enzyme is maintained to higher temperatures with increasing pressure. For example, the relative activity of endo‐β‐glucanase decreases to 30% after 4 h at 75°C and 1 bar, whereas it is preserved at 100% after 6 h at 75°C and 230 bar. High‐pressure dynamic light scattering is used to characterize the hydrodynamic radius of the enzyme as a function of pressure, temperature, and time. At higher temperature the hydrodynamic radius increases with time, whereas increasing pressure suppresses this effect. Changes in the hydrodynamic radius are correlated with the activity measurements obtained at elevated pressures, since the changes in the hydrodynamic radius indicate structural changes of the enzyme, which cause the deactivation. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1674–1680. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Atypical effect of temperature tuning on the insertion of the catalytic iron−sulfur center in a recombinant [FeFe]‐hydrogenase

The expression of recombinant [FeFe]‐hydrogenases is an important step for the production of large amount of these enzymes for their exploitation in biotechnology and for the characterization of the protein‐metal cofactor interactions. The correct assembly of the organometallic catalytic site, named H‐cluster, requires a dedicated set of maturases that must be coexpressed in the microbial hosts or used for in vitro assembly of the active enzymes. In this work, the effect of the post‐induction temperature on the recombinant expression of CaHydA [FeFe]‐hydrogenase in E. coli is investigated. The results show a peculiar behavior: the enzyme expression is maximum at lower temperatures (20°C), while the specific activity of the purified CaHydA is higher at higher temperature (30°C), as a consequence of improved protein folding and active site incorporation.