Enhancing the functional properties of thermophilic enzymes by chemical modification and immobilization

The immobilization of proteins (mostly typically enzymes) onto solid supports is mature technology and has been used successfully to enhance biocatalytic processes in a wide range of industrial applications. However, continued developments in immobilization technology have led to more sophisticated and specialized applications of the process. A combination of targeted chemistries, for both the support and the protein, sometimes in combination with additional chemical and/or genetic engineering, has led to the development of methods for the modification of protein functional properties, for enhancing protein stability and for the recovery of specific proteins from complex mixtures. In particular, the development of effective methods for immobilizing large multi-subunit proteins with multiple covalent linkages (multi-point immobilization) has been effective in stabilizing proteins where subunit dissociation is the initial step in enzyme inactivation. In some instances, multiple benefits are achievable in a single process.Here we comprehensively review the literature pertaining to immobilization and chemical modification of different enzyme classes from thermophiles, with emphasis on the chemistries involved and their implications for modification of the enzyme functional properties. We also highlight the potential for synergies in the combined use of immobilization and other chemical modifications.     

Recent trends using natural polymeric nanofibers as supports for enzyme immobilization and catalysis

All the disciplines of science, especially biotechnology, have given continuous attention to the area of enzyme immobilization. However, the structural support made by material science intervention determines the performance of immobilized enzymes. Studies have proven that nanostructured supports can maintain better catalytic performance and improve immobilization efficiency. The recent trends in the application of nanofibers using natural polymers for enzyme immobilization have been addressed in this review article. A comprehensive survey about the immobilization strategies and their characteristics are highlighted. The natural polymers, e.g., chitin, chitosan, silk fibroin, gelatin, cellulose, and their blends with other synthetic polymers capable of immobilizing enzymes in their 1D nanofibrous form, are discussed. The multiple applications of enzymes immobilized on nanofibers in biocatalysis, biosensors, biofuels, antifouling, regenerative medicine, biomolecule degradation, etc.; some of these are discussed in this review article.     

Fabrication of Silica Ultra High Quality Factor Microresonators

Whispering gallery resonant cavities confine light in circular orbits at their periphery.^1-2 The photon storage lifetime in the cavity, quantified by the quality factor (Q) of the cavity, can be in excess of 500ns for cavities with Q factors above 100 million. As a result of their low material losses, silica microcavities have demonstrated some of the longest photon lifetimes to date^1-2. Since a portion of the circulating light extends outside the resonator, these devices can also be used to probe the surroundings. This interaction has enabled numerous experiments in biology, such as single molecule biodetection and antibody-antigen kinetics, as well as discoveries in other fields, such as development of ultra-low-threshold microlasers, characterization of thin films, and cavity quantum electrodynamics studies.^3-7The two primary silica resonant cavity geometries are the microsphere and the microtoroid. Both devices rely on a carbon dioxide laser reflow step to achieve their ultra-high-Q factors (Q>100 million).^1-2,8-9 However, there are several notable differences between the two structures. Silica microspheres are free-standing, supported by a single optical fiber, whereas silica microtoroids can be fabricated on a silicon wafer in large arrays using a combination of lithography and etching steps. These differences influence which device is optimal for a given experiment.Here, we present detailed fabrication protocols for both types of resonant cavities. While the fabrication of microsphere resonant cavities is fairly straightforward, the fabrication of microtoroid resonant cavities requires additional specialized equipment and facilities (cleanroom). Therefore, this additional requirement may also influence which device is selected for a given experiment.

Introduction

An optical resonator efficiently confines light at specific wavelengths, known as the resonant wavelengths of the device. ^1-2 The common figure of merit for these optical resonators is the quality factor or Q. This term describes the photon lifetime (τ_o) within the resonator, which is directly related to the resonator''s optical losses. Therefore, an optical resonator with a high Q factor has low optical losses, long photon lifetimes, and very low photon decay rates (1/τ_o). As a result of the long photon lifetimes, it is possible to build-up extremely large circulating optical field intensities in these devices. This very unique property has allowed these devices to be used as laser sources and integrated biosensors.¹⁰A unique sub-class of resonators is the whispering gallery mode optical microcavity. In these devices, the light is confined in circular orbits at the periphery. Therefore, the field is not completely confined within the device, but evanesces into the environment. Whispering gallery mode optical cavities have demonstrated some of the highest quality factors of any optical resonant cavity to date.^9,11 Therefore, these devices are used throughout science and engineering, including in fundamental physics studies and in telecommunications as well as in biodetection experiments. ^3-7,12Optical microcavities can be fabricated from a wide range of materials and in a wide variety of geometries. A few examples include silica and silicon microtoroids, silicon, silicon nitride, and silica microdisks, micropillars, and silica and polymer microrings.^13-17 The range in quality factor (Q) varies as dramatically as the geometry. Although both geometry and high Q are important considerations in any field, in many applications, there is far greater leverage in boosting device performance through Q enhancement. Among the numerous options detailed previously, the silica microsphere and the silica microtoroid resonator have achieved some of the highest Q factors to date.^1,9 Additionally, as a result of the extremely low optical loss of silica from the visible through the near-IR, both microspheres and microtoroids are able to maintain their Q factors over a wide range of testing wavelengths.¹⁸ Finally, because silica is inherently biocompatible, it is routinely used in biodetection experiments.In addition to high material absorption, there are several other potential loss mechanisms, including surface roughness, radiation loss, and contamination loss.² Through an optimization of the device size, it is possible to eliminate radiation losses, which arise from poor optical field confinement within the device. Similarly, by storing a device in an appropriately clean environment, contamination of the surface can be minimized. Therefore, in addition to material loss, surface scattering is the primary loss mechanism of concern.^2,8In silica devices, surface scattering is minimized by using a laser reflow technique, which melts the silica through surface tension induced reflow. While spherical optical resonators have been studied for many years, it is only with recent advances in fabrication technologies that researchers been able to fabricate high quality silica optical toroidal microresonators (Q>100 million) on a silicon substrate, thus paving the way for integration with microfluidics.¹The present series of protocols details how to fabricate both silica microsphere and microtoroid resonant cavities. While silica microsphere resonant cavities are well-established, microtoroid resonant cavities were only recently invented.¹ As many of the fundamental methods used to fabricate the microsphere are also used in the more complex microtoroid fabrication procedure, by including both in a single protocol it will enable researchers to more easily trouble-shoot their experiments.     

Cooperativity of covalent attachment and ion exchange on alcalase immobilization using glutaraldehyde chemistry: Enzyme stabilization and improved proteolytic activity

Alcalase was scarcely immobilized on monoaminoethyl-N-aminoethyl (MANAE)-agarose beads at different pH values (<20% at pH 7). The enzyme did not immobilize on MANAE-agarose activated with glutaraldehyde at high ionic strength, suggesting a low reactivity of the enzyme with the support functionalized in this manner. However, the immobilization is relatively rapid when using low ionic strength and glutaraldehyde activated support. Using these conditions, the enzyme was immobilized at pH 5, 7, and 9, and in all cases, the activity vs. Boc-Ala-ONp decreased to around 50%. However, the activity vs. casein greatly depends on the immobilization pH, while at pH 5 it is also 50%, at pH 7 it is around 200%, and at pH 9 it is around 140%. All immobilized enzymes were significantly stabilized compared to the free enzyme when inactivated at pH 5, 7, or 9. The highest stability was always observed when the enzyme was immobilized at pH 9, and the worst stability occurred when the enzyme was immobilized at pH 5, in agreement with the reactivity of the amino groups of the enzyme. Stabilization was lower for the three preparations when the inactivation was performed at pH 5. Thus, this is a practical example on how the cooperative effect of ion exchange and covalent immobilization may be used to immobilize an enzyme when only one independent cause of immobilization is unable to immobilize the enzyme, while adjusting the immobilization pH leads to very different properties of the final immobilized enzyme preparation. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 35: e2768, 2019.     

Strategies of enzyme immobilization on nanomatrix supports and their intracellular delivery

Abstract

Enzymes are one of the foundations and regulators for all major biological activities in living bodies. Hence, enormous efforts have been made for enhancing the efficiency of enzymes under different conditions. The use of nanomaterials as novel carriers for enzyme delivery and regulating the activities of enzymes has stimulated significant interests in the field of nano-biotechnology for biomedical applications. Since, all types of nanoparticles (NPs) offer large surface to volume ratios, the use of NPs as enzyme carriers affect the structure, performance, loading efficiency, and the reaction kinetics of enzymes. Hence, the immobilization of enzymes on nanomatrices can be used as a useful approach for direct delivery of therapeutic enzymes to the targeted sites. In other words, NPs can be used as advanced enzyme delivery nanocarriers. In this paper, we present an overview of different binding of enzymes to the nanomaterials as well as different types of nanomatrix supports for immobilization of enzymes. Afterwards, the enzyme immobilization on nanomaterials as a potential system for enzyme delivery has been discussed. Finally, the challenges associated with the enzyme delivery using nano matrices and their future perspective have been discussed.

Communicated by Ramasamy H. Sarma     

Reversible covalent enzyme immobilization methods for reuse of carriers

Reversible immobilization techniques which allow for multiple use of the carrier are relevant for applications, such as enzymatic microreactors, biosensors with specific setups and for expensive carriers such as superparamagnetic particles. The activity of immobilized enzymes reduces with time, so that the introduction of fresh immobilized enzyme becomes necessary. Thus, methods for reversible immobilization and multiple carrier reuse can help to reduce purchase costs and facilitate reactor construction. In this work, we present a method that makes use of the reduction and oxidation of cystamine, a cleavable linker with disulfide bond and amine functionality. For a proof of principle, α-chymotrypsin was immobilized on polyethylene glycol with terminal epoxy groups using cystamine as a crosslinker. The enzyme was highly active and could be used in repeated cycles. After the enzymatic reaction was demonstrated, α-chymotrypsin was cleaved off the particle by reducing agents. The resulting thiols on the particle surface were oxidized to disulfides by means of cysteamine, the reduction product of cystamine. This way, an almost complete oxidation of surface thiols with cysteamine was possible, restoring amine functionalization for further reactions. Reduction and oxidation were repeated several times without a decrease in the extent of amine coupling. Finally, immobilization of α-chymotrypsin could be repeated with results comparable to first run.     

Colloidal gold as a biocompatible immobilization matrix suitable for the fabrication of enzyme electrodes by electrodeposition

Glucose oxidase, horseradish peroxidase, xanthine oxidase, and carbonic anhydrase have been adsorbed to colloidal gold sols with good retention of enzymatic activity. Adsorption of xanthine oxidase on colloidal gold did not result in a change in enzymatic activity as determined by active site titration with the stoichiometric inhibitor pterin aldehyde and by measurement of the apparent Michaelis constant (K'(M)). Gold sols with adsorbed glucose oxidase, horseradish peroxidase, and xanthine oxidase have also been electrodeposited onto conducting matrices (platinum gauze and/or glassy carbon) to make enzyme electrodes. These electrodes retained enzymatic activity and, more importantly, gave an electrochemical response to the enzyme substrate in the presence of an appropriate electron transfer mediator. Our results demonstrate the utility of colloidal gold as a biocompatible enzyme imobilization matrix suitable for the fabrication of enzyme electrodes. (c) 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Catechol modification and covalent immobilization of catalase on titania submicrospheres

In this article, chemical modification with catecholic derivative in solution and subsequent immobilization of catalase (CAT) on titania submicrospheres (450–500 nm) were described. Catalase was first reacted with 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) propionic acid activated via 1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl] carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) coupling chemistry. The above chemically modified CAT bearing catechol groups was then covalently bound to the surface of titania through the facile chelation reaction between the catechol groups and titania. The immobilized CAT retained 60% catalytic activity with a high loading capacity of 500 mg/g titania. Meanwhile, the immobilized CAT displayed enhanced operational stability, thermal stability and storage stability compared with native, modified CAT counterparts. In repeated batches of decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, after 10 and 19 cycles, the immobilized CAT maintained about 90% and 75% of its initial activity, respectively.     

A novel hydrophilic support, CoFoam, for enzyme immobilization

Lipases from different sources (porcine pancreas, Mucor miehei and Candida antarctica B) were covalently immobilized on a hydrophilic polyurethane composite (CoFoam). Their hydrolytic activities assayed with tributyrin were 0.55, 2.1 and 447 U g(-1), respectively. The activity of the C. antarctica B composite in the synthesis of methyl oleate in hexane was 8.8 U g(-1) compared to 60.6 U g(-1) for commercial Novozyme 435. The advantage of the CoFoam composite lies in the low pressure drop in a packed-bed reactor at fairly large flow rates. For example, at flow rates of 10-12 l min(-1), the pressure drop over 15 cm is typically 3 kPa.     

Synthesis and performance of 3D-megaporous structures for enzyme immobilization and protein capture

The preparation of megaporous bodies, with potential applications in biotechnology, was attempted by following several strategies. As a first step, naive and robust scaffolds were produced by polymerization of selected monomers in the presence of a highly soluble cross‐linker agent. Ion‐exchange function was incorporated by particle embedding, direct chemical synthesis, or radiation‐induced grafting. The total ionic capacity of such systems was 1.5 mmol H⁺/g, 1.4 mmol H⁺/g, and 17 mmol H⁺/g, respectively. These values were in agreement with the ability to bind model proteins: observed dynamic binding capacity at 50% breakthrough was ?7.2 mg bovine serum albumin/g, ?7.4 hen egg‐white lysozyme (HEWL) mg/g, and ?108 HEWL mg/g. In the later case, total (static) binding capacity reached 220 mg/g. It was observed that the structure and size of the megapores remained unaffected by the grafting procedure which, however, allowed for the highest protein binding capacity. Lysozyme supported on grafted body showed extensive clarification activity against a Micrococcus lysodekticus suspension in the flow‐through mode, i.e., 90% destruction of suspended microbial cells was obtained with a residence time ≈ 18 min. Both protein capture and biocatalysis applications are conceivable with the 3D‐megaporous materials described in this work. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2011     

Directed immobilization of CGTase: The effect of the enzyme orientation on the enzyme activity and its use in packed-bed reactor for continuous production of cyclodextrins

In this study, two different approaches were assessed in order to direct the immobilization of a cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase on functionalized silica support, one by amino groups using glutaraldehyde activation (Si-NH-G-CGTase) and other by disulfide bond through the Cys on the enzyme surface (Si-SH-CGTase). The efficiency of the immobilization of the enzyme by the Cys in Si-SH was four times higher than with the amino group linkage in Si-NH-G (2.86% and 11.91%, respectively). After immobilization, the optimum pH remained at 5.5 for the two derivatives and the optimum temperature was 70 °C for the free enzyme, 80 °C for Si-SH-CGTase and 90 °C for Si-NH-G-CGTase. Both preparations were used for continuous production of cyclodextrins, and Si-NH-G-CGTase presented higher total productivity, retaining 100% of its initial activity for at least 200 h, while the Si-SH-CGTase presented only 40% at the same time. The Si-SH-CGTase could be reloaded with new enzymes linked by disulfide bonds and was able to be used for more than 200 h.     

New immobilization method for enzyme stabilization involving a mesoporous material and an organic/inorganic hybrid gel

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was immobilized in a mesoporous material (folded sheets mesoporous materials, FSM-16) and then entrapped in organic/inorganic hybrid gel comprising various molar ratios of dimethyldimethoxysilane (DMDMOS)/tetramethoxysilane (TMOS). When pore size of FSM-16 materials is much larger than the diameters of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), the residual enzymatic activity after thermal treatment (70°C, 60 min) increased from 73 to 99%, and the oxidative conversion yield of 1,2-diaminobenzene in an organic solvent increased from 59 to 79% after 4 h and the level of leakage of immobilized HRP decreased from 6 to 1.5% on washing by secondary hybrid gel entrapment comprising a molar ratio of DMDMOS/TMOS=1:3. When pore size of FSM-16 materials just matches the diameter of the enzyme, the conversion yield in an organic solvent and the level of leakage of immobilized HRP did not change so much.     

Postproduction Processing of Electrospun Fibres for Tissue Engineering

Electrospinning is a commonly used and versatile method to produce scaffolds (often biodegradable) for 3D tissue engineering.^{1, 2, 3} Many tissues in vivo undergo biaxial distension to varying extents such as skin, bladder, pelvic floor and even the hard palate as children grow. In producing scaffolds for these purposes there is a need to develop scaffolds of appropriate biomechanical properties (whether achieved without or with cells) and which are sterile for clinical use. The focus of this paper is not how to establish basic electrospinning parameters (as there is extensive literature on electrospinning) but on how to modify spun scaffolds post production to make them fit for tissue engineering purposes - here thickness, mechanical properties and sterilisation (required for clinical use) are considered and we also describe how cells can be cultured on scaffolds and subjected to biaxial strain to condition them for specific applications.Electrospinning tends to produce thin sheets; as the electrospinning collector becomes coated with insulating fibres it becomes a poor conductor such that fibres no longer deposit on it. Hence we describe approaches to produce thicker structures by heat or vapour annealing increasing the strength of scaffolds but not necessarily the elasticity. Sequential spinning of scaffolds of different polymers to achieve complex scaffolds is also described. Sterilisation methodologies can adversely affect strength and elasticity of scaffolds. We compare three methods for their effects on the biomechanical properties on electrospun scaffolds of poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA).Imaging of cells on scaffolds and assessment of production of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins by cells on scaffolds is described. Culturing cells on scaffolds in vitro can improve scaffold strength and elasticity but the tissue engineering literature shows that cells often fail to produce appropriate ECM when cultured under static conditions. There are few commercial systems available that allow one to culture cells on scaffolds under dynamic conditioning regimes - one example is the Bose Electroforce 3100 which can be used to exert a conditioning programme on cells in scaffolds held using mechanical grips within a media filled chamber.⁴ An approach to a budget cell culture bioreactor for controlled distortion in 2 dimensions is described. We show that cells can be induced to produce elastin under these conditions. Finally assessment of the biomechanical properties of processed scaffolds cultured with or without cells is described.     

Development of a thiol‐ene based screening platform for enzyme immobilization demonstrated using horseradish peroxidase

Efficient immobilization of enzymes on support surfaces requires an exact match between the surface chemistry and the specific enzyme. A successful match would normally be identified through time consuming screening of conventional resins in multiple experiments testing individual immobilization strategies. In this study we present a versatile strategy that largely expands the number of possible surface functionalities for enzyme immobilization in a single, generic platform. The combination of many individual surface chemistries and thus immobilization methods in one modular system permits faster and more efficient screening, which we believe will result in a higher chance of discovery of optimal surface/enzyme interactions. The proposed system consists of a thiol‐functional microplate prepared through fast photochemical curing of an off‐stoichiometric thiol‐ene (OSTE) mixture. Surface functionalization by thiol‐ene chemistry (TEC) resulted in the formation of a functional monolayer in each well, whereas, polymer surface grafts were introduced through surface chain transfer free radical polymerization (SCT‐FRP). Enzyme immobilization on the modified surfaces was evaluated by using a rhodamine labeled horseradish peroxidase (Rho‐HRP) as a model enzyme, and the amount of immobilized enzyme was qualitatively assessed by fluorescence intensity (FI) measurements. Subsequently, Rho‐HRP activity was measured directly on the surface. The broad range of utilized surface chemistries permits direct correlation of enzymatic activity to the surface functionality and improves the determination of promising enzyme‐surface candidates. The results underline the high potential of this system as a screening platform for synergistic immobilization of enzymes onto thiol‐ene polymer surfaces. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1267–1277, 2017     

Construction and Testing of Coin Cells of Lithium Ion Batteries

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries have wide applications in electronics, where customers always demand more capacity and longer lifetime. Lithium ion batteries have also been considered to be used in electric and hybrid vehicles¹ or even electrical grid stabilization systems². All these applications simulate a dramatic increase in the research and development of battery materials^3-7, including new materials^3,8, doping⁹, nanostructuring^10-13, coatings or surface modifications^14-17 and novel binders¹⁸. Consequently, an increasing number of physicists, chemists and materials scientists have recently ventured into this area. Coin cells are widely used in research laboratories to test new battery materials; even for the research and development that target large-scale and high-power applications, small coin cells are often used to test the capacities and rate capabilities of new materials in the initial stage. In 2010, we started a National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored research project to investigate the surface adsorption and disordering in battery materials (grant no. DMR-1006515). In the initial stage of this project, we have struggled to learn the techniques of assembling and testing coin cells, which cannot be achieved without numerous help of other researchers in other universities (through frequent calls, email exchanges and two site visits). Thus, we feel that it is beneficial to document, by both text and video, a protocol of assembling and testing a coin cell, which will help other new researchers in this field. This effort represents the "Broader Impact" activities of our NSF project, and it will also help to educate and inspire students.In this video article, we document a protocol to assemble a CR2032 coin cell with a LiCoO₂ working electrode, a Li counter electrode, and (the mostly commonly used) polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder. To ensure new learners to readily repeat the protocol, we keep the protocol as specific and explicit as we can. However, it is important to note that in specific research and development work, many parameters adopted here can be varied. First, one can make coin cells of different sizes and test the working electrode against a counter electrode other than Li. Second, the amounts of C black and binder added into the working electrodes are often varied to suit the particular purpose of research; for example, large amounts of C black or even inert powder were added to the working electrode to test the "intrinsic" performance of cathode materials¹⁴. Third, better binders (other than PVDF) have also developed and used¹⁸. Finally, other types of electrolytes (instead of LiPF₆) can also be used; in fact, certain high-voltage electrode materials will require the uses of special electrolytes⁷.     

Solid-state Graft Copolymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications

Battery safety has been a very important research area over the past decade. Commercially available lithium ion batteries employ low flash point (<80 °C), flammable, and volatile organic electrolytes. These organic based electrolyte systems are viable at ambient temperatures, but require a cooling system to ensure that temperatures do not exceed 80 °C. These cooling systems tend to increase battery costs and can malfunction which can lead to battery malfunction and explosions, thus endangering human life. Increases in petroleum prices lead to a huge demand for safe, electric hybrid vehicles that are more economically viable to operate as oil prices continue to rise. Existing organic based electrolytes used in lithium ion batteries are not applicable to high temperature automotive applications. A safer alternative to organic electrolytes is solid polymer electrolytes. This work will highlight the synthesis for a graft copolymer electrolyte (GCE) poly(oxyethylene) methacrylate (POEM) to a block with a lower glass transition temperature (T_g) poly(oxyethylene) acrylate (POEA). The conduction mechanism has been discussed and it has been demonstrated the relationship between polymer segmental motion and ionic conductivity indeed has a Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher (VTF) dependence. Batteries containing commercially available LP30 organic (LiPF₆ in ethylene carbonate (EC):dimethyl carbonate (DMC) at a 1:1 ratio) and GCE were cycled at ambient temperature. It was found that at ambient temperature, the batteries containing GCE showed a greater overpotential when compared to LP30 electrolyte. However at temperatures greater than 60 °C, the GCE cell exhibited much lower overpotential due to fast polymer electrolyte conductivity and nearly the full theoretical specific capacity of 170 mAh/g was accessed.     

A Decellularization Methodology for the Production of a Natural Acellular Intestinal Matrix

Successful tissue engineering involves the combination of scaffolds with appropriate cells in vitro or in vivo. Scaffolds may be synthetic, naturally-derived or derived from tissues/organs. The latter are obtained using a technique called decellularization. Decellularization may involve a combination of physical, chemical, and enzymatic methods. The goal of this technique is to remove all cellular traces whilst maintaining the macro- and micro-architecture of the original tissue.Intestinal tissue engineering has thus far used relatively simple scaffolds that do not replicate the complex architecture of the native organ. The focus of this paper is to describe an efficient decellularization technique for rat small intestine. The isolation of the small intestine so as to ensure the maintenance of a vascular connection is described. The combination of chemical and enzymatic solutions to remove the cells whilst preserving the villus-crypt axis in the luminal aspect of the scaffold is also set out. Finally, assessment of produced scaffolds for appropriate characteristics is discussed.     

Optimal covalent immobilization of glucose oxidase-containing liposomes for highly stable biocatalyst in bioreactor

The glucose oxidase-containing liposomes (GOL) were prepared by entrapping glucose oxidase (GO) in the liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC), dimyristoyl L-alpha-phosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE), and cholesterol (Chol) and then covalently immobilized in the glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan gel beads. The immobilized GOL gel beads (IGOL) were characterized to obtain a highly stable biocatalyst applicable to bioreactor. At first, the glutaraldehyde concentration used in the gel beads activation as well as the immobilizing temperature and time were optimized to enhance the immobilization yield of the GOL to the highest extent. The liposome membrane composition and liposome size were then optimized to obtain the greatest possible immobilization yield of the GOL, the highest possible activity efficiency of the IGOL, and the lowest possible leakage of the entrapped GO during the GOL immobilization. As a result, the optimal immobilization conditions were found to be as follows: the liposome composition, PC/DMPE/Chol = 65/5/30 (molar percentage); the liposome size, 100 nm; the glutaraldehyde concentration, 2% (w/v); the immobilizing temperature, 4 degrees C; and the immobilizing time, 10 h. Furthermore, the optimal IGOL prepared were characterized by its rapidly increasing effective GO activity to the externally added substrate (glucose) with increasing temperature from 20 to 40 degrees C, and also by its high stability at 40 degrees C against not only the thermal denaturation in a long-term (7 days) incubation but also the bubbling stress in a bubble column. Finally, compared to the conventionally immobilized glucose oxidase (IGO), the higher operational stability of the optimal IGOL was verified by using it either repeatedly (4 times) or for a long time (7 days) to catalyze the glucose oxidation in a small-scale airlift bioreactor.     

Crosslinked enzyme aggregates in hierarchically-ordered mesoporous silica: a simple and effective method for enzyme stabilization

alpha-chymotrypsin (CT) and lipase (LP) were immobilized in hierarchically-ordered mesocellular mesoporous silica (HMMS) in a simple but effective way for the enzyme stabilization, which was achieved by the enzyme adsorption followed by glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinking. This resulted in the formation of nanometer scale crosslinked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) entrapped in the mesocellular pores of HMMS (37 nm), which did not leach out of HMMS through narrow mesoporous channels (13 nm). CLEA of alpha-chymotrypsin (CLEA-CT) in HMMS showed a high enzyme loading capacity and significantly increased enzyme stability. No activity decrease of CLEA-CT was observed for 2 weeks under even rigorously shaking condition, while adsorbed CT in HMMS and free CT showed a rapid inactivation due to the enzyme leaching and presumably autolysis, respectively. With the CLEA-CT in HMMS, however, there was no tryptic digestion observed suggesting that the CLEA-CT is not susceptible to autolysis. Moreover, CLEA of lipase (CLEA-LP) in HMMS retained 30% specific activity of free lipase with greatly enhanced stability. This work demonstrates that HMMS can be efficiently employed as host materials for enzyme immobilization leading to highly enhanced stability of the immobilized enzymes with high enzyme loading and activity.     

Immobilization and stabilization of cephalosporin C acylase on aminated support by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde and further modifying with aminated macromolecules

In this work, cephalosporin C acylase (CA), a heterodimeric enzyme of industrial potential in direct hydrolysis of cephalosporin C (CPC) to 7‐aminocephalosporanic acid (7‐ACA), was covalently immobilized on the aminated support LX1000‐HA (HA) with two different protocols. The stability of CA adsorbed onto the HA support followed by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde (HA–CA–glut) was better than that of the CA covalently immobilized on the glutaraldehyde preactivated HA support (HA–glut–CA). The thermostabilization factors (compared with the free enzyme) of these two immobilized enzymes were 11.2‐fold and 2.2‐fold, respectively. In order to improve the stability of HA–CA–glut, a novel strategy based on postimmobilization modifying with aminated molecules was developed to take advantage of the glutaraldehyde moieties left on the enzyme and support. The macromolecules, such as polyethyleneimine (PEI) and chitosan, had larger effects than small molecules on the thermal stability of the immobilized enzyme perhaps due to crosslinking of the enzymes and support with each other. The quaternary structure of the CA could be much stabilized by this novel approach including physical adsorption on aminated support, glutaraldehyde treatment, and macromolecule modification. The HA–CA–glut–PEI20000 (the HA–CA–glut postmodified with PEI M_w = 20,000) had a thermostabilization factor of 20‐fold, and its substrate affinity (K_m = 14.3 mM) was better than that of HA–CA–glut (K_m = 33.4 mM). The half‐life of the immobilized enzymes HA–CA–glut–PEI20000 under the CPC‐catalyzing conditions could reach 28 cycles, a higher value than that of HA–CA–glut (21 cycles). © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:387–395, 2015