Newer uses of microbial enzymes in food processing

Microbial enzymes are widely used in food processing: many new enzymes and enzyme processes acting on nearly all types of organic food components — starch, sugars, proteins, fats, fibers, and flavour compounds — have come into the industry during the 1980s and their application has a major impact on enzyme technology in general. The particular roles of immobilized enzymes and genetic engineering in food enzymology are briefly discussed.     

Large-scale production of enzymes for biotechnology uses

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Clinical uses of enzyme electrode probes

Clinical applications of enzyme electrochemical sensors are reported; they are based on the coupling of enzymes with potentiometric membrane electrodes (pH, iodide) or potentiometric probes (ammonia, carbon dioxide) or amperometric devices (oxygen, hydrogen peroxide). The most popular and successful immobilization procedures for enzymes are reviewed, namely physical entrapments and chemical methods for binding enzymes to solid support like collagen and nylon net; procedures specifically developed for clinical uses of enzyme probes.The simplicity of the apparatus is evidenced, and it is explained how a single instrument can be useful for all kind of measurements. Practical suggestions for constructing a typical probe are given. Single paragraphs are devoted to the determination of urea, cholesterol, creatinine, amino acids, glucose, lactate, protein, choline and acetylcholine to clarify the sequence of enzymatic and electrochemical reactions in order to elucidate the application range the sensitivity and the selectivity as well as the relevant interferences for each metabolite either in the enzymatic or in the electrochemical step. The applications performed in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo and the commercial availability of some instruments are reported.     

Clinical uses of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) analogues are synthetic derivatives of the native hypothalamic peptide with alterations in their chemical structure that result in changes in biologic activity. Several Gn-RH agonists are available for clinical use, and all act through the same mechanism: first to stimulate and then to inhibit gonadotropin and gonadal steroid secretion by downregulating the pituitary Gn-RN receptors. This review should provide clinicians with a working knowledge of the physiologic and pharmacokinetic features of Gn-RH agonists. Although over 2000 articles concerning Gn-RH analogues have been published I chose to review only those that were the first to report a novel clinical application. Gn-RH agonists have proved to be extremely efficacious in treating gonadal steroid-dependent problems such as endometriosis, uterine leiomyoma, precocious puberty and prostate and breast cancers, and they have resulted in very few side effects. Long-term use may, however, lead to skeletal calcium loss in women as a consequence of hypoestrogenism. Further research is needed to prevent this and maintain clinical efficacy.     

Clinical uses and abuses of vitamin E in children.

The major benefits arising from elevated dosages of vitamin E have been the relief of symptoms of vitamin E deficiency in humans with abetalipoproteinemia and chronic cholestasis. In addition, supplements of vitamin E prevent the isolated vitamin E deficiency that has recently been associated with spinocerebellar symptoms. In keeping with the view that newborn infants, and especially premature infants, suffer from vitamin E deficiency, elevated dosages of vitamin E have been administered to prevent the anemia of premature infants, retrolental fibroplasia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and intraventricular hemorrhage. However, the results have been conflicting. Furthermore, some infants treated with vitamin E die unexpectedly. The life-threatening hazard of such treatments has been attributed mainly to polysorbates that are used as detergents in preparations of vitamin E for intravenous use rather than to vitamin E itself. The possibility that vitamin E, in its action as an antioxidant, inhibits the generation of superoxide anion in leukocytes is examined in this paper.     

Hyperthermophilic enzymes: sources, uses, and molecular mechanisms for thermostability.

Enzymes synthesized by hyperthermophiles (bacteria and archaea with optimal growth temperatures of > 80 degrees C), also called hyperthermophilic enzymes, are typically thermostable (i.e., resistant to irreversible inactivation at high temperatures) and are optimally active at high temperatures. These enzymes share the same catalytic mechanisms with their mesophilic counterparts. When cloned and expressed in mesophilic hosts, hyperthermophilic enzymes usually retain their thermal properties, indicating that these properties are genetically encoded. Sequence alignments, amino acid content comparisons, crystal structure comparisons, and mutagenesis experiments indicate that hyperthermophilic enzymes are, indeed, very similar to their mesophilic homologues. No single mechanism is responsible for the remarkable stability of hyperthermophilic enzymes. Increased thermostability must be found, instead, in a small number of highly specific alterations that often do not obey any obvious traffic rules. After briefly discussing the diversity of hyperthermophilic organisms, this review concentrates on the remarkable thermostability of their enzymes. The biochemical and molecular properties of hyperthermophilic enzymes are described. Mechanisms responsible for protein inactivation are reviewed. The molecular mechanisms involved in protein thermostabilization are discussed, including ion pairs, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, disulfide bridges, packing, decrease of the entropy of unfolding, and intersubunit interactions. Finally, current uses and potential applications of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic enzymes as research reagents and as catalysts for industrial processes are described.     

Drosophila uses two distinct neuropeptide amidating enzymes, dPAL1 and dPAL2

Neuropeptide alpha-amidation is a common C-terminal modification of secretory peptides, frequently required for biological activity. In mammals, amidation is catalyzed by the sequential actions of two enzymes [peptidylglycine-alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) and peptidyl-alpha-hydroxyglycine alpha-amidating lyase (PAL)] that are co-synthesized within a single bifunctional precursor. The Drosophila genome predicts expression of one monofunctional PHM gene and two monofunctional PAL genes. Drosophila PHM encodes an active enzyme that is required for peptide amidation in vivo. Here we initiate studies of the two Drosophila PAL genes. dPAL1 has two predicted transmembrane domains, whereas dPAL2 is predicted to be soluble and secreted. dPAL2 expressed in heterologous cells is secreted readily and co-localized with hormone. In contrast, dPAL1 is secreted poorly, even when expressed with a cleaved signal replacing the predicted transmembrane domains; the majority of dPAL1 stays in the endoplasmic reticulum. Both proteins display PAL enzymatic activity. Compared to the catalytic core of rat PAL, the two Drosophila lyases have higher K(m) values, higher pH optima and similarly broad divalent metal ion requirements. Antibodies to dPAL1 and dPAL2 reveal co-expression in many identified neuroendocrine neurons. Although dPAL1 is broadly expressed, dPAL2 is found in only a limited subset of neurons. dPAL1 expression is highly correlated with the non-amidated peptide proctolin. Tissue immunostaining demonstrates that dPAL1 is largely localized to the cell soma, whereas dPAL2 is distributed throughout neuronal processes.     

Leucoagaricus gongylophorus uses leaf-cutting ants to vector proteolytic enzymes towards new plant substrate

The mutualism between leaf-cutting ants and their fungal symbionts revolves around processing and inoculation of fresh leaf pulp in underground fungus gardens, mediated by ant fecal fluid deposited on the newly added plant substrate. As herbivorous feeding often implies that growth is nitrogen limited, we cloned and sequenced six fungal proteases found in the fecal fluid of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior and identified them as two metalloendoproteases, two serine proteases and two aspartic proteases. The metalloendoproteases and serine proteases showed significant activity in fecal fluid at pH values of 5–7, but the aspartic proteases were inactive across a pH range of 3–10. Protease activity disappeared when the ants were kept on a sugar water diet without fungus. Relative to normal mycelium, both metalloendoproteases, both serine proteases and one aspartic protease were upregulated in the gongylidia, specialized hyphal tips whose only known function is to provide food to the ants. These combined results indicate that the enzymes are derived from the ingested fungal tissues. We infer that the five proteases are likely to accelerate protein extraction from plant cells in the leaf pulp that the ants add to the fungus garden, but regulatory functions such as activation of proenzymes are also possible, particularly for the aspartic proteases that were present but without showing activity. The proteases had high sequence similarities to proteolytic enzymes of phytopathogenic fungi, consistent with previous indications of convergent evolution of decomposition enzymes in attine ant fungal symbionts and phytopathogenic fungi.     

Clinical uses of an elemental diet—preliminary studies

Preliminary experience with elemental diet therapy in 30 patients is presented. Positive nitrogen balance and nutritional recovery can be achieved in patients with fistulas, inflammatory bowel disease and pancreatitis, and after extensive resection of the small bowel (short gut syndrome). The mode of administration and rare complications are described.     

An anaerobic bacterium,Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron,uses a consortium of enzymes to scavenge hydrogen peroxide

Obligate anaerobes are periodically exposed to oxygen, and it has been conjectured that on such occasions their low‐potential biochemistry will predispose them to rapid ROS formation. We sought to identify scavenging enzymes that might protect the anaerobe Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron from the H₂O₂ that would be formed. Genetic analysis of eight candidate enzymes revealed that four of these scavenge H₂O₂ in vivo: rubrerythrins 1 and 2, AhpCF, and catalase E. The rubrerythrins served as key peroxidases under anoxic conditions. However, they quickly lost activity upon aeration, and AhpCF and catalase were induced to compensate. The AhpCF is an NADH peroxidase that effectively degraded low micromolar levels of H₂O₂, while the catalytic cycle of catalase enabled it to quickly degrade higher concentrations that might arise from exogenous sources. Using a non‐scavenging mutant we verified that endogenous H₂O₂ formation was much higher in aerated B. thetaiotaomicron than in Escherichia coli. Indeed, the OxyR stress response to H₂O₂ was induced when B. thetaiotaomicron was aerated, and in that circumstance this response was necessary to forestall cell death. Thus aeration is a serious threat for this obligate anaerobe, and to cope it employs a set of defences that includes a repertoire of complementary scavenging enzymes.     

Syntrophus aciditrophicus uses the same enzymes in a reversible manner to degrade and synthesize aromatic and alicyclic acids

Syntrophy is essential for the efficient conversion of organic carbon to methane in natural and constructed environments, but little is known about the enzymes involved in syntrophic carbon and electron flow. Syntrophus aciditrophicus strain SB syntrophically degrades benzoate and cyclohexane-1-carboxylate and catalyses the novel synthesis of benzoate and cyclohexane-1-carboxylate from crotonate. We used proteomic, biochemical and metabolomic approaches to determine what enzymes are used for fatty, aromatic and alicyclic acid degradation versus for benzoate and cyclohexane-1-carboxylate synthesis. Enzymes involved in the metabolism of cyclohex-1,5-diene carboxyl-CoA to acetyl-CoA were in high abundance in S. aciditrophicus cells grown in pure culture on crotonate and in coculture with Methanospirillum hungatei on crotonate, benzoate or cyclohexane-1-carboxylate. Incorporation of ¹³C-atoms from 1-[¹³C]-acetate into crotonate, benzoate and cyclohexane-1-carboxylate during growth on these different substrates showed that the pathways are reversible. A protein conduit for syntrophic reverse electron transfer from acyl-CoA intermediates to formate was detected. Ligases and membrane-bound pyrophosphatases make pyrophosphate needed for the synthesis of ATP by an acetyl-CoA synthetase. Syntrophus aciditrophicus, thus, uses a core set of enzymes that operates close to thermodynamic equilibrium to conserve energy in a novel and highly efficient manner.     

Organic bioelectrodes in clinical neurosurgery

Background

Clinical neurosurgery deals with surgical procedures and intensive care of illnesses in the human central and peripheral nervous system. Neurosurgery should be looked upon as a high-tech specialty and very much dependent on new technological innovations aiming at improvements of patient's treatment and outcome. During the last decades neurosurgery has improved substantially thanks to the introduction of applied imaging technologies such as computerized tomography and magnetic resonance tomography, and new surgical modalities such as the microscope, brain navigation and neuroanesthesiology.Neurosurgical disorders, which should have the potential to benefit from conductive organic bioelectrodes, include traumatic brain and spinal cord injury and peripheral nerve injuries due to external violence in the restoration of healthy communication. This holds true also for cerebral nerves altered in their functions due to benign and malignant brain and spinal cord tumors. Further, new innovative devices in the field of functional nervous tissue disorders make the use of organic conductive electrodes attractive by considering the electrical neurochemical properties of neural interfaces.

Conclusions

Although in its infancy, conducting organic polymers as bioelectrodes have several potential applications in clinical neurosurgery. The time it takes for new innovations and basic research to be transferred into clinical neurosurgery should not take too long. However, a prerequisite for successful implementation is the close interdisciplinary collaboration between engineers and clinicians. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Organic Bioelectronics—Novel Applications in Biomedicine.