Isolation of the Volatile Components of Fresh Onion by Thermal Desorption Cold Trap Capillary Gas Chromatography

A new esterase activity from Bacillus licheniformis was characterized from an Escherichia coli recombinant strain. The protein was a single polypeptide chain with a molecular mass of 81 kDa. The optimum pH for esterase activity was 8-8.5 and it was stable in the range 7-8.5. The optimum temperature for activity was 45°C and the half-life was 1 h at 64°C. Maximum activity was observed on p-nitrophenyl caproate with little activity toward long-chainfatty acid esters. The enzyme had a K_M of 0.52 mM for p-nitrophenyl caproate hydrolysis at pH 8 and 37°C. The enzyme activity was not affected by either metal ions or sulfydryl reagents. Surprisingly, the enzyme was only slightly inhibited by PMSF. These characteristics classified the new enzyme as a thermostable esterase that shared similarities with lipases. The esterase might be useful for biotechnological applications such as ester synthesis.     

A novel thermostable esterase from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7

We have characterized an esterase expressed from the putative esterase gene (ST0071) selected from the total genome analysis from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7. The ORF was cloned and expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The protein was purified with heat treatment, affinity column chromatography, and size exclusion filtration. The optimum activity for ester cleavage against p-nitrophenyl esters was observed at around 70 degrees C and pH 7.5-8.0. The enzyme exhibited high thermostability and also showed activity in a mixture of a buffer and water-miscible organic solvents, such as acetonitrile and dimethyl sulfoxide. From the kinetic analysis, p-nitrophenyl butyrate was found to be a better substrate than caproate and caprylate.     

Purification and characterization of a novel extracellular lipase catalyzing hydrolysis of oleyl benzoate from Acinetobacter nov. sp. strain KM109

A new lipase (OBase) which efficiently hydrolyzes oleyl benzoate (OB) was found in the culture supernatant of Acinetobacter nov. sp. strain KM109, a new isolate growing in a minimum medium containing OB as the sole carbon source. OBase was purified to homogeneity with 213-fold purification and 0.8% yield. The molecular weight was estimated to be 62,000 +/- 1,000 by SDS-PAGE under denatured-reduced conditions and to be 50,000 +/- 1,000 by gel-filtration HPLC under native conditions; these findings indicate that OBase is a monomeric enzyme. The optimum temperature and pH of OBase were about 45 degrees C and pH 8. Temperature and pH stabilities were at or lower than 35 degrees C and in a range of pH 6-8, respectively. Purified OBase preferentially hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl benzoate (pNPB) over p-nitrophenyl acetate (pNPA) or p-nitrophenyl caproate (pNPC) [pNPB/pNPA = 20 and pNPB/pNPC = 5.4], indicating that OBase has a high affinity for benzoyl esters. Partial amino-acid sequences of OBase fragments obtained after lysyl endopeptidase treatment showed no similarity with known proteins.     

New thermophilic and thermostable esterase with sequence similarity to the hormone-sensitive lipase family, cloned from a metagenomic library

A gene coding for a thermostable esterase was isolated by functional screening of Escherichia coli cells that had been transformed with fosmid environmental DNA libraries constructed with metagenomes from thermal environmental samples. The gene conferring esterase activity on E. coli grown on tributyrin agar was composed of 936 bp, corresponding to 311 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 34 kDa. The enzyme showed significant amino acid similarity (64%) to the enzyme from a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrobaculum calidifontis. An amino acid sequence comparison with other esterases and lipases revealed that the enzyme should be classified as a new member of the hormone-sensitive lipase family. The recombinant esterase that was overexpressed and purified from E. coli was active above 30 degrees C up to 95 degrees C and had a high thermal stability. It displayed a high degree of activity in a pH range of 5.5 to 7.5, with an optimal pH of approximately 6.0. The best substrate for the enzyme among the p-nitrophenyl esters (C(4) to C(16)) examined was p-nitrophenyl caproate (C(6)), and no lipolytic activity was observed with esters containing an acyl chain length of longer than 10 carbon atoms, indicating that the enzyme is an esterase and not a lipase.     

Purification and characterization of an esterase isozyme involved in hydrolysis of organophosphorus compounds from an insecticide resistant pest, Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctüidae)

An esterase isozyme was purified from the insecticide resistant pest, Helicoverpa armigera collected from field crops. Purification involved ammonium sulfate precipitation, hydrophobic interaction and ion exchange chromatography followed by gel filtration chromatography. The purification was 212-fold with 1% yield of the enzyme. The optimum pH of the isozyme was found to be 10.5 and 8.5 for p-nitrophenyl phosphate and paraoxon, respectively. The enzyme was unstable at temperature >50 degrees C. The molecular mass determined by SDS-PAGE was 66 kDa. Cations such as Hg(+2), Ag(+2), Cd(+2) inhibited the activity while Zn(+2) stimulated it. Kinetic studies indicated that the enzyme had low K(m) values of 0.238 and 0.348 mM for p-nitrophenyl phosphate and paraoxon, respectively. The enzyme had broad substrate specificity with high K(m) values for ATP, ADP and beta-glycerophosphate. This enzyme was partially sequenced and identified as an alkaline phosphatase.     

A novel esterase from Ralstonia sp. M1: gene cloning, sequencing, high-level expression and characterization

A newly isolated gene from Ralstonia sp. M1, encoding an esterase, was cloned in Escherichia coli and its nucleotide sequence determined. The 1.6kb insert revealed one complete open reading frame, predicted to encode an esterase (320 aa, 34.1kDa) with a pI of 9.86. EstR contained a putative oxyanion hole H36G37, a conserved pentapeptide G103HSLG107 and a conserved catalytic His265 and Asp237. The EstR sequence shared 64-70 and 44-48% identity with the hydrolases/acyltransferases from Burkholderia strains and from Ralstonia strains, respectively, 44 and 38% identity with the lactone-specific esterase from Pseudomonas fluorescens and Mesorhizobium loti, respectively. The esterase EstR was expressed with a high level of 41mg/g wet cells. The Ni-NTA-purified esterase EstR showed an optimal activity in the temperature range 60-65 degrees C and pH range 7.5-9.0 towards p-nitrophenyl caproate. The enzyme was found to be highly resistant to many organic solvents especially induced by ethanolamine. Metal ions showed slight effect on esterase activity. The inhibitor phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride inhibited strongly the esterase. Triton X-45 induced the activation of EstR, but other detergents slightly to strongly decreased or completely inhibited. Among tested p-NP esters, caproate was the most preferential substrate of this esterase.     

Determination and characterization of thermostable esterolytic activity from a novel thermophilic bacterium Anoxybacillus gonensis A4

A novel hot spring thermophile, Anoxybacillus gonensis A4 (A. gonensis A4) was investigated in terms of capability of tributyrin degradation and characterization of its thermostable esterase activity by the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl butyrate (PNPB). It was observed that A. gonensis A4 has an esterase with a molecular weight of 62 kDa. The extracellular crude preparation was characterized in terms of substrate specificity, pH and temperature optima and stability, kinetic parameters and inhibition/activation behaviour towards some chemicals and metal ions. Tributyrin agar assay showed that A. gonensis A4 secreted an esterase and V(max) and K(m) values of its activity were found to be 800 U/L and 176.5 microM, respectively in the presence of PNPB substrate. The optimum temperature and pH, for A. gonensis A4 esterase was 60-80 degrees C and 5.5, respectively. Although the enzyme activity was not significantly changed by incubating crude extract solution at 30-70 degrees C for 1 h, the enzyme activity was fully lost at 80 degrees C for same incubation period. The pH-stability profile showed that original crude esterase activity increased nearly 2-fold at pH 6.0. The effect of some chemicals on crude esterase activity indicated that A. gonensis A4 produce an esterase having serine residue in active site and -SH groups were essential for its activity.     

Extremely stable and versatile carboxylesterase from a hyperthermophilic archaeon

We have found that the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum calidifontis VA1 produced a thermostable esterase. We isolated and sequenced the esterase gene (est(Pc)) from strain VA1. est(Pc) consisted of 939 bp, corresponding to 313 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 34,354 Da. As est(Pc) showed significant identity (30%) to mammalian hormone-sensitive lipases (HSLs), esterase of P. calidifontis (Est) could be regarded as a new member of the HSL family. Activity levels of the enzyme were comparable or higher than those of previously reported enzymes not only at high temperature (6,410 U/mg at 90 degrees C), but also at ambient temperature (1,050 U/mg at 30 degrees C). The enzyme displayed extremely high thermostability and was also stable after incubation with various water-miscible organic solvents at a concentration of 80%. The enzyme also exhibited activity in the presence of organic solvents. Est of P. calidifontis showed higher hydrolytic activity towards esters with short to medium chains, with p-nitrophenyl caproate (C(6)) the best substrate among the p-nitrophenyl esters examined. As for the alcoholic moiety, the enzyme displayed esterase activity towards esters with both straight- and branched-chain alcohols. Most surprisingly, we found that this Est enzyme hydrolyzed the tertiary alcohol ester tert-butyl acetate, a feature very rare among previously reported lipolytic enzymes. The extreme stability against heat and organic solvents, along with its activity towards a tertiary alcohol ester, indicates a high potential for the Est of P. calidifontis in future applications.     

Purification and some properties of a thermostable acid esterase from Acidiphilium sp. AIU 409

Extracellular and cell-bound esterases produced by Acidiphilium sp. AIU 409 were homogeneously purified from culture broth and cells, respectively, and some properties were investigated. Both esterases more rapidly hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl acyl esters containing long-chain fatty acids from C 8:0 to C 18:0 than those containing short-chain fatty acids from C 2:0 to C 6:0. The Km values for p-nitrophenyl long-chain fatty acid esters from C 8:0 to C 18:0 were approximately 1.3-1.5 mM. The enzymes were stable at 50 degrees C for 2 days between pH 3.0 and 6.5, and optimum pH and temperature were 5.0 and 70 degrees C, respectively. Enzyme activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and SDS. The molecular mass of both enzymes was estimated to be approximately 64 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The 23 amino acid sequence from the NH(2)-terminus was also the same in both enzymes. These results suggest that extracellular esterase might be composed of the same components as cell-bound esterase.     

Purification and characterization of an esterase involved in cellulose acetate degradation by Neisseria sicca SB

An esterase catalyzing the hydrolysis of acetyl ester moieties in cellulose acetate was purified 1,110-fold to electrophoretic homogeneity from the culture supernatant of Neisseria sicca SB, which can assimilate cellulose acetate as the sole carbon and energy source. The purified enzyme was a monomeric protein with a molecular mass of 40 kDa and the isoelectric point was 5.3. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme were 8.0-8.5 and 45 degrees C. The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of acetyl saccharides, p-nitrophenyl esters of short-chain fatty acids, and was slightly active toward aliphatic and aromatic esters. The K(m) and Vmax for cellulose acetate (degree of substitution, 0.88) and p-nitrophenyl acetate were 0.0162% (716 microM as acetyl content in the polymer) and 36.0 microM, and 66.8 and 39.1 mumol/min/mg, respectively. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and diisopropyl fluorophosphate, which indicated that the enzyme was a serine esterase.     

Quantification of intra- and extra-cellular thermophilic lipase/esterase production by Thermus sp.

Four Thermus strains produced lipolytic activity when grown in liquid medium for 30 h at 70 degrees C. The highest total lipase/esterase activity (57 U l(-1)) was in Thermus aquaticus YT-1, followed by Thermus thermophilus HB27 and HB8 (33 and 25 U l(-1), respectively), and finally by Thermus sp. (16 U l(-1)). Extra-cellular activity was detected in T. aquaticus YT-1 and T. thermophilus HB27 (33 and 17 U l(-1)). All enzymes were stable at 80 degrees C over 30 min, and their activity towards fatty acid esters increased as substrate chain-length diminished (i.e. hydrolysis rate was up to 6-fold higher on p-nitrophenyl caproate than on laurate).     

Functional expression and refolding of new alkaline esterase, EM2L8 from deep-sea sediment metagenome

A metagenomics approach is an efficient method of isolating novel and useful genes from uncultured microorganisms in diverse environments. In this research, a gene encoding a new esterase (EM2L8) was cloned and characterized from the metagenomic DNA library of a deep-sea sediment. The gene consisted of 804bp encoding a polypeptide of 267 amino acids with a molecular mass of 28,952. The deduced amino acid sequence showed similarities with the BioH of Kurthia, the 3-oxoadipate enol-lactonase of Haloarcula and the acyltransferase of Thermoanaerobacter, which feature identities of 38%, 32%, and 33%, respectively. Residues essential for esterase activity, such as pentapeptide (GXSXG) and catalytic triad sequences, were uncovered. While the protein was overproduced mainly as inclusion body at 37 degrees C, it was mainly produced as a soluble active enzyme at 18 degrees C. A zymogram analysis revealed that purified EM2L8 taken from the soluble fraction could hydrolyze tributyrin substrate. Furthermore, the protein from the inclusion body fraction also showed strong activity on gel, thus indicating that the protein was refolded during SDS-gel electrophoresis and the ensuing incubation period. When the inclusion body was mixed with some anionic detergent solutions and diluted with a non-detergent buffer, the insoluble EM2L8 refolded rapidly and recovered its full esterase activity. Although EM2L8 had an optimum temperature of 50-55 degrees C, its activation energy in the range of 10-40 degrees C was 8.34kcal/mol, indicating that it is a cold-adapted enzyme. Moreover, it was found to have an optimum pH of 10-11, thus revealing that it is an alkaline enzyme. In this paper, the new esterase EM2L8 buried in a deep-sea sediment became known on the surface and was characterized biochemically.     

Characterization of extracellular esterase and lipase activities from five halophilic archaeal strains

A total of 118 halophilic archaeal collection of strains were screened for lipolytic activity and 18 of them were found positive on Rhodamine agar plates. The selected five isolates were further characterized to determine their optimum esterase and lipase activities at various ranges of salt, temperature and pH. The esterase and lipase activities were determined by the hydrolysis of pNPB and pNPP, respectively. The maximum hydrolytic activities were found in the supernatants of the isolates grown at complex medium with 25% NaCl and 1% gum Arabic. The highest esterase activity was obtained at pH 8-8.5, temperature 60-65 degrees C and NaCl 3-4.5 M. The same parameters for the highest lipase activities were found to be pH 8, temperature 45-65 degrees C and NaCl 3.5-4 M. These results indicate the presence of salt-dependent and temperature-tolerant lipolytic enzymes from halophilic archaeal strains. Kinetic parameters were determined according to Lineweaver-Burk plot. The KM and V (max) values were lower for pNPP hydrolysis than those for pNPB hydrolysis. The results point that the isolates have higher esterase activity comparing to lipase activity.     

Low and high pH form of cadmium carbonic anhydrase determined by nuclear quadrupole interaction.

The pH dependence of the nuclear quadrupole interaction between the excited 247-keV state in 111Cd bound to the active site in human carbonic anhydrase B and the nearest protein surroundings has been studied by means of the nuclear spectroscopic technique of perturbed angular correlation of gamma rays. The enzyme has been studied in the pH region 5.6-11.0 at 22 and -196 degrees C. The results show that the Cd enzyme changes from one form at low pH to another form at high pH both at 22 and -196 degrees C. The pK of the transition is 8.9 +/- 0.2 at -196 degrees C and close to 9 at 22 degrees C. Parallel to this transformation, the esterase activity of the Cd enzyme for the hydration of p-nitrophenyl acetate exhibits a pH dependency with a pH of 9.1 +/- 0.2. The sulfonamide inhibitor acetazolamide completely inhibits this activity of the Cd enzyme. The quadrupole interaction parameters for the Cd enzyme are not significantly different at -196 degrees C from those obtained at 22 degrees C. A measurement at 0 degrees C pH 5.7 shows, however, a form different from those at 22 degrees C pH 5.6 and -196 degrees C pH 5.7. The change in the quadrupole interaction with pH is, in a simple model, consistent with an ionization of a metal-bound water molecule.     

A thermostable esterase from Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis opening up a new family of bacterial lipolytic enzymes

An unidentified α/β hydrolase gene lipA3 from thermostable eubacterium species Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis MB4 was cloned and heterologously expressed by Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)pLysS. The purified recombinant enzyme EstA3 turned out to be a monomeric thermostable esterase with optimal activity at 70°C and pH 9.5. The enzyme showed lipolytic activity towards a wide range of ester substrates including p-nitrophenyl esters and triacylglycerides, with the highest activity being observed for p-nitrophenyl caproate at 150 U/mg and for Triacetin at 126U/mg, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that EstA3 did not show homology to any identified bacterial lipolytic hydrolases. Sequence alignment showed that there was a common pentapeptide CHSMG with a cysteine replacing the first glycine in most esterase and lipase conserved motif GXSXG. The catalytic triad of EstA3 is Ser92, Asp269 and His292, which was confirmed by site directed mutagenesis. Based on the enzymatic properties and sequence alignment we concluded that the esterase EstA3 represented a novel bacterial lipolytic enzyme group and in chronological order this group was assigned as Family XIV.     

Lipolytic activity from Halobacteria: screening and hydrolase production

Strains of Halobacteria from an Algerian culture collection were screened for their lipolytic activity against p-nitrophenyl butyrate (PNPB) and p-nitrophenyl palmitate (PNPP). Most strains were active on both esters and 12% hydrolyzed olive oil. A strain identified as Natronococcus sp. was further studied. It grew optimally at 3.5 M NaCl, pH 8 and 40 degrees C. An increase in temperature shifted the optimum salt concentration range for growth from a wider range of 2-4 M, obtained at 25-30 degrees C, to a narrower range of 3.5-4 M, obtained at 35-40 degrees C. At 45 degrees C the optimum salt concentration was 2 M. These results show a clear correlation between salt and temperature requirement. The optimum conditions for the production of hydrolytic activity during growth were: 3.5 M NaCl and pH 8 for PNPB hydrolytic activity and 4 M NaCl and pH 7.5 for PNPP hydrolytic activity; both at 40 degrees C. The clear supernatant of cells grown at 4 M NaCl showed olive oil hydrolysis activity (in presence of 4 M NaCl) demonstrating the occurrence of a lipase activity in this strain. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a lipase activity at such high salt concentration.     

Highly thermostable, thermophilic, alkaline, SDS and chelator resistant amylase from a thermophilic Bacillus sp. isolate A3-15

A thermostable alkaline alpha-amylase producing Bacillus sp. A3-15 was isolated from compost samples. There was a slight variation in amylase synthesis within the pH range 6.0 and 12.0 with an optimum pH of 8.5 (8mm zone diameter in agar medium) on starch agar medium. Analyses of the enzyme for molecular mass and amylolytic activity were carried out by starch SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, which revealed two independent bands (86,000 and 60,500 Da). Enzyme synthesis occurred at temperatures between 25 and 65 degrees C with an optimum of 60 degrees C on petri dishes. The partial purification enzyme showed optimum activity at pH 11.0 and 70 degrees C. The enzyme was highly active (95%) in alkaline range of pH (10.0-11.5), and it was almost completely active up to 100 degrees C with 96% of the original activity remaining after heat treatment at 100 degrees C for 30 min. Enzyme activity was enhanced in the presence of 5mM CaCl2 (130%) and inhibition with 5mM by ZnCl2, NaCl, Na-sulphide, EDTA, PMSF (3mM), Urea (8M) and SDS (1%) was obtained 18%, 20%, 36%, 5%, 10%, 80% and 18%, respectively. The enzyme was stable approximately 70% at pH 10.0-11.0 and 60 degrees C for 24h. So our result showed that the enzyme was both, highly thermostable-alkaline, thermophile and chelator resistant. The A3-15 amylase enzyme may be suitable in liquefaction of starch in high temperature, in detergent and textile industries and in other industrial applications.     

Thermostable esterase from a thermoacidophilic archaeon: purification and characterization for enzymatic resolution of a chiral compound

Homolog to lipolytic enzymes having the consensus sequence Gly-X-Ser-X-Gly, from the Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 genome, were identified by multiple sequence alignments. Among three potential candidate sequences, one (Est3), which displayed higher activity than the other enzymes on the indicate plates, was characterized. The gene (est 3) was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein (Est3) was purified by chromatographic separation. The enzyme is a trimeric protein and has a molecular weight of 32 kDa in monomer form in its native structure. The optimal pH and temperature of the esterase were 7.4 and 80 degrees C respectively. The enzyme showed broad substrate specificities toward various p-nitrophenyl esters ranging from C2 to C16. The catalytic activity of the Est3 esterase was strongly inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate. Based on substrate specificity and the action of inhibitors, the Est3 enzyme was estimated to be a carboxylesterase (EC 3.1.1.1). The enzyme with methyl (+/-)-2-(3-benzoylphenyl)propionate-hydrolyzing activity to (-)-2-(3-benzoylphenyl)propionic acid displayed a moderate degree of enantioselectivity. The product, (-)-2-(3-benzoylphenyl)propionic acid, rather than its methyl ester, was obtained in 80% enantiomeric excess (e.e.(p)) at 20% conversion at 60 degrees C after a 32-h reaction. This result indicates that S. solfataricus esterase can be used for application in the synthesis of chiral compounds.     

An esterase on the outer membrane of Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the hydrolysis of long chain acyl esters.

A new esterase activity which hydrolyzes palmitoyl-CoA was found in the membrane fraction of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All the 11 strains of P. aeruginosa tested possessed this esterase activity. The esterase was constitutive and was fully active on the intact cell bodies toward substrates in the medium. It was located on the outer membrane of the cell envelope, and was not released into the culture medium. This activity was designated as OM (outer membrane) esterase. OM esterase was solubilized from the cell envelope with EDTA-Triton X-100 and purified 690-fold. It was a minor component of the outer membrane. Its molecular weight was approximately 55,000. The activity was rather stable to heat, a wide range of pH, and treatment with detergents and organic solvents. No cofactors were required. The pH optimum of the reaction was 8.5. Among various acyl-CoAs, only long chain (C12--C18) thioesters were hydrolyzed. OM esterase also hydrolyzed some kinds of oxy-esters such as p-nitrophenyl acyl esters, monoacyl esters of sucrose and Tween 80 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate). On the other hand, triglycerides, phospholipids, or hydrophobic monoesters were not hydrolyzed at all. Thus, this enzyme seems to have specificity for long chain acyl esters with hydrophilic groups, whether thio- or oxy-ester. Mutants deficient in this esterase activity were isolated. These mutants were unable to grow on Tween 80 as a sole carbon source. This suggests a possible role of OM esterase in the utilization of acyl esters as carbon sources.     

Gene cloning and characterization of a cold-adapted esterase from Acinetobacter venetianus V28

Acinetobacter venetians V28 was isolated from the intestine of righteye flounder, Poecilopsetta plinthus caught in Vietnam seawater, and the esterase gene was cloned using a shotgun method. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence (1,017 bp) corresponded to a protein of 338 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 37,186. The esterase had 87% and 72% identities with the lipases of A. junii SH205 and A. calcoaceticus RUH2202, respectively. The esterase contained a putative leader sequence, as well as the conserved catalytic triad (Ser, His, Asp), consensus pentapeptide GXSXG, and oxyanion hole sequence (HG). The protein from the strain V28 was produced in both a soluble and an insoluble form when the Escherichia coli cells harboring the gene were cultured at 18 degrees C. The maximal activity of the purified enzyme was observed at a temperature of 40 degrees C and pH 9.0 using p-NP-caprylate as substrate; however, relative activity still reached to 70% even at 5 degrees C with an activation energy of 3.36 kcal/mol, which indicated that it was a cold-adapted enzyme. The enzyme was a nonmetalloprotein and was active against p-nitrophenyl esters of C4, C8, and C14. Remarkably, this enzyme retained much of its activity in the presence of commercial detergents and organic solvents. This cold-adapted esterase will be applicable as catalysts for reaction in the presence of organic solvents and detergents.