Characteristics of yeast invertase immobilized on porous cellulose beads

Attenuated substrate inhibition of a haloketone reductase via structure-guided loop engineering

Substrate inhibition of enzymes is one of the main obstacles encountered frequently in industrial biocatalysis. Haloketone reductase SsCR was seriously inhibited by substrate 2,2',4'-trichloroacetophenone. In this study, two essential loops were found that have a relationship with substrate binding by conducting X-ray crystal structure analysis. Three key residues were selected from the tips of the loops and substituted with amino acids with lower hydrophobicity to weaken the hydrophobic interactions that bridge the two loops, resulting in a remarkable reduction of substrate inhibition. Among these variants, L211H showed a significant attenuation of substrate inhibition, with a K_i of 16 mM, which was 16 times that of the native enzyme. The kinetic parameter k_cat/K_m of L211H was 3.1 × 10³ s^-1 mM^-1, showing the comparable catalytic efficiency to that of the wild-type enzyme (WT). At the substrate loading of 100 mM, the space time yield of variant L211H in asymmetric reduction of the haloketone was 3-fold higher than that of the WT.

Human Deoxycytidine Kinase Is a Valuable Biocatalyst for the Synthesis of Nucleotide Analogues

Natural ribonucleoside-5’-monophosphates are building blocks for nucleic acids which are used for a number of purposes, including food additives. Their analogues, additionally, are used in pharmaceutical applications. Fludarabine-5´-monophosphate, for example, is effective in treating hematological malignancies. To date, ribonucleoside-5’-monophosphates are mainly produced by chemical synthesis, but the inherent drawbacks of this approach have led to the development of enzymatic synthesis routes. In this study, we evaluated the potential of human deoxycytidine kinase (HsdCK) as suitable biocatalyst for the synthesis of natural and modified ribonucleoside-5’-monophosphates from their corresponding nucleosides. Human dCK was heterologously expressed in E. coli and immobilized onto Nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) superflow. A screening of the substrate spectrum of soluble and immobilized biocatalyst revealed that HsdCK accepts a wide range of natural and modified nucleosides, except for thymidine and uridine derivatives. Upon optimization of the reaction conditions, HsdCK was used for the synthesis of fludarabine-5´-monophosphate using increasing substrate concentrations. While the soluble biocatalyst revealed highest product formation with the lowest substrate concentration of 0.3 mM, the product yield increased with increasing substrate concentrations in the presence of the immobilized HsdCK. Hence, the application of immobilized HsdCK is advantageous upon using high substrate concentration which is relevant in industrial applications.

From protein engineering to immobilization: promising strategies for the upgrade of industrial enzymes

Enzymes found in nature have been exploited in industry due to their inherent catalytic properties in complex chemical processes under mild experimental and environmental conditions. The desired industrial goal is often difficult to achieve using the native form of the enzyme. Recent developments in protein engineering have revolutionized the development of commercially available enzymes into better industrial catalysts. Protein engineering aims at modifying the sequence of a protein, and hence its structure, to create enzymes with improved functional properties such as stability, specific activity, inhibition by reaction products, and selectivity towards non-natural substrates. Soluble enzymes are often immobilized onto solid insoluble supports to be reused in continuous processes and to facilitate the economical recovery of the enzyme after the reaction without any significant loss to its biochemical properties. Immobilization confers considerable stability towards temperature variations and organic solvents. Multipoint and multisubunit covalent attachments of enzymes on appropriately functionalized supports via linkers provide rigidity to the immobilized enzyme structure, ultimately resulting in improved enzyme stability. Protein engineering and immobilization techniques are sequential and compatible approaches for the improvement of enzyme properties. The present review highlights and summarizes various studies that have aimed to improve the biochemical properties of industrially significant enzymes.

Byssus thread: a novel support material for urease immobilization

Byssus threads are tough biopolymer produced by mussels (Mytilus viridis) to attach themselves to rocks. These were collected from mussels in their natural habitat (N) and from animals maintained in laboratory condition (L) as a novel support. Byssus thread surfaces were characterized by SEM analysis, chemically modified and used for adsorption of urease. The efficiency of the immobilization was calculated by examining the relative enzyme activity of free and the immobilized urease. The pH stabilities of immobilized urease were higher (0.5 unit) than free enzyme. Immobilized enzymes on byssus (both N and L) when stored at 6 °C retained 50% of its activity after 30 days, but they were more stable in dry condition. The optimum temperature of immobilized enzymes was found to increase (25 °C). A Michaelis-Menten constant (K (m)) value for immobilized urease was also elevated (2.08 mol).

Kinetics study of invertase covalently linked to a new functional nanogel

Nanogels are promising materials as supports for enzyme immobilization. A new hydrogel comprising of methacrylic acid (MAAc) and N-vinyl pyrrolidone (N-VP) and ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) was synthesized and converted to nanogel by an emulsification method. Nanogel was further functionalized by Curtius azide reaction for use as support for the covalent immobilization of invertase (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). As-prepared or invertase-immobilized nanogel was characterized by FTIR, XRD, TEM and nitrogen analysis. The characterization of both free and the immobilized-invertase were performed using a spectrophotometric method at 540 nm. The values of V(max), maximum reaction rate, (0.123 unit/mg), k(m), Michaelis constant (7.429 mol/L) and E(a), energy of activation (3.511 kj/mol) for the immobilized-invertase are comparable with those of the free invertase at optimum conditions (time 70 min, pH 6.0 and temperature 45°C). The covalent immobilization enhanced the pH and thermal stability of invertase. The immobilized biocatalyst was efficiently reused up to eight cycles.

Immobilization of invertase in conducting copolymers of 3-methylthienyl methacrylate

Immobilization of invertase in conducting copolymer matrices of 3-methylthienyl methacrylate with pyrrole and thiophene was achieved by constant potential electrolysis using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as the supporting electrolyte. Polythiophene (PTh) was also used in entrapment process for comparison. Kinetic parameters, Michaelis-Menten constant, K(m), and the maximum reaction rate, V(max), were investigated. Operational stability and temperature optimization of the enzyme electrodes were also examined.

Sucrose hydrolysis by thermostable immobilized inulinases from aspergillus ficuum

The possibility of using thermostable inulinases from Aspergillus ficuum in place of invertase for sucrose hydrolysis was explored. The commercial inulinases preparation was immobilized onto porous glass beads by covalent coupling using activation by a silane reagent and glutaraldehyde before adding the enzyme. The immobilization steps were optimized resulting in a support with 5,440 IU/g of support (sucrose hydrolysis) that is 77% of the activity of the free enzyme. Enzymatic properties of the immobilized inulinases were similar to those of the free enzymes with optimum pH near pH 5.0. However, temperature where the activity was maximal was shifted of 10 degrees C due to better thermal stability after immobilization with similar activation energies. The curve of the effect of sucrose concentration on activity was bi-phasic. The first part, for sucrose concentrations lower than 0.3 M, followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with apparent K(M) and Vm only slightly affected by immobilization. Substrate inhibition was observed at values from 0.3 to 2 M sucrose. Complete sucrose hydrolysis was obtained for batch reactors with 0.3 and 1 M sucrose solutions. In continuous packed-bed reactor 100% (for 0.3 M sucrose), 90% (1 M sucrose) or 80% sucrose conversion were observed at space velocities of 0.06-0.25 h(-1). The operational half-life of the immobilized inulinases at 50 degrees C with 2 M sucrose was 350 days.

Biochemical engineering of biocatalysts immobilized on cellulosic materials

Complete design of the optimum immobilized biocatalyst seems to still be a matter of the future. To be successful, it would require numerical determination of all significant parameters at each enzyme engineering phase, that is at the design of the carriers, immobilized biocatalysts and immobilized reactors. Future research trends should follow this strategy. For processing, cellulosic materials have been considered carriers that fulfill requests to an example model: they represent a unique family of carriers that cover a broad variety of physical and chemical properties, immobilizing techniques, and immobilized reactors as well. The reason for writing this review article was to test the reliability of such a processing and subsequently, to confront theoretical considerations with practical applications of biocatalysts immobilized on cellulose materials.

Kinetics and stability of immobilized chicken liver xanthine dehydrogenase

Xanthine dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.37) was isolated from chicken livers and immobilized by adsorption to a Sepharose derivative, prepared by reaction of n-octylamine with CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. Using a crude preparation of enzyme for immobilization it was observed that relatively more activity was adsorbed than protein, but the yield of immobilized activity increased as a purer enzyme preparation was used. As more activity and protein were bound, relatively less immobilized activity was recovered. This effect was probably due to blocking of active xanthine dehydrogenase by protein impurities. The kinetics of free and immobilized xanthine dehydrogenase were studied in the pH range 7.5-9.1. The Km and V values estimated for free xanthine dehydrogenase increase as the pH increase; the K'm and V values for the immobilized enzyme go through a minimum at pH 8.1. By varying the amount of enzyme activity bound per unit volume of gel, it was shown that K'm is larger than Km are result of substrate diffusion limitation in the pores of the support material. Both free and immobilized xanthine dehydrogenase showed substrate activation at low concentrations (up to 2 microM xanthine). Immobilized xanthine dehydrogenase was more stable than the free enzyme during storage in the temperature range of 4-50 degrees C. The operational stability of immobilized xanthine dehydrogenase at 30 degrees C was two orders of magnitude smaller than the storage stability, t 1/2 was 9 and 800 hr, respectively. The operational stability was, however, better than than of immobilized milk xanthine oxidase (t 1/2 = 1 hr). In addition, the amount of product formed per unit initial activity in one half-life, was higher for immobilized xanthine dehydrogenase than for immobilized xanthine oxidase. Unless immobilized milk xanthine oxidase can be considerable stabilized, immobilized chicken liver xanthine dehydrogenase is more promising for application in organic synthesis.

Immobilization of Aspergillus beta-glucosidase on chitosan

beta-Glucosidase of Aspergillus phoenicis QM 329 was immobilized on chitosan, using the bifunctional agent glutaraldehyde. The most active preparation based on the amount of support contained a 1:2.5 enzyme-to-chitosan ratio (wt/wt). However, the specific activity of the bound enzyme decreased from 10 to 1% with increasing enzyme-to-chitosan ratio. Compared with free beta-glucosidase, the immobilized enzyme exhibited: (i) a similar pH optimum but more activity at lower pH values; (ii) improved thermal stability; (iii) a similar response to inhibition by glucose; and (iv) mass transfer limitations as reflected by higher apparent Km and lower energy of activation.

Chemical procedures for enzyme immobilization on porous cellulose beads

In a previous article, the method of preparation and the physical properties of porous (75 to 80% porosity) cellulose beads were described (Biotechnol. Bioeng., 18, 1057 (1976). The present article reports that the chemical procedures employed for immobilizing enzymes on ordinary cellulose can be applied to the porous cellulose beads. The results showed more enzyme loading on the beads than ordinary cellulose. The choice of the procedures might also affect the mechanical strength of the cellulose beads.