Thermostability of soluble and immobilized ?-amylase fromBacillus licheniformis

FoldX as Protein Engineering Tool: Better Than Random Based Approaches?

Improving protein stability is an important goal for basic research as well as for clinical and industrial applications but no commonly accepted and widely used strategy for efficient engineering is known. Beside random approaches like error prone PCR or physical techniques to stabilize proteins, e.g. by immobilization, in silico approaches are gaining more attention to apply target-oriented mutagenesis. In this review different algorithms for the prediction of beneficial mutation sites to enhance protein stability are summarized and the advantages and disadvantages of FoldX are highlighted. The question whether the prediction of mutation sites by the algorithm FoldX is more accurate than random based approaches is addressed.

Predicting the Quality of Pasteurized Vegetables Using Kinetic Models: A Review

A resurgence in interest examining thermal pasteurization technologies has been driven by demands for "cleaner" labeling and the need of organic and natural foods markets for suitable preventive measures to impede microbial growth and extend shelf life of minimally processed foods and ready-to-eat foods with a concomitant reduction in the use of chemical preservatives. This review describes the effects of thermal pasteurization on vegetable quality attributes including altering flavor and texture to improve consumer acceptability, stabilizing color, improving digestibility, palatability and retaining bioavailability of important nutrients, and bioactive compounds. Here, we provide kinetic parameters for inactivation of viral and bacterial pathogens and their surrogates and marker enzymes used to monitor process effectiveness in a variety of plant food items. Data on thermal processing protocols leading to higher retention and bioactivity are also presented. Thermal inactivation of foodborne viruses and pathogenic bacteria, specifically at lower pasteurization temperatures or via new technologies such as dielectric heating, can lead to greater retention of "fresh-like" properties.

Enzymatic conversions of starch

This article surveys methods for the enzymatic conversion of starch, involving hydrolases and nonhydrolyzing enzymes, as well as the role of microorganisms producing such enzymes. The sources of the most common enzymes are listed. These starch conversions are also presented in relation to their applications in the food, pharmaceutical, pulp, textile, and other branches of industry. Some sections are devoted to the fermentation of starch to ethanol and other products, and to the production of cyclodextrins, along with the properties of these products. Light is also shed on the enzymes involved in the digestion of starch in human and animal organisms. Enzymatic processes acting on starch are useful in structural studies of the substrates and in understanding the characteristics of digesting enzymes. One section presents the application of enzymes to these problems. The information that is included covers the period from the early 19th century up to 2009.

Effect of the medium characteristics and the heating and cooling rates on the nonisothermal heat resistance of Bacillus sporothermodurans IC4 spores

In recent years, highly thermo-resistant mesophilic spore-forming bacteria belonging to the species Bacillus sporothermodurans have caused non-sterility problems in industrial sterilization processes. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of the heating medium characteristics (pH and buffer/food) on the thermal inactivation of B. sporothermodurans spores when exposed to isothermal and non-isothermal heating and cooling treatments and the suitability of non-linear Weibull and Geeraaerd models to predict the survivors of these thermal treatments. Thermal treatments were carried out in pH 3, 5 and 7 McIlvaine buffer and in a courgette soup. Isothermal survival curves showed shoulders that were accurately characterized by means of both models. A clear effect of the pH of the heating medium was observed, decreasing the D120 value from pH 7 to pH 3 buffer down to one third. Differences in heat resistance were similar, regardless of the model used and were kept at all temperatures tested. The heat resistance in courgette soup was similar to that shown in pH 7 buffer. When the heat resistance values obtained under isothermal conditions were used to predict the survival in the non-isothermical experiments, the predictions estimated the experimental data quite accurately, both with Weibull and Geeraerd models.

Overexpression and simple purification of the Thermotoga maritima 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in Escherichia coli and its application for NADPH regeneration

Background

Thermostable enzymes from thermophilic microorganisms are playing more and more important roles in molecular biology R&D and industrial applications. However, over-production of recombinant soluble proteins from thermophilic microorganisms in mesophilic hosts (e.g. E. coli) remains challenging sometimes.

Results

An open reading frame TM0438 from a hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima putatively encoding 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The purified protein was confirmed to have 6PGDH activity with a molecular mass of 53 kDa. The k_cat of this enzyme was 325 s^-1 and the K_m values for 6-phosphogluconate, NADP⁺, and NAD⁺ were 11, 10 and 380 μM, respectively, at 80°C. This enzyme had half-life times of 48 and 140 h at 90 and 80°C, respectively. Through numerous approaches including expression vectors, hosts, cultivation conditions, inducers, and codon-optimization of the 6pgdh gene, the soluble 6PGDH expression levels were enhanced to ~250 mg per liter of culture by more than 500-fold. The recombinant 6PGDH accounted for >30% of total E. coli cellular proteins when lactose was used as a low-cost inducer. In addition, this enzyme coupled with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase for the first time was demonstrated to generate two moles of NADPH per mole of glucose-6-phosphate.

Conclusion

We have achieved a more than 500-fold improvement in the expression of soluble T. maritima 6PGDH in E. coli, characterized its basic biochemical properties, and demonstrated its applicability for NADPH regeneration by a new enzyme cocktail. The methodology for over-expression and simple purification of this thermostable protein would be useful for the production of other thermostable proteins in E. coli.

Characterization of honey amylase

The major alpha-amylase in honey was characterized. The optimum pH range and temperature were determined for the enzyme as 4.6 to 5.3 and 55 degrees C, respectively. The enzyme was stable at pH values from 7 to 8. The half-lives of the purified enzyme at different temperatures were determined. The activation energy for heat inactivation of honey amylase was 114.6 kJ/mol. The enzyme exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics with soluble starch and gave KM and Vmax values of 0.72 mg/mL and 0.018 units/mL, respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by CuCl (34.3%), MgCl2 (22.4%), and HgCl2 (13.4%), while CaCl2, MnCl2, and ZnSO4 did not have any effect. Starch had a protective effect on thermal stability of honey amylase. Therefore, it might be critical to process or control the amylase in honey before incorporation into starch-containing foods to aid in the preservation of starch functionality. One step could involve heat treating honey with other ingredients, especially those that dilute and acidify the honey environment.

Development characterization and use of a high-performance enzymatic time-temperature integrator for the control of sterilization process' impacts

A small sized single-component enzymatic time temperature integrator (TTI) was developed. It consisted of glass beads coated with Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase (BLA) and stabilizing additives in a dehydrated form. Post heating residual enzymatic activity was used as a response property of the TTI. Under isothermal conditions, different batches of the system were characterized by z(TTI)-values around 13.5 degrees C in the temperature range 100-130 degrees C as well as by their ability to provide a response within 5 min after thermal processing. When used under non-isothermal conditions in a model food (silicone spheres), the system allowed to measure process-values (zTTI)F(121.1 degrees C) up to 60 min with an average error of 10.9%. The capabilities of the system were validated in a real solid/liquid food matrix sterilized by retorting. The combination of F(TTI)-values with heat transfer simulations based on finite difference calculations allowed for the determination of process values, which evaluated actual process-values (10 degrees C)F(121.1 degrees C) up to 90 min with an average error of 11.4%. The good performances of the system as well as its easiness of preparation and use, make the latter a valuable biological device for thermal process assessment.

Thermal stability of alpha-amylase from Aspergillus oryzae entrapped in polyacrylamide gel

To determine the suitability as a time-temperature indicator for dielectric pasteurization processes, the thermal stability (50-75 degrees C) of Aspergillus oryzae alpha-amylase immobilized in polyacrylamide gel in phosphate buffer, mashed potatoes, and minced shrimp was examined. Changing the cross-linking agent concentration from 3.3 to 5.3% and adding 2% salt did not markedly affect the thermal stability of the immobilized alpha-amylase. Thermal inactivation was first order, and immobilization generally improved the thermal stability of alpha-amylase. z values of the immobilized system in test food systems were 10.2 degrees C (phosphate buffer), 8.45 degrees C (minced shrimp), and 7.78 degrees C (mashed potatoes).

Sucrose, sodium dodecyl sulfate, urea, and 2-mercaptoethanol affect the thermal inactivation of R-phycoerythrin

Thermal inactivation kinetics (D- and z-values) of the algal protein, R-phycoerythrin (R-PE), were studied under different buffer conditions (pH 4.0, 7.0, and 10.0) and concentrations of sucrose, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), urea, and 2-mercaptoethanol (ME). R-PE solutions were heated in capillary tubes at temperatures between 40 and 90 degrees C depending on buffer conditions. Thermal inactivation parameters for R-PE, calculated on the basis of fluorescence loss, were modified by addition of chemicals. Overall, sucrose and ME had a thermostabilizing effect, while SDS and urea decreased thermal stability of R-PE. The z-values ranged from 5.9 degrees C in 50 mM NaCl, 20 mM glycine buffer, pH 10.0, to 37.8 degrees C in 60% sucrose, 50 mM NaCl, 20 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.0. The z-values obtained for R-PE closely matched the z-values of some target microorganisms in food processes, suggesting R-PE might be used as a time-temperature integrator to verify thermal processing adequacy.

Kinetic study of the irreversible thermal and pressure inactivation of myrosinase from broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. Cv. italica)

Thermal and pressure inactivation of myrosinase from broccoli was kinetically investigated. Thermal inactivation proceeded in the temperature range 30-60 degrees C. These results indicate that myrosinase is rather thermolabile, as compared to other food quality related enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase, lipoxygenase, pectinmethylesterase, and peroxidase. In addition, a consecutive step model was shown to be efficient in modeling the inactivation curves. Two possible inactivation mechanisms corresponding to the consecutive step model were postulated. Pressure inactivation at 20 degrees C occurred at pressures between 200 and 450 MPa. In addition to its thermal sensitivity, the enzyme likewise is rather pressure sensitive as compared to the above-mentioned food quality related enzymes. By analogy with thermal inactivation, a consecutive step model could adequately describe pressure inactivation curves. At 35 degrees C, pressure inactivation was studied in the range between 0. 1 and 450 MPa. Application of low pressure (<350 MPa) resulted in retardation of thermal inactivation, indicating an antagonistic or protective effect of low pressure.

The effect of process conditions on the alpha-amylolytic hydrolysis of amylopectin potato starch: An experimental design approach

The hydrolysis of amylopectin potato starch with Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase (Maxamyl) was studied under industrially relevant conditions (i.e. high dry-weight concentrations). The following ranges of process conditions were chosen and investigated by means of an experimental design: pH [5.6-7.6]; calcium addition [0-120 microg/g]; temperature [63-97 degrees C]; dry-weight concentration [3-37% [w/w]]; enzyme dosage [27.6-372.4 microL/kg] and stirring [0-200 rpm]. The rate of hydrolysis was followed as a function of the theoretical dextrose equivalent. The highest rate (at a dextrose equivalent of 10) was observed at high temperature (90 degrees C) and low pH (6). At a higher pH (7.2), the maximum temperature of hydrolysis shifted to a lower value. Also, high levels of calcium resulted in a decrease of the maximum temperature of hydrolysis. The pH, temperature, and the amount of enzyme added showed interactive effects on the observed rate of hydrolysis. No product or substrate inhibition was observed. Stirring did not effect the rate of hydrolysis. The oligosaccharide composition after hydrolysis (at a certain dextrose equivalent) did depend on the reaction temperature. The level of maltopentaose [15-24% [w/w]], a major product of starch hydrolysis by B. licheniformis alpha-amylase, was influenced mostly by temperature.

Improved thermostability of a Bacillus alpha-amylase by deletion of an arginine-glycine residue is caused by enhanced calcium binding

alpha-Amylase from alkaliphilic Bacillus KSM-1378 (LAMY) is a novel semi-alkaline enzyme which has a high specific activity, a value 5-fold higher than that of a Bacillus licheniformis enzyme at alkaline pH. Thermostability of this enzyme could be improved by deletion of the Arg181-Gly182 residue by means of site-directed mutagenesis. The wild-type and engineered LAMYs were very similar with respect to specific activity, pH-activity curve, temperature-activity curve, susceptibility to inhibitors, and pattern of hydrolysis products from soluble starch and maltooligosaccharides. However, the engineered enzyme also acquired increased pH stability and resistance to sodium dodecyl sulfate and especially chelating reagents, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetate and ethyleneglycol-bis (beta-aminoethylether)tetraacetate. This is the first report that thermostability of alpha-amylase is improved by enhanced calcium binding to the enzyme molecule.

Stability of alpha-amylase immobilized on poly(methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid) microspheres

Poly(methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid) microspheres were prepared and the acid groups were activated by using either carbodiimide (CDI) or thionyl chloride (SOCl2). alpha-Amylase was covalently bound on these activated microspheres. The properties of the immobilized enzyme were investigated and compared with those of the free enzyme. The relative activities were found to be 80.4 and 67.5% for carbodiimide and thionyl chloride bound enzymes, respectively. Maximum activities were obtained at lower pHs and higher temperatures upon immobilization compared to free enzyme. No change in Vmax and approximately 12-fold increase in K(m) were observed for immobilized enzymes. The enzyme activities, after storage for 1 month, were found to be 24.5 and 52.5% of the initial activity values for CDI and SOCl2 activated matrices, respectively. On the other hand the free enzyme lost its activity completely in 20 days. Immobilization, storage stability and repeated use capability experiments carried out in the presence of Ca2+ ions demonstrated higher stability, such as SOCl2 immobilized enzyme retained 83.7% and CDI immobilized enzyme retained 90.3% of the original activity of the enzyme. The immobilized enzymes that were used 20 times in 3 days in repeated batch experiments demonstrated that, in the absence of Ca2+ ions about 75% and in the presence of Ca2+ ions greater than 90% of the original enzyme activity was retained.

Evaluation of the integrated time-temperature effect in thermal processing of foods

In this review, current methods used to evaluate the integrated impact of time and temperature upon preserving a food product by a heat treatment are considered. After identifying the basic premise any preservation scheme shall meet, the central role of a feasible description for the heat activation kinetics of microorganisms, their spores, and other quality attributes are stressed. Common concepts to quantify a thermal process are presented. Shortcomings of the prevalent evaluation methods are highlighted and attention is given to the development, restrictions, and possibilities of time-temperature-integrators as "new" evaluation tools to measure the impact of a "classical" in-pack heat treatment and more modern heating techniques such as continuous processing of solid/liquid mixtures on foods.

Biochemical approaches of increasing thermostability of beta-amylase from Bacillus megaterium B6

Studies on the irreversible thermoinactivation of beta-amylase from Bacillus megaterium B6 exposed to 60 degrees C revealed that the deactivation mechanism probably results from the oxidation of thiols present at the active site of the enzyme. Several attempts were made to increase its thermostability, which indicated that Mn2+ played a key role in determining thermostability and partially reactivating the inactivated enzyme. Immobilization of beta-amylase through gel-entrapment and covalent crosslinking brought about a remarkable increase in thermotolerance with about a 14-fold increase in catalytic half-life.

Convenience of immobilized Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase as time-temperature-integrator (TTI)

For the immobilization of Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase to porous glass beads, the performances of three possible linking agents, glutaric dialdehyde, benzoquinone and s-trichlorotriazine were assessed in respect of the protein yield, the enzymic activity and the thermostability of the immobilized enzyme. These three properties are to be evaluated in view of the possible use of the enzyme preparations as time-temperature-integrators (TTIs) for assessing the severity of heat pasteurization or sterilization processes of food or pharmaceuticals. All three linkers improved the enzyme's resistance to irreversible heat inactivation to a similar extent and in each case biphasic inactivation kinetics were observed, whereas the dissolved B. licheniformis alpha-amylase showed a simple first order decay. The immobilization yield, measured as protein per carrier weight, did not differ markedly for the three linkers, although the enzymic activity of the glutaric dialdehyde-linked enzyme was lower than that of the benzoquinone- and s-trichlorotriazine-linked preparations.