TADH, the thermostable alcohol dehydrogenase from Thermus sp. ATN1: a versatile new biocatalyst for organic synthesis

EnzymeMap: curation, validation and data-driven prediction of enzymatic reactions

Enzymatic reactions are an ecofriendly, selective, and versatile addition, sometimes even alternative to organic reactions for the synthesis of chemical compounds such as pharmaceuticals or fine chemicals. To identify suitable reactions, computational models to predict the activity of enzymes on non-native substrates, to perform retrosynthetic pathway searches, or to predict the outcomes of reactions including regio- and stereoselectivity are becoming increasingly important. However, current approaches are substantially hindered by the limited amount of available data, especially if balanced and atom mapped reactions are needed and if the models feature machine learning components. We therefore constructed a high-quality dataset (EnzymeMap) by developing a large set of correction and validation algorithms for recorded reactions in the literature and showcase its significant positive impact on machine learning models of retrosynthesis, forward prediction, and regioselectivity prediction, outperforming previous approaches by a large margin. Our dataset allows for deep learning models of enzymatic reactions with unprecedented accuracy, and is freely available online.

Biological synthesis of ursodeoxycholic acid

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a fundamental treatment drug for numerous hepatobiliary diseases that also has adjuvant therapeutic effects on certain cancers and neurological diseases. Chemical UDCA synthesis is environmentally unfriendly with low yields. Biological UDCA synthesis by free-enzyme catalysis or whole-cell synthesis using inexpensive and readily available chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), cholic acid (CA), or lithocholic acid (LCA) as substrates is being developed. The free enzyme-catalyzed one-pot, one-step/two-step method uses hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSDH); whole-cell synthesis, mainly uses engineered bacteria (mainly Escherichia coli) expressing the relevant HSDHs. To further develop these methods, HSDHs with specific coenzyme dependence, high enzyme activity, good stability, and high substrate loading concentration, P450 monooxygenase with C-7 hydroxylation activity and engineered strain harboring HSDHs must be exploited.

Advanced Insights into Catalytic and Structural Features of the Zinc-Dependent Alcohol Dehydrogenase from Thauera aromatica

The asymmetric reduction of ketones to chiral hydroxyl compounds by alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) is an established strategy for the provision of valuable precursors for fine chemicals and pharmaceutics. However, most ADHs favor linear aliphatic and aromatic carbonyl compounds, and suitable biocatalysts with preference for cyclic ketones and diketones are still scarce. Among the few candidates, the alcohol dehydrogenase from Thauera aromatica (ThaADH) stands out with a high activity for the reduction of the cyclic α‐diketone 1,2‐cyclohexanedione to the corresponding α‐hydroxy ketone. This study elucidates catalytic and structural features of the enzyme. ThaADH showed a remarkable thermal and pH stability as well as stability in the presence of polar solvents. A thorough description of the substrate scope combined with the resolution and description of the crystal structure, demonstrated a strong preference of ThaADH for cyclic α‐substituted cyclohexanones, and indicated structural determinants responsible for the unique substrate acceptance.

Engineering Isopropanol Dehydrogenase for Efficient Regeneration of Nicotinamide Cofactors

Isopropanol dehydrogenase (IPADH) is one of the most attractive options for nicotinamide cofactor regeneration due to its low cost and simple downstream processing. However, poor thermostability and strict cofactor dependency hinder its practical application for bioconversions. In this study, we simultaneously improved the thermostability (433-fold) and catalytic activity (3.3-fold) of IPADH from Brucella suis via a flexible segment engineering strategy. Meanwhile, the cofactor preference of IPADH was successfully switched from NAD(H) to NADP(H) by 1.23 × 10⁶-fold. When these variants were employed in three typical bioredox reactions to drive the synthesis of important chiral pharmaceutical building blocks, they outperformed the commonly used cofactor regeneration systems (glucose dehydrogenase [GDH], formate dehydrogenase [FDH], and lactate dehydrogenase [LDH]) with respect to efficiency of cofactor regeneration. Overall, our study provides two promising IPADH variants with complementary cofactor specificities that have great potential for wide applications. IMPORTANCE Oxidoreductases represent one group of the most important biocatalysts for synthesis of various chiral synthons. However, their practical application was hindered by the expensive nicotinamide cofactors used. Isopropanol dehydrogenase (IPADH) is one of the most attractive biocatalysts for nicotinamide cofactor regeneration. However, poor thermostability and strict cofactor dependency hinder its practical application. In this work, the thermostability and catalytic activity of an IPADH were simultaneously improved via a flexible segment engineering strategy. Meanwhile, the cofactor preference of IPADH was successfully switched from NAD(H) to NADP(H). The resultant variants show great potential for regeneration of nicotinamide cofactors, and the engineering strategy might serve as a useful approach for future engineering of other oxidoreductases.

Versatile selective evolutionary pressure using synthetic defect in universal metabolism

The non-natural needs of industrial applications often require new or improved enzymes. The structures and properties of enzymes are difficult to predict or design de novo. Instead, semi-rational approaches mimicking evolution entail diversification of parent enzymes followed by evaluation of isolated variants. Artificial selection pressures coupling desired enzyme properties to cell growth could overcome this key bottleneck, but are usually narrow in scope. Here we show diverse enzymes using the ubiquitous cofactors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) can substitute for defective NAD regeneration, representing a very broadly-applicable artificial selection. Inactivation of Escherichia coli genes required for anaerobic NAD regeneration causes a conditional growth defect. Cells are rescued by foreign enzymes connected to the metabolic network only via NAD or NADP, but only when their substrates are supplied. Using this principle, alcohol dehydrogenase, imine reductase and nitroreductase variants with desired selectivity modifications, and a high-performing isopropanol metabolic pathway, are isolated from libraries of millions of variants in single-round experiments with typical limited information to guide design.

NAD(H)-PEG Swing Arms Improve Both the Activities and Stabilities of Modularly-Assembled Transhydrogenases Designed with Predictable Selectivities

Protein engineering has been used to enhance the activities, selectivities, and stabilities of enzymes.  Frequently tradeoffs are observed, where improvements in some features can come at the expense of others.  Nature uses modular assembly of active sites for complex, multi-step reactions, and natural "swing arm" mechanisms have evolved to transfer intermediates between active sites.  Biomimetic polyethylene glycol (PEG) swing arms modified with NAD(H) have been explored to introduce synthetic swing arms into fused oxidoreductases.  Here we report that increasing NAD(H)-PEG swing arms can improve the activity of synthetic formate:malate oxidoreductases as well as the thermal and operational stabilities of the biocatalysts.  The modular assembly approach enables the K M values of new enzymes to be predictable, based on the parental enzymes.  We describe four unique synthetic transhydrogenases that have no native homologs, and this platform could be easily extended for the predictive design of additional synthetic cofactor-independent transhydrogenases.

The Role of Gene Duplication in the Divergence of Enzyme Function: A Comparative Approach

Gene duplication is a crucial process involved in the appearance of new genes and functions. It is thought to have played a major role in the growth of enzyme families and the expansion of metabolism at the biosphere's dawn and in recent times. Here, we analyzed paralogous enzyme content within each of the seven enzymatic classes for a representative sample of prokaryotes by a comparative approach. We found a high ratio of paralogs for three enzymatic classes: oxidoreductases, isomerases, and translocases, and within each of them, most of the paralogs belong to only a few subclasses. Our results suggest an intricate scenario for the evolution of prokaryotic enzymes, involving different fates for duplicated enzymes fixed in the genome, where around 20-40% of prokaryotic enzymes have paralogs. Intracellular organisms have a lesser ratio of duplicated enzymes, whereas free-living enzymes show the highest ratios. We also found that phylogenetically close phyla and some unrelated but with the same lifestyle share similar genomic and biochemical traits, which ultimately support the idea that gene duplication is associated with environmental adaptation.

Biocatalytic oxidation of fatty alcohols into aldehydes for the flavors and fragrances industry

From Egyptian mummies to the Chanel n°5 perfume, fatty aldehydes have long been used and keep impacting our senses in a wide range of foods, beverages and perfumes. Natural sources of fatty aldehydes are threatened by qualitative and quantitative variability while traditional chemical routes are insufficient to answer the society shift toward more sustainable and natural products. The production of fatty aldehydes using biotechnologies is therefore the most promising alternative for the flavors and fragrances industry. In this review, after drawing the portrait of the origin and characteristics of fragrant fatty aldehydes, we present the three main classes of enzymes that catalyze the reaction of fatty alcohols oxidation into aldehydes, namely alcohol dehydrogenases, flavin-dependent alcohol oxidases and copper radical alcohol oxidases. The constraints, challenges and opportunities to implement these oxidative enzymes in the flavors and fragrances industry are then discussed. By setting the scene on the biocatalytic production of fatty aldehydes, and providing a critical assessment of its potential, we expect this review to contribute to the development of biotechnology-based solutions in the flavors and fragrances industry.

Biocatalytic Oxidation of Alcohols

Enzymatic methods for the oxidation of alcohols are critically reviewed. Dehydrogenases and oxidases are the most prominent biocatalysts, enabling the selective oxidation of primary alcohols into aldehydes or acids. In the case of secondary alcohols, region and/or enantioselective oxidation is possible. In this contribution, we outline the current state-of-the-art and discuss current limitations and promising solutions.

Substitution of cysteine-153 ligated to the catalytic zinc in yeast alcohol dehydrogenase with aspartic acid and analysis of mechanisms of related medium chain dehydrogenases

The catalytic zincs in complexes of horse liver and yeast alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) with NAD⁺ and the substrate analogue, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, are ligated to two cysteine residues and one histidine residue from the protein and the oxygen from the alcohol. The zinc facilitates deprotonation of the alcohol and is essential for catalysis. In the yeast apoenzyme, the zinc is coordinated to a nearby glutamic acid, which is displaced by the alcohol in the complex with NAD⁺. Some homologous medium chain dehydrogenases have a cysteine replaced by aspartic or glutamic acid residues. How an aspartic acid would affect catalysis was studied by replacing Cys-153 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae ADH1 by using site-directed mutagenesis. The C153D enzyme was about as stable as the wild-type enzyme, if EDTA was not included in the buffers. The substitution increased affinity for NAD⁺ by 3-fold, but did not affect NADH binding. At pH 7.3, the turnover number for ethanol oxidation (V₁/E_t) decreased by 7-fold and catalytic efficiency decreased 18-fold (V₁/E_tK_b), but turnover for acetaldehyde reduction (V₂/E_t) was the same as for wild-type enzyme and catalytic efficiency decreased 8-fold (V₂/E_tK_p). Deuterium isotope effects of 3.0 on V₁/E_t and 3.8 on V₁/E_tK_b for ethanol oxidation suggest that hydride transfer is more rate-limiting for turnover for the C153D enzyme than by wild-type enzyme. The patterns of pH dependence for V₁/E_tK_b for ethanol oxidation were similar for both enzymes in the pH range from 7 to 9. The C153D substitution decreased binding of trifluoroethanol by 5-fold and of pyrazole by 65-fold. Substrate specificities for C153D and wild-type ADHs for primary alcohols have similar patterns. Efficiency for secondary alcohols decreased only about 4-fold, and efficiencies for 1,2-propanediol and acetone were about the same as for wild-type enzyme. The C153D substitution modestly affects catalysis by altering ligand exchange on the zinc or local structure. Structures and mechanisms for acid-base catalysis in related medium chain dehydrogenases with substitutions of the homologous cysteine are reviewed and analyzed.

An Alcohol Dehydrogenase from the Short-Chain Dehydrogenase/Reductase Family of Enzymes for the Lactonization of Hexane-1,6-diol

Biocatalytic production of lactones, and in particular ϵ-caprolactone (CL), have gained increasing interest as a greener route to polymer building blocks, especially through the use of Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs). Despite several advances in the field, BVMOs, however, still suffer several practical limitations. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)-mediated lactonization of diols in turn has received far less attention and very few enzymes have been identified for the conversion of diols to lactones, with horse-liver ADH (HLADH) remaining the catalyst of choice. Screening of a diverse panel of ADHs, AaSDR-1, a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family, was found to produce ϵ-caprolactone from hexane-1,6-diol. Moreover, cofactor regeneration by an NADH oxidase eliminated the requirement of co-substrates, yielding water as the sole by-product. Despite lower turnover frequencies as compared to HLADH, higher selectivity was found for the production of CL, with HLADH forming significant amounts of 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid and adipic acid through aldehyde dehydrogenation/oxidation of the gem-diol intermediates. Also, CL yield were shown to be dependent on buffer choice, as structural elucidation of a Tris adduct confirmed the buffer amine to react with aliphatic aldehydes forming a Schiff-base intermediate which through further ADH oxidation, forms a tricyclic acetal product.

Stereoselective Double Reduction of 3-Methyl-2-cyclohexenone, by Use of Palladium and Platinum Nanoparticles, in Tandem with Alcohol Dehydrogenase

The combination of metal nanoparticles (Pd or Pt NPs) with NAD-dependent thermostable alcohol dehydrogenase (TADH) resulted in the one-flask catalytic double reduction of 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenone to 3-(1S,3S)-methylcyclohexanol. In this article, some assumptions about the interactions between a chemocatalyst and a biocatalyst have been proposed. It was demonstrated that the size of the NPs was the critical parameter for the mutual inhibition: the bigger the NPs, the more harmful for the enzyme they were, even if the NPs themselves were only moderately inactivated. Conversely, the smaller the NPs, the more minimal the TADH denaturation, although they were dramatically inhibited. Resuming, the chemocatalysts were very sensitive to deactivation, which was not related to the amount of enzyme used, while the inhibition of the biocatalyst can be strongly reduced by minimizing the NPs/TADH ratio used to catalyze the reaction. Among some methods to avoid direct binding of NPs with TADH, we found that using large Pd NPs and protecting their surfaces with a silica shell, the overall yield of 3-(1S,3S)-methylcyclohexanol was maximized (36%).

Discovery of a novel thermostable Zn2+ -dependent alcohol dehydrogenase from Chloroflexus aurantiacus through conserved domains mining

AIMS

The purpose of the study was to demonstrate feasibility of the Conserved Domains Database (CDD) for identification of novel biocatalysts with desirable properties from a class of well-characterized biocatalysts.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The thermostable ADH from Sulfolobus solfataricus with a broad substrate range was applied as a template for the search for novel thermostable ADHs via CDD. From the resulting hits, a putative ADH gene from the thermophilic organism Chloroflexus aurantiacus was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The resulting enzyme was purified and characterized. With a temperature activity optimum of 70°C and a broad substrate spectrum especially for diketones, a versatile new biocatalyst was obtained.

CONCLUSIONS

Database-based mining in CDD is a suitable approach to obtain novel biocatalysts with desirable properties. Thereby, the available diversity of similar but not equal enzymes within this class can be increased.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

For industrial applications, there is a demand for larger diversity of similar well-characterized enzymes in order to test them for a given process (biodiversity screening). For fundamental science, the comparison of enzymes with similar function but different sequence can provide insight into structure function relationships or the evolution of enzymes. This study gives a good example on how this demand can be efficiently met.

Review of NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductases: Properties, engineering and application

NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductases catalyze the reduction or oxidation of a substrate coupled to the oxidation or reduction, respectively, of a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide cofactor NAD(P)H or NAD(P)⁺. NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductases catalyze a large variety of reactions and play a pivotal role in many central metabolic pathways. Due to the high activity, regiospecificity and stereospecificity with which they catalyze redox reactions, they have been used as key components in a wide range of applications, including substrate utilization, the synthesis of chemicals, biodegradation and detoxification. There is great interest in tailoring NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductases to make them more suitable for particular applications. Here, we review the main properties and classes of NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductases, the types of reactions they catalyze, some of the main protein engineering techniques used to modify their properties and some interesting examples of their modification and application.

Glutathione-Dependent Formaldehyde Dehydrogenase Homolog from Bacillus subtilis Strain R5 is a Propanol-Preferring Alcohol Dehydrogenase

Genome search of Bacillus subtilis revealed the presence of an open reading frame annotated as glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase/alcohol dehydrogenase. The open reading frame consists of 1137 nucleotides corresponding to a polypeptide of 378 amino acids. To examine whether the encoded protein is glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase or alcohol dehydrogenase, we cloned and characterized the gene product. Enzyme activity assays revealed that the enzyme exhibits a metal ion-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase activity but no glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase or aldehyde dismutase activity. Although the protein is of mesophilic origin, optimal temperature for the enzyme activity is 60°C. Thermostability analysis by circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that the protein is stable up to 60°C. Presence or absence of metal ions in the reaction mixture did not affect the enzyme activity. However, metal ions were necessary at the time of protein production and folding. There was a marked difference in the enzyme activity and CD spectra of the proteins produced in the presence and absence of metal ions. The experimental results obtained in this study demonstrate that the enzyme is a bona-fide alcohol dehydrogenase and not a glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase.

Candida parapsilosis ATCC 7330 mediated oxidation of aromatic (activated) primary alcohols to aldehydes

A green, simple and high yielding [up to 86% yield] procedure is developed for the oxidation of aromatic (activated) primary alcohols to aldehydes using whole cells of Candida parapsilosis ATCC 7330.

Isolation and characterization of a thermotolerant ene reductase from Geobacillus sp. 30 and its heterologous expression in Rhodococcus opacus

Rhodococcus opacus B-4 cells are adhesive to and even dispersible in water-immiscible hydrocarbons owing to their highly lipophilic nature. In this study, we focused on the high operational stability of thermophilic enzymes and applied them to a biocatalytic conversion in an organic reaction medium using R. opacus B-4 as a lipophilic capsule of enzymes to deliver them into the organic medium. A novel thermo- and organic-solvent-tolerant ene reductase, which can catalyze the enantioselective reduction of ketoisophorone to (6R)-levodione, was isolated from Geobacillus sp. 30, and the gene encoding the enzyme was heterologously expressed in R. opacus B-4. Another thermophilic enzyme which catalyzes NAD(+)-dependent dehydrogenation of cyclohexanol was identified from the gene-expression library of Thermus thermophilus and the gene was coexpressed in R. opacus B-4 for cofactor regeneration. While the recombinant cells were not viable in the mixture due to high reaction temperature, 634 mM of (6R)-levodione could be produced with an enantiopurity of 89.2 % ee by directly mixing the wet cells of the recombinant R. opacus with a mixture of ketoisophorone and cyclohexanol at 50 °C. The conversion rate observed with the heat-killed recombinant cells was considerably higher than that obtained with a cell-free enzyme solution, demonstrating that the accessibility between the substrates and enzymes could be improved by employing R. opacus cells as a lipophilic enzyme capsule. These results imply that a combination of thermophilic enzymes and lipophilic cells can be a promising approach for the biocatalytic production of water-insoluble chemicals.

Michael hydratase alcohol dehydrogenase or just alcohol dehydrogenase?

The Michael hydratase – alcohol dehydrogenase (MhyADH) from Alicycliphilus denitrificans was previously identified as a bi-functional enzyme performing a hydration of α,β-unsaturated ketones and subsequent oxidation of the formed alcohols. The investigations of the bi-functionality were based on a spectrophotometric assay and an activity staining in a native gel of the dehydrogenase. New insights in the recently discovered organocatalytic Michael addition of water led to the conclusion that the previously performed experiments to identify MhyADH as a bi-functional enzyme and their results need to be reconsidered and the reliability of the methodology used needs to be critically evaluated.

Characterization of an allylic/benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase from Yokenella sp. strain WZY002, an organism potentially useful for the synthesis of α,β-unsaturated alcohols from allylic aldehydes and ketones

A novel whole-cell biocatalyst with high allylic alcohol-oxidizing activities was screened and identified as Yokenella sp. WZY002, which chemoselectively reduced the C=O bond of allylic aldehydes/ketones to the corresponding α,β-unsaturated alcohols at 30°C and pH 8.0. The strain also had the capacity of stereoselectively reducing aromatic ketones to (S)-enantioselective alcohols. The enzyme responsible for the predominant allylic/benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase activity was purified to homogeneity and designated YsADH (alcohol dehydrogenase from Yokenella sp.), which had a calculated subunit molecular mass of 36,411 Da. The gene encoding YsADH was subsequently expressed in Escherichia coli, and the purified recombinant YsADH protein was characterized. The enzyme strictly required NADP(H) as a coenzyme and was putatively zinc dependent. The optimal pH and temperature for crotonaldehyde reduction were pH 6.5 and 65°C, whereas those for crotyl alcohol oxidation were pH 8.0 and 55°C. The enzyme showed moderate thermostability, with a half-life of 6.2 h at 55°C. It was robust in the presence of organic solvents and retained 87.5% of the initial activity after 24 h of incubation with 20% (vol/vol) dimethyl sulfoxide. The enzyme preferentially catalyzed allylic/benzyl aldehydes as the substrate in the reduction of aldehydes/ketones and yielded the highest activity of 427 U mg(-1) for benzaldehyde reduction, while the alcohol oxidation reaction demonstrated the maximum activity of 79.9 U mg(-1) using crotyl alcohol as the substrate. Moreover, kinetic parameters of the enzyme showed lower Km values and higher catalytic efficiency for crotonaldehyde/benzaldehyde and NADPH than for crotyl alcohol/benzyl alcohol and NADP(+), suggesting the nature of being an aldehyde reductase.

H₂-driven cofactor regeneration with NAD(P)⁺-reducing hydrogenases

A large number of industrially relevant enzymes depend upon nicotinamide cofactors, which are too expensive to be added in stoichiometric amounts. Existing NAD(P)H-recycling systems suffer from low activity, or the generation of side products. H₂-driven cofactor regeneration has the advantage of 100% atom efficiency and the use of H₂ as a cheap reducing agent, in a world where sustainable energy carriers are increasingly attractive. The state of development of H₂-driven cofactor-recycling systems and examples of their integration with enzyme reactions are summarized in this article. The O₂-tolerant NAD⁺-reducing hydrogenase from Ralstonia eutropha is a particularly attractive candidate for this approach, and we therefore discuss its catalytic properties that are relevant for technical applications.

Thermostable alcohol dehydrogenase from Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1 for enantioselective bioconversion of aromatic secondary alcohols

A novel thermostable alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) showing activity toward aromatic secondary alcohols was identified from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1 (TkADH). The gene, tk0845, which encodes an aldo-keto reductase, was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The enzyme was found to be a monomer with a molecular mass of 31 kDa. It was highly thermostable with an optimal temperature of 90°C and a half-life of 4.5 h at 95°C. The apparent K(m) values for the cofactors NAD(P)(+) and NADPH were similar within a range of 66 to 127 μM. TkADH preferred secondary alcohols and accepted various ketones and aldehydes as substrates. Interestingly, the enzyme could oxidize 1-phenylethanol and its derivatives having substituents at the meta and para positions with high enantioselectivity, yielding the corresponding (R)-alcohols with optical purities of greater than 99.8% enantiomeric excess (ee). TkADH could also reduce 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone to (R)-2,2,2-trifluoro-1-phenylethanol with high enantioselectivity (>99.6% ee). Furthermore, the enzyme showed high resistance to organic solvents and was particularly highly active in the presence of H2O-20% 2-propanol and H2O-50% n-hexane or n-octane. This ADH is expected to be a useful tool for the production of aromatic chiral alcohols.

Enantioselective oxidation of aldehydes catalyzed by alcohol dehydrogenase

Teaching old dogs new tricks: Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) may be established redox biocatalysts but they still are good for a few surprises. ADHs can be used to oxidize aldehydes, and this was demonstrated by the oxidative dynamic kinetic resolution of profens. In the presence of a suitable cofactor regeneration system, this reaction can occur with high selectivity.

Purification and characterization of a hexanol-degrading enzyme extracted from apple

An enzyme having activity toward n-hexanol was purified from apple, and its biochemical characteristics were analyzed. The purification steps consisted of sedimentation with ammonium sulfate, DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow ion exchange chromatography, and Sephadex G-100 column. The obtained enzyme had a yield of 16.00% with a specific activity of 18879.20 U/mg protein and overall purification of 142.77-fold. The enzyme showed activity to isoamylol, 1-propanol, n-hexanol, and isobutanol but not toward methanol and ethanol. With n-hexanol as a substrate, the optimum conditions were pH 4.0 and 30 °C for enzyme activity and pH 3.0-4.0 and temperatures below 40 °C for enzyme stability. The enzyme activity was increased significantly by adding l-cysteine and Fe(2+) at all tested concentrations and slightly by Zn(2+) at a high concentration but decreased by additions of EDTA, Ga(2+), K(+), Mg(2+), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium aluminum sulfate (SAS), dithiothreitol (DTT), and glutathione (GSH). The enzyme activities toward n-hexanol and n-hexanal were increased by NADH but decreased by NAD(+), in contrast to a decrease toward n-hexane by addition of both NAD(+) and NADH.

Characterization and further stabilization of a new anti-prelog specific alcohol dehydrogenase from Thermus thermophilus HB27 for asymmetric reduction of carbonyl compounds

The use of dehydrogenases in asymmetric chemistry has exponentially grown in the last decades facilitated by the genome mining. Here, a new short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase from Thermus thermophilus HB27 has been expressed, purified, characterized and stabilized by immobilization on solid supports. The enzyme catalyzes both oxidative and reductive reactions at neutral pH with a broad range of substrates. Its highest activity was found towards the reduction of 2,2',2″-trifluoroacetophenone (85 U/mg at 65 °C and pH 7). Moreover, the enzyme was stabilized more than 200-fold by multipoint covalent immobilization on agarose matrixes via glyoxyl chemistry. Such heterogeneous catalyst coupled to an immobilized cofactor recycling partner performed the quantitative asymmetric reduction of 2,2',2″-trifluoroacetophenone and rac-2-phenylpropanal to (S)-(+)-α-(trifluoromethyl)benzyl alcohol and (R)-2-phenyl-1-propanol with enantiomeric excesses of 96% and 71%, respectively. To our knowledge this is the first alcohol dehydrogenase from a thermophilic source with anti-Prelog selectivity for aryl ketones and that preferentially produces R-profens.

Enzyme catalysis in an aqueous/organic segment flow microreactor: ways to stabilize enzyme activity

Multiphase flow microreactors benefit from rapid mixing and high mass transfer rates, yet their application in enzymatic catalysis is limited due to the fast inactivation of enzymes used as biocatalysts. Enzyme inactivation during segment flow is due to the large interfacial area between aqueous and organic phases. The Peclet number of the system points to strong convective forces within the segments, and this results in rapid deactivation of the enzyme depending on segment length and flow rate. Addition of surfactant to the aqueous phase or enzyme immobilization prevents the biocatalyst from direct contact with the interface and thus stabilizes the enzyme activity. Almost 100% enzyme activity can be recovered compared to 45% without any enzyme or medium modification. Drop tensiometry measurements point to a mixed enzyme-surfactant interfacial adsorption, and above a certain concentration, the surfactant forms a protective layer between the interface and the biocatalyst in the aqueous compartments. Theoretical models were used to compare adsorption kinetics of the protein to the interface in the segment flow microreactor and in the drop tensiometry measurements. This study is the basis for the development of segment flow microreactors as a tool to perform productive enzymatic catalysis.