Biochemical characterization of Yarrowia lipolytica LIP8, a secreted lipase with a cleavable C-terminal region

A Temporal Evolution Perspective of Lipase Production by Yarrowia lipolytica in Solid-State Fermentation

Lipases are enzymes that, in aqueous or non-aqueous media, act on water-insoluble substrates, mainly catalyzing reactions on carboxyl ester bonds, such as hydrolysis, aminolysis, and (trans)esterification. Yarrowia lipolytica is a non-conventional yeast known for secreting lipases and other bioproducts; therefore, it is of great interest in various industrial fields. The production of lipases can be carried on solid-state fermentation (SSF) that utilizes solid substrates in the absence, or near absence, of free water and presents minimal problems with microbial contamination due to the low water contents in the medium. Moreover, SSF offers high volumetric productivity, targets concentrated compounds, high substrate concentration tolerance, and has less wastewater generation. In this sense, the present work provides a temporal evolution perspective regarding the main aspects of lipase production in SSF by Y. lipolytica, focusing on the most relevant aspects and presenting the potential of such an approach.

Cleaner degreasing of sheepskins by the Yarrowia lipolytica LIP2 lipase as a chemical-free alternative in the leather industry

Conventional degreasing of skins and hides in the leather industry requires high amounts of organic solvents and detergents that cause environmental issues. In this study, the LIP2 lipase from the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica (YLLIP2) was shown to be effective in degreasing sheepskins, thus reducing the amount of harmful chemicals. Using 6 mg of lipase/kg of raw skin, successful degreasing was achieved in only 15 min at pH 8 and 30°C. ToF-SIMS mass spectra of chemically and enzymatically treated sheepskinsare consistent with a selective elimination process for the enzymatic treatment. Comparative SEM microscopy, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and physicochemical analyses showed better properties of the enzymatically treated leather than those of the chemically treated leather. Effluent physicochemical parameters showed that the enzymatic treatment is a cleaner degreasing operation. Altogether, this work opens new horizons to use the YLLIP2 lipase as a more efficient alternative in the leather industry.