Improving the thermostability of a thermostable endoglucanase from Chaetomium thermophilum by engineering the conserved noncatalytic residue and N-glycosylation site

Protein engineering of an alkaline protease from Bacillus licheniformis (BLAP) for efficient and specific chiral resolution of the racemic ethyl tetrahydrofuroate

Enzymatic resolution of ethyl tetrahydrofuroate to produce (S)-2-ethyl tetrahydrofuroate and (R)-2-tetrahydrofuroic acid is a green biomanufacturing strategy. However, enzymatic activity and selectivity are still limiting factors of their industrial applications and development. In previous study, we incidentally found that a Bacillus licheniformis alkaline protease (BLAP), not a lipase, could specifically resolve ethyl tetrahydrofuroate to produce (S)-2-ethyl tetrahydrofuroate and (R)-2-tetrahydrofuroic acid. In this study, the point-saturation-mutation libraries based on the seven amino acid sites (L105, I113, P114, L115, V309, Y310, and M326) were constructed and screened using the molecular docking technology. It was found that activity of the mutant BLAPY310E reached 182.78 U/mL with high stereoselectivity, 3.14 times higher than that of the wild-type BLAP. Further simulated mutation analysis showed that the Y310E mutation increased the distance from the substrate ligand to the binding pocket from 2.3 Å to 4.5 Å, reducing steric hindrance to the active center. Under the optimal conditions and after 3.5 h of reaction catalyzed by BLAPY310E, 200 mM ethyl tetrahydrofuroate was converted to (S)-2-ethyl tetrahydrofuroate and (R)-2-tetrahydrofuroic acid with the ee values of 99.9 % and 68.63 %, respectively. The enantiomeric ratio of BLAPY310E was 105.5, which was 30.23 times higher than that of BLAP. This study advances the comprehension of protease activity and selectivity mechanisms in resolving ester substances and lays a robust foundation for the industrial production of the optically pure (S)-2-ethyl tetrahydrofuroate and (R)-2-tetrahydrofuroic acid via biological enzymatic methods.

Advances in molecular enzymology of β-1,3-glucanases: A comprehensive review

β-1,3-Glucanases are essential enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of β-1,3-glucans, with significant biological and industrial relevance. These enzymes are derived from diverse sources, including bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals, each exhibiting unique substrate specificities and biochemical properties. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the natural sources and ecological roles of β-1,3-glucanases, exploring their enzymatic properties such as optimal pH, temperature, molecular weight, isoelectric points, and kinetic parameters, which are crucial for understanding their functionality and stability. Advances in molecular enzymology are discussed, focusing on gene cloning, expression in systems like Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris, and structural-functional relationships. The reaction mechanisms and the role of non-catalytic carbohydrate-binding modules in enhancing substrate hydrolysis are examined. Industrial applications of β-1,3-glucanases are highlighted, including the production of β-1,3-glucooligosaccharides, uses in the food industry, biological control of plant pathogens, and nutritional roles. This review aims to provide a foundation for future research, improving the efficiency and robustness of β-1,3-glucanases for various industrial applications.

Analyzing the impact of T7L variants overexpression on the metabolic profile of Escherichia coli

INTRODUCTION

Exploring metabolic changes within host E. coli through an untargeted metabolomic study of T7L variants overexpression to optimize engineered endolysins for clinical/therapeutic use.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the impact of overexpressing T7L variants on the metabolic profiles of E. coli. The two variants considered include T7L-H37A, which has enhanced lytic activity compared to its wild-type protein, and T7L-H48K, a dead mutant with no significant activity.

METHODS

1H NMR-based metabolomics was employed to compare the metabolic profiles of E. coli cells overexpressing T7L wild-type protein and its variants.

RESULTS

Overexpression of the T7L wild-type (T7L-WT) protein and its variants (T7L-H48K and T7L-H37A) was compared to RNAP overexpression in E. coli cells using 1H NMR-based metabolomics, analyzing a total of 75 annotated metabolites, including organic acids, amino acids, sugars, and nucleic acids. The results showed distinct clustering patterns for the two T7L variant groups compared with the WT, in which the dead mutant (H48K) group showed clustering close to that of RNAP. Pathway impact analysis revealed different effects of T7L variants on E. coli metabolic profiles, with T7L-H48K showing minimal alterations in energy and amino acid pathways linked to osmotic stress compared to noticeable alterations in these pathways for both T7L-H37A and T7L-WT.

CONCLUSIONS

This study uncovered distinct metabolic fingerprints when comparing the overexpression of active and inactive mutants of T7L lytic enzymes in E. coli cells. These findings could contribute to the optimization and enhancement of suitable endolysins as potential alternatives to antibiotics.

Improving the inhibitory resistance of xylanase FgXyn11C from Fusarium graminearum to SyXIP-I by site-directed mutagenesis

The aim of this study was to improve the inhibitory resistance of xylanase FgXyn11C from Fusarium graminearum to XIP in cereal flour. Site saturation mutagenesis was performed using computer-aided redesign. Firstly, based on multiple primary structure alignments, the amino acid residues in the active site architecture were identified, and specific residue T144 in the thumb region of FgXyn11C was selected for site-saturation mutagenesis. After screening, FgXyn11CT144F was selected as the best mutant, as it displayed the highest enzymatic activity and resistance simultaneously compared to other mutants. The specific activity of FgXyn11CT144F was 208.8 U/mg and it exhibited complete resistance to SyXIP-I. Compared with the wild-type, FgXyn11CT144F displayed similar activity and the most resistant against SyXIP-I. The optimal temperature and pH of the wild-type and purified FgXyn11CT144F were similar at pH 5.0 and 30 °C. Our findings provided preliminary insight into how the specific residue at position 144 in the thumb region of FgXyn11C influenced the enzymatic properties and interacted with SyXIP-I. The inhibition sensitivity of FgXyn11C was reduced through directed evolution, leading to creation of the mutant enzyme FgXyn11CT144F. The FgXyn11CT144F resistance to SyXIP-I has potential application and can also provide references for engineering other resistant xylanases of the GHF11.

Advances in microbial exoenzymes bioengineering for improvement of bioplastics degradation

Plastic pollution has become a major global concern, posing numerous challenges for the environment and wildlife. Most conventional ways of plastics degradation are inefficient and cause great damage to ecosystems. The development of biodegradable plastics offers a promising solution for waste management. These plastics are designed to break down under various conditions, opening up new possibilities to mitigate the negative impact of traditional plastics. Microbes, including bacteria and fungi, play a crucial role in the degradation of bioplastics by producing and secreting extracellular enzymes, such as cutinase, lipases, and proteases. However, these microbial enzymes are sensitive to extreme environmental conditions, such as temperature and acidity, affecting their functions and stability. To address these challenges, scientists have employed protein engineering and immobilization techniques to enhance enzyme stability and predict protein structures. Strategies such as improving enzyme and substrate interaction, increasing enzyme thermostability, reinforcing the bonding between the active site of the enzyme and substrate, and refining enzyme activity are being utilized to boost enzyme immobilization and functionality. Recently, bioengineering through gene cloning and expression in potential microorganisms, has revolutionized the biodegradation of bioplastics. This review aimed to discuss the most recent protein engineering strategies for modifying bioplastic-degrading enzymes in terms of stability and functionality, including enzyme thermostability enhancement, reinforcing the substrate binding to the enzyme active site, refining with other enzymes, and improvement of enzyme surface and substrate action. Additionally, discovered bioplastic-degrading exoenzymes by metagenomics techniques were emphasized.

Structural and functional analysis of SpGlu64A: a novel glycoside hydrolase family 64 laminaripentaose-producing β-1,3-glucanase from Streptomyces pratensis

Laminaripentaose (L5)-producing β-1,3-glucanases can preferentially cleave the triple-helix curdlan into β-1,3-glucooligosaccharides, especially L5. In this study, a newly identified member of the glycoside hydrolase family 64, β-1,3-glucanase from Streptomyces pratensis (SpGlu64A), was functionally and structurally characterized. SpGlu64A shared highest identity (30%) with a β-1,3-glucanase from Streptomyces matensis. The purified SpGlu64A showed maximal activity at pH 7.5 and 50 °C, and exhibited strict substrate specificity toward curdlan (83.1 U·mg-1). It efficiently hydrolyzed curdlan to produce L5 as the end product. The overall structure of SpGlu64A consisted of a barrel domain and a mixed (α/β) domain, which formed an unusually wide groove with a crescent-like structure. In the two complex structures (SpGlu64A-L3 and SpGlu64A-L4), two oligosaccharide chains were captured and the triple-helical structure was relatively compatible with the wide groove, which suggested the possibility of binding to the triple-helical β-1,3-glucan. A catalytic framework (β6-β9-β10) and the steric hindrance formed by the side chains of residues Y161, N163, and H393 in the catalytic groove were predicted to complete the exotype-like cleavage manner. On the basis of the structure, a fusion protein with the CBM56 domain (SpGlu64A-CBM) and a mutant (Y161F; by site-directed mutation) were obtained, with 1.2- and 1.7-fold increases in specific activity, respectively. Moreover, the combined expression of SpGlu64A-CBM and -Y161F improved the enzyme activity by 2.63-fold. The study will not only be helpful in understanding the reaction mechanism of β-1,3-glucanases but will also provide a basis for further enzyme engineering.

Modulating the pH profile of vanillin dehydrogenase enzyme from extremophile Bacillus ligniniphilus L1 through computational guided site-directed mutagenesis

Vanillin dehydrogenase (VDH) has recently come forward as an important enzyme for the commercial production of vanillic acid from vanillin in a one-step enzymatic process. However, VDH with high alkaline tolerance and efficiency is desirable to meet the biorefinery requirements. In this study, computationally guided site-directed mutagenesis was performed by increasing the positive and negative charges on the surface and near the active site of the VDH from the alkaliphilic marine bacterium Bacillus ligniniphilus L1, respectively. In total, 20 residues including 15 from surface amino acids and 5 near active sites were selected based on computational analysis and were subjected to site-directed mutations. The optimum pH of the two screened mutants including I132R, and T235E from surface residue and near active site mutant was shifted to 9, and 8.6, with a 2.82- and 2.95-fold increase in their activity compared to wild enzyme at pH 9, respectively. A double mutant containing both these mutations i.e., I132R/T235E was produced which showed a shift in optimum pH of VDH from 7.4 to 9, with an increase of 74.91 % in enzyme activity. Therefore, the double mutant of VDH from the L1 strain (I132R/T235E) produced in this study represents a potential candidate for industrial applications.

Glycosylation of cellulase: a novel strategy for improving cellulase

Protein glycosylation is the most complex posttranslational modification process. Most cellulases from filamentous fungi contain N-glycosylation and O-glycosylation. Here, we discuss the potential roles of glycosylation on the characteristics and function of cellulases. The use of certain cultivation, inducer, and alteration of engineering glycosylation pathway can enable the rational control of cellulase glycosylation. Glycosylation does not occur arbitrarily and may tend to modify the 3D structure of cellulases by using specially distributed glycans. Therefore, glycoengineering should be considered comprehensively along with the spatial structure of cellulases. Cellulase glycosylation may be an evolution phenomenon, which has been considered as an economical way for providing different functions from identical proteins. In addition to gene and transcription regulations, glycosylation may be another regulation on the protein expression level. Enhanced understanding of the potential regulatory role of cellulase glycosylation will enable synthetic biology approaches for the development of commercial cellulase.

Engineering of a T7 Bacteriophage Endolysin Variant with Enhanced Amidase Activity

The therapeutic use of bacteriophage-encoded endolysins as enzybiotics has increased significantly in recent years due to the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Phage endolysins lyse the bacteria by targeting their cell wall. Various engineering strategies are commonly used to modulate or enhance the utility of therapeutic enzymes. This study employed a structure-guided mutagenesis approach to engineer a T7 bacteriophage endolysin (T7L) with enhanced amidase activity and lysis potency via replacement of a noncatalytic gating residue (His 37). Two H37 variants (H37A and H37K) were designed and characterized comprehensively using integrated biophysical and biochemical techniques to provide mechanistic insights into their structure-stability-dynamics-activity paradigms. Among the studied proteins, cell lysis data suggested that the obtained H37A variant exhibits amidase activity (∼35%) enhanced compared to that of wild-type T7 endolysin (T7L-WT). In contrast to this, the H37K variant is highly unstable, prone to aggregation, and less active. Comparison of the structure and dynamics of the H37A variant to those of T7L-WT evidenced that the alteration at the site of H37 resulted in long-range structural perturbations, attenuated the conformational heterogeneity, and quenched the microsecond to millisecond time scale motions. Stability analysis confirmed the altered stability of H37A compared to that of its WT counterpart. All of the obtained results established that the H37A variant enhances the lysis activity by regulating the stability-activity trade-off. This study provided deeper atomic level insights into the structure-function relationships of endolysin proteins, thus aiding researchers in the rational design of engineered endolysins with enhanced therapeutic properties.

Asn57 N-glycosylation promotes the degradation of hemicellulose by β-1,3-1,4-glucanase from Rhizopus homothallicus

N-glycosylation alters the properties of different enzymes in different ways. Rhizopus homothallicus was first described as an environmental isolate from desert soil in Guatemala. A new gene encoding glucanase RhGlu16B was identified in R. homothallicus. It had high specific activity (9673 U/mg) when barley glucan was used as a substrate, and β-glucan is hemicellulose that is abundant in nature. RhGlu16B has only one N-glycosylation site in its Ala55-Gly64 loop. It was found that N-glycosylation increased its T_m value and catalytic efficiency by 5.1 °C and 59%, respectively. Adding N-glycosylation to the same region of GH16 family glucanases TlGlu16A (from Talaromyces leycettanus) increased its thermostability and catalytic efficiency by 6.4 °C and 38%, respectively. In a verification experiment using GH16 family glucanases BisGlu16B (from Bisporus) in which N-glycosylation was removed, N-glycosylation also appeared to promote thermostability and catalytic efficiency. N-glycosylation reduced the overall root mean square deviation of the enzyme structure, creating rigidity and increasing overall thermostability. This study provided a reference for the molecular modification of GH16 family glucanases and guided the utilization of β-glucan in hemicellulose.

A thermo-alkali stable and detergent compatible processive β-1,4-glucanase from Himalayan Bacillus sp. PCH94

Present study reports a novel and robust GH9 processive endoglucanase β-1,4-glucanase from Bacillus sp. PCH94 (EGaseBL) with thermo-alkali stable properties. The EGaseBL gene was cloned in pET-28b(+) and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells. The recombinant protein was purified 94-fold with a yield of 67.8%. The biochemical characterization revealed an active enzyme at a wide pH (4.0–10.0) and temperature (4–100°C). It showed a Km and Vmax of 1.10 mg/ml and 208.24 IU/mg, respectively, using β-glucan as a substrate. The EGaseBL showed dual activities for endoglucanase (134.17 IU/mg) and exoglucanase (28.76 IU/mg), assayed using substrates β-glucan and Avicel, respectively. The enzyme is highly stable in neutral and alkaline pH and showed a half-life of 11.29 h, and 8.31 h in pH 7.0 and 9.0, respectively. The enzyme is also compatible with commercial detergents (Tide, Surf, Ghadi, Raj, and Healing tree) of the Indian market and retained > 85% enzyme activity. Concisely, robustness, extreme functionality, and detergent compatibility endorse EGaseBL as a potential bioresource for the detergent industry, in addition to its implications for the bioethanol industry.

Recent progress in key lignocellulosic enzymes: Enzyme discovery, molecular modifications, production, and enzymatic biomass saccharification

Lignocellulose, the most prevalent biomass on earth, can be enzymatically converted into carbohydrates for bioethanol production and other uses. Among lignocellulosic enzymes, endoglucanase, xylanase, and laccase are the key enzymes, owing to their ability to disrupt the main structure of lignocellulose. Recently, new discovery methods have been established to obtain key lignocellulosic enzymes with excellent enzymatic properties. Molecular modification of enzymes to modulate their thermostability, catalytic activity, and substrate specificity has been performed with protein engineering technology. In addition, the enzyme expression has been effectively improved through expression element screening and host modification, as well as fermentation optimization. Immobilization of enzymes, use of surfactants, synergistic degradation, and optimization of reaction conditions have addressed the inefficiency of enzymatic saccharification. In this review, recent advances in key lignocellulosic enzymes are summarized, along with future prospects for the development of super-engineered strains and integrative technologies for enzymatic biomass saccharification.

Improving the Catalytic Efficiency of Aspergillus fumigatus Glucoamylase toward Raw Starch by Engineering Its N-Glycosylation Sites and Saturation Mutation

Raw starch glucoamylase (RSGA) can degrade the raw starch below the starch gelatinization temperature. In this study, to improve the catalytic activity of raw corn starch, N-glycosylation was introduced into the RSGA from Aspergillus fumigatus through site-directed mutation and the recombinant expression in Komagataella phaffii. Among them, the mutants G101S (N99-L100-S101) and Q113T (N111-S112-T113) increased the specific activity of raw corn starch by 1.19- and 1.21-fold, respectively. The optimal temperature of Q113T decreased from 70 to 60 °C. Notably, the combined mutant G101S/Q113T increased the specific activity toward raw starch by 1.22-fold and reduced the optimal temperature from 70 to 60 °C. Moreover, the mutant Q113M with a 1.5-fold increase in the catalytic activity was obtained via saturation mutation at site 113. Thus, the N-glycosylation site engineering is an efficient method to improve the activity of RSGA toward raw starch.

A thermostable and CBM2-linked GH10 xylanase from Thermobifida fusca for paper bleaching

Xylanases have the potential to be used as bio-deinking and bio-bleaching materials and their application will decrease the consumption of the chlorine-based chemicals currently used for this purpose. However, xylanases with specific properties could act effectively, such as having significant thermostability and alkali resistance, etc. In this study, we found that TfXyl10A, a xylanase from Thermobifida fusca, was greatly induced to transcript by microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) substrate. Biochemical characterization showed that TfXyl10A is optimally effective at temperature of 80 °C and pH of 9.0. After removing the carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) and linker regions, the optimum temperature of TfXyl10A-CD was reduced by 10°C (to 70°C), at which the enzyme’s temperature tolerance was also weakened. While truncating only the CBM domain (TfXyl10AdC) had no significant effect on its thermostability. Importantly, polysaccharide-binding experiment showed that the auxiliary domain CBM2 could specifically bind to cellulose substrates, which endowed xylanase TfXyl10A with the ability to degrade xylan surrounding cellulose. These results indicated that TfXyl10A might be an excellent candidate in bio-bleaching processes of paper industry. In addition, the features of active-site architecture of TfXyl10A in GH10 family were further analyzed. By mutating each residue at the -2 and -1 subsites to alanine, the binding force and enzyme activity of mutants were observably decreased. Interestingly, the mutant E51A, locating at the distal -3 subsite, exhibited 90% increase in relative activity compared with wild-type (WT) enzyme TfXyl10A-CD (the catalytic domain of TfXyl110A). This study explored the function of a GH10 xylanase containing a CBM2 domain and the contribution of amino acids in active-site architecture to catalytic activity. The results obtained provide guidance for the rational design of xylanases for industrial applications under high heat and alkali-based operating conditions, such as paper bleaching.

Enhancing the Thermostability of Phytase to Boiling Point by Evolution-Guided Design

The good thermostability of enzymes is an important basis for their wide application in industry. In this study, the phytase APPA from Yersinia intermedia was designed by evolution-guided design. Through the collection of homologous sequences in the NCBI database, we obtained a sequence set composed of 5,569 sequences, counted the number and locations of motif N-X-T/S, and selected the sites with high frequency in evolution as candidate sites for experiments. Based on the principle that N-glycosylation modification sites are located on the protein surface, 13 mutants were designed to optimize the number and location of N-glycosylation sites. Through experimental verification, 7 single mutants with improved thermostability were obtained. The best mutant, M14, with equal catalytic efficiency as the wild-type was obtained through combined mutation. The half-life (t_1/2) value of mutant M14 was improved from 3.32 min at 65°C to 25 min of at 100°C, allowing it to withstand boiling water treatment, retaining approximately 75% initial activity after a 10-min incubation at 100°C. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed that while the mutants' thermodynamic stability was nearly unchanged, their kinetic stability was greatly improved, and the combined mutant exhibited strong refolding ability. The results of a in vitro digestibility test indicated that the application effect of mutant M14 was about 4.5 times that of wild-type APPA, laying a foundation for its industrial application. IMPORTANCE Due to the harsh reaction conditions of industrial production, the relative instability of enzymes limits their application in industrial production, such as for food, pharmaceuticals, and feed. For example, the pelleting process of feed includes a brief high temperature (80 to 85°C), which requires the enzyme to have excellent thermostability. Therefore, a simple and effective method to improve the thermostability of enzymes has important practical value. In this study, we make full use of the existing homologous sequences (5,569) in the database to statistically analyze the existence frequency of N-X-T/S motifs in this large sequence space to design the phytase APPA with improved thermostability and a high hit rate (~50%). We obtained the best combination mutant, M14, that can tolerate boiling water treatment and greatly improved its kinetic stability without damaging its specific activity. Simultaneously, we proved that its performance improvement is due to its enhanced refolding ability, which comes from N-glycan modification rather than amino acid replacement. Our results provide a feasible and effective method for the modification of enzyme thermostability.

Biodegradation and Prospect of Polysaccharide from Crustaceans

Marine crustacean waste has not been fully utilized and is a rich source of chitin. Enzymatic degradation has attracted the wide attention of researchers due to its unique biocatalytic ability to protect the environment. Chitosan (CTS) and its derivative chitosan oligosaccharides (COSs) with various biological activities can be obtained by the enzymatic degradation of chitin. Many studies have shown that chitosan and its derivatives, chitosan oligosaccharides (COSs), have beneficial properties, including lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities, and have important application value in the medical treatment field, the food industry and agriculture. In this review, we describe the classification, biochemical characteristics and catalytic mechanisms of the major degrading enzymes: chitinases, chitin deacetylases (CDAs) and chitosanases. We also introduced the technology for enzymatic design and modification and proposed the current problems and development trends of enzymatic degradation of chitin polysaccharides. The discussion on the characteristics and catalytic mechanism of chitosan-degrading enzymes will help to develop new types of hydrolases by various biotechnology methods and promote their application in chitosan.

Microbial cellulases - An update towards its surface chemistry, genetic engineering and recovery for its biotechnological potential

The inherent resistance of lignocellulosic biomass makes it impervious for industrially important enzymes such as cellulases to hydrolyze cellulose. Further, the competitive absorption behavior of lignin and hemicellulose for cellulases, due to their electron-rich surfaces augments the inappropriate utilization of these enzymes. Hence, modification of the surface charge of the cellulases to reduce its non-specific binding to lignin and enhance its affinity for cellulose is an urgent necessity. Further, maintaining the stability of cellulases by the preservation of their secondary structures using immobilization techniques will also play an integral role in its industrial production. In silico approaches for increasing the catalytic activity of cellulase enzymes is also significant along with a range of substrate specificity. In addition, enhanced productivity of cellulases by tailoring the related genes through the process of genetic engineering and higher cellulase recovery after saccharification seems to be promising areas for efficient and large-scale enzyme production concepts.

Enhancing the catalytic activity of a GH5 processive endoglucanase from Bacillus subtilis BS-5 by site-directed mutagenesis

Processive endoglucanases possess both endo- and exoglucanase activity, making them attractive discovery and engineering targets. Here, a processive endoglucanase EG5C-1 from Bacillus subtilis was employed as the starting point for enzyme engineering. Referring to the complex structure information of EG5C-1 and cellohexaose, the amino acid residues in the active site architecture were identified and subjected to alanine scanning mutagenesis. The residues were chosen for a saturation mutagenesis since their variants showed similar activities to EG5C-1. Variants D70Q and S235W showed increased activity towards the substrates CMC and Avicel, an increase was further enhanced in D70Q/S235W double mutant, which displayed a 2.1- and 1.7-fold improvement in the hydrolytic activity towards CMC and Avicel, respectively. In addition, kinetic measurements showed that double mutant had higher substrate affinity (K_m) and a significantly higher catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m). The binding isotherms of wild-type EG5C-1 and double mutant D70Q/S235W suggested that the binding capability of EG5C-1 for the insoluble substrate was weaker than that of D70Q/S235W. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested that the collaborative substitutions of D70Q and S235W altered the hydrogen bonding network within the active site architecture and introduced new hydrogen bonds between the enzyme and cellohexaose, thus enhancing both substrate affinity and catalytic efficiency.