High-level production of recombinant Aspergillus niger cinnamoyl esterase (FAEA) in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

Volatile phenols in wine: overview of origin, formation, analysis, and sensory expression

Volatile phenols impart particular aromas to wine. Due to their distinctive aroma characteristics and low sensory thresholds, volatile phenols can easily influence and modify the aroma of wine. Since these compounds can be formed in wines in various ways, it is necessary to clarify the possible sources of each volatile phenol to achieve management during the winemaking process. The sources of volatile phenols in wine are divided into berry-derived, fermentation-derived, and oak-derived. The pathways and factors influencing the formation of volatile phenols from each source are then reviewed respectively. In addition, an overview of the sensory impact of volatile phenols is given, both in terms of the aroma these volatile phenols directly bring to the wine and their contribution through aroma interactions. Finally, as an essential basis for exploring the scientific problems of volatile phenols in wine, approaches to quantitation of volatile phenols and their precursors are discussed in detail. With the advancement of analytical techniques, more details on volatile phenols have been discovered. Further exploration is worthwhile to achieve more detailed monitoring and targeted management of volatile phenols in wine.

Expression of an alkaline feruloyl esterases from thermophilic Chaetomium thermophilum and its boosting effect on delignification of pulp

Exploration of feruloyl esterase (FAE) with the resistance to heat and alkali conditions in biobleaching process to improve the separation efficiency of lignocellulose is the key to achieving green papermaking. Herein, we expressed FAEB of C. thermophilum and obtained a thermostable alkaline FAE that can effectively promote the removal of lignin from pulp. The faeB gene was successfully obtained through genomic Blast strategy and high-efficiency expressed under the control of strong alcohol oxidase promoter in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant CtFAEB has an optimal temperature of 65 °C and pH of 7.0. After treated at 65 °C for 1 h, CtFAEB can still retain 63.21 % of its maximum activity, showing a good thermal stability. In addition, the recombinant CtFAEB has broad pH stability and can retain about 56 % of the maximum activity even at pH 11.0. Compared with the effect of mesophilic FAE, pretreatment with thermostable CtFAEB can promote the delignification by laccase and alkaline hydrogen peroxide from the pulp at 70 °C and pH 9.0. Alignment of the protein sequences of CtFAEB and mesophilic FAE suggested that the percentage of amino acids that easily form alpha helix in CtFAEB increases, which enhances its structural rigidity and thereby improves its thermal stability and alkali tolerance. Our study provides an effective method to obtain thermostable and alkaline FAEs, which will promote its application in biobleaching and other biorefining industries.

Cloning and expression of ferulic acid esterase gene and its effect on wort filterability

OBJECTIVES

To optimize the expression of type A ferulic acid esterase (FaeA) from Aspergillus niger in Pichia pastoris X-33 using codon optimization.

RESULTS

Recombinant FaeA was purified from the fermentation broth, with the maximum specific activity of 48.4 ± 0.1 U mg^-1. Adding it during mashing process for beer brewing raised the filtration rate by 14.5% while the turbidity and viscosity declined by 22 and 6.9%, respectively. Addition of FaeA increased the concentrations of free ferulic acid (FA) and arabinoxylan (AX) in the wort, while the polymeric arabinoxylans content declined significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

Recombinant FaeA was capable to prevent the oxidative gelation of PAX formation by breaking the cross-linking of FA among AX chains and improve the filtration performance of wort.

Hydrolysis of Nonpolar n-Alkyl Ferulates by Feruloyl Esterases

Ferulic acid is one of the major phenolic acids in plants and can be found esterified to plant cell wall components, but also as long-chain n-alkyl and steryl esters. Microbial feruloyl esterases may play a role in the bioavailability of phenolic acids during human and animal digestion. It is therefore of interest if feruloyl esterases are capable of hydrolyzing nonpolar ferulic acid esters. A series of n-alkyl ferulates with increasing lipophilicity were enzymatically synthesized, and the kinetic constants of their hydrolysis by four feruloyl esterases and a lipase as control were determined. A decrease in K_m and k_cat could be observed with decreased substrate polarity for all of the feruloyl esterases. Only one feruloyl esterase and the control lipase showed hydrolytic activity toward octadecyl ferulate. These results led to the conclusion that lipophilic ferulates are poor substrates for known feruloyl esterases and more specific esterases/lipases need to be identified.

Diversity of fungal feruloyl esterases: updated phylogenetic classification, properties, and industrial applications

Feruloyl esterases (FAEs) represent a diverse group of carboxyl esterases that specifically catalyze the hydrolysis of ester bonds between ferulic (hydroxycinnamic) acid and plant cell wall polysaccharides. Therefore, FAEs act as accessory enzymes to assist xylanolytic and pectinolytic enzymes in gaining access to their site of action during biomass conversion. Their ability to release ferulic acid and other hydroxycinnamic acids from plant biomass makes FAEs potential biocatalysts in a wide variety of applications such as in biofuel, food and feed, pulp and paper, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. This review provides an updated overview of the knowledge on fungal FAEs, in particular describing their role in plant biomass degradation, diversity of their biochemical properties and substrate specificities, their regulation and conditions needed for their induction. Furthermore, the discovery of new FAEs using genome mining and phylogenetic analysis of current publicly accessible fungal genomes will also be presented. This has led to a new subfamily classification of fungal FAEs that takes into account both phylogeny and substrate specificity.

Expression of feruloyl esterase A from Aspergillus terreus and its application in biomass degradation

Feruloyl esterases (FAEs) are key enzymes involved in the complete biodegradation of lignocelluloses, which could hydrolyze the ester bonds between hemicellulose and lignin. The coding sequence of a feruloyl esterase A (AtFaeA) was cloned from Aspergillus terreus and the recombinant AtFaeA was constitutively expressed in Pichia pastoris. The SDS-PAGE analysis of purified AtFaeA showed two protein bands owing to the different extent of glycosylation, and the recombinant AtFaeA had an optimum temperature of 50°C and an optimum pH of 5.0. The substrate utilization and primary sequence identity of AtFaeA demonstrated that it is a type-A feruloyl esterase. The hydrolysis of corn stalk and corncob by xylanase from Aspergillus niger could be significantly improved in concert with recombinant AfFaeA.

Enzymatic degradation of Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) stems: influence of the pith and bark in the total hydrolysis

The internal pith of a high energy plant, Elephant grass (EG), was more extensively degraded (>50% dry matter) compared to the outer cortex (31%) or the whole stem (35%) by an enzyme preparation from Humicola insolens, Ultraflo. Reducing sugars and acetic acid release from the pith was also higher compared to the cortex. Supplementation of Ultraflo with a type-C feruloyl esterase increased the level of deacetylation but also led to reduced solubilisation. The addition of 20% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a co-solvent also reduced the solubility of EG by Ultraflo, although acetic acid release was increased, complimenting previous results found on model substrates. The presence of DMSO was also shown to have a protective effect on xylanase activity but not acetyl esterase activity in Ultraflo. Xylan in the biomass was preferentially solubilised by DMSO, while Ultraflo removed more glucose than xylose.

Overexpression of Aspergillus tubingensis faeA in protease-deficient Aspergillus niger enables ferulic acid production from plant material

The production of ferulic acid esterase involved in the release of ferulic acid side groups from xylan was investigated in strains of Aspergillus tubingensis, Aspergillus carneus, Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oryzae. The highest activity on triticale bran as sole carbon source was observed with the A. tubingensis T8.4 strain, which produced a type A ferulic acid esterase active against methyl p-coumarate, methyl ferulate and methyl sinapate. The activity of the A. tubingensis ferulic acid esterase (AtFAEA) was inhibited twofold by glucose and induced twofold in the presence of maize bran. An initial accumulation of endoglucanase was followed by the production of endoxylanase, suggesting a combined action with ferulic acid esterase on maize bran. A genomic copy of the A. tubingensis faeA gene was cloned and expressed in A. niger D15#26 under the control of the A. niger gpd promoter. The recombinant strain has reduced protease activity and does not acidify the media, therefore promoting high-level expression of recombinant enzymes. It produced 13.5 U/ml FAEA after 5 days on autoclaved maize bran as sole carbon source, which was threefold higher than for the A. tubingensis donor strain. The recombinant AtFAEA was able to extract 50 % of the available ferulic acid from non-pretreated maize bran, making this enzyme suitable for the biological production of ferulic acid from lignocellulosic plant material.

Effects of enzymatic removal of plant cell wall acylation (acetylation, p-coumaroylation, and feruloylation) on accessibility of cellulose and xylan in natural (non-pretreated) sugar cane fractions

BACKGROUND

Sugar cane internodes can be divided diagonally into four fractions, of which the two innermost ones are the least recalcitrant pith and the moderately accessible pith-rind interface. These fractions differ in enzymatic hydrolyzability due to structural differences. In general, cellulose hydrolysis in plants is hindered by its physical interaction with hemicellulose and lignin. Lignin is believed to be linked covalently to hemicellulose through hydroxycinnamic acids, forming a compact matrix around the polysaccharides. Acetyl xylan esterase and three feruloyl esterases were evaluated for their potential to fragment the lignocellulosic network in sugar cane and to indirectly increase the accessibility of cellulose.

RESULTS

The hydrolyzability of the pith and pith-rind interface fractions of a low-lignin-containing sugar cane clone (H58) was compared to that of a reference cultivar (RC). Acetyl xylan esterase enhanced the rate and overall yield of cellulose and xylan hydrolysis in all four substrates. Of the three feruloyl esterases tested, only TsFaeC was capable of releasing p-coumaric acid, while AnFaeA and NcFaeD released ferulic acid from both the pith and interface fractions. Ferulic acid release was higher from the less recalcitrant clone (H58)/fraction (pith), whereas more p-coumaric acid was released from the clone (RC)/fraction (interface) with a higher lignin content. In addition, a compositional analysis of the four fractions revealed that p-coumaroyl content correlated with lignin, while feruloyl content correlated with arabinose content, suggesting different esterification patterns of these two hydroxycinnamic acids. Despite the extensive release of phenolic acids, feruloyl esterases only moderately promoted enzyme access to cellulose or xylan.

CONCLUSIONS

Acetyl xylan esterase TrAXE was more efficient in enhancing the overall saccharification of sugar cane, compared to the feruloyl esterases AnFaeA, TsFaeC, and NcFaeD. The hydroxycinnamic acid composition of sugar cane fractions and the hydrolysis data together suggest that feruloyl groups are more likely to decorate xylan, while p-coumaroyl groups are rather linked to lignin. The three different feruloyl esterases had distinct product profiles on non-pretreated sugar cane substrate, indicating that sugar cane pith could function as a possible natural substrate for feruloyl esterase activity measurements. Hydrolysis data suggest that TsFaeC was able to release p-coumaroyl groups esterifying lignin.

Multiple amino acid substitutions significantly improve the thermostability of feruloyl esterase A from Aspergillus niger

Feruloyl esterase A from Aspergillus niger (AnFaeA) is one of the most important feruloyl esterases of industrial relevance. Previous work aided by the PoPMuSiC algorithm has identified two beneficial mutants (D93G and S187F) with thermostabilization effect. In this work, twelve additional amino acid substitutions were identified to be beneficial to the thermostability of AnFaeA after screening a random mutagenesis library constructed in Pichia pastoris. Combination of these mutations resulted in a mutant with 80% residual activity after heat treatment at 90 °C for 15 min and a half-life increasing from 15 min to >4000 min at 55 °C. The thermostabilized mutant displayed significantly enhanced performance compared to the parental AnFaeA when applied to the treatment of steam-exploded corn stalk at 60 °C together with an xylanase, demonstrating its great potential for industrial application.

Recombinant sterol esterase from Ophiostoma piceae: an improved biocatalyst expressed in Pichia pastoris

BACKGROUND

The ascomycete Ophiostoma piceae produces a sterol esterase (OPE) with high affinity towards p-nitrophenol, glycerol and sterol esters. Its hydrolytic activity on natural mixtures of triglycerides and sterol esters has been proposed for pitch biocontrol in paper industry since these compounds produce important economic losses during paper pulp manufacture.

RESULTS

Recently, this enzyme has been heterologously expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris, and the hydrolytic activity of the recombinant protein (OPE*) studied. After the initial screening of different clones expressing the enzyme, only one was selected for showing the highest production rate. Different culture conditions were tested to improve the expression of the recombinant enzyme. Complex media were better than minimal media for production, but in any case the levels of enzymatic activity were higher (7-fold in the best case) than those obtained from O. piceae. The purified enzyme had a molecular mass of 76 kDa, higher than that reported for the native enzyme under SDS-PAGE (60 kDa). Steady-state kinetic characterization of the recombinant protein showed improved catalytic efficiency for this enzyme as compared to the native one, for all the assayed substrates (p-nitrophenol, glycerol, and cholesterol esters). Different causes for this were studied, as the increased glycosylation degree of the recombinant enzyme, their secondary structures or the oxidation of methionine residues. However, none of these could explain the improvements found in the recombinant protein. N-terminal sequencing of OPE* showed that two populations of this enzyme were expressed, having either 6 or 8 amino acid residues more than the native one. This fact affected the aggregation behaviour of the recombinant protein, as was corroborated by analytical ultracentrifugation, thus improving the catalytic efficiency of this enzyme.

CONCLUSION

P. pastoris resulted to be an optimum biofactory for the heterologous production of recombinant sterol esterase from O. piceae, yielding higher activity levels than those obtained with the saprophytic fungus. The enzyme showed improved kinetic parameters because of its modified N-terminus, which allowed changes in its aggregation behaviour, suggesting that its hydrophobicity has been modified.

Implications of Lactobacillus collinoides and Brettanomyces/Dekkera anomala in phenolic off-flavour defects of ciders

Different Lactobacillus collinoides and Brettanomyces/Dekkera anomala cider strains were studied for their ability to produce volatile phenols in synthetic medium. All strains were able to produce 4-ethylcatechol (4-EC), 4-ethylphenol (4-EP) and 4-ethylguaiacol (4-EG) from caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids, respectively. Interestingly, D. anomala and L. collinoides were also able to produce 4-EC, 4-EP and 4-EG in cider conditions. The quantities of ethylphenols produced by these two species were similar in both tested ciders. The impact of precursor quantities was studied and it showed that the addition of caffeic and p-coumaric acids in ciders allowed for higher 4-EC and 4-EP production by D. anomala and L. collinoides. In parallel, D. anomala and L. collinoides strains were isolated from a phenolic off-flavour defective bottled cider after ethylphenol production hence confirming the implication of these two species in this cider spoilage. Finally, detection thresholds of the main ethylphenols were determined in ciders by orthonasal and retronasal sampling. The 4-EC and 4-EP detection thresholds (close to 20-25mg/l and 1.5-2.0mg/l, respectively) were matrix dependant.

Enzymatic and chemical treatment limits on the controlled solubilization of brewers' spent grain

The enzymatic hydrolysis of brewers' spent grain (BSG) has been investigated through treatment with commercial carbohydrases and proteases. Resultant residues were then chemically fractionated and delignified. Enzymatic treatments released 25-30% of the BSG mass and yielded precursors suitable for subsequent conversion to potentially value-added products. Controlled chemical fractionation selectively solubilized arabinoxylan but with no differences apparent due to prior enzyme treatment. The loss of non-polysaccharide components during alkali treatment suggests the presence of a high proportion of alkali-soluble lignin. Further delignification of the alkali-insoluble residues and further chemical fractionation released the remaining hemicellulose, to yield a residue which was >90% cellulose. Further knowledge of the properties and interaction between BSG polymers will facilitate an improved enzyme-assisted total deconstruction of BSG and hence the exploitation of its biomass.

Expression, characterization and structural modelling of a feruloyl esterase from the thermophilic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila

A ferulic acid esterase (FAE) from the thermophilic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila (synonym Sporotrichum thermophile), belonging to the carbohydrate esterase family 1 (CE-1), was functionally expressed in methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. The putative FAE from the genomic DNA was successfully cloned in P. pastoris X-33 to confirm that the enzyme exhibits FAE activity. The recombinant FAE was purified to its homogeneity (39 kDa) and subsequently characterized using a series of model substrates including methyl esters of hydroxycinnamates, alkyl ferulates and monoferuloylated 4-nitrophenyl glycosides. The substrate specificity profiling reveals that the enzyme shows a preference for the hydrolysis of methyl caffeate and p-coumarate and a strong preference for the hydrolysis of n-butyl and iso-butyl ferulate. The enzyme was active on substrates containing ferulic acid ester linked to the C-5 and C-2 linkages of arabinofuranose, whilst it was found capable of de-esterifying acetylated glucuronoxylans. Ferulic acid (FA) was efficiently released from destarched wheat bran when the esterase was incubated together with an M3 xylanase from Trichoderma longibrachiatum (a maximum of 41% total FA released after 1 h incubation). Prediction of the secondary structure of MtFae1a was performed in the PSIPRED server whilst modelling the 3D structure was accomplished by the use of the HH 3D structure prediction server.

Screening of representative cider yeasts and bacteria for volatile phenol-production ability

Representative cider microorganisms (47 yeast strains and 16 bacterial strains) were studied for their ability to produce volatile phenols in a synthetic medium simulating cider conditions and supplemented with the necessary precursors. The various strains were tested for cinnamoyl esterase activity and only Lactobacillus collinoides were able to hydrolyse chlorogenic acid. Phenolic acid decarboxylase (PAD) activities were observed for 6 yeasts and 4 bacterial species allowing them to produce vinylphenols from hydroxycinnamic acids. On the other hand, 4 bacterial species exhibited phenolic acid reductase (PAR) activities leading to the formation of hydroxyphenylpropionic acids. Brettanomyces/Dekkera anomala and L. collinoides were able to produce 4-ethylcatechol (4-EC) and 4-ethylphenol (4-EP) from caffeic and p-coumaric acid, respectively, indicating that both species exhibit PAD and vinylphenol reductase (VPR) activities. In the experimental conditions used, the production of ethylphenols by L. collinoides was faster than the one observed for D. anomala.

Influence of organic co-solvents on the activity and substrate specificity of feruloyl esterases

Organic co-solvents can expand the use of enzymes in lignocellulose deconstruction through making substrates more soluble and thus more accessible. In choosing the most adequate co-solvent for feruloyl esterases, hydrolysis of methyl p-hydroxycinnamates by three pure enzymes (and a multi-enzyme preparation) was evaluated. Low concentrations of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) enhanced hydrolysis by two of the enzymes while at levels >20%, activity was reduced. DMSO also enhanced acetyl esterase-type activity of the enzymes. The co-solvent effect was different for each enzyme-substrate couple, indicating that other factors are also involved. Kinetic studies with a Talaromyces stipitatus feruloyl esterase showed low concentrations of dimethylsulfoxide enhanced the hydrolytic rate while K(m) also increased. Moreover, long-term incubation (96 h) of an Aspergillus niger feruloyl esterase in dimethylsulfoxide:water provided to the enzyme the ability to hydrolyze methyl p-coumarate, suggesting an active-site re-arrangement. Dimethylsulfoxide (10-30%) is proposed as an adequate co-solvent for feruloyl esterase treatment of water-insoluble substrates.

Identification of amino acid residues responsible for increased thermostability of feruloyl esterase A from Aspergillus niger using the PoPMuSiC algorithm

Feruloyl esterases are key enzymes involved in the complete hydrolysis of hemicellulose. In order to improve the thermostability of feruloyl esterase A (FaeA) from Aspergillus niger CIB 423.1, the PoPMuSiC algorithm was applied to predict the folding free energy change (ΔΔG) of amino acid substitutions. Four amino acid substitutions (S92A, D93G, D174A and S187F) were introduced into the enzyme by site-directed mutagenesis and the enzymes were produced in Pichia pastoris KM71. No obvious changes in thermal stability resulted from substitutions S92A and D174A, but, compared to the wild-type enzyme which has a half-life of inactivation of 8 min, the half-lives of enzymes with a D93G or S187F substitution increased to 9.4 and 60.5 min, respectively. The double mutant D93G/S187F displayed a synergistic effect with a t1/2 value of 77.0 min. It also displayed over 10-fold increase in catalytic turnover frequency. The result will benefit further investigation of the thermostability of feruloyl esterase A.

Engineering a leucine zipper-TRAIL homotrimer with improved cytotoxicity in tumor cells

Successful cancer therapies aim to induce selective apoptosis in neoplastic cells. The current suboptimal efficiency and selectivity drugs have therapeutic limitations and induce concomitant side effects. Recently, novel cancer therapies based on the use of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) have emerged. TRAIL, a key component of the natural antitumor immune response, selectively kills many tumor cell types. Earlier studies with recombinant TRAIL, however, revealed its many shortcomings including a short half-life, off-target toxicity, and existence of TRAIL-resistant tumor cells. We improved the efficacy of recombinant TRAIL by redesigning its structure and the expression and purification procedures. The result is a highly stable leucine zipper (LZ)-TRAIL chimera that is simple to produce and purify. This chimera functions as a trimer in a manner that is similar to natural TRAIL. The formulation of the recombinant LZ-TRAIL we have developed has displayed high specific activity in both cell-based assays in vitro and animal tests in vivo. Our results have shown that the half-life of LZ-TRAIL is improved and now exceeds 1 h in mice compared with a half-life of only minutes reported earlier for recombinant TRAIL. We have concluded that our LZ-TRAIL construct will serve as a foundation for a new generation of fully human LZ-TRAIL proteins suitable for use in preclinical and clinical studies and for effective combination therapies to overcome tumor resistance to TRAIL.

Characterization of two distinct feruloyl esterases, AoFaeB and AoFaeC, from Aspergillus oryzae

Two hypothetical proteins XP_001818628 and XP_001819091 (designated AoFaeB and AoFaeC, respectively), showing sequence identity with known type-C feruloyl esterases, have been found in the genomic sequence of Aspergillus oryzae. We cloned the putative A. oryzae feruloyl esterase-encoding genes and expressed them in Pichia pastoris. Both purified recombinant AoFaeB (rAoFaeB) and AoFaeC (rAoFaeC) had apparent relative molecular masses of 61,000 and 75,000, respectively, on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. After N-deglycosylation, both proteins had a relative molecular mass of 55,000. The optimum pH for rAoFaeB was 6.0, although it was stable at pH values ranging from 3.0 to 9.0; rAoFaeC had an optimum pH of 6.0 and was stable in the pH range of 7.0-10.0. Thermostability of rAoFaeC was greater than that of rAoFaeB. Whereas rAoFaeC displayed hydrolytic activity toward methyl caffeate, methyl p-coumarate, methyl ferulate, and methyl sinapate, rAoFaeB displayed hydrolytic activity toward methyl caffeate, methyl p-coumarate, and methyl ferulate but not toward methyl sinapate. Substrate specificity profiling of rAoFaeB and rAoFaeC revealed type-B and type-C feruloyl esterases, respectively. Ferulic acid was efficiently released from wheat arabinoxylan when both esterases were applied with xylanase from Thermomyces lanuginosus. Both recombinant proteins also exhibited hydrolytic activity toward chlorogenic acid.

Effect of pH on the solubilization of brewers' spent grain by microbial carbohydrases and proteases

The potential for enzymatic solubilization of brewers' spent grain by carbohydrases and proteases was examined over a broad pH range (pH 3.2-11.2). Enzymes from Trichoderma (Depol 686) were most efficient at a lower pH, while enzymes from the Humicola preparation (Depol 740) were the best performer over the whole range. Profiling of key glycoside hydrolase, esterase and protease activities across the pH range demonstrated that solubilization of spent grain by the Trichoderma enzymes corresponded to the range of maximum activities. This was not the case with the Humicola enzymes, where maximum solubilization of the substrate occurred at pH 9.1, at which pH the determined activities were low. Protease activity in Depol 740 was associated with a high solubilization, but inhibition of proteolytic activity resulted in only a 5% decrease in spent grain solubilization. These results suggest that while enzymes can be used to exploit agro-industrials byproduct, the use of high pH increases the extent of hydrolysis and an unidentified factor produced by Humicola improves the enzyme-catalyzed solubilization of lignocellulosic material.

Synergistic enhancement of cellobiohydrolase performance on pretreated corn stover by addition of xylanase and esterase activities

Significant increases in the depolymerization of corn stover cellulose by cellobiohydrolase I (Cel7A) from Trichoderma reesei were observed using small quantities of non-cellulolytic cell wall-degrading enzymes. Purified endoxylanase (XynA), ferulic acid esterase (FaeA), and acetyl xylan esterase (Axe1) all enhanced Cel7A performance on corn stover subjected to hot water pretreatment. In all cases, the addition of these activities improved the effectiveness of the enzymatic hydrolysis in terms of the quantity of cellulose converted per milligram of total protein. Improvement in cellobiose release by the addition of the non-cellulolytic enzymes ranged from a 13-84% increase over Cel7A alone. The most effective combinations included the addition of both XynA and Axe1, which synergistically enhance xylan conversions resulting in additional synergistic improvements in glucan conversion. Additionally, we note a direct relationship between enzymatic xylan removal in the presence of XynA and the enhancement of cellulose hydrolysis by Cel7A.

Enzymatic synthesis of butyl hydroxycinnamates and their inhibitory effects on LDL-oxidation

The potential of the Aspergillus niger type A feruloyl esterase (AnFaeA) for the synthesis of various phenolic acid esters was examined using a ternary-organic reaction system consisting of a mixture of n-hexane, 1- or 2-butanol and water. Reaction parameters including the type of methyl hydroxycinnamate, the composition of the reaction media, the temperature, and the substrate concentration were investigated to evaluate their effect on initial rate and conversion to butyl esters of sinapic acids. Optimisation of the reaction parameters lead to 78% and 9% yield for the synthesis of 1-butyl and 2-butyl sinapate, respectively. For the first time, a feruloyl esterase was introduced in the reaction system as cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs), after optimisation of the immobilisation procedure, allowing the recycling and reuse of the biocatalyst. The inhibition of copper-induced LDL oxidation by hydroxycinnamic acids and their corresponding butyl esters was investigated in vitro. Kinetic analysis of the antioxidation process demonstrates that sinapate derivatives are effective antioxidants indicating that esterification increases the free acid's antioxidant activity especially on dimethoxylated compounds such as sinapic acid compared to methoxy-hydroxy-compounds such as ferulic acid.

Gene overexpression and biochemical characterization of the biotechnologically relevant chlorogenic acid hydrolase from Aspergillus niger

The full-length gene that encodes the chlorogenic acid hydrolase from Aspergillus niger CIRM BRFM 131 was cloned by PCR based on the genome of the strain A. niger CBS 513.88. The complete gene consists of 1,715 bp and codes for a deduced protein of 512 amino acids with a molecular mass of 55,264 Da and an acidic pI of 4.6. The gene was successfully cloned and overexpressed in A. niger to yield 1.25 g liter(-1), i.e., 330-fold higher than the production of wild-type strain A. niger CIRM BRFM131. The histidine-tagged recombinant ChlE protein was purified to homogeneity via a single chromatography step, and its main biochemical properties were characterized. The molecular size of the protein checked by mass spectroscopy was 74,553 Da, suggesting the presence of glycosylation. ChlE is assembled in a tetrameric form with several acidic isoforms with pIs of around 4.55 and 5.2. Other characteristics, such as optimal pH and temperature, were found to be similar to those determined for the previously characterized chlorogenic acid hydrolase of A. niger CIRM BRFM 131. However, there was a significant temperature stability difference in favor of the recombinant protein. ChlE exhibits a catalytic efficiency of 12.5 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) toward chlorogenic acid (CGA), and its ability to release caffeic acid from CGA present in agricultural by-products such as apple marc and coffee pulp was clearly demonstrated, confirming the high potential of this enzyme.

Substrate and positional specificity of feruloyl esterases for monoferuloylated and monoacetylated 4-nitrophenyl glycosides

4-Nitrophenyl glycosides of 2-, 3-, and 5-O-(E)-feruloyl- and 2- and 5-O-acetyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranosides and of 2-, 3-, and 4-O-(E)-feruloyl- and 2-, 3- and 4-O-acetyl-beta-D-xylopyranosides, compounds mimicking natural substrates, were used to investigate substrate and positional specificity of type-A, -B, and -C feruloyl esterases. All the feruloyl esterases behave as true feruloyl esterases showing negligible activity on sugar acetates. Type-A enzymes, represented by AnFaeA from Aspergillus niger and FoFaeII from Fusarium oxysporum, are specialized for deferuloylation of primary hydroxyl groups, with a very strong preference for hydrolyzing 5-O-feruloyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside. On the contrary, type-B and -C feruloyl esterases, represented by FoFaeI from F. oxysporum and TsFaeC from Talaromyces stipitatus, acted on almost all ferulates with exception of 4- and 3-O-feruloyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside. 5-O-Feruloyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside was the best substrate for both TsFaeC and FoFaeI, although catalytic efficiency of the latter enzyme toward 2-O-feruloyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside was comparable. In comparison with acetates, the corresponding ferulates served as poor substrates for the carbohydrate esterase family 1 feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus oryzae. The enzyme hydrolyzed all alpha-L-arabinofuranoside and beta-D-xylopyranoside acetates. It behaved as a non-specific acetyl esterase rather than a feruloyl esterase, with a preference for 2-O-acetyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside.

Respective importance of protein folding and glycosylation in the thermal stability of recombinant feruloyl esterase A

The thermal stability of four molecular forms (native, refolded, glycosylated, non-glycosylated) of feruloyl esterase A (FAEA) was studied. From the most to the least thermo-resistant, the four molecular species ranked as follows: (i) glycosylated form produced native, (ii) non-glycosylated form produced native, (iii) non-glycosylated form produced as inclusion bodies and refolded, and (iv) glycosylated form produced native chemically denatured and then refolded. On the basis of these results and of crystal structure data, we discuss the respective importance of protein folding and glycosylation in the thermal stability of recombinant FAEA.

Production of a chimeric enzyme tool associating the Trichoderma reesei swollenin with the Aspergillus niger feruloyl esterase A for release of ferulic acid

The main goals of this work were to produce the fusion protein of the Trichoderma reesei swollenin I (SWOI) and Aspergillus niger feruloyl esterase A (FAEA) and to study the effect of the physical association of the fusion partners on the efficiency of the enzyme. The fusion protein was produced up to 25 mg l(-1) in the T. reesei strains Rut-C30 and CL847. In parallel, FAEA alone was produced for use as a control protein in application tests. Recombinant FAEA and SWOI-FAEA were purified to homogeneity and characterized. The biochemical and kinetic characteristics of the two recombinant proteins were found to be similar to those of native FAEA, except for the temperature stability and specific activity of the SWOI-FAEA. Finally, the SWOI-FAEA protein was tested for release of ferulic acid from wheat bran. A period of 24 h of enzymatic hydrolysis with the SWOI-FAEA improved the efficiency of ferulic acid release by 50% compared with the results obtained using the free FAEA and SWOI. Ferulic acid is used as an antioxidant and flavor precursor in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This is the first report of a potential application of the SWOI protein fused with an enzyme of industrial interest.

The feruloyl esterase system of Talaromyces stipitatus: Determining the hydrolytic and synthetic specificity of TsFaeC

The active site of the recombinant Talaromyces stipitatus type-C feruloyl esterase (TsFaeC) was probed using a series of C1-C4 alkyl ferulates and methyl esters of phenylalkanoic and cinnamic acids. The enzyme was active on 23 of the 34 substrates tested. Lengthening or shortening the aliphatic side chain while maintaining the same aromatic substitutions completely abolished the enzyme activity. Maintaining the phenylpropenoate structure but altering the substitutions of the aromatic ring demonstrated the importance of hydroxyl groups on meta and/or para position of the benzoic ring. The highest catalytic efficiency of TsFaeC for methyl cinnamates was shown on methyl 3,4-dihydroxy cinnamate and on its hydro form (3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl-propionate). Maintaining the ferulate structure but altering the esterified alkyl group, the comparison of k(cat) and k(cat)/K(m) values showed that the enzyme hydrolysed faster and more efficiently than ethyl ferulate. Alkyl ferulates were applied also for substrate selectivity mapping of feruloyl esterase to catalyze feruloyl group transfer to l-arabinose, using as a reaction system a ternary water-organic mixture consisting of n-hexane, t-butanol and water. The reaction parameters affecting the feruloylation rate and the conversion of the enzymatic synthesis, such as the composition of the reaction media, temperature, substrate and enzyme concentration have been investigated.

Glucuronoyl esterase--novel carbohydrate esterase produced by Schizophyllum commune

The cellulolytic system of the wood-rotting fungus Schizophyllum commune contains an esterase that hydrolyzes methyl ester of 4-O-methyl-d-glucuronic acid. The enzyme, called glucuronoyl esterase, was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from a cellulose-spent culture fluid. Its substrate specificity was examined on a number of substrates of other carbohydrate esterases such as acetylxylan esterase, feruloyl esterase and pectin methylesterase. The glucuronoyl esterase attacks exclusively the esters of MeGlcA. The methyl ester of free or glycosidically linked MeGlcA was not hydrolysed by other carbohydrate esterases. The results suggest that we have discovered a new type of carbohydrate esterase that might be involved in disruption of ester linkages connecting hemicellulose and lignin in plant cell walls.

Construction of engineered bifunctional enzymes and their overproduction in Aspergillus niger for improved enzymatic tools to degrade agricultural by-products

Two chimeric enzymes, FLX and FLXLC, were designed and successfully overproduced in Aspergillus niger. FLX construct is composed of the sequences encoding the feruloyl esterase A (FAEA) fused to the endoxylanase B (XYNB) of A. niger. A C-terminal carbohydrate-binding module (CBM family 1) was grafted to FLX, generating the second hybrid enzyme, FLXLC. Between each partner, a hyperglycosylated linker was included to stabilize the constructs. Hybrid proteins were purified to homogeneity, and molecular masses were estimated to be 72 and 97 kDa for FLX and FLXLC, respectively. Integrity of hybrid enzymes was checked by immunodetection that showed a single form by using antibodies raised against FAEA and polyhistidine tag. Physicochemical properties of each catalytic module of the bifunctional enzymes corresponded to those of the free enzymes. In addition, we verified that FLXLC exhibited an affinity for microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) with binding parameters corresponding to a Kd of 9.9 x 10(-8) M for the dissociation constant and 0.98 micromol/g Avicel for the binding capacity. Both bifunctional enzymes were investigated for their capacity to release ferulic acid from natural substrates: corn and wheat brans. Compared to free enzymes FAEA and XYNB, a higher synergistic effect was obtained by using FLX and FLXLC for both substrates. Moreover, the release of ferulic acid from corn bran was increased by using FLXLC rather than FLX. This result confirms a positive role of the CBM. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that the fusion of naturally free cell wall hydrolases and an A. niger-derived CBM onto bifunctional enzymes enables the increase of the synergistic effect on the degradation of complex substrates.

An Aspergillus oryzae acetyl xylan esterase: Molecular cloning and characteristics of recombinant enzyme expressed in Pichia pastoris

We screened 20,000 clones of an expressed sequence tag (EST) library from Aspergillus oryzae (http://www.nrib.go.jp/ken/EST/db/index.html) and obtained one cDNA clone encoding a protein with similarity to fungal acetyl xylan esterase. We also cloned the corresponding gene, designated as Aoaxe, from the genomic DNA. The deduced amino acid sequence consisted of a putative signal peptide of 31-amino acids and a mature protein of 276-amino acids. We engineered Aoaxe for heterologous expression in P. pastoris. Recombinant AoAXE (rAoAXE) was secreted by the aid of fused alpha-factor secretion signal peptide and accumulated as an active enzyme in the culture medium to a final level of 190 mg/l after 5 days. Purified rAoAXEA before and after treatment with endoglycosidase H migrated by SDS-PAGE with a molecular mass of 31 and 30 kDa, respectively. Purified rAoAXE displayed the greatest hydrolytic activity toward alpha-naphthylacetate (C2), lower activity toward alpha-naphthylpropionate (C3) and no detectable activity toward acyl-chain substrates containing four or more carbon atoms. The recombinant enzyme catalyzed the release of acetic acid from birchwood xylan. No activity was detectable using methyl esters of ferulic, caffeic or sinapic acids. rAoAXE was thermolabile in comparison to other AXEs from Aspergillus.

Synergy between xylanases from glycoside hydrolase family 10 and family 11 and a feruloyl esterase in the release of phenolic acids from cereal arabinoxylan

The bioconversion of waste residues (by-products) from cereal processing industries requires the cooperation of enzymes able to degrade xylanolytic and cellulosic material. The type A feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus niger, AnFaeA, works synergistically with (1-->4)-beta-D-xylopyranosidases (xylanases) to release monomeric and dimeric ferulic acid (FA) from cereal cell wall-derived material. The esterase was more effective with a family 11 xylanase from Trichoderma viride in releasing FA and with a family 10 xylanase from Thermoascus aurantiacus in releasing the 5,5' form of diferulic acid from arabinoxylan (AX) derived from brewers' spent grain. The converse was found for the release of the phenolic acids from wheat bran-derived AXs. This may be indicative of compositional differences in AXs in cereals.

Role of cultivation media in the development of yeast strains for large scale industrial use

The composition of cultivation media in relation to strain development for industrial application is reviewed. Heterologous protein production and pentose utilization by Saccharomyces cerevisiae are used to illustrate the influence of media composition at different stages of strain construction and strain development. The effects of complex, defined and industrial media are compared. Auxotrophic strains and strain stability are discussed. Media for heterologous protein production and for bulk bio-commodity production are summarized.

Homologous expression of the feruloyl esterase B gene from Aspergillus niger and characterization of the recombinant enzyme

The faeB gene encoding the feruloyl esterase B (FAEB) was isolated from Aspergillus niger BRFM131 genomic DNA. The faeB gene, with additional sequence coding for a C-terminal histidine tag, was inserted into an expression vector under the control of the gpd promoter and trpC terminator and expressed in a protease deficient A. niger strain. Homologous overproduction allows to reach an esterase activity of 18 nkat mL(-1) against MCA as substrate. The improvement factor was 16-fold higher as compared to the production level obtained with non-transformed A. niger strain induced by sugar beet pulp. The corresponding secretion yield was estimated to be around 100 mg L(-1). Recombinant FAEB was purified 14.6-fold to homogeneity from an 8-day-old culture by a single affinity chromatographic step with a recovery of 64%. SDS-PAGE revealed a single band with a molecular mass of 75 kDa, while under non-denatured conditions, native enzyme has a molecular mass of around 150 kDa confirming that the recombinant FAEB is a homodimer. The recombinant and native FAEB have the same characteristics concerning temperature and pH optima, i.e., 50 degrees C and 6, respectively. In addition, the recombinant FAEB was determined to be quite stable up to 50 degrees C for 120 min. Kinetic constants for MCA, MpCA, and chlorogenic acid (5-O-caffeoyl quinic acid) were as follows: Km: 0.13, 0.029, and 0.16 mM and Vmax: 1101, 527.6, and 28.3 nkat mg(-1), respectively. This is the first report on the homologous overproduction of feruloyl esterase B in A. niger.

AFM studies of water-soluble wheat arabinoxylans—effects of esterase treatment

The degradation products of water-soluble wheat arabinoxylans treated with Aspergillus niger ferulic acid esterase (FAEA-able to cleave 5,5'- and 8-O-4'-ferulic acid dimers) have been characterised by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and size exclusion chromatography. The AFM images of arabinoxylans confirmed that a small proportion ( approximately 15%) of the population of arabinoxylan molecules contain xylan-based branches attached to the xylan-based backbone. Treatment with FAEA reduced the contour length of the molecules suggesting that certain dimeric ferulic acid linkages may play a previously unconfirmed role in the elongation of arabinoxylans. Overnight treatment with FAEA led to a reduction in the density of branches suggesting that they may also be linked to the backbone through phenolic linkages.