EFFECT OF TWO POLAR ORGANIC-AQUEOUS SOLVENT SYSTEMS ON THE STRUCTURE-FUNCTION RELATIONSHIPS OF PROTEASES III. PAPAIN AND TRYPSIN

Stabilization of Chromobacterium viscosum Lipase (CVL) Against Ultrasound Inactivation by the Pretreatment with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)

Although ultrasound has been used to accelerate many enzymatic reactions, the low stability of enzymes in such a system still remains a critical issue, limiting its industrial application. Here, we have reported that polyethylene glycol (PEG) pretreatment stabilized Chromobacterium viscosum lipase (CVL) in ultrasound-assisted water-isooctane emulsion. PEGs of different molecular weights and concentrations were used to pretreat CVL, and the pretreated lipase activities for olive oil hydrolysis were investigated at different ultrasonic powers. The best result was attained with PEG400 at 100 mg/ml for a lipase concentration of 0.02 mg/ml and an ultrasonic power of 106 W. The half-life time of PEG400-treated lipase at 106 W was 54 min, a 27-fold higher than that attained using untreated lipase. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra suggested that PEG increased the rigidity of CVL structure, which favored the lipase stability against ultrasound inactivation. These results have important implications for the exploitation of ultrasound in biocatalytic process.

Production, purification and characterization of cholesterol oxidase from a newly isolated Streptomyces sp

Cholesterol oxidase production (COD) by a new isolate characterized as Streptomyces sp. was studied in different production media and fermentation conditions. Individual supplementation of 1 % maltose, lactose, sucrose, peptone, soybean meal and yeast extract enhanced COD production by 80-110 % in comparison to the basal production medium (2.4 U/ml). Supplementation of 0.05 % cholesterol (inducer) enhanced COD production by 150 %. COD was purified 14.3-fold and its molecular weight was found to be 62 kDa. Vmax (21.93 μM/min mg) and substrate affinity Km (101.3 μM) suggested high affinity of the COD for cholesterol. In presence of Ba(2+) and Hg(2+) the enzyme activity was inhibited while Cu(2+) enhanced the activity nearly threefold. Relative activity of the enzyme was found maximum in triton X-100 whereas sodium dodecyl sulfate inactivated the enzyme. The enzyme activity was also inhibited by the thiol-reducing reagents like Dithiothreitol and β-mercaptoethanol. The COD showed moderate stability towards all organic solvents except acetone, benzene and chloroform. The activity increased in presence of isopropanol and ethanol. The enzyme was most active at pH 7 and 37 °C temperature. This organism is not reported to produce COD.

Application of thiolated gold nanoparticles for the enhancement of glucose oxidase activity

Glucose oxidase (GOx) has been covalently immobilized onto chemically synthesized thiolated gold nanoparticles (5-8 nm) via N-ethyl-N'-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The lower value of the Michaelis-Menton constant obtained for the immobilized (3.74 mM) GOx compared with that for the free (5.85 mM) GOx suggests significant enhancement in the activity of GOx attached to thiolated gold nanoparticles. The covalently immobilized GOx thiolated nanoparticles exhibit a response time of 30 s, a shelf life of more than 6 months, and improved tolerance to both pH and temperature.