In this study cutinases from Thermobifida cellulosilytica DSM44535 (Thc_Cut1 and Thc_Cut2) and Thermobifida fusca DSM44342 (Thf42_Cut1) hydrolyzing poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were ...successfully cloned and expressed in E.coli BL21-Gold(DE3). Their ability to hydrolyze PET was compared with other enzymes hydrolyzing natural polyesters, including the PHA depolymerase (ePhaZmcl) from Pseudomonas fluorescens and two cutinases from T. fusca KW3. The three isolated Thermobifida cutinases are very similar (only a maximum of 18 amino acid differences) but yet had different kinetic parameters on soluble substrates. Their k cat and K m values on pNP–acetate were in the ranges 2.4–211.9 s–1 and 127–200 μM while on pNP–butyrate they showed k cat and K m values between 5.3 and 195.1 s–1 and between 1483 and 2133 μM. Thc_Cut1 released highest amounts of MHET and terephthalic acid from PET and bis(benzoyloxyethyl) terephthalate (3PET) with the highest concomitant increase in PET hydrophilicity as indicated by water contact angle (WCA) decreases. FTIR-ATR analysis revealed an increase in the crystallinity index A 1340/A 1410 upon enzyme treatment and an increase of the amount of carboxylic and hydroxylic was measured using derivatization with 2-(bromomethyl)naphthalene. Modeling the covalently bound tetrahedral intermediate consisting of cutinase and 3PET indicated that the active site His-209 is in the proximity of the O of the substrate thus allowing hydrolysis. On the other hand, the models indicated that regions of Thc_Cut1 and Thc_Cut2 which differed in electrostatic and in hydrophobic surface properties were able to reach/interact with PET which may explain their different hydrolysis efficiencies.
A new cutinase from Thermobifida alba (Tha_Cut1) was cloned and characterized for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hydrolysis. Tha_Cut1 showed a high degree of identity to a T. cellulolysitica ...cutinase with only four amino acid differences outside the active site area, according to modeling data. Yet, Tha_Cut1 was more active in terms of PET surface hydrolysis leading to considerable improvement in hydrophilicity quantified based on a decrease of the water contact angle from 87.7° to 45.0°. The introduction of new carboxyl groups was confirmed and measured after esterification with the fluorescent reagent alkyl bromide, 2-(bromomethyl) naphthalene (BrNP), resulting in a fluorescence emission intensity increase from 980 to 1420 a.u. On the soluble model substrates p-nitrophenyl acetate (PNPA) and p-nitrophenyl butyrate (PNPB), the cutinase showed Km values of 213 and 1933 μM and kcat values of 2.72 and 6.03 s−1 respectively. The substrate specificity was investigated with bis(benzoyloxyethyl)terephthalate (3PET) and Tha_Cut1 was shown to release primarily 2-hydroxyethyl benzoate. This contrasts with the well-studied Humicula insolens cutinase which preferentially liberates terminal benzoic acid from 3PET.
The direct generation of aldehydes from carboxylic acids is often a challenging synthetic task but undoubtedly attractive in view of abundant supply of such feedstocks from nature. Though long known, ...biocatalytic carboxylate reductions are at an early stage of development, presumably because of their co‐factor requirement. To establish an alternative to whole‐cell‐based carboxylate reductions which are limited by side reactions, we developed an in vitro multi‐enzyme system that allows for quantitative reductions of various carboxylic acids with full recycling of all cofactors and prevention of undesired over‐reductions. Regeneration of adenosine 5′‐triphosphate is achieved through the simultaneous action of polyphosphate kinases from Meiothermus ruber and Sinorhizobium meliloti and β‐nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide 2′‐phosphate is reduced by a glucose dehydrogenase. Under these conditions and in the presence of the carboxylate reductases from Neurospora crassa or Nocardia iowensis, various aromatic, heterocyclic and aliphatic carboxylic acids were quantitatively reduced to the respective aldehydes.
Aldehydes are directly synthesized from carboxylic acids by carboxylate reductases operating in combination with recycling systems for NADPH and ATP in an in vitro fashion.
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► The methyltransferase NovO from Streptomyces spheroides catalyzes an enzymatic Friedel–Crafts alkylation. ► Mutational analysis and kinetic studies provided insight into essential ...elements of the protein and on substrate and co-substrate utilization. ► Transfer of non-natural allyl groups is very efficient assigning the methyltransferase NovO as effective ‘alkyltransferase’. ► Enzyme-catalyzed alkylation of aromatic compounds has high potential for the synthesis of fine chemicals.
The methyltransferase NovO cloned from Streptomyces spheroides could be heterologously produced as soluble and active enzyme in Escherichia coli. Sequencing of the cloned novO gene revealed differences to the GenBank entry AAF67508.1 resulting in a different amino acid at position 223 (Cys instead of Ser). A generated variant containing a Ser residue at this position, however, resulted in poor ability to express soluble and enzymatically active protein. Characterization of NovO revealed a type I methyltransferase that performs its action as a dimer in solution. Functional elements include the conserved S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) binding site (consensus: E/DXXXGXG) as DLCCGSG (residues 45–51). Mutation analyses of the respective amino acids verified their importance for cofactor binding and enzyme activity. In soluble protein fractions of mutants D45N and G49A the calculated kcat values decreased from 2.5×10−2s−1 of the wild-type protein to 9.7×10−4s−1 and 1.2×10−3s−1, respectively. A histidine at position 15 was identified as the catalytic base in the methyl transfer reaction. The analysis of purified enzyme preparations showed that the transfer of allyl groups via the SAM analog allyl-SAH occurs with a fourfold increased kcat of 11×10−3s−1 compared to 3.2×10−3s−1 for methyl transfer. However, the evolutionary design toward SAM is obvious from the Km value of 0.06mM compared to 0.22mM for allyl-SAH.
In order to engineer the choline oxidase from Arthrobacter nicotianae (An_CodA) for the potential application as biological bleach in detergents, the specific activity of the enzyme toward the ...synthetic substrate tris-(2-hydroxyethyl)-methylammonium methylsulfate (MTEA) was improved by methods of directed evolution and rational design. The best mutants (up to 520% wt-activity with MTEA) revealed mutations in the FAD- (A21V, G62D, I69V) and substrate-binding site (S348L, V349L, F351Y). In a separate screening of a library comprising of randomly mutagenised An_CodA, with the natural substrate choline, four mutations were identified, which were further combined in one clone. The constructed clone showed improved activity towards both substrates, MTEA and choline. Mapping these mutation sites onto the structural model of An_CodA revealed that Phe351 is positioned right in the active site of An_CodA and very likely interacts with the bound substrate. Ala21 is part of an α-helix which interacts with the diphosphate moiety of the flavin cofactor and might influence the activity and specificity of the enzyme.
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