Abstract

Applications of haloalkane dehalogenase DhaA in biocatalysis are limited by its unfavorable performance in organic solvents. Our previous work proved that mutations of surface positive-charged residues enhanced the organic solvent resistance of DhaA, which inspired us to explore the effect of cationic polymers on DhaA in organic solvents. Remarkably boosted performance was achieved in different organic solvent solutions by introducing cationic polymers, for example, there was a 6.1-fold activity increase with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and a 5.5-fold activity increase with poly(ethylene imine) in 40 vol.% dimethylsulfoxide. The presence of cationic polymers protected DhaA from damage by organic solvents and increased the substrate concentration around the enzyme-polymer complex. Fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the binding of cationic polymers onto DhaA weakened the interactions between organic solvents and DhaA, decreased the organic solvent solvation level around DhaA, and enhanced the structural stability of DhaA in organic solvents. This comprehensive understanding of the effect of cationic polymers on DhaA can help to broaden the applications of DhaA in organic solvent-involved biocatalysis.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.