Enantioselective resolution of (±)-1-phenylethyl acetate using the immobilized extracellular proteases from deep-sea Bacillus sp. DL-1

Abstract

Bacillus sp. DL-1 was isolated from the deep sea of the Western Pacific Ocean and behaved very good resistance to NaCl. The extracellular proteases of Bacillus sp. DL-1 were found to exhibit excellent enantioselectivity for the kinetic resolution of (±)-1-phenylethyl acetate. To improve the stability of the enzyme, the immobilized extracellular proteases were preparated by using 60 g kieselguhr and 1-L crude fermentation broth containing extracellular proteases of Bacillus sp. DL-1, shaking at 25 °C, 200 r/min for 10 h. Every gram of kieselguhr adsorbed 25.7 mg extracellular protease and the enzymatic activity recovery was 79.86%. The immobilized proteases preserved about 35.8% of its activity after 6 repeated uses, which were also used as biocatalyst to asymmetrically hydrolyse (±)-1-phenylethyl acetate for the preparation of (R)-1-phenylethanol and (S)-1-phenylethyl acetate with high optical purities. The effects of pH, temperature, enzyme concentration, substrate concentration, reaction time and additives (metal ions/surfactants) on the resolution were investigated by single factor experiments. Under the optimal reaction conditions (10 mM (±)-1-phenylethyl acetate, 40 mg/mL immobilized extracellular proteases, pH 7.5 (Tris-HCl), 5% (v/v) methanol and 45 °C for 2 h), (R)-1-phenylethanol was generated with the e.e.p being > 97%, and the yield being 53%, respectively. Analogously, under the optimal reaction conditions (10-mM (±)-1-phenylethyl acetate, 360 mg/mL immobilized extracellular proteases, pH 6.0 (PB), 5% (v/v) DMSO and 35 °C for 1.5 h), (S)-1-phenylethyl acetate was generated with the e.e.s being over 99% and the yield being 79%, respectively. Compared with the extracellular proteases from Bacillus sp. DL-2, the immobilized extracellular proteases from Bacillus sp. DL-1 exhibited higher hydrolytic activity and could asymmetrically hydrolyse (±)-1-phenylethyl acetate by using higher substrate concentrations, shorter reaction times to obtain higher yields. Notably, the extracellular proteases of Bacillus sp. DL-1 were demonstrated to behave the same enantio-preference as those of most other reported esterases/lipases. Proteases from deep-sea Bacillus sp. DL-1 are promising biocatalysts for the synthesis of valuable chiral chemicals.