Abstract
In several recent reports related to biocatalysis the enormous pool of biodiversity found in marine ecosystems is considered a profitable natural reservoir for acquiring an inventory of useful biocatalysts. These enzymes are characterized by well-known habitat-related features such as salt tolerance, hyperthermostability, barophilicity and cold adaptivity. In addition, their novel chemical and stereochemical characteristics increase the interest of biocatalysis practitioners both in academia and research industry. In this review, starting from the analysis of these featuring habitat-related properties, important examples of marine enzymes in biocatalysis will be reported. Completion of this report is devoted to the analysis of novel chemical and stereochemical biodiversity offered by marine biocatalysts with particular emphasis on current or potential applications of these enzymes in chemical and pharmaceutical fields. The analysis of literature cited here and the many published patent applications concerning the use of marine enzymes supports the view that these biocatalysts are just waiting to be discovered, reflecting the importance of the marine environment. The potential of this habitat should be thoroughly explored and possibly the way to access useful biocatalysts should avoid destructive large-scale collections of marine biomass for enzyme production. These two aspects are day by day increasing in interest and a future increase in the use of marine enzymes in biocatalysis should be expected.
Highlights
Enzyme bioprospecting is a basic research activity devoted to the search for novel biocatalysts
Canganella et al [41] observed that at high pressure (60 MPa) and temperature (90 °C), the number of protein bands remained unchanged when the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus peptonophilus was grown under high pressure and temperature but cell growth was accompanied by the overproduction of specific proteins
Novel chemical and stereochemical properties found in examples of marine biocatalysts should be appended to the list of habitat related characteristics possessed by marine enzymes
Summary
Enzyme bioprospecting is a basic research activity devoted to the search for novel biocatalysts. The marine habitat is one of the natural locations of interest for enzyme bioprospecting activity. Prawns, crabs, snakes, plants and algae can represent rich sources of biodiversity, the most current bioprospecting activity is founded on microbial products. Enzyme bioprospecting activity has incorporated the new technological system of knowledge (e.g., metagenomics), acquiring new potency and effectiveness especially for enzymes from marine environments. Remarkable or unusual bioprocesses are performed by marine biocatalysts due to habitat-related characteristics such as salt tolerance, hyperthermostability, barophilicity and cold adaptivity, which can be desirable features recognized from a general biotechnological perspective. The present review is intended to start from a thorough analysis of habitat-related properties presenting marine enzymes with novel chemical and stereochemical biodiversity
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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
