Molar Conversion Yield Research Articles

Distal mutations enhance efficiency of free and immobilized NOV1 dioxygenase for vanillin synthesis

Protein engineering is crucial to improve enzymes’ efficiency and robustness for industrial biocatalysis. NOV1 is a bacterial dioxygenase that holds biotechnological potential by catalyzing the one-step oxidation of the lignin-derived isoeugenol into vanillin, a popular flavoring agent used in food, cleaning products, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. This study aims to enhance NOV1 activity and operational stability through the identification of distal hotspots, located at more than 9 Å from the active site using Zymspot, a tool that predicts advantageous distant mutations, streamlining protein engineering. A total of 41 variants were constructed using site-directed mutagenesis and the six most active enzyme variants were then recombined. Two variants, with two and three mutations, showed nearly a 10-fold increase in activity and up to 40-fold higher operational stability than the wild-type. Furthermore, these variants show 90–100 % immobilization efficiency in metal affinity resins, compared to approximately 60 % for the wild-type. In bioconversions where 50 mM of isoeugenol was added stepwise over 24-h cycles, the 1D2 variant produced approximately 144 mM of vanillin after six reaction cycles, corresponding to around 22 mg, indicating a 35 % molar conversion yield. This output was around 2.5 times higher than that obtained using the wild-type. Our findings highlight the efficacy of distal protein engineering in enhancing enzyme functions like activity, stability, and metal binding selectivity, thereby fulfilling the criteria for industrial biocatalysts. This study provides a novel approach to enzyme optimization that could have significant implications for various biotechnological applications.

A process for p-hydroxystyrene production from glycerol based on cell-free biosynthesis system

As an essential chemical, p-hydroxystyrene has attracted much attention and is widely used in the field of semiconductors. However, the current production methods have some disadvantages, such as low molar conversion yield, p-hydroxystyrene toxicity, and high substrate cost. To overcome these problems, an five enzymes cell-free cascade, consisting of alditol oxidase from Streptomyces coelicolor A3 (ScALDO), dehydratase from Paralcaligenes ureilyticus (PuDHT), tyrosine phenol lyase from Citrobacter freundii (CfTPL), tyrosine ammonia lyase from Rhodotorula glutinis (RgTAL) and phenylacrylate decarboxylase from Enterobacter sp. (EsPAD), was constructed for the de novo biosynthesis of p-hydroxystyrene from glycerol. Through process strategy optimization, a molar conversion yield of more than 84.2% was finally obtained from 10 mM crude glycerol. It is worth mentioning that the reaction system performed an excellent titer using 50 mM crude glycerol, and the p-hydroxystyrene concentration reached 30.32 mM, which exceeded the maximum titer of fermentation. This showed that our system is robust to p-hydroxystyrene and crude glycerol. In addition, a ‘two-step purification process’ was designed to produce pure p-hydroxystyrene. This is the first study focused on the cell-free biosynthesis of p-hydroxystyrene, and the highest conversion yield and titer thus far was obtained for p-hydroxystyrene de novo biosynthesis.

Improved terephthalic acid production from p-xylene using metabolically engineered Pseudomonas putida

Terephthalic acid (TPA) is an important commodity chemical used as a monomer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Since a large quantity of PET is routinely manufactured and consumed worldwide, the development of sustainable biomanufacturing processes for its monomers (i.e. TPA and ethylene glycol) has recently gained much attention. In a previous study, we reported the development of a metabolically engineered Escherichia coli strain producing 6.7 g/L of TPA from p-xylene (pX) with a productivity and molar conversion yield of 0.278 g/L/h and 96.7 mol%, respectively. Here, we report metabolic engineering of Pseudomonas putida KT2440, a microbial chassis particularly suitable for the synthesis of aromatic compounds, for improved biocatalytic conversion of pX to TPA. To develop a plasmid-free, antibiotic-free, and inducer-free biocatalytic process for cost-competitive TPA production, all heterologous genes required for the synthetic pX-to-TPA bioconversion pathway were integrated into the chromosome of P. putida KT2440 by RecET-based markerless recombineering and overexpressed under the control of constitutive promoters. Next, TPA production was enhanced by integrating multiple copies of the heterologous genes to the ribosomal RNA genes through iteration of recombineering-based random integration and subsequent screening of high-performance strains. Finally, fed-batch fermentation process was optimized to further improve the performance of the engineered P. putida strain. As a result, 38.25 ± 0.11 g/L of TPA was produced from pX with a molar conversion yield of 99.6 ± 0.6%, which is equivalent to conversion of 99.3 ± 0.8 g pX to 154.6 ± 0.5 g TPA. This superior pX-to-TPA biotransformation process based on the engineered P. putida strain will pave the way to the commercial biomanufacturing of TPA in an industrial scale.

Engineering and linker-mediated co-immobilization of carotenoid cleavage oxygenase with phenolic acid decarboxylase for efficiently converting ferulic acid into vanillin

The artificial cascade system with a coenzyme-independent decarboxylase and oxygenase was a very attractive approach for bioconversion of ferulic acid into vanillin. However, its potential was impeded by the low activity and thermostability of oxygenase. In this study, a combined strategy including the protein engineering of a carotenoid cleavage oxygenase from Thielavia terrestris (TtCCO) and its linker-mediated co-immobilization with a decarboxylase from Bacillus atrophaeus (BaPAD) was explored with aims to improve the catalytic efficiency and robustness of this artificial cascade system. We proved that engineering the enzyme by inserting an extra short peptide between E450 to E476 greatly affected TtCCO substrate specificity, catalytic activity, and thermostability. Among three variants, TtCCO2 displayed better thermostability and had 1.4-, 55- and 1.3-fold higher activity than TtCCO on 4-vinylguaiacol, resveratrol, and isoeugenol, respectively. The excellent protein and enzyme activity yield of immobilization was achieved by linker-mediated immobilization of 4lp-TtCCO2 @ mesoporous Y zeolite. A 100% conversion rate of ferulic acid and a 55% of the molar conversion yield of vanillin were obtained by co-immobilized 4lp-TtCCO2/4lp-BaPAD@mesoporous Y zeolite. This work demonstrated an effective engineering strategy for more efficient and robust oxygenases and the potential of this bi-enzyme cascade system for converting ferulic acid into vanillin.

Production of 11R‐hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid from arachidonic acid by Escherichia coli cells expressing arachidonate 11R‐lipoxygenase from Nostoc sp.

AbstractLinoleate 9R‐lipoxygenase (9R‐LOX) from Nostoc sp. SAG 25.82 was identified as arachidonate (ARA) 11R‐LOX by the determination of the product obtained from the conversion of ARA. The specific activity and catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of the enzyme for C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids followed the order ARA > eicosapentaenoic acid > docosahexaenoic acid. The production of the lipid mediator 11R‐hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (11R‐HETE) was performed using Escherichia coli cells expressing ARA 11R‐LOX from Nostoc sp. The reaction conditions, such as pH, temperature, solvent and its concentration, and substrate and cell concentrations, were optimized using the recombinant cells, and the optimal conditions for the production of 11R‐HETE from ARA were pH 7.0, 25°C, 10 g L−1 cells, 5.0 mM ARA, 4% (v/v) ethanol, and 10 mM cysteine as a reducing agent. Under these optimized conditions, E. coli cells expressing 11R‐LOX converted 5.0 mM ARA into 4.74 mM 11R‐HETE in 60 min, with a molar conversion yield of 95% a volumetric productivity of 79 μM min−1 and a specific productivity of 7.9 μM min−1 g−1. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the quantitative biotechnological production of 11R‐HETE.

Maximizing Biocatalytic Cyclohexane Hydroxylation by Modulating Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase Expression in P. taiwanensis VLB120.

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (Cyps) effectively catalyze the regiospecific oxyfunctionalization of inert C–H bonds under mild conditions. Due to their cofactor dependency and instability in isolated form, oxygenases are preferably applied in living microbial cells with Pseudomonas strains constituting potent host organisms for Cyps. This study presents a holistic genetic engineering approach, considering gene dosage, transcriptional, and translational levels, to engineer an effective Cyp-based whole-cell biocatalyst, building on recombinant Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 for cyclohexane hydroxylation. A lac-based regulation system turned out to be favorable in terms of orthogonality to the host regulatory network and enabled a remarkable specific whole-cell activity of 34 U gCDW–1. The evaluation of different ribosomal binding sites (RBSs) revealed that a moderate translation rate was favorable in terms of the specific activity. An increase in gene dosage did only slightly elevate the hydroxylation activity, but severely impaired growth and resulted in a large fraction of inactive Cyp. Finally, the introduction of a terminator reduced leakiness. The optimized strain P. taiwanensis VLB120 pSEVA_Cyp allowed for a hydroxylation activity of 55 U gCDW–1. Applying 5 mM cyclohexane, molar conversion and biomass-specific yields of 82.5% and 2.46 mmolcyclohexanol gbiomass–1 were achieved, respectively. The strain now serves as a platform to design in vivo cascades and bioprocesses for the production of polymer building blocks such as ε-caprolactone.

Expression and Characterization of Carotenoid Cleavage Oxygenases From Herbaspirillum seropedicae and Rhodobacteraceae bacterium Capable of Biotransforming Isoeugenol and 4-Vinylguaiacol to Vanillin.

HsCCO and RbCCO from Herbaspirillum seropedicae and Rhodobacteraceae bacterium were selected and characterized from five putative bacterial carotenoid cleavage oxygenase gene sequences, due to merits in expression solubility and catalytic properties. Both enzymes can convert 4-vinylguaiacol and isoeugenol to vanillin. HsCCO showed maximum activity at 40°C and pH 7.0 and was stable at pH 6.5–10 and temperature around 25°C, retaining over 90 and 80% of initial activity, respectively. RbCCO showed maximum activity at 35°C and pH 9.0 and was stable at pH 6–11 and temperatures of 25–30°C, retaining over 80% of initial activity. The kinetic constants Km of HsCCO for isoeugenol and 4-vinylguaiacol were 1.55 and 1.65 mM and Vmax were 74.09 and 27.91 nmol min–1 mg–1, respectively. The kinetic constants Km of RbCCO for isoeugenol and 4-vinylguaiacol were 2.24 and 0.85 mM and Vmax were 76.48 and 19.96 nmol min–1 mg–1, respectively. The transformed Escherichia coli cells harboring HsCCO converted isoeugenol and 4-vinylguaiacol at molar conversion yields of 80 and 55% and the maximum vanillin concentrations were up to 1.22 and 0.84 g L–1, respectively. Comparably, the molar conversion yields of the transformed E. coli cells harboring RbCCO against isoeugenol 4-vinylguaiacol were 75 and 58%, and the maximum vanillin yields were up to 1.14 and 0.88 g L–1, respectively.

Bioproduction of High-Concentration 4-Vinylguaiacol Using Whole-Cell Catalysis Harboring an Organic Solvent-Tolerant Phenolic Acid Decarboxylase From Bacillus atrophaeus.

The compound 4-vinyl guaiacol (4-VG) is highly valued and widely applied in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. The bioproduction of 4-VG from ferulic acid (FA) by non-oxidative decarboxylation using phenolic acid decarboxylases is promising but has been hampered by low conversion yields and final product concentrations due to the toxicities of 4-VG and FA. In the current study, a new phenolic acid decarboxylase (BaPAD) was characterized from Bacillus atrophaeus. The BaPAD possessed excellent catalytic activity and stability in various organic solvents. Whole Escherichia coli cells harboring intracellular BaPAD exhibited greater tolerances to FA and 4-VG than those of free BaPAD. A highly efficient aqueous-organic biphasic system was established using 1-octanol as the optimal organic phase for whole-cell catalysis. In this system, a very high concentration (1580 mM, 237.3 g/L) of 4-VG was achieved in a 2 L working volume bioreactor, and the molar conversion yield and productivity reached 98.9% and 18.3 g/L/h in 13 h, respectively.

Asymmetric oxidation of 1,3-propanediols to chiral hydroxyalkanoic acids by Rhodococcus sp. 2N.

Rhodococcus sp. 2N was found as a 1,3-propanediols-oxidizing strain from soil samples through enrichment culture using 2,2-diethyl-1,3-propanediol (DEPD) as the sole carbon source. The culture condition of the strain 2N was optimized, and the highest activity was observed when 0.3% (w/v) DEPD was added in the culture medium as an inducer. Chiral HPLC analysis of the hydroxyalkanoic acid converted from 2-ethyl-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (EMPD) revealed that the strain 2N catalyzed the (R)-selective oxidation of EMPD. The reaction products and intermediates from DEPD and EMPD were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance analyses, and the results suggested that only one hydroxymethyl group of the propanediols was converted to carboxy group via two oxidation steps. Under optimized conditions and after a 72-h reaction time, the strain 2N produced 28 mM (4.1g/L) of 2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methylbutanoic acid from EMPD with a molar conversion yield of 47% and 65% ee (R).

Systemic Concocting of Cross‐Linked Enzyme Aggregates of Candida antarctica Lipase B (Novozyme 435) for the Biomanufacturing of Rhamnolipids

AbstractIn the present study, Candida antarctica lipase B was immobilized on amine‐functionalized silica microspheres as cross‐linked enzyme aggregates (CLEA) and utilized for the biomanufacturing of rhamnolipids (RL). Lipase CLEA synthesized under optimized conditions of 2.0:1.0 by volume of silica microsphere/enzyme concentration, a 1.0:2.5 (v/v) ratio of enzyme/2‐propanol, 7 mM glutaraldehyde concentration, when incubated at pH 9.0 and 40 °C, for a cross‐linking time of 30 min were observed to exhibit superior biocatalytic properties and a maximum enzyme load of 770 U g−1. Lipase CLEA exhibited enhanced pH stability in acidic and alkaline media and increased temperature resistance as compared to free lipase. Both free and CLEA lipases were used to synthesize RL in different solvent systems. After 12 h, from initiation of the esterification, the degree of esterification (molar conversion yield) reached 46% and 71% in the batch mode. 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high‐performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis confirm RL production by CLEA lipase. The CLEA showed greater confrontation to enzyme‐mediated bioprocess approach as compared to its soluble counterpart and exhibited excellent RL production and catalytic activity even after its tenth successive reuse.

Revisiting the evaluation strategy of varietal thiol biogenesis

The varietal thiols 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH), 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3MHA), and 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one (4MMP) are key aroma compounds in wine due to the tropical notes they impart. They are released by yeast during alcoholic fermentation from different precursors. However, a large part of 3MH origin remains unknown. In this study, we focused on dipeptide forms arising from glutathione S-conjugates to 3MH and 4MMP. Using labelled tracers, we showed in spiked must the release of varietal thiols from 4 different compounds. We highlighted the interconversion between different forms of precursors under defined enological conditions. Cysteinyl-glycine S-conjugates are partially degraded into cysteine S-conjugates, contrary to γ-glutamyl-cysteine S-conjugates. Glutathione S-conjugate to 3MH can be partially degraded to γ-glutamyl-cysteine S-conjugate to 3MH. For the first time, all these labeled forms of precursors were found to release 3MH or 4MMP between 0.17 and 1% molar conversion yield. Two different yeasts were compared without any significant difference.

Biotransformation of gypenoside XVII to compound K by a recombinant β-glucosidase.

To study the β-glucosidase gene (bgy1) from Lactobacillus brevis that was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and then using it for the biotransformation of gypenoside XVII. The bgy1 gene consists of 2283 bp encoding 761 amino acids, with homology to the glycosyl hydrolase family-3 protein domain. The enzyme (Bgy1) hydrolyzed the glucose moieties at the C-3 position and the outer glucose moieties at the C-20 position of gypenoside XVII. Using 0.1 mg enzyme ml(-1) in 20 mM sodium phosphate buffer at 30°C and pH 6.0, 1 mg gypenoside XVII ml(-1) was transformed into 0.58 mg compound K ml(-1) within 6 h, with a corresponding molar conversion yield of 89%. The recombinant Bgy1 is considered potentially useful for the practical preparation of compound K.

Production of δ-decalactone from linoleic acid via 13-hydroxy-9(Z)-octadecenoic acid intermediate by one-pot reaction using linoleate 13-hydratase and whole Yarrowia lipolytica cells.

To produce δ-decalactone from linoleic acid by one-pot reaction using linoleate 13-hydratase with supplementation with whole Yarrowia lipolytica cells. Whole Y. lipolytica cells at 25gl(-1) produced1.9gl(-1) δ-decalactone from 7.5g 13-hydroxy-9(Z)-octadecenoic acid l(-1) at pH 7.5 and 30°C for 21h. Linoleate 13-hydratase from Lactobacillus acidophilus at 3.5gl(-1) with supplementation with 25g Y. lipolytica cells l(-1) in one pot at 3h produced 1.9gl(-1) δ-decalactone from 10g linoleic acid l(-1) via 13-hydroxy-9(Z)-octadecenoic acid intermediate at pH 7.5 and 30°C after 18 h, with a molar conversion yield of 31% and productivity of 106mgl(-1) h(-1). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first production of δ-decalactone using unsaturated fatty acid.

Characterization of an omega-6 linoleate lipoxygenase from Burkholderia thailandensis and its application in the production of 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid.

A recombinant putative lipoxygenase from Burkholderia thailandensis with a specific activity of 26.4 U mg(-1) was purified using HisTrap affinity chromatography. The native enzyme was a 75-kDa dimer with a molecular mass of 150 kDa. The enzyme activity and catalytic efficiency (k cat/K m) were the highest for linoleic acid (k cat of 93.7 s(-1) and K m of 41.5 μM), followed by arachidonic acid, α-linolenic acid, and γ-linolenic acid. The enzyme was identified as an omega-6 linoleate lipoxygenase (or a linoleate 13S-lipoxygenase) based on genetic and HPLC analyses as well as substrate specificity. The reaction conditions for the enzymatic production of 13-hydroxy-9,11(Z,E)-octadecadienoic acid (13-HODE) were optimal at pH 7.5, 25 °C, 20 g l(-1) linoleic acid, 2.5 g l(-1) enzyme, 0.1 mM Cu(2+), and 6% (v/v) methanol. Under these conditions, linoleate 13-lipoxygenase from B. thailandensis produced 20.8 g l(-1) 13-HODE (70.2 mM) from 20 g l(-1) linoleic acid (71.3 mM) for 120 min, with a molar conversion yield of 98.5% and productivity of 10.4 g l(-1) h(-1). The molar conversion yield and productivity of 13-HODE obtained using B. thailandensis lipoxygenase were 151 and 158% higher, respectively, than those obtained using commercial soybean lipoxygenase under the optimum conditions for each enzyme at the same concentrations of substrate and enzyme.

Potential production platform of n-butanol in Escherichia coli

We proposed a potential production platform of n-butanol in Escherichia coli. First, a butyrate-conversion strain was developed by removal of undesired genes and recruiting endogenous atoDA and Clostridium adhE2. Consequently, this E. coli strain grown on the M9 mineral salt with yeast extract (M9Y) was shown to produce 6.2g/L n-butanol from supplemented butyrate at 36h. The molar conversion yield of n-butanol on butyrate reaches 92%. Moreover, the production platform was advanced by additional inclusion of a butyrate-producing strain. This strain was equipped with a pathway comprising atoDA and heterologous genes for the synthesis of butyrate. Without butyrate, the butyrate-conversion and the butyrate-producing strains were co-cultured in M9Y medium and produced 5.5g/L n-butanol from glucose at 24h. The production yield on glucose accounts for 69% of the theoretical yield. Overall, it indicates a promise of the developed platform for n-butanol production in E. coli.

Substrate specificity of β-glucosidase from Gordonia terrae for ginsenosides and its application in the production of ginsenosides Rg3, Rg2, and Rh1 from ginseng root extract

A β-glucosidase from Gordonia terrae was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzyme with a specific activity of 16.4 U/mg for ginsenoside Rb1 was purified using His-trap chromatography. The purified enzyme specifically hydrolyzed the glucopyranosides at the C-20 position in protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type ginsenosides and hydrolyzed the glucopyranoside at the C-6 or C-20 position in protopanaxatriol (PPT)-type ginsenosides. The reaction conditions for the high-level production of Rg3 from Rb1 by the enzyme were pH 6.5, 30°C, 20 mg/ml enzyme, and 4 mg/ml Rb1. Under these conditions, G. terrae β-glucosidase completely converted Rb1 and Re to Rg3 and Rg2, respectively, after 2.5 and 8 h, respectively. Moreover, the enzyme converted Rg1 to Rh1 at 1 h with a molar conversion yield of 82%. The enzyme at 10 mg/ml produced 1.16 mg/ml Rg3, 1.47 mg/ml Rg2, and 1.17 mg/ml Rh1 from Rb1, Re, and Rg1, respectively, in 10% (w/v) ginseng root extract at pH 6.5 and 30°C after 33 h with molar conversion yields of 100%, 100%, and 77%, respectively. The combined molar conversion yield of Rg2, Rg3, and Rh1 from total ginsenosides in 10% (w/v) ginseng root extract was 68%. These above results suggest that this enzyme is useful for the production of ginsenosides Rg3, Rg2, and Rh1.

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation from the ozonation of model compounds

Nitrosamines are a class of toxic disinfection byproducts commonly associated with chloramination, of which several were included on the most recent U.S. EPA Contaminant Candidate List. Nitrosamine formation may be a significant barrier to ozonation in water reuse applications, particularly for direct or indirect potable reuse, since recent studies show direct formation during ozonation of natural water and treated wastewaters. Only a few studies have identified precursors which react with ozone to form N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). In this study, several precursor compound solutions, prepared in ultrapure water and treated wastewater, were subjected to a 10 M excess of ozone. In parallel experiments, the precursor solutions in ultrapure water were exposed to gamma radiation to determine NDMA formation as a byproduct of reactions of precursor compounds with hydroxyl radicals. The results show six new NDMA precursor compounds that have not been previously reported in the literature, including compounds with hydrazone and carbamate moieties. Molar yields in deionized water were 61–78% for 3 precursors, 12–23% for 5 precursors and <4% for 2 precursors. Bromide concentration was important for three compounds (1,1-dimethylhydrazine, acetone dimethylhydrazone and dimethylsulfamide), but did not enhance NDMA formation for the other precursors. NDMA formation due to chloramination was minimal compared to formation due to ozonation, suggesting distinct groups of precursor compounds for these two oxidants. Hydroxyl radical reactions with the precursors will produce NDMA, but formation is much greater in the presence of molecular ozone. Also, hydroxyl radical scavenging during ozonation leads to increased NDMA formation. Molar conversion yields were higher for several precursors in wastewater as compared to deionized water, which could be due to catalyzed reactions with constituents found in wastewater or hydroxyl radical scavenging.

Characterization of β-xylosidase from Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum and its application to the production of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rh 1 from notoginsenosides R 1 and R 2.

β-Xylosidase from Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum was purified by His-trap affinity chromatography giving a specific activity of 5.15Umg(-1). From gel-filtration chromatography, the purified enzyme was a tetramer with a total molecular mass of 245kDa. Maximal enzyme activity using o-nitrophenyl(NP)-β-D-xylopyranoside was at pH 6.5 and 60°C, with a half-life of 50h. The enzyme had highest activity for oNP-β-D-xylopyranoside among aryl-glycosides, and was only active for notoginsenosides R1 and R2 amongst various ginsenosides. β-Xylosidase completely converted 2g notoginsenosides R1 and R2 l(-1) to 1.69g ginsenoside Rg1 l(-1) and 1.63g ginsenoside Rh1 l(-1) in 4 and 18h, respectively, with molar conversion yields of 100% and specific productivities of 0.21 and 0.05g g-enzyme(-1)h(-1), respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the enzymatic production of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rh1 from notoginsenosides R1 and R2.

Enzymatic Production of 15-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid from Arachidonic Acid by Using Soybean Lipoxygenase

15-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE), as a mammalian biologically active metabolite, has anticarcinogenic effect. The conditions of producing 15-HETE from arachidonic acid by using soybean lipoxygenase were optimal at pH 8.5 and 20°C with 9 g/l arachidonic acid, 54.4 U/ml soybean lipoxygenase, and 4% methanol. Under these optimized conditions, the enzyme produced 9.5 g/l 15-HETE after 25 min, with a molar conversion yield of 99% and a productivity of 22.8 g l(-1) h(-1). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first biotechnological production of 15-HETE.

Characterization of a novel recombinant β-glucosidase from Sphingopyxis alaskensis that specifically hydrolyzes the outer glucose at the C-3 position in protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides

A recombinant β-glucosidase from Sphingopyxis alaskensis with a specific activity of 233.3Umg−1 was purified by His-trap chromatography. The native enzyme was a 206kDa tetramer. The maximum enzyme activity was observed at pH 5.5 and 50°C. However, above 40°C, the enzyme stability significantly decreased. The enzyme hydrolyzed only the outer glucose at the C-3 position in protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides without further hydrolysis. Because of the narrow substrate specificity, the enzyme completely converted ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd as substrates to gypenoside XVII, compound O, compound Mc1, and F2, respectively, and it converted ginsenoside Rg3 to Rh2 with a molar conversion yield of 89%. These results suggest that the recombinant β-glucosidase from S. alaskensis is a potential producer of the rare ginsenosides gypenoside XVII, compound O, compound Mc1, F2, and Rh2. Among ginsenoside substrates, Rb1 was used for the high-level production of the rare ginsenoside gypenoside XVII. The optimum reaction conditions were pH 5.5, 40°C, 0.5mgml−1 (116.7Uml−1) enzyme, and 8.0gl−1 ginsenoside Rb1. Under these conditions, 6.8gl−1 gypenoside XVII was produced by the enzyme after 1h with a molar conversion yield of 100% and a productivity of 6.8gl−1h−1.