Penicillin Acylase Research Articles

In Silico Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Analysis of Antimicrobial Triazole Derivatives: Insights from Synthesis, Computational and In Vitro Studies.

In the ongoing fight against bacterial resistance to antibiotics, this study focuses on synthesizing and evaluating 1,2,4-triazole derivatives to explore their potential as new antibacterial agents. 1,2,4-Triazole compounds are promising drug candidates with a wide range of therapeutic effects, including pain relief, antiseptic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiurease, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, anticancer, anticonvulsant, antidiabetic, and antimigraine properties. The structures of all the synthesized compounds were identified using their physicochemical properties and spectral techniques, such as IR and NMR. These compounds were then evaluated in molecular docking studies against antimicrobial activity in vitro and further supported by molecular dynamics studies. Compound 7, featuring a 6-chloro group on the phenyl ring, emerged as the most effective against Gram-positive S. aureus compared to the standard antibiotic ciprofloxacin. Docking studies revealed high and comparable affinities for all ten ligands, with compounds 4 and 6 showing the best-docked activity against Penicillin Acylase mutants. Further, compounds 6 and 10 displayed significant affinity against D-alanine-D-alanine ligase (DDL) from Yersinia pestis during 100 ns MD simulation. Notably, compound 7 demonstrated the highest binding score to the 5C1P protein, suggesting its potential as a lead molecule for the development of potent and safer antimicrobial agents. This research contributes valuable insights into addressing the escalating challenge of bacterial resistance.

Mathematical analysis of batch reactor performance for the enzymatic synthesis of cephalexin: Laplace Homotopy perturbation method and Adomian decomposition method

In this article, a mathematical model of diffusion reaction in kinetically controlled cephalexin synthesis in the batch reactor with penicillin acylase immobilized in glyoxyl-agarose is analyzed. The kinetic model is a non-linear non-stead-state reaction–diffusion equation with non-linear terms related to the Fick’s law. We have presented the approximate analytical expression for the non-steady-state non-linear reaction–diffusion equation by utilizing the Laplace homotopy perturbation method (LHPM) and for steady-state by using LHPM and Adomian decomposition method (ADM). The approximate analytical solution obtained from these methods proved that they are fit for every values of the reaction–diffusion and kinetic parameters. We also present the numerical solution of the considered reaction–diffusion equation by using pdepe tool in MATLAB software. When comparing the semi-analytical solution with the numerical solution, a satisfactory result is noted for all the possible values of the parameters. The closed-form analytical expressions for the effectiveness factor in non-steady and steady-state conditions are obtained and analyzed using LHPM and ADM.

Biodegradation of penicillin G sodium by Sphingobacterium sp. SQW1: Performance, degradation mechanism, and key enzymes

Biodegradation is an efficient and cost–effective approach to remove residual penicillin G sodium (PGNa) from the environment. In this study, the effective PGNa–degrading strain SQW1 (Sphingobacterium sp.) was screened from contaminated soil using enrichment technique. The effects of critical operational parameters on PGNa degradation by strain SQW1 were systematically investigated, and these parameters were optimized by response surface methodology to maximize PGNa degradation. Comparative experiments found the extracellular enzyme to completely degrade PGNa within 60 min. Combined with whole genome sequencing of strain SQW1 and LC–MS analysis of degradation products, penicillin acylase and β–lactamase were identified as critical enzymes for PGNa biodegradation. Moreover, three degradation pathways were postulated, including β–lactam hydrolysis, penicillin acylase hydrolysis, decarboxylation, desulfurization, demethylation, oxidative dehydrogenation, hydroxyl reduction, and demethylation reactions. The toxicity of PGNa biodegradation intermediates was assessed using paper diffusion method, ECOSAR, and TEST software, which showed that the biodegradation products had low toxicity. This study is the first to describe PGNa–degrading bacteria and detailed degradation mechanisms, which will provide new insights into the PGNa biodegradation.

PENICILLIN ACYLASE: A RETROSPECTIVE OF STUDYING THE KINETICS AND THERMODYNAMICS OF PRACTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REACTIONS

The review considers the contribution of works carried out at the scientific school of Ilya Vasilievich Berezin to the study of the kinetics and thermodynamics of penicillin acylase-catalyzed reactions. Methods for determining the activity of penicillin acylases, the reversibility of the enzymatic hydrolysis of a number of penicillins, cephalosporins and related compounds, the influence of the β-lactam ring on the thermodynamics of the synthesis of new penicillins and cephalosporins by direct condensation as well as by acyl transfer, the issues of optimizing the conditions for enzymatic acyl transfer and the use of supersaturated reagent solutions are discussed. The role of chromogenic substrates in the study of penicillin acylase, the possibility of using the methods of titration of active sites of the enzyme and the creation of “smart” biocatalysts based on penicillin acylase due to the formation of conjugates with stimulus-sensitive polymers are considered.

Analytical expression for the model that describes the heterogeneous reaction-diffusion process with immobilized enzyme (penicillin G acylase)

This research article examines the reaction-diffusion process in an immobilized enzyme batch reactor. The model incorporates strongly non-linear factors that are associated with standard Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The non-linear reaction-diffusion equations for substrate and product concentrations have been approximated analytically. Employing two different semi-analytical methods, Akbari-Ganji's method (AGM) and the modified Adomian decomposition method (MADM), to compute the dimensionless steady-state solutions to the system of non-linear differential equations for all values of reaction parameters. In addition, the dynamics of the mean integrated effectiveness factor of penicillin acylase in porous spherical particles have been presented for the determination of the local effectiveness factor. In order to gauge the potency of our proposed solution, we compare two semi-analytical results with a numerical result that are in good agreement across the whole concentration range. The proposed formulation aims to simulate the dynamic performance of the system utilizing the parameters and would enhance the determination of the optimum particle size for enzyme catalysts.

The Joint Action of Metal and Enzymatic Nanoparticles Used for Functionalization of Protective Self-Cleaning Materials Neutralizing Organophosphates and Possessing Bactericide Activity

The combination of several modules, including metal nanoparticles (tantalum or zinc), antimicrobial substances, enzyme nanocomplexes that provide self-purification (self-degassing) and multiple functionalization, makes it possible to create materials that provide protection against chemical and biological damaging agents. The purpose of this work is to study the combined effect of metal nanoparticles, other biocidal compounds, and nanosized enzyme complexes of hexidine-containing organophosphate hydrolase and penicillin acylase deposited on unified tissue platforms on organophosphorus compounds and bactericidal activity. Materials and research methods. The protective self-cleaning material was created on the basis of the principle of constructing modular materials with desired properties. Nanosized metal complexes and enzymatic non-covalent polyelectrolyte complexes with polyglutamic acid or antimicrobial peptides were applied to a tissue unified platform in a certain sequence and in a certain amount, and its antitoxic and antimicrobial properties were studied. The discussion of the results. With the simultaneous operation of several modules, subject to certain requirements for applying the quantity and sequence, the properties of the modules are preserved, which do not neutralize or disable the specific properties of the modules and do not interfere with other modules to perform their functions. The best results of such materials can be obtained by combining biologically inert Ta nanoparticles and a stabilized enzyme in a polyelectrolyte complex. To acquire antimicrobial properties, fibrous materials can be functionalized not only by a combination of metal nanoparticles with enzyme preparations, but also by a combination of low molecular weight antibiotics with enzymes. Conclusions. The studies performed have demonstrated the possibility of combining modules containing metal carboxylates, metal nanoparticles, and enzyme nanocomplexes for multiple functionalization of the same fibrous materials, which acquired biocidal and antichemical protective properties. New self-degassing materials have been obtained that have protective chemical and biological properties and high stability in terms of catalytic activity with respect to the main substrates of the introduced enzymes and bactericidal activity. The use of such approaches makes it possible to impart protective properties to almost any fabric or clothing made from it, on which the studied modules will be applied, which will provide the required level of protection for personnel and have a debilitating and chilling effect.

Specificity of Penicillin Acylases in Deprotection of N-Benzyloxycarbonyl Derivatives of Amino Acids.

Changes in the structure of the N-acyl group in N-acylated amino acid derivatives significantly affect both the recognition and activity of penicillin acylases on this series of substrates. However, penicillin acylases from both Alcaligenes faecalis and Escherichia coli are capable of removing the N-benzyloxycarbonyl protecting group in amino acid derivatives under mild conditions without the use of toxic reagents. Efficiency in using penicillin acylases in preparative organic synthesis can be improved by utilizing modern rational enzyme design methods.

Synergistic Antimicrobial Action of Lactoferrin-Derived Peptides and Quorum Quenching Enzymes.

Combined use of various antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with enzymes that hydrolyze the signaling molecules of the resistance mechanism of various microorganisms, quorum sensing (QS), to obtain effective antimicrobials is one of the leading approaches in solving the antimicrobial resistance problem. Our study investigates the lactoferrin-derived AMPs, lactoferricin (Lfcin), lactoferampin and Lf(1-11), as potential partners for combination with enzymes hydrolyzing lactone-containing QS molecules, the hexahistidine-containing organophosphorus hydrolase (His6-OPH) and penicillin acylase, to obtain effective antimicrobial agents with a scope of practical application. The possibility of the effective combination of selected AMPs and enzymes was first investigated in silico using molecular docking method. Based on the computationally obtained results, His6-OPH/Lfcin combination was selected as the most suitable for further research. The study of physical-chemical characteristics of His6-OPH/Lfcin combination revealed the stabilization of enzymatic activity. A notable increase in the catalytic efficiency of action of His6-OPH in combination with Lfcin in the hydrolysis of paraoxon, N-(3-oxo-dodecanoyl)-homoserine lactone and zearalenone used as substrates was established. Antimicrobial efficiency of His6-OPH/Lfcin combination was determined against various microorganisms (bacteria and yeasts) and its improvement was observed as compared to AMP without enzyme. Thus, our findings demonstrate that His6-OPH/Lfcin combination is a promising antimicrobial agent for practical application.

Self-Assembling Enzymatic Nanocomplexes with Polypeptides and Low-Weight Organic Compounds: Preparation, Characterization, and Application of New Antibacterials.

The self-assembling of nanosized materials is a promising field for research and development. Multiple approaches are applied to obtain inorganic, organic and composite nanomaterials with different functionality. In the present work, self-assembling nanocomplexes (NCs) were prepared on the basis of enzymes and polypeptides followed by the investigation of the influence of low-molecular weight biologically active compounds on the properties of the NCs. For that, the initially possible formation of catalytically active self-assembling NCs of four hydrolytic enzymes with nine effectors was screened via molecular modeling. It allowed the selection of two enzymes (hexahistidine-tagged organophosphorus hydrolase and penicillin acylase) and two compounds (emodin and naringenin) having biological activity. Further, such NCs based on surface-modified enzymes were characterized by a batch of physical and biochemical methods. At least three NCs containing emodin and enzyme (His6-OPH and/or penicillin acylase) have been shown to significantly improve the antibacterial activity of colistin and, to a lesser extent, polymyxin B towards both Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli).

Bioassay-Guided Fractionation Leads to the Detection of Cholic Acid Generated by the Rare Thalassomonas sp.

Bacterial symbionts of marine invertebrates are rich sources of novel, pharmaceutically relevant natural products that could become leads in combatting multidrug-resistant pathogens and treating disease. In this study, the bioactive potential of the marine invertebrate symbiont Thalassomonas actiniarum was investigated. Bioactivity screening of the strain revealed Gram-positive specific antibacterial activity as well as cytotoxic activity against a human melanoma cell line (A2058). The dereplication of the active fraction using HPLC-MS led to the isolation and structural elucidation of cholic acid and 3-oxo cholic acid. T. actiniarum is one of three type species belonging to the genus Thalassomonas. The ability to generate cholic acid was assessed for all three species using thin-layer chromatography and was confirmed by LC-MS. The re-sequencing of all three Thalassomonas type species using long-read Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) and Illumina data produced complete genomes, enabling the bioinformatic assessment of the ability of the strains to produce cholic acid. Although a complete biosynthetic pathway for cholic acid synthesis in this genus could not be determined based on sequence-based homology searches, the identification of putative penicillin or homoserine lactone acylases in all three species suggests a mechanism for the hydrolysis of conjugated bile acids present in the growth medium, resulting in the generation of cholic acid and 3-oxo cholic acid. With little known currently about the bioactivities of this genus, this study serves as the foundation for future investigations into their bioactive potential as well as the potential ecological role of bile acid transformation, sterol modification and quorum quenching by Thalassomonas sp. in the marine environment.

Bile Salt Hydrolase Degrades β-Lactam Antibiotics and Confers Antibiotic Resistance on Lactobacillus paragasseri.

Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) is a well-characterized probiotic enzyme associated with bile detoxification and colonization of lactic acid bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract. Here, we isolated a putative BSH (LpBSH) from the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus paragasseri JCM 5343T and demonstrated its bifunctional activity that allows it to degrade not only bile salts but also the antibiotic (penicillin). Although antibiotic resistance and bile detoxification have been separately recognized as different microbial functions, our findings suggest that bifunctional BSHs simultaneously confer ecological advantages to host gut bacteria to improve their survival in the mammalian intestine by attaining a high resistance to bile salts and β-lactams. Strain JCM 5343T showed resistance to both bile salts and β-lactam antibiotics, suggesting that LpBSH may be involved in this multi-resistance of the strain. We further verified that such bifunctional enzymes were broadly distributed among the phylogeny, suggesting that the bifunctionality may be conserved in other BSHs of gut bacteria. This study revealed the physiological role and phylogenetic diversity of bifunctional enzymes degrading bile salts and β-lactams in gut bacteria. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the hitherto-overlooked penicillin-degrading activity of penicillin acylase could be a potential new target for the probiotic function of gut bacteria.

Molecular Modeling of Penicillin Acylase Binding with a Penicillin Nucleus by High Performance Computing: Can Enzyme or its Mutants Possess beta-lactamase Activity?

High-performance computing has been used for molecular modeling of penicillin acylase interaction with a penicillin nucleus 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) to assess whether the wild-type enzyme or its mutants could possess β-lactamase activity. Applying parallel hybrid GPU/CPU computing technologies for metadynamics calculations with the PLUMED library in conjunction with AMBER software suite it has been shown that trace amounts of wild-type penicillin acylase6-APA complexes leading to a β-lactamase reaction can be formed. Higher β-lactamase activity can be observed in enzyme mutants by introducing charged residue in the substrate binding pocket and its proper positioning with respect to a catalytic nucleophile, including stabilization of the tetrahedral intermediate in the oxyanion hole. Thus, it has been shown that the certain mutations facilitate the orientation of the substrate required for the manifestation of β-lactamase activity in the penicillin acylase active center.

A self-immolative linker that releases thiols detects penicillin amidase and nitroreductase with high sensitivity via absorption spectroscopy.

This article reports the synthesis and characterization of a novel self-immolative linker, based on thiocarbonates, which releases a free thiol upon activation via enzymes. We demonstrate that thiocarbonate self-immolative linkers can be used to detect the enzymes penicillin G amidase (PGA) and nitroreductase (NTR) with high sensitivity using absorption spectroscopy. Paired with modern thiol amplification technology, the detection of PGA and NTR were achieved at concentrations of 160 nM and 52 nM respectively. In addition, the PGA probe was shown to be compatible with both biological thiols and enzymes present in cell lysates.

Computational design of penicillin acylase variants with improved kinetic selectivity for the enzymatic synthesis of cefazolin

Enzymatic synthesis plays a pivotal role in the sustainable production of semi-synthetic β-lactam antibiotics. However, these types of green syntheses are being developed slowly because of a lack of appropriate enzymes. In the present work, a computational strategy was developed to identify variants of penicillin G acylase that can catalyze the condensation between methyl 1H-tetrazol-1-yl acetate (TZAM) and 7-amino-3-[(5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl) thiomethyl] cephalosphoranic acid (7-ZACA) to produce cefazolin in a fully aqueous medium. An initial library containing 770 sequences was generated by our computational enzyme design program PRODA, which applied a deterministic global minimization algorithm to optimize the binding between the acyl donor and the attacking nucleophile for high kinetic selectivity. The 13 top-ranked variants were subjected to experimental testing based on evaluation by multiple short-time molecular dynamics simulations. A single variant (R145αG) was experimentally confirmed to afford higher kinetic selectivity with a synthesis/hydrolysis ratio (S/H) that was increased by approximately 40% compared with the wild type, and the immobilized enzyme catalyst gave a yield of cefazolin of up to 92% with a 1.8:1 molar ratio of TZAM/7-ZACA, which to our knowledge is the lowest molar ratio of TZAM/7-ZACA to produce a yield over 90%. This study represents considerable progress toward cefazolin synthesis under practical conditions and indicates that this computational strategy could improve enzyme properties for the bio-manufacturing of non-natural molecules.

Next-Generation Sequencing for Whole-Genome Characterization of Weissella cibaria UTNGt21O Strain Originated From Wild Solanum quitoense Lam. Fruits: An Atlas of Metabolites With Biotechnological Significance.

The whole genome of Weissella cibaria strain UTNGt21O isolated from wild fruits of Solanum quitoense (naranjilla) shrub was sequenced and annotated. The similarity proportions based on the genus level, as a result of the best hits for the entire contig, were 54.84% with Weissella, 6.45% with Leuconostoc, 3.23% with Lactococcus, and 35.48% no match. The closest genome was W. cibaria SP7 (GCF_004521965.1) with 86.21% average nucleotide identity (ANI) and 3.2% alignment coverage. The genome contains 1,867 protein-coding genes, among which 1,620 were assigned with the EggNOG database. On the basis of the results, 438 proteins were classified with unknown function from which 247 new hypothetical proteins have no match in the nucleotide Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLASTN) database. It also contains 78 tRNAs, six copies of 5S rRNA, one copy of 16S rRNA, one copy of 23S rRNA, and one copy of tmRNA. The W. cibaria UTNGt21O strain harbors several genes responsible for carbohydrate metabolism, cellular process, general stress responses, cofactors, and vitamins, conferring probiotic features. A pangenome analysis indicated the presence of various strain-specific genes encoded for proteins responsible for the defense mechanisms as well as gene encoded for enzymes with biotechnological value, such as penicillin acylase and folates; thus, W. cibaria exhibited high genetic diversity. The genome characterization indicated the presence of a putative CRISPR-Cas array and five prophage regions and the absence of acquired antibiotic resistance genes, virulence, and pathogenic factors; thus, UTNGt21O might be considered a safe strain. Besides, the interaction between the peptide extracts from UTNGt21O and Staphylococcus aureus results in cell death caused by the target cell integrity loss and the release of aromatic molecules from the cytoplasm. The results indicated that W. cibaria UTNGt21O can be considered a beneficial strain to be further exploited for developing novel antimicrobials and probiotic products with improved technological characteristics.

Positive effect of glycerol on the stability of immobilized enzymes: Is it a universal fact?

In this paper, the effect of glycerol at different concentrations and pH values on the stabilities of 13 immobilized enzymes has been analyzed. Among the enzymes, we have selected 5 lipases (immobilized on octyl or amino-glutaraldehyde supports), 3 proteases (immobilized on glyoxyl or amino-glutaraldehyde supports), 2 glycosidases, 1 laccase, 1 catalase (immobilized on glutaraldehyde matrix) and one penicillin acylase (immobilized on glyoxyl supports). The effect was completely enzyme-dependent. The results indicate that the stabilizing effect of glycerol is not universal, as in certain cases it produced even some destabilization of the immobilized enzyme (e.g., in the case of ficin extract, a protease). The glycerol effect was strongly concentration dependent (but not always the most significant results were observed at the highest glycerol concentrations), and it also strongly depends on the inactivation pH (at pH 9.0 this agent showed the strongest destabilization effects). Very interestingly, the effect of glycerol on enzyme stability was much dependent on the used immobilization protocol, which determines not only the intensity but even the sense of this effect. Thus, before using glycerol as enzyme stabilizer agent, it is necessary to confirm that the effect is positive for a specific preparation under the specific used conditions.

Bacterial Cellulose Containing Combinations of Antimicrobial Peptides with Various QQ Enzymes as a Prototype of an “Enhanced Antibacterial” Dressing: In Silico and In Vitro Data

To improve the action of already in use antibiotics or new antimicrobial agents against different bacteria, the development of effective combinations of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with enzymes that can quench the quorum (QQ) sensing of bacterial cells was undertaken. Enzymes hydrolyzing N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) and peptides that are signal molecules of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial cells, respectively, were estimated as “partners” for antibiotics and antimicrobial peptides in newly designed antimicrobial–enzymatic combinations. The molecular docking of six antimicrobial agents to the surface of 10 different QQ enzyme molecules was simulated in silico. This made it possible to choose the best variants among the target combinations. Further, bacterial cellulose (BC) was applied as a carrier for uploading such combinations to generally compose prototypes of effective dressing materials with morphology, providing good absorbance. The in vitro analysis of antibacterial activity of prepared BC samples confirmed the significantly enhanced efficiency of the action of AMPs (including polymyxin B and colistin, which are antibiotics of last resort) in combination with AHL-hydrolyzing enzymes (penicillin acylase and His6-tagged organophosphorus hydrolase) against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive cells.

Electric-field-enhanced selective separation of products of an enzymatic reaction in a membrane micro-contactor.

Processes employed in separations of products of enzyme reactions are often driven by diffusion, and their efficiency can be limited. Here, we exploit the effect of a direct current (DC) electric field that intensifies mass transfer through a semipermeable membrane for fast, continuous, and selective separation of electrically charged molecules. Specifically, we separate low-molecular-weight reaction products (phenylacetic acid, 6-aminopenicillanic acid) from the original reaction mixture containing a free enzyme (penicillin acylase). The developed microfluidic dialysis-membrane contactor allows a stable counter-current arrangement of the retentate and permeates liquid streams on which DC electric field is perpendicularly applied. The applied electric field significantly accelerates the transport of electrically charged products through the semipermeable membrane yielding high separation efficiencies at short residence times. The residence time of 5 min is sufficient to reach 100% separation yield in the electric field. The same residence time provides only a 50% yield in the diffusion-controlled experiments. We experimentally demonstrated that a combined microreactor-microextractor with a recycle of the soluble penicillin acylase can continuously produce both the reaction products at high concentrations. The developed membrane-contactor is a versatile platform allowing to tune its characteristics, such as selectivity given by the membrane, or the type of the retentate phase, for a specific application.

Penicillin G acylase production by Mucor griseocyanus and the partial genetic analysis of its pga gene.

Penicillin acylases (penicillin amidohydrolase, EC 3.5.1.11) are a group of enzymes with many applications within the pharmaceutical industry, and one of them is the production of semi-synthetic beta-lactam antibiotics. This enzyme is mainly produced by bacteria but also by some fungi. In the present study, the filamentous fungus Mucor griseocyanus was used to produce penicillin acylase enzyme (PGA). Its ability to express PGA enzyme in submerged fermentation process was assessed, finding that this fungal strain produces the biocatalyst of interest in an extracellular way at a level of 570IU/L at 72h of fermentation; in this case, a saline media using lactose as carbon source and penicillin G as inducer was employed. In addition, a DNA fragment (859bp) of the pga from a pure Mucor griseocyanus strain was amplified, sequenced, and analyzed in silico. The partial sequence of pga identified in the fungi showed high identity percentage with penicillin G acylase sequences deposited in NCBI through BLAST, especially with the β subunit of PGA from the Alcaligenes faecalis bacterium¸ which is a region involved in the catalytic function of this protein. Besides, the identification of domains in the penicillin G acylase sequence of Mucor griseocyanus showed three conserved regions of this protein. The bioinformatic results support the identity of the gen as penicillin G acylase. This is the first report that involves sequencing and in silico analysis of Mucor griseocyanus strain gene encoding PGA.

Penicillin Acylase from Streptomyces lavendulae and Aculeacin A Acylase from Actinoplanes utahensis: Two Versatile Enzymes as Useful Tools for Quorum Quenching Processes

Many Gram-negative bacteria produce N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), quorum sensing (QS) molecules that can be enzymatically inactivated by quorum quenching (QQ) processes; this approach is considered an emerging antimicrobial alternative. In this study, kinetic parameters of several AHLs hydrolyzed by penicillin acylase from Streptomyces lavendulae (SlPA) and aculeacin A acylase from Actinoplanes utahensis (AuAAC) have been determined. Both enzymes catalyze efficiently the amide bond hydrolysis in AHLs with different acyl chain moieties (with or without 3-oxo modification) and exhibit a clear preference for AHLs with long acyl chains (C12-HSL > C14-HSL > C10-HSL > C8-HSL for SlPA, whereas C14-HSL > C12-HSL > C10-HSL > C8-HSL for AuAAC). Involvement of SlPA and AuAAC in QQ processes was demonstrated by Chromobacterium violaceum CV026-based bioassays and inhibition of biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a process controlled by QS molecules, suggesting the application of these multifunctional enzymes as quorum quenching agents, this being the first time that quorum quenching activity was shown by an aculeacin A acylase. In addition, a phylogenetic study suggests that SlPA and AuAAC could be part of a new family of actinomycete acylases, with a preference for substrates with long aliphatic acyl chains, and likely involved in QQ processes.