• Animal cells and systems
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.243-248
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• 1998

We have partially sequenced glutaminyl cyclases from several mammalian and one avian species and found that the two cysteine residues of the human glutaminyl cyclase are completely conserved. The mammalian glutaminyl cyclase has been reported to possess reactive thiols (Busby, Jr, et aI., 1987, J BioI Chern 262, 8532-8536). Mutagenesis of these cysteine residues, however, resulted in only a slight decrease in enzyme activity. Likewise, the recombinant human enzyme was completely resistant to attempted chemical modification of the putative reactive thiols. Although the human glutaminyl cyclase did not appear to have reactive thiols, it was sensitive to diethylpyrocarbonate and acetylimidazole, indicating the presence of functionally important histidine and tyrosine residues which could act as acid/base catalysts. Almost identical deuterium solvent isotope effect (1.2 vs 1.3) upon the reaction by the human and papaya enzymes, respectively, provides an evidence both animal and plant glutaminyl cyclases catalyze pyroglutamyl-peptide formation by intramolecular cyclization.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.132-138
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• 2010

A gene encoding a putative alanine racemase in B. pseudomycoides was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) using a pET-21 vector harbouring 6xHistidine tag. Affinity purification of the recombinant alanine racemase with a nickel resin resulted in one band by SDS-PAGE analysis. The purified enzyme showed a molecular weight of 46 kDa. The enzyme was the most active toward L-alanine and secondly D-alanine, implying that the enzyme is an alanine racemase. D-cysteine significantly inhibited the enzyme activity and also L-cysteine to a lesser extent. The enzyme was considerably activated by addition of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP), showing that 73% increase in activity was observed at 0.3 mM, compared to control. The enzyme was the most active at pH 9.0 and more stable at alkaline pHs than acidic pHs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1782-1788
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• 2007

Cellulosomes in Clostridium cellulovorans are assembled by the interaction between the repeated cohesin domains of a scaffolding protein (CbpA) and the dockerin domain of enzyme components. In this study, we determined the synergistic effects on cellulosic and hemicellulosic substrates by three different recombinant mini-cellulosomes containing either endoglucanase EngB or endoxylanase XynA bound to mini-CbpA with one cohesin domain (mini-CbpAl), two cohesins (mini-CbpA12), or four cohesins (mini-CbpAl234). The assembly of EngB or XynA with mini-CbpA increased the activity against carboxymethyl cellulose, acid-swollen cellulose, Avicel, xylan, and com fiber 1.1-1.8-fold compared with that for the corresponding enzyme alone. A most distinct improvement was shown with com fiber, a natural substrate containing xylan, arabinan, and cellulose. However, there was little difference in activity between the three different mini-cellulosomes when the cellulosomal enzyme concentration was held constant regardless of the copy number of cohesins in the cellulosome. A synergistic effect was observed when the enzyme concentration was increased to be proportional to the number of cohesins in the mini-cellulosome. The highest degree of synergy was observed with mini-CbpAl234 (1.8-fold) and then mini-CbpAl2 (1.3-fold), and the lowest synergy was observed with mini-CbpAl (1.2-fold) when Avicel was used as the substrate. As the copy number of cohesin was increased, there was more synergy. These results indicate that the clustering effect (physical enzyme proximity) of the enzyme within the mini-cellulosome is one of the important factors for efficient degradation of plant cell walls.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2002

The cloning and expression of $\beta-glucosidase$ II, encoded by the gene ${\beta}glu2$, from thermotolerant yeast Pichia etchellsii into Escherichia coli is described. Cloning of the 7.3 kb BamHI/SalI yeast insert containing ${\beta}glu2$ in pUC18, which allowed for reverse orientation of the insert, resulted in better enzyme expression. Transformation of this plasmid into E. coli JM109 resulted in accumulation of the enzyme in periplasmic space. At $50^{\circ}C$, the highest hydrolytic activity of 1686 IU/g protein was obtained on sophorose. Batch and fed-batch techniques were employed for enzyme production in a 14 L bioreactor. Exponential feeding rates were determined from mass balance equations and these were employed to control specific growth rate and in turn maximize cell growth and enzyme production. Media optimization coupled with this strategy resulted in increased enzyme units of 1.2 kU/L at a stabilized growth rate of $0.14\;h^{-l}$. Increased enzyme production in bioreactor was accompanied by formation of inclusion bodies.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1455-1464
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• 2021

Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide in increasing demand for applications in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. Single-step trehalose production by trehalose synthase (TreS) using maltose as a starting material is a promising alternative process for industrial application due to its simplicity and cost advantage. Pseudomonas monteilii TBRC 1196 was identified using the developed screening method as a potent strain for TreS production. The TreS gene from P. monteilii TBRC 1196 was first cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Purified recombinant trehalose synthase (PmTreS) had a molecular weight of 76 kDa and showed optimal pH and temperature at 9.0 and 40℃, respectively. The enzyme exhibited >90% residual activity under mesophilic condition under a broad pH range of 7-10 for 6 h. Maximum trehalose yield by PmTreS was 68.1% with low yield of glucose (4%) as a byproduct under optimal conditions, equivalent to productivity of 4.5 g/l/h using enzyme loading of 2 mg/g substrate and high concentration maltose solution (100 g/l) in a lab-scale bioreactor. The enzyme represents a potent biocatalyst for energy-saving trehalose production with potential for inhibiting microbial contamination by alkaline condition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.628-635
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• 2001

Recombinant E. coli DH5$\alpha$ harboring a dextransucrase gene (dsrB742) produced an extracellular dextransucrase in a 2% sucrose medium. The enzyme was purified by DEAE-Sepharose and Phenyl-Sepharose column chromatographies upto a 142.97-fold purification with a 11.11% recovery to near homogeneity. The enzyme had a calculated molecular mass of 168.6 kDa, which was in good agreement with the activity band of 170 kDa on a nondenaturing SDS-PAGE. An expression plasmid was constructed by inserting the dsrB742 into a pRSET expression vector. The activity after expression in E. coli BL21(DE3)pLysS increased about 6.7-fold compared to the extracellular dextransucrase from L. mesenteroides B-742CB. The expressed and purified enzyme from the clone showed similar biochemical properties (acceptor reaction, size of active dextransucrase, optimum pH, and temperature) to B-742CB dextransucrase, however, the ability to synthesize ${\alpha}$-(1$\rightarrow$3) branching decreased in comparison to that of L. mesenteroides B-742CB dextransucrase.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 2020

In this study, a biocatalyst composite was prepared by immobilizing oxidoreductases onto Cu-activated zeolite to facilitate biochemical decomposition of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). 4-CP monooxygenase (CphC-I) was cloned from a 4-CP degrading bacterium, Pseudarthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6, and then overexpressed and purified. Type X zeolite was synthesized from non-magnetic coal fly ash using acetic acid treatment, and its surfaces were coated with copper ions via impregnation (Cu-zeolite). Then, the recombinant oxidative and reductive enzymes were immobilized onto Cu-zeolite. The enzymes were effectively immobilized onto the Cu-zeolite (79% of immobilization yield). The retained catalytic activity of CphC-I after immobilization was 0.3423 U/g-Cu-zeolite, which was 63.3% of the value of free enzymes. The results of this study suggest that copper can be used as an effective enzyme immobilization binder because it provides favorable metalhistidine binding between the enzyme and Cu-zeolite.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.252-255
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• 2004

A pfl ldhA double mutant Escherichia coli strain NZN 111 was used to produce succinic acid by overexpressing the E. coli malic enzyme gene (sfcA). This strain, however, produced a large amount of malic acid as well as succinic acid. After the analyses of the metabolic pathways, the fumB gene encoding the anaerobic fumarase of E. coli was co-amplified to solve the problem of malic acid accumulation. A plasmid, pTrcMLFu, was constructed, which contains an artificial operon (sfcA-fumB) under the control of the inducible trc promoter. From the batch culture of recombinant E. coli NZN 111 harboring pTrcMLFu, 7 g/L of succinic acid was produced from 20 g/L of glucose, with no accumulation of malic acid. From the metabolic flux analysis the strain was found under reducing power limiting conditions by severe reorientation of metabolic fluxes.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.181-188
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• 1999

4-Aminobutyrate aminotransferase plays an essential role in the 4-aminobutyric acid shunt, converting 4-aminobutyrate to succinic semialdehyde. Recombinant 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferases were overexpressed as their catalytically active forms in E. coli by coproduction with thioredoxin and their solubilities were also dramatically increased. In order to study the structural and functional aspects of the C-terminal domain of brain 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase, we have constructed a C-terminal mutant of pig brain 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase and analyzed the functional and structural roles of C-terminal amino acids residues on the enzyme. The deletion of five amino-acid residues from C-terminus did not interfere with the kinetic parameters and functional properties of the enzyme. Also, the deletion did not affect the dimeric structure of the protein aligned along the subunit interface at neutral pH. However, the deletion of the C-terminal region of the protein changed the stability of its dimeric structure at acidic pH. The dissociation of the enzyme acidic, facilitated by the deletion of five amino acids from C-terminus, abolished the catalytic activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.486-491
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• 1999

An engineered cDNA from Phanerochaete chrysosporium encoding both the mature and propeptide-sequence regions of lignin peroxidase H2 (Lip H2) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) to evaluate its catalytic characteristics and potential application as a pollution scavenger. All expressed proteins were aggregated in an inactive inclusion body, which might be due to inherent disulfide bonds. Active enzyme was obtained by refolding with glutathione-mediated oxidation in refolding solution containing $Ca^{2+}$, heme, and urea. Propeptide-sequence region was not processed as evidenced by N-terminal sequence analysis. Recombinant Lip H2 (rLip H2) had the same physical properties of the native protein but differed in the $K_{cat}$. Catalytic efficiency ($k_{cat}/K_m$) of rLip H2 was slightly higher than that of the native enzyme. In order to express an active protein, fusion systems with thioredoxin or Dsb A, which have disulfide isomerase activity, were used. The fused proteins expressed by the Dsb A fusion vector were aggregated, whereas half of the thioredoxin fusion proteins were recovered as a soluble form but still catalytically inactive. These results suggest that Lip H2 may not be expressed as an active enzyme in Escherichia coli although the activity can be recovered by in vitro refolding.