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Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology: Part A: Enzyme Engineering and Biotechnology (v.111, #3)

Fermentation process optimization of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of human interferon-α2a by Ju Chu; Siliang Zhang; Yingping Zhuang (pp. 129-137).

The effects of different culture conditions on the expression level of human interferon-α2a (IFN-α2a) by using recombinant yeast were investigated in a 2.6-Ljar fermentor. Appropriate supplement of glucose and the maintenance of residual glucose at a low level resulted in the reduction of ethanol formation and enhancement of the bioactivity of IFN-α2a to 4.9×10⁶ from 3.1×10⁶ IU/mL. When adenine was added evenlly for 10–20 h of fermentation into the basal culture medium at a speed of 2 μg/mL of medium/h, OD₆₀₀ was greatly increased to 24, and the protein increased to 276 mg/L. The content of ethanol generated was also reduced tremendously during the process and as a result, 1.3×10⁷ IU/mL of biologic activity was achieved. In the expression phase, pH had an important impact on expression level, which should be controlled at 5.5

Keywords: Interferon-α2a; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; cultivation; recombinant yeast; fed-batch fermentation; adenine

Production of l-DOPA by tyrosinase immobilized on modified polystyrene by P. Y. Ho; M. S. Chiou; A. C. Chao (pp. 139-152).

Mushroom tyrosinase was immobilized on modified polystyrene—polyaminostyrene (PSNH) and polymethylchloridestyrene (PSCL)—to produce l-DOPA from l-tyrosine. Glutaraldehyde was used as an activating agent for the PSNH to immobilize the tyrosinase and 10% (w/v) glutaraldehyde was optimal in conferring the highest specific activity (11.96 U/g) to the PSNH. Methylchloride on the PSCL was directly linked with the tyrosinase, and 1.5 mmol of Cl/g was optimal in attaining the specific activity of 17.0 U/g. The temperature and optimal acidity were, respectively, 60°C and pH 5.5 for the PSNH, and 70°C and pH 3.0 for the PSCL. In a 50-mL batch reactor working over 36 h, the l-DOPA production rate at 30°C was 1.44 mg/(L·h) for the PSNH and 2.33 mg/(L·h) for the PSCL. The production rate over 36 h was 3.86 mg/(L·h) for the PSNH at 60°C and 5.54 mg/(L·h) for the PSCL at 70°C. Both of the immobilized enzymes showed a remarkable stability with almost no change in activity after being stored wet. The operational stability study indicated a 22.4% reduction in l-DOPA production for the PSNH and an 8.63% reduction for the PSCL over seven runs (each run was for 144h at 30°C) when the immobilized enzymes were used under turnover conditions. The immobilized tyrosinase was more stable on the PSCL than on the PSNH.

Keywords: l-DOPA; tyrosine; tyrosinase; enzyme immobilization; modified polystyrene

Cloning, heterologous expression, and characterization of Thielavia terrestris glucoamylase by Michael W. Rey; Kimberly M. Brown; Elizabeth J. Golightly; Claus C. Fuglasang; Bjarne R. Nielsen; Hanne V. Hendriksen; Amy Butterworth; Feng Xu (pp. 153-166).

Thielavia terrestris is a soil-borne thermophilic fungus whose molecular/cellular biology is poorly understood. Only a few genes have been cloned from the Thielavia genus. We detected an extracellular glucoamylase in culture filtrates of T. terrestris and cloned the corresponding glaA gene. The coding region contains five introns. Based on the amino acid sequence, the glucoamylase was 65% identical to Neurospora crassa glucoamylase. Sequence comparisons suggested that the enzyme belongs to the glycosyl hydrolase family 15. The T. terrestris glaA gene was expressed in Aspergillus oryzae under the control of an A. oryzae α-amylase promoter and an Aspergillus niger glucoamylase terminator. The 75-kDa recombinant glucoamylase showed a specific activity of 2.8 μmol/(min·mg) with maltose as substrate. With maltotriose as a substrate, the enzyme had an optimum pH of 4.0 and an optimum temperature of 60°C. The enzyme was stable at 60°C for 30 min. The K m and k cat of the enzyme for maltotriose were determined at various pHs and temperatures. At 20°C and pH 4.0, the enzyme had a K m of 0.33±0.07 mM and a k cat of (5.5±0.5)×10³ min⁻¹ for maltotriose. The temperature dependence of k cat/K m indicated an activation free energy of 2.8 kJ/mol across the range of 20–70°C. Overall, the enzyme derived from the thermophilic fungus exhibited properties comparable with that of its homolog derived from mesophilic fungi.

Keywords: Glucoamylase; sequence; enzymology; expression; Thielavia terrestris

Novel laccase redox mediators by S. V. Shleev; I. Gvon Khan; I. G. Gazaryan; O. V. Morozova; A. I. Yaropolov (pp. 167-183).

The screening of potential redox mediators for laccase was performed using homogeneous enzyme preparations from Coriolus hirsutus and Coriolus zonatus. It was discovered that derivatives of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-pyrazolones were efficient substrates for the laccases. The characterization of two representatives of the 1-phenyl-pyrazolone class, sodium 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-methylamino-pyrazolone-5-N(4)-methanesulfonate and 1-(3′-sulfophenyl)-3-methylpyrazolone-5, in the reaction catalyzed by laccase was carried out using spectral, electrochemical, and enzyme kinetics methods. The kinetic parameters for the oxidation of the newly discovered substrates were comparable with those for 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) oxidation by laccase. Electrochemical experiments demonstrated that oxidation of these compounds yielded two high-potential intermediates capable of oxidizing veratryl alcohol, which was used as a lignin model substrate, to the corresponding aldehyde and acid. 1-(3′-Sulfophenyl)-3-methylpyrazolone-5 was about 30–40% as effective in degrading veratryl alcohol compared to ABTS as judged from high-performance liquid chromatography kinetic studies. 1-Phenyl-3-methyl-pyrazolones may be of commerical interest for oxidoreductase-catalyzed biodegradation of organic compounds.

Keywords: Laccase; mediator; lignin; redox potential; 1-phenyl-3-methyl-pyrazolone

Asymmetric reduction of benzil to (S)-benzoin with whole cells of Bacillus cereus by Tomoya Saito; Reiji Maruyama; Shin Ono; Nobuo Yasukawa; Ken-ichi Kodaira; Mikio Nishizawa; Seiji Ito; Masami Inoue (pp. 185-190).

Benzil (1) was selectively reduced to (S)-benzoin (2) in the presence of a wild-type Bacillus cereus Tim-r01. A 92% yield of 2 with 94% enantiomeric excess ratio was attained in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (pH 7.5) by using glucose as a nutrient at 37°C for 12 h. Compound 2 was not reduced further to hydrobenzoin (3) at all. The reduction activity differed greatly depending on the strain of B. cereus. Under these conditions the B. cereus strains IFO3001, IFO15305, IAM1110, IAM1229, IAM1656, and IAM1729 gave 2 in yields ranging from 23 to 46% and the configuration of 2 was (S)-form (7 to 86% ee).

Keywords: Asymmetric reduction; benzil; benzoin; Bacillus cereus ; diketone

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Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology: Part A: Enzyme Engineering and Biotechnology (v.111, #3)

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Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology: Part A: Enzyme Engineering and Biotechnology (v.111, #3)