Advances in Research in Biocatalysis

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry, Biophysics and Computational Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 January 2024) | Viewed by 8809

Special Issue Editors

Department of Chemistry, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL 60446, USA
Interests: biocatalysis; metalloenzymes; bioinorganic; green chemistry; chemical education
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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL 60446, USA
Interests: MOFs; coordination chemistry; materials science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of biocatalysis encompasses any type of metabolic transformation from whole cells to purified enzymes that produces new compounds that are of interest for industrial applications or environmental remediation purposes. An overarching goal of biocatalysis is to augment or replace many types of chemical processes by introducing greener alternatives, thus supporting processes that minimize waste, prevent pollution and cost, and support greater sustainability. Enzymes are becoming more prominent in the production of pharmaceuticals, fragrances, biofuels, and polymers. This Special Issue invites papers from a broad spectrum of biological, chemical, and engineering disciplines: biochemical, biomedical, biomaterials, biocatalysis, the directed evolution of enzymes, biodegradation, biofuels, bioplastics, and environmental remediation. Prospective authors should first send a short abstract or tentative title to the Editorial Office. If the editors deem the topic appropriate for inclusion in the Special Issue, the author will be encouraged to submit a full manuscript. Please contact the Guest Editors for questions regarding the suitability of your manuscript.

Dr. Kari Stone
Dr. Daniel Kissel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biochemical
  • biomedical
  • biomaterials
  • biocatalysis
  • biodegradation
  • biofuels
  • bioplastics
  • directed evolution of enzymes
  • environmental remediation

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

10 pages, 1997 KiB  
Article
Improvement in the Stability and Enzymatic Activity of Pleurotus sapidus Lipoxygenase Dissolved in Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADESs)
by Maria Garbe, Leander Tom Lehmann, Ralf Günter Berger and Franziska Ersoy
Life 2024, 14(2), 271; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14020271 - 18 Feb 2024
Viewed by 644
Abstract
Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) can serve as solvents for enzymes, are biodegradable, and have low toxicities. Eight NADESs with different hydrogen bond acceptors and donors were tested to improve the stability and activity of a lipoxygenase from Basidiomycete Pleurotus sapidus (LOXPSA [...] Read more.
Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) can serve as solvents for enzymes, are biodegradable, and have low toxicities. Eight NADESs with different hydrogen bond acceptors and donors were tested to improve the stability and activity of a lipoxygenase from Basidiomycete Pleurotus sapidus (LOXPSA). Betaine:sorbitol:water (1:1:3, BSorbW) and betaine:ethylene glycol (1:3, BEtGly) had the best impact on the peroxidation of linoleic acid and the side reaction of piperine to the vanilla-like scented compound piperonal. The yield of piperonal in NADESs increased by 43% in BSorbW and 40% in BEtGly compared to the control. The addition of BSorbW also enhanced the enzyme’s stability at various temperatures and increased its activity during incubation at 60 °C. The demonstrated improvement in lipoxygenase activity and stability indicates versatile applications in industry, expanding the potential uses of the enzyme. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research in Biocatalysis)
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11 pages, 3231 KiB  
Article
Characterizing Biogenic MnOx Produced by Pseudomonas putida MnB1 and Its Catalytic Activity towards Water Oxidation
by Elisa Morales, Sarah E. Shaner and Kari L. Stone
Life 2024, 14(2), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14020171 - 24 Jan 2024
Viewed by 769
Abstract
Mn-oxidizing microorganisms oxidize environmental Mn(II), producing Mn(IV) oxides. Pseudomonas putida MnB1 is a widely studied organism for the oxidation of manganese(II) to manganese(IV) by a multi-copper oxidase. The biogenic manganese oxides (BMOs) produced by MnB1 and similar organisms have unique properties compared to [...] Read more.
Mn-oxidizing microorganisms oxidize environmental Mn(II), producing Mn(IV) oxides. Pseudomonas putida MnB1 is a widely studied organism for the oxidation of manganese(II) to manganese(IV) by a multi-copper oxidase. The biogenic manganese oxides (BMOs) produced by MnB1 and similar organisms have unique properties compared to non-biological manganese oxides. Along with an amorphous, poorly crystalline structure, previous studies have indicated that BMOs have high surface areas and high reactivities. It is also known that abiotic Mn oxides promote oxidation of organics and have been studied for their water oxidation catalytic function. MnB1 was grown and maintained and subsequently transferred to culturing media containing manganese(II) salts to observe the oxidation of manganese(II) to manganese(IV). The structures and compositions of these manganese(IV) oxides were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction, and their properties were assessed regarding catalytic functionality towards water oxidation in comparison to abiotic acid birnessite. Water oxidation was accomplished through the whole-cell catalysis of MnB1, the results for which compare favorably to the water-oxidizing ability of abiotic Mn(IV) oxides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research in Biocatalysis)
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18 pages, 4042 KiB  
Article
Optimization Workflow of Fumonisin Esterase Production for Biocatalytic Degradation of Fumonisin B1
by Dániel János Incze, László Poppe and Zsófia Bata
Life 2023, 13(9), 1885; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13091885 - 08 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 838
Abstract
Industrial enzyme production with the Pichia pastoris expression system requires a well-characterized production strain and a competitively priced fermentation medium to meet the expectations of the industry. The present work shows a workflow that allows the rapid and reliable screening of transformants of [...] Read more.
Industrial enzyme production with the Pichia pastoris expression system requires a well-characterized production strain and a competitively priced fermentation medium to meet the expectations of the industry. The present work shows a workflow that allows the rapid and reliable screening of transformants of single copy insertion of the target production cassette. A constitutive expression system with the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter (pGAP) with homology arms for the glycerol kinase 1 (GUT1) was constructed for the targeted integration of the expression plasmid in a KU70 deficient Pichia pastoris and the production of a bacterial fumonisin esterase enzyme (CFE). A robust colony qPCR method was developed for the copy number estimation of the expression cassette. Optimization of the protein production medium and the scale-up ability was aided by design of experiments (DOE) approach resulting in optimized production conditions at a semi-industrial scale. A novel fermentation medium containing 3% inactivated yeast and 2% dextrose in an ammonium-citrate buffer (IYD) was shown to be a promising alternative to YPD media (containing yeast extract, peptone, and dextrose), as similar protein titers could be obtained, while the cost of the medium was reduced 20-fold. In a demonstration-scale 48 h long fed-batch fermentation, the IYD media outperformed the small-scale YPD cultivation by 471.5 ± 22.6%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research in Biocatalysis)
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11 pages, 1913 KiB  
Article
Physiologically Aggregated LacZ Applied in Trehalose Galactosylation in a Recycled Batch Mode
by Martina Belkova, Tatiana Janegova, Eva Hrabarova and Jozef Nahalka
Life 2023, 13(8), 1619; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13081619 - 25 Jul 2023
Viewed by 883
Abstract
Galactooligosaccharides obtained via β-galactosidase transgalactosylation have health-promoting properties and are widely recognized as effective prebiotics. Trehalose-based galactooligosaccharides could be introduced into food and pharmaceutical industries similarly to trehalose. In light of this, new technological approaches are needed. Recently, in vivo enzyme immobilizations for [...] Read more.
Galactooligosaccharides obtained via β-galactosidase transgalactosylation have health-promoting properties and are widely recognized as effective prebiotics. Trehalose-based galactooligosaccharides could be introduced into food and pharmaceutical industries similarly to trehalose. In light of this, new technological approaches are needed. Recently, in vivo enzyme immobilizations for recombinant proteins have been introduced, and physiological aggregation into active inclusion bodies (aIBs) has emerged as one such method of in vivo immobilization. To prepare LacZ β-galactosidase in the form of aIBs, we used a short 10 amino acid aggregation-prone tag. These native protein particles were simply washed from the cell lysate and applied in trehalose galactosylation in a recycled batch mode. In this study, aIBs entrapped in alginate beads, encapsulated in alginate/cellulose sulfate/poly(methylene-co-guanidine) capsules and magnetized were compared with free aIBs. Alginate/cellulose sulfate/PMCG capsules showed more suitable properties and applicability for biotransformation of trehalose at its high concentration (25%, w/v) and elevated temperature (50 °C). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research in Biocatalysis)
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16 pages, 2344 KiB  
Article
Immobilization of Lipase B from Candida antarctica on Magnetic Nanoparticles Enhances Its Selectivity in Kinetic Resolutions of Chiral Amines with Several Acylating Agents
by Fausto M. W. G. Silva, József Szemes, Akan Mustashev, Orsolya Takács, Ali O. Imarah and László Poppe
Life 2023, 13(7), 1560; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13071560 - 14 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1056
Abstract
In lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolutions (KRs), the choice of immobilization support and acylating agents (AAs) is crucial. Lipase B from Candida antarctica immobilized onto magnetic nanoparticles (CaLB-MNPs) has been successfully used for diverse KRs of racemic compounds, but there is a lack of studies [...] Read more.
In lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolutions (KRs), the choice of immobilization support and acylating agents (AAs) is crucial. Lipase B from Candida antarctica immobilized onto magnetic nanoparticles (CaLB-MNPs) has been successfully used for diverse KRs of racemic compounds, but there is a lack of studies of the utilization of this potent biocatalyst in the KR of chiral amines, important pharmaceutical building blocks. Therefore, in this work, several racemic amines (heptane-2-amine, 1-methoxypropan-2-amine, 1-phenylethan-1-amine, and 4-phenylbutan-2-amine, (±)-1ad, respectively) were studied in batch and continuous-flow mode utilizing different AAs, such as diisopropyl malonate 2A, isopropyl 2-cyanoacetate 2B, and isopropyl 2-ethoxyacetate 2C. The reactions performed with CaLB-MNPs were compared with Novozym 435 (N435) and the results in the literature. CaLB-MNPs were less active than N435, leading to lower conversion, but demonstrated a higher enantiomer selectivity, proving to be a good alternative to the commercial form. Compound 2C resulted in the best balance between conversion and enantiomer selectivity among the acylating agents. CaLB-MNPs proved to be efficient in the KR of chiral amines, having comparable or superior properties to other CaLB forms utilizing porous matrices for immobilization. An additional advantage of using CaLB-MNPs is that the purification and reuse processes are facilitated via magnetic retention/separation. In the continuous-flow mode, the usability and operational stability of CaLB-MNPs were reaffirmed, corroborating with previous studies, and the results overall improve our understanding of this potent biocatalyst and the convenient U-shape reactor used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research in Biocatalysis)
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10 pages, 1530 KiB  
Article
Vine-Twining Inclusion Behavior of Amylose towards Hydrophobic Polyester, Poly(β-propiolactone), in Glucan Phosphorylase-Catalyzed Enzymatic Polymerization
by Masa-aki Iwamoto and Jun-ichi Kadokawa
Life 2023, 13(2), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020294 - 20 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1248
Abstract
This study investigates inclusion behavior of amylose towards, poly(β-propiolactone) (PPL), that is a hydrophobic polyester, via the vine-twining process in glucan phosphorylase (GP, isolated from thermophilic bacteria, Aquifex aeolicus VF5)-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization. As a result of poor dispersibility of PPL in sodium acetate [...] Read more.
This study investigates inclusion behavior of amylose towards, poly(β-propiolactone) (PPL), that is a hydrophobic polyester, via the vine-twining process in glucan phosphorylase (GP, isolated from thermophilic bacteria, Aquifex aeolicus VF5)-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization. As a result of poor dispersibility of PPL in sodium acetate buffer, the enzymatically produced amylose by GP catalysis incompletely included PPL in the buffer media under the general vine-twining polymerization conditions. Alternatively, we employed an ethyl acetate–sodium acetate buffer emulsion system with dispersing PPL as the media for vine-twining polymerization. Accordingly, the GP (from thermophilic bacteria)-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization of an α-d-glucose 1-phosphate monomer from a maltoheptaose primer was performed at 50 °C for 48 h in the prepared emulsion to efficiently form the inclusion complex. The powder X-ray diffraction profile of the precipitated product suggested that the amylose-PPL inclusion complex was mostly produced in the above system. The 1H NMR spectrum of the product also supported the inclusion complex structure, where a calculation based on an integrated ratio of signals indicated an almost perfect inclusion of PPL in the amylosic cavity. The prevention of crystallization of PPL in the product was suggested by IR analysis, because it was surrounded by the amylosic chains due to the inclusion complex structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research in Biocatalysis)
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Review

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20 pages, 1935 KiB  
Review
Back to the Future of Metabolism—Advances in the Discovery and Characterization of Unknown Biocatalytic Functions and Pathways
by Roland Wohlgemuth
Life 2024, 14(3), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14030364 - 10 Mar 2024
Viewed by 812
Abstract
The architecture, organization, and functioning of biocatalytic reaction networks, which are coded in the cell-specific genome and which work together in the small space of biological cells, are a fascinating feature of life evolved over more than 3 billion years. Knowledge about the [...] Read more.
The architecture, organization, and functioning of biocatalytic reaction networks, which are coded in the cell-specific genome and which work together in the small space of biological cells, are a fascinating feature of life evolved over more than 3 billion years. Knowledge about the diversity of biocatalytic functions and metabolic pathways sustaining life on our planet is highly important, especially as the currently occurring loss of biodiversity is considered a planetary boundary that is at high risk, and knowledge about the life of current biological organisms should be gained before they become extinct. In addition to the well-known enzymatic reactions involved in biochemical pathways, the enzyme universe offers numerous opportunities for discovering novel functions and pathways. Maintaining thousands of molecules and reactions functioning properly within biological cells, which may be exposed to various kinds of external hazards, environmental stress, enzymatic side reactions, or non-enzymatic chemical reactions, is key for keeping cellular life healthy. This review aims to outline advances in assigning enzyme functions to protein sequences and the discovery of novel biocatalytic functions and pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research in Biocatalysis)
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27 pages, 4445 KiB  
Review
Progressive Biocatalysts for the Treatment of Aqueous Systems Containing Pharmaceutical Pollutants
by Elena Efremenko, Nikolay Stepanov, Olga Senko, Olga Maslova, Ilya Lyagin and Aysel Aslanli
Life 2023, 13(3), 841; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13030841 - 20 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1640
Abstract
The review focuses on the appearance of various pharmaceutical pollutants in various water sources, which dictates the need to use various methods for effective purification and biodegradation of the compounds. The use of various biological catalysts (enzymes and cells) is discussed as one [...] Read more.
The review focuses on the appearance of various pharmaceutical pollutants in various water sources, which dictates the need to use various methods for effective purification and biodegradation of the compounds. The use of various biological catalysts (enzymes and cells) is discussed as one of the progressive approaches to solving problems in this area. Antibiotics, hormones, pharmaceuticals containing halogen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics and antiepileptic drugs are among the substrates for the biocatalysts in water purification processes that can be carried out. The use of enzymes in soluble and immobilized forms as effective biocatalysts for the biodegradation of various pharmaceutical compounds (PCPs) has been analyzed. Various living cells (bacteria, fungi, microalgae) taken as separate cultures or components of natural or artificial consortia can be involved in biocatalytic processes under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Cells as biocatalysts introduced into water treatment systems in suspended or immobilized form are used for deep biodegradation of PCPs. The potential of combinations of biocatalysts with physical–chemical methods of wastewater treatment is evaluated in relation to the effective removing of PCPs. The review analyzes recent results and the main current trends in the development of biocatalytic approaches to biodegradation of PCPs, the pros and cons of the processes and the biocatalysts used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research in Biocatalysis)
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