A family of archaea-like carboxylesterases preferentially expressed in the symbiotic phase of the mychorrizal fungus Tuber melanosporum

N-terminal lid swapping contributes to the substrate specificity and activity of thermophilic lipase TrLipE

TrLipE is a thermophilic lipase that has potential commercial applications because of its catalytic ability under extreme conditions. Consistent with most lipases, the lid of TrLipE is located over the catalytic pocket, controls the substrate channel to the active center, and regulates the substrate specificity, activity, and stability of the enzyme through conformational changes. TrLipE from Thermomicrobium roseum has potential industrial applications, which is hindered by its weak enzymatic activity. Here, 18 chimeras (TrL1-TrL18) were reconstructed by N-terminal lid swapping between TrLipE and structurally similar enzymes. The results showed that the chimeras had a similar pH range and optimum pH as wild TrLipE but a narrower temperature range of 40-80°C, and TrL17 and the other chimeras showed lower optimum temperatures of 70°C and 60°C, respectively. In addition, the half-lives of the chimeras were lower than those of TrLipE under optimum temperature conditions. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that chimeras had high RMSD, RMSF, and B-factor values. When p-nitrophenol esters with different chains were used as substrates, compared with TrLipE, most of the chimeras had a low K_m and high k_cat value. The chimeras TrL2, TrL3, TrL17, and TrL18 could specifically catalyze the substrate 4-nitrophenyl benzoate, with TrL17 showing the highest k_cat/K_m value of 363.88 ± 15.83 L⋅min^-1⋅mmol^-1. Mutants were then designed by investigating the binding free energies of TrL17 and 4-nitrophenyl benzoate. The results indicated that single, double, and triple substitution variants (M89W and I206N; E33W/I206M and M89W/I206M; and M89W/I206M/L21I and M89W/I206N/L21I, respectively) presented approximately 2- to 3-fold faster catalysis of 4-nitrophenyl benzoate than the wild TrL17. Our observations will facilitate the development of the properties and industrial applications of TrLipE.

Crystal structure and biochemical analysis of acetylesterase (LgEstI) from Lactococcus garvieae

Esterase, a member of the serine hydrolase family, catalyzes the cleavage and formation of ester bonds with high regio- and stereospecificity, making them attractive biocatalysts for the synthesis of optically pure molecules. In this study, we performed an in-depth biochemical and structural characterization of a novel microbial acetylesterase, LgEstI, from the bacterial fish pathogen Lactococcus garvieae. The dimeric LgEstI displayed substrate preference for the short acyl chain of p-nitrophenyl esters and exhibited increased activity with F207A mutation. Comparative analysis with other esterases indicated that LgEstI has a narrow and shallow active site that may exhibit substrate specificity to short acyl chains. Unlike other esterases, LgEstI contains bulky residues such as Trp89, Phe194, and Trp217, which block the acyl chain channel. Furthermore, immobilized LgEstI retained approximately 90% of its initial activity, indicating its potential in industrial applications. This study expands our understanding of LgEstI and proposes novel ideas for improving its catalytic efficiency and substrate specificity for various applications.

Identification of Exoenzymes Secreted by Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria pseudobassiana RGM 2184 and Their Effect on the Degradation of Cocoons and Pupae of Quarantine Pest Lobesia botrana

Beauveria pseudobassiana RGM 2184 has shown 80% maximum efficacy against the pest Lobesia botrana in the autumn and winter seasons. This suggests that the strain possesses an interesting battery of enzymes that are cold-adapted to penetrate the thick and hydrophobic cocoon of L. botrana. In this study, screening of the proteolytic, lipolytic, and chitinolytic activity of enzyme extracts secreted by the RGM 2184 strain was carried out in various culture media. The enzyme extracts with the highest activity were subjected to zymography and mass spectrometry. These analyses allowed the identification of two proteases, two lipases, and three chitinases. Comparative analysis indicated that the degree of similarity between these enzymes was substantially reduced when the highest degree of taxonomic relatedness between RGM 2184 and the entomopathogenic fungus strain was at the family level. These results suggest that there is a wide variety of exoenzymes in entomopathogenic fungi species belonging to the order Hypocreales. On the other hand, exoenzyme extract exposure of cocoons and pupae of L. botrana provoked damage at 10 °C. Additionally, an analysis of the amino acid composition of the RGM 2184 exoenzyme grouped them close to the cold-adapted protein cluster. These results support the use of this strain to control pests in autumn and winter. Additionally, these antecedents can form a scaffold for the future characterization of these exoenzymes along with the optimization of the strain’s biocontrol ability by overexpressing them.

Immobilized fungal enzymes: Innovations and potential applications in biodegradation and biosynthesis

Microbial enzymes catalyze various reactions inside and outside living cells. Among the widely studied enzymes, fungal enzymes have been used for some of the most diverse purposes, especially in bioremediation, biosynthesis, and many nature-inspired commercial applications. To improve their stability and catalytic ability, fungal enzymes are often immobilized on assorted materials, conventional as well as nanoscale. Recent advances in fungal enzyme immobilization provide effective and sustainable approaches to achieve improved environmental and commercial outcomes. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of commonly studied fungal enzymes and immobilization technologies. It also summarizes recent advances involving immobilized fungal enzymes for the degradation or assembly of compounds used in the manufacture of products, such as detergents, food additives, and fossil fuel alternatives. Furthermore, challenges and future directions are highlighted to offer new perspectives on improving existing technologies and addressing unexplored fields of applications.

Mechanism and Structural Insights Into a Novel Esterase, E53, Isolated From Erythrobacter longus

Esterases are a class of enzymes that split esters into an acid and an alcohol in a chemical reaction with water, having high potential in pharmaceutical, food and biofuel industrial applications. To advance the understanding of esterases, we have identified and characterized E53, an alkalophilic esterase from a marine bacterium Erythrobacter longus. The crystal structures of wild type E53 and three variants were solved successfully using the X-ray diffraction method. Phylogenetic analysis classified E53 as a member of the family IV esterase. The enzyme showed highest activity against p-nitrophenyl butyrate substrate at pH 8.5-9.5 and 40°C. Based on the structural feature, the catalytic pocket was defined as R1 (catalytic center), R2 (pocket entrance), and R3 (end area of pocket) regions. Nine variants were generated spanning R1-R3 and thorough functional studies were performed. Detailed structural analysis and the results obtained from the mutagenesis study revealed that mutations in the R1 region could regulate the catalytic reaction in both positive and negative directions; expanding the bottleneck in R2 region has improved the enzymatic activity; and R3 region was associated with the determination of the pH pattern of E53. N166A in R3 region showed reduced activity only under alkaline conditions, and structural analysis indicated the role of N166 in stabilizing the loop by forming a hydrogen bond with L193 and G233. In summary, the systematic studies on E53 performed in this work provide structural and functional insights into alkaliphilic esterases and further our knowledge of these enzymes.

The grease trap: uncovering the mechanism of the hydrophobic lid in Cutibacterium acnes lipase

Acne is one of the most common dermatological conditions, but the details of its pathology are unclear, and current management regimens often have adverse effects. Cutibacterium acnes is known as a major acne-associated bacterium that derives energy from lipase-mediated sebum lipid degradation. C. acnes is commensal, but lipase activity has been observed to differ among C. acnes types. For example, higher populations of the type IA strains are present in acne lesions with higher lipase activity. In the present study, we examined a conserved lipase in types IB and II that was truncated in type IA C. acnes strains. Closed, blocked, and open structures of C. acnes ATCC11828 lipases were elucidated by X-ray crystallography at 1.6-2.4 Å. The closed crystal structure, which is the most common form in aqueous solution, revealed that a hydrophobic lid domain shields the active site. By comparing closed, blocked, and open structures, we found that the lid domain-opening mechanisms of C. acnes lipases (_CAlipases) involve the lid-opening residues, Phe-179 and Phe-211. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first structure-function study of _CAlipases, which may help to shed light on the mechanisms involved in acne development and may aid in future drug design.