Volume 136, Issue 2 e202315125
Forschungsartikel

Corner Engineering: Tailoring Enzymes for Enhanced Resistance and Thermostability in Deep Eutectic Solvents

Xinyue Wang

Xinyue Wang

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097 China

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Yijie Sheng

Yijie Sheng

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097 China

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Dr. Haiyang Cui

Dr. Haiyang Cui

RWTH Aachen University, Templergraben 55, 52062 Aachen, Germany

Current address: Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 USA

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Jie Qiao

Jie Qiao

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097 China

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Yibo Song

Yibo Song

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097 China

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Prof. Dr. Xiujuan Li

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. Xiujuan Li

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097 China

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Prof. Dr. He Huang

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. He Huang

School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Road, Nanjing, 210097 China

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First published: 27 November 2023
Citations: 3

Abstract

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs), heralded for their synthesis simplicity, economic viability, and reduced volatility and flammability, have found increasing application in biocatalysis. However, challenges persist due to a frequent diminution in enzyme activity and stability. Herein, we developed a general protein engineering strategy, termed corner engineering, to acquire DES-resistant and thermostable enzymes via precise tailoring of the transition region in enzyme structure. Employing Bacillus subtilis lipase A (BSLA) as a model, we delineated the engineering process, yielding five multi-DESs resistant variants with highly improved thermostability, such as K88E/N89 K exhibited up to a 10.0-fold catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) increase in 30 % (v/v) choline chloride (ChCl): acetamide and 4.1-fold in 95 % (v/v) ChCl: ethylene glycol accompanying 6.7-fold thermal resistance improvement than wild type at ≈50 °C. The generality of the optimized approach was validated by two extra industrial enzymes, endo-β-1,4-glucanase PvCel5A (used for biofuel production) and esterase Bs2Est (used for plastics degradation). The molecular investigations revealed that increased water molecules at substrate binding cleft and finetuned helix formation at the corner region are two dominant determinants governing elevated resistance and thermostability. This study, coupling corner engineering with obtained molecular insights, illuminates enzyme-DES interaction patterns and fosters the rational design of more DES-resistant and thermostable enzymes in biocatalysis and biotransformation.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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