José L. Iborra

Ectoines in cell stress protection: uses and biotechnological production.

Microorganisms produce and accumulate compatible solutes aiming at protecting themselves from environmental stresses. Among them, the wide spread in nature ectoines are receiving increasing attention by the scientific community because of their multiple applications. In fact, increasing commercial demand has led to a multiplication of efforts in order to improve processes for their production. In this review, the importance of current and potential applications of ectoines as protecting agents for macromolecules, cells and tissues, together with their potential as therapeutic agents for certain diseases are analyzed and current theories for the understanding of the molecular basis of their biological activity are discussed. The genetic, biochemical and environmental determinants of ectoines biosynthesis by natural and engineered producers are described. The major limitations of current bioprocesses used for ectoines production are discussed, with emphasis on the different microorganisms, environments, molecular engineering and fermentation strategies used to optimize the production and recovery of ectoines. The combined application of both bioprocess and metabolic engineering strategies, allowing a deeper understanding of the main factors controlling the production process is also stated. Finally, this review aims to summarize and update the state of the art in ectoines uses and applications and industrial scale production using bacteria, emphasizing the importance of reactor design and operation strategies, together with the metabolic engineering aspects and the need for feedback between wet and in silico work to optimize bioproduction.

Criteria to Design Green Enzymatic Processes in Ionic Liquid/Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Systems

Five different ionic liquids (ILs) based on quaternary ammonium cations, with functional side chains ((3‐hydroxypropyl)‐trimethyl‐, (3‐cyanopropyl)‐trimethyl‐, butyl‐trimethyl‐, (5‐cyanopentyl)‐trimethyl‐ and hexyl‐trimethyl‐) associated with the same anion (bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonyl amide)), were synthesized, and their suitability for Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB)‐catalyzed ester synthesis in IL/supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) biphasic systems was assayed. Catalytic efficiency of the system has been analyzed as a function of both enzyme properties and mass‐transfer phenomena criteria. First, the suitability of these ILs as enzymic reaction media was tested for the kinetic resolution of rac‐phenylethanol. All ILs were found to be suitable media for enzyme catalysis, the best catalytic parameter (5.3 U/mg specific activity, 94.9% selectivity) being obtained for the (5‐cyanopentyl)‐trimethylammonium. Second, enzyme stability in all of the ILs was studied at 50 °C over a period of 50 days, and data were analyzed by a two‐step kinetic deactivation model. All of the ILs were shown to act as stabilizing agents with respect to hexane, producing an increase in the free energy of deactivation (to 25 kJ/mol protein) and an improvement in the half‐life time of the enzyme (2000‐fold), which agrees with the observed increased hydrophobicity of the cation alkyl side chain (measured by Hansenapos;s solubility parameter, δ). By using two different CALB‐IL systems with different hydrophobicity in the cation, continuous processes to synthesize six different short chain alkyl esters (butyl acetate, butyl propionate, butyl butyrate, hexyl propionate, hexyl butyrate, and octyl propionate) in scCO2 at 10 MPa and 50 °C were carried out. Both rate‐limiting parameters (synthetic activity and scCO2–ILs mass‐transfer phenomena) were related with the δ‐parameter of the ILs‐alkyl chain and reagents.

Lipase Catalysis in Ionic Liquids and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide at 150 °C

Free and immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B dispersed in ionic liquids (1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bistriflimide and 1‐buthyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bistriflimide) were used as catalyst for the continuous kinetic resolution of rac‐1‐phenylethanol in supercritical carbon dioxide at 120 and 150 °C and 10 MPa. Excellent activity, stability and enantioselectivity levels were recorded in continuous operation.

On the nature of ionic liquids and their effects on lipases that catalyze ester synthesis

Free and immobilized lipases from Candida antarctica (CALA and CALB), Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL) and Rhizomucor miehei (RML) were used as catalysts in the synthesis of butyl propionate by transesterification in reaction media consisting in nine different ionic liquids. Enzyme activities were clearly dependent on the nature of the ions, the results being improving as the alkyl chain length of the imidazolium cation increased, and as a function of the type of anion ([PF(6)], [BF(4)] or [ethylsulphate]). The best synthetic activity (655.5U/mg protein at 40 degrees C) was obtained when free CALB were assayed in the water-miscible IL cocosalkyl pentaethoxy methyl ammonium methosulfate ([CPMA][MS]), and was clearly related with the water content of the medium. The synthetic activity of free CALB in [CPMA][MS] was enhanced with the increase in temperature, while practically no effect was obtained for TLL. The ability of free CALB to synthesize aliphatic esters of different alkyl chain lengths, using different alkyl vinyl esters and 1-alkanols as substrates, was also studied in [CPMA][MS], the best results (4500U/mg protein) being obtained for the synthesis of hexyl butyrate.

Continuous green biocatalytic processes using ionic liquids and supercritical carbon dioxide

Soluble Candida antarctica lipase B dissolved in ionic liquids showed good synthetic activity, enantioselectivity and operational stability in supercritical carbon dioxide for both butyl butyrate synthesis and the kinetic resolution of 1-phenylethanol processes by transesterification.

An insight into the role of phosphotransacetylase (pta) and the acetate/acetyl-CoA node in Escherichia coli

BackgroundAcetate metabolism in Escherichia coli plays an important role in the control of the central metabolism and in bioprocess performance. The main problems related to the use of E. coli as cellular factory are i) the deficient utilization of carbon source due to the excretion of acetate during aerobic growth, ii) the inhibition of cellular growth and protein production by acetate and iii) the need for cofactor recycling (namely redox coenzymes and free CoASH) to sustain balanced growth and cellular homeostasis.ResultsThis work analyzes the effect of mutations in the acetate excretion/assimilation pathways, acetyl-CoA synthethase (acs) and phosphotransacetylase (pta), in E. coli BW25113 grown on glucose or acetate minimal media. Biomass and metabolite production, redox (NADH/NAD+) and energy (ATP) state, enzyme activities and gene expression profiles related to the central metabolism were analyzed. The knock-out of pta led to a more altered phenotype than that of acs. Deletion of pta reduced the ability to grow on acetate as carbon source and strongly affected the expression of several genes related to central metabolic pathways.ConclusionResults showed that pta limits biomass yield in aerobic glucose cultures, due to acetate production (overflow metabolism) and its inefficient use during glucose starvation. Deletion of pta severely impaired growth on acetate minimal medium and under anaerobiosis due to decreased acetyl-coenzyme A synthethase, glyoxylate shunt and gluconeogenic activities, leading to lower growth rate. When acetate is used as carbon source, the joint expression of pta and acs is crucial for growth and substrate assimilation, while pta deletion severely impaired anaerobic growth. Finally, at an adaptive level, pta deficiency makes the strain more sensitive to environmental changes and de-regulates the central metabolism.

cAMP-CRP co-ordinates the expression of the protein acetylation pathway with central metabolism in Escherichia coli.

Lysine acetylation is a well‐established post‐translational modification widely conserved and distributed in bacteria. Although multiple regulatory roles have been proved, little is known about its regulation. Here, we present evidence that the transcription of the Gcn5‐like acetyltransferase YfiQ of Escherichia coli (proposed name: PatZ) is regulated by cAMP‐CRP and its implications on acetate metabolism regulation. The acetate scavenging acetyl‐CoA synthetase (Acs) is regulated at the transcriptional and post‐translational levels. Post‐translational regulation depends on a protein acetyltransferase (yfiQ) and an NAD+‐dependent deacetylase (cobB). We have studied their expression under different environmental conditions. cobB is constitutively expressed from a promoter located upstream nagK. The expression of yfiQ occurs from its own promoter; it is upregulated in the stationary phase and in the presence of non‐PTS carbon sources and is positively regulated by cAMP‐CRP. Two putative CRP binding sites are necessary for its full activity. Gene deletion revealed that cobB is essential for growth on acetate, yfiQ deletion restoring growth of the cobB mutant. The fine tuning of metabolic enzymes results from the integration of multiple mechanisms, and redundant systems may exist. Despite the existence of divergent catabolite repression systems, this may be a conserved strategy common to both Gram‐positive and ‐negative bacteria.

Dynamic structure–function relationships in enzyme stabilization by ionic liquids

The stability of α-chymotrypsin and Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) in two ionic liquids (i.e. 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium, bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide [emim] [NTf2], and butyl-trimethylamonium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide [btma] [NTf2]) has been studied. Both enzymes were strongly stabilized by the ionic liquids, the respective half-life times increasing 96 and 1660 times, with respect to those obtained in classical organic solvents such as 1-propanol and hexane, respectively. The stabilization of both enzymes by ionic liquids may be related to the associated structural changes of proteins that they can be observed by both fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopic studies.

Ionic liquids improve citronellyl ester synthesis catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B in solvent-free media

Several citronellyl esters (acetate, propionate, butyrate, caprate and laurate) were synthesized by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozym) in high yields (>99%) using equimolar mixtures of citronellol and alkyl vinyl ester as substrates in solvent-free medium. The best results were obtained for citronellyl butyrate synthesis (17.4 µmol min−1 mg IME−1) at 70 °C, which could be improved up to two-fold by coating the biocatalyst particles with alkyl imidazolium-based ionic liquids, which favoured partitioning of the substrate and product molecules.

A recyclable enzymatic biodiesel production process in ionic liquids

Immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B suspended in ionic liquids containing long alkyl-chain cations showed excellent synthetic activity and operational stability for biodiesel production. The interest of this process lies in the possibility of recycling the biocatalyst and the easy separation of the biodiesel from the reaction mixture. The ionic liquids used, 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium triflimide ([C(16)MIM][NTf(2)]) and 1-octadecyl-3-methylimidazolium triflimide ([C(18)MIM][NTf(2)]), produced homogeneous systems at the start of the reaction and, at the end of the same, formed a three-phase system, allowing the selective extraction of the products using straightforward separation techniques, and the recycling of both the ionic liquid and the enzyme. These are very important advantages which may be found useful in environmentally friendly production conditions.