N. Weber

Thio Wax Ester Biosynthesis Utilizing the Unspecific Bifunctional Wax Ester Synthase/Acyl Coenzyme A:Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase of Acinetobacter sp. Strain ADP1

ABSTRACT The bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA):diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) from Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1 (formerly Acinetobacter calcoaceticus ADP1) mediating the biosyntheses of wax esters and triacylglycerols was used for the in vivo and in vitro biosynthesis of thio wax esters and dithio wax esters. For in vitro biosynthesis, 5′His6WS/DGAT comprising an N-terminal His6 tag was purified from the soluble protein fraction of Escherichia coli Rosetta(DE3)pLysS (pET23a::5′His6atf). By employing SP-Sepharose high-pressure and Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid fast-protein liquid chromatographies, a 19-fold enrichment with a final specific activity of 165.2 nmol mg of protein−1 min−1 was achieved by using 1-hexadecanol and palmitoyl-CoA as substrates. Incubation of purified 5′His6WS/DGAT with 1-hexadecanethiol and palmitoyl-CoA as substrates resulted in the formation of palmitic acid hexadecyl thio ester (10.4% relative specific activity of a 1-hexadecanol control). Utilization of 1,8-octanedithiol and palmitoyl-CoA as substrates led to the formation of 1-S-monopalmitoyloctanedithiol and minor amounts of 1,8-S-dipalmitoyloctanedithiol (59.3% relative specific activity of a 1-hexadecanol control). The latter dithio wax ester was efficiently produced when 1-S-monopalmitoyloctanedithiol and palmitoyl-CoA were used as substrates (13.4% specific activity relative to that of a 1-hexadecanol control). For the in vivo biosynthesis of thio wax esters, the knockout mutant Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1acr1ΩKm, which is unable to produce fatty alcohols, was used. Cultivation of Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1acr1ΩKm in the presence of gluconate, 1-hexadecanethiol, and oleic acid in nitrogen-limited mineral salts medium resulted in the accumulation of unusual thio wax esters that accounted for around 1.19% (wt/wt) of the cellular dry weight and consisted mainly of oleic acid hexadecyl thioester as revealed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Long-chain acyl thioesters prepared by solvent-free thioesterification and transthioesterification catalysed by microbial lipases

Abstract Long-chain acyl thioesters (thio wax esters) have been prepared in high (80% to more than 90%) yields by solvent-free esterification of fatty acids (lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic acids) with long-chain thiols, such as decane thiol, dodecane thiol, tetradecane thiol and hexadecane thiol, catalysed by lipases from Candida antarctica (Novozym) and Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme) in the presence of a 0.4-nm molecular sieve. In the thioesterification reaction Novozym was a more effective biocatalyst than Lipozyme. The extent of thioesterification increased with increasing molar ratio of fatty acid to alkane thiol (1:1 to 3:1) and with temperature (40 °C compared to 60 °C), as well as with the amount of the enzyme preparation and the amount of 0.4-nm molecular sieve. Decreasing the chain length of the alkane thiol from C16 to C10 also increased the extent of thioesterification. Lipase-catalysed solvent-free transthioesterification of fatty acid methyl esters with alkane thiols was less effective for the preparation of acyl thioesters than was thioesterification of fatty acids with alkane thiols. In transthioesterification, Lipozyme was slightly more effective as a biocatalyst than Novozym.

Preparation of long-chain acyl thioesters - thio wax esters - by the use of lipases

Long-chain acyl thioesters have been prepared by lipase-catalyzed thioesterification of lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic acids with decanethiol, dodecanethiol, tetradecanethiol, hexadecanethiol and octadecanethiol. Lipase from Candida antarctica was more effective than that from Rhizomucor miehei. The extent of thioesterification increased with increasing chain length of the fatty acids and decreasing chain length of the alkanethiols. Lipase-catalyzed transthioesterification of fatty acid methyl esters with alkanethiols was less effective than thioesterification for the preparation of acyl thioesters.

Mono-thioesters and di-thioesters by lipase-catalyzed reactions of α,ω-alkanedithiols with palmitic acid or its methyl ester

Abstract1-S-Mono-palmitoyl-hexanedithiol and 1-S-mono-palmitoyl-octanedithiol were prepared in high yield (80–90%) by solvent-free lipase-catalyzed thioesterification of palmitic acid with the corresponding α,ω-alkanedithiols in vacuo. Similarly, 1,6-di-S-palmitoyl-hexanedithiol and 1,8-di-S-palmitoyl-octanedithiol were prepared in moderate yield (50–60%) by solvent-free lipase-catalyzed thioesterification of palmitic acid with 1-S-Mono-palmitoyl-hexanedithiol and 1-S-mono-palmitoyl-octanedithiol, respectively. An immobilized lipase preparation from Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme RM IM) was more effective than a lipase B preparation from Candida antarctica (Novozym 435) or a lipase preparation from Thermomyces lanuginosus (Lipozyme TL IM). Lipase-catalyzed transthioesterifications of methyl palmitate with α,ω-alkanedithiols using the same enzymes were less effective than thioesterification for the preparation of the corresponding 1-S-mono-palmitoyl thioesters.