Shu-Ben Li

Production of methanol from methane by methanotrophic bacteria

Methanotrophs can oxidize methane to carbon dioxide through sequential reactions catalyzed by a series of enzymes including methane monooxygenase, methanol dehydrogenase, formaldehyde dehydrogenase, and formate dehydrogenase. When suspensions of methanotrophic bacteria of Methylosinus trichosporium IMV 3011 were incubated at 32°C with methane and oxygen, there was an extracellular accumulation of methanol from methane oxidation in response to carbon dioxide addition. Maximal accumulation of methanol was achieved with 40% carbon dioxide in the mixed reaction gases. A continuous experiment was performed in a continuous ultrafiltration reactor. The optimum gas mixture containing 20% (v v−1) methane, 20% oxygen, 20% nitrogen and 40% carbon dioxide was used to provide substrates and to maintain the transmembrane pressure. The product (methanol) was removed in the eluate buffer. The initial methanol concentration in the eluate buffer was 8.22 μmol L−1. The bioreactor was operated continuously for 198 h without obvious loss of productivity.

Enzymatic resolution of (S)-(+)-naproxen in a trapped aqueous-organic solvent biphase continuous reactor.

A trapped aqueous-organic biphase system for the continuous production of (S)-(+)-2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl) propionic acid (Naproxen) has been developed. The process consists of a stereoselective hydrolysis of the racemic Naproxen methyl ester by Candida rugosa lipase in a trapped aqueous-organic biphase system. The reaction has been carried out in a laboratory-scale continuous-flow stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The staring material has been supplied in and remaining substrate recovered by organic phase. YWG-C(6)H(5), a poorly polar synthetic support, has been employed to immobilize the lipase and to restrict the aqueous phase. Lipase immobilized on YWG-C(6)H(5) containing aqueous phase has been added into the CSTR to catalyze the hydrolysis. A dialysis membrane tube containing a continuous flow closed-loop buffer has been applied in the CSTR for the extraction of product and recruiting of the aqueous part consumed. Various reaction conditions have been studied. The activity of immobilized enzyme was effected by the polarity of support, the substrate concentration, logP value of organic phase and the product inhibition. At steady-state operating conditions, an initial conversion of 35% has been obtained. The CSTR was allowed to operate continuously for 60 days at 30 degrees C with a 30% loss of activity. The hydrolysis reaction yielded (S)-(+)-Naproxen with >90% enantiomeric excess and overall conversion of 30%.

Improvement of the enantioselectivity of lipase-catalyzed naproxen ester hydrolysis in organic solvent.

A method is presented to improve the enantioselectivity of lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of naproxen methyl ester in water-saturated isooctane. It is shown that coupling of the enantioselective hydrolysis of Naproxen methyl ester with the photo-dissociation methanol leads to the photocatalytic conversion of methanol into water, by which the equilibrium constant (K) of the lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis was changed. The equilibrium yield and enantiomeric excess are increased. Because the lipase would not dissolve in the organic solvent, it was adsorbed on photocatalyst particles, which may facilitate the isolation of enzyme from reaction system.

Particulate methane monooxygenase from Methylosinus trichosporium is a copper-containing enzyme

Particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) has been exfoliated and isolated from membranes of the Methylosinus trichosporium IMV 3011. It appears that the stability of pMMO in the exfoliation process is increased with increasing copper concentration in the growth medium, but extensive intracytoplasmic membrane formed under higher copper concentration may inhibit the exfoliation of active pMMO from membrane. The highest total activity of purified pMMO is obtained with an initial concentration of 6 microM Cu in the growth medium. The purified MMO contains only copper and does not utilize NADH as electron donor. Treatment of purified pMMO with EDTA resulted in little change in copper level, suggesting that the copper in the pMMO is tightly bound with pMMO.

Continuous biocatalytic synthesis of epoxypropane using a biofilm reactor

Abstract Mixed culture methanotrophic attached biofilms immobilized on diatomite particles in a three-phase fluidized bed reaction system were developed. Methane monooxygenase (MMO) activity on diatomite particles increased as soon as the lag phase ended. More than 90% of the MMO activity in the fluidized bed was attached. A biofilm concentration of 3.3c3.7mg dry weight cell (dwc) per g dry solid (DS) was observed. Batch experiments were performed to explore the possibility of producing epoxypropane by a propene–methane co-oxidation process. The effect of methane on the epoxidation of propene and the effect of propene on the growth of methanotroph was also studied. In continuous experiments, optimum mixed gas containing 35 methane, 20 propene and 45% oxygen were continuously circulated through the fluidized bed reactor to deliver substrates and extract product. Initial epoxypropane productivity was 110–150 μmol/day. The bioreactor operated continuously for 53 days without obvious loss of epoxypropane productivity.

Fine separation and characterization of Candida rugosa lipase isoenzymes.

Commercial Candida rugosa lipase has been separated into two distinct fractions (CRLA and CRLB) by anion‐exchange chromatography. As analyzed on SDS‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, CRLA and CRLB are homogenous. At high ionic strength, CRLA and CRLB have similar hydrophobicity and UV spectra, suggesting that the open extent of the large hydrophobic pockets of CRLA and CRLB may be similar. At low ionic strength, using “hydrophobic interfacial affinity chromatography”, both CRLA and CRLB have been separated into four isofractions. They have different hydrophobicity and UV spectra, suggesting that the open extent of the large hydrophobic pocket of the four forms may be different. Further, the conversion of CRL isoenzymes in the process of organic solvent treatment and ester hydrolysis were examined. The results clearly showed not only that CRLB had been converted to CRLA, but also that CRLA sub‐fractions with different open extent of large hydrophobic pocket had been converted

Efficient microbial elimination of methanol inhibition for Naproxen resolution by a lipase

To eliminate methanol inhibition of the activity of a lipase, methanotrophic bacteria, which can convert methanol into water and CO2, were introduced to the reaction of enantioselective hydrolysis of Naproxen methyl ester catalysed by lipase from Candida rugosa. Both the activity and stability of lipase were improved by the removal of methanol by the bacteria.

Enzymatic resolution of (R, S)-Naproxen in water-saturated ionic liquid

A water-saturated ionic liquid has been exploited for resolution of (R, S)-Naproxen by lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis to enhance the conversion and facilitate product recovery. From the enantioselectivity and activity of lipase, water-saturated [bmim]PF6 (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) was selected as the best reaction medium. To prevent the dissolution of lipase in the ionic liquid, a weakly polar, amorphous multiporous silica YWG-C6H5 was used as a support for immobilization. The production of (S)-Naproxen was initially performed in a batch reactor containing 20 mL of substrate solution. After 72 h reaction, 98.2% enantiomeric excess of the (S)-Naproxen was obtained with 28.3% hydrolysis conversion. The unconventional solvent properties of ionic liquids have been exploited in reaction medium recycling, product recovery and water recruiting schemes. In a repetitive batch reaction system, the immobilized lipase could be repeatedly used for 5 times with only a slight reduction in reaction conversion.

Epoxypropane biosynthesis by Methylomonas sp. GYJ3: batch and continuous studies

Methylomonas sp. GYJ3 is a methanotrophic bacterium containing methane monooxygenase (MMO), which catalyses the epoxidation of propene to epoxypropane. In this study, the cell suspension of Methylomonas sp. GYJ3 has been used for epoxypropane biosynthesis from propene. When propene is epoxidized, the product epoxypropane is not further metabolized and accumulates extracellularly. Unfortunately, continuous production of epoxypropane is usually difficult due to exhaustion of reductant and the accumulation of toxic products. Hence, in order to address these problems, batch experiments were performed to explore the possibility of producing epoxypropane by a co-oxidation process. Methane was chosen as the most suitable electron-donating co-substrate since it did not result in molecular toxicity and provided abundant reductant for epoxidation. It was found that the maximum production of epoxypropane occurred in an atmosphere of 30% methane. Batch experiments also indicated that continuous removal of product was necessary to overcome the inhibition of epoxypropane. In continuous experiments, optimum mixed gaseous substrates were continuously circulated through the stirred tank bioreactor to remove product from the cell suspension. Initial epoxypropane productivity was 268 μmol/day. The bioreactor has been allowed to operate continuously for 12 days without obvious loss of epoxypropane productivity, and more than 96% of initial MMO activity was retained.

Sequencing analysis of 16S rDNA and soluble methane monooxygenase genes from a methanotroph Methylosinus trichosporium IMV 3011

The soluble methane monooxygenas (sMMO) genes and 16S rDNA of Methylosinus trichosporium IMV 3011 were sequenced. Sequence comparison of the sMMO genes between strain IMV 3011 and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b showed 99.0% to 82.7% identity, and the comparison of deduced amino acid sequences were 65.1–99.4% identity. The translated MMOX sequence comparison showed 99.4–81.8% identity to the corresponding sequence of four published MMOX sequences. Analysis of the active site showed highly conserved diiron centers in its α subunits. The multiple alignments of MMOX sequences exhibited a good conservative characteristic. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA and MMOX sequences revealed that strain IMV 3011 is a true Methylosinus trichosporium, the closest species is Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, and they have a similar activity site of sMMO.