Bacterial lignin-degrading enzymes: characterization and biocatalytic potential.

细菌木质素降解酶：表征和生物催化潜力。

• 批准号: 171359-2013
• 负责人: Eltis, Lindsay
• 金额: $ 5.03万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=630042
• 关键词: Bacterial; lignin; degrading; enzymes; characterization

Bacteria are responsible for most of the degradation of natural and anthropogenic compounds in the biosphere. This degradation constitutes an essential link in the global carbon cycle and is critical to sustaining life as we know it. In addition, this degradation represents a rich, but barely tapped source of biocatalysts for efficient, environmentally friendly industrial processes. Over the past 17 years, my NSERC-funded research program has provided novel insights into the function of bacterial enzymes involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds. Over the next five years, I will focus my program on enzymes that degrade lignin, a complex aromatic polymer that comprises about 25% of the land-based biomass. Lignin occurs in tight association with cellulose and hemicellulose to form the strong, rigid structure associated with wood that is extremely resistant to degradation. Deconstructing this lignocellulose is critical to using biomass as a renewable source of energy and biomaterials. While the fungal enzymes involved in this process have been studied for many years, bacterial lignin-degrading enzymes have been largely overlooked. My research will focus on three enzymes involved in lignin degradation: a manganese peroxidase, a lignostilbene oxygenase and LigY, a hydrolase. Each of these represents an important class of enzymes that are not well understood. The proposed research will increase our understanding of what these enzymes do and how they do it. This will in turn provide fundamental insights into the molecular mechanism of important biological processes and facilitate their biotechnological exploitation. More particularly, the knowledge gained will facilitate the design of biocatalysts to transform low-value lignin into high-value materials, such as feedstock for resins or carbon fibres. The research objectives will be achieved using an interdisciplinary approach involving a variety of cutting-edge techniques. The research will benefit from a number of tools and approaches that are quite unique to the Eltis lab. Finally, the research program provides students and postdoctoral researchers with a wide range of skills, preparing them for careers in academia and industry.

细菌负责生物圈中天然和人为化合物的大多数降解。这种退化构成了全球碳循环中的重要联系，对于维持我们所知的生活至关重要。此外，这种降解代表了一种丰富但几乎没有利用的生物催化剂来源，以实现高效，环保的工业过程。在过去的17年中，我由NSERC资助的研究计划提供了对参与芳香族化合物降解的细菌酶功能的新见解。在接下来的五年中，我将重点放在降解木质素的酶上，该酶是一种复杂的芳香族聚合物，约占陆基生物量的25％。木质素与纤维素和半纤维素紧密相关，形成与木材相关的刚性结构，对降解具有极大的抵抗力。解构该木质纤维素对于使用生物量作为可再生能源和生物材料的来源至关重要。尽管已经研究了参与此过程的真菌酶多年，但细菌木质素降解酶在很大程度上被忽略了。我的研究将集中于参与木质素降解的三种酶：一种锰过氧化物酶，一种木质醇氧合酶和水解酶，一种水解酶。这些中的每一个都代表着一类重要的酶，这些酶尚不清楚。拟议的研究将提高我们对这些酶的理解以及它们如何做到的。反过来，这将提供对重要生物过程的分子机制的基本见解，并促进其生物技术剥削。更特别的是，获得的知识将有助于设计生物催化剂，以将低价值木质素转化为高价值材料，例如用于树脂或碳纤维的原料。将使用涉及各种尖端技术的跨学科方法来实现研究目标。该研究将受益于ELTIS实验室非常独特的许多工具和方法。最后，该研究计划为学生和博士后研究人员提供了广泛的技能，为学术界和行业的职业做准备。