The Biochemical and Genetic Comparisons of Novel B Galactosidases

该项目以研究在相对较低温度(5摄氏度)下生长的土壤微生物为中心。在这些生物体中，人们正在研究β-半乳糖苷酶的性质，以了解蛋白质结构如何决定酶活性的最适温度。编码这些活性的基因正在从节杆菌菌株中克隆出来，并与其他生长温度更高的微生物的信息进行比较。还在开发创造性的选择程序，以分离具有其他新型β-半乳糖苷酶的微生物。地球及其海洋的主要环境在20摄氏度以下，有丰富的各种微生物来源，这些微生物已经进化到在寒冷中生长。在低温下激活的酶可用于食品加工、生物修复和分子生物学。

This project is centered on studies of soil microorganisms growing at relatively low temperatures (five degrees centigrade). The properties of the enzyme betagalactosidase are being studied in these organism in order to understand how protein structure dictates the temperature optimum of an enzyme's activity. The genes encoding these activities are being cloned from Arthrobacter strains and compared with information found for other microorganisms with higher growth temperatures. Creative selection procedures are also being developed to isolate microorganisms with other novel betagalactosidases. %%% The dominant environment of the earth and its oceans is below twenty degrees centigrade, and there is a rich source of diverse microorganisms which have evolved to grow in the cold. Enzymes active at low temperatures could be used in food processing, bioremediation, and molecular biology.