Gossypol is a polyphenolic toxic secondary metabolite derived from cotton. Free gossypol in cotton meal is remarkably harmful to animals. Furthermore, microbial degradation of gossypol produces metabolites that reduce feed quality. We adopted an enzymatic method to degrade free gossypol safely and effectively. We cloned the gene cce001a encoding carboxylesterase (CarE) into pPICZαA and transformed it into Pichia pastoris GS115. The target protein was successfully obtained, and CarE CCE001a could effectively degrade free gossypol with a degradation rate of 89%. When esterase was added, the exposed toxic groups of gossypol reacted with different amino acids and amines to form bound gossypol, generating substances with (M + H) m/z ratios of 560.15, 600.25, and 713.46. The molecular formula was C27H28O13, C34H36N2O6, and C47H59N3O3. The observed instability of the hydroxyl groups caused the substitution and shedding of the group, forming a substance with m/z of 488.26 and molecular formula C31H36O5. These properties render the CarE CCE001a a valid candidate for the detoxification of cotton meal. Furthermore, the findings help elucidate the degradation process of gossypol in vitro.
Keywords: Helicoverpa armigera; carboxylesterase; cce001a; gossypol detoxification; heterologous expression.