Characterization of a novel subgroup of extracellular medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate depolymerases from actinobacteria

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Oct;78(20):7229-37. doi: 10.1128/AEM.01707-12. Epub 2012 Aug 3.

Abstract

Nineteen medium-chain-length (mcl) poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA)-degrading microorganisms were isolated from natural sources. From them, seven Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria were identified. The ability of these microorganisms to hydrolyze other biodegradable plastics, such as short-chain-length (scl) PHA, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(ethylene succinate) (PES), and poly(l-lactide) (PLA), has been studied. On the basis of the great ability to degrade different polyesters, Streptomyces roseolus SL3 was selected, and its extracellular depolymerase was biochemically characterized. The enzyme consisted of one polypeptide chain of 28 kDa with a pI value of 5.2. Its maximum activity was observed at pH 9.5 with chromogenic substrates. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed mcl PHA and PCL but not scl PHA, PES, and PLA. Moreover, the mcl PHA depolymerase can hydrolyze various substrates for esterases, such as tributyrin and p-nitrophenyl (pNP)-alkanoates, with its maximum activity being measured with pNP-octanoate. Interestingly, when poly(3-hydroxyoctanoate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate [11%]) was used as the substrate, the main hydrolysis product was the monomer (R)-3-hydroxyoctanoate. In addition, the genes of several Actinobacteria strains, including S. roseolus SL3, were identified on the basis of the peptide de novo sequencing of the Streptomyces venezuelae SO1 mcl PHA depolymerase by tandem mass spectrometry. These enzymes did not show significant similarity to mcl PHA depolymerases characterized previously. Our results suggest that these distinct enzymes might represent a new subgroup of mcl PHA depolymerases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / chemistry
  • Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / genetics
  • Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / metabolism*
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Enzyme Stability
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Isoelectric Point
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Weight
  • Polyhydroxyalkanoates / metabolism*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Streptomyces / enzymology*
  • Streptomyces / genetics
  • Substrate Specificity

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Polyhydroxyalkanoates
  • Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases
  • poly(3-hydroxyalkanoic acid) depolymerase

Associated data

  • GENBANK/JX305978
  • GENBANK/JX305979
  • GENBANK/JX305980
  • GENBANK/JX305981
  • GENBANK/JX305982
  • GENBANK/JX305983
  • GENBANK/JX305984
  • GENBANK/JX305985
  • GENBANK/JX305986
  • GENBANK/JX305987
  • GENBANK/JX305988
  • GENBANK/JX305989
  • GENBANK/JX305990