Pseudochrobactrum algeriensis sp. nov., isolated from lymph nodes of Algerian cattle.

Three Gram-negative, rod-shaped, oxidase-positive, non-spore-forming, non-motile strains (C130915_07T, C150915_16 and C150915_17) were isolated from lymph nodes of Algerian cows. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene and whole genome similarities, the isolates were almost identical and clearly grouped in the genus Pseudochrobactrum. This allocation was confirmed by the analysis of fatty acids (C19:cyclo, C18 : 1, C18 : 0, C16 : 1 and C16 : 0) and of polar lipids (major components: phosphatidylethanolamine, ornithine-lipids, phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin and phosphatidylcholine, plus moderate amounts of phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine and other aminolipids). Genomic, physiological and biochemical data differentiated these isolates from previously described Pseudochrobactrum species in DNA relatedness, carbon assimilation pattern and growth temperature range. Thus, these organisms represent a novel species of the genus Pseudochrobactrum, for which the name Pseudochrobactrum algeriensis sp. nov. is proposed (type strain C130915_07T=CECT30232T=LMG 32378T).

Steroid hydroxylation by basidiomycete peroxygenases: a combined experimental and computational study.

The goal of this study is the selective oxyfunctionalization of steroids under mild and environmentally friendly conditions using fungal enzymes. With this purpose, peroxygenases from three basidiomycete species were tested for the hydroxylation of a variety of steroidal compounds, using H2O2 as the only cosubstrate. Two of them are wild-type enzymes from Agrocybe aegerita and Marasmius rotula, and the third one is a recombinant enzyme from Coprinopsis cinerea. The enzymatic reactions on free and esterified sterols, steroid hydrocarbons, and ketones were monitored by gas chromatography, and the products were identified by mass spectrometry. Hydroxylation at the side chain over the steroidal rings was preferred, with the 25-hydroxyderivatives predominating. Interestingly, antiviral and other biological activities of 25-hydroxycholesterol have been reported recently (M. Blanc et al., Immunity 38:106-118, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2012.11.004). However, hydroxylation in the ring moiety and terminal hydroxylation at the side chain also was observed in some steroids, the former favored by the absence of oxygenated groups at C-3 and by the presence of conjugated double bonds in the rings. To understand the yield and selectivity differences between the different steroids, a computational study was performed using Protein Energy Landscape Exploration (PELE) software for dynamic ligand diffusion. These simulations showed that the active-site geometry and hydrophobicity favors the entrance of the steroid side chain, while the entrance of the ring is energetically penalized. Also, a direct correlation between the conversion rate and the side chain entrance ratio could be established that explains the various reaction yields observed.

Oxyfunctionalization of aliphatic compounds by a recombinant peroxygenase from Coprinopsis cinerea.

The goal of this study is the selective oxyfunctionalization of aliphatic compounds under mild and environmentally friendly conditions using a low-cost enzymatic biocatalyst. This could be possible taking advantage from a new peroxidase type that catalyzes monooxygenase reactions with H2 O2 as the only cosubstrate (peroxygenase). With this purpose, recombinant peroxygenase, from gene mining in the sequenced genome of Coprinopsis cinerea and heterologous expression using an industrial fungal host, is tested for the first time on aliphatic substrates. The reaction on free and esterified fatty acids and alcohols, and long-chain alkanes was followed by gas chromatography, and the different reaction products were identified by mass spectrometry. Regioselective hydroxylation of saturated/unsaturated fatty acids was observed at the ω-1 and ω-2 positions (only at the ω-2 position in myristoleic acid). Alkyl esters of fatty acids and monoglycerides were also ω-1 or ω-2 hydroxylated, but di- and tri-glycerides were not modified. Fatty alcohols yielded hydroxy derivatives at the ω-1 or ω-2 positions (diols) but also fatty acids and their hydroxy derivatives. Interestingly, the peroxygenase was able to oxyfunctionalize alkanes giving, in addition to alcohols at positions 2 or 3, dihydroxylated derivatives at both sides of the molecule. The predominance of mono- or di-hydroxylated derivatives seems related to the higher or lower proportion of acetone, respectively, in the reaction medium. The recombinant C. cinerea peroxygenase appears as a promising biocatalyst for alkane activation and production of aliphatic oxygenated derivatives, with better properties than the previously reported peroxygenase from Agrocybe aegerita, and advantages related to its recombinant nature for enzyme engineering and industrial production.

Enzymatic Epoxidation of Long-Chain Terminal Alkenes by Fungal Peroxygenases.

Terminal alkenes are among the most attractive starting materials for the synthesis of epoxides, which are essential and versatile intermediate building blocks for the pharmaceutical, flavoring, and polymer industries. Previous research on alkene epoxidation has focused on the use of several oxidizing agents and/or different enzymes, including cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, as well as microbial whole-cell catalysts that have several drawbacks. Alternatively, we explored the ability of unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) to selectively epoxidize terminal alkenes. UPOs are attractive biocatalysts because they are robust extracellular enzymes and only require H2O2 as cosubstrate. Here, we show how several UPOs, such as those from Cyclocybe (Agrocybe) aegerita (AaeUPO), Marasmius rotula (MroUPO), Coprinopsis cinerea (rCciUPO), Humicola insolens (rHinUPO), and Daldinia caldariorum (rDcaUPO), are able to catalyze the epoxidation of long-chain terminal alkenes (from C12:1 to C20:1) after an initial optimization of several reaction parameters (cosolvent, cosubstrate, and pH). In addition to terminal epoxides, alkenols and other hydroxylated derivatives of the alkenes were formed. Although all UPOs were able to convert and epoxidize the alkenes, notable differences were observed between them, with rCciUPO being responsible for the highest substrate turnover and MroUPO being the most selective with respect to terminal epoxidation. The potential of peroxygenases for epoxidizing long-chain terminal alkenes represents an interesting and green alternative to the existing synthesis technologies.

Regioselective oxygenation of fatty acids, fatty alcohols and other aliphatic compounds by a basidiomycete heme-thiolate peroxidase.

Reaction of fatty acids, fatty alcohols, alkanes, sterols, sterol esters and triglycerides with the so-called aromatic peroxygenase from Agrocybe aegerita was investigated using GC-MS. Regioselective hydroxylation of C(12)-C(20) saturated/unsaturated fatty acids was observed at the ω-1 and ω-2 positions (except myristoleic acid only forming the ω-2 derivative). Minor hydroxylation at ω and ω-3 to ω-5 positions was also observed. Further oxidized products were detected, including keto, dihydroxylated, keto-hydroxy and dicarboxylic fatty acids. Fatty alcohols also yielded hydroxy or keto derivatives of the corresponding fatty acid. Finally, alkanes gave, in addition to alcohols at positions 2 or 3, dihydroxylated derivatives at both sides of the molecule; and sterols showed side-chain hydroxylation. No derivatives were found for fatty acids esterified with sterols or forming triglycerides, but methyl esters were ω-1 or ω-2 hydroxylated. Reactions using H(2)(18)O(2) established that peroxide is the source of the oxygen introduced in aliphatic hydroxylations. These studies also indicated that oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl and carboxyl groups is produced by successive hydroxylations combined with one dehydration step. We conclude that the A. aegerita peroxygenase not only oxidizes aromatic compounds but also catalyzes the stepwise oxidation of aliphatic compounds by hydrogen peroxide, with different hydroxylated intermediates.

Advances in enzymatic oxyfunctionalization of aliphatic compounds.

Selective oxyfunctionalizations of aliphatic compounds are difficult chemical reactions, where enzymes can play an important role due to their stereo- and regio-selectivity and operation under mild reaction conditions. P450 monooxygenases are well-known biocatalysts that mediate oxyfunctionalization reactions in different living organisms (from bacteria to humans). Unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs), discovered in fungi, have arisen as "dream biocatalysts" of great biotechnological interest because they catalyze the oxyfunctionalization of aliphatic and aromatic compounds, avoiding the necessity of expensive cofactors and regeneration systems, and only depending on H2O2 for their catalysis. Here, we summarize recent advances in aliphatic oxyfunctionalization reactions by UPOs, as well as the molecular determinants of the enzyme structures responsible for their activities, emphasizing the differences found between well-known P450s and the novel fungal peroxygenases.

Selective Oxygenation of Ionones and Damascones by Fungal Peroxygenases.

Apocarotenoids are among the most highly valued fragrance constituents, being also appreciated as synthetic building blocks. This work shows the ability of unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs, EC1.11.2.1) from several fungi, some of them being described recently, to catalyze the oxyfunctionalization of α- and ß-ionones and α- and ß-damascones. Enzymatic reactions yielded oxygenated products such as hydroxy, oxo, carboxy, and epoxy derivatives that are interesting compounds for the flavor and fragrance and pharmaceutical industries. Although variable regioselectivity was observed depending on the substrate and enzyme, oxygenation was preferentially produced at the allylic position in the ring, being especially evident in the reaction with α-ionone, forming 3-hydroxy-α-ionone and/or 3-oxo-α-ionone. Noteworthy were the reactions with damascones, in the course of which some UPOs oxygenated the terminal position of the side chain, forming oxygenated derivatives (i.e., the corresponding alcohol, aldehyde, and carboxylic acid) at C-10, which were predominant in the Agrocybe aegerita UPO reactions, and first reported here.

Exploring the potential of fungal manganese-containing lipoxygenase for pitch control and pulp delignification.

The potential of the lipoxygenase from Gaeumannomyces graminis to remove lipophilic extractives from eucalypt and flax pulps was investigated. Pulp treatments were performed with the lipoxygenase both in the presence and absence of linoleic acid, and were followed by a peroxide bleaching stage. The main lipophilic extractives from eucalypt pulp such as conjugated and free sterols decreased up to 40% and 7%, respectively, by the lipoxygenase treatment in the presence of linoleic acid. Different degradation patterns were observed among the lipophilic compounds present in flax pulp, although a high removal of all the extractives classes, including alkanes (21-55%), fatty alcohols (42-61%), and free (16-55%) and glycosylated (45-71%) sterols, was attained in all the lipoxygenase treatments. Reactions of the lipoxygenase with model lipid mixtures were carried out to better understand the degradation patterns observed in pulps. Finally, pulp delignification by the lipoxygenase treatments was also evaluated.

Towards industrially-feasible delignification and pitch removal by treating paper pulp with Myceliophthora thermophila laccase and a phenolic mediator.

The ability of two natural phenols to act as mediators of the recombinant Myceliophthora thermophila laccase (MtL) in eucalypt-pulp delignification was investigated. After alkaline peroxide extraction, the properties of the enzymatically-treated pulps improved with respect to the control. The pulp brightness increased (3.1 points) after the enzymatic treatment with MtL alone, but the highest improvements were obtained after the MtL treatment using syringaldehyde (4.7 points) and especially methyl syringate (8.3 points) as mediators. Likewise, a decrease in kappa number up to 2.7 points was obtained after the MtL-methyl syringate treatment, followed by decreases of 1.4 and 0.9 points after the treatments with MtL-syringaldehyde and MtL alone, respectively. On the other hand, removal of the main lipophilic extractives present in eucalypt pulp was observed after the above laccase-mediator treatments. Finally, the doses of both MtL and methyl syringate were reduced, and results compatible with industrial implementation were obtained.