title: Enzymes from thermophilic archaebacteria: current and future applications in biotechnology.
abstract: The one guaranteed property of enzymes isolated from extremely thermophilic micro-organisms is their thermostability. Most significantly, almost any such enzyme will be more thermostable than the functionally similar enzyme from a lower temperature source. Thermostability is not an isolated property: resistance to heat denaturation imparts stability to a number of other denaturing influences (detergents, organic solvents, etc). These characteristics of hyperthermophilic enzymes are the most likely basis for the development of new biotechnological applications. A limited number of hyperthermophilic enzymes have found application in specialist biotechnological applications; others have visible potential in growing areas of biotechnology. Existing and potential applications are discussed using DNA manipulation enzymes, dehydrogenases, and esterases as examples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University College, London, U.K.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cowan
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000639:trends*