A natural variant of Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase isolated from flour mill wastewaters sheds light on the origin of high thermostability.
OBJECTIVE
Understanding the origin of high thermostability exhibited by the alpha-amylase produced by a natural strain of Bacillus licheniformis.


RESULTS
The MSH320 alpha-amylase gene has been cloned from a native strain of B. licheniformis isolated from flour mill wastewaters in Kashan, central Iran, and its nucleotide sequence was determined (GenBank Accession Number AF438149). Whereas previously cloned B. licheniformisalpha-amylase (BLA) genes are nearly identical, the MSH320 gene coding sequence presents only 93% identity with the reference 'wild-type' BLA gene, most of the nucleotide changes leading to silent mutations. Amino acid substitutions occurred at 19 of the 483 residues of the matured protein, distributed all along the protein sequence. Nevertheless, the natural BLA variant presents thermoinactivation kinetics similar to that of the reference BLA. Protein modelling and structural predictions at the substitution sites suggest that half of the mutations may have a significant stabilizing or destabilizing effect on the protein structure. Compensatory mutations thus occurred in the natural variant in order to maintain thermostability to the level of the reference enzyme.


CONCLUSIONS
The exceptional high thermostability of BLA, although produced by a nonthermophilic organism, is not fortuitous but subject to a selective pressure still at work in natural environments.


CONCLUSIONS
BLA thermal performances are not naturally maximized and can be substantially improved by protein engineering.
Shahhoseini
M
M
Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, I.R. Iran. hoseini@ibb.ut.ac.ir
Ziaee
A-A
AA
Pourbabai
A-A
AA
Ghaemi
N
N
Declerck
N
N
D001407:Bacillus / Q000201:enzymology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D005433:Flour; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007221:Industry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D038301:Virus Inactivation; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism
D007220:Industrial Waste; D000516:alpha-Amylases; C501919:alpha-amylase, Bacillus licheniformis