title: Study of new feruloyl esterases to understand lipase evolution: the case of Bacillus flexus.
abstract: Recently, the crystal structure of the feruloyl esterase A from Aspergillus niger (AnFaeA) was elucidated. This enzyme displays an α/β hydrolase fold and a catalytic triad similar to that found in fungal lipases (30-37% identity). Surprisingly, AnFaeA showed an overall fold similarity with the Rhizomucor miehei and other related fungal lipases. All these data strongly suggest that the ancestral function (lipase) had shifted, with molecular adaptation leading to a novel enzyme (type-A feruloyl esterase). The discovery of new feruloyl esterases could lead to get insight into the evolutionary pathways of these enzymes and into new possibilities of directed evolution of lipases. In this chapter, the production of Bacillus flexus NJY2 feruloyl esterases is described. Unlike the previously described feruloyl esterases, which mostly belong to eukaryotes (mainly fungus), this unique feruloyl esterases from a prokaryotic alkaliphile microorganism could be the starting point for new discoveries on lipase and feruloyl esterase evolutionary relationships.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. monica.sanchezgn@uanl.edu.mx
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-González
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blanco-Gámez
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parra-Saldívar
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mateos-Díaz
authors.forename: María Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Estrada-Alvarado
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000737:chemistry; D001407:Bacillus / Q000737:chemistry*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007700:Kinetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D020103:Rhizomucor / Q000737:chemistry; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C070196:feruloyl esterase