title: From gene towards selective biomass valorization: bacterial β-etherases with catalytic activity on lignin-like polymers.
abstract: Microbial β-etherases, which selectively cleave the β-O-4 aryl ether linkage present in lignin, hold great promise for future applications in lignin valorization. However, very few members have been reported so far and little is known about these enzymes. By using a database mining approach, four novel bacterial β-etherases were identified, recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli, and investigated together with known β-etherases in the conversion of various lignin and non-lignin-type model compounds. The resulting activities revealed the significant influence of the substituents at the phenyl ring adjacent to the ether bond. Finally, β-etherase activity on polymeric substrates, measured by using a fluorescently labeled synthetic lignin, was also proven; this underlined the applicability of the enzymes for the conversion of lignin into renewable chemicals.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 3, 52074 Aachen (Germany).
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Picart
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mottweiler
authors.forename: Lotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wiermans
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bolm
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Domínguez de María
authors.forename: Anett
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schallmey
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D018533:Biomass; D002384:Catalysis; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D042301:Sphingomonadaceae / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008031:Lignin; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C060093:aryl ether cleaving enzyme
keywords: biocatalysis; biomass; cleavage reactions; enzymes; lignins