title: Rhodotorula glutinis Phenylalanine/Tyrosine Ammonia Lyase Enzyme Catalyzed Synthesis of the Methyl Ester of para-Hydroxycinnamic Acid and its Potential Antibacterial Activity.
abstract: Biotransformation of L-tyrosine methyl ester (L-TM) to the methyl ester of para- hydroxycinnamic acid (p-HCAM) using Rhodotorula glutinis yeast phenylalanine/tyrosine ammonia lyase (PTAL; EC 4.3.1.26) enzyme was successfully demonstrated for the first time; progress of the reaction was followed by spectrophotometric determination at 315 nm. The following conditions were optimized for maximal formation of p-HCAM: pH (8.5), temperature (37°C), speed of agitation (50 rpm), enzyme concentration (0.080 μM), and substrate concentration (0.50 mM). Under these conditions, the yield of the reaction was ∼15% in 1 h incubation period and ∼63% after an overnight (∼18 h) incubation period. The product (p-HCAM) of the reaction of PTAL with L-TM was confirmed using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR) was carried out to rule out potential hydrolysis of p-HCAM during overnight incubation. Potential antibacterial activity of p-HCAM was tested against several strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This study describes a synthetically useful transformation, and could have future clinical and industrial applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Cape Breton University Sydney, NS, Canada.
authors.forename: Marybeth C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental Sciences, Bharathidasan University Tiruchirappalli, India.
authors.forename: Pugazhendhi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arivalagan
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences and Emergency Management, Cape Breton University Sydney, NS, Canada.
authors.forename: Douglas E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Barre
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Cape Breton University Sydney, NS, Canada.
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: MacInnis
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Cape Breton University Sydney, NS, Canada.
authors.forename: Godwin B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: D'Cunha
keywords: Rhodotorula glutinis; antibacterial activity; enzyme catalysis; methyl ester of para-hydroxycinnamic acid; phenylalanine/tyrosine ammonia lyase