ATP regeneration by ATPases for in vitro biotransformation.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) regeneration is a significant step in both living cells and in vitro biotransformation (ivBT). Rotary motor ATP synthases (ATPases), which regenerate ATP in living cells, have been widely assembled in biomimetic structures for in vitro ATP synthesis. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of ATPases, including the working principle, orientation and distribution density properties of ATPases, as well as the assembly strategies and applications of ATPase-based ATP regeneration modules. The original sources of ATPases for in vitro ATP regeneration include chromatophores, chloroplasts, mitochondria, and inverted Escherichia coli (E. coli) vesicles, which are readily accessible but unstable. Although significant advances have been made in the assembly methods for ATPase-artificial membranes in recent decades, it remains challenging to replicate the high density and orientation of ATPases observed in vivo using in vitro assembly methods. The use of bioproton pumps or chemicals for constructing proton motive forces (PMF) enables the versatility and potential of ATPase-based ATP regeneration modules. Additionally, overall robustness can be achieved via membrane component selection, such as polymers offering great mechanical stability, or by constructing a solid supporting matrix through layer-by-layer assembly techniques. Finally, the prospects of ATPase-based ATP regeneration modules can be expected with the technological development of ATPases and artificial membranes.

A shriveled rectangular carbon tube with the concave surface for high-performance enzymatic glucose/O2 biofuel cells.

In this study, a novel carbon tube was prepared by carbonizing a rectangular polypyrrole (RPPy) tube at a high temperature for the construction of enzymatic biofuel cells with high performance. SEM and TEM images clearly showed that the initial PPy presented a rectangular tube shape, while the carbonized PPy became a shriveled rectangular tube with a concave surface, which might be beneficial for enzyme immobilization and electrochemical applications. The glucose oxidase (GOx)- or laccase (Lac)-modified electrodes based on carbonized RPPy exhibited excellent bioelectrochemical performance. In addition, a biofuel cell (GOx, glucose/O2, Lac) was assembled, and the open-circuit voltage reached 1.16 V. The maximum power density was measured to 0.350 mW cm-2, which correlated to the gravimetric power density of 0.265 mW mg-1 (per mg of GOx) at 0.85 V. The constant-current discharge method was used to further evaluate the continuous discharge capacity. The discharge time reached 49.9 h at a discharge current of 0.2 mA before the voltage was lower than 0.8 V. Furthermore, three of the fabricated biofuel cells in series were able to continually light up a white light-emitting diode (LED) whose turn-on voltage was ca. 2.4 V for more than 48 h. This study suggests that carbonized conducting polymers may become a useful electrode material for the development of enzymatic biofuel cells.

A High-Throughput Method for Directed Evolution of NAD(P)+-Dependent Dehydrogenases for the Reduction of Biomimetic Nicotinamide Analogues.

Engineering flavin-free NAD(P)+-dependent dehydrogenases to reduce biomimetic nicotinamide analogues (mNAD+s) is of importance for eliminating the need for costly NAD(P)+ in coenzyme regeneration systems. Current redox dye-based screening methods for engineering the mNAD+ specificity of dehydrogenases are frequently encumbered by a background signal from endogenous NAD(P) and intracellular reducing compounds, making the detection of low mNAD+-based activities a limiting factor for directed evolution. Here, we develop a high-throughput screening method, NAD(P)-eliminated solid-phase assay (NESPA), which can reliably identify mNAD+-active mutants of dehydrogenases with a minimal background signal. This method involves (1) heat lysis of colonies to permeabilize the cell membrane, (2) colony transfer onto filter paper, (3) washing to remove endogenous NAD(P) and reducing compounds, (4) enzyme-coupled assay for mNADH-dependent color production, and (5) digital imaging of colonies to identify mNAD+-active mutants. This method was used to improve the activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase on nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN+). The best mutant obtained after six rounds of directed evolution exhibits a 50-fold enhancement in catalytic efficiency (k cat/K M) and a specific activity of 17.7 U/mg on NMN+, which is comparable to the wild-type enzyme on its natural coenzyme, NADP+. The engineered dehydrogenase was then used to construct an NMNH regeneration system to drive an ene-reductase catalysis. A comparable level of turnover frequency and product yield was observed using the engineered system relative to NADPH regeneration by using the wild-type dehydrogenase. NESPA provides a simple and accurate readout of mNAD+-based activities and the screening at high-throughput levels (approximately tens of thousands per round), thus opening up an avenue for the evolution of dehydrogenases with specific activities on mNAD+s similar to the levels of natural enzyme/coenzyme pairs.

Composition and distribution of internal resistance in an enzymatic fuel cell and its dependence on cell design and operating conditions.

A variety of sugar-based enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) are able to completely oxidize fuels catalyzed by enzyme cascades, achieving high energy densities. However, the poor power output of EFCs limits their potential applications. In the present study, the composition of internal resistance throughout the EFCs affected by various factors, including the separator, enzyme loading, electron acceptor, applied voltage and operation time, was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Total resistance is divided into solution-separator resistance, charge transfer resistance, and diffusion resistance, respectively. The Nafion 212 membrane was found to yield a small solution-separator resistance and a high power density. Increased enzyme loading led to reduced internal resistance and improved cell performance, generating a maximum power density of 0.17 mW cm-2. Using potassium ferricyanide to replace oxygen as the electron acceptor could improve cathode performance significantly and resulted in a 4-fold increase in the power density. EIS was also performed for EFCs operated continuously for 16 h. Power output decreased distinctly over time, while the internal resistance, primarily the diffusion resistance, increased. Additionally, altering operation voltages had an impact on diffusion resistances. These results can be summarized that diffusion plays a rather important role in deciding the power and future efforts should be made towards increasing the mass transfer in EFCs.