Thermal stability of penicillin G acylase : effect of stabilizing agents.

The role of sugars, polyhydroxy compounds, phenylacetic acid and 6-aminopenicillanic acid in stabilization of immobilized penicillin G acylase (IMPGA) was studied. The loss in the activity of IMPGA at 50 degrees C, 2 h, after incorporation of sucrose and mannitol at 0.1 M concentration was 16 and 18% respectively; the loss in the activity of the enzyme under these conditions in the absence of stabilizing agents was 40%.

Purification and characterization of extracellular penicillin V acylase from Fusarium sp. SKF 235.

Penicillin V acylase from Fusarium sp. SKF 235 culture filtrate was purified to homogeneity. The enzyme was a glycoprotein and composed of single polypeptide chain with molecular weight of 83,200 Daltons. The pH and temperature optima were 6.5 and 55 degrees C, respectively. The KM for penicillin V was 10 mM but the enzyme was inhibited by penicillin V at concentrations above 50 mM. Products of reaction, 6-aminopenicillanic acid and phenoxyacetic acid inhibited the enzyme competitively and noncompetitively with Ki values of 18 mM and 45 mM, respectively. The enzyme specifically hydrolyzed penicillin V, cephalosporanic acid V and penicillin V sulphoxide. Other phenoxy acetyl amides studied were not hydrolysed. It is proposed that phenoxyacetyl moiety alone is not recognized by the penicillin V acylase and in addition, the beta-lactam structure contributes in formation of enzyme-substrate complex.

Molecular biology of ß-lactam acylases.

ß-Lactam acylases such as penicillin G acylases, penicillin V acylases and glutaryl 7-aminocephalosporanic acid acylases are used in the manufacture of 6-aminopenicillanic acid, 7-aminodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid and 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA). Genetically-engineered strains producing 1050 U/g, 3200 U/g and 7000 to 10,000 U/I of penicillin G acylase, penicillin V acylase and glutaryl-7-ACA acylase, respectively, have been developed. The penicillin G acylase studied to date and the glutaryl-7-ACA acylase from Pseudomonas sp. share some common features: the active enzyme molecules are composed of two dissimilar subunits that are generated from respective precursor polypeptide; the proteolytic processing is a post-translational modification which is regulated by temperature; and the Ser residue at the N-terminus of the ß-sub-unit (Ser(290); penicillin G acylase numbering) is implicated as the active site residue. Protein engineering, to generate penicillin G acylase molecules and their precursors with altered sequences, and the structure-function correlation of the engineered molecules are discussed.

Biosynthesis of penicillin V acylase by Fusarium sp.: effect of culture conditions.

Penicillin V acylase was produced, both intracellularly and extracellularly, by Fusarium sp. SKF 235 grown in submerged fermentation. When neopeptone was added to the medium, >95% of the penicillin V acylase was extracellular. In the absence of a complex organic nitrogen source, the fungus produced low levels of totally intracellular penicillin V acylase. MgSO4 was essential for synthesis of the enzyme, which was induced by phenoxyacetic acid and penicillin V. The maximum yield of penicillin V acylase was 430 IU/g dry cell wt. The optimum pH value and temperature for the penicillin V acylase were 6.5 and 55°C, respectively.

Enzymatic splitting of penicillin V for the production of 6-APA using immobilized penicillin V acylase.

Penicillin V acylase from Fusarium sp. SKF 235 was immobilized on several cation-exchange resins, of which Amberlite CG-50 was preferred. Maximum activity of the immobilized penicillin V acylase was 250 to 280 IU/g dry beads. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme shifted from 6.5 to 6.8 and 55°C to 60°C, respectively, as a result of immobilization. However, the K m for penicillin V remained at 10MM. Parameters for producing 6-aminopenicillanic acid were investigated and the immobilized penicillin V acylase was used for 68 cycles in a stirred tank reactor.

Beijerinckia indica var. penicillanicum penicillin V acylase: enhanced enzyme production by catabolite repression-resistant mutant and effect of solvents on enzyme activity.

Beijerinckia indica var. penicillanicum mutant UREMS-5, producing 168% more penicillin V acylase, was obtained by successive treatment with UV, gamma-irradiation and ethylmethane sulfonate. Penicillin V acylase production by the mutant strain was resistant to catabolite repression by glucose. Incorporation of glucose, sodium glutamate and vegetable oils in the medium enhanced enzyme production. The maximum specific production of penicillin V acylase was 244 IU/g dry weight of cells. Effect of solvents on hydrolysis of penicillin V by soluble penicillin V acylase and whole cells was studied. Methylene chloride, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride significantly stimulated the rate of penicillin V hydrolysis by whole cells.

Persistence of Candida sp. 115 during hydrolysis of penicillin G and metabolism of phenylacetic acid.

The growth of Candida sp. 115 was investigated on the constituents of penicillin G hydrolysis reaction mixture. Neither penicillin G nor 6-aminopenicillanic acid was degraded or utilised for growth. The yeast accepted phenylacetic acid, sodium acetate and glucose as growth substrates. Phenylacetic acid was metabolised via p-hydroxy phenylacetic acid, which was the only accumulated metabolite. The enzymes responsible for hydroxylation of phenylacetic acid were induced by phenylacetic acid and sodium acetate.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of 7-phenylacetamidodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid by immobilized penicillin G acylase.

Enzymatic parameters such as pH, temperature and substrate concentration were studied for the hydrolysis of 7-PADCA by penicillin G acylase. Optimum pH and temperature were 8.0 and 50 degrees C, respectively. Km value of soluble and immobilized enzyme for 7-PADCA was 2.3 x 10(-5) M and 7.5 x 10(-5) M, respectively. At 7-PADCA concentration of 5% and an IME: 7-PADCA ratio of 1:2.5, the hydrolysis was complete in 110 min.

Affinity and hydrophobic interactions of penicillin amidase.

Binding of penicillin amidase from E. coli 436 to aniline-, benzylamine- and phenylethylamine-Sepharose was studied. Binding of the enzyme to aniline-Sepharose was exclusively due to hydrophobic interactions. Benzylamine-Sepharose binds the enzyme due to affinity interactions in the absence of ammonium sulphate and due to hydrophobic interactions in the presence of ammonium sulphate. A conformational change in the penicillin amidase molecule due to ammonium sulphate there by exposing the side chain binding site as a hydrophobic core is suggested.

Biosynthesis of benzylpenicillin acylase by Escherichia coli NCIM-2400.

Fermentation parameters for the production of penicillin G acylase by Escherichia coli NCIM 2400 have been evaluated. The bacterium produced the enzyme intracellularly when grown in nutrient broth containing PAA. PAA stimulated the enzyme synthesis by 8-10 fold and reduced the lag period. The optimum concentration of PAA for induction was 20 mM and addition of PAA prior to inoculation gave maximum production of PGA. Glucose, lactose, sorbitol, acetate and lactate even at 0.1% concentration catabolically repressed the enzyme formation. Peptone was the best utilised 'N' source for the enzyme production. Phosphate and yeast extract were found to be essential for both the growth and for enzyme biosynthesis. Temperature between 22-24 degrees C was optimum and under ideal condition E. coli NCIM 2400 produced 0.45-0.55 U/ml of penicillin G acylase.