Biochemical characterization and kinetic/thermodynamic study of Aspergillus tamarii URM4634 ß-fructofuranosidase with transfructosylating activity.

This study reports on the biochemical characterization as well as the kinetic and thermodynamic study of Aspergillus tamarii URM4634 ß-fructofuranosidase (FFase) with transfructosylating activity. Conditions for FFase activity were optimized by means of a central composite rotational design using pH and temperature as the independent variables, while residual activity tests carried out in the temperature range of 45-65°C enabled us to investigate FFase thermostability and estimate the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of enzyme denaturation. Optimal conditions for sucrose hydrolysis and fructosyl transfer catalyzed by crude FFase were 50°C, and pH 6.0 and 7.4, respectively. The thermodynamic properties of irreversible enzyme inactivation were found to be activation energy of 293.1 kJ mol-1 , and activation enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy in the ranges 290.3-290.4 kJ mol-1 , 568.7-571.0 J mol-1 K-1 , and 97.9-108.8 kJ mol-1 , respectively. The results obtained in this study point out satisfactory enzyme activity and thermostability at temperatures commonly used for industrial fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) synthesis; therefore, this novel FFase appears to be a promising biocatalyst with great potential for long-term FOS synthesis and invert sugar production. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of an A. tamarii FFase.