Lisozimas são enzimas que fazem parte do mecanismo de defesa contra bactérias, no entanto lisozimas com função digestiva também são encontradas no trato digestivo de vertebrados e no intestino médio de insetos. As lisozimas digestivas de insetos são do tipo c e assim compartilham semelhanças estruturais e mecanísticas com a lisozima da clara de ovo de galinha (HEWL). Entretanto, para desempenhar sua função digestiva, as lisozimas de insetos apresentam algumas propriedades particulares entre as quais se destaca um pH ótimo mais ácido em relação às lisozimas não-digestivas. Para elucidar as bases moleculares dessa diferença no pH ótimo, duas lisozimas digestivas (lisozima 1 AAQ20048 e lisozima 2 AAQ20047) da larva de Musca domestica (mosca Diptera Cyclorrhapha), clonadas em Pichia pastoris e purificadas, foram caracterizadas estruturalmente e cineticamente com o substrato sintético (MUQ3) e natural (cápsulas de Micrococcus lysodeikticus). Foi observado que o efeito do pH na atividade das lisozimas 1 e 2 sobre o MUQ3 é uma curva com formato de sino e pH ótimo mais ácido que o da HEWL. Essas curvas foram reflexos da diminuição simultânea dos valores de pKas do nucleófilo e do doador de prótons. Estruturas cristalográficas das lisozimas digestivas de Musca domestica foram obtidas a 1,9 Å e análise comparativa com a estrutura terciária da HEWL revelou resíduos de aminoácidos no ambiente do nucleófilo (N46) e do doador de prótons (S106 e T107) que podem estar envolvidos na modulação das constantes de ionização dos resíduos essenciais à catálise. Esses resíduos foram substituídos via mutagênese sítio-dirigida por D, V e A respectivamente e três mutantes simples (N46D, S106V e T107A) e um triplo (N46DS106V- T107A) foram produzidos e purificados. Caracterização revelou que as contribuições individuais da N46, S106 e T107 foram pequenas e próximas do limite de detecção da técnica utilizada. Por outro lado, o conjunto dos 3 aminoácidos foi responsável pelo pH ótimo ácido frente ao substrato sintético, elevando os valores de pKas do nucleófilo e doador de prótons para valores muito semelhantes ao da HEWL. Diferentemente, essa tripla mutação não foi suficiente para elevar o pH ótimo da lisozima 2 sobre cápsulas de Micrococcus lysodeikticus para valores próximos àqueles de HEWL, sugerindo que as bases moleculares do pH ótimo frente ao substrato natural e sintético são diferentes. Uma comparação estrutural entre lisozima 1 e HEWL sugere que os resíduos de aminoácidos carregados na superfície dessas lisozimas sejam importantes para determinação do pH ótimo. A investigação dessa hipótese foi feita substituindo 5 aminoácidos neutros e 1 ácido, via mutagênese sítio-dirigida, por resíduos básicos. A caracterização do mutante sêxtuplo revelou um aumento significativo nos valores de pH ótimo da lisozima 1, indicando que a redução da basicidade da superfície das lisozimas digestivas é determinante para seus pHs ótimos ácidos. / Lysozymes are enzymes that are part of the defence mechanism against bacteria, however lysozymes with digestive function are also found in the digestive tract of vertebrates and in the insect midgut. The digestive lysozymes from insects are c type, so they share similar structural and mechanistic characteristics with hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL). However, to perform their digestive function, insect lysozymes present some particular properties among them a more acidic pH optimum than that of non-digestive lysozymes. To elucidate the molecular basis of this pH optimum difference, two digestive lysozymes (lysozyme 1 AAQ20048 and lysozyme 2 AAQ20047) from Musca domestica larvae (housefly Diptera Cyclorrhapha), cloned in Pichia pastoris and purified, were structurally and kinecticly characterized with synthetic (MUQ3) and natural (lyophilized cells of Micrococcus lysodeikticus) substrates. It was observed that the pH effect on the activity of lysozymes 1 and 2 upon MUQ3 is a bell shaped curve exhibiting a more acidic pH optimum than that of HEWL. These curves result from simultaneous decrease of pKas values of the nucleophile and proton donor. Crystallographic structures of these digestive lysozymes from Musca domestica were obtained at 1.9 Å and comparative analysis with the terciary structure of HEWL revealed amino acid residues in the catalytic nucleophile (N46) and proton donor environment (S106 and T107) that may be involved in the modulation of ionization constants of those catalytic residues. N46, S106, and T107 were replaced via site-directed mutagenesis by D, V and A respectively and three simple (N46D, S106V and T107A) and one triple (N46D-S106V-T107A) mutants were produced and purified. Their characterization revealed that the individual contributions of N46, S106 and T107 were small and close to the detection borderline of the technique utilized. On the other hand, a set of these 3 amino acids was responsible by acidic pH optimum upon synthetic substrate, increasing the pKas values of nucleophile and proton donor to similar values to that of the HEWL. Differently, this triple mutation was not enough to increase the pH optimum of lysozyme 2 upon lyophilized cells of Micrococcus lysodeikticus to values close to those of HEWL, suggesting that the molecular bases of pH optimum upon natural and synthetic substrates are different. A structural comparison between lysozyme 1 and HEWL suggests that the charged amino acid residues on the surface of these lysozymes are important for pH optimum determination. The investigation of this hypothesis was done replacing 5 neutral and 1 acidic amino acids, via site-directed mutagenesis, by basic residues. The characterization of this mutant revealed a significant increase in the pH optimum values of lysozyme 1, suggesting that the reduction of basicity on the surface of the digestive lysozymes is a important factor in the determination of their acidic pH optimum.

Lisozimas são enzimas que fazem parte do mecanismo de defesa contra bactérias, no entanto lisozimas com função digestiva também são encontradas no trato digestivo de vertebrados e no intestino médio de insetos. As lisozimas digestivas de insetos são do tipo c e assim compartilham semelhanças estruturais e mecanísticas com a lisozima da clara de ovo de galinha (HEWL). Entretanto, para desempenhar sua função digestiva, as lisozimas de insetos apresentam algumas propriedades particulares entre as quais se destaca um pH ótimo mais ácido em relação às lisozimas não-digestivas. Para elucidar as bases moleculares dessa diferença no pH ótimo, duas lisozimas digestivas (lisozima 1 AAQ20048 e lisozima 2 AAQ20047) da larva de Musca domestica (mosca Diptera Cyclorrhapha), clonadas em Pichia pastoris e purificadas, foram caracterizadas estruturalmente e cineticamente com o substrato sintético (MUQ3) e natural (cápsulas de Micrococcus lysodeikticus). Foi observado que o efeito do pH na atividade das lisozimas 1 e 2 sobre o MUQ3 é uma curva com formato de sino e pH ótimo mais ácido que o da HEWL. Essas curvas foram reflexos da diminuição simultânea dos valores de pKas do nucleófilo e do doador de prótons. Estruturas cristalográficas das lisozimas digestivas de Musca domestica foram obtidas a 1,9 Å e análise comparativa com a estrutura terciária da HEWL revelou resíduos de aminoácidos no ambiente do nucleófilo (N46) e do doador de prótons (S106 e T107) que podem estar envolvidos na modulação das constantes de ionização dos resíduos essenciais à catálise. Esses resíduos foram substituídos via mutagênese sítio-dirigida por D, V e A respectivamente e três mutantes simples (N46D, S106V e T107A) e um triplo (N46DS106V- T107A) foram produzidos e purificados. Caracterização revelou que as contribuições individuais da N46, S106 e T107 foram pequenas e próximas do limite de detecção da técnica utilizada. Por outro lado, o conjunto dos 3 aminoácidos foi responsável pelo pH ótimo ácido frente ao substrato sintético, elevando os valores de pKas do nucleófilo e doador de prótons para valores muito semelhantes ao da HEWL. Diferentemente, essa tripla mutação não foi suficiente para elevar o pH ótimo da lisozima 2 sobre cápsulas de Micrococcus lysodeikticus para valores próximos àqueles de HEWL, sugerindo que as bases moleculares do pH ótimo frente ao substrato natural e sintético são diferentes. Uma comparação estrutural entre lisozima 1 e HEWL sugere que os resíduos de aminoácidos carregados na superfície dessas lisozimas sejam importantes para determinação do pH ótimo. A investigação dessa hipótese foi feita substituindo 5 aminoácidos neutros e 1 ácido, via mutagênese sítio-dirigida, por resíduos básicos. A caracterização do mutante sêxtuplo revelou um aumento significativo nos valores de pH ótimo da lisozima 1, indicando que a redução da basicidade da superfície das lisozimas digestivas é determinante para seus pHs ótimos ácidos. / Lysozymes are enzymes that are part of the defence mechanism against bacteria, however lysozymes with digestive function are also found in the digestive tract of vertebrates and in the insect midgut. The digestive lysozymes from insects are c type, so they share similar structural and mechanistic characteristics with hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL). However, to perform their digestive function, insect lysozymes present some particular properties among them a more acidic pH optimum than that of non-digestive lysozymes. To elucidate the molecular basis of this pH optimum difference, two digestive lysozymes (lysozyme 1 AAQ20048 and lysozyme 2 AAQ20047) from Musca domestica larvae (housefly Diptera Cyclorrhapha), cloned in Pichia pastoris and purified, were structurally and kinecticly characterized with synthetic (MUQ3) and natural (lyophilized cells of Micrococcus lysodeikticus) substrates. It was observed that the pH effect on the activity of lysozymes 1 and 2 upon MUQ3 is a bell shaped curve exhibiting a more acidic pH optimum than that of HEWL. These curves result from simultaneous decrease of pKas values of the nucleophile and proton donor. Crystallographic structures of these digestive lysozymes from Musca domestica were obtained at 1.9 Å and comparative analysis with the terciary structure of HEWL revealed amino acid residues in the catalytic nucleophile (N46) and proton donor environment (S106 and T107) that may be involved in the modulation of ionization constants of those catalytic residues. N46, S106, and T107 were replaced via site-directed mutagenesis by D, V and A respectively and three simple (N46D, S106V and T107A) and one triple (N46D-S106V-T107A) mutants were produced and purified. Their characterization revealed that the individual contributions of N46, S106 and T107 were small and close to the detection borderline of the technique utilized. On the other hand, a set of these 3 amino acids was responsible by acidic pH optimum upon synthetic substrate, increasing the pKas values of nucleophile and proton donor to similar values to that of the HEWL. Differently, this triple mutation was not enough to increase the pH optimum of lysozyme 2 upon lyophilized cells of Micrococcus lysodeikticus to values close to those of HEWL, suggesting that the molecular bases of pH optimum upon natural and synthetic substrates are different. A structural comparison between lysozyme 1 and HEWL suggests that the charged amino acid residues on the surface of these lysozymes are important for pH optimum determination. The investigation of this hypothesis was done replacing 5 neutral and 1 acidic amino acids, via site-directed mutagenesis, by basic residues. The characterization of this mutant revealed a significant increase in the pH optimum values of lysozyme 1, suggesting that the reduction of basicity on the surface of the digestive lysozymes is a important factor in the determination of their acidic pH optimum.

In this thesis, optimization of production of lipolytic enzymes by submerzed cultivation of Bacillus subtilis (BS) was studied. Production of lipolytic enzymes was tested in three nutrient media, which differed mainly in main sources of carbon, respectively of nitrogen. The first medium contained mainly extract from calf brain and beef heart (BHIB), the second medium contained peptone and yeast extract (NB) and the third one contained peptone and yeast extract with the addition of 2% (w/v) glucose (NBG). The highest lipolytic activity (0.0784 Uml-1) was measured in NBG medium. Maximum of lipolytic activity was observed before the end of the exponential phase of BS growth in all the media. Temperature optimum in NBG medium was determined from 30 to 50 °C, pH optimum in the range of 5 to 11 and subsequently the temperature stability of lipolytic enzymes produced by the BS was estimated. The activity value was determined spectrometrically using p-nitrophenyllaurate as a substrate. Produced lipolytic enzymes showed maximum activity at 37 °C in the alkaline pH of 8.0. Measurement of temperature stability showed that lipolytic enzymes are relatively thermostable enzymes retaining 100 % of the activity even after 1 hour of cultivation at 30 - 50 °C. The presence of 1% (w/v) olive oil in medium NBG caused a decrease in lipolytic activity by 65 % as well as in pH from 6.5 to 5.4 after 14 days of cultivation. After substitution of glucose by fructose in medium NBG, lipolytic activity showed comparable values during the first week of cultivation. On the other hand, the decrease of lipolytic activity by 29 % in the medium with fructose was observed after 14 days of cultivation. A procedure for the identification of lipolytic enzymes of BS by peptide massfingerprinting was developed to understand the potential of synthetic polyester - poly(e-caprolactone) as a lipase inductor. Degradation study of commercial polyester poly(e-caprolactone) was carried out by submerged cultivation of Bacillus subtilis in NBG medium at initial pH 7.0 and 30 °C for 14 days. PCL (Mn = 10,000, Mw = 14 000) was studied in the form of films (1.0 x 1.0 cm), which were prepared by melt-pressing, rapid cooling of the melt to 4 °C and evaporation of the solvent from 2 % dichlormethane solution. The evaluation of the films shown occurrence of weight loss (7.8 - 17.0 wt.%) together with the formation of numerous holes and cracks in the sample surface in relation to the method of the films preparation. Lipolytic activity values increased by 9 - 17 % in the degradation media compared to control samples. Densitometric monitoring showed also higher increase in cell mass in the degradation medium compared with control samples. Based on the results obtained, the degradation process induced by BS could be suggested.