Marburg, Universiẗat, Diss., 2004.

A major obstacle to achieving commercially viable lignocellulosic biofuels through consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is the lack of “industry-ready” microorganisms. Ideally, a CBP-relevant organism would achieve efficient and complete hydrolysis of lignocellulose, simultaneous utilization of the diverse hydrolysis products and high yields of the desired biofuel. To date, no single microbe has been identified that can perform all of these processes at industrially significant levels. As such, thermophilic decaying woodchip compost was investigated as a source of novel lignocellulolytic, biofuel producing bacteria. From a single sample, a collection of physiologically diverse strains were isolated, which displayed differences in substrate utilization and biofuel production capabilities. Molecular characterization of these isolates, and development of a genome relatedness prediction model based on the chaperonin-60 universal target sequence, identified these isolates as strains of Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus. Application of this model to other Thermoanaerobacter spp. further identified that these isolates belong to a divergent and lesser characterized lineage within the genus. Based on this, the CBP-potential of a single isolate, T. thermohydrosulfuricus WC1, was selected for further investigation through metabolic, genomic and proteomic analyses. Its ability to grow on polymeric xylan, potentially catalyzed by an endoxylanase found in only a few Thermoanaerobacter strains, distinguishes T. thermohydrosulfuricus WC1 from many other strains within the genus. The simultaneous consumption of two important lignocellulose constituent saccharides, cellobiose and xylose was also observed and represents a desirable phenotype in CBP-relevant organisms. However, at elevated sugar concentrations, T. thermohydrosulfuricus WC1 produces principally lactate, rather than the desired biofuel ethanol, as the major end-product. Proteomic analysis identified that all likely end-product forming proteins were expressed at high levels suggesting that the end-product distribution patterns in T. thermohydrosulfuricus WC1 are likely controlled via metabolite-based regulation or are constrained by metabolic bottlenecks. The xylanolytic and simultaneous substrate utilization capabilities of T. thermohydrosulfuricus WC1 identify it as a strain of interest for CBP. However, for its development into an “industry-ready” strain as a co-culture with a cellulolytic microorganism, improved biofuel producing capabilities are needed. The practical implications of CBP-relevant phenotypes in T. thermohydrosulfuricus WC1 in relation to other Thermoanaerobacter spp. will be discussed.

Ciclodextrina glicosiltransferase (CGTase, EC 2.4.1.19) é a enzima capaz de converter o amido e seus açúcares relacionados em ciclodextrinas (CDs) através da reação de ciclização. As CDs têm inúmeras aplicações na indústria farmacêutica, cosmética e de alimentos, devido à sua capacidade de encapsular moléculas hidrofóbicas dentro de sua cavidade. A CGTase de Thermoanaerobacter sp. é capaz de converter o amido em CDs sob condições de processo industrial, em temperaturas elevadas. A produção de CDs em escala industrial é feita, geralmente, em processos de batelada, nos quais é utilizada a enzima livre diretamente. No entanto, a imobilização da CGTase tem sido testada, com o propósito de permitir seu uso contínua e repetidamente, de modo a prevenir sua solubilização e promover uma forma molecular mais estável. Neste trabalho, buscouse imobilizá-la em microesferas de sílica-polietilenoglicol (sílica-PEG). O suporte foi silanizado com 3- aminopropiltrimetoxisilano (APTMS) e ativado com glutaraldeído para gerar condições de imobilização de enzimas, que foi realizada a 6ºC e pH 6, durante 15h. O rendimento de imobilização e a atividade recuperada foram 83% e 73%, respectivamente. Os resultados foram comparados com estudos anteriores sobre a imobilização covalente de CGTase. As propriedades enzimáticas da CGTase imobilizada foram investigadas e comparadas com as da enzima solúvel. CGTases solúveis e imobilizadas apresentaram valores similares de pH ótimo. Por outro lado, a temperatura ótima foi de 100ºC e 80ºC para as formas solúvel e imobilizada da enzima, respectivamente. Em comparação com a CGTase solúvel, a forma imobilizada apresentou maior Km (constante de Michaelis), menor Vmax (velocidade máxima de reação), a estabilidade de armazenamento diminuiu cerca de 15% e apenas um ligeiro decréscimo foi observado quando a estabilidade térmica estava sob avaliação. A estabilidade operacional foi medida em repetidos processos de batelada e a enzima imobilizada reteve cerca de 60% da atividade catalítica inicial, após 15 ciclos. / Cyclodextrin glicosyltransferase (CGTase, EC 2.4.1.19) is the enzyme able to convert starch and related sugars into cyclodextrins (CDs) via cyclization reaction. Cyclodextrins have numerous applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industry, because of their capacity to encapsulate hydrophobic molecules within their cavity. The CGTase from the Thermoanaerobacter sp. is able to degrade starch into CDs under industrial conditions (high temperature). For the industrial scale production of CDs, conventional batch production methods, which utilize soluble CGTase directly, have been mainly adopted. However the immobilization of CGTase has been pursued with the purpose of allow its reuse continuously and repeatedly by avoiding enzyme solubilization and promoting a more stable molecule form. In this research, Thermoanaerobacter CGTase was immobilized on silica-polyethyleneglycol (silica-PEG) microspheres. The support was silanized with 3- aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) and activated with glutaraldehyde to generate conditions for enzyme immobilization, which was carried out at 6ºC and pH 6, during 15h. The immobilization yield and recovery activity was around 83% and 73%, respectively. Results were compared with previous studies on covalent immobilization of CGTase. The enzymatic properties of immobilized CGTase were investigated and compared with those of the soluble enzyme. Soluble and immobilized CGTases showed similar values for optimum pH. On the other hand, the optimum temperature was 100ºC and 80ºC for the soluble and immobilized forms, respectively. In comparison with the soluble CGTase, the immobilized form exhibited higher Km (Michaelis constant), lower Vmax (maximal reaction rate), the storage stability was decreased about 15% and just a slight decrease was observed when thermal stability was under evaluation. The operational stability was evaluated in repeated batch process and the immobilized enzyme retained about 60% of the initial catalytic activity after 15 cycles.

Ciclodextrina glicosiltransferase (CGTase, EC 2.4.1.19) é a enzima capaz de converter o amido e seus açúcares relacionados em ciclodextrinas (CDs) através da reação de ciclização. As CDs têm inúmeras aplicações na indústria farmacêutica, cosmética e de alimentos, devido à sua capacidade de encapsular moléculas hidrofóbicas dentro de sua cavidade. A CGTase de Thermoanaerobacter sp. é capaz de converter o amido em CDs sob condições de processo industrial, em temperaturas elevadas. A produção de CDs em escala industrial é feita, geralmente, em processos de batelada, nos quais é utilizada a enzima livre diretamente. No entanto, a imobilização da CGTase tem sido testada, com o propósito de permitir seu uso contínua e repetidamente, de modo a prevenir sua solubilização e promover uma forma molecular mais estável. Neste trabalho, buscouse imobilizá-la em microesferas de sílica-polietilenoglicol (sílica-PEG). O suporte foi silanizado com 3- aminopropiltrimetoxisilano (APTMS) e ativado com glutaraldeído para gerar condições de imobilização de enzimas, que foi realizada a 6ºC e pH 6, durante 15h. O rendimento de imobilização e a atividade recuperada foram 83% e 73%, respectivamente. Os resultados foram comparados com estudos anteriores sobre a imobilização covalente de CGTase. As propriedades enzimáticas da CGTase imobilizada foram investigadas e comparadas com as da enzima solúvel. CGTases solúveis e imobilizadas apresentaram valores similares de pH ótimo. Por outro lado, a temperatura ótima foi de 100ºC e 80ºC para as formas solúvel e imobilizada da enzima, respectivamente. Em comparação com a CGTase solúvel, a forma imobilizada apresentou maior Km (constante de Michaelis), menor Vmax (velocidade máxima de reação), a estabilidade de armazenamento diminuiu cerca de 15% e apenas um ligeiro decréscimo foi observado quando a estabilidade térmica estava sob avaliação. A estabilidade operacional foi medida em repetidos processos de batelada e a enzima imobilizada reteve cerca de 60% da atividade catalítica inicial, após 15 ciclos. / Cyclodextrin glicosyltransferase (CGTase, EC 2.4.1.19) is the enzyme able to convert starch and related sugars into cyclodextrins (CDs) via cyclization reaction. Cyclodextrins have numerous applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industry, because of their capacity to encapsulate hydrophobic molecules within their cavity. The CGTase from the Thermoanaerobacter sp. is able to degrade starch into CDs under industrial conditions (high temperature). For the industrial scale production of CDs, conventional batch production methods, which utilize soluble CGTase directly, have been mainly adopted. However the immobilization of CGTase has been pursued with the purpose of allow its reuse continuously and repeatedly by avoiding enzyme solubilization and promoting a more stable molecule form. In this research, Thermoanaerobacter CGTase was immobilized on silica-polyethyleneglycol (silica-PEG) microspheres. The support was silanized with 3- aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) and activated with glutaraldehyde to generate conditions for enzyme immobilization, which was carried out at 6ºC and pH 6, during 15h. The immobilization yield and recovery activity was around 83% and 73%, respectively. Results were compared with previous studies on covalent immobilization of CGTase. The enzymatic properties of immobilized CGTase were investigated and compared with those of the soluble enzyme. Soluble and immobilized CGTases showed similar values for optimum pH. On the other hand, the optimum temperature was 100ºC and 80ºC for the soluble and immobilized forms, respectively. In comparison with the soluble CGTase, the immobilized form exhibited higher Km (Michaelis constant), lower Vmax (maximal reaction rate), the storage stability was decreased about 15% and just a slight decrease was observed when thermal stability was under evaluation. The operational stability was evaluated in repeated batch process and the immobilized enzyme retained about 60% of the initial catalytic activity after 15 cycles.

Ciclodextrina glicosiltransferase (CGTase, EC 2.4.1.19) é a enzima capaz de converter o amido e seus açúcares relacionados em ciclodextrinas (CDs) através da reação de ciclização. As CDs têm inúmeras aplicações na indústria farmacêutica, cosmética e de alimentos, devido à sua capacidade de encapsular moléculas hidrofóbicas dentro de sua cavidade. A CGTase de Thermoanaerobacter sp. é capaz de converter o amido em CDs sob condições de processo industrial, em temperaturas elevadas. A produção de CDs em escala industrial é feita, geralmente, em processos de batelada, nos quais é utilizada a enzima livre diretamente. No entanto, a imobilização da CGTase tem sido testada, com o propósito de permitir seu uso contínua e repetidamente, de modo a prevenir sua solubilização e promover uma forma molecular mais estável. Neste trabalho, buscouse imobilizá-la em microesferas de sílica-polietilenoglicol (sílica-PEG). O suporte foi silanizado com 3- aminopropiltrimetoxisilano (APTMS) e ativado com glutaraldeído para gerar condições de imobilização de enzimas, que foi realizada a 6ºC e pH 6, durante 15h. O rendimento de imobilização e a atividade recuperada foram 83% e 73%, respectivamente. Os resultados foram comparados com estudos anteriores sobre a imobilização covalente de CGTase. As propriedades enzimáticas da CGTase imobilizada foram investigadas e comparadas com as da enzima solúvel. CGTases solúveis e imobilizadas apresentaram valores similares de pH ótimo. Por outro lado, a temperatura ótima foi de 100ºC e 80ºC para as formas solúvel e imobilizada da enzima, respectivamente. Em comparação com a CGTase solúvel, a forma imobilizada apresentou maior Km (constante de Michaelis), menor Vmax (velocidade máxima de reação), a estabilidade de armazenamento diminuiu cerca de 15% e apenas um ligeiro decréscimo foi observado quando a estabilidade térmica estava sob avaliação. A estabilidade operacional foi medida em repetidos processos de batelada e a enzima imobilizada reteve cerca de 60% da atividade catalítica inicial, após 15 ciclos. / Cyclodextrin glicosyltransferase (CGTase, EC 2.4.1.19) is the enzyme able to convert starch and related sugars into cyclodextrins (CDs) via cyclization reaction. Cyclodextrins have numerous applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industry, because of their capacity to encapsulate hydrophobic molecules within their cavity. The CGTase from the Thermoanaerobacter sp. is able to degrade starch into CDs under industrial conditions (high temperature). For the industrial scale production of CDs, conventional batch production methods, which utilize soluble CGTase directly, have been mainly adopted. However the immobilization of CGTase has been pursued with the purpose of allow its reuse continuously and repeatedly by avoiding enzyme solubilization and promoting a more stable molecule form. In this research, Thermoanaerobacter CGTase was immobilized on silica-polyethyleneglycol (silica-PEG) microspheres. The support was silanized with 3- aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) and activated with glutaraldehyde to generate conditions for enzyme immobilization, which was carried out at 6ºC and pH 6, during 15h. The immobilization yield and recovery activity was around 83% and 73%, respectively. Results were compared with previous studies on covalent immobilization of CGTase. The enzymatic properties of immobilized CGTase were investigated and compared with those of the soluble enzyme. Soluble and immobilized CGTases showed similar values for optimum pH. On the other hand, the optimum temperature was 100ºC and 80ºC for the soluble and immobilized forms, respectively. In comparison with the soluble CGTase, the immobilized form exhibited higher Km (Michaelis constant), lower Vmax (maximal reaction rate), the storage stability was decreased about 15% and just a slight decrease was observed when thermal stability was under evaluation. The operational stability was evaluated in repeated batch process and the immobilized enzyme retained about 60% of the initial catalytic activity after 15 cycles.