Bacterial lignin-degrading enzymes: characterization and biocatalytic potential.

细菌木质素降解酶：表征和生物催化潜力。

• 批准号: 171359-2013
• 负责人: Eltis, Lindsay
• 金额: $ 5.03万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=630042
• 关键词: Bacterial; lignin; degrading; enzymes; characterization

Bacteria are responsible for most of the degradation of natural and anthropogenic compounds in the biosphere. This degradation constitutes an essential link in the global carbon cycle and is critical to sustaining life as we know it. In addition, this degradation represents a rich, but barely tapped source of biocatalysts for efficient, environmentally friendly industrial processes. Over the past 17 years, my NSERC-funded research program has provided novel insights into the function of bacterial enzymes involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds. Over the next five years, I will focus my program on enzymes that degrade lignin, a complex aromatic polymer that comprises about 25% of the land-based biomass. Lignin occurs in tight association with cellulose and hemicellulose to form the strong, rigid structure associated with wood that is extremely resistant to degradation. Deconstructing this lignocellulose is critical to using biomass as a renewable source of energy and biomaterials. While the fungal enzymes involved in this process have been studied for many years, bacterial lignin-degrading enzymes have been largely overlooked. My research will focus on three enzymes involved in lignin degradation: a manganese peroxidase, a lignostilbene oxygenase and LigY, a hydrolase. Each of these represents an important class of enzymes that are not well understood. The proposed research will increase our understanding of what these enzymes do and how they do it. This will in turn provide fundamental insights into the molecular mechanism of important biological processes and facilitate their biotechnological exploitation. More particularly, the knowledge gained will facilitate the design of biocatalysts to transform low-value lignin into high-value materials, such as feedstock for resins or carbon fibres. The research objectives will be achieved using an interdisciplinary approach involving a variety of cutting-edge techniques. The research will benefit from a number of tools and approaches that are quite unique to the Eltis lab. Finally, the research program provides students and postdoctoral researchers with a wide range of skills, preparing them for careers in academia and industry.

细菌是生物圈中天然和人为化合物大部分降解的原因。这种退化构成了全球碳循环的重要环节，对于维持我们所知的生命至关重要。此外，这种降解代表了一种丰富但尚未开发的生物催化剂来源，可用于高效、环保的工业过程。在过去的 17 年里，我的 NSERC 资助的研究项目为参与芳香族化合物降解的细菌酶的功能提供了新的见解。在接下来的五年中，我将把我的项目重点放在降解木质素的酶上，木质素是一种复杂的芳香族聚合物，约占陆地生物质的 25%。木质素与纤维素和半纤维素紧密结合，形成与木材相关的坚固、刚性结构，极耐降解。解构这种木质纤维素对于使用生物质作为可再生能源和生物材料来源至关重要。虽然参与这一过程的真菌酶已经被研究了很多年，但细菌木质素降解酶在很大程度上被忽视了。我的研究将集中于参与木质素降解的三种酶：锰过氧化物酶、木质芪加氧酶和 LigY（一种水解酶）。其中每一种都代表了一类尚未被充分理解的重要酶。拟议的研究将增加我们对这些酶的作用以及它们如何作用的理解。这反过来将为重要生物过程的分子机制提供基本见解，并促进其生物技术开发。更具体地说，所获得的知识将有助于生物催化剂的设计，将低价值木质素转化为高价值材料，例如树脂或碳纤维的原料。研究目标将通过涉及各种尖端技术的跨学科方法来实现。该研究将受益于 Eltis 实验室独有的许多工具和方法。最后，该研究项目为学生和博士后研究人员提供广泛的技能，为他们在学术界和工业界的职业生涯做好准备。