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Lipolytic enzymes with improved activity and selectivity upon adsorption on polymeric nanoparticles
Cleofe Palocci1, Laura Chronopoulou, Iole Venditti
1Department of Chemistry, University of Rome La Sapienza, P le A Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy. cleofe.palocci@uniroma1.it
Biomacromolecules
|September 7, 2007
Summary
Enzymes immobilized on nanostructured polymers show enhanced activity and stability. This study demonstrates improved lipase performance using nanostructured polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate carriers.
Area of Science:
- Bioconjugation Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Enzyme Immobilization
Background:
- Lipolytic enzymes like Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) and Pseudomonas cepacia lipase (PCL) are crucial biocatalysts.
- Immobilization on nanostructured materials can enhance enzyme properties.
- Polystyrene (PS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) offer potential nanostructured carriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prepare and characterize bioconjugates of lipolytic enzymes with nanostructured PS and PMMA.
- To evaluate the impact of nanostructured carriers on enzyme activity, selectivity, and stability.
- To propose a binding model for enzyme-nanoparticle interactions.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of polymer-enzyme bioconjugates via simple adsorption under mild conditions (pH 7.6).
- Characterization using Energy Filtered-Transmission Electron Microscopy (EF-TEM) on immuno-gold labeled samples.
- Enzyme activity, selectivity, enantioselectivity, pH, and thermal stability assays.
Main Results:
- Enzymes successfully bound to nanostructured PS and PMMA without altering carrier morphology.
- Immobilized lipases exhibited significantly improved activity and selectivity compared to non-nanostructured carriers.
- Residual activities of 60% (CRL) and 74% (PCL) were achieved.
- Enantioselectivity, pH, and thermal stability were notably enhanced upon immobilization.
Conclusions:
- Nanostructured polymer carriers (PS, PMMA) effectively enhance lipase performance.
- Immobilization induces favorable protein conformers, improving enantioselectivity and stability.
- A hydrophobic binding model is proposed for lipase/nanostructured polymer interactions.
