Cross-linked polymer nanofibers for hyperthermophilic enzyme immobilization: approaches to improve enzyme performance

We report an enzyme immobilization method effective at elevated temperatures (up to 105 °C) and sufficiently robust for hyperthermophilic enzymes. Using a model hyperthermophilic enzyme, α-galactosidase from Thermotoga maritima, immobilization within chemically cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers to provide high specific surface area is achieved by (1) electrospinning a blend of a PVA and enzyme and (2) chemically cross-linking the polymer to entrap the enzyme within a water insoluble PVA fiber. The resulting enzyme-loaded nanofibers are water-insoluble at elevated temperatures, and enzyme leaching is not observed, indicating that the cross-linking effectively immobilizes the enzyme within the fibers. Upon immobilization, the enzyme retains its hyperthermophilic nature and shows improved thermal stability indicated by a 5.5-fold increase in apparent half-life at 90 °C, but with a significant decrease in apparent activity. The loss in apparent activity is attributed to enzyme deactivation and mass transfer limitations. Improvements in the apparent activity can be achieved by incorporating a cryoprotectant during immobilization to prevent enzyme deactivation. For example, immobilization in the presence of trehalose improved the apparent activity by 10-fold. Minimizing the mat thickness to reduce interfiber diffusion was a simple and effective method to further improve the performance of the immobilized enzyme.