Characterization of a Recombinant Thermostable Arylsulfatase from Deep-Sea Bacterium Flammeovirga pacifica

A novel sulfatase gene, ary423 (1,536 bp ORF), encoding a protein of 511 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 56 kDa, was identified from Flammeovirga pacifica, which was isolated from deep-sea sediments of west Pacific Ocean. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that Ary423 possessed a conserved C-X-A-X-R motif, which was recognized as the sulfatase signature. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that Ary423 belonged to arylsulfatases. After heterologous expression in Escherichia coli cells, the recombinant Ary423 was purified with a Ni(+) affinity column, and was shown to be highly active at a broad range of temperatures from 30° to 70°C, with maximum activity at 40°C. Furthermore, recombinant Ary423 retained more than 70% and 40% of its maximum activity after 12 h of incubation at 50°C and 60°C, respectively, exhibiting good thermostability at high temperatures. The optimal pH for Ary423 was determined to be 8.0 and the activity of Ary423 could be slightly enhanced by Mg(2+). The recombinant enzyme could hydrolyze sulfate ester bonds in pnitrophenyl sulfate (NPS) and Asparagus crude polysaccharides with a specific activity of 64.8 U/mg and 25.4 U/mg, respectively. These favorable properties could make Ary423 attractive for application in the desulfating process of agar production.