Improving thermostability of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase by multipoint mutations

The medium-temperature alpha-amylase of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is widely used in the food and washing process. Enhancing the thermostability of alpha-amylases and investigating the mechanism of stability are important for enzyme industry development. The optimal temperature and pH of the wild-type BAA and mutant MuBAA (D28E/V118A/S187D/K370 N) were all 60 °C and 6.0, respectively. The mutant MuBAA showed better thermostability at 50 °C and 60 °C, with a specific activity of 206.61 U/mg, which was 99.1% greater than that of the wild-type. By analyzing predicted structures, the improving thermostability of the mutant MuBAA was mainly related to enhanced stabilization of a loop region in domain B via more calcium-binding sites and intramolecular interactions around Asp187. Furthermore, additional intramolecular interactions around sites 28 and 370 in domain A were also beneficial for improving thermostability. Additionally, the decrease of steric hindrance at the active cavity increased the specific activity of the mutant MuBAA. Improving the thermostability of BAA has theoretical reference values for the modification of alpha-amylases.