Molecular Biology Applications of Psychrophilic Enzymes: Adaptations, Advantages, Expression, and Prospective

Psychrophilic enzymes are primarily produced by microorganisms from extremely low-temperature environments which are known as psychrophiles. Their high efficiency at low temperatures and easy heat inactivation property have attracted extensive attention from various food and industrial bioprocesses. However, the application of these enzymes in molecular biology is still limited. In a previous review, the applications of psychrophilic enzymes in industries such as the detergent additives, the food additives, the bioremediation, and the pharmaceutical medicine, and cosmetics have been discussed. In this review, we discuss the main cold adaptation characteristics of psychrophiles and psychrophilic enzymes, as well as the relevant information on different psychrophilic enzymes in molecular biology. We summarize the mining and screening methods of psychrophilic enzymes. We finally recap the expression of psychrophilic enzymes. We aim to provide a reference process for the exploration and expression of new generation of psychrophilic enzymes.