Abstract:
Penicillin acylase (E.C. 3.5.1.11) catalyzes the hydrolysis of Penicillin G yielding a widely used 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) as the starting material for further synthesis of penicillin derivatives. The aim of this project was to study the nature of carbon source suitable for the maximum activity of penicillin acylase (PAase) biosynthesis in Proteus rettgeri ATCC 9250, plus a comparative studies of the properties of PAase between WT and a mutant strain that showed a different ability in using glucose as the sole carbon source. It was found that aspartate functioned as the best sole carbon source providing the maximal PAse activity as high as 173 unit per mg total cell protein at the highest growth of 4.5 unit at OD540. Viewed as the best combination of dual carbon sources, it was found that 0.2% citrate plus 1% glucose rendered the maximum activity of PAase was 98 unit per mg total cell protein at its highest growth of 3.6 unit OD540. Noted that, this strain of Proteus rettgeri could not use glucose as the sole carbon source. Therefore, it was interesting to isolate strains where glucose utilizable ability was regained. Mutation of P. rettgeri ATCC 9250 with NTG resulted in 9 mutants with the ability to utilize glucose as a sole carbon source. One of them, named SPS-6, was able to synthesize penicillin acylase with the maximal activity of 397 units per mg of total cell protein in minimal medium with 0.4 to glucose at its highest cell turbidity of 4.6 units. Comparative studies on the
properties of penicillin acylase produced by the WT strain and SPS-6 mutant were carried out. The optimal pH for the hydrolysis of Pen G for the enzyme from both sources was in the same range of pH 7.0-8.5. However, a difference in the optimal reaction temperature was observed. The optimal temperatures for penicillin acylase from the WT and SPS-6 were 45℃ and 55℃, respectively, Both enzymes were less stable to extreme acidic and basic conditions. Cells storage at 37℃ for 5 hours did not affect the loss of the enzyme activity. The Km values of the enzyme from the WT and SPS-6 for the hydrolysis of Pen G were 9.0 and 5.6 mM, respectively. When phenylacetic acid was used as a competitive inhibiter, the Ki values of the enzyme from the WT and SPS-6 were 5.0 and 7.0 mM, respectively. With 6-APA as a non-competitive inhibitor, the Ki values for the enzyme from the WT and SPS-6 were 7.6 and 8.8 mM, respectively. Both strains could be maintained in normal saline solution at 4℃ for longer than 45 days with 80% of the intial activity still remained. Furthermore, under this storage conditions, SPS-6 could maintain high ability of cell growth and penicillin acylase production for at least 7 months.