153
Most of the enzymes in its natural form have diverse applications. But a serious
problem arises due to the reason that their availability becomes scarce on account of
the cost effectiveness in its industrial production. The process of enzyme engineering depends upon the modification or production of novel enzymes with maximum
efficiency and high yield.
6.3
Enzyme Engineering
Enzyme engineering is the process by which one can improve the activity and efficiency of an existing enzyme or create a new enzyme activity by making relevant
changes in its amino acid sequence. The term protein engineering is used when this
similar approach is applied to alter the properties of any protein, whether enzyme or
non-enzyme. Recombinant DNA technology is utilized in the process of enzyme
engineering to introduce appropriate changes in the amino acid sequences of
enzymes. It is regarded as a valuable technology that helps to enhance our basic
knowledge on various enzyme functions and their evolution. It is also an important
procedure for reconstructing enzyme properties for various industrial uses in pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and green chemistry.
Recombinant DNA technology enables the modification of amino acid sequences
by gene alteration: genes from less active microbes can be transferred to higher
active ones, and multiple genes can be moved and expressed in a single organism.
The past few decades saw the enhancement in a number of potentially valuable
biocatalysts due to the development of metagenomics approach (Ferrer et al. 2009),
which aids in the discovery of new enzymes from various microbial sources.
The modification of amino acids of enzymes is the major principle behind
enzyme engineering, which results in an enzyme with altered properties. The variations thus arising due to such modifications are mostly apparent in the primary
structure of enzymes or proteins coded by amino acids. An enzyme’s property can
be modified by introducing changes only in the specific domains of the amino acid
sequence. Hence, it becomes essential that the gene coding for such regions be
determined and then altered as required. Kinetic properties; allosteric regulation;
specificity; effect of factors like temperature, solvents, pH; etc., are the different
properties which are normally addressed for advancements by enzyme engineering
(Fig. 6.1).
Since enzymes are proteins, enzyme engineering is regarded as a component of
the larger activity of protein engineering. Generally, the objective of protein engineering is to modify the protein sequence and thus its three-dimensional structure in
order to design enzymes with enhanced functional properties, such as stability,
without product inhibition, high specific activity, and selectivity towards nonnatural substrates (Singh et al. 2013).
In the last decade, the utilization of genetic engineering to enzyme technology
has been a most exciting development. There are a huge number of characteristics
which may be altered or improved by genetic engineering technology including the
yield and kinetics of the enzyme, the ease of downstream processing, and various
6 Enzyme Engineering
Most of the enzymes in its natural form have diverse applications. But a serious
problem arises due to the reason that their availability becomes scarce on account of
the cost effectiveness in its industrial production. The process of enzyme engineering depends upon the modification or production of novel enzymes with maximum
efficiency and high yield.
6.3
Enzyme Engineering
Enzyme engineering is the process by which one can improve the activity and efficiency of an existing enzyme or create a new enzyme activity by making relevant
changes in its amino acid sequence. The term protein engineering is used when this
similar approach is applied to alter the properties of any protein, whether enzyme or
non-enzyme. Recombinant DNA technology is utilized in the process of enzyme
engineering to introduce appropriate changes in the amino acid sequences of
enzymes. It is regarded as a valuable technology that helps to enhance our basic
knowledge on various enzyme functions and their evolution. It is also an important
procedure for reconstructing enzyme properties for various industrial uses in pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and green chemistry.
Recombinant DNA technology enables the modification of amino acid sequences
by gene alteration: genes from less active microbes can be transferred to higher
active ones, and multiple genes can be moved and expressed in a single organism.
The past few decades saw the enhancement in a number of potentially valuable
biocatalysts due to the development of metagenomics approach (Ferrer et al. 2009),
which aids in the discovery of new enzymes from various microbial sources.
The modification of amino acids of enzymes is the major principle behind
enzyme engineering, which results in an enzyme with altered properties. The variations thus arising due to such modifications are mostly apparent in the primary
structure of enzymes or proteins coded by amino acids. An enzyme’s property can
be modified by introducing changes only in the specific domains of the amino acid
sequence. Hence, it becomes essential that the gene coding for such regions be
determined and then altered as required. Kinetic properties; allosteric regulation;
specificity; effect of factors like temperature, solvents, pH; etc., are the different
properties which are normally addressed for advancements by enzyme engineering
(Fig. 6.1).
Since enzymes are proteins, enzyme engineering is regarded as a component of
the larger activity of protein engineering. Generally, the objective of protein engineering is to modify the protein sequence and thus its three-dimensional structure in
order to design enzymes with enhanced functional properties, such as stability,
without product inhibition, high specific activity, and selectivity towards nonnatural substrates (Singh et al. 2013).
In the last decade, the utilization of genetic engineering to enzyme technology
has been a most exciting development. There are a huge number of characteristics
which may be altered or improved by genetic engineering technology including the
yield and kinetics of the enzyme, the ease of downstream processing, and various
6 Enzyme Engineering