Extremophiles and Biotechnology

Production and characterization of transferase enzymes for industrial biotechnology.

Adam Boulaich, student from Barcelona University worked for four months on his bachelor thesis on the recombinant production, purification and biochemical characterization of two transferase enzymes: dihydroxyacetone synthase (DHAS) from Mycobacterium sp. strain JC1 and sugar aminotransferase (SAT) allegedly related to the thermophilic genus Thermoanaerobacter.

Adam Boulaich
Adam Boulaich

DHAS is a special type of transketolase able to use small aldoses. Transketolases are widely used in industrial biocatalysis for the synthesis of precursors. Adam produced different mutant versions and characterized them in terms of its capacity for using formaldehyde. On the other hand, SATs are pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) dependent aminotransferase enzymes able to catalyze amino-sugar synthesis from keto-sugars. Adam worked on the thermostability and the substrate identification of this candidate.