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Active Site Redesign for Altered pH Optima

Overview

Our company is committed to provide active site redesign service for altered pH optima to you. Active site redesign for altered pH optima refers to the modification of the active site of an enzyme to optimize its catalytic activity at a different pH than its natural or original pH optima. Enzymes are highly specific catalysts that facilitate biochemical reactions by binding to specific substrates at their active sites. The pH of the environment can have a significant impact on an enzyme's activity and stability.

In nature, enzymes are typically adapted to function optimally at a specific pH range, known as the pH optima. However, in certain industrial or biotechnological applications, it may be desirable to utilize enzymes under conditions of different pH. For example, in the production of certain chemicals or pharmaceuticals, the reaction conditions may require a higher or lower pH than the natural pH optima of the enzyme.

Shifting the pH Optima of (R)-Selective Transaminases by Protein Engineering.Fig. 1. Shifting the pH Optima of (R)-Selective Transaminases by Protein Engineering. (Xiang, C.; et al., 2022)

Application

Active site redesign involves modifying the amino acid residues within the active site of the enzyme to alter its pH optima. This can be achieved through protein engineering techniques, such as directed evolution or rational design. The goal is to introduce amino acid substitutions that stabilize the enzyme's active site and enhance its catalytic efficiency at the desired pH. There are many applications for it.

  • Biocatalysis optimization
  • Bioremediation
  • Agricultural applications
  • Diagnostic and medical applications
  • Biotechnology and synthetic biology

Our Services

The following services are available to help you redesign your active site to change the pH to an optimal level:

Identification of Target Enzyme

The enzyme with the desired catalytic activity is selected as the target for pH optimization.

Rational Design or Directed Evolution

Rational design involves using known structural and functional information of the enzyme to guide the selection of amino acid substitutions that will likely improve the enzyme's activity at the desired pH. Directed evolution, on the other hand, involves generating a library of enzyme variants through random mutagenesis and screening or selection for improved activity at the desired pH.

Screening or Selection

The generated enzyme variants are screened or selected for improved catalytic activity at the desired pH. This can be done through high-throughput screening methods or by subjecting the enzyme variants to selective pressure under the desired pH conditions.

Characterization and Optimization

The selected enzyme variants are further characterized to understand the structural and functional changes introduced by the amino acid substitutions. Iterative rounds of mutagenesis and screening/selection may be performed to optimize the enzyme's activity at the desired pH.

Validation and Application

The optimized enzyme variant(s) are tested for their performance in the desired application or industrial process under the altered pH conditions. This may involve scale-up experiments and process optimization.

Active site redesign for altered pH optima is a powerful tool in enzyme engineering and can enable the utilization of enzymes in a broader range of industrial processes. It allows for the adaptation of enzymes to specific pH conditions, enhancing their catalytic efficiency and stability in non-natural environments.

Reference

  1. Xiang, C.; et al. Shifting the pH Optima of (R)-Selective Transaminases by Protein Engineering. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Dec 5;23(23):15347.

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