Functional and structural analysis of microbial and plant hydrolases with potential use in biotechnological or industrial processes

• Grant number: 11/23991-7
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: June 01, 2012 - May 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Enzymology
• Principal researcher: Gustavo Orlando Bonilla Rodriguez
• Grantee: Gustavo Orlando Bonilla Rodriguez
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims to continue several research sub-projects involving a screening of hydrolytic enzymes of plant and microbial sources. Over time we have incorporated new subclasses of hydrolases, proteases, lipases, cellulases, pectinases and beta-glucosidases. The guiding objective of the research is to isolate and characterize hydrolases with interesting functional properties and could potentially be incorporated into industrial or biotechnological processes. Whenever possible, when the enzyme has interesting properties, advanced beyond the stage of prospecting and basic characterization, as we are advisors in the Graduate Program in Molecular Biophysics and Chemistry, and also try to make a more complete characterization of the enzymes in terms of their structural and functional properties.The installed capacity at the Laboratory of Protein-UNESP IBILCE thanks to aid from FAPESP and FUNDUNESP allowed us to build a basic infrastructure for use in the isolation and characterization of proteins and enzymes in the specific case, initially only worked with those of plant origin. Currently we maintain collaboration with the group of Biochemistry and Professor of Applied Microbiology. Dr. Eleni Gomes and Prof. Dr. Roberto da Silva located at our Institute, which allowed us to expand the sources of enzymes to also include microorganisms, particularly thermophilic fungi, looking for enzymes that have potential use in processes such as obtaining fermentable sugars for ethanol generation second generation, for example. The requested funding will allow in the first place to buy some imported and domestic equipments (primarily two new spectrophotometers, a new FPLC, autoclave, laminar flow, BOD incubator, ice machine, system protein concentration). The current procedures in use in the laboratory for the purification of proteins in preparative scale need to be improved with regard to the various steps of the purification and characterization, and the equipment required would be of great value to increase productivity. In addition to the equipment requested, imported material and domestic consumption (columns, resins, reagents, filtration membranes, concentrators, etc.) and resources for participation in scientific meetings. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BONFA, EMILY COLFERAI; DE SOUZA MORETTI, MARCIA MARIA; GOMES, ELENI; BONILLA-RODRIGUEZ, GUSTAVO ORLANDO. Biochemical characterization of an isolated 50 kDa beta-glucosidase from the thermophilic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila M.7.7. BIOCATALYSIS AND AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY, v. 13, p. 311-318, JAN 2018. (10/12624-0, 11/23991-7)

TRINDADE, LUCAS VINICIUS; DESAGIACOMO, CARLA; TEIXEIRA DE MORAES POLIZELI, MARIA DE LOURDES; DE LIMA DAMASIO, ANDRE RICARDO; FURUYAMA LIMA, ALINE MARGARETE; GOMES, ELENI; BONILLA-RODRIGUEZ, GUSTAVO ORLANDO. Biochemical Characterization, Thermal Stability, and Partial Sequence of a Novel Exo-Polygalacturonase from the Thermophilic Fungus Rhizomucor pusillus A13.36 Obtained by Submerged Cultivation. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, 2016. (10/12624-0, 11/23991-7)