Biophysical and biochemical characterization of two bacterial enzymes Involved in the conversion of ferulic acid to vanillin

• Grant number: 17/16976-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: January 01, 2018
• End date: February 29, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Molecular Biophysics
• Principal Investigator: Wanius José Garcia da Silva
• Grantee: Juscemácia Nascimento Araujo
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Vanillin is one of the most important flavoring agents in the world, and widely used inthe food industry as in cakes, ice cream, chocolates, sweets and beverages. The price ofnatural vanillin (isolated from the pod of tropical orchids of the genus Vanilla) varies betweenUS$ 1,200 and US$ 4,000 per kilogram, in contrast to the price of synthetic vanillin at underUS$ 15 per kilogram. Ferulic acid can be converted to vanillin by various microorganisms. Inthis research project, we propose to study two bacterial enzymes (identified by metagenomics)involved in the conversion of ferulic acid to vanillin. The conversion of ferulic acid to vanillinis performed using both enzymes feruloyl-CoA synthetase (fcs) and enoyl-CoAhydratase/aldolase (ech). The enzymes fcs and ech will be produced in E. coli and purified bychromatographic methods. The enzymatic activity of fsc (formation of the feruloil-CoAcomplex) will be studied by varying the pH and temperature. E. coli cells transformed withthe fcs e ech genes will be used in the conversion of ferulic acid to vanillin. The molecularstructures of the enzymes will be studied by spectroscopic techniques, small-angle X-rayscattering (SAXS) and protein crystallography. With the results from this research project, weexpect to understand better the molecular structures and the mode of action of the bacterial fcsand ech. Furthermore, as a biotechnological application, we expect that these enzymes may bepromising in the economically viable conversion of ferulic acid to vanillin.

Scientific publications

(5)

(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)

ARAUJO, JUSCEMACIA N.; TOFANELLO, ARYANE; SATO, JULIANA A. P.; CRUZ, LUCIANO S.; NANTES-CARDOSO, ISELI L.; FERREIRA, FABIO F.; BATISTA, BRUNO L.; GARCIA, WANIUS. Rapid Synthesis via Green Route of Plasmonic Protein-Coated Silver/Silver Chloride Nanoparticles with Controlled Contents of Metallic Silver and Application for Dye Remediation. Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials, v. 28, n. 6, p. 2812-2818, NOV 2018. (17/17275-3, 17/16976-8, 14/03682-8, 15/02897-3)

TOFANELLO, ARYANE; ARAUJO, JUSCEMACIA N.; NANTES-CARDOSO, ISELI L.; FERREIRA, FABIO F.; SOUZA, JOSE A.; LIM, DAE-WOON; KITAGAWA, HIROSHI; GARCIA, WANIUS. Ultrafast fabrication of thermally stable protein-coated silver iodide nanoparticles for solid-state superionic conductors. COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES, v. 176, p. 47-54, APR 1 2019. (17/16976-8, 17/17275-3)

GONCALVES, THIAGO AUGUSTO; SODRE, VICTORIA; DA SILVA, STEPHANIE NEMESIO; VILELA, NATHALIA; TOMAZETTO, GEIZECLER; ARAUJO, JUSCEMACIA NASCIMENTO; MUNIZ, JOAO RENATO C.; FILL, TAICIA PACHECO; DAMASIO, ANDRE; GARCIA, WANIUS; et al. Applying biochemical and structural characterization of hydroxycinnamate catabolic enzymes from soil metagenome for lignin valorization strategies. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, v. 106, n. 7, p. 14-pg., 2022-03-30. (17/16976-8, 20/05784-3, 18/18101-1, 17/17275-3, 17/22669-0, 15/50612-8, 15/50590-4, 15/23279-6)

CRUZ, GEOMAR F.; TOFANELLO, ARYANE; ARAUJO, JUSCEMACIA N.; NANTES-CARDOSO, ISELI L.; FERREIRA, FABIO F.; GARCIA, WANIUS. Fast One-Pot Photosynthesis of Plasmonic Protein-Coated Silver/Silver Bromide Nanoparticles with Efficient Photocatalytic Performance. Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials, v. 28, n. 5, p. 2056-2062, SEP 2018. (15/02897-3, 17/16976-8, 17/17275-3, 15/17688-0)

SODRE, VICTORIA; ARAUJO, JUSCEMACIA NASCIMENTO; GONCALVES, THIAGO AUGUSTO; VILELA, NATHALIA; KIMUS BRAZ, ANTONIO SERGIO; FRANCO, TELMA TEIXEIRA; NETO, MARIO DE OLIVEIRA; DE LIMA DAMASIO, ANDRE RICARDO; GARCIA, WANIUS; SQUINA, FABIO MARCIO. An alkaline active feruloyl-CoA synthetase from soil metagenome as a potential key enzyme for lignin valorization strategies. PLoS One, v. 14, n. 2, FEB 25 2019. (17/05901-7, 17/22669-0, 17/16976-8, 15/50612-8, 17/16089-1, 15/50590-4, 17/08166-6, 18/18101-1, 17/17275-3)