Title : Discovering novel catalytic variants of peroxygenases and antioxidant enzymes in metagenomes and proteomoes from primeval forests in Middle Europe
Abstract:
Unspecific peroxygenases (E.C. 1.11.2.1) represent very flexible type of oxidoreductases that all contain prosthetic heme group in their active centers allowing efficient catalytic peroxygenations of various substrates leading to stereo-selective oxyfunctionalizations. Antioxidant enzymes are represented mainly by superoxide dismutases (E.C. 1.15.1.1) and catalases (E.C. 1.11.1.6) that act synchronously in the essential physiological process for efficient removing of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that emerge as by-products of aerobic metabolism. Superoxide dismutases possess various metal cations either Cu-Zn or Mn and Fe in their active centers. Catalases are mostly equipped also with a prosthetic heme group containing iron cation that can be either heme b or heme d and all catalases can release molecular oxygen. All these protein families are very abundant among prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Special attention is given to fungal enzymes that are surprisingly variable.
In our research we systematically investigate metagenomes and proteomes of diverse soil fungal species originating from conserved primeval forests in Carpathian mountains in Middle Europe. We found numerous very interesting novel catalytic variants of both peroxygenases and of mentioned antioxidant enzymes. For systematic analyses we have used several bioinformatics tools. First we performed multiple sequence alignments of newly discovered protein sequences in comparison with already known members of corresponding protein families. Afterwards, we constructed robust phylogenetic trees to demonstrate the evolutionary position of screened enzymes. Heme peroxygenases, SOD and catalases can be applied in various promising biotech applications.
Our research was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency with research project APVV-20-0284 and by the Slovak Grant Agency with project VEGA 2/0012/22.
Audience take-away:
- This presentation will show a unique methodology and approach for systematic search and screening of diverse genes of interest in metagenomes obtained from natural sources.
- Detailed and focused proteomic analysis with robust bioinformatics tools will be demonstrated
- The audience can get important hints on how to use obtained bioinformatics results for potential applications inbiotech industries.
