A novel CalB-type lipase discovered by fungal genomes mining

Abstract

The fungus Pseudozyma antarctica produces a lipase (CalB) with broad substrate specificity, stability, high regio- and enantio-selectivity. It is active in non-aqueous organic solvents and at elevated temperatures. Hence, CalB is a robust biocatalyst for chemical conversions on an industrial scale. Here we report the in silico mining of public metagenomes and fungal genomes to discover novel lipases with high homology to CalB. The candidates were selected taking into account homology and conserved motifs criteria, as well as, phylogeny and 3D model analyses. The most promising candidate (PlicB) presented interesting structural properties. PlicB was expressed in a heterologous host, purified and partially characterized. Further experiments will allow finding novel catalytic properties with biotechnological interest.