Hyperthermophilic Enzyme Modification of Polysaccharide Biopolymers: Interrelationship Between Biocatalysis and Rheology

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal builds on an ongoing interdisciplinary effort to examine the interrelationship between enzymatic modification of water-soluble polymers and the resulting rheological consequences. The expanded scope of this project has the following objectives: (1) biochemical and biophysical characterization of promising wild-type and mutated hyperthermophilic galactomannanases and galactosidases, with respect to polysaccharide modification; (2) investigation of the mobility and distribution of enzymes within the biopolymer matrix during enzymatic modification along with the concomitant changes in the aggregation pattern of the biopolymer-enzyme system; and (3) correlation of enzyme activity to changes in rheology and galactomannan molecular architecture. Such an effort, based on the collective expertise of this research team, i.e., polysaccharide systems, enzymology at elevated temperatures, and the rheology of gels and solutions, will provide a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental and technological issues governing polymer modification resulting from enzyme action. While the focus here is on galactomannans, the long-term impact of this work will extend to strategic biocatalytic approaches to enhance the efficacy and use of other carbohydrate biopolymers.