Endophytic microorganisms: A source of potentially useful biocatalysts

Publication date: Available online 27 February 2017 Source:Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic Author(s): Paula Rodriguez, David Gonzalez, Sonia Rodríguez Giordano One of the major challenges in biocatalysis is the discovery or development of novel biocatalysts suitable for different applications. Within the last decades, directed evolution has emerged as a powerful tool for generating diversity and has allowed the development of biocatalysts with the desired properties. An alternative way to increase diversity among biocatalysts is to further explore nature on the search for novel activities or broader substrate specificity. Recent estimations indicate that we have been able to culture in the lab only 1% of the existing microorganisms, thus the strategy of searching for enzyme activities among existing microorganisms could still provide a manifold of useful biocatalysts. The endophytic community is a particularly interesting group of microorganisms since they have adapted themselves to live in an environment rich in biologically active compounds. Furthermore, several endophytes are able to produce secondary metabolites mimicking their host plant. It has been proposed that the endophytes have acquired these capabilities through years of co-evolution with their host plant. These characteristics indicate that endophytic microorganisms can be a rich source of novel enzymes; despite that, they have been scarcely explored in biocatalysis. This review attempts to cove...

Source: Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic - February 27, 2017 Category: Biochemistry Source Type: research