Green Oxidation of Amines by a Novel Cold-Adapted Monoamine Oxidase MAO P3 from Psychrophilic Fungi Pseudogymnoascus sp. P3

• Published in: Molecules
• Main Authors: Iga Jodłowska, Aleksandra Twarda-Clapa, Kamil Szymczak, Aneta M. Białkowska
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021
• Subjects: psychrophilic fungi; monoamine oxidase; oxidative deamination; Organic chemistry; QD241-441; Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26206237; https://doaj.org/article/4afdaf00993640ffbe8951fadef65374

The use of monoamine oxidases (MAOs) in amine oxidation is a great example of how biocatalysis can be applied in the agricultural or pharmaceutical industry and manufacturing of fine chemicals to make a shift from traditional chemical synthesis towards more sustainable green chemistry. This article reports the screening of fourteen Antarctic fungi strains for MAO activity and the discovery of a novel psychrozyme MAOP3 isolated from the Pseudogymnoascus sp. P3. The activity of the native enzyme was 1350 ± 10.5 U/L towards a primary ( n -butylamine) amine, and 1470 ± 10.6 U/L towards a secondary (6,6-dimethyl-3-azabicyclohexane) amine. MAO P3 has the potential for applications in biotransformations due to its wide substrate specificity (aliphatic and cyclic amines, pyrrolidine derivatives). The psychrozyme operates at an optimal temperature of 30 °C, retains 75% of activity at 20 °C, and is rather thermolabile, which is beneficial for a reduction in the overall costs of a bioprocess and offers a convenient way of heat inactivation. The reported biocatalyst is the first psychrophilic MAO; its unique biochemical properties, substrate specificity, and effectiveness predispose MAO P3 for use in environmentally friendly, low-emission biotransformations.