Marine Enzymes for Biocatalysis
Sources, Biocatalytic Characteristics and Bioprocesses of Marine Enzymes
Woodhead Publishing Series in Biomedicine Series

Marine bioprospecting is a highly topical subject - in both applied and basic research - but, as yet, the marine ecosystem is a relatively unexplored source of natural bioactive substances with potential therapeutic activity. This book addresses the use of marine enzymes in biocatalysis through a series of chapters from leading scientists within academic and industrial fields. Biocatalytic processes can take advantage of the habitat-related properties of marine enzymes, such as salt tolerance, hyperthermostability, barophilicity, cold adaptivity, and so on, whilst also taking into consideration substrate specificity and affinity. These evolved properties are linked to the metabolic functions of the enzymes and to the ecological aspects of the natural source. New properties can also be discovered at the molecular level of catalysis, particularly concerning the stereochemical characteristics of products.Marine enzymes for biocatalysis initially examines the nature and level of interest in marine biological diversity, and outlines the fundamentals of biocatalysis. It goes on to detail sources of marine enzymes, and to analyse examples from both chemical and stereochemical viewpoints of catalysis, including microbial enzymes and animal or plant sources. The book goes on to explore the future potential of marine bioprospecting in biocatalysis.

Part 1 Introduction: Treasures in the deep sea; The fundamentals and fun of biocatalysis; Marine biocatalysts and their stability: molecular approach; Marine enzymes with applications for biosynthesis of fine Chemicals. Part 2 Sources of marine enzymes: Metagenomic strategies for the discovery of novel enzymes with biotechnological application from marine ecosystems; Bioprocess engineering approaches for the production of marine enzymes; Diversity, population dynamics and biocatalytic potential of cultivable and non- cultivable bacterial communities of the saline ecosystems; Actinomycetes from marine habitats and their enzymatic potential. Part 3 Bioprocesses and biocatalytic characteristics: Three types of proteolytic enzymes in hepatopancreas of Japanese common squid Todarodes pacifi cus as studied by degradation of fish muscle proteins; Stereoselective synthesis using marine enzymes; Tannase-source, biocatalytic characteristics, and bioprocesses for Production; Biosynthesis and degradation of bioactive imidazole- related dipeptides; Polysaccharide- degrading enzymes from herbivorous marine invertebrates; Marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria; Ligninolytic enzymes from marine- derived fungi: Production and applications; Polysaccharide- degrading enzymes from marine bacteria; The biosynthesis of trehalose and sugar- glycerate compatible solutes in organisms that live in hot and saline environments.

Dr Antonio Trincone is currently a Senior Researcher, who has worked at the Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare (I.C.B.), belonging to Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy, since 1983. He graduated with honours at the University of Naples and has been Professor of Organic Chemistry in charge for several years at University of Salerno, Italy. He is the editor of a book entitled Biocatalysis: Chemistry and Biology, is a reviewer for various international scientific journals related to biocatalysis, and is also part of the Editorial Board for both Biochemistry: an Indian Journal and Marine Drugs, the leading open access journal on the research, development and production of drugs from the sea, published online monthly by MDPI.