Novel Compatible Solutes and Their Potential Application as Stabilizers in Enzyme Technology

Abstract

A novel class of compatible solutes, the “ectoines”, are evidently widespread in nature and seem to serve both osmotic and enzyme protective functions. The ectoines are characterized by the following structural features: - hydrogenated pyrimidine carboxylic acid in the conformation of a half chair, - delocalized π-bonding (and positive charge) between nitrogen 1 and 3, - permanent zwitterionic properties at physiological pH. Using an unidentified actinomycete (strain A5-1) as a producer strain and a chemical extraction method followed by chromatographic purification procedures we are presently able to gain approximately 10 g of ectoines from 100 g of bacterial dry mass. A preliminary investigation has shown that ectoines exert a remarkable protective effect on a number of labile enzymes, which in many cases surpasses that of betaine.