Difference between revisions of "Part:BBa K4665120"
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Anbu, P. et al. (March 1, 2016). Formations of calcium carbonate minerals by bacteria and its multiple applications. Springerplus 5(250). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-016-1869-2 | Anbu, P. et al. (March 1, 2016). Formations of calcium carbonate minerals by bacteria and its multiple applications. Springerplus 5(250). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-016-1869-2 |
Revision as of 18:13, 6 October 2023
Biology and Usage
Biomineralisation is the process by which living organisms synthesise minerals (Dhami et al., 2013). One of the main metabolic pathways of microbial calcium carbonate production utilizes the zinc metallo-enzyme carbonic anhydrase as the catalyst of the reaction (Chaparro-Acuña et al., 2019). This pathway produces no pollutant byproduct (as is often the case with other biomineralisation pathways) and extracts CO2 from the atmosphere as a substrate for the reaction catalyzed by the carbonic anhydrase.
SazCA is a thermostable α-carbonic anhydrase derived from the thermophilic bacterium Sulfurihydrogenibium azorense and has been characterised as the fastest known carbonic anhydrase to date, possessing a kcat/KM value of 3.5 × 108 M−1 s−1. SazCA facilitates the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and protons (see fig. 1) (De Simone et al, 2015). This process creates alkaline conditions which increase the solubility of Ca2+ ions trapped on the extracellular matrix (EPS) of bacterial cells, which readily bond to HCO3-, facilitating the formation of calcium carbonate crystals (Anbu, et al. 2016).
CO2 and HCO3- are small molecules capable of diffusing in and out of cells, yet the intracellular activity of CA is significantly limited by the permeability of the cell membrane, as it restricts both the amount of substrate available for catalysis and the subsequent secretion of the product, reducing overall enzymatic efficiency (Jo, 2013). Therefore, the proposed approach is to express the protein on the surface of the cell, directly exposing it to extracellular concentrations of CO2, and bypassing cellular secretion of bicarbonate ions, which ultimately enhances the production of calcium carbonate on the surface of limestone cracks.