Biochemical Characterization of Fungal Phytases (myo-Inositol Hexakisphosphate Phosphohydrolases): Catalytic Properties

TLDR: To extend the biochemical characterization of wild-type phytases, the catalytic properties of a series of fungal phytased, as well as Escherichia coli phytase, were determined and phosphate liberation kinetics were studied in vitro.

Abstract: The phosphatases are a diverse class of enzymes. According to one classification, alkaline phosphatases, purple acid phosphatases, high-molecular-weight acid phosphatases, low-molecular-weight acid phosphatases, and protein phosphatases can be distinguished (13). These classes differ in their pH optima, metal ion requirements, substrate specificities, and possibly even reaction mechanisms. The phytases (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate phosphohydrolases; EC 3.1.3.8 and 3.1.3.26) are a subfamily of the high-molecular-weight histidine acid phosphatases. The phytase reaction mechanism is a two-step mechanism which includes a covalent phosphohistidine adduct as an obligatory reaction intermediate (6). Phytases are found naturally in plants and microorganisms, particularly fungi (for a review see reference 15). They catalyze phosphate monoester hydrolysis of phytic acid (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate), which results in the stepwise formation of myo-inositol pentakis-, tetrakis-, tris-, bis-, and monophosphates, as well as the liberation of inorganic phosphate. Phytic acid is the major storage form of phosphorus in plant seeds and, thus, in seed-based animal feed (for reviews see references 1 and 8). Monogastric animals, such as pigs and poultry, are not able to utilize phytic acid phosphorus, since they have only low levels of phytase activity in their digestive tracts and since phytic acid cannot be resorbed. Therefore, pig and poultry feed commonly is supplemented with either inorganic phosphate or a phytase of fungal origin. Despite considerable economic interest, only limited data on the catalytic properties of fungal phytases are available. In order to get an impression of the natural diversity of phytases, the enzymatic properties of six fungal phytases (phytases from Aspergillus niger, two strains of Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Emericella nidulans, and Myceliophthora thermophila) and of Escherichia coli phytase were characterized in more detail by addressing the following questions. (i) What are the specific activities and pH optima of wild-type phytases? (ii) What are the kinetics of phytic acid degradation, and what are the end products? (iii) Does the substrate specificity profile correlate with the results of in vitro experiments performed to determine phosphate liberation from feed samples? And (iv) what is the potential influence of modulators of enzymatic activity?