Cloning, expression of a feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus usamii E001 and its applicability in generating ferulic acid from wheat bran.

A cDNA gene (AufaeA), which encodes a mature polypeptide of the type-A feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus usamii E001 (abbreviated to AuFaeA), was cloned and heterologously expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. One transformant, labeled as P. pastoris GSFaeA4-8, expressing the highest recombinant AuFaeA (reAuFaeA) activity of 10.76 U/ml was selected by the flask expression test. The expressed reAuFaeA was purified to homogeneity with an apparent molecular weight of 36.0 kDa by SDS-PAGE analysis, and characterized using the model substrate of methyl ferulate (MFA). The purified reAuFaeA was optimally active at pH 5.0 and 45 °C, and highly stable at pH 4.0-6.5 and 45 °C or below. Its activity was not significantly affected by metal ions tested and EDTA. The K m and V max of reAuFaeA towards MFA were 4.64 mM and 115.5 U/mg, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that only 9.7 % of total alkali-extractable ferulic acid (FA) was released from destarched wheat bran by reAuFaeA alone. The released FA increased to 36.5 % when reAuFaeA was used together with a recombinant Aspergillus usamii GH family 11 xylanase A, indicating a synergistic interaction between them.