Purification and characterization of a novel cis-epoxysuccinate hydrolase from Klebsiella sp. that produces L(+)-tartaric acid.

A strain of Klebsiella sp. BK-58 that produces cis-epoxysuccinate was screened and identified. This novel enzyme hydrolyzes cis-epoxysuccinate to L(+)-tartaric acid and was purified to homogeneity. Its molecular mass was 30.1 kDa determined by MALDI-TOF-MS analysis. It was stable up to 50 °C and from pH 5 to 11 with optima at 50 °C and pH 8.5. The enzyme was metal-independent and was strongly inhibited by 1 mM Cu(2+) and Ag(+), and 1 % (w/v) SDS. The K m , V max and turnover number (k cat ) values for cis-epoxysuccinate were 19.3, 2.24 mM min(-1) and 220 s(-1), respectively.