University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated

Julie A Maupin-Furlow

Lonnie O Ingram

Sivakumar Uthandi

Lana McMillan

Lee Ann Talarico

Matthew A Humbard

Krishnan Chandra Raj

Boutaiba Saad

Nathaniel L Hepowit

The invention pertains to a PPA from a microorganism belonging to the family Halobacteriaceae (HPPA), for example, a PPA from. The HPPA provided by the invention is soluble, thermostable and active at high concentrations of salt and/or organic solvent. An embodiment of the invention provides a method of increasing the rate of a reaction by adding an HPPA to the reaction mixture, wherein the reaction produces PPi, for example, an enzymatic reaction, and wherein the reaction is carried out at moderately high temperature and/or low water activity. Further embodiments of the invention provide an assay to detect the PPi released during a reaction which produces PPi by adding an HPPA to convert the PPi in to Pi and measuring the resultant Pi. The invention further pertains to an assay to monitor a reaction which produces PPi in the presence or the absence of an HPPA.

Thermostable haloarchaeal inorganic pyrophosphatase

The subject invention pertains to a novel purified polypeptide having laccase activity and the nucleic acid sequences encoding the polypeptide. The disclosed polypeptide works at moderately high temperatures from below 20&#xb0; C. to about 70&#xb0; C., both acidic and alkaline pH conditions, high salt concentrations and in the presence of organo solvents. The high stability of the enzyme enables its wide applications under even extreme conditions. The invention also provides methods of producing the laccase enzyme.

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The invention provides isolated nucleic acids molecules which encode pyruvate decarboxylase enzymes having improved decarboxylase activity, substrate affinity, thermostability, and activity at different pH. The nucleic acids of the invention also have a codon usage which allows for high expression in a variety of host cells. Accordingly, the invention provides recombinant expression vectors containing such nucleic acid molecules, recombinant host cells comprising the expression vectors, host cells further comprising other ethanologenic enzymes, and methods for producing useful substances, e.g., acetaldehyde and ethanol, using such host cells.

Cloning and sequencing of pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) genes from bacteria and uses therefor

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Gainesville, FL, United States of America

Julie A Maupin-Furlow