Enzymes from Marine Microorganisms: Their Roles in Metabolism and Biotechnology

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About this Research Topic

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Background

Marine ecosystems are large and complex, with extremely rich biological diversity. Although the total kinds of marine microorganisms are striking, most of these have not been explored. In marine ecosystems, microorganisms have to face viable salinities, high pressures, extreme temperatures, and unstable energy sources. To adapt to harsh physical and chemical conditions, marine microorganisms have developed distinct metabolic pathways and synthesized unique bioactive compounds with terrestrial microorganisms. To maintain the physiological status and efficient metabolism, the enzyme systems in marine microorganisms have also evolved to exhibit efficient functionalities to adapt to their environments. Therefore, marine microorganisms have been evaluated as important undeveloped resources for excavating novel enzymes.

In recent years, it has received a great deal of attention that biocatalytic methods using novel enzymes can replace chemical catalysis on a commercial scale with revealing benefits. A variety of enzymes with good catalytic performance and special properties have been isolated and characterized from marine microorganisms. Among these, some enzymes for degrading cell walls of marine biomass, such as alginate lyases, chitosanases, and agarases, have been studied, modified, and produced industrially. Utilizing the enzymes for the biotransformation of high-value compounds has been applied in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

With the help of genomics, proteomics, metagenomics, and metabolomics, a huge volume of information on enzyme-based metabolic pathways has been explored. Consequentially, the novel enzymes without characterization come under observation. Illustrating the catalytic mechanisms and the enzymatic properties can help explain the roles of these enzymes in metabolism. Meanwhile, the enzymes should be studied and developed as new biocatalysts with biotechnology potential. The goal of this research topic is to highlight the roles of uncharacterized enzymes in the metabolism of marine microorganisms and biotechnology applications in different fields.

The submitted manuscripts of the research topic should focus on the scientific problems of enzymes from marine microorganisms. Research articles and reviews are both encouraged. This Research Topic will focus, but not only, on the following sub-topics:

• Identification and characterization of the key enzymes related to marine microbial physiology.

• Properties of novel enzymes from marine microorganisms with potential biotechnology productions.

• Construction of industrial processes using marine enzymes.

• Structure-function relationships of marine enzymes.

Keywords: Enzymes, Biotransformation, Metabolism

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