Cowan D A
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University College, London, U.K.
Biochem Soc Symp. 1992;58:149-69.
The one guaranteed property of enzymes isolated from extremely thermophilic micro-organisms is their thermostability. Most significantly, almost any such enzyme will be more thermostable than the functionally similar enzyme from a lower temperature source. Thermostability is not an isolated property: resistance to heat denaturation imparts stability to a number of other denaturing influences (detergents, organic solvents, etc). These characteristics of hyperthermophilic enzymes are the most likely basis for the development of new biotechnological applications. A limited number of hyperthermophilic enzymes have found application in specialist biotechnological applications; others have visible potential in growing areas of biotechnology. Existing and potential applications are discussed using DNA manipulation enzymes, dehydrogenases, and esterases as examples.
从极端嗜热微生物中分离出的酶所具有的一个确定特性就是它们的热稳定性。最为显著的是，几乎任何一种此类酶都比来自低温源的功能相似的酶更具热稳定性。热稳定性并非孤立的特性：对热变性的抗性赋予了对许多其他变性影响（洗涤剂、有机溶剂等）的稳定性。超嗜热酶的这些特性极有可能是开发新生物技术应用的基础。数量有限的超嗜热酶已在专业生物技术应用中得到应用；其他一些酶在生物技术不断发展的领域中具有明显的潜力。本文以DNA操作酶、脱氢酶和酯酶为例，讨论了现有的和潜在的应用。
