Summary
Prolidase is a multifunctional enzyme that possesses the unique ability to degrade imidodipeptides in which a proline or hydroxyproline residue is located at the C‐terminal end. Prolidases have been isolated from archaea and bacteria, where they are thought to participate in proline recycling. In mammalian species, prolidases are found in the cytoplasm and function primarily to liberate proline in the final stage of protein catabolism, particularly during the biosynthesis and degradation of collagen. Collagen comprises nearly one‐third of the total protein in the body, and it is essential in maintaining tissue structure and integrity. Prolidase deficiency (PD), a rare autosomal recessive disorder in which mutations in the PEPD gene affect prolidase functionality, tends to have serious and sometimes life‐threatening clinical symptoms. Recombinant prolidases have many applications and have been investigated not only as a possible treatment for PD, but also as a part of anti‐cancer strategies, a component of biodecontamination cocktails and in the dairy industry. This review will serve to discuss the many in vivo functions of procaryotic and eucaryotic prolidases, as well as the most recent advances in therapeutic and biotechnological application of prolidases.
Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes that can fix atmospheric CO and can be engineered to produce industrially important compounds such as alcohols, free fatty acids, alkanes used in next-generation biofuels, and commodity chemicals such as ethylene or farnesene. They can be easily genetically manipulated, have minimal nutrient requirements, and are quite tolerant to abiotic stress making them an appealing alternative to other biofuel-producing microbes which require additional carbon sources and plants which compete with food crops for arable land. Many of the compounds produced in cyanobacteria are toxic as titers increase which can slow growth, reduce production, and decrease overall biomass. Additionally, many factors associated with outdoor culturing of cyanobacteria such as UV exposure and fluctuations in temperature can also limit the production potential of cyanobacteria. For cyanobacteria to be utilized successfully as biofactories, tolerance to these stressors must be increased and ameliorating stress responses must be enhanced. Genetic manipulation, directed evolution, and supplementation of culture media with antioxidants are all viable strategies for designing more robust cyanobacterial strains that have the potential to meet industrial production goals.
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