Scaling-up the production of thermostable lipolytic enzymes from Thermus aquaticus YT1

The lipolytic enzymes synthesized by Thermus aquaticus YT1 present extremely interesting properties of thermostability (more than 70% of activity after 12 days at 80 A degrees C and a half-life time of 1 h at 95 A degrees C), which point out the interest of proposing efficient strategies to successfully tackle the scale-up of the production process. In this study, viable scaling-up of the production process was implemented, and relevant aspects affecting the enzyme synthesis, such as the mineral composition of the culture medium, the aeration and the agitation have been evaluated. A strategy combining the modification of the culture medium and the aeration degree was also approached by adding perfluorocarbons, compounds which improve the availability of oxygen in the culture medium. An opposite response of biomass and lipolytic activity to the aeration conditions was found between scales (about 600 U L-1 at high aeration levels in flask vs. 150 U L-1 at high aeration rates in reactor), which further demonstrates the important role of the hydrodynamic conditions on the suitable development of the biological process. In all cases, the cultures were kinetically characterized and the Luedeking and Piret model turned out to be a valuable tool to conclude that the produced lipolytic enzyme is a growth-associated metabolite, no matter the medium and the scale.