Enzymes in Waste

Management
Earth we abuse and living things we kill
waste management
Why bioremediation
Enzymatic bioremediation
Why & why not enzymes
Major enzymes used
 Look into Arsanate degradation

Ec No -1.20.4.4
Enzyme - arsenate reductase (thioredoxin)
Source – Synechocystis sp. (strain PCC 6803)

arsenate + thioredoxin = arsenite + thioredoxin disulfide + H2O

The enzyme, characterized in bacteria of the Firmicutes phylum, is

specific for thioredoxin .

Arsenite formed is more toxic than arsenate.

Ec No -1.20.4.1
Enzyme - arsenate reductase (glutaredoxin)
Source – Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

arsenate + glutaredoxin = arsenite + glutaredoxin disulfide + H2O

Enzyme in algae specific for glutaredoxin

• arsenite glutaredoxin arsenite

arsenate
glutaredoxin disulfide
 thioredoxin arsenite
arsenate thioredoxin disulfide

Ec No - 2.1.1.137
Enzyme - arsenite methyltransferase
Source – Cyanobacterium aponinum (strain PCC 10605)

In other organisms, arsenite can be methylated in a pathway that produces non-toxic

organoarsenical compounds.

S-adenosyl-L-methionine + arsenite = S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine + methylarsonate

S-adenosyl-L-methionine + methylarsonite = S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine + dimethylarsinate

 arsenite methylarsonate

S-adenosyl-L-methionine S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine

methylarsonite dimethylarsinate

S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine
Look into Cyanide degradation
What is Bioreacter
Why Bioreacter in bioremediation
 Conclusion

 Enzyme based processes are advantages as they can be carried out at moderate
reaction conditions with greater specificity in contrast to chemical - based
processes.

 Sometimes mutation in microorganisms cause a different or faulty protein to be

synthesized ,leading to a most economically valuable enzyme.

 Dilemmas indicate that the best solution to waste management is to reduce

generation of waste at preliminary level and final levels.

 Production of enzymes at a higher scale ,with enhanced stability and activity at a

low cost is feasible by using Recombinant - DNA technology .
 Conclusion

• A great deal of work is still required to firmly establish total understanding of enzyme on
limiting(bottlenecks) inactivation of enzymes at threshold limits of concentration ,pH
,temperature etc. and to improve functional ability of selected enzyme within a narrow range of
physio - chemical conditions.

• Use of immobilized enzymes in waste treatment is an emerging trend

• Rapid progress in various pathways, operative in microbes for degradation of pollutants, have
thrown more light on their mechanisms and pathways have been characterized to develop
sustainable bioremediation strategies for polluting compounds