Characterization of an organic solvent-tolerant lipase from Haloarcula sp. G41 and its application for biodiesel production

A haloarchaeal strain G41 showing lipolytic activity was isolated from the saline soil of Yuncheng Salt Lake, China. Biochemical and physiological characterizations along with 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis placed the isolate in the genus Haloarcula. Lipase production was strongly influenced by the salinity of growth medium with maximum in the presence of 20 % NaCl or 15 % Na2SO4. The lipase was purified to homogeneity with a molecular mass of 45 kDa. Substrate specificity test revealed that it preferred long-chain p-nitrophenyl esters. The lipase was highly active and stable over broad ranges of temperature (30–80 °C), pH (6.0–11.0), and NaCl concentration (10–25 %), with an optimum at 70 °C, pH 8.0, and 15 % NaCl, showing thermostable, alkali-stable, and halostable properties. Enzyme inhibition studies indicated that the lipase was a metalloenzyme, with serine and cysteine residues essential for enzyme function. Moreover, it displayed high stability and activation in the presence of hydrophobic organic solvents with log Pow ≥ 2.73. The free and immobilized lipases from strain G41 were applied for biodiesel production, and 80.5 and 89.2 % of yields were achieved, respectively. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using lipases from halophilic archaea for biodiesel production.