A Novel Glucose Isomerase from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii with Great Potentials in the Production of High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Glucose isomerase (GI) that catalyzes the conversion of D-glucose to D-fructose is one of the most important industrial enzymes for the production of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). In this study, a novel GI (CbGI) was cloned from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant CbGI (rCbGI) showed neutral and thermophilic properties. It had optimal activities at pH 7.0 and 80°C and retained stability at 85°C. In comparison with other reported GIs, rCbGI exhibited higher substrate affinity (Km = 42.61 mM) and greater conversion efficiency (up to 57.3% with 3M D-glucose as the substrate). The high catalytic efficiency and affinity of this CbGI is much valuable for the cost-effective production of HFCS.