Properties of a lipase produced by Beauveria bassiana: purification and biochemical studies

Lipases are some of the crucial enzymes during the fungal penetrating process of the insect integument. Due to the importance and lack of information on the microbial lipases of Beauveria bassiana, investigations were carried out to purify and biochemically characterize these enzymes. The results obtained on growth medium demonstrated the highest activity of lipase 6 days after inoculation while the pH of the medium was 7.1. After three purification steps, the purified enzyme was 9.91-fold with specific activity of 20816 U/mg protein, recovery of 25% and molecular weight of 25 kDa. The purified lipase had the optimal pH and temperature at 7 and 35 degrees C and was stable for 36-72 h under those conditions. Ca2+ significantly increased the enzyme activity and NaCl decreased it at all the tested concentrations. In addition, Mn2+ had no effect on enzyme activity but Mg2+ and Zn2+ increased it only at the highest concentration used. Three out of the four inhibitors used, significantly decreased the purified lipase activity so that most inhibition and changes in the enzyme kinetic parameters were obtained by using different concentrations of EDTA. Knowledge of enzymology provides important information for the development of fungi as microbial pest control agents opening new avenues for study of the role of enzymes in virulence.