14 January, 2016

Structure-function studies on glucose oxidase, published in Plos ONE

Among the applications of glucose oxidase, the most remarkable is the manufacture of glucose biosensors and in particular sensor strips used to measure glucose levels in serum. The generation of ameliorated versions of glucose oxidase is therefore a significant biotechnological objective. In this work, we have used a strategy that combined random and rational approaches to isolate uncharacterized mutations of Aspergillus niger glucose oxidase with improved properties. Our results disclose structural motifs of the protein which are critical for its stability. The combination of mutations in the Q90R/Y509E/T554M triple mutant yielded a version of A. niger glucose oxidase with higher stability than those previously described. Link to the article