Production of Recombinant Microbial Thermostable Lipases

Abstract Microbial thermostable lipases are biotechnologically valuable biocatalysts. They perform a diverse range of reactions, including hydrolysis, esterification, interesterification transesterification, alcoholysis, acidolysis, and aminolysis. They are used in a broad spectrum of industrial applications ranging from the formulation of biological laundry detergents, flavor improvement in food and food additives, chemical synthesis in the oleochemical industry, mitigation of environmental pollution, resolving the pitch problem in the pulp and paper industry, biosensors in medical diagnosis, and as the active ingredient in pharmaceiticals. The expression of thermostable lipases in the heterologous recombinant hosts is the most appropriate, and in some cases the sole, approach to improving the production of these enzymes. In this chapter, the most common strategies for the expression of thermostable lipases in prokaryotic ( Escherichia coli ) and eukaryotic hosts ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris ) will be discused.