Acetyl esterase, properties

Esters of cellulose with interesting properties such as bioactivity and thermal and dissolution behavior can be obtained by esterification of cellulose with nitric acid in the presence of sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, or acetic acid. Commercially important cellulose esters are cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, and cellulose acetate butyrate. Cellulose esters of aliphatic, aromatic, bulky, and functionalized carboxylic acids can be synthesized through the activation of free acids in situ with tosyl chloride, iV,iV -carbonyldiimidazole, and iminium chloride under homogeneous acylation with DMA/LiCl or DMSO/TBAF. A wide range of cellulose esters that vary in their DS, various substituent distributions, and several desirable properties can be obtained through these reactions. Recently, a number of enzymes that degrade cellulose esters have been reported. Some of them are acetyl esterases, carbohydrate esterase (CE) family 1, and esterases of the CE 5 [169-172] family. 

Enzymes can be used to specifically modify the pectins. Pectin methyl esterase is already widely used to adjust the gelling properties of commercially available pectins. The acetyl esters also strongly affect the gelation [2,3] and removal is important for the upgrading of sugar beet pectin, extractable from a by-product of the sugar industry. 

Esterases play a role in regulating the platelet-activating factor (PAF), a lipid with hypotensive properties [96], Phospholipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4) is involved in this pathway by hydrolyzing a precursor to lyso-PAF and a free fatty acid. The activity of PAF, formed by acetylation of lyso-PAF, is controlled by an esterase hydrolyzing the acetate moiety [100]. 

The activity of these biofunctional peptides is based on their inherent amino acid composition and sequence. The size of active sequences may vary from 2 to 20 amino acid residues, and many peptides are known to have multifunctional properties [89], e.g., peptides from the sequence 60-70 of P-casein show immunostimulatory, opioid, and angiotensin I converting enzyme (acetyl choline esterase [ACE]) -inhibitory activities. This sequence has been defined as a strategic zone [90,91]. The sequence is protected from proteolysis because of its high hydrophobicity and the presence of proline residues. Other examples of the multi-functionality of milk-derived peptides include the... 

Higa, H. H., Manzi, A., and Varki, A., 1989b, O-Acetylation and de-O-acetylation of sialic acids. Purification, characterization, and properties of a glycosylated rat liver esterase specific for 9-0-acetylated sialic acids, J. Biol. Chem. 264 19435-19442. 

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