TREASURE WRAPPED IN AN ENIGMA: CHEMISTRY AND INDUSTRIAL RELEVANCE OF ENZYMES FROM RARE ACTINOMYCETES

Microbial enzymes are known for their versatile catalytic property. With the advent of enzyme engineering, stringent environmental rules restraining the use of toxic chemicals, and need for the sustainable resource, there is a mounting demand for the utilization of these enzymes. Classified under Gram-positive filamentous bacteria, actinomycetes are ubiquitous and are one of the major sources of enzymes, antibiotics, and various such bioactive molecules. Rare actinomycetes are a less explored genera of actinomycetes. However, they are also a potential source of a diverse spectrum of enzymes that are principal of commercial importance. Enzymes produced by rare actinomycetes have a wide array of applications ranging from bioremediation techniques to the estimation of serum cholesterol levels. This untapped resource is industrially as well as biotechnologically valuable. Oxidative enzymes and esterases are two very important classes of enzymes produced by rare actinomycetes. The fundamental principles of catalysis applied by the organic catalysts are also relevant to the enzymes. This review highlights how this unexploited resource could be effectively exploited for various commercial applications and gives an overview of the industrial and biochemical applications of oxidative enzymes and esterases produced by rare actinomycetes. Protein engineering and modern biotechnology have been capable of manipulating the enzyme design making it a more stable and efficient asset to the industries.