Inhibition of LPMOs by Fermented Persimmon Juice

Fermented persimmon juice, Kakishibu, has traditionally been used for wood and paper protection. This protective effect stems at least partially from inhibition of microbial cellulose degrading enzymes. The inhibitory effect of Kakishibu on lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) and on a cocktail of cellulose hydrolases was studied, using three different cellulosic substrates. Dose dependent inhibition of LPMO activity by a commercial Kakishibu product was assessed for the well-characterized LPMO from Thermoascus aurantiacus TaAA9A, and the inhibitory effect was confirmed on five additional microbial LPMOs. The model tannin compound, tannic acid exhibited a similar inhibitory effect on TaAA9A as Kakishibu. It was further shown that both polyethylene glycol and tannase can alleviate the inhibitory effect of Kakishibu and tannic acid, indicating a likely mechanism of inhibition caused by unspecific tannin-protein interactions.

Automated summary

Fermented persimmon juice, Kakishibu, is traditionally used for wood and paper protection, partly due to its inhibition of microbial cellulose degrading enzymes. The inhibitory effect of Kakishibu on lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) and cellulose hydrolases was studied. Both polyethylene glycol and tannase can alleviate the inhibitory effect of Kakishibu and tannic acid on LPMOs, suggesting an unspecific tannin-protein interaction mechanism.