We have isolated putative esterase genes from various bacterial chromosomes. Thirty open reading frames predicted to encode esterases were randomly selected from 13 sequenced bacterial chromosomes and were cloned into an expression vector. The esterase activity of the resulting clones was tested on a tributyrin plate at different pH values and temperatures. Nine out of thirty tested clones exhibited significant tributyrin hydrolyzing activity. The enzyme S5 from the gene b0494 of Escherichia coli, the enzyme S12 from the gene STM0506 of Salmonella typhimurium, and the enzyme S28 from the gene AF1716 of Archaeoglobus fulgidus exhibited high activity at an alkaline pH range. The esterase S11 encoded by the gene PA3859 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and the esterase S21 from the gene SMc01033 of Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021, both showed a sharp increase in enzyme activity above pH 8.0. Furthermore, the enzymes S5, S12, S21, and S28 retained the esterase activity when they were incubated at 50 degrees C, suggesting that these enzymes are thermostable. Subsequent pH vs. activity and temperature vs. activity experiments with selected enzymes in a solution assay system confirmed the validity of the above data. The genome-wide exploration strategy of proteins provided valuable information on the esterases by revealing subtle biochemical differences between the esterases of different sources.
