Coevolution of both Thermostability and Activity of Polyphosphate Glucokinase from Thermobifida fusca YX

Polyphosphate glucokinase (PPGK) is an enzyme that transfers a terminal phosphate group from polyphosphate to glucose, producing glucose 6-phosphate. A petri dish-based double-layer high-throughput screening strategy was developed by using ultrathermostable Phytagel as the first layer instead of agar or agarose, followed by a redox dye-based assay for rapid identification of ultrathermostable PPGK mutants. The best mutant featuring both great thermostability and high activity could produce glucose 6-phosphate from glucose and polyphosphate without in vitro ATP regeneration.