Provided is a method of producing one or more of a carbohydrate ester, a protein ester, a protein subunit ester or a hydroxyl acid ester. The method comprises admixing an acyl donor, an acyl acceptor and water to produce a high water environment comprising 5-98% water. Preferably, the acyl donor is a lipid substrate selected from one or more of the group consisting of a phospholipid, a lysophospholipid, a triacylglyceride, a diglyceride, a glycolipid or a lysoglycolipid. Preferably, the acyl acceptor is selected from one ore more of the group consisting of a carbohydrate, a protein, a protein subunit, or a hydroxyl acid. The method further comprises contacting the admixture with a lipid acyltransferase, such that said lipid acyl transferase catalyses alcoholysis and/or transesterification.
1. A method of producing a carbohydrate ester comprising:
admixing an acyl donor, an acyl acceptor and water to form an admixture wherein the acyl donor and acyl acceptor are in an environment comprising 5-98% water, and
contacting the admixture with a lipid acyltransferase, wherein:
the acyl donor is a lipid substrate selected from one or more of the group consisting of a phospholipid, a lysophospholipid, a triacylglyceride, a diglyceride, a glycolipid or a lysoglycolipid;
the acyl acceptor is a carbohydrate;
the lipid acyltransferase possesses acyl transferase activity wherein the lipid acyltransferase is capable of transferring an acyl group from a lipid substrate to a carbohydrate and catalyses one or both of the following reactions: alcoholysis or transesterification; and
the lipid acyltransferase has an amino acid sequence containing a GDSX motif, wherein X is one or more of the following amino acid residues L, A, V, I, F, Y, H, Q, T, N, M or S , and the lipid acyltransferase amino acid sequence is expressed by a nucleic acid molecule having at least 90% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:8.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the lipid acyltransferase is immobilised.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises purifying the carbohydrate ester.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the lipid acyltransferase is from an organism from Aeromonas .