Innovative enzyme engineering strategies for xylanases: perspectives and applications

Xylanases, a type of hemicellulolytic enzyme, play a critical part in the hydrolysis of xylan which is a core component of lignocellulosic biomass. The industrial applications of xylanases are evident in diverse sectors like paper and pulp, food, animal feed, and biofuel synthesis makes it a significant for biocatalytic applications. Nevertheless, the challenges like low thermostability, poor catalytic efficiency, and decreased efficiency under extreme conditions limit its realistic applications on a large scale, resulting in opening the scope of further improvement by applying enzyme engineering and synthetic biology principles. Recent advancements in protein engineering, including altering metabolic pathways, gene editing strategies like CRISPR/Cas, have provided new strategies for the expression of xylanase in a suitable host. Recent developments in genetic and metabolic engineering, transcriptional regulators, and structural optimization of xylanase have been emphasized in this review. The review also discusses the core aspects of the metabolic engineering of Trichoderma reesei through which the improved secretion efficiency with higher yields of enzymes are reported. A combination of systems biology and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) strategies has further improved pathways and identification of suitable genes and regulatory elements, enabling effectual conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels and valuable products. This review concludes on the fact that the Innovative enzyme engineering is required for developing tailored xylanases for various industrial purposes.