Identification and characterization of a novel β-galactosidase active at low temperatures from the Antarctic fungus Tetracladium sp., expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A novel β-galactosidase was identified in the ORFeome of the Antarctic fungus Tetracladium sp., which was successfully expressed in S. cerevisiae exhibiting structural and thermal stability properties comparable to mesophilic enzymes. The recombinant enzyme exhibited high activity at 25-35 °C and retained 25% of its maximum activity at 10 °C, an attractive trait for reducing energy costs and minimizing microbial contamination in milk treatments.