Cellobiose 2-epimerase from the thermophile Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus (CsCE) catalyzes the
isomerization of lactose into lactulose, a non-digestible disaccharide widely used in food and pharmaceutical
industries. Semi-rational approaches were applied to enhance the thermostability of CsCE. A total
of eight single-site mutants were designed, and five of them showed prolonged half-life of inactivation
at 80 ◦C. Combinatorial mutations were subsequently introduced, and the superior mutant was double
mutant E161D/N365P. The half-life was approximately 4-fold higher than that of the wild type enzyme.
In addition, the reaction temperature for maximum activity increased from 80 ◦C to 87.5 ◦C, and catalytic
efficiency (kcat/Km) for lactulose production was increased 29%. Moreover, this mutant E161D/N365P was
more stable against chemical denaturation and showed also a broader pH profile. The second most stable
variant were mutant E161D/S180P/S351G with a 3.3-fold increase in half-life. These results provided
new insights into the thermostability of CsCE and suggested further potential industrial applications.