Inactivation mechanisms on pectin methylesterase by high pressure processing combined with its recombinant inhibitor

[Display omitted] •Recombinant PMEI from Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris were purified.•Pressure resistance of PMEI was higher than PME, particularly P.PMEI.•The α-helix at the N-terminus of PME structure became loose under high pressure.•Structure of PMEI was closely resembled to its original conformation after pressure.•“High pressure processing + PMEI” reduced the binding of PME to pectin. High pressure processing (HPP) juice often experiences cloud loss during storage, caused by the activity of pectin methylesterase (PME). The combination of HPP with natural pectin methylesterase inhibitor (PMEI) could improve juice stability. However, extracting natural PMEI is challenging. Gene recombination technology offers a solution by efficiently expressing recombinant PMEI from Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris. Experimental and molecular dynamics simulation were conducted to investigate changes in activity, structure, and interaction of PME and recombinant PMEI during HPP. The results showed PME retained high residual activity, while PMEI demonstrated superior pressure resistance. Under HPP, PMEI's structure remained stable, while the N-terminus of PME's α-helix became unstable. Additionally, the helix at the junction with the PME/PMEI complex changed, thereby affecting its binding. Furthermore, PMEI competed with pectin for active sites on PME, elucidating. The potential mechanism of PME inactivation through the synergistic effects of HPP and PMEI.