Rat liver chitobiase: purification, properties, and role in the lysosomal degradation of Asn-linked glycoproteins

Transport of N-acetylchitooligosaccharides and fluorescent N-acetylchitooligosaccharide analogs into rat liver lysosomes

Free polymannose-type oligosaccharides (fOS) are processed by cytosolic enzymes to generate Man5GlcNAc which is transferred to lysosomes and degraded. Lysosomal fOS import was demonstrated in vitro but is poorly characterized in part due to lack of convenient substrates. As chitooligosaccharides (COS, oligomers β1,4-linked GlcNAc) block [3H]Man5GlcNAc transport into lysosomes, we asked if COS are themselves transported and if so, can they be chemically modified to generate fluorescent substrates. We show that COS are degraded by lysosomal hydrolases to generate GlcNAc, and robust ATP-dependent transport of [3H]COS2/4 di and tetrasaccharides into intact rat liver lysosomes was observed only after blocking lysosomal [3H]GlcNAc efflux with cytochalasin B. As oligosaccharides with unmodified reducing termini are the most efficient inhibitors of [3H]COS2/4 and [3H]Man5GlcNAc transport, the non-reducing GlcNAc residue of COS2-4 was de-N-acetylated using Sinorhizobium meliloti NodB, and the resulting amine substituted with rhodamine B (RB) to yield RB-COS2-4. The fluorescent compounds inhibit [3H]Man5GlcNAc transport and display temperature-sensitive, ATP-dependent transport into a sedimentable compartment that is ruptured with the lysosomotropic agent L-methyl methionine ester. Once in this compartment, RB-COS3 is converted to RB-COS2 further identifying it as the lysosomal compartment. RB-COS2/3 and [3H]Man5GlcNAc transports are blocked similarly by competing sugars, and are partially inhibited by the vacuolar ATPase inhibitor bafilomycin and high concentrations of the P-type ATPase inhibitor orthovanadate. These data show that Man5GlcNAc, COS2/4 and RB-COS2/3 are transported into lysosomes by the same or closely related mechanism and demonstrate the utility of COS modified at their non-reducing terminus to study lysosomal oligosaccharide transport.

Characterization of mouse di-N-acetylchitobiase that can degrade chitin-oligosaccharides

Di-N-acetylchitobiase (Ctbs) degrades β-1,4 glycoside bonds of the chitobiose core of free asparagine-linked glycan. This study examined whether Ctbs degrades chitin-oligosaccharides to GlcNAc in mammals. We analyzed Ctbs mRNA and protein expression in mouse tissues and characterized enzymatic activity using recombinant mouse Ctbs expressed in Escherichia coli. Ctbs mRNA and protein were expressed in various tissues of mouse, including the stomach. Optimal conditions for recombinant Ctbs were pH 3.0 and 45°C, and the recombinant enzyme was retained more than 94% activity after incubation at pH 3.0-7.0 and below 37°C. The recombinant Ctbs hydrolyzed (GlcNAc)₃ and (GlcNAc)₆ at pH 3.0 and produced GlcNAc. The K _m of Ctbs was lowest with (GlcNAc)₃ as a substrate. k _cat/K _m was fourfold as high with (GlcNAc)₃ and (GlcNAc)₄ as substrates than with (GlcNAc)₂. These results suggest that Ctbs digests chitin-oligosaccharides or (GlcNAc)₂ of reducing-end residues of oligosaccharides and produces GlcNAc in mouse tissues.

The therapeutic potential of bilobalide on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice

Inflammatory demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS) is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Besides MS disease-modifying therapy, targeting myelin sheath protection/regeneration is currently a hot spot in the treatment of MS. Here, we attempt to explore the therapeutic potential of Bilobalide (BB) for the myelin protection/regeneration in EAE model. The results showed that BB treatment effectively prevented worsening and demyelination of EAE, accompanied by the inhibition of neuroinflammation that should be closely related to T cell tolerance and M2 macrophages/microglia polarization. BB treatment substantially inhibited the infiltration of T cells and macrophages, thereby alleviating the enlargement of neuroinflammation and the apoptosis of oligodendrocytes in CNS. The accurate mechanism of BB action and the feasibility of clinical application in the prevention and treatment of demyelination remain to be further explored.

Immunomodulation of Host Chitinase 3-Like 1 During a Mammary Pathogenic Escherichia coli Infection

Chitin is a N-acetyl-d-glucosamine biopolymer that can be recognized by chitin-binding proteins. Although mammals lack chitin synthase, they induce proteins responsible for detecting chitin in response to bacterial infections. Our aim was to investigate whether chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) has a potential role in the innate immunity of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) infected mammary gland. CHI3L1 protein was found to be secreted in whey of naturally coliform-affected quarters compared to whey samples isolated from healthy udders. In addition, gene expression of CHI3L1 was confirmed in udder tissue of cows experimentally infected with a mammary pathogenic E. coli (MPEC) strain. Despite the known anatomical differences, the bovine udders’ innate immune response was mimicked by applying an experimental mouse model using MPEC or non-MPEC isolates. The effect of CHI3L1 expression in the murine mammary gland in response to coliform bacteria was investigated through the use of CHI3L1^−/− mice as well as through treatment with either a pan-caspase inhibitor or chitin particles in wild-type mice. The local induction of CHI3L1 postinfection with different E. coli strains was demonstrated to be independent of both bacterial growth and mammary interleukin (IL)-8 levels. Indeed, CHI3L1 emerged as a regulator impacting on the transcytosis of Ly6G-positive cells from the interstitial space into the alveolar lumen of the mammary tissue. Furthermore, CHI3L1 was found to be upstream regulated by caspase activity and had a major downstream effect on the local pro-inflammatory cytokine profile, including IL-1beta, IL-6, and RANTES/CCL5. In conclusion, CHI3L1 was demonstrated to play a key role in the cytokine and caspase signaling during E. coli triggered inflammation of the mammary gland.

Keeping track of the growing number of biological functions of chitin and its interaction partners in biomedical research

Chitin is a vital polysaccharide component of protective structures in many eukaryotic organisms but seems absent in vertebrates. Chitin or chitin oligomers are therefore prime candidates for non-self-molecules, which are recognized and degraded by the vertebrate immune system. Despite the absence of polymeric chitin in vertebrates, chitinases and chitinase-like proteins (CLPs) are well conserved in vertebrate species. In many studies, these proteins have been found to be involved in immune regulation and in mediating the degradation of chitinous external protective structures of invading pathogens. Several important aspects of chitin immunostimulation have recently been uncovered, advancing our understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms that chitin mediates. Likewise, the last few years have seen large advances in our understanding of the mechanisms and molecular interactions of chitinases and CLPs in relation to immune response regulation. It is becoming increasingly clear that their function in this context is not exclusive to chitin producing pathogens, but includes bacterial infections and cancer signaling as well. Here we provide an overview of the immune signaling properties of chitin and other closely related biomolecules. We also review the latest literature on chitinases and CLPs of the GH18 family. Finally, we examine the existing literature on zebrafish chitinases, and propose the use of zebrafish as a versatile model to complement the existing murine models. This could especially be of benefit to the exploration of the function of chitinases in infectious diseases using high-throughput approaches and pharmaceutical interventions.

Optimum Substrate Size and Specific Anomer Requirements for the Reducing-End Glycoside Hydrolase Di-N-Acetylchitobiase

Di-N-acetylchitobiase is a family 18 glycoside hydrolase that splits the reducing-end GlcNAc from chitooligosaccharides. The enzyme hydrolyzed only the alpha-anomer of five tested substrates, chitin di- through hexasaccharide. In all cases the glycosyl fragment retained its beta-configuration while the split monosaccharide was alpha-D-GlcNAc. Chitobiose was hydrolyzed less than half as fast as the other larger substrates. All four of them, tri- to hexasaccharide, reacted at the same rate. The biochemical behavior of di-N-acetylchitobiase indicates it has three subsites, -2, -1, +1, in which the reducing-end trimer of any sized chitooligosaccharide is bound. The +1 site is specific for an alpha-anomer.

Biochemical characterization of Aspergillus niger CfcI, a glycoside hydrolase family 18 chitinase that releases monomers during substrate hydrolysis

The genome of the industrially important fungus Aspergillus niger encodes a large number of glycoside hydrolase family 18 members annotated as chitinases. We identified one of these putative chitinases, CfcI, as a representative of a distinct phylogenetic clade of homologous enzymes conserved in all sequenced Aspergillus species. Where the catalytic domain of more distantly related chitinases consists of a triosephosphate isomerase barrel in which a small additional (α+β) domain is inserted, CfcI-like proteins were found to have, in addition, a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM18) that is inserted in the (α+β) domain next to the substrate-binding cleft. This unusual domain structure and sequence dissimilarity to previously characterized chitinases suggest that CfcI has a novel activity or function different from chitinases investigated so far. Following its heterologous expression and purification, its biochemical characterization showed that CfcI displays optimal activity at pH 4 and 55-65 °C and degrades chitin oligosaccharides by releasing N-acetylglucosamine from the reducing end, possibly via a processive mechanism. This is the first fungal family 18 exochitinase described, to our knowledge, that exclusively releases monomers. The cfcI expression profile suggests that its physiological function is important in processes that take place during the late stages of the aspergillus life cycle, such as autolysis or sporulation.

Lysosomal di-N-acetylchitobiase-deficient mouse tissues accumulate Man2GlcNAc2 and Man3GlcNAc2

Most lysosomal storage diseases are caused by defects in genes encoding for acidic hydrolases. Deficiency of an enzyme involved in the catabolic pathway of N-linked glycans leads to the accumulation of the respective substrate and consequently to the onset of a specific storage disorder. Di-N-acetylchitobiase and core specific α1-6mannosidase represent the only exception. In fact, to date no lysosomal disease has been correlated to the deficiency of these enzymes. We generated di-N-acetylchitobiase-deficient mice by gene targeting of the Ctbs gene in murine embryonic stem cells. Accumulation of Man2GlcNAc2 and Man3GlcNAc2 was evaluated in all analyzed tissues and the tetrasaccharide was detected in urines. Multilamellar inclusion bodies reminiscent of polar lipids were present in epithelia of a scattered subset of proximal tubules in the kidney. Less constantly, enlarged Kupffer cells were observed in liver, filled with phagocytic material resembling partly digested red blood cells. These findings confirm an important role for lysosomal di-N-acetylchitobiase in glycans degradation and suggest that its deficiency could be the cause of a not yet described lysosomal storage disease.

A comparative structural bioinformatics analysis of inherited mutations in β-D-Mannosidase across multiple species reveals a genotype-phenotype correlation

Background

Lysosomal β-D-mannosidase is a glycosyl hydrolase that breaks down the glycosidic bonds at the non-reducing end of N-linked glycoproteins. Hence, it is a crucial enzyme in polysaccharide degradation pathway. Mutations in the MANBA gene that codes for lysosomal β-mannosidase, result in improper coding and malfunctioning of protein, leading to β-mannosidosis. Studying the location of mutations on the enzyme structure is a rational approach in order to understand the functional consequences of these mutations. Accordingly, the pathology and clinical manifestations of the disease could be correlated to the genotypic modifications.

Results

The wild-type and inherited mutations of β-mannosidase were studied across four different species, human, cow, goat and mouse employing a previously demonstrated comprehensive homology modeling and mutational mapping technique, which reveals a correlation between the variation of genotype and the severity of phenotype in β-mannosidosis. X-ray crystallographic structure of β-mannosidase from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron was used as template for 3D structural modeling of the wild-type enzymes containing all the associated ligands. These wild-type models subsequently served as templates for building mutational structures. Truncations account for approximately 70% of the mutational cases. In general, the proximity of mutations to the active site determines the severity of phenotypic expressions. Mapping mutations to the MANBA gene sequence has identified five mutational hot-spots.

Conclusion

Although restrained by a limited dataset, our comprehensive study suggests a genotype-phenotype correlation in β-mannosidosis. A predictive approach for detecting likely β-mannosidosis is also demonstrated where we have extrapolated observed mutations from one species to homologous positions in other organisms based on the proximity of the mutations to the enzyme active site and their co-location from different organisms. Apart from aiding the detection of mutational hotspots in the gene, where novel mutations could be disease-implicated, this approach also provides a way to predict new disease mutations. Higher expression of the exoglycosidase chitobiase is said to play a vital role in determining disease phenotypes in human and mouse. A bigger dataset of inherited mutations as well as a parallel study of β-mannosidase and chitobiase activities in prospective patients would be interesting to better understand the underlying reasons for β-mannosidosis.

Identification of two novel beta-mannosidosis-associated sequence variants: biochemical analysis of beta-mannosidase (MANBA) missense mutations

Beta-mannosidosis (OMIM # 248510) is an autosomal-recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme beta-mannosidase (MANBA, E.C. 3.2.1.25). The disorder has been reported in goat, cattle and man. The human disorder is rare and only 20 cases in 16 families have been reported. We have sequenced the exons and exon-intron borders in a European patient with infantile onset of beta-mannosidosis. The patient was compound heterozygous for a silent mutation (c.375A>G) in exon 3 causing alternative splicing, and a missense mutation (c.1513T>C, p.Ser505Pro) in exon 12. The alternative splicing event deleted four nucleotides from the transcript and was predicted to result in premature termination of translation. In order to evaluate the consequence of the missense mutation, we inserted the human beta-mannosidase gene into an expression vector, performed site-directed mutagenesis and expressed the normal and mutant enzyme in COS-7 cells. We also included the previously reported beta-mannosidosis-associated missense mutations c.544C>T (p.Arg182Trp) and c.1175G>A (p.Gly392Glu), which were found in patients presenting a milder phenotype. Cells transfected with the wild-type construct showed a 33-fold increase in beta-mannosidase activity compared to mock-transfected cells, whereas cells transfected with the mutant constructs showed no detectable increase in activity. We propose that the milder phenotype described in some beta-mannosidosis patients with missense mutations in the MANBA gene is not due to residual beta-mannosidase activity, but rather caused by epigenetic and/or environmental factors.

Chitinase family GH18: evolutionary insights from the genomic history of a diverse protein family

Background

Chitinases (EC.3.2.1.14) hydrolyze the β-1,4-linkages in chitin, an abundant N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine polysaccharide that is a structural component of protective biological matrices such as insect exoskeletons and fungal cell walls. The glycoside hydrolase 18 (GH18) family of chitinases is an ancient gene family widely expressed in archea, prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Mammals are not known to synthesize chitin or metabolize it as a nutrient, yet the human genome encodes eight GH18 family members. Some GH18 proteins lack an essential catalytic glutamic acid and are likely to act as lectins rather than as enzymes. This study used comparative genomic analysis to address the evolutionary history of the GH18 multiprotein family, from early eukaryotes to mammals, in an effort to understand the forces that shaped the human genome content of chitinase related proteins.

Results

Gene duplication and loss according to a birth-and-death model of evolution is a feature of the evolutionary history of the GH18 family. The current human family likely originated from ancient genes present at the time of the bilaterian expansion (approx. 550 mya). The family expanded in the chitinous protostomes C. elegans and D. melanogaster, declined in early deuterostomes as chitin synthesis disappeared, and expanded again in late deuterostomes with a significant increase in gene number after the avian/mammalian split.

Conclusion

This comprehensive genomic study of animal GH18 proteins reveals three major phylogenetic groups in the family: chitobiases, chitinases/chitolectins, and stabilin-1 interacting chitolectins. Only the chitinase/chitolectin group is associated with expansion in late deuterostomes. Finding that the human GH18 gene family is closely linked to the human major histocompatibility complex paralogon on chromosome 1, together with the recent association of GH18 chitinase activity with Th2 cell inflammation, suggests that its late expansion could be related to an emerging interface of innate and adaptive immunity during early vertebrate history.

Perturbation of free oligosaccharide trafficking in endoplasmic reticulum glucosidase I-deficient and castanospermine-treated cells

Free oligosaccharides (FOS) are generated both in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and in the cytosol during glycoprotein biosynthesis. ER lumenal FOS possessing the di-N-acetylchitobiose moiety at their reducing termini (FOSGN2) are exported into the cytosol where they, along with their cytosolically generated counterparts possessing a single N-acetylglucosamine residue at their reducing termini (FOSGN1), are trimmed in order to be imported into lysosomes for final degradation. Both the ER and lysosomal FOS transport processes are unable to translocate triglucosylated FOS across membranes. In the present study, we have examined FOS trafficking in HepG2 cells treated with the glucosidase inhibitor castanospermine. We have shown that triglucosylated FOSGN2 generated in the ER are transported to the Golgi apparatus where they are deglucosylated by endomannosidase and acquire complex, sialic acid-containing structures before being secreted into the extracellular space by a Brefeldin A-sensitive pathway. FOSGN2 are also secreted from glucosidase I-deficient Lec23 cells and from the castanospermine-treated parental Chinese-hamster ovary cell line. Despite the secretion of FOSGN2 from Lec23 cells, we noted a transient intracellular accumulation (60 nmol/g cells) of triglucosylated FOSGN1 in these cells. Finally, in glucosidase I-compromised cells, FOS trafficking was severely perturbed leading to both the secretion of FOSGN2 into the extracellular space and a growth-dependent pile up of triglucosylated FOSGN1 in the cytosol. The possibility that these abnormalities contributed to the severe and rapidly progressive pathology in a patient with congenital disorders of glycosylation type IIb (glucosidase I deficiency) is discussed.

Structure of the human gene for lysosomal di-N-acetylchitobiase

Chitobiase is a lysosomal glycosidase that acts during the ordered degradation of asparagine-linked glycoproteins to cleave the core chitobiose unit at its reducing end. Human chitobiase is expressed in significant amounts, while bovine chitobiase is produced at extremely low levels. To begin to understand this species-dependent expression, we determined the gene structure of human chitobiase. The human chitobiase gene ( CTB S) is approximately 20 kb comprising seven exons varying from 0.1 to 2.3 kb and six introns of 0.3 to 8 kb. The previously characterized partial bovine chitobiase gene structure is similarly organized including exon and intron sizes and locations, but the human and bovine 5'-flanking regions differ significantly. 5'-RACE analysis of human chitobiase cDNA revealed only one transcriptional start site 45 bp upstream of the ATG translation initiation site. Computer analysis of the human chitobiase gene 5'-flanking region shows characteristics of a typical housekeeping gene. The putative promoter region contains a distal TATA box, and there are several Sp-1 and AP-2 cis elements. In contrast, bovine chitobiase gene 5'-flanking region shows totally different structures and may contain several silencers. A partial art-2 segment which is an artiodactyl Alu -like repetitive sequence, is also present. These evolutionary differences in the 5'-flanking region of the chitobiase genes from human and bovine could account for the widely varied expression levels of the hydrolase within these two species.

Homology modeling of glycosyl hydrolase family 18 enzymes and proteins

Using state-of-the-art homology modeling methods, three-dimensional coordinates for three family 18 glycosyl hydrolases were determined. The structures for Gp39, Brp39, and chitotriosidase were computer determined using the X-ray coordinates from SmChiA. The results of the modeling efforts are assessed, and comparison of the modeled structures to other known family 18 members is made.

Occurrence of a cytosolic neutral chitobiase activity involved in oligomannoside degradation: a study with Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells

Neutral oligomannosides possessing one GlcNAc (OS-Gn1) and two GlcNAc (Os-Gn2) at the reducing end have been reported to be released during the N-glycosylation process in various biological models. To investigate which enzyme is responsible for OS-Gn1 formation, we used the Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cell line which exhibits neither lysosomal chitobiase nor endoglucosaminidase activities. However, these cells produced OS-Gn1 and we showed that a neutral chitobiase is responsible for the transformation of OS-Gn2 into OS-Gn1. Using streptolysin O-permeabilized MDBK cells, we demonstrated that this neutral chitobiase activity is located in the cytosolic compartment and is active on oligomannoside species released during the N-glycosylation process.

Partial purification and further characterization of the novel endoglucosaminidase from human serum that hydrolyses 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-beta-D-chitotetraoside (MU-TACT hydrolase)

A novel endoglucosaminidase, originally described by Den Tandt et al. [Int. J. Biochem. 20 (1988), 713-719] and bearing the provisional name MU-TACT hydrolase, was purified from human serum 56,000-fold by means of ammonium sulphate precipitation, anion-exchange chromatography, Con A-Sepharose chromatography and gel filtration on Sepharose CL-6B followed by Superose 12 HR. Based on the latter technique the native apparent molecular weight of the enzyme appeared to be equal to that of myoglobin, being approx. 17 kD. The enzyme eluted clearly at a different volume than lysozyme. MU-TACT is a commercially available substrate for lysozyme. For unknown reasons two major peptides co-purify that give bands on SDS-PAGE of 55-60 and 31 kD, respectively.

Evaluation on the hydrolysis of methylumbelliferyl-tetra-N-acetylchitotetraoside by various glucosidases. A comparative study

1. In human plasma, an enzyme is present which hydrolyzes 4-methylumbelliferyl-tetra-N-acetylchitotetraoside. The function of this enzyme is unknown. 2. We have examined whether hyaluronidase, neutral endoglucosaminidase, N-acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminidase, aspartylglucosaminidase, beta-D-glucosidase, and chitobiase could hydrolyze MU-TACT. The results obtained are detailed below. 3. A purified commercial preparation of hyaluronidase does not hydrolyze MU-TACT. 4. Substrate specificity requirements, pH optimum and subcellular localization indicate that neutral endoglucosaminidase is distinguishable from MU-TACT hydrolase. Also commercial neutral endoglucosaminidase D and H have no affinity towards MU-TACT. 5. N-Acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminidase is different from MU-TACT hydrolase for the following reasons: (a) a purified enzyme preparation does not hydrolyze MU-TACT; (b) there is no correlation in the activity of the enzymes; (c) MU-TACT hydrolase is not deficient in cells of a patient with a deficiency of total N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase; and (d) the 2 enzymes have very different chromatographic characteristics and Con A binding properties. 6. Enzyme characteristics, substrate structural requirements and a lack of correlation with MU-TACT hydrolase activity suggest that aspartylglucosaminidase, beta-D-glucosidase, and chitobiase are not involved in the hydrolysis of MU-TACT. 7. None of the enzymes which we have considered corresponds to MU-TACT hydrolase. The exact nature and the function of the enzyme remains an enigma.

Deletion of exon 8 causes glycosylasparaginase deficiency in an African American aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU) patient

We have indentified a GT-to-TT transversion at the splice donor site of intron 8 in the glycosylasparaginase gene from an African American aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU) patient. This mutation causes abnormal splicing of glycosylasparaginase pre-mRNA by joining exon 7 to 9 and excluding 134 bp exon 8. The effect of the mutation is compounded by a frame shift that occurs after the deletion site resulting in premature translational termination. The truncated AGU protein was neither catalytically active nor processed into mature alpha and beta subunits. Both this and a previously characterized Finnish AGU mutation appear to affect folding of the single-chain precursor of glycosylasparaginase and thereby prevent transport of the enzyme to lysosomes.

The substrate-specificity of human lysosomal alpha-D-mannosidase in relation to genetic alpha-mannosidosis

The specificity of human liver lysosomal alpha-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.24) towards a series of oligosaccharide substrates derived from high-mannose, complex and hybrid asparagine-linked glycans and from the storage products in alpha-mannosidosis was investigated. The enzyme hydrolyses all alpha(1-2)-, alpha(1-3)- and alpha(1-6)-mannosidic linkages in these glycans without a requirement for added Zn2+, albeit at different rates. A major finding of this study is that all the substrates are hydrolysed by non-random pathways. These pathways were established by determining the structures of intermediates in the digestion mixtures by a combination of h.p.t.l.c. and h.p.l.c. before and after acetolysis. The catabolic pathway for a particular substrate appears to be determined by its structure, raising the possibility that degradation occurs by an uninterrupted sequence of steps within one active site. The structures of the digestion intermediates are compared with the published structures of the storage products in mannosidosis and of intact asparagine-linked glycans. Most but not all of the digestion intermediates derived from high-mannose glycans have structures found in intact asparagine-linked glycans of human glycoproteins or among the storage products in the urine of patients with mannosidosis. However, the relative abundances of these structures suggests that the catabolic pathway is not the same as the processing pathway. In contrast, the intermediates formed from the digestion of oligosaccharides derived from hybrid and complex N-glycans are completely different from any processing intermediates and also from the oligosaccharides of composition Man2-4GlcNAc that account for 80-90% of the storage products in alpha-mannosidosis. It is postulated that the structures of these major storage products arise from the action of an exo/endo-alpha(1-6)-mannosidase on the partially catabolized oligomannosides that accumulate in the absence of the main lysosomal alpha-mannosidase.

Isolation and characterization of thermostable chitinases from Bacillus licheniformis X-7u

Four kinds of thermostable chitinase were isolated from the cell-free culture broth of Bacillus licheniformis X-7u by successive column chromatographies on Butyl-Toyopearl, Q-Sepharose, and Sephacryl S-200. We named the enzymes chitinases I(89 kDa), II(76 kDa), III(66 kDa) and IV(59 kDa). Chitinases II, III and IV possessed extremely high optimum temperatures (70-80 degrees C), showing remarkable heat stability. Chitinases II, III and IV produced (GlcNAc)2 and GlcNAc from colloidal chitin and chitinase I predominantly produced (GlcNAc)2. The action pattern of chitinase I on PN-(GlcNAc)4 also showed a stronger propensity to cleave off the (GlcNAc)2 unit from the non-reducing end than the other three chitinases. Chitinases II, III and IV catalyzed a transglycosylation reaction that converted (GlcNAc)4 into (GlcNAc)6.