Purification and characterization of Aspergillus niger exo-1,4-glucosidase

Mapping the polysaccharide degradation potential of Aspergillus niger

Background

The degradation of plant materials by enzymes is an industry of increasing importance. For sustainable production of second generation biofuels and other products of industrial biotechnology, efficient degradation of non-edible plant polysaccharides such as hemicellulose is required. For each type of hemicellulose, a complex mixture of enzymes is required for complete conversion to fermentable monosaccharides. In plant-biomass degrading fungi, these enzymes are regulated and released by complex regulatory structures. In this study, we present a methodology for evaluating the potential of a given fungus for polysaccharide degradation.

Results

Through the compilation of information from 203 articles, we have systematized knowledge on the structure and degradation of 16 major types of plant polysaccharides to form a graphical overview. As a case example, we have combined this with a list of 188 genes coding for carbohydrate-active enzymes from Aspergillus niger, thus forming an analysis framework, which can be queried. Combination of this information network with gene expression analysis on mono- and polysaccharide substrates has allowed elucidation of concerted gene expression from this organism. One such example is the identification of a full set of extracellular polysaccharide-acting genes for the degradation of oat spelt xylan.

Conclusions

The mapping of plant polysaccharide structures along with the corresponding enzymatic activities is a powerful framework for expression analysis of carbohydrate-active enzymes. Applying this network-based approach, we provide the first genome-scale characterization of all genes coding for carbohydrate-active enzymes identified in A. niger.

Irreversible thermoinactivation of glucoamylase from Aspergillus niger and thermostabilization by chemical modification of carboxyl groups

The incubation of glucoamylase from Aspergillus niger at 70 degrees C induced its rapid and irreversible inactivation. The covalent modifications of the protein structure involved in the thermoinactivation depended on the pH of the medium. We observed the formation of a low amount of disulfide-linked oligomers showing that disulfide exchange takes place at pH 5.5. Hydrolysis of peptide bonds at pH 3.5 and 4.5 was also detected. The chemical modification of carboxyl groups with a water-soluble carbodiimide, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) decreased the rate of appearance of low-molecular-weight peptides at pH 3.5 and 4.5 upon heating at 70 degrees C. However, the rate of inactivation at such pH values was not modified. Modification of carboxyl groups with EDC in the presence of ethylenediamine leading to the transformation of three carboxyl groups to amino groups increased the thermostability of the enzyme for temperatures above the temperature of compensation, Tc, which is 60 degrees C.

Binding of isomaltose and maltose to the glucoamylase from Aspergillus niger, as studied by fluorescence spectrophotometry and steady-state kinetics

The binding of maltose, isomaltose, and D-glucono-1,5-lactone to the glucoamylase [E.C.3.2.1.3] from Aspergillus niger was monitored by the fluorescence-intensity change (delta F) based on the tryptophan residues of the enzyme, and the binding parameters (Kd and delta Fmax) were evaluated from the dependence of delta F on the concentration of substrate and analogue. Maltose caused the fluorescence-intensity change, but isomaltose did not, although it is hydrolyzed by the enzyme. Both substrates bind to the glucoamylase of Rhizopus niveus and cause delta F, suggesting that some difference exists in the conformation of the isomaltose-binding subsites between the two glucoamylases.

Microbial amylolytic enzymes

Starch-degrading, amylolytic enzymes are widely distributed among microbes. Several activities are required to hydrolyze starch to its glucose units. These enzymes include alpha-amylase, beta-amylase, glucoamylase, alpha-glucosidase, pullulan-degrading enzymes, exoacting enzymes yielding alpha-type endproducts, and cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase. Properties of these enzymes vary and are somewhat linked to the environmental circumstances of the producing organisms. Features of the enzymes, their action patterns, physicochemical properties, occurrence, genetics, and results obtained from cloning of the genes are described. Among all the amylolytic enzymes, the genetics of alpha-amylase in Bacillus subtilis are best known. Alpha-Amylase production in B. subtilis is regulated by several genetic elements, many of which have synergistic effects. Genes encoding enzymes from all the amylolytic enzyme groups dealt with here have been cloned, and the sequences have been found to contain some highly conserved regions thought to be essential for their action and/or structure. Glucoamylase appears usually in several forms, which seem to be the results of a variety of mechanisms, including heterogeneous glycosylation, limited proteolysis, multiple modes of mRNA splicing, and the presence of several structural genes.

Purification and characterization of extracellular alpha-amylase and glucoamylase from the yeast Candida antarctica CBS 6678

An alpha-amylase and a glucoamylase were purified to homogeneity from the culture fluid of beta-cyclodextrin-grown Candida antarctica CBS 6678 by protamine sulfate treatment, ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration (Sephadex G-75 sf, Ultrogel AcA 54), DEAE-Sephacel chromatography, hydroxyapatite chromatography and affinity chromatography on acarbose--AH-Sepharose 4B. Both enzymes were monomeric glycoproteins with fairly different amino acid compositions. Their apparent relative molecular mass, sedimentation coefficient (Szero20,w), isoelectric point, absorption coefficient (280 nm), pH and temperature optima were estimated as 48,500, 4.7 S, 10.1, 1.74 cm2 mg-1, 4.2 and 57 degrees C, respectively, for glucoamylase and as 50,000, 4.9 S, 10.3, 1.53 cm2 mg-1, 4.2 and 62 degrees C, respectively, for alpha-amylase. Kinetic analyses indicated that both enzymes preferentially hydrolyzed high-molecular-mass substrates, including some raw starches. alpha-Amylase was active on cyclodextrins, whereas debranching activity was demonstrated for glucoamylase. Trestatins were potent inhibitors of both alpha-amylase (Ki less than 1 microM) and glucoamylase (Ki less than 0.1 microM), being more effective than Bay e 4609 (Ki less than 10 microM). Glucoamylase was selectivity and strongly inhibited by acarbose (Ki less than 0.1 microM). Activity of the latter enzyme was also affected by 1-deoxynojirimycin (Ki less than 1 mM), maltitol and amino alcohols (Ki less than 10 mM). Unlike alpha-amylase, glucoamylase adsorbed strongly onto raw starch, the adsorption site being non-identical with the active site.

Glycoenzymes: an unusual type of glycoprotein structure for a glucoamylase

Glucoamylase, (1 leads to 4)(1 leads to 6)-alpha-D-glucan glucohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.3), hydrolyzes starch and glycogen completely to D-glucose and is used industrially in the manufacture of D-glucose from starch. The enzyme is elaborated by many types of fungi and occurs in two isoenzymic forms (glucoamylase I and glucoamylase II) in extracts from certain fungi. The isoenzymes from Aspergillus niger are glycoenzymes containing D-mannose, D-glucose, and D-galactose as integral structural components. New data from experiments on reductive alkaline beta-elimination and from methylation analyses show that the carbohydrate chains of glucoamylase I are linked O-glycosidically from D-mannose residues to L-serine or L-threonine residues of the protein moiety. In this enzyme, the carbohydrate residues are present as 20 single D-mannose residues, 11 disaccharides components having the structure 2-O-D-mannopyranosyl-D-mannose, 8 trisaccharides, and 5 tetrasaccharides composed of various combinations of D-mannose, D-glucose, and D-galactose residues joined by (1 leads to 3) and (1 leads to 6) glycosidic linkages. Such an array of carbohydrate chains in a glycoprotein is unusual, and may account for some of the unique properties exhibited by glucoamylase.

Immobilization of enzymes based on hydrophobic interaction. II. Preparation and properties of an amyloglucosidase adsorbate

Amyloglucosidase from Aspergillus niger (alpha-1,4 and 1,6 glucan glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.3) was immobilized through adsorption onto a hexyl-Sepharose, containing 0.51 mol hexyl-group per mole of galactose. The adsporption limit of the carrier with respect to this enzyme was about 17 mg per gram wet conjugate. The retention of activity upon immobilization was high, varying from essentially full activity at low enzyme content down to 68% at the adsorption limit. The immobilized preparation, as well as the soluble enzyme, showed apparent zero order kinetics within 60% of the substrate's conversion limit. Product inhibition of the soluble enzyme showed a KI of 5-10(-2)M. In the presence of 3M NaCl, adsorbates were formed more rapidly and with a higher yield of immobilized protein, but with lower specific activity. Conjugates resulting from adsorption of amyloglucosidase in identical concentrations, but at different salt contents, showed comparable activities and operational stabilities. Continuous operation from three months reduced conjugate activity to 40%. The thermal stability of the adsorbate was inferior to that of the soluble enzyme, but was noticeably enhanced in the presence of substrate.