On the role of histidine residues in cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase: chemical modification with diethyl pyrocarbonate

The role of histidine residues in the catalytic act of cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase from Bacillus circulans var. alkalophilus

Our previous study on cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) by chemical modification implied the importance of one or two histidine residues in the cyclization reaction of the enzyme. Based on a computer modelled three-dimensional structure of the CGTase, five histidine residues were chosen as targets for the site-directed mutagenesis. The histidine residues 98, 140, 233 and 327 were replaced by aspartate and His-177 by proline using polymerase chain reaction-mediated techniques. The CGTase variants H98D, H140D, H233D and H327D resulted in a profound decrease in the cyclizing and amylolytic activities, while mutation H177P had little influence on the activities but affected the thermal stability and the width of the pH optimum. It is suggested that His-98 functions as (or as a significant part of) the subsite 2 for the binding of the substrate in CGTase and therefore H98D destabilizes the intermediate for cyclization, but does not markedly affect the hydrolytic reactions. Mutants H140D and H233D produced only minor amounts of alpha-cyclodextrin, did not exhibit substrate inhibition with maltotriose and showed non-Michaelis-Menten kinetics. It is proposed that the variants H140D, H233D and H327D cause steric hindrances near the active center, while mutation H177D has similar consequences on the same site spatially.

Three histidine residues in the active center of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. 1011: effects of the replacement on pH dependence and transition-state stabilization

Cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) catalyzes the formation of cyclodextrins from amylose through an intramolecular transglycosylation reaction. On the basis of the three-dimensional structures of CGTases three histidine residues, which are conserved between CGTases and alpha-amylases, are located at the active center and are proposed to constitute the substrate binding sites. The three histidine residues (His-140, His-233, and His-327) of CGTase from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. 1011 were individually replaced by site-directed mutagenesis to probe their roles in catalysis. Asparagine-replaced CGTases (H140N-, H233N-, and H327N-CGTase) retained cyclization activity but had altered production ratios of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrin. Replacement of histidine by asparagine residues strongly affected the kcat for beta-cyclodextrin-forming, coupling, and hydrolyzing activities, whereas it barely affected the Km values. The activation energies for alpha-cyclodextrin hydrolysis were increased more than 12 kJ/mol by the replacement. Furthermore, the Ki values of acarbose, which is thought to be a transition-state analog of glycosidase catalysis, were 2-3 orders of magnitude larger in asparagine-replaced CGTases than that in wild-type CGTase. Therefore, the three histidine residues participate in the stabilization of the transition state, whereas they participate little in ground-state substrate binding. H327N-CGTase had decreased activity over an alkaline pH range, indicating that His-327 is important for catalysis over an alkaline pH range.

Chemical modification of cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase from Bacillus circulans var. alkalophilus

Counting of integral numbers of cysteine residues of the reduced and denaturated form of cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) from Bacillus circulans var. alkalophilus (ATCC 21783) showed two cysteine residues per enzyme molecule. Titrations of the enzyme with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) led to the same result. No free SH-group was detected in denatured form of CGTase, indicating that the two cysteine residues are linked by one disulfide bridge. Cyclizing activity of the GdmCl-denaturated and reduced enzyme was 13% of that of the native one. Incubation of CGTase with diethylpyrocarbonate (DEP) showed a pseudo-first-order inhibition with second-order rate constant of 3.2 M-1 s-1. Reaction with hydroxylamine and spectroscopic studies implied that inactivation of CGTase by DEP is due to modification of one histidine residue concomitantly with a 50% decrease in the cyclizing activity (t1/2 = 10.8 min). The inhibition was partially reversible. CGTase was protected against inactivation by alpha- and beta-cyclodextrins suggesting that the modified histidine residue is at or near the active site. Conversion of starch with DEP-modified enzyme resulted in a decreased formation of cyclodextrins while the relative amount of reducing sugars increased. Preliminary results on modification of CGTase with other reagents, e.g., Woodward's reagent K, 2,3-butanedione and carbodiimide are included.

Branched saccharides formed by the action of His-modified cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Klebsiella pneumoniae M 5 al on starch

Digestion of potato starch with His-modified alpha-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Klebsiella pneumoniae M 5 al yielded branched tetra- to nona-saccharides, as revealed by debranching with pullulanase. Maltose and maltotriose stubs preponderated together with small proportions of D-glucose stubs. The branched saccharides accounted for approximately 1.2% of the starch.