Structural elements responsible for the glucosidic linkage-selectivity of a glycoside hydrolase family 13 exo-glucosidase

Conserved residues at the family and subfamily levels determine enzyme activity and substrate binding in glycoside hydrolase family 13

Site-directed mutagenesis is a valuable strategy for modifying enzymes, but the lack of understanding of conserved residues regulating glycosidase function hinders enzyme design. We analyzed 1662 enzyme sequences to identify conserved amino acids in maltohexaose-forming amylase at both family and subfamily levels. Several conserved residues at the family level (G37, P45, R52, Y57, D101, V103, H106, G230, R232, D234, E264, H330, D331, and G360) were found, mutations of which resulted in reduced enzyme activity or inactivation. At the subfamily level, several conserved residues (L65, E67, F68, D111, E114, R126, R147, F154, W156, F161, G163, D165, W218H, V342, W345, and F346) were identified, which primarily facilitate substrate binding in the enzyme's active site, as shown by molecular dynamics and kinetic assays. Our findings provide critical insights into conserved residues essential for catalysis and can inform targeted enzyme design in protein engineering.

Effective bioconversion of fungal-spoiled starchy food waste into fermentable sugars using fungi-degrading, artificial amylosomes

Fungi-degrading artificial amylosomes were newly developed consisting of fungi-degrading enzyme (NAG), starch-degrading enzymes and a scaffold protein. Amylosome scaffolds containing starch-binding proteins (SbpCbpA and CCSbpCbpA) were highly bound to starch and fungal-spoiled food waste. Amylosomes showed an average of 1.43-fold higher reducing sugar production from starch. 2.00-fold α-amylase in amylosomes increased reducing sugar production from amylose by an average of 1.50-fold. At 70°C for 6 hours, SbpCbpA and CCSbpCbpA maintained an average activity of 56.42% compared to the control (38.37%). The enzyme mixture and amylosomes with NAG showed an average 1.31-fold increase in glucose production in response to fungal-spoiled food waste compared to samples without NAG; in particular, CCSbpCbpA with NAG produced 62.44 ± 0.03 mM glucose (2.55-fold of the enzyme mixture without NAG). This research strategy can be applicable to the starch and fungal-spoiled food waste saccharification in an ecofriendly manner, leading to sugar production in industrial fields.

Conserved residues Glu and Phe at substrate binding groove of α-1,6-glucanases modulate branch of the product

Understanding what amino acids in α-1,6-glucanases target α-1,6 glycosidic bonds of polysaccharides is timely and important for generating products with branch structure. With this objective, we investigated 330 sequences from seven subfamilies to excavate amino acids for recognition or catalysis of α-1,6 glycosidic bonds. Computational analysis identified two amino acids, E343 and W521, trigger α-1,6 glycosidic bond specificity of enzymes. To explore the effect of E343 and W521 on the product structure, several engineered mutants were studied in our research. Product structural analysis showed that the ratio of amylose and amylopectin is obviously different. The catalytic mechanism revealed that the bulky aromatic side chain is a trigger that controls the ratio of branch glucans. The E148 acts as a proton donor to regulate the generation of branched structures in the product during transglycosidation of the glucan branching enzyme (GBE).

In-Depth Characterization of Debranching Type I Pullulanase from Priestia koreensis HL12 as Potential Biocatalyst for Starch Saccharification and Modification

Pullulanase is an effective starch debranching enzyme widely used in starch saccharification and modification. In this work, the biochemical characteristics and potential application of a new type I pullulanase from Priestia koreensis HL12 (HL12Pul) were evaluated and reported for the first time. Through in-depth evolutionary analysis, HL12Pul was classified as type I pullulanase belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 13, subfamily 14 (GH13_14). HL12Pul comprises multi-domains architecture, including two carbohydrate-binding domains, CBM68 and CBM48, at the N-terminus, the TIM barrel structure of glycoside hydrolase family 13 (GH13) and C-domain. Based on sequence analysis and experimental cleavage profile, HL12Pul specifically hydrolyzes only α-1,6 glycosidic linkage-rich substrates. The enzyme optimally works at 40 °C, pH 6.0, with the maximum specific activity of 181.14 ± 3.55 U/mg protein and catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of 49.39 mL/mg·s toward pullulan. In addition, HL12Pul worked in synergy with raw starch-degrading α-amylase, promoting raw cassava starch hydrolysis and increasing the sugar yield by 2.9-fold in comparison to the α-amylase alone in a short reaction time. Furthermore, HL12Pul effectively produces type III-resistant starch (RSIII) from cassava starch with a production yield of 70%. These indicate that HL12Pul has the potential as a biocatalyst for starch saccharification and modification.

The Inhibitory Effects of New Zealand Pine Bark (Enzogenol®) on α-Amylase, α-Glucosidase, and Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4) Enzymes

The New Zealand pine bark extract (Enzogenol^®) has previously been shown to elicit acute hypoglycaemic effects in humans. The present study investigated the underlying mechanisms of Enzogenol^® in reducing postprandial glucose in humans. The potential inhibitory action of Enzogenol^® against digestive enzymes: α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) enzyme was determined. Enzogenol^® demonstrated the ability to inhibit all three enzymes: α-amylase enzyme activity (IC₅₀ 3.98 ± 0.11 mg/mL), α-glucosidase enzyme activity (IC₅₀ 13.02 ± 0.28 μg/mL), and DPP-4 enzyme activity (IC₅₀ 2.51 ± 0.04 mg/mL). The present findings indicate the potential for Enzogenol^® to improve postprandial glycaemia by delaying carbohydrate digestion via the inhibition of digestive enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), and enhancing the incretin effect via inhibiting the dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 enzyme. The inhibitory actions of Enzogenol^® on enzymes should therefore be further validated in humans for its potential use in type 2 diabetes mellitus prevention and management.

Escherichia coli expression and characterization of α-amylase from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans DSM-465

Alpha amylase, catalyzing the hydrolysis of starch is a ubiquitous enzyme with tremendous industrial applications. A 1698 bp gene coding for 565 amino acid amylase was PCR amplified from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans DSM-465, cloned in pET21a (+) plasmid, expressed in BL21 (DE3) strain of E. coli and characterized. The recombinant enzyme exhibited molecular weight of 63 kDa, optimum pH 8, optimum temperature 70°C, and KM value of 157.7µM. On pilot scale, the purified enzyme efficiently removed up to 95% starch from the cotton fabric indicating its desizing ability at high temperature. 3D model of enzyme built by Raptor-X and validated by Ramachandran plot appeared as a monomer having 31% α-helices, 15% β-sheets, and 52% loops. Docking studies have shown the best binding affinity of enzyme with amylopectin (∆G -10.59). According to our results, Asp 232, Glu274, Arg448, Glu385, Asp34, Asn276, and Arg175 constitute the potential active site of enzyme.

Function and structure of GH13_31 α-glucosidase with high α-(1→4)-glucosidic linkage specificity and transglucosylation activity

α-Glucosidase hydrolyzes α-glucosides and transfers α-glucosyl residues to an acceptor through transglucosylation. In this study, GH13_31 α-glucosidase BspAG13_31A with high transglucosylation activity is reported in Bacillus sp. AHU2216 and biochemically and structurally characterized. This enzyme is specific to α-(1→4)-glucosidic linkage as substrates and transglucosylation products. Maltose is the most preferred substrate. Crystal structures of BspAG13_31A wild-type for the substrate-free form and inactive acid/base mutant E256Q in complexes with maltooligosaccharides were solved at 1.6-2.5 Å resolution. BspAG13_31A has a catalytic domain folded by an (β/α)₈ -barrel. In subsite +1, Ala200 and His203 on β→α loop 4 and Asn258 on β→α loop 5 are involved in the recognition of maltooligosaccharides. Structural basis for specificity of GH13_31 enzymes to α-(1→4)-glucosidic linkage is first described.

Comparative Proteome Reveals Metabolic Changes during the Fruiting Process in Flammulina velutipes

Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating the fruiting process in macro-fungi, especially industrially cultivated mushrooms, has long been a goal in mycological research. To gain insights into the events accompanying the transformation of mycelia into fruit-bodies in Flammulina velutipes, proteins expressed characteristically and abundantly at primordium and fruit-body stages were investigated by using the iTRAQ labeling technique. Among the 171 differentially expressed proteins, a total of 68 displayed up-regulated expression levels that were associated with 84 specific KEGG pathways. Some up-regulated proteins, such as pyruvate carboxylase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, fatty acid synthase, aspartate aminotransferase, 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin, FDS protein, translation elongation factor 1-alpha, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and heat-shock protein 70 that are involved in carbohydrate metabolism, carotenoid formation, the TCA cycle, MAPK signaling pathway, and the biosynthesis of fatty acids and branched-chain amino acids, could serve as potential stage-specific biomarkers to study the fruiting process in F. velutipes. Knowledge of the proteins might provide valuable evidence to better understand the molecular mechanisms of fruit-body initiation and development in basidiomycete fungi. Furthermore, this study also offers valuable evidence for yield improvement and quality control of super golden-needle mushroom in practice.

Structure and function of α-glucan debranching enzymes

α-Glucan debranching enzymes hydrolyse α-1,6-linkages in starch/glycogen, thereby, playing a central role in energy metabolism in all living organisms. They belong to glycoside hydrolase families GH13 and GH57 and several of these enzymes are industrially important. Nine GH13 subfamilies include α-glucan debranching enzymes; isoamylase and glycogen debranching enzymes (GH13_11); pullulanase type I/limit dextrinase (GH13_12-14); pullulan hydrolase (GH13_20); bifunctional glycogen debranching enzyme (GH13_25); oligo-1 and glucan-1,6-α-glucosidases (GH13_31); pullulanase type II (GH13_39); and α-amylase domains (GH13_41) in two-domain amylase-pullulanases. GH57 harbours type II pullulanases. Specificity differences, domain organisation, carbohydrate binding modules, sequence motifs, three-dimensional structures and specificity determinants are discussed. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that GH13_39 enzymes could represent a "missing link" between the strictly α-1,6-specific debranching enzymes and the enzymes with dual specificity and α-1,4-linkage preference.

Remarkable evolutionary relatedness among the enzymes and proteins from the α-amylase family

The α-amylase is a ubiquitous starch hydrolase catalyzing the cleavage of the α-1,4-glucosidic bonds in an endo-fashion. Various α-amylases originating from different taxonomic sources may differ from each other significantly in their exact substrate preference and product profile. Moreover, it also seems to be clear that at least two different amino acid sequences utilizing two different catalytic machineries have evolved to execute the same α-amylolytic specificity. The two have been classified in the Cabohydrate-Active enZyme database, the CAZy, in the glycoside hydrolase (GH) families GH13 and GH57. While the former and the larger α-amylase family GH13 evidently forms the clan GH-H with the families GH70 and GH77, the latter and the smaller α-amylase family GH57 has only been predicted to maybe define a future clan with the family GH119. Sequences and several tens of enzyme specificities found throughout all three kingdoms in many taxa provide an interesting material for evolutionarily oriented studies that have demonstrated remarkable observations. This review emphasizes just the three of them: (1) a close relatedness between the plant and archaeal α-amylases from the family GH13; (2) a common ancestry in the family GH13 of animal heavy chains of heteromeric amino acid transporter rBAT and 4F2 with the microbial α-glucosidases; and (3) the unique sequence features in the primary structures of amylomaltases from the genus Borrelia from the family GH77. Although the three examples cannot represent an exhaustive list of exceptional topics worth to be interested in, they may demonstrate the importance these enzymes possess in the overall scientific context.

α-Glucosidases and α-1,4-glucan lyases: structures, functions, and physiological actions

α-Glucosidases (AGases) and α-1,4-glucan lyases (GLases) catalyze the degradation of α-glucosidic linkages at the non-reducing ends of substrates to release α-glucose and anhydrofructose, respectively. The AGases belong to glycoside hydrolase (GH) families 13 and 31, and the GLases belong to GH31 and share the same structural fold with GH31 AGases. GH13 and GH31 AGases show diverse functions upon the hydrolysis of substrates, having linkage specificities and size preferences, as well as upon transglucosylation, forming specific α-glucosidic linkages. The crystal structures of both enzymes were determined using free and ligand-bound forms, which enabled us to understand the important structural elements responsible for the diverse functions. A series of mutational approaches revealed features of the structural elements. In particular, amino-acid residues in plus subsites are of significance, because they regulate transglucosylation, which is used in the production of industrially valuable oligosaccharides. The recently solved three-dimensional structure of GLase from red seaweed revealed the amino-acid residues essential for lyase activity and the strict recognition of the α-(1 → 4)-glucosidic substrate linkage. The former was introduced to the GH31 AGase, and the resultant mutant displayed GLase activity. GH13 and GH31 AGases hydrate anhydrofructose to produce glucose, suggesting that AGases are involved in the catabolic pathway used to salvage unutilized anhydrofructose.

Evaluation and directed evolution for thermostability improvement of a GH 13 thermostable α-glucosidase from Thermus thermophilus TC11

Background

Thermal stable α-glucosidases with transglycosylation activity could be applied to the industrial production of oligosaccharides as well as conjugation of sugars to biologically useful materials. Therefore, α-glucosidases isolated from thermophiles have gained attention over the past decade. In this study, the characterization of a highly thermostable α-glucosidase and its thermostability improved mutant from newly isolated strain Thermus thermophilus TC11 were investigated.

Results

The recombinant α-glucosidase (TtAG) from Thermus thermophilus TC11 was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and purified. The purified enzyme had a molecular mass of 184 kDa and consisted of 59-kDa subunits; it showed hydrolytic activity for pNP-α-d-glucopyranoside (pNPG), sucrose, trehalose, panose, and isomaltooligosaccharides and very low activity for maltose. The highest specific activity of 288.96 U/mg was observed for pNPG at 90 °C and pH 5.0; Pb²⁺ provided a 20 % activity increase. TtAG was stable at 70 °C for more than 7 h and had a half-life of 195 min at 80 °C and 130 min at 90 °C. Transglycosylation activity was also observed with sucrose and trehalose as substrates. TtAG showed differences on substrate specificity, transglycosylation, multimerization, effects of metal ions and optimal pH from other reported Thermus α-glucosidases. One single-substitution TtAG mutant Q10Y with improved thermostability was also obtained from random mutagenesis library. The site-saturation mutagenesis and structural modelling analysis indicated that Q10Y substitution stabilized TtAG structure via additional hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that TtAG is a highly thermostable and more acidic α-glucosidase distinct from other reported Thermus α-glucosidases. And this work also provides new insights into the catalytic and thermal tolerance mechanisms of α-glucosidases, which may guide molecular engineering of α-glucosidase and other thermostable enzymes for industrial application.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12896-015-0197-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.