Structure and function of a family 10 beta-xylanase chimera of Streptomyces olivaceoviridis E-86 FXYN and Cellulomonas fimi Cex

Identification and Characterization of a Novel Endo-β-1,4-Xylanase from Streptomyces sp. T7 and Its Application in Xylo-Oligosaccharide Production

A xylanase-producing strain, identified as Streptomyces sp. T7, was isolated from soil by our lab. The endo-β-1,4-xylanase (xynST7) gene was found in the genome sequence of strain T7, which was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. XynST7 belonged to the glycoside hydrolase family 10, with a molecular mass of approximately 47 kDa. The optimum pH and temperature of XynST7 were pH 6.0 and 60 °C, respectively, and it showed wide pH and temperature adaptability and stability, retaining more than half of its enzyme activity between pH 5.0 and 11.0 below 80 °C. XynST7 showed only endo-β-1,4-xylanase activity without cellulase- or β-xylosidase activity, and it showed maximal hydrolysis for corncob xylan in all the test substrates. Then, XynST7 was used for the production of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOSs) by hydrolyzing xylan extracted from raw corncobs. The maximum yield of the XOS was 8.61 ± 0.13 mg/mL using 15 U/mL of XynST7 and 1.5% corncob xylan after 10 h of incubation at 60 °C. The resulting hydrolysate products mainly consisted of xylobiose and xylotriose. These data indicated that XynST7 might by a promising tool for various industrial applications.

Paludibacter propionicigenes GH10 xylanase as a tool for enzymatic xylooligosaccharides production from heteroxylans

Bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass into value-added products relies on polysaccharides depolymerization by carbohydrate active enzymes. This work reports biochemical characterization of Paludibacter propionicigenes xylanase from GH10 (PpXyn10A) and its application for enzymatic xylooligosaccharides (XOS) production from commercial heteroxylans and liquor of hydrothermally pretreated corn cobs (PCC). PpXyn10A is tolerant to ethanol and NaCl, and releases xylobiose (X2) and xylotriose (X3) as the main hydrolytic products. The conversion rate of complex substrates into short XOS was approximately 30% for glucuronoxylan and 8.8% for rye arabinoxylan, after only 4 h; while for PCC, PpXyn10A greatly increased unbranched XOS yields. B. adolescentis fermentation with XOS from beechwood glucuronoxylan produced mainly acetic and lactic acids. Structural analysis shows that while the glycone region of PpXyn10A active site is well preserved, the aglycone region has aromatic interactions in the +2 subsite that may explain why PpXyn10A does not release xylose.

Phylogenetic, functional and structural characterization of a GH10 xylanase active at extreme conditions of temperature and alkalinity

Endoxylanases active under extreme conditions of temperature and alkalinity can replace the use of highly pollutant chemicals in the pulp and paper industry. Searching for enzymes with these properties, we carried out a comprehensive bioinformatics study of the GH10 family. The phylogenetic analysis allowed the construction of a radial cladogram in which protein sequences putatively ascribed as thermophilic and alkaliphilic appeared grouped in a well-defined region of the cladogram, designated TAK Cluster. One among five TAK sequences selected for experimental analysis (Xyn11) showed extraordinary xylanolytic activity under simultaneous conditions of high temperature (90 °C) and alkalinity (pH 10.5). Addition of a carbohydrate binding domain (CBM2) at the C-terminus of the protein sequence further improved the activity of the enzyme at high pH. Xyn11 structure, which has been solved at 1.8 Å resolution by X-ray crystallography, reveals an unusually high number of hydrophobic, ionic and hydrogen bond atomic interactions that could account for the enzyme’s extremophilic nature.

Structure-based substrate specificity analysis of GH11 xylanase from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis E-86

Although many xylanases have been studied, many of the characteristics of xylanases toward branches in xylan remain unclear. In this study, the substrate specificity of a GH11 xylanase from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis E-86 (SoXyn11B) was elucidated based on its three-dimensional structure. Subsite mapping suggests that SoXyn11B has seven subsites (four subsites on the - side and three subsites on the + side), and it is one longer than the GH10 xylanase from S. olivaceoviridis (SoXyn10A). SoXyn11B has no affinity for the subsites at either end of the scissile glycosidic bond, and the sugar-binding energy at subsite - 2 was the highest, followed by subsite + 2. These properties were very similar to those of SoXyn10A. In contrast, SoXyn11B produced different branched oligosaccharides from bagasse compared with those of SoXyn10A. These branched oligosaccharides were identified as O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-[O-α-L-arabinofuranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranose (Ara³Xyl₄) and O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-[O-4-O-methyl-α-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(l→2)]-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranose (MeGlcA³Xyl₄) by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and confirmed by crystal structure analysis of SoXyn11B in complex with these branched xylooligosaccharides. SoXyn11B has a β-jerryroll fold structure, and the catalytic cleft is located on the inner β-sheet of the fold. The ligand-binding structures revealed seven subsites of SoXyn11B. The 2- and 3-hydroxy groups of xylose at the subsites + 3, + 2, and - 3 face outwards, and an arabinose or a glucuronic acid side chain can be linked to these positions. These subsite structures appear to cause the limited substrate specificity of SoXyn11B for branched xylooligosaccharides. KEY POINTS: • Crystal structure of family 11 β-xylanase from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis was determined. • Topology of substrate-binding cleft of family 11 β-xylanase from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis was characterized. • Mode of action of family 11 β-xylanase from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis for substitutions in xylan was elucidated.

Production of prebiotic xylooligosaccharides from arabino- and glucuronoxylan using a two-domain Jonesia denitrificans xylanase from GH10 family

Development of a more environmentally sustainable society is based on the maximum use of renewable carbon sources and their valorization of environmentally-friendly green technologies. This includes a thorough use of plant biomass and agricultural residues for the production of value-added bioproducts. Xylan is the second most abundant biopolymer in nature which can be sustainable converted into pentoses and xylooligosaccharides, that have wide applications in the food, feed, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industry. Within the scope of present study, we biochemically characterized two-domain GH10 xylanase from Jonesia denitrificans (JdXyn10A) and evaluated its applicability for production of xylooligosaccharides (XOS). JdXyn10A has a specific activity of 84 ± 2 U/mg and 65 ± 5 U/mg when acting on beechwood glucuronoxylan and rye arabinoxylan, respectively. The enzyme is stable in a wide pH range and is tolerant to high concentrations of NaCl and ethanol. Interestingly, the profile of products released by the enzyme is predominant in xylobiose and xylotriose, with a very low fraction of xylose which is desirable for XOS production. The efficiencies of enzymatic conversion of beechwood glucuronoxylan and rye arabinoxylan are 47.67 % and 26.01 %, respectively, after 6 h of enzymatic hydrolysis only. Structural comparison between the JdXyn10A homology model and the structure from its homologous that while the glycone region of its active site is well preserved, the aglycone region presents structural differences in the +2 subsite that may explain why JdXyn10A does not release xylose.

Substrate Specificities of GH8, GH39, and GH52 β-xylosidases from Bacillus halodurans C-125 Toward Substituted Xylooligosaccharides

Substrate specificities of glycoside hydrolase families 8 (Rex), 39 (BhXyl39), and 52 (BhXyl52) β-xylosidases from Bacillus halodurans C-125 were investigated. BhXyl39 hydrolyzed xylotriose most efficiently among the linear xylooligosaccharides. The activity decreased in the order of xylohexaose > xylopentaose > xylotetraose and it had little effect on xylobiose. In contrast, BhXyl52 hydrolyzed xylobiose and xylotriose most efficiently, and its activity decreased when the main chain became longer as follows: xylotetraose > xylopentaose > xylohexaose. Rex produced O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-[O-α-L-arabinofuranosyl-(1 → 3)]-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-xylopyranose (Ara²Xyl₃) and O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-[O-4-O-methyl-α-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(l → 2)]-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-xylopyranose (MeGlcA²Xyl₃), which lost a xylose residue from the reducing end of O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-[O-α-L-arabinofuranosyl-(1 → 3)]-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-xylopyranose (Ara³Xyl₄) and O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-[O-4-O-methyl-α-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-xylopyranose (MeGlcA³Xyl₄). It was considered that there is no space to accommodate side chains at subsite -1. BhXyl39 rapidly hydrolyzes the non-reducing-end xylose linkages of MeGlcA³Xyl₄, while the arabinose branch does not significantly affect the enzyme activity because it degrades Ara³Xyl₄ as rapidly as unmodified xylotetraose. The model structure suggested that BhXyl39 enhanced the activity for MeGlcA³Xyl₄ by forming a hydrogen bond between glucuronic acid and Lys265. BhXyl52 did not hydrolyze Ara³Xyl₄ and MeGlcA³Xyl₄ because it has a narrow substrate binding pocket and 2- and 3-hydroxyl groups of xylose at subsite +1 hydrogen bond to the enzyme.

Evaluation of Ammonia Pretreatment for Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Sugarcane Bagasse to Recover Xylooligosaccharides

Sugarcane bagasse is a useful biomass resource. In the present study, we examined the efficacy of ammonia pretreatment for selective release of hemicellulose from bagasse. Pretreatment of bagasse with aqueous ammonia resulted in significant loss of xylan. In contrast, pretreatment of bagasse with anhydrous ammonia resulted in almost no xylan loss. Aqueous ammonia or anhydrous ammonia-pretreated bagasse was then subjected to enzymatic digestion with a xylanase from the glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 or a xylanase from the GH family 11. The hydrolysis rate of xylan in bagasse pretreated with aqueous ammonia was approximately 50 %. In contrast, in the anhydrous ammonia-treated bagasse, xylan hydrolysis was > 80 %. These results suggested that anhydrous ammonia pretreatment would be an effective method for preparation of sugarcane bagasse for enzymatic hydrolysis to recover xylooligosaccharides.

Functional Characterization of the GH10 and GH11 Xylanases from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis E-86 Provide Insights into the Advantage of GH11 Xylanase in Catalyzing Biomass Degradation

We functionally characterized the GH10 xylanase (SoXyn10A) and the GH11 xylanase (SoXyn11B) derived from the actinomycete Streptomyces olivaceoviridis E-86. Each enzyme exhibited differences in the produced reducing power upon degradation of xylan substrates. SoXyn10A produced higher reducing power than SoXyn11B. Gel filtration of the hydrolysates generated by both enzymes revealed that the original substrate was completely decomposed. Enzyme mixtures of SoXyn10A and SoXyn11B produced the same level of reducing power as SoXyn10A alone. These observations were in good agreement with the composition of the hydrolysis products. The hydrolysis products derived from the incubation of soluble birchwood xylan with a mixture of SoXyn10A and SoXyn11B produced the same products as SoXyn10A alone with similar compositions. Furthermore, the addition of SoXyn10A following SoXyn11B-mediated digestion of xylan produced the same products as SoXyn10A alone with similar compositions. Thus, it was hypothesized that SoXyn10A could degrade xylans to a smaller size than SoXyn11B. In contrast to the soluble xylans as the substrate, the produced reducing power generated by both enzymes was not significantly different when pretreated milled bagasses were used as substrates. Quantification of the pentose content in the milled bagasse residues after the enzyme digestions revealed that SoXyn11B hydrolyzed xylans in pretreated milled bagasses much more efficiently than SoXyn10A. These data suggested that the GH10 xylanases can degrade soluble xylans smaller than the GH11 xylanases. However, the GH11 xylanases may be more efficient at catalyzing xylan degradation in natural environments (e.g. biomass) where xylans interact with celluloses and lignins.

Enhanced Azidolysis by the Formation of Stable Ser-His Catalytic Dyad in a Glycoside Hydrolase Family 10 Xylanase Mutant

Glycoside hydrolases require carboxyl groups as catalysts for their activity. A retaining xylanase from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis E-86 belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 10 possesses Glu128 and Glu236 that respectively function as acid/base and nucleophile. We previously developed a unique mutant of the retaining xylanase, N127S/E128H, whose deglycosylation is triggered by azide. A crystallographic study reported that the transient formation of a Ser–His catalytic dyad in the reaction cycle possibly reduced the azidolysis reaction. In the present study, we engineered a catalytic dyad with enhanced stability by site-directed mutagenesis and crystallographic study of N127S/E128H. Comparison of the Michaelis complexes of N127S/E128H with pNP-X₂ and with xylopentaose showed that Ser127 could form an alternative hydrogen bond with Thr82, which disrupts the formation of the Ser–His catalytic dyad. The introduction of T82A mutation in N127S/E128H produces an enhanced first-order rate constant (6 times that of N127S/E128H). We confirmed the presence of a stable Ser–His hydrogen bond in the Michaelis complex of the triple mutant, which forms the productive tautomer of His128 that acts as an acid catalyst. Because the glycosyl azide is applicable in the bioconjugation of glycans by using click chemistry, the enzyme-assisted production of the glycosyl azide may contribute to the field of glycobiology.

A review on chimeric xylanases: methods and conditions

Multi-functional enzymes are one of the nature's solutions to facilitate metabolic pathways, thus several reactions are regulated and performed simultaneously on one polypeptide chain. Inspired by nature, artificial chimeric proteins have been designed to reduce the production costs and improve the performance. One of the interesting applications of this method is in the plant-based industries such as feed additive, waste treatment, biofuel production, and pulp and paper bleaching. In fact, the heterogeneous texture of plants needs using a combination of different enzymes to achieve an optimal quality in the manufacturing process. Given that xylans are the most abundant non-cellulosic polysaccharides in nature, xylanases are widely utilized in the mentioned industries. In this regard, several studies have been conducted to develop the relevant chimeric enzymes. Despite the successes that have been attained in this field, misfolding, functional or structural interference, and linker breakage have been reported in some cases. The present paper reviews the research to introduce the prerequisites to design an appropriate chimeric xylanase.

Characterization of Glycosynthase Mutants Derived from Glycoside Hydrolase Family 10 Xylanases

Four xylanases belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 10-Thermotoga maritima XylB (TM), Clostridium stercorarium XynB (CS), Bacillus halodurans XynA (BH), and Cellulomonas fimi Cex (CF)-were converted to glycosynthases by substituting the nucleophilic glutamic acid residues with glycine, alanine, and serine. The glycine mutants exhibited the highest levels of glycosynthase activity with all four enzymes. All the glycine mutants formed polymeric beta-1,4-linked xylopyranose as a precipitate during reaction with alpha-xylobiosyl fluoride. Two glycine mutants (TM and CF) recognized X(2) as an effective acceptor molecule to prohibit the formation of the polymer, while the other two (CS and BH) did not. The difference in acceptor specificity is considered to reflect the difference in substrate affinity at their +2 subsites. The results agreed with the structural predictions of the subsite, where TM and CF exhibit high affinity at subsite 2, suggesting that the glycosynthase technique is useful for investigating the affinity of +subsites.

A novel neutral xylanase with high SDS resistance from Volvariella volvacea: characterization and its synergistic hydrolysis of wheat bran with acetyl xylan esterase

A neutral xylanase (XynII) from Volvariella volvacea was identified and characterized. Unlike other modular xylanases, it consists of only a single GH10 catalytic domain with a unique C-terminal sequence (W-R-W-F) and a phenylalanine and proline-rich motif (T-P-F-P-P-F) at N-terminus, indicating that it is a novel GH10 xylanase. XynII exhibited optimal activity at pH 7 and 60 °C and stability over a broad range of pH 4.0–10.0. XynII displayed extreme highly SDS resistance retaining 101.98, 92.99, and 69.84 % activity at the presence of 300 mM SDS on birchwood, soluble oat spelt, and beechwood xylan, respectively. It remained largely intact after 24 h of incubation with proteinase K at a protease to protein ratio of 1:50 at 37 °C. The kinetic constants K  m value towards beechwood xylan was 0.548 mg ml−1, and the k  cat/K  m ratio, reflecting the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme, was 126.42 ml mg−1 s−1 at 60 °C. XynII was a true endo-acting xylanase lacking cellulase activity. It has weak activity towards xylotriose but efficiently hydrolyzed xylans and xylooligosaccharides larger than xylotriose mainly to xylobiose. Synergistic action with acetyl xylan esterase (AXEI) from V. volvacea was observed for de-starched wheat bran. The highest degree of synergy (DS 1.42) was obtained in sequential reactions with AXEI digestion preceding XynII. The high SDS resistance and intrinsic stability suggested XynII may have potential applications in various industrial processes especially for the detergent and textile industries and animal feed industries.

Crystallographic snapshots of an entire reaction cycle for a retaining xylanase from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis E-86

Retaining glycosyl hydrolases, which catalyse both glycosylation and deglycosylation in a concerted manner, are the most abundant hydrolases. To date, their visualization has tended to be focused on glycosylation because glycosylation reactions can be visualized by inactivating deglycosylation step and/or using substrate analogues to isolate covalent intermediates. Furthermore, during structural analyses of glycosyl hydrolases with hydrolytic reaction products by the conventional soaking method, mutarotation of an anomeric carbon in the reaction products promptly and certainly occurs. This undesirable structural alteration hinders visualization of the second step in the reaction. Here, we investigated X-ray crystallographic visualization as a possible method for visualizing the conformational itinerary of a retaining xylanase from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis E-86. To clearly define the stereochemistry at the anomeric carbon during the deglycosylation step, extraneous nucleophiles, such as azide, were adopted to substitute for the missing base catalyst in an appropriate mutant. The X-ray crystallographic visualization provided snapshots of the components of the entire reaction, including the E*S complex, the covalent intermediate, breakdown of the intermediate and the enzyme-product (E*P)complex.

Enzymatic deconstruction of xylan for biofuel production

The combustion of fossil-derived fuels has a significant impact on atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) levels and correspondingly is an important contributor to anthropogenic global climate change. Plants have evolved photosynthetic mechanisms in which solar energy is used to fix CO(2) into carbohydrates. Thus, combustion of biofuels, derived from plant biomass, can be considered a potentially carbon neutral process. One of the major limitations for efficient conversion of plant biomass to biofuels is the recalcitrant nature of the plant cell wall, which is composed mostly of lignocellulosic materials (lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose). The heteropolymer xylan represents the most abundant hemicellulosic polysaccharide and is composed primarily of xylose, arabinose, and glucuronic acid. Microbes have evolved a plethora of enzymatic strategies for hydrolyzing xylan into its constituent sugars for subsequent fermentation to biofuels. Therefore, microorganisms are considered an important source of biocatalysts in the emerging biofuel industry. To produce an optimized enzymatic cocktail for xylan deconstruction, it will be valuable to gain insight at the molecular level of the chemical linkages and the mechanisms by which these enzymes recognize their substrates and catalyze their reactions. Recent advances in genomics, proteomics, and structural biology have revolutionized our understanding of the microbial xylanolytic enzymes. This review focuses on current understanding of the molecular basis for substrate specificity and catalysis by enzymes involved in xylan deconstruction.

Characterization of a thermostable endo-beta-1,4-D-galactanase from the hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima

A putative endo-beta-1,4-D-galactanase gene of Thermotoga maritima was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzyme hydrolyzed pectic galactans and produced D-galactose, beta-1,4-D-galactobiose, beta-1,4-D-galactotriose, and beta-1,4-D-galactotetraose. The enzyme displayed optimum activity at 90 degrees C and pH 7.0. It was slowly inactivated above pH 8.0 and below pH 5.0 and stable at temperatures up to 80 degrees C.

Probing the structural basis for the difference in thermostability displayed by family 10 xylanases

Thermostability is an important property of industrially significant hydrolytic enzymes: understanding the structural basis for this attribute will underpin the future biotechnological exploitation of these biocatalysts. The Cellvibrio family 10 (GH10) xylanases display considerable sequence identity but exhibit significant differences in thermostability; thus, these enzymes represent excellent models to examine the structural basis for the variation in stability displayed by these glycoside hydrolases. Here, we have subjected the intracellular Cellvibrio mixtus xylanase CmXyn10B to forced protein evolution. Error-prone PCR and selection identified a double mutant, A334V/G348D, which confers an increase in thermostability. The mutant has a Tm 8 degrees C higher than the wild-type enzyme and, at 55 degrees C, the first-order rate constant for thermal inactivation of A334V/G348D is 4.1 x 10(-4) min(-1), compared to a value of 1.6 x 10(-1) min(-1) for the wild-type enzyme. The introduction of the N to C-terminal disulphide bridge into A334V/G348D, which increases the thermostability of wild-type CmXyn10B, conferred a further approximately 2 degrees C increase in the Tm of the double mutant. The crystal structure of A334V/G348D showed that the introduction of Val334 fills a cavity within the hydrophobic core of the xylanase, increasing the number of van der Waals interactions with the surrounding aromatic residues, while O(delta1) of Asp348 makes an additional hydrogen bond with the amide of Gly344 and O(delta2) interacts with the arabinofuranose side-chain of the xylose moiety at the -2 subsite. To investigate the importance of xylan decorations in productive substrate binding, the activity of wild-type CmXyn10B, the mutant A334V/G348D, and several other GH10 xylanases against xylotriose and xylotriose containing an arabinofuranose side-chain (AX3) was assessed. The enzymes were more active against AX3 than xylotriose, providing evidence that the arabinose side-chain makes a generic contribution to substrate recognition by GH10 xylanases.

Bioethanol

Alternatives to petroleum-derived fuels are being sought in order to reduce the world's dependence on non-renewable resources. The most common renewable fuel today is ethanol derived from corn grain (starch) and sugar cane (sucrose). It is expected that there will be limits to the supply of these raw materials in the near future, therefore lignocellulosic biomass is seen as an attractive feedstock for future supplies of ethanol. However, there are technical and economical impediments to the development of a commercial processes utilizing biomass. Technologies are being developed that will allow cost-effective conversion of biomass into fuels and chemicals. These technologies include low-cost thermochemical pretreatment, highly effective cellulases and hemicellulases and efficient and robust fermentative microorganisms. Many advances have been made over the past few years that make commercialization more promising.

Glycosynthase-based synthesis of xylo-oligosaccharides using an engineered retaining xylanase from Cellulomonas fimi

Glycosynthases are synthetic enzymes derived from retaining glycosidases in which the catalytic nucleophile has been replaced. The mutation allows irreversible glycosylation of sugar acceptors using glycosyl fluoride donors to afford oligosaccharides without any enzymatic hydrolysis. Glycosynthase technology has proven fruitful for the facile synthesis of useful oligosaccharides, therefore the expansion of the glycosynthase repertoire is of the utmost importance. Herein, we describe for the first time a glycosynthase, derived from a retaining xylanase, that synthesizes a range of xylo-oligosaccharides. The catalytic domain of the retaining endo-1,4-beta-xylanase from Cellulomonas fimi (CFXcd) was successfully converted to the corresponding glycosynthase by mutation of the catalytic nucleophile to a glycine residue. The mutant enzyme (CFXcd-E235G) was found to catalyze the transfer of a xylobiosyl moiety from alpha-xylobiosyl fluoride to either p-nitrophenyl beta-xylobioside or benzylthio beta-xylobioside to afford oligosaccharides ranging in length from tetra- to dodecasaccharides. These products were purified by high performance liquid chromatography in greater than 60% combined yield. 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic analyses of the isolated p-nitrophenyl xylotetraoside and p-nitrophenyl xylohexaoside revealed that CFXcd-E235G catalyzes both the regio- and stereo-selective synthesis of xylo-oligosaccharides containing, exclusively, beta-(1 --> 4) linkages.