4-alpha-glucanotransferase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus litoralis--enzyme purification and characterization, and gene cloning, sequencing and expression in Escherichia coli

ATP-free in vitro biotransformation of starch-derived maltodextrin into poly-3-hydroxybutyrate via acetyl-CoA

In vitro biotransformation (ivBT) facilitated by in vitro synthetic enzymatic biosystems (ivSEBs) has emerged as a highly promising biosynthetic platform. Several ivSEBs have been constructed to produce poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) via acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). However, some systems are hindered by their reliance on costly ATP, limiting their practicality. This study presents the design of an ATP-free ivSEB for one-pot PHB biosynthesis via acetyl-CoA utilizing starch-derived maltodextrin as the sole substrate. Stoichiometric analysis indicates this ivSEB can self-maintain NADP+/NADPH balance and achieve a theoretical molar yield of 133.3%. Leveraging simple one-pot reactions, our ivSEBs achieved a near-theoretical molar yield of 125.5%, the highest PHB titer (208.3 mM, approximately 17.9 g/L) and the fastest PHB production rate (9.4 mM/h, approximately 0.8 g/L/h) among all the reported ivSEBs to date, and demonstrated easy scalability. This study unveils the promising potential of ivBT for the industrial-scale production of PHB and other acetyl-CoA-derived chemicals from starch.

Structural engineering and truncation of α-amylase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Methanocaldococcus jannaschii

Alpha amylases catalyse the hydrolysis of α-1, 4-glycosidic bonds in starch, yielding glucose, maltose, dextrin, and short oligosaccharides, vital to various industrial processes. Structural and functional insights on α-amylase from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii were computationally explored to evaluate a catalytic domain and its fusion with a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO). The recombinant proteins' production, characterization, ligand binding studies, and structural analysis of the cloned amylase native full gene (MjAFG), catalytic domain (MjAD) and fusion enzymes (S-MjAD) were thoroughly analysed in this comparative study. The MjAD and S-MjAD showed 2-fold and 2.5-fold higher specific activities (μmol min-1 mg -1) than MjAFG at 95 °C at pH 6.0. Molecular modelling and MD simulation results showed that the removal of the extra loop (178 residues) at the C-terminal of the catalytic domain exposed the binding and catalytic residues near its active site, which was buried in the MjAFG enzyme. The temperature ramping and secondary structure analysis of MjAFG, MjAD and S-MjAD through CD spectrometry showed no notable alterations in the secondary structures but verified the correct folding of MjA variants. The chimeric fusion of amylases with thermostable α-glucosidases makes it a potential candidate for the starch degrading processes.

Acceptor dependent catalytic properties of GH57 4-α-glucanotransferase from Pyrococcus sp. ST04

The 4-α-glucanotransferase (4-α-GTase or amylomaltase) is an essential enzyme in maltodextrin metabolism. Generally, most bacterial 4-α-GTase is classified into glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 77. However, hyperthermophiles have unique 4-α-GTases belonging to GH family 57. These enzymes are the main amylolytic protein in hyperthermophiles, but their mode of action in maltooligosaccharide utilization is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the catalytic properties of 4-α-GTase from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus sp. ST04 (PSGT) in the presence of maltooligosaccharides of various lengths. Unlike 4-α-GTases in GH family 77, GH family 57 PSGT produced maltotriose in the early stage of reaction and preferred maltose and maltotriose over glucose as the acceptor. The kinetic analysis showed that maltotriose had the lowest KM value, which increased amylose degradation activity by 18.3-fold. Structural models of PSGT based on molecular dynamic simulation revealed two aromatic amino acids interacting with the substrate at the +2 and +3 binding sites, and the mutational study demonstrated they play a critical role in maltotriose binding. These results clarify the mode of action in carbohydrate utilization and explain acceptor binding mechanism of GH57 family 4-α-GTases in hyperthermophilic archaea.

Activity-Based Protein Profiling for the Identification of Novel Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes Involved in Xylan Degradation in the Hyperthermophilic Euryarchaeon Thermococcus sp. Strain 2319x1E

Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) has so far scarcely been applied in Archaea in general and, especially, in extremophilic organisms. We herein isolated a novel Thermococcus strain designated sp. strain 2319x1E derived from the same enrichment culture as the recently reported Thermococcus sp. strain 2319x1. Both strains are able to grow with xylan as the sole carbon and energy source, and for Thermococcus sp. strain 2319x1E (optimal growth at 85°C, pH 6–7), the induction of xylanolytic activity in the presence of xylan was demonstrated. Since the solely sequence-based identification of xylanolytic enzymes is hardly possible, we established a complementary approach by conducting comparative full proteome analysis in combination with ABPP using α- or β-glycosidase selective probes and subsequent mass spectrometry (MS)-based analysis. This complementary proteomics approach in combination with recombinant protein expression and classical enzyme characterization enabled the identification of a novel bifunctional maltose-forming α-amylase and deacetylase (EGDIFPOO_00674) belonging to the GH57 family and a promiscuous β-glycosidase (EGIDFPOO_00532) with β-xylosidase activity. We thereby further substantiated the general applicability of ABPP in archaea and expanded the ABPP repertoire for the identification of glycoside hydrolases in hyperthermophiles.

An ATP-free in vitro synthetic enzymatic biosystem facilitating one-pot stoichiometric conversion of starch to mannitol

D-Mannitol (hereinafter as mannitol) is a six-carbon sugar alcohol with diverse applications in food and pharmaceutical industries. To overcome the drawbacks of the chemical hydrogenation method commonly used for mannitol production at present, there is a need to search for novel prospective mannitol production strategies that are of high yield and low cost. In this study, we present a novel approach for the stoichiometric synthesis of mannitol via an in vitro synthetic enzymatic biosystem using the low-cost starch as substrate. By dividing the overall reaction pathway into three modules which could be executed sequentially in one pot, our design aimed at the stoichiometric conversion of starch-based materials into mannitol in an ATP-independent and cofactor-balanced manner. At optimized conditions, high product yields of around 95-98% were achieved using both 10 g/L and 50 g/L maltodextrin as substrate, indicating the potential of our designed system for industrial applications. This study not only provides a high-efficient strategy for the synthesis of mannitol but also expands the product scope of sugar alcohols by the in vitro synthetic enzymatic biosystems using low-cost starch-based materials as the input. KEY POINTS : • We described a design-build-test-learn pipeline to construct in vitro biosystems. • The designed system comprised six key enzymes and another three enzymes. • The system converted maltodextrin stoichiometrically to mannitol in one pot.

Artificially designed routes for the conversion of starch to value-added mannosyl compounds through coupling in vitro and in vivo metabolic engineering strategies

Starch/cellulose has become the major feedstock for manufacturing biofuels and biochemicals because of their abundance and sustainability. In this study, we presented an artificially designed "starch-mannose-fermentation" biotransformation process through coupling the advantages of in vivo and in vitro metabolic engineering strategies together. Starch was initially converted into mannose via an in vitro metabolic engineering biosystem, and then mannose was fermented by engineered microorganisms for biomanufacturing valuable mannosyl compounds. The in vitro metabolic engineering biosystem based on phosphorylation/dephosphorylation reactions was thermodynamically favorable and the conversion rate reached 81%. The mannose production using whole-cell biocatalysts reached 75.4 g/L in a 30-L reactor, indicating the potential industrial application. Furthermore, the produced mannose in the reactor was directly served as feedstock for the fermentation process to bottom-up produced 19.2 g/L mannosyl-oligosaccharides (MOS) and 7.2 g/L mannosylglycerate (MG) using recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum strains. Notably, such a mannose fermentation process facilitated the synthesis of MOS, which has not been achieved under glucose fermentation and improved MG production by 2.6-fold than that using the same C-mole of glucose. This approach also allowed access to produce other kinds of mannosyl derivatives from starch.

New groups of protein homologues in the α-amylase family GH57 closely related to α-glucan branching enzymes and 4-α-glucanotransferases

The glycoside hydrolase family GH57 is known as the second α-amylase family. Its main characteristics are as follows: (i) employing the retaining reaction mechanism; (ii) adopting the (β/α)₇-barrel (the incomplete TIM-barrel) with succeeding bundle of α-helices as the catalytic domain; (iii) sharing the five conserved sequence regions (CSRs) exhibiting the sequence fingerprints of the individual enzyme specificities; and (iv) using the catalytic machinery consisting of glutamic acid (the catalytic nucleophile) and aspartic acid (the proton donor) positioned at strands β4 (CSR-3) and β7 (CSR-4) of the (β/α)₇-barrel domain, respectively. Several years ago, a group of hypothetical proteins closely related to the specificity of α-amylase was revealed, the so-called α-amylase-like homologues, the members of which lack either one or even both catalytic residues. The novelty of the present study lies in delivering two additional groups of the "like" proteins that are homologues of α-glucan-branching enzyme (GBE) and 4-α-glucanotransferase (4AGT) specificities. Based on a recently published in silico analysis of more than 1600 family GH57 sequences, 13 GBE-like and 18 4AGT-like proteins from unique sources were collected and analyzed in a detail with respect to their taxonomical origin, sequence and structural features as well as evolutionary relationships. This in silico study could accelerate the efforts leading to experimental revealing the real function of the enzymes-like proteins in the α-amylase family GH57.

Efficient production of aggregation prone 4-α-glucanotransferase by combined use of molecular chaperones and chemical chaperones in Escherichia coli

In this study, a combined optimization strategy, based on co-expression of molecular chaperones and supplementation of osmolytes, was used to reduce the formation of inclusion bodies and enhance the expression of the soluble form of 4-α-glucanotransferase. The 4-α-glucanotransferase yield was enhanced by co-expression with pGro7 and supplementation of trimetlylamine oxide. Subsequently, the effects of process conditions (temperature, inducer concentration, and arabinose concentration) on cell growth and 4-α-glucanotransferase production were also investigated in shake flasks. In addition, a modified high-cell-density fermentation approach was proposed and applied in 3-L fermentor supplied with l-arabinose and trimetlylamine oxide, which achieved a dry cell weight of 65.92 g·L^-1. Through this cultivation approach at 28 °C, the activity of 4-α-glucanotransferase reached 332.5 U·g^-1 dry cell weight, which was 24.6-fold greater than the initial activity in shake flask cultivation. This combined strategy is expected to provide an efficient and economical approach to overproduction of aggregation prone proteins on a large scale.

Induction of a Toxin-Antitoxin Gene Cassette under High Hydrostatic Pressure Enables Markerless Gene Disruption in the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus yayanosii

The discovery of hyperthermophiles has dramatically changed our understanding of the habitats in which life can thrive. However, the extreme high temperatures in which these organisms live have severely restricted the development of genetic tools. The archaeon Pyrococcus yayanosii A1 is a strictly anaerobic and piezophilic hyperthermophile that is an ideal model for studies of extreme environmental adaptation. In the present study, we identified a high hydrostatic pressure (HHP)-inducible promoter (P _hhp ) that controls target gene expression under HHP. We developed an HHP-inducible toxin-antitoxin cassette (HHP-TAC) containing (i) a counterselectable marker in which a gene encoding a putative toxin (virulence-associated protein C [PF0776 {VapC}]) controlled by the HHP-inducible promoter was used in conjunction with the gene encoding antitoxin PF0775 (VapB), which was fused to a constitutive promoter (P _hmtB ), and (ii) a positive marker with the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase-encoding gene from P. furiosus controlled by the constitutive promoter P _gdh The HHP-TAC was constructed to realize markerless gene disruption directly in P. yayanosii A1 in rich medium. The pop-out recombination step was performed using an HHP-inducible method. As proof, the PYCH_13690 gene, which encodes a 4-α-glucanotransferase, was successfully deleted from the strain P. yayanosii A1. The results showed that the capacity for starch hydrolysis in the Δ1369 mutant decreased dramatically compared to that in the wild-type strain. The inducible toxin-antitoxin system developed in this study greatly increases the genetic tools available for use in hyperthermophiles.IMPORTANCE Genetic manipulations in hyperthermophiles have been studied for over 20 years. However, the extremely high temperatures under which these organisms grow have limited the development of genetic tools. In this study, an HHP-inducible promoter was used to control the expression of a toxin. Compared to sugar-inducible and cold-shock-inducible promoters, the HHP-inducible promoter rarely has negative effects on the overall physiology and central metabolism of microorganisms, especially piezophilic hyperthermophiles. Previous studies have used auxotrophic strains as hosts, which may interfere with studies of adaptation and metabolism. Using an inducible toxin-antitoxin (TA) system as a counterselectable marker enables the generation of a markerless gene disruption strain without the use of auxotrophic mutants and counterselection with 5-fluoroorotic acid. TA systems are widely distributed in bacteria and archaea and can be used to overcome the limitations of high growth temperatures and dramatically extend the selectivity of genetic tools in hyperthermophiles.

In silico analysis of the α-amylase family GH57: eventual subfamilies reflecting enzyme specificities

Glycoside hydrolases (GHs) have been classified in the CAZy database into 153 GH families. Currently, there might be four α-amylase families: the main family GH13, the family GH57 with related GH119 and, eventually, also GH126. The family GH57 was established in 1996 as the second and smaller α-amylase family. In addition to α-amylase, it contains 4-α-glucanotransferase, α-glucan branching enzyme, amylopullulanase, dual-specificity amylopullulanase–cyclomaltodextrinase, non-specified amylase, maltogenic amylase and α-galactosidase. The family GH57 enzymes employ the retaining reaction mechanism, share five typical conserved sequence regions and possess catalytic (β/α)₇-barrel succeeded by a four-helix bundle with the catalytic machinery consisting of catalytic nucleophile and proton donor (glutamic acid and aspartic acid at strands β4 and β7, respectively). The present bioinformatics study delivers a detailed sequence comparison of 1602 family GH57 sequences with the aim to highlight the uniqueness of each enzyme’s specificity and all eventual protein groups. This was achieved by creating the evolutionary tree focused on both the enzyme specificities and taxonomical origin. The substantial increase of numbers of sequences from recent comparisons done more than 5 years ago has allowed to refine the details of the sequence logos for the individual enzyme specificities. The study identifies a new evolutionary distinct group of α-galactosidase-related enzymes with until-now-undefined enzyme specificity but positioned on the evolutionary tree on a branch adjacent to α-galactosidases. The specificity of α-galactosidase is, moreover, the only one of the entire family GH57 for which there is no structural support for the proposal of the proton donor based on sequence analysis. The analysis also suggests a few so-called “like” protein groups related to some family GH57 enzyme specificities but lacking one or both catalytic residues.

Y418 in 410s loop is required for high transglucosylation activity and large-ring cyclodextrin production of amylomaltase from Corynebacterium glutamicum

Amylomaltase catalyzes α-1,4 glucosyl transfer reaction to yield linear or cyclic oligosaccharide products. The aim of this work is to investigate functional roles of 410s loop unique to amylomaltase from Corynebacterium glutamicum (CgAM). Site-directed mutagenesis of Y418, the residue at the loop tip, was performed. Y418A/S/D/R/W/F - CgAMs were characterized and compared to the wild-type (WT). A significant decrease in starch transglucosylation, disproportionation and cyclization activities was observed. Specificity for G3 substrate in disproportionation reaction was not changed; however, Y418F showed an increase in preference for longer oligosaccharides G5 to G7. The catalytic efficiency of Y418 mutated CgAMs, except for Y418F, was significantly lower (up to 8- and 12- fold for the W and R mutants, respectively) than that of WT. The change was in the k_cat, not the K_m values which were around 16-20 mM. The profile of large-ring cyclodextrin (LR-CD) product was different; the principal product of Y418A/D/S was shifted to the larger size (CD36-CD40) while that of the WT and Y418F peaked at CD29-CD33. The product yield was reduced especially in W and R mutants. Hence Y418 in 410s loop of CgAM not only contributes to transglucosylation activities but also controls the amount and size of LR-CD products through the proposed hydrophobic stacking interaction and the suitable distance of loop channel for substrate entering. This is the first report to show the effect of the loop tip residue on LR-CD product formation.

An in vitro synthetic biology platform for the industrial biomanufacturing of myo-inositol from starch

Myo-Inositol (vitamin B8) is widely used in the drug, cosmetic, and food & feed industries. Here, we present an in vitro non-fermentative enzymatic pathway that converts starch to inositol in one vessel. This in vitro pathway is comprised of four enzymes that operate without ATP or NAD⁺ supplementation. All enzyme BioBricks are carefully selected from hyperthermophilic microorganisms, that is, alpha-glucan phosphorylase from Thermotoga maritima, phosphoglucomutase from Thermococcus kodakarensis, inositol 1-phosphate synthase from Archaeoglobus fulgidus, and inositol monophosphatase from T. maritima. They were expressed efficiently in high-density fermentation of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and easily purified by heat treatment. The four-enzyme pathway supplemented with two other hyperthermophilic enzymes (i.e., 4-α-glucanotransferase from Thermococcus litoralis and isoamylase from Sulfolobus tokodaii) converts branched or linear starch to inositol, accomplishing a very high product yield of 98.9 ± 1.8% wt./wt. This in vitro (aeration-free) biomanufacturing has been successfully operated on 20,000-L reactors. Less costly inositol would be widely added in heath food, low-end soft drink, and animal feed, and may be converted to other value-added biochemicals (e.g., glucarate). This biochemical is the first product manufactured by the in vitro synthetic biology platform on an industrial scale. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1855-1864. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pcal_0768, a hyperactive 4-α-glucanotransferase from Pyrobacculum calidifontis

Genome sequence of hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum calidifontis revealed the presence of an open reading frame, Pcal_0768, corresponding to a putative 4-α-glucanotranferase belonging to glycoside hydrolases (GH) family 77. We have produced, in Escherichia coli, and purified recombinant Pcal_0768 which exhibited high disproportionation (690 U mg(-1)) activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest ever reported activity for any member of family GH77. Maltooligosaccharides, when used as sole substrates, were disproportionated into linear maltooligohomologues. The analysis of the reaction end products revealed no evidence for the production of cycloamyloses. Catalytic activity of the enzyme remained unchanged in the presence or the absence of ionic and nonionic detergents. γ-cyclodextrin, an inhibitor of 4-α-glucanotransferases, did not show any inhibitory effect on Pcal_0768 activity. These properties make Pcal_0768 a potential candidate for starch processing industry.

One-Pot Biosynthesis of High-Concentration α-Glucose 1-Phosphate from Starch by Sequential Addition of Three Hyperthermophilic Enzymes

α-Glucose 1-phosphate (G1P) is synthesized from 5% (w/v) corn starch and 1 M phosphate mediated by α-glucan phosphorylase (αGP) from the thermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima at pH 7.2 and 70 °C. To increase G1P yield from corn starch containing branched amylopectin, a hyper-thermostable isoamylase from Sulfolobus tokodaii was added for simultaneous starch gelatinization and starch-debranching hydrolysis at 85 °C and pH 5.5 before αGP use. The pretreatment of isoamylase increased G1P titer from 120 mM to 170 mM. To increase maltose and maltotriose utilization, the third thermostable enzyme, 4-glucanotransferase (4GT) from Thermococcus litoralis, was added during the late stage of G1P biotransformation, further increasing G1P titer to 200 mM. This titer is the highest G1P level obtained on starch or its derived products (maltodextrin and soluble starch). This study suggests that in vitro multienzyme biotransformation has an advantage of great engineering flexibility in terms of space and time compared with microbial fermentation.

Transglycosylation Activity ofDictyoglomus thermophilumAmylase A

Amylase A from Dictyoglomus thermophilum is a thermophilic enzyme and has about 40% identity with 4-alpha-glucanotransferase (GTase) from Thermococcus litoralis, and both of these enzymes belong to family 57 glycosyl hydrolase. Since the transglycosylation activity of T. litoralis GTase has been well characterized, the substrate specificity and reaction products of amylase A from D. thermophilum were examined. alpha-1,4 Glucan was produced from maltooligosaccharides, and glucoamylase-resistant molecules (cycloamyloses) were produced from longer chain amylose (average molecular mass 200 kDa). It has been reported that amylase A from D. thermophilum hydrolyzes starch, but in this study it was found that the enzyme was also able to use maltooligosaccharides and long chain amylose as substrate and has transglycosylation activity.

α-Amylase: an enzyme specificity found in various families of glycoside hydrolases

α-Amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) represents the best known amylolytic enzyme. It catalyzes the hydrolysis of α-1,4-glucosidic bonds in starch and related α-glucans. In general, the α-amylase is an enzyme with a broad substrate preference and product specificity. In the sequence-based classification system of all carbohydrate-active enzymes, it is one of the most frequently occurring glycoside hydrolases (GH). α-Amylase is the main representative of family GH13, but it is probably also present in the families GH57 and GH119, and possibly even in GH126. Family GH13, known generally as the main α-amylase family, forms clan GH-H together with families GH70 and GH77 that, however, contain no α-amylase. Within the family GH13, the α-amylase specificity is currently present in several subfamilies, such as GH13_1, 5, 6, 7, 15, 24, 27, 28, 36, 37, and, possibly in a few more that are not yet defined. The α-amylases classified in family GH13 employ a reaction mechanism giving retention of configuration, share 4-7 conserved sequence regions (CSRs) and catalytic machinery, and adopt the (β/α)8-barrel catalytic domain. Although the family GH57 α-amylases also employ the retaining reaction mechanism, they possess their own five CSRs and catalytic machinery, and adopt a (β/α)7-barrel fold. These family GH57 attributes are likely to be characteristic of α-amylases from the family GH119, too. With regard to family GH126, confirmation of the unambiguous presence of the α-amylase specificity may need more biochemical investigation because of an obvious, but unexpected, homology with inverting β-glucan-active hydrolases.

Bioinformatic and biochemical analysis of a novel maltose-forming α-amylase of the GH57 family in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus sp. CL1

Maltose-forming α-amylase is a glycoside hydrolase family 57 (GH57) member that is unique because it displays dual hydrolysis activity toward α-1,4- and α-1,6-glycosidic linkages and only recognizes maltose. This enzyme was previously identified only in Pyrococcus sp. ST04 (PSMA); however, we recently found two homologs subgroups in Thermococcus species. One subgroup (subgroup A) showed relatively high amino acid sequence similarity to PSMA (>71%), while the other subgroup (subgroup B) showed lower homology with PSMA (<59%). To characterize the subgroup B maltose-forming α-amylase from Thermococcus species (TCMA), we cloned the CL1_0868 gene from Thermococcus sp. CL1 and then successfully expressed the gene in Escherichia coli. Although TCMA has a different oligomeric state relative to PSMA, TCMA showed similar substrate specificity. However, TCMA was shown to hydrolyze maltooligosaccharides more easily than PSMA. Also, TCMA displayed different optimum conditions depending on the glycosidic linkage of the substrate. TCMA had the highest activity at 85°C and at pH 5.0 for α-1,4-glycosidic linkage hydrolysis whereas it showed its maximal activity to cleave α-1,6-glycosidic linkages at 98°C and pH 6.0.

Two potentially novel amylolytic enzyme specificities in the prokaryotic glycoside hydrolase α-amylase family GH57

Glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 57 consists of more than 900 proteins from Archaea (roughly one-quarter) and Bacteria (roughly three-quarters), mostly from thermophiles. Fewer than 20 GH57 members have already been biochemically characterized as real, (almost exclusively) amylolytic enzymes. In addition to a recently described dual-specificity amylopullulanase-cyclomaltodextrinase, five enzyme specificities have been well established in the family--α-amylase, amylopullulanase, branching enzyme, 4-α-glucanotransferase and α-galactosidase--plus a group of the so-called α-amylase-like homologues probably without the enzyme activity. A (β/α)7-barrel succeeded by a bundle of a few α-helices forming the catalytic domain, and five conserved sequence regions (CSRs), are the main characteristics of family GH57. The main goal of the present bioinformatics study was to describe two novel groups within family GH57 that represent potential non-specified amylases (127 sequences mostly from Bacteria) and maltogenic amylases (12 sequences from Archaea). These were collected from sequence databases based on an indication of their biochemical characterization. Although both the non-specified amylases and the maltogenic amylases share the in silico identified catalytic machinery and predicted fold with the experimentally determined GH57 members, the two novel groups may define new GH57 subfamilies. They are distinguishable from the other, previously recognized, subfamilies by specific sequence features present especially in their CSRs (the so-called sequence fingerprints), also reflecting their own evolutionary histories.

Sequence fingerprints of enzyme specificities from the glycoside hydrolase family GH57

The glycoside hydrolase family 57 (GH57) contains five well-established enzyme specificities: α-amylase, amylopullulanase, branching enzyme, 4-α-glucanotransferase and α-galactosidase. Around 700 GH57 members originate from Bacteria and Archaea, a substantial number being produced by thermophiles. An intriguing feature of family GH57 is that only slightly more than 2 % of its members (i.e., less than 20 enzymes) have already been biochemically characterized. The main goal of the present bioinformatics study was to retrieve from databases, and analyze in detail, sequences having clear features of the five GH57 enzyme specificities mentioned above. Of the 367 GH57 sequences, 56 were evaluated as α-amylases, 99 as amylopullulanases, 158 as branching enzymes, 46 as 4-α-glucanotransferases and 8 as α-galactosidases. Based on the analysis of collected sequences, sequence logos were created for each specificity and unique sequence features were identified within the logos. These features were proposed to define the so-called sequence fingerprints of GH57 enzyme specificities. Domain arrangements characteristic of the individual enzyme specificities as well as evolutionary relationships within the family GH57 are also discussed. The results of this study could find use in rational protein design of family GH57 amylolytic enzymes and also in the possibility of assigning a GH57 specificity to a hypothetical GH57 member prior to its biochemical characterization.

Identification and characterization of a novel thermostable gh-57 gene from metagenomic fosmid library of the Juan de Fuca Ridge hydrothemal vent

A novel glycoside hydrolases family 57 gene (gh-57) was found from a metagenomic fosmid library constructed from a black smoker chimney sample 4143-1 from the Mothra hydrothermal vent at the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Sequence and homology analysis using BLAST revealed that it had high similarity to gh-57 family. Conserved domain research revealed that the novel gh-57 contained a Glyco-hydro-57 domain and five conserved regions, including two putative catalytic residues Glu¹⁵⁴ and Asp²⁶³. The three-dimensional features of the protein and its homologue from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 known as α-amylase were generated by homology modeling. The gh-57 gene was cloned, expressed, and purified in Escherichia coli using pQE system. Enzyme activity revealed that the recombinant protein could hydrolyze soluble starch and demonstrated amylase activity. It showed an optimal pH of 7.5, an optimal temperature of 90 °C, and its thermostability at 90 °C could remain over 50% enzyme activity for 4 h. The enzyme activity could be increased by DTT and Mg²⁺ while an inhibitory effect was observed with EDTA, ATP, and Ca²⁺. These results showed that the gh-57 gene was a novel thermostable amylase from oceanic microorganisms.

Model organisms for genetics in the domain Archaea: methanogens, halophiles, Thermococcales and Sulfolobales

The tree of life is split into three main branches: eukaryotes, bacteria, and archaea. Our knowledge of eukaryotic and bacteria cell biology has been built on a foundation of studies in model organisms, using the complementary approaches of genetics and biochemistry. Archaea have led to some exciting discoveries in the field of biochemistry, but archaeal genetics has been slow to get off the ground, not least because these organisms inhabit some of the more inhospitable places on earth and are therefore believed to be difficult to culture. In fact, many species can be cultivated with relative ease and there has been tremendous progress in the development of genetic tools for both major archaeal phyla, the Euryarchaeota and the Crenarchaeota. There are several model organisms available for methanogens, halophiles, and thermophiles; in the latter group, there are genetic systems for Sulfolobales and Thermococcales. In this review, we present the advantages and disadvantages of working with each archaeal group, give an overview of their different genetic systems, and direct the neophyte archaeologist to the most appropriate model organism.

Unusual starch degradation pathway via cyclodextrins in the hyperthermophilic sulfate-reducing archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus strain 7324

The hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus strain 7324 has been shown to grow on starch and sulfate and thus represents the first sulfate reducer able to degrade polymeric sugars. The enzymes involved in starch degradation to glucose 6-phosphate were studied. In extracts of starch-grown cells the activities of the classical starch degradation enzymes, alpha-amylase and amylopullulanase, could not be detected. Instead, evidence is presented here that A. fulgidus utilizes an unusual pathway of starch degradation involving cyclodextrins as intermediates. The pathway comprises the combined action of an extracellular cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) converting starch to cyclodextrins and the intracellular conversion of cyclodextrins to glucose 6-phosphate via cyclodextrinase (CDase), maltodextrin phosphorylase (Mal-P), and phosphoglucomutase (PGM). These enzymes, which are all induced after growth on starch, were characterized. CGTase catalyzed the conversion of starch to mainly beta-cyclodextrin. The gene encoding CGTase was cloned and sequenced and showed highest similarity to a glucanotransferase from Thermococcus litoralis. After transport of the cyclodextrins into the cell by a transport system to be defined, these molecules are linearized via a CDase, catalyzing exclusively the ring opening of the cyclodextrins to the respective maltooligodextrins. These are degraded by a Mal-P to glucose 1-phosphate. Finally, PGM catalyzes the conversion of glucose 1-phosphate to glucose 6-phosphate, which is further degraded to pyruvate via the modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway.

Function of second glucan binding site including tyrosines 54 and 101 in Thermus aquaticus amylomaltase

Amylomaltase from Thermus aquaticus catalyzes three types of transglycosylation reaction, as well as a weak hydrolytic reaction of alpha-1,4 glucan. From our previous study [Fujii et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 71, 5823-5827 (2005)], tyrosine 54 (Y54) was identified as an amino acid controlling the reaction specificity of this enzyme. Since Y54 is not located around the active site but in the proposed second glucan binding site that is 14 A away from catalytic residues, the functions of Y54 and the second glucan binding site are of great interest. In this study, we introduced mutations into another tyrosine (Y101) in the second glucan binding site. The obtained mutated enzymes were subjected to all four types of enzyme assay and the effects of mutations on the reaction specificities of these enzymes were comprehensively investigated. These studies indicated that the amino acid substitution at Y54 or Y101 for removing their aromatic side chain increases cyclization activity (intra-molecular transglycosylation reaction) but decreases disproportionation, coupling and hydrolytic activities (inter-molecular reactions). The superimposition of the reported structures of the enzyme with and without substrate analog revealed the occurrence of a conformational change in which a donor binding site becomes open. From lines of evidence, we conclude that the binding of glucan substrate to the second glucan binding site through an interaction with the aromatic side chains of Y54 and Y101 is a trigger for the enzyme to take a completely active conformation for all four types of activity, but prevents the cyclization reaction to occur since the flexibility of the glucan is restricted by such binding.

Contribution of W229 to the transglycosylation activity of 4-α-glucanotransferase from Pyrococcus furiosus

A W229H mutant of 4-alpha-glucanotransferase (4-alpha-GTase) from Pyrococcus furiosus was constructed and its catalytic properties were studied to investigate the role of W229 in the catalytic specificities of the enzyme. Various activities and kinetic parameters were determined for the wild-type and W229H mutant enzymes. The transglycosylation factor and transglycosylation activity of the mutant enzyme markedly decreased, but its hydrolysis activity was scarcely affected. It was discovered that the k(cat)/K(m) value of transglycosylation activity significantly decreased to about 15% of that of the wild type, while k(cat)/K(m) value of hydrolysis activity changed little for the mutant enzyme. The hydrophobicity of W229 was thought to be critical to the transglycosylation activity of the enzyme based on the enzyme's modeled tertiary structures.

A novel branching enzyme of the GH-57 family in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1

Branching enzyme (BE) catalyzes formation of the branch points in glycogen and amylopectin by cleavage of the alpha-1,4 linkage and its subsequent transfer to the alpha-1,6 position. We have identified a novel BE encoded by an uncharacterized open reading frame (TK1436) of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1. TK1436 encodes a conserved protein showing similarity to members of glycoside hydrolase family 57 (GH-57 family). At the C terminus of the TK1436 protein, two copies of a helix-hairpin-helix (HhH) motif were found. TK1436 orthologs are distributed in archaea of the order Thermococcales, cyanobacteria, some actinobacteria, and a few other bacterial species. When recombinant TK1436 protein was incubated with amylose used as the substrate, a product peak was detected by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography, eluting more slowly than the substrate. Isoamylase treatment of the reaction mixture significantly increased the level of short-chain alpha-glucans, indicating that the reaction product contained many alpha-1,6 branching points. The TK1436 protein showed an optimal pH of 7.0, an optimal temperature of 70 degrees C, and thermostability up to 90 degrees C, as determined by the iodine-staining assay. These properties were the same when a protein devoid of HhH motifs (the TK1436DeltaH protein) was used. The average molecular weight of branched glucan after reaction with the TK1436DeltaH protein was over 100 times larger than that of the starting substrate. These results clearly indicate that TK1436 encodes a structurally novel BE belonging to the GH-57 family. Identification of an overlooked BE species provides new insights into glycogen biosynthesis in microorganisms.

Identification and characterization of a novel intracellular alkaline alpha-amylase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima MSB8

The gene for a novel alpha-amylase, designated AmyC, from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima was cloned and heterologously overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The putative intracellular enzyme had no amino acid sequence similarity to glycoside hydrolase family (GHF) 13 alpha-amylases, yet the range of substrate hydrolysis and the product profile clearly define the protein as an alpha-amylase. Based on sequence similarity AmyC belongs to a subgroup within GHF 57. On the basis of amino acid sequence similarity, Glu185 and Asp349 could be identified as the catalytic residues of AmyC. Using a 60-min assay, the maximum hydrolytic activity of the purified enzyme, which was dithiothreitol dependent, was found to be at 90 degrees C. AmyC displayed a remarkably high pH optimum of pH 8.5 and an unusual sensitivity towards both ATP and EDTA.

Transcriptional and biochemical analysis of starch metabolism in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus

Pyrococcus furiosus utilizes starch and its degradation products, such as maltose, as primary carbon sources, but the pathways by which these alpha-glucans are processed have yet to be defined. For example, its genome contains genes proposed to encode five amylolytic enzymes (including a cyclodextrin glucanotransferase [CGTase] and amylopullulanase), as well as two transporters for maltose and maltodextrins (Mal-I and Mal-II), and a range of intracellular enzymes have been purified that reportedly metabolize maltodextrins and maltose. However, precisely which of these enzymes are involved in starch processing is not clear. In this study, starch metabolism in P. furiosus was examined by biochemical analyses in conjunction with global transcriptional response data for cells grown on a variety of glucans. In addition, DNA sequencing led to the correction of two key errors in the genome sequence, and these change the predicted properties of amylopullulanase (now designated PF1935*) and CGTase (PF0478*). Based on all of these data, a pathway is proposed that is specific for starch utilization that involves one transporter (Mal-II [PF1933 to PF1939]) and only three enzymes, amylopullulanase (PF1935*), 4-alpha-glucanotransferase (PF0272), and maltodextrin phosphorylase (PF1535). Their expression is upregulated on starch, and together they generate glucose and glucose-1-phosphate, which then feed into the novel glycolytic pathway of this organism. In addition, the results indicate that several hypothetical proteins encoded by three gene clusters are also involved in the transport and processing of alpha-glucan substrates by P. furiosus.

Amylomaltase of Pyrobaculum aerophilum IM2 produces thermoreversible starch gels

Amylomaltases are 4-alpha-glucanotransferases (EC 2.4.1.25) of glycoside hydrolase family 77 that transfer alpha-1,4-linked glucans to another acceptor, which can be the 4-OH group of an alpha-1,4-linked glucan or glucose. The amylomaltase-encoding gene (PAE1209) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum IM2 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the gene product (PyAMase) was characterized. PyAMase displays optimal activity at pH 6.7 and 95 degrees C and is the most thermostable amylomaltase described to date. The thermostability of PyAMase was reduced in the presence of 2 mM dithiothreitol, which agreed with the identification of two possible cysteine disulfide bridges in a three-dimensional model of PyAMase. The kinetics for the disproportionation of malto-oligosaccharides, inhibition by acarbose, and binding mode of the substrates in the active site were determined. Acting on gelatinized food-grade potato starch, PyAMase produced a thermoreversible starch product with gelatin-like properties. This thermoreversible gel has potential applications in the food industry. This is the first report on an archaeal amylomaltase.

TrmB, a sugar sensing regulator of ABC transporter genes inPyrococcus furiosusexhibits dual promoter specificity and is controlled by different inducers

TrmB is the transcriptional repressor for the gene cluster of the trehalose/maltose ABC transporter of the hyperthermophilic archaea Thermococcus litoralis and Pyrococcus furiosus (malE or TM operon), with maltose and trehalose acting as inducers. We found that TrmB (the protein is identical in both organisms) also regulated the transcription of genes encoding a separate maltodextrin ABC transporter in P. furiosus (mdxE or MD operon) with maltotriose, longer maltodextrins and sucrose acting as inducers, but not with maltose or trehalose. In vitro transcription of the malE and the mdxE operons was inhibited by TrmB binding to the different operator sequences. Inhibition of the TM operon was released by maltose and trehalose whereas inhibition of the MD operon was released by maltotriose and larger maltodextrins as well as by sucrose. Scanning mutagenesis of the TM operator revealed the role of the palindromic TACTNNNAGTA sequence for TrmB recognition. TrmB exhibits a broad spectrum of sugar-binding specificity, binding maltose, sucrose, maltotriose and trehalose in decreasing order of affinity, half-maximal binding occurring at 20, 60, 250 and 500 microM substrate concentration respectively. Of all substrates, only maltose shows sigmoidal binding characteristics with a Hill coefficient of 2. As measured by molecular sieve chromatography and cross-linking TrmB behaved as dimer in dilute buffer solution at room temperature. We conclude that TrmB acts as a bifunctional transcriptional regulator acting on two different promoters and being differentially controlled by binding to different sugars. We believe this to represent a novel strategy of prokaryotic transcription regulation.

Bioinformatics of the glycoside hydrolase family 57 and identification of catalytic residues in amylopullulanase from Thermococcus hydrothermalis

Fifty-nine amino acid sequences belonging to family 57 (GH-57) of the glycoside hydrolases were collected using the CAZy server, Pfam database and blast tools. Owing to the sequence heterogeneity of the GH-57 members, sequence alignments were performed using mainly manual methods. Likewise, five conserved regions were identified, which are postulated to be GH-57 consensus motifs. In the 659 amino acid-long 4-alpha-glucanotransferase from Thermococcus litoralis, these motifs correspond to 13_HQP (region I), 76_GQLEIV (region II), 120_WLTERV (region III), 212_HDDGEKFGVW (region IV), and 350_AQCNDAYWH (region V). The third and fourth conserved regions contain the catalytic nucleophile and the proton donor, respectively. Based on our sequence alignment, residues Glu291 and Asp394 were proposed as the nucleophile and proton donor, respectively, in a GH-57 amylopullulanase from Thermococcus hydrothermalis. To validate this prediction, site-directed mutagenesis was performed. The results of this work reveal that both residues are critical for the pullulanolytic and amylolytic activities of the amylopullulanase. Therefore, these data support the prediction and strongly suggest that the bifunctionality of the amylopullulanase is determined by a single catalytic centre. Despite this positive validation, our alignment also reveals that certain GH-57 members do not possess the Glu and Asp corresponding to the predicted GH-57 catalytic residues. However, the sequences concerned by this anomaly encode putative proteins for which no biochemical or enzymatic data are yet available. Finally, the evolutionary trees generated for GH-57 reveal that the entire family can be divided into several subfamilies that may reflect the different enzyme specificities.

Molecular evolution of the ATPase subunit of three archaeal sugar ABC transporters

The sequence of genes encoding extracellular amylopullulanase and putative maltodextrin ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter of a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus litoralis, was determined. The mdxK gene, which encodes an ATPase subunit of the putative maltodextrin ABC transporter, has extraordinarily high similarity with the malK gene, which encodes an ATPase subunit of trehalose/maltose ABC transporter of the same organism. DNA sequence comparison revealed that the malK gene was generated through the duplication of the mdxK gene before lateral gene transfer of the mal gene cluster from T. litoralis to Pyrococcus furiosus.

Crystal structures of 4-alpha-glucanotransferase from Thermococcus litoralis and its complex with an inhibitor

Thermococcus litoralis 4-alpha-glucanotransferase (TLGT) belongs to glucoside hydrolase family 57 and catalyzes the disproportionation of amylose and the formation of large cyclic alpha-1,4-glucan (cycloamylose) from linear amylose. We determined the crystal structure of TLGT with and without an inhibitor, acarbose. TLGT is composed of two domains: an N-terminal domain (domain I), which contains a (beta/alpha)7 barrel fold, and a C-terminal domain (domain II), which has a twisted beta-sandwich fold. In the structure of TLGT complexed with acarbose, the inhibitor was bound at the cleft within domain I, indicating that domain I is a catalytic domain of TLGT. The acarbose-bound structure also clarified that Glu123 and Asp214 were the catalytic nucleophile and acid/base catalyst, respectively, and revealed the residues involved in substrate binding. It seemed that TLGT produces large cyclic glucans by preventing the production of small cyclic glucans by steric hindrance, which is achieved by three lids protruding into the active site cleft, as well as an extended active site cleft. Interestingly, domain I of TLGT shares some structural features with the catalytic domain of Golgi alpha-mannosidase from Drosophila melanogaster, which belongs to glucoside hydrolase family 38. Furthermore, the catalytic residue of the two enzymes is located in the same position. These observations suggest that families 57 and 38 evolved from a common ancestor.