The L-Arabinan utilization system of Geobacillus stearothermophilus

Genomic mining of Geobacillus stearothermophilus GF16 for xylose production from hemicellulose-rich biomasses using secreted enzymes

The valorization of lignocellulosic biomass, derived from various bio-waste materials, has received considerable attention as a sustainable approach to improve production chains while reducing environmental impact. Microbial enzymes have emerged as key players in the degradation of polysaccharides, offering versatile applications in biotechnology and industry. Among these enzymes, glycoside hydrolases (GHs) play a central role. Xylanases, in particular, are used in a wide range of applications and are essential for the production of xylose, which can be fermented into bioethanol or find use in many other industries. Currently, fungal secretomes dominate as the main reservoir of lignocellulolytic enzymes, but thermophilic microorganisms offer notable advantages in terms of enzyme stability and production efficiency. Here we present the genomic characterization of Geobacillus stearothermophilus GF16 to identify genes encoding putative enzymes involved in lignocellulose degradation. Thermostable GHs secreted by G. stearothermophilus GF16 were investigated and found to be active on different natural polysaccharides and synthetic substrates, revealing an array of inducible GH activities. In particular, the concentrated secretome possesses significant thermostable xylanase and β-xylosidase activities (5 ×103 U/L and 1.7 ×105 U/L, respectively), highlighting its potential for application in biomass valorization. We assessed the hemicellulose hydrolysis capabilities of various agri-food wastes using the concentrated secretome of the strain cultivated on xylan. An impressive 300-fold increase in xylose release compared to a commercially available cocktail was obtained with the secretome, underscoring the remarkable efficacy of this approach.

Proteomic insight into arabinogalactan utilization by particle-associated Maribacter sp. MAR_2009_72

Arabinose and galactose are major, rapidly metabolized components of marine particulate and dissolved organic matter. In this study, we observed for the first time large microbiomes for the degradation of arabinogalactan and report a detailed investigation of arabinogalactan utilization by the flavobacterium Maribacter sp. MAR_2009_72. Cellular extracts hydrolysed arabinogalactan in vitro. Comparative proteomic analyses of cells grown on arabinogalactan, arabinose, galactose, and glucose revealed the expression of specific proteins in the presence of arabinogalactan, mainly glycoside hydrolases (GH). Extracellular glycan hydrolysis involved five alpha-l-arabinofuranosidases affiliating with glycoside hydrolase families 43 and 51, four unsaturated rhamnogalacturonylhydrolases (GH105) and a protein with a glycoside hydrolase family-like domain. We detected expression of three induced TonB-dependent SusC/D transporter systems, one SusC, and nine glycoside hydrolases with a predicted periplasmatic location. These are affiliated with the families GH3, GH10, GH29, GH31, GH67, GH78, and GH115. The genes are located outside of and within canonical polysaccharide utilization loci classified as specific for arabinogalactan, for galactose-containing glycans, and for arabinose-containing glycans. The breadth of enzymatic functions expressed in Maribacter sp. MAR_2009_72 as response to arabinogalactan from the terrestrial plant larch suggests that Flavobacteriia are main catalysts of the rapid turnover of arabinogalactans in the marine environment.

Role of the Solute-Binding Protein CuaD in the Signaling and Regulating Pathway of Cellobiose and Cellulose Utilization in Ruminiclostridium cellulolyticum

In Ruminiclostridium cellulolyticum, cellobiose is imported by the CuaABC ATP-binding cassette transporter containing the solute-binding protein (SBP) CuaA and is further degraded in the cytosol by the cellobiose phosphorylase CbpA. The genes encoding these proteins have been shown to be essential for cellobiose and cellulose utilization. Here, we show that a second SBP (CuaD), whose gene is adjacent to two genes encoding a putative two-component regulation system (CuaSR), forms a three-component system with CuaS and CuaR. Studies of mutant and recombinant strains of R. cellulolyticum have indicated that cuaD is important for the growth of strains on cellobiose and cellulose. Furthermore, the results of our RT-qPCR experiments suggest that both the three (CuaDSR)- and the two (CuaSR)-component systems are able to perceive the cellobiose signal. However, the strain producing the three-component system is more efficient in its cellobiose and cellulose utilization. As CuaD binds to CuaS, we propose an in-silico model of the complex made up of two extracellular domains of CuaS and two of CuaD. CuaD allows microorganisms to detect very low concentrations of cellobiose due to its high affinity and specificity for this disaccharide, and together with CuaSR, it triggers the expression of the cuaABC-cbpA genes involved in cellodextrins uptake.

Metatranscriptomic analysis of the gut microbiome of black soldier fly larvae reared on lignocellulose-rich fiber diets unveils key lignocellulolytic enzymes

Recently, interest in the black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) gut microbiome has received increased attention primarily due to their role in waste bioconversion. However, there is a lack of information on the positive effect on the activities of the gut microbiomes and enzymes (CAZyme families) acting on lignocellulose. In this study, BSFL were subjected to lignocellulose-rich diets: chicken feed (CF), chicken manure (CM), brewers' spent grain (BSG), and water hyacinth (WH). The mRNA libraries were prepared, and RNA-Sequencing was conducted using the PCR-cDNA approach through the MinION sequencing platform. Our results demonstrated that BSFL reared on BSG and WH had the highest abundance of Bacteroides and Dysgonomonas. The presence of GH51 and GH43_16 enzyme families in the gut of BSFL with both α-L-arabinofuranosidases and exo-alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase 2 were common in the BSFL reared on the highly lignocellulosic WH and BSG diets. Gene clusters that encode hemicellulolytic arabinofuranosidases in the CAZy family GH51 were also identified. These findings provide novel insight into the shift of gut microbiomes and the potential role of BSFL in the bioconversion of various highly lignocellulosic diets to fermentable sugars for subsequent value-added products (bioethanol). Further research on the role of these enzymes to improve existing technologies and their biotechnological applications is crucial.

Characterization of the l-arabinofuranose-specific GafABCD ABC transporter essential for l-arabinose-dependent growth of the lignocellulose-degrading bacterium Shewanella sp. ANA-3

Microbes that have evolved to live on lignocellulosic biomass face unique challenges in the effective and efficient use of this material as food. The bacterium Shewanella sp. ANA-3 has the potential to utilize arabinan and arabinoxylan, and uptake of the monosaccharide, l-arabinose, derived from these polymers, is known to be mediated by a single ABC transporter. We demonstrate that the substrate binding protein of this system, GafASw, binds specifically to l-arabinofuranose, which is the rare furanose form of l-arabinose found in lignocellulosic biomass. The structure of GafASw was resolved to 1.7 Å and comparison to Escherichia coli YtfQ (GafAEc) revealed binding site adaptations that confer specificity for furanose over pyranose forms of monosaccharides, while selecting arabinose over another related monosaccharide, galactose. The discovery of a bacterium with a natural predilection for a sugar found abundantly in certain lignocellulosic materials suggests an intimate connection in the enzymatic release and uptake of the sugar, perhaps to prevent other microbes scavenging this nutrient before it mutarotates to l-arabinopyranose. This biological discovery also provides a clear route to engineer more efficient utilization of plant biomass components in industrial biotechnology.

Integrative structure determination reveals functional global flexibility for an ultra-multimodular arabinanase

AbnA is an extracellular GH43 α-L-arabinanase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus, a key bacterial enzyme in the degradation and utilization of arabinan. We present herein its full-length crystal structure, revealing the only ultra-multimodular architecture and the largest structure to be reported so far within the GH43 family. Additionally, the structure of AbnA appears to contain two domains belonging to new uncharacterized carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) families. Three crystallographic conformational states are determined for AbnA, and this conformational flexibility is thoroughly investigated further using the "integrative structure determination" approach, integrating molecular dynamics, metadynamics, normal mode analysis, small angle X-ray scattering, dynamic light scattering, cross-linking, and kinetic experiments to reveal large functional conformational changes for AbnA, involving up to ~100 Å movement in the relative positions of its domains. The integrative structure determination approach demonstrated here may apply also to the conformational study of other ultra-multimodular proteins of diverse functions and structures.

Arabinoxylo- and Arabino-Oligosaccharides-Specific α-L-Arabinofuranosidase GH51 Isozymes from the Amylolytic Yeast Saccharomycopsis fibuligera

Two genes encoding probable α-L-arabinofuranosidase (E.C. 3.2.1.55) isozymes (ABFs) with 92.3% amino acid sequence identity, ABF51A and ABF51B, were found from chromosomes 3 and 5 of Saccharomycopsis fibuligera KJJ81, an amylolytic yeast isolated from Korean wheat-based nuruk, respectively. Each open reading frame consists of 1,551 nucleotides and encodes a protein of 517 amino acids with the molecular mass of approximately 59 kDa. These isozymes share approximately 49% amino acid sequence identity with eukaryotic ABFs from filamentous fungi. The corresponding genes were cloned, functionally expressed, and purified from Escherichia coli. SfABF51_A and SfABF51_B showed the highest activities on p-nitrophenyl arabinofuranoside at 40~45°C and pH 7.0 in sodium phosphate buffer and at 50°C and pH 6.0 in sodium acetate buffer, respectively. These exo-acting enzymes belonging to the glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 51 could hydrolyze arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides (AXOS) and arabino-oligosaccharides (AOS) to produce only L-arabinose, whereas they could hardly degrade any polymeric substrates including arabinans and arabinoxylans. The detailed product analyses revealed that both SfABF51 isozymes can catalyze the versatile hydrolysis of α-(1,2)-and α-(1,3)-L-arabinofuranosidic linkages of AXOS, and α-(1,2)-, α-(1,3)-, and α-(1,5)-linkages of linear and branched AOS. On the contrary, they have much lower activity against the α-(1,2)-and α-(1,3)-double-substituted substrates than the single-substituted ones. These hydrolases could potentially play important roles in the degradation and utilization of hemicellulosic biomass by S. fibuligera.

Cross-utilization of β-galactosides and cellobiose in Geobacillus stearothermophilus

Strains of the Gram-positive, thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus stearothermophilus possess elaborate systems for the utilization of hemicellulolytic polysaccharides, including xylan, arabinan, and galactan. These systems have been studied extensively in strains T-1 and T-6, representing microbial models for the utilization of soil polysaccharides, and many of their components have been characterized both biochemically and structurally. Here, we characterized routes by which G. stearothermophilus utilizes mono- and disaccharides such as galactose, cellobiose, lactose, and galactosyl-glycerol. The G. stearothermophilus genome encodes a phosphoenolpyruvate carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) for cellobiose. We found that the cellobiose-PTS system is induced by cellobiose and characterized the corresponding GH1 6-phospho-β-glucosidase, Cel1A. The bacterium also possesses two transport systems for galactose, a galactose-PTS system and an ABC galactose transporter. The ABC galactose transport system is regulated by a three-component sensing system. We observed that both systems, the sensor and the transporter, utilize galactose-binding proteins that also bind glucose with the same affinity. We hypothesize that this allows the cell to control the flux of galactose into the cell in the presence of glucose. Unexpectedly, we discovered that G. stearothermophilus T-1 can also utilize lactose and galactosyl-glycerol via the cellobiose-PTS system together with a bifunctional 6-phospho-β-gal/glucosidase, Gan1D. Growth curves of strain T-1 growing in the presence of cellobiose, with either lactose or galactosyl-glycerol, revealed initially logarithmic growth on cellobiose and then linear growth supported by the additional sugars. We conclude that Gan1D allows the cell to utilize residual galactose-containing disaccharides, taking advantage of the promiscuity of the cellobiose-PTS system.

Carbohydrate-Binding Capability and Functional Conformational Changes of AbnE, an Arabino-oligosaccharide Binding Protein

ABC importers are membrane proteins responsible for the transport of nutrients into the cells of prokaryotes. Although the structures of ABC importers vary, all contain four conserved domains: two nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs), which bind and hydrolyze ATP, and two transmembrane domains (TMDs), which help translocate the substrate. ABC importers are also dependent on an additional protein component, a high-affinity substrate-binding protein (SBP) that specifically binds the target ligand for delivery to the appropriate ABC transporter. AbnE is a SBP belonging to the ABC importer for arabino-oligosaccharides in the Gram-positive thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus stearothermophilus. Using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), purified AbnE was shown to bind medium-sized arabino-oligosaccharides, in the range of arabino-triose (A3) to arabino-octaose (A8), all with K_d values in the nanomolar range. We describe herein the 3D structure of AbnE in its closed conformation in complex with a wide range of arabino-oligosaccharide substrates (A2-A8). These structures provide the basis for the detailed structural analysis of the AbnE-sugar complexes, and together with complementary quantum chemical calculations, site-specific mutagenesis, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments, provide detailed insights into the AbnE-substrate interactions involved. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments and normal mode analysis (NMA) are used to study the conformational changes of AbnE, and these data, taken together, suggest clues regarding its binding mode to the full ABC importer.

Spectroscopic FTIR and NMR study of the interactions of sugars with proteins

FTIR and NMR spectra were measured in parallel for specific two-components mixtures of various proteins with different sugar molecules, such as arabinose, glucose, and sucrose. In the FTIR spectra of arabinose with some of these proteins, the bands assigned to the vibrational modes of the CH and COH groups disappeared, and new ones, related to an arabinose-protein CN mode, appeared. Similar changes were observed in the FTIR spectra of lyophilized mixtures of arabinose with different amino acids. In additional FTIR spectra, measured for other protein-sugar mixtures, the bands correlated to the ring modes of arabinose, in the range 1150-1000 cm^-1, disappeared, and two new very strong narrow bands became dominant, indicating ring opening or some kind of arabinose decomposition. Contrary to the prevailing opinion that complexes between sugars and proteins are formed mainly by hydrogen bonds, the IR and NMR spectra of the sugar-protein mixtures studied here suggest that significant chemical reactions also take place between the interacting sugar and the protein. Two types of sugar-protein chemical reactions can be distinguished on the basis of these IR spectra, leading to the formation of a new CN bond and to the decomposition of sugar skeletal bonds. The new IR bands suggest that the latter reaction results in the formation of new bonds, which are related to new polyether moieties. These results highlight the often ignored non-specific chemical reactions that take place between sugars and proteins, and demonstrate that the simultaneous application of FTIR and NMR spectroscopic analyses can detect and further characterize these types of sugar-protein interactions.

Function of a laminin_G_3 module as a carbohydrate-binding module in an arabinofuranosidase from Ruminiclostridium josui

Laminin_G_3 modules can exist together with family-43 catalytic modules of glycoside hydrolase (GH43), but their functions are unknown. Here, a laminin_G_3 module and a GH43 module derived from a Ruminiclostridium josui modular arabinofuranosidase Abf43A-Abf43B-Abf43C were produced individually as RjLG3 and RjGH43_22, respectively, or combined as RjGH43-1 to gain insights into their activities. Isothermal calorimetry analysis showed that RjLG3 has high affinity toward 3² -α-l-arabinofuranosyl-(1,5)-α-l-arabinotriose but not for α-1,5-linked arabinooligosaccharides, which suggests that RjLG3 interacts specifically with a branched arabinofuranosyl residue of an arabinooligosaccharide but not an arabinofuranosyl residue at the end of α-1,5-linked arabinooligosaccharides. RjGH43-1 (with CBM) shows higher activity toward sugar beet arabinan than RjGH43_22 (without CBM), which suggests that the LG3 module in RjGH43-1 plays an important role in substrate hydrolysis as a carbohydrate-binding module.

Enzymatic Mechanism for Arabinan Degradation and Transport in the Thermophilic Bacterium Caldanaerobius polysaccharolyticus

The plant cell wall polysaccharide arabinan provides an important supply of arabinose, and unraveling arabinan-degrading strategies by microbes is important for understanding its use as a source of energy. Here, we explored the arabinan-degrading enzymes in the thermophilic bacterium Caldanaerobius polysaccharolyticus and identified a gene cluster encoding two glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 51 α-l-arabinofuranosidases (CpAbf51A, CpAbf51B), a GH43 endoarabinanase (CpAbn43A), a GH27 β-l-arabinopyranosidase (CpAbp27A), and two GH127 β-l-arabinofuranosidases (CpAbf127A, CpAbf127B). The genes were expressed as recombinant proteins, and the functions of the purified proteins were determined with para-nitrophenyl (pNP)-linked sugars and naturally occurring pectin structural elements as the substrates. The results demonstrated that CpAbn43A is an endoarabinanase while CpAbf51A and CpAbf51B are α-l-arabinofuranosidases that exhibit diverse substrate specificities, cleaving α-1,2, α-1,3, and α-1,5 linkages of purified arabinan-oligosaccharides. Furthermore, both CpAbf127A and CpAbf127B cleaved β-arabinofuranose residues in complex arabinan side chains, thus providing evidence of the function of this family of enzymes on such polysaccharides. The optimal temperatures of the enzymes ranged between 60°C and 75°C, and CpAbf43A and CpAbf51A worked synergistically to release arabinose from branched and debranched arabinan. Furthermore, the hydrolytic activity on branched arabinan oligosaccharides and degradation of pectic substrates by the endoarabinanase and l-arabinofuranosidases suggested a microbe equipped with diverse activities to degrade complex arabinan in the environment. Based on our functional analyses of the genes in the arabinan degradation cluster and the substrate-binding studies on a component of the cognate transporter system, we propose a model for arabinan degradation and transport by C. polysaccharolyticusIMPORTANCE Genomic DNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis allowed the identification of a gene cluster encoding several proteins predicted to function in arabinan degradation and transport in C. polysaccharolyticus The analysis of the recombinant proteins yielded detailed insights into the putative arabinan metabolism of this thermophilic bacterium. The use of various branched arabinan oligosaccharides provided a detailed understanding of the substrate specificities of the enzymes and allowed assignment of two new GH127 polypeptides as β-l-arabinofuranosidases able to degrade pectic substrates, thus expanding our knowledge of this rare group of glycoside hydrolases. In addition, the enzymes showed synergistic effects for the degradation of arabinans at elevated temperatures. The enzymes characterized from the gene cluster are, therefore, of utility for arabinose production in both the biofuel and food industries.

Biochemical characterization of the xylan hydrolysis profile of the extracellular endo-xylanase from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans T12

BACKGROUND

Endo-xylanases are essential in degrading hemicellulose of various lignocellulosic substrates. Hemicellulose degradation by Geobacillus spp. is facilitated by the hemicellulose utilization (HUS) locus that is present in most strains belonging to this genus. As part of the HUS locus, the xynA gene encoding an extracellular endo-xylanase is one of the few secreted enzymes and considered to be the key enzyme to initiate hemicellulose degradation. Several Geobacillus endo-xylanases have been characterized for their optimum temperature, optimum pH and generation of degradation products. However, these analyses provide limited details on the mode of action of the enzymes towards various substrates resulting in a lack of understanding about their hydrolytic potential.

RESULTS

A HUS-locus associated gene (GtxynA1) from the thermophile Geobacillus thermodenitrificans T12 encodes an extracellular endo-xylanase that belongs to the family 10 glycoside hydrolases (GH10). The GtxynA1 gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The resulting endo-xylanase (termed GtXynA1) was purified to homogeneity and showed activity between 40 °C and 80 °C, with an optimum activity at 60 °C, while being active between pH 3.0 to 9.0 with an optimum at pH 6.0. Its thermal stability was high and GtXynA1 showed 85% residual activity after 1 h of incubation at 60 °C. Highest activity was towards wheat arabinoxylan (WAX), beechwood xylan (BeWX) and birchwood xylan (BiWX). GtXynA1 is able to degrade WAX and BeWX producing mainly xylobiose and xylotriose. To determine its mode of action, we compared the hydrolysis products generated by GtXynA1 with those from the well-characterized GH10 endo-xylanase produced from Aspergillus awamori (AaXynA). The main difference in the mode of action between GtXynA1 and AaXynA on WAX is that GtXynA1 is less hindered by arabinosyl substituents and can therefore release shorter oligosaccharides.

CONCLUSIONS

The G. thermodenitrificans T12 endo-xylanase, GtXynA1, shows temperature tolerance up to 80 °C and high activity to a variety of xylans. The mode of action of GtXynA1 reveals that arabinose substituents do not hamper substrate degradation by GtXynA1. The extensive hydrolysis of branched xylans makes this enzyme particularly suited for the conversion of a broad range of lignocellulosic substrates.

Genetic toolbox for controlled expression of functional proteins in Geobacillus spp

Species of genus Geobacillus are thermophilic bacteria and play an ever increasing role as hosts for biotechnological applications both in academia and industry. Here we screened a number of Geobacillus strains to determine which industrially relevant carbon sources they can utilize. One of the strains, G. thermoglucosidasius C56-YS93, was then chosen to develop a toolbox for controlled gene expression over a wide range of levels. It includes a library of semi-synthetic constitutive promoters (76-fold difference in expression levels) and an inducible promoter from the xylA gene. A library of synthetic in silico designed ribosome binding sites was also created for further tuning of translation. The PxylA was further used to successfully express native and heterologous xylanases in G. thermoglucosidasius. This toolbox enables fine-tuning of gene expression in Geobacillus species for metabolic engineering approaches in production of biochemicals and heterologous proteins.

A seven-gene cluster in Ruminiclostridium cellulolyticum is essential for signalization, uptake and catabolism of the degradation products of cellulose hydrolysis

BACKGROUND

Like a number of anaerobic and cellulolytic Gram-positive bacteria, the model microorganism Ruminiclostridium cellulolyticum produces extracellular multi-enzymatic complexes called cellulosomes, which efficiently degrade the crystalline cellulose. Action of the complexes on cellulose releases cellobiose and longer cellodextrins but to date, little is known about the transport and utilization of the produced cellodextrins in the bacterium. A better understanding of the uptake systems and fermentation of sugars derived from cellulose could have a major impact in the field of biofuels production.

RESULTS

We characterized a putative ABC transporter devoted to cellodextrins uptake, and a cellobiose phosphorylase (CbpA) in R. cellulolyticum. The genes encoding the components of the ABC transporter (a binding protein CuaA and two integral membrane proteins) and CbpA are expressed as a polycistronic transcriptional unit induced in the presence of cellobiose. Upstream, another polycistronic transcriptional unit encodes a two-component system (sensor and regulator), and a second binding protein CuaD, and is constitutively expressed. The products might form a three-component system inducing the expression of cuaABC and cbpA since we showed that CuaR is able to recognize the region upstream of cuaA. Biochemical analysis showed that CbpA is a strict cellobiose phosphorylase inactive on longer cellodextrins; CuaA binds to all cellodextrins (G2-G5) tested, whereas CuaD is specific to cellobiose and presents a higher affinity to this sugar. This results are in agreement with their function in transport and signalization, respectively. Characterization of a cuaD mutant, and its derivatives, indicated that the ABC transporter and CbpA are essential for growth on cellobiose and cellulose.

CONCLUSIONS

For the first time in a Gram-positive strain, we identified a three-component system and a conjugated ABC transporter/cellobiose phosphorylase system which was shown to be essential for the growth of the model cellulolytic bacterium R. cellulolyticum on cellobiose and cellulose. This efficient and energy-saving system of transport and phosphorolysis appears to be the major cellobiose utilization pathway in R. cellulolyticum, and seems well adapted to cellulolytic life-style strain. It represents a new way to enable engineered strains to utilize cellodextrins for the production of biofuels or chemicals of interest from cellulose.

An Acid-Adapted Endo-α-1,5-L-arabinanase for Pectin Releasing

An arabinanase gene was cloned by overlap-PCR from Penicillium sp. Y702 and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant enzyme was named AbnC702 with 20 U/mg of endo-arabinanase activity toward linear α-1,5-L-arabinan. The optimal pH and temperature of AbnC702 were 5.0 and 50 °C, respectively. The recombinant AbnC702 was highly stable at pH 5.0-7.0 and 50 °C. It could retain about 72.3 % of maximum specific activity at pH 5.0 after incubation for 2.5 h, which indicated AbnC702 was an acid-adapted enzyme. The K _m and V _max values were 24.8 ± 4.7 mg/ml and 88.5 ± 5.6 U/mg, respectively. A three-dimensional structure of AbnC702 was made by homology modeling, and the counting of acidic/basic amino residues within the region of 10 Å around the active site, as well the hydrogen bonds within the area of 5 Å around the active site, might theoretically interpret the acid adaptability of AbnC702. Analysis of hydrolysis products by thin layer chromatography (TLC) combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) verified that the recombinant AbnC702 was an endo-1,5-α-L-arabinanase, which yielded arabinobiose and arabinotriose as major products. AbnC702 was applied in pectin extraction from apple pomace with synergistic action of α-L-arabinofuranosidase.

A Novel Manno-Oligosaccharide Binding Protein Identified in Alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. N16-5 Is Involved in Mannan Utilization

ManH, a novel substrate-binding protein of an ABC transporter, was identified from the mannan utilization gene cluster of Bacillus sp. N16-5. We cloned, overexpressed, and purified ManH and measured its binding affinity to different substrates by isothermal titration calorimetry. ManH binds to mannotriose, mannotetraose, mannopentose, and galactosyl-mannotriose with dissociation constants in the micromolar range. Deletion of manH led to decreased growth ability of the strain when cultivated in medium with manno-oligosaccharides or mannan as the carbon source. ManH belongs to a manno-oligosaccharide transporter and plays an important role in mannan utilization by Bacillus sp. N16-5.

Genomic and transcriptomic analysis of carbohydrate utilization by Paenibacillus sp. JDR-2: systems for bioprocessing plant polysaccharides

Background

Polysaccharides comprising plant biomass are potential resources for conversion to fuels and chemicals. These polysaccharides include xylans derived from the hemicellulose of hardwoods and grasses, soluble β-glucans from cereals and starch as the primary form of energy storage in plants. Paenibacillus sp. JDR-2 (Pjdr2) has evolved a system for bioprocessing xylans. The central component of this xylan utilization system is a multimodular glycoside hydrolase family 10 (GH10) endoxylanase with carbohydrate binding modules (CBM) for binding xylans and surface layer homology (SLH) domains for cell surface anchoring. These attributes allow efficient utilization of xylans by generating oligosaccharides proximal to the cell surface for rapid assimilation. Coordinate expression of genes in response to growth on xylans has identified regulons contributing to depolymerization, importation of oligosaccharides and intracellular processing to generate xylose as well as arabinose and methylglucuronate. The genome of Pjdr2 encodes several other putative surface anchored multimodular enzymes including those for utilization of β-1,3/1,4 mixed linkage soluble glucan and starch.

Results

To further define polysaccharide utilization systems in Pjdr2, its transcriptome has been determined by RNA sequencing following growth on barley-derived soluble β-glucan, starch, cellobiose, maltose, glucose, xylose and arabinose. The putative function of genes encoding transcriptional regulators, ABC transporters, and glycoside hydrolases belonging to the corresponding substrate responsive regulon were deduced by their coordinate expression and locations in the genome. These results are compared to observations from the previously defined xylan utilization systems in Pjdr2. The findings from this study show that Pjdr2 efficiently utilizes these glucans in a manner similar to xylans. From transcriptomic and genomic analyses we infer a common strategy evolved by Pjdr2 for efficient bioprocessing of polysaccharides.

Conclusions

The barley β-glucan and starch utilization systems in Pjdr2 include extracellular glycoside hydrolases bearing CBM and SLH domains for depolymerization of these polysaccharides. Overlapping regulation observed during growth on these polysaccharides suggests they are preferentially utilized in the order of starch before xylan before barley β-glucan. These systems defined in Pjdr2 may serve as a paradigm for developing biocatalysts for efficient bioprocessing of plant biomass to targeted biofuels and chemicals.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2436-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Structure-function relationships in Gan42B, an intracellular GH42 β-galactosidase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus

Geobacillus stearothermophilus T-6 is a Gram-positive thermophilic soil bacterium that contains a battery of degrading enzymes for the utilization of plant cell-wall polysaccharides, including xylan, arabinan and galactan. A 9.4 kb gene cluster has recently been characterized in G. stearothermophilus that encodes a number of galactan-utilization elements. A key enzyme of this degradation system is Gan42B, an intracellular GH42 β-galactosidase capable of hydrolyzing short β-1,4-galactosaccharides into galactose units, making it of high potential for various biotechnological applications. The Gan42B monomer is made up of 686 amino acids, and based on sequence homology it was suggested that Glu323 is the catalytic nucleophile and Glu159 is the catalytic acid/base. In the current study, the detailed three-dimensional structure of wild-type Gan42B (at 2.45 Å resolution) and its catalytic mutant E323A (at 2.50 Å resolution), as determined by X-ray crystallography, are reported. These structures demonstrate that the three-dimensional structure of the Gan42B monomer generally correlates with the overall fold observed for GH42 proteins, consisting of three main domains: an N-terminal TIM-barrel domain, a smaller mixed α/β domain, and the smallest all-β domain at the C-terminus. The two catalytic residues are located in the TIM-barrel domain in a pocket-like active site such that their carboxylic functional groups are about 5.3 Å from each other, consistent with a retaining mechanism. The crystal structure demonstrates that Gan42B is a homotrimer, resembling a flowerpot in general shape, in which each monomer interacts with the other two to form a cone-shaped tunnel cavity in the centre. The cavity is ∼35 Å at the wide opening and ∼5 Å at the small opening and ∼40 Å in length. The active sites are situated at the interfaces between the monomers, so that every two neighbouring monomers participate in the formation of each of the three active sites of the trimer. They are located near the small opening of the cone tunnel, all facing the centre of the cavity. The biological relevance of this trimeric structure is supported by independent results obtained from gel-permeation chromatography. These data and their comparison to the structural data of related GH42 enzymes are used for a more general discussion concerning structure-activity aspects in this GH family.

Complete genome sequences of Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52, a xylan-degrading strain isolated from obsidian hot spring in Yellowstone National Park

Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52 was isolated from Obsidian Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Montana, USA under permit from the National Park Service. The genome was sequenced, assembled, and annotated by the DOE Joint Genome Institute and deposited at the NCBI in December 2011 (CP002835). Based on 16S rRNA genes and average nucleotide identity, Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52 and the related Geobacillus sp. Y412MC61 appear to be members of a new species of Geobacillus. The genome of Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52 consists of one circular chromosome of 3,628,883 bp, an average G + C content of 52 % and one circular plasmid of 45,057 bp and an average G + C content of 45 %. Y412MC52 possesses arabinan, arabinoglucuronoxylan, and aromatic acid degradation clusters for degradation of hemicellulose from biomass. Transport and utilization clusters are also present for other carbohydrates including starch, cellobiose, and α- and β-galactooligosaccharides.

Complete genome sequences of Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52, a xylan-degrading strain isolated from obsidian hot spring in Yellowstone National Park

Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52 was isolated from Obsidian Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Montana, USA under permit from the National Park Service. The genome was sequenced, assembled, and annotated by the DOE Joint Genome Institute and deposited at the NCBI in December 2011 (CP002835). Based on 16S rRNA genes and average nucleotide identity, Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52 and the related Geobacillus sp. Y412MC61 appear to be members of a new species of Geobacillus. The genome of Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52 consists of one circular chromosome of 3,628,883 bp, an average G + C content of 52 % and one circular plasmid of 45,057 bp and an average G + C content of 45 %. Y412MC52 possesses arabinan, arabinoglucuronoxylan, and aromatic acid degradation clusters for degradation of hemicellulose from biomass. Transport and utilization clusters are also present for other carbohydrates including starch, cellobiose, and α- and β-galactooligosaccharides.

Complete genome sequence of Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius C56-YS93, a novel biomass degrader isolated from obsidian hot spring in Yellowstone National Park

Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius C56-YS93 was one of several thermophilic organisms isolated from Obsidian Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Montana, USA under permit from the National Park Service. Comparison of 16 S rRNA sequences confirmed the classification of the strain as a G. thermoglucosidasius species. The genome was sequenced, assembled, and annotated by the DOE Joint Genome Institute and deposited at the NCBI in December 2011 (CP002835). The genome of G. thermoglucosidasius C56-YS93 consists of one circular chromosome of 3,893,306 bp and two circular plasmids of 80,849 and 19,638 bp and an average G + C content of 43.93 %. G. thermoglucosidasius C56-YS93 possesses a xylan degradation cluster not found in the other G. thermoglucosidasius sequenced strains. This cluster appears to be related to the xylan degradation cluster found in G. stearothermophilus. G. thermoglucosidasius C56-YS93 possesses two plasmids not found in the other two strains. One plasmid contains a novel gene cluster coding for proteins involved in proline degradation and metabolism, the other contains a collection of mostly hypothetical proteins.

Genomic analysis of six new Geobacillus strains reveals highly conserved carbohydrate degradation architectures and strategies

In this work we report the whole genome sequences of six new Geobacillus xylanolytic strains along with the genomic analysis of their capability to degrade carbohydrates. The six sequenced Geobacillus strains described here have a range of GC contents from 43.9% to 52.5% and clade with named Geobacillus species throughout the entire genus. We have identified a ~200 kb unique super-cluster in all six strains, containing five to eight distinct carbohydrate degradation clusters in a single genomic region, a feature not seen in other genera. The Geobacillus strains rely on a small number of secreted enzymes located within distinct clusters for carbohydrate utilization, in contrast to most biomass-degrading organisms which contain numerous secreted enzymes located randomly throughout the genomes. All six strains are able to utilize fructose, arabinose, xylose, mannitol, gluconate, xylan, and α-1,6-glucosides. The gene clusters for utilization of these seven substrates have identical organization and the individual proteins have a high percent identity to their homologs. The strains show significant differences in their ability to utilize inositol, sucrose, lactose, α-mannosides, α-1,4-glucosides and arabinan.

The genus Geobacillus and their biotechnological potential

The genus Geobacillus comprises a group of Gram-positive thermophilic bacteria, including obligate aerobes, denitrifiers, and facultative anaerobes that can grow over a range of 45-75°C. Originally classified as group five Bacillus spp., strains of Bacillus stearothermophilus came to prominence as contaminants of canned food and soon became the organism of choice for comparative studies of metabolism and enzymology between mesophiles and thermophiles. More recently, their catabolic versatility, particularly in the degradation of hemicellulose and starch, and rapid growth rates have raised their profile as organisms with potential for second-generation (lignocellulosic) biorefineries for biofuel or chemical production. The continued development of genetic tools to facilitate both fundamental investigation and metabolic engineering is now helping to realize this potential, for both metabolite production and optimized catabolism. In addition, this catabolic versatility provides a range of useful thermostable enzymes for industrial application. A number of genome-sequencing projects have been completed or are underway allowing comparative studies. These reveal a significant amount of genome rearrangement within the genus, the presence of large genomic islands encompassing all the hemicellulose utilization genes and a genomic island incorporating a set of long chain alkane monooxygenase genes. With G+C contents of 45-55%, thermostability appears to derive in part from the ability to synthesize protamine and spermine, which can condense DNA and raise its Tm.

John F, Preston JF. Transcriptomic analysis of xylan utilization systems in Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2

Xylans, including methylglucuronoxylans (MeGX(n)) and methylglucuronoarabinoxylans (MeGAXn), are the predominant polysaccharidesin hemicellulose fractions of dicots and monocots available for conversion to biofuels and chemicals. Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2 (Pjdr2) efficiently depolymerizes MeGX(n) and MeGAX(n) and assimilates the generated oligosaccharides, resulting in efficient saccharification and subsequent metabolism of these polysaccharides. A xylan utilization regulon encoding a cellassociated GH10 (glycoside hydrolase family 10) endoxylanase, transcriptional regulators, ABC (ATP binding cassette) transporters, an intracellular GH67 -glucuronidase, and other glycoside hydrolases contributes to complete metabolism. This GH10/GH67 system has been proposed to account for preferential utilization of xylans compared to free oligo- and monosaccharides. To identify additional genes contributing to MeGX(n) and MeGAXn utilization, the transcriptome of Pjdr2 has been sequenced following growth on each of these substrates as well as xylose and arabinose. Increased expression of genes with different substrates identified pathways common or unique to the utilization of MeGX(n) or MeGAX(n). Coordinate upregulation of genes comprising the GH10/GH67 xylan utilization regulon is accompanied with upregulation of genes encoding a GH11 endoxylanase and a GH115 -glucuronidase, providing evidence for a novel complementary pathway for processing xylans. Elevated expression of genes encoding a GH43 arabinoxylan arabinofuranohydrolase and an arabinose ABC transporter on MeGAX(n) but not on MeGX(n) supports a process in which arabinose may be removed extracellularly followed by its rapid assimilation.Further development of Pjdr2 for direct conversion of xylans to targeted products or introduction of these systems into fermentative strains of related bacteria may lead to biocatalysts for consolidated bioprocessing of hemicelluloses released from lignocellulose.

Complete genome sequences of Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52, a xylan-degrading strain isolated from obsidian hot spring in Yellowstone National Park

Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52 was isolated from Obsidian Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Montana, USA under permit from the National Park Service. The genome was sequenced, assembled, and annotated by the DOE Joint Genome Institute and deposited at the NCBI in December 2011 (CP002835). Based on 16S rRNA genes and average nucleotide identity, Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52 and the related Geobacillus sp. Y412MC61 appear to be members of a new species of Geobacillus. The genome of Geobacillus sp. Y412MC52 consists of one circular chromosome of 3,628,883 bp, an average G + C content of 52 % and one circular plasmid of 45,057 bp and an average G + C content of 45 %. Y412MC52 possesses arabinan, arabinoglucuronoxylan, and aromatic acid degradation clusters for degradation of hemicellulose from biomass. Transport and utilization clusters are also present for other carbohydrates including starch, cellobiose, and α- and β-galactooligosaccharides.

Preliminary crystallographic analysis of Xyn52B2, a GH52 β-D-xylosidase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus T6

Geobacillus stearothermophilus T6 is a thermophilic bacterium that possesses an extensive hemicellulolytic system, including over 40 specific genes that are dedicated to this purpose. For the utilization of xylan, the bacterium uses an extracellular xylanase which degrades xylan to decorated xylo-oligomers that are imported into the cell. These oligomers are hydrolyzed by side-chain-cleaving enzymes such as arabinofuranosidases, acetylesterases and a glucuronidase, and finally by an intracellular xylanase and a number of β-xylosidases. One of these β-xylosidases is Xyn52B2, a GH52 enzyme that has already proved to be useful for various glycosynthesis applications. In addition to its demonstrated glycosynthase properties, interest in the structural aspects of Xyn52B2 stems from its special glycoside hydrolase family, GH52, the structures and mechanisms of which are only starting to be resolved. Here, the cloning, overexpression, purification and crystallization of Xyn52B2 are reported. The most suitable crystal form that has been obtained belonged to the orthorhombic P212121 space group, with average unit-cell parameters a = 97.7, b = 119.1, c = 242.3 Å. Several X-ray diffraction data sets have been collected from flash-cooled crystals of this form, including the wild-type enzyme (3.70 Å resolution), the E335G catalytic mutant (2.95 Å resolution), a potential mercury derivative (2.15 Å resolution) and a selenomethionine derivative (3.90 Å resolution). These data are currently being used for detailed three-dimensional structure determination of the Xyn52B2 protein.

Structure-specificity relationships in Abp, a GH27 β-L-arabinopyranosidase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus T6

L-Arabinose sugar residues are relatively abundant in plants and are found mainly in arabinan polysaccharides and in other arabinose-containing polysaccharides such as arabinoxylans and pectic arabinogalactans. The majority of the arabinose units in plants are present in the furanose form and only a small fraction of them are present in the pyranose form. The L-arabinan-utilization system in Geobacillus stearothermophilus T6, a Gram-positive thermophilic soil bacterium, has recently been characterized, and one of the key enzymes was found to be an intracellular β-L-arabinopyranosidase (Abp). Abp, a GH27 enzyme, was shown to remove β-L-arabinopyranose residues from synthetic substrates and from the native substrates sugar beet arabinan and larch arabinogalactan. The Abp monomer is made up of 448 amino acids, and based on sequence homology it was suggested that Asp197 is the catalytic nucleophile and Asp255 is the catalytic acid/base. In the current study, the detailed three-dimensional structure of wild-type Abp (at 2.28 Å resolution) and its catalytic mutant Abp-D197A with (at 2.20 Å resolution) and without (at 2.30 Å resolution) a bound L-arabinose product are reported as determined by X-ray crystallography. These structures demonstrate that the three-dimensional structure of the Abp monomer correlates with the general fold observed for GH27 proteins, consisting of two main domains: an N-terminal TIM-barrel domain and a C-terminal all-β domain. The two catalytic residues are located in the TIM-barrel domain, such that their carboxylic functional groups are about 5.9 Å from each other, consistent with a retaining mechanism. An isoleucine residue (Ile67) located at a key position in the active site is shown to play a critical role in the substrate specificity of Abp, providing a structural basis for the high preference of the enzyme towards arabinopyranoside over galactopyranoside substrates. The crystal structure demonstrates that Abp is a tetramer made up of two `open-pincers' dimers, which clamp around each other to form a central cavity. The four active sites of the Abp tetramer are situated on the inner surface of this cavity, all opening into the central space of the cavity. The biological relevance of this tetrameric structure is supported by independent results obtained from size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), dynamic light-scattering (DLS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments. These data and their comparison to the structural data of related GH27 enzymes are used for a more general discussion concerning structure-selectivity aspects in this glycoside hydrolase (GH) family.

Comparative analysis of the Geobacillus hemicellulose utilization locus reveals a highly variable target for improved hemicellulolysis

Background

Members of the thermophilic genus Geobacillus can grow at high temperatures and produce a battery of thermostable hemicellulose hydrolytic enzymes, making them ideal candidates for the bioconversion of biomass to value-added products. To date the molecular determinants for hemicellulose degradation and utilization have only been identified and partially characterized in one strain, namely Geobacillus stearothermophilus T-6, where they are clustered in a single genetic locus.

Results

Using the G. stearothermophilus T-6 hemicellulose utilization locus as genetic marker, orthologous hemicellulose utilization (HUS) loci were identified in the complete and partial genomes of 17/24 Geobacillus strains. These HUS loci are localized on a common genomic island. Comparative analyses of these loci revealed extensive variability among the Geobacillus hemicellulose utilization systems, with only seven out of 41–68 proteins encoded on these loci conserved among the HUS⁺ strains. This translates into extensive differences in the hydrolytic enzymes, transport systems and metabolic pathways employed by Geobacillus spp. to degrade and utilize hemicellulose polymers.

Conclusions

The genetic variability among the Geobacillus HUS loci implies that they have variable capacities to degrade hemicellulose polymers, or that they may degrade distinct polymers, as are found in different plant species and tissues. The data from this study can serve as a basis for the genetic engineering of a Geobacillus strain(s) with an improved capacity to degrade and utilize hemicellulose.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-836) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cloning, purification and preliminary crystallographic analysis of Ara127N, a GH127 β-L-arabinofuranosidase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus T6

The L-arabinan utilization system of Geobacillus stearothermophilus T6 is composed of five transcriptional units that are clustered within a 38 kb DNA segment. One of the transcriptional units contains 11 genes, the last gene of which (araN) encodes a protein, Ara127N, that belongs to the newly established GH127 family. Ara127N shares 44% sequence identity with the recently characterized HypBA1 protein from Bifidobacterium longum and thus is likely to function similarly as a β-L-arabinofuranosidase. β-L-Arabinofuranosidases are enzymes that hydrolyze β-L-arabinofuranoside linkages, the less common form of such linkages, a unique enzymatic activity that has been identified only recently. The interest in the structure and mode of action of Ara127N therefore stems from its special catalytic activity as well as its membership of the new GH127 family, the structure and mechanism of which are only starting to be resolved. Ara127N has recently been cloned, overexpressed, purified and crystallized. Two suitable crystal forms have been obtained: one (CTP form) belongs to the monoclinic space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 104.0, b = 131.2, c = 107.6 Å, β = 112.0°, and the other (RB form) belongs to the orthorhombic space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 65.5, b = 118.1, c = 175.0 Å. A complete X-ray diffraction data set has been collected to 2.3 Å resolution from flash-cooled crystals of the wild-type enzyme (RB form) at -173°C using synchrotron radiation. A selenomethionine derivative of Ara127N has also been prepared and crystallized for multi-wavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) experiments. Crystals of selenomethionine Ara127N appeared to be isomorphous to those of the wild type (CTP form) and enabled the measurement of a three-wavelength MAD diffraction data set at the selenium absorption edge. These data are currently being used for detailed three-dimensional structure determination of the Ara127N protein.

Multiple regulatory mechanisms control the expression of the Geobacillus stearothermophilus gene for extracellular xylanase

Geobacillus stearothermophilus T-6 produces a single extracellular xylanase (Xyn10A) capable of producing short, decorated xylo-oligosaccharides from the naturally branched polysaccharide, xylan. Gel retardation assays indicated that the master negative regulator, XylR, binds specifically to xylR operators in the promoters of xylose and xylan-utilization genes. This binding is efficiently prevented in vitro by xylose, the most likely molecular inducer. Expression of the extracellular xylanase is repressed in medium containing either glucose or casamino acids, suggesting that carbon catabolite repression plays a role in regulating xynA. The global transcriptional regulator CodY was shown to bind specifically to the xynA promoter region in vitro, suggesting that CodY is a repressor of xynA. The xynA gene is located next to an uncharacterized gene, xynX, that has similarity to the NIF3 (Ngg1p interacting factor 3)-like protein family. XynX binds specifically to a 72-bp fragment in the promoter region of xynA, and the expression of xynA in a xynX null mutant appeared to be higher, indicating that XynX regulates xynA. The specific activity of the extracellular xylanase increases over 50-fold during early exponential growth, suggesting cell density regulation (quorum sensing). Addition of conditioned medium to fresh and low cell density cultures resulted in high expression of xynA, indicating that a diffusible extracellular xynA density factor is present in the medium. The xynA density factor is heat-stable, sensitive to proteases, and was partially purified using reverse phase liquid chromatography. Taken together, these results suggest that xynA is regulated by quorum-sensing at low cell densities.

Preliminary crystallographic analysis of a double mutant of the acetyl xylo-oligosaccharide esterase Axe2 in its dimeric form

Xylans are polymeric sugars constituting a significant part of the plant cell wall. They are usually substituted with acetyl side groups attached at positions 2 or 3 of the xylose backbone units. Acetylxylan esterases are part of the hemicellulolytic system of many microorganisms which utilize plant biomass for growth. These enzymes hydrolyze the ester linkages of the xylan acetyl groups and thus improve the accessibility of main-chain-hydrolyzing enzymes and their ability to break down the sugar backbone units. The acetylxylan esterases are therefore critically important for those microorganisms and as such could be used for a wide range of biotechnological applications. The structure of an acetylxylan esterase (Axe2) isolated from the thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus stearothermophilus T6 has been determined, and it has been demonstrated that the wild-type enzyme is present as a unique torus-shaped octamer in the crystal and in solution. In order to understand the functional origin of this unique oligomeric structure, a series of rational noncatalytic, site-specific mutations have been made on Axe2. Some of these mutations led to a different dimeric form of the protein, which showed a significant reduction in catalytic activity. One of these double mutants, Axe2-Y184F-W190P, has recently been overexpressed, purified and crystallized. The best crystals obtained belonged to the orthorhombic space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 71.1, b = 106.0, c = 378.6 Å. A full diffraction data set to 2.3 Å resolution has been collected from a flash-cooled crystal of this type at 100 K using synchrotron radiation. This data set is currently being used for the three-dimensional structure analysis of the Axe2-Y184F-W190P mutant in its dimeric form.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of Gan1D, a GH1 6-phospho-β-galactosidase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus T1

Geobacillus stearothermophilus T1 is a Gram-positive thermophilic soil bacterium that contains an extensive system for the utilization of plant cell-wall polysaccharides, including xylan, arabinan and galactan. The bacterium uses a number of extracellular enzymes that break down the high-molecular-weight polysaccharides into short oligosaccharides, which enter the cell and are further hydrolyzed into sugar monomers by dedicated intracellular glycoside hydrolases. The interest in the biochemical characterization and structural analysis of these proteins originates mainly from the wide range of their potential biotechnological applications. Studying the different hemicellulolytic utilization systems in G. stearothermophilus T1, a new galactan-utilization gene cluster was recently identified, which encodes a number of proteins, one of which is a GH1 putative 6-phospho-β-galactosidase (Gan1D). Gan1D has recently been cloned, overexpressed, purified and crystallized as part of its comprehensive structure-function study. The best crystals obtained for this enzyme belonged to the triclinic space group P1, with average crystallographic unit-cell parameters of a = 67.0, b = 78.1, c = 92.1 Å, α = 102.4, β = 93.5, γ = 91.7°. A full diffraction data set to 1.33 Å resolution has been collected for the wild-type enzyme, as measured from flash-cooled crystals at 100 K, using synchrotron radiation. These data are currently being used for the detailed three-dimensional crystal structure analysis of Gan1D.

The Geobacillus paradox: why is a thermophilic bacterial genus so prevalent on a mesophilic planet?

The genus Geobacillus comprises endospore-forming obligate thermophiles. These bacteria have been isolated from cool soils and even cold ocean sediments in anomalously high numbers, given that the ambient temperatures are significantly below their minimum requirement for growth. Geobacilli are active in environments such as hot plant composts, however, and examination of their genome sequences reveals that they are endowed with a battery of sensors, transporters and enzymes dedicated to hydrolysing plant polysaccharides. Although they appear to be relatively minor members of the plant biomass-degrading microbial community, Geobacillus bacteria have achieved a significant population with a worldwide distribution, probably in large part due to adaptive features of their spores. First, their morphology and resistance properties enable them to be mobilized in the atmosphere and transported long distances. Second, their longevity, which in theory may be extreme, enables them to lie quiescent but viable for long periods of time, accumulating gradually over time to achieve surprisingly high population densities.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of GanB, a GH42 intracellular β-galactosidase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus

Geobacillus stearothermophilus T-6 is a Gram-positive thermophilic soil bacterium that contains a multi-enzyme system for the utilization of plant cell-wall polysaccharides, including xylan, arabinan and galactan. The bacterium uses a number of endo-acting extracellular enzymes that break down the high-molecular-weight polysaccharides into decorated oligosaccharides. These oligosaccharides enter the cell and are further hydrolyzed into sugar monomers by a set of intracellular glycoside hydrolases. One of these intracellular degrading enzymes is GanB, a glycoside hydrolase family 42 β-galactosidase capable of hydrolyzing short β-1,4-galactosaccharides to galactose. GanB and related enzymes therefore play an important part in the hemicellulolytic utilization system of many microorganisms which use plant biomass for growth. The interest in the biochemical characterization and structural analysis of these enzymes stems from their potential biotechnological applications. GanB from G. stearothermophilus T-6 has recently been cloned, overexpressed, purified, biochemically characterized and crystallized in our laboratory as part of its complete structure-function study. The best crystals obtained for this enzyme belong to the primitive orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁, with average crystallographic unit-cell parameters of a=71.84, b=181.35, c=196.57 Å. Full diffraction data sets to 2.45 and 2.50 Å resolution have been collected for both the wild-type enzyme and its E323A nucleophile catalytic mutant, respectively, as measured from flash-cooled crystals at 100 K using synchrotron radiation. These data are currently being used for the full three-dimensional crystal structure determination of GanB.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of Abp, a GH27 β-L-arabinopyranosidase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus

Geobacillus stearothermophilus T-6 is a thermophilic soil bacterium that possesses an extensive system for the utilization of hemicellulose. The bacterium produces a small number of endo-acting extracellular enzymes that cleave high-molecular-weight hemicellulolytic polymers into short decorated oligosaccharides, which are further hydrolysed into the respective sugar monomers by a battery of intracellular glycoside hydrolases. One of these intracellular processing enzymes is β-L-arabinopyranosidase (Abp), which is capable of removing β-L-arabinopyranose residues from naturally occurring arabino-polysaccharides. As arabino-polymers constitute a significant part of the hemicellulolytic content of plant biomass, their efficient enzymatic degradation presents an important challenge for many potential biotechnological applications. This aspect has led to an increasing interest in the biochemical characterization and structural analysis of this and related hemicellulases. Abp from G. stearothermophilus T-6 has recently been cloned, overexpressed, purified, biochemically characterized and crystallized in our laboratory, as part of its complete structure-function study. The best crystals obtained for this enzyme belonged to the primitive orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with average unit-cell parameters a = 107.7, b = 202.2, c = 287.3 Å. Full diffraction data sets to 2.3 Å resolution have been collected for both the wild-type enzyme and its D197A catalytic mutant from flash-cooled crystals at 100 K, using synchrotron radiation. These data are currently being used for a high-resolution three-dimensional structure determination of Abp.

Mining for hemicellulases in the fungus-growing termite Pseudacanthotermes militaris using functional metagenomics

BACKGROUND

The metagenomic analysis of gut microbiomes has emerged as a powerful strategy for the identification of biomass-degrading enzymes, which will be no doubt useful for the development of advanced biorefining processes. In the present study, we have performed a functional metagenomic analysis on comb and gut microbiomes associated with the fungus-growing termite, Pseudacanthotermes militaris.

RESULTS

Using whole termite abdomens and fungal-comb material respectively, two fosmid-based metagenomic libraries were created and screened for the presence of xylan-degrading enzymes. This revealed 101 positive clones, corresponding to an extremely high global hit rate of 0.49%. Many clones displayed either β-d-xylosidase (EC 3.2.1.37) or α-l-arabinofuranosidase (EC 3.2.1.55) activity, while others displayed the ability to degrade AZCL-xylan or AZCL-β-(1,3)-β-(1,4)-glucan. Using secondary screening it was possible to pinpoint clones of interest that were used to prepare fosmid DNA. Sequencing of fosmid DNA generated 1.46 Mbp of sequence data, and bioinformatics analysis revealed 63 sequences encoding putative carbohydrate-active enzymes, with many of these forming parts of sequence clusters, probably having carbohydrate degradation and metabolic functions. Taxonomic assignment of the different sequences revealed that Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were predominant phyla in the gut sample, while microbial diversity in the comb sample resembled that of typical soil samples. Cloning and expression in E. coli of six enzyme candidates identified in the libraries provided access to individual enzyme activities, which all proved to be coherent with the primary and secondary functional screens.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that the gut microbiome of P. militaris possesses the potential to degrade biomass components, such as arabinoxylans and arabinans. Moreover, the data presented suggests that prokaryotic microorganisms present in the comb could also play a part in the degradation of biomass within the termite mound, although further investigation will be needed to clarify the complex synergies that might exist between the different microbiomes that constitute the termitosphere of fungus-growing termites. This study exemplifies the power of functional metagenomics for the discovery of biomass-active enzymes and has provided a collection of potentially interesting biocatalysts for further study.

Global microarray analysis of carbohydrate use in alkaliphilic hemicellulolytic bacterium Bacillus sp. N16-5

The alkaliphilic hemicellulolytic bacterium Bacillus sp. N16-5 has a broad substrate spectrum and exhibits the capacity to utilize complex carbohydrates such as galactomannan, xylan, and pectin. In the monosaccharide mixture, sequential utilization by Bacillus sp. N16-5 was observed. Glucose appeared to be its preferential monosaccharide, followed by fructose, mannose, arabinose, xylose, and galactose. Global transcription profiles of the strain were determined separately for growth on six monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, mannose, galactose, arabinose, and xylose) and four polysaccharides (galactomannan, xylan, pectin, and sodium carboxymethylcellulose) using one-color microarrays. Numerous genes potentially related to polysaccharide degradation, sugar transport, and monosaccharide metabolism were found to respond to a specific substrate. Putative gene clusters for different carbohydrates were identified according to transcriptional patterns and genome annotation. Identification and analysis of these gene clusters contributed to pathway reconstruction for carbohydrate utilization in Bacillus sp. N16-5. Several genes encoding putative sugar transporters were highly expressed during growth on specific sugars, suggesting their functional roles. Two phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase systems were identified as candidate transporters for mannose and fructose, and a major facilitator superfamily transporter was identified as a candidate transporter for arabinose and xylose. Five carbohydrate uptake transporter 1 family ATP-binding cassette transporters were predicted to participate in the uptake of hemicellulose and pectin degradation products. Collectively, microarray data improved the pathway reconstruction involved in carbohydrate utilization of Bacillus sp. N16-5 and revealed that the organism precisely regulates gene transcription in response to fluctuations in energy resources.

Functional characterization of the galactan utilization system of Geobacillus stearothermophilus

Type I galactan is a pectic polysaccharide composed of β-1,4 linked units of d-galactose and is part of the main plant cell wall polysaccharides, which are the most abundant sources of renewable carbon in the biosphere. The thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus stearothermophilus T-6 possesses an extensive system for the utilization of plant cell wall polysaccharides, including a 9.4-kb gene cluster, ganREFGBA, which encodes galactan-utilization elements. Based on enzyme activity assays, the ganEFGBA genes, which probably constitute an operon, are induced by short galactosaccharides but not by galactose. GanA is a glycoside hydrolase family 53 β-1,4-galactanase, active on high molecular weight galactan, producing galactotetraose as the main product. Homology modelling of the active site residues suggests that the enzyme can accommodate at least eight galactose molecules (at subsites -4 to +4) in the active site. GanB is a glycoside hydrolase family 42 β-galactosidase capable of hydrolyzing short β-1,4 galactosaccharides into galactose. Applying both GanA and GanB on galactan resulted in the full degradation of the polymer into galactose. The ganEFG genes encode an ATP-binding cassette sugar transport system whose sugar-binding lipoprotein, GanE, was shown to bind galacto-oligosaccharides. The utilization of galactan by G. stearothermophilus involves the extracellular galactanase GanA cleaving galactan into galacto-oligosaccharides that enter the cell via a specific transport system GanEFG. The galacto-oligosaccharides are further degraded by the intracellular β-galactosidase GanB into galactose, which is then metabolized into UDP-glucose via the Leloir pathway by the galKET gene products.

DATABASE

Nucleotide sequence data have been deposited in the GenBank database under the accession number JF327803.

The abp gene in Geobacillus stearothermophilus T-6 encodes a GH27 β-L-arabinopyranosidase

In this study we demonstrate that the abp gene in Geobacillus stearothermophilus T-6 encodes a family 27 glycoside hydrolase β-L-arabinopyranosidase. The catalytic constants towards the chromogenic substrate pNP-β-L-arabinopyranoside were 0.8±0.1 mM, 6.6±0.3 s(-1), and 8.2±0.3 s(-1) mM(-1) for K(m), k(cat) and k(cat)/K(m), respectively. (13)C NMR spectroscopy unequivocally showed that Abp is capable of removing β-L-arabinopyranose residues from the natural arabino-polysaccharide, larch arabinogalactan. Most family 27 enzymes are active on galactose and contain a conserved Asp residue, whereas in Abp this residue is Ile67, which shifts the specificity of the enzyme towards arabinopyranoside.

Ribulokinase and transcriptional regulation of arabinose metabolism in Clostridium acetobutylicum

The transcription factor AraR controls utilization of L-arabinose in Bacillus subtilis. In this study, we combined a comparative genomic reconstruction of AraR regulons in nine Clostridium species with detailed experimental characterization of AraR-mediated regulation in Clostridium acetobutylicum. Based on the reconstructed AraR regulons, a novel ribulokinase, AraK, present in all analyzed Clostridium species was identified, which was a nonorthologous replacement of previously characterized ribulokinases. The predicted function of the araK gene was confirmed by inactivation of the araK gene in C. acetobutylicum and biochemical assays using purified recombinant AraK. In addition to the genes involved in arabinose utilization and arabinoside degradation, extension of the AraR regulon to the pentose phosphate pathway genes in several Clostridium species was revealed. The predicted AraR-binding sites in the C. acetobutylicum genome and the negative effect of L-arabinose on DNA-regulator complex formation were verified by in vitro binding assays. The predicted AraR-controlled genes in C. acetobutylicum were experimentally validated by testing gene expression patterns in both wild-type and araR-inactivated mutant strains during growth in the absence or presence of L-arabinose.

A new family of carbohydrate esterases is represented by a GDSL hydrolase/acetylxylan esterase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus

Acetylxylan esterases hydrolyze the ester linkages of acetyl groups at positions 2 and/or 3 of the xylose moieties in xylan and play an important role in enhancing the accessibility of xylanases to the xylan backbone. The hemicellulolytic system of the thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus stearothermophilus T-6 comprises a putative acetylxylan esterase gene, axe2. The gene product belongs to the GDSL hydrolase family and does not share sequence homology with any of the carbohydrate esterases in the CAZy Database. The axe2 gene is induced by xylose, and the purified gene product completely deacetylates xylobiose peracetate (fully acetylated) and hydrolyzes the synthetic substrates 2-naphthyl acetate, 4-nitrophenyl acetate, 4-methylumbelliferyl acetate, and phenyl acetate. The pH profiles for k(cat) and k(cat)/K(m) suggest the existence of two ionizable groups affecting the binding of the substrate to the enzyme. Using NMR spectroscopy, the regioselectivity of Axe2 was directly determined with the aid of one-dimensional selective total correlation spectroscopy. Methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-β-d-xylopyranoside was rapidly deacetylated at position 2 or at positions 3 and 4 to give either diacetyl or monoacetyl intermediates, respectively; methyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-glucopyranoside was initially deacetylated at position 6. In both cases, the complete hydrolysis of the intermediates occurred at a much slower rate, suggesting that the preferred substrate is the peracetate sugar form. Site-directed mutagenesis of Ser-15, His-194, and Asp-191 resulted in complete inactivation of the enzyme, consistent with their role as the catalytic triad. Overall, our results show that Axe2 is a serine acetylxylan esterase representing a new carbohydrate esterase family.