aguA, the gene encoding an extracellular alpha-glucuronidase from Aspergillus tubingensis, is specifically induced on xylose and not on glucuronic acid

Fungal xylanolytic enzymes: Diversity and applications

As important polysaccharide degraders in nature, fungi can diversify their extensive set of carbohydrate-active enzymes to survive in ecological habitats of various composition. Among these enzymes, xylanolytic ones can efficiently and sustainably degrade xylans into (fermentable) monosaccharides to produce valuable chemicals or fuels from, for example relevant for upgrading agro-food industrial side streams. Moreover, xylanolytic enzymes are being used in various industrial applications beyond biomass saccharification, e.g. food, animal feed, biofuel, pulp and paper. As a reference for researchers working in related areas, this review summarized the current knowledge on substrate specificity of xylanolytic enzymes from different families of the Carbohydrate-Active enZyme database. Additionally, the diversity of enzyme sets in fungi were discussed by comparing the number of genes encoding xylanolytic enzymes in selected fungal genomes. Finally, to support bio-economy, the current applications of fungal xylanolytic enzymes in industry were reviewed.

Interspecific evolutionary relationships of alpha-glucuronidase in the genus Aspergillus

The increased availability and production of lignocellulosic agroindustrial wastes has originated proposals for their use as raw material to obtain biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) or derived products. However, for biomass generated from lignocellulosic residues to be successfully degraded, in most cases it requires a physical (thermal), chemical, or enzymatic pretreatment before the application of microbial or enzymatic fermentation technologies (biocatalysis). In the context of enzymatic technologies, fungi have demonstrated to produce enzymes capable of degrading polysaccharides like cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectin. Because of this ability for degrading lignocellulosic material, researchers are making efforts to isolate and identify fungal enzymes that could have a better activity for the degradation of plant cell walls and agroindustrial biomass. We performed an in silico analysis of alpha-glucoronidase in 82 accessions of the genus Aspergillus. The constructed dendrograms of amino acid sequences defined the formation of 6 groups (I, II, III, IV, V, and VI), which demonstrates the high diversity of the enzyme. Despite this ample divergence between enzyme groups, our 3D structure modeling showed both conservation and differences in amino acid residues participating in enzyme-substrate binding, which indicates the possibility that some enzymes are functionally specialized for the specific degradation of a substrate depending on the genetics of each species in the genus and the condition of the habitat where they evolved. The identification of alpha-glucuronidase isoenzymes would allow future use of genetic engineering and biocatalysis technologies aimed at specific production of the enzyme for its use in biotransformation.

Enzymatic processing of lignocellulosic biomass: principles, recent advances and perspectives

Efficient saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass requires concerted development of a pretreatment method, an enzyme cocktail and an enzymatic process, all of which are adapted to the feedstock. Recent years have shown great progress in most aspects of the overall process. In particular, increased insights into the contributions of a wide variety of cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes have improved the enzymatic processing step and brought down costs. Here, we review major pretreatment technologies and different enzyme process setups and present an in-depth discussion of the various enzyme types that are currently in use. We pay ample attention to the role of the recently discovered lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), which have led to renewed interest in the role of redox enzyme systems in lignocellulose processing. Better understanding of the interplay between the various enzyme types, as they may occur in a commercial enzyme cocktail, is likely key to further process improvements.

Thermophilic Degradation of Hemicellulose, a Critical Feedstock in the Production of Bioenergy and Other Value-Added Products

Renewable fuels have gained importance as the world moves toward diversifying its energy portfolio. A critical step in the biomass-to-bioenergy initiative is deconstruction of plant cell wall polysaccharides to their unit sugars for subsequent fermentation to fuels. To acquire carbon and energy for their metabolic processes, diverse microorganisms have evolved genes encoding enzymes that depolymerize polysaccharides to their carbon/energy-rich building blocks. The microbial enzymes mostly target the energy present in cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin, three major forms of energy storage in plants. In the effort to develop bioenergy as an alternative to fossil fuel, a common strategy is to harness microbial enzymes to hydrolyze cellulose to glucose for fermentation to fuels. However, the conversion of plant biomass to renewable fuels will require both cellulose and hemicellulose, the two largest components of the plant cell wall, as feedstock to improve economic feasibility. Here, we explore the enzymes and strategies evolved by two well-studied bacteria to depolymerize the hemicelluloses xylan/arabinoxylan and mannan. The sets of enzymes, in addition to their applications in biofuels and value-added chemical production, have utility in animal feed enzymes, a rapidly developing industry with potential to minimize adverse impacts of animal agriculture on the environment.

Spatial induction of genes encoding secreted proteins in micro-colonies of Aspergillus niger

Aspergillus niger is used by the industry to produce enzymes and metabolites such as citric acid. In liquid cultures, it can grow as a dispersed mycelium or as micro-colonies with a width in the micrometer to millimeter range. Here, it was assessed whether expression of genes encoding secreted enzymes depends on mycelium morphology. To this end, expression of the reporter gene gfp from the promoters of the glucoamylase gene glaA, the feruloyl esterase gene faeA and the α-glucuronidase gene aguA was causally related to micro-colony size within a liquid shaken culture. Data could be fitted by hyperbolic functions, implying that the genes encoding these secreted proteins are expressed in a shell at the periphery of the micro-colony. The presence of such a shell was confirmed by confocal microscopy. Modelling predicted that the width of these zones was 13 to 156 µm depending on growth medium and micro-colony diameter. Together, data indicate that the highest productive micro-colonies are those colonies that have a radius ≤ the width of the peripheral expression zone.

Towards enzymatic breakdown of complex plant xylan structures: State of the art

Significant progress over the past few years has been achieved in the enzymology of microbial degradation and saccharification of plant xylan, after cellulose being the most abundant natural renewable polysaccharide. Several new types of xylan depolymerizing and debranching enzymes have been described in microorganisms. Despite the increasing variety of known glycoside hydrolases and carbohydrate esterases, some xylan structures still appear quite recalcitrant. This review focuses on the mode of action of different types of depolymerizing endoxylanases and their cooperation with β-xylosidase and accessory enzymes in breakdown of complex highly branched xylan structures. Emphasis is placed on the enzymatic hydrolysis of alkali-extracted deesterified polysaccharide as well as acetylated xylan isolated from plant cell walls under non-alkaline conditions. It is also shown how the combination of selected endoxylanases and debranching enzymes can determine the nature of prebiotic xylooligosaccharides or lead to complete hydrolysis of the polysaccharide. The article also highlights the possibility for discovery of novel xylanolytic enzymes, construction of multifunctional chimeric enzymes and xylanosomes in parallel with increasing knowledge on the fine structure of the polysaccharide.

Theoretical study of the reaction mechanism of phenolic acid decarboxylase

The cofactor-free phenolic acid decarboxylases (PADs) catalyze the non-oxidative decarboxylation of phenolic acids to their corresponding p-vinyl derivatives. Phenolic acids are toxic to some organisms, and a number of them have evolved the ability to transform these compounds, including PAD-catalyzed reactions. Since the vinyl derivative products can be used as polymer precursors and are also of interest in the food-processing industry, PADs might have potential applications as biocatalysts. We have investigated the detailed reaction mechanism of PAD from Bacillus subtilis using quantum chemical methodology. A number of different mechanistic scenarios have been considered and evaluated on the basis of their energy profiles. The calculations support a mechanism in which a quinone methide intermediate is formed by protonation of the substrate double bond, followed by C-C bond cleavage. A different substrate orientation in the active site is suggested compared to the literature proposal. This suggestion is analogous to other enzymes with p-hydroxylated aromatic compounds as substrates, such as hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA hydratase-lyase and vanillyl alcohol oxidase. Furthermore, on the basis of the calculations, a different active site residue compared to previous proposals is suggested to act as the general acid in the reaction. The mechanism put forward here is consistent with the available mutagenesis experiments and the calculated energy barrier is in agreement with measured rate constants. The detailed mechanistic understanding developed here might be extended to other members of the family of PAD-type enzymes. It could also be useful to rationalize the recently developed alternative promiscuous reactivities of these enzymes.

Active fungal GH115 α-glucuronidase produced in Arabidopsis thaliana affects only the UX1-reactive glucuronate decorations on native glucuronoxylans

Background

Expressing microbial polysaccharide-modifying enzymes in plants is an attractive approach to custom tailor plant lignocellulose and to study the importance of wall structures to plant development. Expression of α-glucuronidases in plants to modify the structures of glucuronoxylans has not been yet attempted. Glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 115 α-glucuronidases cleave the internal α-D-(4-O-methyl)glucopyranosyluronic acid ((Me)GlcA) from xylans or xylooligosaccharides. In this work, a GH115 α-glucuronidase from Schizophyllum commune, ScAGU115, was expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana and targeted to apoplast. The transgene effects on native xylans’ structures, plant development, and lignocellulose saccharification were evaluated and compared to those of knocked out glucuronyltransferases AtGUX1 and AtGUX2.

Results

The ScAGU115 extracted from cell walls of Arabidopsis was active on the internally substituted aldopentaouronic acid (XUXX). The transgenic plants did not show any change in growth or in lignocellulose saccharification. The cell wall (Me)GlcA and other non-cellulosic sugars, as well as the lignin content, remained unchanged. In contrast, the gux1gux2 double mutant showed a 70% decrease in (Me)GlcA to xylose molar ratio, and, interestingly, a 60% increase in the xylose content. Whereas ScAGU115-expressing plants exhibited a decreased signal in native secondary walls from the monoclonal antibody UX1 that recognizes (Me)GlcA on non-acetylated xylan, the signal was not affected after wall deacetylation. In contrast, gux1gux2 mutant was lacking UX1 signals in both native and deacetylated cell walls. This indicates that acetyl substitution on the xylopyranosyl residue carrying (Me)GlcA or on the neighboring xylopyranosyl residues may restrict post-synthetic modification of xylans by ScAGU115 in planta.

Conclusions

Active GH115 α-glucuronidase has been produced for the first time in plants. The cell wall–targeted ScAGU115 was shown to affect those glucuronate substitutions of xylan, which are accessible to UX1 antibody and constitute a small fraction in Arabidopsis, whereas majority of (Me)GlcA substitutions were resistant, most likely due to the shielding by acetyl groups. Plants expressing ScAGU115 did not show any defects under laboratory conditions indicating that the UX1 epitope of xylan is not essential under these conditions. Moreover the removal of the UX1 xylan epitope does not affect lignocellulose saccharification.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12896-015-0154-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The GH67 α-glucuronidase of Paenibacillus curdlanolyticus B-6 removes hexenuronic acid groups and facilitates biodegradation of the model xylooligosaccharide hexenuronosyl xylotriose

4-O-Methylglucuronic acid (MeGlcA) side groups attached to the xylan backbone through α-1,2 linkages are converted to hexenuronic acid (HexA) during alkaline pulping. α-Glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.139) hydrolyzes 1,2-linked MeGlcA from xylooligosaccharides. To determine whether α-glucuronidase can also hydrolyze HexA-decorated xylooligosaccharides, a gene encoding α-glucuronidase (AguA) was cloned from Paenibacillus curdlanolyticus B-6. The purified protein degraded hexenuronosyl xylotriose (ΔX3), a model substrate prepared from kraft pulp. AguA released xylotriose and HexA from ΔX3, but the Vmax and kcat values for ΔX3 were lower than those for MeGlcA, indicating that HexA side groups may affect the hydrolytic activity. To explore the potential for biological bleaching, ΔX3 degradation was performed using intracellular extract from P. curdlanolyticus B-6. The intracellular extract, with synergistic α-glucuronidase and β-xylosidase activities, degraded ΔX3 to xylose and HexA. These results indicate that α-glucuronidase can be used to remove HexA from ΔX3 derived from pulp, reducing the need for chemical treatments in the pulping process.

Insight into glycoside hydrolases for debranched xylan degradation from extremely thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor lactoaceticus

Caldicellulosiruptor lactoaceticus 6A, an anaerobic and extremely thermophilic bacterium, uses natural xylan as carbon source. The encoded genes of C. lactoaceticus 6A for glycoside hydrolase (GH) provide a platform for xylan degradation. The GH family 10 xylanase (Xyn10A) and GH67 α-glucuronidase (Agu67A) from C. lactoaceticus 6A were heterologously expressed, purified and characterized. Both Xyn10A and Agu67A are predicted as intracellular enzymes as no signal peptides identified. Xyn10A and Agu67A had molecular weight of 47.0 kDa and 80.0 kDa respectively as determined by SDS-PAGE, while both appeared as homodimer when analyzed by gel filtration. Xyn10A displayed the highest activity at 80 °C and pH 6.5, as 75 °C and pH 6.5 for Agu67A. Xyn10A had good stability at 75 °C, 80 °C, and pH 4.5-8.5, respectively, and was sensitive to various metal ions and reagents. Xyn10A possessed hydrolytic activity towards xylo-oligosaccharides (XOs) and beechwood xylan. At optimum conditions, the specific activity of Xyn10A was 44.6 IU/mg with beechwood xylan as substrate, and liberated branched XOs, xylobiose, and xylose. Agu67A was active on branched XOs with methyl-glucuronic acids (MeGlcA) sub-chains, and primarily generated XOs equivalents and MeGlcA. The specific activity of Agu67A was 1.3 IU/mg with aldobiouronic acid as substrate. The synergistic action of Xyn10A and Agu67A was observed with MeGlcA branched XOs and xylan as substrates, both backbone and branched chain of substrates were degraded, and liberated xylose, xylobiose, and MeGlcA. The synergism of Xyn10A and Agu67A provided not only a thermophilic method for natural xylan degradation, but also insight into the mechanisms for xylan utilization of C. lactoaceticus.

Genomic insights into the fungal lignocellulolytic system of Myceliophthora thermophila

The microbial conversion of solid cellulosic biomass to liquid biofuels may provide a renewable energy source for transportation fuels. Cellulolytic fungi represent a promising group of organisms, as they have evolved complex systems for adaptation to their natural habitat. The filamentous fungus Myceliophthora thermophila constitutes an exceptionally powerful cellulolytic microorganism that synthesizes a complete set of enzymes necessary for the breakdown of plant cell wall. The genome of this fungus has been recently sequenced and annotated, allowing systematic examination and identification of enzymes required for the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass. The genomic analysis revealed the existence of an expanded enzymatic repertoire including numerous cellulases, hemicellulases, and enzymes with auxiliary activities, covering the most of the recognized CAZy families. Most of them were predicted to possess a secretion signal and undergo through post-translational glycosylation modifications. These data offer a better understanding of activities embedded in fungal lignocellulose decomposition mechanisms and suggest that M. thermophila could be made usable as an industrial production host for cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes.

Xylanase XYN IV from Trichoderma reesei showing exo- and endo-xylanase activity

A minor xylanase, named XYN IV, was purified from the cellulolytic system of the fungus Trichoderma reesei Rut C30. The enzyme was discovered on the basis of its ability to attack aldotetraohexenuronic acid (HexA-2Xyl-4Xyl-4Xyl, HexA(3)Xyl(3)), releasing the reducing-end xylose residue. XYN IV exhibited catalytic properties incompatible with previously described endo-β-1,4-xylanases of this fungus, XYN I, XYN II and XYN III, and the xylan-hydrolyzing endo-β-1,4-glucanase EG I. XYN IV was able to degrade several different β-1,4-xylans, but was inactive on β-1,4-mannans and β-1,4-glucans. It showed both exo-and endo-xylanase activity. Rhodymenan, a linear soluble β-1,3-β-1,4-xylan, was as the best substrate. Linear xylooligosaccharides were attacked exclusively at the first glycosidic linkage from the reducing end. The gene xyn4, encoding XYN IV, was also isolated. It showed clear homology with xylanases classified in glycoside hydrolase family 30, which also includes glucanases and mannanases. The xyn4 gene was expressed slightly when grown on xylose and xylitol, clearly on arabinose, arabitol, sophorose, xylobiose, xylan and cellulose, but not on glucose or sorbitol, resembling induction of other xylanolytic enzymes from T. reesei. A recombinant enzyme prepared in a Pichia pastoris expression system exhibited identical catalytic properties to the enzyme isolated from the T. reesei culture medium. The physiological role of this unique enzyme remains unknown, but it may involve liberation of xylose from the reducing end of branched oligosaccharides that are resistant toward β-xylosidase and other types of endoxylanases. In terms of its catalytic properties, XYN IV differs from bacterial GH family 30 glucuronoxylanases that recognize 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid (MeGlcA) substituents as substrate specificity determinants.

d-Xylose concentration-dependent hydrolase expression profiles and the function of CreA and XlnR in Aspergillus niger

Aspergillus niger is an important organism for the production of industrial enzymes such as hemicellulases and pectinases. The xylan-backbone monomer, d-xylose, is an inducing substance for the coordinate expression of a large number of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes. In this study, the responses of 22 genes to low (1 mM) and high (50 mM) d-xylose concentrations were investigated. These 22 genes encode enzymes that function as xylan backbone-degrading enzymes, accessory enzymes, cellulose-degrading enzymes, or enzymes involved in the pentose catabolic pathway in A. niger. Notably, genes encoding enzymes that have a similar function (e.g., xylan backbone degradation) respond in a similar manner to different concentrations of d-xylose. Although low d-xylose concentrations provoke the greatest change in transcript levels, in particular, for hemicellulase-encoding genes, transcript formation in the presence of high concentrations of d-xylose was also observed. Interestingly, a high d-xylose concentration is favorable for certain groups of genes. Furthermore, the repressing influence of CreA on the transcription and transcript levels of a subset of these genes was observed regardless of whether a low or high concentration of d-xylose was used. Interestingly, the decrease in transcript levels of certain genes on high d-xylose concentrations is not reflected by the transcript level of their activator, XlnR. Regardless of the d-xylose concentration applied and whether CreA was functional, xlnR was constitutively expressed at a low level.

Synthetic multi-component enzyme mixtures for deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass

A high throughput enzyme assay platform, called GENPLAT, was used to guide the development of an optimized mixture of individual purified enzymes from ten "accessory" and six "core" enzymes. Enzyme mixtures were optimized for release of Glu, Xyl, or a combination of the two from corn stover pretreated by ammonia-fiber expansion (AFEX). Assay conditions were a fixed enzyme loading of 15 mg/g glucan, 48 h digestion, and 50 degrees C. Five of the ten tested accessory proteins enhanced Glu or Xyl yield compared to the core set alone, and five did not. An 11-component mixture containing the core set and five accessory enzymes optimized for Glu released 52.1% of the available Glu, compared to 38.5% with the core set alone. A mixture optimized for Xyl released 39.9% of the Xyl, compared to 26.4% with the core set alone. We predict that there is still considerable opportunity for further improvement of synthetic mixtures. Furthermore, the strategy described here is applicable to the development of more efficient enzyme cocktails for any pretreatment/biomass combination and for detecting enzymes that make a heretofore unrecognized contribution to lignocellulose deconstruction.

Proteome analysis of fungal and bacterial involvement in leaf litter decomposition

Fungi and bacteria are key players in the decomposition of leaf litter, but their individual contributions to the process and their interactions are still poorly known. We combined semi-quantitative proteome analyses (1-D PAGE-LC-MS/MS) with qualitative and quantitative analyses of extracellular degradative enzyme activities to unravel the respective roles of a fungus and a bacterium during litter decomposition. Two model organisms, a mesophilic Gram-negative bacterium (Pectobacterium carotovorum) and an ascomycete (Aspergillus nidulans), were grown in both, pure culture and co-culture on minimal medium containing either glucose or beech leaf litter as sole carbon source. P. carotovorum grew best in co-culture with the fungus, whereas growth of A. nidulans was significantly reduced when the bacterium was present. This observation suggests that P. carotovorum has only limited capabilities to degrade leaf litter and profits from the degradation products of A. nidulans at the expense of fungal growth. In accordance with this interpretation, our proteome analysis revealed that most of the extracellular biodegradative enzymes (i.e. proteases, pectinases, and cellulases) in the cultures with beech litter were expressed by the fungus, the bacterium producing only low levels of pectinases.

p-Coumaric acid decarboxylase from Lactobacillus plantarum: structural insights into the active site and decarboxylation catalytic mechanism

p-Coumaric acid decarboxylases (PDCs) catalyze the nonoxidative decarboxylation of hydroxycinnamic acids to generate the corresponding vinyl derivatives. Despite the biotechnological relevance of PDCs in food industry, their catalytic mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we report insights into the structural basis of catalysis for the homodimeric PDC from Lactobacillus plantarum (LpPDC). The global fold of LpPDC is based on a flattened beta-barrel surrounding an internal cavity. Crystallographic and functional analyses of single-point mutants of residues located within this cavity have permitted identifying a potential substrate-binding pocket and also to provide structural evidences for rearrangements of surface loops so that they can modulate the accessibility to the active site. Finally, combination of the structural and functional data with in silico results enables us to propose a two-step catalytic mechanism for decarboxylation of p-coumaric acid by PDCs where Glu71 is involved in proton transfer, and Tyr18 and Tyr20 are involved in the proper substrate orientation and in the release of the CO(2) product.

A novel family of hemicellulolytic alpha-glucuronidase

Investigation of the xylanolytic enzyme system of the xylose-fermenting yeast Pichia stipitis resulted in the discovery of an extracellular alpha-glucuronidase efficiently debranching hardwood glucuronoxylan. This activity is not exhibited by more extensively investigated alpha-glucuronidases of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 67, operating on substrates in which the uronic acid is linked to the non-reducing xylopyranosyl residues of main chain fragments. The N-terminus of the purified enzyme corresponded exactly to the P. stipitis gene ABN67901 coding for a protein of unknown function. BLAST search revealed the presence of similar genes in genomes of other microorganisms. These results lead to the emergence of a new family of alpha-glucuronidases.

Overexpression, purification, crystallization and preliminary structural studies of p-coumaric acid decarboxylase from Lactobacillus plantarum

The substrate-inducible p-coumaric acid decarboxylase (PDC) from Lactobacillus plantarum has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and confirmed to possess decarboxylase activity. The recombinant His(6)-tagged enzyme was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method from a solution containing 20%(w/v) PEG 4000, 12%(w/v) 2-propanol, 0.2 M sodium acetate, 0.1 M Tris-HCl pH 8.0 with 0.1 M barium chloride as an additive. Diffraction data were collected in-house to 2.04 A resolution. Crystals belonged to the tetragonal space group P4(3), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 43.15, c = 231.86 A. The estimated Matthews coefficient was 2.36 A(3) Da(-1), corresponding to 48% solvent content, which is consistent with the presence of two protein molecules in the asymmetric unit. The structure of PDC has been determined by the molecular-replacement method. Currently, the structure of PDC complexed with substrate analogues is in progress, with the aim of elucidating the structural basis of the catalytic mechanism.

Mode of action of endo-β-1,4-xylanases of families 10 and 11 on acidic xylooligosaccharides

Mode of action of endo-beta-1,4-xylanases (EXs) of glycoside hydrolase families 10 (GH-10) and 11 (GH-11) was examined on various acidic xylooligosaccharides. As expected, none of the enzymes of GH-10 cleaved aldotetraouronic acid (MeGlcA3Xyl3), which is the shortest acidic product of the action of these EXs on glucuronoxylan. Surprisingly, aldopentaouronic acid (MeGlcA3Xyl4) was also not attacked. Only aldohexaouronic acid (MeGlcA3Xyl5) served as a substrate and was cleaved to xylobiose and aldotetraouronic acid. These results suggested that binding of xylopyranosyl residue in the -2 subsite is prerequisite for cleavage of the linkage adjacent to the xylopyranosyl unit carrying MeGlcA. EXs of family GH-11 cleaved neither aldotetraouronic acid, nor aldopentaouronic acid, which is in agreement with their action on glucuronoxylan. Aldohexaouronic acid was cleaved to aldopentaouronic acid and xylobiose without any production of xylose, suggesting that a xylosyl transfer reaction is involved in the degradation of the substrate by EXs of GH-11.

Purification and characterization of an extracellular alpha-D-glucuronidase from Phlebia radiata

Alpha-D-glucuronidase was isolated from the culture filtrate of Phlebia radiata grown on wheat bran and purified to homogeneity by chromatographic methods. The final enzymic preparation was purified 65-fold with an activity yield of 58%; it showed a high level of specific activity (over 23,000 nkat/mg protein). The molecular and hydrolytic properties of the purified enzyme were studied. The secreted alpha-glucuronidase had a molecular weight of 110 kDa, as established by gel permeation chromatography (GP HPLC), had a determined pI just below 4.4, and was stable at pH 5.5 for prolonged times. The carbohydrate content in protein molecules was found to be 15%. The activity of alpha-D-glucuronidase peaked at pH 3,8 and 60 degrees C with aldouronic acids preparation as the substrate. The Michaelis-Menten constant (K(m)), the maximum reaction velocity (V(max)), and the activation energy (E(a)) were 0.18 mM, 0.13 microM/min and 5.91 kJ/mol, respectively. The alpha-glucuronidase was active mainly on small substituted xylooligomers. When this enzyme was used with endoxylanase for the degradation of oat xylan, synergistic effects were observed.

Synergy between xylanases from glycoside hydrolase family 10 and family 11 and a feruloyl esterase in the release of phenolic acids from cereal arabinoxylan

The bioconversion of waste residues (by-products) from cereal processing industries requires the cooperation of enzymes able to degrade xylanolytic and cellulosic material. The type A feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus niger, AnFaeA, works synergistically with (1-->4)-beta-D-xylopyranosidases (xylanases) to release monomeric and dimeric ferulic acid (FA) from cereal cell wall-derived material. The esterase was more effective with a family 11 xylanase from Trichoderma viride in releasing FA and with a family 10 xylanase from Thermoascus aurantiacus in releasing the 5,5' form of diferulic acid from arabinoxylan (AX) derived from brewers' spent grain. The converse was found for the release of the phenolic acids from wheat bran-derived AXs. This may be indicative of compositional differences in AXs in cereals.

Effect of dimer dissociation on activity and thermostability of the alpha-glucuronidase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus: dissecting the different oligomeric forms of family 67 glycoside hydrolases

The oligomeric organization of enzymes plays an important role in many biological processes, such as allosteric regulation, conformational stability and thermal stability. alpha-Glucuronidases are family 67 glycosidases that cleave the alpha-1,2-glycosidic bond between 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid and xylose units as part of an array of hemicellulose-hydrolyzing enzymes. Currently, two crystal structures of alpha-glucuronidases are available, those from Geobacillus stearothermophilus (AguA) and from Cellvibrio japonicus (GlcA67A). Both enzymes are homodimeric, but surprisingly their dimeric organization is different, raising questions regarding the significance of dimerization for the enzymes' activity and stability. Structural comparison of the two enzymes suggests several elements that are responsible for the different dimerization organization. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the alpha-glucuronidases AguA and GlcA67A can be classified into two distinct subfamilies of bacterial alpha-glucuronidases, where the dimer-forming residues of each enzyme are conserved only within its own subfamily. It seems that the different dimeric forms of AguA and GlcA67A represent the two alternative dimeric organizations of these subfamilies. To study the biological significance of the dimerization in alpha-glucuronidases, we have constructed a monomeric form of AguA by mutating three of its interface residues (W328E, R329T, and R665N). The activity of the monomer was significantly lower than the activity of the wild-type dimeric AguA, and the optimal temperature for activity of the monomer was around 35 degrees C, compared to 65 degrees C of the wild-type enzyme. Nevertheless, the melting temperature of the monomeric protein, 72.9 degrees C, was almost identical to that of the wild-type, 73.4 degrees C. It appears that the dimerization of AguA is essential for efficient catalysis and that the dissociation into monomers results in subtle conformational changes in the structure which indirectly influence the active site region and reduce the activity. Structural and mechanistic explanations for these effects are discussed.

The membrane-bound alpha-glucuronidase from Pseudomonas cellulosa hydrolyzes 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronoxylooligosaccharides but not 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronoxylan

The microbial degradation of xylan is a key biological process. Hardwood 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronoxylans are extensively decorated with 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid, which is cleaved from the polysaccharides by alpha-glucuronidases. In this report we describe the primary structures of the alpha-glucuronidase from Cellvibrio mixtus (C. mixtus GlcA67A) and the alpha-glucuronidase from Pseudomonas cellulosa (P. cellulosa GlcA67A) and characterize P. cellulosa GlcA67A. The primary structures of C. mixtus GlcA67A and P. cellulosa GlcA67A, which are 76% identical, exhibit similarities with alpha-glucuronidases in glycoside hydrolase family 67. The membrane-associated pseudomonad alpha-glucuronidase released 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid from 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronoxylooligosaccharides but not from 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronoxylan. We propose that the role of the glucuronidase, in combination with cell-associated xylanases, is to hydrolyze decorated xylooligosaccharides, generated by extracellular hemicellulases, to xylose and 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid, enabling the pseudomonad to preferentially utilize the sugars derived from these polymers.

The Aspergillus niger faeB gene encodes a second feruloyl esterase involved in pectin and xylan degradation and is specifically induced in the presence of aromatic compounds

The faeB gene encoding a second feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus niger has been cloned and characterized. It consists of an open reading frame of 1644 bp containing one intron. The gene encodes a protein of 521 amino acids that has sequence similarity to that of an Aspergillus oryzae tannase. However, the encoded enzyme, feruloyl esterase B (FAEB), does not have tannase activity. Comparison of the physical characteristics and substrate specificity of FAEB with those of a cinnamoyl esterase from A. niger [Kroon, Faulds and Williamson (1996) Biotechnol. Appl. Biochem. 23, 255-262] suggests that they are in fact the same enzyme. The expression of faeB is specifically induced in the presence of certain aromatic compounds, but not in the presence of other constituents present in plant-cell-wall polysaccharides such as arabinoxylan or pectin. The expression profile of faeB in the presence of aromatic compounds was compared with the expression of A. niger faeA, encoding feruloyl esterase A (FAEA), and A. niger bphA, the gene encoding a benzoate-p-hydroxylase. All three genes have different subsets of aromatic compounds that induce their expression, indicating the presence of different transcription activating systems in A. niger that respond to aromatic compounds. Comparison of the activity of FAEA and FAEB on sugar-beet pectin and wheat arabinoxylan demonstrated that they are both involved in the degradation of both polysaccharides, but have opposite preferences for these substrates. FAEA is more active than FAEB towards wheat arabinoxylan, whereas FAEB is more active than FAEA towards sugar-beet pectin.

Aspergillus enzymes involved in degradation of plant cell wall polysaccharides

Degradation of plant cell wall polysaccharides is of major importance in the food and feed, beverage, textile, and paper and pulp industries, as well as in several other industrial production processes. Enzymatic degradation of these polymers has received attention for many years and is becoming a more and more attractive alternative to chemical and mechanical processes. Over the past 15 years, much progress has been made in elucidating the structural characteristics of these polysaccharides and in characterizing the enzymes involved in their degradation and the genes of biotechnologically relevant microorganisms encoding these enzymes. The members of the fungal genus Aspergillus are commonly used for the production of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes. This genus produces a wide spectrum of cell wall-degrading enzymes, allowing not only complete degradation of the polysaccharides but also tailored modifications by using specific enzymes purified from these fungi. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the cell wall polysaccharide-degrading enzymes from aspergilli and the genes by which they are encoded.

The Aspergillus niger D-xylulose kinase gene is co-expressed with genes encoding arabinan degrading enzymes, and is essential for growth on D-xylose and L-arabinose

The Aspergillus niger D-xylulose kinase encoding gene has been cloned by complementation of a strain deficient in D-xylulose kinase activity. Expression of xkiA was observed in the presence of L-arabinose, L-arabitol and D-xylose. Expression of xkiA is not mediated by XLNR, the xylose-dependent positively-acting xylanolytic regulator. Although the expression of xkiA is subject to carbon catabolite repression, the wide domain regulator CREA is not directly involved. The A. niger D-xylulose kinase was purified to homogeneity, and the molecular mass determined using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry agreed with the calculated molecular mass of 62816.6 Da. The activity of XKIA is highly specific for D-xylulose. Kinetic parameters were determined as Km(D-xylulose) = 0.76 mM and Km(ATP) = 0.061 mM. Increased transcript levels of the genes encoding arabinan and xylan degrading enzymes, observed in the xylulose kinase deficient strain, correlate with increased accumulation of L-arabitol and xylitol, respectively. This result supports the suggestion that L-arabitol may be the specific low molecular mass inducer of the genes involved in arabinan degradation. It also suggests a possible role for xylitol in the induction of xylanolytic genes. Conversely, overproduction of XKIA did not reduce the size of the intracellular arabitol and xylitol pools, and therefore had no effect on expression of genes encoding xylan and arabinan degrading enzymes nor on the activity of the enzymes of the catabolic pathway.

Biochemical characterization and identification of catalytic residues in alpha-glucuronidase from Bacillus stearothermophilus T-6

Alpha-D-glucuronidases cleave the alpha-1,2-glycosidic bond of the 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid side chain of xylan, as a part of an array of xylan hydrolyzing enzymes. The alpha-D-glucuronidase from Bacillus stearothermophilus T-6 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli using the T7 polymerase expression system. The purification procedure included two steps, heat treatment and gel filtration chromatography, and provided over 0.3 g of pure enzyme from 1 L of overnight culture. Based on gel filtration, the native protein is comprised of two identical subunits. Kinetic constants with aldotetraouronic acid as a substrate, at 55 degrees C, were a Km of 0.2 mM, and a specific activity of 42 U x mg(-1) (kcat = 54.9 s(-1)). The enzyme was most active at 65 degrees C, pH 5.5-6.0, in a 10-min assay, and retained 100% of its activity following incubation at 70 degrees C for 20 min. Based on differential scanning calorimetry, the protein denatured at 73.4 degrees C. Truncated forms of the enzyme, lacking either 126 amino acids from its N-terminus or 81 amino acids from its C-terminus, exhibited low residual activity, indicating that the catalytic site is located in the central region of the protein. To identify the potential catalytic residues, site-directed mutagenesis was applied on highly conserved acidic amino acids in the central region. The replacements Glu392-->Cys and Asp364-->Ala resulted in a decrease in activity of about five orders of magnitude, suggesting that these residues are the catalytic pair.

Expression in Escherichia coli of native and chimeric phenolic acid decarboxylases with modified enzymatic activities and method for screening recombinant E. coli strains expressing these enzymes

Four bacterial phenolic acid decarboxylases (PAD) from Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus pumilus were expressed in Escherichia coli, and their activities on p-coumaric, ferulic, and caffeic acids were compared. Although these four enzymes displayed 61% amino acid sequence identity, they exhibit different activities for ferulic and caffeic acid metabolism. To elucidate the domain(s) that determines these differences, chimeric PAD proteins were constructed and expressed in E. coli by exchanging their individual carboxy-terminal portions. Analysis of the chimeric enzyme activities suggests that the C-terminal region may be involved in determining PAD substrate specificity and catalytic capacity. In order to test phenolic acid toxicity, the levels of growth of recombinant E. coli displaying and not displaying PAD activity were compared on medium supplemented with different concentrations of phenolic acids and with differing pHs. Though these acids already have a slight inhibitory effect on E. coli, vinyl phenol derivatives, created during decarboxylation of phenolic acids, were much more inhibitory to the E. coli control strain. To take advantage of this property, a solid medium with the appropriate pH and phenolic acid concentration was developed; in this medium the recombinant E. coli strains expressing PAD activity form colonies approximately five times smaller than those formed by strains devoid of PAD activity.

A chromogenic substrate for a beta-xylosidase-coupled assay of alpha-glucuronidase

4-Nitrophenyl 2-(4-O-methyl-alpha-d-glucopyranuronosyl)-beta-d-xylopyranoside obtained on deesterification of 4-nitrophenyl 2-O-(methyl 4-O-methyl-alpha-d-glucopyranosyluronate)-beta-d-xylopyranoside (Hirsch et al., Carbohydr. Res. 310, 145-149, 1998) was found to be an excellent substrate for the measurement of hemicellulolytic alpha-glucuronidase activity. A new precise alpha-glucuronidase assay was developed by coupling the alpha-glucuronidase-catalyzed formation of 4-nitrophenyl beta-d-xylopyranoside with its efficient hydrolysis by beta-xylosidase. A recombinant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, harboring and expressing the beta-xylosidase gene xlnD of Aspergillus niger under control of the alcohol dehydrogenase II promoter on a multicopy plasmid, was used as a source of beta-xylosidase. The activity values of beta-xylosidase in the assay required to achieve a steady-state rate of 4-nitrophenol formation shortly after starting the alpha-glucuronidase reaction were obtained both experimentally and by calculation using the kinetics of coupled enzyme reactions.

Synergy between enzymes from Aspergillus involved in the degradation of plant cell wall polysaccharides

Synergy in the degradation of two plant cell wall polysaccharides, water insoluble pentosan from wheat flour (an arabinoxylan) and sugar beet pectin, was studied using several main-chain cleaving and accessory enzymes. Synergy was observed between most enzymes tested, although not always to the same extent. Degradation of the xylan backbone by endo-xylanase and beta-xylosidase was influenced most strongly by the action of alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase and arabinoxylan arabinofuranohydrolase resulting in a 2.5-fold and twofold increase in release of xylose, respectively. Ferulic acid release by feruloyl esterase A and 4-O-methyl glucuronic acid release by alpha-glucuronidase depended largely on the degradation of the xylan backbone by endo-xylanase but were also influenced by other enzymes. Degradation of the backbone of the pectin hairy regions resulted in a twofold increase in the release of galactose by beta-galactosidase and endo-galactanase but did not significantly influence the arabinose release by arabinofuranosidase and endo-arabinase. Ferulic acid release from sugar beet pectin by feruloyl esterase A was affected most strongly by the presence of other accessory enzymes.

Knockout of the p-coumarate decarboxylase gene from Lactobacillus plantarum reveals the existence of two other inducible enzymatic activities involved in phenolic acid metabolism

Lactobacillus plantarum NC8 contains a pdc gene coding for p-coumaric acid decarboxylase activity (PDC). A food grade mutant, designated LPD1, in which the chromosomal pdc gene was replaced with the deleted pdc gene copy, was obtained by a two-step homologous recombination process using an unstable replicative vector. The LPD1 mutant strain remained able to weakly metabolize p-coumaric and ferulic acids into vinyl derivatives or into substituted phenyl propionic acids. We have shown that L. plantarum has a second acid phenol decarboxylase enzyme, better induced with ferulic acid than with p-coumaric acid, which also displays inducible acid phenol reductase activity that is mostly active when glucose is added. Those two enzymatic activities are in competition for p-coumaric and ferulic acid degradation, and the ratio of the corresponding derivatives depends on induction conditions. Moreover, PDC appeared to decarboxylate ferulic acid in vitro with a specific activity of about 10 nmol. min(-1). mg(-1) in the presence of ammonium sulfate. Finally, PDC activity was shown to confer a selective advantage on LPNC8 grown in acidic media supplemented with p-coumaric acid, compared to the LPD1 mutant devoid of PDC activity.

Inverting character of alpha-glucuronidase A from Aspergillus tubingensis

Alpha-glucuronidase A from Aspergillus tubingensis was found to be capable of liberating 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid (MeGlcA) only from those beechwood glucuronoxylan fragments in which the acid is attached to the non-reducing terminal xylopyranosyl residue. Reduced aldotetrauronic acid, 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronosyl-alpha-1,2-D-xylopyranosyl-beta-1,4-xylopyranosyl-beta-1,4-xylitol, was found to be a suitable substrate to follow the stereochemical course of the hydrolytic reaction catalyzed by the purified enzyme. The configuration of the liberated MeGlcA was followed in a D(2)O reaction mixture by (1)H-NMR spectroscopy. It was unambiguously established that MeGlcA was released from the substrate as its beta-anomer from which the alpha-anomer was formed on mutarotation. This result represents the first experimental evidence for the inverting character of a microbial alpha-glucuronidase, a member of glycosyl hydrolase family 67 (EC 3.1.1.139).

The Aspergillus niger transcriptional activator XlnR, which is involved in the degradation of the polysaccharides xylan and cellulose, also regulates D-xylose reductase gene expression

Screening of an Aspergillus niger differential cDNA library, constructed by subtracting cDNA fragments of a xlnR loss-of-function mutant from wild-type cDNA fragments, resulted in the cloning of the gene encoding D-xylose reductase (xyrA). Northern blot analysis using an A. niger wild-type strain, a xlnR multiple-copy strain and a xlnR loss-of-function mutant confirmed that the xyrA gene is regulated by XlnR, the transcriptional activator of the xylanolytic enzyme system in A. niger. D-xylose reductase catalyses the NADPH-dependent reduction of D-xylose to xylitol, which is the first step in D-xylose catabolism in fungi. Until now, XlnR was shown to control the transcription of genes encoding extracellular hydrolytic enzymes involved in cellulose and xylan degradation. In the present study, we show that A. niger is able to harmonize its sugar metabolism and extracellular xylan degradation via XlnR by regulating the expression of XyrA.

An alpha-glucuronidase of Schizophyllum commune acting on polymeric xylan

The main alpha-glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.131) of the fungus Schizophyllum commune was purified to homogeneity using standard chromatographic methods; anion exchange, hydrophobic interaction chromatography and gel filtration. The enzyme had a molecular mass of 125 kDa as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a pI value of 3.6 according to isoelectric focusing. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the S. commune alpha-glucuronidase did not show any homology with other alpha-glucuronidases. It exhibited maximal activity at pH values from 4.5 to 5.5 and was stable for 24 h between pH 6 and 8 at 40 degrees C. The highest temperature at which the enzyme retained its full activity for 24 h at pH 5.8 was 40 degrees C. The alpha-glucuronidase of S. commune was able to remove almost all 4-O-methylglucuronic acid groups from water-soluble polymeric softwood arabinoglucuronoxylans. The action of the enzyme on birchwood acetyl-glucuronoxylan was limited due to the high amount of acetyl substituents. The degree of hydrolysis of partially soluble deacetylated glucuronoxylan did not exceed 50% of the theoretical maximum. However, together with a xylanase hydrolysing the xylan backbone the action of the alpha-glucuronidase of S. commune on glucuronoxylan was clearly enhanced. It was apparent that the enzyme was able to remove the 4-O-methylglucuronic groups mainly from soluble substrates.

Regulation of the feruloyl esterase (faeA) gene from Aspergillus niger

Feruloyl esterases can remove aromatic residues (e.g., ferulic acid) from plant cell wall polysaccharides (xylan, pectin) and are essential for complete degradation of these polysaccharides. Expression of the feruloyl esterase-encoding gene (faeA) from Aspergillus niger depends on D-xylose (expression is mediated by XlnR, the xylanolytic transcriptional activator) and on a second system that responds to aromatic compounds with a defined ring structure, such as ferulic acid and vanillic acid. Several compounds were tested, and all of the inducing compounds contained a benzene ring which had a methoxy group at C-3 and a hydroxy group at C-4 but was not substituted at C-5. Various aliphatic groups occurred at C-1. faeA expression in the presence of xylose or ferulic acid was repressed by glucose. faeA expression in the presence of ferulic acid and xylose was greater than faeA expression in the presence of either compound alone. The various inducing systems allow A. niger to produce feruloyl esterase not only during growth on xylan but also during growth on other ferulic acid-containing cell wall polysaccharides, such as pectin.

Differential expression of three alpha-galactosidase genes and a single beta-galactosidase gene from Aspergillus niger

A gene encoding a third alpha-galactosidase (AglB) from Aspergillus niger has been cloned and sequenced. The gene consists of an open reading frame of 1,750 bp containing six introns. The gene encodes a protein of 443 amino acids which contains a eukaryotic signal sequence of 16 amino acids and seven putative N-glycosylation sites. The mature protein has a calculated molecular mass of 48,835 Da and a predicted pI of 4.6. An alignment of the AglB amino acid sequence with those of other alpha-galactosidases revealed that it belongs to a subfamily of alpha-galactosidases that also includes A. niger AglA. A. niger AglC belongs to a different subfamily that consists mainly of prokaryotic alpha-galactosidases. The expression of aglA, aglB, aglC, and lacA, the latter of which encodes an A. niger beta-galactosidase, has been studied by using a number of monomeric, oligomeric, and polymeric compounds as growth substrates. Expression of aglA is only detected on galactose and galactose-containing oligomers and polymers. The aglB gene is expressed on all of the carbon sources tested, including glucose. Elevated expression was observed on xylan, which could be assigned to regulation via XlnR, the xylanolytic transcriptional activator. Expression of aglC was only observed on glucose, fructose, and combinations of glucose with xylose and galactose. High expression of lacA was detected on arabinose, xylose, xylan, and pectin. Similar to aglB, the expression on xylose and xylan can be assigned to regulation via XlnR. All four genes have distinct expression patterns which seem to mirror the natural substrates of the encoded proteins.

The glucuronic acid utilization gene cluster from Bacillus stearothermophilus T-6

A lambda-EMBL3 genomic library of Bacillus stearothermophilus T-6 was screened for hemicellulolytic activities, and five independent clones exhibiting beta-xylosidase activity were isolated. The clones overlap each other and together represent a 23.5-kb chromosomal segment. The segment contains a cluster of xylan utilization genes, which are organized in at least three transcriptional units. These include the gene for the extracellular xylanase, xylanase T-6; part of an operon coding for an intracellular xylanase and a beta-xylosidase; and a putative 15.5-kb-long transcriptional unit, consisting of 12 genes involved in the utilization of alpha-D-glucuronic acid (GlcUA). The first four genes in the potential GlcUA operon (orf1, -2, -3, and -4) code for a putative sugar transport system with characteristic components of the binding-protein-dependent transport systems. The most likely natural substrate for this transport system is aldotetraouronic acid [2-O-alpha-(4-O-methyl-alpha-D-glucuronosyl)-xylotriose] (MeGlcUAXyl3). The following two genes code for an intracellular alpha-glucuronidase (aguA) and a beta-xylosidase (xynB). Five more genes (kdgK, kdgA, uxaC, uxuA, and uxuB) encode proteins that are homologous to enzymes involved in galacturonate and glucuronate catabolism. The gene cluster also includes a potential regulatory gene, uxuR, the product of which resembles repressors of the GntR family. The apparent transcriptional start point of the cluster was determined by primer extension analysis and is located 349 bp from the initial ATG codon. The potential operator site is a perfect 12-bp inverted repeat located downstream from the promoter between nucleotides +170 and +181. Gel retardation assays indicated that UxuR binds specifically to this sequence and that this binding is efficiently prevented in vitro by MeGlcUAXyl3, the most likely molecular inducer.

CreA modulates the XlnR-induced expression on xylose of Aspergillus niger genes involved in xylan degradation

The expression of the feruloyl esterase gene faeA, the alpha-glucuronidase gene aguA, the endoxylanase gene xlnB, and the beta-xylosidase gene xlnD from Aspergillus niger on xylose was studied in a wild-type strain and in a CreA mutant. A decrease in expression of all four genes was observed with increasing xylose concentrations in the wild-type strain, whereas expression levels in the CreA mutant were not influenced. The results in the wild type indicated that xylose concentrations higher than 1 mM resulted in repression of the expression of the xylanolytic genes tested mediated by the carbon catabolite repressor protein CreA. On xylose, the expression levels of the xylanolytic genes were therefore not only determined by induction via XlnR, but also by repression via CreA. The genes tested were not influenced to the same extent by XlnR or CreA, resulting in specific expression levels and patterns for each individual gene.