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Fushinobu S. Molecular evolution and functional divergence of UDP-hexose 4-epimerases. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2020; 61:53-62. [PMID: 33171387 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (GalE) catalyzes the interconversion of UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) and UDP-galactose (UDP-Gal) and/or the interconversion of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) and UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine (UDP-GalNAc) in sugar metabolism. GalEs belong to the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily, use a conserved 'transient keto intermediate' mechanism and have variable substrate specificity. GalEs have been classified into three groups based on substrate specificity: group 1 prefers UDP-Glc/Gal, group 3 prefers UDP-GlcNAc/GalNAc, and group 2 has comparable activities for both types of the substrates. The phylogenetic relationship and structural basis for the specificities of GalEs revealed possible molecular evolution of UDP-hexose 4-epimerases in various organisms. Based on the recent advances in studies on GalEs and related enzymes, an updated view of their evolutional diversification is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinya Fushinobu
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan; Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan.
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Van Overtveldt S, Da Costa M, Gevaert O, Joosten HJ, Beerens K, Desmet T. Determinants of the Nucleotide Specificity in the Carbohydrate Epimerase Family 1. Biotechnol J 2020; 15:e2000132. [PMID: 32761842 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, carbohydrate epimerases have attracted increasing attention as promising biocatalysts for the production of specialty sugars and derivatives. The vast majority of these enzymes are active on nucleotide-activated sugars, rather than on their free counterparts. Although such epimerases are known to have a clear preference for a particular nucleotide (UDP, GDP, CDP, or ADP), very little is known about the determinants of the respective specificities. In this work, sequence motifs are identified that correlate with the different nucleotide specificities in one of the main epimerase superfamilies, carbohydrate epimerase 1 (CEP1). To confirm their relevance, GDP- and CDP-specific residues are introduced into the UDP-glucose 4-epimerase from Thermus thermophilus, resulting in a 3-fold and 13-fold reduction in KM for GDP-Glc and CDP-Glc, respectively. Moreover, several variants are severely crippled in UDP-Glc activity, which further underlines the crucial role of the identified positions. Hence, the analysis should prove to be valuable for the further exploration and application of epimerases involved in carbohydrate synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stevie Van Overtveldt
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Matthieu Da Costa
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Ophelia Gevaert
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Henk-Jan Joosten
- Bio-Prodict BV, Nieuwe Marktstraat 54E, Nijmegen, 6511 AA, The Netherlands
| | - Koen Beerens
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Tom Desmet
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent, 9000, Belgium
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Structural basis for broad substrate specificity of UDP-glucose 4-epimerase in the human milk oligosaccharide catabolic pathway of Bifidobacterium longum. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11081. [PMID: 31366978 PMCID: PMC6668579 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47591-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant gut-associated bifidobacteria has a metabolic pathway that specifically utilizes lacto-N-biose I (Gal-β1,3-GlcNAc) and galacto-N-biose (Gal-β1,3-GalNAc) from human milk and mucin glycans. UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (GalE) from Bifidobacterium longum (bGalE) catalyzes epimerization reactions of UDP-Gal into UDP-Glc and UDP-GalNAc into UDP-GlcNAc with the same level of activity that is required to send galacto-hexoses into glycolysis. Here, we determined the crystal structures of bGalE in three ternary complex forms: NAD+/UDP, NAD+/UDP-GlcNAc, and NAD+/UDP-Glc. The broad specificity of bGalE was explained by structural features of the binding pocket for the N-acetyl or C2 hydroxy group of the substrate. Asn200 is located in a pocket of the C2 group, and its side chain adopts different conformations in the complex structures with UDP-Glc and UDP-GlcNAc. On the other side, Cys299 forms a large pocket for the C5 sugar ring atom. The flexible C2 pocket and the large C5 pocket of bGalE are suitable for accommodating both the hydroxy and N-acetyl groups of the substrate during sugar ring rotation in the catalytic cycle. The substrate specificity and active site structure of bGalE were distinct from those of Esherichia coli GalE but similar to those of human GalE.
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Song HB, He M, Cai ZP, Huang K, Flitsch SL, Liu L, Voglmeir J. UDP-Glucose 4-Epimerase and β-1,4-Galactosyltransferase from the Oyster Magallana gigas as Valuable Biocatalysts for the Production of Galactosylated Products. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E1600. [PMID: 29844279 PMCID: PMC6032241 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19061600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Uridine diphosphate galactose (UDP-galactose) is a valuable building block in the enzymatic synthesis of galactose-containing glycoconjugates. UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (UGE) is an enzyme which catalyzes the reversible conversion of abundantly available UDP-glucose to UDP-galactose. Herein, we described the cloning, expression, purification, and biochemical characterization of an unstudied UGE from the oyster Magallana gigas (MgUGE). Activity tests of recombinantly expressed MgUGE, using HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography), mass spectrometry, and photometric assays, showed an optimal temperature of 16 °C, and reasonable thermal stability up to 37 °C. No metal ions were required for enzymatic activity. The simple nickel-affinity-purification procedure makes MgUGE a valuable biocatalyst for the synthesis of UDP-galactose from UDP-glucose. The biosynthetic potential of MgUGE was further exemplified in a coupled enzymatic reaction with an oyster-derived β-1,4-galactosyltransferase (MgGalT7), allowing the galactosylation of the model substrate para-nitrophenol xylose (pNP-xylose) using UDP-glucose as the starting material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Bo Song
- Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
- Department of Food Science, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical College, Ningbo 315100, China.
| | - Meng He
- Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Zhi-Peng Cai
- Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Kun Huang
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK.
| | - Sabine L Flitsch
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK.
| | - Li Liu
- Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Josef Voglmeir
- Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
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Chen LL, Han DL, Zhai YF, Wang JH, Wang YF, Chen M. Characterization and mutational analysis of two UDP-galactose 4-epimerases in Streptococcus pneumoniae TIGR4. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s0006297918010054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Van Overtveldt S, Verhaeghe T, Joosten HJ, van den Bergh T, Beerens K, Desmet T. A structural classification of carbohydrate epimerases: From mechanistic insights to practical applications. Biotechnol Adv 2015; 33:1814-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2015.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Revised: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Park J, Tefsen B, Arentshorst M, Lagendijk E, van den Hondel CA, van Die I, Ram AF. Identification of the UDP-glucose-4-epimerase required for galactofuranose biosynthesis and galactose metabolism in A. niger. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2014; 1:6. [PMID: 28955448 PMCID: PMC5598270 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-014-0006-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Galactofuranose (Galf)-containing glycoconjugates are important to secure the integrity of the cell wall of filamentous fungi. Mutations that prevent the biosynthesis of Galf-containing molecules compromise cell wall integrity. In response to cell wall weakening, the cell wall integrity (CWI)-pathway is activated to reinforce the strength of the cell wall. Activation of CWI-pathway in Aspergillus niger is characterized by the specific induction of the agsA gene, which encodes a cell wall α-glucan synthase. RESULTS In this study, we screened a collection of cell wall mutants with an induced expression of agsA for defects in Galf biosynthesis using a with anti-Galf antibody (L10). From this collection of mutants, we previously identified mutants in the UDP-galactopyranose mutase encoding gene (ugmA). Here, we have identified six additional UDP-galactopyranose mutase (ugmA) mutants and one mutant (named mutant #41) in an additional complementation group that displayed strongly reduced Galf-levels in the cell wall. By using a whole genome sequencing approach, 21 SNPs in coding regions were identified between mutant #41 and its parental strain which changed the amino acid sequence of the encoded proteins. One of these mutations was in gene An14g03820, which codes for a putative UDP-glucose-4-epimerase (UgeA). The A to G mutation in this gene causes an amino acid change of Asn to Asp at position 191 in the UgeA protein. Targeted deletion of ugeA resulted in an even more severe reduction of Galf in N-linked glucans, indicating that the UgeA protein in mutant #41 is partially active. The ugeA gene is also required for growth on galactose despite the presence of two UgeA homologs in the A. niger genome. CONCLUSION By using a classical mutant screen and whole genome sequencing of a new Galf-deficient mutant, the UDP-glucose-4-epimerase gene (ugeA) has been identified. UgeA is required for the biosynthesis of Galf as well as for galactose metabolism in Aspergillus niger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joohae Park
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden, 2333 BE The Netherlands
| | - Boris Tefsen
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, VU University Medical Center, van den Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, 1081 BT The Netherlands.,Present Address: Department of Biological Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University, 111 Ren Ai Road, Dushu Lake Higher Education Town, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, 215123 Jiangsu, China
| | - Mark Arentshorst
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden, 2333 BE The Netherlands
| | - Ellen Lagendijk
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden, 2333 BE The Netherlands
| | - Cees Amjj van den Hondel
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden, 2333 BE The Netherlands
| | - Irma van Die
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, VU University Medical Center, van den Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, 1081 BT The Netherlands
| | - Arthur Fj Ram
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden, 2333 BE The Netherlands
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