The role of subsite +2 of the Trichoderma reesei β-mannanase TrMan5A in hydrolysis and transglycosylation

A Comparison of the Transglycosylation Capacity between the Guar GH27 Aga27A and Bacteroides GH36 BoGal36A α-Galactosidases

The transglycosylation behavior and capacity of two clan GH-D α-galactosidases, BoGal36A from the gut bacterium Bacteroides ovatus and Aga27A from the guar plant, was investigated and compared. The enzymes were screened for the ability to use para-nitrophenyl-α-galactoside (pNP-Gal), raffinose and locust bean gum (LBG) galactomannan as glycosyl donors with the glycosyl acceptors methanol, propanol, allyl alcohol, propargyl alcohol and glycerol using mass spectrometry. Aga27A was, in general, more stable in the presence of the acceptors. HPLC analysis was developed and used as a second screening method for reactions using raffinose or LBG as a donor substrate with methanol, propanol and glycerol as acceptors. Time-resolved reactions were set up with raffinose and methanol as the donor and acceptor, respectively, in order to develop an insight into the basic transglycosylation properties, including the ratio between the rate of transglycosylation (methyl galactoside synthesis) and rate of hydrolysis. BoGal36A had a somewhat higher ratio (0.99 compared to 0.71 for Aga27A) at early time points but was indicated to be more prone to secondary (product) hydrolysis in prolonged incubations. The methyl galactoside yield was higher when using raffinose (48% for BoGal36A and 38% for Aga27A) compared to LBG (27% for BoGal36A and 30% for Aga27A).

Highlighting the factors governing transglycosylation in the GH5_5 endo-1,4-β-glucanase RBcel1

Transglycosylating glycoside hydrolases (GHs) offer great potential for the enzymatic synthesis of oligosaccharides. Although knowledge is progressing, there is no unique strategy to improve the transglycosylation yield. Obtaining efficient enzymatic tools for glycan synthesis with GHs remains dependent on an improved understanding of the molecular factors governing the balance between hydrolysis and transglycosylation. This enzymatic and structural study of RBcel1, a transglycosylase from the GH5_5 subfamily isolated from an uncultured bacterium, aims to unravel such factors. The size of the acceptor and donor sugars was found to be critical since transglycosylation is efficient with oligosaccharides at least the size of cellotetraose as the donor and cellotriose as the acceptor. The reaction pH is important in driving the balance between hydrolysis and transglycosylation: hydrolysis is favored at pH values below 8, while transglycosylation becomes the major reaction at basic pH. Solving the structures of two RBcel1 variants, RBcel1_E135Q and RBcel1_Y201F, in complex with ligands has brought to light some of the molecular factors behind transglycosylation. The structure of RBcel1_E135Q in complex with cellotriose allowed a +3 subsite to be defined, in accordance with the requirement for cellotriose as a transglycosylation acceptor. The structure of RBcel1_Y201F has been obtained with several transglycosylation intermediates, providing crystallographic evidence of transglycosylation. The catalytic cleft is filled with (i) donors ranging from cellotriose to cellohexaose in the negative subsites and (ii) cellobiose and cellotriose in the positive subsites. Such a structure is particularly relevant since it is the first structure of a GH5 enzyme in complex with transglycosylation products that has been obtained with neither of the catalytic glutamate residues modified.

Characterization of a Novel Thermophilic Mannanase and Synergistic Hydrolysis of Galactomannan Combined with Swollenin

Aspergillus fumigatus HBFH5 is a thermophilic fungus which can efficiently degrade lignocellulose and which produces a variety of glycoside hydrolase. In the present study, a novel β-mannanase gene (AfMan5A) was expressed in Pichia pastoris and characterized. AfMan5A is composed of 373 amino acids residues, and has a calculated molecular weight of 40 kDa. It has been observed that the amino acid sequence of AfMan5A showed 74.4% homology with the ManBK from Aspergillus niger. In addition, the recombined AfMan5A exhibited optimal hydrolytic activity at 60 °C and pH 6.0. It had no activity loss after incubation for 1h at 60 °C, while 65% of the initial activity was observed after 1 h at 70 °C. Additionally, it maintained about 80% of its activity in the pH range from 3.0 to 9.0. When carob bean gum was used as the substrate, the Km and Vmax values of AfMan5A were 0.21 ± 0.05 mg·mL−1 and 15.22 ± 0.33 U mg−1·min−1, respectively. AfMan5A and AfSwol showed a strong synergistic interaction on galactomannan degradation, increasing the reduction of the sugars by up to 31%. Therefore, these findings contribute to new strategies for improving the hydrolysis of galactomannan using the enzyme cocktail.

Glycoside hydrolase family 5: structural snapshots highlighting the involvement of two conserved residues in catalysis

The ability of retaining glycoside hydrolases (GHs) to transglycosylate is inherent to the double-displacement mechanism. Studying reaction intermediates, such as the glycosyl-enzyme intermediate (GEI) and the Michaelis complex, could provide valuable information to better understand the molecular factors governing the catalytic mechanism. Here, the GEI structure of RBcel1, an endo-1,4-β-glucanase of the GH5 family endowed with transglycosylase activity, is reported. It is the first structure of a GH5 enzyme covalently bound to a natural oligosaccharide with the two catalytic glutamate residues present. The structure of the variant RBcel1_E135A in complex with cellotriose is also reported, allowing a description of the entire binding cleft of RBcel1. Taken together, the structures deliver different snapshots of the double-displacement mechanism. The structural analysis revealed a significant movement of the nucleophilic glutamate residue during the reaction. Enzymatic assays indicated that, as expected, the acid/base glutamate residue is crucial for the glycosylation step and partly contributes to deglycosylation. Moreover, a conserved tyrosine residue in the -1 subsite, Tyr201, plays a determinant role in both the glycosylation and deglycosylation steps, since the GEI was trapped in the RBcel1_Y201F variant. The approach used to obtain the GEI presented here could easily be transposed to other retaining GHs in clan GH-A.

In vitro and in vivo characterization of genes involved in mannan degradation in Neurospora crassa

To better understand the roles of genes involved in mannan degradation in filamentous fungi, in this study we searched, identified, and characterized one putative GH5 endo-β-mannanase (GH5-7) and two putative GH2 mannan-degrading enzymes (GH2-1 and GH2-4) in Neurospora crassa. Real-time RT-PCR analyses showed that the expression levels of these genes were significantly up-regulated when the cells were grown in mannan-containing media where the induction level of gh5-7 was the highest. All three proteins were heterologously expressed and purified. GH5-7 displayed a substrate preference toward galactomannan by showing 10-times higher catalytic efficiency than to linear β-mannan. In contrast, GH2-1 preferred short manno-oligosaccharides or β-mannan as substrates. Compared to the wild type strain, the growth of Δgh5-7 and Δgh5-7Δgh2-4 mutants, but not Δgh2-1, Δgh2-4, and Δgh2-1Δgh2-4 mutants, was poor in the cultures containing glucomannan or galactomannan as the sole carbon source, suggesting that GH5-7 plays a critical role in the utilization of heteromannans in vivo. On the other hand, all the mutants showed significantly slow growth when grown in the medium containing linear β-mannan. Collectively, these results indicate that N. crassa can utilize glucomannan and galactomannan without GH2-1 and GH2-4, but efficient degradation of β-mannan requires a concerted action of three enzymes, GH5-7, GH2-1, and GH2-4.

Crystal structure determination of Pseudomonas stutzeri A1501 endoglucanase Cel5A: the search for a molecular basis for glycosynthesis in GH5_5 enzymes

The discovery of new glycoside hydrolases that can be utilized in the chemoenzymatic synthesis of carbohydrates has emerged as a promising approach for various biotechnological processes. In this study, recombinant Ps_Cel5A from Pseudomonas stutzeri A1501, a novel member of the GH5_5 subfamily, was expressed, purified and crystallized. Preliminary experiments confirmed the ability of Ps_Cel5A to catalyze transglycosylation with cellotriose as a substrate. The crystal structure revealed several structural determinants in and around the positive subsites, providing a molecular basis for a better understanding of the mechanisms that promote and favour synthesis rather than hydrolysis. In the positive subsites, two nonconserved positively charged residues (Arg178 and Lys216) were found to interact with cellobiose. This adaptation has also been reported for transglycosylating β-mannanases of the GH5_7 subfamily.

β-Mannanase-catalyzed synthesis of alkyl mannooligosides

β-Mannanases catalyze the conversion and modification of β-mannans and may, in addition to hydrolysis, also be capable of transglycosylation which can result in enzymatic synthesis of novel glycoconjugates. Using alcohols as glycosyl acceptors (alcoholysis), β-mannanases can potentially be used to synthesize alkyl glycosides, biodegradable surfactants, from renewable β-mannans. In this paper, we investigate the synthesis of alkyl mannooligosides using glycoside hydrolase family 5 β-mannanases from the fungi Trichoderma reesei (TrMan5A and TrMan5A-R171K) and Aspergillus nidulans (AnMan5C). To evaluate β-mannanase alcoholysis capacity, a novel mass spectrometry-based method was developed that allows for relative comparison of the formation of alcoholysis products using different enzymes or reaction conditions. Differences in alcoholysis capacity and potential secondary hydrolysis of alkyl mannooligosides were observed when comparing alcoholysis catalyzed by the three β-mannanases using methanol or 1-hexanol as acceptor. Among the three β-mannanases studied, TrMan5A was the most efficient in producing hexyl mannooligosides with 1-hexanol as acceptor. Hexyl mannooligosides were synthesized using TrMan5A and purified using high-performance liquid chromatography. The data suggests a high selectivity of TrMan5A for 1-hexanol as acceptor over water. The synthesized hexyl mannooligosides were structurally characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance, with results in agreement with their predicted β-conformation. The surfactant properties of the synthesized hexyl mannooligosides were evaluated using tensiometry, showing that they have similar micelle-forming properties as commercially available hexyl glucosides. The present paper demonstrates the possibility of using β-mannanases for alkyl glycoside synthesis and increases the potential utilization of renewable β-mannans.

Strategy in manipulating transglycosylation activity of glycosyl hydrolase for oligosaccharide production

BACKGROUND

The increasing market demand for oligosaccharides has intensified the need for efficient biocatalysts. Glycosyl hydrolases (GHs) are still gaining popularity as biocatalyst for oligosaccharides synthesis owing to its simple reaction and high selectivity.

PURPOSE

Over the years, research has advanced mainly directing to one goal; to reduce hydrolysis activity of GHs for increased transglycosylation activity in achieving high production of oligosaccharides.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This review concisely presents the strategies to increase transglycosylation activity of GHs for oligosaccharides synthesis, focusing on controlling the reaction equilibrium, and protein engineering. Various modifications of the subsites of GHs have been demonstrated to significantly modulate the hydrolysis and transglycosylation activity of the enzymes. The clear insight of the roles of each amino acid in these sites provides a platform for designing an enzyme that could synthesize a specific oligosaccharide product.

CONCLUSIONS

The key strategies presented here are important for future improvement of GHs as a biocatalyst for oligosaccharide synthesis.

Analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: An update for 2011-2012

This review is the seventh update of the original article published in 1999 on the application of MALDI mass spectrometry to the analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates and brings coverage of the literature to the end of 2012. General aspects such as theory of the MALDI process, matrices, derivatization, MALDI imaging, and fragmentation are covered in the first part of the review and applications to various structural types constitute the remainder. The main groups of compound are oligo- and poly-saccharides, glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycosides, and biopharmaceuticals. Much of this material is presented in tabular form. Also discussed are medical and industrial applications of the technique, studies of enzyme reactions, and applications to chemical synthesis. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 36:255-422, 2017.

Galactomannan Catabolism Conferred by a Polysaccharide Utilization Locus of Bacteroides ovatus: ENZYME SYNERGY AND CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF A β-MANNANASE

A recently identified polysaccharide utilization locus (PUL) from Bacteroides ovatus ATCC 8483 is transcriptionally up-regulated during growth on galacto- and glucomannans. It encodes two glycoside hydrolase family 26 (GH26) β-mannanases, BoMan26A and BoMan26B, and a GH36 α-galactosidase, BoGal36A. The PUL also includes two glycan-binding proteins, confirmed by β-mannan affinity electrophoresis. When this PUL was deleted, B. ovatus was no longer able to grow on locust bean galactomannan. BoMan26A primarily formed mannobiose from mannan polysaccharides. BoMan26B had higher activity on galactomannan with a high degree of galactosyl substitution and was shown to be endo-acting generating a more diverse mixture of oligosaccharides, including mannobiose. Of the two β-mannanases, only BoMan26B hydrolyzed galactoglucomannan. A crystal structure of BoMan26A revealed a similar structure to the exo-mannobiohydrolase CjMan26C from Cellvibrio japonicus, with a conserved glycone region (−1 and −2 subsites), including a conserved loop closing the active site beyond subsite −2. Analysis of cellular location by immunolabeling and fluorescence microscopy suggests that BoMan26B is surface-exposed and associated with the outer membrane, although BoMan26A and BoGal36A are likely periplasmic. In light of the cellular location and the biochemical properties of the two characterized β-mannanases, we propose a scheme of sequential action by the glycoside hydrolases encoded by the β-mannan PUL and involved in the β-mannan utilization pathway in B. ovatus. The outer membrane-associated BoMan26B initially acts on the polysaccharide galactomannan, producing comparably large oligosaccharide fragments. Galactomanno-oligosaccharides are further processed in the periplasm, degalactosylated by BoGal36A, and subsequently hydrolyzed into mainly mannobiose by the β-mannanase BoMan26A.

Biochemical characterization of the novel endo-β-mannanase AtMan5-2 from Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant mannanases are enzymes that carry out fundamentally important functions in cell wall metabolism during plant growth and development by digesting manno-polysaccharides. In this work, the Arabidopsis mannanase 5-2 (AtMan5-2) from a previously uncharacterized subclade of glycoside hydrolase family 5 subfamily 7 (GH5_7) has been heterologously produced in Pichia pastoris. Purified recombinant AtMan5-2 is a glycosylated protein with an apparent molecular mass of 50kDa, a pH optimum of 5.5-6.0 and a temperature optimum of 25°C. The enzyme exhibits high substrate affinity and catalytic efficiency on mannan substrates with main chains containing both glucose and mannose units such as konjac glucomannan and spruce galactoglucomannan. Product analysis of manno-oligosaccharide hydrolysis shows that AtMan5-2 requires at least six substrate-binding subsites. No transglycosylation activity for the recombinant enzyme was detected in the present study. Our results demonstrate diversification of catalytic function among members in the Arabidopsis GH5_7 subfamily.

The GH5 1,4-β-mannanase from Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bl-04 possesses a low-affinity mannan-binding module and highlights the diversity of mannanolytic enzymes

Background

β-Mannans are abundant and diverse plant structural and storage polysaccharides. Certain human gut microbiota members including health-promoting Bifidobacterium spp. catabolize dietary mannans. Little insight is available on the enzymology of mannan deconstruction in the gut ecological niche. Here, we report the biochemical properties of the first family 5 subfamily 8 glycoside hydrolase (GH5_8) mannanase from the probiotic bacterium Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bl-04 (BlMan5_8).

Results

BlMan5_8 possesses a novel low affinity carbohydrate binding module (CBM) specific for soluble mannan and displays the highest catalytic efficiency reported to date for a GH5 mannanase owing to a very high k_cat (1828 ± 87 s^-1) and a low K_m (1.58 ± 0.23 g · L^-1) using locust bean galactomannan as substrate. The novel CBM of BlMan5_8 mediates increased binding to soluble mannan based on affinity electrophoresis. Surface plasmon resonance analysis confirmed the binding of the CBM10 to manno-oligosaccharides, albeit with slightly lower affinity than the catalytic module of the enzyme. This is the first example of a low-affinity mannan-specific CBM, which forms a subfamily of CBM10 together with close homologs present only in mannanases. Members of this new subfamily lack an aromatic residue mediating binding to insoluble cellulose in canonical CBM10 members consistent with the observed low mannan affinity.

Conclusion

BlMan5_8 is evolved for efficient deconstruction of soluble mannans, which is reflected by an exceptionally low K_m and the presence of an atypical low affinity CBM, which increases binding to specifically to soluble mannan while causing minimal decrease in catalytic efficiency as opposed to enzymes with canonical mannan binding modules. These features highlight fine tuning of catalytic and binding properties to support specialization towards a preferred substrate, which is likely to confer an advantage in the adaptation to competitive ecological niches.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12858-015-0055-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

An Aspergillus nidulans GH26 endo-β-mannanase with a novel degradation pattern on highly substituted galactomannans

The activity and substrate degradation pattern of a novel Aspergillus nidulans GH26 endo-β-mannanase (AnMan26A) was investigated using two galactomannan substrates with varying amounts of galactopyranosyl residues. The AnMan26A was characterized in parallel with the GH26 endomannanase from Podospora anserina (PaMan26A) and three GH5 endomannanases from A. nidulans and Trichoderma reesei (AnMan5A, AnMan5C and TrMan5A). The initial rates and the maximal degree of enzymatically catalyzed conversion of locust bean gum and guar gum galactomannans were determined. The hydrolysis product profile at maximal degree of conversion was determined using DNA sequencer-Assisted Saccharide analysis in High throughput (DASH). This is the first reported use of this method for analyzing galactomannooligosaccharides. AnMan26A and PaMan26A were found to have a novel substrate degradation pattern on the two galactomannan substrates. On the highly substituted guar gum AnMan26A and PaMan26A reached 35-40% as their maximal degree of conversion whereas the three tested GH5 endomannanases only reached 8-10% as their maximal degree of conversion. α-Galactosyl-mannose was identified as the dominant degradation product resulting from AnMan26A and PaMan26A action on guar gum, strongly indicating that these two enzymes can accommodate galactopyranosyl residues in the -1 and in the +1 subsite. The degradation of α-6(4)-6(3)-di-galactosyl-mannopentaose by AnMan26A revealed accommodation of galactopyranosyl residues in the -2, -1 and +1 subsite of the enzyme. Accommodation of galactopyranosyl residues in subsites -2 and +1 has not been observed for other characterized endomannanases to date. Docking analysis of galactomannooligosaccharides in available crystal structures and homology models supported the conclusions drawn from the experimental results. This newly discovered diversity of substrate degradation patterns demonstrates an expanded functionality of fungal endomannanases, than hitherto reported.

Glycosynthesis in a waterworld: new insight into the molecular basis of transglycosylation in retaining glycoside hydrolases

Carbohydrates are ubiquitous in Nature and play vital roles in many biological systems. Therefore the synthesis of carbohydrate-based compounds is of considerable interest for both research and commercial purposes. However, carbohydrates are challenging, due to the large number of sugar subunits and the multiple ways in which these can be linked together. Therefore, to tackle the challenge of glycosynthesis, chemists are increasingly turning their attention towards enzymes, which are exquisitely adapted to the intricacy of these biomolecules. In Nature, glycosidic linkages are mainly synthesized by Leloir glycosyltransferases, but can result from the action of non-Leloir transglycosylases or phosphorylases. Advantageously for chemists, non-Leloir transglycosylases are glycoside hydrolases, enzymes that are readily available and exhibit a wide range of substrate specificities. Nevertheless, non-Leloir transglycosylases are unusual glycoside hydrolases in as much that they efficiently catalyse the formation of glycosidic bonds, whereas most glycoside hydrolases favour the mechanistically related hydrolysis reaction. Unfortunately, because non-Leloir transglycosylases are almost indistinguishable from their hydrolytic counterparts, it is unclear how these enzymes overcome the ubiquity of water, thus avoiding the hydrolytic reaction. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to rationally design non-Leloir transglycosylases using the vast diversity of glycoside hydrolases as protein templates. In this critical review, a careful analysis of literature data describing non-Leloir transglycosylases and their relationship to glycoside hydrolase counterparts is used to clarify the state of the art knowledge and to establish a new rational basis for the engineering of glycoside hydrolases.

Structural insights into the substrate specificity and transglycosylation activity of a fungal glycoside hydrolase family 5 β-mannosidase

β-Mannosidases are exo-acting glycoside hydrolases (GHs) that catalyse the removal of the nonreducing end β-D-mannose from manno-oligosaccharides or mannoside-substituted molecules. They play important roles in fundamental biological processes and also have potential applications in various industries. In this study, the first fungal GH family 5 β-mannosidase (RmMan5B) fromRhizomucor mieheiwas functionally and structurally characterized.RmMan5B exhibited a much higher activity against manno-oligosaccharides than againstp-nitrophenyl β-D-mannopyranoside (pNPM) and had a transglycosylation activity which transferred mannosyl residues to sugars such as fructose. To investigate its substrate specificity and transglycosylation activity, crystal structures ofRmMan5B and of its inactive E202A mutant in complex with mannobiose, mannotriose and mannosyl-fructose were determined at resolutions of 1.3, 2.6, 2.0 and 2.4 Å, respectively. In addition, the crystal structure ofR. mieheiβ-mannanase (RmMan5A) was determined at a resolution of 2.3 Å. BothRmMan5A andRmMan5B adopt the (β/α)8-barrel architecture, which is globally similar to the other members of GH family 5. However,RmMan5B shows several differences in the loop around the active site. The extended loop between strand β8 and helix α8 (residues 354–392) forms a `double' steric barrier to `block' the substrate-binding cleft at the end of the −1 subsite. Trp119, Asn260 and Glu380 in the β-mannosidase, which are involved in hydrogen-bond contacts with the −1 mannose, might be essential for exo catalytic activity. Moreover, the structure of RmMan5B in complex with mannosyl-fructose has provided evidence for the interactions between the β-mannosidase and D-fructofuranose. Overall, the present study not only helps in understanding the catalytic mechanism of GH family 5 β-mannosidases, but also provides a basis for further enzymatic engineering of β-mannosidases and β-mannanases.

An Aspergillus nidulans β-mannanase with high transglycosylation capacity revealed through comparative studies within glycosidase family 5

β-Mannanases are involved in the conversion and modification of mannan-based saccharides. Using a retaining mechanism, they can, in addition to hydrolysis, also potentially perform transglycosylation reactions, synthesizing new glyco-conjugates. Transglycosylation has been reported for β-mannanases in GH5 and GH113. However, although they share the same fold and catalytic mechanism, there may be differences in the enzymes’ ability to perform transglycosylation. Three GH5 β-mannanases from Aspergillus nidulans, AnMan5A, AnMan5B and AnMan5C, which belong to subfamily GH5_7 were studied. Comparative studies, including the GH5_7 TrMan5A from Trichoderma reesei, showed some differences between the enzymes. All the enzymes could perform transglycosylation but AnMan5B stood out in generating comparably higher amounts of transglycosylation products when incubated with manno-oligosaccharides. In addition, AnMan5B did not use alcohols as acceptor, which was also different compared to the other three β-mannanases. In order to map the preferred binding of manno-oligosaccharides, incubations were performed in H₂¹⁸O. AnMan5B in contrary to the other enzymes did not generate any ¹⁸O-labelled products. This further supported the idea that AnMan5B potentially prefers to use saccharides as acceptor instead of water. A homology model of AnMan5B showed a non-conserved Trp located in subsite +2, not present in the other studied enzymes. Strong aglycone binding seems to be important for transglycosylation with saccharides. Depending on the application, it is important to select the right enzyme.

Purification and characterization of β-mannanase from Reinekea sp. KIT-YO10 with transglycosylation activity

Marine bacterium Reinekea sp. KIT-YO10 was isolated from the seashore of Kanazawa Port in Japan as a seaweed-degrading bacterium. Homology between KIT-YO10 16S rDNA and the 16S rDNA of Reinekea blandensis and Reinekea marinisedimentorum was 96.4 and 95.4%, respectively. Endo-1,4-β-D-mannanase (β-mannanase, EC 3.2.1.78) from Reinekea sp. KIT-YO10 was purified 29.4-fold to a 21% yield using anion exchange chromatography. The purified enzyme had a molecular mass of 44.3 kDa, as estimated by SDS-PAGE. Furthermore, the purified enzyme displayed high specificity for konjac glucomannan, with no secondary agarase and arginase activity detected. Hydrolysis of konjac glucomannan and locust bean gum yielded oligosaccharides, compatible with an endo mode of substrate depolymerization. The purified enzyme possessed transglycosylation activity when mannooligosaccharides (mannotriose or mannotetraose) were used as substrates. Optimal pH and temperature were determined to be 8.0 and 70 °C, respectively. It showed thermostability at temperatures from 20 to 50 °C and alkaline stability up to pH 10.0. The current enzyme was thermostable and thermophile compared to the β-mannanase of other marine bacteria.

Enzymatic characterization of a glycoside hydrolase family 5 subfamily 7 (GH5_7) mannanase from Arabidopsis thaliana

Each plant genome contains a repertoire of β-mannanase genes belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 5 subfamily 7 (GH5_7), putatively involved in the degradation and modification of various plant mannan polysaccharides, but very few have been characterized at the gene product level. The current study presents recombinant production and in vitro characterization of AtMan5-1 as a first step towards the exploration of the catalytic capacity of Arabidopsis thaliana β-mannanase. The target enzyme was expressed in both E. coli (AtMan5-1e) and P. pastoris (AtMan5-1p). The main difference between the two forms was a higher observed thermal stability for AtMan5-1p, presumably due to glycosylation of that particular variant. AtMan5-1 displayed optimal activity at pH 5 and 35 °C and hydrolyzed polymeric carob galactomannan, konjac glucomannan, and spruce galactoglucomannan as well as oligomeric mannopentaose and mannohexaose. However, the galactose-rich and highly branched guar gum was not as efficiently degraded. AtMan5-1 activity was enhanced by Co(2+) and inhibited by Mn(2+). The catalytic efficiency values for carob galactomannan were 426.8 and 368.1 min(-1) mg(-1) mL for AtMan5-1e and AtMan5-1p, respectively. Product analysis of AtMan5-1p suggested that at least five substrate-binding sites were required for manno-oligosaccharide hydrolysis, and that the enzyme also can act as a transglycosylase.

Mutational and structural analyses of Caldanaerobius polysaccharolyticus Man5B reveal novel active site residues for family 5 glycoside hydrolases

CpMan5B is a glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 5 enzyme exhibiting both β-1,4-mannosidic and β-1,4-glucosidic cleavage activities. To provide insight into the amino acid residues that contribute to catalysis and substrate specificity, we solved the structure of CpMan5B at 1.6 Å resolution. The structure revealed several active site residues (Y12, N92 and R196) in CpMan5B that are not present in the active sites of other structurally resolved GH5 enzymes. Residue R196 in GH5 enzymes is thought to be strictly conserved as a histidine that participates in an electron relay network with the catalytic glutamates, but we show that an arginine fulfills a functionally equivalent role and is found at this position in every enzyme in subfamily GH5_36, which includes CpMan5B. Residue N92 is required for full enzymatic activity and forms a novel bridge over the active site that is absent in other family 5 structures. Our data also reveal a role of Y12 in establishing the substrate preference for CpMan5B. Using these molecular determinants as a probe allowed us to identify Man5D from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii as a mannanase with minor endo-glucanase activity.

Structural and biochemical analyses of glycoside hydrolase families 5 and 26 β-(1,4)-mannanases from Podospora anserina reveal differences upon manno-oligosaccharide catalysis

The microbial deconstruction of the plant cell wall is a key biological process that is of increasing importance with the development of a sustainable biofuel industry. The glycoside hydrolase families GH5 (PaMan5A) and GH26 (PaMan26A) endo-β-1,4-mannanases from the coprophilic ascomycete Podospora anserina contribute to the enzymatic degradation of lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, P. anserina mannanases were further subjected to detailed comparative analysis of their substrate specificities, active site organization, and transglycosylation capacity. Although PaMan5A displays a classical mode of action, PaMan26A revealed an atypical hydrolysis pattern with the release of mannotetraose and mannose from mannopentaose resulting from a predominant binding mode involving the -4 subsite. The crystal structures of PaMan5A and PaMan26A were solved at 1.4 and 2.85 Å resolution, respectively. Analysis of the PaMan26A structure supported strong interaction with substrate at the -4 subsite mediated by two aromatic residues Trp-244 and Trp-245. The PaMan26A structure appended to its family 35 carbohydrate binding module revealed a short and proline-rich rigid linker that anchored together the catalytic and the binding modules.

Expression and characterization of a Bifidobacterium adolescentis beta-mannanase carrying mannan-binding and cell association motifs

The gene encoding β-mannanase (EC 3.2.1.78) BaMan26A from the bacterium Bifidobacterium adolescentis (living in the human gut) was cloned and the gene product characterized. The enzyme was found to be modular and to contain a putative signal peptide. It possesses a catalytic module of the glycoside hydrolase family 26, a predicted immunoglobulin-like module, and two putative carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) of family 23. The enzyme is likely cell attached either by the sortase mechanism (LPXTG motif) or via a C-terminal transmembrane helix. The gene was expressed in Escherichia coli without the native signal peptide or the cell anchor. Two variants were made: one containing all four modules, designated BaMan26A-101K, and one truncated before the CBMs, designated BaMan26A-53K. BaMan26A-101K, which contains the CBMs, showed an affinity to carob galactomannan having a dissociation constant of 0.34 μM (8.8 mg/liter), whereas BaMan26A-53K did not bind, showing that at least one of the putative CBMs of family 23 is mannan binding. For BaMan26A-53K, k(cat) was determined to be 444 s(-1) and K(m) 21.3 g/liter using carob galactomannan as the substrate at the optimal pH of 5.3. Both of the enzyme variants hydrolyzed konjac glucomannan, as well as carob and guar gum galactomannans to a mixture of oligosaccharides. The dominant product from ivory nut mannan was found to be mannotriose. Mannobiose and mannotetraose were produced to a lesser extent, as shown by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography. Mannobiose was not hydrolyzed, and mannotriose was hydrolyzed at a significantly lower rate than the longer oligosaccharides.