Binding specificity and thermodynamics of a family 9 carbohydrate-binding module from Thermotoga maritima xylanase 10A

The C-terminal family 9 carbohydrate-binding module of xylanase 10A from Thermotoga maritima (CBM9-2) binds to amorphous cellulose, crystalline cellulose, and the insoluble fraction of oat spelt xylan. The association constants (K(a)) for adsorption to insoluble polysaccharides are 1 x 10(5) to 3 x 10(5) M(-1). Of the soluble polysaccharides tested, CBM9-2 binds to barley beta-glucan, xyloglucan, and xylan. CBM9-2 binds specifically to the reducing ends of cellulose and soluble polysaccharides, a property that is currently unique to this CBM. CBM9-2 also binds glucose, xylose, galactose, arabinose, cellooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, maltose, and lactose, with affinities ranging from 10(3) M(-1) for monosaccharides to 10(6) M(-1) for disaccharides and oligosaccharides. Cellooligosaccharides longer than two glucose units do not bind with improved affinity, indicating that cellobiose is sufficient to occupy the entire binding site. In general, the binding reaction is dominated by favorable changes in enthalpy, which are partially compensated by unfavorable entropy changes.     

The Unique Binding Mode of Cellulosomal CBM4 from Clostridium thermocellum Cellobiohydrolase A

The crystal structure of the carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) 4 Ig fused domain from the cellulosomal cellulase cellobiohydrolase A (CbhA) of Clostridium thermocellum was solved in complex with cellobiose at 2.11 Å resolution. This is the first cellulosomal CBM4 crystal structure reported to date. It is similar to the previously solved noncellulosomal soluble oligosaccharide-binding CBM4 structures. However, this new structure possesses a significant feature—a binding site peptide loop with a tryptophan (Trp118) residing midway in the loop. Based on sequence alignment, this structural feature might be common to all cellulosomal clostridial CBM4 modules. Our results indicate that C. thermocellum CbhA CBM4 also has an extended binding pocket that can optimally bind to cellodextrins containing five or more sugar units. Molecular dynamics simulations and experimental binding studies with the Trp118Ala mutant suggest that Trp118 contributes to the binding and, possibly, the orientation of the module to soluble cellodextrins. Furthermore, the binding cleft aromatic residues Trp68 and Tyr110 play a crucial role in binding to bacterial microcrystalline cellulose (BMCC), amorphous cellulose, and soluble oligodextrins. Binding to BMCC is in disagreement with the structural features of the binding pocket, which does not support binding to the flat surface of crystalline cellulose, suggesting that CBM4 binds the amorphous part or the cellulose “whiskers” of BMCC. We propose that clostridial CBM4s have possibly evolved to bind the free-chain ends of crystalline cellulose in addition to their ability to bind soluble cellodextrins.     

Trp22, Trp24, and Tyr8 play a pivotal role in the binding of the family 10 cellulose-binding module from Pseudomonas xylanase A to insoluble ligands

Aromatic amino acids are believed to play a pivotal role in carbohydrate-binding proteins, by forming hydrophobic stacking interactions with the sugar rings of their target ligands. Family 10 cellulose-binding modules (CBM10s), present in a number of cellulases and xylanases expressed by Pseudomonas fluorescens subsp. cellulosa, contain two tyrosine and three tryptophan residues which are highly conserved. To investigate whether these amino acids play an important role in the interaction of CBM10 from P. fluorescens subsp. cellulosa xylanase A (Pf Xyn10A) with cellulose, each of these residues was changed to alanine in CBM10 expressed as a discrete module or fused to the catalytic domain of Pf Xyn10A (CBM10-CD), and the capacity of the mutant proteins of CBM10-CD to bind the polysaccharide was evaluated. The data showed that W22A, W24A, and Y8A bound very weakly to cellulose compared to the wild-type protein, while Y12A retained its capacity to interact with the glucose polymer. When the W7A mutation was introduced into CBM10 the protein domain did not accumulate in Escherichia coli. In contrast, the W7A mutant of CBM10-CD was efficiently expressed in E. coli, although the protein bound very weakly to cellulose. NMR spectra of wild-type CBM10, W22A, and W24A were very similar, suggesting that the mutations did not significantly affect the protein fold. Titration of wild-type CBM10, W22A, and W24A with N-bromosuccinimide indicated that Trp22 and Trp24 were on the surface of the protein, while Trp7 was buried. Collectively, these data indicate that Trp22, Trp24, and Tyr8 play a direct role in the binding of Pf Xyn10A CBM10 to cellulose. The results are discussed in the light of the three-dimensional structure of CBM10 [Raghothama, S., Simpson, P. J., Szabó, L., Nagy, T., Gilbert, H. J., and Williamson, M. P. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 978-984].     

The solution structure of the CBM4-2 carbohydrate binding module from a thermostable Rhodothermus marinus xylanase

The solution structure is presented for the second family 4 carbohydrate binding module (CBM4-2) of xylanase 10A from the thermophilic bacterium Rhodothermus marinus. CBM4-2, which binds xylan tightly, has a beta-sandwich structure formed by 11 strands, and contains a prominent cleft. From NMR titrations, it is shown that the cleft is the binding site for xylan, and that the main amino acids interacting with xylan are Asn31, Tyr69, Glu72, Phe110, Arg115, and His146. Key liganding residues are Tyr69 and Phe110, which form stacking interactions with the sugar. It is suggested that the loops on which the rings are displayed can alter their conformation on substrate binding, which may have functional importance. Comparison both with other family 4 cellulose binding modules and with the structurally similar family 22 xylan binding module shows that the key aromatic residues are in similar positions, and that the bottom of the cleft is much more hydrophobic in the cellulose binding modules than the xylan binding proteins. It is concluded that substrate specificity is determined by a combination of ring orientation and the nature of the residues lining the bottom of the binding cleft.     

Theoretical studies on the modes of binding of some of the β-glycosidically linked glucobioses to concanavalin A

The probable modes of binding for methyl-α-d-sophoroside, methyl-β-d-sophoroside, laminariboise and cellobiose to concanavalin A have been determined using theoretical methods. Methyl-d-sophorosides can bind to concanavalin A in two modes, i.e. by placing their reducing as well as non-reducing sugar units in the carbohydrate specific binding site, whereas laminaribiose and cellobiose can reach the binding site only with their non-reducing glucose units. However, the probability for methyl-α-d-sophoroside to bind to concanavalin A with its reducing sugar residue as the occupant of the binding site is much higher than it is with its non-reducing sugar residue as the occupant of the sugar binding site. A few of the probable conformers of methyl-β-d-sophoroside can bind to concanavalin A with either the reducing or non-reducing glucose unit. Higher energy conformers of cellobiose or laminaribiose can reach the binding site with their non-reducing residues alone. The relative differences in the binding affinities of these disaccharides are mainly due to the differences in the availability of proper conformers which can reach the binding site and to non-covalent interactions between the sugar and the protein. This study also suggests that though the sugar binding site of concanavalin A accommodates a single sugar residue, the residue outwards from the binding site also interacts with concanavalin A, indicating the existence of extended concanavalin A carbohydrate interactions.     

Clostridium thermocellum Xyn10B carbohydrate-binding module 22-2: the role of conserved amino acids in ligand binding

The majority of plant cell wall hydrolases are modular enzymes which, in addition to a catalytic module, possess one or more carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). These carbohydrate-active enzymes and their constituent modules have been classified into a number of families based upon amino acid sequence similarity. The Clostridium thermocellum xylanase, Xyn10B, contains two CBMs that belong to family 22 (CBM22). The crystal structure of the C-terminal CBM22 (CBM22-2) was determined in a previous study [Charnock, S. J., et al. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 5013--5021] and revealed a surface cleft which presents several conserved residues that are implicated in ligand binding. These amino acids have been substituted and the structure and biochemical properties of the mutants analyzed. The data show that R25A, W53A, Y103A, Y136A, and E138A exhibit greatly reduced affinity for xylotetraose relative to that of the wild-type protein. Conversely, mutations Y103F and Y136F have little effect on ligand binding. Using thermodynamic, X-ray, and NMR measurements on the mutants, we show that the cleft of CBM22-2 does indeed form the ligand-binding site. Trp 53 and Tyr 103 most likely participate in hydrophobic stacking interactions with the ligand, while Glu 138 makes one or more important hydrogen bonds with the tetrasaccharide. Although Arg 25 and Tyr 136 are likely to form hydrogen bonds with the ligand, they are also shown to play a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of the binding cleft.     

Importance of hydrophobic and polar residues in ligand binding in the family 15 carbohydrate-binding module from Cellvibrio japonicus Xyn10C

Modular glycoside hydrolases that degrade the plant cell wall often contain noncatalytic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) that interact with specific polysaccharides within this complex macromolecule. CBMs, by bringing the appended catalytic module into intimate and prolonged association with the substrate, increase the rate at which these enzymes are able to hydrolyze glycosidic bonds. Recently, the crystal structure of the family 15 CBM (CBM15) from Cellvibrio japonicus (formerly Pseudomonas cellulosa) Xyn10C was determined in complex with the ligand xylopentaose. In this report we have used a rational design approach, informed by the crystal structure of the CBM15-ligand complex, to probe the importance of hydrophobic stacking interactions and both direct and water-mediated hydrogen bonds in the binding of this protein to xylan and xylohexaose. The data show that replacing either Trp 171 or Trp 186, which stack against xylose residues n and n + 2 in xylopentaose, with alanine abolished ligand binding. Similarly, replacing Asn 106, Gln 171, and Gln 217, which make direct hydrogen bonds with xylopentaose, with alanine greatly reduced the affinity of the protein for its saccharide ligands. By contrast, disrupting water-mediated hydrogen bonds between CBM15 and xylopentaose by introducing the mutations S108A, Q167A, Q221A, and K223A had little effect on the affinity of the protein for xylan or xylohexaose. These data indicate that CBM15 binds xylan and xylooligosaccharides via the same interactions and provide clear evidence that direct hydrogen bonds are a key determinant of affinity in a type B CBM. The generic importance of these data is discussed.     

Molecular determinants of ligand specificity in family 11 carbohydrate binding modules: an NMR, X-ray crystallography and computational chemistry approach

The direct conversion of plant cell wall polysaccharides into soluble sugars is one of the most important reactions on earth, and is performed by certain microorganisms such as Clostridium thermocellum (Ct). These organisms produce extracellular multi-subunit complexes (i.e. cellulosomes) comprising a consortium of enzymes, which contain noncatalytic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM) that increase the activity of the catalytic module. In the present study, we describe a combined approach by X-ray crystallography, NMR and computational chemistry that aimed to gain further insight into the binding mode of different carbohydrates (cellobiose, cellotetraose and cellohexaose) to the binding pocket of the family 11 CBM. The crystal structure of C. thermocellum CBM11 has been resolved to 1.98 A in the apo form. Since the structure with a bound substrate could not be obtained, computational studies with cellobiose, cellotetraose and cellohexaose were carried out to determine the molecular recognition of glucose polymers by CtCBM11. These studies revealed a specificity area at the CtCBM11 binding cleft, which is lined with several aspartate residues. In addition, a cluster of aromatic residues was found to be important for guiding and packing of the polysaccharide. The binding cleft of CtCBM11 interacts more strongly with the central glucose units of cellotetraose and cellohexaose, mainly through interactions with the sugar units at positions 2 and 6. This model of binding is supported by saturation transfer difference NMR experiments and linebroadening NMR studies.     

Novel xylan-binding properties of an engineered family 4 carbohydrate-binding module

Molecular engineering of ligand-binding proteins is commonly used for identification of variants that display novel specificities. Using this approach to introduce novel specificities into CBMs (carbohydrate-binding modules) has not been extensively explored. Here, we report the engineering of a CBM, CBM4-2 from the Rhodothermus marinus xylanase Xyn10A, and the identification of the X-2 variant. As compared with the wild-type protein, this engineered module displays higher specificity for the polysaccharide xylan, and a lower preference for binding xylo-oligomers rather than binding the natural decorated polysaccharide. The mode of binding of X-2 differs from other xylan-specific CBMs in that it only has one aromatic residue in the binding site that can make hydrophobic interactions with the sugar rings of the ligand. The evolution of CBM4-2 has thus generated a xylan-binding module with different binding properties to those displayed by CBMs available in Nature.     

Crystal structure of himalayan mistletoe ribosome-inactivating protein reveals the presence of a natural inhibitor and a new functionally active sugar-binding site

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are toxins involved in plant defense. How the plant prevents autotoxicity is not yet fully understood. The present study is the first structural evidence of a naturally inhibited form of RIP from a plant. Himalayan mistletoe RIP (HmRIP) was purified from Viscum album leaves and crystallized with lactose. The structure was determined by the molecular replacement method and refined at 2.8-A resolution. The crystal structure revealed the presence of high quality non-protein electron density at the active site, into which a pteridine derivative (2-amino 4-isopropyl 6-carboxyl pteridine) was modeled. The carboxyl group of the ligand binds strongly with the key active site residue Arg(162), nullifies the positive charge required for catalysis, and thereby acts as a natural inhibitor. Lectin subunits of RIPs have two active sugar-binding sites present in 1alpha- and 2gamma-subdomains. A third functionally active site has been identified in the 1beta-subdomain of HmRIP. The 1beta-site is active despite the absence of conserved polar sugar-binding residues. Loss of these residues is compensated by the following: (i) the presence of an extended site where the penultimate sugar also interacts with the protein; (ii) the interactions of galactose with the protein main chain carbonyl and amide nitrogen atoms; (iii) the presence of a well defined pocket encircled by four walls; and (iv) a favorable stacking of the galactose ring with Tyr(66) besides the conserved Phe(75). The mode of sugar binding is also distinct at the 1alpha and 2gamma sugar-binding sites.     

Atomic interactions in protein-carbohydrate complexes. Tryptophan residues in the periplasmic maltodextrin receptor for active transport and chemotaxis.

We have refined the 1.9 A resolution crystal structures of two maltodextrin receptor mutants in which tryptophan residues 230 and 232 have been changed to alanine and compared these structures with the refined 1.7 A structure of the wild-type protein. In the wild-type structure, Trp230, which is located in the maltodextrin-binding groove, stacks against the B-face of the reducing sugar of the bound maltose. Trp232, which is located near the protein surface, does not participate directly in sugar binding. Relative to the wild-type structure, neither mutation caused a significant rearrangement in the overall protein structure or in the mode of binding maltose. Although the position once occupied by Trp230 remains empty, a new water molecule has moved near the void. In contrast, a new water molecule has entered into the space once occupied by Trp232. Whereas one hydrogen bond is formed with the water molecule near the Trp230 void, no hydrogen bond is associated with the water molecule occupying the space vacated by Trp232. The three van der Waals' contacts between Trp230 and maltose in the wild-type structure that are lost in the W230A mutation could contribute to the 12-fold decrease in ligand-binding activity of the mutant protein. The W232A mutation causes little change in binding activity. The structures of these mutant proteins also provide some insight into the complicated tryptophan fluorescence spectra of the maltodextrin binding-protein. The change in fluorescence due to the deletion of Trp230 can readily be explained as resulting directly from loss of Trp230 in the sugar-binding site. The change in fluorescence due to deletion of Trp232, however, is ascribed to the modification of local interactions mediated by the binding of maltodextrin since the tryptophan is not directly involved in any sugar-binding interaction.     

Alpha-glucan recognition by a new family of carbohydrate-binding modules found primarily in bacterial pathogens

TmPul13, a family 13 glycoside hydrolase from Thermotoga maritima, is a four-module protein having pullulanase activity; the three N-terminal modules are of unknown function while the large C-terminal module is likely the catalytic module. Dissection of the functions of the three unknown modules revealed that the 100 amino acid module at the extreme N-terminus of TmPul13 comprises a new family of carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM) that a bioinformatic analysis shows are most frequently found in pullulanase-like sequences from bacterial pathogens. Detailed binding studies of this isolated CBM, here called TmCBM41, reveals a preference for alpha-(1,4)-linked glucans, but occasional alpha-(1,6)-linked glucose residues, such as those found in pullulan, are tolerated. UV difference, isothermal titration calorimetry, and analytical ultracentrifugation binding studies suggest that maltooligosaccharides longer than four glucose residues are able to bind two TmCBM41 molecules per oligosaccharide when sugar concentrations are below the CBM concentration. This is explained in terms of an equilibrium expression involving the formation of both a 1 to 1 sugar to CBM complex and a 1 to 2 sugar to CBM complex (i.e., a CBM dimer ligated by an oligosaccharide). The presence of an alpha-(1-6) linkage in the oligosaccharide appears to prevent this phenomenon.     

Probing the mechanism of ligand recognition in family 29 carbohydrate-binding modules

The recycling of photosynthetically fixed carbon, by the action of microbial plant cell wall hydrolases, is integral to one of the major geochemical cycles and is of considerable industrial importance. Non-catalytic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) play a key role in this degradative process by targeting hydrolytic enzymes to their cognate substrate within the complex milieu of polysaccharides that comprise the plant cell wall. Family 29 CBMs have, thus far, only been found in an extracellular multienzyme plant cell wall-degrading complex from the anaerobic fungus Piromyces equi, where they exist as a CBM29-1:CBM29-2 tandem. Here we present both the structure of the CBM29-1 partner, at 1.5 A resolution, and examine the importance of hydrophobic stacking interactions as well as direct and solvent-mediated hydrogen bonds in the binding of CBM29-2 to different polysaccharides. CBM29 domains display unusual binding properties, exhibiting specificity for both beta-manno- and beta-gluco-configured ligands such as mannan, cellulose, and glucomannan. Mutagenesis reveals that "stacking" of tryptophan residues in the n and n+2 subsites plays a critical role in ligand binding, whereas the loss of tyrosine-mediated stacking in the n+4 subsite reduces, but does not abrogate, polysaccharide recognition. Direct hydrogen bonds to ligand, such as those provided by Arg-112 and Glu-78, play a pivotal role in the interaction with both mannan and cellulose, whereas removal of water-mediated interactions has comparatively little effect on carbohydrate binding. The interactions of CBM29-2 with the O2 of glucose or mannose contribute little to binding affinity, explaining why this CBM displays dual gluco/manno specificity.     

Unique active-site and subsite features in the arabinogalactan-degrading GH43 exo-β-1,3-galactanase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are plant proteoglycans with functions in growth and development. However, these functions are largely unexplored, mainly because of the complexity of the sugar moieties. These carbohydrate sequences are generally analyzed with the aid of glycoside hydrolases. The exo-β-1,3-galactanase is a glycoside hydrolase from the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium (Pc1,3Gal43A), which specifically cleaves AGPs. However, its structure is not known in relation to its mechanism bypassing side chains. In this study, we solved the apo and liganded structures of Pc1,3Gal43A, which reveal a glycoside hydrolase family 43 subfamily 24 (GH43_sub24) catalytic domain together with a carbohydrate-binding module family 35 (CBM35) binding domain. GH43_sub24 is known to lack the catalytic base Asp conserved among other GH43 subfamilies. Our structure in combination with kinetic analyses reveals that the tautomerized imidic acid group of Gln²⁶³ serves as the catalytic base residue instead. Pc1,3Gal43A has three subsites that continue from the bottom of the catalytic pocket to the solvent. Subsite −1 contains a space that can accommodate the C-6 methylol of Gal, enabling the enzyme to bypass the β-1,6–linked galactan side chains of AGPs. Furthermore, the galactan-binding domain in CBM35 has a different ligand interaction mechanism from other sugar-binding CBM35s, including those that bind galactomannan. Specifically, we noted a Gly → Trp substitution, which affects pyranose stacking, and an Asp → Asn substitution in the binding pocket, which recognizes β-linked rather than α-linked Gal residues. These findings should facilitate further structural analysis of AGPs and may also be helpful in engineering designer enzymes for efficient biomass utilization.     

Role of hydrogen bonding in the interaction between a xylan binding module and xylan

NMR studies of the internal family 2b carbohydrate binding module (CBM2b-1) of Cellulomonas fimi xylanase 11A have identified six polar residues and two aromatic residues that interact with its target ligand, xylan. To investigate the importance of the various interactions, free energy and enthalpy changes have been measured for the binding of xylan to native and mutant forms of CBM2b-1. The data show that the two aromatic residues, Trp 259 and Trp 291, play a critical role in the binding, and similarly that mutants N264A and T316A have no affinity for the xylose polymer. Interestingly, mutations E257A, Q288A, N292A, E257A/Q288A, E257A/N292A, and E257A/N292A/Q288A do not significantly diminish the affinity of CBM2b-1 for the xylose polymers, but do influence the thermodynamics driving the protein-carbohydrate interactions. These thermodynamic parameters have been interpreted in light of a fresh understanding of enthalpy-entropy compensation and show the following. (1) For proteins whose ligands are bound on an exposed surface, hydrogen bonding confers little specificity or affinity. It also displays little cooperativity. Most specificity and affinity derive from binding between the face of sugar rings and aromatic rings. (2) Loss of hydrogen bonding interactions leads to a redistribution of the remaining bonding interactions such that the entropic mobility of the ligand is maximized, at the expense (if necessary) of enthalpically favorable bonds. (3) Changes in entropy and enthalpy in the binding between polysaccharide and a range of mutants can be interpreted by considering changes in binding and flexibility, without any need to consider solvent reorganization.     

Recognition of cellooligosaccharides by a family 28 carbohydrate-binding module

The crystal structures of a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) family 28 domain of endoglucanase Cel5A from Clostridium josui have been determined in ligand-free and complex forms with cellobiose, cellotetraose, and cellopentaose as the first complex structures of this family. In the cleft of a β-sandwich fold, the ligands are recognized by stacking interactions and hydrogen bonds. Conformations of the bound cellooligosaccharides are similar to those in crystals and solution but clearly different from the cellulose structure. Interestingly, the glucan chain bound on CBM28 is in the opposite direction of that bound to CBM17, although these families share significant structural similarity.     

Evidence for synergy between family 2b carbohydrate binding modules in Cellulomonas fimi xylanase 11A

Glycoside hydrolases often contain multiple copies of noncatalytic carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) from the same or different families. Currently, the functional importance of this complex molecular architecture is unclear. To investigate the role of multiple CBMs in plant cell wall hydrolases, we have determined the polysaccharide binding properties of wild type and various derivatives of Cellulomonas fimi xylanase 11A (Cf Xyn11A). This protein, which binds to both cellulose and xylan, contains two family 2b CBMs that exhibit 70% sequence identity, one internal (CBM2b-1), which has previously been shown to bind specifically to xylan and the other at the C-terminus (CBM2b-2). Biochemical characterization of CBM2b-2 showed that the module bound to insoluble and soluble oat spelt xylan and xylohexaose with K(a) values of 5.6 x 10(4), 1.2 x 10(4), and 4.8 x 10(3) M(-1), respectively, but exhibited extremely weak affinity for cellohexaose (<10(2) M(-1)), and its interaction with insoluble cellulose was too weak to quantify. The CBM did not interact with soluble forms of other plant cell wall polysaccharides. The three-dimensional structure of CBM2b-2 was determined by NMR spectroscopy. The module has a twisted "beta-sandwich" architecture, and the two surface exposed tryptophans, Trp 570 and Trp 602, which are in a perpendicular orientation with each other, were shown to be essential for ligand binding. In addition, changing Arg 573 to glycine altered the polysaccharide binding specificity of the module from xylan to cellulose. These data demonstrate that the biochemical properties and tertiary structure of CBM2b-2 and CBM2b-1 are extremely similar. When CBM2b-1 and CBM2b-2 were incorporated into a single polypeptide chain, either in the full-length enzyme or an artificial construct comprising both CBM2bs covalently joined via a flexible linker, there was an approximate 18-20-fold increase in the affinity of the protein for soluble and insoluble xylan, as compared to the individual modules, and a measurable interaction with insoluble acid-swollen cellulose, although the K(a) (approximately 6.0 x 10(4) M(-1)) was still much lower than for insoluble xylan (K(a) = approximately 1.0 x 10(6) M(-1)). These data demonstrate that the two family 2b CBMs of Cf Xyn11A act in synergy to bind acid swollen cellulose and xylan. We propose that the increased affinity of glycoside hydrolases for polysaccharides, through the synergistic interactions of CBMs, provides an explanation for the duplication of CBMs from the same family in some prokaryotic cellulases and xylanases.     

Direct sugar binding to LacY measured by resonance energy transfer

Trp151 in the lactose permease of Escherichia coli (LacY) is an important component of the sugar-binding site and the only Trp residue out of six that is in close proximity to the galactopyranoside in the structure (1PV7). The short distance between Trp151 and the sugar is favorable for F?rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to nitrophenyl or dansyl derivatives with the fluorophore at the anomeric position of galactose. Modeling of 4-nitrophenyl-alpha-d-galactopyranoside (alpha-NPG) in the binding-site of LacY places the nitrophenyl moiety about 12 A away from Trp151, a distance commensurate with the F?rster distance for a Trp-nitrobenzoyl pair. We demonstrate here that alpha-NPG binding to LacY containing all six native Trp residues causes galactopyranoside-specific FRET from Trp151. Moreover, binding of alpha-NPG is sufficiently slow to resolve time-dependent fluorescence changes by stopped-flow. The rate of change in Trp --> alpha-NPG FRET is linearly dependent upon sugar concentration, which allows estimation of kinetic parameters for binding. Furthermore, 2-(4'-maleimidylanilino)naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid (MIANS) covalently attached to the cytoplasmic end of helix X is sensitive to sugar binding, reflecting a ligand-induced conformational change. Stopped-flow kinetics of Trp --> alpha-NPG FRET and sugar-induced changes in MIANS fluorescence in the same protein reveal a two-step process: a relatively rapid binding step detected by Trp151 --> alpha-NPG FRET followed by a slower conformational change detected by a change in MIANS fluorescence.     

Site-specific characterization of the association of xylooligosaccharides with the CBM13 lectin-like xylan binding domain from Streptomyces lividans xylanase 10A by NMR spectroscopy

Endo-beta-1,4-xylanase 10A (Xyn10A) from Streptomyces lividans includes an N-terminal catalytic module and a 130-residue C-terminal family 13 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM13). This latter domain adopts a beta-trefoil structure with three potential binding sites (alpha, beta, and gamma) for a variety of small sugars, xylooligosaccharides, and xylan polymers. To investigate the role of this multivalency in carbohydrate binding, we have used NMR spectroscopy to characterize the interaction of isolated CBM13 with a series of sugars. We have assigned resonances from the main chain nuclei of CBM13 using heteronuclear NMR experiments. Analysis of (15)N NMR relaxation data using the extended model free formalism reveals that CBM13 tumbles as an oblate ellipsoid (D( parallel)/D( perpendicular) = 0.80 +/- 0.02) and that its backbone is relatively rigid on the sub-nanosecond time scale. In particular, the three binding sites show no distinct patterns of increased internal mobility. Ligand-induced chemical shift changes in the (1)H-(15)N HSQC spectra of CBM13 were monitored as a function of increasing concentrations of L-arabinose, lactose, D-xylose, xylobiose, xylotetraose, and xylohexaose. Patterns of shift perturbations for well-resolved resonances demonstrate that all of these sugars associate independently with the three binding sites of CBM13. On the basis of the site-specific association constants derived from a quantitative analysis of these titration data, we show that L-arabinose, lactose, and D-xylose preferentially bind to the alpha site of CBM13, xylobiose binds equally well to all three sites, and xylotetraose and xylohexaose prefer binding to the beta site. Inspection of the crystallographic structure of CBM13 [Notenboom, V., Boraston, A. B., Williams, S. J., Kilburn, D. G., and Rose, D. R. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 4246-4254] provides a rationalization for these results.     

Structural basis of the carbohydrate specificities of jacalin: an X-ray and modeling study

The structures of the complexes of tetrameric jacalin with Gal, Me-alpha-GalNAc, Me-alpha-T-antigen, GalNAcbeta1-3Gal-alpha-O-Me and Galalpha1-6Glc (mellibiose) show that the sugar-binding site of jacalin has three components: the primary site, secondary site A, and secondary site B. In these structures and in the two structures reported earlier, Gal or GalNAc occupy the primary site with the anomeric carbon pointing towards secondary site A. The alpha-substituents, when present, interact, primarily hydrophobically, with secondary site A which has variable geometry. O-H..., centered pi and C-H...pi hydrogen bonds involving this site also exist. On the other hand, beta-substitution leads to severe steric clashes. Therefore, in complexes involving beta-linked disaccharides, the reducing sugar binds at the primary site with the non-reducing end located at secondary site B. The interactions at secondary site B are primarily through water bridges. Thus, the nature of the linkage determines the mode of the association of the sugar with jacalin. The interactions observed in the crystal structures and modeling based on them provide a satisfactory qualitative explanation of the available thermodynamic data on jacalin-carbohydrate interactions. They also lead to fresh insights into the nature of the binding of glycoproteins by jacalin.