Enzymatic properties of β-N-acetylglucosaminidases

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - β-N-Acetylglucosaminidases (GlcNAcases) hydrolyse N-acetylglucosamine-containing oligosaccharides and proteins. These enzymes produce...     

Enzymatic synthesis of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol β-d-fructofuranosides

Tyrosol β-d-fructofuranoside and hydroxytyrosol β-d-fructofuranoside have been synthesized as new compounds in 27.6 and 19.5% respective yields through transfructosylation of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol. Yeast β-galactosidase Lactozym 3000?L comprising invertase activity was used as catalyst. Besides the main monofructosides, an equimolar mixture of tyrosol β-d-fructofuranosyl-((2→1)-β-d-fructofuranoside and tyrosol β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2→6)-β-d-fructofuranoside was isolated as additional product fraction in 14.3% yield.     

Enzymatic Synthesis of Thioglucosides Using Almond β-glucosidase

A selection of different glycosidases was screened for the glycosylation of 1-propanethiol. The &#103 -glucosidases from almond, Aspergillus niger and Caldocellum saccharolyticum were capable of 1-propanethioglucoside (1-PTG) formation. The almond &#103 -glucosidase showed the highest activity in this reversed hydrolysis type of reaction using glucose as glucosyl donor. Besides 1-propanethiol, also thioglucosides of 2-propanethiol and furfuryl mercaptan were formed by the almond &#103 -glucosidase. The substrate specificity of the almond &#103 -glucosidase with respect to thioglucosylation is restricted to primary and secondary aliphatic thiols. Once the thioglucosides are formed, they are not hydrolyzed at a significant rate by almond &#103 -glucosidase. As a consequence the synthesis of 1-PTG could be observed at very low aglycone concentrations (0.5% v/v based on the reaction solution) and high yields (68% based on 1-PT and 41% based on glucose) were obtained. An excess of aglycone, otherwise frequently applied in reversed hydrolysis glycosylation, is therefore not necessary in the glucosylation of 1-PT.     

Enzymatic Synthesis of Sulfated Disaccharides using β-D-Galactosidase-catalyzed Transglycosylation

We have established a unique enzymatic approach for obtaining sulfated disaccharides using Bacillus circulans β-D-galactosidase-catalyzed 6-sulfo galactosylation. When 4-methyl umbelliferyl 6-sulfo β-D-galactopyranoside (S6Galβ-4MU) was used as a donor, the enzyme induced transfer of 6-sulfo galactosyl residue to GlcNAc acceptor. As a result, the desired compound 6'-sulfo N-acetyllactosamine (S6Galβ1-4GlcNAc) and its positional isomer 6'-sulfo N-acetylisolactosamine (S6Gal β1-6GlcNAc) were observed by HPAEC-PAD, in 49% total yield based on the donor added, and in a molar ratio of 1:3.5. With a glucose acceptor, the regioselectivity was substantially changed and S6Galβ1-2Glc was mainly produced along with β-(1-1)α,β-(1-3),β-(1-6) isomers in 74% total yield. When methyl α-D-glucopyranoside (Glcα-OMe) was an acceptor, the enzyme also formed mainly S6Galβ1-2Glcα-OMe with its β-(1-6)-linked isomer in 41% total yield based on the donor added. In both cases, it led to the predominant formation of β-(1-2)-linked disaccharides. In contrast, with the corresponding methyl β-D-glucopyranoside (Glcβ-OMe) acceptor, S6Galβ1-3Glcβ-OMe and S6Galβ1-6Glcβ-OMe were formed in a low total yield of 12%. These results indicate that the regioselectivity and efficiency on the β-D-galactosidase-mediated transfer reaction significantly depend on the anomeric configuration in the glucosyl acceptors.     

Enzymatic production of β-D-glucose-1-phosphate from trehalose

β-D -Glucose-1-phosphate (βGlc1P) is an efficient glucosyl donor for both enzymatic and chemical glycosylation reactions but is currently very costly and not available in large amounts. This article provides an efficient production method of βGlc1P from trehalose and phosphate using the thermostable trehalose phosphorylase from Thermoanaerobacter brockii. At the process temperature of 60°C, Escherichia coli expression host cells are lysed and cell treatment prior to the reaction is, therefore, not required. In this way, the theoretical maximum yield of 26% could be easily achieved. Two different purification strategies have been compared, anion exchange chromatography or carbohydrate removal by treatment with trehalase and yeast, followed by chemical phosphate precipitation. In a next step, βGlc1P was precipitated with ethanol but this did not induce crystallization, in contrast to what is observed with other glycosylphosphates. After conversion of the product to its cyclohexylammonium salt, however, crystals could be readily obtained. Although both purification methods were quantitative (>99% recovery), a large amount of product (50%) was lost during crystallization. Nevertheless, a production process for crystalline βGlc1P is now available from the cheap substrates trehalose and inorganic phosphate.     

Enzymatic synthesis of β-lactam antibiotics: A thermodynamic background

The equilibrium constants and the respective standard Gibbs energy changes for hydrolysis of some β-lactam antibiotics have been determined. Native and immobilized penicillin amidase (EC 3.5.1.11) from Escherichia coli has been used as a catalyst. The values of standard Gibbs energy changes corresponding to the pH-independent product of equilibrium concentrations (ΔG⁰_c = ? RT ln K_c) have been calculated. The differences in the structure of the antibiotics nucleus hardly ever affect the value of the pH-independent component of the standard Gibbs energy change (ΔG⁰_c) and value of apparent standard Gibbs energy change at a fixed pH (ΔG^0′_c). At the same time, the value of ΔG⁰_c is more sensitive to the structure of the acyl moiety of the antibiotic; when ampicillin is used instead of benzylpenicillin, ΔG⁰_c increases by ～6.3 kJ mol^?1 (1.5 kcal mol^?1). pH-dependences of the apparent standard Gibbs energy changes for hydrolysis of β-lactam antibiotics have been calculated. The pH-dependences of ΔG^0′_c for hydrolysis of all β-lactam antibiotics have a similar pattern. The thermodynamic pH optimum of the synthesis of these compounds is in the acid pH range (pH < 5.0). The breakage of the β-lactam ring leads to a sharp decrease in the ΔG^0′_c value and a change in the pattern of the pH-dependence. For example, at pH 5.0 ΔG^0′_c decreases from 14.4 kJ mol^?1 for benzylpenicillin to ?1.45 kJ mol^?1 for benzylpenicilloic acid. The reason for these changes is mainly a considerable increase in the pK of the amino group of the nucleus of the antibiotic and, as a consequence, a decrease in the component of standard Gibbs energy change, corresponding to the ionization of the system. The thermodynamic potentials of the enzymatic synthesis of semisynthetic penicillins and cephalosporins on the basis of both free acids and their derivatives (N-acylated amino acids, esters) are discussed. It is shown that with esters of the acids, a high yield of the antibiotic can, in principle, be achieved at higher pH values.     

Enzymatic production and in?situ separation of natural β-ionone from β-carotene

A biotechnological process concept for generation and in?situ separation of natural β-ionone from β-carotene is presented. The process employs carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs), a plant-derived iron-containing nonheme enzyme family requiring only dissolved oxygen as cosubstrate and no additional cofactors. Organophilic pervaporation was found to be very well suited for continuous in?situ separation of β-ionone. Its application led to a highly pure product despite the complexity of the reaction solution containing cell homogenates. Among three different pervaporation membrane types tested, a polyoctylmethylsiloxane active layer on a porous polyetherimide support led to the best results. A laboratory-scale demonstration plant was set up, and a highly pure aqueous–ethanolic solution of β-ionone was produced from β-carotene. The described process permits generation of high-value flavor and fragrance compounds bearing the desired label “natural” according to US and European food and safety regulations and demonstrates the potential of CCD enzymes for selective oxidative cleavage of carotenoids.     

Regioselectivity in β-Galactosidase-catalyzed Transglycosylation for the Enzymatic Assembly of D-Galactosyl-D-mannose

The regioselectivity of β-galactosidase derived from Bacillus circulans ATCC 31382 (β-1,3-galactosidase) in transgalactosylation reactions using D-mannose as an acceptor was investigated. This D-mannose associated regioselectivity was found to be different from reactions using either GlcNAc or GalNAc as acceptors, not only for β-1,3-galactosidase but also for β-galactosidases of different origins. The relative hydrolysis rate of Galβ-pNP and D-galactosyl-D-mannoses, of various linkages, was also measured in the presence of β-1,3-galactosidase and was found to correlate well with the ratio of disaccharides formed by transglycosylation. The unexpected regioselectivity using D-mannose can therefore be explained by an anomalous specificity in the hydrolysis reaction. By utilizing the identified characteristics of both regioselectivity and hydrolysis specificity using D-mannose, an efficient method for enzymatic synthesis of β-1,3-, β-1,4- and β-1,6-linked D-galactosyl-D-mannose was subsequently established.     

Enzymatic Formation of d-Pantothemc Acid-β-Glucoside by Various β-Glucosidases

A β-gIucoside of d-pantothenic acid was formed from d-pantothenic acid and β-glucosyl donors such as cellobiose, phenyl-β-d-glucoside, salicin, and 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-d-glucoside and naphthol AS-BI-β-d-glucoside by various β-glucosidases, i.e., almond β-glucosidase, cellulase type II and III, naringinase, and hesperiginase. The compound was isolated from a reaction mixture of almond β-glucosidase by treatment with active charcoal, Amberlite CG–50, and DEAH-cellulose column chromatography, paper chromatography, and Sephadex G-IO gel filtration. Then, the compound was characterized as 4′-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-d-pantothenic acid by various analytical methods including bioassay, paper chromatography, NMR and specific optical rotation. The microbiological activities of the compound were also determined.     

Enzymatic modification of β-lactoglobulin with N-fatty-acyl-dipeptide by transglutaminase from Streptomyces mobaraense

-Lactoglobulin was enzymatically acylated with N-lauroyl-l-glutaminyl-glycine and N-lauroyl-l-glutamyl-l-lysine using transglutaminase from Streptomyces mobaraense. The modification of the protein with N-fatty-acyl-dipeptide was confirmed by SDS-PAGE, gel chromatography, HPLC, amino acid analysis, and TOF-MS. The degrees of the protein modification with N-lauroyl-l-glutaminyl-glycine and N-lauroyl-l-glutamyl-l-lysine were estimated to be 2–4 and 1.5 residues per molecule, respectively.     

Enzymatic synthesis of fucose-containing galacto-oligosaccharides using β-galactosidase and identification of novel disaccharide structures

Fucosylated oligosaccharides have an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system and homeostatic gut microflora. This study employed a commercial β-galactosidase in the production of fucose-containing galacto-oligosaccharides (fGOS) from lactose and fucose. The production was optimized using experiment design and optimal conditions for a batch production in 3-liter scale. The reaction product was analyzed and the produced galactose-fucose disaccharides were purified. The structures of these disaccharides were determined using NMR and it was verified that one major product with the structure Galβ1–3Fuc and two minor products with the structures Galβ1–4Fuc and Galβ1–2Fuc were formed. Additionally, the product composition was defined in more detail using several different analytical methods. It was concluded that the final product contained 42% total monosaccharides, 40% disaccharides and 18% of larger oligosaccharides. 290 μmol of fGOS was produced per gram of reaction mixture and 37% of the added fucose was bound to fGOS. The fraction of fGOS from total oligosaccharides was determined as 44%. This fGOS product could be used as a new putative route to deliver fucose to the intestine.     

Enzymatic characterization and molecular modeling of an evolutionarily interesting fungal β-N-acetylhexosaminidase

Fungal β-N-acetylhexosaminidases are inducible extracellular enzymes with many biotechnological applications. The enzyme from Penicillium oxalicum has unique enzymatic properties despite its close evolutionary relationship with other fungal hexosaminidases. It has high GalNAcase activity, tolerates substrates with the modified N-acyl group better and has some other unusual catalytic properties. In order to understand these features, we performed isolation, biochemical and enzymological characterization, molecular cloning and molecular modelling. The native enzyme is composed of two catalytic units (65 kDa each) and two propeptides (15 kDa each), yielding a molecular weight of 160 kDa. Enzyme deglycosylated by endoglycosidase H had comparable activity, but reduced stability. We have cloned and sequenced the gene coding for the entire hexosaminidase from P. oxalicum. Sufficient sequence identity of this hexosaminidase with the structurally solved enzymes from bacteria and humans with complete conservation of all catalytic residues allowed us to construct a molecular model of the enzyme. Results from molecular dynamics simulations and substrate docking supported the experimental kinetic and substrate specificity data and provided a molecular explanation for why the hexosaminidase from P. oxalicum is unique among the family of fungal hexosaminidases.     

Enzymatic conversion of β-carotene to astaxanthin by cell-extracts of a green alga Haematococcus pluvialis

Astaxanthin was synthesized from β-carotene by the membrane-bound enzyme fraction prepared from a unicellular green alga Haematococcus pluvialis. Zeaxanthin was identified as one of the possible intermediates. NADPH addition and O₂ supply were essential for the conversion. A monooxygenase inhibitor, tetcyclacis blocked the astaxanthin formation. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Enzymatic synthesis of D-tagatose from lactose with the combination of β-galactosidase and L-arabinose isomerase

将大肠杆菌K-12中的β-半乳糖苷酶基因lacZ和L-阿拉伯糖异构酶基因araA以串联方式克隆到载体pET-28a(+)上,并转入大肠杆菌BL21( DE3)中进行表达.通过SDS-PAGE分析发现,重组菌株能表达出大量可溶性β-半乳糖苷酶蛋白和L-阿拉伯糖异构酶蛋白.以重悬菌液为酶源,可将乳糖降解为D-半乳糖,并将D-半乳糖转化为D-塔格糖.在温度为50℃,pH 7.0的缓冲液中,经一段时间反应后,D-塔格糖的转化率可达21％以上.加入Mn2+、Co2+和Fe2+均能够使D-塔格糖的转化率提高.     

Enzymatic activity and substrate specificity of recombinant tomato β-galactosidases 4 and 5

The open reading frames of tomato β-galactosidase (TBG) 4 and 5 cDNAs were expressed in yeast, and the enzymes properties and substrate specificities were investigated. The two enzymes had peak activities between pH 4–4.5 and 37–45°C. TBG4 specifically hydrolyzed β-(1→4) and 4-linked galactooligosaccharides. TBG5 had a strong preference to hydrolyze β-(1→3) and β-(1→6)-linked galactooligosaccharides. Exo-β-galactanase activity of the TBG enzymes was measured by determining the release of galactosyl residues from native tomato cell wall fractions throughout fruit development and ripening. Both TBGs released galactose from all of the fractions and stages tested. TBG4 activity was highest using chelator soluble pectin and alkali soluble pectin at the turning stage of ripening. Using aminopyrene trisulfonate labeled substrates, TBG4 was the only enzyme with strong exo-β-(1→4)-galactanase activity on 5 mer or greater galactans. TBG4 and TBG5 were both able to degrade galactosylated rhamnogalacturonan. Neither enzyme was able to degrade galactosylated xyloglucan.     

UDP-N-Acetyl-α-D-glucosamine as acceptor substrate of β-1,4-galactosyltransferase. Enzymatic synthesis of UDP-N-acetyllactosamine

The capacity of UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) as an in vitro acceptor substrate for beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta4GalT1, EC 2.4.1.38) from human and bovine milk and for recombinant human beta4GalT1, expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was evaluated. It turned out that each of the enzymes is capable to transfer Gal from UDP-alpha-D-galactose (UDP-Gal) to UDP-GlcNAc, affording Gal(beta1-4)GlcNAc(alpha1-UDP (UDP-LacNAc). Using beta4GalT1 from human milk, a preparative enzymatic synthesis of UDP-LacNAc was carried out, and the product was characterized by fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Studies with all three beta4GalTs in the presence of alpha-lactalbumin showed that the UDP-LacNAc synthesis is inhibited and that UDP-alpha-D-glucose is not an acceptor substrate. This is the first reported synthesis of a nucleotide-activated disaccharide, employing a Leloir glycosyltransferase with a nucleotide-activated monosaccharide as acceptor substrate. Interestingly, in these studies beta4GalT1 accepts an alpha-glycosidated GlcNAc derivative. The results imply that beta4GalT1 may be responsible for the biosynthesis of UDP-LacNAc, previously isolated from human milk.     

Enzymatic Hydrolysis of α-Chitin

It is shown that the enzymatic preparation Celloviridin G20x can be used for hydrolyzing -chitin of various origin. The purity of the final product of hydrolysis, N-acetylglucosamine, was monitored using HPLC.     

Enzymatic preparation of d-p -trimethylsilylphenylalanine

In this paper we report on the enzymatic preparation of d-p-trimethylsilylphenylalanine (d-TMS-Phe). First, dl-5-(p-trimethylsilylphenylmethyl)hydantoin␣(dl-TMS-Phe-Hyd) was synthesized chemically and subjected to bacterial hydrolysis to obtain N-carbamoyl-d-p-trimethylsilylphenylalanine (C-d-TMS-Phe), but no strains examined showed sufficient hydantoinase activity on this compound. However, Blastobacter sp. A17p-4, which is known to produce N-carbamoyl-d-amino acid amidohydrolase (DCase), was found to be able to hydrolyze C-dl-TMS-Phe prepared chemically from the hydantoin. When C-dl-TMS-Phe was hydrolyzed with cells of Blastobacter sp. A17p-4, its optical purity was low because N-carbamoyl-l-amino acid amidohydrolase (LCase) coexisted in the cells. DCase and LCase in the cell-free extract of Blastobacter sp. A17p-4 could be separated by DEAE-Sephacel column chromatography. The optimum pH for the hydrolysis of C-dl-TMS-Phe by the partially purified DCase was 8.0 and addition of 2.5 % N,N-dimethylformamide was effective in raising the substrate concentration without inactivation of DCase. Under the optimized conditions, highly optically pure (98 % enantiomeric excess) d-TMS-Phe could be obtained from C-dl-TMS-Phe with partially purified DCase. Received: 12 July 1996 / Received revision: 11 September 1996 / Accepted: 2 November 1996