Action of neopullulanase. Neopullulanase catalyzes both hydrolysis and transglycosylation at alpha-(1----4)- and alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkages.

The transglycosylation reaction catalyzed by neopullulanase was analyzed. Radioactive oligosaccharides were produced when the enzyme acted on maltotriose in the presence of [U-14C]glucose. Some of the radioactive oligosaccharides had only alpha-(1----4)-glucosidic linkages, but others were suggested to have alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkages. The existence of alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkages in the products from maltotriose with neopullulanase was proven by proton NMR spectroscopy and methylation analysis. We previously reported that the one active center of neopullulanase catalyzes the hydrolysis of alpha-(1----4)- and alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkages (Kuriki, T., Takata, H., Okada, S., and Imanaka, T. (1991) J. Bacteriol. 173,6147-6152). These facts proved that neopullulanase catalyzed all four types of reactions: hydrolysis of alpha-(1----4)-glucosidic linkage, hydrolysis of alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkage, transglycosylation to form alpha-(1----4)-glucosidic linkage, and transglycosylation to form alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkage. The four reactions are typically catalyzed by alpha-amylase, pullulanase, cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase, and 1,4-alpha-D-glucan branching enzyme, respectively. These four enzymes have some structural similarities to one other, but reactions catalyzed by the enzymes are considered to be distinctive: the four reactions are individually catalyzed by each of the enzymes. The experimental results obtained from the analysis of the reaction of the neopullulanase exhibited that the four reactions can be catalyzed in the same mechanism.     

Analysis of the active center of Bacillus stearothermophilus neopullulanase.

The active center of the neopullulanase from Bacillus stearothermophilus was analyzed by means of site-directed mutagenesis. The amino acid residues located in the active center of the neopullulanase were tentatively identified according to a molecular model of Taka-amylase A and homology analysis of the amino acid sequences of neopullulanse, Taka-amylase A, and other amylolytic enzymes. When amino acid residues Glu and Asp, corresponding to the putative catalytic sites, were replaced by the oppositely charged (His) or noncharged (Gln or Asn) amino acid residue, neopullulanase activities toward alpha-(1----4)- and alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkages disappeared. When the amino acids corresponding to the putative substrate-binding sites were replaced, the specificities of the mutated neopullulanases toward alpha-(1----4)- and alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkages were obviously different from that of the wild-type enzyme. This finding proves that one active center of neopullulanase participated in the dual activity toward alpha-(1----4)- and alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkages. Pullulan is a linear glucan of maltotriosyl units linked through alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkages. The production ratio of panose from pullulan was significantly increased by using the mutated neopullulanase which exhibited higher specificity toward the alpha-(1----4)-glucosidic linkage. In contrast, the production ratio of panose was obviously decreased by using the mutated neopullulanse which exhibited higher specificity toward the alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkage.     

Rational transformation of Lactobacillus reuteri 121 reuteransucrase into a dextransucrase

Glucansucrase or glucosyltransferase (GTF) enzymes of lactic acid bacteria display high sequence similarity but catalyze synthesis of different alpha-glucans (e.g., dextran, mutan, alternan, and reuteran) from sucrose. The variations in glucosidic linkage specificity observed in products of different glucansucrase enzymes appear to be based on relatively small differences in amino acid sequences in their sugar-binding acceptor subsites. This notion was derived from mutagenesis of amino acids of GTFA (reuteransucrase) from Lactobacillus reuteri strain 121 putatively involved in acceptor substrate binding. A triple amino acid mutation (N1134S:N1135E:S1136V) in a region immediately next to the catalytic Asp1133 (putative transition state stabilizing residue) converted GTFA from a mainly alpha-(1-->4) ( approximately 45%, reuteran) to a mainly alpha-(1-->6) ( approximately 80%, dextran) synthesizing enzyme. The subsequent introduction of mutation P1026V:I1029V, involving two residues located in a region next to the catalytic Asp1024 (nucleophile), resulted in synthesis of an alpha-glucan containing only a very small percentage of alpha-(1-->4) glucosidic linkages ( approximately 5%) and a further increased percentage of alpha-(1-->6) glucosidic linkages ( approximately 85%). This changed glucosidic linkage specificity was also observed in the oligosaccharide products synthesized by the different mutant GTFA enzymes from (iso)maltose and sucrose. Amino acids crucial for glucosidic linkage type specificity of reuteransucrase have been identified in this report. The data show that a combination of mutations in different regions of GTF enzymes influences the nature of both the glucan and oligosaccharide products. The amino acids involved most likely contribute to sugar-binding acceptor subsites in glucansucrase enzymes.     

Purification and characterization of Acremonium implicatum alpha-glucosidase having regioselectivity for alpha-1,3-glucosidic linkage

alpha-Glucosidase with a high regioselectivity for alpha-1,3-glucosidic linkages for hydrolysis and transglucosylation was purified from culture broth of Acremonium implicatum. The enzyme was a tetrameric protein (M.W. 440,000), of which the monomer (M.W. 103,000; monomeric structure was expected from cDNA sequence) was composed of two polypeptides (M.W. 51,000 and 60,000) formed possibly by posttranslational proteolysis. Nigerose and maltose were hydrolyzed by the enzyme rapidly, but slowly for kojibiose. The k(0)/K(m) value for nigerose was 2.5-fold higher than that of maltose. Isomaltose was cleaved slightly, and sucrose was not. Maltotriose, maltotetraose, p-nitrophenyl alpha-maltoside and soluble starch were good substrates. The enzyme showed high affinity for maltooligosaccharides and p-nitrophenyl alpha-maltoside. The enzyme had the alpha-1,3- and alpha-1,4-glucosyl transfer activities to synthesize oligosaccharides, but no ability to form alpha-1,2- and alpha-1,6-glucosidic linkages. Ability for the formation of alpha-1,3-glucosidic linkage was two to three times higher than that for alpha-1,4-glucosidic linkage. Eight kinds of transglucosylation products were synthesized from maltose, in which 3(2)-O-alpha-nigerosyl-maltose and 3(2)-O-alpha-maltosyl-maltose were novel saccharides.     

Molecular characterization and expression analysis of the glucansucrase DSRWC from Weissella cibaria synthesizing a α(1→6) glucan

Weissella cibaria isolated from human saliva produces a soluble glucan that predominantly has α-1,6-glucosidic type linkages. Using degenerated primers that were selected based on the amino acid sequences of conserved regions from known glucansucrases, a single 2.7-kb fragment was isolated. In subsequent steps, a 4969-bp product was obtained using inverse PCR. The coding region for the glucansucrase gene ( dsrWC ) consisted of a 4419-bp ORF that encoded a 1472-amino acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 161.998 Da. The produced DSRWC glucansucrases exhibited similarity with the enzymes of the glucosylhydrolase family 70, which includes the Lactobacillus fermentum glucansucrase. The expressed recombinant DSRWC (rDSRWC) synthesized oligosaccharides in the presence of maltose or isomaltose as an acceptor and the synthesized products included α-1,6-linked glucosyl residues in addition to the maltosyl or isomaltosyl residue. rDSRWC synthesized water-soluble polymers using sucrose as substrate. According to the ¹³C-nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, the polymer that was synthesized by rDSRWC was a linear dextran, which formed predominately α-1,6-glucosidic linkages. This is the first report on the molecular characterization of glucansucrase from a W. cibaria strain.     

Val326 of Thermoactinomyces vulgaris R-47 amylase II modulates the preference for alpha-(1,4)- and alpha-(1,6)-glycosidic linkages

Thermoactinomyces vulgaris R-47 alpha-amylase II (TVA II) catalyzes not only the hydrolysis of alpha-(1,4)- and alpha-(1,6)-glycosidic linkages but also transglycosylation. The subsite +1 structure of alpha-amylase family enzymes plays important roles in substrate specificity and transglycosylation activity. We focused on the amino acid residue at the 326th position based on information on the primary structure and crystal structure, and replaced Val with Ala, Ile, or Thr. The V326A mutant favored hydrolysis of the alpha-(1,4)-glycosidic linkage compared to the wild-type enzyme. In contrast, the V326I mutant favored hydrolysis of the alpha-(1,6)-glycosidic linkage and exhibited low transglycosylation activity. In the case of the V326T mutant, the hydrolytic activity was almost identical to that of the wild-type TVA II, and the transglycosylation activity was poor. These results suggest that the volume and the hydrophobicity of the amino acid residue at the 326th position modulate both the preference for glycosidic linkages and the transglycosylation activity.     

Characterization of the Functional Roles of Amino Acid Residues in Acceptor-binding Subsite +1 in the Active Site of the Glucansucrase GTF180 from Lactobacillus reuteri 180

α-Glucans produced by glucansucrase enzymes hold strong potential for industrial applications. The exact determinants of the linkage specificity of glucansucrase enzymes have remained largely unknown, even with the recent elucidation of glucansucrase crystal structures. Guided by the crystal structure of glucansucrase GTF180-ΔN from Lactobacillus reuteri 180 in complex with the acceptor substrate maltose, we identified several residues (Asp-1028 and Asn-1029 from domain A, as well as Leu-938, Ala-978, and Leu-981 from domain B) near subsite +1 that may be critical for linkage specificity determination, and we investigated these by random site-directed mutagenesis. First, mutants of Ala-978 (to Leu, Pro, Phe, or Tyr) and Asp-1028 (to Tyr or Trp) with larger side chains showed reduced degrees of branching, likely due to the steric hindrance by these bulky residues. Second, Leu-938 mutants (except L938F) and Asp-1028 mutants showed altered linkage specificity, mostly with increased (α1→6) linkage synthesis. Third, mutation of Leu-981 and Asn-1029 significantly affected the transglycosylation reaction, indicating their essential roles in acceptor substrate binding. In conclusion, glucansucrase product specificity is determined by an interplay of domain A and B residues surrounding the acceptor substrate binding groove. Residues surrounding the +1 subsite thus are critical for activity and specificity of the GTF180 enzyme and play different roles in the enzyme functions. This study provides novel insights into the structure-function relationships of glucansucrase enzymes and clearly shows the potential of enzyme engineering to produce tailor-made α-glucans.     

The crystal structure of Thermoactinomyces vulgaris R-47 alpha-amylase II (TVA II) complexed with transglycosylated product.

Alphan alpha-amylase (TVA II) from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris R-47 efficiently hydrolyzes alpha-1,4-glucosidic linkages of pullulan to produce panose in addition to hydrolyzing starch. TVA II also hydrolyzes alpha-1,4-glucosidic linkages of cyclodextrins and alpha-1,6-glucosidic linkages of isopanose. To clarify the basis for this wide substrate specificity of TVA II, we soaked 4(3)-alpha-panosylpanose (4(3)-P2) (a pullulan hydrolysate composed of two panosyl units) into crystals of D325N inactive mutated TVA II. We then determined the crystal structure of TVA II complexed with 4(2)-alpha-panosylpanose (4(2)-P2), which was produced by transglycosylation from 4(3)-P2, at 2.2-A resolution. The shape of the active cleft of TVA II is unique among those of alpha-amylase family enzymes due to a loop (residues 193-218) that is located at the end of the cleft around the nonreducing region and forms a 'dam'-like bank. Because this loop is short in TVA II, the active cleft is wide and shallow around the nonreducing region. It is assumed that this short loop is one of the reasons for the wide substrate specificity of TVA II. While Trp356 is involved in the binding of Glc +2 of the substrate, it appears that Tyr374 in proximity to Trp356 plays two roles: one is fixing the orientation of Trp356 in the substrate-liganded state and the other is supplying the water that is necessary for substrate hydrolysis.     

Modulation of the regioselectivity of a Thermotoga neapolitana beta-glucosidase by site-directed mutagenesis

Thermotoga neapolitana beta-glucosidase (BglA) was subjected to site-directed mutagenesis in an effort to increase its ability to synthesize arbutin derivatives by transglycosylation. The transglycosylation reaction of the wild-type enzyme displays major beta(1,6) and minor beta(1,3) or beta(1,4) regioselectivity. The three mutants, N291T, F412S, and N291T/F412S, increased the ratio of transglycosylation/hydrolysis compared with the wild-type enzyme when pNPG and arbutin were used as a substrate and an acceptor, respectively. N291T and N219T/F412s had transglycosylation/hydrolysis ratios about 3- and 8-fold higher, respectively, than that of the wild-type enzyme. This is due to the decreased hydrolytic activity of the mutant rather than increased transglycosylation activity. Interestingly, N291T showed altered regioselectivity, as well as increased transglycosylation products. TLC analysis of the transglycosylation products indicated that N291T retained its beta(1,3) regioselectivity, but lost its beta(1,4) and beta(1,6) regioselectivity. The altered regioselectivity of N291T using two other acceptors, esculin and salicin, was also confirmed by TLC. The major transglycosylation products of the wild type and N291T mutant were clearly different. This result suggests that Asn-291 is highly involved in the catalytic mechanism by controlling the transglycosylation reaction.     

Pattern of action of Bacillus stearothermophilus neopullulanase on pullulan.

The action of neopullulanase from Bacillus stearothermophilus on many oligosaccharides was tested. The enzyme hydrolyzed not only alpha-(1----4)-glucosidic linkages but also specific alpha-(1----6)-glucosidic linkages of several branched oligosaccharides. When pullulan was used as a substrate, panose, maltose, and glucose, in that order, were produced as final products at a final molar ratio of 3:1:1. According to these results, we proposed a model for the pattern of action of neopullulanase on pullulan as follows. In the first step, the enzyme hydrolyzes only alpha-(1----4)-glucosidic linkages on the nonreducing side of alpha-(1----6) linkages of pullulan and produces panose and several intermediate products composed of some panose units. In the second step, taking 6(2)-O-alpha-(6(3)-O-alpha-glucosyl-maltotriosyl)-maltose as an example of one of the intermediate products, the enzyme hydrolyzes either alpha-(1----4) (the same position as that described above) or alpha-(1----6) linkages and produces panose or 6(3)-O-alpha-glucosyl-maltotriose plus maltose, respectively. In the third step, the alpha-(1----4) linkage of 6(3)-O-alpha-glucosyl-maltotriose is hydrolyzed by the enzyme, and glucose and another panose are produced. To confirm the model of the pattern of action, we extracted intermediate products produced from pullulan by neopullulanase and analyzed the structures by glucoamylase, pullulanase, and neopullulanase analyses. The experimental results supported the above-mentioned model of the pattern of action of neopullulanase on pullulan.     

Val216 decides the substrate specificity of alpha-glucosidase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Differences in the substrate specificity of alpha-glucosidases should be due to the differences in the substrate binding and the catalytic domains of the enzymes. To elucidate such differences of enzymes hydrolyzing alpha-1,4- and alpha-1,6-glucosidic linkages, two alpha-glucosidases, maltase and isomaltase, from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were cloned and analyzed. The cloned yeast isomaltase and maltase consisted of 589 and 584 amino acid residues, respectively. There was 72.1% sequence identity with 165 amino acid alterations between the two alpha-glucosidases. These two alpha-glucosidase genes were subcloned into the pKP1500 expression vector and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified alpha-glucosidases showed the same substrate specificities as those of their parent native glucosidases. Chimeric enzymes constructed from isomaltase by exchanging with maltase fragments were characterized by their substrate specificities. When the consensus region II, which is one of the four regions conserved in family 13 (alpha-amylase family), is replaced with the maltase type, the chimeric enzymes alter to hydrolyze maltose. Three amino acid residues in consensus region II were different in the two alpha-glucosidases. Thus, we modified Val216, Gly217, and Ser218 of isomaltase to the maltase-type amino acids by site-directed mutagenesis. The Val216 mutant was altered to hydrolyze both maltose and isomaltose but neither the Gly217 nor the Ser218 mutant changed their substrate specificity, indicating that Val216 is an important residue discriminating the alpha-1,4- and 1,6-glucosidic linkages of substrates.     

Regioselectivity in beta-galactosidase-catalyzed transglycosylation for the enzymatic assembly of D-galactosyl-D-mannose

The regioselectivity of beta-galactosidase derived from Bacillus circulans ATCC 31382 (beta-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 beta-1,3-galactosidase but also for beta-galactosidases of different origins. The relative hydrolysis rate of Gal beta-pNP and D-galactosyl-D-mannoses, of various linkages, was also measured in the presence of beta-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 beta-1,3-, beta-1,4- and beta-1,6-linked D-galactosyl-D-mannose was subsequently established.     

Towards regioselective synthesis of oligosaccharides by use of alpha-glucosidases with different substrate specificity

alpha-Glucosidase from two microbial sources, Bacillus stearothermophilus and Brewer's yeast, has been used to catalyze transglycosylation reactions and a comparative study was carried out to determine the regioselectivity of this reaction. Bacterial alpha-glucosidase exhibited higher transfer activity with maltose and was able to synthesize tri- and tetrasaccharides in high yield (27%). In the case of yeast enzyme, only trisaccharides were synthesized in lower yield. Structure analysis of transglycosylation products by means of GC-MS and NMR spectroscopy revealed a correlation between the hydrolytic substrate specificity and the regioselectivity of transglycosylation reaction. Higher substrate specificity of bacterial enzyme, however, influenced its transglucosylation activity toward other saccharide acceptors.     

Structural analysis of bioengineered alpha-D-glucan produced by a triple mutant of the Glucansucrase GTF180 enzyme from Lactobacillus reuteri strain 180: generation of (alpha1-->4) linkages in a native (1-->3)(1-->6)-alpha-D-glucan

Site-directed mutagenesis of the glucansucrase gtf180 gene from Lactobacillus reuteri strain 180 was used to transform the active site region. The alpha-D-glucan ( mEPS-PNNS) produced by the triple mutant V1027P:S1137N:A1139S differed in structure from that of the wild-type alpha-D-glucan ( EPS180). Besides (alpha1-->3) and (alpha1-->6) linkages, as present in EPS180, mEPS-PNNS also contained (alpha1-->4) linkages. Linkage analysis, periodate oxidation, and 1D/2D (1)H NMR spectroscopy of the intact mEPS-PNNS, as well as MS and NMR analysis of oligosaccharides obtained by partial acid hydrolysis of mEPS-PNNS afforded a composite model, which includes all identified structural features.     

Identification of catalytic and substrate-binding site residues in Bacillus cereus ATCC7064 oligo-1,6-glucosidase.

Three active site residues (Asp199, Glu255, Asp329) and two substrate-binding site residues (His103, His328) of oligo-1,6-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.10) from Bacillus cereus ATCC7064 were identified by site-directed mutagenesis. These residues were deduced from the X-ray crystallographic analysis and the comparison of the primary structure of the oligo-1,6-glucosidase with those of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis alpha-glucosidase, Aspergillus oryzae alpha-amylase and pig pancreatic alpha-amylase which act on alpha-1,4-glucosidic linkages. The distances between these putative residues of B. cereus oligo-1,6-glucosidase calculated from the X-ray analysis data closely resemble those of A. oryzae alpha-amylase and pig pancreatic alpha-amylase. A single mutation of Asp199-->Asn, Glu255-->Gln, or Asp329-->Asn resulted in drastic reduction in activity, confirming that three residues are crucial for the reaction process of alpha-1,6-glucosidic bond cleavage. Thus, it is identified that the basic mechanism of oligo-1,6-glucosidase for the hydrolysis of alpha-1,6-glucosidic linkage is essentially the same as those of other amylolytic enzymes belonging to Family 13 (alpha-amylase family). On the other hand, mutations of histidine residues His103 and His328 resulted in pronounced dissimilarity in catalytic function. The mutation His328-->Asn caused the essential loss in activity, while the mutation His103-->Asn yielded a mutant enzyme that retained 59% of the k0/Km of that for the wild-type enzyme. Since mutants of other alpha-amylases acting on alpha-1,4-glucosidic bond linkage lost most of their activity by the site-directed mutagenesis at their equivalent residues to His103 and His328, the retaining of activity by His103-->Asn mutation in B. cereus oligo-1,6-glucosidase revealed the distinguished role of His103 for the hydrolysis of alpha-1,6-glucosidic bond linkage.     

唾液酸苷酶的催化机理及水解与合成寡糖进展

唾液酸苷酶(EC.3.2.1.18)是一类重要的糖苷水解酶,在动物和微生物中广泛存在.该类酶催化寡糖或糖缀合物上非还原末端唾液酸水解,具有重要的生物学功能,如参与溶酶体降解代谢物、癌症发生、微生物致病等多种生理和病理过程.除了水解活性外,有的唾液酸苷酶还具有转糖基活性,能够以唾液酸单糖或糖苷为糖基供体,催化唾液酸转移到受体分子上,一步合成寡糖和糖苷化合物.这种合成活性对于唾液酸相关糖链的大量获得具有重要意义,有利于推动该类寡糖的基础研究及其在食品和医药中的应用.本文综述了唾液酸苷酶的结构和催化机理、生理功能、转糖基作用及其在寡糖合成中的应用.     

Tyrosine residue 300 is important for activity and stability of branching enzyme from Escherichia coli

Branching enzyme belongs to the alpha-amylase family, which includes enzymes that catalyze hydrolysis or transglycosylation at alpha-(1,4)- or alpha-(1,6)-glucosidic linkages. In the alpha-amylase family, four highly conserved regions are proposed to make up the active site. From amino acid sequence analysis a tyrosine residue is completely conserved in the alpha-amylase family. In Escherichia coli branching enzyme, this residue (Y300) is located prior to the conserved region 1. Site-directed mutagenesis of the Y300 residue in E. coli branching enzyme was used in order to study its possible function in branching enzymes. Replacement of Y300 with Ala, Asp, Leu, Ser, and Trp resulted in mutant enzymes with less than 1% of wild-type activity. A Y300F substitution retained 25% of wild-type activity. Kinetic analysis of Y300F showed no effect on the Km value. The heat stability of Y300F was analyzed, and this was lowered significantly compared to that of the wild-type enzyme. Y300F also showed lower relative activity at elevated temperatures compared to wild-type. Thus, these results show that Tyr residue 300 in E. coli branching enzyme is important for activity and thermostability of the enzyme.     

Highly hydrolytic reuteransucrase from probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri strain ATCC 55730

Lactobacillus reuteri strain ATCC 55730 (LB BIO) was isolated as a pure culture from a Reuteri tablet purchased from the BioGaia company. This probiotic strain produces a soluble glucan (reuteran), in which the majority of the linkages are of the alpha-(1-->4) glucosidic type ( approximately 70%). This reuteran also contains alpha-(1-->6)- linked glucosyl units and 4,6-disubstituted alpha-glucosyl units at the branching points. The LB BIO glucansucrase gene (gtfO) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the GTFO enzyme was purified. The recombinant GTFO enzyme and the LB BIO culture supernatants synthesized identical glucan polymers with respect to linkage type and size distribution. GTFO thus is a reuteransucrase, responsible for synthesis of this reuteran polymer in LB BIO. The preference of GTFO for synthesizing alpha-(1-->4) linkages is also evident from the oligosaccharides produced from sucrose with different acceptor substrates, e.g., isopanose from isomaltose. GTFO has a relatively high hydrolysis/transferase activity ratio. Complete conversion of 100 mM sucrose by GTFO nevertheless yielded large amounts of reuteran, although more than 50% of sucrose was converted into glucose. This is only the second example of the isolation and characterization of a reuteransucrase and its reuteran product, both found in different L. reuteri strains. GTFO synthesizes a reuteran with the highest amount of alpha-(1-->4) linkages reported to date.     

Directed evolution of the alpha-L-fucosidase from Thermotoga maritima into an alpha-L-transfucosidase

The alpha-L-fucosidase from Thermotoga maritima (Tm alpha fuc) was converted into alpha-L-transfucosidase variants by directed evolution. The wild-type enzyme catalyzes oligosaccharide synthesis by transfer of a fucosyl residue from a pNP-fucoside donor to pNP-fucoside (self-condensation) with alpha-(1-->3) regioselectivity or pNP-galactoside (transglycosylation) with alpha-(1-->2) regioselectivity at low yields (7%). The wild-type enzyme was submitted to one cycle of mutagenesis, followed by rational recombination of the selected mutations, which allowed identification of variants with improved transferase activity. The transferase and hydrolytic kinetics of all the mutants were assessed by NMR methods and capillary electrophoresis. It was shown that the best mutant exhibited a dramatic 32-fold increase in the transferase/hydrolytic kinetic ratio, while keeping 60% of the overall wild-type enzyme activity. Accordingly, the maximum yield of a specific transglycosylation product [pNP-Gal-alpha-(1-->2)-Fuc] reached more than 60% compared to 7% with WT enzyme at equimolar and low concentrations of donor and acceptor (10 mM). Such an improvement was obtained with only three mutations (T264A, Y267F, L322P), which were all located in the second amino acid shell of the fucosidase active site. Molecular modeling suggested that some of these mutations (T264A, Y267F) cause a reorientation of the amino acids that are in direct contact with the substrates, resulting in a better docking energy. Such mutants with high transglycosidase activity may constitute novel enzymatic tools for the synthesis of fucooligosaccharides.     

Residue Leu940 Has a Crucial Role in the Linkage and Reaction Specificity of the Glucansucrase GTF180 of the Probiotic Bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri 180

Highly conserved glycoside hydrolase family 70 glucansucrases are able to catalyze the synthesis of α-glucans with different structure from sucrose. The structural determinants of glucansucrase specificity have remained unclear. Residue Leu⁹⁴⁰ in domain B of GTF180, the glucansucrase of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri 180, was shown to vary in different glucansucrases and is close to the +1 glucosyl unit in the crystal structure of GTF180-ΔN in complex with maltose. Herein, we show that mutations in Leu⁹⁴⁰ of wild-type GTF180-ΔN all caused an increased percentage of (α1→6) linkages and a decreased percentage of (α1→3) linkages in the products. α-Glucans with potential different physicochemical properties (containing 67–100% of (α1→6) linkages) were produced by GTF180 and its Leu⁹⁴⁰ mutants. Mutant L940W was unable to form (α1→3) linkages and synthesized a smaller and linear glucan polysaccharide with only (α1→6) linkages. Docking studies revealed that the introduction of the large aromatic amino acid residue tryptophan at position 940 partially blocked the binding groove, preventing the isomalto-oligosaccharide acceptor to bind in an favorable orientation for the formation of (α1→3) linkages. Our data showed that the reaction specificity of GTF180 mutant was shifted either to increased polysaccharide synthesis (L940A, L940S, L940E, and L940F) or increased oligosaccharide synthesis (L940W). The L940W mutant is capable of producing a large amount of isomalto-oligosaccharides using released glucose from sucrose as acceptors. Thus, residue Leu⁹⁴⁰ in domain B is crucial for linkage and reaction specificity of GTF180. This study provides clear and novel insights into the structure-function relationships of glucansucrase enzymes.