Enhanced transglucosylation/hydrolysis ratio of mutants of Pyrococcus furiosus beta-glucosidase: effects of donor concentration, water content, and temperature on activity and selectivity in hexanol.

The transglucosylation reaction catalyzed by wild-type beta-glucosidase CelB from hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus furiosus and active site mutants (M424K, F426Y, M424K/F426Y) was studied. The conversion of pentyl-beta-glucoside to hexyl-beta-glucoside in hexanol was used as a model transglucosylation reaction. Hydrolysis to glucose was a side reaction. The selectivity towards transglucosylation was quantified by the S value defined as follows: S = r(S) x a(W)/r(H) x a(hex) where r(S) and r(H) are the initial rates of transglucosylation and hydrolysis and a(w) and a(hex) are the thermodynamic activities of water and hexanol. The activity (rates of hydrolysis and transglucosylation) and the selectivity (S value) were measured as a function of pentyl-beta-glucoside concentration (5-240 mM), water content (1-100% v/v), and temperature (50-95 degrees C). All mutants had lower activity than the wild-type enzyme, but they had higher selectivity, which means that they provided a higher ratio of transglucosylation product to hydrolysis product. The largest increase in S-value (2.6 fold) was obtained by the F426Y mutant, which resulted in increased hexyl-beta-glucoside yield from 56% to 69%. In addition, the F426Y enzyme had higher selectivity over the wide range of temperatures tested. The activity of CelB wild-type and CelB F426Y increased as a function of water activity (a(w)), and complete activation by the water was obtained in a two-phase system with 20% water phase. In contrast to CelB wild-type, the F426Y mutant had transferase activity as low as a(w) = 0.29. Surprisingly, the S value increased with increasing water activity up to a(w) = 0.92. At still higher water content the S value decreased.     

Comparative structural analysis and substrate specificity engineering of the hyperthermostable beta-glucosidase CelB from Pyrococcus furiosus

The substrate specificity of the beta-glucosidase (CelB) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, a family 1 glycosyl hydrolase, has been studied at a molecular level. Following crystallization and X-ray diffraction of this enzyme, a 3.3 A resolution structural model has been obtained by molecular replacement. CelB shows a homo-tetramer configuration, with subunits having a typical (betaalpha)(8)-barrel fold. Its active site has been compared to the one of the previously determined 6-phospho-beta-glycosidase (LacG) from the mesophilic bacterium Lactococcus lactis. The overall design of the substrate binding pocket is very well conserved, with the exception of three residues that have been identified as a phosphate binding site in LacG. To verify the structural model and alter its substrate specificity, these three residues have been introduced at the corresponding positions in CelB (E417S, M424K, F426Y) in different combinations: single, double, and triple mutants. Characterization of the purified mutant CelB enzyme revealed that F426Y resulted in an increased affinity for galactosides, whereas M424K gave rise to a shifted pH optimum (from 5.0 to 6.0). Analysis of E417S revealed a 5-fold and a 3-fold increase of the efficiency of hydrolyzing o-nitrophenol-beta-D-galactopyranoside-6-phosphate, in the single and triple mutants, respectively. In contrast, their activity on nonphosphorylated sugars was largely reduced (30-300-fold). The residue at position E417 in CelB seems to be the determining factor for the difference in substrate specificity between the two types of family 1 glycosidases.     

Development of an ultra-high-temperature process for the enzymatic hydrolysis of lactose: II. Oligosaccharide formation by two thermostable beta-glycosidases

During lactose conversion at 70 degrees C, when catalyzed by beta-glycosidases from the archea Sulfolobus solfataricus (SsbetaGly) and Pyrococcus furiosus (CelB), galactosyl transfer to acceptors other than water competes efficiently with complete hydrolysis of substrate. This process leads to transient formation of a range of new products, mainly disaccharides and trisaccharides, and shows a marked dependence on initial substrate concentration and lactose conversion. Oligosaccharides have been analyzed quantitatively by using capillary electrophoresis and high performance anion-exchange chromatography. At 270 g/L initial lactose, they accumulate at a maximum concentration of 86 g/L at 80% lactose conversion. With both enzymes, the molar ratio of trisaccharides to disaccharides is maximal at an early stage of reaction and decreases directly proportional to increasing substrate conversion. Overall, CelB produces about 6% more hydrolysis byproducts than SsbetaGly. However, the product spectrum of SsbetaGly is richer in trisaccharides, and this agrees with results obtained from the steady-state kinetics analyses of galactosyl transfer catalyzed by SsbetaGly and CelB. The major transgalactosylation products of SsbetaGly and CelB have been identified. They are beta-D-Galp-(1-->3)-Glc and beta-D-Galp-(1-->6)-Glc, and beta-D-Galp-(1-->3)-lactose and beta-D-Galp-(1-->6)-lactose, and their formation and degradation have been shown to be dependent upon lactose conversion. Both enzymes accumulate beta(1-->6)-linked glycosides, particularly allolactose, at a late stage of reaction. Because a high oligosaccharide concentration prevails until about 80% lactose conversion, thermostable beta-glycosidases are efficient for oligosaccharide production from lactose. Therefore, they prove to be stable and versatile catalysts for lactose utilization.     

Influence of ionic liquid cosolvent on transgalactosylation reactions catalyzed by thermostable beta-glycosylhydrolase CelB from Pyrococcus Furiosus

The synthesis of glycosides by enzymatic transglycosylation is a kinetically controlled reaction performed in the context of a non-favorable thermodynamic equilibrium. An unreactive organic cosolvent which increases the selectivity of the enzyme for glycosyl transfer to the acceptor nucleophile compared with water (Ksel) could improve maximum product yield. Here we report on the effect of the ionic liquid 1,3-dimethylimidazoliummethylsulfate on hydrolase and transferase activities of the hyperthermostable beta-glycosidase CelB from the archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. CelB retained full catalytic efficiency for lactose hydrolysis at 80 degrees C in a 50% (by vol.) solution of ionic liquid in sodium citrate buffer, pH 5.5. It was inactive but not irreversibly denatured at 70% ionic liquid. Using lactose (0.15 M) as galactosyl donor, values of Ksel for a representative series of eight acceptor alcohols were determined in kinetic assays at 80 degrees C and found to increase between 1.3-fold (D-xylose) and 3.1-fold (glycerol) in 45% ionic liquid. Enhancement of Ksel was dependent on ionic liquid concentration and higher than expected from the decrease in water activity caused by the cosolvent. Experimental molar ratios of D-glucose and D-galactose produced during enzymatic conversion of lactose (75-150 mM) in the presence of D-xylose (0.5 M) or glycerol (0.5 M) showed excellent agreement with predictions based on Ksel values and confirm a significant, yet moderate effect of 45% ionic liquid on increasing the yield of D-galactoside product, by < or = 10%.     

Substrate specificity engineering of beta-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase from Pyrococcus by exchange of unique active site residues

A beta-mannosidase gene (PH0501) was identified in the Pyrococcus horikoshii genome and cloned and expressed in E. coli. The purified enzyme (BglB) was most specific for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-mannopyranoside (pNP-Man) (Km: 0.44 mM) with a low turnover rate (kcat: 4.3 s(-1)). The beta-mannosidase has been classified as a member of family 1 of glycoside hydrolases. Sequence alignments and homology modeling showed an apparent conservation of its active site region with, remarkably, two unique active site residues, Gln77 and Asp206. These residues are an arginine and asparagine residue in all other known family 1 enzymes, which interact with the catalytic nucleophile and equatorial C2-hydroxyl group of substrates, respectively. The unique residues of P. horikoshii BglB were introduced in the highly active beta-glucosidase CelB of Pyrococcus furiosus and vice versa, yielding two single and one double mutant for each enzyme. In CelB, both substitutions R77Q and N206D increased the specificity for mannosides and reduced hydrolysis rates 10-fold. In contrast, BglB D206N showed 10-fold increased hydrolysis rates and 35-fold increased affinity for the hydrolysis of glucosides. In combination with inhibitor studies, it was concluded that the substituted residues participate in the ground-state binding of substrates with an equatorial C2-hydroxyl group, but contribute most to transition-state stabilization. The unique activity profile of BglB seems to be caused by an altered interaction between the enzyme and C2-hydroxyl of the substrate and a specifically increased affinity for mannose that results from Asp206.     

Development of an ultrahigh-temperature process for the enzymatic hydrolysis of lactose. III. Utilization of two thermostable beta-glycosidases in a continuous ultrafiltration membrane reactor and galacto-oligosaccharide formation under steady-state conditions.

Hydrolysis of lactose by hyperthermophilic beta-glycosidases from the archaea Sulfolobus solfataricus (SsbetaGly) and Pyrococcus furiosus (CelB) was carried out at 70 degrees C in a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) coupled to a 10-kDa cross-flow ultrafiltration module to recycle the enzyme. Recirculation rates of > or =1 min(-1), reaction of proteins with reducing sugars, and enzyme adsorption onto the membrane are major "operational" factors of enzyme inactivation in the CSTR. They cause the half-life times of SsbetaGly and CelB to be reduced two- and eight-fold, respectively, the average value for both enzymes now being approximately 5 to 7 days. Using lactose at initial concentrations of 45 and 170 g/L, the CSTR was operated at a constant conversion level of approximately 80% for more than 2 weeks without the occurrence of microbial contamination. The productivities for the SsbetaGly-catalyzed conversion of lactose were determined at different dilution rates and initial substrate concentrations, and exceed by a factor of < or =2 those observed with CelB under otherwise identical conditions. This difference reflects the approximately eight-fold stronger product inhibition of CelB by D-glucose. While the maximum total galacto-oligosaccharide production (90-100 mM) at 170 g/L lactose in the CSTR was not different from that in the batch reactor (CelB) or was greater by approximately 25% (SsbetaGly), continuous and batchwise reactions with both enzymes differed markedly with regard to relative proportions of the individual saccharide components present at 80% substrate conversion. The CSTR yielded an up to four-fold greater ratio of disaccharides to trisaccharides concomitant with a 5- to 30-fold larger relative proportion of beta-D-Galp-(1-->3)-D-Glc in the product mixture. The results show that apart from continuous hydrolysis of lactose at 70 degrees C, a CSTR charged with SsbetaGly or CelB and operated at steady-state conditions could be a useful reaction system for the production of galacto-oligosaccharides in which composition is narrower and more easily programmable, in terms of the individual components contained, as compared to the batchwise reaction.     

Contribution of W229 to the transglycosylation activity of 4-alpha-glucanotransferase from Pyrococcus furiosus

A W229H mutant of 4-alpha-glucanotransferase (4-alpha-GTase) from Pyrococcus furiosus was constructed and its catalytic properties were studied to investigate the role of W229 in the catalytic specificities of the enzyme. Various activities and kinetic parameters were determined for the wild-type and W229H mutant enzymes. The transglycosylation factor and transglycosylation activity of the mutant enzyme markedly decreased, but its hydrolysis activity was scarcely affected. It was discovered that the k(cat)/K(m) value of transglycosylation activity significantly decreased to about 15% of that of the wild type, while k(cat)/K(m) value of hydrolysis activity changed little for the mutant enzyme. The hydrophobicity of W229 was thought to be critical to the transglycosylation activity of the enzyme based on the enzyme's modeled tertiary structures.     

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.     

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.     

Transgalactosylation by thermostable beta-glycosidases from Pyrococcus furiosus and Sulfolobus solfataricus. Binding interactions of nucleophiles with the galactosylated enzyme intermediate make major contributions to the formation of new beta-glycosides during lactose conversion.

The hyperthermostable beta-glycosidases from the Archaea Sulfolobus solfataricus (SsbetaGly) and Pyrococcus furiosus (CelB) hydrolyse beta-glycosides of D-glucose or D-galactose with relaxed specificities pertaining to the nature of the leaving group and the glycosidic linkage. To determine how specificity is manifested under conditions of kinetically controlled transgalactosylation, the major transfer products formed during the hydrolysis of lactose by these enzymes have been identified, and their appearance and degradation have been determined in dependence of the degree of substrate conversion. CelB and SsbetaGly show a marked preference for making new beta(1-->3) and beta(1-->6) glycosidic bonds by intermolecular as well as intramolecular transfer reactions. The intramolecular galactosyl transfer of CelB, relative to glycosidic-bond cleavage and release of glucose, is about 2.2 times that of SsbetaGly and yields beta-D-Galp-(1-->6)-D-Glc and beta-D-Galp-(1-->3)-D-Glc in a molar ratio of approximately 1 : 2. The partitioning of galactosylated SsbetaGly between reaction with sugars [kNu (M-1. s-1)] and reaction with water [kwater (s-1)] is about twice that of CelB. It gives a mixture of linear beta-D-glycosides, chiefly trisaccharides at early reaction times, in which the prevailing new glycosidic bonds are beta(1-->6) and beta(1-->3) for the reactions catalysed by SsbetaGly and CelB, respectively. The accumulation of beta-D-Galp-(1-->6)-D-Glc at the end of lactose hydrolysis reflects a 3-10-fold specificity of both enzymes for the hydrolysis of beta(1-->3) over beta(1-->6) linked glucosides. Galactosyl transfer from SsbetaGly or CelB to D-glucose occurs with partitioning ratios, kNu/kwater, which are seven and > 170 times those for the reactions of the galactosylated enzymes with 1-propanol and 2-propanol, respectively. Therefore, the binding interactions with nucleophiles contribute chiefly to formation of new beta-glycosides during lactose conversion. Likewise, noncovalent interactions with the glucose leaving group govern the catalytic efficiencies for the hydrolysis of lactose by both enzymes. They are almost fully expressed in the rate-limiting first-order rate constant for the galactosyl transfer from the substrate to the enzyme and lead to a positive deviation by approximately 2.5 log10 units from structure-reactivity correlations based on the pKa of the leaving group.     

Use of random and saturation mutageneses to improve the properties of Thermus aquaticus amylomaltase for efficient production of cycloamyloses

Amylomaltase from Thermus aquaticus catalyzes intramolecular transglycosylation of alpha-1,4 glucans to produce cyclic alpha-1,4 glucans (cycloamyloses) with degrees of polymerization of 22 and higher. Although the amylomaltase mainly catalyzes the transglycosylation reaction, it also has weak hydrolytic activity, which results in a reduction in the yield of the cycloamyloses. In order to obtain amylomaltase with less hydrolytic activity, random mutagenesis was perfromed for the enzyme gene. Tyr54 (Y54) was identified as the amino acid involved in the hydrolytic activity of the enzyme. When Y54 was replaced with all other amino acids by site-directed mutagenesis, the hydrolytic activities of the mutated enzymes were drastically altered. The hydrolytic activities of the Y54G, Y54P, Y54T, and Y54W mutated enzymes were remarkably reduced compared with that of the wild-type enzyme, while those of the Y54F and Y54K mutated enzymes were similar to that of the wild-type enzyme. Introducing an amino acid replacement at Y54 also significantly affected the cyclization activity of the amylomaltase. The Y54A, Y54L, Y54R, and Y54S mutated enzymes exhibited cyclization activity that was approximately twofold higher than that of the wild-type enzyme. When the Y54G mutated enzyme was employed for cycloamylose production, the yield of cycloamyloses was more than 90%, and there was no decrease until the end of the reaction.     

Development of an ultrahigh-temperature process for the enzymatic hydrolysis of lactose. IV. Immobilization of two thermostable beta-glycosidases and optimization of a packed-bed reactor for lactose conversion.

Recombinant hyperthermostable beta-glycosidases from the archaea Sulfolobus solfataricus (Ss beta Gly) and Pyrococcus furiosus (CelB) were covalently attached onto the insoluble carriers chitosan, controlled pore glass (CPG), and Eupergit C. For each enzyme/carrier pair, the protein-binding capacity, the immobilization yield, the pH profiles for activity and stability, the activity/temperature profile, and the kinetic constants for lactose hydrolysis at 70 degrees C were determined. Eupergit C was best among the carriers in regard to retention of native-like activity and stability of Ss beta Gly and CelB over the pH range 3.0-7.5. Its protein binding capacity of approximately 0.003 (on a mass basis) was one-third times that of CPG, while immobilization yields were typically 80% in each case. Activation energies for lactose conversion by the immobilized enzymes at pH 5.5 were in the range 50-60 kJ/mol. This is compared to values of approximately 75 kJ/mol for the free enzymes. Immobilization expands the useful pH range for CelB and Ss beta Gly by approximately 1.5 pH units toward pH 3.5 and pH 4.5, respectively. A packed-bed enzyme reactor was developed for the continuous conversion of lactose in different media, including whey and milk, and operated over extended reaction times of up to 14 days. The productivities of the Eupergit C-immobilized enzyme reactor were determined at dilution rates between 1 and 12 h(-1), and using 45 and 170 g/L initial lactose. Results of kinetic modeling for the same reactor, assuming plug flow and steady state, suggest the presence of mass-transfer limitation of the reaction rate under the conditions used. Formation of galacto-oligosaccharides in the continuous packed-bed reactor and in the batch reactor using free enzyme was closely similar in regard to yield and individual saccharide components produced.     

Mutants of Mucor hiemalis endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase show enhanced transglycosylation and glycosynthase-like activities

Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Mucor hiemalis (Endo-M), a family 85 glycoside hydrolase, acts on the beta1,4 linkage of N,N'-diacetylchitobiose moiety in the N-linked glycans of glycoproteins and catalyzes not only the hydrolysis reaction but also the transglycosylation reaction that transfers the releasing sugar chain to an acceptor other than water to form a new glycosidic linkage. The transglycosylation activity of Endo-M holds a great promise for the chemo-enzymatic synthesis and glyco-engineering of glycoproteins, but the inherent hydrolytic activity for product hydrolysis and low transglycosylation have hampered its broad applications. This paper describes the site-directed mutagenesis on residues in the putative catalytic region of Endo-M to generate mutants with superior transglycosylation activity. Two interesting mutants were discovered. The Y217F mutant was found to possess much enhanced transglycosylation activity and yet much diminished hydrolytic activity in comparison with the wild-type Endo-M. Kinetic analyses revealed that the Km value of Y217F for an acceptor substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminide was only one-tenth of that of the wild-type, implicating a much higher affinity of Y217F for the acceptor substrate than the wild-type. The other mutant, N175A, acts like a glycosynthase. It was found that mutation at Asn175"knocked out" the hydrolytic activity, but the mutant was able to take the highly active sugar oxazolines (the transition state mimics) as donor substrates for transglycosylation. This is the first glycosynthase derived from endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases that proceed via a substrate-assisted mechanism. Our findings provide further insights on the substrate-assisted mechanism of GH85. The usefulness of the novel glycosynthase was exemplified by the efficient synthesis of a human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) glycopeptide with potent anti-HIV activity.     

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.     

Use of Random and Saturation Mutageneses To Improve the Properties of Thermus aquaticus Amylomaltase for Efficient Production of Cycloamyloses

Amylomaltase from Thermus aquaticus catalyzes intramolecular transglycosylation of α-1,4 glucans to produce cyclic α-1,4 glucans (cycloamyloses) with degrees of polymerization of 22 and higher. Although the amylomaltase mainly catalyzes the transglycosylation reaction, it also has weak hydrolytic activity, which results in a reduction in the yield of the cycloamyloses. In order to obtain amylomaltase with less hydrolytic activity, random mutagenesis was perfromed for the enzyme gene. Tyr54 (Y54) was identified as the amino acid involved in the hydrolytic activity of the enzyme. When Y54 was replaced with all other amino acids by site-directed mutagenesis, the hydrolytic activities of the mutated enzymes were drastically altered. The hydrolytic activities of the Y54G, Y54P, Y54T, and Y54W mutated enzymes were remarkably reduced compared with that of the wild-type enzyme, while those of the Y54F and Y54K mutated enzymes were similar to that of the wild-type enzyme. Introducing an amino acid replacement at Y54 also significantly affected the cyclization activity of the amylomaltase. The Y54A, Y54L, Y54R, and Y54S mutated enzymes exhibited cyclization activity that was approximately twofold higher than that of the wild-type enzyme. When the Y54G mutated enzyme was employed for cycloamylose production, the yield of cycloamyloses was more than 90%, and there was no decrease until the end of the reaction.     

Entrapment in E. coli improves the operational stability of recombinant beta-glycosidase CelB from Pyrococcus furiosus and facilitates biocatalyst recovery

beta-Glycosidase CelB from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus is a versatile biocatalyst that has been used for the hydrolysis and synthesis of beta-d-glycosidic compounds at high temperatures and in non-conventional solvents. In spite of its outstanding thermal stability, CelB is prone to inactivation in the presence of reducing sugars and through recirculation in loop enzyme reactors. Entrapment into E. coli cells was used here to improve the stability of recombinant CelB under conditions promoting strong inactivation. Glutardialdehyde-mediated protein cross-linking or rigidification of the cell membrane by adding magnesium ions was required to prevent release of CelB from within the cell into the bulk solution. In the presence of 1M glucose or when applying recirculation rates of 2.6 min(-1), the entrapped enzyme was around two-fold more stable at 80 degrees C than free CelB. The significance of the stabilisation was attenuated by the decrease in CelB initial activity which was due to cross-linking and glutardialdehyde concentration-dependent. Entrapment facilitated downstream processing of CelB and biocatalyst recovery in repeated batchwise conversions of lactose at elevated temperatures.     

Enzymatic synthesis of alpha-L-fucosyl-N-acetyllactosamines and 3'-O-alpha-L-fucosyllactose utilizing alpha-L-fucosidases

An alpha-L-fucosidase from porcine liver produced alpha-L-Fuc-(1-->2)-beta-D-Gal-(1-->4)-D-GlcNAc (2'-O-alpha-L-fucosyl-N-acetyllactosamine, 1) together with its isomers alpha-L-Fuc-(1-->3)-beta-D-Gal-(1-->4)-D-GlcNAc (2) and alpha-L-Fuc-(1-->6)-beta-D-Gal-(1-->4)-D-GlcNAc (3) through a transglycosylation reaction from p-nitrophenyl alpha-L-fucopyranoside and beta-D-Gal-(1-->4)-D-GlcNAc. The enzyme formed the trisaccharides 1-3 in 13% overall yield based on the donor, and in the ratio of 40:37:23. In contrast, transglycosylation by Alcaligenes sp. alpha-L-fucosidase led to the regioselective synthesis of trisaccharides containing a (1-->3)-linked alpha-L-fucosyl residue. When beta-D-Gal-(1-->4)-D-GlcNAc and lactose were acceptors, the enzyme formed regioselectively compound 2 and alpha-L-Fuc-(1-->3)-beta-D-Gal-(1-->4)-D-Glc (3'-O-alpha-L-fucosyllactose, 4), respectively, in 54 and 34% yields, based on the donor.     

The 'pair of sugar tongs' site on the non-catalytic domain C of barley alpha-amylase participates in substrate binding and activity

Some starch-degrading enzymes accommodate carbohydrates at sites situated at a certain distance from the active site. In the crystal structure of barley alpha-amylase 1, oligosaccharide is thus bound to the 'sugar tongs' site. This site on the non-catalytic domain C in the C-terminal part of the molecule contains a key residue, Tyr380, which has numerous contacts with the oligosaccharide. The mutant enzymes Y380A and Y380M failed to bind to beta-cyclodextrin-Sepharose, a starch-mimic resin used for alpha-amylase affinity purification. The K(d) for beta-cyclodextrin binding to Y380A and Y380M was 1.4 mm compared to 0.20-0.25 mm for the wild-type, S378P and S378T enzymes. The substitution in the S378P enzyme mimics Pro376 in the barley alpha-amylase 2 isozyme, which in spite of its conserved Tyr378 did not bind oligosaccharide at the 'sugar tongs' in the structure. Crystal structures of both wild-type and S378P enzymes, but not the Y380A enzyme, showed binding of the pseudotetrasaccharide acarbose at the 'sugar tongs' site. The 'sugar tongs' site also contributed importantly to the adsorption to starch granules, as Kd = 0.47 mg.mL(-1) for the wild-type enzyme increased to 5.9 mg.mL(-1) for Y380A, which moreover catalyzed the release of soluble oligosaccharides from starch granules with only 10% of the wild-type activity. beta-cyclodextrin both inhibited binding to and suppressed activity on starch granules for wild-type and S378P enzymes, but did not affect these properties of Y380A, reflecting the functional role of Tyr380. In addition, the Y380A enzyme hydrolyzed amylose with reduced multiple attack, emphasizing that the 'sugar tongs' participates in multivalent binding of polysaccharide substrates.     

Kinetics and crystal structure of the wild-type and the engineered Y101F mutant of Herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase interacting with (North)-methanocarba-thymidine

Kinetic and crystallographic analyses of wild-type Herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (TK(HSV1)) and its Y101F-mutant [TK(HSV1)(Y101F)] acting on the potent antiviral drug 2'-exo-methanocarba-thymidine (MCT) have been performed. The kinetic study reveals a 12-fold K(M) increase for thymidine processed with Y101F as compared to the wild-type TK(HSV1). Furthermore, MCT is a substrate for both wild-type and mutant TK(HSV1). Its binding affinity for TK(HSV1) and TK(HSV1)(Y101F), expressed as K(i), is 11 microM and 51 microM, respectively, whereas the K(i) for human cytosolic thymidine kinase is as high as 1.6 mM, rendering TK(HSV1) a selectivity filter for antiviral activity. Moreover, TK(HSV1)(Y101F) shows a decrease in the quotient of the catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(M)) of dT over MCT corresponding to an increased specificity for MCT when compared to the wild-type enzyme. Crystal structures of wild-type and mutant TK(HSV1) in complex with MCT have been determined to resolutions of 1.7 and 2.4 A, respectively. The thymine moiety of MCT binds like the base of dT while the conformationally restricted bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane, mimicking the sugar moiety, assumes a 2'-exo envelope conformation that is flatter than the one observed for the free compound. The hydrogen bond pattern around the sugar-like moiety differs from that of thymidine, revealing the importance of the rigid conformation of MCT with respect to hydrogen bonds. These findings make MCT a lead compound in the design of resistance-repellent drugs for antiviral therapy, and mutant Y101F, in combination with MCT, opens new possibilities for gene therapy.     

Engineering the active center of the 6-phospho-beta-galactosidase from Lactococcus lactis

Several amino acids in the active center of the 6-phospho-beta-galactosidase from Lactococcus lactis were replaced by the corresponding residues in homologous enzymes of glycosidase family 1 with different specificities. Three mutants, W429A, K435V/Y437F and S428D/ K435V/Y437F, were constructed. W429A was found to have an improved specificity for glucosides compared with the wild-type, consistent with the theory that the amino acid at this position is relevant for the distinction between galactosides and glucosides. The k(cat)/K(m) for o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucose-6-phosphate is 8-fold higher than for o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactose-6-phosphate which is the preferred substrate of the wild-type enzyme. This suggests that new hydrogen bonds are formed in the mutant between the active site residues, presumably Gln19 or Trp421 and the C-4 hydroxyl group. The two other mutants with the exchanges in the phosphate-binding loop were tested for their ability to bind phosphorylated substrates. The triple mutant is inactive. The double mutant has a dramatically decreased ability to bind o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactose-6-phosphate whereas the interaction with o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactose is barely altered. This result shows that the 6-phospho-beta-galactosidase and the related cyanogenic beta-glucosidase from Trifolium repens have different recognition mechanisms for substrates although the structures of the active sites are highly conserved.