Role of a disulfide cross-link in the conformational stability of a thermostable xylanase

Engineering the thermostability of Trichoderma reesei endo-1,4-?-xylanase II by combination of disulphide bridges

Disulphide bridges were introduced in different combinations into the N-terminal region and the single alpha-helix of mesophilic Trichoderma reesei xylanase II (TRX II). We used earlier disulphide-bridge data and designed new disulphide bridges for the combination mutants. The most stable mutant contained two disulphide bridges (between positions 2 and 28 and between positions 110 and 154, respectively) and the mutations N11D, N38E, and Q162H. With a half-life of approximately 56 h at 65 degrees C, the thermostability of this sevenfold mutant was approximately 5,000 times higher than that of TRX II, and the half-life was 25 min even at 75 degrees C. The thermostability of this mutant was approximately 30 times higher than that of the corresponding mutant missing the bridge between positions 2 and 28. The extensive stabilization at two protein regions did not alter the kinetic properties of the sevenfold mutant from that of the wild-type TRX II. The combination of disulphide bridges enhanced significantly the pH-dependent stability in a wide pH range.

Thermophilic fungi: their physiology and enzymes

Thermophilic fungi are a small assemblage in mycota that have a minimum temperature of growth at or above 20 degrees C and a maximum temperature of growth extending up to 60 to 62 degrees C. As the only representatives of eukaryotic organisms that can grow at temperatures above 45 degrees C, the thermophilic fungi are valuable experimental systems for investigations of mechanisms that allow growth at moderately high temperature yet limit their growth beyond 60 to 62 degrees C. Although widespread in terrestrial habitats, they have remained underexplored compared to thermophilic species of eubacteria and archaea. However, thermophilic fungi are potential sources of enzymes with scientific and commercial interests. This review, for the first time, compiles information on the physiology and enzymes of thermophilic fungi. Thermophilic fungi can be grown in minimal media with metabolic rates and growth yields comparable to those of mesophilic fungi. Studies of their growth kinetics, respiration, mixed-substrate utilization, nutrient uptake, and protein breakdown rate have provided some basic information not only on thermophilic fungi but also on filamentous fungi in general. Some species have the ability to grow at ambient temperatures if cultures are initiated with germinated spores or mycelial inoculum or if a nutritionally rich medium is used. Thermophilic fungi have a powerful ability to degrade polysaccharide constituents of biomass. The properties of their enzymes show differences not only among species but also among strains of the same species. Their extracellular enzymes display temperature optima for activity that are close to or above the optimum temperature for the growth of organism and, in general, are more heat stable than those of the mesophilic fungi. Some extracellular enzymes from thermophilic fungi are being produced commercially, and a few others have commercial prospects. Genes of thermophilic fungi encoding lipase, protease, xylanase, and cellulase have been cloned and overexpressed in heterologous fungi, and pure crystalline proteins have been obtained for elucidation of the mechanisms of their intrinsic thermostability and catalysis. By contrast, the thermal stability of the few intracellular enzymes that have been purified is comparable to or, in some cases, lower than that of enzymes from the mesophilic fungi. Although rigorous data are lacking, it appears that eukaryotic thermophily involves several mechanisms of stabilization of enzymes or optimization of their activity, with different mechanisms operating for different enzymes.

Cloning and characterization of the gene for the thermostable xylanase XynA from Thermomyces lanuginosus

A thermostable xylanase from the filamentous fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus (DSM 5826) was purified. This enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of 24-26 kDa as determined by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. cDNA and genomic DNA fragments coding for this enzyme were cloned and sequenced. The cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 225 amino acids and was functionally expressed in E. coli as a LacZ fusion protein. Comparison of the cDNA sequence with the genomic DNA sequence showed that the xylanase was encoded by two exons interrupted by an intron of 106 bp. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence to other published xylanases revealed high homology to xylanases of the family G glycanases.

Amino acid sequence and thermostability of xylanase A from Schizophyllum commune

The amino acid sequence (197 residues) of xylanase A from the fungus, Schizophyllum commune, was determined by automated analysis of peptides from proteolytic and acid cleavage. The sequence is similar to two Trichoderma xylanases (approximately 56% identical amino acids), but also shows at least 40% identities with xylanases from Bacillus subtilis, B. pumilus and B. circulans. The conserved regions of the enzyme contain only two glutamic acid residues which implicates their possible involvement in catalysis. The disulfide bond in xylanase A is not conserved in this family. In spite of this, the B. subtilis xylanase was found to be more thermostable than xylanase A.