NMR analysis of substrate binding to a two-domain chitinase: Comparison between soluble and insoluble chitins

Chitin degradation potential and whole-genome sequence of Streptomyces diastaticus strain CS1801

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chitin degradation potential and whole-genome sequence of Streptomyces diastaticus strain CS1801, which had been screened out in our previous work. The results of fermentation revealed that CS1801 can convert the chitin derived from crab shells, colloidal chitin and N-acetylglucosamine to chitooligosaccharide. Additional genome-wide analysis of CS1801 was also performed to explore the genomic basis for chitin degradation. The results showed that CS1801 possesses a chromosome with 5,611,479 bp (73% GC) and a plasmid with 1,388,284 bp (73% GC). The CS1801 genome consists of 7584 protein-coding genes, 90 tRNA and 21 rRNA operons. In addition, the results of genomic CAZyme analysis indicated that CS1801 comprises 103 glycoside hydrolase family genes, which could regulate the glycoside hydrolases that contribute to chitin degradation. The whole-genome information of CS1801 could highlight the mechanism underlying the chitin degradation activity of CS1801, strongly indicating that CS1801 is characterized by a substantial number of genes encoding chitinases and the complete metabolic pathway of chitin, conferring CS1801 with promising potential applicability in chitooligosaccharide production.

A biophysical and structural study of two chitinases from Agave tequilana and their potential role as defense proteins

Plant chitinases are enzymes that have several functions, including providing protection against pathogens. Agave tequilana is an economically important plant that is poorly studied. Here, we identified a chitinase from short reads of the A. tequilana transcriptome (AtChi1). A second chitinase, differing by only six residues from the first, was isolated from total RNA of plants infected with Fusarium oxysporum (AtChi2). Both enzymes were overexpressed in Escherichia coli and analysis of their sequences indicated that they belong to the class I glycoside hydrolase family19, whose members exhibit two domains: a carbohydrate-binding module and a catalytic domain, connected by a flexible linker. Activity assays and thermal shift experiments demonstrated that the recombinant Agave enzymes are highly thermostable acidic endochitinases with Tm values of 75 °C and 71 °C. Both exhibit a molecular mass close to 32 kDa, as determined by MALDI-TOF, and experimental pIs of 3.7 and 3.9. Coupling small-angle x-ray scattering information with homology modeling and docking simulations allowed us to structurally characterize both chitinases, which notably show different interactions in the binding groove. Even when the six different amino acids are all exposed to solvent in the loops located near the linker and opposite to the binding site, they confer distinct kinetic parameters against colloidal chitin and similar affinity for (GlnNAc)_6, as shown by isothermal titration calorimetry. Interestingly, binding is more enthalpy-driven for AtChi2. Whereas the physiological role of these chitinases remains unknown, we demonstrate that they exhibit important antifungal activity against chitin-rich fungi such as Aspergillus sp. DATABASE: SAXS structural data are available in the SASBDB database with accession numbers SASDDE7 and SASDDA6. ENZYMES: Chitinases (EC3.2.1.14).

The carbohydrate-binding module and linker of a modular lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase promote localized cellulose oxidation

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are copper-dependent enzymes that catalyze the oxidative cleavage of polysaccharides such as cellulose and chitin, a feature that makes them key tools in industrial biomass conversion processes. The catalytic domains of a considerable fraction of LPMOs and other carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) are tethered to carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) by flexible linkers. These linkers preclude X-ray crystallographic studies, and the functional implications of these modular assemblies remain partly unknown. Here, we used NMR spectroscopy to characterize structural and dynamic features of full-length modular ScLPMO10C from Streptomyces coelicolor We observed that the linker is disordered and extended, creating distance between the CBM and the catalytic domain and allowing these domains to move independently of each other. Functional studies with cellulose nanofibrils revealed that most of the substrate-binding affinity of full-length ScLPMO10C resides in the CBM. Comparison of the catalytic performance of full-length ScLPMO10C and its isolated catalytic domain revealed that the CBM is beneficial for LPMO activity at lower substrate concentrations and promotes localized and repeated oxidation of the substrate. Taken together, these results provide a mechanistic basis for understanding the interplay between catalytic domains linked to CBMs in LPMOs and CAZymes in general.

Structure and Enzymatic Properties of a Two-Domain Family GH19 Chitinase from Japanese Cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica) Pollen

CJP-4 is an allergen found in pollen of the Japanese cedar Cryptomeria japonica. The protein is a two-domain family GH19 (class IV) Chitinase consisting of an N-terminal CBM18 domain and a GH19 catalytic domain. Here, we produced recombinant CJP-4 and CBM18-truncated CJP-4 (CJP-4-Cat) proteins. In addition to solving the crystal structure of CJP-4-Cat by X-ray crystallography, we analyzed the ability of both proteins to hydrolyze chitin oligosaccharides, (GlcNAc) _n, polysaccharide substrates, glycol chitin, and β-chitin nanofiber and examined their inhibitory activity toward fungal growth. Truncation of the CBM18 domain did not significantly affect the mode of (GlcNAc) _n hydrolysis. However, significant effects were observed when we used the polysaccharide substrates. The activity of CJP-4 toward the soluble substrate, glycol chitin, was lower than that of CJP-4-Cat. In contrast, CJP-4 exhibited higher activity toward β-chitin nanofiber, an insoluble substrate, than did CJP-4-Cat. Fungal growth was strongly inhibited by CJP-4 but not by CJP-4-Cat. These results indicate that the CBM18 domain assists the hydrolysis of insoluble substrate and the antifungal action of CJP-4-Cat by binding to chitin. CJP-4-Cat was found to have only two loops (loops I and III), as reported for ChiA, an allergenic class IV Chitinase from maize.