Phylogenetic analyses suggest multiple changes of substrate specificity within the glycosyl hydrolase 20 family

Role of carbohydrate-active enzymes in brown planthopper virulence and adaptability

Introduction

Herbivorous insects, including the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, are among the most damaging pests to agricultural crops worldwide, particularly rice. These insects employ a variety of strategies to overcome plant defenses, including the secretion of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) that degrade plant cell walls. While CAZymes are well-studied in other insect species, their role in BPH virulence remains largely unexplored.

Methods

This study aims to address this gap by analyzing CAZymes in 182 insect genomes, followed by a detailed genomic and transcriptomic analysis of BPH.

Results

We identified 644 CAZymes in BPH, including enzymes related to plant cell wall degradation. Through quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and subcellular localization experiments, we found that 5 candidate genes exhibited increased expression during feeding on the susceptible rice variety TN1, a well-characterized variety highly susceptible to BPH and these genes were localized to the plasma membrane. Our results suggest that BPH CAZymes play a critical role in the insect's ability to feed and damage rice plants.

Discussion

This study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying insect adaptation and virulence in the co-evolutionary process between plants and herbivorous insects. By exploring the function of pest-related genes in the BPH and examining their differential responses in rice varieties with varying resistance to BPH, we aim to contribute to the development of targeted pest management strategies.

A fungal pathogen secretes a cell wall-associated β-N-acetylhexosaminidase that is co-expressed with chitinases to contribute to infection of insects

BACKGROUND

β-N-acetylhexosaminidases (HEXs) are widely distributed in fungi and involved in cell wall chitin metabolism and utilization of chitin-containing substrates. However, details of the fungal pathogens-derived HEXs in the interaction with their hosts remain limited.

RESULTS

An insect nutrients-induced β-N-acetylhexosaminidase, BbHex1, was identified from the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, which was involved in cell wall modification and degradation of insect cuticle. BbHex1 was localized to cell wall and secreted, and displayed enzyme activity to degrade the chitinase-hydrolyzed product (GlcNAc)2. Disruption of BbHex1 resulted in a significant decrease in the level of cell wall chitin in the presence of insect nutrients and during infection of insects, with impaired ability to penetrate insect cuticle, accompanying downregulated cell wall metabolism-involved and cuticle-degrading chitinase genes. However, the opposite phenotypes were examined in the gene overexpression strain. Distinctly altered cell wall structures caused by BbHex1 mutation and overexpression led to the easy activation and evasion (respectively) of insect immune response during fungal infection. As a result, BbHex1 contributed to fungal virulence. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that promoters of some co-expressed chitinase genes with the BbHex1 promoter shared conserved transcription factors Skn7, Msn2 and Ste12, and CreA-binding motifs, implying co-regulation of those genes with BbHex1.

CONCLUSION

These data support a mechanism that the fungal pathogen specifically expresses BbHex1, which is co-expressed with chitinases to modify cell wall for evasion of insect immune recognition and to degrade insect cuticle, and contributes to the fungal virulence against insects. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bioinformatic, Enzymatic, and Structural Characterization of Trichuris suis Hexosaminidase HEX-2

Hexosaminidases are key enzymes in glycoconjugate metabolism and occur in all kingdoms of life. Here, we have investigated the phylogeny of the GH20 glycosyl hydrolase family in nematodes and identified a β-hexosaminidase subclade present only in the Dorylaimia. We have expressed one of these, HEX-2 from Trichuris suis, a porcine parasite, and shown that it prefers an aryl β-N-acetylgalactosaminide in vitro. HEX-2 has an almost neutral pH optimum and is best inhibited by GalNAc-isofagomine. Toward N-glycan substrates, it displays a preference for the removal of GalNAc residues from LacdiNAc motifs as well as the GlcNAc attached to the α1,3-linked core mannose. Therefore, it has a broader specificity than insect fused lobe (FDL) hexosaminidases but one narrower than distant homologues from plants. Its X-ray crystal structure, the first of any subfamily 1 GH20 hexosaminidase to be determined, is closest to Streptococcus pneumoniae GH20C and the active site is predicted to be compatible with accommodating both GalNAc and GlcNAc. The new structure extends our knowledge about this large enzyme family, particularly as T. suis HEX-2 also possesses the key glutamate residue found in human hexosaminidases of either GH20 subfamily, including HEXD whose biological function remains elusive.

Purification, identification and characterization of Nag2 N-acetylglucosaminidase from Trichoderma virens strain mango

BACKGROUND

N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAGase) could liberate N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) from GlcNAc-containing oligosaccharides. Trichoderma spp. is an important source of chitinase, particularly NAGase for industrial use. nag1 and nag2 genes encoding NAGase, are found in the genome in Trichoderma spp. The deduced Nag1 and Nag2 shares ~ 55% homology in Trichoderma virens. Most studies were focus on Nag1 and nag1 previously.

RESULTS

The native NAGase (TvmNAG2) was purified to homogeneity with molecular mass of ~ 68 kDa on SDS-PAGE analysis, and identified as Nag2 by MALDI/MS analysis from an isolate T. virens strain mango. RT-PCR analyses revealed that only nag2 gene was expressed in liquid culture of T. virens, while both of nag1 and nag2 were expressed in T. virens cultured on the plates. TvmNAG2 was thermally stable up to 60 °C for 2 h, and the optimal pH and temperature were 5.0 and 60-65 °C, respectively, using p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminide (pNP-NAG) as substrate. The hydrolytic product of colloidal chitin by TvmNAG2 was suggested to be GlcNAc based on TLC analyses. Moreover, TvmNAG2 possesses antifungal activity, inhibiting the mycelium growth of Sclerotium rolfsii. And it was resistant to the proteolysis by papain and trypsin.

CONCLUSIONS

The native Nag2, TvmNAG2 was purified and identified from T. virens strain mango, as well as enzymatic properties. To our knowledge, it is the first report with the properties of native Trichoderma Nag2.

Structure, function and evolution of the Helix-hairpin-Helix DNA glycosylase superfamily: Piecing together the evolutionary puzzle of DNA base damage repair mechanisms

The Base Excision Repair (BER) pathway is a highly conserved DNA repair system targeting chemical base modifications that arise from oxidation, deamination and alkylation reactions. BER features lesion-specific DNA glycosylases (DGs) which recognize and excise modified or inappropriate DNA bases to produce apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites and coordinate AP-site hand-off to subsequent BER pathway enzymes. The DG superfamilies identified have evolved independently to cope with a wide variety of nucleobase chemical modifications. Most DG superfamilies recognize a distinct set of structurally related lesions. In contrast, the Helix-hairpin-Helix (HhH) DG superfamily has the remarkable ability to act upon structurally diverse sets of base modifications. The versatility in substrate recognition of the HhH-DG superfamily has been shaped by motif and domain acquisitions during evolution. In this paper, we review the structural features and catalytic mechanisms of the HhH-DG superfamily and draw a hypothetical reconstruction of the evolutionary path where these DGs developed diverse and unique enzymatic features.

Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases as Chitin-Specific Virulence Factors in Crayfish Plague

The oomycete pathogen Aphanomyces astaci, also known as “crayfish plague”, is an obligate fungal-like parasite of freshwater crustaceans and is considered responsible for the ongoing decline of native European crayfish populations. A. astaci is thought to secrete a wide array of effectors and enzymes that facilitate infection, however their molecular mechanisms have been poorly characterized. Here, we report the identification of AA15 lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) as a new group of secreted virulence factors in A. astaci. We show that this enzyme family has greatly expanded in A. astaci compared to all other oomycetes, and that it may facilitate infection through oxidative degradation of crystalline chitin, the most abundant polysaccharide found in the crustacean exoskeleton. These findings reveal new roles for LPMOs in animal–pathogen interactions, and could help inform future strategies for the protection of farmed and endangered species.

Phylogenomic disentangling of the Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis taxon

Members of the Bifidobacterium longum species have been shown to possess adaptive abilities to allow colonization of different mammalian hosts, including humans, primates and domesticated mammalian species, such as dogs, horses, cattle and pigs. To date, three subspecies have formally been recognized to belong to this bifidobacterial taxon, i.e. B. longum subsp. longum, B. longum subsp. infantis and B. longum subsp. suis. Although B. longum subsp. longum is widely distributed in the human gut irrespective of host age, B. longum subsp. infantis appears to play a significant role as a prominent member of the gut microbiota of breast-fed infants. Nevertheless, despite the considerable scientific relevance of these taxa and the vast body of genomic data now available, an accurate dissection of the genetic features that comprehensively characterize the B. longum species and its subspecies is still missing. In the current study, we employed 261 publicly available B. longum genome sequences, combined with those of 11 new isolates, to investigate genomic diversity of this taxon through comparative genomic and phylogenomic approaches. These analyses allowed us to highlight a remarkable intra-species genetic and physiological diversity. Notably, characterization of the genome content of members of B. longum subsp. infantis subspecies suggested that this taxon may have acquired genetic features for increased competitiveness in the gut environment of suckling hosts. Furthermore, specific B. longum subsp. infantis genomic features appear to be responsible for enhanced horizontal gene transfer (HGT) occurrences, underpinning an intriguing dedication toward acquisition of foreign DNA by HGT events.

A Novel GH Family 20 β-N-acetylhexosaminidase With Both Chitosanase and Chitinase Activity From Aspergillus oryzae

Aminooligosaccharides possess various biological activities and can exploit wide applications in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Commercial aminooligosaccharides are often prepared by the hydrolysis of chitin and chitosan. In this study, a novel GH family 20 β-N-acetylhexosaminidases gene named AoNagase was cloned from Aspergillus oryzae and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The purified AoNagase had maximal activity at pH 5.5 and 65°C. It exhibited good pH stability in the range of pH 6.0–7.5 and at temperatures below 50°C. AoNagase was capable of hydrolyzing not only colloidal chitosan (508.26 U/mg) but also chitin (29.78 U/mg). The kinetic parameters (K_m and V_max) of AoNagase were 1.51 mM, 1106.02 U/mg for chitosan and 0.41 mM, 40.31 U/mg for colloidal chitin. To our knowledge, AoNagase is the first GH family 20 β-N-acetylhexosaminidase capable of hydrolyzing both chitosan and chitin. AoNagase is an endo-type β-N-acetylhexosaminidases and can potentially be used for the manufacturing of aminooligosaccharides.

Structural basis of chitin utilization by a GH20 β-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Vibrio campbellii strain ATCC BAA-1116

Crystal structures of a GH20 β-N-acetylglucosaminidase from V. campbellii reveal substrate specificity in chitin utilization.

Vibrio species play a crucial role in maintaining the carbon and nitrogen balance between the oceans and the land through their ability to employ chitin as a sole source of energy. This study describes the structural basis for the action of the GH20 β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (VhGlcNAcase) in chitin metabolism by Vibrio campbellii (formerly V. harveyi) strain ATCC BAA-1116. Crystal structures of wild-type VhGlcNAcase in the absence and presence of the sugar ligand, and of the unliganded D437A mutant, were determined. VhGlcNAcase contains three distinct domains: an N-terminal carbohydrate-binding domain linked to a small α+β domain and a C-terminal (β/α)₈ catalytic domain. The active site of VhGlcNAcase has a narrow, shallow pocket that is suitable for accommodating a small chitooligosaccharide. VhGlcNAcase is a monomeric enzyme of 74 kDa, but its crystal structures show two molecules of enzyme per asymmetric unit, in which Gln16 at the dimeric interface of the first molecule partially blocks the entrance to the active site of the neighboring molecule. The GlcNAc unit observed in subsite −1 makes exclusive hydrogen bonds to the conserved residues Arg274, Tyr530, Asp532 and Glu584, while Trp487, Trp546, Trp582 and Trp505 form a hydrophobic wall around the −1 GlcNAc. The catalytic mutants D437A/N and E438A/Q exhibited a drastic loss of GlcNAcase activity, confirming the catalytic role of the acidic pair (Asp437–Glu438).

Release of Mediator Enzyme β-Hexosaminidase and Modulated Gene Expression Accompany Hemocyte Degranulation in Response to Parasitism in the Silkworm Bombyx mori

In insects infections trigger hemocyte-mediated immune reactions including degranulation by exocytosis; however, involvement of mediator enzymes in degranulation process is unknown in insects. We report here that in silkworm Bombyx mori, infection by endoparasitoid Exorista bombycis and microsporidian Nosema bombycis activated granulation in granulocytes and promoted degranulation of accumulated structured granules. During degranulation the mediator lysosomal enzyme β-hexosaminidase showed increased activity and expression of β-hexosaminidase gene was enhanced. The events were confirmed in vitro after incubation of uninfected hemocytes with E. bombycis larval tissue protein. On infection, cytotoxicity marker enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was released from the hemocytes illustrating cell toxicity. Strong positive correlation (R² = 0.71) between LDH activity and β-hexosaminidase released after the infection showed parasitic-protein-induced hemocyte damage and accompanied release of the enzymes. Expression of β-hexosaminidase gene was enhanced in early stages after infection followed by down regulation. The expression showed positive correlation (R² = 0.705) with hexosaminidase activity pattern. B. mori hexosaminidase showed 98% amino acid similarity with that of B. mandarina showing origin from same ancestral gene; however, 45-60% varied from other lepidopterans showing diversity. The observation signifies the less known association of hexosaminidase in degranulation of hemocytes induced by parasitic infection in B. mori and its divergence in different species.

New analogs of pochonicine, a potent β-N-acetylglucosaminidase inhibitor from fungus Pochonia suchlasporia var. suchlasporia TAMA 87

Three novel analogs of pochonicine (1) were isolated from a solid fermentation culture of the fungal strain Pochonia suchlasporia var. suchlasporia TAMA 87, and their structures were elucidated as 7-deoxypochonicine (2), 6-deoxypochonicine (3), and 6,7-dideoxypochonicine (4). These analogs were found to possess the same stereochemistry as pochonicine. Comparison of β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (GlcNAcase) inhibitory activity between these analogs and pochonicine suggested that the C-6 hydroxy group of pochonicine was essential to its potent GlcNAcase inhibitory activity and that the C-7 hydroxy group also contributed to the activity, but to a lesser extent than the C-6 hydroxy group.

The Role of Agriculture in the Dissemination of Class 1 Integrons, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Diversity of Their Gene Cassettes in Southern China

Integrons are hot spots for acquiring gene cassettes from the environment and play a major role in the bacterial evolution and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), thus posing a serious threat. There are currently studies on integrons and antibiotic resistance genes; however, the presence and association of integrons in different agricultural crops and their subsequent dissemination and role in AMR have not been reported previously. This study examines the abundance of integrons, their gene cassette diversity in various crop soils, and their role in the dissemination of AMR in the southern region of China. Samples from different agri-crop soil, such as rice (R.S), sugarcane (S.S), citrus (C.S), banana (B.S), agricultural runoff (the point where the runoff of all sites meet (R.O)), and wild (non-agricultural) soil (W.S), were collected. Quantitative PCR was used to determine the abundance of integrons, and clone libraries were constructed to examine the gene cassette arrays. All the tested samples were found positive for Class-I (CL1) integrons and revealed a higher concentration and higher relative abundance of R.S than the others, with the least found at the W.S site. The W.S CL1 cassette arrays were found empty, and no putative conserved domains were found. The R.O was found to contain a high number of gene cassettes with various functions, while the smallest number of gene cassettes was found in the S.S among the crop soils. Most of the gene cassettes presented by the R.O were primarily shared with other sites, and the antibiotic-resistant genes were consistently observed to be dominant. The constructed clone libraries represented a diverse gene cassette array with 16% novel gene cassettes that play a vital role in pathogenesis, transportation, biosynthesis, and AMR. Most resistance-related gene cassettes were associated with the genes encoding resistance to quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) and aminoglycosides. This study highlights the significant differences in the abundance of integrons among various agricultural soils and offers deep insight into the pools of gene cassettes that play a key role in the dissemination of integrons and AMR.

Computational Screening of Potential Inhibitors of β-N-Acetyl-D-Hesosaminidases Using Combined Core-Fragment Growth and Pharmacophore Restraints

As a type of β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase enzyme purified from the Ostriniafurnacalis (Asian corn borer), OfHex1 has been previously reported to participate in chitin degradation, indicating that it may be an ideal target for designing new environmentally friendly pesticides. Besides, a natural product, TMG-chitotriomycin, has been found to be an effective inhibitor of OfHex1, and some studies have shown that the interactions between TMG unit and residues in - 1 subsite of OfHex1 are very conservative and important, inspiring us to design new inhibitors of β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase with a new strategy. In the present study, the virtual screening of TMG unit as the core fragment was conducted using the combined computational methods, such as docking, molecular dynamics, pharmacophore model, and pesticide-likeness rule. Nine compounds with the binding free energy lower than TMG-β-(GlcNAc)₂ were obtained. According to the decomposition energy and the interactions analysis, compounds 2, 3, 6 and 8, forming the hydrogen bonds with Val327 and Trp490, were considered as the possible lead structures for the further study. Our findings indicated that fragment-based lead discovery strategy might provide valuable insights into designing novel potential OfHex1 inhibitors.

Human protein paucimannosylation: cues from the eukaryotic kingdoms

Paucimannosidic proteins (PMPs) are bioactive glycoproteins carrying truncated α- or β-mannosyl-terminating asparagine (N)-linked glycans widely reported across the eukaryotic domain. Our understanding of human PMPs remains limited, despite findings documenting their existence and association with human disease glycobiology. This review comprehensively surveys the structures, biosynthetic routes and functions of PMPs across the eukaryotic kingdoms with the aim of synthesising an improved understanding on the role of protein paucimannosylation in human health and diseases. Convincing biochemical, glycoanalytical and biological data detail a vast structural heterogeneity and fascinating tissue- and subcellular-specific expression of PMPs within invertebrates and plants, often comprising multi-α1,3/6-fucosylation and β1,2-xylosylation amongst other glycan modifications and non-glycan substitutions e.g. O-methylation. Vertebrates and protists express less-heterogeneous PMPs typically only comprising variable core fucosylation of bi- and trimannosylchitobiose core glycans. In particular, the Manα1,6Manβ1,4GlcNAc(α1,6Fuc)β1,4GlcNAcβAsn glycan (M2F) decorates various human neutrophil proteins reportedly displaying bioactivity and structural integrity demonstrating that they are not degradation products. Less-truncated paucimannosidic glycans (e.g. M3F) are characteristic glycosylation features of proteins expressed by human cancer and stem cells. Concertedly, these observations suggest the involvement of human PMPs in processes related to innate immunity, tumorigenesis and cellular differentiation. The absence of human PMPs in diverse bodily fluids studied under many (patho)physiological conditions suggests extravascular residence and points to localised functions of PMPs in peripheral tissues. Absence of PMPs in Fungi indicates that paucimannosylation is common, but not universally conserved, in eukaryotes. Relative to human PMPs, the expression of PMPs in plants, invertebrates and protists is more tissue-wide and constitutive yet, similar to their human counterparts, PMP expression remains regulated by the physiology of the producing organism and PMPs evidently serve essential functions in development, cell-cell communication and host-pathogen/symbiont interactions. In most PMP-producing organisms, including humans, the N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase isoenzymes and linkage-specific α-mannosidases are glycoside hydrolases critical for generating PMPs via N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GnT-I)-dependent and GnT-I-independent truncation pathways. However, the identity and structure of many species-specific PMPs in eukaryotes, their biosynthetic routes, strong tissue- and development-specific expression, and diverse functions are still elusive. Deep exploration of these PMP features involving, for example, the characterisation of endogenous PMP-recognising lectins across a variety of healthy and N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase-deficient human tissue types and identification of microbial adhesins reactive to human PMPs, are amongst the many tasks required for enhanced insight into the glycobiology of human PMPs. In conclusion, the literature supports the notion that PMPs are significant, yet still heavily under-studied biomolecules in human glycobiology that serve essential functions and create structural heterogeneity not dissimilar to other human N-glycoprotein types. Human PMPs should therefore be recognised as bioactive glycoproteins that are distinctly different from the canonical N-glycoprotein classes and which warrant a more dedicated focus in glycobiological research.

Design and Optimization of Thioglycosyl-naphthalimides as Efficient Inhibitors Against Human O-GlcNAcase

β-N-acetylhexosaminidases represent an important class of exoglycosidases and have emerged as the promising targets for drug and pesticide discovery. Among these, human O-GlcNAcase (hOGA) has been reported to be closely linked to several diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and cancer. Potent hOGA inhibitors with high selectivity are therefore of great significance for the regulation of the corresponding physiological processes. In this study, several classes of novel and readily available thioglycosyl-naphthalimides bearing the amide linker were designed and synthesized. To investigate their potency and selectivity, the inhibitory efficiencies toward hOGA and human β-N-acetylhexosaminidase B (HsHexB) were assayed. Especially, compounds 10a (K _i = 0.61 μM) and 16l (K _i = 0.72 μM) exhibited excellent inhibitory potency against hOGA and high selectivity (HsHexB, K _i > 100 μM). In addition, during the preparation of these thioglycosyl-naphthalimides, a new practical method was developed for the synthesis of ureido glycosides from trichloroethyl carbamates at room temperature and normal pressure without catalyst. Furthermore, the possible binding modes of hOGA with 10a, 10d, and 16j were studied using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations to explore the molecular basis for the potency of these thioglycosides. This work present here provides useful clues for the further structural optimization toward hOGA.

Insights into the structure-affinity relationships and solvation effects between OfHex1 and inhibitors using molecular dynamics simulations

OfHex1 is a potential target for the rational design of pesticides. TMG-chitotriomycin is one of the most highly specific known inhibitors of chitinolytic β-GlcNAcases from bacteria, fungi and insects. TMG-chitotriomycin and its analogues show different activities to OfHex1, dependent on the number of GlcNAc units. Subsequently, it is essential to explore how these GlcNAc unit number changes cause alterations in activity. In this study, we examined the free energy patterns and per residue decomposition of binding within the complexes of OfHex1 and a series of inhibitors, utilizing restricted molecular dynamics (MD) and water-mediated MM/GBSA calculations. The results indicated Glu328 could form a stronger polar interaction with OfHex1 inhibitors, while Trp448 and Trp490 had important non-polar contributions. Interestingly, the conformation of Trp448 was different in the open or closed state, when OfHex1 bound different inhibitors. Moreover, the water molecule that mediates the GlcNAc Ⅱ and Trp490 may be critical to stabilizing the hydrophobic interaction. Further study showed that isomerization of TMG-chitotriomycin analogs did not decrease binding affinity, however, there was a highly positive correlation between the calculated binding affinities and the experimental activity data (r² = 0.92) when water molecules were explicitly taken into account. Moreover, the water molecules that mediated GlcNAc II and Trp490 might be critical to the stabilization of the hydrophobic interaction and cause the activity difference between TMG-(GlcNAc)₂ and TMG-(GlcNAc).

Computational Study for the Unbinding Routes of β-N-Acetyl-d-Hexosaminidase Inhibitor: Insight from Steered Molecular Dynamics Simulations

β-N-Acetyl-d-hexosaminidase from Ostrinia furnacalis (OfHex1) is a new target for the design of insecticides. Although some of its inhibitors have been found, there is still no commercial drug available at present. The residence time of the ligand may be important for its pharmacodynamic effect. However, the unbinding routes of ligands from OfHex1 still remain largely unexplored. In the present study, we first simulated the six dissociation routes of N,N,N-trimethyl-d-glucosamine-chitotriomycin (TMG-chitotriomycin, a highly selective inhibitor of OfHex1) from the active pocket of OfHex1 by steered molecular dynamics simulations. By comparing the potential of mean forces (PMFs) of six routes, Route 1 was considered as the most possible route with the lowest energy barrier. Furthermore, the structures of six different states for Route 1 were snapshotted, and the key amino acid residues affecting the dissociated time were analyzed in the unbinding pathway. Moreover, we also analyzed the "open⁻close" mechanism of Glu368 and Trp448 and found that their conformational changes directly affected the dissociation of TMG-chitotriomycin. Our findings would be helpful to understanding and identifying novel inhibitors against OfHex1 from virtual screening or lead-optimization.

Molecular evolution and transcriptional profile of GH3 and GH20 β-N-acetylglucosaminidases in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae

Cell walls are involved in manifold aspects of fungi maintenance. For several fungi, chitin synthesis, degradation and recycling are essential processes required for cell wall biogenesis; notably, the activity of β-N-acetylglucosaminidases (NAGases) must be present for chitin utilization. For entomopathogenic fungi, such as Metarhizium anisopliae, chitin degradation is also used to breach the host cuticle during infection. In view of the putative role of NAGases as virulence factors, this study explored the transcriptional profile and evolution of putative GH20 NAGases (MaNAG1 and MaNAG2) and GH3 NAGases (MaNAG3 and MaNAG4) identified in M. anisopliae. While MaNAG2 orthologs are conserved in several ascomycetes, MaNAG1 clusters only with Aspergilllus sp. and entomopathogenic fungal species. By contrast, MaNAG3 and MaNAG4 were phylogenetically related with bacterial GH3 NAGases. The transcriptional profiles of M. anisopliae NAGase genes were evaluated in seven culture conditions showing no common regulatory patterns, suggesting that these enzymes may have specific roles during the Metarhizium life cycle. Moreover, the expression of MaNAG3 and MaNAG4 regulated by chitinous substrates is the first evidence of the involvement of putative GH3 NAGases in physiological cell processes in entomopathogens, indicating their potential influence on cell differentiation during the M. anisopliae life cycle.

Glycoside hydrolases family 20 (GH20) represent putative virulence factors that are shared by animal pathogenic oomycetes, but are absent in phytopathogens

BACKGROUND

Although interest in animal pathogenic oomycetes is increasing, the molecular basis mediating oomycete-animal relationships remains virtually unknown. Crinkler (CRN) genes, which have been traditionally associated with the cytotoxic activity displayed by plant pathogenic oomycetes, were recently detected in transcriptome sequences from the entomopathogenic oomycete Lagenidium giganteum, suggesting that these genes may represent virulence factors conserved in both animal and plant pathogenic oomycetes. In order to further characterize the L. giganteum pathogenome, an on-going genomic survey was mined to reveal novel putative virulence factors, including canonical oomycete effectors Crinkler 13 (CRN13) orthologs. These novel sequences provided a basis to initiate gene expression analyses and determine if the proposed L. giganteum virulence factors are differentially expressed in the presence of mosquito larvae (Aedes aegypti).

RESULTS

Sequence analyses revealed that L. giganteum express CRN13 transcripts. The predicted proteins, like other L. giganteum CRNs, contained a conserved LYLA motif at the N terminal, but did not display signal peptides. In contrast, other potential virulence factors, such as Glycoside Hydrolases family 20 (hexosaminidase) and 37 (trehalase) proteins (GH20 and GH37), contained identifiable signal peptides. Genome mining demonstrated that GH20 genes are absent from phytopathogenic oomycete genomes, and that the L. giganteum GH20 sequence is the only reported peronosporalean GH20 gene. All other oomycete GH20 homologs were retrieved from animal pathogenic, saprolegnialean genomes. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that saprolegnialean and peronosporalean GH20 protein sequences clustered in unrelated clades. The saprolegnialean GH20 sequences appeared as a strongly supported, monophyletic group nested within an arthropod-specific clade, suggesting that this gene was acquired via a lateral gene transfer event from an insect or crustacean genome. In contrast, the L. giganteum GH20 protein sequence appeared as a sister taxon to a plant-specific clade that included exochitinases with demonstrated insecticidal activities. Finally, gene expression analyses demonstrated that the L. giganteum GH20 gene expression level is significantly modulated in the presence of mosquito larvae. In agreement with the protein secretion predictions, CRN transcripts did not show any differential expression.

CONCLUSIONS

These results identified GH20 enzymes, and not CRNs, as potential pathogenicity factors shared by all animal pathogenic oomycetes.

The β-N-acetylhexosaminidase gene family in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens

β-N-Acetylhexosaminidases (HEXs) are enzymes that can degrade the chitin oligosaccharides that are produced by the activity of chitinases on chitin in insects. Using bioinformatic methods based on genome and transcriptome databases, 11 β-N-acetylhexosaminidase genes (NlHexs) in Nilaparvata lugens were identified and characterized. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a six-grouped tree topology. The O-Linked N-acetylglucosaminidase (O-GlcNAcase) group includes NlHex11, which harbours a catalytic domain that differs from that of the other 10 NlHexs. Observations of the expression of NlHexs during different developmental stages revealed that NlHex4 is expressed with periodicity during moulting. Although the tissue-specific expression patterns of most NlHexs were nonspecific, NlHex4 was found to be expressed mainly in the female reproductive system as well as in the integument. RNA interference (RNAi) demonstrated failure to shed the old cuticle only in the nymphs treated with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting NlHex4, and these nymphs eventually died; no observable morphological abnormalities were found in insects treated with dsRNAs targeting the other 10 NlHexs. Based on this study and our previous analyses, a '5 + 1 + 3' pattern of chitinolytic enzymes is proposed, in which five chitinases, one NlHEX and three chitin deacetylases are required for moulting in N. lugens. A better understanding of chitin metabolism in the hemimetabolous insect, N. lugens, would be achieved by considering three chitinolytic enzyme families: chitinase, chitin deacetylase and β-N-acetylhexosaminidase.

Horizontal transfer of carbohydrate metabolism genes into ectomycorrhizal Amanita

The genus Amanita encompasses both symbiotic, ectomycorrhizal fungi and asymbiotic litter decomposers; all species are derived from asymbiotic ancestors. Symbiotic species are no longer able to degrade plant cell walls. The carbohydrate esterases family 1 (CE1s) is a diverse group of enzymes involved in carbon metabolism, including decomposition and carbon storage. CE1 genes of the ectomycorrhizal A. muscaria appear diverged from all other fungal homologues, and more similar to CE1s of bacteria, suggesting a horizontal gene transfer (HGT) event. In order to test whether AmanitaCE1s were acquired horizontally, we built a phylogeny of CE1s collected from across the tree of life, and describe the evolution of CE1 genes among Amanita and relevant lineages of bacteria. CE1s of symbiotic Amanita were very different from CE1s of asymbiotic Amanita, and are more similar to bacterial CE1s. The protein structure of one CE1 gene of A. muscaria matched a depolymerase that degrades the carbon storage molecule poly((R)-3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). Asymbiotic Amanita do not carry sequence or structural homologues of these genes. The CE1s acquired through HGT may enable novel metabolisms, or play roles in signaling or defense. This is the first evidence for the horizontal transfer of carbohydrate metabolism genes into ectomycorrhizal fungi.

Enzymatic properties and subtle differences in the substrate specificity of phylogenetically distinct invertebrate N-glycan processing hexosaminidases

Fused lobes (FDL) hexosaminidases are the most recently genetically defined glycosidases involved in the biosynthesis of N-glycans in invertebrates, and their narrow specificity is essential for the generation of paucimannosidic N-glycans in insects. In this study, we explored the potential of FDL hexosaminidases in the utilization of different artificial and natural substrates, both as purified, native compounds or generated in vitro using various relevant glycosyltransferases. In addition to the already-known FDL enzyme from Drosophila melanogaster, we now have identified and characterized the Apis mellifera FDL homolog. The enzymatic properties of the soluble forms of the affinity-purified insect FDL enzymes, expressed in both yeast and insect cells, were compared with those of the phylogenetically distinct recombinant Caenorhabditis elegans FDL-like enzymes and the N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-specific Caenorhabditis hexosaminidase HEX-4. In tests with a range of substrates, including natural N-glycans, we show that the invertebrate FDL(-like) enzymes are highly specific for N-acetylglucosamine attached to the α1,3-mannose, but under extreme conditions also remove other terminal GalNAc and N-acetylglucosamine residues. Recombinant FDL also proved useful in the analysis of complex mixtures of N-glycans originating from wild-type and mutant Caenorhabditis strains, thereby aiding isomeric definition of paucimannosidic and hybrid N-glycans in this organism. Furthermore, differences in activity and specificity were shown for two site-directed mutants of Drosophila FDL, compatible with the high structural similarity of chitinolytic and N-glycan degrading exohexosaminidases in insects. Our studies are another indication for the variety of structural and function aspects in the GH20 hexosaminidase family important for both catabolism and biosynthesis of glycoconjugates in eukaryotes.

Identification and characterization of a novel secreted glycosidase with multiple glycosidase activities in Streptococcus intermedius

Streptococcus intermedius is a known human pathogen and belongs to the anginosus group (S. anginosus, S. intermedius, and S. constellatus) of streptococci (AGS). We found a large open reading frame (6,708 bp) in the lac operon, and bioinformatic analysis suggested that this gene encodes a novel glycosidase that can exhibit β-d-galactosidase and N-acetyl-β-d-hexosaminidase activities. We, therefore, named this protein "multisubstrate glycosidase A" (MsgA). To test whether MsgA has these glycosidase activities, the msgA gene was disrupted in S. intermedius. The msgA-deficient mutant no longer showed cell- and supernatant-associated β-d-galactosidase, β-d-fucosidase, N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase, and N-acetyl-β-d-galactosaminidase activities, and all phenotypes were complemented in trans with a recombinant plasmid carrying msgA. Purified MsgA had all four of these glycosidase activities and exhibited the lowest Km with 4-methylumbelliferyl-linked N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminide and the highest kcat with 4-methylumbelliferyl-linked β-d-galactopyranoside. In addition, the purified LacZ domain of MsgA had β-d-galactosidase and β-d-fucosidase activities, and the GH20 domain exhibited both N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase and N-acetyl-β-d-galactosaminidase activities. The β-d-galactosidase and β-d-fucosidase activities of MsgA are thermolabile, and the optimal temperature of the reaction was 40°C, whereas almost all enzymatic activities disappeared at 49°C. The optimal temperatures for the N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase and N-acetyl-β-d-galactosaminidase activities were 58 and 55°C, respectively. The requirement of sialidase treatment to remove sialic acid residues of the glycan branch end for glycan degradation by MsgA on human α1-antitrypsin indicates that MsgA has exoglycosidase activities. MsgA and sialidase might have an important function in the production and utilization of monosaccharides from oligosaccharides, such as glycans for survival in a normal habitat and for pathogenicity of S. intermedius.

Comparative analysis of glycoside hydrolases activities from phylogenetically diverse marine bacteria of the genus Arenibacter

A total of 16 marine strains belonging to the genus Arenibacter, recovered from diverse microbial communities associated with various marine habitats and collected from different locations, were evaluated in degradation of natural polysaccharides and chromogenic glycosides. Most strains were affiliated with five recognized species, and some presented three new species within the genus Arenibacter. No strains contained enzymes depolymerizing polysaccharides, but synthesized a wide spectrum of glycosidases. Highly active β-N-acetylglucosaminidases and α-N-acetylgalactosaminidases were the main glycosidases for all Arenibacter. The genes, encoding two new members of glycoside hydrolyses (GH) families, 20 and 109, were isolated and characterized from the genomes of Arenibacter latericius. Molecular genetic analysis using glycosidase-specific primers shows the absence of GH27 and GH36 genes. A sequence comparison with functionally-characterized GH20 and GH109 enzymes shows that both sequences are closest to the enzymes of chitinolytic bacteria Vibrio furnissii and Cellulomonas fimi of marine and terrestrial origin, as well as human pathogen Elisabethkingia meningoseptica and simbionts Akkermansia muciniphila, gut and non-gut Bacteroides, respectively. These results revealed that the genus Arenibacter is a highly taxonomic diverse group of microorganisms, which can participate in degradation of natural polymers in marine environments depending on their niche and habitat adaptations. They are new prospective candidates for biotechnological applications due to their production of unique glycosidases.

TMG-chitotriomycin as a probe for the prediction of substrate specificity of β-N-acetylhexosaminidases

TMG-chitotriomycin (1) produced by the actinomycete Streptomyces annulatus NBRC13369 was examined as a probe for the prediction of substrate specificity of β-N-acetylhexosaminidases (HexNAcases). According to the results of inhibition assays, 14 GH20 HexNAcases from various organisms were divided into 1-sensitive and 1-insensitive enzymes. Three representatives of each group were investigated for their substrate specificity. The 1-sensitive HexNAcases hydrolyzed N-acetylchitooligosaccharides but not N-glycan-type oligosaccharides, whereas the 1-insensitive enzymes hydrolyzed N-glycan-type oligosaccharides but not N-acetylchitooligosaccharides, indicating that TMG-chitotriomycin can be used as a molecular probe to distinguish between chitin-degrading HexNAcases and glycoconjugate-processing HexNAcases.

Functional analysis of the Lactobacillus casei BL23 sortases

Sortases are a class of enzymes that anchor surface proteins to the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria. Lactobacillus casei BL23 harbors four sortase genes, two belonging to class A (srtA1 and srtA2) and two belonging to class C (srtC1 and srtC2). Class C sortases were clustered with genes encoding their putative substrates that were homologous to the SpaEFG and SpaCBA proteins that encode mucus adhesive pili in Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Twenty-three genes encoding putative sortase substrates were identified in the L. casei BL23 genome with unknown (35%), enzymatic (30%), or adhesion-related (35%) functions. Strains disrupted in srtA1, srtA2, srtC1, and srtC2 and an srtA1 srtA2 double mutant were constructed. The transcription of all four sortase encoding genes was detected, but only the mutation of srtA1 resulted in a decrease in bacterial surface hydrophobicity. The β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase and cell wall proteinase activities of whole cells diminished in the srtA1 mutant and, to a greater extent, in the srtA1 srtA2 double mutant. Cell wall anchoring of the staphylococcal NucA reporter protein fused to a cell wall sorting sequence was also affected in the srtA mutants, and the percentages of adhesion to Caco-2 and HT-29 intestinal epithelial cells were reduced for the srtA1 srtA2 strain. Mutations in srtC1 or srtC2 result in an undetectable phenotype. Together, these results suggest that SrtA1 is the housekeeping sortase in L. casei BL23 and SrtA2 would carry out redundant or complementary functions that become evident when SrtA1 activity is absent.

Characterization of β-N-acetylhexosaminidase (LeHex20A), a member of glycoside hydrolase family 20, from Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushroom)

We purified and cloned a β-N-acetylhexosaminidase, LeHex20A, with a molecular mass of 79 kDa from the fruiting body of Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushroom). The gene lehex20a gene had 1,659 nucleotides, encoding 553 amino acid residues. Sequence analysis indicated that LeHex20A belongs to glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 20, and homologues of lehex20a are broadly represented in the genomes of basidiomycetes. Purified LeHex20A hydrolyzed the terminal monosaccharide residues of β-N-acetylgalactosaminides and β-N-acetylglucosaminides, indicating that LeHex20A is a β-N-acetylhexosaminidase classified into EC 3.2.1.52. The maximum LeHex20A activity was observed at pH 4.0 and 50°C. The kinetic constants were estimated using chitooligosaccharides with degree of polymerization 2-6. GH20 β-N-acetylhexosaminidases generally prefer chitobiose among natural substrates. However, LeHex20A had the highest catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) for chitotetraose, and the Km values for GlcNAc6 were 3.9-fold lower than for chitobiose. Furthermore, the enzyme partially hydrolyzed amorphous chitin polymers. These results indicate that LeHex20A can produce N-acetylglucosamine from long-chain chitomaterials.

Novel Mutations in Sandhoff Disease: A Molecular Analysis among Iranian Cohort of Infantile Patients

BACKGROUND

Sandhoff disease is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by β-hexosaminidase deficiency and accumulation of GM2 ganglioside resulting in progressive motor neuron manifestations and death from respiratory failure and infections in infantiles. Pathogenic mutations in HEXB gene were observed which leads to enzyme activity reduction and interruption of normal metabolic cycle of GM2 ganglioside in sandhoff patients.

METHODS

Six infantile index patients with typical biochemical and clinical picture of the disease were studied at the molecular level. After DNA extraction and amplification, probands and their parents, were evaluated by direct sequencing of amplicons.

RESULTS

We identified 7 different mutations among which 4 were novel. The most prevalent finding (50%) among our population was a 16 kb deletion including the promoter and exons 1-5. The other findings included c.1552delG and c.410G>A, c.362 A>G, c.550delT, c.1597C>T, c.1752delTG.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that Cys137Tyr and R533C mutations may be pathogenic because of changing amino acid and locating at the conserved region and also they have not been observed in hundred controls. Besides, four mutations including: Cys137Tyr, c.1552delG, c.1597C>T and c.550delT fulfilled almost criteria for pathogenic mutation.

Novel transmembrane receptor involved in phagosome transport of lysozymes and β-hexosaminidase in the enteric protozoan Entamoeba histolytica

Lysozymes and hexosaminidases are ubiquitous hydrolases in bacteria and eukaryotes. In phagocytic lower eukaryotes and professional phagocytes from higher eukaryotes, they are involved in the degradation of ingested bacteria in phagosomes. In Entamoeba histolytica, which is the intestinal protozoan parasite that causes amoebiasis, phagocytosis plays a pivotal role in the nutrient acquisition and the evasion from the host defense systems. While the content of phagosomes and biochemical and physiological roles of the major phagosomal proteins have been established in E. histolytica, the mechanisms of trafficking of these phagosomal proteins, in general, remain largely unknown. In this study, we identified and characterized for the first time the putative receptor/carrier involved in the transport of the above-mentioned hydrolases to phagosomes. We have shown that the receptor, designated as cysteine protease binding protein family 8 (CPBF8), is localized in lysosomes and mediates transport of lysozymes and β-hexosaminidase α-subunit to phagosomes when the amoeba ingests mammalian cells or Gram-positive bacillus Clostridium perfringens. We have also shown that the binding of CPBF8 to the cargos is mediated by the serine-rich domain, more specifically three serine residues of the domain, which likely contains trifluoroacetic acid-sensitive O-phosphodiester-linked glycan modifications, of CPBF8. We further showed that the repression of CPBF8 by gene silencing reduced the lysozyme and β-hexosaminidase activity in phagosomes and delayed the degradation of C. perfringens. Repression of CPBF8 also resulted in decrease in the cytopathy against the mammalian cells, suggesting that CPBF8 may also be involved in, besides the degradation of ingested bacteria, the pathogenesis against the mammalian hosts. This work represents the first case of the identification of a transport receptor of hydrolytic enzymes responsible for the degradation of microorganisms in phagosomes.

Phagocytosis is the cellular process of engulfing solid particles to form an internal phagosome in protozoa, algae, and professional phagocytes of multicellular eukaryotic organisms. In phagocytic protozoa, phagocytosis is involved in the acquisition of nutrients, and the evasion from the host immune system and inflammation. While hydrolytic enzymes that are essential for the efficient and regulated degradation of phagocytosed particles, such as bacteria, fungi, and eukaryotic organisms, have been characterized, the mechanisms of the transport of these proteins are poorly understood. In the present study, we have demonstrated, for the first time, the molecular mechanisms of how the digestive enzymes are transported to phagosomes. Understanding of such mechanisms of the transport of phagosomal proteins at the molecular level may lead to the identification of a novel target for the development of new preventive measures against parasitic infections caused by phagocytic protozoa.

Structural basis for the substrate specificity of a novel β-N-acetylhexosaminidase StrH protein from Streptococcus pneumoniae R6

The β-N-acetylhexosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.52) from glycoside hydrolase family 20 (GH20) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the β-N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) group from the nonreducing end of various glycoconjugates. The putative surface-exposed N-acetylhexosaminidase StrH/Spr0057 from Streptococcus pneumoniae R6 was proved to contribute to the virulence by removal of β(1,2)-linked NAG on host defense molecules following the cleavage of sialic acid and galactose by neuraminidase and β-galactosidase, respectively. StrH is the only reported GH20 enzyme that contains a tandem repeat of two 53% sequence-identical catalytic domains (designated as GH20-1 and GH20-2, respectively). Here, we present the 2.1 Å crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of StrH (residues Glu-175 to Lys-642) complexed with NAG. It adopts an overall structure similar to other GH20 enzymes: a (β/α)(8) TIM barrel with the active site residing at the center of the β-barrel convex side. The kinetic investigation using 4-nitrophenyl N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminide as the substrate demonstrated that GH20-1 had an enzymatic activity (k(cat)/K(m)) of one-fourth compared with GH20-2. The lower activity of GH20-1 could be attributed to the substitution of active site Cys-469 of GH20-1 to the counterpart Tyr-903 of GH20-2. A complex model of NAGβ(1,2)Man at the active site of GH20-1 combined with activity assays of the corresponding site-directed mutants characterized two key residues Trp-443 and Tyr-482 at subsite +1 of GH20-1 (Trp-876 and Tyr-914 of GH20-2) that might determine the β(1,2) substrate specificity. Taken together, these findings shed light on the mechanism of catalytic specificity toward the β(1,2)-linked β-N-acetylglucosides.

Active-pocket size differentiating insectile from bacterial chitinolytic β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidases

Chitinolytic β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase is a branch of the GH20 (glycoside hydrolase family 20) β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidases that is only distributed in insects and micro-organisms, and is therefore a potential target for the action of insecticides. PUGNAc [O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyransylidene)-amino-N-phenylcarbamate] was initially identified as an inhibitor against GH20 β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidases. So far no crystal structure of PUGNAc in complex with any GH20 β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase has been reported. We show in the present study that the sensitivities of chitinolytic β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidases towards PUGNAc can vary by 100-fold, with the order being OfHex1 (Ostrinia furnacalis β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase)<SmCHB (Serratia marcescens chitobiase)<SpHex (Streptomyces plicatus β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase). To explain this difference, the crystal structures of wild-type OfHex1 as well as mutant OfHex1(V327G) in complex with PUGNAc were determined at 2.0 Å (1 Å=0.1 nm) and 2.3 Å resolutions and aligned with the complex structures of SpHex and SmCHB. The results showed that the sensitivities of these enzymes to PUGNAc were determined by the active pocket size, with OfHex1 having the largest but narrowest entrance, whereas SpHex has the smallest entrance, suitable for holding the inhibitor, and SmCHB has the widest entrance. By widening the size of the active pocket entrance of OfHex1 through replacing the active site Val327 with a glycine residue, the sensitivity of OfHex1 to PUGNAc became similar to that of SmCHB. The structural differences among chitinolytic β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidases leading to different sensitivities to PUGNAc may be useful for developing species-specific pesticides and bactericides.

Structural determinants of an insect beta-N-Acetyl-D-hexosaminidase specialized as a chitinolytic enzyme

β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase has been postulated to have a specialized function. However, the structural basis of this specialization is not yet established. OfHex1, the enzyme from the Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis (one of the most destructive pests) has previously been reported to function merely in chitin degradation. Here the vital role of OfHex1 during the pupation of O. furnacalis was revealed by RNA interference, and the crystal structures of OfHex1 and OfHex1 complexed with TMG-chitotriomycin were determined at 2.1 Å. The mechanism of selective inhibition by TMG-chitotriomycin was related to the existence of the +1 subsite at the active pocket of OfHex1 and a key residue, Trp(490), at this site. Mutation of Trp(490) to Ala led to a 2,277-fold decrease in sensitivity toward TMG-chitotriomycin as well as an 18-fold decrease in binding affinity for the substrate (GlcNAc)(2). Although the overall topology of the catalytic domain of OfHex1 shows a high similarity with the human and bacterial enzymes, OfHex1 is distinguished from these enzymes by large conformational changes linked to an "open-close" mechanism at the entrance of the active site, which is characterized by the "lid" residue, Trp(448). Mutation of Trp(448) to Ala or Phe resulted in a more than 1,000-fold loss in enzyme activity, due mainly to the effect on k(cat). The current work has increased our understanding of the structure-function relationship of OfHex1, shedding light on the structural basis that accounts for the specialized function of β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase as well as making the development of species-specific pesticides a likely reality.

Mammalian cells contain a second nucleocytoplasmic hexosaminidase

Some thirty years ago, work on mammalian tissues suggested the presence of two cytosolic hexosaminidases in mammalian cells; one of these has been more recently characterized in a recombinant form and has an important role in cellular function due to its ability to cleave beta-N-acetylglucosamine residues from a variety of nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. However, the molecular nature of the second cytosolic hexosaminidase, named hexosaminidase D, has remained obscure. In the present study, we molecularly characterize for the first time the human and murine recombinant forms of enzymes, encoded by HEXDC genes, which appear to correspond to hexosaminidase D in terms of substrate specificity, pH dependency and temperature stability. Furthermore, a Myc-tagged form of this novel hexosaminidase displays a nucleocytoplasmic localization. Transcripts of the corresponding gene are expressed in a number of murine tissues. On the basis of its sequence, this enzyme represents, along with the lysosomal hexosaminidase subunits encoded by the HEXA and HEXB genes, the third class 20 glycosidase to be identified from mammalian sources.