GH2 family β-galactosidases evolution using degenerate oligonucleotide gene shuffling

OBJECTIVES

To improve the biochemical characteristics of the GH2 family β-galactosidases using a family shuffling method based on degenerate oligonucleotide gene shuffling.

RESULTS

Four β-galactosidase genes from the genus Alteromonas were divided into 14 gene segments, and each included the homologous sequence in the adjacent segments. The gene segments were regenerated into complete β-galactosidase genes and amplified by PCR. The obtained chimeric genes were cloned into a plasmid and screened for β-galactosidase activity. Approximately 320 positive clones were observed on the screening plate, of which nine sequenced genes were chimera. Additionally, the M22 and M250 mutants were expressed, purified, and characterized. The optimal temperature and substrate specificity of the recombinant M22 and M250 were consistent with those of the wild-type enzymes. The catalytic efficiency of recombinant M22 enzyme was higher than that of the wild-type enzymes, and the recombinant M250 displayed weak transglycosylation activity.

CONCLUSIONS

The chimeric genes of GH2 β-galactosidase were obtained using a controlled family shuffling that will provide an enzyme evolutionary method to obtain the β-galactosidases with excellent characteristics for laboratory and industrial purposes.

Structural features of cold-adapted dimeric GH2 β-D-galactosidase from Arthrobacter sp. 32cB

Crystal structures of cold-adapted β-d-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) from the Antarctic bacterium Arthrobacter sp. 32cB (ArthβDG) have been determined in an unliganded form resulting from diffraction experiments conducted at 100 K (at resolution 1.8 Å) and at room temperature (at resolution 3.0 Å). A detailed comparison of those two structures of the same enzyme was performed in order to estimate differences in their molecular flexibility and rigidity and to study structural rationalization for the cold-adaptation of the investigated enzyme. Furthermore, a comparative analysis with structures of homologous enzymes from psychrophilic, mesophilic, and thermophilic sources has been discussed to elucidate the relationship between structure and cold-adaptation in a wider context. The performed studies confirm that the structure of cold-adapted ArthβDG maintains balance between molecular stability and structural flexibility, which can be observed independently on the temperature of conducted X-ray diffraction experiments. Obtained information about proper protein function under given conditions provide a guideline for rational engineering of proteins in terms of their temperature optimum and thermal stability.

Structural basis of exo-β-mannanase activity in the GH2 family

The classical microbial strategy for depolymerization of β-mannan polysaccharides involves the synergistic action of at least two enzymes, endo-1,4-β-mannanases and β-mannosidases. In this work, we describe the first exo-β-mannanase from the GH2 family, isolated from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (XacMan2A), which can efficiently hydrolyze both manno-oligosaccharides and β-mannan into mannose. It represents a valuable process simplification in the microbial carbon uptake that could be of potential industrial interest. Biochemical assays revealed a progressive increase in the hydrolysis rates from mannobiose to mannohexaose, which distinguishes XacMan2A from the known GH2 β-mannosidases. Crystallographic analysis indicates that the active-site topology of XacMan2A underwent profound structural changes at the positive-subsite region, by the removal of the physical barrier canonically observed in GH2 β-mannosidases, generating a more open and accessible active site with additional productive positive subsites. Besides that, XacMan2A contains two residue substitutions in relation to typical GH2 β-mannosidases, Gly439 and Gly556, which alter the active site volume and are essential to its mode of action. Interestingly, the only other mechanistically characterized mannose-releasing exo-β-mannanase so far is from the GH5 family, and its mode of action was attributed to the emergence of a blocking loop at the negative-subsite region of a cleft-like active site, whereas in XacMan2A, the same activity can be explained by the removal of steric barriers at the positive-subsite region in an originally pocket-like active site. Therefore, the GH2 exo-β-mannanase represents a distinct molecular route to this rare activity, expanding our knowledge about functional convergence mechanisms in carbohydrate-active enzymes.

A novel agaro-oligosaccharide-lytic β-galactosidase from Agarivorans gilvus WH0801

β-Galactosidases have a wide application in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Recently, β-galactosidase was also found to participate in agar degradation. In this study, the second reported agarolytic β-galactosidase was found in the marine bacterium Agarivorans gilvus WH0801 and characterized. The β-galactosidase named AgWH2A (83 kDa) exhibited good activities under optimal hydrolysis conditions of pH 8.0 and 40 °C. AgWH2A could cleave the first D-galactose of agarooligosaccharides from its nonreducing end to produce neoagarooligosaccharides, but could not act on the neoagarooligosaccharides. AgWH2A has great potential in the comprehensive utilization of marine red algae.