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Beta-D-xylosidase from the ruminal anaerobic bacterium, Selenomonas ruminantium (SXA), catalyzes hydrolysis of beta-1,4-xylooligosacharides and has potential utility in saccharification processes. The enzyme, heterologously produced in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity, has an isoelectric point of approx 4.4, an intact N terminus, and a Stokes radius that defines a homotetramer. SXA denatures between pH 4.0 and 4.3 at 25 degrees C and between 50 and 60 degrees C at pH 5.3. Following heat or acid treatment, partially inactivated SXA exhibits lower k(cat) values, but similar K(m) values as untreated SXA. D-glucose and D-xylose protect SXA from inactivation at high temperature and low pH.

Beta-D-Xylosidase from Selenomonas ruminantium is revealed as the best catalyst known (kcat, kcat/Km) for promoting hydrolysis of 1,4-beta-D-xylooligosaccharides. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance experiments indicate the family 43 glycoside hydrolase acts through an inversion mechanism on substrates 4-nitrophenyl- beta-D-xylopyranoside (4NPX) and 1,4-beta-D-xylobiose (X2). Progress curves of 4-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylobioside, xylotetraose and xylohexaose reactions indicate that one residue from the nonreducing end of substrate is cleaved per catalytic cycle without processivity. Values of kcat and kcat/Km decrease for xylooligosaccharides longer than X2, illustrating the importance to catalysis of subsites -1 and +1 and the lack there of subsite +2. Homology models of the enzyme active site with docked substrates show that subsites beyond -1 are blocked by protein and subsites beyond +1 are not formed; they suggest that D14 and E186 serve catalysis as general base and general acid, respectively. Individual mutations, D14A and E186A, erode kcat and kcat/Km by <103 and to a similar extent for substrates 4NPX and 4-nitrophenyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside (4NPA), indicating that the two substrates share the same active site. With 4NPX and 4NPA, pH governs kcat/Km with pKa values of 5.0 and 7.0 assigned to D14 and E186, respectively. kcat(4NPX) has a pKa value of 7.0 and kcat(4NPA) is pH independent above pH 4.0, suggesting that the catalytically inactive, "dianionic" enzyme form (D14-E187-) binds 4NPX but not 4NPA.