Search

SCOPE: Bovine lactoferrin (bLF) is an ingredient of food supplements and infant formulas given its antimicrobial and antiviral properties. We modified bLF enzymatically to alter its N-glycosylation and to isolate the glycan chains. The aims of this study were 1) to evaluate whether such derivates induce responses via Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) namely Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and 2) to relate those responses to their different glycosylation profiles.METHODS AND RESULTS: The unmodified and modified bLF fractions were incubated with reporter cell lines expressing PRRs. Afterwards we screened for TLRs and analyzed for Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF- κB) activation. Activation of reporter cells lines showed that signaling was highly dependent on TLRs. The activation pattern of bLF was reduced with the de-sialylated form and increased with the de-mannosylated form. In reporter cells for TLR, bLF activated TLR-4 and inhibited TLR-3. The isolated glycans from bLF inhibited TLR-8. TLR-2, TLR-5, TLR-7, TLR-9 were not significantly altered.CONCLUSION: The profile of glycosylation is key for the biological activity of bLF. By understanding how this affects the human defense responses, the bLF glycan profile can be modified in order to enhance its immunomodulatory effects when used as a dietary ingredient. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri 121 produces two fructosyltransferase enzymes, a levansucrase and an inulosucrase. Although these two fructosyltransferase enzymes share high sequence similarity, they differ significantly in the type and size distribution of fructooligosaccharide products synthesized from sucrose, and in their activity levels. In order to examine the contribution of specific amino acids to such differences, 15 single and four multiple inulosucrase mutants were designed that affected residues that are conserved in inulosucrase enzymes, but not in levansucrase enzymes. The effects of the mutations were interpreted using the 3D structures of Bacillus subtilis levansucrase (SacB) and Lactobacillus johnsonii inulosucrase (InuJ). The wild-type inulosucrase synthesizes mostly fructooligosaccharides up to a degree of polymerization of 15 and relatively low amounts of inulin polymer. In contrast, wild-type levansucrase produces mainly levan polymer and fructooligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization < 5. Although most of the inulosucrase mutants in this study behaved similarly to the wild-type enzyme, the mutation G416E, at the rim of the active site pocket in loop 415-423, increased the hydrolytic activity twofold, without significantly changing the transglycosylation activity. The septuple mutant GM4 (T413K, K415R, G416E, A425P, S442N, W486L, P516L), which included two residues from the above-mentioned loop 415-423, synthesized 1-kestose only, but at low efficiency. Mutation A538S, located behind the general acid/base, increased the enzyme activity two to threefold. Mutation N543S, located adjacent to the +1/+2 sub-site residue R544, resulted in synthesis of not such a wide variety of fructooligosaccharides than the wild-type enzyme. The present study demonstrates that the product specificity of inulosucrase is easily altered by protein engineering, obtaining inulosucrase variants with higher transglycosylation specificity, higher catalytic rates and different fructooligosaccharide size distributions, without changing the β(2-1) linkage type in the product.

Summary Directed evolution has become the preferred engineering approach to generate tailor-made enzymes. The method follows the design guidelines of nature: Darwinian selection of genetic variants. This review discusses the different stages of directed evolution experiments with the focus on developments in screening and selection procedures. 2009 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 61(3): 222–228, 2009

The reuteransucrase enzymes of Lactobacillus reuteri strain 121 (GTFA) and L. reuteri strain ATCC 55730 (GTFO) convert sucrose into alpha-d-glucans (labelled reuterans) with mainly alpha-(1-->4) glucosidic linkages (50% and 70%, respectively), plus alpha-(1-->6) linkages. In the present study, we report a detailed analysis of various hybrid GTFA/O enzymes, resulting in the identification of specific regions in the N-termini of the catalytic domains of these proteins as the main determinants of glucosidic linkage specificity. These regions were divided into three equal parts (A1-3; O1-3), and used to construct six additional GTFA/O hybrids. All hybrid enzymes were able to synthesize alpha-glucans from sucrose, and oligosaccharides from sucrose plus maltose or isomaltose as acceptor substrates. Interestingly, not only the A2/O2 regions, with the three catalytic residues, affect glucosidic linkage specificity, but also the upstream A1/O1 regions make a strong contribution. Some GTFO derived hybrid/mutant enzymes displayed strongly increased transglucosylation/hydrolysis activity ratios. The reduced sucrose hydrolysis allowed the much improved conversion of sucrose into oligo- and polysaccharide products. Thus, the glucosidic linkage specificity and transglucosylation/hydrolysis ratios of reuteransucrase enzymes can be manipulated in a relatively simple manner. This engineering approach has yielded clear changes in oligosaccharide product profiles, as well as a range of novel reuteran products differing in alpha-(1-->4) and alpha-(1-->6) linkage ratios.

To contribute to the social debate about the role of functional foods in the prevention of overweight and obesity using an ecological model to study the positioning of functional foods and their social implications. Positioning was conceptualized as the relative attention given to functional foods within the range of preventive strategies, and the way in which they address specific causes of overweight. A systematic review was conducted to identify (A) preventive strategies aiming at the individual; (B) technological approaches; and (C) environmental strategies. All strategies were further classified according to the nature of causes they refer to - either individual or environmental. In the prevention of overweight/obesity, an emphasis on strategies designed to change the quality of food products and supplies has developed. Technological strategies particularly relate to functional foods; however, while providing a new dimension to food products, they do not challenge the underlying lifestyles causing overweight. Furthermore, they also stress individual responsibility for overweight/obesity and technological solutions to it. From a societal perspective, the characteristics of functional foods indicate that they can only be expected to play a limited role in overweight/obesity prevention. The ecological approach suggests that other strategies targeting individual and social causes need to be developed and marketed equally well.

Glucansucrases from lactic acid bacteria convert sucrose into various alpha-glucans that differ greatly with respect to the glucosidic bonds present (e.g. dextran, mutan, alternan and reuteran). This study aimed to identify the structural features of the reuteransucrase from Lactobacillus reuteri 121 (GTFA) that determine its reaction specificity. We here report a detailed mutational analysis of a conserved region immediately next to the catalytic Asp1133 (putative transition-state stabilizing) residue in GTFA. The data show that Asn1134 is the main determinant of glucosidic bond product specificity in this reuteransucrase. Furthermore, mutations at this position greatly influenced the hydrolysis/transglycosylation ratio. Changes in this amino acid expands the range of glucan and gluco-oligosaccharide products synthesized from sucrose by mutant GTFA enzymes.

Bacterial fructansucrase enzymes belong to glycoside hydrolase family 68 and catalyze transglycosylation reactions with sucrose, resulting in the synthesis of fructooligosaccharides and/or a fructan polymer. Significant differences in fructansucrase enzyme product specificities can be observed, i.e. in the type of polymer (levan or inulin) synthesized, and in the ratio of polymer versus fructooligosaccharide synthesis. The Lactobacillus reuteri 121 inulosucrase enzyme produces a diverse range of fructooligosaccharide molecules and a minor amount of inulin polymer [with β(2-1) linkages]. The three-dimensional structure of levansucrase (SacB) of Bacillus subtilis revealed eight amino acid residues interacting with sucrose. Sequence alignments showed that six of these eight amino acid residues, including the catalytic triad (D272, E523 and D424, inulosucrase numbering), are completely conserved in glycoside hydrolase family 68. The other three completely conserved residues are located at the - 1 subsite (W271, W340 and R423). Our aim was to investigate the roles of these conserved amino acid residues in inulosucrase mutant proteins with regard to activity and product profile. Inulosucrase mutants W340N and R423H were virtually inactive, confirming the essential role of these residues in the inulosucrase active site. Inulosucrase mutants R423K and W271N were less strongly affected in activity, and displayed an altered fructooligosaccharide product pattern from sucrose, synthesizing a much lower amount of oligosaccharide and significantly more polymer. Our data show that the - 1 subsite is not only important for substrate recognition and catalysis, but also plays an important role in determining the size of the products synthesized. © 2006 The Authors.

Bacterial fructosyltransferase enzymes belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 68 (GH68) are not known to require a metal cofactor. Here, we show that Ca2+ ions play an important structural role in the Lactobacillus reuteri 121 levansucrase (Lev) and inulosucrase (Inu) enzymes. Analysis of the Bacillus subtilis Lev 3D structure [Meng, G. and Futterer, K. (2003) Nat. Struct. Biol. 10, 935-941] has provided evidence for the presence of a bound metal ion, most likely Ca2+. Characterization of site-directed mutants in the putative Ca2+ ion-binding sites of Lb. reuteri Lev and Inu revealed that the Inu Asp520 and Lev Asp500 residues play an important role in Ca2+ binding. Sequence alignments of family GH68 proteins showed that this Ca2+ ion-binding site is (largely) present only in proteins of Gram-positive origin. © 2005 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Molecular Sequence Numbers: GENBANK: AF459437, AF465251; Chemicals / CAS: calcium ion, 14127-61-8; fructosyltransferase, 9031-67-8; levansucrase, 9030-17-5; Calcium, 7440-70-2; Edetic Acid, 60-00-4; Hexosyltransferases, EC 2.4.1.-; inulosucrase, EC 2.4.1.9; levansucrase, EC 2.4.1.10

Streptomycetes form hydrophobic aerial hyphae that eventually septate into hydrophobic spores. Both aerial hyphae and spores possess a typical surface layer called the rodlet layer. We present here evidence that rodlet formation is conserved in the streptomycetes. The formation of the rodlet layer is the result of the interplay between rodlins and chaplins. A strain of Streptomyces coelicolor in which the rodlin genes rdlA and/or rdlB were deleted no longer formed the rodlet layer. Instead, these surfaces were decorated with fine fibrils. Deletion of all eight chaplin genes (strain DeltachpABCDEFGH) resulted in the absence of the rodlet layer as well as the fibrils at surfaces of aerial hyphae and spores. Apart from coating these surfaces, chaplins are involved in the escape of hyphae into the air, as was shown by the strong reduction in the number of aerial hyphae in the DeltachpABCDEFGH strain. The decrease in the number of aerial hyphae correlated with a lower expression of the rdl genes in the colony. Yet, expression per aerial hypha was similar to that in the wild-type strain, indicating that expression of the rdl genes is initiated after the hypha has sensed that it has grown into the air.

The filamentous bacteria Streptomyces coelicolor and Streptomyces lividans exhibit a complex life cycle. After a branched submerged mycelium has been established, aerial hyphae are formed that may septate to form chains of spores. The aerial structures possess several surface layers of unknown nature that make them hydrophobic, one of which is the rodlet layer. We have identified two homologous proteins, RdlA and RdlB, that are involved in the formation of the rodlet layer in both streptomycetes. The rdl genes are expressed in growing aerial hyphae but not in spores. Immunolocalization showed that RdlA and RdlB are present at surfaces of aerial structures, where they form a highly insoluble layer. Disruption of both rdlA and rdlB in S. coelicolor and S. lividans (DeltardlAB strains) did not affect the formation and differentiation of aerial hyphae. However, the characteristic rodlet layer was absent. Genes rdlA and rdlB were also expressed in submerged hyphae that were in contact with a hydrophobic solid. Attachment to this substratum was greatly reduced in the DeltardlAB strains. Sequences homologous to rdlA and rdlB occur in a number of streptomycetes representing the phylogenetic diversity of this group of bacteria, indicating a general role for these proteins in rodlet formation and attachment.

Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) efficiently catalyzes transglycosylation of oligo-maltodextrins, although the enzyme also has a low hydrolytic activity. Its +2 substrate binding subsite, which contains the conserved Phe184 and Phe260 residues, has been shown to be important for this transglycosylation activity [Nakamura et al. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 9929-9936]. Here we show that the amino acid side chain at position 260 also controls the hydrolytic activity of CGTase. Three Phe260 mutants of Thermoanacrobacterium thermosulfurigenes CGTase were obtained with a higher hydrolytic activity than ever observed before for a CGTase. These Phe260 mutations even changed CGTase from a transglycosylase into a starch hydrolase. (C) 2002 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) catalyzes three transglycosylation reactions via a double displacement mechanism involving a covalent enzyme-intermediate complex (substituted-enzyme intermediate). Characterization of the three transglycosylation reactions, however, revealed that they differ in their kinetic mechanisms. Disproportionation (cleavage of an alpha-glycosidic bond of a linear malto-oligosaccharide and transfer of one part to an acceptor substrate) proceeds according to a ping-pong mechanism. Cyclization (cleavage of an alpha-glycosidic bond in amylose or starch and subsequent formation of a cyclodextrin) is a single-substrate reaction with an affinity for the high molecular mass substrate used, which was too high to allow elucidation of the kinetic mechanism. Michaelis-Menten kinetics, however, have been observed using shorter amylose chains. Coupling (cleavage of an alpha-glycosidic bond in a cyclodextrin ring and transfer of the resulting linear malto-oligosaccharide to an acceptor substrate) proceeds according to a random ternary complex mechanism. In view of the different kinetic mechanisms observed for the various reactions, which can be related to differences in substrate binding, it should be possible to mutagenize CGTase in such a manner that a single reaction is affected most strongly. Construction of CGTase mutants that synthesize linear oligosaccharides instead of cyclodextrins thus appears feasible. Furthermore, the rate of interconversion of linear and circular conformations of oligosaccharides in the cyclization and coupling reactions was found to determine the reaction rate. In the cyclization reaction this conversion rate, together with initial binding of the high molecular mass substrate, may determine the product specificity of the enzyme. These new insights will allow rational design of CGTase mutant enzymes synthesizing cyclodextrins of specific sizes.

Alcohol oxidase (MOX), a major peroxisomal protein of methanol-utilizing yeasts, contains two different forms of flavin adenine dinucleotide, one of which is identical with natural FAD whereas the other (mFAD) is a stereochemical modification of the natural coenzyme. This modifictaion occurs spontaneously with FAD (but not FADH) bound to alcohol oxidase. mFAD was degraded with diphosphatase to provide authentic AMP and mFMN. The latter was degraded further with phosphtase to m-riboflavin. Analysis by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy of mFAD revealed that the isoalloxazide and adenine rings were intact and not modified structurally. However, significant differences were observed in the proton spectra in the sugar chains attached to the isoalloxazine ring (ribitol in the case of FAD). Similar observations were made for mFMN and m-riboflavin. Most striking in COSY spectra is the virtual absence of coupling between protons 2′ and 3′ in the sugar chain attached to the isoalloxazine ring, whereas this coupling is strong in the natural materials. However, the nature of the coupling of proton 2′ to protons 1a′ and 1b′ of the sugar chain is different in modified material. All these observations are consistent with the hypothesis that in modified cofactor the absolute configuration of carbon 2′ of the sugar chain attached to the isoalloxazine ring has changed from R to S. This indicates the presence of an arabityl sugar chain rather than the ribitol present in natural FAD. A possible mechanism for this conversion is suggested.

The effective conversion of 4-thio-α-maltosyl fluoride 1 into cyclothiomaltins 2, 3 and 4, using cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase enzymes from Bacillus circulans, is described.

The physiological responses of Hunsetiula polymorpha wild-type and mutant strains 17B (dihydroxyacetone kinasenegative) and 17BG51 (dihydroxyacetone kinase- and glycerol kinase-negative) to growth on mixtures of xylose and methanol in chemostats were investigated. Increasing methanol concentrations (0-1 10 mM) in the feed of the wild-type culture resulted in increasing cell densities and a gradual switch towards methanol metabolism. At the lower methanol feed concentrations the mutant cultures used methanol and xylose to completion and changes in enzyme patterns comparable to the wild type were observed. This was not reflected in significant changes in cell densities. Instead, formaldehyde assimilation resulted in dihydroxyacetone (DHA) production, which was proportional to the amount of methanol added. At intermediate methanol concentrations the cultures showed a strong variation in DHA levels and cell densities. Further increases in the methanol feed concentrations resulted in a drop in DHA accumulation rates, repression of alcohol oxidase synthesis and accumulation of residual methanol. These phenomena were studied in more detail in transition experiments and with gradients of methanol. The results indicate that xylulose-5-phosphate (Xu5P) generated in xylose metabolism served as acceptor molecule for formaldehyde assimilation by the peroxisomal enzyme DHA synthase. Accumulation of DHA in the mutant cultures, however, further diminished the availability of carbon for growth. The data suggest that with increasing methanol concentrations Xu5P eventually became growth ratelimiting. This resulted in an unstable situation but wash-out of the culture did not occur to a significant extent. Instead, DHA accumulation ceased and cell densities, and the enzymes specifically involved in xylose metabolism increased, indicating that the organism resumed its xylose metabolism. The molecular mechanisms controlling the partitioning of Xu5P over xylose (pentose phosphate pathway) and methanol (peroxisome) metabolism under these conditions remain to be elucidated.