Publications

• Functional expression and characterization of a glucuronoyl esterase from the fungus Neurospora crassa: identification of novel consensus sequences containing the catalytic triad.

  Huynh H.H., Arioka M.

  The complete hydrolysis of lignocellulose requires the actions of a variety of enzymes, including those that cleave the linkage between lignin and hemicellulose. The enzyme glucuronoyl esterase (GE) that constitutes a novel family of carbohydrate esterases, CE15, has been shown to display a unique ... >> More

  The complete hydrolysis of lignocellulose requires the actions of a variety of enzymes, including those that cleave the linkage between lignin and hemicellulose. The enzyme glucuronoyl esterase (GE) that constitutes a novel family of carbohydrate esterases, CE15, has been shown to display a unique ability to cleave the ester linkage between lignin alcohols and xylan-bound 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid of hemicellulose. We herein report identification, expression, and functional characterization of a new GE, NcGE, from the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. C-terminally c-myc and hexahistidine-tagged NcGE was heterologously expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. NcGE purified from the culture supernatant through Ni-NTA and anion exchange chromatographies showed the ability to hydrolyze the substrate 3-(4-methoxyphenyl) propyl methyl 4-O-methyl-α-D-glucopyranosiduronate, which mimics the ester linkage of 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid in lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs). This esterase showed the characteristic of a mesophilic enzyme with the temperature optimum at 40-50°C, and displayed the optimal activity at pH 7 and broad pH stability. Based on the alignment of NcGE with other GEs so far characterized, we propose novel consensus sequences for GEs containing the catalytic triad. << Less

  J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 62:217-224(2016) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Structural and biochemical studies of the glucuronoyl esterase <i>Ot</i>CE15A illuminate its interaction with lignocellulosic components.

  Mazurkewich S., Poulsen J.N., Lo Leggio L., Larsbrink J.

  Glucuronoyl esterases (GEs) catalyze the cleavage of ester linkages between lignin and glucuronic acid moieties on glucuronoxylan in plant biomass. As such, GEs represent promising biochemical tools in industrial processing of these recalcitrant resources. However, details on how GEs interact and ... >> More

  Glucuronoyl esterases (GEs) catalyze the cleavage of ester linkages between lignin and glucuronic acid moieties on glucuronoxylan in plant biomass. As such, GEs represent promising biochemical tools in industrial processing of these recalcitrant resources. However, details on how GEs interact and catalyze degradation of their natural substrates are sparse, calling for thorough enzyme structure-function studies. Presented here is a structural and mechanistic investigation of the bacterial GE <i>Ot</i>CE15A. GEs belong to the carbohydrate esterase family 15 (CE15), which is in turn part of the larger α/β-hydrolase superfamily. GEs contain a Ser-His-Asp/Glu catalytic triad, but the location of the catalytic acid in GEs has been shown to be variable, and <i>Ot</i>CE15A possesses two putative catalytic acidic residues in the active site. Through site-directed mutagenesis, we demonstrate that these residues are functionally redundant, possibly indicating the evolutionary route toward new functionalities within the family. Structures determined with glucuronate, in both native and covalently bound intermediate states, and galacturonate provide insights into the catalytic mechanism of CE15. A structure of <i>Ot</i>CE15A with the glucuronoxylooligosaccharide 2³-(4-<i>O</i>-methyl-α-d-glucuronyl)-xylotriose (commonly referred to as XUX) shows that the enzyme can indeed interact with polysaccharides from the plant cell wall, and an additional structure with the disaccharide xylobiose revealed a surface binding site that could possibly indicate a recognition mechanism for long glucuronoxylan chains. Collectively, the results indicate that <i>Ot</i>CE15A, and likely most of the CE15 family, can utilize esters of glucuronoxylooligosaccharides and support the proposal that these enzymes work on lignin-carbohydrate complexes in plant biomass. << Less

  J Biol Chem 294:19978-19987(2019) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• The structural basis of fungal glucuronoyl esterase activity on natural substrates.

  Ernst H.A., Mosbech C., Langkilde A.E., Westh P., Meyer A.S., Agger J.W., Larsen S.

  Structural and functional studies were conducted of the glucuronoyl esterase (GE) from Cerrena unicolor (CuGE), an enzyme catalyzing cleavage of lignin-carbohydrate ester bonds. CuGE is an α/β-hydrolase belonging to carbohydrate esterase family 15 (CE15). The enzyme is modular, comprised of a cata ... >> More

  Structural and functional studies were conducted of the glucuronoyl esterase (GE) from Cerrena unicolor (CuGE), an enzyme catalyzing cleavage of lignin-carbohydrate ester bonds. CuGE is an α/β-hydrolase belonging to carbohydrate esterase family 15 (CE15). The enzyme is modular, comprised of a catalytic and a carbohydrate-binding domain. SAXS data show CuGE as an elongated rigid molecule where the two domains are connected by a rigid linker. Detailed structural information of the catalytic domain in its apo- and inactivated form and complexes with aldouronic acids reveal well-defined binding of the 4-O-methyl-a-D-glucuronoyl moiety, not influenced by the nature of the attached xylo-oligosaccharide. Structural and sequence comparisons within CE15 enzymes reveal two distinct structural subgroups. CuGE belongs to the group of fungal CE15-B enzymes with an open and flat substrate-binding site. The interactions between CuGE and its natural substrates are explained and rationalized by the structural results, microscale thermophoresis and isothermal calorimetry. << Less

  Nat Commun 11:1026-1026(2020) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Characterisation of three fungal glucuronoyl esterases on glucuronic acid ester model compounds.

  Huettner S., Klaubauf S., de Vries R.P., Olsson L.

  The glucuronoyl esterases (GEs) that have been identified so far belong to family 15 of the carbohydrate esterases in the CAZy classification system and are presumed to target ester bonds between lignin alcohols and (4-O-methyl-)D-glucuronic acid residues of xylan. Few GEs have been cloned, expres ... >> More

  The glucuronoyl esterases (GEs) that have been identified so far belong to family 15 of the carbohydrate esterases in the CAZy classification system and are presumed to target ester bonds between lignin alcohols and (4-O-methyl-)D-glucuronic acid residues of xylan. Few GEs have been cloned, expressed and characterised to date. Characterisation has been done on a variety of synthetic substrates; however, the number of commercially available substrates is very limited. We identified novel putative GEs from a wide taxonomic range of fungi and expressed the enzymes originating from Acremonium alcalophilum and Wolfiporia cocos as well as the previously described PcGE1 from Phanerochaete chrysosporium. All three fungal GEs were active on the commercially available compounds benzyl glucuronic acid (BnGlcA), allyl glucuronic acid (allylGlcA) and to a lower degree on methyl glucuronic acid (MeGlcA). The enzymes showed pH stability over a wide pH range and tolerated 6-h incubations of up to 50 °C. Kinetic parameters were determined for BnGlcA. This study shows the suitability of the commercially available model compounds BnGlcA, MeGlcA and allylGlcA in GE activity screening and characterisation experiments. We enriched the spectrum of characterised GEs with two new members of a relatively young enzyme family. Due to its biotechnological significance, this family deserves to be more extensively studied. The presented enzymes are promising candidates as auxiliary enzymes to improve saccharification of plant biomass. << Less

  Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 101:5301-5311(2017) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Biochemical and structural features of diverse bacterial glucuronoyl esterases facilitating recalcitrant biomass conversion.

  Arnling Baath J., Mazurkewich S., Knudsen R.M., Poulsen J.N., Olsson L., Lo Leggio L., Larsbrink J.

  <h4>Background</h4>Lignocellulose is highly recalcitrant to enzymatic deconstruction, where the recalcitrance primarily results from chemical linkages between lignin and carbohydrates. Glucuronoyl esterases (GEs) from carbohydrate esterase family 15 (CE15) have been suggested to play key roles in ... >> More

  <h4>Background</h4>Lignocellulose is highly recalcitrant to enzymatic deconstruction, where the recalcitrance primarily results from chemical linkages between lignin and carbohydrates. Glucuronoyl esterases (GEs) from carbohydrate esterase family 15 (CE15) have been suggested to play key roles in reducing lignocellulose recalcitrance by cleaving covalent ester bonds found between lignin and glucuronoxylan. However, only a limited number of GEs have been biochemically characterized and structurally determined to date, limiting our understanding of these enzymes and their potential exploration.<h4>Results</h4>Ten CE15 enzymes from three bacterial species, sharing as little as 20% sequence identity, were characterized on a range of model substrates; two protein structures were solved, and insights into their regulation and biological roles were gained through gene expression analysis and enzymatic assays on complex biomass. Several enzymes with higher catalytic efficiencies on a wider range of model substrates than previously characterized fungal GEs were identified. Similarities and differences regarding substrate specificity between the investigated GEs were observed and putatively linked to their positioning in the CE15 phylogenetic tree. The bacterial GEs were able to utilize substrates lacking 4-OH methyl substitutions, known to be important for fungal enzymes. In addition, certain bacterial GEs were able to efficiently cleave esters of galacturonate, a functionality not previously described within the family. The two solved structures revealed similar overall folds to known structures, but also indicated active site regions allowing for more promiscuous substrate specificities. The gene expression analysis demonstrated that bacterial GE-encoding genes were differentially expressed as response to different carbon sources. Further, improved enzymatic saccharification of milled corn cob by a commercial lignocellulolytic enzyme cocktail when supplemented with GEs showcased their synergistic potential with other enzyme types on native biomass.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Bacterial GEs exhibit much larger diversity than fungal counterparts. In this study, we significantly expanded the existing knowledge on CE15 with the in-depth characterization of ten bacterial GEs broadly spanning the phylogenetic tree, and also presented two novel enzyme structures. Variations in transcriptional responses of CE15-encoding genes under different growth conditions suggest nonredundant functions for enzymes found in species with multiple CE15 genes and further illuminate the importance of GEs in native lignin-carbohydrate disassembly. << Less

  Biotechnol Biofuels 11:213-213(2018) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Glucuronoyl esterase--novel carbohydrate esterase produced by Schizophyllum commune.

  Spanikova S., Biely P.

  The cellulolytic system of the wood-rotting fungus Schizophyllum commune contains an esterase that hydrolyzes methyl ester of 4-O-methyl-d-glucuronic acid. The enzyme, called glucuronoyl esterase, was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from a cellulose-spent culture fluid. Its substrate speci ... >> More

  The cellulolytic system of the wood-rotting fungus Schizophyllum commune contains an esterase that hydrolyzes methyl ester of 4-O-methyl-d-glucuronic acid. The enzyme, called glucuronoyl esterase, was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from a cellulose-spent culture fluid. Its substrate specificity was examined on a number of substrates of other carbohydrate esterases such as acetylxylan esterase, feruloyl esterase and pectin methylesterase. The glucuronoyl esterase attacks exclusively the esters of MeGlcA. The methyl ester of free or glycosidically linked MeGlcA was not hydrolysed by other carbohydrate esterases. The results suggest that we have discovered a new type of carbohydrate esterase that might be involved in disruption of ester linkages connecting hemicellulose and lignin in plant cell walls. << Less

  FEBS Lett. 580:4597-4601(2006) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Identification of genes encoding microbial glucuronoyl esterases.

  Li X.L., Spanikova S., de Vries R.P., Biely P.

  One type of covalent linkages connecting lignin and hemicellulose in plant cell walls is the ester linkage between 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid of glucuronoxylan and lignin alcohols. An enzyme that could hydrolyze such linkages, named glucuronoyl esterase, occurs in the cellulolytic system of the ... >> More

  One type of covalent linkages connecting lignin and hemicellulose in plant cell walls is the ester linkage between 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid of glucuronoxylan and lignin alcohols. An enzyme that could hydrolyze such linkages, named glucuronoyl esterase, occurs in the cellulolytic system of the wood-rotting fungus Schizophyllum commune. Here we report partial amino acid sequences of the enzyme and the results of subsequent search for homologous genes in sequenced genomes. The homologous genes of unknown functions were found in genomes of several filamentous fungi and one bacterium. The gene corresponding to the cip2 gene of Hypocrea jecorina (Trichoderma reesei), known to be up-regulated under conditions of induction of cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes, was over-expressed in H. jecorina. The product of the cip2 gene was purified to homogeneity and shown to exhibit glucuronoyl esterase activity. << Less

  FEBS Lett. 581:4029-4035(2007) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• The structure of a novel glucuronoyl esterase from Myceliophthora thermophila gives new insights into its role as a potential biocatalyst.

  Charavgi M.D., Dimarogona M., Topakas E., Christakopoulos P., Chrysina E.D.

  The increasing demand for the development of efficient biocatalysts is a consequence of their broad industrial applications. Typical difficulties that are encountered during their exploitation in a variety of processes are interconnected with factors such as temperature, pH, product inhibitors etc ... >> More

  The increasing demand for the development of efficient biocatalysts is a consequence of their broad industrial applications. Typical difficulties that are encountered during their exploitation in a variety of processes are interconnected with factors such as temperature, pH, product inhibitors etc. To eliminate these, research has been directed towards the identification of new enzymes that would comply with the required standards. To this end, the recently discovered glucuronoyl esterases (GEs) are an enigmatic family within the carbohydrate esterase (CE) family. Structures of the thermophilic StGE2 esterase from Myceliophthora thermophila (synonym Sporotrichum thermophile), a member of the CE15 family, and its S213A mutant were determined at 1.55 and 1.9 Å resolution, respectively. The first crystal structure of the S213A mutant in complex with a substrate analogue, methyl 4-O-methyl-β-D-glucopyranuronate, was determined at 2.35 Å resolution. All of the three-dimensional protein structures have an α/β-hydrolase fold with a three-layer αβα-sandwich architecture and a Rossmann topology and comprise one molecule per asymmetric unit. These are the first crystal structures of a thermophilic GE both in an unliganded form and bound to a substrate analogue, thus unravelling the organization of the catalytic triad residues and their neighbours lining the active site. The knowledge derived offers novel insights into the key structural elements that drive the hydrolysis of glucuronic acid esters. << Less

  Acta Crystallogr. D 69:63-73(2013) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• A glucuronoyl esterase from Acremonium alcalophilum cleaves native lignin-carbohydrate ester bonds.

  Arnling Baath J., Giummarella N., Klaubauf S., Lawoko M., Olsson L.

  The Glucuronoyl esterases (GE) have been proposed to target lignin-carbohydrate (LC) ester bonds between lignin moieties and glucuronic acid side groups of xylan, but to date, no direct observations of enzymatic cleavage on native LC ester bonds have been demonstrated. In the present investigation ... >> More

  The Glucuronoyl esterases (GE) have been proposed to target lignin-carbohydrate (LC) ester bonds between lignin moieties and glucuronic acid side groups of xylan, but to date, no direct observations of enzymatic cleavage on native LC ester bonds have been demonstrated. In the present investigation, LCC fractions from spruce and birch were treated with a recombinantly produced GE originating from Acremonium alcalophilum (AaGE1). A combination of size exclusion chromatography and (31) P NMR analyses of phosphitylated LCC samples, before and after AaGE1 treatment provided the first evidence for cleavage of the LC ester linkages existing in wood. << Less

  FEBS Lett. 590:2611-2618(2016) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]