Thioglycoligase derived from fungal GH3 β-xylosidase is a multi-glycoligase with broad acceptor tolerance

Nat Commun. 2020 Sep 25;11(1):4864. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18667-3.

Abstract

The synthesis of customized glycoconjugates constitutes a major goal for biocatalysis. To this end, engineered glycosidases have received great attention and, among them, thioglycoligases have proved useful to connect carbohydrates to non-sugar acceptors. However, hitherto the scope of these biocatalysts was considered limited to strong nucleophilic acceptors. Based on the particularities of the GH3 glycosidase family active site, we hypothesized that converting a suitable member into a thioglycoligase could boost the acceptor range. Herein we show the engineering of an acidophilic fungal β-xylosidase into a thioglycoligase with broad acceptor promiscuity. The mutant enzyme displays the ability to form O-, N-, S- and Se- glycosides together with sugar esters and phosphoesters with conversion yields from moderate to high. Analyses also indicate that the pKa of the target compound was the main factor to determine its suitability as glycosylation acceptor. These results expand on the glycoconjugate portfolio attainable through biocatalysis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biocatalysis
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Drug Tolerance / physiology*
  • Fungi / drug effects
  • Fungi / enzymology*
  • Fungi / metabolism*
  • Glycoconjugates / metabolism
  • Glycoside Hydrolases / metabolism
  • Glycosides / chemistry
  • Glycosylation
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Molecular
  • Mutagenesis
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Talaromyces / enzymology
  • Talaromyces / genetics
  • Xylosidases / chemistry*
  • Xylosidases / genetics
  • Xylosidases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Glycoconjugates
  • Glycosides
  • Glycoside Hydrolases
  • Xylosidases
  • exo-1,4-beta-D-xylosidase