Sequential synthesis of chondroitin oligosaccharides by immobilized chondroitin polymerase mutants

Glycoconj J. 2008 Aug;25(6):521-30. doi: 10.1007/s10719-008-9105-0. Epub 2008 Feb 5.

Abstract

Escherichia coli strain K4 expresses a chondroitin (CH)-polymerizing enzyme (K4CP) that contains two glycosyltransferase active domains. K4CP alternately transfers glucuronic acid (GlcA) and N-acetyl-galactosamine (GalNAc) residues using UDP-GlcA and UDP-GalNAc donors to the nonreducing end of a CH chain acceptor. Here we generated two K4CP point mutants substituted at the UDP-sugar binding motif (DXD) in the glycosyltransferase active domains, which showed either glycosyltransferase activity of the intact domain and retained comparable activity after immobilization onto agarose beads. The mutant enzyme-immobilized beads exhibited an addition of GlcA or GalNAc to GalNAc or GlcA residue at the nonreducing end of CH oligosaccharides and sequentially elongated pyridylamine-conjugated CH (PA-CH) chain by the alternate use. The sequential elongation up to 16-mer was successfully achieved as assessed by fluorescent detection on a gel filtration chromatography and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and MALDI potential lift tandem TOF mass spectrometry (MALDI-LIFT-TOF/TOF MS/MS) analyses in the negative reflection mode. This method provides exactly defined CH oligosaccharide derivatives, which are useful for studies on glycosaminoglycan functions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blotting, Western
  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Catalytic Domain / genetics
  • Chondroitin / biosynthesis*
  • Chondroitin / chemistry
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Enzymes, Immobilized / genetics*
  • Hexosyltransferases / genetics
  • Hexosyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Point Mutation*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Substances

  • Enzymes, Immobilized
  • Chondroitin
  • Hexosyltransferases
  • chondroitin polymerase, E coli