β-galactosidases from jack bean and Streptococcus have different cleaving abilities towards fucose-containing sugars

Biol Pharm Bull. 2011;34(4):567-9. doi: 10.1248/bpb.34.567.

Abstract

We examined the sugar-cleaving abilities of β-galactosidases from jack bean and Streptococcus towards sugars containing fucose residues, and found that jack bean β-galactosidase has an ability to cleave the β1-3 linkage between galactose (Gal) and fucose (Fuc) residues, but not β1-4 linkage. On the other hand, streptococcal β-galactosidase was found to cleave the linkage in both Galβ1-4Fuc and Galβ1-3Fuc disaccharide units. Such a difference in sugar-cleaving abilities between these 2 β-galactosidases will be useful for structural analysis of glycans, especially those from species belonging to Protostomia, such as Caenorhabditis elegans.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans
  • Disaccharides / metabolism*
  • Fabaceae / enzymology*
  • Fucose / chemistry*
  • Galactose / chemistry*
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism*
  • Streptococcus / enzymology*
  • Substrate Specificity
  • beta-Galactosidase / isolation & purification
  • beta-Galactosidase / metabolism*

Substances

  • Disaccharides
  • Polysaccharides
  • Fucose
  • beta-Galactosidase
  • Galactose