araban and arabinogalactan

There is an increasing interest to positively influence the human intestinal microbiota through the diet by the use of prebiotics and/or probiotics. It is anticipated that this will balance the microbial composition in the gastrointestinal tract in favor of health promoting genera such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Carbohydrates like non-digestible oligosaccharides are potential prebiotics. To understand how these bacteria can grow on these carbon sources, knowledge of the carbohydrate-modifying enzymes is needed. Little is known about the carbohydrate-modifying enzymes of bifidobacteria. The genome sequence of Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bifidobacterium longum biotype longum has been completed and it was observed that for B. longum biotype longum more than 8% of the annotated genes were involved in carbohydrate metabolism. In addition more sequence data of individual carbohydrases from other Bifidobacterium spp. became available. Besides the degradation of (potential) prebiotics by bifidobacterial glycoside hydrolases, we will focus in this review on the possibilities to produce new classes of non-digestible oligosaccharides by showing the presence and (transglycosylation) activity of the most important carbohydrate modifying enzymes in bifidobacteria. Approaches to use and improve carbohydrate-modifying enzymes in prebiotic design will be discussed.

Topics: Bifidobacterium; Carbohydrates; Dietary Carbohydrates; Enzyme Induction; Galactans; Glycoside Hydrolases; Health Promotion; Humans; Oligosaccharides; Polysaccharides; Probiotics; Starch; Xylans

Topics: Cell Wall; Cellulose; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry; Galactans; Glucans; Glycoproteins; Models, Molecular; Pectins; Phytoalexins; Plant Cells; Plant Extracts; Plant Growth Regulators; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plant Proteins; Plants; Polysaccharides; Protease Inhibitors; Sesquiterpenes; Terpenes; Xylans

Platycodonis Radix is widely used as homology of medicine and food in China; polysaccharides are thought to be one of its functional constituents. In this study, a pectic polysaccharide, PGP-I-I, was obtained from the root of the traditional medicine plant Platycodon grandiflorus through ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. This was characterized being mainly composed of 1,5-α-L-arabinan and both arabinogalactan type I (AG-I) and II chains linked to rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) backbone linked to longer galacturonan chains. In vitro bioactivity study showed that PGP-I-I could restore the intestinal cellular antioxidant defense under the condition of hydrogen peroxide (H

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Cell Line; Chromatography, Gel; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Dietary Carbohydrates; Galactans; Hydrogen Peroxide; Pectins; Plant Extracts; Plant Roots; Platycodon; Polysaccharides; Swine

The elucidation of the structural characteristics of polysaccharides from natural sources is generally difficult owing to their structural complexity and heterogeneity. In our previous study, an immuno-stimulatory polysaccharide (RGP-AP-I) was isolated from Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer). The present study aims to elucidate the structural characteristics of RGP-AP-I. Sequential enzyme hydrolysis was performed using four specific glycosylases, and chemical cleavage via β-elimination was carried out to determine the fine structure of RGP-AP-I. The degraded fragments were chemically identified using various chromatographic and spectrometric analyses, including HPLC-UVD, GC-MS, and tandem mass spectrometry. The results indicated that RGP-AP-I comprises a rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) backbone with repeating disaccharide units [→2)-Rhap-(1 → 4)-GalAp-(1→] and three side chains substituted at the C(O)4 position of the rhamnose residue in the backbone. The three side chains were identified as a highly branched α-(1 → 5)-arabinan, a branched β-(1 → 4)-galactan, and an arabino-β-3,6-galactan. Our results represent the first findings regarding the fine structure of the immuno-stimulatory polysaccharide RG-AP-I isolated from red ginseng.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Chemical Fractionation; Galactans; Glycoside Hydrolases; Hydrolysis; Molecular Structure; Panax; Pectins; Polysaccharides; Structure-Activity Relationship

Exotic fruits and their co-products may be valuable sources of antioxidant dietary fibres (DF) which are useful for food industry and human health. In this study, we aimed to characterize DF obtained from guavira fruit pomace and investigate its antioxidant potential employing TEAC assay as well as a cell model. The DF were chemically characterized as containing arabinan, highly-methoxylated homogalacturonan and arabinogalactan. The DF-containing fraction (CPW) presented ABTS free radical scavenger activity. MTT and DCFH-DA assay were performed to assess, respectively, changes in cell viability and the potential intracellular antioxidant activity against H

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Cell Survival; Dietary Fiber; Fibroblasts; Fruit; Galactans; Hydrogen Peroxide; Mice; NIH 3T3 Cells; Oxidative Stress; Pectins; Polysaccharides

Despite the ubiquity and importance of glycans in biology, methods to probe their structures in cells are limited. Mammalian glycans can be modulated using metabolic incorporation, a process in which non-natural sugars are taken up by cells, converted to nucleotide-sugar intermediates, and incorporated into glycans via biosynthetic pathways. These studies have revealed that glycan intermediates can be shunted through multiple pathways, and this complexity can be heightened in bacteria, as they can catabolize diverse glycans. We sought to develop a strategy that probes structures recalcitrant to metabolic incorporation and that complements approaches focused on nucleotide sugars. We reasoned that lipid-linked glycans, which are intermediates directly used in glycan biosynthesis, would offer an alternative. We generated synthetic arabinofuranosyl phospholipids to test this strategy in Corynebacterium glutamicum and Mycobacterium smegmatis, organisms that serve as models of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Using a C. glutamicum mutant that lacks arabinan, we identified synthetic glycosyl donors whose addition restores cell wall arabinan, demonstrating that non-natural glycolipids can serve as biosynthetic intermediates and function in chemical complementation. The addition of an isotopically labeled glycan substrate facilitated cell wall characterization by NMR. Structural analysis revealed that all five known arabinofuranosyl transferases could process the exogenous lipid-linked sugar donor, allowing for the full recovery of the cell envelope. The lipid-based probe could also rescue wild-type cells treated with an inhibitor of cell wall biosynthesis. Our data indicate that surrogates of natural lipid-linked glycans can intervene in the cell's traditional workflow, indicating that biosynthetic incorporation is a powerful strategy for probing glycan structure and function.

Topics: Cell Wall; Corynebacterium glutamicum; Galactans; Glycolipids; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Microscopy, Electron; Mycobacterium smegmatis; Polysaccharides; Spiro Compounds; Thiazines

Rhamnogalacturonan I (RGI) is a pectic polysaccharide composed of a backbone of alternating rhamnose and galacturonic acid residues with side chains containing galactose and/or arabinose residues. The structure of these side chains and the degree of substitution of rhamnose residues are extremely variable and depend on species, organs, cell types and developmental stages. Deciphering RGI function requires extending the current set of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed to this polymer. Here, we describe the generation of a new mAb that recognizes a heterogeneous subdomain of RGI. The mAb, INRA-AGI-1, was produced by immunization of mice with RGI oligosaccharides isolated from potato tubers. These oligomers consisted of highly branched RGI backbones substituted with short side chains. INRA-AGI-1 bound specifically to RGI isolated from galactan-rich cell walls and displayed no binding to other pectic domains. In order to identify its RGI-related epitope, potato RGI oligosaccharides were fractionated by anion-exchange chromatography. Antibody recognition was assessed for each chromatographic fraction. INRA-AGI-1 recognizes a linear chain of (1→4)-linked galactose and (1→5)-linked arabinose residues. By combining the use of INRA-AGI-1 with LM5, LM6 and INRA-RU1 mAbs and enzymatic pre-treatments, evidence is presented of spatial differences in RGI motif distribution within individual cell walls of potato tubers and carrot roots. These observations raise questions about the biosynthesis and assembly of pectin structural domains and their integration and remodeling in cell walls.

Topics: Animals; Cell Wall; Daucus carota; Epitopes; Galactans; Mice; Pectins; Plant Roots; Polysaccharides; Solanum tuberosum

The three isoforms of antigen 85 (A, B, and C) are the most abundant secreted mycobacterial proteins and catalyze transesterification reactions that synthesize mycolated arabinogalactan, trehalose monomycolate (TMM), and trehalose dimycolate (TDM), important constituents of the outermost layer of the cellular envelope of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These three enzymes are nearly identical at the active site and have therefore been postulated to exist to evade host immunity. Distal to the active site is a second putative carbohydrate-binding site of lower homology. Mutagenesis of the three isoforms at this second site affected both substrate selectivity and overall catalytic activity in vitro. Using synthetic and natural substrates, we show that these three enzymes exhibit unique selectivity; antigen 85A more efficiently mycolates TMM to form TDM, whereas C (and to a lesser extent B) has a higher rate of activity using free trehalose to form TMM. This difference in substrate selectivity extends to the hexasaccharide fragment of cell wall arabinan. Mutation of secondary site residues from the most active isoform (C) into those present in A or B partially interconverts this substrate selectivity. These experiments in combination with molecular dynamics simulations reveal that differences in the N-terminal helix α9, the adjacent Pro(216)-Phe(228) loop, and helix α5 are the likely cause of changes in activity and substrate selectivity. These differences explain the existence of three isoforms and will allow for future work in developing inhibitors.

Topics: Acyltransferases; Amino Acid Sequence; Antigens, Bacterial; Bacterial Proteins; Binding Sites; Biocatalysis; Carbohydrate Sequence; Catalytic Domain; Cell Wall; Cord Factors; Galactans; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Polysaccharides; Protein Binding; Protein Structure, Secondary; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Substrate Specificity

The genomic DNA and cDNA encoding α-l-arabinofuranosidase were cloned from the dimorphic fungus Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 20524 and sequenced. The open reading frame (2097 bp) of the α-l-arabinofuranosidase gene abfB was interrupted by five introns of 49, 49, 50, 65, and 49 bp. The gene encoded a presumed signal peptide of 17 residues and a mature protein of 682 residues with a calculated Mr of 74,230 Da and a theoretical isoelectric point of 4.95. Glu-362 and Glu-440 residues are likely involved in catalytic reactions as an acid/base and a nucleophile, respectively. The protein possessed 15 potential N-glycosylation sites. The deduced amino acid sequence of the abfB gene product was 58% identical to the Penicillium purpurogenum ABF 2, which belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family-51 α-l-arabinofuranosidase. The abfB cDNA was functionally expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris. The recombinant enzyme, AbfB, was purified from the culture filtrate, and it appeared as a single band on SDS-PAGE with an apparent Mr of 110 kDa. AbfB showed α-l-arabinofuranosidase activity of 56.6 U/mg of protein toward p-nitrophenyl (pNP) α-l-arabinofuranoside at optimal pH 4.5 and 75°C. The enzyme exhibited apparent Km and Vmax values of 6.27 mM and 78.1 μmol/mg/min, respectively, for pNP α-l-arabinofuranoside. The enzyme was highly active on rye arabinoxylan as well as pNP α-l-arabinofuranoside, but it showed weak activity toward α-(1→5)-l-arabinobiose, α-(1→5)-l-arabinotriose, branched l-arabinan, linear α-(1→5)-l-arabinan, and arabinogalactan.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Ascomycota; Base Sequence; Cloning, Molecular; DNA, Complementary; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Galactans; Glycoside Hydrolases; Introns; Isoelectric Point; Kinetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Penicillium; Phylogeny; Pichia; Polysaccharides; Recombinant Proteins; Substrate Specificity; Xylans

To enable structural characteristics of individual cell wall polysaccharides from rapeseed (Brassica napus) meal (RSM) to be studied, polysaccharide fractions were sequentially extracted. Fractions were analysed for their carbohydrate (linkage) composition and polysaccharide structures were also studied by enzymatic fingerprinting. The RSM fractions analysed contained pectic polysaccharides: homogalacturonan in which 60% of the galacturonic acid residues are methyl-esterified, arabinan branched at the O-2 position and arabinogalactan mainly type II. This differs from characteristics previously reported for Brassica campestris meal, another rapeseed cultivar. Also, in the alkali extracts hemicelluloses were analysed as xyloglucan both of the XXGG- and XXXG-type decorated with galactosyl, fucosyl and arabinosyl residues, and as xylan with O-methyl-uronic acid attached. The final residue after extraction still contained xyloglucan and remaining (pectic) polysaccharides next to cellulose, showing that the cell wall matrix of RSM is very strongly interconnected.

Topics: Brassica napus; Carbohydrate Sequence; Cell Wall; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Enzyme Assays; Galactans; Glucans; Hexuronic Acids; Molecular Sequence Data; Pectins; Polysaccharides; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Xylans

The major cell wall carbohydrate of Corynebacterineae is arabinogalactan (AG), a branched polysaccharide that is essential for the physiology of these bacteria. Decaprenylphosphoryl-D-arabinose (DPA), the lipid donor of D-arabinofuranosyl residues of AG, is synthesized through a series of unique biosynthetic steps, the last one being the epimerization of decaprenylphosphoryl-beta-D-ribose (DPR) into DPA, which is believed to proceed via a sequential oxidation-reduction mechanism. Two proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Rv3790 and Rv3791) have been shown to catalyse this epimerization in an in vitro system. The present study addressed the exact function of these proteins through the inactivation of the corresponding orthologues in Corynebacterium glutamicum (NCgl0187 and NCgl0186, respectively) and the analysis of their in vivo effects on AG biosynthesis. We showed that NCgl0187 is essential, whereas NCgl0186 is not. Deletion of NCgl0186 led to a mutant possessing an AG that contained half the arabinose and rhamnose, and less corynomycolates linked to AG but more trehalose mycolates, compared with the parental strain. A candidate gene that may encode a protein functionally similar to NCgl0186 was identified in both C. glutamicum (NCgl1429) and M. tuberculosis (Rv2073c). While the deletion of NCgl1429 had no effect on AG biosynthesis of the mutant, the gene could complement the mycolate defect of the AG of the NCgl0186 mutant, strongly supporting the concept that the two proteins play a similar function in vivo. Consistent with this, the NCgl1429 gene appeared to be essential in the NCgl0186-inactivated mutant. A detailed bioinformatics analysis showed that NCgl1429, NCgl0186, Rv3791 and Rv2073c could constitute, with 52 other proteins belonging to the actinomycetales, a group of closely related short-chain reductases/dehydrogenases (SDRs) with atypical motifs. We propose that the epimerization of DPR to DPA involves three enzymes that catalyse two distinct steps, each being essential for the viability of the bacterial cells.

Topics: Amino Acid Motifs; Amino Acid Sequence; Arabinose; Bacterial Proteins; Biosynthetic Pathways; Cell Wall; Corynebacterium glutamicum; Galactans; Genome, Bacterial; Lipid Metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; Polysaccharides; Sequence Alignment

The complex cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the hallmark of acid fast bacteria and is responsible for much of its physiological characteristics. Hence, much effort has been made to determine its primary structure. Such studies have been hampered by its extreme complexity. Also, its insolubility leads to difficulties determining the presence or absence of base labile groups. We have used an endogenous arabinase to solubilize the arabinan region of the cell wall and have shown using mass spectrometry and NMR that succinyl esters are present on O2 of the inner-branched 1,3,5-alpha-d-arabinofuranosyl residues. In addition, an inner arabinan region of 14 linear alpha-1,5 arabinofuranosyl residues has been identified. These and earlier results now allow the presentation of a model of the entire primary structure of the mycobacterial mycolyl arabinogalactan highlighted by three arabinan chains of 31 residues each.

Topics: Galactans; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Models, Biological; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Structure; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Polysaccharides; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Succinic Acid

Two major components of the cell wall in mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), are polysaccharides containing arabinofuranose residues. In one of these polysaccharides, arabinogalactan, this arabinan domain consists of three identical motifs of 22 arabinofuranose residues, which are in turn attached to an underlying galactofuranan backbone. Recent studies have proposed that this docosanasaccharide motif, and a structurally related arabinan present in another cell wall polysaccharide, lipoarabinomannan, are biosynthesized from a common octadecasaccharide precursor. To facilitate the testing of this hypothesis, we report here the first total syntheses of these 18- and 22-residue oligosaccharides both functionalized with an aminooctyl linker arm. The route to the target compounds involved the preparation of four tri- to heptasaccharide building blocks possessing only benzoyl protecting groups that were coupled in a highly convergent manner via glycosyl trichloroacetimidate donors. Each of the targets could be prepared in only six steps from these intermediates, and in both cases more than 10 mg of material was obtained. These compounds are expected to be useful tools in probing the biosynthesis of these arabinan-containing polysaccharides. Such studies are essential prerequisites for the identification of novel anti-TB agents that target arabinan assembly.

Topics: Carbohydrate Conformation; Carbohydrate Sequence; Galactans; Molecular Sequence Data; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; Oligosaccharides; Polysaccharides

The arabinogalactan (AG) of Corynebacterianeae is a critical macromolecule that tethers mycolic acids to peptidoglycan, thus forming a highly impermeable cell wall matrix termed the mycolyl-arabinogalactan peptidoglycan complex (mAGP). The front line anti-tuberculosis drug, ethambutol (Emb), targets the Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Corynebacterium glutamicum arabinofuranosyltransferase Mt-EmbA, Mt-EmbB and Cg-Emb enzymes, respectively, which are responsible for the biosynthesis of the arabinan domain of AG. The substrate utilized by these important glycosyltransferases, decaprenylmonophosphoryl-D-arabinose (DPA), is synthesized via a decaprenylphosphoryl-5-phosphoribose (DPPR) synthase (UbiA), which catalyzes the transfer of 5-phospho-ribofuranose-pyrophosphate (pRpp) to decaprenol phosphate to form DPPR. Glycosyl compositional analysis of cell walls extracted from a C. glutamicum::ubiA mutant revealed a galactan core consisting of alternating beta(1-->5)-Galf and beta(1-->6)-Galf residues, completely devoid of arabinan and a concomitant loss of cell-wall-bound mycolic acids. In addition, in vitro assays demonstrated a complete loss of arabinofuranosyltransferase activity and DPA biosynthesis in the C. glutamicum::ubiA mutant when supplemented with p[14C]Rpp, the precursor of DPA. Interestingly, in vitro arabinofuranosyltransferase activity was restored in the C. glutamicum::ubiA mutant when supplemented with exogenous DP[14C]A substrate, and C. glutamicum strains deficient in ubiA, emb, and aftA all exhibited different levels of DPA biosynthesis.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Arabinose; Cell Wall; Corynebacterium glutamicum; Galactans; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Peptidoglycan; Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor); Polysaccharides; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Terpenes

The mycobacterial D-arabinofuran is a common constituent of both cell wall mycolyl-arabinogalactan (AG) and the associated lipoarabinomannan (LAM), and is thus accorded critical structural and immunological roles. Despite a well-recognized importance, progress in understanding its full structural characteristics beyond the nonreducing terminal motifs has hitherto been limited by available analytical tools. An endogenous arabinanase activity recently isolated from Mycobacterium smegmatis was previously shown to be capable of releasing large oligoarabinosyl units from AG. Advanced tandem mass spectrometry utilizing both low and high energy collision induced dissociation now afforded a facile way to map and directly sequence the digestion products which were dominated by distinctive Ara18 and Ara19 structural units, together with Ara7 and lesser amount of Ara11 and Ara12. Significantly, evidence was obtained for the first time which validated the linkages and branching pattern of the previously inferred Ara22 structural motif of AG, on which the preferred cleavage sites of the novel arabinanase could be localized. The established linkage-specific MS/MS fragmentation characteristics further led to identification of a galactosamine substituent on the C2 position of a portion of the internal 3,5-branched Ara residue of the AG of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but not that of the nonpathogenic, fast growing M. smegmatis.

Topics: Amino Acid Motifs; Arabinose; Carbohydrate Conformation; Carbohydrate Sequence; Cell Wall; Cellulomonas; Galactans; Galactosamine; Glycoside Hydrolases; Molecular Sequence Data; Mycobacterium smegmatis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Polysaccharides; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Substrate Specificity; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Mycobacteria possess a unique, highly evolved, carbohydrate- and lipid-rich cell wall that is believed to be important for their survival in hostile environments. Until now, our understanding of mycobacterial cell wall structure has been based upon destructive isolation and fragmentation of individual cell wall components. This study describes the observation of the major cell wall structures in live, intact mycobacteria using 2D and 3D high-resolution magic-angle spinning (HR-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). As little as 20 mg (wet weight) of [13C]-enriched cells were required to produce a whole-cell spectra in which discrete cross-peaks corresponding to specific cell wall components could be identified. The most abundant signals of the arabinogalactan (AG) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) were assigned in the HR-MAS NMR spectra by comparing the 2D and 3D NMR whole-cell spectra with the spectra of purified cellular components. This study confirmed that the structures of the AG and LAM moieties in the cell wall of live mycobacteria are consistent with structural reports in the literature, which were obtained via degradative analysis. Most important, by using intact cells it was possible to directly demonstrate the effects of ethambutol on the mycobacterial cell wall polysaccharides, characterize the effects of embB gene knockout in the M. smegmatis DeltaembB mutant, and observe differences in the cell wall structures of two mycobacterial species (M. bovis BCG and M. smegmatis.) Herein, we show that HR-MAS NMR is a powerful, rapid, nondestructive technique to monitor changes in the complex, carbohydrate-rich cell wall of live mycobacterial cells.

Topics: Carbohydrate Sequence; Cell Wall; Ethambutol; Galactans; Gene Deletion; Lipopolysaccharides; Molecular Sequence Data; Mycobacterium bovis; Mycobacterium smegmatis; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; Polysaccharides; Polysaccharides, Bacterial

This investigation shows structural features of two macromolecules from roots of Echinacea pallida (Nutt.) Nutt: an arabinogalactan-protein (AGP) and an arabinan. The arabinogalactan-protein was precipitated with beta-glucosyl Yariv reagent from a high molecular weight fraction. Investigations of the neutral sugar composition revealed Gal (52.1% w/w) and Ara (38.2% w/w) in a ratio of 1.4:1, accompanied by Glc (6.9% w/w) and Rha (2.8% w/w). The content of uronic acids was 6.2%. Mild acid hydrolysis detects Ara and Glc being located at the periphery of the molecule. Linkage analyses and NMR spectroscopy revealed a backbone of the polysaccharide mainly consisting of 3-linked and 3,6-linked Galp-residues. Side chains are composed of 3,6-linked or 6-linked Galp terminating in 5-linked Araf, terminal Araf, Glcp and GlcAp. The protein part (3.9% w/w) of the AGP is rich in Hyp, Ser, Ala, Thr, Glu, Asp and Gly. The amount of Hyp was determined by a colorimetric method and found to be (0.65% (w/w) of the AGP, which is in good agreement with the result obtained by amino acid hydrolysis (0.67% w/w). The arabinan was isolated from the supernatant of the Yariv precipitation on the basis of solubility in EtOH (80%). It mainly consists of Ara (85.8%). Linkage analyses and NMR spectroscopy indicate a highly branched molecule, consisting of 3,5-linked, 5-linked and terminal Araf-residues in equal amounts.

Topics: Echinacea; Galactans; Glycoproteins; Plant Proteins; Plant Roots; Polysaccharides

mAb CS-35 is representative of a large group of antibodies with similar binding specificities that were generated against the Mycobacterium leprae lipopolysaccharide, lipoarabinomannan (LAM), and which cross-reacted extensively with LAMs from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other mycobacteria. That this antibody also cross-reacts with the arabinogalactan (AG) of the mycobacterial cell wall, suggesting that it recognizes a common arabinofuranosyl (Araf)-containing sequence in AG and LAM, is demonstrated. The antibody reacted more avidly with 'AraLAM' (LAM with naked Araf termini) compared to 'ManLAM' (in which many Araf termini are capped with mannose residues) and mycolylarabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex (in which the terminal Araf units are substituted with mycolic acids). Neither did the antibody bind to AG from emb knock-out mutants deficient in the branched hexa-Araf termini of AG. These results indicate that the terminal Araf residues of mycobacterial arabinan are essential for binding. Competitive ELISA using synthetic oligosaccharides showed that the branched hexa-Araf methyl glycoside [beta-D-Araf-(1-->2)-alpha-D-Araf-(1-)(2)-(3 and 5)-alpha-D-Araf-(1-->5)-alpha-D-Araf-OCH(3)] was the best competitor among those tested. The related linear methyl glycoside, beta-D-Araf-(1-->2)-alpha-D-Araf-(1-->5)-alpha-D-Araf-(1-->5)-alpha-D-Araf-OCH(3), representing one linear segment of the branched hexa-Araf, was less effective and the other linear tetrasaccharide, beta-D-Araf-(1-->2)-alpha-D-Araf-(1-->3)-alpha-D-Araf-(1-->5)-alpha-D-Araf-OCH(3), was ineffective. The combined results suggest that the minimal epitope recognized by antibody CS-35 encompasses the beta-D-Araf-(1-->2)-alpha-D-Araf-(1-->5)-alpha-D-Araf-(1-->5)-alpha-D-Araf within the branched hexa-Araf motif of mycobacterial arabinans, whether present in LAM or AG.

Topics: Antibodies, Bacterial; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Arabinose; Carbohydrate Conformation; Carbohydrate Sequence; Epitope Mapping; Epitopes; Galactans; Lipopolysaccharides; Mycobacterium smegmatis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Polysaccharides

alpha-L-Arabinofuranosidases I and II were purified from the culture filtrate of Streptomyces chartreusis GS901 and were found to have molecular masses of 80 and 37 kDa and pI values of 6.6 and 7.5 respectively. Both enzymes demonstrated slight reactivity towards arabinoxylan and arabinogalactan as substrates but did not hydrolyse gum arabic or arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides. alpha-L-Arabinofuranosidase I hydrolysed all of the alpha-linkage types that normally occur between two alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl residues, with the following decreasing order of reactivity being observed for the respective disaccharide linkages: alpha-(1-->2) alpha-(1-->3) alpha-(1-->5). This enzyme cleaved the (1-->3) linkages of the arabinosyl side-chains of methyl 3, 5-di-O-alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside in preference to the (1-->5) linkages. alpha-L-Arabinofuranosidase I hydrolysed approx. 30% of the arabinan but hydrolysed hardly any linear arabinan. In contrast, alpha-L-Arabinofuranosidase II hydrolysed only (1-->5)-arabinofuranobioside among the regioisomeric methyl arabinobiosides and did not hydrolyse the arabinotrioside. Linear 1-->5-linked arabinan was a good substrate for this enzyme, but it hydrolysed hardly any of the arabinan. Synergism between the two enzymes was observed in the conversion of arabinan and debranched arabinan into arabinose. Complete amino acid sequencing of alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase I indicated that the enzyme consists of a central catalytic domain that belongs to family 51 of the glycoside hydrolases and additionally that unknown functional domains exist in the N-terminal and C-terminal regions. The amino acid sequence of alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase II indicated that this enzyme belongs to family 43 of the glycoside hydrolase family and, as this is the first report of an exo-1, 5-alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase, it represents a novel type of enzyme.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Arabinose; Carbohydrate Conformation; Catalytic Domain; Cloning, Molecular; Galactans; Genes, Bacterial; Glycoside Hydrolases; Hydrolysis; Isoelectric Point; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Weight; Polysaccharides; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Streptomyces; Structure-Activity Relationship; Substrate Specificity; Xylans

An intracellular alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase from Pichia capsulata X91 was purified and characterized. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity from a cell-free extract by ammonium sulfate treatment, Concanavalin A-Sepharose, ion-exchange chromatography with DEAE Bio-Gel A agarose, arabinose-Sepharose 6B affinity chromatography, and hydroxyapatite column chromatography. The apparent molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 250 kDa by native-PAGE. The enzyme molecule was suggested to be a tetramer with a subunit molecular mass of 72 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme had an isoelectric point at 5.1, and was most active at pH 6.0 and at around 50 degrees C. The alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase was active at ethanol concentrations of wine. The enzyme was inhibited by Cu2+, Hg2+, and p-chloromercuribenzoate. The enzyme hydrolyzed beet arabinan and arabinogalactan, and efficiently released monoterpenols from an aroma precursor extracted from Muscat grape juice. A considerable amount of monoterpenols was produced in the Muscat wine coupled with the enzyme addition.

Topics: Enzyme Stability; Food Technology; Galactans; Glycoside Hydrolases; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hydrolysis; Isoelectric Point; Kinetics; Molecular Weight; Pichia; Polysaccharides; Protein Structure, Quaternary; Substrate Specificity; Temperature; Wine

Members of the Mycobacterium avium complex are the most frequently encountered opportunistic bacterial pathogens among patients in the advanced stage of AIDS. Two clinical isolates of the same strain, numbers 397 and 417, were obtained from an AIDS patient with disseminated M. avium complex infection before and after treatment with a regimen of clarithromycin and ethambutol. To identify the biochemical consequence of drug treatment, the expression and chemical composition of their major cell wall constituents, the arabinogalactan, lipoarabinomannan, and the surface glycopeptidolipids (GPL), were critically examined. Through thin layer chromatography, mass spectrometry, and chemical analysis, it was found that the GPL expression profiles differ significantly in that several apolar GPLs were overexpressed in the clinically resistant 417 isolate at the expense of the serotype 1 polar GPL, which was the single predominant band in the ethambutol-susceptible 397 isolate. Thus, instead of additional rhamnosylation on the 6-deoxytalose (6-dTal) appendage to give the serotype 1-specific disaccharide hapten, the accumulation of this nonextended apolar GPL probably provided more precursor substrate available for further nonsaccharide substitutions including a higher degree of O-methylation to give 3-O-Me-6-dTal and the unusual 4-O-sulfation on 6-dTal. Further data showed that this alteration effectively neutralized ethambutol, which is known to inhibit arabinan synthesis. Thus, in contrast with derived Emb-resistant mutants of Mycobacterium smegmatis or Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which are devoid of a surface GPL layer, the lipoarabinomannan from resistant 417 isolate grown in the presence of this drug was not apparently truncated.

Topics: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antitubercular Agents; Cell Wall; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Clarithromycin; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Ethambutol; Galactans; Glycoconjugates; Humans; Lipopolysaccharides; Mass Spectrometry; Mycobacterium avium Complex; Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection; Polysaccharides; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Surface Properties

Endogenous mycobacterial endo-D-arabinase activity, which degrades cell wall polysaccharide arabinogalactan, was found in Mycobacterium smegmatis. The arabinan product contains 20-30 arabinosyl residues but no galactofuranosyl residues. Recognition of this endogenous activity results in the possibility of developing antituberculosis drugs that do not require bacterial growth for activity.

Topics: Cell Wall; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Ethambutol; Galactans; Glycoside Hydrolases; Mycobacterium smegmatis; Polysaccharides

An alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase (alpha-L-arabinofuranoside arabinofuranohydrolase [EC 3.2.1.55]; referred to below as ArfI) from Cytophaga xylanolytica XM3 was purified 85-fold by anion-exchange and hydrophobic interaction column chromatography. The native enzyme had a pI of 6.1 and an apparent molecular mass of 160 to 210 kDa, and it appeared to be a trimer or tetramer consisting of 56-kDa subunits. With p-nitrophenyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside as the substrate, the enzyme exhibited a K(m) of 0.504 mM and a Vmax of 319 mumol.min-1.mg of protein-1, and it had optimum activity at pH 5.8 and 45 degrees C. ArfI was relatively stable over a pH range of 4 to 10 and at temperatures up to 45 degrees C, and it retained nearly full activity when stored at 4 degrees C for periods as long as 24 months. The enzyme also released arabinose from 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside, as well as from rye, wheat, corn cob, and oat spelt arabinoxylans and sugar beet arabinan, but not from arabinogalactan. ArfI showed no hydrolytic activity toward a range of p-nitrophenyl- or 4-methylumbelliferyl-glycosides other than arabinoside, for which it was entirely specific for the alpha-L-furanoside configuration. ArfI interacted synergistically with three partially purified endoxylanase fractions from C. xylanolytica in hydrolyzing rye arabinoxylan. However, cell fractionation studies revealed that ArfI was largely, if not entirely, cytoplasmic, so its activity in vivo is probably most relevant to hydrolysis of arabinose-containing oligosaccharides small enough to pass through the cytoplasmic membrane. Antibodies prepared against purified ArfI also cross-reacted with arabinofuranosidases from other freshwater and marine strains of C. xylanolytica, as well as with some proteins that did not possess arabinofuranosidase activity. To our knowledge, this is the first alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase to be purified and characterized from any gliding bacterium.

Topics: Arabinose; Blotting, Western; Cell Membrane; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Cross Reactions; Cytophaga; Cytoplasm; Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases; Galactans; Glycoside Hydrolases; Hymecromone; Polysaccharides; Protein Conformation; Xylans; Xylosidases

A color-variant strain of Aureobasidium pullulans (NRRL Y-12974) produced alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase (alpha-L-AFase) when grown in liquid culture on oat spelt xylan. An extracellular alpha-L-AFase was purified 215-fold to homogeneity from the culture supernatant by ammonium sulfate treatment, DEAE Bio-Gel A agarose column chromatography, gel filtration on a Bio-Gel A-0.5m column, arabinan-Sepharose 6B affinity chromatography, and SP-Sephadex C-50 column chromatography. The purified enzyme had a native molecular weight of 210,000 and was composed of two equal subunits. It had a half-life of 8 h at 75 degrees C, displayed optimal activity at 75 degrees C and pH 4.0 to 4.5, and had a specific activity of 21.48 mumol min-1. mg-1 of protein against p-nitrophenyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside (pNP alpha AF). The purified alpha-L-AFase readily hydrolyzed arabinan and debranched arabinan and released arabinose from arabinoxylans but was inactive against arabinogalactan. The K(m) values of the enzyme for the hydrolysis of pNP alpha AF, arabinan, and debranched arabinan at 75 degrees C and pH 4.5 were 0.26 mM, 2.14 mg/ml, and 3.25 mg/ml, respectively. The alpha-L-AFase activity was not inhibited at all by L-arabinose (1.2 M). The enzyme did not require a metal ion for activity, and its activity was not affected by p-chloromercuribenzoate (0.2 mM), EDTA (10 mM), or dithiothreitol (10 mM).

Topics: Ammonium Sulfate; Arabinose; Chloromercuribenzoates; Chromatography, Agarose; Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; Chromatography, Gel; Culture Media; Dithiothreitol; Edetic Acid; Galactans; Glycoside Hydrolases; Kinetics; Mitosporic Fungi; p-Chloromercuribenzoic Acid; Polysaccharides; Protein Conformation; Substrate Specificity; Xylans