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Preparation of monoclonal antibodies against acid alpha-D-glucosidase for study of Chinese glycogenosis type II patients.

Two monoclonal antibodies (Mabs), 8-23 and 4-6, against human acid alpha-D-glucosidase were generated to analyse the intracellular alpha-D-glucosidase from seven Chinese Pompe's disease families with the following study design: [1] Purified alpha-D-glucosidase from normal human urine was used as antigen for immunization of mice. [2] The splenic cells of immunized mice were isolated and fused with myeloma cells NS-1 for generation of hybridomas and production of anti-human alpha-D-glucosidase Mabs and detection of presence of the enzyme in skin fibroblasts obtained from the Pompe's disease families and normal controls. [3] Functional assay of acid alpha-D-glucosidase was done. Both generated Mabs were IgG1 with a kappa light chain. Mabs 8-23 and 4-6 can recognize 70 kd (kilodaltons) alpha-D-glucosidase evidenced by radioimmunoprecipitation (RIP). Our results showed that alpha-D-glucosidase did exist in the skin fibroblasts of all seven Pompe's disease patients by RIP and in the hepatic cells by immunohistological study. However, functional assay of alpha-D-glucosidase of the seven patients with Pompe's disease showed that the enzyme function of alpha-D-glucosidase was defective. This finding is at variance with the results of other workers which indicated that the amount of mature enzyme was reduced or totally absent in most of the juvenile and adult Caucasian and South African patients. The discordance may imply that the cause of alpha-D-glucosidase deficiency in Chinese patients is quite different from that in Caucasian and South African patients. This needs further study to clarify.

Animals↗

Processing of N-linked carbohydrate chains in a patient with glucosidase I deficiency (CDG type IIb).

Recently, we reported a novel congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG-IIb) caused by severe deficiency of the glucosidase I. The enzyme cleaves the alpha1,2-glucose residue from the asparagine-linked Glc(3)-Man(9)-GlcNAc(2) precursor, which is crucial for oligosaccharide maturation. The patient suffering from this disease was compound-heterozygous for two mutations in the glucosidase I gene, a T-->C transition in the paternal allele and a G-->C transition in the maternal allele. This gives rise in the glucosidase I polypeptide to the substitution of Arg486 by Thr and Phe652 by Leu, respectively. Kinetic studies using detergent extracts from cultured fibroblasts showed that the glucosidase I activity in the patient's cells was < 1% of the control level, with intermediate values in the parental cells. No significant differences in the activities of other processing enzymes, including oligosaccharyltransferase, glucosidase II, and Man(9)-mannosidase, were observed. By contrast, the patient's fibroblasts displayed a two- to threefold higher endo-alpha1,2-mannosidase activity, associated with an increased level of enzyme-specific mRNA-transcripts. This points to the lack of glucosidase I activity being compensated for, to some extent, by increase in the activity of the pathway involving endo-alpha1,2-mannosidase; this would also explain the marked urinary excretion of Glc(3)-Man. Comparative analysis of [(3)H]mannose-labeled N-glycoproteins showed that, despite the dramatically reduced glucosidase I activity, the bulk of the N-linked carbohydrate chains (>80%) in the patient's fibroblasts appeared to have been processed correctly, with only approximately 16% of the N-glycans being arrested at the Glc(3)-Man(9-7)-GlcNAc(2) stage. These structural and enzymatic data provide a reasonable basis for the observation that the sialotransferrin pattern, which frequently depends on the type of glycosylation disorder, appears to be normal in the patient. The human glucosidase I gene contains four exons separated by three introns with exon-4 encoding for the large 64-kDa catalytic domain of the enzyme. The two base mutations giving rise to substitution of Arg486 by Thr and Phe652 by Leu both reside in exon-4, consistent with their deleterious effect on enzyme activity. Incorporation of either mutation into wild-type glucosidase I resulted in the overexpression of enzyme mutants in COS 1 cells displaying no measurable catalytic activity. The Phe652Leu but not the Arg486Thr protein mutant showed a weak binding to a glucosidase I-specific affinity resin, indicating that the two amino acids affect polypeptide folding and active site formation differently.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Structure and expression of a gene coding for thermostable alpha-glucosidase with a broad substrate specificity from Bacillus sp. SAM1606.

We cloned an alpha-glucosidase gene from thermophilic Bacillus sp. SAM1606 to overexpress it in Escherichia coli transformants. Deletion of the 5'-noncoding region as well as expression of the alpha-glucosidase gene under the control of the icp promotor of the insecticidal crystal protein gene from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. sotto enhanced the enzyme productivity to 23.5 U/ml, which was 12,000-fold higher than that obtained by the strain SAM1606. The open reading frame corresponding to the alpha-glucosidase encoded 587 amino acid residues including a residue coded by the initiation codon TTG, and the molecular mass of the alpha-glucosidase from N-terminal serine was calculated to be 68,886 Da. Sequence analysis revealed that the SAM1606 alpha-glucosidase belonged to the alpha-amylase family. The SAM1606 alpha-glucosidase showed extremely high sequence identity (62-65%) to the Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thermoglucosidasius oligo-1,6-glucosidases, which were 72% identical to each other. Sequence identity in the suggested active site regions were essentially the same (80-82%) among these three enzymes. However, the substrate specificity of the SAM1606 alpha-glucosidase was significantly different from those of the oligo-1,6-glucosidases. The thermostability of these three alpha-glucosidases could be correlated with the increase in the number of proline residues, whose occurrence was predicted at beta turns and coils in the enzymes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Localization of the beta-glucosidases in Neurospora crassa.

The beta-glucosidases (EC 3.2.1.21) of Neurospora crassa were studied with respect to their location in conidia and young mycelia. Aryl-beta-glucosidase of conidia was nearly equally divided between extracellular and bound activity. Bound aryl-beta-glucosidase was almost all available to substrate. An induction procedure was used to maximize both beta-glucosidases in 4 to 6-hr cells. Aryl-beta-glucosidase was entirely bound but still mostly (90%) detectable, whereas cellobiase was mostly internal and cryptic. A freeze-thaw cycle or treatment with phenethyl alcohol or deoxycholic acid made the cellobiase detectable without releasing it from the cell. A 10 to 20% increase in cell-bound aryl-beta-glucosidase could be obtained by this treatment. Dilute HCl (0.1 n) destroyed the patent aryl-beta-glucosidase but not the cryptic aryl-beta-glucosidase or the cryptic cellobiase activity in intact cells. This suggested that most aryl-beta-glucosidase activity was exterior to the cell membrane but still within the mural space. The thermal stability of patent aryl-beta-glucosidase and released cellobiase was found to be higher than in corresponding cell-free extracts. Measurements of K(m) suggested a slightly lower affinity for substrate p-nitrophenyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside by the enzymes in intact cells compared to enzymes in extracts.

Alcohols↗

Estrone beta-glucosidase activity in human placenta.

The 105 000g supernatant from human placental homogenates, prepared in the presence of sodium taurocholate and Cutscum, contained beta-glucosidase activity towards estrone glucoside as well as towards 4-methylumbelliferyl glucoside (4-MU-glucoside) and glucocerebroside. After partial purification, the estrone glucosidase was found to be active only after the addition of negatively charged phospholipid, whereas the other beta-glucosidases did not exhibit this requirement. The estrone glucosidase was separated from the 4-MU-glucosidase by chromatography on Sephadex G-200 with 0.1% sodium taurocholate in the eluting buffer. The estrone glucosidase was mainly contained in material with a pI of 4.7, while the 4-MU-glucosidase was distributed in fractions with pI values of 4.7 and 6.2 to 6.4. The partially purified estrone glucosidase had a pH optimum of 5.8, as distinct from that of 6.4 found for the 4-MU-glucosidase, and differed markedly from the 4-MU-glucosidase in its response to treatment with heat, sulfhydryl reagents, and detergents. Its sensitivity to changes in pH differed from those reported for glucocerebrosidase.

Detergents↗

Selective inhibition of glycoprotein-processing enzymes. Differential inhibition of glucosidases I and II in cell culture.

In this study, we compared the effects of 2,6-dideoxy-2,6-imino-7-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-D-glycero-L-gulohep titol (MDL) to those of the glucosidase I inhibitor, castanospermine, on the purified processing enzymes glucosidases I and II. WE also compared the effects of these two inhibitors on glycoprotein processing in cell culture using influenza virus-infected Madin-Darby canine kidney cells as a model system. With the purified processing enzymes, castanospermine was a better inhibitor of glucosidase I than of glucosidase II, whereas MDL is more effective against glucosidase II than glucosidase I. In cell culture at the appropriate dose, MDL also preferentially affected glucosidase II. Thus, at 250 micrograms/ml MDL, the major [3H]glucose-labeled (or [3H]mannose-labeled) glycopeptide from the viral hemagglutinin was susceptible to endoglucosaminidase H, and the oligosaccharide liberated by this treatment was characterized as a Glc2Man7-9GlcNAc on the basis of size, resistance to digestion by glucosidase I (but sensitivity to glucosidase II), methylation analysis, and Smith degradation studies. These data indicate that at appropriate concentrations of MDL (250 micrograms/ml), one can selectively inhibit glucosidase II in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. However, at higher concentrations of inhibitor (500 micrograms/ml), both enzymes are apparently affected. Since MDL did not greatly inhibit the synthesis of lipid-linked saccharides or the synthesis of protein or RNA, it should be a useful tool for studies on the biosynthesis and role of N-linked oligosaccharides in glycoprotein function.

Alkaloids↗

N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin (MOR-14), an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, markedly reduced infarct size in rabbit hearts.

BACKGROUND: N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin (MOR-14), an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, reduces the glycogenolytic rate by inhibiting the alpha-1,6-glucosidase of glycogen-debranching enzyme in the liver, in addition to possessing an antihyperglycemic action by blocking alpha-1,4-glucosidase in the intestine. Because the reduction of the glycogenolytic rate may be one of the mechanisms of myocardial protection in ischemic preconditioning, the compounds inhibiting myocardial alpha-1,6-glucosidase may be protective against ischemic damage. Thus, we investigated whether MOR-14 could inhibit alpha-1,6-glucosidase and reduce the infarct size in rabbit hearts without collateral circulation. METHODS AND RESULTS: MOR-14 dose-dependently decreased the alpha-1,6-glucosidase activity in rabbit heart extract. A tracer study demonstrated the myocardial uptake of a considerable amount of MOR-14 sufficient to fully inhibit alpha-1,6-glucosidase. To assess the infarct size-reducing effect of MOR-14, 54 rabbits were subjected to 30-minute coronary occlusion followed by 48-hour reperfusion. Preischemic treatment with 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg of MOR-14 dose-dependently reduced the infarct size (to 26+/-4%, 19+/-3%, and 14+/-2% of the area at risk, respectively), compared with the saline control (45+/-5%) without altering the blood pressure or heart rate. Another 40 rabbits given 100 mg of MOR-14 or saline 10 minutes before ischemia were euthanized at 10 or 30 minutes of ischemia for biochemical analysis. MOR-14 decreased the alpha-1,6-glucosidase activity to approximately 20% in vivo, reduced the glycogen breakdown, and attenuated the lactate accumulation at both 10 and 30 minutes of ischemia. CONCLUSIONS: Preischemic treatment with MOR-14 preserved glycogen, attenuated the accumulation of lactate, and reduced the myocardial infarct size by 69%. This cardioprotective effect was independent of changes of blood pressure and heart rate or regional blood flow. It may be associated with alpha-1,6-glucosidase inhibition, because MOR-14 markedly decreased the alpha-1,6-glucosidase activity in the heart.

1-Deoxynojirimycin↗

alpha-Glucosidase isoenzymes in normal and acid maltase-deficient human skeletal muscles.

One acid alpha-glucosidase and two neutral alpha-glucosidases were separated from human skeletal muscle by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The appearance of the two human neutral alpha-glucosidase isoenzymes was found to be age dependent. We called them "fetal" and "adult" neutral alpha-glucosidases. The biochemical properties of the fetal and adult types of neutral alpha-glucosidases appeared to be similar to those previously reported for neutral alpha-glucosidases AB and C, respectively. The neutral alpha-glucosidase activity in the column eluate of the infantile acid maltase deficiency (AMD; 5-month-old) muscle was completely of the adult type, whereas 18% of the total neutral alpha-glucosidase activity in age-matched control muscle was of the fetal type. In contrast, the eluate of the late-onset AMD (32-year-old) muscle contained both the adult and fetal neutral alpha-glucosidases, 68 and 32%, respectively.

Adult↗

Galactosylsphingosine inhibition of the broad-specificity cytosolic beta-glucosidase of human liver.

Glucosylsphingosine is a potent inhibitor of lysosomal glucocerebrosidase and the broad-specificity, cytosolic beta-glucosidase of human liver. In the present study, it was demonstrated that the broad-specificity beta-glucosidase was also inhibited by galactosylsphingosine. The inhibition was observed when the enzyme was assayed for beta-glucosidase, beta-galactosidase, beta-xylosidase, and alpha-arabinosidase activities. Inhibition was of the mixed-type and the degree of inhibition depended on the substrate. For example, galactosylsphingosine was a more potent inhibitor of beta-glucosidase activity (I0.5 = 0.3 mM) than beta-xylosidase activity (I0.5 = 1.2 mM). In addition, the observation that the broad-specificity, cytosolic beta-glucosidase was inhibited by hydrophobic glycosphingolipids prompted the definition of a revised purification procedure which took advantage of hydrophobic affinity chromatography. This revised purification scheme employed Octyl-Sepharose and yielded the largest (68,000 Da) and most active (470,000 nmol h-1 mg protein-1) beta-glucosidase preparation yet described. The beta-glucosidase preparation contained 19% serine and 17% glycine, while 24% of the total amino acids were hydrophobic. The results of this study document the presence of a sphingolipid binding site on the broad-specificity beta-glucosidase. The implications of galactosylsphingosine inhibition of cytosolic beta-glucosidase and the possible role of the enzyme in glycosphingolipid metabolism are discussed.

Amino Acids↗

The bglA gene of Aspergillus kawachii encodes both extracellular and cell wall-bound beta-glucosidases.

We cloned the genomic DNA and cDNA of bglA, which encodes beta-glucosidase in Aspergillus kawachii, based on a partial amino acid sequence of purified cell wall-bound beta-glucosidase CB-1. The nucleotide sequence of the cloned bglA gene revealed a 2,933-bp open reading frame with six introns that encodes an 860-amino-acid protein. Based on the deduced amino acid sequence, we concluded that the bglA gene encodes cell wall-bound beta-glucosidase CB-1. The amino acid sequence exhibited high levels of homology with the amino acid sequences of fungal beta-glucosidases classified in subfamily B. We expressed the bglA cDNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and detected the recombinant beta-glucosidase in the periplasm fraction of the recombinant yeast. A. kawachii can produce two extracellular beta-glucosidases (EX-1 and EX-2) in addition to the cell wall-bound beta-glucosidase. A. kawachii in which the bglA gene was disrupted produced none of the three beta-glucosidases, as determined by enzyme assays and a Western blot analysis. Thus, we concluded that the bglA gene encodes both extracellular and cell wall-bound beta-glucosidases in A. kawachii.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Lysosomal beta-glucosidase of rat liver.

Studies were undertaken to characterize the beta-glucosidase activity in freshly homogenized liver from Sprague-Dawley rats. About 95% of the total beta-glucosidase activity was associated with the particulate fraction, whereas only about 3-7% was found in the cytosol. Storage of fresh liver at room temperature for several hours or repeated freezing and thawing of fresh rat liver prior to homogenization, solubilized 20-30% of the total hepatic beta-glucosidase activity. An additional 30% could be solubilized by extracting the particulate sediments with water or Triton X-100. The enzymatic activity in both the particulate and solubilized fractions optimally hydrolyzed 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucoside as well as the glycolipid substrate, glucosylceramide, at an acidic pH. The rates of hydrolysis of either substrate by all subcellular fractions were stimulated by addition of sodium taurocholate or phosphatidylserine. The particulate, cytosolic and solubilized enzymes bound to concanavalin A, were inhibited by conduritol B epoxide and migrated more electronegatively on cellulose acetate than the cytosolic acid beta-glucosidase from human liver or spleen. These data indicated that the liver of Sprague-Dawley rats contained primarily the lysosomal acid beta-glucosidase ('glucocerebrosidase') and little, if any, 'nonspecific' beta-glucosidase. This, and the fact that about 60% of the rat hepatic beta-glucosidase could be solubilized by autolysis, freezing and rethawing or extraction with water, contrasts with the beta-glucosidases in human liver since about 80% of the total beta-glucosidase activity is cytosolic and does not hydrolyze glucosylceramide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Human acid beta-glucosidase. Use of conduritol B epoxide derivatives to investigate the catalytically active normal and Gaucher disease enzymes.

Human acid beta-glucosidase (glucosylceramidase; EC 3.2.1.45) cleaves the glycosidic bonds of glucosyl ceramide and synthetic beta-glucosides. Conduritol B epoxide (CBE) and its brominated derivative are mechanism-based inhibitors which bind covalently to the catalytic site of acid beta-glucosidase. Procedures using brominetritiated CBE and monospecific anti-human placental acid beta-glucosidase IgG were developed to determine the molar concentrations of functional acid beta-glucosidase catalytic sites in pure placental enzyme preparations from normal sources; kcat values then were calculated from Vmax = [Et]kcat using glucosyl ceramide substrates with dodecanoyl (2135 +/- 45 min-1) and hexanoyl (3200 +/- 410 min-1) fatty acid acyl chains and 4-alkyl-umbelliferyl beta-glucoside substrates with methyl (2235 +/- 197 min-1), heptyl (1972 +/- 152 min-1), nonyl (2220 +/- 247 min-1), and undecyl (773 +/- 44 min-1) alkyl chains. The respective kcat values for acid beta-glucosidase in a crude normal splenic preparation were about 60% of these values. In comparison, the kcat values of the mutant splenic acid beta-glucosidase from two Type 1 Ashkenazi Jewish Gaucher disease (AJGD) patients were about 1.5-3-fold decreased and had Km values for each substrate which were similar to those for the normal acid beta-glucosidase. The interaction of the normal and Type 1 AJGD enzymes with CBE in a 1:1 stoichiometry conformed to a model with reversible EI complexes formed prior to covalent inactivation. With CBE, the equal kmax values (maximal rate of inactivation) for the normal (0.051 +/- 0.009 min-1) and Type 1 AJGD (0.058 +/- 0.016 min-1) enzymes were consistent with the minor differences in kcat. In contrast, the Ki value (dissociation constant) (839 +/- 64 microM) for the Type 1 AJGD enzymes was about 5 times the normal Ki value (166 +/- 57 microM). These results indicated that the catalytically active Type 1 AJGD acid beta-glucosidase had nearly normal hydrolytic capacity and suggested an amino acid substitution in or near the acid beta-glucosidase active site leading to an in vivo instability of the mutant enzymatic activity.

Gaucher Disease↗

[Histochemical and biochemical investigation of alpha-glucosidases by means of 2-naphthyl-alpha-D-glucoside (author's transl)].

Histochemical and biochemical studies yield the following method of choice for the in situ detection of neutral (microvillous) and acid (lysosomal) alpha-glucosidases: 12 mg 2-naphthyl-alpha-D-glucoside (dissolved in 0.5 ml N,N-dimethylformamide) and 0.6--0.8 ml hexazonium-p-rosaniline in 10 ml 0.1 M citric acid phosphate buffer for aqueous or 5 ml buffer mixed with equal parts of 2% agar for incubation with semipermeable membranes, pH 5 or 6.5. With this method neutral alpha-glucosidases can be exactly demonstrated in the brush border of the small intestine (glycoamylase, sucrase-isomaltase) and kidney of mammals, birds,fishes, amphibia and reptiles; localization of acid alpha-glucosidases is achieved at the cellular level in many organs and tissues. Fluorometric and photometric measurements prove that 2-naphthyl-alpha-D-glucoside is superior to 6-brom-2-naphthyl-alpha-D-glucoside for the demonstration of alpha-glucosidases in situ due to the lower Michaelis constant and higher maximal reaction velocity of the naphthol derivative.--Among the coupling reagents tested neutral alpha-glucosidases can be localized correctly with hexazotized p-rosaniline (with and without semipermeable membranes) for simultaneous coupling. Fast Blue B delivers false positive results in the suczedaneous and simultaneous coupling procedure using aqueous incubation media; in combination with the membrane technique azo dye can not be observed in the sections. Hexazonium-p-rosaniline inhibits neutral and acid alpha-glucosidases to nearly the same extent as Fast Blue B. Fixation of blocks of tissue in formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde suppresses alpha-glucosidases in the intestine and epididymis. The inhibition rates amount to 50 and 70% respectively. Washing in sugar solution rises enzyme activity to 65 and 50%. Species and organ dependent activity differences of neutral and acid alpha-glucosidases and changes of enzyme activity in the intestine and kidney after castration as well as in the course of pregnancy can be detected by means of biochemistry but not with the histochemical assay including minimal incubation. In comparison with p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-glucoside the 2-naphthyl derivative is also the substrate of choice for the biochemical determination of alpha-glucosidases.--Agar gel electrophoresis reveals one band in the neutral and acid pH range.

Animals↗

Genetic relationship between lysosomal and lamellar body-specific alpha-glucosidases in human lung.

In lamellar bodies isolated from adult human lung at least two acid alpha-glucosidases are present: one similar to the lung lysosomal alpha-glucosidase, and another lamellar body-specific isoenzyme. In the present study we measured the activity of this lamellar body-specific alpha-glucosidase and of lysosomal alpha-glucosidase in a patient with an inherited deficiency of lysosomal alpha-glucosidase. The activity of the lamellar body-specific alpha-glucosidase was not affected in the patient, whereas the lysosomal alpha-glucosidase activity was strongly depressed. The results strongly suggest that the lysosomal alpha-glucosidase and the lamellar body-specific alpha-glucosidase are different gene products.

Concanavalin A↗

Variable expression of leukocyte cytosolic broad-specificity beta-glucosidase activity.

The cytosolic beta-glucosidase activity that is found in a variety of mammalian tissues has no clearly defined function. In vitro assay conditions under which the broad-specificity beta-glucosidase hydrolyzes glucocerebroside at a significant rate have not been described. Nonetheless, it has been suggested that this enzyme might play an accessory role with lysosomal glucocerebrosidase in catalyzing the hydrolysis of glucosylceramide. However, this hypothesis would require that activity of both enzymes be low in severe cases of Gaucher disease in which there are pathological accumulations of glucosylceramide in one or more of the affected organs, i.e. spleen, liver and bone marrow. Information is lacking regarding the normal range of cytosolic beta-glucosidase activity in humans. p-Nitrophenyl-beta-D-mannoside was found to be a potent inhibitor (Ki = 0.068 mM) of cytosolic beta-glucosidase. In parallel studies, the activity of glucocerebrosidase was found to be minimally affected by p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-mannoside at concentrations as high as 2.5 mM. This information was used to design an assay system that would allow us to estimate glucocerebrosidase and cytosolic beta-glucosidase activities in extracts of human leukocytes. Average cytosolic beta-glucosidase activity with 4-heptyl-umbelliferyl-beta-D-glucoside as a substrate was 8.8 nmol/h/mg protein in leukocytes from 356 subjects (range, 0.2-28). Average leukocyte glucocerebrosidase specific activity was 16 nmol/h/mg protein (range 5.3-45.7). No correlation was observed between cytosolic beta-glucosidase and glucocerebrosidase activity for control and Gaucher heterozygote populations (r = 0.19 and 0.25, respectively). The wide range of leukocyte cytosolic beta-glucosidase activity in individuals tested in this study indicates that a substantial proportion of the population may lack sufficient cytosolic beta-glucosidase activity to assist a defective lysosomal glucocerebrosidase in hydrolyzing glucosylceramide.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Comparison of a beta-glucosidase and a beta-mannosidase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. Purification, characterization, gene cloning, and sequence analysis.

Two distinct exo-acting, beta-specific glycosyl hydrolases were purified to homogeneity from crude cell extracts of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus: a beta-glucosidase, corresponding to the one previously purified by Kengen et al. (Kengen, S. W. M., Luesink, E. J., Stams, A. J. M., and Zehnder, A. J. B. (1993) Eur. J. Biochem. 213, 305-312), and a beta-mannosidase. The beta-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase genes were isolated from a genomic library by expression screening. The nucleotide sequences predicted polypeptides with 510 and 472 amino acids corresponding to calculated molecular masses of 59.0 and 54.6 kDa for the beta-mannosidase and the beta-glucosidase, respectively. The beta-glucosidase gene was identical to that reported by Voorhorst et al. (Voorhorst, W. G. B., Eggen, R. I. L., Luesink, E. J., and deVos, W. M. (1995) J. Bacteriol. 177, 7105-7111; GenBank accession no. U37557U37557). The deduced amino acid sequences showed homology both with each other (46.5% identical) and with several other glycosyl hydrolases, including the beta-glycosidases from Sulfolobus solfataricus, Thermotoga maritima, and Caldocellum saccharolyticum. Based on these sequence similarities, the beta-mannosidase and the beta-glucosidase can both be classified as family 1 glycosyl hydrolases. In addition, the beta-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase from P. furiosus both contained the conserved active site residues found in all family 1 enzymes. The beta-mannosidase showed optimal activity at pH 7.4 and 105 degrees C. Although the enzyme had a half-life of greater than 60 h at 90 degrees C, it is much less thermostable than the beta-glucosidase, which had a reported half-life of 85 h at 100 degrees C. Km and Vmax values for the beta-mannosidase were determined to be 0.79 mM and 31.1 micromol para-nitrophenol released/min/mg with p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-mannopyranoside as substrate. The catalytic efficiency of the beta-mannosidase was significantly lower than that reported for the P. furiosus beta-glucosidase (5.3 versus 4, 500 s-1 mM-1 with p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside as substrate). The kinetic differences between the two enzymes suggest that, unlike the beta-glucosidase, the primary role of the beta-mannosidase may not be disaccharide hydrolysis. Other possible roles for this enzyme are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Analysis of the critical sites for protein thermostabilization by proline substitution in oligo-1,6-glucosidase from Bacillus coagulans ATCC 7050 and the evolutionary consideration of proline residues.

To identify the critical sites for protein thermostabilization by proline substitution, the gene for oligo-1,6- glucosidase from a thermophilic Bacillus coagulans strain, ATCC 7050, was cloned as a 2.4-kb DNA fragment and sequenced. In spite of a big difference in their thermostabilities, B. coagulans oligo-1,6-glucosidase had a large number of points in its primary structure identical to respective points in the same enzymes from a mesophilic Bacillus cereus strain, ATCC 7064 (57%), and an obligately thermophilic Bacillus thermoglucosidasius strain, KP1006 (59%). The number of prolines (19 for B. cereus oligo-1,6-glucosidase, 24 for B. coagulans enzyme, and 32 for B. thermoglucosidasius enzyme) was observed to increase with the rise in thermostabilities of the oligo-1,6-glucosidases. Classification of proline residues in light of the amino acid sequence alignment and the protein structure revealed by X-ray crystallographic analysis also supported this tendency. Judging from proline residues occurring in B. coagulans oligo-1,6-glucosidase and the structural requirement for proline substitution (second site of the beta turn and first turn of the alpha helix) (K. Watanabe, T. Masuda, H. Ohashi, H. Mihara, and Y. Suzuki, Eur. J. Biochem. 226:277-283, 1994), the critical sites for thermostabilization were found to be Lys-121, Glu-290, Lys-457, and Glu-487 in B. cereus oligo-1,6-glucosidase. With regard to protein evolution, the oligo-1,6-glucosidases very likely follow the neutral theory. The adaptive mutations of the oligo-1,6-glucosidases that appear to increase thermostability are consistent with the substitution of proline residues for neutrally occurring residues. It is concluded that proline substitution is an important factor for the selection of thermostability in oligo-1,6-glucosidases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Partial characterization of leucocyte alpha-glucosidase in late onset glycogenosis type II.

We describe partial characterization and properties of leucocyte alpha-glucosidase from a patient with clinical features intermediate of juvenile and adult onset forms of glycogenosis type II. Acid and neutral alpha-glucosidase activities toward 4-methylumbelliferyl glucopyranoside as substrate were studied in total leucocytes, and separately in lymphocytes and granulocytes. Lymphocytes, which showed markedly reduced activities of acid alpha-glucosidase in the patient, are the most reliable peripheral blood cells for the diagnosis of glycogenosis type II. Moreover, the ratio of acid/neutral alpha-glucosidase activities, especially in lymphocytes, is a useful parameter for the diagnosis. In lymphocytes, the Km values of both acid and neutral alpha-glucosidases were essentially the same between the patient and normal controls; the Vmax value of acid alpha-glucosidase from the patient was markedly reduced, and the Vmax value of neutral alpha-glucosidase from the patient was reduced by 36% as compared with that from normal controls. Heat-inactivation experiments revealed that acid alpha-glucosidase activities of lymphocytes were relatively heat-stable, while both acid and neutral alpha-glucosidases of granulocytes were heat-labile. No differences in these properties, however, could be detected between the patient and normal controls.

Adult↗