Bioinformatic, Enzymatic, and Structural Characterization of Hexosaminidase HEX-2.

Hexosaminidases are key enzymes in glycoconjugate metabolism and occur in all kingdoms of life. Here, we have investigated the phylogeny of the GH20 glycosyl hydrolase family in nematodes and identified a β-hexosaminidase subclade present only in the Dorylaimia. We have expressed one of these, HEX-2 from , a porcine parasite, and shown that it prefers an aryl β--acetylgalactosaminide .