A real-time fluorogenic assay for the visualization of glycoside hydrolase activity in planta.

There currently exists a diverse array of molecular probes for the in situ localization of polysaccharides, nucleic acids, and proteins in plant cells, including reporter enzyme strategies (e.g. protein-glucuronidase fusions).

Kinetic analyses of retaining endo-(xylo)glucanases from plant and microbial sources using new chromogenic xylogluco-oligosaccharide aryl glycosides.

A library of phenyl beta-glycosides of xylogluco-oligosaccharides was synthesized via a chemoenzymatic approach to produce new, specific substrates for xyloglucanases. Tamarind xyloglucan was completely hydrolyzed to four, variably galactosylated component oligosaccharides based on Glc 4 backbones, using a Trichoderma endo-glucanase mixture. Oligosaccharide complexity could be further reduced by beta-galactosidase treament.

Analysis of the surfaces of wood tissues and pulp fibers using carbohydrate-binding modules specific for crystalline cellulose and mannan.

Carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) are noncatalytic substrate binding domains of many enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Here we used fluorescent labeled recombinant CBMs specific for crystalline cellulose (CBM1(HjCel7A)) and mannans (CBM27(TmMan5) and CBM35(CjMan5C)) to analyze the complex surfaces of wood tissues and pulp fibers. The crystalline cellulose CBM1(HjCel7A) was found as a reliable marker of both bacterially produced and plant G-layer cellulose, and labeling of spruce pulp fibers with CBM1(HjCel7A) revealed a signal that increased with degree of fiber damage.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of 6omega -modified maltooligosaccharides from cyclodextrin derivatives.

Regioselectively substituted maltooligosaccharides were prepared by enzymatic transformation of modified cyclodextrins by using simultaneously two different enzymes: cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) and amyloglucosidase. Oligosaccharides were obtained in very good yields and their structures were identified by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. These results provided new information about the specificity of the catalytic sites of CGTase and amyloglucosidase.

Synthesis, preliminary characterization, and application of novel surfactants from highly branched xyloglucan oligosaccharides.

A novel class of nonionic, carbohydrate-based surfactants has been synthesized from the plant polysaccharide xyloglucan. Enzymatic hydrolysis of xyloglucan yielded a series of well-defined, highly branched oligosaccharides that, following reductive amination, were readily conjugated with fatty acids bearing C8 to C18 chains under mild conditions. The critical micelle concentration, determined by tensiometry and dye-inclusion measurements, showed a typical dependence on acyl chain length and was sensitive to the degree of galactosylation of the head group.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of branched oligo- and polysaccharides as potential substrates for starch active enzymes.

Oligo- and polysaccharides embodying the alpha-maltotriosyl-6(II)-maltotetraosyl structure were readily synthesized by transglycosylation of maltosyl fluoride onto panose and pullulan catalysed by the bacterial transglycosylase cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase). The two products obtained proved useful for increasing the knowledge of substrate binding and processing at the active site of barley limit dextrinase that is involved in the metabolism of amylopectin by acting upon its branch points.

Large-scale in vivo synthesis of the carbohydrate moieties of gangliosides GM1 and GM2 by metabolically engineered Escherichia coli.

Two metabolically engineered Escherichia coli strains have been constructed to produce the carbohydrate moieties of gangliosides GM2 (GalNAcbeta-4(NeuAcalpha-3)Galbeta-4Glc; Gal = galactose, Glc = glucose, Ac = acetyl) and GM1 (Galbeta-3GalNAcbeta-4(NeuAcalpha-3)Galbeta-4Glc. The GM2 oligosaccharide-producing strain TA02 was devoid of both beta-galactosidase and sialic acid aldolase activities and overexpressed the genes for CMP-NeuAc synthase (CMP = cytidine monophosphate), alpha-2,3-sialyltransferase, UDP-GlcNAc (UDP = uridine diphosphate) C4 epimerase, and beta-1,4-GalNAc transferase. When this strain was cultivated on glycerol, exogenously added lactose and sialic acid were shown to be actively internalized into the cytoplasm and converted into GM2 oligosaccharide.

Chemoenzymatic syntheses of linear and branched hemithiomaltodextrins as potential inhibitors for starch-debranching enzymes.

Oligosaccharides embodying the S-maltosyl-6-thiomaltosyl structure have been readily synthesised by using convergent chemoenzymatic approaches. The key steps for the preparation of these molecules involved: 1) transglycosylation reactions of maltosyl fluorides onto suitable acceptors catalysed by the bacterial transglycosylase, cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase), and 2) the SN2-type displacement of a 6-halide from acetylated acceptors by activated 1-thioglycoses. The target molecules, which were obtained in good overall yields, proved to be useful for investigating substrate binding in the active sites of several enzymes that act upon the alpha-1,6-linkage of pullulan and/or amylopectin.