Enzymatic synthesis of oligosaccharides by two glycosyl hydrolases of Sulfolobus solfataricus

• Published in: Extremophiles (Tokyo. Print) Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 145 - 152
• Main Authors: MORACCI, Marco, TRINCONE, Antonio, COBUCCI-PONZANO, Beatrice, PERUGINO, Giuseppe, CIARAMELLA, Maria, ROSSI, Mosè
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01-06-2001; Tokyo
• Subjects: Bioconversions. Hemisynthesis; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Carbohydrate Conformation; Carbohydrate Sequence; Catalysis; Enzyme Stability; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycoside Hydrolases - genetics; Glycoside Hydrolases - metabolism; Kinetics; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Oligosaccharides - biosynthesis; Oligosaccharides - chemistry; Space life sciences; Sulfolobus - enzymology; Sulfolobus - genetics; Temperature; Xylosidases - metabolism; Biotechnology; Archaeobacteria; Biochemistry; Review; Sulfolobus solfataricus; Synthase; Thermal stability; Glucan; Transglycosylation; Sulfolobaceae; Enzymatic activity; Hyperthermophily; Bacteria; Carbohydrate; Sulfolobales; Enzymatic synthesis; Enzyme preparation; Enzyme; Enzymatic engineering; Oligosaccharide; Microbial origin; Characteristics; Glycosidases; Hydrolases; Thermostable; Polysaccharide
• ISSN: 1431-0651; 1433-4909
• DOI: 10.1007/s007920100186

The importance of carbohydrates in a variety of biological functions is the reason that interest has recently increased in these compounds as possible components of therapeutic agents. Thus, the need for a technique allowing the easy synthesis of carbohydrates and glucoconjugates is an emerging challenge for chemists and biologists involved in this field. At present, enzymatic synthesis has resulted in the most promising approach for the production of complex oligosaccharides. In this respect, the enzymological characteristics of the catalysts, in term of regioselectivity, substrate specificity, and operational stability, are of fundamental importance to improve the yields of the process and to widen the repertoire of the available products. Here, two methods of oligosaccharide synthesis performed by a glycosynthase and by an alpha-xylosidase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus are briefly reviewed. The approaches used and the biodiversity of the catalysts together are key features for their possible utilization in the synthesis of oligosaccharides.