Xylanase from the psychrophilic yeast Cryptococcus adeliae.

A xylanase belonging to family 10 is produced by Cryptococcus adeliae, an Antarctic yeast that exhibits optimal growth at low temperature. The mature glycosylated xylanase secreted by C. adeliae is composed of 338 amino acid residues and 26 +/- 3 osidic residues, and shares 84% identity with its mesophilic counterpart from C. albidus. The xylanase from C. adeliae is less thermostable than its mesophilic homologue when the residual activities are compared, and this difference was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry experiments. In the range 0 degrees-20 degrees C, the cold-adapted xylanase displays a lower activation energy and a higher catalytic efficiency. All these observations suggest a less compact, more flexible molecular structure. Analysis of computerized molecular models built up for both psychrophilic and mesophilic xylanases indicates that the adaptation to cold consists of discrete changes in the tridimensional structure: of 53 substitutions, 22 are presumably involved in the adaptation process. These changes lead mainly to a less compact hydrophobic packing, to the loss of one salt bridge, and to a destabilization of the macrodipoles of the helices.

Epoxyalkyl glycosides of D-xylose and xylo-oligosaccharides are active-site markers of xylanases from glycoside hydrolase family 11, not from family 10.

A series of omega-epoxyalkyl glycosides of D-xylopyranose, xylobiose and xylotriose were tested as potential active-site-directed inhibitors of xylanases from glycoside hydrolase families10 and 11. Whereas family-10 enzymes (Thermoascus aurantiacus Xyn and Clostridium thermocellum Xyn Z) are resistant toelectrophilic attack of active-site carboxyl residues, glycosidehydrolases of family 11 (Thermomyces lanuginosus Xyn and Trichoderma reesei Xyn II) are irreversibly inhibited. Theapparent inactivation and association constants (k(i), 1/K(i)) are one order of magnitude higher for thexylobiose and xylotriose derivatives. The effects of the aglycone chainlength can clearly be described. Xylobiose and n-alkyl beta-D-xylopyranosides are competitive ligands and provide protectionagainst inactivation. MS measurements showed 1:1 stoichiometries inmost labelling experiments. Electrospray ionization MS/MS analysisrevealed the nucleophile Glu(86) as the modified residue inthe T. lanuginosus xylanase when 2,3-epoxypropyl beta-D-xylopyranoside was used, whereas the acid/base catalyst Glu(178) was modified by the 3,4-epoxybutyl derivative. The active-site residues Glu(86) and Glu(177) in T. reesei Xyn II are similarly modified, confirming earlier X-raycrystallographic data [Havukainen, Törrönen, Laitinen and Rouvinen (1996)Biochemistry 35, 9617-9624]. The inability of the omega-epoxyalkyl xylo(oligo)saccharide derivatives to inactivate family-10enzymes is discussed in terms of different ligand-subsiteinteractions.