scholarly journals Lectin engineering: the possible and the actual

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 20180068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Hirabayashi ◽  
Ryoichi Arai
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding ◽  
Sugar Binding ◽  
Current State ◽  
Binding Function ◽  
Synthetic Proteins ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding Modules ◽  
Lectin Specificity ◽  
Experimental Level ◽  
Proteins And Peptides

Lectins are a widespread group of sugar-binding proteins occurring in all types of organisms including animals, plants, bacteria, fungi and even viruses. According to a recent report, there are more than 50 lectin scaffolds (∼Pfam), for which three-dimensional structures are known and sugar-binding functions have been confirmed in the literature, which far exceeds our view in the twentieth century (Fujimoto et al. 2014 Methods Mol. Biol. 1200 , 579–606 ( doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1292-6_46 )). This fact suggests that new lectins will be discovered either by a conventional screening approach or just by chance. It is also expected that new lectin domains including those found in enzymes as carbohydrate-binding modules will be generated in the future through evolution, although this has never been attempted on an experimental level. Based on the current state of the art, various methods of lectin engineering are available, by which lectin specificity and/or stability of a known lectin scaffold can be improved. However, the above observation implies that any protein scaffold, including those that have never been described as lectins, may be modified to acquire a sugar-binding function. In this review, possible approaches to confer sugar-binding properties on synthetic proteins and peptides are described.

Novel clostridial cell-surface hemicellulose-binding CBM3 proteins

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Almog Hershko Rimon ◽  
Oded Livnah ◽  
Inna Rozman Grinberg ◽  
Lizett Ortiz de Ora ◽  
Oren Yaniv ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Binding ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding ◽  
Unexpected Finding ◽  
Calcium Binding Site ◽  
Three Dimensional Structure ◽  
Loop Region ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding Modules ◽  
Cellulose Binding

A novel member of the family 3 carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM3s) is encoded by a gene (Cthe_0271) in Clostridium thermocellum which is the most highly expressed gene in the bacterium during its growth on several types of biomass substrates. Surprisingly, CtCBM3-0271 binds to at least two different types of xylan, instead of the common binding of CBM3s to cellulosic substrates. CtCBM3-0271 was crystallized and its three-dimensional structure was solved and refined to a resolution of 1.8 Å. In order to learn more about the role of this type of CBM3, a comparative study with its orthologue from Clostridium clariflavum (encoded by the Clocl_1192 gene) was performed, and the three-dimensional structure of CcCBM3-1192 was determined to 1.6 Å resolution. Carbohydrate binding by CcCBM3-1192 was found to be similar to that by CtCBM3-0271; both exhibited binding to xylan rather than to cellulose. Comparative structural analysis of the two CBM3s provided a clear functional correlation of structure and binding, in which the two CBM3s lack the required number of binding residues in their cellulose-binding strips and thus lack cellulose-binding capabilities. This is an enigma, as CtCBM3-0271 was reported to be a highly expressed protein when the bacterium was grown on cellulose. An additional unexpected finding was that CcCBM3-1192 does not contain the calcium ion that was considered to play a structural stabilizing role in the CBM3 family. Despite the lack of calcium, the five residues that form the calcium-binding site are conserved. The absence of calcium results in conformational changes in two loops of the CcCBM3-1192 structure. In this context, superposition of the non-calcium-binding CcCBM3-1192 with CtCBM3-0271 and other calcium-binding CBM3s reveals a much broader two-loop region in the former compared with CtCBM3-0271.

Fine-structural variance of family 3 carbohydrate-binding modules as extracellular biomass-sensing components ofClostridium thermocellumanti-σIfactors

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 522-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oren Yaniv ◽  
Galit Fichman ◽  
Ilya Borovok ◽  
Yuval Shoham ◽  
Edward A. Bayer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
Structural Similarity ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding ◽  
Regulation Mechanism ◽  
Structural Variations ◽  
Carbohydrate Active Enzymes ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
Substrate Preferences ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding Modules

The anaerobic, thermophilic, cellulosome-producing bacteriumClostridium thermocellumrelies on a variety of carbohydrate-active enzymes in order to efficiently break down complex carbohydrates into utilizable simple sugars. The regulation mechanism of the cellulosomal genes was unknown until recently, when genomic analysis revealed a set of putative operons inC. thermocellumthat encode σIfactors (i.e.alternative σ factors that control specialized regulon activation) and their cognate anti-σIfactor (RsgI). These putative anti-σI-factor proteins have modules that are believed to be carbohydrate sensors. Three of these modules were crystallized and their three-dimensional structures were solved. The structures show a high overall degree of sequence and structural similarity to the cellulosomal family 3 carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM3s). The structures of the three carbohydrate sensors (RsgI-CBM3s) and a reference CBM3 are compared in the context of the structural determinants for the specificity of cellulose and complex carbohydrate binding. Fine structural variations among the RsgI-CBM3s appear to result in alternative substrate preferences for each of the sensors.

scholarly journals Comparative Biochemical and Structural Analysis of Novel Cellulose Binding Proteins (Tāpirins) from Extremely Thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor Species

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura L. Lee ◽  
William S. Hart ◽  
Vladimir V. Lunin ◽  
Markus Alahuhta ◽  
Yannick J. Bomble ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microcrystalline Cellulose ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Hot Springs ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding Modules ◽  
Cellulose Binding

AbstractGenomes of extremely thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor species encode novel cellulose binding proteins, tāpirins, located proximate to the type IV pilus locus. Previously, the C-terminal domain of a tāpirin (Calkro_0844) from Caldicellulosiruptor kronotskyensis was shown to be structurally unique and have a cellulose binding affinity akin to family 3 carbohydrate binding modules (CBM3). Here, full-length and C-terminal versions of tāpirins from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii (Athe_1870), Caldicellulosiruptor hydrothermalis (Calhy_0908), Caldicellulosiruptor kristjanssonii (Calkr_0826), and Caldicellulosiruptor naganoensis (NA10_0869) were produced recombinantly in Escherichia coli and compared to Calkro_0844. All five tāpirins bound to microcrystalline cellulose, switchgrass, poplar, filter paper, but not to xylan. Densitometry analysis of bound protein fractions visualized by SDS-PAGE revealed that Calhy_0908 and Calkr_0826 (from weakly cellulolytic species) associated with the cellulose substrates to a greater extent than Athe_1870, Calkro_0844 and NA10_0869 (from strongly cellulolytic species), perhaps to associate closely with biomass to capture glucans released from lignocellulose by cellulases produced in Caldicellulosiruptor communities. Three-dimensional structures of the C-terminal binding regions of Calhy_0908 and Calkr_0826 were closely related to Calkro_0844, despite the fact that their amino acid sequence identities compared to Calkro_0844 were only 16% and 36%, respectively. Unlike the parent strain, C. bescii mutants lacking the tāpirin genes did not bind to cellulose following short-term incubation, reinforcing the significance of these proteins in cell association with plant biomass. Given the scarcity of carbohydrates in neutral terrestrial hot springs, tāpirins likely help cells scavenge carbohydrates from lignocellulose to support growth and survival of Caldicellulosiruptor species.ImportanceMechanisms by which microorganisms attach to and degrade lignocellulose are important to understand if effective approaches for conversion of plant biomass into fuels and chemicals are to be developed. Caldicellulosiruptor species grow on carbohydrates from lignocellulose at elevated temperatures and have biotechnological significance for that reason. Novel cellulose binding proteins, called tāpirins, are involved in the way Caldicellulosiruptor species interact with microcrystalline cellulose and here additional information about the diversity of these proteins across the genus is provided, including three dimensional structural comparisons.

Casimir forces and vacuum energy

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serge Reynaud ◽  
Astrid Lambrecht
Keyword(s):  
Casimir Force ◽  
Dimensional Space ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Thermal Fluctuations ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Vacuum Field ◽  
Force Measurements ◽  
Casimir Forces ◽  
Current State ◽  
Field Fluctuations

The Casimir force is an effect of quantum vacuum field fluctuations, with applications in many domains of physics. The ideal expression obtained by Casimir, valid for perfect plane mirrors at zero temperature, has to be modified to take into account the effects of the optical properties of mirrors, thermal fluctuations, and geometry. After a general introduction to the Casimir force and a description of the current state of the art for Casimir force measurements and their comparison with theory, this chapter presents pedagogical treatments of the main features of the theory of Casimir forces for one-dimensional model systems and for mirrors in three-dimensional space.

scholarly journals Functional diversity of three tandem C-terminal carbohydrate-binding modules of a β-mannanase

2021 ◽  
pp. 100638
Author(s):  
Marie Sofie Møller ◽  
Souad El Bouaballati ◽  
Bernard Henrissat ◽  
Birte Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding Modules

scholarly journals Functionalization of Cellulose-Based Hydrogels with Bi-Functional Fusion Proteins Containing Carbohydrate-Binding Modules

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3175
Author(s):  
Mariana Barbosa ◽  
Hélvio Simões ◽  
Duarte Miguel F. Prazeres
Keyword(s):  
Fusion Proteins ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Main Idea ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Scaffolding Protein ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding ◽  
Biological Interactions ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding Modules

Materials with novel and enhanced functionalities can be obtained by modifying cellulose with a range of biomolecules. This functionalization can deliver tailored cellulose-based materials with enhanced physical and chemical properties and control of biological interactions that match specific applications. One of the foundations for the success of such biomaterials is to efficiently control the capacity to combine relevant biomolecules into cellulose materials in such a way that the desired functionality is attained. In this context, our main goal was to develop bi-functional biomolecular constructs for the precise modification of cellulose hydrogels with bioactive molecules of interest. The main idea was to use biomolecular engineering techniques to generate and purify different recombinant fusions of carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) with significant biological entities. Specifically, CBM-based fusions were designed to enable the bridging of proteins or oligonucleotides with cellulose hydrogels. The work focused on constructs that combine a family 3 CBM derived from the cellulosomal-scaffolding protein A from Clostridium thermocellum (CBM3) with the following: (i) an N-terminal green fluorescent protein (GFP) domain (GFP-CBM3); (ii) a double Z domain that recognizes IgG antibodies; and (iii) a C-terminal cysteine (CBM3C). The ability of the CBM fusions to bind and/or anchor their counterparts onto the surface of cellulose hydrogels was evaluated with pull-down assays. Capture of GFP-CBM3 by cellulose was first demonstrated qualitatively by fluorescence microscopy. The binding of the fusion proteins, the capture of antibodies (by ZZ-CBM3), and the grafting of an oligonucleotide (to CBM3C) were successfully demonstrated. The bioactive cellulose platform described here enables the precise anchoring of different biomolecules onto cellulose hydrogels and could contribute significatively to the development of advanced medical diagnostic sensors or specialized biomaterials, among others.

scholarly journals Flowering plant embryos: How did we end up here?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan A. Rensing ◽  
Dolf Weijers
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
General Structure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Adult Plant ◽  
Ancestral State ◽  
Evolutionary Trajectory ◽  
Current State ◽  
Plant Embryo

AbstractThe seeds of flowering plants are sexually produced propagules that ensure dispersal and resilience of the next generation. Seeds harbor embryos, three dimensional structures that are often miniatures of the adult plant in terms of general structure and primordial organs. In addition, embryos contain the meristems that give rise to post-embryonically generated structures. However common, flowering plant embryos are an evolutionary derived state. Flowering plants are part of a much larger group of embryo-bearing plants, aptly termed Embryophyta. A key question is what evolutionary trajectory led to the emergence of flowering plant embryos. In this opinion, we deconstruct the flowering plant embryo and describe the current state of knowledge of embryos in other plant lineages. While we are far yet from understanding the ancestral state of plant embryogenesis, we argue what current knowledge may suggest and how the knowledge gaps may be closed.

scholarly journals Integrated Counts of Carbohydrate-Active Protein Domains as Metabolic Readouts to Distinguish Probiotic Biology and Human Fecal Metagenomes

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Hsing Liu ◽  
Yu-Chen Lin ◽  
Chen-Shuan Chung ◽  
Kevin Liu ◽  
Ya-Hui Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Markov Models ◽  
Protein Domains ◽  
Degradation Pathway ◽  
The Other ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding ◽  
Gram Stain ◽  
Active Protein ◽  
Metabolic Potential ◽  
Independent Validation ◽  
Carbohydrate Binding Modules

AbstractBowel microbiota is a “metaorgan” of metabolisms on which quantitative readouts must be performed before interventions can be introduced and evaluated. The study of the effects of probiotic Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI 588 (CBM588) on intestine transplantees indicated an increased percentage of the “other glycan degradation” pathway in 16S-rRNA-inferred metagenomes. To verify the prediction, a scoring system of carbohydrate metabolisms derived from shotgun metagenomes was developed using hidden Markov models. A significant correlation (R = 0.9, p < 0.015) between both modalities was demonstrated. An independent validation revealed a strong complementarity (R = −0.97, p < 0.002) between the scores and the abundance of “glycogen degradation” in bacteria communities. On applying the system to bacteria genomes, CBM588 had only 1 match and ranked higher than the other 8 bacteria evaluated. The gram-stain properties were significantly correlated to the scores (p < 5 × 10−4). The distributions of the scored protein domains indicated that CBM588 had a considerably higher (p < 10−5) proportion of carbohydrate-binding modules than other bacteria, which suggested the superior ability of CBM588 to access carbohydrates as a metabolic driver to the bowel microbiome. These results demonstrated the use of integrated counts of protein domains as a feasible readout for metabolic potential within bacteria genomes and human metagenomes.

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