Regioselective chemoenzymatic syntheses of ferulate conjugates as chromogenic substrates for feruloyl esterases

Generally, carbohydrate-active enzymes are studied using chromogenic substrates that provide quick and easy color-based detection of enzyme-mediated hydrolysis. For feruloyl esterases, commercially available chromogenic ferulate derivatives are both costly and limited in terms of their experimental application. In this study, we describe solutions for these two issues, using a chemoenzymatic approach to synthesize different ferulate compounds. The overall synthetic routes towards commercially available 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl and 4-nitrophenyl 5-O-feruloyl-α-ʟ-arabinofuranosides were significantly shortened (from 7 or 8 to 4–6 steps), and the transesterification yields were enhanced (from 46 to 73% and from 47 to 86%, respectively). This was achieved using enzymatic (immobilized Lipozyme® TL IM from Thermomyces lanuginosus) transesterification of unprotected vinyl ferulate to the primary hydroxy group of α‐ʟ‐arabinofuranosides. Moreover, a novel feruloylated 4-nitrocatechol-1-yl-substituted butanetriol analog, containing a cleavable hydroxylated linker, was also synthesized in 32% overall yield in 3 steps (convergent synthesis). The latter route combined the regioselective functionalization of 4-nitrocatechol and enzymatic transferuloylation. The use of this strategy to characterize type A feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus niger reveals the advantages of this substrate for the characterizations of feruloyl esterases.

Comparison of Enzyme Secretion and Ferulic Acid Production by Escherichia coli Expressing Different Lactobacillus Feruloyl Esterases

Construction of recombinant Escherichia coli strains carrying feruloyl esterase genes for secretory expression offers an attractive way to facilitate enzyme purification and one-step production of ferulic acid from agricultural waste. A total of 10 feruloyl esterases derived from nine Lactobacillus species were expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) to investigate their secretion and ferulic acid production. Extracellular activity determination showed all these Lactobacillus feruloyl esterases could be secreted out of E. coli cells. However, protein analysis indicated that they could be classified as three types. The first type presented a low secretion level, including feruloyl esterases derived from Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus johnsonii. The second type showed a high secretion level, including feruloyl esterases derived from Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, and Lactobacillus helveticus. The third type also behaved a high secretion level but easy degradation, including feruloyl esterases derived from Lactobacillus farciminis, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Lactobacillus reuteri. Moreover, these recombinant E. coli strains could directly release ferulic acid from agricultural waste. The highest yield was 140 μg on the basis of 0.1 g de-starched wheat bran by using E. coli expressed L. amylovorus feruloyl esterase. These results provided a solid basis for the production of feruloyl esterase and ferulic acid.

Regioselective chemo-enzymatic syntheses of ferulate conjugates as chromogenic substrates for feruloyl esterases

Generally, carbohydrate-active enzymes are studied using chromogenic substrates that provide quick and easy color-based detection of enzyme-mediated hydrolysis. In the case of feruloyl esterases, commercially available chromogenic ferulate derivatives are both costly and limited in terms of their experimental application. In this study, we describe solutions for these two issues, using a chemoenzymatic approach to synthesize different ferulate compounds. The overall synthetic routes towards commercially available 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl and 4-nitrophenyl O-5-feruloyl-α-l-arabinofuranosides 1a and 1b were significantly shortened (7-8 steps reduced to 4-6) and transesterification yields enhanced (from 46 to 73% for 1a and 47 to 86 % for 1b). This was achieved using enzymatic (immobilized Lipolase 100T from Thermomyces lanuginosus) transesterification of unprotected vinyl ferulate to the primary hydroxyl group of α‐l‐arabinofuranosides. Moreover, a novel feruloylated-butanetriol 4-nitrocatechol-1-yl analog 12, containing a cleavable hydroxylated linker was also synthesized in 29% overall yield in 3 steps (convergent synthesis). The latter route combined regioselective functionalization of 4-nitrocatechol and enzymatic transferuloylation. The use of 12 as a substrate to characterize type A feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus niger reveals the advantages of this substrate for the characterizations of feruloyl esterases.

The commonness and difference among the Lactobacillus feruloyl esterases expressed in Escherichia coli

Background: Construction of recombinant Escherichia coli strains carrying feruloyl esterase genes for secretory expression offers an attractive way to facilitate enzyme purification and one-step produce ferulic acid from agricultural waste. It was found that the Lactobacillus crispatus feruloyl esterase could be secreted into extracellular environment of E. coli. Whether other Lactobacillus feruloyl esterases share the same secretory characteristic is worth investigation.Results: A total of ten feruloyl esterases derived from nine Lactobacillus species were used to analyze their commonness and compare their difference when heterologously expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). Extracellular activity determination showed all these Lactobacillus feruloyl esterases could be secreted out of E. coli cells. However, protein analysis indicated that they could be classified as three types. The first type presented a low secretion level, including feruloyl esterases derived from Lb. acidophilus and Lb. johnsonii. The second type showed a high secretion level, including feruloyl esterases derived from Lb. amylovorus, Lb. crispatus, Lb. gasseri and Lb. helveticus. The third type also behaved a high secretion level but easy degradation, including feruloyl esterases derived from Lb. farciminis, Lb. fermentum and Lb. reuteri. Moreover, these recombinant E. coli strains could directly release ferulic acid from de-starched wheat bran. Conclusions: Recombinant E. coli strains expressing feruloyl esterase of Lb. amylovorus, Lb. crispatus and Lb. helveticus displayed high secretion level and stable extracellular activity. Furthermore, the highest yield of ferulic acid was 140 µg on the basis of 0.1 g de-starched wheat bran after 72 h cultivation of E. coli expressing Lb. amylovorus feruloyl esterase. These results provided a solid basis for the production of feruloyl esterase and ferulic acid.

A carbohydrate-binding family 48 module enables feruloyl esterase action on polymeric arabinoxylan

Feruloyl esterases (EC 3.1.1.73), belonging to carbohydrate esterase family 1 (CE1), hydrolyze ester bonds between ferulic acid (FA) and arabinose moieties in arabinoxylans. Recently, some CE1 enzymes identified in metagenomics studies have been predicted to contain a family 48 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM48), a CBM family associated with starch binding. Two of these CE1s, wastewater treatment sludge (wts) Fae1A and wtsFae1B isolated from wastewater treatment surplus sludge, have a cognate CBM48 domain and are feruloyl esterases, and wtsFae1A binds arabinoxylan. Here, we show that wtsFae1B also binds to arabinoxylan and that neither binds starch. Surface plasmon resonance analysis revealed that wtsFae1B's Kd for xylohexaose is 14.8 μm and that it does not bind to starch mimics, β-cyclodextrin, or maltohexaose. Interestingly, in the absence of CBM48 domains, the CE1 regions from wtsFae1A and wtsFae1B did not bind arabinoxylan and were also unable to catalyze FA release from arabinoxylan. Pretreatment with a β-d-1,4-xylanase did enable CE1 domain-mediated FA release from arabinoxylan in the absence of CBM48, indicating that CBM48 is essential for the CE1 activity on the polysaccharide. Crystal structures of wtsFae1A (at 1.63 Å resolution) and wtsFae1B (1.98 Å) revealed that both are folded proteins comprising structurally-conserved hydrogen bonds that lock the CBM48 position relative to that of the CE1 domain. wtsFae1A docking indicated that both enzymes accommodate the arabinoxylan backbone in a cleft at the CE1–CBM48 domain interface. Binding at this cleft appears to enable CE1 activities on polymeric arabinoxylan, illustrating an unexpected and crucial role of CBM48 domains for accommodating arabinoxylan.