Characterization of a thermostable L-arabinose (D-galactose) isomerase from the hyperthermophilic eubacterium Thermotoga maritima.
The araA gene encoding L-arabinose isomerase (AI) from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein containing a C-terminal hexahistidine sequence. This gene encodes a 497-amino-acid protein with a calculated molecular weight of 56,658. The recombinant enzyme was purified to homogeneity by heat precipitation followed by Ni(2+) affinity chromatography. The native enzyme was estimated by gel filtration chromatography to be a homotetramer with a molecular mass of 232 kDa. The purified recombinant enzyme had an isoelectric point of 5.7 and exhibited maximal activity at 90 degrees C and pH 7.5 under the assay conditions used. Its apparent K(m) values for L-arabinose and D-galactose were 31 and 60 mM, respectively; the apparent V(max) values (at 90 degrees C) were 41.3 U/mg (L-arabinose) and 8.9 U/mg (D-galactose), and the catalytic efficiencies (k(cat)/K(m)) of the enzyme were 74.8 mM(-1).min(-1) (L-arabinose) and 8.5 mM(-1).min(-1) (D-galactose). Although the T. maritima AI exhibited high levels of amino acid sequence similarity (>70%) to other heat-labile mesophilic AIs, it had greater thermostability and higher catalytic efficiency than its mesophilic counterparts at elevated temperatures. In addition, it was more thermostable in the presence of Mn(2+) and/or Co(2+) than in the absence of these ions. The enzyme carried out the isomerization of D-galactose to D-tagatose with a conversion yield of 56% for 6 h at 80 degrees C.
Department of Biotechnology and Bioproducts Research Center, College of Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea.
Dong-Woo
DW
Lee
Hyeung-Jin
HJ
Jang
Eun-Ah
EA
Choe
Byoung-Chan
BC
Kim
Sang-Jae
SJ
Lee
Seong-Bo
SB
Kim
Young-Ho
YH
Hong
Yu-Ryang
YR
Pyun
D019747:Aldose-Ketose Isomerases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002412:Cations / Q000494:pharmacology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D015870:Gene Expression; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D020124:Thermotoga maritima / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*
D002412:Cations; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D019747:Aldose-Ketose Isomerases; C019715:L-arabinose isomerase