Mucinolytic bacteria modulate host-microbiota symbiosis and dysbiosis through their ability to degrade mucin O-glycans. However, how and to what extent bacterial enzymes are involved in the breakdown process remains poorly understood. Here we focus on a glycoside hydrolase family 20 sulfoglycosidase (BbhII) from Bifidobacterium bifidum, which releases N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulfate from sulfated mucins. Glycomic analysis showed that, in addition to sulfatases, sulfoglycosidases are involved in mucin O-glycan breakdown in vivo and that the released N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulfate potentially affects gut microbial metabolism, both of which were also supported by a metagenomic data mining analysis. Enzymatic and structural analysis of BbhII reveals the architecture underlying its specificity and the presence of a GlcNAc-6S-specific carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) 32 with a distinct sugar recognition mode that B. bifidum takes advantage of to degrade mucin O-glycans. Comparative analysis of the genomes of prominent mucinolytic bacteria also highlights a CBM-dependent O-glycan breakdown strategy used by B. bifidum.

Polyamines are aliphatic hydrocarbons with terminal amino groups and are essential for biological activities. It has been reported that polyamines have health-promoting effects in animals, such as the extension of lifespan by polyamine intake. The identification of a high polyamine-producing bacterium from foods could lead to the development of a novel probiotic candidate. We aimed to identify high polyamine-producing bacteria from food, and isolated and collected bacteria from vegetables and fermented foods produced in Japan. We successfully acquired Latilactobacillus curvatus KP 3-4 isolated from Kabura-zushi as a putrescine producing lactic acid bacteria. Comparing the polyamine synthesis capability of L. curvatus KP 3-4 with that of typical probiotic lactic acid bacteria and L. curvatus strains available from the Japan Collection of Microorganisms, it was found that only L. curvatus KP 3-4 was capable of exporting high levels of putrescine into the culture supernatant. The enhancement of putrescine production by the addition of ornithine, and whole-genome analysis of L. curvatus KP 3-4, suggest that putrescine is synthesized via ornithine decarboxylase. The administration of L. curvatus KP 3-4 to germ-free mice increased the concentration of putrescine in the feces.

Arabinoxylan (AX) and arabinoxylooligosaccharides (AXOs) are carbohydrate sources utilized by Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum. However, their degradation pathways are poorly understood. In this study, we characterized two genes, BLLJ_1850 and BLLJ_1851, in the hemicellulose-degrading gene cluster (BLLJ_1836-BLLJ_1859) of B. longum subsp. longum JCM 1217. Both recombinant enzymes expressed in Escherichia coli exhibited exo-α-L-arabinofuranosidase activity toward p-nitrophenyl-α-L-arabinofuranoside. BlArafE (encoded by BLLJ_1850) contains the glycoside hydrolase family 43 (GH43), subfamily 22 (GH43_22), and GH43_34 domains. The BlArafE GH43_22 domain was demonstrated to release α1,3-linked Araf from AX, but the function of BlArafE GH43_34 could not be clearly identified in this study. BlArafD (encoded by BLLJ_1851) contains GH43 unclassified subfamily (GH43_UC) and GH43_26 domains. The BlArafD GH43_UC domain showed specificity for α1,2-linked Araf in α1,2- and α1,3-Araf double-substituted structures in AXOs, while BlArafD GH43_26 was shown to hydrolyze α1,5-linked Araf in the arabinan backbone. Co-incubation of BlArafD and BlArafE revealed that these two enzymes sequentially removed α1,2-Araf and α1,3-Araf from double-substituted AXOs in this order. B. longum strain lacking BLLJ_1850-BLLJ_1853 did not grow in the medium containing α1,2/3-Araf double-substituted AXOs, suggesting that BlArafE and BlArafD are important for the assimilation of AX. KEY POINTS: • BlArafD GH43 unclassified subfamily domain is a novel α1,2-L-arabinofuranosidase. • BlArafE GH43 subfamily 22 domain is an α1,3-L-arabinofuranosidase. • BlArafD and BlArafE cooperatively degrade α1,2/3-Araf double-substituted arabinoxylan.

Gum arabic is an arabinogalactan protein (AGP) that is effective as a prebiotic for the growth of bifidobacteria in the human intestine. We recently identified a key enzyme in the glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 39, 3- O -α- d -galactosyl-α- l -arabinofuranosidase (GAfase), for the assimilation of gum arabic AGP in Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum . The enzyme released α- d -Gal p -(1→3)- l -Ara and β- l -Ara p -(1→3)- l -Ara from gum arabic AGP and facilitated the action of other enzymes for degrading the AGP backbone and modified sugar. In this study, we identified an α- l -arabinofuranosidase (BlArafE; encoded by BLLJ_1850), a multidomain enzyme with both GH43_22 and GH43_34 catalytic domains, as a critical enzyme for the degradation of modified α- l -arabinofuranosides in gum arabic AGP. Site-directed mutagenesis approaches revealed that the α1,3/α1,4-Ara f double-substituted gum arabic AGP side chain was initially degraded by the GH43_22 domain and subsequently cleaved by the GH43_34 domain to release α1,3-Ara f and α1,4-Ara f residues, respectively. Furthermore, we revealed that a tetrasaccharide, α- l -Rha p -(1→4)-β- d -Glc p A-(1→6)-β- d -Gal p -(1→6)- d -Gal, was a limited degradative oligosaccharide in the gum arabic AGP fermentation of Bi. longum JCM7052. The oligosaccharide was produced from gum arabic AGP by the cooperative action of the three cell surface-anchoring enzymes, GAfase, exo-β1,3-galactanase (Bl1,3Gal), and BlArafE, on Bi. longum JCM7052. Furthermore, the tetrasaccharide was utilized by the commensal bacteria. IMPORTANCE Terminal galactose residues of the side chain of gum arabic arabinogalactan protein (AGP) are mainly substituted by α1,3/α1,4-linked Ara f and β1,6-linked α- l -Rha p -(1→4)-β- d -Glc p A residues. This study found a multidomain α- l -arabinofuranosidase (BlArafE) with GH43_22 and GH43_34 catalytic domains showing cooperative action for degrading α1,3/α1,4-linked Ara f of the side chain of gum arabic AGP. In particular, the GH43_34 domain of BlArafE was a novel α- l -arabinofuranosidase for cleaving the α1,4-Ara f linkage of terminal galactose. α- l -Rha p -(1→4)-β- d -Glc p A-(1→6)-β- d -Gal p -(1→6)- d -Gal tetrasaccharide was released from gum arabic AGP by the cooperative action of GAfase, GH43_24 exo-β-1,3-galactanase (Bl1,3Gal), and BlArafE and remained after Bi. longum JCM7052 culture. Furthermore, in vitro assimilation test of the remaining oligosaccharide using Bacteroides species revealed that cross-feeding may occur from bifidobacteria to other taxonomic groups in the gut.

Certain species of the genus Bifidobacterium represent human symbionts. Many studies have shown that the establishment of symbiosis with such bifidobacterial species confers various beneficial effects on human health. Among the more than ten (sub)species of human gut-associated Bifidobacterium that have significantly varied genetic characteristics at the species level, Bifidobacterium bifidum is unique in that it is found in the intestines of a wide age group, ranging from infants to adults. This species is likely to have adapted to efficiently degrade host-derived carbohydrate chains, such as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and mucin O-glycans, which enabled the longitudinal colonization of intestines. The ability of this species to assimilate various host glycans can be attributed to the possession of an adequate set of extracellular glycoside hydrolases (GHs). Importantly, the polypeptides of those glycosidases frequently contain carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) with deduced affinities to the target glycans, which is also a distinct characteristic of this species among members of human gut-associated bifidobacteria. This review firstly describes the prevalence and distribution of B. bifidum in the human gut and then explains the enzymatic machinery that B. bifidum has developed for host glycan degradation by referring to the functions of GHs and CBMs. Finally, we show the data of co-culture experiments using host-derived glycans as carbon sources, which underpin the interesting altruistic behavior of this species as a cross-feeder.

Arabinose-containing poly- or oligosaccharides are suitable carbohydrate sources for Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum. However, their degradation pathways are poorly understood. In this study, we cloned and characterized the previously uncharacterized glycoside hydrolase family 43 (GH43) enzymes B. longum subsp. longum ArafC (BlArafC; encoded by BLLJ_1852) and B. longum subsp. longum ArafB (BlArafB; encoded by BLLJ_1853) from B. longum subsp. longum JCM 1217. Both enzymes exhibited α-L-arabinofuranosidase activity toward p-nitrophenyl-α- L-arabinofuranoside but no activity toward p-nitrophenyl-β-D-xylopyranoside. The specificities of the two enzymes for L-arabinofuranosyl linkages were different. BlArafC catalyzed the hydrolysis of α1,2- and α1,3-L-arabinofuranosyl linkages found on the side chains of both arabinan and arabinoxylan. It released L-arabinose 100 times faster from arabinan than from arabinoxylan but did not act on arabinogalactan. On the other hand, BlArafB catalyzed the hydrolysis of the α1,5-Larabinofuranosyl linkage found on the arabinan backbone. It released L-arabinose from arabinan but not from arabinoxylan or arabinogalactan. Coincubation of BlArafC and BlArafB revealed that these two enzymes are able to degrade arabinan in a synergistic manner. Both enzyme activities were suppressed with EDTA treatment, suggesting that they require divalent metal ions. The GH43 domains of BlArafC and BlArafB are classified into GH43 subfamilies 27 and 22, respectively, but show very low similarity (less than 15% identity) with other biochemically characterized members in the corresponding subfamilies. The B. longum subsp. longum strain lacking the GH43 gene cluster that includes BLLJ_1850 to BLLJ_1853 did not grow in arabinan medium, suggesting that BlArafC and BlArafB are important for assimilation of arabinan.

Sialidases catalyze the removal of terminal sialic acid from various complex carbohydrates. In the gastrointestinal tract, sialic acid is commonly found in the sugar chain of mucin, and many enteric commensals use mucin as a nutrient source. We previously identified two different sialidase genes in Bifidobacterium bifidum, and one was cloned and expressed as an extracellular protein designated as exo-α-sialidase SiaBb2. The other exo-α-sialidase gene (siabb1) from the same bifidobacterium encodes an extracellular protein (SiaBb1) consisting of 1795 amino acids with a molecular mass of 189 kDa. SiaBb1 possesses a catalytic domain that classifies this enzyme as a glycoside hydrolase family 33 member. SiaBb1 preferentially hydrolyzes α2,3-linked sialic acid over α2,6-linked sialic acid from sialoglycan, which is the same as SiaBb2. However, SiaBb1 has an SGNH hydrolase domain with sialate-O-acetylesterase activity and an N-terminal signal sequence and C-terminal transmembrane region. SiaBb1 is the first bifunctional sialidase identified with esterase activity. Abbreviations: GalNAc: N-acetyl-D-galactosamine; Fuc: L-fucose; Gal: D-galactose

The chemo-enzymatic synthesis of an artificially N-glycosylated derivative of glucagon, a peptide hormone that regulates the blood sugar level, is described. We synthesized the glycosylated glucagon by chemical synthesis of an N-acetylglucosaminyl peptide and enzymatic transfer of an oligosaccharide using the transglycosylation activity of the glycosynthase-like mutant of Mucor hiemalis endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (Endo-M) and sialo-oligosaccharide oxazoline as a donor substrate. The sialo-oligosaccharide-attached glucagon synthesized showed high resistance against protease degradation and stimulated the release of glucose from mouse hepatocytes when added to cells. The synthetic glucagon showed slightly higher activity than native glucagon and has potential as a therapeutic agent for treating diabetic patients.

Human gut symbiont bifidobacteria possess carbohydrate-degrading enzymes that act on the O-linked glycans of intestinal mucins to utilize those carbohydrates as carbon sources. However, our knowledge about mucin type O-glycan degradation by bifidobacteria remains fragmentary, especially regarding how they decompose sulfated glycans, which are abundantly found in mucin sugar-chains. Here, we examined the abilities of several Bifidobacterium strains to degrade a sulfated glycan substrate and identified a 6-sulfo--d-N-acetylglucosaminidase, also termed sulfoglycosidase, encoded by bbhII from Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM 7004. A recombinant BbhII protein showed a substrate preference toward 6-sulfated and 3,4-disulfated N-acetylglucosamines over non-sulfated and 3-sulfated N-acetylglucosamines. The purified BbhII directly released 6-sulfated N-acetylglucosamine from porcine gastric mucin and the expression of bbhII was moderately induced in the presence of mucin. This de-capping activity may promote utilization of sulfated glycans of mucin by other bacteria including bifidobacteria, thereby establishing the symbiotic relationship between human and gut microbes.

The alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase from the probiotic bacterium Bifidobacterium bifidum (NagBb) belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 129 and hydrolyzes the glycosidic bond of Tnantigen (GalNAc alpha 1-Ser/Thr). NagBb is involved in assimilation of O-glycans on mucin glycoproteins by B. bifidum in the human gastrointestinal tract, but its catalytic mechanism has remained elusive because of a lack of sequence homology around putative catalytic residues and of other structural information. Here we report the X-ray crystal structure of NagBb, representing the first GH129 family structure, solved by the single-wavelength anomalous dispersion method based on sulfur atoms of the native protein. We determined ligand-free, GalNAc, and inhibitor complex forms of NagBb and found that Asp-435 and Glu-478 are located in the catalytic domain at appropriate positions for direct nucleophilic attack at the anomeric carbon and proton donation for the glycosidic bond oxygen, respectively. A highly conserved Asp-330 forms a hydrogen bond with the O4 hydroxyl of GalNAc in the -1 subsite, and Trp-398 provides a stacking platform for the GalNAc pyranose ring. Interestingly, a metal ion, presumably Ca2+, is involved in the recognition of the GalNAc N-acetyl group. Mutations at Asp-435, Glu-478, Asp-330, and Trp-398 and residues involved in metal coordination (including an all-Ala quadruple mutant) significantly reduced the activity, indicating that these residues and the metal ion play important roles in substrate recognition and catalysis. Interestingly, NagBb exhibited some structural similarities to the GH101 endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidases, but several critical differences in substrate recognition and reaction mechanism account for the different activities of these two enzymes.

We have recently generated a highly efficient 1,2-alpha-L-fucosynthase (BbAfcA N423H mutant) by protein engineering of 1,2-alpha-L-fucosidase from Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM 1254. This synthase could specifically introduce H-antigens (Fuc alpha 1-2Gal) into the non-reducing ends of oligosaccharides and in O-linked glycans in mucin glycoprotein. In the present study, we show an extended application of the engineered 1,2-alpha-L-fucosynthase by demonstrating its ability to insert Fuc residues into N- and O-glycans in fetuin glycoproteins, GM1 ganglioside, and a plant-derived xyloglucan nonasaccharide. This application study broadens the feasibility of this novel H-antigen synthesis technique in functional glycomics.

Parasporin-2 (PS2), alternatively named Cry46Aa1, an anticancer protein derived from Bacillus thuringiensis strain A1547, causes specific cell damage via PS2 oligomerization in the cell membrane. Although PS2 requires glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins for its cytocidal action, their precise role is unknown. Here, we report that the glycan of GPI induces PS2 oligomerization, which causes cell death. Cytotoxicity, cell-binding and oligomerization of the toxin were not observed in GPI-anchored protein deficient Chinese hamster ovary cells. Expression and protease-treatment analyses showed that the actions of the toxin were dependent on the glycan core, not the polypeptide moiety, of GPI-anchored proteins. However, surface expression of some GPI-anchored proteins is observed in PS2-insensitive cells. These data suggest that GPI-anchored proteins do not determine the target specificity, but instead function as a kind of coreceptor, in the cytocidal action of PS2. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fuc alpha 1-2 Gal linkages, or H-antigens, constitute histo-blood group antigens and are involved in various physiological processes. In addition, recent studies have shown that the H-antigen-containing glycans play an important role, not only in establishing harmonious relationship between gut microbes and the host, but also in preventing gut dysbiosis-related diseases. Therefore, development of an efficient method for introducing Fuc residue at Gal residue at the nonreducing end of glycans via alpha-(1 -> 2) linkage is desired for research as well as medicinal purposes. In this study, we succeeded in derivatizing inverting 1,2-alpha-L-fucosidase (AfcA) into a highly efficient 1,2-alpha-L-fucosynthase. The synthase specifically synthesized H type 1-, type 2-, type 3- and type 4-chaincontaining oligosaccharides with yields of 57-75% based on acceptor depletion. The synthase was also able to specifically introduce Fuc residues into Lewis a/x antigens to produce Lewis b/y antigens, with yields of 43% and 62%, respectively. In addition, the enzyme efficiently introduced Hantigens into sugar chains of porcine gastric mucins, as revealed by lectin blotting and mass spectroscopy analysis of the sugars. Detailed acceptor specificity analysis using various monosaccharides and oligosaccharides unraveled unique substrate recognition feature of this synthase at the subsite (+1), which can be explained by our previous X-ray crystallographic study of AfcA. These results show that the synthase developed in this study could serve as an alternative to other H-antigen synthesis methods involving alpha-1,2-fucosyltransferases and retaining alpha-fucosidase.

We describe the novel substrate specificities of two independently evolved lacto-N-biosidases (LnbX and LnbB) towards the sugar chains of globo-and ganglio-series glycosphingolipids. LnbX, a non-classified member of the glycoside hydrolase family, isolated from Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum, was shown to liberate galacto-N-biose (GNB: Gal beta 1-3GalNAc) and 2'-fucosyl GNB (a type-4 trisaccharide) from Gb5 pentasaccharide and globo H hexasaccharide, respectively. LnbB, a member of the glycoside hydrolase family 20 isolated from Bifidobacterium bifidum, was shown to release GNB from Gb5 and GA1 oligosaccharides. This is the first report describing enzymatic release of beta-linked GNB from natural substrates. These unique activities may play a role in modulating the microbial composition in the gut ecosystem, and may serve as new tools for elucidating the functions of sugar chains of glycosphingolipids. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

alpha-Linked N-acetylglucosamine is one of the major glyco-epitopes in O-glycan of gastroduodenal mucin. Here, we identified glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 89 alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase, termed AgnB, from Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM 1254, which is essentially specific to GlcNAc alpha 1-4Gal structure. AgnB is a membrane-anchored extracellular enzyme consisting of a GH89 domain and four carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) 32 domains. Among four CBM32 domains, three tandem ones at C-terminus showed to bind porcine gastric mucin, suggesting that these domains enhance the enzyme activity by increasing affinity for multivalent substrates. AgnB might be important for assimilation of gastroduodenal mucin by B. bifidum and also applicable to production of prebiotic oligosaccharides from porcine gastric mucin.

Glucosylceramide and galactosylceramide were detected in three Aspergillus species: Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus sojae and Aspergillus. awamori, using borate-coated TLC. The cerebrosides from A. oryzae were further purified by ion exchange and iatrobeads column chromatographies with or without borate, and determined the composition of sugar, fatty acid and sphingoid base by GC/MS, MALDI-TOF/MS and H-1-NMR. We identified them as beta-glucosylceramide and beta-galactosylceramide. The ceramide moiety of both cerebrosides consisted mainly of 2-hydroxystearic acid and either 9-methyl-octadeca-4, 8-sphingadienine or octadeca-4, 8-sphingadienine. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide evidence for the presence of beta-galactosylceramide in A. oryzae.

Baicalin (baicalein 7-O-beta-d-glucuronide) is one of the major flavonoid glucuronides found in traditional herbal medicines. Because its aglycone, baicalein, is absorbed more quickly and shows more effective properties than baicalin, the conversion of baicalin into baicalein by beta-glucuronidase (GUS) has drawn the attention of researchers. Recently, we have found that Lactobacillus brevis subsp. coagulans can convert baicalin to baicalein. Therefore, we aimed to identify and characterize the converting enzyme from L. brevis subsp. coagulans. First, we purified this enzyme from the cell-free extracts of L. brevis subsp. coagulans and cloned its gene. Surprisingly, this enzyme was found to be a GUS belonging to glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 30 (designated as LcGUS30), and its amino acid sequence has little similarity with any GUS belonging to GH families 1, 2, and 79 that have been reported so far. We then established a high-level expression and simple purification system of the recombinant LcGUS30 in Escherichia coli. The detailed analysis of the substrate specificity revealed that LcGUS30 has strict specificity toward glycon but not toward aglycones. Interestingly, LcGUS30 prefers baicalin rather than estrone 3-(beta-d-glucuronide), one of the human endogenous steroid hormones. These results indicated that L. brevis subsp. coagulans and LcGUS30 should serve as powerful tools for the construction of a safe bioconversion system for baicalin. In addition, we propose that this novel type of GUS forms a new group in subfamily 3 of GH family 30.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) alpha-glucosidase I is an enzyme that trims the distal alpha 1,2-linked glucose (Glc) residue from the Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2) oligosaccharide following its addition to nascent glycoproteins in the initial step of processing. This reaction is critical to the subsequent processing of N-glycans and thus defects in alpha-glucosidase I gene in human cause congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG) type IIb. We identified the Caenorhabditis elegans alpha-glucosidase I gene (F13H10.4, designated agl-1) that encodes a polypeptide with 36% identity to human alpha-glucosidase I. The agl-1 cDNA restored the expression of complex-type N-glycans on the cell surface of alpha-glucosidase I-defective Chinese hamster ovary Lec23 cells. RNAi knockdown of agl-1 [agl-1(RNAi)] produced worms that were visibly similar to wild-type, but life-span was reduced to about half of the control. Analyses of N-glycosylation in agl-1(RNAi) animals by western blotting and mass spectrometry showed reduction of paucimannose and complex-type glycans and dramatic increase of glucosylated oligomannose glycans. In addition, a significant amount of unusual terminally fucosylated N-glycans were found in agl-1(RNAi) animals. ER stress response was also provoked, leading to the accumulation of large amounts of triglucosylated free oligosaccharides (FOSs) (Glc(3)Man(4-5)GlcNAc(1-2)) in agl-1(RNAi) animals. Acceleration of ER-associated degradation in response to the accumulation of unfolded glycoproteins and insufficient interaction with calnexin/calreticulin in the ER lumen likely accounts for the increase of FOSs. Taken together, these studies in C. elegans demonstrate that decreased ER alpha-glucosidase I affects the entire N-glycan profile and induces chronic ER stress, which may contribute to the pathophysiology of CDG-IIb in humans.

Infant gut-associated bifidobacteria possess species-specific enzymatic sets to assimilate human milk oligosaccharides, and lacto-N-biosidase (LNBase) is a key enzyme that degrades lacto-N- tetraose (Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc), the main component of human milk oligosaccharides, to lacto-N-biose I (Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc) and lactose. We have previously identified LNBase activity in Bifidobacterium bifidum and some strains of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum (B. longum). Subsequently, we isolated a glycoside hydrolase family 20 (GH20) LNBase from B. bifidum; however, the genome of the LNBase(+) strain of B. longum contains no GH20 LNBase homolog. Here, we reveal that locus tags BLLJ_1505 and BLLJ_1506 constitute LNBase from B. longum JCM1217. The gene products, designated LnbX and LnbY, respectively, showed no sequence similarity to previously characterized proteins. The purified enzyme, which consisted of LnbX only, hydrolyzed via a retaining mechanism the GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal linkage in lacto-N-tetraose, lacto-N-fucopentaose I (Fuc alpha 1-2Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc), and sialyllacto-N-tetraose a (Neu5Ac alpha 2-3Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta 1-3-Gal beta 1-4Gal); the latter two are not hydrolyzed by GH20 LNBase. Among the chromogenic substrates examined, the enzyme acted on p-nitrophenyl (pNP)-beta-lacto-N-bioside I (Gal beta 1-3-GlcNAc beta-pNP) and GalNAc beta 1-3GlcNAc beta-pNP.GalNAc beta 1-3-GlcNAc beta linkage has been found in O-mannosyl glycans of alpha-dystroglycan. Therefore, the enzyme may serve as a new tool for examining glycan structures. In vitro refolding experiments revealed that LnbY and metal ions (Ca2+ and Mg2+) are required for proper folding of LnbX. The LnbX and LnbY homologs have been found only in B. bifidum, B. longum, and a few gut microbes, suggesting that the proteins have evolved in specialized niches.

In four yeast strains, Ogataea minuta, Candida parapolymorpha, Pichia anomala and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, we identified endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (ENGase) homologous sequences by database searches; in each of the four species, a corresponding enzyme activity was also confirmed in crude cell extract obtained from each strain. The O. minuta ENGase (Endo-Om)-encoding gene was directly amplified from O. minuta genomic DNA and sequenced. The Endo-Om-encoding gene contained a 2319-bp open-reading frame; the deduced amino acid sequence indicated that the putative protein belonged to glycoside hydrolase family 85. The gene was introduced into O. minuta, and the recombinant Endo-Om was overexpressed and purified. When the enzyme assay was performed using an agalacto-biantennary oligosaccharide as a substrate, Endo-Om exhibited both hydrolysis and transglycosylation activities. Endo-Om exhibited hydrolytic activity for high-mannose, hybrid, biantennary and (2,6)-branched triantennary N-linked oligosaccharides, but not for tetraantennary, (2,4)-branched triantennary, bisecting N-acetylglucosamine structure and core-fucosylated biantennary N-linked oligosaccharides. Endo-Om also was able to hydrolyze N-glycans attached to RNase B and human transferrin under both denaturing and nondenaturing conditions. Thus, the present study reports the detection and characterization of a novel yeast ENGase.

Human milk oligosaccharides contain a large variety of oligosaccharides, of which lacto-N-biose I (Gal-β 1, 3-GlcNAc LNB) predominates as a major core structure. A unique metabolic pathway specific for LNB has recently been identified in the human commensal bifidobacteria. Several strains of infant gut-associated bifidobacteria possess lacto-N-biosidase, a membrane-anchored extracellular enzyme, that liberates LNB from the nonreducing end of human milk oligosaccharides and plays a key role in the metabolic pathway of these compounds. Lacto-N-biosidase belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 20, and its reaction proceeds via a substrate-assisted catalytic mechanism. Several crystal structures of GH20 β-N-acetylhexosaminidases, which release monosaccharide GlcNAc from its substrate, have been determined, but to date, a structure of lacto-N-biosidase is unknown. Here, we have determined the first three-dimensional structures of lacto-N-biosidase from Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM1254 in complex with LNB and LNB-thiazoline (Gal-β1, 3-GlcNAc-thiazoline) at 1.8-Å resolution. Lacto-N-biosidase consists of three domains, and the C-terminal domain has a unique β-trefoil-like fold. Compared with other β-N-acetyl-hexosaminidases, lacto-N-biosidase has a wide substrate-binding pocket with a - 2 subsite specific for β-1, 3-linked Gal, and the residues responsible for Gal recognition were identified. The bound ligands are recognized by extensive hydrogen bonds at all of their hydroxyls consistent with the enzyme's strict substrate specificity for the LNB moiety. The GlcNAc sugar ring of LNB is in a distorted conformation near 4E, whereas that of LNB-thiazoline is in a 4C1 conformation. A possible conformational pathway for the lacto-N-biosidase reaction is discussed. © 2013 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Bifidobacterium bifidum is one of the most frequently found bifidobacteria in the intestines of newborn infants. We previously reported that B. bifidum possesses unique metabolic pathways for O-linked glycans on gastrointestinal mucin (Yoshida E, Sakurama H, Kiyohara M, Nakajima M, Kitaoka M, Ashida H, Hirose J, Katayama T, Yamamoto K, Kumagai H. 2012. Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis uses two different beta-galactosidases for selectively degrading type-1 and type-2 human milk oligosaccharides. Glycobiology. 22: 361-368). The nonreducing termini of O-linked glycans on mucin are frequently covered with histo-blood group antigens. Here, we identified a gene agabb from B. bifidum JCM 1254, which encodes glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 110 alpha-galactosidase. AgaBb is a 1289-amino acid polypeptide containing an N-terminal signal sequence, a GH110 domain, a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) 51 domain, a bacterial Ig-like (Big) 2 domain and a C-terminal transmembrane region, in this order. The recombinant enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli hydrolyzed alpha 1,3-linked Gal in branched blood group B antigen [Gal alpha 1-3(Fuca1-2)Gal beta 1-R], but not in a linear xenotransplantation antigen (Gal alpha 1-3Gal beta 1-R). The enzyme also acted on group B human salivary mucin and erythrocytes. We also revealed that CBM51 specifically bound blood group B antigen using both isothermal titration calorimetry and a solid-phase binding assay, and it enhanced the affinity of the enzyme toward substrates with multivalent B antigens. We suggest that this enzyme plays an important role in degrading B antigens to acquire nutrients from mucin oligosaccharides in the gastrointestinal tracts.

Recent studies suggest that alpha-L-fucosidases of glycoside hydrolase family 29 can be divided into two subfamilies based on substrate specificity and phylogenetic clustering. To explore the validity of this classification, we enzymatically characterized two structure-solved alpha-L-fucosidases representing the respective subfamilies. Differences in substrate specificities are discussed in relation to differences in active-site structures between the two enzymes.

alpha-L-Fucosyl residues attached at the non-reducing ends of glycoconjugates constitute histo-blood group antigens Lewis (Le) and ABO and play fundamental roles in various biological processes. Therefore, establishing a method for synthesizing the antigens is important for functional glycomics studies. However, regiospecific synthesis of glycosyl linkages, especially alpha-L-fucosyl linkages, is quite difficult to control both by chemists and enzymologists. Here, we generated an alpha-L-fucosynthase that specifically introduces Le(a) and Le(x) antigens into the type-1 and type-2 chains, respectively; i.e. the enzyme specifically accepts the disaccharide structures (Gal beta 1-3/4GlcNAc) at the non-reducing ends and attaches a Fuc residue via an alpha-(1,4/3)-linkage to the GlcNAc. X-ray crystallographic studies revealed the structural basis of this strict regio- and acceptor specificity, which includes the induced fit movement of the catalytically important residues, and the difference between the active site structures of 1,3-1,4-alpha-L-fucosidase (EC 3.2.1.111) and alpha-L-fucosidase (EC 3.2.1.51) in glycoside hydrolase family 29. The glycosynthase developed in this study should serve as a potentially powerful tool to specifically introduce the Le(a/x) epitopes onto labile glycoconjugates including glycoproteins. Mining glycosidases with strict specificity may represent the most efficient route to the specific synthesis of glycosidic bonds.

The breast-fed infant intestine is often colonized by particular bifidobacteria, and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are considered to be bifidogenic. Recent studies showed that Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis can grow on HMOs as the sole carbon source. This ability has been ascribed to the presence of a gene cluster (HMO cluster-1) contained in its genome. However, the metabolism of HMOs by the organism remains unresolved because no enzymatic studies have been completed. In the present study, we characterized beta-galactosidases of this subspecies to understand how the organism degrades type-1 (Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc) and type-2 (Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc) isomers of HMOs. The results revealed that the locus tag Blon_2016 gene, which is distantly located from the HMO cluster-1, encodes a novel beta-galactosidase (Bga42A) with a significantly higher specificity for lacto-N-tetraose (LNT; Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc) than for lacto-N-biose I (Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc), lactose (Lac) and type-2 HMOs. The proposed name of Bga42A is LNT beta-1,3-galactosidase. The Blon_2334 gene (Bga2A) located within the HMO cluster-1 encodes a beta-galactosidase specific for Lac and type-2 HMOs. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed the physiological significance of Bga42A and Bga2A in HMO metabolism. The organism therefore uses two different beta-galactosidases to selectively degrade type-1 and type-2 HMOs. Despite the quite rare occurrence in nature of beta-galactosidases acting on type-1 chains, the close homologs of Bga42A were present in the genomes of infant-gut associated bifidobacteria that are known to consume LNT. The predominance of type-1 chains in HMOs and the conservation of Bga42A homologs suggest the coevolution of these bifidobacteria with humans.

Lactic acid bacteria from healthy breast-fed infants were isolated and screened for beta-galactosidase production in MRS broth. Among 49 isolates that exhibited the yellow clear zone on MRS agar supplemented with bromocresol blue, the isolate CM33 was selected as being the highest beta-galactosidase producer and was identified as Lactobacillus fermentum based on its morphological characteristics and 16S rDNA nucleotide sequence. L. fermentum CM33 exhibited a good survival rate under the simulated stomach passage model, comparable to known probiotic strains L. gallinarum JCM2011 and L. agilis JCM1187. L. fermentum CM33 was antagonistic to pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Salmonella typhi, and Salmonella enteriditis, using the well diffusion method. In addition, the selected lactobacilli exhibited a high growth rate when cultivated in modified MRS containing commercial galactooligosaccharide (GOS) as a sole carbon source, as well as in glucose. A preliminary study on the enzymatic synthesis of oligosaccharide using crude beta-galactosidase revealed the capability for oligosaccharide synthesis by the transgalactosylation activity.

Bifidobacteria inhabit the lower intestine of mammals including humans where the mucin gel layer forms a space for commensal bacteria. We previously identified that infant-associated bifidobacteria possess an extracellular membrane-bound endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (EngBF) that may be involved in degradation and assimilation of mucin-type oligosaccharides. However, EngBF is highly specific for core-1-type O-glycan (Gal beta 1-3GalNAc alpha 1-Ser/Thr), also called T antigen, which is mainly attached onto gastroduodenal mucins. By contrast, core-3-type O-glycans (GlcNAc beta 1-3GalNAc alpha 1-Ser/Thr) are predominantly found on the mucins in the intestines. Here, we identified a novel alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (NagBb) from Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM 1254 that hydrolyzes the Tn antigen (GalNAc alpha 1-Ser/Thr). Sialyl and galactosyl core-3 (Gal beta 1-3/4GlcNAc beta 1-3(Neu5Ac alpha 2-6)GalNAc alpha 1-Ser/Thr), a major tetrasaccharide structure on MUC2 mucin primarily secreted from goblet cells in human sigmoid colon, can be serially hydrolyzed into Tn antigen by previously identified bifidobacterial extracellular glycosidases such as alpha-sialidase (SiaBb2), lacto-N-biosidase (LnbB), beta-galactosidase (BbgIII), and beta-N-acetylhexosaminidases (BbhI and BbhII). Because NagBb is an intracellular enzyme without an N-terminal secretion signal sequence, it is likely involved in intracellular degradation and assimilation of Tn antigen-containing polypeptides, which might be incorporated through unknown transporters. Thus, bifidobacteria possess two distinct pathways for assimilation of O-glycans on gastroduodenal and intestinal mucins. NagBb homologs are conserved in infant-associated bifidobacteria, suggesting a significant role for their adaptation within the infant gut, and they were found to form a new glycoside hydrolase family 129.

The procyclic stage of Trypanosoma brucei is covered by glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored surface proteins called procyclins. The procyclin GPI anchor contains a side chain of N-acetyllactosamine repeats terminated by sialic acids. Sialic acid modification is mediated by trans-sialidases expressed on the parasite's cell surface. Previous studies suggested the presence of more than one active trans-sialidases, but only one has so far been reported. Here we cloned and examined enzyme activities of four additional trans-sialidase homologs, and show that one of them, Tb927.8.7350, encodes another active transsialidase, designated as TbSA C2. In an in vitro assay, TbSA C2 utilized alpha 2-3 sialyllactose as a donor, and produced an alpha 2-3-sialylated product, suggesting that it is an alpha 2-3 trans-sialidase. We suggest that TbSA C2 plays a role in the sialic acid modification of the trypanosome cell surface. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The bifidogenic effect of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) has long been known, yet the precise mechanism underlying it remains unresolved. Recent studies show that some species/subspecies of Bifidobacterium are equipped with genetic and enzymatic sets dedicated to the utilization of HMOs, and consequently they can grow on HMOs; however, the ability to metabolize HMOs has not been directly linked to the actual metabolic behavior of the bacteria. In this report, we clarify the fate of each HMO during cultivation of infant gut-associated bifidobacteria. Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM1254, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis JCM1222, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum JCM1217, and Bifidobacterium breve JCM1192 were selected for this purpose and were grown on HMO media containing a main neutral oligosaccharide fraction. The mono-and oligosaccharides in the spent media were labeled with 2-anthranilic acid, and their concentrations were determined at various incubation times using normal phase high performance liquid chromatography. The results reflect the metabolic abilities of the respective bifidobacteria. B. bifidum used secretory glycosidases to degrade HMOs, whereas B. longum subsp. infantis assimilated all HMOs by incorporating them in their intact forms. B. longum subsp. longum and B. breve consumed lacto-N-tetraose only. Interestingly, B. bifidum left degraded HMO metabolites outside of the cell even when the cells initiate vegetative growth, which indicates that the different species/subspecies can share the produced sugars. The predominance of type 1 chains in HMOs and the preferential use of type 1 HMO by infant gut-associated bifidobacteria suggest the coevolution of the bacteria with humans.

Background: Chronic low-grade inflammation is recognized as an important factor contributing to senescence and age-related diseases. In mammals, levels of polyamines (PAs) decrease during the ageing process; PAs are known to decrease systemic inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory cytokine synthesis in macrophages. Reductions in intestinal luminal PAs levels have been associated with intestinal barrier dysfunction. The probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis LKM512 is known to increase intestinal luminal PA concentrations. Methodology/Principal Findings: We supplemented the diet of 10-month-old Crj:CD-1 female mice with LKM512 for 11 months, while the controls received no supplementation. Survival rates were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. LKM512-treated mice survived significantly longer than controls (P<0.001); moreover, skin ulcers and tumors were more common in the control mice. We then analyzed inflammatory and intestinal conditions by measuring several markers using HPLC, ELISA, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and histological slices. LKM512 mice showed altered 16S rRNA gene expression of several predominant intestinal bacterial groups. The fecal concentrations of PAs, but not of short-chain fatty acids, were significantly higher in LKM512-treated mice (P<0.05). Colonic mucosal function was also better in LKM512 mice, with increased mucus secretion and better maintenance of tight junctions. Changes in gene expression levels were evaluated using the NimbleGen mouse DNA microarray. LKM512 administration also downregulated the expression of ageing-associated and inflammation-associated genes and gene expression levels in 21-month-old LKM512-treated mice resembled those in 10-month-old untreated (younger) mice. Conclusion/Significance: Our study demonstrated increased longevity in mice following probiotic treatment with LKM512, possibly due to the suppression of chronic low-grade inflammation in the colon induced by higher PA levels. This indicates that ingestion of specific probiotics may be an easy approach for improving intestinal health and increasing lifespan. Further studies are required to clarify its effectiveness in humans.

Bifidobacteria are health-promoting enteric commensals that are assumed to proliferate predominantly in the intestines of breast-fed infants by assimilating human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) that are frequently fucosylated and/or sialylated. We previously identified two different alpha-l-fucosidases in Bifidobacterium bifidum and showed that the strain furnishes an extracellular degradation pathway for fucosylated HMOs. However, the catabolism of sialylated HMOs by bifidobacteria has remained unresolved. Here we describe the identification and characterization of an exo-alpha-sialidase in bifidobacteria. By expression cloning, we isolated a novel exo-alpha-sialidase gene (siabb2) from B. bifidum JCM1254, which encodes a protein (SiaBb2) consisting of 835-amino-acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 87 kDa. SiaBb2 possesses an N-terminal signal sequence, a sialidase catalytic domain classified into the glycoside hydrolase family 33 (GH33) and a C-terminal transmembrane region, indicating that the mature SiaBb2 is an extracellular membrane-anchored enzyme. The recombinant enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli showed the highest activity in an acidic pH range from 4.0 to 5.0, and at 50 degrees C. Notably, 80% activity remained after 30 min incubation at 80 degrees C, indicating that the enzyme is highly thermostable. SiaBb2 liberated sialic acids from sialyloligosaccharides, gangliosides, glycoproteins and colominic acid; however, the linkage preference of the enzyme was remarkably biased toward the alpha 2,3-linkage rather than alpha 2,6- and alpha 2,8-linkages. Expression of siabb2 in B. longum 105-A, which has no endogenous exo-alpha-sialidase, enabled this strain to degrade sialyloligosaccharides present in human milk. Our results suggest that SiaBb2 plays a crucial role in bifidobacterial catabolism of sialylated HMOs.

In mammals, alpha-linked GlcNAc is primarily found in heparan sulfate/heparin and gastric gland mucous cell type mucin. alpha-N-Acetylglucosaminidases (alpha GNases) belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 89 are widely distributed from bacteria to higher eukaryotes. Human lysosomal alpha GNase is well known to degrade heparin and heparan sulfate. Here, we reveal the substrate specificity of alpha GNase (AgnC) from Clostridium perfringens strain 13, a bacterial homolog of human alpha GNase, by chemically synthesizing a series of disaccharide substrates containing alpha-linked GlcNAc. AgnC was found to release GlcNAc from GlcNAc alpha 1,4Gal beta 1pMP and GlcNAc alpha 1pNP substrates (where pMP and pNP represent p-methoxyphenyl and p-nitrophenyl, respectively). AgnC also released GlcNAc from porcine gastric mucin and cell surface mucin. Because AgnC showed no activity against any of the GlcNAc alpha 1,2Gal beta 1pMP, GlcNAc alpha 1,3Gal beta 1pMP, GlcNAc alpha 1,6Gal beta 1pMP, and GlcNAc alpha 1,4GlcA beta 1pMP substrates, this enzyme may represent a specific glycosidase required for degrading alpha-GlcNAc-capped O-glycans of the class III mucin secreted from the stomach and duodenum. Deletion of the C-terminal region containing several carbohydrate-binding module 32 (CBM32) domains significantly reduced the activity for porcine gastric mucin; however, activity against GlcNAc alpha 1,4Gal beta 1pMP was markedly enhanced. Dot blot and ELISA analyses revealed that the deletion construct containing the C-terminal CBM-C2 to CBM-C6 domains binds strongly to porcine gastric mucin. Consequently, tandem CBM32 domains located near the C terminus of AgnC should function by increasing the affinity for branched or clustered alpha-GlcNAc-containing glycans. The agnC gene-disrupted strain showed significantly reduced growth on the class III mucin-containing medium compared with the wild type strain, suggesting that AgnC might have an important role in dominant growth in intestines.

Bifidobacteria are predominant in the intestines of breast-fed infants and offer health benefits to the host. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are considered to be one of the most important growth factors for intestinal bifidobacteria. HMOs contain two major structures of core tetrasaccharide: lacto-N-tetraose (Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc; type 1 chain) and lacto-N-neotetraose (Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc; type 2 chain). We previously identified the unique metabolic pathway for lacto-N-tetraose in Bifidobacterium bifidum. Here, we clarified the degradation pathway for lacto-N-neotetraose in the same bifidobacteria. We cloned one beta-galactosidase (BbgIII) and two beta-N-acetylhexosaminidases (BbhI and BbhII), all of which are extracellular membrane-bound enzymes. The recombinant BbgIII hydrolyzed lacto-N-neotetraose into Gal and lacto-N-triose II, and furthermore the recombinant BbhI, but not BbhII, catalyzed the hydrolysis of lacto-N-triose II to GlcNAc and lactose. Since BbgIII and BbhI were highly specific for lacto-N-neotetraose and lacto- N-triose II, respectively, they may play essential roles in degrading the type 2 oligosaccharides in HMOs.

Thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzymes are ubiquitously present in all organisms and catalyze essential reactions in various metabolic pathways. ThDP-dependent phosphoketolase plays key roles in the central metabolism of heterofermentative bacteria and in the pentose catabolism of various microbes. In particular, bifidobacteria, representatives of beneficial commensal bacteria, have an effective glycolytic pathway called bifid shunt in which 2.5 mol of ATP are produced per glucose. Phosphoketolase catalyzes two steps in the bifid shunt because of its dual-substrate specificity; they are phosphorolytic cleavage of fructose 6-phosphate or xylulose 5-phosphate to produce aldose phosphate, acetyl phosphate, and H(2)O. The phosphoketolase reaction is different from other well studied ThDP-dependent enzymes because it involves a dehydration step. Although phosphoketolase was discovered more than 50 years ago, its three-dimensional structure remains unclear. In this study we report the crystal structures of xylulose 5-phosphate/ fructose 6-phosphate phosphoketolase from Bifidobacterium breve. The structures of the two intermediates before and after dehydration (alpha,beta-dihydroxyethyl ThDP and 2-acetylThDP) and complex with inorganic phosphate give an insight into the mechanism of each step of the enzymatic reaction.

The xylulose-5-phosphate/fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase gene from Bifidobacterium breve was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity and crystallized by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. Crystals were obtained at 293 K using 0.05 mM thiamine diphosphate, 0.25 mM MgCl(2), 24%(w/v) PEG 6000 and 0.1 M Bicine pH 9.0. The crystals belonged to the tetragonal space group I422, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 174.8, c = 163.8 A, and diffracted to beyond 1.7 A resolution.

We have succeeded in one-step synthesis of an efficient binding-inhibitor for influenza virus, which is composed of only sugar chains. This binding-inhibitor utilizes the carbohydrate recognition of influenza virus, thus it can prevent the virus from infection. We modified chitosan with multiple sialyl saccharides, alpha 2,6-sialyllactose or free sialyl glycan, using reductive amination reaction. The resulting inhibitors showed sufficient inhibitory activity against influenza virus infection in MDCK cells compared to that of alpha 2,6-sialyllactose or free sialyl glycan. Unlike the other binding-inhibitors of influenza virus, this virus inhibitor of sugar chains requires only one step in its synthesis. Therefore this inhibitor is suitable for use in products such as filters and masks. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hirsutella rhossiliensis, a nematophagous fungus belonging to the Ascomycota, is resistant to aureobasidin A (AbA). In this fungus, the biosynthetic pathway leading to mannosylinositolphosphoceramides, which is inhibited by AbA, was not detected. Instead, this fungus contains neutral complex glycosphingolipids (GSLs) and monoglycosylceramides. Except for monoglycosylceramides, neutral GSLs share a neogala-series core structure, Gal beta 1-6Gal beta 1-Cer. Among the GSLs of H. rhossiliensis, three novel GSLs with terminal Man and Glc residues on the sugar chain were elucidated. We analyzed GSL structure using compositional sugar, fatty acid, and sphingoid analyses, methylation analysis, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The following structures were determined: Man alpha 1-3Gal beta 1-6Gal beta 1-6Gal beta 1-Cer; Glc alpha 1-2Gal beta 1-6Gal beta 1-6Gal beta 1-Cer; and Man alpha 1-3Gal beta 1-6(Glc alpha 1-4)Gal beta 1-6Gal beta 1-Cer. In the ceramides, the fatty acids were predominantly saturated h24:0-acids and the sphingoids were predominately t18:0- or t18:1-sphingoids. In contrast, the ceramides of Glc beta 1-Cer contained d18:2- and d19:2-sphingoids. These findings indicate the presence of a novel biosynthetic pathway of neogala-series GSLs in fungi.

Endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase catalyzes the release of Gal beta 1-3GalNAc from the core 1-type O-glycan (Gal beta 1-3GalNAc alpha 1-Ser/Thr) of mucin glycoproteins and synthetic p-nitrophenyl (pNP) alpha-linked substrates. Here, we report the enzymatic syntheses of core 1 disaccharide-containing glycopeptides using the transglycosylation activity of endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (EngBF) from Bifidobacterium longum. The enzyme directly transferred Gal beta 1-3GalNAc to serine or threonine residues of bioactive peptides such as PAMP-12, bradykinin, peptide-T and MUC1a when Gal beta 1-3GalNAc alpha 1-pNP was used as a donor substrate. The enzyme was also found to catalyze the reverse-hydrolysis reaction. EngBF synthesized the core 1 disaccharide-containing oligosaccharides when the enzyme was incubated with either glucose or lactose and Gal beta 1-3GalNAc prepared from porcine gastric mucin using bifidobacterial cells expressing endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase. Synthesized oligosaccharides are promising prebiotics for bifidobacteria.

Endo-M, an endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Mucor hiemalis, is a family 85 glycoside hydrolase. This enzyme is unique in that it can transfer en bloc the oligosaccharide of various types of N-glycans onto different acceptors, and thereby it enzymatically generates diverse glycoconjugates. In this study, we performed mutational and kinetic studies focusing on a key catalytic asparagine 175 of Endo-M. We have shown that most of the Asn-175 mutants had significantly diminished hydrolysis activity but acted as glycosynthases capable of using synthetic sugar oxazoline for transglycosylation. Our results confirm the critical role of this asparagine residue in promoting the formation of an oxazolinium ion intermediate in the first step of the substrate-assisted catalysis. Interestingly, the N175Q mutant was found to possess dramatically enhanced glycosynthase-like activity with sugar oxazoline in comparison with N175A and a transglycosidase-like activity with "natural" N-glycan as well. These results also implicated the significance of amide side chain in the asparagine 175 of Endo-M for promoting oxazoline transglycosylation in the second step of the catalysis. The highly efficient syntheses of glycopeptides/glycoproteins by N175Q combined with synthetic sugar oxazolines or natural N-glycan substrates were exemplified. In addition, we also identified several previously unknown residues that seem to play a role in the catalysis of Endo-M.

Autophagy is a cellular process that nonspecifically degrades cytosolic components and is involved in many cellular responses. We found that amino sugars with a free amino group such as glucosamine, galactosamine and mannosamine induced autophagy via an rnTOR-independent pathway. Glucosamine-induced autophagy at concentrations of at least 500 mu M to over 40 mM. In the presence of 40 mM glucosamine, autophagy induction was initiated at 6 h and reached a plateau at 36 h. Glucosamine-induced autophagy could remove accumulated ubiquitin-conjugated proteins as well as 79-glutamine repeats. Therefore, Orally administered glucosamine could contribute to the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases and promotion of antiaging effects. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bifidobacteria are predominant bacteria present in the intestines of breast-fed infants and offer important health benefits for the host. Human milk oligosaccharides are one of the most important growth factors for bifidobacteria and are frequently fucosylated at their non-reducing termini. Previously, we identified 1,2-alpha-l-fucosidase (AfcA) belonging to the novel glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 95, from Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM1254 (Katayama T, Sakuma A, Kimura T, Makimura Y, Hiratake J, Sakata K, Yamanoi T, Kumagai H, Yamamoto K. 2004. Molecular cloning and characterization of Bifidobacterium bifidum 1,2-alpha-l-fucosidase (AfcA), a novel inverting glycosidase (glycoside hydrolase family 95). J Bacteriol. 186:4885-4893). Here, we identified a gene encoding a novel 1,3-1,4-alpha-l-fucosidase from the same strain and termed it afcB. The afcB gene encodes a 1493-amino acid polypeptide containing an N-terminal signal sequence, a GH29 alpha-l-fucosidase domain, a carbohydrate binding module (CBM) 32 domain, a found-in-various-architectures (FIVAR) domain and a C-terminal transmembrane region, in this order. The recombinant enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli and was characterized. The enzyme specifically released alpha 1,3- and alpha 1,4-linked fucosyl residues from 3-fucosyllactose, various Lewis blood group substances (a, b, x, and y types), and lacto-N-fucopentaose II and III. However, the enzyme did not act on glycoconjugates containing alpha 1,2-fucosyl residue or on synthetic alpha-fucoside (p-nitrophenyl-alpha-l-fucoside). The afcA and afcB genes were introduced into the B. longum 105-A strain, which has no intrinsic alpha-l-fucosidase. The transformant carrying afcA could utilize 2'-fucosyllactose as the sole carbon source, whereas that carrying afcB was able to utilize 3-fucosyllactose and lacto-N-fucopentaose II. We suggest that AfcA and AfcB play essential roles in degrading alpha 1,2- and alpha 1,3/4-fucosylated milk oligosaccharides, respectively, and also glycoconjugates, in the gastrointestinal tracts.

Alpha-dystroglycanopathies such as Walker Warburg syndrome represent an important subgroup of the muscular dystrophies that have been related to defective O-mannosylation of alpha-dystroglycan. In many patients, the underlying genetic etiology remains unsolved. Isolated muscular dystrophy has not been described in the congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) caused by N-linked protein glycosylation defects. Here, we present a genetic N-glycosylation disorder with muscular dystrophy in the group of CDG type I. Extensive biochemical investigations revealed a strongly reduced dolichol-phosphate-mannose (Dol-P-Man) synthase activity. Sequencing of the three DPM subunits and complementation of DPM3-deficient CHO2.38 cells showed a pathogenic p.L85S missense mutation in the strongly conserved coiled-coil domain of DPM3 that tethers catalytic DPM1 to the ER membrane. Cotransfection experiments in CHO cells showed a reduced binding capacity of DPM3(L85S) for DPM1. Investigation of the four Dol-P-Man-dependent glycosylation pathways in the ER revealed strongly reduced O-mannosylation of alpha-dystroglycan in a muscle biopsy, thereby explaining the clinical phenotype of muscular dystrophy. This mild Dol-P-Man biosynthesis defect due to DPM3 mutations is a cause for alpha-dystroglycanopathy, thereby bridging the congenital disorders of glycosylation with the dystroglycanopathies.

We demonstrated the prebiotic effect of lacto-N-biose I (Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc) on bifidobacteria in vitro. Lacto-N-biose I, a building unit of the type-I milk oligosaccharides, enhanced the growth of many bifidobacteria, especially Bifidobacterium bifidum, B. breve, and B. longum, which are predominant in the intestines of breast-fed infants. It might be a substantial, natural prebiotic in human colostrums.

Endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (endo-alpha-GalNAc-ase) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the O-glycosidic bond between alpha-GalNAc at the reducing end of mucin-type sugar chains and serine/threonine of proteins to release oligosaccharides. Previously, we identified the gene en-gBF encoding endo-alpha-GalNAc-ase from Bifidobacterium longum, which specifically released the disaccharide Gal beta 1-3GalNAc (Fujita K, Oura F, Nagamine N, Katayama T, Hiratake J, Sakata K, Kumagai H, Yamamoto K. 2005. Identification and molecular cloning of a novel glycoside hydrolase family of core 1 type O-glycan-specific endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase from Bifidobacterium longum. J Biol Chem. 280:37415-37422). Here we cloned a similar gene named engCP from Clostridium perfringens, a pathogenic enterobacterium, and characterized the gene product EngCP. Detailed analyses on substrate specificities of EngCP and EngBF using a series of p-nitrophenyl-alpha-glycosides chemically synthesized by the di-tert-butylsilyiene-directed method revealed that both enzymes released Hex/HexNAc beta 1-3GalNAc (Hex = Gal or Glc). EngCP could also release the core 2 trisaccharide Gal beta 1-3(GlcNAc beta 1-6)GalNAc, core 8 disaccharide Gal alpha 1-3GalNAc, and monosaccharide GalNAc. Our results suggest that EngCP possesses broader substrate specificity than EngBF. Actions of the two enzymes on native glycoproteins and cell surface glycoproteins were also investigated.

We verified here the inhibitory activity of a sialylglycopolymer prepared from natural products, chitosan and hen egg yolk, against influenza virus infection and estimated the requirements of the molecule for efficient inhibition. The inhibitory activity clearly depended on two factors, the length (the degree of polymerization: DP) of the chitosan backbone and the amount (the degree of substitution: DS) of conjugated sialyloligosaccharide side chain. The inhibitory efficiency increased in accordance with the DP value, with the highest inhibitory activity obtained when the DP was 1430. The inhibition of virus infection reached more than 90% as the DS value increased up to 15.6% when the neighboring sialyloligosaccharide side chains came as close as 4 nm, which was nearly the distance between two receptor-binding pockets in a hemagglutinin trimer. These results demonstrate that the sialylglycopolymer could be an excellent candidate of the safe and efficient anti-influenza drug.

Breast-fed infants often have intestinal microbiota dominated by bifidobacteria in contrast to formula-fed infants. We found that several bifidobacterial strains produce a lacto-N-biosidase that liberates lacto-N-biose I (Gal beta 1,3GlcNAc; type 1 chain) from lacto-N-tetraose (Gal beta 1,3GlcNAc beta 1,3Gal beta 1,4G1c), which is a major component of human milk oligosaccharides, and subsequently isolated the gene from Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM1254. The gene, designated lnbB, was predicted to encode a protein of 1,112 amino acid residues containing a signal peptide and a membrane anchor at the N and C termini, respectively, and to possess the domain of glycoside hydrolase family 20, carbohydrate binding module 32, and bacterial immunoglobulin-like domain 2, in that order, from the N terminus. The recombinant enzyme showed substrate preference for the unmodified P-linked lacto-N-biose I structure. Lacto-N-biosidase activity was found in several bifidobacterial strains, but not in the other enteric bacteria, such as clostridia, bacteroides, and lactobacilli, under the tested conditions. These results, together with our recent finding of a novel metabolic pathway specific for lacto-N-biose I in bifidobacterial cells, suggest that some of the bifidobacterial strains are highly adapted for utilizing human milk oligosaccharides with a type I chain.

Recently, a gene cluster involving a phosphorylase specific for lacto-N-biose I (LNB; Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc) and galacto-N-biose (GNB; Gal beta 1-3GalNAc) has been found in Bifidobacterium longum. We showed that the solute-binding protein of a putative ATP-binding cassette-type transporter encoded in the cluster crystallizes only in the presence of LNB or GNB, and therefore we named it GNB/LNB-binding protein (GL-BP). Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements revealed that GL-BP specifically binds LNB and GNB with K-d values of 0.087 and 0.010 mu M, respectively, and the binding process is enthalpy-driven. The crystal structures of GL-BP complexed with LNB, GNB, and lacto-N-tetraose ( Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc) were determined. The interactions between GL-BP and the disaccharide ligands mainly occurred through water-mediated hydrogen bonds. In comparison with the LNB complex, one additional hydrogen bond was found in the GNB complex. These structural characteristics of ligand binding are in agreement with the thermodynamic properties. The overall structure of GL-BP was similar to that of maltose-binding protein; however, the mode of ligand binding and the thermodynamic properties of these proteins were significantly different.

Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Mucor hiemalis(Endo-M), a family 85 glycoside hydrolase, acts on the beta 1,4 linkage of N,N'-diacetylchitobiose moiety in the N-linked glycans of glycoproteins and catalyzes not only the hydrolysis reaction but also the transglycosylation reaction that transfers the releasing sugar chain to an acceptor other than water to form a new glycosidic linkage. The transglycosylation activity of Endo-M holds a great promise for the chemo-enzymatic synthesis and glyco-engineering of glycoproteins, but the inherent hydrolytic activity for product hydrolysis and low transglycosylation have hampered its broad applications. This paper describes the site-directed mutagenesis on residues in the putative catalytic region of Endo-M to generate mutants with superior transglycosylation activity. Two interesting mutants were discovered. The Y217F mutant was found to possess much enhanced transglycosylation activity and yet much diminished hydrolytic activity in comparison with the wild-type Endo-M. Kinetic analyses revealed that the K(m) value of Y217F for an acceptor substrate 4-methylumbel-liferyl-beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminide was only one-tenth of that of the wild-type, implicating a much higher affinity of Y217F for the acceptor substrate than the wild-type. The other mutant, N175A, acts like a glycosynthase. It was found that mutation at Asn175"knocked out" the hydrolytic activity, but the mutant was able to take the highly active sugar oxazolines ( the transition state mimics) as donor substrates for transglycosylation. This is the first glycosynthase derived from endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases that proceed via a substrate-assisted mechanism. Our findings provide further insights on the substrate-assisted mechanism of GH85. The usefulness of the novel glycosynthase was exemplified by the efficient synthesis of a human immunodeficiency deficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) glycopeptide with potent anti-HIV activity.

A recombinant galacto-N-biose-/ lacto-N-biose I-binding protein ( GL-BP) from Bifidobacterium longum JCM1217 has been prepared and crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using 10 mg ml(-1) purified enzyme, 0.01 M zinc sulfate, 0.1 M MES buffer pH 5.9 -6.4 and 20 -22%( v/ v) PEG MME 550 in the presence of 5 mM disaccharide ligands. Suitable crystals grew after 10 d incubation at 293 K. The crystals belong to space group C222(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 106.3, b = 143.6, c = 114.6 angstrom for the lacto-N-biose I complex and a = 106.4, b = 143.4, c = 115.5 angstrom for the galacto-N-biose complex, and diffracted to 1.85 and 1.99 angstrom resolution, respectively.

Peptide:N-glycanase (PNGase) is the enzyme responsible for de-N-glycosylation of misfolded glycoproteins in the cytosol. Here, we report the molecular identification and characterization of PNGase (png-1, F56G4.5) from Caenorhabditis elegans. This enzyme released both high mannose- and complex-type N-glycans from glycopeptides and denatured glycoproteins. Deglycosylation activity was inhibited by Zn2+ and z-VAD-fmk, but not by EDTA. PNG-1 has a thioredoxin-like domain in addition to a transglutaminase domain, the core domain of PNGases, and exhibited protein disulphide reductase activity in vitro. Our biochemical studies revealed that PNG-1 is a unique bifunctional protein possessing two enzyme activities.

GPI mannosyltransferase I (GPI-MT-I) transfers the first mannose to a GPI-anchor precursor, glucosamine-(acyl)phosphatidylinositol [GIcN-(acyl)PI]. Mammalian GPIMT-I consists of two components, PIG-M and PIG-X, which are homologous to Gpil4p and Pbn1p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively. In the present study, we disrupted yeast GPI14 and analysed the phenotype of gpi14 yeast. The gpi14 haploid cells were inviable and accumulated GIcN-(acyl)PI. We cloned PIG-M homologues from human, Plasmodium falciparum (PfPIG-M) and Trypanosoma brucei (TbGPI14), and tested whether they could complement gpi14-disrupted yeast. None of them restored GPI-MT-I activity and cell growth in gpi14-disrupted yeast. However, gpi14disrupted yeast cells with human PIG-M, but not with PfPIG-M or TbGPI14, grew slowly but significantly when they were supplemented with rat PIG-X. This suggests that the association of PIG-X and PIG-M for GPI-MT-I activity is not interchangeable between mammals and the other lower eukaryotes.

Free oligosaccharides (FOSs) in the cytosol of eukaryotic cells are mainly generated during endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) of misfolded glycoproteins. We analyzed FOS of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to elucidate its detailed degradation pathway. The major FOSs were high mannose-type ones bearing 3-9 Man residues. About 94% of the total FOSs had one GlcNAc at their reducing end (FOS-GN1), and the remaining 6% had two GlcNAc (FOS-GN2). A cytosolic endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase mutant (tm1208) accumulated FOS-GN2, indicating involvement of the enzyme in conversion of FOS-GN2 into FOS-GN1. The most abundant FOS in the wild type was Man(5)GlcNAc(1), the M5A' isomer (Man alpha 1- 3(Man alpha 1-6)Man alpha 1-6(Man alpha 1-3)Man beta 1-4GlcNAc), which is different from the corresponding M5B' (Man alpha 1-2Man alpha 1- 2Man alpha 1-3(Man alpha 1-6)Man beta 1-4GlcNAc) in mammals. Analyses of FOS in worms treated with Golgi alpha-mannosidase I inhibitors revealed decreases in Man(5)GlcNAc(1) and increases in Man(7)GlcNAc(1). These results suggested that Golgi alpha-mannosidase I-like enzyme is involved in the production of Man(5-6)- GlcNAc(1), which is unlike in mammals, in which cytosolic alpha-mannosidase is involved. Thus, we assumed that major FOSs in C. elegans were generated through Golgi trafficking. Analysis of FOSs from a Golgi alpha-mannosidase II mutant (tm1078) supported this idea, because GlcNAc(1)Man(5)GlcNAc(1), which is formed by the Golgi-resident GlcNAc-transferase I, was found as a FOS in the mutant. We concluded that significant amounts of misfolded glycoproteins in C. elegans are trafficked to the Golgi and are directly or indirectly retro-translocated into the cytosol to be degraded.

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is coated by glycosylphosphatidylinositol ( GPI)-anchored proteins. During GPI biosynthesis, inositol in phosphatidylinositol becomes acylated. Inositol is deacylated prior to attachment to variant surface glycoproteins in the bloodstream form, whereas it remains acylated in procyclins in the procyclic form. We have cloned a T. brucei GPI inositol deacylase ( GPIdeAc2). In accordance with the acylation/deacylation profile, the level of GPIdeAc2 mRNA was 6-fold higher in the bloodstream form than in the procyclic form. Knockdown of GPIdeAc2 in the bloodstream form caused accumulation of an inositol-acylated GPI, a decreased VSG expression on the cell surface and slower growth, indicating that inositol-deacylation is essential for the growth of the bloodstream form. Overexpression of GPIdeAc2 in the procyclic form caused an accumulation of GPI biosynthetic intermediates lacking inositol-linked acyl chain and decreased cell surface procyclins because of release into the culture medium, indicating that overexpression of GPIdeAc2 is deleterious to the surface coat of the procyclic form. Therefore, the GPI inositol deacylase activity must be tightly regulated in trypanosome life cycle.

Biosynthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) in the ER has been extensively studied, whereas the molecular events during the transport of GPI-APs from the ER to the cell surface are poorly understood. Here, we established new mutant cell lines whose surface expressions of GPI-APs were greatly decreased despite normal biosynthesis of GPI-APs in the ER. We identified a gene responsible for this defect, designated PGAP2 (for Post-GPI-Attachment to Proteins 2), which encoded a Golgi/ER-resident membrane protein. The low surface expression of GPI-APs was due to their secretion into the culture medium. GPI-APs were modified/cleaved by two reaction steps in the mutant cells. First, the GPI anchor was converted to lyso-GPI before exiting the trans-Golgi network. Second, lyso-GPI-APs were cleaved by a phospholipase D after transport to the plasma membrane. Therefore, PGAP2 deficiency caused transport to the cell surface of lyso-GPI-APs that were sensitive to a phospholipase D. These results demonstrate that PGAP2 is involved in the processing of GPI-APs required for their stable expression at the cell surface.

Dolichol-phosphate mannose (DPM) synthase is required for synthesis of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, N-glycan precursor, protein O-mannose, and C-mannose. We previously identified DPM3, the third component of this enzyme, which was co-purified with DPM1 and DPM2. Here, we have established mutant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) 2.38 cells that were defective in DPM3. CHO2.38 cells were negative for GPI-anchored proteins, and microsomes from these cells showed no detectable DPM synthase activity, indicating that DPM3 is an essential component of this enzyme. A coiled-coil domain near the C terminus of DPM3 was important for tethering DPM1, the catalytic subunit of the enzyme, to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and, therefore, was critical for enzyme activity. On the other hand, two transmembrane regions in the N-terminal portion of DPM3 showed no specific functions. DPM1 was rapidly degraded by the proteasome in the absence of DPM3. Free DPM1 was strongly associated with the C terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP), a chaperone-dependent E3 ubiquitin ligase, suggesting that DPM1 is ubiquitinated, at least in part, by CHIP.

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) is widely used by eukaryotic cell surface proteins for membrane attachment. De novo synthesized GPI precursors are attached to proteins posttranstationally by the enzyme complex, GPI transamidase. TbGPI16, a component of the trypanosome transamidase, shares similarity with human PIG-T. Here, we show that TbGPI16 is the orthologue of PIG-T and an essential component of GPI transamidase by creating a TbGPI16 knockout. TbGPI16 forms a disulfide-linked complex with TbGP18. A cysteine to serine mutant of TbGPI16 was unable to fully restore the surface expression of GPI-anchored proteins upon transfection into the knockout cells, indicating that its disulfide linkage with TbGP18 is important for the full transamidase activity. (c) 2005 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We have isolated an endo-beta-galactosidase designated E-ABase from Clostridium perfringens ATCC 10543 capable of liberating both the A trisaccharide (A-Tri; GalNalpha1-->3(Fucalpha1-->2)Gal) and B trisaccharide (B-Tri; Galalpha1-->3( Fucalpha1-->2)Gal) from glycoconjugates containing blood group A and B glycotopes, respectively. We have subsequently cloned the gene (eabC) that encodes E-ABase from this organism. This gene was found to be identical to the CPE0329 gene of C. perfringens strain 13, whose product was labeled as a hypothetical protein (Shimizu, T., Ohtani, K., Hirakawa, H., Ohshima, K., Yamashita, A., Shiba, T., Ogasawara, N., Hattori, M., Kuhara, S., and Hayashi, H. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 99, 996 - 1001). Since the amino acid sequence of E-ABase does not bear detectable similarity to any of the 97 existing families of glycoside hydrolases, we have proposed to assign this unusual enzyme to a new family, GH98. We also expressed eabC in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and obtained 27 mg of fully active recombinant E-ABase from 1 liter of culture. Recombinant E-ABase not only destroyed the blood group A and B antigenicity of human type A and B erythrocytes, but also released A-Tri and B-Tri from blood group A (+)- and B+-containing glycoconjugates. The structures of A-Tri and B-Tri liberated from A(+) porcine gastric mucin and B+ human ovarian cyst glycoprotein were established by NMR spectroscopy. The unique specificity of E-ABase should make it useful for studying the structure and function of blood group A- and B-containing glycoconjugates as well as for identifying other glycosidases belonging to the new GH98 family.

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) is a glycolipid that anchors many proteins to the eukaryotic cell surface. The biosynthetic pathway of GPI is mediated by sequential additions of sugars and other components to phosphatidylinositol. Four mannoses in the GPI are transferred from dolichol-phosphate-mannose (Dol-PMan) and are linked through different glycosidic linkages. Therefore, four Dol-P-Man-dependent mannosyl-transferases, GPI-MT-I, -MT-II, -MT-III, and -MT-IV for the first, second, third, and fourth mannoses, respectively, are required for generation of GPI. GPI-MT-I (PIG-M), GPI-MT-III (PIG-B), and GPI-MT-IV (SMP3) were previously reported, but GPI-MT-II remains to be identified. Here we report the cloning of PIG-V involved in transferring the second mannose in the GPI anchor. Human PIG-V encodes a 493-amino acid, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident protein with eight putative transmembrane regions. Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein encoded in open reading frame YBR004c, which we termed GPI18, has 25% amino acid identity to human PIG-V. Viability of the yeast gpi18 deletion mutant was restored by human PIG-V cDNA. PIG-V has two functionally important conserved regions facing the ER lumen. Taken together, we suggest that PIG-V is the second mannosyltransferase in GPI anchor biosynthesis.

Many eukaryotic cell surface proteins are anchored to the membrane via glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI). GPI is synthesized from phosphatidylinositol by stepwise reactions and attached en bloc to nascent proteins. In mammalian cells, the major GPI species transferred to proteins is termed H7. By attachment of an additional ethanolamine phosphate (EtNP) to the second mannose, H7 can be converted to H8, which acts as a minor type of protein-linked GPI and also exists as a free GPI on the cell surface. Yeast GPI7 is involved in the transfer of EtNP to the second mannose, but the corresponding mammalian enzyme has not yet been clarified. Here, we report that the human homolog of Gpi7p (hGPI7) forms a protein complex with PIG-F and is involved in the H7-to-H8 conversion. We knocked down hGPI7 by RNA interference and found that H7 accumulated with little production of H8. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that hGPI7 was associated with and stabilized by PIG-F, which is known to bind to and stabilize PIG-O, a protein homologous to hGPI7. PIG-O is a transferase that adds EtNP to the third mannose, rendering GPI capable of attaching to proteins. We further found that the overexpression of hGPI7 decreased the level of PIG-O and, therefore, decreased the level of EtNP transferred to the third mannose. Finally, we propose a mechanism for the regulation of GPI biosynthesis through competition between the two independent enzymes, PIG-O and hGPI7, for the common stabilizer, PIG-F.

Within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mannoses and glucoses, donated from dolichol-phosphate-mannose and -glucose, are transferred to N-glycan and GPI-anchor precursors, and serine/threonine residues in many proteins. Glycosyltransferases that mediate these reactions are ER-resident multitransmembrane proteins with common characteristics, forming a superfamily of >10 enzymes. Here, we report an essential component of glycosylphosphatidylinositolmannosyltransferase I (GPI-MT-I), which transfers the first of the four mannoses in the GPI-anchor precursors. We isolated a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell mutant defective in GPI-MT-I but not its catalytic component PIG-M. The mutant gene, termed phosphatidylinositolglycan-class X (PIG-X), encoded a 252-amino acid ER-resident type I transmembrane protein with a large lumenal domain. PIG-X and PIG-M formed a complex, and PIG-M expression was <10% in the absence of PIG-X, indicating that PIG-X stabilizes PIG-M. We found that Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pbn1p/YCL052Cp, which was previously reported to be involved in autoprocessing of proproteinase B, is the functional homologue of PIG-X; Pbn1p is critical for Gpi14p/YJR013Wp function, the yeast homologue of PIG-M. This is the first report of an essential subcomponent of glycosyltransferases using dolichol-phosphate-monosaccharide.

The unique clostridial endo-beta-galactosidase (Endo-beta-Gal(GnGa)) capable of releasing the disaccharide GlcNAcalpha1,4Gal from O-glycans expressed in the gastric gland mucous cell-type mucin has been crystallized. The crystal belongs to space group P6(3), with unit-cell parameters a=160.4, c=86.1 Angstrom. Under cryocooled conditions and using a synchrotron X-ray source, the crystals diffract to 1.82 Angstrom resolution. The asymmetric unit contains two or three molecules.

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor is a membrane attachment mechanism for cell surface proteins widely used in eukaryotes. GPIs are added to proteins posttranslationally by a complex enzyme, GPI transamidase. Previous studies have shown that human and Saccharomyces cerevisiae GPI transamidases are similar and consist of five homologous components: GAA1, GP18, PIG-S, PIG-T, and PIG-U in humans and Gaa1p, Gpi8p, Gpi17p, Gpi16p, and Cdc91p in S. cerevisiae. We report that GPI transamidase of Trypanosoma brucei (Tb), a causative agent of African sleeping sickness, shares only three components (TbGAA1, TbGPl8 and TbGP116) with humans and S. cerevisiae but has two other specific components, trypanosomatid transamidase 1 (TTA1) and TTA2. GPI transamidases of both bloodstream form (growing in mammalian blood) and procyclic form (growing in tsetse fly vector) of the parasite have the same five components. Homologues of TTA1 and TTA2 are present in Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi but not in mammals, yeasts, flies, nematodes, plants, or malaria parasites, suggesting that these components may play unique roles in attachment of GPI anchors in trypanosomatid parasites and provide good targets for antitrypanosome drugs.

Highly water-soluble glycopolymers with poly(alpha-L-glutamic acid) (PGA) backbones carrying multivalent sialyl oligosaccharides units were chemoenzymatically synthesized as polymeric inhibitors of infection by human influenza viruses. p-Aminophenyl disaccharide glycosides were coupled with gamma-carboxyl groups of PGA side chains and enzymatically converted to Neu5Acalpha2-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAcbeta-, Neu5Acalpha2-6Galbeta1-4GlcNAcbeta-, Neu5Acalpha2-3Galbeta1-3GalNAcalpha-, and Neu5Acalpha2-3Galbeta1-3GalNAcbeta- units, respectively, by alpha2,3- or alpha2,6-sialytransferases. The glycopolymers synthesized were used for neutralization of human influenza A and B virus infection as assessed by measurement of the degree of cytopathic inhibitory effect in virus-infected MDCK cells. Among the glycopolymers tested, alpha2,6-sialo-PGA with a high molecular weight (260 kDa) most significantly inhibited infection by an influenza A virus, strain A/Memphis/1/71 (H3N2), which predominantly binds to alpha2-6 Neu5Ac residue. The alpha2,6-sialo-PGA also inhibited infection by an influenza B virus, B/Lee/40. The binding preference of viruses to terminal sialic acids was affected by core determinants of the sugar chain, Galbeta1-4GlcNAcbeta- or Galbeta1-3GalNAcalpha/beta- units. Inhibition of infection by viruses was remarkably enhanced by increasing the molecular weight and sialic acid content of glycopolymers.

In contrast to the beta-linked GlcNAc, the alpha-linked GlcNAc has not been commonly found in glycoconjugates. We have recently revealed the presence of an unusual endo-beta-galactosidase (Endo-beta-Gal(GnGa)) in Clostridium perfringens capable of releasing GlcNAcalpha1 --> 4Gal from glycans expressed in the gastric mucous cell-type mucin [Ashida, H., Anderson, K., Nakayama, J., Maskos, K., Chou, C.-W., Cole, R. B., Li, S.-C., and Li, Y.-T. (2001) J. Biol Chem. 276,28226-28232]. To characterize Endo-beta-Gal(GnGa), we have cloned its gene, gngC, from the genomic DNA library prepared from C. perfringens ATCC 10543. The gene encodes 420 amino acid residues including a 17-residue signal peptide at the N-terminus. Using pUC18, we were able to prepare 25 mg of the fully active and pure recombinant Endo-beta-Gal(GnGa) from 1 L of Escherichia coli DHalpha culture, which was 170 times higher than that produced by the original clostridial strain. Endo-beta-Gal(GnGa) shares a low but significant sequence similarity with two other endo-beta-galactosidases (16-21% amino acid identity). It also shows some similarity with bacterial 1,3-1,4-beta-glucan 4-glucanohydrolases of the glycoside hydrolase family 16. Endo-beta-Gal(GnGa) was found to contain the EXDX(X)E sequence (Glu-168 to Glu-173), that has been identified as the catalytic motif of families 16 and 7 retaining glycoside hydrolases. We have used site-directed mutagenesis to show that Glu-168 and Glu-173 were essential for the Endo-beta-Gal(GnGa) activity. By NMR spectroscopy, Endo-beta-Gal(GnGa) was found to act as a retaining enzyme.

We found that commercially available sialidases prepared from Clostridium perfringens ATCC10543 were contaminated with an endoglycosidase capable of releasing the disaccharide GlcNAc alpha1->4Gal from glycans expressed in the gastric gland mucous cell-type mucin. We have isolated this enzyme in electrophoretically homogeneous form from the culture supernatant of this organism by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by affinity chromatography using a Sephacryl S-200 HR column. The enzyme was specifically retained by and eluted from the column with methyl-alpha -Glc. By spectroscopy, the structure of the disaccharide released from porcine gastric mucin by this enzyme was established to be GlcNAc alpha1-->4Gal. The specificity of this enzyme as an endo-beta -galactosidase was established by analyzing the liberation of GlcNAc alpha1-->4Gal from GlcNAc alpha1--->4Gal beta1-->4GlcNAc beta1-->6(GlcNAc alpha1-->4Gal beta1-3)GalNAc-ol by mass spectrometry. Because this novel endo-beta -galactosidase specifically releases the GlcNAc alpha1-->4Gal moiety from porcine gastric mucin, we propose to call this enzyme a GlcNAc alpha1-->4Gal-releasing endo-beta -galactosidase (Endo-beta -Gal(GnGa)). Endo-beta -Gal(GnGa) was found to remove the GlcNAc alpha1-->4Gal epitope expressed in gastric adenocarcinoma AGS cells transfected with alpha1,4-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase cDNA. Endo-beta -Gal(GnGa) should become useful for studying the structure and function of glycoconjugates containing the terminal GlcNAc alpha1-->4Gal epitope.

Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (T antigen) disaccharide, beta -D-galactose-(1 --> 3)-alpha -N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (beta -D-Gal-(1 --> 3)-alpha -D-GalNAc), containing glycolipid mimicry was synthesized using the transglycosylation activity of endo-alpha -N-acetylgalactosaminidase from Bacillus sp. This enzyme could transfer the disaccharide from a p- nitrophenyl substrate to water-soluble 1-alkanols and other alcohols at a transfer ratio of 70% or more. Although the transfer ratios were lower for water-insoluble than water-soluble alcohols, they were shown to increase by adding sodium cholate to the reaction mixtures. The enzyme also transferred the disaccharide directly from asialofetuin to l-alkanols. The anomeric bond between the disaccharide and l-alkanols of the transglycosylation product is in the alpha configuration as determined by sequential digestion of jack bean beta -galactosidase and Acremonium alpha -N- acetylgalactosaminidase. Since the transglycosylation product, beta -D-Gal-(1--> 3)-alpha -D-GalNAc-(1 -->O)-hexyl, efficiently inhibits the binding of anti-T antigen monoclonal antibody to asialofetuin, it has potential as an agent for blocking T antigen-mediated cancer metastasis. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (alpha -GaLNAc-ase; EC 3.2.1.49) is an exoglycosidase specific for the hydrolysis of terminal alpha -linked N-acetylgalactosamine in various sugar chains. The cDNA, nagA, encoding alpha -GalNAc-ase from Acremonium sp. was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The nagA contains an open reading frame which encodes for 547 amino acid residues including 21 residues of a signal peptide in its N-terminal. The calculated molecular mass of mature protein from the deduced amino acid sequence of nagA is 57260 Da, which corresponds to the value obtained from SDS-PAGE of native and recombinant enzymes treated with endo-beta -N-acetyl-glucosaminidase ii. The amino acid sequence of NagA showed significant similarity to those of eukaryotic alpha -GalNAc-ases and alpha -galactosidases (alpha -Gal-ases), particularly alpha -Gal-ase A (AglA) from Aspergillus niger. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that NagA does not belong to the cluster of vertebrate alpha -GalNAc-ase and alpha -Gal-ase but forms another cluster with AglA and yeast alpha -Gal-ases. Thus, the evolutionary origin of the fungal alpha -GalNAc-ase is suggested to be different from that of vertebrate alpha -GalNAc-ase. This is the first report of a microbial alpha -GalNAc-ase gene. (C) 2000 Academic Press.

The effects of bovine fetuin O-glycans on its trypsin inhibitory activity were examined. De-sialylated (asialo-) and de-O-glycosylated fetuin were prepared from native fetuin using Arthrobacter neuraminidase and the mixture of it and Bacillus endo-alpha -N-acetylgalactosaminidase, respectively. De-sialylation and de-O-glycosylation from fetuin were confirmed with SDS-PAGE followed by western blotting using anti-human Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (T antigen) antibody which recognizes O-linked galactosyl beta1,3 N-acetylgalactosamine (Gal beta1-->3GalNAc). Native fetuin completely inhibited the trypsin activity at about a 1:1 molar ratio. In contrast, the trypsin inhibitory activity of asialo- and de-O-glycosylated fetuin decreased about a half and one-third of that of native fetuin, respectively.

Endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase was purified to homogeneity from the culture fluid of Bacillus sp. isolated from soil and characterized, The molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated as 110 kDa. The enzyme was stable at pH 4.0-10.0, up to 55 degrees C, and was most active at pH 5.0. The substrate specificity of the enzyme was strict for the disaccharide, galactosyl beta 1, 3 N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, bound to aglycone in alpha configuration. On the other hand, the specificity of the enzyme for the aglycone structure was fairly relaxed, The enzyme could transfer the disaccharide from para-nitrophenyl substrate to various accepters, such as monosaccharides, disaccharides, and sugar alcohols. Using this transglycosylation activity of the endoglycosidase, it may be possible to synthesize neo-oligosaccharides. (C) 2000 Academic Press.

Spatial distributions and shapes of ''whirl-like'' scars on the trunks, made by gallery formation of mature larvae of Xylotrechus villioni (Villard) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a primary borer of Abies and Picea coniferous trees in Japan, were investigated at an Abies firma Sieb. et Zucc. plantation in Hachioji, Tokyo Pref., an A. firma natural stand in Miyama, Kyoto Pref. and an A. sachalinensis (Fr. Schm.) Mast. plantation in Imakane, Hokkaido. Although all the forests investigated showed cumulative ''whirl-like'' scars on the tree trunks, a low density of existing larvae was inferred from the analyses of the locations and shapes of these scars. Mortality throughout the larval stages, as well as between the final phase of larva and the adult emergence, was suggested. Trunk analysis of a damaged A. firma tree showed that a ''whirl-like'' scar can remain on the trunk surface for as long as 27 years after the formation of the larval gallery. The most susceptible class of Abies trees had a diameter at the breast height of 35-45cm. ''Whirl-like'' scars were distributed more densely in the lower part of the trunks.

The actinomycete strain Streptomyces sp. H37 produces a novel glycosphingolipid-degrading enzyme. This strain was capable of converting ganglioside GM1 to lyso-GM1. After cultivation for 5 days in medium containing GM1, peptone, and detergent, GM1 was found to be almost completely converted to lyso-GM1. The product was purified on a DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column and thin layer chromatographies. The purified lyso-GM1 was hydrolyzed by endoglycoceramidase, and the released oligosaccharide moiety was identified as that of GM1 by HPLC using the pyridylaminoderivative method. The counterpart sphingosine moiety was confirmed with TLC, Moreover, the structure of lyso-GM1 was ascertained by H-1-NMR analysis, The maximum formation of lyso-GM1 was found in 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.5) containing 0.1% glycodeoxycholate. Various lyso-glycoshingolipids, including those of ganglio-, neolacto-, and globe-types, were formed from their parent glycosphingolipids using this strain.

Endoglycoceramidase catalyzes the hydrolysis of the linkage between oligosaccharides and ceramides of various glycosphingolipids. We found that a bacterial strain Corynebacterium sp., isolated from soil, produced endoglycoceramidase both intracellularly and extracellularly. The intracellular enzyme bound to the cell membrane was solubilized with 1% Triton X-100 and purified to homogeneity about 170-fold with 60% recovery. The molecular mass of the enzyme was approximately 65 kDa. The enzyme is most active at pH 5.5-6.5 and stable at pH 3.5-8.0. Various neutral and acidic glycosphingolipids were hydrolyzed by the enzyme in the presence of 0.1% Triton X-100. Ganglio- and lacto-type glycosphingolipids were readily hydrolyzed, but globo-type glycosphingolipids were hydrolyzed slowly

ポリアミンは、末端にアミノ基を持つ脂肪族炭化水素で、生命活動に不可欠な物質である。ポリアミンの摂取により寿命が延びるなど、動物においてポリアミンが健康増進効果を持つことが報告されている。食品からの高ポリアミン産生菌の同定は、新規プロバイオティクス候補の開発につながる可能性がある。 本研究では、食品からの高ポリアミン産生菌の同定を目指し、日本国内で生産される野菜や発酵食品から菌を分離・収集した。この結果、ポリアミンの一種であるプトレッシンを約200 μMの濃度で培養上清中に蓄積する乳酸菌として、石川県の伝統発酵食品である「かぶらずし」から分離したLatilactobacillus curvatus KP 3-4を取得することに成功した。L. curvatus KP 3-4のポリアミン合成能を、Japan Collection of Microorganismsから入手可能な代表的なプロバイオティクス乳酸菌およびL. curvatus株と比較したところ、L. curvatus KP 3-4のみが培養上清に多量のプトレッシンを放出できることが判明した。さらに本菌の全ゲノム解析から、プトレッシンはオルニチン脱炭酸酵素を介して合成されることが示唆された。L. curvatus KP 3-4 を無菌マウスに投与したところ、糞便中のプトレッシン濃度が上昇した。 同様の手法により、培養上清に高濃度（約500 μM）のプトレッシンを蓄積する能力を持つStaphylococcus epidermidis FB146を日本の発酵食品である味噌から単離した。S. epidermidis FB146に加え、代表的なブドウ球菌21種の基準株の培養上清と細胞中のポリアミンの存在を解析したところ、S. epidermidis FB146のみが高いプトレッシン生産性を有していた。

ジカウイルス(ZIKV)は先天奇形の原因となり、性感染症としての側面を有している。主な防御免疫誘導性抗原はエンベロープ(E)蛋白質である。粘膜上皮は病原微生物との接触界面であり、それを介した免疫は全身性のネットワークを形成している。菌体表面にZIKVE蛋白質を発現させた酵母菌や乳酸菌を経口投与し、生殖器粘膜にもZIKV感染症に対する有効な防御免疫が誘導されるかを確かめるため、経口粘膜ワクチン抗原およびコントロールとして用いる目的で、ZIKVE蛋白質もしくはGFPを菌体表面に発現する酵母菌株および乳酸菌株の樹立を試み、菌体表面にZIKVE蛋白質もしくはGFPを発現する酵母菌株の樹立に成功した。

β-L-アラビノフラノシダーゼ(HypBA1)の結晶構造をGH127として初めて決定した。HypBA1はCysを活性中心に持つ世界初の「システイングリコシダーゼ」であった。B. bifidumからは新規なグリコシダーゼを４種発見した。さらに、B. longumのβ-アラビノオリゴ糖鎖分解酵素群の転写誘導機構を解明し、HypBA1ホモログの諸性質の解析を行なった。

ニワトリ卵黄より抽出した糖ペプチドまたは糖ペプチドに糸状菌エンドグリコシダーゼ(エンド-M)を作用して遊離した糖鎖を縮合反応または還元アミノ化反応によりアルギン酸やキトサンに多価に重合した糖鎖結合ポリマーを合成し、糖鎖の非還元末端に存在するシアル酸残基にインフルエンザウイルスを結合させて捕捉する新しい概念の感染阻害剤として応用した。阻害剤について動物細胞を用いたインフルエンザウイルス感染阻害能を調べた結果、高い感染阻害活性を示すことを確認した。

本研究は微生物のエンドグリコシダーゼの糖転移活性を活用して、さまざまな生理活性複合糖質の組換え型エンドグリコシダーゼの大腸菌による大量発現:糸状菌Mucor hiemalisのエンド-β-N-アセチルグルコサミニダーゼ(Endo-M)の遺伝子を大腸菌に導入し、IPTGによる発現誘導を行うことなく、20℃にて長時間培養することにより本酵素を多量発現させることに成功した。2.部位特異的変異により糖転移活性を向上させた変異酵素の取得:Endo-Mの活性中心付近の構成アミノ酸である217番目のTyr残基をPheに置換した変異酵素Y217Fが高い糖転移活性を有することを見出した。3.Endo-Mのグライコシンターゼ化:Endo-Mの175番目のAsn残基をAlaに置換した変異酵素N175Aを取得し、本変異酵素がN-結合型糖鎖に対する加水分解と糖転移活性を失っていたが、反応中間体であるオキサゾリン構造を有する糖鎖を供与体として糖転移反応を触媒することを見出した。反応生成物は加水分解されずに生成し続け、本変異酵素がグライコシンターゼ様に機能することが示された。N175Aを用いて抗HIV活性を有する糖ペプチドを極めて高い収率で酵素合成した。4.エンド-α-N-アセチルガラクトサミニダーゼの糖転移活性によるムチン型糖鎖のペプチドへの付加:ビフィズス菌の本酵素の遺伝子を大腸菌に導入して得られた組換え型酵素を用い、ガラクトシルβ1-3N-アセチルガラクトサミンα1-pNPを糖鎖供与体として、糖転移活性を検討した結果、SerやThrのみならず、ムチンの部分ペプチドMUClaにもムチン糖鎖を転移付加することを見出した。この結果は人工ムチン合成の可能性を示唆するものである。

睡眠病トリパノソーマ(Trypanosoma brucei)の血流型とプロサイクリック型の2つのステージのGPIの構造の違いは、イノシトールを脱アシル化するinositol-de-acylaseが働くか否かで決定される。本研究では、T.bruceiの主たるinositol-de-acylase遺伝子を同定し、両ステージにおける働きを解明しようとした。ヒトのGPI-inositol-de-acylaseであるPGAP1のT.bruceiホモログを見出し、GPIdeAc2と呼んだ。GPIdeAc2をノックダウンした原虫ではイノシトール脱アシル化がほとんど阻害されていたことから、GPIdeAc2が血流型原虫の主たるinositol-de-acylaseである事がわかった。両ステージでの発現を検討したところ、イノシトール脱アシル化の有無に対応し、GPIdeAc2は血流型で発現し、プロサイクリック型ではその6分の1しか発現していなかった。プロサイクリック型トリパノソーマは、トランスシアリダーゼを用いて宿主成分から自らのGPIアンカーの側鎖にシアル酸を付加する。T.bruceiは、トランスシアリダーゼと思われる遺伝子を少なくとも8つ持っており、このうちTSB38pだけがクローニングされ酵素活性が証明されていた。残りの遺伝子をクローニングし、それらが酵素であるかの検討をおこなった。TS550bとTS290bと付けたアイソフォームには、活性が認められなかった。TS270bと名付けたアイソフォームには、明らかな活性が見出された。トランスシアリダーゼが全く発現されないTbGPI8ノックアウト原虫に、可溶型にした各アイソフォームを発現させ、シアル酸の付加量を測定したところ、TSB38PとTS270bを同時に発現させると、相加的に原虫表面のシアル酸量が増加した。

GPIアンカー生合成経路の酵素群の研究に関し、第1ステップに働くNアセチルグルコサミン転移酵素の新規構成成分PIG-Yをクローニングし、この酵素が7つのサブユニットからなる極めてユニークな単糖転移酵素であることを示した。 GPIアンカー欠損症で、後天性遺伝子病である発作性夜間血色素尿症の発症メカニズムに関し、GPIアンカー欠損クローンの拡大が良性腫瘍性に起こることを示唆する第2の遺伝子変異を証明した。 平成15年度の成果として報告したPGAP1は、タンパク質に結合直後のGPIアンカーのイノシトールから脂肪酸を除去する脱アシル化酵素である。PGAP1が機能しないとGPIアンカーは3つの脂肪鎖を持ったまま細胞表面に発現してしまう。このとき生体に何が起こるかを知るため、PGAP1ノックアウトマウスを作製した。ノックアウト個体の多くは周産期致死を示し、生き残った個体も成長が遅延した。雄は不妊であったので、不妊の機序を解析したところ、精子が卵子の透明体に付着できないことがわかった。ノックアウト個体の精子上のGPIアンカー型タンパク質のレベルを調べたところ、いくつかの蛋白質の量が正常より多かった。GPIアンカーの切断が、精子の妊性獲得に重要であるとの報告もあり、イノシトールからの脂肪酸除去不全がGPIアンカー型タンパク質の精子からの切断除去を阻害している可能性が考えられた。