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The crystal structure of Umbelopsis vinacea alpha-galactosidase I, which belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 27, was determined at 2.0 A resolution. The monomer structure was well conserved with those of glycoside hydrolase family 27 enzymes. The biological tetramer structure of this enzyme was constructed by the crystallographic 4-fold symmetry, and tetramerization appeared to be caused by three inserted peptides that were involved in the tetramer interface. The quaternary structure indicated that the substrate specificity of this enzyme might be related to the tetramer formation. Three N-glycosylated sugar chains were observed, and their structures were found to be of the high-mannose type.

alpha-Galactosidases catalyze the hydrolysis of a galactosyl residue from galactooligosaccharides and galactopolysaccharides. alpha-Galactosidase I from Mortierella vinacea was crystallized in two crystal forms using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. Type 1 crystals belonged to space group I422, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 142.4, c = 131.5 A, and diffracted to beyond 2.1 A resolution, while type 2 crystals belonged to space group P4, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 100.9, c = 102.7 A, and diffracted to beyond 1.6 A resolution. This enzyme crystallized as a glycoprotein tetramer and the tetrameric structure was located around the crystallographic fourfold axis.

The cDNAs coding for Mortierella vinacea alpha-galactosidases I and II were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of the yeast GAL10 promoter. The recombinant enzymes purified to homogeneity from the culture filtrate were glycosylated, and had properties identical to those of the native enzymes except for improving the heat stability of alpha-galactosidase II and decreasing the specific activities of both enzymes.