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Most plant β-galactosidases, which belong to glycoside hydrolase family 35, have a C-terminal domain homologous to animal galactose and rhamnose-binding lectins. To investigate the structure and function of this domain, the C-terminal domain of the rice (Oryza sativa L.) β-galactosidase 1 (OsBGal1 Cter) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The free OsBGal1 Cter is monomeric with a native molecular weight of 15kDa. NMR spectroscopy indicated that OsBGal1 Cter comprises five β-strands and one α-helix. The structure of this domain is similar to lectin domains from animals, but loops A and C of OsBGal1 Cter are longer than the corresponding loops from related animal lectins with known structures. In addition, loop A of OsBGal1 Cter was not well defined, suggesting it is flexible. Although OsBGal1 Cter was predicted to be a galactose/rhamnose-binding domain, binding with rhamnose, galactose, glucose, β-1,4-d-galactobiose and raffinose could not be observed in NMR experiments., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To purify and study native form and enzymatic activity of the 42 kDa biotin-coupled protein (p42), which is related to glutamate action in chick retina., Methods: p42 was purified using molecular filtration in the presence of 0.7 M sodium chloride. Purity and identification of p42 were studied by SDS-PAGE, 2D-PAGE, LC-MS/MS, and MALDI-TOF MS. The native form of p42 was investigated using native-PAGE and Ferguson plot. Biotin-coupled property was examined by Western blot analysis. Enzymatic actions of p42 were studied using glutamate as substrate in the presence or absence of glutamine., Results: p42 was successfully purified from chick retinal protein solution using the molecular filtration. Western blot analysis with avidin showed that p42 was a biotin-coupled protein. Using SDS-PAGE, 2D-PAGE, LC-MS/MS, and MALDI-TOF MS, purified p42 was identified as a glutamine synthetase with four isoforms. Native-PAGE, followed by Ferguson plot analysis, showed two molecular forms of p42 corresponding to homotetramers and homooctamers. Enzymatic reaction followed by paper chromatography showed that p42 catalyzed the synthesis of glutamine from glutamate in the presence of ammonium ion, ATP, and magnesium ion. At prolonged reaction time, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was also formed. With glutamate and glutamine present at equal concentrations in the reaction mixture, GABA could be rapidly detected, but GABA could not be detected when glutamate concentration was more than four-fold that of glutamine. The results indicated that p42 also had glutamate decarboxylase activity. Both enzymatic activities were inhibited by avidin. High concentrations of Mn(2+) inhibited synthetase activity of p42 but not decarboxylase activity., Conclusion: p42 was purified from chick retinal protein solution using molecular filtration in the presence of sodium chloride. The protein was a biotin-coupled bifunctional enzyme that contained glutamine synthetase activity and glutamate decarboxylase activity. Biotin was possibly involved in these activities. Mn(2+) showed different effects on the two activities.

Among isoflavonoid beta-glucosidases from Dalbergia species, that from Dalbergia nigrescens hydrolyzes isoflavonoid-7-O-beta-D-apiosyl-1,6-beta-D-glucosides more efficiently, while Dalbergia cochinchinensis beta-glucosidase (dalcochinase) hydrolyzes its rotenoid glycoside substrate, dalcochinin beta-d-glucoside (I), more efficiently. A cDNA encoding a glycosylated beta-glucosidase with 81% identity with dalcochinase was cloned from D. nigrescens seeds, and its protein (Dnbglu2) expressed in Pichia pastoris. Purified Dnbglu2 hydrolyzed the D. nigrescens natural substrates dalpatein 7-O-beta-D-apiofuranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (II) and dalnigrein 7-O-beta-d-apiofuranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (III) at 400- and 5000-fold higher catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) than I. Dalcochinase was mutated at two amino acid residues, A454S and E455G, that are homologous to previously described substrate binding residues and differ from the corresponding residues in Dnbglu2. The double mutant showed 4- and 6.8-fold increases in relative activity toward II and III, respectively. However, this activity was only 3% that of Dnbglu2 beta-glucosidase, indicating other determinants are important for isoflavonoid diglycoside hydrolysis.

Two beta-glucosidases from the legumes Dalbergia cochinchinensis and Dalbergia nigrescens were compared for their ability to hydrolyze isoflavonoid glycosides from soybean. Both D. nigrescens and D. cochinchinensis beta-glucosidases could hydrolyze conjugated soybean glycosides, but D. nigrescens beta-glucosidase hydrolyzed both conjugated and nonconjugated glycosides in crude soybean extract more rapidly. The kinetic properties Km, kcat, and kcat/Km of the Dalbergia beta-glucosidases toward conjugated isoflavonoid glycosides, determined using high-performance liquid chromatography, confirmed the higher efficiency of the D. nigrescens beta-glucosidase in hydrolyzing these substrates. The D. nigrescens beta-glucosidase could also efficiently hydrolyze isoflavone glycosides in soy flour suspensions, suggesting its application to increase free isoflavones in soy products.