Molecular cloning and characterization of a plant alpha1,3/4-fucosidase based on sequence tags from almond fucosidase I

Phytochemistry. 2006 Apr;67(7):641-8. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2006.01.021. Epub 2006 Mar 3.

Abstract

Our work with almond peptide N-glycosidase A made us interested also in the alpha1,3/4-fucosidase which is used as a specific reagent for glycoconjugate analysis. The enzyme was purified to presumed homogeneity by a series of chromatographic steps including dye affinity and fast-performance anion exchange chromatography. The 63 kDa band was analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry which yielded several partial sequences. A homology search retrieved the hypothetical protein Q8GW72 from Arabidopsis thaliana. This protein has recently been described as being specific for alpha1,2-linkages. However, cDNA cloning and expression in Pichia pastoris of the A. thaliana fucosidase showed that it hydrolyzed fucose in 3- and 4-linkage to GlcNAc in Lewis determinants whereas neither 2-linked fucose nor fucose in 3-linkage to the innermost GlcNAc residue were attacked. This first cloning of a plant alpha1,3/4-fucosidase also confirmed the identity of the purified almond enzyme and thus settles the notorious uncertainty about its molecular mass. The alpha1,3/4-fucosidase from Arabidopsis exhibited striking sequence similarity with an enzyme of similar substrate specificity from Streptomyces sp. (Q9Z4I9) and with putative proteins from rice.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylglucosamine / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis / enzymology
  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Complementary / analysis
  • Fucose / metabolism
  • Hydrolysis
  • Lewis Blood Group Antigens / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Weight
  • Oryza / enzymology
  • Pichia / enzymology
  • Prunus / enzymology*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
  • Streptomyces / enzymology
  • Substrate Specificity
  • alpha-L-Fucosidase / genetics*
  • alpha-L-Fucosidase / isolation & purification
  • alpha-L-Fucosidase / metabolism*

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • Lewis Blood Group Antigens
  • Fucose
  • alpha-L-Fucosidase
  • Acetylglucosamine