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The complete λ-carrageenan depolymerization cascade from a marine Pseudoalteromonad revealed by structural analysis of the enzymes
Open accessPreprint — published as 10.1016/j.jbc.2025.110719 · Paper page
Abstract
Carrageenans are a complex group of polysaccharides derived from the cell walls of red macroalgae. They are an abundant, yet recalcitrant nutrient source for most marine heterotrophic bacteria. Some member species of the Pseudoalteromonas genus are effective at metabolizing carrageenan. However, the enzymatic pathway for λ-carrageenan, one of the most sulfated naturally occurring polysaccharides, remains unknown. Using detailed structural analysis by X-ray crystallography we reveal the sophisticated and cyclic enzymatic cascade deployed by Pseudoalteromonas distincta (strain U2A) to utilize λ-carrageenan. The cascade incorporates ten glycoside hydrolases and five sulfatases that are specific for λ-carrageenan and cooperate to completely deconstruct this polysaccharide, thus yielding galactose monosaccharides for subsequent energy production. The detailed molecular understanding of λ-carrageenan depolymerisation provided includes structural evidence for a lesser described sulfatase catalytic mechanism and elucidation of a distinct catabolic cascade that is unique from previously described carrageenan metabolic pathways. This insight also holds potential for the application of enzymatic logic in the generation of high value products from abundant natural biopolymers, such as carrageenans.
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![Figure 3 Characterization of S1_8B.A, screening of the five sulfatases in the U2A λ-CarPUL by C-PAGE to identify the λ-neocarrageenoligosaccharide specific exo-galactose-2[,6]-sulfate-2-O-sulfohydrolase. The substrates used for this screen was a pool of oligosaccharides produced by the depolymerization of λ-carrageenan by GH150B. S1_8B was the only sulfatase that showed activity on these oligosaccharides. B, overlay of the apo X-ray crystallographic structure of S1_8B (purple) with the inactive C92S structure bound to λ-NC4 revealing the typical two-domain alkaline phosphatase fold of the S1 family. The structure of the complex was nearly identical to that of the apo structure and only the loop that was disordered in the apo structure is shown in blue for the complex. C, interactions between residues on the dynamic active site-adjacent loop and λ-NC4. The 2S of the non-reducing end G2,6S engages with the catalytic machinery in the S-subsite. D, surface electrostatics show the catalytic machinery in the S-subsite is buried in the base of a positively charged active site pocket that is complementary to the negatively charged l-NC4 substrate.](/paper-figures/056a62651aa744f7868a80dc8c369dde/the-complete-carrageenan-depolymerization-cascade-from-a-marine-figure-3.jpg)







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Metadata
- Authors
- Vickers, C. J., Hettle, A. G., Hobbs, J. K., Shapiro-Ward, S., Pluvinage, B., Medley, B. J., McGuire, B. E., Mihalynuk, L., Nitin, Zandberg, W. F., & Boraston, A. B.
- Affiliations
- University of Victoria (CA)
- University of St Andrews (GB)
- Irving K Barber Faculty of Science, The University of British Columbia, Department of Chemistry, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Boraston, Alisdair B.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Biological Chemistry
- Publisher
- openRxiv
- Published
- 2025-01-09
- Volume
- 301
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 110719-110719
- ISSN
- 0021-9258 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC12549532
- OpenAlex
- W4414245781
- Cited by
- 6
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 2.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Biological Chemistry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- St Andrews Research Repository (St Andrews Research Repository) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (FRN 04355)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biotechnology › Enzyme Production and Characterization
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Polysaccharides and Plant Cell Walls
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Seaweed-derived Bioactive Compounds
- Keywords
- lambda-carrageenan, sulfated polysaccharides, glycoside hydrolases, sulfatase, marine bacteria, enzyme cascade
- MeSH terms
- Bacterial Proteins, Carrageenan, Glycoside Hydrolases, Sulfatases, Crystallography, X-Ray, Pseudoalteromonas, Polymerization
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- The paper
- Vickers, C. J., Hettle, A. G., Hobbs, J. K., Shapiro-Ward, S., Pluvinage, B., Medley, B. J., McGuire, B. E., Mihalynuk, L., Nitin, Zandberg, W. F., & Boraston, A. B. (2025). The complete λ-carrageenan depolymerization cascade from a marine Pseudoalteromonad revealed by structural analysis of the enzymes. Journal of Biological Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.09.632246
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