[Protein Structure and Folding] A Novel Structural Fold in Polysaccharide Lyases: BACILLUS SUBTILIS FAMILY 11 RHAMNOGALACTURONAN LYASE YesW WITH AN EIGHT-BLADED -PROPELLER

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[Protein Structure and Folding] A Novel Structural Fold in Polysaccharide Lyases: BACILLUS SUBTILIS FAMILY 11 RHAMNOGALACTURONAN LYASE YesW WITH AN EIGHT-BLADED -PROPELLER

Rhamnogalacturonan (RG) lyase produced by plant pathogenic and saprophytic microbes plays an important role in degrading plant cell walls. An extracellular RG lyase YesW from saprophytic Bacillus subtilis is a member of polysaccharide lyase family 11 and cleaves glycoside bonds in polygalacturonan as well as RG type-I through a β-elimination reaction. Crystal structures of YesW and its complex with galacturonan disaccharide, a reaction product analogue, were determined at 1.4 and 2.5Å resolutions with final R-factors of 16.4% and 16.6%, respectively. The enzyme is composed of an eight-bladed β-propeller with a deep cleft in the center as a basic scaffold, and its structural fold has not been seen in polysaccharide lyases analyzed thus far. Structural analysis of the disaccharide-bound YesW and a site-directed mutagenesis study suggested that Arg-452 and Lys-535 stabilize the carboxyl group of the acidic polysaccharide molecule and Tyr-595 makes a stack interaction with the sugar pyranose ring. In addition to amino acid residues binding to the disaccharide, one calcium ion, which is coordinated by Asp-401, Glu-422, His-363, and His-399, may mediate the enzyme activity. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of a new structural category with a β-propeller fold in polysaccharide lyases and provides structural insights into substrate binding by RG lyase.