Publications
Galactomannan hydrolysis and mannose metabolism in Cellvibrio mixtus
Centeno MS, Guerreiro CI, Dias FM, Morland C, Tailford LE, Goyal A, Prates JA, Ferreira LM, Caldeira RM, Mongodin EF, Nelson KE, Gilbert HJ, Fontes CM
PMID: 16842369
Abstract
Galactomannan hydrolysis results from the concerted action of microbial endo-mannanases, manosidases and alpha-galactosidases and is a mechanism of intrinsic biological importance. Here we report the identification of a gene cluster in the aerobic soil bacterium Cellvibrio mixtus encoding enzymes involved in the degradation of this polymeric substrate. The family 27 alpha-galactosidase, termed CmAga27A, preferentially hydrolyse galactose containing polysaccharides. In addition, we have characterized an enzyme with epimerase activity, which might be responsible for the conversion of mannose into glucose. The role of the identified enzymes in the hydrolysis of galactomannan by aerobic bacteria is discussed.