Orientador: Fabio Marcio Squina / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T12:41:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alvarez_ThabataMaria_D.pdf: 22982311 bytes, checksum: 1bc2a260df2bfab4948ffb299f13a63f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Devido à necessidade do desenvolvimento de fontes de energias renováveis é de grande interesse a descoberta de novas enzimas envolvidas na desconstrução da parede celular vegetal para a produção de bicombustíveis. A metagenômica é uma poderosa ferramenta para a descoberta de novos genes em comunidades microbianas que não são passíveis de cultivo pelas técnicas tradicionais. Neste contexto, o objetivo desta tese foi o desenvolvimento de estratégias metagenômicas para prospecção de novas enzimas atuantes na degradação da biomassa vegetal no metagenoma de solo de canavial bem como a caracterização funcional das mesmas. A biblioteca metagenômica construída com DNA extraído de um consórcio microbiano especializado na degradação de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar explodido a vapor e deslignificado foi empregada nos experimentos de triagem funcional de alto desempenho. Como resultado, foram identificados três clones positivos com atividade celulolítica e dois clones com atividade xilanolítica. A análise dos insertos de cada um dos clones resultou na localização de ORFs cujas sequências de aminoácidos apresentaram identidade com domínios conservados de glicosil hidrolases da família 5 (celulases E-1 e E-2), família 6 (celulase E-3), família 10 (xilanase X-1) e família 16 (glicosil hidrolase X-2). A celulase E-1 apresentou em sua estrutura além do domínio catalítico, E-1 Cat, um domínio de ligação a carboidratos, denominado E-1 CBM, que não apresentou identidade de sequência com domínios conservados conhecidos. A análise funcional do E-1 CBM revelou tratar-se de um CBM específico para cadeias de glucano com grau de polimerização mínimo de cinco unidades de glicose. Ensaios de atividade enzimática em diferentes substratos mostraram que E-1 Cat atuou especificamente na hidrólise das ligações glicosídicas do tipo ß(1,4) entre resíduos de glicose. Os maiores valores de atividade enzimática foram obtidos em pH 7,0 e temperatura de 50ºC. Os parâmetros cinéticos calculados em CMC foram Km igual a 6,05 ± 0,37 mg/mL, Vmax de 42,51 ± 1,2 ?mol/min/mg e eficiência catalítica kcat/Km de 4,06 mL/mg/s. A enzima apresentou termoestabilidade a 40ºC por cinco horas. A atividade enzimática de E-1 Cat em celulose cristalina e bagaço de cana-de-açúcar explodido a vapor resultou na liberação de açúcares solúveis, evidenciando sua potencial aplicação em processos de conversão da biomassa vegetal. Ensaios de atividade em diferentes substratos mostraram que X-1 apresentou maior atividade enzimática em xilana não ramificada, nas condições de pH e temperatura de 6,0 e 45ºC, respectivamente. Os parâmetros cinéticos calculados utilizando como substrato xilana de madeira de faia foram Km de 2,18 ± 0,13 mg/mL, Vmax de 1.435 ± 30,4 ?mol/min/mg e kcat/Km de 496,32 mL/mg/s. Em relação à termoestabilidade, a enzima se manteve estável a 40ºC e 50ºC por seis horas. A hidrólise de substratos complexos com X-1 resultou na liberação de xilooligossacarídeos, xilobiose e xilose, que são compostos que apresentam potencial aplicação nas indústrias alimentícias e de biocombustíveis. Os resultados obtidos neste estudo validaram a abordagem metagenômica desenvolvida para a descoberta de novos genes codificantes para glicosil hidrolases. Além disso, a estratégia descrita nesta tese pode ser estendida para a descoberta de uma miríade de bioprodutos de interesse biotecnológico / Abstract: Due to the necessity of development of renewable sources of energy, it is of great interest the discovery of novel enzymes involved in plant cell wall deconstruction for biofuels production. Metagenomics is a powerful tool for the discovery of novel genes in microbial communities that are not liable to cultivation by traditional techniques. In this context, the aim of this thesis was the development of metagenomic strategies for prospection of novel enzymes involved in plant biomass degradation in sugarcane field soil metagenome and functional characterization of the identified enzymes. The metagenomic library constructed with DNA extracted from a microbial consortium specialized in degradation of steam exploded delignified sugarcane bagasse was used in the experiments of high-performance functional screening. As a result, we identified three positive clones with cellulolytic activity and two clones with xylanolytic activity. The analysis of the inserts from each clone resulted in the location of ORFs whose amino acid sequences showed identity to conserved domains of glycoside hydrolase family 5 (cellulases E-1 and E-2), family 6 (cellulase E-3), family 10 (xylanase X-1) and family 16 (glycoside hydrolase X-2). Cellulase E-1 exhibited in addition to the catalytic domain, E-1 Cat, a carbohydrate binding module, called E-1 CBM, which showed no sequence identity with known conserved domains. Functional analysis of E-1 CBM showed that it is a CBM specific for glucan chains with a degree of polymerization of at least five units of glucose. Assays with a set of different substrates revealed that E-1 Cat hydrolyzed specifically ß(1,4) glycoside bonds between glucose residues. The highest value of enzymatic activity was obtained at pH 7.0 and temperature of 50°C. The kinetic parameters Km, Vmax and catalytic efficiency kcat/Km calculated using CMC were 6.05 ± 0.37 mg/mL, 42.51 ± 1.2 ?mol/min/mg and 4.06 mL/mg/s, respectively. The enzyme showed thermal stability at 40°C for five hours. The enzymatic activity of E-1 Cat in crystalline cellulose and steam exploded sugarcane bagasse resulted in the release of soluble sugars, demonstrating its potential application in processes of biomass conversion. The xylanase X-1 showed higher enzyme activity in debranched xylan, in reactions conducted in pH 6.0 and temperature of 45°C. The kinetic parameters Km, Vmax and catalytic efficiency kcat/Km calculated using beechwood xylan were 2.18 ± 0.13 mg/mL, 1,435 ± 30.4 ?mol/min/mg and 496.32 mL/mg/s, respectively. In relation to thermal stability, the enzyme was stable at 40°C and 50°C for six hours. The hydrolysis of complex substrates resulted in the release of xylo-oligosaccharides, xylobiose and xylose, which are compounds that have potential application in food and biofuels industries. The results of this study validated the metagenomic approach developed for the discovery of novel genes coding for glycoside hydrolases. Moreover, the strategy described in this work can be extended to the discovery of a myriad of byproducts of biotechnological interest / Doutorado / Bioquimica / Doutora em Biologia Funcional e Molecular

Les entérocoques sont des bactéries commensales de l'Homme majoritairement rencontrées dans le tractus digestif. En dépit du caractère bénéfique pour leur hôte, ces microorganismes sont retrouvés au deuxième rang des bactéries responsables d'infection nosocomiales en France ces dernières décennies. Diverses études tendent à montrer que le métabolisme énergétique constitue un facteur crucial pour le processus infectieux des microorganismes. Lors de ce travail, nous nous sommes intéressés à l'étude des métabolismes de différents polymères de glucoses chez Enterococcus faecalis : les maltodextrines et le gentiobiose. L'utilisation du maltose et des maltodextrines est, chez cette bactérie, directement coordonnée au niveau transcriptionnel par le répresseur MalR. L'activité de ce régulateur est rapidement modulée par le maltose qui représente l'inducteur du système et par un corépresseur protéique : la protéine P Ser HPr qui, à l'inverse, favorise la répression exercée par MalR. Le métabolisme des maltodextrines complexes, mais pas le métabolisme du maltose, est également réprimé par le régulateur pléiotrope CcpA en coordination avec son cofacteur P Ser HPr en présence de glucose. La répression catabolique de l'opéron genBA, impliqué dans le métabolisme du β glycoside gentiobiose, est aussi assurée par ce régulateur CcpA en présence de glucose. Cet opéron genBA est responsable de l'import du gentiobiose par un PTS ainsi que de son catabolisme grâce à une hydrolase. L'expression de cette structure opéronique nécessite la présence de l'activateur transcriptionnel GenR actif en présence de l'inducteur gentiobiose 6' P. / Enterococci are commensal bacteria of Humans predominantly encountered in the digestive tract. Despite their beneficial activity for their host, these microorganisms became the second leading bacterial cause of hospital acquired infections in France for last decades. Some studies showed that the central metabolism is a critical factor for microorganisms infection process. In this study, we worked on the characterisation of metabolisms of the different glucose polymers maltodextrins and gentiobiose in Enterococcus faecalis. The maltose and maltodextrins utilization is coordinated in this bacterium transcriptionally by the MalR repressor. The MalR activity is rapidly modulated by the inducer maltose and by the co repressor P Ser HPr which strengthens the MalR DNA binding. The metabolism of long maltodextrins is also repressed by the pleiotropic regulator CcpA in complex with its essential cofactor P Ser HPr in presence of glucose. The Catabolite repression of the operon genBA, involved in metabolism of the β glycoside gentiobiose, is assumed by CcpA in presence of glucose. This operon genBA allows the gentiobiose uptake with a PTS and its catabolism by a hydrolase. The expression of this latter operon requires both the GenR transcriptional activator and the inducer gentiobiose 6' P.

A number of exoglycosidases have been prepared from bacterial and plant sources using established methods for the separation of enzymes, in conjunction with certain novel purification systems hitherto not described in the literature for these enzymes. The enzyme, beta-galactosidase from E. coli has been prepared using previously described methods of phase separation and ion-exchange chromatography. As a final step in this purification, the use of a new hydroxyl-rich chromatographic support for the isolation of high-grade enzyme suitable for use in enzyme immunoassays was investigated. Methods have also been studied for the recovery of alpha-mannosidase as a by-product of the procedure used for the extraction of urease from jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis). The inclusion of a novel step involving the use of hydrophobic-interaction chromatography on Phenyl-Sepharose led to excellent recoveries of enzyme suitable for commercial use. Studies on a second glycosidase, beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase, from the same source (jack bean) paved the way for an adaptation of existing purification methods to provide increased yields and an improved quality of enzyme. Since the research unit in which this work was performed is associated with commercial organizations responsible for the preparation and marketing of biologically active products, it is important that the methods of purification described in this thesis are compatible with the requirements for largescale purification.

Le sujet de thèse concerne l’immunothérapie induite par des glycolipides synthétiques dont le chef de file est le KRN7000. Ce composé montre une activité à stimuler le système immunitaire renforçant l’action antitumorale. Cependant, comme la plupart des principes actifs, le KRN 7000 n’est pas spécifique des cellules tumorales. Pour pallier ce manque de spécificité, nous avons envisagé de coupler des glycolipides à un agent ciblant des cellules tumorales selon deux approches. La première a consisté à lier de manière covalente l’agent ciblant au glycolipide via un espaceur, ce qui a permis d’évaluer si le greffage de cet immunostimulant sur l’agent ciblant ne perturberait pas la reconnaissance par le récepteur membranaire. Concernant la seconde approche, une étude préliminaire reposant sur le relargage du KRN7000 a été abordé en préparant une prodrogue du glycolipide. Un autre problème du KRN7000 est qu’il n’est pas sélectif vis-à-vis de deux voies d’activation du système immunitaire. Pour pallier ce problème, la synthèse de nouveaux analogues C-glycosidiques d’alpha-galactosylcéramides plus stables et plus sélectifs de la voie Th1 a été envisagée. La stratégie de synthèse met en œuvre une cycloaddition 1,3-dipolaire entre un C-vinyl glycoside et une nitrone. Dans un premier temps, une étude méthodologique de cette réaction a d’abord été réalisée. Dans un deuxième temps, la fonctionnalisation du cycle isoxazolidine puis son ouverture devrait permettre d’accéder aux analogues ciblés. / This PhD work concerns glycolipid-induced activation of immune system with KRN7000 as lead compound. This latter has shown its ability to stimulate NKT cells which are T cells of the immune system resulting in potent antitumor activity. However, like lots of drugs, KRN7000 is not specific for tumor cells. To tackle this lack of specificity, we plan to graft glycolipids to a targeting agent for tumor cells following two approaches. The aim of the first one was to bind covalently the glycolipid to the targeting agent in order to determine the effect of the glycolipid grafting onto the targeting agent on the recognition by the membrane receptor. Regarding the second approach, a preliminary study based on the KRN7000 release was performed by synthesizing a glycolipid prodrug. Another drawback of the KRN7000 is the lack of selectivity towards two ways of activation of the immune system. In order to favor the Th1 immune response, the synthesis of new C-glycosidic analogues of alpha-galactosylceramides was implemented. The synthetic strategy has involved a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between a C-vinyl glycoside and a nitrone. First, a methodologic study about this reaction was performed. Then functionalization of the obtained isoxazolidine ring and the N-O bond cleavage should lead to the expected original analogs.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a commensal inhabitant of the human nasopharynx that can sometimes become pathogenic and cause diseases such as pneumonia, otitis media and meningitis. Carbohydrate metabolism is a critical component of S. pneumoniae virulence. Among the myriad of carbohydrate-specific pathways involved in the host-pneumococcus interaction, the N-glycan foraging pathway stands out because of its direct implication in numerous aspects of virulence such as fitness, adhesion/invasion and impairment of the host immune response. Much of the literature has been focussed on the importance of step-wise depolymerisation of N-glycans by the enzymes NanA, BgaA and StrH. However, the importance of the liberation of N-glycans from host glycoconjuguates and their intake by the bacterium has yet to be examined. We have identified a Carbohydrate Processing Locus (CPL) that is highly conserved throughout a large number of Firmicutes and whose individual components appear widespread in bacteria that we hypothesize is active on host N-glycans. This locus encodes for two putative α-mannosidases GH92 and GH38, a characterised α-mannosidase GH125, a putative β-hexosaminidase GH20C, a putative α-fucosidase GH29 and a ROK (Repressor, Open reading frame, Kinase) protein. The genomic context of CPL orthologues suggests that an endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (EndoD) and an ABC transporter (ABCN-glycan) are functionally associated with this locus. Based on our bioinformatic analyses and known functions of these proteins we hypothesize that the CPL encodes a concerted pathway responsible for the liberation, transport, and processing of N-glycans. The objective of this research is to characterize the putative components of this pathway and assess their implication in virulence. Specific focus on ABCN-glycan demonstrated its specificity for a range of N-glycans liberated by EndoD, shedding light on a novel import system for branched N-glycans. Furthermore, we provided evidence that GH92 is an α-1,2-mannosidase that likely removes the terminal mannose residues found on high-mannose N-glycans. EndoD and GH92 are shown to participate in virulence in mice; however, their role in virulence has yet to be determined. This work will significantly advance the construction and validation of a model of N-glycan processing by S. pneumoniae. As the components of this model pathway are conserved amongst a wide variety of bacteria, this work is of fundamental relevance to understanding how microbes from various environments degrade and metabolize N-glycans. / Graduate

The degradation of carbohydrates is essential to many biological processes such as cell wall remodelling, host-pathogen defense, and energy synthesis in the form of ATP. Several of these processes utilize carbohydrate-active enzymes to accomplish these goals. Studying the degradation of polysaccharides by carbohydrate-active enzymes synthesized by microbes has allowed us to further understand biomass conversion. A portion of these polysaccharides consists of β-1,3-linked glucose (i.e. β-1,3-glucan), which is found in plants, fungi, and brown macroalgae. The hydrolysis of β-1,3-glycosidic linkages is catalyzed by β-1,3-glucanases, which are present in six different glycoside hydrolase (GH) families: 16, 17, 55, 64, 81, and 128. These enzymes play important biological roles including carbon utilization, cell wall modeling, and pathogen defense. This study focuses on a gene from Bacillus halodurans encoding for a multi-modular protein (BhLam81) consisting of a glycoside hydrolase from family 81 (BhGH81), a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) from family 6 (BhCBM6), and a CBM from family 56 (BhCBM56). Previously, thorough structural and substrate-specific characterization has been carried out on BhCBM6. This CBM binds the non-reducing end of β-1,3-glucan. A member of CBM family 56 has been shown to recognize and bind the insoluble β-1,3-glucan, pachyman, however it is structurally uncharacterized. A glycoside hydrolase belonging to family 81 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been previously shown to degrade the β-1,3-glucans, laminarin and pachyman, however the structure of this enzyme was not determined. Recently, a member of GH family 81 has been structurally characterized; however, substrate-specificity was not determined in that study. Therefore, this study concentrated on two goals: Determining the substrate-specificity of BhGH81 and BhCBM56, and solving the structure of BhGH81 and BhCBM56 in order to gain insight into the molecular details of how they recognize and act on their substrate(s). The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) encoding for these modules were dissected by restriction digest from B. halodurans genomic DNA and recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) as separate constructs. Both BhGH81 and BhCBM56 were purified and their crystal structures obtained. BhGH81 and BhCBM56 were solved to 2.5 Å resolution by single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) and to 1.7 Å resolution by multi-wavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD), respectively. In order to determine the substrate-specificity of BhGH81 and BhCBM56 and speculate on the molecular details of how they recognize and act on their substrate(s), substrate-specificity tests were combined with structural analysis for both of these modules. By using qualitative depletion assays, quantitative depletion assays, and affinity electrophoresis, it was revealed that BhCBM56 binds both insoluble and soluble β-1,3-glucan. The crystal structure of BhCBM56 revealed that it is a β-sandwich composed of two antiparallel β-sheets consisting of five β-strands each. By comparing BhCBM56 to a β-1,3-glucan binding protein from Plodia interpunctella (βGRP) a putative substrate-binding cleft on the concave side of the β-sandwich created by a platform of hydrophobic residues surrounded by several polar and charged residues was revealed. This comparison also allowed for speculation of the amino acids (W1015, H965, and D963) that are potentially essential for recognition of β-1,3-glucan substrates by BhCBM56. Activity of BhGH81 on β-1,3-glucans was confirmed by both thin-layer chromatography and product analysis using high performance anion exchange chromatography. The high performance anion exchange chromatography of BhGH81 hydrolysis suggested it has both exo and endo modes of action. The crystal structure of BhGH81 revealed that it consists of domains A, B, and C: A β-sandwich domain (A), a linker domain (B), and an (α/α)6-barrel domain (C). This structure revealed a putative substrate-binding cleft on one side of the (α/α)6-barrel with a blind canyon active site topology. It also revealed two putative catalytic residues, E542 and E546. All GHs from family 81 characterized so far, hydrolyze β-1,3-glucan in an endo acting manner. By comparing the structure of BhGH81 acquired in this study to a cellulase from Thermobifida fusca, which has an endo-processive mode of action, we can speculate that BhGH81 also has an endo-processive mode of action. The structural and biochemical analysis of BhGH81 and BhCBM56 in this study has aided in further understanding the molecular details both GH family 81 and CBM family 56 proteins, as well as the degradation of β-1,3-glucan by multimodular enzymes. Understanding these molecular details could be important for industrial applications such as, engineering a microbial platform for more efficient biofuel production. / Graduate

Background: Relatively little is known about the genomic basis and evolution of wood- feeding in beetles. We undertook genome sequencing and annotation, gene expression assays, studies of plant cell wall degrading enzymes, and other functional and comparative studies of the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, a globally significant invasive species capable of inflicting severe feeding damage on many important tree species. Complementary studies of genes encoding enzymes involved in digestion of woody plant tissues or detoxification of plant allelochemicals were undertaken with the genomes of 14 additional insects, including the newly sequenced emerald ash borer and bull-headed dung beetle. Results: The Asian longhorned beetle genome encodes a uniquely diverse arsenal of enzymes that can degrade the main polysaccharide networks in plant cell walls, detoxify plant allelochemicals, and otherwise facilitate feeding on woody plants. It has the metabolic plasticity needed to feed on diverse plant species, contributing to its highly invasive nature. Large expansions of chemosensory genes involved in the reception of pheromones and plant kairomones are consistent with the complexity of chemical cues it uses to find host plants and mates. Conclusions: Amplification and functional divergence of genes associated with specialized feeding on plants, including genes originally obtained via horizontal gene transfer from fungi and bacteria, contributed to the addition, expansion, and enhancement of the metabolic repertoire of the Asian longhorned beetle, certain other phytophagous beetles, and to a lesser degree, other phytophagous insects. Our results thus begin to establish a genomic basis for the evolutionary success of beetles on plants.

Les glycophanes sont des molécules cycliques, chirales contenant des sucres séparés par des segments hydrocarbonés. Ils sont considérés comme des hybrides de cyclophanes et de cyclodextrines. Ce travail concerne la synthèse de glycophanes symétriques à partir du D-glucal. Après la synthèse de O-glycosides insaturés et de bis-O-glycosides d’alkyle 2,3 insaturés par réarrangement de Ferrier, nous avons préparé des précurseurs bifonctionnels pour différentes réactions de macrocyclisation pour l’obtention de ces macrocycles à savoir les bis-ethers de propargyle pour la réaction de Glaser ; les azido-alcynes pour la réaction de Huisgen et les amino-acides de sucres pour le couplage peptidique. Les conditions de dilution ont permis d’obtenir des molécules-cages de symétrie C2 que nous avons déprotégées pour des essais de complexation. / The aim of this work was the design and synthesis of symmetrical glycophanes from D-glucal. Glycophanes may be considered as sugar-cyclophanes hybrids. Having prepared unsaturated O-glycosides and unsaturated alkyl bis-2,3-O-glycosides by a Ferrier rearrangement, we synthetized bifunctional precursors for various reactions of macrocyclization: propargyl-ethers for the reaction of Glaser; azido-alkynes for the reaction of Huisgen and sugar amino-acids for the peptide coupling. The conditions of dilution allowed us to obtain C2 symmetric molecule-cages which were deprotected for complexation purposes.

Fung Pik Ha. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-121). / Acknowledgments --- p.i / Table of Contents --- p.ii / List of Figures --- p.v / List of Tables --- p.x / Abstract --- p.xi / Chapter Chapter I --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter II --- Literature Reviews / Chapter II.l --- Glycosidase --- p.3 / Chapter II.2 --- Biosynthesis of N-linked Glycoprotein --- p.4 / Chapter II.3 --- Mechanism of Enzyme Catalysed Reaction --- p.8 / Chapter II.4 --- Types of Glycosidase Inhibitors --- p.12 / Chapter II.5 --- Cyclophellitol and Aminocyclitols / Chapter II.5.1 --- General background on cyclophellitol --- p.17 / Chapter II.5.2 --- Mode of inhibition of cyclophellitol --- p.20 / Chapter II.5.3 --- General background on aminocyclitols --- p.24 / Chapter Chapter III --- Characterization of Synthetic Glycosidase Inhibitors / Chapter III.1 --- Covalent-based Inactivator (Cyclophellitol and its Analogues) / Chapter III.1.1 --- Introduction --- p.28 / Chapter III.1.2 --- Materials --- p.32 / Chapter III.1.3 --- Methods / Chapter III.1.3.1 --- Inhibitory assay of commercially available glycosidases --- p.33 / Chapter III.1.3.2 --- Partial purification of β-D-mannosidase from A. oryzae --- p.34 / Chapter III.1.3.3 --- Protein assay in purification of β-D-mannosidase --- p.38 / Chapter III.1.3.4 --- Inhibitory assay for partially purified β-D- mannosidase (A . oryzae) --- p.38 / Chapter III.1.3.5 --- Influence of dialysis on glycosidase inhibition --- p.39 / Chapter III.1.3.6 --- Inactivation experiment on glycosidases --- p.39 / Chapter III.1.4 --- Results / Chapter III.1.4.1 --- Inhibitory activities of cyclophellitol and its analogues against glycosidases --- p.41 / Chapter III.1.4.2 --- Effect of dialysis on glycosidase inhibition --- p.44 / Chapter III.1.4.3 --- The kinetic studies of glycosidase inactivation --- p.47 / Chapter III. 1.5 --- Discussion --- p.50 / Chapter III.1.6 --- Further studies --- p.55 / Chapter III.2 --- Reversible Competitive Inhibitors (Aminocyclitols) / Chapter III.2.1 --- Introduction --- p.56 / Chapter III.2.2 --- Materials --- p.58 / Chapter III.2.3 --- Methods / Chapter III.2.3.1 --- Assay of glucoside hydrolase inhibition activity --- p.60 / Chapter III.2.3.2 --- Glucose oxidase method for determination of released D-glucose --- p.60 / Chapter III.2.3.3 --- Inhibitory assay of aminocyclitols on other glycosidases --- p.61 / Chapter III.2.3.4 --- Influence of dialysis on the glycosidase inhibition --- p.62 / Chapter III.2.3.5 --- Lineweaver-Burk plot --- p.63 / Chapter III.2.4 --- Results / Chapter III.2.4.1 --- Inhibitory activities of valiolamine and related aminocyclitols against six glycosidases --- p.64 / Chapter III.2.4.2 --- Characterization the aminocyclitols as reversible competitive inhibitors --- p.69 / Chapter III.2.5 --- Discussion --- p.80 / Chapter Chapter IV --- Isolation of the Naturally Occurring Glycosidase Inhibitor from Mushrooms / Chapter IV.1 --- Introduction --- p.83 / Chapter IV.2 --- Materials --- p.84 / Chapter IV.3 --- Methods / Chapter IV.3.1 --- Preparation of Ganoderma lucidum --- p.86 / Chapter IV.3.2 --- Preparation of V. volvacea --- p.86 / Chapter IV.3.3 --- Inhibitory assay of aqueous extract of mushrooms on glycosidases --- p.87 / Chapter IV.3.4 --- Anthrone method for determination of reducing sugars --- p.87 / Chapter IV.3.5 --- Flash liquid chromatography for purification of putative inhibitors in G. lucidum --- p.88 / Chapter IV.4 --- Results / Chapter IV.4.1 --- Prescreening of Inhibitory effects of Various Fungal Extracts --- p.90 / Chapter IV.4.2 --- Inhibitory Effects of Partially Purified G. lucidum Extract on Glycosidase --- p.92 / Chapter IV.4.3 --- Effect of Endogenous Substrates on Glycosidase Activities --- p.93 / Chapter IV.4.4 --- Results of Liquid Column Chromatography --- p.93 / Chapter IV.4.5 --- Structure Determination and Characterization of purified compounds --- p.95 / Chapter IV.4.6 --- Inhibitory Activities of Compounds A and B against Brewers yeast a- glucosidase --- p.96 / Chapter IV.5 --- Discussion --- p.98 / Chapter Chapter V --- Conclusions --- p.113 / References --- p.116

The human gut is host to a vast consortium of microorganisms, collectively referred to as the microbiota or microflora, which play important roles in health and disease. Current applications focus only on a single type of bacteria, which are not the most dominant numerically, and without detailed knowledge of the specific functions of these bacteria. A good indicator of the function of a bacterial species involves detailed analysis of its enzymes. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron is one of the predominant bacterial species with a great representation of the carbohydrate processing enzymes, glycoside hydrolases in its proteome. This thesis reports the production and purification of one such enzyme, BT3299, suitable for kinetic and structural studies. The enzyme displayed a broad substrate specificity with a slight preference for 1-->3 and 1-->6 glycosidic linkages and longer chain saccharides. Future work will focus on structural analysis as an aid to the understanding of the enzyme function.