Crystal structure and enhanced activity of a cutinase-like enzyme from Cryptococcus sp. strain S-2

The structural and enzymatic characteristics of a cutinase-like enzyme (CLE) from Cryptococcus sp. strain S-2, which exhibits remote homology to a lipolytic enzyme and a cutinase from the fungus Fusarium solani (FS cutinase), were compared to investigate the unique substrate specificity of CLE. The crystal structure of CLE was solved to a 1.05 A resolution. Moreover, hydrolysis assays demonstrated the broad specificity of CLE for short and long-chain substrates, as well as the preferred specificity of FS cutinase for short-chain substrates. In addition, site-directed mutagenesis was performed to increase the hydrolysis activity on long-chain substrates, indicating that the hydrophobic aromatic residues are important for the specificity to the long-chain substrate. These results indicate that hydrophobic residues, especially the aromatic ones exposed to solvent, are important for retaining lipase activity.