A novel mechanism of β-glucosidase stimulation through a monosaccharide binding-induced conformational change

It is urgent the transition from a fossil fuel-based economy to a sustainable bioeconomy based on bioconversion technologies using renewable plant biomass feedstocks to produce high chemicals, bioplastics, and biofuels. β-Glucosidases are key enzymes responsible for degrading the plant cell wall polymers, as they cleave glucan-based oligo- and polysaccharides to generate glucose. Monosaccharide-tolerant or -stimulated β-glucosidases have been reported in the past decade. Here, we describe a novel mechanism of β-glucosidase stimulation by glucose and xylose. The glycoside hydrolase 1 family β-glucosidase from Thermotoga petrophila (TpBgl1) displays a typical glucose stimulation mechanism based on an increased V_max and decreased K_m in response to glucose. Through molecular docking and dynamics analyses, we mapped putative monosaccharide binding regions (BRs) on the surface of TpBgl1. Our results indicate that after interaction with glucose or xylose at BR1 site, an adjacent loop region assumes an extended conformation, which increases the entrance to the TpBgl1 active site, improving product formation. Biochemical assays with TpBgl1 BR1 mutants, TpBgl1^D49A/Y410A and TpBgl1^D49K/Y410H, resulted in decreasing and abolishing monosaccharide stimulation, respectively. These mutations also impaired the BR1 looping extension responsible for monosaccharide stimulation. This study provides a molecular basis for the rational design of β-glucosidases for biotechnological applications.