Catalytic Diversity of GH30 Xylanases

Catalytic properties of GH30 xylanases belonging to subfamilies 7 and 8 were compared on glucuronoxylan, modified glucuronoxylans, arabinoxylan, rhodymenan, and xylotetraose. Most of the tested bacterial GH30-8 enzymes are specific glucuronoxylanases (EC 3.2.1.136) requiring for action the presence of free carboxyl group of MeGlcA side residues. These enzymes were not active on arabinoxylan, rhodymenan and xylotetraose, and conversion of MeGlcA to its methyl ester or its reduction to MeGlc led to a remarkable drop in their specific activity. However, some GH30-8 members are nonspecific xylanases effectively hydrolyzing all tested substrates. In terms of catalytic activities, the GH30-7 subfamily is much more diverse. In addition to specific glucuronoxylanases, the GH30-7 subfamily contains nonspecific endoxylanases and predominantly exo-acting enzymes. The activity of GH30-7 specific glucuronoxylanases also depend on the presence of the MeGlcA carboxyl, but not so strictly as in bacterial enzymes. The modification of the carboxyl group of glucuronoxylan had only weak effect on the action of predominantly exo-acting enzymes, as well as nonspecific xylanases. Rhodymenan and xylotetraose were the best substrates for exo-acting enzymes, while arabinoxylan represented hardly degradable substrate for almost all tested GH30-7 enzymes. The results expand current knowledge on the catalytic properties of this relatively novel group of xylanases.