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Two Alginate Lyases from Polysaccharide Lyase Family 44 Exhibited Diversity in Substrate Specificity
Jiajing Li1,2, Jinhang Zhou1, Menghui Sun1
1State Key Laboratory of Marine Food Processing & Safety Control, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean, University of China, 1299 Sansha Road, Qingdao 266404, China.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|February 25, 2026
Summary
Two novel alginate lyases (Aly44An and Aly44Pa) from polysaccharide lyase family 44 were characterized. Aly44An is M-preferred, while Aly44Pa is M-specific, offering distinct applications in alginate biodegradation.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Enzymology
- Marine Biotechnology
Background:
- Alginate lyases are crucial enzymes for alginate biodegradation and the production of valuable oligosaccharides.
- The polysaccharide lyase family 44 (PL44) is a newly constructed family with limited characterization of its members.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize two novel alginate lyases, Aly44An and Aly44Pa, from the PL44 family.
- To elucidate their substrate specificity, enzymatic activity, and degradation patterns.
- To explore their potential applications in alginate research and industry.
Main Methods:
- Enzyme activity assays using alginate, polyM, and polyG substrates.
- Product analysis of enzymatic degradation using techniques like HPLC.
- Molecular dynamics simulations to understand enzyme-substrate interactions.
Main Results:
- Aly44An showed high activity and conversion efficiency for polyM, and also degraded alginate and polyG.
- Aly44Pa exhibited activity solely on alginate and polyM.
- Aly44An produced a wider range of oligosaccharides including ΔG, ΔM, ΔGG, ΔGM, ΔMG, ΔGGG, and ΔMM, indicating M-preference.
- Aly44Pa yielded ΔM, ΔMG, and ΔMM, confirming its M-specificity.
- Both enzymes acted in a random endo-fashion, with Aly44An producing products of lower polymerization degree.
Conclusions:
- Aly44An and Aly44Pa are distinct alginate lyases within the PL44 family, with differing substrate specificities (M-preferred vs. M-specific).
- Their unique degradation mechanisms and product profiles offer diverse opportunities for alginate research and biotechnological applications.
- Further characterization of PL44 family enzymes will advance alginate biodegradation and oligosaccharide preparation strategies.
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