Structure-function relationships in the catalytic and starch binding domains of glucoamylase

Sixteen primary sequences from five sub-families of fungal, yeast and bacterial glucoamylases were related to structural information from the model of the catalytic domain of Aspergillus awamori var. X100 glucoamylase obtained by protein crystallography. This domain is composed of thirteen alpha-helices, with five conserved regions defining the active site. Interactions between methyl alpha-maltoside and active site residues were modelled, and the importance of these residues on the catalytic action of different glucoamylases was shown by their presence in each primary sequence. The overall structure of the starch binding domain of some fungal glucoamylases was determined based on homology to the C-terminal domains of Bacillus cyclodextrin glucosyl-transferases. Crystallography indicated that this domain contains 6-8 beta-strands and homology allowed the attribution of a disulfide bridge in the glucoamylase starch binding domain. Glucoamylase residues Thr525, Asn530 and Trp560, homologous to Bacillus stearothermophilus cyclodextrin glucosyltransferase residues binding to maltose in the C-terminal domain, could be involved in raw-starch binding. The structure and length of the linker region between the catalytic and starch binding domains in fungal glucoamylases can vary substantially, a further indication of the functional independence of the two domains.