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Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Characterization of Glycoproteins with the Immunoglobulin Fold by X-Ray Crystallography and Biophysical Techniques
08:58

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Published on: July 5, 2018

Crystal structure of glycosylasparaginase from Flavobacterium meningosepticum

J Xuan1, A L Tarentino, B G Grimwood

  • 1Division of Molecular Medicine, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany 12201, USA.

Protein Science : a Publication of the Protein Society
|April 16, 1998
PubMed

Insights

The crystal structure of bacterial glycosylasparaginase reveals similarities to the human enzyme but lacks disulfide bridges. This bacterial enzyme serves as a valuable model for studying human glycosylasparaginase and related diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Structural Biology
  • Enzymology

Background:

  • Glycosylasparaginase is a key enzyme in glycoprotein degradation, cleaving asparagine-N-acetylglucosamine bonds in N-linked oligosaccharides.
  • Understanding enzyme structure is crucial for elucidating function and disease mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the crystal structure of recombinant glycosylasparaginase from Flavobacterium meningosepticum.
  • To compare the structural features of the bacterial enzyme with its human counterpart.
  • To assess the utility of the bacterial enzyme as a model for functional studies.

Main Methods:

  • X-ray crystallography was employed to determine the enzyme's three-dimensional structure.
  • The crystal structure was resolved at a resolution of 2.32 angstroms.

Main Results:

  • The crystal structure of bacterial glycosylasparaginase was elucidated, revealing significant structural homology to the human enzyme.
  • Key differences include the absence of four disulfide bridges and a specific random coil domain in the bacterial enzyme.
  • The bacterial enzyme forms an (alphabeta)2-tetramer in the crystal, contrasting with its dimeric form in solution.

Conclusions:

  • The structural similarity and key differences provide insights into glycosylasparaginase function and substrate binding.
  • The bacterial enzyme's structure aids in evaluating disease-causing mutations in the human enzyme.
  • Flavobacterium meningosepticum glycosylasparaginase is a suitable model for functional analysis and drug development research.

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