Tagaturonate-fructuronate epimerase UxaE, a novel enzyme in the hexuronate catabolic network in Thermotoga maritima.

ABSTRACT: Thermotoga maritima is a marine hyperthermophilic microorganism that degrades a wide range of simple and complex carbohydrates including pectin and produces fermentative hydrogen at high yield. Galacturonate and glucuronate, two abundant hexuronic acids in pectin and xylan, respectively, are catabolized via committed metabolic pathways to supply carbon and energy for a variety of microorganisms. By a combination of bioinformatics and experimental techniques we identified a novel enzyme family (named UxaE) catalysing a previously unknown reaction in the hexuronic acid catabolic pathway, epimerization of tagaturonate to fructuronate. The enzymatic activity of the purified recombinant tagaturonate epimerase from T. maritima was directly confirmed and kinetically characterized. Its function wa

SUBMITTER: Rodionova IA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4505799 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature