Mechanistic Basis for Understanding the Dual Activities of the Bifunctional Azotobacter vinelandii Mannuronan C-5-Epimerase and Alginate Lyase AlgE7
Margrethe Gaardløs, Tonje Marita Bjerkan Heggeset, Anne Tøndervik, David Tezé, Birte Svensson, Helga Ertesvåg, Håvard Sletta, Finn L. Aachmann
Abstract
Postharvest valorization and upgrading of algal constituents are promising strategies in the development of a sustainable bioeconomy based on algal biomass. In this respect, alginate epimerases and lyases are valuable enzymes for tailoring the functional properties of alginate, a polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweed with numerous applications in food, medicine, and material industries. By providing a better understanding of the catalytic mechanism and of how the two enzyme actions can be altered by changes in reaction conditions, this study opens further applications of bacterial epimerases and lyases in the enzymatic tailoring of alginate polymers.