Pyranose Dehydrogenase Research Articles

A Versatile Bioanode with Improved Current Density and the Coulombic Efficiency through a Cascade Reaction

To improve communications between enzymes and electrodes, many different methods were developed including the use of diffusional electron mediators, the “wiring” of enzymes through immobilization in redox polymers, the functionalization of enzymes with electron relays, and the use of nanomaterials. Recently a new promising strategy was reported, in which the glycoprotein glucose oxidase (GOx) was directly electrically contacted with the electrodes after removal of the glycosylating layer. Although a lot of advances in the electrical communication between enzymes and electrodes has made it possible to fabricate new biosensors and biofuel cells, the technologies still face challenging issues, such as development of long-term stable miniaturized implantable amperometric biosensors and biofuel cells. Our approach to the development of a glucose biofuel cell anode is based on the combination of different redox enzymes with complementary oxidation positions thus forming a reaction cascade to oxidize the substrate at more than one position. Improvements in current density and coulombic efficiency of a glucose oxidizing electrode were realized by a combination of pyranose dehydrogenase from Agaricus meleagris (AmPDH) with either glucose dehydrogenase from Glomerella cingulata (GcGDH) or cellobiose dehydrogenase from Myriococcum thermophilum (MtCDH). The mixed enzyme electrode oxidizes glucose in several combinations at the C-1, C-2 and C-3 positions of the pyranose ring. This concerted action of enzymes increases (i) the coulombic efficiency by extracting more than 2 e- per substrate molecule and (ii) the current density of the electrode when the mass-transfer of substrates becomes rate limiting. The electrodes were investigated with flow injection analysis (FIA) using different substrates under physiological conditions (pH 7.4). These investigations showed that the product of one enzyme can be used as substrate for the other enzyme and maximally 6 e- can be gained from the oxidation of one glucose molecule using mixed enzyme electrodes like AmPDHb/GcGDH/Os-polymer 2 or the AmPDHa/MtCDH/Os-polymer 1. We propose a bioanode for use in biofuel cells with an increased current density and coulombic efficiency obtained by a cascade reaction catalyzed by redox enzymes with a different site-specificity for glucose.

Deep Oxidation of Multiple (Poly)Saccharides at a Bi-Enzymatic Bioelectrode

As perhaps the most commonly utilized fuel for enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs), glucose oxidation is largely under-exploited. Theoretically, the oxidation of glucose and its downstream metabolites is able to deliver a maximum of 24e- to a bioanode, however the vast majority of EFCs reported to date only perform a single 2e- oxidation of glucose. Commercially available glucose oxidase (GOx) from Aspergillus sp. oxidizes the anomeric (C1) carbon of glucose. Recently, mediated bioelectrocatalysis of pyranose dehydrogenase from Agaricus meleagris (AmPDH) via an osmium redox hydrogel has been demonstrated, whereby AmPDH is reported to be able to oxidize glucose and other saccharides at combinations of their respective C1/C2/C3 positions.1 Another attractive property of an EFC is the ability to utilize a single biocatalyst to oxidize a range of fuels. We recently reported the use of an engineered commercially-available glucose oxidase with broader substrate specificity at an electrode surface that resulted in an EFC configuration that was able to oxidize multiple (poly)saccharides, including lactose from dairy milk and starch.2 This study reports the ability of a ferrocene redox hydrogel to mediate bioelectrocatalytic saccharide oxidation by AmPDH. Further, AmPDH and broad substrate specificity glucose oxidase were combined to yield an EFC that was able to operate on multiple (poly)saccharides while theoretically increasing the extent of oxidation of each substrate, resulting in a more-versatile EFC with greater efficiency.

Fully Enzymatic Membraneless Glucose|Oxygen Fuel Cell That Provides 0.275 mA cm(-2) in 5 mM Glucose, Operates in Human Physiological Solutions, and Powers Transmission of Sensing Data.

Coimmobilization of pyranose dehydrogenase as an enzyme catalyst, osmium redox polymers [Os(4,4'-dimethoxy-2,2'-bipyridine)2(poly(vinylimidazole))10Cl](+) or [Os(4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine)2(poly(vinylimidazole))10Cl](+) as mediators, and carbon nanotube conductive scaffolds in films on graphite electrodes provides enzyme electrodes for glucose oxidation. The recombinant enzyme and a deglycosylated form, both expressed in Pichia pastoris, are investigated and compared as biocatalysts for glucose oxidation using flow injection amperometry and voltammetry. In the presence of 5 mM glucose in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (50 mM phosphate buffer solution, pH 7.4, with 150 mM NaCl), higher glucose oxidation current densities, 0.41 mA cm(-2), are obtained from enzyme electrodes containing the deglycosylated form of the enzyme. The optimized glucose-oxidizing anode, prepared using deglycosylated enzyme coimmobilized with [Os(4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine)2(poly(vinylimidazole))10Cl](+) and carbon nanotubes, was coupled with an oxygen-reducing bilirubin oxidase on gold nanoparticle dispersed on gold electrode as a biocathode to provide a membraneless fully enzymatic fuel cell. A maximum power density of 275 μW cm(-2) is obtained in 5 mM glucose in PBS, the highest to date under these conditions, providing sufficient power to enable wireless transmission of a signal to a data logger. When tested in whole human blood and unstimulated human saliva maximum power densities of 73 and 6 μW cm(-2) are obtained for the same fuel cell configuration, respectively.

Transcription analysis of pyranose dehydrogenase from the basidiomycete Agaricus bisporus and characterization of the recombinantly expressed enzyme

Agaricus bisporus is a litter degrading basidiomycete commonly found in humic-rich environments. It is used as model organism and cultivated in large scale for food industry. Due to its ecological niche it produces a variety of enzymes for detoxification and degradation of humified plant litter. One of these, pyranose dehydrogenase, is thought to play a role in detoxification and lignocellulose degradation. It is a member of the glucose-methanol-choline family of flavin-dependent enzymes and oxidizes a wide range of sugars with concomitant reduction of electron acceptors like quinones.In this work, transcription of pdh in A. bisporus was investigated with real-time PCR revealing influence of the carbon source on pdh expression levels. The gene was isolated and heterologously expressed in Pichia pastoris. Characterization of the recombinant enzyme showed a higher affinity towards disaccharides compared to other tested pyranose dehydrogenases from related Agariceae. Homology modeling and sequence alignments indicated that two loops of high sequence variability at substrate access site could play an important role in modulating these substrate specificities.

Reaction of pyranose dehydrogenase from Agaricusmeleagris with its carbohydrate substrates.

Monomeric Agaricus meleagris pyranose dehydrogenase (Am PDH) belongs to the glucose–methanol–choline family of oxidoreductases. An FAD cofactor is covalently tethered to His103 of the enzyme. Am PDH can double oxidize various mono‐ and oligosaccharides at different positions (C1 to C4). To study the structure/function relationship of selected active‐site residues of Am PDH pertaining to substrate (carbohydrate) turnover in more detail, several active‐site variants were generated, heterologously expressed in Pichia pastoris, and characterized by biochemical, biophysical and computational means. The crystal structure of Am PDH shows two active‐site histidines, both of which could take on the role as the catalytic base in the reductive half‐reaction. Steady‐state kinetics revealed that His512 is the only catalytic base because H512A showed a reduction in (k cat/KM)glucose by a factor of 105, whereas this catalytic efficiency was reduced by two or three orders of magnitude for His556 variants (H556A, H556N). This was further corroborated by transient‐state kinetics, where a comparable decrease in the reductive rate constant was observed for H556A, whereas the rate constant for the oxidative half‐reaction (using benzoquinone as substrate) was increased for H556A compared to recombinant wild‐type Am PDH. Steady‐state kinetics furthermore indicated that Gln392, Tyr510, Val511 and His556 are important for the catalytic efficiency of PDH. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and free energy calculations were used to predict d‐glucose oxidation sites, which were validated by GC‐MS measurements. These simulations also suggest that van der Waals interactions are the main driving force for substrate recognition and binding.

A survey of genes encoding H2O2-producing GMC oxidoreductases in 10 Polyporales genomes

The genomes of three representative Polyporales (Bjerkandera adusta, Phlebia brevispora and a member of the Ganoderma lucidum complex) recently were sequenced to expand our knowledge on the diversity and distribution of genes involved in degradation of plant polymers in this Basidiomycota order, which includes most wood-rotting fungi. Oxidases, including members of the glucose-methanol-choline (GMC) oxidoreductase superfamily, play a central role in the above degradative process because they generate extracellular H2O2 acting as the ultimate oxidizer in both white-rot and brown-rot decay. The survey was completed by analyzing the GMC genes in the available genomes of seven more species to cover the four Polyporales clades. First, an in silico search for sequences encoding members of the aryl-alcohol oxidase, glucose oxidase, methanol oxidase, pyranose oxidase, cellobiose dehydrogenase and pyranose dehydrogenase families was performed. The curated sequences were subjected to an analysis of their evolutionary relationships, followed by estimation of gene duplication/reduction history during fungal evolution. Second, the molecular structures of the near one hundred GMC oxidoreductases identified were modeled to gain insight into their structural variation and expected catalytic properties. In contrast to ligninolytic peroxidases, whose genes are present in all white-rot Polyporales genomes and absent from those of brown-rot species, the H2O2-generating oxidases are widely distributed in both fungal types. This indicates that the GMC oxidases provide H2O2 for both ligninolytic peroxidase activity (in white-rot decay) and Fenton attack on cellulose (in brown-rot decay), after the transition between both decay patterns in Polyporales occurred.

A Versatile Bioanode with Improved Current Density and the Coulombic Efficiency through a Cascade Reaction

To improve communications between enzymes and electrodes, many different methods were developed including the use of diffusional electron mediators, the “wiring” of enzymes through immobilization in redox polymers, the functionalization of enzymes with electron relays, and the use of nanomaterials. Recently a new promising strategy was reported, in which the glycoprotein glucose oxidase (GOx) was directly electrically contacted with the electrodes after removal of the glycosylating layer. Although a lot of advances in the electrical communication between enzymes and electrodes has made it possible to fabricate new biosensors and biofuel cells, the technologies still face challenging issues, such as development of long-term stable miniaturized implantable amperometric biosensors and biofuel cells. Our approach to the development of a glucose biofuel cell anode is based on the combination of different redox enzymes with complementary oxidation positions thus forming a reaction cascade to oxidize the substrate at more than one position. Improvements in current density and coulombic efficiency of a glucose oxidizing electrode were realized by a combination of pyranose dehydrogenase from Agaricus meleagris (AmPDH) with either glucose dehydrogenase from Glomerella cingulata (GcGDH) or cellobiose dehydrogenase from Myriococcum thermophilum (MtCDH). The mixed enzyme electrode oxidizes glucose in several combinations at the C-1, C-2 and C-3 positions of the pyranose ring. This concerted action of enzymes increases (i) the coulombic efficiency by extracting more than 2 e- per substrate molecule and (ii) the current density of the electrode when the mass-transfer of substrates becomes rate limiting. The electrodes were investigated with flow injection analysis (FIA) using different substrates under physiological conditions (pH 7.4). These investigations showed that the product of one enzyme can be used as substrate for the other enzyme and maximally 6 e- can be gained from the oxidation of one glucose molecule using mixed enzyme electrodes like AmPDHb/GcGDH/Os-polymer 2 or the AmPDHa/MtCDH/Os-polymer 1. We propose a bioanode for use in biofuel cells with an increased current density and coulombic efficiency obtained by a cascade reaction catalyzed by redox enzymes with a different site-specificity for glucose. Key words: Bio-anode, glucose dehydrogenase, Os-polymers, pyranose dehydrogenase, cellobiose dehydrogenase, coulombic efficiency

Characterization of a novel PQQ-dependent quinohemoprotein pyranose dehydrogenase from Coprinopsis cinerea classified into auxiliary activities family 12 in carbohydrate-active enzymes.

The basidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea contains a quinohemoprotein (CcPDH named as CcSDH in our previous paper), which is a new type of pyrroloquinoline-quinone (PQQ)-dependent pyranose dehydrogenase and is the first found among all eukaryotes. This enzyme has a three-domain structure consisting of an N-terminal heme b containing a cytochrome domain that is homologous to the cytochrome domain of cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH; EC 1.1.99.18) from the wood-rotting basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium, a C-terminal family 1-type carbohydrate-binding module, and a novel central catalytic domain containing PQQ as a cofactor. Here, we describe the biochemical and electrochemical characterization of recombinant CcPDH. UV-vis and resonance Raman spectroscopic studies clearly reveal characteristics of a 6-coordinated low-spin heme b in both the ferric and ferrous states, as well as intramolecular electron transfer from the PQQ to heme b. Moreover, the formal potential of the heme was evaluated to be 130 mV vs. NHE by cyclic voltammetry. These results indicate that the cytochrome domain of CcPDH possesses similar biophysical properties to that in CDH. A comparison of the conformations of monosaccharides as substrates and the associated catalytic efficiency (k cat/K m) of CcPDH indicates that the enzyme prefers monosaccharides with equatorial C-2, C-3 hydroxyl groups and an axial C-4 hydroxyl group in the 1C4 chair conformation. Furthermore, a binding study shows a high binding affinity of CcPDH for cellulose, suggesting that CcPDH function is related to the enzymatic degradation of plant cell wall.

Engineering of pyranose dehydrogenase for application to enzymatic anodes in biofuel cells.

In the search for improved glucose oxidising enzymes for biofuel cells, a number of Agaricus meleagris (Am) pyranose dehydrogenase mutants (mPDHs) exhibiting different degrees of glycosylation were produced using site-directed mutagenesis and electrochemically characterised. The response of electrodes modified with different mPDHs is compared in a mediated electron transfer mode, where the electrodes are modified with each of the mutants covalently attached to redox polymers based on polyvinylimidazole-bound osmium complexes using a cross-linking agent. Coating of each of the enzymes onto the graphite electrode surface is also used to screen for their capacity for direct electron transfer. The double mutant PDH exhibits the highest response to glucose at physiological pH in both direct and mediated electron transfer modes, producing a Jmax of ≈800 μA cm(-2) at room temperature and when "wired" to the Os-polymer having the highest formal potential. From the results obtained the double mPDH is proposed as the most suitable candidate for application to bioanode fabrication.

Bioelectrochemical Behavior of the Composite PVP-Os/chitosan as a Mediator with Different Types of Enzymes at Graphite Electrode

Chitosan was cross-linked to an osmium redox polymer, poly(4-vinylpyridine) osmium bipyridyl [PVP-Os-(bpy)2-Cl], to form PVP-Os-(bpy)2-Cl/chitosan composite known to make a porous and hydrophilic film with an enzyme. In this work we demonstrate such a composite is a useful trestle, for hosting various sugars oxidizing enzymes to construct biosensors. Glucose sensing ability has been proven with the following glucose oxidizing redox enzymes; Aspergillus niger glucose oxidase (AnGOX), Myriococcum thermophilum cellobiose dehydrogenase, (MtCDH), glycosylated Agaricus meleagris pyranose dehydrogenase (gAmPDH), fragmented deglycosylated Agaricus meleagris pyranose dehydrogenase (fdgAmPDH), and Aspergillus sp. glucose dehydrogenase (AspGDH), as well as recombinant Glomerella cingulata glucose dehydrogenase (rGcGDH).

Pyranose dehydrogenase ligand promiscuity: a generalized approach to simulate monosaccharide solvation, binding, and product formation.

The flavoenzyme pyranose dehydrogenase (PDH) from the litter decomposing fungus Agaricus meleagris oxidizes many different carbohydrates occurring during lignin degradation. This promiscuous substrate specificity makes PDH a promising catalyst for bioelectrochemical applications. A generalized approach to simulate all 32 possible aldohexopyranoses in the course of one or a few molecular dynamics (MD) simulations is reported. Free energy calculations according to the one-step perturbation (OSP) method revealed the solvation free energies (ΔGsolv) of all 32 aldohexopyranoses in water, which have not yet been reported in the literature. The free energy difference between β- and α-anomers (ΔGβ-α) of all d-stereoisomers in water were compared to experimental values with a good agreement. Moreover, the free-energy differences (ΔG) of the 32 stereoisomers bound to PDH in two different poses were calculated from MD simulations. The relative binding free energies (ΔΔGbind) were calculated and, where available, compared to experimental values, approximated from K m values. The agreement was very good for one of the poses, in which the sugars are positioned in the active site for oxidation at C1 or C2. Distance analysis between hydrogens of the monosaccharide and the reactive N5-atom of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) revealed that oxidation is possible at HC1 or HC2 for pose A, and at HC3 or HC4 for pose B. Experimentally detected oxidation products could be rationalized for the majority of monosaccharides by combining ΔΔGbind and a reweighted distance analysis. Furthermore, several oxidation products were predicted for sugars that have not yet been tested experimentally, directing further analyses. This study rationalizes the relationship between binding free energies and substrate promiscuity in PDH, providing novel insights for its applicability in bioelectrochemistry. The results suggest that a similar approach could be applied to study promiscuity of other enzymes.

Agaricus meleagris pyranose dehydrogenase: Influence of covalent FAD linkage on catalysis and stability

Pyranose dehydrogenase (PDH) is a monomeric flavoprotein belonging to the glucose–methanol–choline (GMC) family of oxidoreductases. It catalyzes the oxidation of free, non-phosphorylated sugars to the corresponding keto sugars. The enzyme harbors an FAD cofactor that is covalently attached to histidine 103 via an 8α-N(3) histidyl linkage. Our previous work showed that variant H103Y was still able to bind FAD (non-covalently) and perform catalysis but steady-state kinetic parameters for several substrates were negatively affected. In order to investigate the impact of the covalent FAD attachment in Agaricus meleagris PDH in more detail, pre-steady-state kinetics, reduction potential and stability of the variant H103Y in comparison to the wild-type enzyme were probed. Stopped-flow analysis revealed that the mutation slowed down the reductive half-reaction by around three orders of magnitude whereas the oxidative half-reaction was affected only to a minor degree. This was reflected by a decrease in the standard reduction potential of variant H103Y compared to the wild-type protein. The existence of an anionic semiquinone radical in the resting state of both the wild-type and variant H103Y was demonstrated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and suggested a higher mobility of the cofactor in the variant H103Y. Unfolding studies showed significant negative effects of the disruption of the covalent bond on thermal and conformational stability. The results are discussed with respect to the role of covalently bound FAD in catalysis and stability.

Engineering of Pyranose Dehydrogenase for Increased Oxygen Reactivity

Pyranose dehydrogenase (PDH), a member of the GMC family of flavoproteins, shows a very broad sugar substrate specificity but is limited to a narrow range of electron acceptors and reacts extremely slowly with dioxygen as acceptor. The use of substituted quinones or (organo)metals as electron acceptors is undesirable for many production processes, especially of food ingredients. To improve the oxygen reactivity, site-saturation mutagenesis libraries of twelve amino acids around the active site of Agaricus meleagris PDH were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We established high-throughput screening assays for oxygen reactivity and standard dehydrogenase activity using an indirect Amplex Red/horseradish peroxidase and a DCIP/D-glucose based approach. The low number of active clones confirmed the catalytic role of H512 and H556. Only one position was found to display increased oxygen reactivity. Histidine 103, carrying the covalently linked FAD cofactor in the wild-type, was substituted by tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and methionine. Variant H103Y was produced in Pichia pastoris and characterized and revealed a five-fold increase of the oxygen reactivity.

Convenient microtiter plate‐based, oxygen‐independent activity assays for flavin‐dependent oxidoreductases based on different redox dyes

Flavin-dependent oxidoreductases are increasingly recognized as important biocatalysts for various industrial applications. In order to identify novel activities and to improve these enzymes in engineering approaches, suitable screening methods are necessary. We developed novel microtiter-plate-based assays for flavin-dependent oxidases and dehydrogenases using redox dyes as electron acceptors for these enzymes. 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol, methylene green, and thionine show absorption changes between their oxidized and reduced forms in the visible range, making it easy to judge visually changes in activity. A sample set of enzymes containing both flavoprotein oxidases and dehydrogenases – pyranose 2-oxidase, pyranose dehydrogenase, cellobiose dehydrogenase, d-amino acid oxidase, and l-lactate oxidase – was selected. Assays for these enzymes are based on a direct enzymatic reduction of the redox dyes and not on the coupled detection of a reaction product as in the frequently used assays based on hydrogen peroxide formation. The different flavoproteins show low Michaelis constants with these electron acceptor substrates, and therefore these dyes need to be added in only low concentrations to assure substrate saturation. In conclusion, these electron acceptors are useful in selective, reliable and cheap MTP-based screening assays for a range of flavin-dependent oxidoreductases, and offer a robust method for library screening, which could find applications in enzyme engineering programs.

Further insights into the catalytical properties of deglycosylated pyranose dehydrogenase from Agaricus meleagris recombinantly expressed in Pichia pastoris.

The present study focuses on fragmented deglycosylated pyranose dehydrogenase (fdgPDH) from Agaricus meleagris recombinantly expressed in Pichia pastoris. Fragmented deglycosylated PDH is formed from the deglycosylated enzyme (dgPDH) when it spontaneously loses a C-terminal fragment when stored in a buffer solution at 4 °C. The remaining larger fragment has a molecular weight of ∼46 kDa and exhibits higher volumetric activity for glucose oxidation compared with the deglycosylated and glycosylated (gPDH) forms of PDH. Flow injection amperometry and cyclic voltammetry were used to assess and compare the catalytic activity of the three investigated forms of PDH, “wired” to graphite electrodes with two different osmium redox polymers: [Os(4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine)2(poly(vinylimidazole))10Cl]+ [Os(dmbpy)PVI] and [Os(4,4′-dimethoxy-2,2′-bipyridine)2(poly-(vinylimidazole))10Cl]+ [Os(dmobpy)PVI]. When “wired” with Os(dmbpy)PVI, the graphite electrodes modified with fdgPDH showed a pronounced increase in the current density with Jmax 13- and 6-fold higher than that observed for gPDH- and dgPDH-modified electrodes, making the fragmented enzyme extraordinarily attractive for further biotechnological applications. An easier access of the substrate to the active site and improved communication between the enzyme and mediator matrix are suggested as the two main reasons for the excellent performance of the fdgPDH when compared with that of gPDH and dgPDH. Three of the four glycosites in PDH: N75, N175, and N252 were assigned using mass spectrometry in conjunction with endoglycosidase treatment and tryptic digestion. Determination of the asparagine residues carrying carbohydrate moieties in PDH can serve as a solid background for production of recombinant enzyme lacking glycosylation.

Effect of deglycosylation on the mediated electrocatalytic activity of recombinantly expressed Agaricus meleagris pyranose dehydrogenase wired by osmium redox polymer

The effect of deglycosylation of pyranose dehydrogenase (PDH) obtained from Agaricus meleagris (Am) and recombinantly expressed in Pichia pastoris on its electrocatalytic activity was investigated. Glycosylated (gAmPDH) and deglycosylated PDH (dgAmPDH) were immobilised on spectrographic graphite (G) simultaneously with an osmium redox polymer (Os-RP) using poly(ethylene glycol)(400) diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE) as cross-linking agent. The amperometric response to glucose, recorded at G/(Os-RP)-gAmPDH and G/(Os-RP)-dgAmPDH bioelectrodes, was optimised under flow injection conditions concerning the applied potential, enzyme loading, working pH and flow rate. The G/(Os-RP)-dgAmPDH bioelectrode is characterised by better kinetic and electroanalytical parameters compared with the G/(Os-RP)-gAmPDH bioelectrode: (i) a higher value of the maximum catalytic current density, jmax=(146.6±2.6)μAcm−2vs. jmax=(80.9±1.9)μAcm−2; (ii) a lower value of the apparent Michaelis–Menten constant, KMapp=2.4±0.1⁡mMvs. KMapp=7.5±0.3⁡mM; (iii) a higher slope of the linear domain, (43.6±1.1)μAcm−2mM−1vs. (9.74±0.16)μAcm−2mM−1. Additionally, the time dependent decay of the amperometric response to glucose shows a slightly better operational stability for the G/(Os-RP)-dgAmPDH bioelectrode than that for the G/(Os-RP)-gAmPDH. The enzyme deglycosylation induces significant changes in the order of substrate selectivity for gAmPDH and dgAmPDH.

Pyranose Dehydrogenase from Agaricus campestris and Agaricus xanthoderma: Characterization and Applications in Carbohydrate Conversions.

Pyranose dehydrogenase (PDH) is a flavin-dependent sugar oxidoreductase that is limited to a rather small group of litter-degrading basidiomycetes. The enzyme is unable to utilize oxygen as an electron acceptor, using substituted benzoquinones and (organo) metal ions instead. PDH displays a broad substrate specificity and intriguing variations in regioselectivity, depending on substrate, enzyme source and reaction conditions. In contrast to the related enzyme pyranose 2-oxidase (POx), PDHs from several sources are capable of oxidizing α- or β-1→4-linked di- and oligosaccharides, including lactose. PDH from A. xanthoderma is able to perform C-1 and C-2 oxidation, producing, in addition to lactobionic acid, 2-dehydrolactose, an intermediate for the production of lactulose, whereas PDH from A. campestris oxidizes lactose nearly exclusively at the C-1 position. In this work, we present the isolation of PDH-encoding genes from A. campestris (Ac) and A. xanthoderma (Ax) and a comparison of other so far isolated PDH-sequences. Secretory overexpression of both enzymes in Pichia pastoris was successful when using their native signal sequences with yields of 371 U·L−1 for AxPDH and 35 U·L−1 for AcPDH. The pure enzymes were characterized biochemically and tested for applications in carbohydrate conversion reactions of industrial relevance.

Improving the Current Density and the Coulombic Efficiency by a Cascade Reaction of Glucose Oxidizing Enzymes

Improvements in current density and coulombic efficiency of a glucose oxidizing electrode were realized by a combination of pyranose dehydrogenase from Agaricus meleagris (AmPDH) with glucose dehydrogenase from Glomerella cingulata (GcGDH). The mixed enzyme electrode oxidizes glucose in several combinations at the C-1, C-2 and C-3 positions of the pyranose ring. This concerted action of enzymes increases (i) the coulombic efficiency by extracting more than 2e- per substrate molecule and (ii) the current density of the electrode when the mass-transfer of substrates becomes rate limiting. The electrodes were investigated with flow injection analysis (FIA) using different substrates under physiological conditions (pH 7.4). These investigations showed that the product of one enzyme can be used as substrate for the other enzyme and maximally 6e- can be gained from the oxidation of one glucose molecule using mixed enzyme electrode AmPDH/GcGDH/Os-polymer. We propose a bioanode for use in biofuel cells with an increased current density and coulombic efficiency obtained by a cascade reaction catalyzed by redox enzymes with a different site-specificity for glucose.

Optimization of a Membraneless Glucose/Oxygen Enzymatic Fuel Cell Based on a Bioanode with High Coulombic Efficiency and Current Density

After initial testing and optimization of anode biocatalysts, a membraneless glucose/oxygen enzymatic biofuel cell possessing high coulombic efficiency and power output was fabricated and characterized. Two sugar oxidizing enzymes, namely, pyranose dehydrogenase from Agaricus meleagris (AmPDH) and flavodehydrogenase domains of various cellobiose dehydrogenases (DH(CDH)) were tested during the pre-screening. The enzymes were mixed, "wired" and entrapped in a low-potential Os-complex-modified redox-polymer hydrogel immobilized on graphite. This anode was used in combination with a cathode based on bilirubin oxidase from Myrothecium verrucaria adsorbed on graphite. Optimization showed that the current density for the mixed enzyme electrode could be further improved by using a genetically engineered variant of the non-glycosylated flavodehydrogenase domain of cellobiose dehydrogenase from Corynascus thermophilus expressed in E. coli (ngDH(CtCDHC310Y)) with a high glucose-turnover rate in combination with an Os-complex-modified redox polymer with a high concentration of Os complexes as well as a low-density graphite electrode. The optimized biofuel cell with the AmPDH/ngDH(CtCDHC310Y) anode showed not only a similar maximum voltage as with the biofuel cell based only on the ngDH(CtCDHC310Y) anode (0.55 V) but also a substantially improved maximum power output (20 μW cm(-2)) at 300 mV cell voltage in air-saturated physiological buffer. Most importantly, the estimated half-life of the mixed biofuel cell can reach up to 12 h, which is apparently longer than that of a biofuel cell in which the bioanode is based on only one single enzyme.

Molecular dynamics simulations give insight into d-glucose dioxidation at C2 and C3 by Agaricus meleagris pyranose dehydrogenase

The flavin-dependent sugar oxidoreductase pyranose dehydrogenase (PDH) from the plant litter-degrading fungus Agaricus meleagris oxidizes d-glucose (GLC) efficiently at positions C2 and C3. The closely related pyranose 2-oxidase (P2O) from Trametes multicolor oxidizes GLC only at position C2. Consequently, the electron output per molecule GLC is twofold for PDH compared to P2O making it a promising catalyst for bioelectrochemistry or for introducing novel carbonyl functionalities into sugars. The aim of this study was to rationalize the mechanism of GLC dioxidation employing molecular dynamics simulations of GLC–PDH interactions. Shape complementarity through nonpolar van der Waals interactions was identified as the main driving force for GLC binding. Together with a very diverse hydrogen-bonding pattern, this has the potential to explain the experimentally observed promiscuity of PDH towards different sugars. Based on geometrical analysis, we propose a similar reaction mechanism as in P2O involving a general base proton abstraction, stabilization of the transition state, an alkoxide intermediate, through interaction with a protonated catalytic histidine followed by a hydride transfer to the flavin N5 atom. Our data suggest that the presence of the two potential catalytic bases His-512 and His-556 increases the versatility of the enzyme, by employing the most suitably oriented base depending on the substrate and its orientation in the active site. Our findings corroborate and rationalize the experimentally observed dioxidation of GLC by PDH and its promiscuity towards different sugars.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10822-013-9645-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.