High-yield production, refolding and a molecular modelling of the catalytic module of (1,3)-beta-D-glucan (curdlan) synthase from Agrobacterium sp.

Biosynthesis of the (1,3)-beta-D: -glucan (curdlan) in Agrobacterium sp., is believed to proceed by the repetitive addition of glucosyl residues from UDP-glucose by a membrane-embedded curdlan synthase (CrdS) [UDP-glucose: (1,3)-beta-D: -glucan 3-beta-D: -glucosyltransferase; EC 2.4.1.34]. The catalytic module of CrdS (cm-CrdS) was expressed in good yield from a cDNA encoding cm-CrdS cloned into the pET-32a(+) vector, containing a coding region for thioredoxin, and from the Champion pET SUMO system that possesses a coding region of a small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) partner protein. The two DNA fusions, designated pET-32a_cm-CrdS and SUMO_cm-CrdS were expressed as chimeric proteins. High yields of inclusion bodies were produced in E. coli and these could be refolded to form soluble proteins, using a range of buffers and non-detergent sulfobetaines. A purification protocol was developed, which afforded a one-step on-column refolding and simultaneous purification of the recombinant 6xHis-tagged SUMO_cm-CrdS protein. The latter protein was digested by a specific protease to yield intact cm-CrdS in high yields. The refolded SUMO_cm-CrdS protein did not exhibit curdlan synthase activity, but showed a circular dischroism spectrum, which had an alpha/beta-type-like conformation. Amino acid sequences of tryptic fragments of the SUMO_cm-CrdS fusion and free cm-CrdS proteins, determined by MALDI/TOF confirmed that the full-length proteins were synthesized by E. coli, and that no alterations in amino acid sequences occurred. A three-dimensional model of cm-CrdS predicted the juxtaposition of highly conserved aspartates D156, D208, D210 and D304, and the QRTRW motif, which are likely to play roles in donor and acceptor substrate binding and catalysis.