Targeted metagenomics – Enrichment for enzymes active on sulfated polysaccharides from seaweeds
(2025) In Enzyme and Microbial Technology 182.- Abstract
Seaweeds (macroalgae) are an attractive resource for diverse microbial- and enzymatic production processes. They are abundant, underutilized, cheap, and rich in carbohydrates, and therefore have the potential to be used as a source of mono- or oligosaccharides, and as substrates for industrial fermentation processes. Many seaweed polysaccharides, including the sulfated polysaccharides ulvan and fucoidan, are however complex and heterogenous in structure, and there are currently few enzymes available to modify them, and understanding of their enzymatic depolymerization remains limited. The present study aimed to identify and characterize robust fucoidanases and ulvan lyases. Metagenomes were obtained from microbial enrichments from an... (More)
Seaweeds (macroalgae) are an attractive resource for diverse microbial- and enzymatic production processes. They are abundant, underutilized, cheap, and rich in carbohydrates, and therefore have the potential to be used as a source of mono- or oligosaccharides, and as substrates for industrial fermentation processes. Many seaweed polysaccharides, including the sulfated polysaccharides ulvan and fucoidan, are however complex and heterogenous in structure, and there are currently few enzymes available to modify them, and understanding of their enzymatic depolymerization remains limited. The present study aimed to identify and characterize robust fucoidanases and ulvan lyases. Metagenomes were obtained from microbial enrichments from an intertidal hot-spring, genes identified that expressed putative fucoidanases and ulvan lyases, and following gene cloning and expression, the respective enzymes were screened for enzymatic activity. Consistent with their origin, the identified protein sequences were considerably divergent from previously characterized enzymes, with a 44 % average maximal sequence identity. In total, the study resulted in the characterization of 10 new fucoidanases (GH107 and GH168 families) and 8 new ulvan lyases (PL24, PL25 and PL40 families). Notably, the new fucoidanases appeared to have functional specificity towards fucoidan containing α-1,3 linked L-fucosyl and several functioned at high temperature. The study contributes a metagenomics-based approach to identify new seaweed polysaccharide degrading enzymes and an increased understanding of the diversity of such enzymes, which may have implications for the realization of biotechnology based valorization of seaweed biomass.
(Less)
- author
- Adalsteinsson, Bjorn Thor
; Guðmundsson, Hörður
; Jasilionis, Andrius
LU
; Schiøtt, Morten
; Mikkelsen, Maria Dalgaard
; Guðmundsdóttir, Elísabet Eik
; Sivakumar, Pavithra
; Malmgren, Annika
LU
; Kaushik, Tushar
; Apelqvist, Erik
; Vangsgaard, Signe
; Leblay, Rébecca
; Friðjónsson, Ólafur
; Meyer, Anne S.
; Karlsson, Eva Nordberg
LU
and Hreggviðsson, Guðmundur Óli
(Less) - organization
- publishing date
- 2025-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Fucoidanase, Polysaccharide, Seaweed, Thermophile, Ulvan lyase
- in
- Enzyme and Microbial Technology
- volume
- 182
- article number
- 110528
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:39500133
- scopus:85208033360
- ISSN
- 0141-0229
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2024.110528
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors
- id
- 29b8ea52-81ae-4337-abf0-0a175b97b692
- date added to LUP
- 2024-11-26 10:52:27
- date last changed
- 2025-07-09 05:26:08
@article{29b8ea52-81ae-4337-abf0-0a175b97b692,
abstract = {{<p>Seaweeds (macroalgae) are an attractive resource for diverse microbial- and enzymatic production processes. They are abundant, underutilized, cheap, and rich in carbohydrates, and therefore have the potential to be used as a source of mono- or oligosaccharides, and as substrates for industrial fermentation processes. Many seaweed polysaccharides, including the sulfated polysaccharides ulvan and fucoidan, are however complex and heterogenous in structure, and there are currently few enzymes available to modify them, and understanding of their enzymatic depolymerization remains limited. The present study aimed to identify and characterize robust fucoidanases and ulvan lyases. Metagenomes were obtained from microbial enrichments from an intertidal hot-spring, genes identified that expressed putative fucoidanases and ulvan lyases, and following gene cloning and expression, the respective enzymes were screened for enzymatic activity. Consistent with their origin, the identified protein sequences were considerably divergent from previously characterized enzymes, with a 44 % average maximal sequence identity. In total, the study resulted in the characterization of 10 new fucoidanases (GH107 and GH168 families) and 8 new ulvan lyases (PL24, PL25 and PL40 families). Notably, the new fucoidanases appeared to have functional specificity towards fucoidan containing α-1,3 linked L-fucosyl and several functioned at high temperature. The study contributes a metagenomics-based approach to identify new seaweed polysaccharide degrading enzymes and an increased understanding of the diversity of such enzymes, which may have implications for the realization of biotechnology based valorization of seaweed biomass.</p>}},
author = {{Adalsteinsson, Bjorn Thor and Guðmundsson, Hörður and Jasilionis, Andrius and Schiøtt, Morten and Mikkelsen, Maria Dalgaard and Guðmundsdóttir, Elísabet Eik and Sivakumar, Pavithra and Malmgren, Annika and Kaushik, Tushar and Apelqvist, Erik and Vangsgaard, Signe and Leblay, Rébecca and Friðjónsson, Ólafur and Meyer, Anne S. and Karlsson, Eva Nordberg and Hreggviðsson, Guðmundur Óli}},
issn = {{0141-0229}},
keywords = {{Fucoidanase; Polysaccharide; Seaweed; Thermophile; Ulvan lyase}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Enzyme and Microbial Technology}},
title = {{Targeted metagenomics – Enrichment for enzymes active on sulfated polysaccharides from seaweeds}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enzmictec.2024.110528}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.enzmictec.2024.110528}},
volume = {{182}},
year = {{2025}},
}