Molecular Cloning of a Gene Encoding $\alpha$-L-Arabinofuranosidase from Hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima and Characterization of Its Biochemical Properties

$\alpha$-L-Arabinofuranosidase ($\alpha$-L-AFase, EC 3.2.1.55) was isolated from hyperthermophilic microorganism, Thermotoga maritima. The open reading frame (ORF) of $\alpha$-L-AFase gene is 1,455 bp long and encodes 484 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 55,265 Da. The ORF of $\alpha$-L-AFase gene was introduced into the E. coli expression vector, $_p/RSET-B, and overexpressed in E. coli BL21. The purified recombinant $\alpha$-L-AFase showed the highest activity at 10$0^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.5. The purified enzyme appeared to have no metal cofactor requirement. The Km and specific activity values of the recombinant enzyme were 0.99 mM and 1,200 U/mg on p-nitrophenyl-$\alpha$-L-arabinofuranoside. It released only L-arabinose from sugar beet arabinan, sugar beet debranched arabinan and oat spelts arabinoxylan but had no activity onarabinogalactan and gum arabic. This result suggests that L-arabinose could be produced from natural polysaccharides using this enzyme. Mutant enzymes which Glu26, Glu172 and Glu281 residues were replaced to alanine, aspartic acid or glutamine caused Kcat to decrease by a factor of between 10$^3$ and 10$^4$. Glu172 and Glu281 residues of $\alpha$-L-AFase are seemed to be the acid/base and nucleophile in catalytic reaction, respectively, and Glu26 is supposed to playa key role in substrate binding.ng.