Discovery and characterization of a new family of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are a recently discovered class of enzymes capable of oxidizing recalcitrant polysaccharides. They are attracting considerable attention owing to their potential use in biomass conversion, notably in the production of biofuels. Previous studies have identified two discrete sequence-based families of these enzymes termed AA9 (formerly GH61) and AA10 (formerly CBM33). Here, we report the discovery of a third family of LPMOs. Using a chitin-degrading exemplar from Aspergillus oryzae, we show that the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme shares some features of the previous two classes of LPMOs, including a copper active center featuring the 'histidine brace' active site, but is distinct in terms of its active site details and its EPR spectroscopy. The newly characterized AA11 family expands the LPMO clan, potentially broadening both the range of potential substrates and the types of reactive copper-oxygen species formed at the active site of LPMOs

NMR structure of a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase provides insight into copper binding, protein dynamics, and substrate interactions

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases currently classified as carbohydrate binding module family 33 (CBM33) and glycoside hydrolase family 61 (GH61) are likely to play important roles in future biorefining. However, the molecular basis of their unprecedented catalytic activity remains largely unknown. We have used NMR techniques and isothermal titration calorimetry to address structural and functional aspects of CBP21, a chitin-active CBM33. NMR structural and relaxation studies showed that CBP21 is a compact and rigid molecule, and the only exception is the catalytic metal binding site. NMR data further showed that His28 and His114 in the catalytic center bind a variety of divalent metal ions with a clear preference for Cu(2+) (K(d) = 55 nM; from isothermal titration calorimetry) and higher preference for Cu(1+) (K(d) ∼ 1 nM; from the experimentally determined redox potential for CBP21-Cu(2+) of 275 mV using a thermodynamic cycle). Strong binding of Cu(1+) was also reflected in a reduction in the pK(a) values of the histidines by 3.6 and 2.2 pH units, respectively. Cyanide, a mimic of molecular oxygen, was found to bind to the metal ion only. These data support a model where copper is reduced on the enzyme by an externally provided electron and followed by oxygen binding and activation by internal electron transfer. Interactions of CBP21 with a crystalline substrate were mapped in a (2)H/(1)H exchange experiment, which showed that substrate binding involves an extended planar binding surface, including the metal binding site. Such a planar catalytic surface seems well-suited to interact with crystalline substrates